Thanks Greenjeans, glad it worked on yours too! A few more tips like that and David Silver will put a contract out on me.
Got around to taking off the bottom triple tree today, funny how mint the stock factory paint is on the central column, genuine Honda grease too by the look of it:
The underside isn't so pretty :
With the front end off and it being fine weather I decided to get a bit more done & pulled the airbox; definitely needs a new filter, 3 HUGE dead spiders in there along with their webs. One thing led to another and I ended up with this:
And then this:
With the motor on its side I decided to take a quick look at the oil-screen in the sump. I could've guessed what it was going to look like when the sump itself came away cleanly; not tearing the gasket:
That's exactly as it looked the moment the sump was off. I think someone has been in here reasonably recently.
Frame pulled off nicely, after I pulled the oil filter housing. I was suprised at how light the frame is. I put the sump and oil filter housing back on the bike then realised why the bike is as heavy as it is. The motor is Stupid Heavy! I thought I'd be able to lift it onto a workbench to start the cleaning but I think it's fine on the ground...