Re: My 2nd CB500

by cheesepiece1 Fri 16 Jul 2021, 3:46 pm

eternally_troubled wrote:If you don't have any luck with the seal buddy (other thin pieces of plastic are available!), have you considered replacing the seals yourself? You mentioned doing some wheel bearings - I'm not sure that fork seals are any much more difficult myself.

Unless loads of oil is coming out then you may not even need to decide right away - a very temporary fix can be obtained by sliding the dust seal up the leg, packing some rolled up kitchen paper (or similar) around the fork leg, on top of the fork seal. This can then be trapped in place by pushing the dust seal back down. Not a long-term fix by any means but can reduce the amount leaking out temporarily.

It might at least buy you time to get another quote/price, if you want.

Al1040 wrote:Have you tried to clean it with a 'Seal Buddy', sometimes that works if it is just a little bit of grit that has gotten under the seal? Can't do any harm and only a fiver!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283692528407?hash=item420d647317:g:D10AAOSwydpd4HbC

So I whipped off the dust seals and cleaned out the seals best I could with some old camera film, the old negatives you'd get in the envelope with your holiday snaps. Sadly I didn't have any to hand and had to order them but they were cheaper than Seal Buddy.
It seemed to do the trick and I did a full dry run to the local test centre. Upon inspection at the centre, both seals now weeping. The original disc side as bad if not worse than before. So no quick fix. Looks like replacements are required. Bike goes out of MOT in a week so looks like it will have to lapse a short while and I'll get the seals replaced next month, when payday is a little more recent in the memory.

by cheesepiece1 Fri 16 Jul 2021, 3:48 pm

Oh but on the bright side, insurance renewal came through at £160. Run through comparison and it's now £115 for the year. Getting closer to the sub-£100 club.

by Al1040 Wed 21 Jul 2021, 9:40 pm

Exhaust looks great, shame about the seals Sad

by **eternally_troubled** Sat 24 Jul 2021, 11:47 am

Al1040 wrote:Exhaust looks great, shame about the seals

Yes, the exhaust looks good.

Unless your forks are really knackered (pits and rust all over etc) then the fork seals shouldn't need doing again too soon but they are essentially a wear item, so if you ride your bike they will need doing again - the only thing that might extend this time are fork gaiters (I put some on when I last did my fork seals some years ago and haven't needed to do them again).

by cheesepiece1 Fri 20 Aug 2021, 7:53 pm

Fork seals done today by a local mechanic.
Feels much firmer, probably due mostly to the refreshed oil in there.
My pre-MOT checks highlighted a blow in the exhaust at the joint between end can and link pipe. I'll have to be less stingey with the application of the exhaust sealant paste and re-apply a good coating before MOT.
Other than that, she should be fighting fit.

by cheesepiece1 Sat 21 Aug 2021, 3:37 pm

Got a last minute cancellation for a test this afternoon; wish me luck.

by cheesepiece1 Sat 21 Aug 2021, 9:34 pm

Passed, no advisories. It's quite hard to beat that passing an MOT feeling.

by Al1040 Sat 21 Aug 2021, 11:29 pm

That's great news and yes it is a great feeling when you get a pass.

by cheesepiece1 Tue 24 Aug 2021, 9:11 am

Through the fog into work this morning. Lovely ride in, nearly always take the long route to and from work when I'm on the bike.
There's certainly a sense of self satisfaction from having completed the work required on the bike this year, all done by my own fair hand, aside from those fork seals. But I'm not sure if it's the smugness that makes it feel this way or the bike that indeed feels so much better to ride.
I am very happy with the exhaust from Delkevic too. Sounds great and looks smart.

by **eternally_troubled** Mon 30 Aug 2021, 1:09 pm

Well, when I changed my fork seals (and possibly more importantly, then had the correct quantity of fork oil) that improved the handling a bit, so it might actually feel better to ride now!

by cheesepiece1 Sat 11 Sep 2021, 6:56 pm

Had a go on the latest iteration CB500 an MY21 with fewer than 800 miles on the clock. The one thing I'll say for the new one is the turning circle is unmatched, the wheelbase must be so short, it's so flickable. The engine and exhaust note however: entirely unremarkable.

My 2nd CB500 - Page 3 RxoG2wr

by cheesepiece1 Mon 29 Nov 2021, 11:03 pm

Hope everybody is keeping rubber side down.
I was out on the greasy tarmac today and either the Avons do not inspire confidence or my own sense of mortality has grown.
I don't think I've had the bike out from September time so maybe it's just a case of blowing off the cobwebs.

by Al1040 Tue 30 Nov 2021, 9:58 am

I tend to adopt the 'ride like my granny' riding style when it gets wet and greasy!! Very Happy

by cheesepiece1 Fri 07 Jan 2022, 6:20 pm

Oil (& filter) change, air filter change.
Washers added to the exhaust headers as the nuts couldn't be torqued enough without distorting the studs as the holes at the Delkevic flanges are an odd shape (obviously to accommodate a certain working deviation of tolerance).
I think my bike had begun to develop a tick of the cam chain tensioner, not as bad as some have described on this forum but enough to do my head in. The oil refresh has certainly tamed it, for now at least.

by **eternally_troubled** Fri 11 Feb 2022, 6:28 pm

The 'tick' can exist for a good while before Bad Things happen IME. You will have to fix it eventually Smile

by cheesepiece1 Sat 02 Apr 2022, 8:54 pm

The proposed local trade for the '95 KLE has fallen through. The carb rebuild hasn't stopped the flooding so looks like the CB is here to stay a while longer. I'd like a naked though and there is an entirely stock-looking one locally so I might just get it and bolt on the bits I like from my faired S model: renntec rack, powder coated wheels, delkevic system and then list my current for sale.

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