Well, we‘ve had some spooky goings on this week at the mono motorcycles workshop and some less ghoulish stories to tell. Let’s take a look at what we have welcomed through our doors this week.

Halloween horrors

Is it a coincidence that this week we came across some horrors that could have easily been avoided with a bit of simple maintenance?

We collected a Benelli 125 last week and had been advised of a horrendous rattle when riding.

On inspection there was no oil in the motor and when we undid the sump bung a dribble of black oil was all there was left.

In agreement with the customer a new motor was sourced and was fitted.

Second up was a bike that Daniel bought as a non-running Supermoto with a blown engine.

Daniel wanted to find the cause of why the engine blew up before making a decision on whether to rebuild the motor.

One thing he noticed was that bikes frame was freshly powder coated. Having seen the damage media from the blasting process can do if not cleaned out properly before, Daniel removed the frame filter to find it blocked solid with media.

The frame on the Supermoto acts as part of the oil system, reserving the oil which is then pumped around the motor. If the filter becomes blocked, the oil pressure drops causing catastrophic engine damage.

If this had gone undetected the new or freshly built motor would have undergone the same fate.

Moral of the story, if Dracula drank your blood you wouldn’t last very long. Same goes for your engine when it’s low on oil. Oil is your engines blood, the oil pump being the heart. Ether of these fail its game over.

Check your oil regularly, change it at least once a year and your engine will remain fit and healthy for years to come.

Not sure on how to check your oil? Why not book yourself on one of our maintenance sessions running through the winter months.

BMW K75 Cafe Racer

In December 2022 we had an enquiry about a motogadget installation on a custom BMW K75. The customer had purchased the Café Racer, but the previous owner had had in his words “a stab at the electrics” Our customer also said that he felt that the bike always felt like it had an electrical fault.

In December 2022 parts and prices were discussed at length and the customer said he would need to budget so we waited until his finances were in order to start the motogadget process.

A couple of months ago, our customer let us know he had the resources for the motogadget installation. However, he also let us know that the performance of the bike had deteriorated so much that it now would not start. He had tried fitting a second-hand starter motor but this did not help.

Therefore, with the booking made for the week commencing 30^th October 2023, it was agreed that we would need to have a stable and running bike before we could think about rewiring it. It was agreed that Daniel would assess the bike and getting it running well enough to start the rewiring process.

At receipt the bike’s battery had completely failed and even with a motorcycle specific jump pack, it had no life. With a new battery fitted, the bike would not turn over and the on the button, it just clicked. At this point this pointed towards another starter motor failure (maybe the SH unit had failed too)

It was agreed to put a brand-new starter motor on the K75.

Once this was fitted, the bike did start and run. However, thick black smoke billowed and continued to billow out of the exhaust. The bike was switched off. Daniel then checked the coolant level. The radiator was dry! For anyone who knows, this is not a good sign.

Daniel started to top up the coolant and it poured out of the side of the cylinder head. Without X-ray vison this process of elimination and the physical actions of the bike point to a couple of scenarios. Scenario one – the head gasket may have gone. Scenario two – there could be a crack in the head or the head may have warped.

The only way to be sure is to get the engine apart and assess from the inside out.

This is, as you can imagine, not what the customer had envisaged when he booked his beloved BMW in for rewiring.

Therefore, our customer has authorised an engine strip to assess what has caused the issues we have identified, repair the engine and then and only then start the motogadget wiring.

Triumph Speed Triple

The main job today was to install some cameras & a Datatool Evo Plus alarm system. There was already a lot of electrical gadgets on this Speed Triple RS so adding more meant we had to do a fair bit of tidying up first.

We managed to hide the alarm under a panel, camera on the front between the headlights and rear camera mounted on the indicator bracket. With all the wiring hidden, in total including wiring the alarm, sorting the cameras and tidying the whole job took 6 hours.

Triumph Trident 900

We also welcomed a Triumph Trident 900 earlier this week for fork seal replacement and to assess why the rear brake light wasn’t working. With the fork seals replaced and the brake light switch changed, the bike was able to head off home.

Triumph Speed Twin

On Friday we welcomed a lovely Triumph Speed Twin to the workshop for a pre-sale check over for DJK Motorcycles Ltd. If you are looking for top quality pre-loved motorcycles, then head over to the DJK Motorcycles website to find out more.

DJK Motorcycles have a wide range of motorcycles for sale. If they don’t have what you are looking for, their extensive industry connections can source most motorcycles based on make, model and budget.

Events

Tickets are on sale now for this years Charity Christmas Quiz in aid of SERV Wessex Blood Runners.

Doors open at 7.00pm, quiz starts at 7.30pm.

Small licensed bar and amazing raffle with incredible prizes.

Tickets are £5.00 each and all proceeds go to SERV Wessex Blood Runners.

Tickets can be purchased at the mono motorcycles workshop or over the telephone. T: 01243 576212. Purchases made over the telephone will be left at the door on the night.

Gather your teams (recommended 6-10 per team) and join us for a great evening. Quiz categories will cover general knowledge, general motorcycle themes and Christmas.

You don’t need to be a biker or even own a bike to enjoy this great evening.

Offers

Keep your hands warm this winter with our motorcycle heated grip options.

DAYTONA 4 stage integrated switch heated grips £95 + Fitting

JMP 5 stage heated grips £70 + Fitting

All of our heated grips are wired to go off with the ignition.

For more information contact Daniel or Katy on 01243 576212 /07899 654446 or email us at info@monomotorcycles.co.uk

 

Why wait until spring to service your motorcycle? Book in with us during the winter months and you will be road ready as soon as the warmer weather returns!

Contact Daniel or Katy for more information or find out more at our website.

T:01243 576212 /07899 654446 E: info@monomotorcycles.co.uk

For all your motorcycle service, repair, wiring or diagnostic needs contact Daniel or Katy on T: 01243 576212 / 07899 654446 or email us at info@monomotorcycles.co.uk