Got myself a new coolant temp sensor from my local motor factors, found a uk part number for it for a Rover200, or Honda Accord amongst others. (Here - http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-INTERMO...-UNIT-52470-/351473331146?nav=WATCHING_ACTIVE) Also got a thermostat for a 1990 2.0s Honda Prelude and the bike is spot on. It now gets up to full temp and the stat kicks in and you can see it drop back to 3/4. Still not got enough confidence when riding around town to run it without the fan over ride as I'm still waiting for the fan switch.
Got out on the bike and put 30 miles in and I'm quite pleased with the old bird. It certainly gets it on after it hit's 5k and pulls like a bastard (I was looking for other gears at around 8-9k as it feels wrong nailing it!) but it will still pull merrily in top from as low as 2k. Saw almost 120 with plenty more to go but sanity saved the day. Pulls up on the brakes with no issues although a set of braided lines on the front would take away some of the sponginess although I may yet still re-bleed it as I haven't done that since changing the front pads the other day. The handling is as you'd expect from a bike weighing upwards of 240 kilos even though it just seems to want to lean over further than seems sensible, although I've not decked out anything yet and the Bridgestone BT23's seem fine for a heavy old bike and they offer sure footed handling with no surprises even though I wasn't hanging around on times. Best of all though is the cooling is doing exactly what it says on the tin so it should take away one area of doubt which I had before today, and all for £23 for pattern parts (Honda wanted £89 for a stat plus coolant sensor and a further £61 for the fan switch which cost me £2 from china!!!) I have a small blow from the exhaust which I will sort out and it still needs bar ends as there is some vibration most of the time.
Looks great and good news on the cooling. Re the vibes, besides my Blade I also run a CB1300S whose motor I believe is based on your bike. There is a balancer shaft adjuster on mine on the front right of the engine, it may be worth a fiddle if you have one too.
Great work matey, always good to bring one back from the dead and get no advisories during the test. I find its a great way to excercise the mind, finding solutions without getting bent over by the manufacturers parts prices, particularly on service tools etc, I have had a number of tools made up by a local engineering firm that have saved a small fortune over OEM prices.. Is it me, or could you seat a family of 4 on that bike?, not sure which is longer the windscreen or seat Just enjoy riding it now, makes all the hard work worth it.
Well, the old girl has now gone I picked up a tired looking SV650 3 weeks ago and stuck £250 into it with 50 hours labour to turn it from this..... Into this.... ....then fate (good) lent a hand and I got a call about a bike I have been trying to get my sweaty paws on for a while so the SV was promptly put up for sale and went yesterday. So last weekend with a tank full of juice and a borrowed trailer I collected this beauty and she is for keeps. Introducing my next money pit, an original 98/99 R1. She is currently up on the stand awaiting freshly powder coated rims back from the coaters. It's not quite as mint as it looks but it's not too far away.
