Actually come to think of it when releasing all of the air the stanchions didn’t “suck down” fully into the lowers.. in fact maybe only halfway.. is that normal? Sorry total air fork noob here!

I’ve got 100psi in there to get the sag down to 20%.. no tokens and damping fully open..

I’m a bit lost as to what to try next. Going to pop into the LBS on me lunch break and squidge some lyriks for a reference point! Next stop is to actually take the bike to a place locally that does fork servicing – see what they think.

How do you get air trapped in the lowers? and more importantly how do you get it untrapped?

Thanks

Something not quite right here still.. there was indeed 1 token in there which was quickly ejected.. air spring was then pumped up to give me 20% sag (I’m 14.5 stone so this was relatively high pressure). Rebound set fast (2 clicks off fastest) and LSC and HSC off completely..

Still getting big ramp up halfway through stroke.. it’s a bit better but not night and day.. I just can’t see how I’ll ever get close to using full travel even with a massive hit. Thinking LBS is next stop unless my expectations are unreasonably high.. halfway thru stroke I can feel handlebars flexing when doing a squidge test!

Just checked the tech specs on the Sram website and my fork apparently has 1 (of a maximum of 4) tokens installed from factory. That will be getting whipped oot sharpish tonight before getting stuck into the other settings! Thanks all

Thank you for the very detailed responses both. Lots for me to think about there. I was feeling a bit annoyed after my first ride yesterday but seems like I can improve things a lot without shelling out on new bits. Glad to hear the very positive feedback about this particular fork! Sounds like a bit of user error on my part..

Interesting to hear about the Ohlins rear shock on your Capra Liam, my mate has the coil Ohlins forks on his bike and they are very tasty (and expensive) indeed!

Thanks WS – so does the PUSH conversion not get you a ‘true’ coil fork at the end of it? more of a hybrid?

Thanks Stevied – I’ll download that trailhead app and then hit the local trails I think.

Cheers

Thank you for the continued responses. I’ve got some homework to do here mind! Think I’ve been spoiled by a really nice coil lyrik that was pretty much fit and forget (I never played with any of settings post TF service on that fork)… TBH I don’t even know what most of them do!

I’ll try adding extra air and tuning damping first. It feels counter-intuitive adding more air as I want it to be softer?

That Push coil conversion looks the business but £400 is bonkers! It also seems like it is DIY job that they send you the bits in the post for.. has anyone done one themselves?

Cheers

Thank you all, I have a check for these token things and also try and tune the damping.

What would breaking the fork in involve? I brayed them all over hamsterley forest today so hopefully that will have helped the process.

It’s a Lyrik RC2 debonair (?) 170mm.

What are tokens?? 😂

Cheers PS, aye there is definitely satisfaction involved in doing a job right! Mine is a Capra and I’ve never had a full brand new bike since I was a kid (34 now…) so I’m wanting to look after it as best I can. Think I’ll end up just buying a small one or getting this teng one sorted.
Thanks

Aye Keith, I would generally just pass them on the left (as long as there was a hard shoulder if they finally decide to move over…)

Did 400 miles earlier in the week between midlands/north-west/north-east and seen a lot of what has been described in this thread. The worst was some young lass in a polo with her pal who resolutely would not move out of the far right lane 3 whatsoever despite there being (at times) nothing in lanes 1 and 2 and having cars breathing down her neck. She must have joined went into lane 3 and then just stayed there for the entire journey! Crackers.

Seen a lot of the 6.15am nutters too on Tuesday morning after leaving Coventry at 5.30. Highlight was a middle-aged woman in a Kuga driving on her door handles round roundabouts and doing 80 in a 50.. albeit I didn’t see her for long! Would love to know where she was going as it must have been more exciting than where I was (work).

Thanks Lunge – good shout, I’ll compare the two on something a bit cheaper than my new frame. Might be worth getting the Teng one calibrated after all.. will help me sleep at night!

Nice one, thank you Muggo

I’m surprised the VW Scirocco has not had a mention. New shape not the old boxy one. I’m yet to come across one driven well. The best (worst) was a young lad who came straight out of a blind junction to my left about 1s before he would have just T-boned me, straight onto the wrong side of the road causing a 3rd road user to emergency stop.. spectacular lack of sense/judgement/skill/anything really. Also Nissan Jukes.. I live in the North East and I think a lot are on employee/friends/family discount from the factory in Sunderland.. they’re almost always driven at wholly inappropriate speeds for almost any circumstance, especially speed bumps. The 2nd owners will no doubt pay the price on a “2 year old, 1 owner, 16K miles car” with wrecked shockers.

Yours, M135i driver..

Interesting thread. I’ll admit to driving to work quite often these days as I regularly need to visit 2-3 clients a day in the North East, maybe clocking up 50 miles or so all in.. I hate it but I’m contributing to the problem. However it’s just the most convenient way to do things. If I’m in the office all day I can cycle and if I’m in Leeds/Manchester/London or any other major city I will get the train.

But it’s all the small journeys of a mile or so that are the low hanging fruit with this. However, even getting people to change this will be very very difficult. We live in a small town with a lovely high-street of shops, restaurants, bars, a local park, playing fields, etc. etc. but everyone (I’d say 95%+) drive EVERYWHERE. It is absolute madness. I generally walk to the butchers/greengrocer on a Saturday morning and get a coffee while I’m out. Without fail I will see maybe 2-3 people walking, same again cycling and at least 250+ cars all cutting about the place. Obviously a lot of these will be travelling out of town for the day but a great number will not.

If people can’t even be arsed to walk 1 mile we’ve got no chance, absolutely nowt. People still look at me like I’ve just sprouted 3 heads when I tell them I’ve cycled 5 miles to work.

I don’t think it’s about holding his own with the banter as such, more the physical stuff. He’s a 40 odd year old professional in his field getting picked up and tossed about by a lanky halfwit.

Aye, Flintoff is coming across as a reet **** arsehole. What was the carry on with him nutting Harris in the episode a week ago? Looked intentional even though they tried to dress it up as an accident..

McGuinness is genuinely funny and a good presenter. Flintoff is just a big daft dickhead, he talked about his “dickhead phase” when driving the Boxster but he doesn’t seem to realise he is still in it.

Harris is great. Genuinely excited and passionate about cars and motorsport. Loved his comments about being “chassis enthusiast”. Hard to watch him get bullied on prime time telly after following him for many years through Evo and then his YouTube channel. His review of the M135i 6 years ago sealed my decision to get one. He’s a proper road tester journo.

Agree about putting the jag on its lid.. very dodgy indeed. They didn’t really show a proper shot of it which is telling..

Aye that’s a good point wwaswas, maybe I’ll give it a couple of days, recheck just to be on the safe side. Although I do have complete faith in the indie garage.

I had thought about trading standards yes. Clearly an individual at the dealer has initiated this.. they had the opportunity to admit the mistake, clean up the engine and apologise but they didn’t and went down this route. Crazy.

Take the goodwill? There is nothing wrong with the car? Some dopey tech has spilled oil down the side of the engine and it burned off. They want £150 for nowt!

EDIT: Aye for sure BMW will be getting a copy – I have their reference for the work/quote.

Just been to the local BMW indie for a second opinion..

All of those that said spilled oil and hitting heat-shield/manifold were absolutely bob on. Thank you to everyone for your responses. I was sceptical but the information on here prompted me to get the independent diagnosis.

So, engine cover came off and you could see where the oil had spilled down from the filler cap. It had actually pooled in a few areas and was still there and this was directly above the exhaust side of the engine. Absolutely nothing wrong with the rocker cover gasket and the mechanic said for £750 they had to be quoting to replace the cover itself as well, as the gaskets are £50.. He was disgusted.

I got some photos of all of this before he cleaned it up for me. I can’t believe the garage didn’t even clean up the evidence of the spillage and the cause of the smoke before trying it on with this whole goodwill carry-on. I have no doubt at all now that if I’d dropped it off to get repaired this morning they would have cleaned it, took my money and give it me back. Shocking behaviour and the MD of the dealer group will be getting a very strongly worded and comprehensive letter with evidence about all of this.

Thanks again all and I will be sure to post up how this all pans out.

Don’t think the sensors will work when rack is on. Hopefully there is a button in yours to turn off the constant beep as the car thinks you’re reversing into a bike rack full of bikes.

I’ve had a Thule and Witter one on two cars (both 3 series) and they were removable swan neck. Think one was £350 and the other £370 fitted. Simple 7 pin electrics from memory. That was in County Durham. Both have been fine – no issues.

Aye, that was absolutely tremendous telly start to finish. Utterly terrifying, sad and fascinating in equal measures. Superb. Already reading one of the books mentioned on page 1.

Cheers for continued posts all. Gonna drive round to the friendly local indie and get a second opinion. If it’s goosed I might just get him to do it as I think it’ll be £200 based on the chat I had with him earlier. Would rather he had my money anyway

Nope, nothing since the initial incident.. can’t really see much it’s all just plastic covers under the bonnet. Could try and remove and have a look I suppose

Trying to rinse a mug? Bit harsh. So would you be getting a second opinion on whether it needs doing at all?

Aye, spot on butcher, it’ll be well inflated to make it look like they’re doing me a massive favour. Once this service pack expires it’ll be going to the local BMW indie for sure!

Thank you for the replies all. It’s booked in Thursday morning for the work @ £150. I had a final moan at them and the service manager said she would do her best on the contribution but I’m not holding my breath.. The packaging looks a bit intricate to be fair but they manage to fit 6cyl engines in the same space so it’s not terrible!

They deffo put new spark plugs in – could they damage the gasket where they go in?

Good point butcher – local indie said £100 +VAT labour and then whatever the part is, so yes very steep.

Scotroutes – with an array of 135/235/M3/4/5 in the garage I can’t see the appeal of 320 saloon but yes maybe someone took it out and took the piss. Impossible to prove tho

Was replying to Sharkbait with that one ^^^

That’s what they’ve just said on the phone.. Been back in touch with dealer playing holy hell and they’re not budging on the £150, they say £150 is what I’d pay on an extended warranty (if I had one) and if it’s less than £150 I’ll lose the 2 year warranty. FFS

BMW PCP will have his name on logbook but that is just registered keeper not legal owner (BMW finance until he pays the balloon).

What a **** idiot. I see loads of heavily modded newish cars that I imagine must be on some sort of finance.

Keep the Beemer. I think that model has the N52 engine which is MUCH stronger than the N53 that replaced it (I had an ’09 one and it use to treat injectors as consumable items… @ £200 a pop just for the part + a tendency to require an oil service after they went pop + 6 cylinders = me getting shot). However, with yours my understanding from the local BMW indie it that the N52 is a cracking motor and if yours is a manual there is very little to actually go wrong as it’s naturally aspirated too.

Park is a wee button on top of the lever and then D is pull back on the lever so does not hit reverse (the lever always returns to a set position in the middle after engaging Drive or Reverse so does not stay ‘back’ or ‘forward’ as such when in drive or reverse. Hope that makes sense!

The reason I go into P at night-time is to not dazzle drivers behind, otherwise I just sit on the brake (and most of the time if the engine is hot the stop-start cuts in anyway and the engine isn’t running). It does seem however that there isn’t an ideal solution (if you’re bothered about dazzling drivers behind.. given how bright a lot of newer brake lights are).

1) If I go into P then I have to apply the foot brake momentarily to get back into drive which takes a second a must look weird from behind (and the reverse lights come on?) so not ideal.

2) If I leave foot on foot brake I dazzle drivers so not ideal.

3) If I put the handbrake (manual) on in D the car will just pull away against it so not ideal.

4) If I go into neutral I can put handbrake on but then I have to do the same as noted above in 1 to get back into driving.. so not ideal.

Think I’m just going to dazzle people from now on in TBH!

I didn’t realise it flashed the reverse lights when moving into P then back into drive. Everyday is a school day. Is this in most modern cars? (BMW 8 speed ZF here)

Well I really enjoyed that, gripped start to finish! Great scene with Arya in the library.

I must admit I was disappointed with the dark scenes at the start though despite having a nearly new OLED telly (and closing the blinds and curtains!). I played around with various settings but concluded they made it really dark to save money on CGI?

Haha aye the Safety Car is getting some decent mileage out of the F2 lot! Glad they restarted at the end rather than finishing under SC 👏

Homemade cooked brekky this morning. Sausage roll and a pint for lunch. Chilli with all the trimmings for tea. Seeing out the last of my pat leave before work on monday so it would be rude not to..

Aye, 5am starts with a loud POS aftermarket exhaust is not going to win you any popularity contests with your neighbours!