Inadvertent hardtail

The GN250 toppled off its sidestand the other day, and came down
resting on the low wall separating the Chateau's front hardstanding
from that of the neighbours. A couple of small scrtaches in the side
panel, so I wasn't bothered.

But yesterday I thought it felt a bit harsh at the back end. Same this
morning and at the traffic lights I bounced experimentally on the
seat. The swinging arm didn't budge. Oops.

Investigation revealed the impact also knocked the left-hand rear
shock, and probably bent the damper rod fractionally. It compresses
but won't rebound. Oh well, the shocks were 20 years old and nasty
anyway, so it needed a new set.

Meanwhile, I've got a hardtail custom *Proud*.

 

<buys Anusol shares>

 

My CB200 could do with thrashing over a few pot holes with the nut off the
swingarm bolt - pity I had to SORN it.

 

That should press the grapes nicely.

 

www.hagon-shocks.co.uk
Sorted.

 

Given the low tech nature and the need to keep commuting costs replace
them with two hefty pieces of wood.

Boxerboy

 

Back when I had an old B25FS someone tried to sell me a couple of twisted
wrought iron struts as a hardtail conversion, a couple of months later he
had them on his own bike - he did at least fit a fat back tyre.

 

The fat 16" tyre on the GN is the only thing that stopped my lower spine
from fracturing today.

I'll take another bike to work tomorrow, and the GN can sit until I get
the new shocks.

 

There was a time me and a few lads were a bit too noisy and exhuberent in
one of the pubs out in the villages, when we came out at closing time some
of the bikes were on their sides - someone had reversed into them as a
parting gift.

The only damage we noticed before setting off was one of the bikes rear
mudgard was bent against the back wheel, so we straightened that and off we
went.

Halfway round the first fast bend I discovered that the car had clipped one
of my rear shocks which on compression - jammed.

As the back wheel got away I turned into the slide, which took me halfway
across a field of barley (not wearing gloves!).

Not realising I'd cleared a ditch on the way in, I fell in it pushing the
bike back to the road.

 

<snip>

Replacement shocks were waiting on the mat when I got home. Very good -
only ordered them from Wemoto yesterday morning.

AND THEY DON'T FUCKING FIT.

They're 20mm too long - the domed nut on the bottom mount fouls the
silencer. Grrrrrr....

 

I've only ever ordered one thing from Wemoto - an SV650 clutch cable.
It didn't fit.

Angle grinder.

 

I ordered a battery and a brake lever for the RGV from Wemoto. Both were
cheap, delivered quickly and fitted perfectly.

 

That happened to me when I bought shocks for the 200.

Bearing in mind the swingarm bushes are siezed, I pressganged a neighbour
into slipping the bolt in at the bottom while I levered the wheel down with
a length of angle iron under the mudgard.

 

I did consider that the old shocks might have compressed with age and
got shorter. And other ads for GN250 shocks quote a centre-to-centre
eyelet length of 335mm - which is what the Wemoto ones are. The OE ones
are 315mm. I'd have thought a 20mm shortening unlikely.

But still, you can't fit the bastards without the bottom securing nut
whacking the silencer on full extension.

 

Last time I had that problem, a suitable clearance was introduced with a
ball pein hammer.