Tenere up and running

Turned out that the crack in the exhaust header was right round the
circumference of it: it had broken away, where the headers siamese, so
welding it would have been an arse-ache as you wouldn't be able to get
the welding torch right round it.

So new headers were definitely the way to go.

I've had a closer look at the scuffed right-hand panel (the damage is
really very small) and I'll touch it in as soon as I find the correct
shade of grey paint. One of the mounting lugs on the panel is bust, but
it's there still, so I'll refix that with a bit of glass fibre
reinforcement on the inside.

It really is super-clean for a 1993 bike. My local dealer, who did the
headers (and also fitted a new front Gripster) said he'd had a lot of
punters enquiring about it, and reckons he could have sold it several
times. He asked one bod, who was crawling over it: "Would you give £1500
for it?"

"Yeah, I think so...."

"The bloke who owns it paid £660 for it on Ebay."

(Expletives deleted)

Once it was properly warmed up, it was evident that the tickover was a
shade high, at about 1700rpm. Ever tried locating the tickover adjuster
screw on a 660 Tenere, when the carbs are completely hidden behind the
vast flanks of the petrol tank? I needed a torch, but thankfully it is
easily accessible. It's just finding it in the first place that's the
sod.

The original toolkit is still in its cubbyhole, I discovered (to my
pleasure).

It now wears the old white Rickman topbox I removed from the XT600E
before Donald started his short-lived ownership of it.

And it is a glorious, wonderful hoot to ride. It's nimble, snappy,
handles very well, stops well now the brand new front pads (fitted by
the dealer who Ebay'd it) have bedded in. I've just filled the tank to
the brim, and will be interested to see how far it goes on a tankful. My
guess is 200 miles before reserve.

Shame the seat looks and feels much the same as the 600E's, then.

 

Well in that situation I'd tack-weld it in situ then take the whole
thing off and weld itin a bench.

 

Good show. Your next task is to keep it sufficiently hidden and chained
to deter the local scrotes.

 

And then box it, if necessary.

 

Damn right. Although the scrotes round here never showed an interest in
the XT600E, and thats more of a scrote magnet than a Paris-Dakar rep.

It's a bloody tall bike. Long travel suspension, though, so it settles
enough to let me get both tiptoes on the deck, but pushing the thing
around is an interesting experience, especially when it's got a full
tank.

 

Oh, forgot to add: dug out the original Bike magazine test from 1991,
when they put it up against the Kawasaki Tengai, Honda Dominator, and
Suzuki DR650.

The Dommie was reckoned to be the best trail bike, and was the smallest,
but had a tank range of barely 100 miles. The Tengai was OK-ish but
useless on the dirt. The DR650 was just cheap, and the Tenere came out
top, largely because the engine was a league ahead of the others.

 

Is it the Almax chain which is seriously difficult to cut through ?

The Almax Immobiliser Series IV Uber 9mm quadruple tempered security
chain from www.almax-security-chains.co.uk no longer sounds like overkill.

That probably explains why I've just heard from the Police that my bike
has been recovered to Charlton compound. I saw it ridden past the bus I
was in on Friday, looked like a short arse on it. Either that or the
cold weather got to the poor disadvantaged youth.

 

In communiqué <1iqva9l.148iuj256jeflN%>,

Not surprising then, that many claim Gilera had a good close look at the
Yammaha motor before designing the 'bialbero' engine. For example, the
twin stage Teikei carb setup is virtually identical.
--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Oh, brilliant.

Get your brother to collect it ASAP (I assume you're back in Scotland?).

Chances are that all the scrotes have done is muller the ignition
switch, and a replacement is only £20. Hell, it costs a five to have a
key cut these days.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260222914233

 

I've always wondered how you set those carbs up. Neither of my XT600Es
ever needed it, and the Tenere runs fine, so I suppose it's a case of
'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

But I'd like to know, nonetheless.

 

<snip>

So where are the promised pics


--
Steve Parry
BMW R80RS, BMW R45, 03 BMW R1100S Boxercup, 07 K1200GT SE
95 BMW F650, 87 Yamaha FS1, Sukida SK90PY, 91 Kawasaki AR50,
07 VW Passat SE Estate for comfort
www.gwynfryn.co.uk

 

Here's hoping.

Just need to find the number of the Charlton compound, apparently
forensics have to release it first. Also need the registration document,
insurance document and proof of identity to get it. When I reported the
theft they said something about letting the Police recover it if found
would cost £150.

 

I'm already back in Edinburgh, I believe I've got some hoops to jump
through before getting it out of the compound.

The little so and so almost ran into the back of the bus, it was the
main street off my brothers cul de sac so clearly taunting me.
Disappeared before I could even jump off the bus, very frustrating as I
felt pretty much powerless to do anything. So I went to the pub.

 

IIRC, that's covered by the theft insurance.

 

I'm waiting for it to stop snowing, sleeting and raining.

 

Good news. Get it out of the compound and home asap.

 

I bet they got the crime number issued nice and quick though.

By christ our police force are fucking excellent at issuing numbers

--
Dan L

Too much time to think, too little to do.


http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/

2002 Triumph Sprint RS 955i (It's big, and it's black)
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr (Gone, but not forgotten)

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7/8)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

The inn sewer ants should cough for that and the storage compound charges.
Not sure if it will affect your NCB or be subject to excess though.
Hopefully they will be gratefull to not have to pay out a full claim and
be nice about it.

 

On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:58:23 +0000, The Older Gentleman wrote:

What did I miss ?
<snip>

 

It was nicked four days after he bought it.