Terry

I don't think I even considered moving it. Maybe next time.

I used silicone grease on the insulator boots on mine after I did the thermostat, and they dropped into place with just "firm downwards pressure" i.e. me leaning on them. Maybe some heat from a hair dryer to soften yours up a bit more? I did a Dumb Thing ( my specialty) and managed to trap a hose in the front right throttle mechanism so they couldn't freely close, so I had to pop them off again to sort that, and then I had some weird idle/vacuum issues for a bit, difficult to synchronise and the idle rose, so I don't think I initally had a great boot seal but a decent ride fixed that (no tools required aside from me). Those blue vacuum hoses have got to be worth another 5 bhp, easy.

I bet you feel better for having checked though, right? Just be thankful you don't have a VTEC (ask me how I know...) You can do the front head without moving the radiators or airbox but you do feel like you are doing gynaecology... I paint-marked the gears so I could drop them back into the exact correct position. That darned oil-cooler bracket is a knuckle-skinner. At around 85000km, two front intakes were below the minimum on mine, no idea how long since a previous check.

I drooled over those (the bike, not the girl) in the magazines and then when my local dealer got the first one, I had to buy it. Had a great run for about 6 months until I was spotted by The Man doing an ill-advised velocity on a motorway offramp and a suburban pursuit followed, all at about 2am. I managed to give them (2 cars and a bike) the slip and was slightly amused when they descended on a house one street over from my parents' home and woke them all up; to be fair, I had seen the occupants chased home twice during daylight so they had "form". I sold the 500 a few days later, much too visible/rare, changed my riding gear, and bought something faster...I am much older and wiser now (and if you believe that, I have a bridge I can sell you).

The quick fix for hyperflash with LEDs is to just replace the flasher unit. I have used cheapo 2-wire LED flasher units with no problems in the past, just look for a one with a plug that is similar to the stock relay fitting. Should then be plug and play.

Good suggestion SM

Mostly just surface corrosion but keep an eye on the oil cooler lines, they have been known to corrode through on bikes that get used through the English winter with salted roads.

No not at the solenoid; the diode lives in the fuse box, similar size to a fuse but black and with three terminal posts.

Actually I am concerned about Grum/Graham. We exchanged quite a few messages over many years and I know he was having some health issues. I haven't heard from him since March this year. If there's anyone around Sunbury/Victoria/Australia that knows more, please let me know.

The manual says to fill on the sidestand, then start and blip the throttle a bit to cough out the bubbles. Then top off and fit the cap.

Not saying this is a sure fire fix but my 2005 ST1300 was doing something similar. Eventually the starter solenoid decided not to click over and I knew it was an electrical fault, and Grum helped me track that one down to the diode, which we thought may be faulty but tested out just fine. The thing that made a difference was cleaning up the connectors on the neutral diode. They weren't obviously dirty but the issue just went away.

Yes if the vacuum hose is off, the flapper is held open all rge time by the spring in the diaphragm chamber. I would make sure the vacuum hose that would normally connect to the flapper is properly sealed as you will otherwise have an uncontrolled vacuum leak and that might cause some surging. I'm not sure what else might cause a surge or noise; there are relays but they are located on the front left of the bike.

I took the easy way out; don't touch the rear calliper or hose connections. When you unbolt the linking hose from the PCV, you will find that the hose can now be rerouted smoothly and end up at the rear master just like it was designed to go there; the end fitting is even at the right angle. There is/was a double banjo bolt on the PCV as well, so I just bolted both hoses on to the new master and called it done. Not a great picture as it was zoomed in a long way, but gives you the idea.

I have heard odd noises when the solenoid that operates the vacuum flapper on the airbox moves. In neutral or clutch-in, the flapper should default open, but if your clutch switch is a little dirty it can oscillate on/off or open/closed; on my 5th gen that presented as more of a crackle or buzz. The solenoid is mounted to the right of the airbox so that may be the source of the noise. Not sure whether that would afect the idle however. For a surging idle I 'd suggest checking the starter valve synchronisation.

I hope his wife likes doing the dusting.