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**txm123** · 04-01-2009, 04:02 AM

I thought that ...One thing to improve in my bike is definitively the wiring,the bosh style terminals are really bad,very thin and after getting some mud they loose contact and the bike won't turn on.I'll do all the wiring again with good quality materials,I discovered that this is the only thing in my bike that is really different to japanese bikes,The rest is great!

To change the brake pads,do I have to push the pistons backwards with a screwdriver or something or it's not necesary ?

Wich tyres would you recomend after the originals get old,pirelli,michelin,?

**forchetto** · 04-01-2009, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by txm123

One thing to improve in my bike is definitively the wiring,

To change the brake pads,do I have to push the pistons backwards with a screwdriver or something or it's not necesary ?

Wich tyres would you recomend after the originals get old,pirelli,michelin,?

It's best to at least inspect the cable loom routing as well. You'll often find that they run unprotected wires around sharp edges and even hot spots, or connections have been put round the wrong bit of a frame tube and wires are stretched very tight. Connectors that seem exposed to water thrown up by the wheels have to be protected, etc.
The electrics have been the Achiles heel of many manufacturers over the years. The British bikes of the 50-60s suffered from it. Italian bike wiring and electrics were a joke, etc. One of the secrets of the success of the Japanese was the introduction of reliable electrics.

If the pads are worn then the piston will have moved out of the cylinder to take up the wear and the space behind the piston filled with hydraulic fluid from the reservoir. Back the piston with a screwdriver or wooden wedge, but if your reservoir is completely full watch out for the fluid overflowing out of the top. Syringe or spoon some out to make room for the fluid that will return from the cylinder.

Don't know much about tyres. I usually go for a well-known make knowing that they'll have done their research and know better than me. The last tyres I put on my XV1100 were Michelin Commander and they transformed the bike compared to the previous Bridgestone Exedras.

**txm123** · 04-02-2009, 09:15 PM

Hello,today I want your advice about that kind of chain lubes that come in a spray and are like a "white grease".They are supossed to protect even better than standard oil and they claim that no dirt or sand attaches to the chain,and it doesn't come out with water?Have you ever heard about that?I think they are from Gunk brand.

**forchetto** · 04-02-2009, 09:51 PM

I started using "Blanco cadenas" (Chain White) which is a white grease designed for industrial chains in conveyors, etc when I saw it in our local engineering hardware suppliers, not in a bike shop. It goes on as a liquid, soaking the chain and then dries to a dry-ish surface, but doesn't fling off very much.
Comes in an aerosol and it's easy to apply. The little that flings off around such parts as the gearbox sprocket housing is very dificult to clean off as it really sticks on the surfaces. Otherwise I'm happy with it. It doesn't wash off when hosing the bike down or in the rain, so it's good protection.

**txm123** · 04-03-2009, 01:50 AM

Oh,ok I'll try to look for that brand then..thanks

**txm123** · 04-03-2009, 01:51 AM

Do you have any comments regarding XENON Light kits ?are they useful for motorcycles?

**forchetto** · 04-03-2009, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by txm123

Do you have any comments regarding XENON Light kits ?are they useful for motorcycles?

I've read about lots of people that have fitted the conversion kits and are delighted with the results. Half the power consumption and 4 times the efficiency, can't be bad.

Personally I have no plans to uprate my lights, especially as those Xenon kits come with a transformer device that puts out something like 23,000 volts...I don't fancy having 23 Kv coursing through my testicles if there's a wiring fault...

I hear they use a lot of them at Guantanamo though...