Comments for Garage Night

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by PaulH

PaulH — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:55:37 +0000

Thanks guys, my bike is an Yamaha RD500 so a little different from the bikes you seem to work on. Bearings were driven in with large socket on the outer edge of the bearing only, although I did have to knock out one bearing and refit which I did by knocking on the inner edge with a drift. The bearing looked ok to me upon inspection so I reused it. I am unable to fit wheel to bike at the moment because my forks are stripped waiting for rebuild. I will do as suggested, fit wheel and spin and see how it goes. I have to get the tyre refitted cause the tyre company has fitted tire wrong way round. During this they should be able to spin the wheel on their balancing machine to indicate if bearings are too tight? If so I could get that done this week.

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by trent

trent — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:50:49 +0000

Hi Paul,
Waz’s suggestion to refit the wheel to the bike (tighten the axle) and give it a spin (without the brake callipers attached) is a sound idea.
If the wheel spins freely for a number of revolutions (5 +) then I suspect everything is OK.
If it stops after 1/2 - 1 revolution, then something is wrong.

The only bike I’ve heard of with front wheel bearing spacer problems is the KTM 950 Super Enduro - the spacer on some of those bikes is too short which causes the bearings to be bind up when the axle is tightened - Spinning the wheel as described above is the way to detect that problem.

It can be a bit daunting working on your bike for the first time, but keep focused, use the right tool for the job and you can’t go too far wrong.

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Waz

Waz — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:33:01 +0000

Hi PaulH. Well, when you try to rotate one bearing inner, the spacer should spin with it, as well the bearing inner on the other side. So you might get more resistance than you’d expect if you were just holding one bearing in your hand and spinning it. They should not spin loosely or freewheel - that would be a sign they’re really worn. But they should not be severely tight either.

Just make sure you didn’t a) drive against the inner bearing diameter when installing them, thereby causing damage, or b) over-pack the bearing with grease (no more than 1/3 full is one recommendation) c) badly misalign the inner spacer so it’s rubbing on the bearing seal (you can push the axle through to help line things up).

I’d suggest installing your wheel on the bike with the weight off it and the brakes out of the way so they’re not dragging on the disc. Then see how freely the wheel spins.

It shouldn’t really be possible to ‘over-drive’ the bearing so that it jams because of the spacer - the spacer will be the right width so that it’s held in place by the bearing inners when the bearings are seated in the hub.

Hope that helps. If you’re really unsure about it or feel it might not be safe then do see a mechanic about it.

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by PaulH

PaulH — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:37:59 +0000

Hello guys, I’m new to tooling and instinctively shy away from having a go. However for the first time I fitted new front wheel bearings. My concern is that I might have driven the bearings in too tightly to the inner spacer causing the inner diameter of the bearings to hardly turn without some force from my finger. Should the bearing inners spin freely without too much finger pressure to get them to turn?

Great website and video tutorials by the way!

Comment on Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: Rear suspension overhaul part 1 by Julian

Julian — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:42:15 +0000

Very nice. Always happy to see a new episode appear in my RSS reader. This is just great, guys.

Comment on Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: Rear suspension overhaul part 1 by Dan Cata

Dan Cata — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:39:46 +0000

Can’t wait for the next episode! Can you do them more often?

Comment on Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: Rear suspension overhaul part 1 by Waz

Waz — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:45:06 +0000

Dave and JW2, thanks for the reminder about lathe cleanliness. Yes, I did think about counter-rotating the lathe chuck with the grinding disc - but on the day i forgot to ask Trent about it.

Comment on Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: Rear suspension overhaul part 1 by Dave H.

Dave H. — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:22:51 +0000

Ouch! If you’re toolpost grinding on the lathe, *protect the ways* - quickest way to wreck the poor thing, even if the bed’s hardened, is to bombard it with grinding dust (a mixture of abrasives from the wheel and steel, nice) so next time you run the carriage up it starts wearing away all those nice precise bearing surfaces…

Just lay a piece of cardboard or something where the sparks land next time!

Another thing, with that setup you should really be running the lathe spindle in reverse (if you have it!) so the work and the grinding wheel or disc are moving in opposite directions where they meet, saves breaking (quite so many) wheels :o)

Dave H.
(The engineer formerly known as Homeless)

Comment on Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: Rear suspension overhaul part 1 by antonye

antonye — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:02:01 +0000

Ingenious! Well done chaps.

Comment on Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: Rear suspension overhaul part 1 by JW²

JW² — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:01:01 +0000

Well done!
However, I would recommend protecting the lathe (and lungs!) from the grindings.
JW²

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Waz

Waz — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:16:20 +0000

Hi Mike, we are always happy to save a Transalp owner a few bob. Our stickers look particularly fetching on v-twin Hondas, by the way …

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Mike Pinney

Mike Pinney — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:53:33 +0000

Great video. Rear bearings on my Transalp are fkded, something I suspected after noticing riding on grooved tarmac where the whole back end felt like it was floating. Gonna extract the old ones and hot foot it down to my local bearing shop to match up some fresh ones. Thanks again, I have the shop manual but talk of special tools can be a bit off putting………..

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Waz

Waz — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:34:03 +0000

Brian, nice to hear your opinions - I believe you may have some connection to the bearing trade? That’s a top tip about facing the disturbed seal inwards. Very sensible precaution.

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Brian Mehosky

Brian Mehosky — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:36:45 +0000

Very informative. You might consider using a heat gun to expand the hub a bit before removing or installing a bearing. In addition, you can store your new bearing in the freezer, to cool it down, as well. Just a **little** bit of thermal expansion can make a big difference when trying to remove or install a bearing. I suspect that more bearings get damaged by folks removing the seals to add more greaase. They damage the seal, and potentially introduce contaminents and debris into the bearing. If you absolutely **have** to do it, perhaps it might be better to only remove the inner seal (the one inside, that faces the other bearing) since (perhaps) no dirt can get to the back side of the bearing.

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by oli

oli — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:33:18 +0000

Thanks guys, big help whilst I was doing this tooday.

Comment on Ep 12: KTM forks on a BMW part 2 by Waz

Waz — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:24:36 +0000

Hi Anton, it’s all covered in the first episode of this pair: http://www.garagenight.tv/ep-11-ktm-forks-on-a-bmw/

The stem is from a 640 Supermoto.

Comment on Ep 12: KTM forks on a BMW part 2 by Anton

Anton — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:30:11 +0000

From which Supermoto did the stem come? 950?

Comment on What Team Garage Night did next: Autumn Wander 2009 by ash

ash — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:07:52 +0000

Morning from sunny Derbyshire. This time last week we were scaring the sheep in sleepy Taddington, but hey thats another story baaahhhh

Niel is busy planning a rideout in North Wales, should be able to get this in before Xmas. Should be good. Will keep you updated.

Im out on the trials big this afternoon then off to the world indoor enduro championships in Sheffield. Watching not competing! Should be good.

Any more events similar to the Salisbury one, looks great.

Take it easy

Ash

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by punisher_uk

punisher_uk — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:52:22 +0000

ok to take this one step further
after removing top yoke i proceeded to tighten the bearing cap maybe 1/8th of a turn
replacing every thing i took the bike for a round 200k ride no high speed wobble
but a low speed wondering lets say,anywhere between 30k and 60k the bike sort of sways under me as if gently moving bars from left to right
after reading numerous forums i have decided to slacken them a little hear is why
(sorry can not find post )
apparently when i torque the yoke down (100nm) it will add pressure to the bearing cap
something about the thread so its trial and eror
i put bike on center stand and the bars do not fall when pushed but stay ther they are i think i need to slacken it about a 16th of a turn
will let you no how it goes
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-RnxkMUywQ]null
hear is the link to my own garage night

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Trent

Trent — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:39:50 +0000

Hiya,

If the bearings are too loose, you'll get a clunk sound or feel when you brake or hit a bump.
If the bike has a main stand, get it up on that then grab the bottoms of the forks - With the wheel facing forward, pull and push the forks back and forth - if the bearings are too loose, you should feel some movement.
If you don't have a mainstand, try to prop the bike so the front wheel is off the ground.

Perhaps you should loosen the bearings off again, then use the technique above to feel the "clunk" I mentioned - you can then gradually tighten the bearings until the clunk disappears.
The nut / collar used for adjusting the bearings won't need much tweaking to tighten the bearings - try 1/8 of a turn at a time till you get the feel for it...
It should just be "nipped up" when the bearings are at the right tension.

When the clunk / movement has disappeared, you should be able to move the handlebars smoothly from side to side with the only resistance coming from the cables etc as they flex.

Note that you'll also need to loosen the fork clamps on the top clamp when you adjust the bearings - if you don't you'll find that the bearings may loosen up again after a while.

Cheers
Trent

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by punisher_uk

punisher_uk — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:47:46 +0000

great site guys
one small question i followed your video on replacing the bearings
short ride and get major wobble on the bars at 60+ how do i now how tight to tighten top bolt i think mine might be to slack but dont want to over tighten and crush new bearings

Comment on Monster: Bike of the decade? by atomemphis

atomemphis — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:28:42 +0000

No need to worry about the taillight! Its far cheaper to get the same piece from a local Harley Davidson dealer, as its the same unit on a Buell.

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by KTM WP Forks on AT

KTM WP Forks on AT — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:20:27 +0000

[...] this will give you some ideas. The use the SM forks for a BMW, but discovered plenty of issues. Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 at Garage Night Ep 12: KTM forks on a BMW part 2 at Garage Night Keep us updated on how you proceed please. [...]

Comment on Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2 by Avrom Brown

Avrom Brown — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:47:43 +0000

I have watch the full series that you boys have done and thanks for a great series. After watching the 2 part series on chains and sprockets, I now see how easy it can be done. No mystery when the “pros” show you how. Please keep up the great work.

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Waz

Waz — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:37:36 +0000

Richard you made my day with the Elefant comment there. I have the 750 now but previously had the 900. The 750 is a more refined version but I miss the rorty, clattery nastiness of the 900 sometimes. Hope you have bags of fun with it and please get in touch anytime for advice and assistance - I’ve been right over these bikes.

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Richard Parkinson

Richard Parkinson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:44:50 +0000

Looks like jolly good fun - congrats on finishing so well too.

Pete - the TDM is finally being retired. 250 000 kms, a ride half way around the world and silly amounts of wheelies have taken their toll.

I’ve bought a 900 Elefant as a replacement - what a great toy !!!

The ultimate urban holigan weapon. Why slow down to go around round-abouts when you can go straight over the top…

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Dommie forks and steering head

Dommie forks and steering head — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:11:23 +0000

[...] Re: Dommie forks and steering head Here’s something you might find useful: Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings at Garage Night [...]

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Garry

Garry — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:32:32 +0000

This video was really helpful when the bottom bearing on my KTM 950 SMR went tits up at 20K miles (days before leaving on a trip). The only difference I had was that the old lower bearing wouldn’t budge with a punch, so I resorted to a Dremel (cutting wheel too large to make a nice cut). A few whacks with a chisel managed to loosen it, not split it, and all went well from there. I picked up a tip to freeze the new races before installation to slightly shrink them.

Your videos rock! Keep up the great work…

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by DanH

DanH — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:05:44 +0000

Really good video.
Was going to get a dealer to bankrupt me, but now have the confidence to give it a go myself.

Keep up the good work

Comment on Ep 6: Mountain Madness by Transambiker

Transambiker — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:35:47 +0000

Terrific podcast! Great work putting together the shows. They are very informative. Each one of them is top notch.

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Waz

Waz — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:15:37 +0000

Hi Dimitris,

* The forks are from a regular 950 Adventure - not the S model.

* The yokes are from the same bike as the forks, BUT …

* The steering stem (sometimes called the steering post) is from a KTM Supermoto. It is a much more suitable length for the BMW steering head. We maybe could have used the Adventure steering stem and got it shortened and re-threaded - but we already had the Supermoto stem machined to take the BMW bearings when we were thinking of fitting Supermoto forks. So we had the Adventure stem pressed out and replaced with the Supermoto stem.

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by DIMITRIS

DIMITRIS — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:27:57 +0000

Hello,

I am Dimitris from Greece.

Would you like to tell me about the forks and the steering column system?

Are the forks 43mm steering column system and from the 950ktm ADV or from 950ktm ADV S?

I am waiting for your news.

Many regards,

Dimitris

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Waz

Waz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:33:08 +0000

Rave, that would be one and the same tyre. The brand is Mitas - made in the Czech Republic. Good set of rubber, I rode all the way back to London on it and it’s still on the bike.

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Dave

Dave — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:25:51 +0000

Great video guys, I’m very jealous, would love to have a go at that one. I think i will pencil that one in for next year, just have to organise a bike to get over there. Bar risers are definately the go for extended standing while riding. The fant looked horn with the knobbies on. That wasn’t the rear tyre that myself and Al picked up at the elephant rally in Austria.

Comment on Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2 by H

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:36:04 +0000

Great site guys, this just inspired me to do my own chain/sprockets on my SLR650, just re-checking for the last bit of fixing the joiner in. Keep up the great work, thanks!

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Waz

Waz — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:44:34 +0000

Hi John, my arms are not long enough to stand up for very long - got to get some risers on the Elefant. For me the main thing I remembered is to get the weight on the outside peg through the corners - keeping your body upright and weighting that peg as you lean the bike through the turn.

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by azcagiva

azcagiva — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:01:02 +0000

The trick to riding the big bikes like the elefant and the super enduro is to stand up. It is hard at first but once you get used to it you wont sit down in hard conditions.

Great video

-John

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Waz

Waz — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:54:41 +0000

jonnybgood, chickening out isn’t really the right expression. we conducted a tactical review and redeployed our assets.

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by jonnybgood

jonnybgood — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:01:43 +0000

Yes definately brings back memories - see you guys chickened out of mud hole tho - wise decision - we did it but took all three of the charlies angels team to get my africa twin through!And we were all bloody knackered before we got to it!!

great vid maybe see you all next year - just looking at investing in laminator - not a bad idea for holes tho!

jonnybgood

team charlies angels

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Pyrenees and Humm - Page 4

Pyrenees and Humm - Page 4 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:24:36 +0000

[...] Re: Pyrenees and Humm Just watched this, which pretty much shows what the Humm is all about and even shows the fab road from Ribes to La Molina Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 at Garage Night [...]

Comment on Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009 by Noel

Noel — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:47:22 +0000

This brings back some good memories - it looks so much easier on video doesn’t it? End of day two I was so knackered I’d have told you ‘never again’, but now I am thinking ‘hey, that looks like a good idea’… That mud hole where you turned around looks very familiar and if it is the same one I think it is then it’s one we decided to follow through on but ultimately came to grief in another hole further up the mountain - possibly a good strategy on your part deciding to give it a miss….

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Trent

Trent — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:23:10 +0000

Hiya Billy Bob,

Unfortunately we don't have a diagram - I would take the parts diagram picture with a pinch of salt - they are not really accurate enough as a reassembly diagram. A service manual would be a better option.

We happen to have an AT (RD04) in the garage at the moment, so I had a quick look at the wheel.
The L/H side (Chain side) has a "Cross 2" pattern and the R/H side has a "Cross 1" pattern - Cross 1 is a bit strange for a bike of that size...

To check the pattern, start at the head of a spoke and count how many other spokes it "crosses" on the way to the rim.

The R/H side heads are very close and kinda cross each other, but don't count that - only count the spokes that actually cross.

It sounds like you may be either using the wrong pattern (most likely if the new spokes are the same as the old ones), or have the wrong length spokes in the wrong holes.

Insert all the inside spokes first and mate them with the correct nipples - Hold a nipple in the hole in the rim and it should point straight at the spoke it needs to mate with - If the wrong length spoke is in the wrong hole or you're using the wrong pattern, you'll get exactly the problem you've described.
You can then insert the outer spokes while paying attention to the "cross" pattern and match up the rest of the nipples.

If you still end up with long and short spokes when the offset is approx correct, try swapping them around if it's possible.

Hope that helps...

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Waz

Waz — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:51:56 +0000

Hey Billy Bob,
I will ask the other garage nighters what they think.
One thing I would mention though: sometimes aftermarket replacements will differ from the original spokes. A wheel guy at Hagon explained it like this to me: Bike wheels are usually laced up in the factory by a machine, and the spokes may have certain bends because that's what is needed for them to fit into the wheel-making machine.
Usually when you get aftermarket spokes they will be more uniform. My wheel's original spokes seemed to have two or three different bends - but the replacements from Hagon all had the same bend, same length, and worked fine.
Something you might need to take into account when assembling your wheel.
Also, OFFSET. I gather that a rear wheel hub is more likely to be offset from one side to the other than a front wheel humb. You need to know the original offset and reproduce it on your wheel.

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Bunkmuffin

Bunkmuffin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:07:10 +0000

Question!!
I have a 92 Africa twin, I am in the process of lacing the rear wheel with new spokes from Central Wheel. There are 3 different lengths of spokes in this wheel.
I do have a parts catalogue which provides the correct length of each spoke and I kept the original spokes that were removed and am using samples to measure new spoke lengths against. I also have photos of the wheel berfore dismantling. All is good so far.
I have been placing the spokes in locations which appear to correspond to that provided in the same catalogues (diagram) locations on the rim and hub. This is where everything falls off the rails. The diagram provided is confusing, not clear or just outright wrong. Every time I think I have it right I am unable to true the wheel because the nipples run out of threads on the spokes before there is sufficient tension on them or the nipples do not cover the spokethreads because they are in the wrong location. I am also paying close attention to the rim offset.

Does anyone have the CORRECT spoke lacing diagram or locations so that I can get on with my little project, Please?

Thanks in advance from a cranky and frustrated old kodger who should be able to figure this simple task but for reasons unknown continues to suffer from brain farts or Old Timers Disease.
Billy Bob Hamilton
The Bunkmuffin (so my girlfriend calls me)

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by George aka Komatias

George aka Komatias — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:25:14 +0000

Hi Guys

The forks I have are the Adventure S forks from a 2005 bike if I remember correctly. I had an issue with the handling initially but had not looked at my sags in detail. I got the geometry sorted out by pushing the forks up through the triple clamps by 35mm measured from the top of the fork to the top of the clamp. With the preload I tweeked the sags but I still get bottoming of the forks. From rough calculations for myself (around 105kg’s with gear) I feel that I need to go to a spring stiffness of around 5.6N/mm maybe even stiffer. Bear in mind that the bike the forks came from is designed for a 75Kg rider.

What you could do to avoid buying new spring is to cut the stock ones and use spacers. This is debated to death on Orange crush over on Advrider. When I make measurements I will relay the info.

To show the extent of the bottoming I made a video. The jump is not high but the forks went all the way down. Thicker oil will reduce the tendency to bottom but you really need the stiffness of the spring itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc9P_ZDvzqg

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Richard

Richard — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:32:01 +0000

As i recall George you are using the 950 Adventurer S forks which have even longer travel than the standard 950 Adv forks.

So Waz, the forks are conparable.

I briefly was chatting to Paul the mechanic at Bracken and his only comment was the spring rate might need adjustment.

It is something we will have to investigate further once we have done some field tests!

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Waz

Waz — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:02:50 +0000

@George/Komatias,

That’s interesting. Picture is blurry but it looks to me like your forks could be from a single-cylinder Adventure, not a 950 like Rich’s conversion uses. Am I correct?

So far we’d surmised that the 950 weight would make the forks pretty good for the F650 or even a little on the firm side - but balanced out by the wet weight of long-range tanks.

Either way we’ll be interested to see how Richard’s bike performs and obviously he’ll be taking it slowly at first …

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by George aka Komatias

George aka Komatias — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:03:44 +0000

Here is a piccy of the bottoming out after a small jump:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_u0HCgAo06LU/Sj8mpyBbzdI/AAAAAAAACvY/hQlXJYaXGrE/s800/P6210033.JPG

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by George aka Komatias

George aka Komatias — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:59:56 +0000

Hi Guys,

I have spoken to Rich in the past about the KTM Adv setup in the past.

I have quick pointer. I took my bike to a little play area over the weekend. The bike was using the full travel on the jumps. Basicly I was bottoming out all the time. In fact I also blew a fork seal. Doing some research I have found that the stock spring rate of the ADV is pretty low. You will need to increase this. On ADVrider they are quoteing some numbers in the yamaha conversion thread you might want to have a look at.

All the best!

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Richard

Richard — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:13:50 +0000

Hi Bjorn

We are shortly going to put up the next episode on the project. We are just awaiting some lower fork guards in order to deal with the front brake cable management and then the bike should be on the road. We are taking it to the Horions Unlimited Mountain Madness event in July and hopefully we will give it a good test nd report back on the effect of the upgrade. Will it make a difference to stability, off roading, handling etc….who knows but here’s hoping!!

Richard

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Matt

Matt — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:11:26 +0000

Great video. Another tip for installing the bottom bearing is to: 1) freeze the bottom triple clamp and steering stem and 2) heat the bearing. The result is that the bearing typically falls right on; I’ve had great results with this approach.

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Bjorn

Bjorn — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:00:10 +0000

Hi guys,

Thanks for another episode! Got an F650 Dakar myself and was interested to see this episode. Question now: is there a REAL difference for “upside down” fork (not only on a f650, but in general). At times, the front on my f650 feels a bit wabbly… does an upside-down fork help?

Keep it going, guys! Fantastic show!
Bjorn

Comment on Ep 2: Beads and bearings by Problem with keeping air in rear wheel ?

Problem with keeping air in rear wheel ? — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:25:57 +0000

[...] on how confident you are. But it isn’t difficult. Have a look at episode 2, from Garage Night - Ep 2: Beads and bearings at Garage Night Should give you the basic idea. I would offer to help but wrong side of the country - and Galway [...]

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by LukasM

LukasM — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:45:02 +0000

Good stuff as usual.

I put KTM forks to my DR650 and ran into all the same issues as you. Wish I would have known about your project, then I could have saved you some grief.

Not sure where you are at right now, but any more questions just ask. I have 6 different KTM forks and brake setups here so I humbly consider myself a (wanna) expert. Learned it all the hard way!”

Cheers,
Lukas

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Waz

Waz — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:11:49 +0000

Hey Nigel,

As well as what Richard’s mentioned, fitting and adjusting the top steering head bearing on an F650 is insanely complicated - on the KTM yokes it is simplicity itself (relatively speaking).

As far as weight savings go: the BMW yokes alone weigh a ton!

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Richard

Richard — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:51:33 +0000

Hey Noel,

Thanks for your comments. At the time we started looking around for forks (which was some time ago now) the F800 was just coming to market and we didn’t know of any being broken. Conceptually there is nothing to stop someone using the F800 front end (45mm USD).

We took our lead off what Touratech had done on the bikes prepared for the real Dakar rally. The Touratech conversion for the bike was based on 43mm WP forks.

On the second hand market they seem primarily to come from Supermoto 620s and the 640 adventurers. But as you can see from the video the fittings for the brake calipers can make life challenging. At some point, KTM moved up to 48mm WP forks on the 640 adventurers and they came as standard on the 950s. Looking at the weight of the BMW versus the 640 adventurer and 950 adventurer (and bearing in mind we have the Touratech big tanks for this bike) we figured it was closer in weight to the 950, so those were the forks we went for.

We know of another UK guy who has used similar forks off the KTM 950S which have even greater travel, but we understand he had some handling issues and needed to push the forks through the clamps a bit - not sure of the details.

The main reason for doing this … kind of lost in the mists of time. It seemed a good idea at the time - we’ll see if it proves to be the case. We are also running at 18-inch rear and have a WP rear shock which we think will balance out the changes we are making.

Yep we hope to be at the HUMM - Dakar included.

Cheers,
Richard.

Comment on Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650 by Noel

Noel — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:26:30 +0000

Hey Guys,

Very interesting this is, especially being a Dakar owner too… I guess the main reason you are doing this project is for the whole unsprung balance reduction handling thing…? Just wondering why specifically you’ve chosen the KTM front end rather than say for instance the F800 GS front end - is there something about the KTM kit other than perhaps second hand availability and price that I am not aware of…?

Looking forward to seeing the next part in the series… In fact looking forward to seeing the motorcycle sometime - will it be going to this year’s HUMM?

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Chris

Chris — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:55:11 +0000

Wow, found this site thru ADVrider, FANTASTIC!!!…what a great site esp the video tutorials. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make these guys…..cheers Chris

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Slanty

Slanty — Mon, 04 May 2009 00:02:02 +0000

Thanks for a brilliant guide, I changed the bearings on my Africa Twin today. I had never done it before but after seeing the video I had no troubles getting it sorted. Thanks again!

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Val K.

Val K. — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:38:59 +0000

Hi guys!
Excellent site!!! Enjoyed every episode very helpful. Looking forward to see your next one. Cheers! Val from Dublin.

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Gary Birdsey

Gary Birdsey — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:57:24 +0000

Hi Waz.

When are we going to see some more Fant spannering. The Progs have gotten me out of a few holes over the past few months so keep up the good work guys.

Weather has been a bugger lately. I’ve spent the last few months waiting for her indoors to leave me alone so that I can empty, then re-organise my garage…. No chance. Maybe this weekend.

Anyway, ride safe.

Gary in sunny Berkshire
1987 & 1997 - Elefant 750

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Waz

Waz — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:15:12 +0000

Hey Steve,

We got back in the garage last night and can promise some new episodes soon. The absolutely freezing and miserable winter here did curtail things but we are getting back into action. STICK WITH US!

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Steve

Steve — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:58:20 +0000

I need my Garage Night fix… When is the next episode?

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Alec Anderson

Alec Anderson — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:30:46 +0000

Hey thanks for the tips guys,just away to attempt the steering bearings on my Suzi Rf600R, this vid has given me the confidence to give it a go myself rather than getting huge garage bills,keep up the good work.
Alec from Aberdeen (Scotland)

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Hernan

Hernan — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:59:06 +0000

Hola Amigos!!!!!
Gracias por el video. Excelente. Lo que le faltaba a mi Africa Twin ´99 gracias a Garagenight se lo puedo hacer yo directamente. Felicitaciones buen trabajo.

Hernán
Chivilcoy. Bs. As.
Argentina

Translated:

Hello friends!!!!!
Thanks for the video. Excellent. What was missing in my Africa Twin’99, through Garagenight I can do it directly. Congratulations good job.

Hernán

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Mikko

Mikko — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:50:08 +0000

Execellent work. This is the most valuable site for newbie learning to fix his dual-sport. I am looking forward to see you doing carb cleaning/tuning and some motor stuff in next episodes.

Comment on Monster: Bike of the decade? by Monster City 600 owner

Monster City 600 owner — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:57:26 +0000

Motorcycle design and production are so diversified, it is almost impossible to make a choice. But if a bike changed the way biking is perceived at the end of the last century, that was probably the 916…

Comment on Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2 by ChiTown Veeeee

ChiTown Veeeee — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:10:12 +0000

Thanks for the great series. Watching you put on the chain and sprocket relieved any worries of changing my chain and sprocket on my V-Strom. If it only bloody warmed up, i’d be in the garage changing it now!!

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by Nev

Nev — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:47:23 +0000

Very informative, chaps, but perhaps you should have mentioned to pump the brakes after spreading the pads - best done in the shed than out on the road the next day!!
And personally, I fit the bearings as they come out of the box, no worries about damaging a seal or mixing incompatible greases.

Keep up the good work, lads!

Comment on Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2 by Keith

Keith — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:58:59 +0000

Nice one lads
gave me the confidence to change my own chain and sprockets on my GSXR1000
Excellent site
Keith Goggin
Dublin

Comment on Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings by anon

anon — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:44:47 +0000

Cheers fellas, very informative!

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Ger Mc Quarrie

Ger Mc Quarrie — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:13:58 +0000

Alright lads,

Fantastic site, some great info and video too, any chance yez could do a night on valves and balancing carbs .. keep up the brilliant work …. CHEERS ..GER.

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Phil

Phil — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:16:34 +0000

Hi guys,
Just found your site! It’s a great show, keep up the fantastic work.
Looking forward to the next episode!

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Waz

Waz — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:55:48 +0000

Hey there Sam. We’re still here - we’ve just been taking a break for Christmas/New Year. Episode 10 is just about to go into production, so stick with us!

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Sam

Sam — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:28:51 +0000

Where have you gone guys? Looking forward to the next episode!

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Hondanut

Hondanut — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:56:33 +0000

Thanks a lot! You all really helped me out! A+

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Waz

Waz — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:04:27 +0000

Hey Brian, that’s good advice. One thing about cutting spokes with boltcutters is that you should make sure the nipple end of the spoke is pointing away from you or anything you don’t want to break/kill. The tension can make them shoot out ‘like bullets’, according to Richard in a previous episode.

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Brian

Brian — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:04:20 +0000

Great stuff! Some additional thoughts. Use bolt cutters to remove old spokes. If you’re using a laser cut spoke wrench, consider grinding the back side into a spoon shape, so that sharp edges don’t dig into the rim when tightening spokes. And wrap the handle with tape to protect your hands (it will also force you to use the correct end of the wrench). Be *very* careful when using a torch on an aluminum structural member. Keep the temperature well below 400 F to avoid weakening the metal. Use an oven or boiling water bath to avoid overheating.

Comment on Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2 by Waz

Waz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:24:57 +0000

Brian, that’s the kind of feedback that keeps us going! Glad to hear you tackled your O-ring phobia.

Comment on Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2 by Brian

Brian — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:59:49 +0000

Just want to say thanks for a great resource. I replaced my O-ring chain myself yesterday. Even though I do all my work myself (including valve adjustments), I have always paid to have chains put on due to not having the special chain tools and just thinking O-ring chains were mysterious (haha) and difficult to do right. After putting the chain on yesterday I was shaking my head that I have been paying someone else to do this for the last 10 years.

Thanks,
Brian

Comment on Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel by Steve

Steve — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:59:05 +0000

Hey guys,

Thanks for the new episode. Great job as usual explaining the complicated to the clueless! Not ready to pull out the angle grinder myself yet but glad to see how it can be done.

Comment on Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer by GSARider

GSARider — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:03:33 +0000

Great work - cheers guys! One of our members at http://www.knobblies.org posted this up.

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Douglas

Douglas — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 04:16:13 +0000

Absolute Fantastic Video. Thumbs up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment on Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2 by Roy Bertalotto

Roy Bertalotto — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:23:59 +0000

Hey, nice series, but leave the chain on until you losen the front sprocket nut. Just put on the rear brake and have at it!…….An Air Impact wrench is your friend for that front sprocket.

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by luke holt

luke holt — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:10:49 +0000

Just about to tackle the bearings on my elefant 750. Thanks for the hints and tips. will have saved me a fortune by not wrecking my bike in the process. Cheers from sunny scotland

Comment on Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets by a Alice

a Alice — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:04:45 +0000

Hi,

I Think you should have your own show on TV! Well done guys.

Comment on Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets by Adrian

Adrian — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:00:19 +0000

Great idea, great shows!
Big thanks from us, amateur mechanics.

Do you take requests? As you travel with bikes overseas - could you once show how your bikes are prepared for transportation?

One lighting suggestions - sometimes the camera films details underneath the bike and the ambient light is not enough. A small on-camera light would greatly help in those situations.

Once again, congrats on this excellent idea!

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by Avrom Brown

Avrom Brown — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:28:23 +0000

Great site with lots of good stuff. Really enjoyed steering head bearing replacement. Keep up the good work.

Comment on Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets by Missing Droid

Missing Droid — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:43:26 +0000

Hi there,

Really enjoying the shows. Keep up the work, it’s really useful. Why not add a Paypal donation button so us readers can donate a few bob, at least pay for some beers for all the effort you guys are putting into this.

Comment on Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets by Steve

Steve — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:23:57 +0000

Another great video from you guys. You are doing a great job of making repairs less “foggy” for the new riders. I was wondering if you would do an episode on common road-side repairs (punctures, etc.). Thanks and keep it up!

Comment on Ep 6: Mountain Madness by Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets at Garage Night

Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets at Garage Night — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:56:01 +0000

[...] Beer Fridge blog « Ep 6: Mountain Madness [...]

Comment on Ep 6: Mountain Madness by Richard Parkinson

Richard Parkinson — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:44:33 +0000

Great site guys !

Well impressed with the workshop you have there - my bike always lived outside in London.

So what big adventures are you prepping the bikes for?

Comment on Ep 6: Mountain Madness by nick

nick — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:38:37 +0000

Looked amazing Pete, good work on getting second place!

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by James

James — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:05:14 +0000

Hi Garage Night Team,

Thanks for the videos - have just removed a steering head race - after watching #5. It seems to be the best resource on the net for this particular job.

The one I had (from a ‘92 900ss) needed a visit from Mr Dremel, and a tap from the chisel in the cut - broke through one side, no more tension & off it came.

Keep up the good work!

James.

Comment on Monster: Bike of the decade? by Sheldon

Sheldon — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:07:21 +0000

Interesting blog.

In two minds here because the Monster is probably my favourite bike of all time.

However I would have to say that the Fireblade was the bike of the 90s for me. I remember the huge impact it made when it was released in 1992, as it was so different from all other sportsbikes of the time. I think it was 20kg lighter than the 750s of the period, let alone the litre bikes. The journos of the time were just about wetting themselves.

Not only was it a huge step forward for sportsbikes, it has been hugely influential, you only need to look at the current market to see that. It basically changed the whole philosophy of sportsbike manufacturing.

Oh, and the GPZ900 for bike of the 80s, just ahead of the GSX-R.

Comment on Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer by Col Gibson

Col Gibson — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:41:32 +0000

Hi Guys, great series. Came across it on the Harley Rider’s Website as a reference to fitting and adjusting steering head bearings. I like your style - mainly because of the absence of bullshit, over-technical bollox and testosterone that you often see on bike related sites.

Keep it up - I’m looking forward to seeing more episodes!

Col.

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by SteveW

SteveW — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:36:51 +0000

Hey guys,

Just wanted to say great job on the videos. I am really enjoying them and picking up a few pointers as well. Keep up the good work.

Regards from Western Canada!

Steve

Comment on Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings by LukasM

LukasM — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:19:39 +0000

Just finished watching all 5 episodes. I did pick up a few tricks, especially as I had never taken off a lower steering bearing.

Thanks for taking the time to makes these, and keep ‘em coming!

Regards from Austria,
Lukas

Comment on Ep 2: Beads and bearings by AndyP

AndyP — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:29:41 +0000

Hey Waz,

yes, rear suspension linkage & swing arm bearings as you say ‘all-too-neglected part ‘

How about an ‘on location’ episode? you are welcome to come round and get that bottom linkage apart on my elefant, where it connects to the frame….

keep up the good work

andyP

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by Waz

Waz — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:35:37 +0000

Hey Josh, we’re working hard on Episode 5. It’s on the way, and I’ll make sure to post at ADV when it’s ready.

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by Josh

Josh — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:44:29 +0000

Found this from ADV, visited it a month and a bit ago, and you haven’t updated since then

Common!

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by John

John — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:26:29 +0000

Great stuff fellows! I’ve enjoyed every episode so far. Now off to get my hands dirty!

John from the US

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by Dan Haffar

Dan Haffar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:20:21 +0000

excellent stuff to watch when you want to get in that mood of fixing your bike,., I really appreciate your work and time spent making these episodes happen.
Btw Waz… when your finished with the Elefant hub..let me know and i will ship you mine just to check if you can do it faster the second time .-) no way i would jump into a spokes job.. by my self… i have zero experience in that area for sure..
have fun
Dan from Denmark

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by theycallmebruce

theycallmebruce — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:48:16 +0000

This is interesting guys. Thanks for the effort and keep it up.

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by Missing Droid

Missing Droid — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:17:28 +0000

Great show. Informative and fun to watch. Keep it going.

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by Steve

Steve — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:50:35 +0000

Hey, came over from the embeded link on ADVrider, really like the videos.

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by Al Gardner

Al Gardner — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:58:33 +0000

Always a few handy tips.

Top stuff!

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by Milt Lee

Milt Lee — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:54:44 +0000

Hey Guys, I always enjoy seeing what you are working on, but mostly I just like to listen to people from Australia. I know that’s weird as hell, but ****’em if they can’t take a joke, I always say.

Anyway, keep on keepin’ on!
Milt Lee
South Dakota, US of A

Comment on Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke by james orr

james orr — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:13:36 +0000

JESUS YOU GUYS KNOW UR STUFF! HOPEFULLY HOOK UP FOR A BEER SOON

Comment on Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples by Waz

Waz — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 08:05:56 +0000

Hey Greg. Our fourth episode is edited and just going through finishing touches.

We dismantled the sandblasting gun and found it had sucked in a bit of plastic debris from when Pete was cutting up the box. We removed the blockage, reassembled the gun with thread tape on every join, and jacked up the pressure on the air compressor. I used it to strip the paint from my hub and it was fine, if a bit slow.

Seeing through the lid is a bit of a problem. Overall the thing is a success but needs refinement.

Comment on Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples by Greg

Greg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:03:06 +0000

Love the podcast. Sure hope to see more of them in the future. Love the idea of the sand blaster did you ever get it to work faster?

Comment on Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer by Joshua Sawyer

Joshua Sawyer — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:35:16 +0000

I cruised on over here from advrider.com. Great to watch! I’m just getting into bikes and wrenching, so it’s good to see such a variety of projects going on.

I have a question about the KTM front end swap for the F650 GS. Are you having custom triple trees made for the conversion? Do you expect there to be any serious geometry changes as a result of the swap? If so, how were you planning on dealing with it?

Keep up the good work!

Comment on Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples by Waz

Waz — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:44:12 +0000

Well spotted, Big Al.

The Iowa Cat Climber will form part of the trials bike course that we are building in the living room …

This being a living, breathing garage it is a ’shared-use’ facility and we do have to clamber over a certain amount of domestic bric-a-brac to get to our bikes. But there are benefits: keep an eye out for the top half of a pet transport cage that is being used as an oil tray!

Comment on Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples by Big Al

Big Al — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:15:57 +0000

Best episode yet. Very informative.

One question - In which episode will the Iowa Cat Climber be fitted to the KTM?

Comment on Motorcycle friendliness by Roadcat

Roadcat — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:12:11 +0000

Ah, nothing like a bit of inspiration! I guess I’ll spend the day stripping down and cleaning my front caliper which has got the dreaded AT bind monster.

Comment on Ep 2: Beads and bearings by jay dedman

jay dedman — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:39:52 +0000

You guys have some awesome bikes.

Comment on Ep 2: Beads and bearings by Milt Lee

Milt Lee — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:32:44 +0000

Hey Waz, I’m commenting on your site. I am really liking what you are doing. Very cool. I haven’t gone around the whole site yet, but from what I’ve watched - it seems that you are from Australia - yes?

Comment on Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer by Ian Bailey

Ian Bailey — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:03:40 +0000

Great idea. Thoroughly enjoyed watching and picking up some hints and ideas.
Hope you take all the criticism and suggestions, and there will be many, in the spirit that they are given.
I’m sure everyone who watches will want you guys to keep going with it and improve along the way.
Sounds like you guys are mainly Aussies and/or Kiwis.
Trust the expats to come up with a terrific idea.

Comment on Ep 2: Beads and bearings by Waz

Waz — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:18:47 +0000

G’day andrewm, and thanks for the excellent and thoughtful feedback.

The clutch cover/hose was something we shot but then realised “Actually, this is quite specific to one incarnation of a particular model of bike” (albeit a popular one). Interesting stuff, but less relevant in a general sense than tyre removal, swingarm bearings etc. If we were actually replacing the clutch pack, for example, we would show that in detail.

We do shoot this stuff on the fly, so there will be real hiccups like the replacement oil hose no longer being available. In the end, what we’re trying to do is give a run-down on the many parts to a bike, and show what you can fix in a home workshop or on the roadside.

We do aim to improve the camera work. To an extent it will always have a rough edge, and this is down to the situation, ie we are shooting this while actually trying to get some work done on our bikes. Garage Night as a ritual pre-dates Garage Night TV.

We’re learning as we go, and glad to hear that you’ll keep watching.

Comment on Ep 2: Beads and bearings by andrewm

andrewm — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:59:30 +0000

Great idea, and Ep 2 was (IMHO) a better show. Here’s a few constructive suggestions:

1. Camera work: pan and zoom v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. There’s a good reason why the professionals do it this way.
2. Don’t TELL me, SHOW me; after all, that’s why you are using a camera. The oil line in front of the clutch cover in Ep 1 is a classic: you SHOWED me what the problem was, very clearly, but then you TOLD me what the solution was (and then in Ep 2 you had to TELL me that the solution didn’t exist any more, which made things worse).
3. Get the commentator in front of the microphone, even if out-of-shot; there’s nothing wrong with a static frame from a tripod provided what you are showing is interesting, and moving occasionally.

The ‘In this episode;’ text is another good idea - it’s a natural home for the gloss on the video, of course, but it’s also the place for all the TELL me stuff, like the plain bearings all over the garage floor. Please keep it up.

Comment on Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer by WordPress Modder

WordPress Modder — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:14:53 +0000

…came here from the SIAB list. Great idea for a show, I’ll be watching for sure.

p.s. The suits are perfect!

Comment on Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer by RTO {Ron Durkin}

RTO {Ron Durkin} — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:23:32 +0000

Luv It WAZ

Should be more garage nights all over (shed nights here)
I will stay tuned.

Cheers RTO

Comment on Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer by Nicky Yeager

Nicky Yeager — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:11:44 +0000

Nice show - not just BS stories or incomprehensible wrenching jargon. The fact that everyone’s had extensive riding experience and are comfortable with each other is a pleasant bonus as there is no one-upmanship.

Good luck on the upcoming episodes.