Mr Tidy's MC Thread - 4 Years On!

[Smartbear]

My wheels are 19s, and I got to test it over speed bumps for the first time today. There is a 20 mph limit with half a dozen bumps in the middle of my mate's village and it cleared them all in both directions, so it looks like the coil-overs will be staying on!

A bit off-topic but I'm sure Rob would be interested! I went round to see mate's latest motorbike acquisitions, a Honda TL125 we rode round his garden and a 1971 Yamaha YR5 that we both had a short ride on around where he lives. That took me back so many years to when I had my RD350. He's also bought a Yamaha Serow, but hasn't picked it up yet.

Yep, I’ve heard of those bikes-very nice
I’ve had a couple of rd350’s as well, an old air cooled version and a more modern water cooled job with power valves

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Rob

[bmwaddict]

Great pics Smartbear!
I have an old CBR400RR which I love, no fuel light, carb, loud as hell and 15000rpm redline.

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[abar121]

Lovely bikes!

I had this KR1-S recently. It was sublime!

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[golfgeezer]

Great pics Smartbear!
I have an old CBR400RR which I love, no fuel light, carb, loud as hell and 15000rpm redline.
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I had one of these 20 years ago. Great handling wee bikes

[Mr Tidy]

Well as I mentioned earlier the back-box on the driver's side of my car had a missing hanger, so found a Powerflow distributor in Slough and made an appointment for yesterday morning. They basically make up a custom system using Powerflow back-boxes and tail-pipes. Naz, the Operations Manager, cut, shaped and welded a hanger onto the box in 30 minutes for just £30. Bargain.

As we like photos I've added before and after shots!

[Mr Tidy]

Seeing my exhaust at eye-level last week made me realise how grotty the tips were!

So today I took them off to clean them, but seeing as the back-boxes are stainless I got busy with the Solvol on the actual tail-pipes and they have come up pretty well considering I only spent an hour on them my old knees were telling me to stop.

Which left me wondering why we even put tips on stainless exhausts - mine won't be going back on!

[Smartbear]

That looks better sounds like you could do with a gardeners kneeling pad for extended exhaust cleaning ability
Rob

[Mr Tidy]

I was using an old car mat, but I've got one of those kneeler pads I use when decorating - and a pair of knee-pads from when I was fitting a few laminate floors.

Now I just need to find them!

[wonkydonkey]

These little improvements and remedial actions are what make these cars feel like our own Good bits of progress here

[Mr Tidy]

So after Ross had fixed my leaking headlamp washer I had to order a new cover.

Soper's said they could paint it for another £30 + VAT, but my niece works in a garage and reckoned she could talk one of her contacts into painting it for "mates' rates" so I bought it bare.

Then before I could get it to her she was put on furlough!

So I ordered the BMW basecoat and lacquer aerosols and a grey primer and they arrived before the Bank Holiday. With such great weather every couple of hours I was out applying fresh coats with a quick sanding in between and I finished it yesterday evening.

No real saving as I paid £30.67, but at least I have some paint if I need to do any touching up, and I was pretty pleased with myself after I got it fitted earlier!

So this being z4forum I suppose before and after photos are needed! Apologies for the reflections - maybe I'm better with an aerosol than a camera.

[Smartbear]

Looks like a decent match Lain
Rob

[IRD]

Good to see you playing nicely during these difficult times Iain. What would we have done without our cars?

[Snoop D]

Anyway it's now sitting as high as we can get it, which according to H & R's website is 23mm lower than standard on the front and 19mm on the rear and I'll see how that works. It is probably about 20mm higher at both ends than when I got it, and if it is OK I'll get an alignment done.

Ross had got the exhaust hanger, which was apparently the last one in the UK so I hope it lasts, but I need to sort something out for the rear of the back box to help it out.

And now I've got a nearside headlight washer jet on order because the 2 litres of screen-wash I put in on Monday just left a big wet patch under the jet where the car was parked.

Anyway ride height now looks like this.

Too high!

Considering that fixed H&R springs drop the car 35mm, I would be tempted to try 32mm on your coil-overs. Eibachs drop the car 30mm but look to high (well from the pics I've seen of other members running the B12 kit - could possibly be the B8 dampers raising the height too), and H&R's drop the car too low to be driven comfortably. I'm currently toying with the idea of buying B6/B8 shocks coupled with my H&R springs and thicker spring pads. That should hopefully give me a drop in between the B12 kit and fixed H&R on standard Sachs dampers...

Have a look at mr wilks grey roadster - height looks just perfect!

[Mr Tidy]

Yes, I'm pleased with the paint match. That's why I bought the genuine BMW stuff - I could have got more paint for less money from other suppliers but wasn't sure it would match so well.

And it wasn't like I had too much else I could do this weekend.

As for the ride height, according to the H & R website my coil-overs are a minimum drop of 23mm on the front and 19mm on the rear which is where it sits now as is where it will be staying! They also say their lowering springs are 25mm all round.

But I see different numbers quoted all over the place - one site I found said that Eibachs were 20mm lower on the front and 10mm on the rear.

[john-e89]

Top job.