Transalp laid up for 13 years - what to do?

[rlkat]

Tangle. Whatever you do don't get it dirty. If I win the lottery tonight I'm going to make you an offer for your bike you can't refuse. I think these twin disc Trannys are one of the best bikes ever made. Yours would be in my lotto winners fantasy garage (along with an Audi RS6, Lamborghini Gallardo, Transit van and classic Honda C90).
It'd take pride of place and only ridden on sunny days. I'd have a new Transalp 700 to abuse day-today.

rob
'97 Transalp (in need of some post-winter fettling)

PS. It's been a great thread.

[raymo]

classic Honda C90).
It'd take pride of place and only ridden on sunny days.

ahhhh what a bike... I used to abuse my dads... until it seized ( two up.. me and my little brother ) flat out 75mph on the park way.. let it cool then limped home and parked it up for dad to go to work..... seized on him too next day .. we both acted shocked that the wee honda had let my dad down.......


dads 84 and we're still to scared to own up

[tangle]

Just taken the bike out for its first outing for many years for its MOT.

It passed and there are now 16 more miles on the clock

So now I can get a tax disc and I'm all street legal.

I have to say I was terrified. I got onto the main coast road and the engine cut out in 5th gear. I thought I'd have to call on my bike recovery policy only 10 minutes after getting onto the road.

Luckily it started again and I had no more trouble. The engine is very lumpy though, throttle take-up is sometimes a bit laggy and there's the odd miss. It seemed to get better as I rode so maybe it's just waking up in a bad mood.

10 thoughts as a born again biker

1. I felt very, very, vulnerable.
2. Coming back from the MOT I saw a bike in bits at the side of the road with a biker being loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher. Didn't make me feel any better
3. Roundabouts with gravel and pot holes are a fright
4. It's uncomfortable and claustrophobic inside a crash helmet - how the hell do you get your ears and specs into the right position?
5. Drivers of cars arriving at junctions on your left that don't make eye contact need to be executed
6. indicators that don't self cancel are the pits
7. no fuel gauge is a pain
8. doing 30 mph on a bike is almost impossible and feels very silly
9. no fairing = cold legs (I used to have a BMW RT750, police bike type)
10. opening the throttle on an empty road is almost as good a feeling as a good, clean, satisfying crap. (But if you're unlucky, you get both feelings at once)

A question for TA owners, my temp gauge barely moved off cold - is this normal?

[Lord Stig]

Classic! Laughed my socks off with 'Point 10'!

4. It's uncomfortable and claustrophobic inside a crash helmet - how the hell do you get your ears and specs into the right position?

Could be you have one that doesn't fit that well. Might be worth trying a flip front?

7. no fuel gauge is a pain

Same with no clock!

A question for TR owners, my temp gauge barely moved off cold - is this normal?

Yes, it's normal - also the same for the XRV, so nothing to worry about.

Enjoy!!

[Dogmatick]

Just taken the bike out for its first outing for many years for its MOT.

It passed and there are now 16 more miles on the clock

So now I can get a tax disc and I'm all street legal.

I have to say I was terrified. I got onto the main coast road and the engine cut out in 5th gear. I thought I'd have to call on my bike recovery policy only 10 minutes after getting onto the road.

Luckily it started again and I had no more trouble. The engine is very lumpy though, throttle take-up is sometimes a bit laggy and there's the odd miss. It seemed to get better as I rode so maybe it's just waking up in a bad mood.

10 thoughts as a born again biker

1. I felt very, very, vulnerable.
2. Coming back from the MOT I saw a bike in bits at the side of the road with a biker being loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher. Didn't make me feel any better
3. Roundabouts with gravel and pot holes are a fright
4. It's uncomfortable and claustrophobic inside a crash helmet - how the hell do you get your ears and specs into the right position?
5. Drivers of cars arriving at junctions on your left that don't make eye contact need to be executed
6. indicators that don't self cancel are the pits
7. no fuel gauge is a pain
8. doing 30 mph on a bike is almost impossible and feels very silly
9. no fairing = cold legs (I used to have a BMW RT750, police bike type)
10. opening the throttle on an empty road is almost as good a feeling as a good, clean, satisfying crap. (But if you're unlucky, you get both feelings at once)

A question for TR owners, my temp gauge barely moved off cold - is this normal?

CONGRATULATIONS and well done for all of the perseverance. Here's to hoping that the other rider is safe. Could you see what had happened ?

On my 700, as long as I'm moving it stays cool. Two minutes at standstill and the fan kicks in...

Here's to a summer of safe riding for ya

D

[Lutin]

A question for TA owners, my temp gauge barely moved off cold - is this normal?

Yep, quite normal especially with the rather low ambient temperature.

Glad to hear of your success with the bike and getting back on it. I would be more worried if you had come back and reported "not a care in the world". This, at least shows that you are thinking about things.

About the lumpy running - you may have to balance the carbs as with all the fettling you have been doing they are probably way out by now.

Good work!

[StumpyFingers]

I would have been surprised if it had failed the MOT.
As for the lumpy feeling I would agree that the carbs need balancing.

[ian porter]

As for the lumpy feeling I would agree that the carbs need balancing.

given point 10 above, I'd have thought clean underwear would have been a better solution to the lumpy feeling.

[BobA]

The more fresh tanks of fuel you have, and the more riding you do, the better it will run I'm sure.

As Stumpy mentions, balancing the carbs is a good idea.

You're doing it right, just take it easy and build your confidence, be self critical and take every corner thinking "could I have done that better?", and perhaps take a couple of days refresher training as you mentioned.


Well done



Bob

[tangle]

And for my next trick:

LiveLeak.com - BMW S1000 RR Tablecloth Trick