The Wandering Waltons: Christmas comes early for Trinity

Friday I thought I'd best start Trinity up as she'd been neglected this week due to my daughter Nadine visiting from Germany for 4 days. The least I could do was to keep her ticking over after all the work John from Rossendale Kawasaki had put into getting her back up and running. It took a full strip down of the carburettors, new jets and a good clean out of all the gunk left in the bowls to get her running.

Sadly after two attempts and flattening the battery again Trinity just would not spark up, (insert expletive here)! "Right, now what's wrong with you now" I thought after swearing at her.

Sat on top of the box containing the recently delivered Akrapovic Exhaust System was the tank which Dream Machine had also recently dropped off (more about this later), wrapped in foam and covered with a towel but I knew beneath all that wrapping was a gleaming ZXR emblazoned petrol tank screaming to go back onto Trinity.

"Sod it!" I thought, threw my fleecy jacket on opened the garage doors and I got stuck in! First job was to remove the front fairing which I'd put on last time just to see what she will look like. Next I removed the rear fairing panel, that done it was off with the service tank (now up for sale as I won't be using it again). Emptying the tank I found there was about 3 litres still in there which worried me a little as I thought it was due to the tank being empty that Trinity was not firing up.

With the tank off, I removed the filler cap as I needed the Alan bolts and rubber seal for the new key-less petrol cap for the newly sprayed tank. I cleaned as much of the paint out of the holes on the "new tank" as I'll call it for now. Then took an Alan bolt and screwed it into each of the 8 holes. My heart sank a couple of times as larger than usual pieces of paint chip off. Happily they are all covered by the rubber seal so have not impacted on the finished look of the tank. The paint must be 3mm thick on the new tank due to the number of times it has been re-sprayed. Once all the holes had been thoroughly cleaned I fitted the key-less black aluminium petrol cap. It looks amazing and brought an instant smile back to my face. I then removed one of the brass fuel line bolts from the bottom of the old tank to see which way round the long and short fuel filter rods were to be fitted to the new tank. Whilst the tank was of I fitted a new battery just for good measure.

Rubber grommets refitted in the rear fairing mounting point wholes, front grommets in and it was just a matter of refitting the new tank, done! The tank looks even better on Trinity that it did off. The colour match between tank and frame is great, not 100% the same but close enough for me. In the dark both the frame and the paint job almost make her look black all over. It's only when the light goes up be it with the flash from the camera or natural sun light dose the whole thing come to life. I cannot wait to see it in the summer sunshine next year.

Trinity looking totally Black in this light.

With the tank back on I nipped and bought 10 litres of fuel and put that in, no leaks, good! Choke half on, ignition on, start button pressed............ Bongo, Trinity fired up first time, Fantastic!!!

Quick as a flash I re-fitted the rear fairings and the rear seat cover. A massive grin spread across my face. "That'll do for today" I thought briefly. Trinity looks great, she's up and running and it's about time I had something to eat.

If only it had been that simple, but the pull of the Akrapovic was just too much for me I just had to get it fitted and so I did.

The first job was to take off the Remus silencer, two bolts and that was off. I cannot believe how heavy it is compared to the Akrapovic. Next I removed the four bolts holding the radiator in place and just eased it forward as far as the coolant piped would allow. The eight retaining nuts came off very easily and the Sandy Biker Headers were off. 8 minutes from start to finish. Not bad for a Chef!

The Akropovic comes in three parts, down pipes, centre pipe, and silencer. The down pipes needed to be pulled and tugged so that the two connector pipes slid into each other. All connections are spring loaded so once I'd realised I could pull and tug the four down pipes they went together fairly easily.

Now that look better.

Another 10 minutes and the whole system was on and the radiator back in place. Time for a start up to see what a difference the Akrapovic makes. Very quite was my first thought, smooth and quite with a deep throaty roar. Too quite, so out came the baffle and hey presto the sound I'd been hoping for. I took her outside and made a mini video.

Just a quick look and listen video.

Back in the garage I started to tidy up, leaving Trinity ticking over, I lent over to give her a quick "blip" and she died, DEAD! Not a slow spluttering just gone. Nothing, not a peep, no lights, no click nothing. I could have cried.

So much for packing up early, off came the rear off-side fairing, all fuses intact. I fished out the main fuse on the near side and replaced the un-broken main fuse. Nothing!

"John, its Ray. Trinity is dead! She was ticking over and just died. I've changed the main glass fuse on the near side and all the other fuses are OK"

"It will be the main ignition fuse under the near side rear fairing. If it's not that give me a call back and I'll call in on the way home"

"John, you’re a bloody star, I'll have a look and let you know". Now that is what I call going above and beyond.

The main fuse was blown, I replaced it and it blew again and again. Great!

I have no idea why but I went straight to where I'd been working and spotted the cause. The cable for the horn which I do not have fitted yet had trapped between the headers and the radiator, melted and fused together, "You plank Raymond!"

How to "Kill" your bike stone dead!

Offending damage removed, wire replaced, fuse replaced and Bingo! once more Trinity sprang to life. Half an hour later and a sigh of relief rear fairings re-fitted, seat on, it was time to pack Trinity away for another day, at last.