Trying Again To Fall In Love On The Isle Of Wight

[BarneyS]

Well, it has been a funny few months, about 4 and a half of them actually....

I work as a marine surveyor up and down the south coast of the UK and have been doing so for a couple of years on an pretty long in the tooth Deauville. As the Deaville hit 60,000 miles my mind turned to a suitable replacement, one I hoped that would look after all my transport needs and maybe give a few  more thrills than the NT700V, though, to be honest, it did everything I wanted and never ever let me down.

My research lead me to the Crossrunner (I would have rather stayed with a shaft but it is not to be in a middleweight these days, tried a BMW belt but didn't like the bike) and the Crossrunner lead me here.

After a few months and then letting Christmas get out of the way I went ahead and purchased from a forum member.

It felt like I was jinxed from the start, I caught the train up to London to buy it and walked straight in to a 4 hour delay with a derailment at Eastleigh, I then left my jacket on the train on(never been seen again), after that things went down hill.

I bought, despite a few misgivings as it was red, shiny and I wanted it. A little over priced for a private sale and never garaged but, well, did I mention, I wanted it.

Once home (via a bike shop for new gear, cue another £500 spend) the problems started. I knew the bike had had a battery eating habit but understood that they had been sorted  by the previous owners mechanic and local Honda dealer, they hadn't and despite a new battery and working fine once started the bike would not stand for more than 48 hours without flattening a (new) battery.

The MOT ran out so I had it serviced, MOT'd and the electrics checked (£800). It came back with new fluids, a new MOT and new assurance that the battery was not draining at a standstill, battery was flat 48 hours later.

I tried to sell it, no one who enquired was interested when I told them about the electrical fault. I tried to trade it in, a London dealer sold the bike I was after (Cat N write off would have kept me slightly in pocket) out from under my nose.

I learned to live with it, I rigged a socket under the seat and bought a Lithium-Ion battery pack that I could plug in just but opening the tail hatch.

It wasn't a solution so I serviced and MOT'd the Deauville, £680, bike worth about £1,000.

The Crossrunner responded by getting a nail in the middle of the rear tyre, and after that was repaired, breaking the valve on the front tyre due to corrosion. under the valve stem.

Corona virus lockdown had arrived.......

I took the Crossrunner to the Island Honda dealers.... I know I live on a small island but it is about as far away from me as you can get.

I gave Church Street Motorcycles the key and told them to keep the bike until we knew exactly what the fix was.

Four weeks passed with them with an almost closed workshop and me (actually quite happily) back on the Deauville. They did the diagnosis slow time and were happy to actually test each stage and step they took............

Leaky diode on regulator rectifier......... New reg rec, new battery, new fork seals (not associated but required and indicative of bike temperament) £850 fix.

I cannot bear to work out what this has all cost, especially with my business stone dead at the moment.

So now, draw the line here, I am going to try and reengage with the bike and try and love it.... I made the mistakes, it is not the bikes fault, now it starts in the morning I am hoping that this s a whole new dawn and that within days we will be at one.

Strapped the Go-Pro on to the front this morning and number 2 daughter and I have spent a couple of hours in the saddle.

I'll let you know but this could yet be a happy ending..... and if not, at least I can sell it now, at only a massive loss.

Hello Everybody.........

Barney.

[Skids]

M8, that is one sad tale, especially against the current backdrop. The thing that I think will grate for all of us is that we know just how good the Crossie is and to see you with these struggles has, at least for me, been difficult.

But, it seems like yr out the far end of it now and hopefully you can, as you say, learn to love it as we all do.

I guess you have no choice but to forget the costs....you can't take money with you when you go!

Best of luck with the new relationship, let's hope we hear wedding bells soon! (you know what I mean  ). 

[CBM]

My Wife and her family are all IOW natives/Corkheads so I'm very familiar with the beautiful back drop and great roads  (now they've finally got back to spending some money on them) that should help kick start your love affair .
Hopefully it's all sorted now Barney and that you can get on and just enjoy the bike. 

[Scimitar]

Thanks for updating us on the battery drain issue. Ignore recent costs and traumas. Just keep riding the CR and you will gradually gain confidence in this inherently great bike and enjoy motorcycling again.

[voodoo]

Good to hear you got it sorted now. But it was really a 1 quid diode causing all this misery? (Yeah, I know the diode is on a 150 quid rec/reg)

Give it some time, it really is a lovely bike!

[reasty]

Like Phoenix from the ashes.................
It'll pay you back in bucket loads of smiles 

[Si Click]

That is a sad, but thankfully rare tale.  Generally CRs seems to have inherited the VFR800s legendary reliability.  Mine is a Mk1 built in 2011 and has genuinely never required anything but routine maintenance.  It has now sat in the garage on a trickle charge for weeks on end, but I do not doubt for a second that it will start first time and run flawlessly when I eventually find a valid reason to ride it.

Hopefully, now that yours has finally had it's core fault cured you will have the bike you wanted.