Newbie needs advice for the long ride South.

Hello all

Am just new to the site (and Hampshire area) and could do with picking your brains over to see exactly what I should be checking out on my 600 Dark before a LONG journey. Here's the situation:

I've just recently moved to Alton, and currently my bike's at home in Scotland - about an hour North of Inverness & around 600 odd miles from here

Due to moving around a lot (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Highlands, here) it's been off the road and dry stored for over a year now ("he cringes"). I'd been turning it over fairly regularly before moving down here & it had a couple of blats around the backroads now and then, but hasn't been further than a few miles in a LONG time. The MOT is out of course, so i'd planned to book it in somewhere down here, take a train North and ride back down over a couple of days.

To the best of my (extremely limited) knowledge it's mechanically sound, it always starts on the button, has never left any puddles on the floor and has only done 2600 miles.

Bearing in mind how long it's been standing what should I be checking on it before I make the journey? Should I even make the journey? Should I get it MOT'd up there instead & then ride back down after?

Any advice anyone can offer would be much appreciated, as i'm really kinda concerned about doing such a long stretch on a bike that's been stood so long!

Thanks in advance

Dub

[gary tompkins]

MOT - yes get it done BEFORE you ride down.

Insurance won't be worth squat unless you have a valid MOT + tax

Cam belts - should be replaced if they are more than 2 years old (regardless of mileage), as a snapped belt would trash your top end and cost £££'s.

Petrol (unless drained off) may have dried out in carbs leaving them nicely gummed up in the process, and any left in the tank will be pretty stale. Draining/refilling and cleaning the carbs might be required to get the bike running ok.

Tyres, brakes, battery and chain could have suffered during long term storage, so worth checking carefully. I would also suggest getting the motor nice and hot and do an oil & filter swap, as I wouldn't fancy the prospect of a 600mile trip on 12 months+ old crappy lube.

[Pedro]

What GT said,

and welcome to Hampshire! Alton is bike night on a Wednesday night and the Hampsters Ride out is 1st Sunday - keep an eye on the events sections

Pedro

Thanks for the techie advice GT - much appreciated.

I'm fairly confident the battery is fine. It always starts bang on, and has been in a temperature/humidity controlled garage with a Roller (local millionaires not mine), so corrosion on chain/sprokets and the tyres perishing shouldn't be an issue.

Had figured an oil change would be in order, and will need to investigate the gummed up carbs issue you've raised. Haven't had cause to tinker with them yet - could be interesting. Any pointers?

Also, any idea what it'll cost be to get the belts changed - bearing in mind my nearest bona fide Duc dealership is in Glasgow 4 & 1/2 hrs ride from where the bike is - worth getting a local bloke to do it?

Thanks too for the welcome Ped. Once i'm all present & correct I hope to meet up with you folks soon!

Thanks again both.

Dub

Full service. pure and simple. Aswell as the MOT. Your fluids go off over time. So replace them all with the exception of the brakes. May aswell expend 30 quid and a few hours rather than 2 hours spent on the hard shoulder with a sorry looking machine :-)

Thanks for the reply Steggz,

I can handle the basics of a service, oil & filter change etc, but I spose it'll have to be a local bloke that does the cam belts with Duc Glasgow being such a trek. Is this wise? From other threads i've read it seems Monster owners are a pretty selective bunch when it comes to folk wielding spanners near our beloveds!

Dub

[Zimbo]

Or, hire a van and fetch it back in that, can't be much more expensive than a one way train ticket and fuel for the return ride?

I'm with Zimbo on this one. I recently flew Easyjet from Gatwick to Inverness. Companies like Europhire, or any of the other big boys, will do a one-way hire. Give them enough notice and they should be able to arrange a pickup at the airport, and drop off somewhere near home. Then you get the choice of where to get it serviced in Hants.

[Pedro]

Couple of good service places around Alton - Snells are in Alton and Moto Rapido are in Winchester.

The van sounds like a good idea - a Merc Sprinter or something is about £70 a day (and fast as you like!!).

Ped

Originally Posted by Zimbo

Or, hire a van and fetch it back in that, can't be much more expensive than a one way train ticket and fuel for the return ride?

And if you are 1 hour north of Inverness, then that is a B@stard long ride... you could be after a new set of buttocks (or a comfort seat) by the time you get to Hampshire.

Dude, get a van diffo blag a couple of scabby matteresses from the tip for those oh! Sh1t moments when you hit a roundabout and realise the ineptatude of Sprinter brakes.
Enterprise Rent a van 0125 633 6622 basingstoke £50 Transit sized
Williams Garage van rental 01962 713150 nr Eastleigh £42 transit.

Got to be worth the bum ache!

[CK & AK]

Originally Posted by Pedro

Couple of good service places around Alton - Snells are in Alton and Moto Rapido are in Winchester.

The van sounds like a good idea - a Merc Sprinter or something is about £70 a day (and fast as you like!!).

Ped

wot he said (blimey! - I agreed with Hedgerow! )

and there are also quite a few members 'dahn sarf' in this neck of the woods who are quite useful with a spanner, or not too far away to pop over to you to help if necessary.

might be worth posting on a couple of forums or so, as I know one of the dsc managed to get a van share when bringing his new purchase down form the other side of Hadrians wall - you never know till you ask.

Good luck

Wow!

Thanks for all your replies Zimbo, Gilps, MilesB, Lord Vader, CK & AK and Pedro - but I fear I may have discovered a vital flaw in the van plan...... I don't drive

get a hire van......... .had a Parceline Merc Sprinter pass me the other day......caught up with him he was doing 115mph!!!!!!!

[singletrack]

I have no idea how to get your bike back from up North, but welcome Ceedub.

One thing I will say - don't take your Moggie Minor up to collect it - I think I saw it in the car park in Alton yesterday( green, L plates, dodgy windscreen wiper?) - I don't think it will get there!