19 years old and still outsmarting the gremlins!

[banditloon]

Evening all! It's been a while since I've posted on this here forum. So, I think it is time for some silly ramblings about the adventures of a Loon and his not so reliable Monster!

2012, a drought.. The wettest drought I can remember! Hose pipe bans during flooding.. Ok!

Well, due to the 'drought', Nessie has been residing in the secret workshop just near an Olympic Route Network in West London. Only two major outings for her this year. The first being the Horsham Piazza Italia Run on Good Friday. Even a night stuck outside the Billingshurst Travelodge didn't upset here, even though it was bloody cold outside!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/002-11.jpg

She behaved well on the Good Friday and made it just intime to wake up the locals.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/023-4.jpg

And still managed to show those pretend 'Monsters' what a proper, original, shouty Monster should look and sound like!

On to the Auto Italia day at Brooklands, and I should've guessed then that something was not quite right. A run in the rain to Brooklands Museum, and she was starting to show her temperamental side again. A couple of misfires, silly little electrical problems started to show. Indicators flashing quickly, even though the LED relays were working fine, starting the V-Twin was getting a bit hard, but at least she arrived at the museum with all fuses intact and still working (unlike 2011, when the fuses blew in the queue to get in!).

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/001copy-1.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/004-13.jpg

After Brooklands Museum run, that was it. The final straw! I went to use her for my commute to work, and no, she wouldn't start. Dead! Expired.... ect ect (I'm sure I done a thread titled that... :lol:).

A phone call to get the van from work to pick me up, and after 10 minutes of direct sunlight, the Monster started (typical!). Time for a new battery.......

Well, two months on. I now have a collection of three batteries, two Vartas and one Yuasa. Lovely... Thank you very much.... A new starter solenoid has been fitted, headlight stripped off, wiring around the head stock cut and now a nice plug has been added to get rid of the fusing, non working unless on full lock starter button!

Solenoid fitted, first new battery added... Nothing, not even a click! Great. Back to head scratching. Wiring re-checked, and press the button. We have a click and no bang. Great! So, battery whipped out and put on charge. Next day, I buy a new multi meter. Battery has been on charge all night and holding 10v... Great! I can't find the receipt... GREAT!!! I didn't buy it, as I sent the warehouse manager to get it whilst out doing collections.... Great.... So, I buy another one from Amazon.

Battery arrives, dry... So, off to the local motor factors;
"have you got any battery acid packs?"
Yes, it's called distilled water!
"Erm, no good in a dry battery is it!"
Errr, yes it is....

I buy two bottles of distilled water, and head off to Get Geared in Leatherhead. Battery acid pack collected. Acid put in the battery (and to my surprise, not over me!), and left over night to bubble. Next day, a battery holding a charge of 11v! :hissy:

But, being clever, I had topped up the original battery with water. A quick check of my battery charger also reveals the 15amp fuse had blown. Replacement fuse put in, and the original battery put on charge.

[banditloon]

Now, to yesterday (18th July), she started for the first time in two months! Fine, she did need some help from the jump start pack, but she started! :biggrin: So, quickly the tank was slapped down, and off I went for a 1.1 mile run around the work yard. She was running rough, sometimes dropping power, but she was moving under her own steam!

I park her back up in the workshop, and hear "hissssssssssssssssssssssssss".... Great, something is leaking...

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/045.jpg

Typical! Luckily, I had a set of Pirelli Diablo Corsa tyres lying around (as you do).

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/021-1.jpg

And now, finally upto date. The tyre was swapped over today. The original battery put back in and she fired up, and worryingly sounding a lot better than last night! Then she wouldn't start, but that has been traced to the poxy little wire that plugs into the solenoid. A quick blat around the yard tonight and she feels a lot better!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/028-3.jpg

Just a few more jobs left to complete before she'll be ready for the 20th Anniversary of the Monster. MOT and tax, sort out the mess behind the headlight, and maybe actually give the engine a good clean (after a full service).

:cool:

[Nickj]

Shouty hehehehehe :biggrin:

[He11cat]

Welcome to my world!!!
Last weekend a lovely ride to Norfolk and Hector decided he did not require his nice led backlight anymore ....
The fuel sensor not working either .
Basically the other monster looks newer then me now ....so I'm going to kick off !
Poor Nessie ..
Oh and to my sorrow another shut Little chef sniff!!

I wonder if they are allowed to sell Olympic breakfasts at the mo?

[Saint aka ML]

Ok except fuelling issues (change plugs over every 1 month then clean the dirty one and let dry for a month) my one is quite reliable. Still there are days where I force it in to submission.

[mrbryanmarshall]

why do nails always go exactly in the tread groove?

[banditloon]

A new front brake lever micro switch ordered last night :D I may actually get round to fitting the 996 master cylinder and lever now!!


why do nails always go exactly in the tread groove?

That is just the "Law of the sod". I was just glad I had managed to blag a spare set of Diablos off my mate as he had swapped to wet tyres on his Hypermotard!

[banditloon]

Welcome to my world!!!
Last weekend a lovely ride to Norfolk and Hector decided he did not require his nice led backlight anymore ....
The fuel sensor not working either .
Basically the other monster looks newer then me now ....so I'm going to kick off !

This is what Nessie is up to. "You've spent loads of money on the MINI, so now I think it is MY turn!"


Oh and to my sorrow another shut Little chef sniff!!

I wonder if they are allowed to sell Olympic breakfasts at the mo?

:lol: Olympic breakfasts! :D The Little Chef was still open at Easter, and actually served some nice sausage sarnies during my stay of three nights, for the Horsham Italian bike thing and Italian Job run. I've never seen a receptionist in a TL so confused, as I left on Good Friday on a Monster and came back Good Friday night driving a car.....:confused:

[banditloon]

After putting up with too much Sunday day time TV, and not wanting to watch the Tour de French, as 1 I hate cyclists and 2 I really hate cyclists. I decided to be constructive and finally put the old girl back together.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/007-5.jpg

New brake lever, master cylinder and reservoir fitted, headlight reattached and made sure it was actually working.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/004-14.jpg

A quick wash and dry, and she is back to looking slightly more appealing than last week. I'm just waiting for the nice post man to bring the new brake light micro switch and then it's off for her MOT.

:D

[benson]

Looking lovely. I have to say shout is by far the best .I've ridden my M900ie all day today and woken up most of the good folk of Northamptonshire. Just had a new battery myself and I even now have a rear brake light switch - long live those temperamental fiends we love and know called monsters...

[banditloon]

Today was D-Day. MOT day...

Nothing really exciting happened apart from she passed her MOT at the first time of asking! That's the first time she has done that in two years! I've now promoted Nessie to commuting duties tomorrow, due to the time trail race at the Adult Sport Day Games event in the capital, that the time trial race has escaped in to Surrey a bit.....

[banditloon]

She's not 19, she's now twenty!!

A quick update.

Nessie has been off the road since September. The last time I used her she had developed a new problem of shaking fuses loose. All good fun when riding along the A30 at the NSL!!

Other than that, the (possibly) 20 year old starter motor finally died. I was tempted to go for the cheap brushes kit, but decided on getting a nice, new shiny starter motor. The old starter motor smelt like a 20 year old BBQ'd bacon sarnie, and so far the new one has been fitted, and hopefully after todays tinkering in the secret workshop, I'll have a functioning 20 year old classic Monster 900 again!!

First problem, cheese screws invented by Ducati to keep us DIyers busy!!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/098.jpg

You wish to remove a 21 year old engine case, and cannot use the engine case puller tool, well don't panic, use the PROPER tools!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/114.jpg

And after a bit of swearing, it comes off.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/134.jpg

Revealing shiny things...

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/112-1.jpg

And a not so shiny thing!!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/116.jpg

New one received from Wemoto, one day turn around!!!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/126.jpg

Pinion gear swapped for the original (and I didn't lose the ping-f**k-clips!), and fitted back in the engine case.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/136.jpg

Now it's time collect the engine oil from a well known motorcycle dealers (this side of west London / north east Surrey anyway), refit some gasket sealant stuff, and see if the tinker has worked!! :D

[Saint aka ML]

Take plugs out and give it a wee spin with case off to check all good.

[banditloon]

Take plugs out and give it a wee spin with case off to check all good.

I have, and it has only taken nearly a year to make her work again...


Be warned kiddies, the 21 year Monster is back from the storage shed :D

[banditloon]

Well, I've finally put the old girl back together. The next job is to get her medical sorted and the (last) tax disc purchased from the Post Office. She doesn't show her age to much!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/008-3.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/008-3.jpg.html)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/010-1.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/010-1.jpg.html)

I still need to get the front wheel powder coated. I think I've been planning that since I bought her in 2006...

[banditloon]

After 18 months of sitting at the back of a shed near Heathrow, she is finally back on the road!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/121.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/121.jpg.html)

MOT passed without any faults, well apart from a little niggle where she wouldn't run without a bit of choke. All she needs is a good run and some of Shells finest V-Power or whatever it's called nowadays to clean her out!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/127.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/127.jpg.html)

And today, she finally got a small run out. I needed to drop some paperwork up to Selfridges for work, so what better way to go up west than with a shouty Monster! After a quick lunch break at the Ace, then a nice rattle through Acton to get out to Notting Hill and Holland Park, before finally getting the Marble Arch and finding a parking spot. She performed well. The clutch did slip a bit, so she is requiring a clean out, or I might just say sod it and buy a new set of plates.

All in all, she is back on the road. After shouting her way round Westfield shopping centres car park, and getting back to the shed near Heathrow, she started running a lot smoother.

There is still a few more jobs to do, but she'll be finished one day! :D

[Saint aka ML]

Until you start again ;)

[banditloon]

Until you start again ;)

Being a vintage beastie, she'll find something to keep me occupied!

[banditloon]

The first 100 miles have been covered on the rebuilt red Monster. The only problem being a slightly loose bar end mirror, which has now been fixed :)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/068.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/068.jpg.html)

Time for a bit of a clean then!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/074.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/074.jpg.html)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/076.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/076.jpg.html)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/052-1.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/052-1.jpg.html)

And to receive comments along the lines of;

"Are you sure that is not a new bike?"

or

"Nah, it can't be 21 years old"

Makes me :)

[utopia]

Blimey, I thought it had been snowing down your way.

Its always nice to hear the latest episode.
I assume she's a keeper ?

[scrapps]

Took my 19 year old 600 ss out for a spin today after it passed its MOT yesterday with no problems,took a few miles to run smooth due to being sorn since September but just need a good blast.
Was great to get out on it and enjoy the sun

[Pedro]

Nice to see an original back on the road, hoping to get mine up and running soon too, in time for 21st birthday!!

[banditloon]

Blimey, I thought it had been snowing down your way.

Its always nice to hear the latest episode.
I assume she's a keeper ?

I hope she's a keeper. I've had the (dis)pleasure of the last 7 years of owning her :D (actually, 7 and half years now!)

Took my 19 year old 600 ss out for a spin today after it passed its MOT yesterday with no problems,took a few miles to run smooth due to being sorn since September but just need a good blast.
Was great to get out on it and enjoy the sun

After 18 months of being in bits, then finally getting back together and then MOT and taxed, it's just a great feeling to get the first 100 miles out of the way! And summer is not here yet!!

Nice to see an original back on the road, hoping to get mine up and running soon too, in time for 21st birthday!!

We have to keep the old girls going Pedro, just to keep these young whippersnapper Monsters in line!! Cheeky buggers are trying to nick our names!! ;)

[banditloon]

Finally, after two years, the little red Monster made it to Horsham and Piazza Italia 8! :D

A new clutch was required before heading off to Horsham though. She always needs something!!

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/Untitled.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/Untitled.jpg.html)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/007-3.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/007-3.jpg.html)

And on the way home, I picked up the ticket for Auto Italia at Brooklands Museum on the 3rd May :) Let me see what she'll need before that, other than a clutch basket!

[banditloon]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/banditloon/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/Image27copy.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/banditloon/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20DAN_DESKTOP/Image27copy.jpg.html)

Still alive and still confusing the owner... :D