New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

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macdee
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by macdee »

Hello and welcome red dude
told you not to but oh no you knew better
jchesshyre
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by jchesshyre »

I will certainly post some stuff up about the MCCTs when I fit them.

I actually tore everything down to do it the other day and got as far as installing them only to find that the plungers weren't long enough :Argue 1:

I of course contacted the seller who was hugely apologetic and admitted that whilst he machines the tensioners he gets the plans from a third party – I imagine they sent the length of the plunger without the piece on the end as this is roughly the amount by which they were short. Because (a) he responded so promptly etc and (b) they seem such nice quality I decided to bear with him and wait while he ordered a used OEM tensioner to get a proper measurement. It's only taken him five days to do so and the replacement plungers arrived yesterday, so I will hopefully fit them either tomorrow or at the weekend. They are very nicely made indeed with a really hefty toothed locknut and a pair of rubber seals on the plunger for where it travels through the body and one on the body itself where it meets the engine which removes the need for a gasket. As I say I'll post more info when I come to do them.

They reason he supplies the locking key is primarily so that you can lock the ACCT off before removing it so as to set the MCCT to roughly the same extension before installing it.

Funnily enough my surname is actually Chesshyre but I do also live very near Cheshire, just into Wales. The stones you see are the walls of my rented sandstone cottage.

Chris, the shock protector has slightly rubbed the hugger but not disastrously so, so I'll remove it before it does any more. Thanks for that :)

I changed the chain and sprockets yesterday and it's feeling looooovely.

One funny little thing that is worrying me and that I can't for the life of me work out the cause of is this: if I tilt the bike from off its side-stand to the vertical position, or if I tilt it from left to right either side of vertical, I can hear something metallic change position around the area of the top of the shock absorber or the battery, as if there's a screw or other piece of metal that's loose somewhere. It almost sounds as if it's inside the shock but it's very hard to pin down. It sounds like the noise a heavy washer or loose nut would make if it were allowed to slide along a bolt or otherwise allowed to move but in a confined space – i.e. it's not a rattle, just a single metallic kind of muted 'ting' – I can't think of a better way to describe it but has anyone else ever noticed this on their bike? I can't see anything loose and everything in that area works as it should do but there's definitely something moving. It could just be a washer or something trapped somewhere but I want to know what it is!
jchesshyre
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by jchesshyre »

P.S. here's the pink side of the bike during chain replacement yesterday : )

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Wicky
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by Wicky »

Looks a nice unmolested red un

Could the 'rattle' be inside the tank? run the fuel low and poke around with a magnet on a bendy stick

Odd about the new MCCTs not fitting as aren't they they the new improved APE Pro tensioners made in the US.
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VTRDark
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by VTRDark »

I'm confused with these tensioners as it's not a plunger and should be a threaded bar. The length should not matter too much unless it's so short that it does not get tension on the blade. And how does locking the plunger on the original give the length for the manual, it don't make sense. I have a sneaky feeling that these are not manual and are a copy of the really really expensive German higgins auto tensioners. I could be wrong though it may be a rounded bar that has been threaded at the other end and simply does not show the thread all the way through. I guess we will never know until one is dissected.
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jchesshyre
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by jchesshyre »

I don't think these tensioners are the new APE ones...as far as I can tell they are custom made by a man in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire.

They are threaded inside: I'll post some pics in a second.

Locking the original preserves the amount of plunger protruding from the gasket face of the body which one can then copy on the manual tensioner to get in roughly the correct area to begin fine adjustment.

Good call re. the rattling sound. The bike does have Datatag markings on it so possibly it's one of those little plastic discs they put in the tank? It does sound more metallic than that though... I'll see if I can make a video of it!
jchesshyre
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by jchesshyre »

Here are some photos of one of the tensioners and the instructions provided with them.

The seller had the following to say about their design when I commented on it:
'The thing I don't like about other tensioners is that it uses a basic piece of long threaded bar which makes it more universal and cheap. The seal is useless on these as you can not create a 100% seal against a threaded bar (helix), it just wont work. I prefer an engineered solution albeit less universal and more expensive but it is more fit for purpose (when the length of plunger is correctly matched).'

I'm not sure how true that is but he seems to know what he's doing (now that's he's sent the correct length plungers!!).

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VTRDark
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by VTRDark »

Oh wow, they look proper quality. It all makes sense now. Thanks for posting the pics. I can see why the length is so important as there is only so much adjustment on them and the O rings have to fall into place within the shaft. Nice that there is two O rings on there too. Really nice tidy looking practical design. The only thing that is missing is a locknut but as long as it's a tight fit it should not work loose but it's nice to have that extra safety barrier and there is room to put one on if one wanted too.
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jchesshyre
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by jchesshyre »

Look again, there's a great big toothed locknut!

Very pleased you think they look good. I need to fit them ASAP. I'm riding down to London on Friday and don't think I'll have time before then (hate rushing any work on the bike) so maybe Sunday...
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Watty
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by Watty »

They look quality :thumbup:
SH#T HAPPENS!!!!!!!!
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lloydie
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by lloydie »

Hello and welcome .
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sirch345
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by sirch345 »

jchesshyre wrote:Here are some photos of one of the tensioners and the instructions provided with them.

The seller had the following to say about their design when I commented on it:
'The thing I don't like about other tensioners is that it uses a basic piece of long threaded bar which makes it more universal and cheap. The seal is useless on these as you can not create a 100% seal against a threaded bar (helix), it just wont work. I prefer an engineered solution albeit less universal and more expensive but it is more fit for purpose (when the length of plunger is correctly matched).'

I'm not sure how true that is but he seems to know what he's doing (now that's he's sent the correct length plungers!!).

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I agree with Carl, they certainly look a lovely quality job, the way the oil seals have been added it a clever idea too 8)
Thanks for posting up the photo's :thumbup:

I can understand why you went for this design with it's own oil seals over the others without,

Chris.
tony.mon
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by tony.mon »

I like the design of these; the seals are likely to be more effective than seals- of course silicon gasket on a thread will seal just as well on the bolt types.
Ar ethey made from stainless?
Wonder what the weight is compared to a bolt type?
And the cost?
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
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Wicky
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by Wicky »

tony.mon wrote:I like the design of these; the seals are likely to be more effective than seals- of course silicon gasket on a thread will seal just as well on the bolt types.
Ar ethey made from stainless?
Wonder what the weight is compared to a bolt type?
And the cost?
See linky at beginning http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 27#p425937 - £36 each (+£4 P&P) and I agree some silcone on the thread on normal manuals works a treat, mine have done over 30,000 miles without a dribble.

They look very snazzily similar in concept to the new APE tensioners http://ape-store.com/shopsite/page4.html

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and happy birthday young Tony!
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VTRDark
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Re: New member finally upgraded from CB500 ; )

Post by VTRDark »

£36 each is a too pricey IMO :crazy: I thought that was a pair not one :thumbdown: £60 a pair + free postage which is still expensive but would be more reasonable. There are some out there at half the price and they still do just as good a job so basically one is paying for looks. Now considering there are alternatives that cost a lot less I can't see too many of these selling, especially as it's some back street machinist and not a full on company with website, business address or VAT number, that price is taking the piss. They probably only cost £10 to make. I was going to start recommending them but I wont at that price. :eek2
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