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Question 2 (or 3, Or 4, Or 5, Etc, Etc)

Discussion in 'Lounge' started by PerryL, Jul 18, 2021.

  1. Over the past weeks, I've taken off both sides of the lower fairing on my ST3. Replaced the battery and now it is on a battery tender permanently. I raised the tank and took out both spark plugs. I've been injecting a bit of engine oil into the empty spark plug holes, leaving it to soak in and then spinning in on the starter and repeat the process daily. This bike has been stood for over 2 and a half years. I've bought and put in some new Iridium plugs. Connected the HT leads and span it up with no choke or throttle. The tank was raised up and only contained about a litre of old petrol. The bastid thing nearly started before I hit the kill switch quick. Not bad!

    I need to lower the tank and a mate will bring some fresh fuel around next week.

    I'm 99 percent confident that it will start fine - even without any choke!

    Only other problem is to fix is the horn that was just hanging by its wires under the fairing. Its metal bracket has fractured and it could of been like that for years. Next job is get the remainder of the braket off the horn and then find somewhere to put it (I have no idea where it went, originally). Worse comes to worst, I'll just tag-tie it to the frame. It's hidden under the fairing so it doesn't matter what it looks like. Promising though, as the plan is to keep the ST3 forever and compliment it with a KTM.

    Although we have left the EU, my garage does not accept it!
     
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  2. Wise choice to keep the ST3 Perry. I believe these great bikes will be in big demand before long.
     
  3. I want to keep this one if possible I bought it from a guy in Coventry about four years ago. I has only done about 3000 miles and was immaculate, with Ducati Performance pipes on. Now, it has about 12,000 miles on it. If it starts OK then I'll put back the bodywork. Both mirrors are broken off and I need to investigate. I have a feeling that they are off because they are meant to spring off rather than break. I dropped the bike in Salisbury (right by Salisbury Hospital - I do hospitals!) and it was in my brother's garage for two years, just left. I was going to ride it back on the weekend after my accident and sort out the mirror but that never happened! That's what killed the battery - that may of been the original, so over 12 years-old when I got the bike transported to me and I just replaced it.

    I took it it to France once or twice before my accident. It is a brilliant tourer with a range of over 200 miles per tank and goes like shi....... a shovel!

    I've no reason to sell it and so I'll just concentrate on getting it roadworthy and it will need an MoT. Then a valve check wouldn't be a bad idea. Night take it to LouigiMoto when it is back on the road and he can do a valve check or I might do it myself - depends on my anger management!
     
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  4. I am interested in opinions (really!). I haven't ridden a bike of less than 500cc for forty years, but this 400 ( well, 370cc, or something) won't be my only bike and I will only use it for sunny days fun. No commuting and no touring. Will I revel in it's lightness and fleet of foot (it is supposed to do around 105mph and weigh nothing as around 130Kg is nothing) or will I find it frustrating and not use it as I'll have the faster and more powerful ST3 available?
     
  5. Went to Fowlers today and then have the a KTM Duke 890 R in stock and so I had a good look. The nice thing about it is that it is not Ducati mad money (just over ten and a half grand) with top suspension and brakes (Brembo and WP Apex) with a nifty little steering damper hidden away. The nice thing about that bike is that if I got one, then I would want to change... nothing! Unlike the Ducati Supersport S that is about £4k more and needs the exhaust changing immediately, to protect my eyes!

    Kirsty was my new friend and she gave me a rough price on part-exchange of my ST2 - about £1500 and as it is quite an old bike - 2001, I was told and I must of remembered the reg number correctly and I thought that it was even older! She could also give me 20% off powerparts kit if I buy from them. As I was going to get a screen and panniers, then that is another £500 discount.

    So that is an easy decision! Part-ex the ST2 for a KTM from Fowlers. I'll not even bother travel to AMS, now as I am happy to deal with Foulups. Although they are very big and supermarket-ish, I appreciate the way that they employ young people, who are all very friendly and happy to help.

    Just the small matter of getting my license back, now!

    They reckon that they can do the first free service whilst I wait in the coffee bar. I'll need to shell out for at least another one as it needs an annual service as it has a two year warranty. I may get them to do the second one and then I will investigate doing it myself from then on.

    Nice to have it sorted and know what I am doing.

    I've got some fresh petrol, now and so I'll see if I can get the horn located and then try giving the ST3 and start. I spin it every day on the electric start, with no throttle and no choke and it virtually starts each time, so pretty confident that it should be OK. The plan is that the ST3 is a keeper and the ST2 goes for a KTM.

    Going to look at electric bikes some time in the next few days and cycling will be my new focus. The DVLA bastids can's stop me from doing that (although they would love to) and I am just going to make completing the national cycle route that runs through my town and goes to Gloucester as my target.

    There is some debate over the range of the Cube electric bikes and I'll see what the shop staff reckon.
     
  6. I do gardening now, as I forked out for a garden waste bin, coz my garden got so overgrown when I was in hospital. I quite enjoy it as it gets me outside and gives me too much time to think. So, questions tor anyone, even if you are as misinformed as me:

    1) Replaced hip and riding motorbikes: Should I with risking yet more injury from falling off?

    2) Stroppy letter to solicitor: anyone ever had leg ulcers?

    3) Stroppy letter to sol number 2), has anyone had any dealings with a company called HCML after injury? I haven't researched them yet, but my sol is encouraging me to re-link with them. I told them to FO after they refused to pay for my taxi to a hospital visit - as though I was taking the mick in trying to fool them into paying for my hospital visits that are nothing to do with my accident. Errr, that is the only reason that I visit hospitals! I don't suffer for some pervy fetish to visit hospital for no reason!
     
  7. Researched found no link, although the insurance company pays them and so they are hardly independent. Anyway, sounded off to my sol as she should have spotted the flaw in their argument for not paying my travel. As in, a solicitor's job is to spot flaws in arguments - or are only barristers clever enough to do that?
     
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