Title says it all. I picked my 2003 500R up a few months ago. Has just over 12k miles. Mods from the previous owner that I've seen is a Muzzy exhaust and a K&N filter. Poor thing had been sitting for around 10 years. Inside, under a cover, with a full tank of gas 🙃. She actually had what I have to assume was the factory Metzeler rear tire. The date code was from 2003.
So far I've rebuilt the carbs, put in a new fuel line with filter, rebuilt the petcock, new braided brake lines, pads and rotors, caliper & master cylinder rebuilds, tires, oil change, valve adjustment, a new battery. I'm sure there's more I forgot to list.
After all that, she's been pretty good. I don't have much time on her yet. I've only logged about 120 miles so far.
Right now I'm waiting for some space to open up in the shop I work at so I give her even more time. I live in an apartment and she's street parked. The city wouldn't like seeing me work on my bike, plus it's a pain working on anything in the street.
I haven't put miles on her since I went to go take a lap on my twisty road test ride route. I was getting some bad feelings from the front, when I would go into a lean she'd give the sensation of falling/losing traction but grip after. I haven't been riding long enough to have been on a bike with bad wheel bearings, but that's what I imagine it would feel like. I grabbed a set of front wheel bearings, a stem tapered bearind kit, and a fork rebuild kit, just because I hate money or something. I know this stuff is easy to check, but I don't have a center stand since there's the aftermarket exhaust in the way.
Anyway here's the first picture I took of her, my first real test ride and the fuel line was kinked just enough to give me enough fuel to get far enough away from home to be inconvenient. But such is life.
So far I've rebuilt the carbs, put in a new fuel line with filter, rebuilt the petcock, new braided brake lines, pads and rotors, caliper & master cylinder rebuilds, tires, oil change, valve adjustment, a new battery. I'm sure there's more I forgot to list.
After all that, she's been pretty good. I don't have much time on her yet. I've only logged about 120 miles so far.
Right now I'm waiting for some space to open up in the shop I work at so I give her even more time. I live in an apartment and she's street parked. The city wouldn't like seeing me work on my bike, plus it's a pain working on anything in the street.
I haven't put miles on her since I went to go take a lap on my twisty road test ride route. I was getting some bad feelings from the front, when I would go into a lean she'd give the sensation of falling/losing traction but grip after. I haven't been riding long enough to have been on a bike with bad wheel bearings, but that's what I imagine it would feel like. I grabbed a set of front wheel bearings, a stem tapered bearind kit, and a fork rebuild kit, just because I hate money or something. I know this stuff is easy to check, but I don't have a center stand since there's the aftermarket exhaust in the way.
Anyway here's the first picture I took of her, my first real test ride and the fuel line was kinked just enough to give me enough fuel to get far enough away from home to be inconvenient. But such is life.
