19 years old and still outsmarting the gremlins!

19-07-2012, 10:27 PM

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!

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

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!).

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!

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.

19-07-2012, 10:28 PM

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!

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...

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

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!

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).

Nickj · 19-07-2012, 11:37 PM

Shouty hehehehehe

19-07-2012, 11:55 PM

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?

21-07-2012, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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 !

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by He11cat

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!

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.....

Saint aka ML · 20-07-2012, 09:14 AM

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.

20-07-2012, 10:18 AM

why do nails always go exactly in the tread groove?

21-07-2012, 10:09 AM

A new front brake lever micro switch ordered last night

I may actually get round to fitting the 996 master cylinder and lever now!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbryanmarshall

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!

22-07-2012, 10:12 PM

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.

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

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.

23-07-2012, 06:58 PM

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...

31-07-2012, 10:13 PM

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.....

02-03-2013, 10:45 AM

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!!

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!

And after a bit of swearing, it comes off.

Revealing shiny things...

And a not so shiny thing!!

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

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

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!!

Saint aka ML · 02-03-2013, 11:30 AM

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

05-02-2014, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saint aka ML

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

08-02-2014, 12:19 AM

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!

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

19-07-2012, 10:27 PM	#1
banditloon Guest Posts: n/a	19 years old and still outsmarting the gremlins! 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! She behaved well on the Good Friday and made it just intime to wake up the locals. 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!). 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! 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.

19-07-2012, 11:37 PM	#3
Nickj Too much time on my hands member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Forest Of Dean Bike: S2r Posts: 3,208	Shouty hehehehehe __________________ "The final measure of any rider's skill is the inverse ratio of his preferred Traveling Speed to the number of bad scars on his body." Song of the sausage creature

20-07-2012, 09:14 AM	#6
Saint aka ML Junior ah to be young Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 2,058	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. __________________ "I am Lucazade"

02-03-2013, 10:45 AM	#12
banditloon Guest Posts: n/a	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!! 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! And after a bit of swearing, it comes off. Revealing shiny things... And a not so shiny thing!! New one received from Wemoto, one day turn around!!! Pinion gear swapped for the original (and I didn't lose the ping-f*k-clips!), and fitted back in the engine case. 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!! Last edited by banditloon; 02-03-2013 at 10:48 AM..*

02-03-2013, 11:30 AM	#13
Saint aka ML Junior ah to be young Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 2,058	Take plugs out and give it a wee spin with case off to check all good. __________________ "I am Lucazade"

19-07-2012, 10:28 PM	#2
banditloon Guest Posts: n/a	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! 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... Typical! Luckily, I had a set of Pirelli Diablo Corsa tyres lying around (as you do). 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! 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).

19-07-2012, 11:55 PM	#4
He11cat Guest Posts: n/a	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?

20-07-2012, 10:18 AM	#7
mrbryanmarshall Guest Posts: n/a	why do nails always go exactly in the tread groove?

22-07-2012, 10:12 PM	#9
banditloon Guest Posts: n/a	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. New brake lever, master cylinder and reservoir fitted, headlight reattached and made sure it was actually working. 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.

23-07-2012, 06:58 PM	#10
benson Guest Posts: n/a	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...

31-07-2012, 10:13 PM	#11
banditloon Guest Posts: n/a	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.....

08-02-2014, 12:19 AM	#15
banditloon Guest Posts: n/a	Back out in daylight (nearly) 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! I still need to get the front wheel powder coated. I think I've been planning that since I bought her in 2006...