My 1000SS/SL was collected yesterday by it's new owner who decided he was riding it home to Reading from my place near Petersfield rather than pick it up by van. @5 miles from his place it went down on to one cylinder and he limped it home. Investigation this morning shows the Vert cylinder Cam belt broken and bunched up in the bottom of the cambelt tunnel. I'm assuming it got really hot in yesterdays temperatures and the belt got too tight. Bugger. I'm going to hire a van one day next week, go and get it and refund him what he paid. I'd expect that myself so should do it for him. I reckon I'll be looking at a Piston, possibly con rod, and a cylinder head. A replacement complete DS engine may be a better option, and the cheapest way to do that could be a complete multistrada 1000 to break. Looks like I at least have my next project, but it isn't the Multistrada I wanted. Anyone got a 1000DS engine to sell? Anyone have a shortcut with the DVLA to get it back in my name? I told them online as soon as he rode it away that I'd sold it as I didn't want it getting caught in any speed traps whilst still in my name.
Annoying is an understatement, sorry to read this, if he rode it home then sounds like it broke on or close to TDC firing, just like my 750 Elefant did and so got away with bent valve only, even guide was ok - hope you are as "lucky" S.
How old were the belts and was the bike ridden regularly ? I would have thought that the belts would stretch in the heat rather than go tight ?? Does'nt alter the unfortunate outcome though.
Thanks guys. Not sure when I'll be able to go and get it, need to find out what day I can get off work and hire a van. Wasn't somebody on here selling a quite special 1000DS engine recently? I can't find the thread. That engine in the bike would make it very special indeed, but even harder for me to let go. Not sure how I feel about the whole thing. I'm sort of justifying it by saying the belt may have snapped on me if I'd kept it, and I'm strangely happy to be getting the bike back. Although a conversation with the guy just now points at him not wanting to give it up long term. Oh, and I changed the belts and tensioners last summer, and am confident I did them correctly. It's done less than 500 miles since.
I had a belt shred and fail on a 748. It was caused by the cam bearing The relevant point is when I stripped it there was no damage to valves or pistons. You might be lucky as well
Ugh @Nasher Fingers crossed its less bad than you think & the buyer still wants it after the repairs.
That's really bad luck, sorry. But: Years ago (30 years ago...) I had a 1990 900 Supersport, the red and white one. It went on to one cylinder at about 50-60 mph on a hard-ish downchange coming into a village (Aberdyfi if you know it). Thought it must be a coil or plug or something and it was running fine on one so rode it the ten or so miles home before I looked at anything. Vertical cylinder belt had snapped. Changed the belt just to see - started and ran fine, just like before. Didn't take the head off or anything. A couple of years later it snapped the crank (collapsed main bearing cage - not related) and threw the alternator rotor clean out of the side casing with a bit of casing and crankshaft still attached. Obviously I had to completely strip it. There was no sign of previous contact between valves and piston at all - that cylinder looked exactly the same as the other. I know it's not the same engine but the top-end is pretty similar; it might be just fine. It might not though...
Top bloke @Nasher …I believe in Karma mate, your good honourable deed will come back to you many fold
Thanks guys I was convinced my fitting of the older 900 fairings had restricted airflow to the rear pot, it had been expanding more than it should because it was getting too hot, and the belt had finally given up after being stretched past it's limit so many times. However, the new owner has called today to say he's looked through the plug cap holes in the belt covers and is now convinced it's the Horizontal pot that the belt has snapped on. At least if that's correct, and the rod is OK, I won't have to separate the Engine and Frame to fix it. Annoyingly I think it will be Thursday before I can get a day off work to collect it.
Hope it all gets sorted out ok, glad I didn't buy it now! . Seriously I hope its nothing major and a straight forward fix.
