Ladies and Gentlemen,
My apologies for the lateness in my replies but I've been a bit of a busy chap since my last foray on here but here goes with the catch-up!

The bike needed a rebore due to the Nickasil lining in the bore having come away. The cylinder had to be sent to Paris (from Toulouse) to be recoated. This took 10 days as apparently it not only needs boring to remove the old lining but the new one needs 'tempering' and that's what takes the time. Whether this is true or not I wasn't really in much of a position to argue as I was getting pissed in Toulouse on my enforced 'garage' time, the mechanic couldn't get a hold of me and progressed with the job anyhow.

When the cylinder came back, the refit was with a new piston, rings, cam chain, valve seals, oil, filter, blah blah blah. I did ask for some of the extra stuff to be done for I thought, if the bugger is in bits he might aswell do the lot and be done with it. The return was as boring as hell. Only able to do the B roads as I had to settle in the new cylinder and after the 1700kms back to Scotland It's been in storage as I had to fly immediatly to South Africa. Where I managed to make up for a shit France trip with a ride to Cape Aghulas in ZA and finally finishing the Africa trip on my old XT!!
Since then I've seen the bike once, last week as I had 2 days in Edinburgh before flying out to the Middle East. It starts at least, LOL!!

Looking back, it could have been a warranty job but that meant I had to get it back to the UK and piss about with the issues that would have raised. I didn't have the patience and had the money so thought F**k-it and got the job done there and then. Its actually cost me the price it would have if I bought it for the 'right' price, so I don't think I've lost out but have gained SOOO much knowledge and now have a 'new' engine. We live and learn and I'll chalk it up to experience.
I'm comfortable the bike is running perfect after 1700kms getting back home and I'll be shipping it down to South Africa in the New Year and get some exploring done on it...... finally!

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Geoffshing

'Security is a product of one's own imagination, it does not exist in nature as a rule, life is either a daring adventure or nothing.'