38 BikeShop Advice/Bike chooser Help! I need answers! Lighter clutch required Q As a 60-year-old rider with osteoarthritis in my left hand I’m having trouble in traffic slipping the clutch on my GSX-R1000 K6. Is there any way of making the clutch action lighter? The cable, clutch lever and actuating arm have all been cleaned and lubricated. Trickytrev, email A There’s a US firm, Righteous Stunt Metal, who make the Righteous Stunt Clutch (RSC). Originally de- signed for stunt riders, constantly on the clutch pulling wheelies and stop- pies and using a thumb-operated rear brake at the same time, the RSC will fit any bike with a 22mm diameter bar like your GSX-R. The stainless steel assembly uses a different pivot point and has a self- lubricating Delrin bush to keep the action as light as possible. On a 675 Tri- umph with a shortie lever it’s claimed to reduce the lever effort by 55%, from 16.5lb to 7.5lb. You can get them in a variety of lever lengths and finishes and prices range from $80-105 (£55- 73), plus $15 (£10.41) for shipping with 2-3 weeks’ shipping time. Visit: www. righteousstuntmetal.com. Venhill Engineering in Dorking offer Magura clutch kits that convert your bike from cable to hydraulic action. It is claimed to reduce the effort by up to 20%, and they can make a kit to your specification. The cost will be about £280. Visit: www.venhill.co.uk/Magu- ra_Clutch_Conversion/Suzuki/ Squealing ZZR1200 brakes Q I have recently purchased a Ka- wasaki ZZR1200 and I’m very pleased with it, but I have one annoy- ing problem – the front brake squeals under light operation. I have removed the calipers, and the pistons are free. I have renewed the brake pads, putting a smear of copper grease on the backplate. The pads are free in the caliper. I have also cleaned the brake discs, in case there was any deposit on them, but I still have the squeal… David Coomber, email A Clean the brake pins and apply copper grease to them as well as the edges of the brake pads where they sit in the caliper. When you cleaned the discs what was their condition? If there are any high spots, grooves or ridges then that can set off the squealing. The brake disc thickness service limit is 4.5mm. Runout service limit is 0.3mm. You could also consider filing a small 45 ° chamfer on the leading edge of each pad where it meets the disc. Internal visor full-face lid? Q I’m looking for a new full-face helmet, but fancy one with an internal sun visor. I know a few of the flip-front types have them, but I don’t want the extra weight. Money luckily isn’t too much of a problem and I would probably spend £400. Ian Martin, Exeter ► Got a problem? MCN’s Chris Dabbs and our team of experts have the answers Do you have a question? Go to the ‘Ask an Expert’ section on www.motorcyclenews.com/ expert Do you have a question? TYRE DOCTOR If you have a rubber-related query which needs urgent attention, contact MCN. What rear tyre would you recommend for a 2011 Derbi Terra Adventure 125? The rear is a 130/90 x 17 and the front is a 90/90 x 21. Newbiker1, MCN forums Continental Escapes are a really good price at the moment and are excellent all-rounders that should last well, especially on a lower-powered bike like yours – alternatively you could try Metzeler Tourances. + Disagreement difficulty with third party driver Q I was riding my Suzuki SV1000 along the London Road in Bath when a guy in a Nissan Micra pulled out of a side road into my path. I took evasive action but ended up coming off and colliding with a parked car, breaking my collarbone and damaging my bike and kit. The other driver gave the police his insurance details, however it was not his car. He said his own insurance policy allowed him to drive the car, but the car owner’s insurer is saying that he was not covered to drive it but his own insurer is saying he was. mCn lAw Your legal questions Andrew Campbell, Bikelawyer. Visit www.bikelawyer.co.uk or email [email protected] Continental Escapes offer great value for tyres for a Derbi 125 Who should be paying up for my injuries and kit? Darren Pool, email A There are some insurance policies that allow a person to drive other vehicles with the owner’s permission, usually on a third party basis. I don’t know in your case if the owner of the Micra had given permission for your opponent to drive his car. However, your best bet (as your opponent’s insurer is saying he was insured to drive the car) is to pursue that insurer. You can either issue court proceedings against the driver or his insurer, rather than the insurer of the Micra. Even if it transpires that no permission was given for him to drive the Micra, it is your opponent’s insurer who is the relevant insurer for the purposes of legal proceedings. I would suggest you get your solicitor to write to your opponent’s insurer and point this out and it may be they will agree indemnity and liability and court proceedings will not be necessary. GSX-R clutch lever effort can be eased by up to 55% ZZR1200 brake squeal can be cured following a few simple steps A We’ve heard good things about the Shark Vision-R (see our review on page 42). It also has a very wide and high visor aperture for better vision (hence the name). It can be picked up for £300ish, too. The AGV Stealth SV and S-4 SV are also good (the SV stands for sun visor); costs here are £250 and £145 respec- tively. Schuberth is bringing out the S2 full-face with sun visor early next year for £359.99-£399.99. For riders on a budget, most Caberg helmets have internal sun visors. KTM rear hugger query Q Some time ago Trevor Franklin did a long-term test on a KTM 990SMT. I’m riding to work over the winter months and I remember Trevor saying he fitted a new rear hugger. He said it came as gloss black and showed us how to rub it down and respray it matt black. Who sells them and for how much? Mac Elliott A The hugger came from Skidmarx and there are two variants. The glassfibre one is £82.95 and comes in seven colours, while the carbon-fibre one is £139.95. KTm990SmT rear hugger can bought for as little as £82.95
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38 BikeShop Advice/Bike chooser
Help! I need answers!
Lighter clutch required
QAs a 60-year-old rider with osteoarthritis in my left hand I’m
having trouble in traffic slipping the clutch on my GSX-R1000 K6. Is there any way of making the clutch action lighter? The cable, clutch lever and actuating arm have all been cleaned and lubricated.Trickytrev, email
A There’s a US firm, Righteous Stunt Metal, who make the Righteous
Stunt Clutch (RSC). Originally de-signed for stunt riders, constantly on the clutch pulling wheelies and stop-pies and using a thumb-operated rear brake at the same time, the RSC will fit any bike with a 22mm diameter bar like your GSX-R.
The stainless steel assembly uses a different pivot point and has a self-lubricating Delrin bush to keep the action as light as possible. On a 675 Tri-umph with a shortie lever it’s claimed to reduce the lever effort by 55%, from 16.5lb to 7.5lb. You can get them in a variety of lever lengths and finishes and prices range from $80-105 (£55-73), plus $15 (£10.41) for shipping with 2-3 weeks’ shipping time. Visit: www.righteousstuntmetal.com.
Venhill Engineering in Dorking offer Magura clutch kits that convert your bike from cable to hydraulic action. It is claimed to reduce the effort by up to 20%, and they can make a kit to your specification. The cost will be about £280. Visit: www.venhill.co.uk/Magu-ra_Clutch_Conversion/Suzuki/
Squealing ZZR1200 brakes
Q I have recently purchased a Ka-wasaki ZZR1200 and I’m very
pleased with it, but I have one annoy-ing problem – the front brake squeals under light operation.
I have removed the calipers, and the pistons are free. I have renewed the brake pads, putting a smear of copper grease on the backplate. The pads are free in the caliper. I have also cleaned the brake discs, in case there was any deposit on them, but I still have the squeal…David Coomber, email
A Clean the brake pins and apply copper grease to them as well as
the edges of the brake pads where they sit in the caliper.
When you cleaned the discs what was their condition? If there are any high spots, grooves or ridges then that can set off the squealing.
The brake disc thickness service limit is 4.5mm. Runout service limit is 0.3mm. You could also consider filing a small 45° chamfer on the leading edge of each pad where it meets the disc.
Internal visor full-face lid?
Q I’m looking for a new full-face helmet, but fancy one with an
internal sun visor. I know a few of the flip-front types have them, but I don’t want the extra weight. Money luckily isn’t too much of a problem and I would probably spend £400.Ian Martin, Exeter
►Got a problem? MCN’s Chris Dabbs and our team of experts have the answers
Do you have a question? Go to the ‘Ask an Expert’ section
on www.motorcyclenews.com/expert
Do you have a question?
TYRE DOCTOR
If you have a rubber-related query which needs urgent attention, contact MCN.
What rear tyre would you recommend for a 2011 Derbi Terra Adventure 125? The rear is a 130/90 x 17 and the front is a 90/90 x 21.Newbiker1, MCN forums
Continental Escapes are a really good price at the moment and are excellent all-rounders that should last well, especially on a lower-powered bike like yours – alternatively you could try Metzeler Tourances.
+
Disagreement difficulty with third party driver
Q I was riding my Suzuki SV1000 along the London Road in Bath
when a guy in a Nissan Micra pulled out of a side road into my path. I took evasive action but ended up coming off and colliding with a parked car, breaking my collarbone and damaging my bike and kit.
The other driver gave the police his insurance details, however it was not his car. He said his own insurance policy allowed him to drive the car, but the car owner’s insurer is saying that he was not covered to drive it but his own insurer is saying he was.
mCn lAw Your legal questions
Andrew Campbell, Bikelawyer. Visit www.bikelawyer.co.uk or email [email protected]
Continental Escapes offer great value for tyres for a Derbi 125
Who should be paying up for my injuries and kit?Darren Pool, email
A There are some insurance policies that allow a person
to drive other vehicles with the owner’s permission, usually on a third party basis. I don’t know in your case if the owner of the Micra had given permission for your opponent to drive his car.
However, your best bet (as your opponent’s insurer is saying he was insured to drive the car) is to pursue that insurer. You can either issue court proceedings against the driver or his insurer,
rather than the insurer of the Micra. Even if it transpires that no permission was given for him to drive the Micra, it is your opponent’s insurer who is the relevant insurer for the purposes of legal proceedings.
I would suggest you get your solicitor to write to your opponent’s insurer and point this out and it may be they will agree indemnity and liability and court proceedings will not be necessary.
GSX-R clutch lever effort can be eased by up to 55%
ZZR1200 brake squeal can be cured following a few simple steps
AWe’ve heard good things about the Shark Vision-R (see our review
on page 42). It also has a very wide and high visor aperture for better vision (hence the name). It can be picked up for £300ish, too.
The AGV Stealth SV and S-4 SV are also good (the SV stands for sun visor); costs here are £250 and £145 respec-tively. Schuberth is bringing out the S2 full-face with sun visor early next year for £359.99-£399.99.
For riders on a budget, most Caberg helmets have internal sun visors.
KTM rear hugger query
Q Some time ago Trevor Franklin did a long-term test on a KTM
990SMT. I’m riding to work over the winter months and I remember Trevor saying he fitted a new rear hugger.
He said it came as gloss black and showed us how to rub it down and respray it matt black. Who sells them and for how much?Mac Elliott
A The hugger came from Skidmarx and there are two variants. The
glassfibre one is £82.95 and comes in seven colours, while the carbon-fibre one is £139.95.
KTm990SmT rear hugger can bought for as little as £82.95
WedNesday 21 deCeMber 2011 WWW.MotorCyCleNeWs.CoM
39
Back on two wheels for £1000
The FireBlade took many styling cues from the NC23 or Tri-Arm that predated it by four years. A screaming four-pot with a 14,000rpm redline, it’s a favourite of shorter riders thanks to its sit-in position and low seat height. Handling is great once the suspension is overhauled, and insurance should be cheap, too.
A no-messing good, honest bike, the Bandit is a fantastic all-rounder. Free-revving, flexible-ish, novice-friendly and as solid as old boots. The example below has averaged 2500 miles per year and comes with Datatag security, braided hoses and an ART exhaust. Good, unthreatening fun awaits.
The VFR stands the test of time like the FJ. A generation later, its water-cooled V4 is superb and if someone else has had the pain of fitting replacement stainless exhausts, all the better. The one below comes with Bridgestone tyres, uprated rectifier, new chain and sprockets and a vanload of spares including a frame.
For hooligan fun, a snarling ZXR750 could be for you. This one has a £400 Ohlins rear shock, stainless pipes, an alarm and plenty of tread on the tyres. ZXRs suffer from the elements, so shop around for a ‘dry days only’ specimen if that’s important to you, or get out and enjoy the planted front end and the induction roar…
THE SMALL CAPACITY OPTIONHONDA CBR400RR NC23£850-£1999
THE NAKED OPTIONSUZUKI 600 BANDIT£1000-£3200
THE V4 OPTIONHONDA VFR750F£1000-£4399
THE RACE-REPLICA OPTIONKAWASAKI ZXR750£895-£2899
1989 Honda CBR400RR (NC23), £1000, 20,400 miles, private
1998 Suzuki GSF600 Bandit, £1000, 29,500 miles, dealer
1992 Honda VFR750F, £1000, 37,000 miles, private
1992 Kawasaki ZXR750, £895, 23,000 miles, private
OnlInE nOw
OnlInE nOw
OnlInE nOw
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mcnbikesforsale.com@ mcnbikesforsale.com@ mcnbikesforsale.com@ mcnbikesforsale.com@
1991 Yamaha FJ1200, £1000, 42,184 miles, private
1991 Yamaha FJ1200, £1295, 48,000 miles, dealer
Onlinedeals
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mcn’schoice
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mcnbikesforsale.comwe've got a bike with your name on it
what bikers want
I’m sure that Geoff would like to think of himself as ageing gracefully, with an appreciation of the good things in biking that an FJ1200 can offer; like a comfortable saddle, predictable han-dling, loads of mid-range grunt and half-decent weather protection, too.
The big air-cooled mill only needs servicing every 8000 miles or annually and is easy enough to work on that he could do a lot of those tasks himself.
The weight of the bike sits low with its perimeter box frame so it’s easy to toss around onto each footpeg, but will give you a relaxed ride over hundreds of miles.
Key things to look for are rear shock wear (this is one heavy machine two-up) and a stainless steel replacement exhaust. ABS models generally carry a £300-500 premium.
Geoff Potter
I’ve been out of bikes for 10 years and I’ve got £1000 to spend on something I can have fun on. My last bike was a Triumph Tiger.
THE ONE TO BUYYAMAHA FJ1200
£1000-£1995
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