Triumph,Ducati,Honda,BSA & many more catered for @ mono motorcycles
As the mono motorcycles diary continues to fill with Triumph, Ducati, Honda, BSA,Yamaha & Suzuki all featuring heavily: we also have some extended projects starting to come together. The Buell & Kawasaki Z1000 parts are being delivered from international suppliers & the GSXR K9 new body shell is on route.
The mono motorcycles week began with the culmination of the Ducati Monster M600 recommission, with the Ducati flying through the MOT. Her owner is really pleased to have her back on the road & is already lining up his next motorcycle to join the mono motorcycles gallery.
The arrival of the stunning Canary Yellow Honda Blackbird, brought another vibrant splash of colour to the workshop. The Blackbird had previously one owner from new & had never been ridden in the rain. Her new owner brought her to mono motorcycles for a full valve clearance check, major service & new battery.
The valve clearance check procedure is not to undertaken lightly. Mathematics & an engineering mind are needed when completing valve clearance checks. The Blackbird had done 33,000 miles & didn’t look like the clearances had been done before, as all the shims had the factory marks & 8 of the 16 were out of spec.
Headstock bearings are checked as part of a major service when you book your motorcycle in with us at mono motorcycles. As you can see the manufacturers are a bit tight on grease at the factories!
Ensuring the shims are accurately aligned, is essential for optimising the engine’s performance & for prolonging the longevity of the engine. Valve Clearance checks are a major undertaking & should only be completed by a professional technician.
The Buell Firebolt XB12R crank finally returned from the Netherlands on Monday. Daniel Morris has already begun the task of rebuilding the engine & hopes to have her fully recommissioned by the end of August.
The Z1000 gears are still in transit from the USA. All other components for this rebuild are either already with us, or on route from Europe.
One of the many elements to running a successful motorcycle business, is ensuring you can tap in the global markets when searching for parts. mono motorcycles use several major parts suppliers based in the UK, who have direct access to the leading manufacturers warehouses. However, sometimes, the more rare machines require a little more digging & this is where you sometimes come up against extended lead times. Of course one of the dilemma’s herein is that, once an engine is apart & you are aware of what is needed to repair; the engine cannot be put back together. If you find yourself with a 4-6 week lead time, you will also have that motorcycle with you for this period.
Contingency planning is essential for the smooth running of an business. Knowing what you will do in the face of extended lead times on essential parts, is something which comes with knowledge & understanding. Ensuring you have the confidence to then plan in other work around the lead times of parts, helps keep the work flow constant. Furthermore, keeping customers abreast of lead times & planning, ensure your customer service policy is in action.
Mid week we welcomed a classic. The 1969 BSA Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt is in it’s original format, but had had a new wiring loom added. Daniel Morris was tasked with wiring the BSA.
A dark art for some & a task some mechanics do not feel comfortable with. With 30 years experience in the motor trade, 10 years as a Technical Advisor in the AA, logic, knowledge & patience; Daniel Morris has honed the skills required to understand the dynamics of this complex area of being a Master Motorcycle Technician.
We end our week with a lovely Triumph Tiger Sport 1050. The Triumph has only 6679 miles on the clock & was in for an interim service, ahead of her owner commencing a French trip soon.
The mono motorcycles events calendar is starting to fill up, with events stretching in to 2019 already!
We have three breakfast clubs left for this year. Our August 26th breakfast club will host a Classic Motorcycle Display, with attendees able to win rosettes in a variety of categories. We will be collecting for our chosen charity, SERV Wessex Blood Runners as well.
The big event news for 2018, is that mono motorcycles in collaboration with The Pallant Centre, Havant, are hosting a Christmas Charity Quiz on 30th November, again in aid of SERV Wessex Blood Runners.
The night promises to be a lot of fun, great quiz categories, a hamper for the winning team, raffle & bar. Thus far we have raffle prizes from DATATOOL, Sinnah Common Honey, Andy Sills Motorcycles, J&S Accessories, The Frog & Kettle, Pip & Carole Mason & mono motorcycles.
For all your motorcycling needs, contact Daniel or Katy on 01243 576 212 / 07899 654446 or through our contact page.