Newbie Questions

Hi folks - I'm a newbie to biking and just got my first bike - a '99
CBR 600 F (F4 model I believe).

I'm a bit of a mechanical dunce however and have a couple of questions
for you bike wizards out there:

1) Pushing the bike around, it sounds like the brake pads are lightly
touching the discs on both wheels - is that normal?

2) The gear lever seems to have a lot of sideways movement on the
spindle where the lever connects under the footpeg - it travels about
8mm laterally before hitting the retaining clip - again, is that
normal? It's just that in contrast the rear brake pedal has no lateral
movement at all.

Apart from that, the tail cowl seems to have about 10mm of clearance
from the seat all the way down one side and bugger-all on the other -
looks weird, wish i'd noticed when I bought it! Took the seat off and
had a look around - everything seems bolted together identically on
both sides. Seems like the cowl plastic has warped over the years.
Hmmmm. Anyone heard of that?

Sorry to ask daft questions but I'm just worried that I've bought a
lemon - it was a private sale. I'm sure you're all going to reassure me


Zootius

 

Paging Timo!

Seems like a lot. Something is loose. Not quite sure from your
description what though.

Take the cowl off and inspect it using a really flat surface (glass?) as
a reference. If it's straight, check the bike to ensure that the rear
subframe isn't bent.

Errm...

 

The frame's bent - I'll give you a tenner for it if you deliver.

Naturally.


--
Krusty.

http://www.muddystuff.co.uk
http://www.muddystuff.us
Off-road classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger (FOYRNB) '96 Tiger '79 Fantic 250

 

Not that fucking purple/yellow abortion I hope.

Get an angle grinder and a rattle gun, NOW! It will make you and instant
success.

It's fucked mate, I'll give a fiver for it and you can drop it off.

 

See you in casualty, then.

Yes. If the p[ads were several inches away from the disc it might make
stopping rather tricky.

That's a bit more than usual - wear, probably - but nothing to worry
about.

No. Sounds much more likely that the rear subframe has been bent in a
crash.

Not necessarily.

 

That's what my mum / girlfriend / everyone else said! Do you think
picking it up during the biggest thunderstorm evarrr on Sunday was an
omen?

Good to know, thanks. I'd read someone talking about "dragging" brakes
and I thought this might be it.

Awwwww noooooooooooo don't say that! How the hell am I supposed to
concentrate at work now? No wonder I spied the seller in the mirror
doing a happy jig as I rode away.....
But seriously, if that was the case, would that make the bike unsafe? I
suppose I'd have to take it to a garage to have the wheel alignment
checked out?

Thanks everyone for the responses by the way. I still think a tenner is
undervaluing it a little.

 

Even if the subframe is bent, it just means your arse is
more lower on one side than the other - hardly the end
of the world.

You may want to get it checked over by a knowledgeable
dealer (as in Honda dealer) who will know where to look
for other signs of crash damage. I doubt they'd charge
for it, and it would be a good way to get to know your
local dealer and judge their service.

If the bike has been crashed but put back together
properly then there will be nothing wrong with it anyway.

Don't worry about it, but get a second opinion.

 

Rear subframe straightness does not affect wheel alignment. The rear
subframe bolts to the main frame behind the tank, in line with the
front of the seat. The wheel is held within the swinging arm which is
attached to the main frame below the subframe.

Get SWK (someone who knows) to have a look at it, if you're concerned,
but you should be able to see if it's out of line by eye, lining it up
with the rear wheel/swinging arm.

 

And he needs to start calling people a ****, or he's never going to fit in
round here...

 

Heh. well, I think you will have a very steep learning curve to deal
with. Take it easy. You're talking about a 160mph machine here, that
accelerates as fast as a GP racing car.

As others say, it won't affect the wheel alignment because the subframe
just carries the seat. However, I'd now have the entire bike checked
very, very thoroughly by an expert, because if someone has bent the
subframe, it's possible that other bits got bent too.

Good places to start - the lock stops, which prevent the bars from
bashing the sides of the tank. Any signs of damage? Do any of the other
panels not seem to line up perfectly? It only takes a small knock on a
bracket to get them out of whack.

Did you do an HPI check on it to see if it had been in a prang? Lots of
bike crashes are never reported, of course, but it's a good place to
start.