[krishnaprasadgg]

Not much riding going on but yesterday was a good day because it was parts arrival day!

Finally, after months and months of waiting for a few parts I had ordered, they have reached me, No, it's not OE Yamaha parts, I'm still waiting on those, it'll be 1 year since my order was placed in about a week's time. Great job Yamaha India, keep it going.

But again, there's good news and bad news, some of the parts though they have arrived cannot go onto the bike just yet and will have to wait a few more months to be able to be used. That's because I have the next few parts that are complementing are still a few more months away. The new covid variant and International travel restrictions have made sure of that.

So here's what arrived

ASV shorty clutch lever

The quality of these is just perfect. Packaging is pretty good and they provide the proper mounting hardware which is awesome.

I have only 1 complaint though, they did not come with any stickers. Which sucks

Unfortunately, these will stay in the box as I am still waiting on my Brembo Corsa Corta to arrive, thanks to Corona!

Bikemaster 90 degrees valve cap for the front and rear wheels

Technically I can get this fitted now but I don't want to just get the wheels off and tyres remounted just for this. Whenever a tyre change happens or for any other reason I have to get the wheels and tyres unmounted will get it fitted then.

CV4 Heat reflective tape
Of all the parts that I got this is what will be used soon. The plan with this is to cover the airbox and the under tank area properly and see if I can gain anything worthwhile in terms of rideability, let me just clarify that this was not bought with any hopes of increasing performance, but just anything to mitigate heating issues is the sole intention.

On second thought I think I misread the size of the sheet and might have ordered too many of them.


Tech spec tank pads for the Tiger.
The tiger also got some love this time and had ordered the Techspec tank pads for the tiger, haven't gotten around to applying it yet will post once that is done in due time.

Last but not least, my Arai helmet has arrived!
This one gave me the most satisfaction. Can't remember for how long I have had the dream of being able to own an Arai. Now that is a reality, can't be happier. It just oozes quality just as much as I expected if not more.

Haven't ridden with it on yet, that will happen soon. Tried it out and it fits perfectly snug, the cheek area is a bit tight, but I am expecting it to set in after a few rides.

In other news,
The CBR seems to have developed its first real problem since 2013, the bike refuses to wake up when the ignition is turned on, no power at all, at first I thought the battery died as the bike hasn't been taken out in months, but I got the battery fully charged using my battery charger and still it's the same.

Battery getting charged up

I think it might be the ignition key unit that has a wire cracked and broken off as this was a common problem in my generation CBR250's.In that case, will have to get the bike towed to an svc, not much I can do in terms of DIY fix. Need to spend some time to rule out any other reason why the bike is not turning on at all.

Hopefully, both the Tiger and R1 will be taken out for a ride this weekend.


Cheers
Krishna

[krishnaprasadgg]

First of All, Happy New Year folks!

Took the R1 out after a little over a full month of no riding. Well, I mainly attribute that gap to a new member being added to the garage, this time it was not a 2 wheeler, but a 4 wheeler instead.

New kid in the house who got all the attention this last month

We had been on the lookout for the VRS for quite a while and finally found the perfect one, well, I'll keep that story for another thread soon, but nonetheless, we put on about 5k km on the car within the gap of 1 month, I'm pretty sure that's a valid excuse for the lack of updates on the R1.

Anyways, back to the topic, took the R1 out for a 100-130kms round trip. This was the first time I was riding the R1 with the Arai too, as expected with the committed position I did feel the extra weight of the helmet as opposed to my nexx which is 300 grams lighter with it being a full CF shell.

Can't take my eye off of both of them

But boy is the ARAI on a league of its own once you get used to the weight, even on the R1 it felt so comfortable and solid!

Warming her up for the ride


Mandatory stop at the watering hole


Pit Stop

Anyways, owing to low traffic today I was able to enjoy the ride a lot, the only factor that played spoilsport was the wind, had to face some really heavy crosswinds which were powerful enough to sweep me across lanes in the highway, it did catch me by surprise when that did happen, luckily since the roads were mostly empty had no issues there.

The bike is also inching towards the 29k mark. Hopefully, in a week's time, it'll be there.

Almost there at 29k

Anyways, that is all about today's ride.

Trip log for today


Parting Shot!

Now for updates beyond the ride.
One major change this time was that I did not take any backpack with me for this ride, this is something I never do, even for small rides I always carry a puncture repair kit, the portable air compressor and water, and some basic first aid stuff with me, no matter which bike I ride, but while on the R1 I always had this bad backpain that'll set it quite early(open highways are not an issue, just the inner Kerala roads are where I feel the burden most) and this time I was totally free from that.

The possible solution

I think it's time for me to invest in the Kriega US-10 Drypack. The R1 pillion seat has 4 straps pre-fitted under it which can be used to mount this bag comfortably onto it, I think this is the best solution for me right now.


I do have 2 more updates. As part of the riding gear update for future trackprep, finally, I purchased and received my successor to my trusty A* SMX6 riding boot.

New boots

And the successor is the A* SMX6 V2. I know, if there was a prize for "Lack of imagination" I might surely be a contestant for it. But my defense for it is that the SMX6 lasted me through 6 years of relentless use with minimal maintenance, rest assured it has not had an easy life but still did not fail on me even once. The proof was in the pudding so to speak, here's me hoping that the V2 will hold up in the same way. Now a single-piece riding suit is all that remains.

The other update was that as if my miracle 1 of the part that I ordered(duplicate order at another Yamaha store) had finally arrived and as luck would have it, it's the Radiator Reservoir tank that came through, that too a Nov 2021 packed item from Japan. I am yet to receive any of the other parts that I had ordered. As always it's a waiting game.

As for why I am playing the waiting game let me put forward some perspective, the very same radiator reservoir that I ordered from Babbit's cost me exactly Rs.5234/- ( Breakdown is Rs.3686/- unit price + Rs.1548/- Customs Duty) but the same part from Yamaha India costs only Rs.1021/-.
That's over 5 times the cost of buying it from India(if it was ever available or delivered). So now you see why playing the waiting game if you can is very important for the health of your pocket albeit at the cost of your sanity for waiting over 9 months for a single piece of a plastic can. This is the ground reality of owning a Yamaha/Honda superbike in India right now, though Honda has much better parts support than Yamaha which is virtually non-existent.

Anyways, that's it for now.

Cheers
Krishna

[jomson13]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

R1 Routine Maintainance post

[center]
43NM Torque spec for the oil drain bolt
Attachment 2232775

Torqued to spec!

Attachment 2232776

Continued in next post...

Could you please post details of the torque wrench? This item has been on my list of things to buy since a really long time.

Is it one specific to bikes or does it have enough range to work on cars too?
My primary use is bike only - don't tinker with my car yet!

[HYPERTOURER]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

R1 Routine Maintainance post

As for the expense
Hi-Flo Oil Filter X2 (Part No HF204RC): Rs.1500/-
Engine Oil (Motul 7100 10W40 4Ltrs): Rs.3280/-
Labor charge: Rs.0/- (DIY)


Continued in next post...

Hey i follow your ownership thread for quite sometime. One thing i have heard is aftermarket oil filters are bad the the hiflo ones are the worst. A few well known mechanics in UK are completely against this one brand and strictly advise in using only stock ones. I have used hiflo and k&n before but now try to source stock always for my bike. Don't know why its not recommended though they say something with the oil filter cavity and holes has to do with it. Beautiful machine you have though.

Also try givi bags theres a tanklock bag which can be locked onto your rear seat. Get hold of bikenbiker can give my reference if you need. Ask for sreejith there he will help you out with everything.

[krishnaprasadgg]

Originally Posted by jomson13

Could you please post details of the torque wrench? This item has been on my list of things to buy since a really long time.
Is it one specific to bikes or does it have enough range to work on cars too?
My primary use is bike only - don't tinker with my car yet!

Hi Jomson13, the torque wrench is of a company called Britool. IIRC it's a sister company to Stanley tools, they are available at any Stanley authorized stores. The one used here has a torque rating range of 12-68 Nm. So it should serve well for most car/bike wrenching.
But for anything that needs to be tightened to a higher spec, you will have to get a higher range wrench. Britool does have higher capacity wrenches easily available here.

P.S: They used to be available via amazon too do have a look there as well.

Originally Posted by HYPERTOURER

Hey i follow your ownership thread for quite sometime.

Thanks a lot, mate, btw I'm a huge fan of your 14R thread!

Originally Posted by HYPERTOURER

One thing i have heard is aftermarket oil filters are bad the the hiflo ones are the worst. A few well known mechanics in UK are completely against this one brand and strictly advise in using only stock ones. I have used hiflo and k&n before but now try to source stock always for my bike. Don't know why its not recommended though they say something with the oil filter cavity and holes has to do with it.

Yup, I am aware of that as well. I did see a few such videos too but at the same time, I have seen many people who run HiFlo or K&N filter or other aftermarket OEM replacement filters without any issues at all that too for a long period of time. So I am not really worried about it.

I do buy and use OEM filters whenever I can get my hands on them and I keep a few HiFlo filters as spares too.

[quote=HYPERTOURER;5226507]Beautiful machine you have though.[quote=HYPERTOURER;5226507]

Thanks a ton, mate!

Originally Posted by HYPERTOURER

Also try givi bags theres a tanklock bag which can be locked onto your rear seat. Get hold of bikenbiker can give my reference if you need. Ask for sreejith there he will help you out with everything.

Will do, let me browse through bikenbiker and have a look.

Cheers
Krishna

[carfreak]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

First of All, Happy New Year folks!

Took the R1 out after a little over a full month of no riding. Well, I mainly attribute that gap to a new member being added to the garage, this time it was not a 2 wheeler, but a 4 wheeler instead.

New kid in the house who got all the attention this last month
Attachment 2252935

We had been on the lookout for the VRS for quite a while and finally found the perfect one, well, I'll keep that story for another thread soon, but nonetheless, we put on about 5k km on the car within the gap of 1 month, I'm pretty sure that's a valid excuse for the lack of updates on the R1.

Cheers
Krishna

While I am not very knowledgeable about super bikes, I am sure the vRS is enjoying the good company.

This also reminds me- time to change my signature and profile pic!

[krishnaprasadgg]

Originally Posted by carfreak

While I am not very knowledgeable about super bikes, I am sure the vRS is enjoying the good company.

Hi Doc, Yup. The VRS and the R1 do complement each other well.

Originally Posted by carfreak

This also reminds me- time to change my signature and profile pic!

Do add in the new steed that joined the garage.

Cheers
Krishna

[maheshm619]

Originally Posted by jomson13

Could you please post details of the torque wrench? This item has been on my list of things to buy since a really long time.

See these offerings from Taparia. We use these with heavy duty industrial machinery. You can find a model which covers the torque range specified in your bike user manual.

https://www.industrybuying.com/hand-...brand-taparia/

[carfreak]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Hi Doc, Yup. The VRS and the R1 do complement each other well.

Do add in the new steed that joined the garage.

Cheers
Krishna

Heh heh I am not planning on anything for the time being. The only reason for selling the RS was because I was not using it at all. And I felt sad to see it in that condition

[krishnaprasadgg]

This week rolled out and it marked 2 years since I brought the R1 home. 4th Jan to be precise. Was not able to ride the bike on the 4th so waited till Sunday to take her out for a special ride, well there was nothing special about the ride, to be honest, it was the same usual route itself that I have at my disposal but what made it a bit more special was that the odo rolled to 29,000 km. Pics from today's ride are scattered along with the post

29k rolled in

I took delivery of the bike with 20,759 KMS on the odo. As of today, I am just shy of 9k km with her, wish I could have ridden more but we all know what a terrible 2 years it has been in general so let's not get into it again.

Starting the days ride


Mid-Ride moments

I'd be lying if I said it's been all roses and rainbows all along, it hasn't, it's been a mixed bag of ups and downs, the roller coaster kind nonetheless.

POV: Ready to launch


Have to navigate 30-35kms of bad roads to get some tasty tarmac like this

There have been days where I was super frustrated with the bike, even contemplated if I should sell the bike or not because of the lack of usage during all the lockdowns or not being to take the bike for a ride because of the bad road conditions here, but there have also been days where it still feels like a dream and feels surreal that I actually own this beauty and engineering marvel.

I have had a few niggles along the way too, regular readers will know as it has all been documented in detail here, but ended up loving the bike even more when I got the satisfaction of working on the bike and fixing it myself with the help of friends.

Met up with some riding buddies from Cochin at my destination point(Thrissur). Had some chit chat and I started back home.


The new S1000R, just love this bike, can't get over how compact the bike is.

Got to go on some epic rides and some not-so-pleasant ones too in the deadly heatwaves we have had here last two years, also in the opposite spectrum of being drenched to the bone. Many many instances of cursing at myself under the helmet at my decision-making skill or lack of rather while being stuck in terrible traffic but then redemption almost immediately as the traffic eases up.

Just noticed today that the new-gen BMW S1kRR and S1kr both have the rear wheel spoke offset towards the left of the wheel. Very peculiar design, no idea why.

Many instances of just plainly indulging strangers on the road be it while stopped along the road or stopping the bike for some truly enthusiastic (in all the right way) people so that they can have a lasting experience getting a touch and feel of the bike (this hits home at a different level because once I was in their position too, just that I never had the courage to ask any of the people I saw before, was just content staring at the bikes).

Another day, another visit to the watering hole. She really has an affinity for the more higher-end stuff.

Striking a pose as usual

Just can't stop taking pics, no matter how many times I have seen her.


Time pass during bum breaks

From being super impressed with the availability of the spare parts in the first year of ownership to being utterly pissed and disappointed at Yamaha India(still am) the second year and ongoing, ended up openly recommending getting a Yamaha big bike to others to recommending them never to do it now if they are not ready to deal with all the headache.

Trip meter reading from today's ride

Lastly but not least, to be able to share this beautiful machine with some of my closest friends, it's been one big roller coaster ride, hoping to have many many more in the coming years. I've said it before and I'll say it again, she's a keeper and will stay with me for as long as it's possible.


Cheers
Krishna

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

I've said it before and I'll say it again, she's a keeper and will stay with me for as long as it's possible.

Music to my ears. Please keep this beauty with you. If you ever get mad / delusional, remember to pack the bike and send it to me. .

[wolfy]

BEauty! always a good day when on your loving bike eh Krishna! Cheers man! Keep those wheels rolling!

[88_TANK_88]

Regarding the rear wheel of BMW, it may have multiple reasons. What I could think of are:
1. Lesser weight. As their would be lesser material at the hub, it can be slimmer and lighter.
2. The disk brake can be inside the wheel. It would also protect it better from mud and splashes.
3. Reduction in overall width due to such packging, the swingarm also would be narrower, use less material and be lighter.

- P.S. Maybe I am completely off the mark

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

As of today, I am just shy of 9k km with her, wish I could have ridden more but we all know what a terrible 2 years it has been in general so let's not get into it again.

I'd be lying if I said it's been all roses and rainbows all along, it hasn't, it's been a mixed bag of ups and downs, the roller coaster kind nonetheless.


There have been days where I was super frustrated with the bike, even contemplated if I should sell the bike or not because of the lack of usage during all the lockdowns or not being to take the bike for a ride because of the bad road conditions here, but there have also been days where it still feels like a dream and feels surreal that I actually own this beauty and engineering marvel.

I have had a few niggles along the way too, regular readers will know as it has all been documented in detail here, but ended up loving the bike even more when I got the satisfaction of working on the bike and fixing it myself with the help of friends.

...ended up openly recommending getting a Yamaha big bike to others to recommending them never to do it now if they are not ready to deal with all the headache.


Lastly but not least, to be able to share this beautiful machine with some of my closest friends, it's been one big roller coaster ride, hoping to have many many more in the coming years. I've said it before and I'll say it again, she's a keeper and will stay with me for as long as it's possible.

Cheers
Krishna

There! A great soliloquy Krish. In fact, a key point towards your frustration towards the bike, either knowingly or unknowingly, either perennial or fleecing is the fact that, your spend is over and above what you actually get from the machine. It's called "gethu" (a local slang, the absolute meaning of which translates to swag or displaying something with proudness in a positive way) that's associated with owning, living and making love with a superbike, that's there, and that's the case with anyone owning one, and it's a good vibe indeed.

Where the lines blur and one starts to become broody is, when on a fine day, you realize, heck was it all worth it, giving too much and getting too little? One part of you will 100% say no, the other part too would agree, but will make sure you justify your decision for a "yes" solely for the reason you've spent and splurged on it, nothing else.

This doesn't qualify for superbikes alone, but anything we buy over and above what we imagined it to be, and what it actually transpired to be, that's when the elusive white elephant finally comes in front of one's view, in all its glory.

Man! Dreams should materialize, heck, that's what makes us humans better, powerful and anecdotally be a brain-food for someone, that's all good. Human psychology is simple, when you get what you want, and when all that you can do is to give, give and keep on giving. For a fleeting moment, it'd all be worth it, but when one fine day, when time catches up, which eventually will for us time bound beings, and brings the peen to one's head. Dang! Realization!

Anyway, all that hoopla aside. As a mate I know of you, a friendly suggestion I'd leave you with is this, to consummate your frustration, ride the bike, frequently as you could, as much as you could, whenever you feel you could. Ride that thing, ride it as you wanted, safely, and to your heart's content. For heaven's sake, reduce the "$ feedstock" you feed the bike with, they don't make sense after a while.

Go for a long, healthy solo ride, get dirty, just explore, get yourself scared with that thing, again and again, that's the essence, and when you come home, and look back at that thing and say, what an effing day that was, that's what it's all about. Remember, stop splurging and start spanking. The bike won't care what you splurged for it, but it will make you care for it better, in small way, so that you both have a ride of your life another day.

Oh, and did we have a catch up pending in Ooty!

Originally Posted by krishnaprasadgg

Just noticed today that the new-gen BMW S1kRR and S1kr both have the rear wheel spoke offset towards the left of the wheel. Very peculiar design, no idea why.

Did you happen to inspect the wheel of the new gen RC 200s? They resemble almost a similar design element to this one. The newer 200s seem comparatively friskier and faster than the old gen RC 200s, and according to the presentation of KTM, they've reduced the unsprung mass, by reducing the weight the wheel to the tune of 1.5 KGs IIRC, along with rotor mounts and an improved spoke design for strength which all translates to even faster sprints and better handling. Perhaps, this might be one of the reason for BMW too.

Cheers!
VJ

[krishnaprasadgg]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

There! A great soliloquy Krish. In fact, a key point towards your frustration towards the bike, either knowingly or unknowingly, either perennial or fleecing is the fact that, your spend is over and above what you actually get from the machine. It's called "gethu" (a local slang, the absolute meaning of which translates to swag or displaying something with proudness in a positive way) that's associated with owning, living and making love with a superbike, that's there, and that's the case with anyone owning one, and it's a good vibe indeed.

Nah macha. Actually, I have managed to not spend money on anything "bling" so far (Maybe just those lever protectors, but that too has its function). Everything I have bought has been functional or just spares to make sure the bike doesn't get stuck unusable while waiting for parts. But even that sometimes felt like I could have used the money better. But then such is life, that question keeps popping up regardless of what area it is.
The frustration was just about me not being able to ride or enjoy the bike, not about buying parts. I'll explain why in the section below.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Anyway, all that hoopla aside. As a mate I know of you, a friendly suggestion I'd leave you with is this, to consummate your frustration, ride the bike, frequently as you could, as much as you could, whenever you feel you could. Ride that thing, ride it as you wanted, safely, and to your heart's content. For heaven's sake, reduce the "$ feedstock" you feed the bike with, they don't make sense after a while.

As for the $ feedstock, it will go on, as I said somewhere along in this thread, I want this bike to be in a specific aesthetic form /vision that I have in mind and that I will be working steadily towards that, if I were to rely on hindsight I might have splurged a bit to get over in one go than what I had planned but that was kind of a lockdown frustration stressbuster . No regrets!

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Go for a long, healthy solo ride, get dirty, just explore, get yourself scared with that thing, again and again, that's the essence, and when you come home, and look back at that thing and say, what an effing day that was, that's what it's all about.

That still happens every single time, it feels so amazing at times you know, no matter how short or long a ride it was, with the R1 it is always an occasion, there are emotions ranging from absolute elation to stress at times, it is just so much of a roller coaster ride each time you swing your legs on it, and that is just something I don't want to trade out for anything else at all.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Oh, and did we have a catch up pending in Ooty!

Macha, it's long overdue that's for sure! I actually had to take my phone and look up when was the last time we met up and rode together, and it was Jan of 2016! That's criminally way too long. We have way too much to catch up on, hopefully, this is the year! Fingers crossed, at the same time holler at me when you do happen to come around my neck of the woods.

Cheers
Krishna