The rehabilitation of Sir Gustave Sabastian (‘Gus’)

[bart-nz]

Yeah, that's me wedged in the rut on the DR, holding up the works. Who'd of though a DR was too fat.

Nice write up. I was a bit annoyed not to do the whole ride, but with the amount of oil coming out of the shock by the time I got home, I think I made the right decision.

[innathyzit]

Jatz.... Explain.

Good write up btw.

[Padmei]

Nice Nutso. What a bugger about the rough running. I hope you get it sorted & it is easy. You did do your timing chain aye?
I wouldn't have left you all alone - I would have stood looking over your shoulder with helpful coments like "oh you sure you want to do that?" or "I don't think that went on there" The big tank came in useful on a ride like this.

[Pete-NZ]

great pics.........
11.7km/l.... bloody hell.. got a hole in yer tank ?

[Eddieb]

Originally Posted by Box'a'bits

Fuel consumption to Napier 109.53 litres, 1282.5kms, so 11.7km/l

Geez, I did 550km's yesterday in my overweight underpowered 520i with the boot and rear seat full up and towing the bike on the trailer and got close to that economy.

[Box'a'bits]

Oops, just did a check. My adds are wrong. 105 l, so 12.2km/l. Better, but still not good. . And a couple of forgotten items for the weekend, total cost $651.96. Ouch...Doesn't include tyres & wear items, or bits I'll need to resolve before the next weekend. Best I lose that spreadsheet.

Eddie, it did occur to me I'd have been better off fuel consumption wise in the car (though the forestry & the Motu might have been difficult).

[Mark_S]

Originally Posted by Box'a'bits

Oops, just did a check. My adds are wrong. 105 l, so 12.2km/l. Better, but still not good. . And a couple of forgotten items for the weekend, total cost $651.96. Ouch...Doesn't include tyres & wear items, or bits I'll need to resolve before the next weekend. Best I lose that spreadsheet.

Eddie, it did occur to me I'd have been better off fuel consumption wise in the car (though the forestry & the Motu might have been difficult).

great writeup as usual - some nice photos as well

sorry about Friday - as it was my brain exploded just after lunch and I gave up for the day

it is a concern isnt it - say $750 inc bike wear/maint for the weekend

thats one of the reasons trail riding is so much more appealing at the moment - spent all day Saturday up in the hills an used maybe $25 in gas - say $100 all up including maintenance costs. Sunday was nice and cheap as I was too shattered to do much apart from move from computer to kitchen...

[Box'a'bits]

Originally Posted by Mark_S

That's one of the reasons trail riding is so much more appealing at the moment - spent all day Saturday up in the hills an used maybe $25 in gas - say $100 all up including maintenance costs. Sunday was nice and cheap as I was too shattered to do much apart from move from computer to kitchen...

Ummm, did you include the capital cost of replacing bikes every couple of hundred hrs? And all of the consumables? In the last year there's been what... a new WR & now a trials bike?

[Mark_S]

Originally Posted by Box'a'bits

Ummm, did you include the capital cost of replacing bikes every couple of hundred hrs? And all of the consumables? In the last year there's been what... a new WR & now a trials bike?

I didnt need to buy a lower hour wr or a trials bike. I think I could realistically get 5 yrs and 300-350hrs out of a wr450 (probably the most reliable and most durable 450 and it never gets thrashed). Buy it for $11k and maybe sell for 3-4k so a loss of $8k over 5 yrs. Add say $1k a year in consumables so $5k plus $8k = $13k divide by at least 30-35 rides a year = $13k/150 = $87 per ride so I think $100 per ride is about right. Thats $100 for a whole weekends fun - 1 day riding and 1 day cleaning and maintaining and recovering ....

so there

[msmckeon]

Originally Posted by Mark_S

I didnt need to buy a lower hour wr or a trials bike. I think I could realistically get 5 yrs and 300-350hrs out of a wr450 (probably the most reliable and most durable 450 and it never gets thrashed). Buy it for $11k and maybe sell for 3-4k so a loss of $8k over 5 yrs. Add say $1k a year in consumables so $5k plus $8k = $13k divide by at least 30-35 rides a year = $13k/150 = $87 per ride so I think $100 per ride is about right. Thats $100 for a whole weekends fun - 1 day riding and 1 day cleaning and maintaining and recovering ....

so there

Yeah, whatever, don't you know sunk costs don't count Steve!

Costs per km of my Vespa 250GTS bought in 2007, calculated over 17,561 km:

Depreciation $0.224
Fixed costs: $0.162
Maintenance: $0.163
Fuel: $0.085 ("I bet that is cheap to run" people say at the service station, 70 - 90 MPG urban)

Cost per km 63.4 cents.

!!!

Or, standing costs per km 38.6 cents and variable costs 24.8 cents.
To be fair this is for countless 3 - 5 km trips in town, often 2 up and in peak, so very heavy duty service. But, it never pays to honestly work out how much a powered two wheeler costs to run. Best not to know.

Costs, as above. Transport to all sorts of places I wouldn't take a car - priceless. But I do object to every cent that went to MotoNZ (Motto - "Your money, now its ours").

Michael

[NordieBoy]

I get $0.20 per km for the DR650 inc fuel.

That includes the purchase of a complete spare bike, just for the engine.

105,000km over 6 years.

[clintnz]

Originally Posted by msmckeon

But, it never pays to honestly work out how much a powered two wheeler costs to run. Best not to know.

Amen. I spend 90% of my money on booze, women & motorsport. The other 10% gets wasted.

Clint

[Box'a'bits]

215,348 kms.

Spent a bit of time cleaning up Gus after the MMMM 2012. Part of this involved degreasing the gearbox & airbox after the bolt holding those 2 assemblies was found swanning around in an oil bath in the airbox.

I have changed the engine, gearbox & final drive oils. No filter change. The gearbox oil was a lovely chocolate milk shake colour – obviously water had made it in the same way that the oil made it out.

The new exhaust system has been ditched & the old one is back on Gus. Several reasons:

• I didn’t like how noisy it was
• The cans didn’t work with the centrestand (which I use a lot);
• The cans go against the overall modification strategy of making Gus more robust / off road oriented.
• They lowered ground clearance.

The MMMM was a good example of why they are gone (aside from the jetting issues). I just wouldn't have considered the challenge loop with them on. With the stock system - possibly.

Unfortunately that also means the stock side stand has crept back onto the bike.

A new centrestand is on order from Motobins.

I am looking to purchase a large volume can from a GSXR, ZX10 or similar to make up a different exhaust system. I will get Cycleworks to make up a new collector box to couple the headers off the Keihan system & the new can.

I have also spent some time considering this thread on air fuel meters. Rejetting bikes is okay, but I reckon having a gauge to assist with that would be hugely helpful. I am thinking maybe a port on each header, or one in the collector box. Got to be good value compared to taking the bike to a dyno. Maybe this. Available here

I keep eyeing up the 9.5:1 pistons I got out of the RS. Nothing wrong with them. Wear on the bore meant I needed to go 1st oversize, hence they were replaced.

Postscript: Shit, I just about had heart failure. Went to order the replacement stand thru Motobins & couldn't find it in the clearance section. GBP24 compared to GBP109....Fortunately realised it was on the next page. Whew.

[Eddieb]

Originally Posted by Box'a'bits

I have also spent some time considering this thread on air fuel meters. Rejetting bikes is okay, but I reckon having a gauge to assist with that would be hugely helpful. I am thinking maybe a port on each header, or one in the collector box. Got to be good value compared to taking the bike to a dyno. Maybe this. Available here

I've been considering the same sort of thing. Apparently Phreaky Phil has a wide band set up. We should ask him what he's got and how he finds it.

Whats the difference between this one: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-...-500431750.htm


and this one?: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-...-498933333.htm


Apart from the flasher screen? as I read it they would both do the same thing?

Originally Posted by Box'a'bits

I keep eyeing up the 9.5:1 pistons I got out of the RS. Nothing wrong with them. Wear on the bore meant I needed to go 1st oversize, hence they were replaced.

Why not? If you are going third world you can always put the stock ones back in.

[Box'a'bits]

Originally Posted by Eddieb

Whats the difference between this one and this one? Apart from the flasher screen? as I read it they would both do the same thing?

I think the flasher screen is cosmetic update, with some additional utilities. They also talk about it being set up as water resistant, via o'ring seals. I also like the more analogue led indicators - leaner / richer setting round the outside of the screen.



The older one is being sold off - ex floor demo stock.

BTW, not looking for a permanent instal - just as needed, to tune as changes occur. Cheaper than getting the bigger units