Hi All,
I have just replaced the LH heat sheild on my 1100. I've put this off for quite awhile.
Way back in June 2008 I had an argument with a small roo when on the way home after work one night. I was living in Karratha, WA at the time and had two routes to and from work. Both distances about the same at 14kms only one route was basicly still in town and I used that on way home. Only meant about 6kms of bush rather than 12 kms. Less chance of meeting a roo.
I just got to within 3 kms of home and I just spotted a roo heading straight across the road. I reacted and veered right and just it hit the corner of my LH middle fairing, tore the wing cover off and hit the side case which ended up in the middle of the road. I saw all this when I stopped. Luckily I was doing only 80kms as I knew roos where there but had never seen any. After thinking about it, had I hit the anchors it no doubt would have been a front wheel hit and a lot worse damage.
Since then I've got prices etc to fix the damage and the first thing I did was replace the wing covers. The side case is still usable, only the locking tab got straightend so I did what I could with that and the locking latch. A new side case in on the to do list as well as a new middle fairing.
Anyway two years later before leaving Karratha the bike developed a rattle at about 2500 and 3000 rpm. I couldn't find it but it was on LH side of bike and whether the bike was moving or not. Something to do with harmonics and causing what ever it was to vibrate at those two rev points.
It wasn't until January 2011 when I put the bike in for valve clearance check that the noise turned out be a cracked heat shield.
Today (14th Jan) I got into it. Pulled of the old and compared to new.
The new heat sheild is installed and no annoying rattle noise anymore.
Now I have to put it all back together.
I'm also glad to have held off getting that middle fairing which I can now save up for. Common sense tells me to wait until I need to do timing belt in about 13,000kms. Old one off and tossed, new one on.
Alan
