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New Member (with questions)
Hello all,
I have just joined the forum. In March, I bought a 1998 Thunderbird Sport with 46,000 on the clock. Despite the terrible summer, I managed to add another 6,000 miles. I am quite satisfied with the TB. Fast enough for me, and looks and sounds fantastic. Mine came with the none road use pipes and a choice of single and dual seats. The previous owner had geared the bike for more relaxed motorway riding, but the accelaration is still ok. The fuel economy is fantastic. 54mpg is normal, with a high of 58mpg. Even when travelling between Penrith and Liverpool at a continual 90-100mph the figure only just dropped below 50mpg.
A few negatives. The first is the weight. This is a heavy bike, or at least it feels top heavy. Handling can only be decribed as acceptable. I realise this is not a touring bike, but neither seat is built for comfort.
My main gripe is the back brake. When I bought the bike, it was possible to stand on the brake pedal with no effect. I traced this to a siezed master cylinder. After changing this for a decent secondhand item and fitting new pads, the brake now works but is still poor. I have read on other threads that a Kawasaki ZXR master cylinder is a straight replacement and gives an improvement. Does the Kawasaki component allow the use of the original brake light switch? If not, what arrangement can be used? Exactly which ZXR's are suitable and from which years?
I am taking the bike off the road for the winter, but I made the mistake of going out for a ride last week on salty roads. I was a little alarmed to see barnacles on the fork legs and wheels, so a good polishing of alloy is called for. I have a few other jobs to do. One of the fork seals is leaking and one of the spark plug threads is stripped. Hopefully, I can just run a tap down the plug thread, otherwise the head will have to come off. I should also check the valve clearances. Is it worthwhile investing in a shim removal tool? Removing cams is not a major job, but I am a firm believer in not disturbing components which are working well.
I enjoy reading the forums and maybe after I have had a bit more poke around with my spanners, I will be able to contribute.
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