Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
- Neorion
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Best advice I was given
"ride for yourself and don't watch my back wheel"
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Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Some of you are all weather bods (Dave) but I am not especially as it take longer to put gear on than drive to work.
SO it is threatening to get a bit brighter soon, maybe not as much crap on the roads and I will be thinking about waking up the sleepy VFR for some wobbly, get my bike head back on times.
What things would you consider above tyres, oil, brake fluids, battery, chain, to check for when I am on the 1st run. I will probably have to take it easy to the garage in case the tyre pressures have gone down a bit.
I know the main thing will be take it canny (as I am usually at the back of a run thats no problem) but anything else blindingly obvious I have forgotten?
SO it is threatening to get a bit brighter soon, maybe not as much crap on the roads and I will be thinking about waking up the sleepy VFR for some wobbly, get my bike head back on times.
What things would you consider above tyres, oil, brake fluids, battery, chain, to check for when I am on the 1st run. I will probably have to take it easy to the garage in case the tyre pressures have gone down a bit.
I know the main thing will be take it canny (as I am usually at the back of a run thats no problem) but anything else blindingly obvious I have forgotten?
- BIGSTEVE
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
How much petrol did you leave in it? If it's been sat over winter, drain and add fresh fuel.
Give it a dam good clean and put some protection on it cos there's still shizzle loads of salt on the roads.
I would advise taking a tyre pump (cig lighter type) to put some air in the tyres then ride it to garage to get a more accurate reading.
Check for any splits in the tyres as well, it may have only been sitting over winter but better safe than sorry.
Just my 2p
Give it a dam good clean and put some protection on it cos there's still shizzle loads of salt on the roads.
I would advise taking a tyre pump (cig lighter type) to put some air in the tyres then ride it to garage to get a more accurate reading.
Check for any splits in the tyres as well, it may have only been sitting over winter but better safe than sorry.
Just my 2p
- brooner
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
This is an importiant one, my GS took its time to start on Sunday and it was last out for the toy run....BIGSTEVE wrote:How much petrol did you leave in it? If it's been sat over winter, drain and add fresh fuel.
You can get portable compressors that you set to a pressure and they have an 'auto-off' feature (I have a Michelin one) which I find handy to have kicking about.
- metallninja
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- johncat68
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
check your bike gear still fits after eating all the xmas puds


- Dave
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
there was a fresh covering of snow today 

- Kawasaki krazy
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Neorion wrote: I know the main thing will be take it canny
I think you've already got the main one right there.
It's very nearly the silly season once again when we start to see the RIP threads appearing all over the place

Take time to get used to what the bike can do
KK
- Neorion
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- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:30 pm
- Current Ride: VFR 800 FI
Best advice I was given
"ride for yourself and don't watch my back wheel"
guess who? - Location: Far from home
Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Cheers for all that guys, Fuel check. I started her up last month and ran without issue (standstill) up to temp and seemed happy enough.
Think I will get the gloves on this weekend and give her a once over.
KK thankfully I never feel the need to ride outside my comfort zone, probably why I am better at follwing than leading
Think I will get the gloves on this weekend and give her a once over.
KK thankfully I never feel the need to ride outside my comfort zone, probably why I am better at follwing than leading

- Dave
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
The front brake binding is a pain
Yes they will free themselves, but the initial effect is like having the brake “on†ie, if going over loose or slippery surfaces, it is easy for the front to slide away from you.
Might be a good idea to check if the wheels are spinning freely.
Work the brakes then farce the pads apart a wee bit, to get the callipers working.
ALWAYS be careful on the first ride of the bike once fafing with the brakes.
If you farce the callipers to far open, it will wake a few pulls on the levers to push the calapers out to their operating position.
A few tines I have had the front wheel lock up while going over a few metres of grass until I reach a bit of hard track.
Not so bad if you are half expecting it.
Remember, if in any doubt, ride your bike like making love to a beautiful woman...
Keep upright and straight
Yes they will free themselves, but the initial effect is like having the brake “on†ie, if going over loose or slippery surfaces, it is easy for the front to slide away from you.
Might be a good idea to check if the wheels are spinning freely.
Work the brakes then farce the pads apart a wee bit, to get the callipers working.
ALWAYS be careful on the first ride of the bike once fafing with the brakes.
If you farce the callipers to far open, it will wake a few pulls on the levers to push the calapers out to their operating position.
A few tines I have had the front wheel lock up while going over a few metres of grass until I reach a bit of hard track.
Not so bad if you are half expecting it.
Remember, if in any doubt, ride your bike like making love to a beautiful woman...
Keep upright and straight
- bry16
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?

Keep upright and straight
Thanks for that love tip, I now know two ways of "doing" it ! !
- Dave
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
bry16 wrote:Remember, if in any doubt, ride your bike like making love to a beautiful woman...
Keep upright and straight
Thanks for that love tip, I now know two ways of "doing" it ! !
Don’t ride like being with a young tart...on your back
- Gazza
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Or like an ugly bird....with your eyes shut tight.Dave wrote: Don’t ride like being with a young tart...on your back
- Dave
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Gazza wrote:Or like an ugly bird....with your eyes shut tight.Dave wrote: Don’t ride like being with a young tart...on your back
The run home last night was like making love to a very excitable beautiful woman...
Nice and slippery


- Gazza
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Excitable ugly women can also be slippery.Dave wrote:
The run home last night was like making love to a very excitable beautiful woman...
Nice and slippery
![]()

- Dave
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
I was trying not to lower the standards of this forumGazza wrote:Excitable ugly women can also be slippery.Dave wrote:
The run home last night was like making love to a very excitable beautiful woman...
Nice and slippery
![]()

- brooner
- Mr Lobsterfish
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Dave wrote:I was trying not to lower the standards of this forum


- Neorion
- Supergeek
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- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:30 pm
- Current Ride: VFR 800 FI
Best advice I was given
"ride for yourself and don't watch my back wheel"
guess who? - Location: Far from home
Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
aye aye,
Well went and started her up again today just to check the fuel etc and to see if she would start and of course she started on the button.
Strange though as I thought I would check the lights etc to make sure no bulbs had gone and I have found that the brake light does not get brighter when I pull or press either brake?
I thought the rear might be stuck on but I rolled it back and forth and it moved no bother.
I have had it on the side stand instead of the center, not sure if that would do anything?
the garage has been dry.
I am not that clued up on what it could be?
Fuse or is it something even simpler that I am missing here?
cheers
Kev
Well went and started her up again today just to check the fuel etc and to see if she would start and of course she started on the button.
Strange though as I thought I would check the lights etc to make sure no bulbs had gone and I have found that the brake light does not get brighter when I pull or press either brake?
I thought the rear might be stuck on but I rolled it back and forth and it moved no bother.
I have had it on the side stand instead of the center, not sure if that would do anything?
the garage has been dry.
I am not that clued up on what it could be?
Fuse or is it something even simpler that I am missing here?
cheers
Kev
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
dunno about the vfr but IF its a combined brake/tail light bulb, then chances are the filament for the brake light is bust and you just need a new bulb.
- Neorion
- Supergeek
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:30 pm
- Current Ride: VFR 800 FI
Best advice I was given
"ride for yourself and don't watch my back wheel"
guess who? - Location: Far from home
Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
JTC wrote:dunno about the vfr but IF its a combined brake/tail light bulb, then chances are the filament for the brake light is bust and you just need a new bulb.
I thank you sir,
I will go hunting for a bulb

- Neorion
- Supergeek
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:30 pm
- Current Ride: VFR 800 FI
Best advice I was given
"ride for yourself and don't watch my back wheel"
guess who? - Location: Far from home
Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Hmm well, went round in the 30 minutes light we have and had another look at the brake lights, I popped them out and check each and they do have 2 filaments but both are perfect. I took the bike up and down the lane and gave the brakes a good test (low speed) but still the lights just sit on full so both filaments are glowing.
I do need to replace the front brake handle as its bent but the bike worked perfectly when it was first put away.
Does anyone know where the physical hardware switches are so I can make sure they are clean and not stuck eith some good old WD40. cant be fuse related but I checked anyway.
Thinking that something has stuck over winter
cant ride it until this is sorted
I do need to replace the front brake handle as its bent but the bike worked perfectly when it was first put away.
Does anyone know where the physical hardware switches are so I can make sure they are clean and not stuck eith some good old WD40. cant be fuse related but I checked anyway.
Thinking that something has stuck over winter

cant ride it until this is sorted

- Zax
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Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
The micro switch will be mounted under the front brake lever. it may ( as you say) be able to free it off with a little WD40.
Also check the back brake switchnormally mounted behund the foot peg bracket.
I have had a similar problem in the past with my old R-6
Also check the back brake switchnormally mounted behund the foot peg bracket.
I have had a similar problem in the past with my old R-6
- Neorion
- Supergeek
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:30 pm
- Current Ride: VFR 800 FI
Best advice I was given
"ride for yourself and don't watch my back wheel"
guess who? - Location: Far from home
Re: Things to check after you awake the sleeper?
Thanks Zax will try that when I have some light 
