New member from Vienna, AuSTria (Europe)

[ST1100Y]

Hangar time...

GF crossed the 95,000km/59,000miles odo digits...

so this afternoon we'd some hangar time...

Head bearings were due, and then some...

obtained a nifty little tool, easing removal of the top outer race, insert, expand, a long rod, a few strikes with a hammer...




another essential: bearing driver kit, steel, 1mm increments; € 55,- well spent... pick your puck 1mm smaller then the bearing at hand and be happy...




new bearing on steering stem (I have the OEM Honda tool for that), lots of marine grease in top and bottom...




also replaced the front fender... (tip was broken off...)




another issue to address... already obtained a "bumper repair kit" to melt steel staples into the plastic (from the backside)...
So we need to remove that thing...





GF constantly in the way... cleaning things...
Sure, front wheel and forks removed provides unusual access...
"with what shall I clean the wheels?" she asked...
"Amor All" I responded (the only thing that crap is good for anyway... do not(!) use it on plastics, ever!..)
Huh?!
So I showed her...
"Wow! All the brake dust gets off... it even dissolves those tar spots!..." Yep...

While attempting to install some heated grips, I'd to find out that the NT has kinda proprietary grip design/dimensions
The throttle tube has an extra ridge, preventing non OEM grips to fit; leaving like 5mm gap to the switch housing...
grabbed another kid which has a 22mm throttle tube already installed...
And now we need different end weights as all those grips are longer then what was installed on the bar...
Will have to break out the lathe and modify some of my old ST1100 weights to fix that issue...

Another session tomorrow... how else would you spend a Sunday...

 

[Chucksklrst]

Hangar time...

GF crossed the 95,000km/59,000miles odo digits...

so this afternoon we'd some hangar time...

Head bearings were due, and then some...

obtained a nifty little tool, easing removal of the top outer race, insert, expand, a long rod, a few strikes with a hammer...

View attachment 22525


another essential: bearing driver kit, steel, 1mm increments; € 55,- well spent... pick your puck 1mm smaller then the bearing at hand and be happy...

View attachment 22526


new bearing on steering stem (I have the OEM Honda tool for that), lots of marine grease in top and bottom...

View attachment 22527


also replaced the front fender... (tip was broken off...)

View attachment 22528


another issue to address... already obtained a "bumper repair kit" to melt steel staples into the plastic (from the backside)...
So we need to remove that thing...


View attachment 22529


GF constantly in the way... cleaning things...
Sure, front wheel and forks removed provides unusual access...
"with what shall I clean the wheels?" she asked...
"Amor All" I responded (the only thing that crap is good for anyway... do not(!) use it on plastics, ever!..)
Huh?!
So I showed her...
"Wow! All the brake dust gets off... it even dissolves those tar spots!..." Yep...

While attempting to install some heated grips, I'd to find out that the NT has kinda proprietary grip design/dimensions
The throttle tube has an extra ridge, preventing non OEM grips to fit; leaving like 5mm gap to the switch housing...
grabbed another kid which has a 22mm throttle tube already installed...
And now we need different end weights as all those grips are longer then what was installed on the bar...
Will have to break out the lathe and modify some of my old ST1100 weights to fix that issue...

Another session tomorrow... how else would you spend a Sunday...

Hey I thought that in Germany / Austria that Sundays were for rest and work was verboten.

 

[ST1100Y]

Hey I thought that in Germany / Austria that Sundays were for rest and work was verboten.

a) am I atheist, b) its a relaxing, constructive, creative change over the dull weekday desk jockey routine...
And there things in need to be done; she wants to commute on it ASAP (as soon as the weather permits), her MOT/annual inspection is due in April, we've again planned some rides this year... that NT must be in roadworthy condition...

 

[Chucksklrst]

Ye

a) am I atheist, b) its a relaxing, constructive, creative change over the dull weekday desk jockey routine...
And there things in need to be done; she wants to commute on it ASAP (as soon as the weather permits), her MOT/annual inspection is due in April, we've again planned some rides this year... that NT must be in roadworthy condition...

Years ago while living in Germany, I was working on my beat up Mercedes and my land lady came out and schimpfte me up one side and down the other. Told me in no uncertain terms I was not to do any kind of work / repairs on a Sunday. It is a time to relax and recoup from the work week. How prevalent is that today in Austria and Germany? My family on my mothers side from Vienna use to do / say the same thing.

 

[ST1100Y]

Well, currently that NT looks like an NC...



pretty dismembered...


And the deeper you dig, the more you unearth...
You remember that cracked LHS inner pannier I mentioned above?
Decided to remove it entirely, to attempt repair... well, first it comes different, and second as you'd thought...



That PO just loved to soak the locking rails & mechanism with some spray, probably chain spray, the mineral oil content made all mounting posts brittle...
Barely holding with like one screw each... explains why closing the lids got so challenging (astonished that they locked and opened at all...)
By the amount of debris and contamination i seized any repair attempts...

The lock-tracks as well got a serious treatment in the parts washer; the crusts where really persistent...
Guess they were never that clean since manufacturing...


Same goo in the cables; cleaned them as well...
All the cinematic will see from now on is some silicone oil and grease...

And since we'd all the front fairing off in search of a proper installation place for the "latte launchers" dual tone snail type horns, I stumbled across something else...



Water jacket connecting pipe seeping...

There is a reason that NT700VA has gotten a French marketing name... judging by the fancy language its getting addressed with by folks who have to work on it...

Anyway, hunting for parts I found both inboard panniers for € 364,- each... the two 21,5X2mm O-rings € 6,67,- (probably designed by NASA or such...)
I plan to fortify the mounting posts for the locking tracks on those new panniers with significant amounts of epoxy, they shall not fail again...

to be continued...

 

[ST1100Y]

Years ago while living in Germany, I was working on my beat up Mercedes and my land lady came out and schimpfte me up one side and down the other. Told me in no uncertain terms I was not to do any kind of work / repairs on a Sunday. It is a time to relax and recoup from the work week. How prevalent is that today in Austria and Germany? My family on my mothers side from Vienna use to do / say the same thing.

Well, if you're banging out the dents of your last crash in a populated area, you will surely get an ear full...
When at the GF's place within a garden settlement, I too would raise an eyebrow (and then some) if someone cranks op his bloody lawn mower right on a Sunday...

The shed we're located at is one among an array of like 30 "garages", located in an industrial area, rented to all kinds of petrol-heads, car and motorcycle enthusiasts...
The owner is in fixing & restoring Jaguars (seen fixing an engine from a Citroen DS as well)...
So they're all noisy and smelly on weekends and evenings there...

 

[ST1100Y]

Ha! Partial success...

Seems I've located some aftermarket end-weights which gradation seems to fit into the longer heated grips without modifications...

 

[mikesim]

Seek and ye shall find....

Mike

 

[ST1100Y]

Seek and ye shall find....

GF is picking them up today, we'll see if they fit and work...
They`re only 100 gram each, much lower density alloy...

 

[ST1100Y]

Armor up... going to enforce those panniers like a tank...



(2K 5 minute epoxy...)

 

[ST1100Y]

While me routing all the cabling, installing the fuse and relay for the additional horns, ze GF was busy wax-polishing all painted parts, she even removed the glass from the instrument cluster to get the inside spot free... all nice and shiny again.

 

[JQL]

While me routing all the cabling, installing the fuse and relay for the additional horns, ze GF was busy wax-polishing all painted parts, she even removed the glass from the instrument cluster to get the inside spot free... all nice and shiny again.

Some years ago, I bought a battery voltage monitor from SparkBright in Scotland. This thing is basically a tiny, waterproof, auto-dimming, coloured LED showing the battery voltage. I took the clear plastic cover off the front of the instrument panel, cleaned it, and drilled a small hole in the instrument panel itself (there is room top left or top right - just if you are careful). The LED looked OEM and was very useful.



Note, before drilling the hole, check where the shroud goes as the shroud could cover the LED - DAMHIK (look very careful and you'll see I had to drill a new hole as the first one was too far to the left ).

 

[ST1100Y]

I was astonished to find that the NT's instrument glass has no seal whatsoever... hence some fine dust will deposit in there over time...
(ST1100 instruments are sealed with a foam-strip...)

 

[JQL]

I was astonished to find that the NT's instrument glass has no seal whatsoever... hence some fine dust will deposit in there over time...
(ST1100 instruments are sealed with a foam-strip...)

You'll find water marks as well from condensation...

 

[ST1100Y]

Well, FedEx delivery....



about as bid as a fridge...

Guess I'll spend Sat & Sun in the shed then

 

[ST1100Y]

Well, the inboard pannier halves are completed and installed...
Enforced all mounting stubs with 2K epoxy for more rigidity...
Never had the lids closing and locking so easily and firmly...
I even removed the nylon washers I'd shimmed the strikers with, not needed anymore...
Considering that all mounting points of both rails had crumbled to pieces, I'm amazed the lids did grab the mechanism at all...

While at it I also upgraded the taillight to the later `08 onward version (the old one had some tabs broken off and the new design one came pretty cheap)

Also the "Latte Launchers" (additional horns) are installed, wired and operational... so watch out you inattentive, ignorant commuters...



Still due are the O-rings on the water pipe and to button it back up...

 

[Coyote Chris]

Amazing work. Please send some of your energy, youth, time, money and patience to
Coyote Chris
Spokane WA
TIA
I will look for a suitable WWII fighter to restore....

 

[ST1100Y]

Amazing work. Please send some of your energy, youth, time, money and patience to
Coyote Chris
Spokane WA
TIA
I will look for a suitable WWII fighter to restore....

Well, don't wanna have to fumble down some unknown roads, likely in a foreign country...

And, living near the largest cemetery here: you rarely see an armored transport following a hearse...

WWII fighter... way out of budget, but sounds interesting though...

 

[ST1100Y]

Well, replacing those O-rings went way smoother then expected...
Having the NT elevated on the bike lift enabled me to simply reach around the engine with my left arm, so placing the new O-rings on was no issue...
No special tricks with dental floss or such required...

My"surgical pliers" came handy though... wondered when I ever gonna need them anyway...



Rest easy SOP, drain coolant clean work area and parts, remove the clips, wiggle and push the tube back and forth as required...
Old O-rings dry, hard, crumbled on touch...
Some silicone grease on the new ones... the whole ordeal took less then an hour...



Filled coolant again, cranked her, let her idle/warm up for a while, everything bone dry now...

A tad more challenging was making those 4mm spacers required for the end-weights...
With the OEM grip heaters for my ST1100 plastic spacers were included, no such luck finding some for the NT anywhere...
So I ordered an thick-walled aluminum tube (16x5mm), drilled one end to 6mm, then cut two "disks" and ground the required steps into each side with my tiny Bosch GWS 12V-76 cordless angle grinder... flawless...

Buttoned her up again, lights, t/signals, brake lights, everything in working order...
Topped off the tire pressure, ready for push-back and take off...