What have you done on your bike today?

Brass rivets……!

‘Breaking the ice with the sharp end of technology”, as they say, in the trade.

Perhaps a workshop manual is required

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Brass rivets……!

‘Breaking the ice with the sharp end of technology”, as they say, in the trade.

Perhaps a workshop manual is required

View attachment 159311
Copied and pasted.

The "grenade plate" (or spring plate) in Harley-Davidson Sportster and Big Twin EVO clutches is designed to smooth out clutch engagement, reducing "whip" or jerking. It sandwiches small springs between two plates, but the rivets often fail, causing the plate to shatter, ruin the clutch, and contaminate primary.

This is the fucker with the rivets coming out!!

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Copied and pasted.

The "grenade plate" (or spring plate) in Harley-Davidson Sportster and Big Twin EVO clutches is designed to smooth out clutch engagement, reducing "whip" or jerking. It sandwiches small springs between two plates, but the rivets often fail, causing the plate to shatter, ruin the clutch, and contaminate primary

This is the fucker with the rivets coming out!!

View attachment 159312
Ditch the hammer this is what you need for the tractor

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This is the procedure to fit the upgrade clutch pack without the grenade plate!!

 
Has always been a major put off to me, how much money you have to spend on them to get them half decent. One of my old crony mates spent a fortune changing almost everything on his Harley and then was going to do a frame upgrade as well! They have made that procedure very difficult now in NZ, custom builds are almost unheard of now.
He did, cams, pistons clutch, entire gearbox, wheels and brakes, and seat plus usual stuff like carb and coils plus all the fanboi dress up stuff. For the bike, not him! I know it is not about the money, but still…
 
Has always been a major put off to me, how much money you have to spend on them to get them half decent. One of my old crony mates spent a fortune changing almost everything on his Harley and then was going to do a frame upgrade as well! They have made that procedure very difficult now in NZ, custom builds are almost unheard of now.
He did, cams, pistons clutch, entire gearbox, wheels and brakes, and seat plus usual stuff like carb and coils plus all the fanboi dress up stuff. For the bike, not him! I know it is not about the money, but still…
Mine has had a fortune spent on it so all i'm worried about is the clutch so i will just keep reading it when riding. Any changes in gear operation and i will get into the primary and give it an upgrade if it hasn't been done but i'm hoping it has as it feels great and very smooth gear shift, other than that i don't have to spend a penny on performance as it goes like stink!!:)
 
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Mine has had a fortune spent on it so all i'm worried about is the clutch so i will jst keep reading it when riding. Any changes in gear operation and i will get into the primary and give it an upgrade if it hasn't been done but i'm hoping it has as it feels great and very smooth gear shift, other than that i don't have to spend a penny on performance as it goes like stink!!:)
Awesome, so just setting the suspension up and you're done!
 
Awesome, so just setting the suspension up and you're done!
The rear shocks have no preload at all and on it's lowest setting so more like a hardtail:), i will look into it at some point with some softer shocks!! I'm in no rush as i really like it and it's not to bad on fuel even with the 1250cc upgrade. If i did longer rides on it i would suggest to myself a onboard fuel can, they are legal and upto the task of being a safe form of fuel storage.

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Thought about riding in to work today (high in 70's), but I have to leave so early (0430) it's downright dangerous with all the traffic. Maintain speed 80+ and is not too bad, it's the random asshole weaving through traffic at 100+ that scares me. Almost got hit last week by one of these maniacs. Its not the speed, it's going that fast through congestion leaves little room for error.
 
Has always been a major put off to me, how much money you have to spend on them to get them half decent. One of my old crony mates spent a fortune changing almost everything on his Harley and then was going to do a frame upgrade as well! They have made that procedure very difficult now in NZ, custom builds are almost unheard of now.
He did, cams, pistons clutch, entire gearbox, wheels and brakes, and seat plus usual stuff like carb and coils plus all the fanboi dress up stuff. For the bike, not him! I know it is not about the money, but still…
The latest M8 117" bikes have the gearbox and cam chest upgrades already done. But just to fit a decent 2:1 exhaust, freer air cleaner and performance cam, bigger injectors, pushrod cuffs etc and have it remapped costs 4K if paying someone else to do it. If you start fitting big inch kits and performance heads (which ony come from America and you have to either have yours upgraded or send them in part exchange) you can easily double that.
Just the exhaust, cam, air cleaner and injector upgrades can take a 117" to something like 140 bhp at the wheel with 140+ ft/lb of torque. That's significant power and then you have to start looking and suspension and brake upgrades. There's no point boosting power if the chassis can't handle it.

You can very quickly find yourself going down a financial rabbit hole with Harleys. It's also cheaper and easier to do in the US than in the UK because there are vastly more parts suppliers and specialist custom workshops. In the UK it's a frustrating process trying to find the expertise and the parts you want.

People do it because you can personalise a Harley like almost no other bike but you have to want to do it because you enjoy the process in itself as much as wanting to up the performance. If you cant resist fettling for its own sake, a Harley offers endless scope. If you just want the performance out of the crate you're better off buying something else. Though it must be said, a 150+ bhp Harley with simliar numbers for torque at the wheel is a unique experience on the road. It sure as fuck isn't slow, but it's a bloody expensive hobby.
 
Went to round three of the NZ superbikes and got seriously overheated in the sun. It was awesome watching Andrew Stroud race the Britten, he did not hold back and spent a lot of time on the back wheel! Also got to go onto the track for a couple of touring laps! There is accommodation there in the form of apartments which you can buy, rent out, or even live in.
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Awesome, this video popped up on my feed just now so I watched it and the commentary was quite entertaining!
Put it this way, I now know what pineapple scoring is!
 
Just finished removing the wiring loom from my MV. Cant decide whether to start fitting the new one. The sun is out and i fancy a ride to Flamborough for a crab and some Whelks

I'd fit the new one so I remember where it all goes...but that's just me.

Whelks - what do you have on them?
 

Hmm nice - never had them with that.

Whelks were one of our biggest exports until a year or so ago - we shipped about 1200 tons a year to the Far East mostly to one processor that processed them for sushi toppings. Each whelk taken out of the shell, cleaned, cut so they lay flat, and then sliced lengthways ultra thin...one slice per sushi, raw. That must be millions of portions.
 
Hmm nice - never had them with that.

Whelks were one of our biggest exports until a year or so ago - we shipped about 1200 tons a year to the Far East mostly to one processor that processed them for sushi toppings. Each whelk taken out of the shell, cleaned, cut so they lay flat, and then sliced lengthways ultra thin...one slice per sushi, raw. That must be millions of portions.
Sadly the place i go is temporarily closed so didn't get any
Its a house on a residential street he gets all his produce from the cobbles that go out from Flamborough north and south pier
A lot of seafood is difficult to get in the UK because as you elude too most is exported
Its why ii love the North coast of France it's so readily aavailable
 
The rear shocks have no preload at all and on it's lowest setting so more like a hardtail:), i will look into it at some point with some softer shocks!! I'm in no rush as i really like it and it's not to bad on fuel even with the 1250cc upgrade. If i did longer rides on it i would suggest to myself a onboard fuel can, they are legal and upto the task of being a safe form of fuel storage.

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Does it come with a carb kit :unsure:
 
As I've said today I went for a ride on my bike. Its about the fifth ride I've had on it.
I part exchanged my 1098 for it. Im forced to admit having just turned 71 I'm getting a bit old for touring on a sportsbike so I went for a BMW
I won't accept its a panzer
Its a K1600 GT.
First ride out i thought what the hell have i done. Its twice the wieght of the 1098 and I could barely get my feet on the floor.
Soon as I got home I was on the computer and bought a riders seat off Ebay. Amazingly it arrived the next day. The intention was to take it to a bloke in Bridlington and have him reshape and cut out a lot of the padding. A stroke of luck it was already cut down.
I can't wear leather trousers because they stop me sliding from side to side. My wife has bought me some AAArated armoured base layer leggings so I can wear jeans or combats on it and the final revelation I have lovely pair of boots that I have not worn for a while. When I wear them I can get my feet flat on the floor.
What made me decide to get a touring orientated bike was the tours my mates and I have planned for the coming year while we still have the life in us.
Below is a picture of the boots and the bike
(I still have a 748sps and MV750)
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My Ducati is booked in for MOT tomorrow and looked back - it was April ‘24 the last one…it’s only done 65 miles since 😳
The reason is having the Speedie with me here, I can’t be arsed going to the storage unit to get the Duc out.
 
My Ducati is booked in for MOT tomorrow and looked back - it was April ‘24 the last one…it’s only done 65 miles since 😳
The reason is having the Speedie with me here, I can’t be arsed going to the storage unit to get the Duc out.
Are you thinking of selling it? :unsure:
 
As I've said today I went for a ride on my bike. Its about the fifth ride I've had on it.
I part exchanged my 1098 for it. Im forced to admit having just turned 71 I'm getting a bit old for touring on a sportsbike so I went for a BMW
I won't accept its a panzer
Its a K1600 GT.
First ride out i thought what the hell have i done. Its twice the wieght of the 1098 and I could barely get my feet on the floor.
Soon as I got home I was on the computer and bought a riders seat off Ebay. Amazingly it arrived the next day. The intention was to take it to a bloke in Bridlington and have him reshape and cut out a lot of the padding. A stroke of luck it was already cut down.
I can't wear leather trousers because they stop me sliding from side to side. My wife has bought me some AAArated armoured base layer leggings so I can wear jeans or combats on it and the final revelation I have lovely pair of boots that I have not worn for a while. When I wear them I can get my feet flat on the floor.
What made me decide to get a touring orientated bike was the tours my mates and I have planned for the coming year while we still have the life in us.
Below is a picture of the boots and the bike
(I still have a 748sps and MV750)View attachment 159368View attachment 159369
Whatever works for you 👍 we are here for a good time not a long time 🙏
 
As I've said today I went for a ride on my bike. Its about the fifth ride I've had on it.
I part exchanged my 1098 for it. Im forced to admit having just turned 71 I'm getting a bit old for touring on a sportsbike so I went for a BMW
I won't accept its a panzer
Its a K1600 GT.
First ride out i thought what the hell have i done. Its twice the wieght of the 1098 and I could barely get my feet on the floor.
Soon as I got home I was on the computer and bought a riders seat off Ebay. Amazingly it arrived the next day. The intention was to take it to a bloke in Bridlington and have him reshape and cut out a lot of the padding. A stroke of luck it was already cut down.
I can't wear leather trousers because they stop me sliding from side to side. My wife has bought me some AAArated armoured base layer leggings so I can wear jeans or combats on it and the final revelation I have lovely pair of boots that I have not worn for a while. When I wear them I can get my feet flat on the floor.
What made me decide to get a touring orientated bike was the tours my mates and I have planned for the coming year while we still have the life in us.
Below is a picture of the boots and the bike
(I still have a 748sps and MV750)View attachment 159368View attachment 159369
You know if you put your underpants on last, you will be able to slide around on the seat no problem! And with those boots nobody will be judging you…😏😏😏

Nice bike btw!
 
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