Fazer not changing gear smoothly? Could be incorrect oil or a badly adjusted chain

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ADVIC E/BI K E C HOOSE RBIKE LIFE

Help! I needAnswersGot a problem? MCN’s Chris Dabbs and our team of experts have the answers

Is my gearbox knackered?

Q I have a 19,000-mile Yamaha FZS1000 on a 54-plate. Some-

times when I change down I have to force it into lower gears, other times they go in smoothly. I have had a new clutch cable fitted. Is the gearbox on its way out?Bikerpaul7, MCN forums

A I doubt if the gearbox is kaput, as it would be a continuous prob-

lem, not intermittent. If you have the gear lever at such an angle that you are putting a little pressure on it with your resting foot, that could be enough to inadvertently push the se-lector drum around in between gears, causing this sticky gear change. Here’s a further checklist for you to work through: Engine oil, is it the right grade of motorcycle oil, does it need changing? Chain adjustment, is it too slack or has it been adjusted and is too tight? Clutch operation/adjustment, are these correct?

V4 valve check expense

Q My garage says the benefit of checking the valve clearances

on my 1999 VFR 800 is not worth the estimated labour costs of £1000. The bike’s done 45,000 miles. How long can I leave it? What’s the worst that could happen if I never have them checked?VFR800R, MCN Forums

A The clearances should be checked, and adjusted if necessary, every

16,000 miles, but the price your local

garage has quoted for the work is far in excess of what you should be expecting to pay. Most independent garages will quote about £450 to carry out a valve check service on a pre-VTEC Honda VFR800F. This would be a complete service, too – not just a valve clearance check and adjustment.

If that’s still too much of a strain on your wallet, then you have two other options. Firstly, you could try and do it yourself, providing you have a reasonable amount of mechanical comprehension, and can follow the instructions in a Haynes manual to the letter. It’s not a particularly dif-ficult job, but does require patience

and accuracy. Making a mistake could cost you dear.

Alternatively, you could leave them. You don’t say if they have ever been checked or adjusted, but if they were done at 16,000 miles, or 32,000, then they should be fine. If they’ve never been done, then we’d recommend having them checked. The ‘what’s the worst that could happen’ sce-nario involves the clearances reduc-ing to nothing, and your valves then hammering into the head, causing irrevocable damage – which would necessitate a new head, and valves, and a lot of labour. The first warning signs will be a loss of power and a re-fusal to start when the engine is hot. The former will be very progressive, and by the time you get to the latter, the damage may already be done.

Brake light not working

Q I have a 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600 and noticed today that the brake-

light doesn’t come on when the foot-brake is in use, I’m new to motorcy-cling and have only ridden the bike since December after passing my Mod2. Is it a reasonably simple fix? I am quite handy with the old toolbox!Trickyh78, MCN Forums

A Providing the cause is one of the most obvious ones, it’ll be a very

simple fix, and shouldn’t be beyond your toolbox wielding skills.

The first thing to check is that the brake light illuminates when you ac-

I have Michelin Pilot Road 3s fitted to my 1996 Honda VFR750. I think they are good on the road but plan to do my first track days this year and I think that I would like to try more track-orientated rubber. Would this be worth it and what would be the best tyres for me?James Smith, email

If you are heading out on your first track days and you have dates booked for the early part of the season those Road 3s will be

ideal. They will have enough grip for you to be able to rely on them while you learn faster and faster lines around the circuit.

Plus the Michelins will be better able to cope with possible cold and damp conditions than more racey rubber.

Just lower the pressures by 2psi on the front, and 4psi on the rear, not forgetting to reset them to road pressures again at the end of the day, but only when theyÕve cooled down.

LEGAL EXPERT

Q

AAndrew Campbell, Bikelawyer. Visit www.bikelawyer.co.uk or email andrew@bikelawyer.co.uk

MCN LAWYour legal questions

Fobbed off after diesel crash

I came off on diesel last November, it was early morning heading out of

Birmingham. No-one saw me have the off, but two people saw me lying in the gutter and stopped to help. One, an ex-traffic officer, said there was diesel all over the road and to claim through the MIB. I’ve tried this but they said I can’t claim as they can’t trace the vehicle responsible for the spillage. Is this acceptable?Lee Ford, email

MCNÕs technical team are here to help. Go to the ÔAsk an ExpertÕ section on www.motorcyclenews.com/expert

Do you have a question?

TYRE DOCTOR

If you have a rubber-related query which needs urgent attention, contact MCN. +

tivate the front brake lever. Assuming it does, then the problem is definitely within the rear brake switch or wiring. The switch – which is a black plastic cylinder - is located behind the heel plate of your footrest, and is activated via a spring plunger attached to the brake pedal. The little plastic plunger can easily get caked in crud, and the spring that pulls it then just stretches. Get on your knees and watch for the plunger moving when you activate the brake pedal with your hand. If it’s stuck solid, then give it a clean, spray a little WD40 around the plunger, and see if you can free it off. Once it’s freed

off it should work fine – providing the spring hasn’t stretched beyond the adjustment available in the switch (by loosening the lock nut and rotating the body to raise the cylinder in relation to the spring). If this is the case, a new spring will be needed.

If the plunger is moving freely, then the switch itself could have failed. They’re very cheap to replace, and you should be able to do this yourself in a matter of minutes. If, after all that, you still have no brake light, then check the wiring connections for corrosion – or get your multimeter out and start checking for a break in the circuit…

The whole point of the Motor Insurers Bureau Untraced

DriversÕ Agreement 2003 is to compensate victims of negligent unidentifiable road users. Negligence extends to large diesel spills

Bandit 600’s brake light problem sounds like a dirty switch. It’s a quick and easy fix

which are commonly found on roundabouts as a result of overfilled fuel tanks or tanks that have not been secured properly. The MIB does require a claimant to report the accident to police within 14 days (within five days if property damage is to be claimed). I recommend obtaining written confirmation of the police incident number. For a diesel claim to the MIB to succeed you must have sustained personal injury and they will compensate for the injuries and financial losses. To claim property damage not only must you have sustained injuries but also those injuries must have been significant.