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Now that this isn't the "stupid" questions thread, I'm mildly concerned about asking this... How dumb is it to ride with my guitar gig bag? It seems like the biggest problem would be the wind resistance catching the neck that extends above my head and making riding weird/dangerous. Other than that it isn't all that different from my backpack. Anyone tried this? Am I asking for trouble attempting it?
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Dec 9, 2008 00:20
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The limit to what you can carry is what you can safely carry. Does it affect your ability to drive the bike? If a cop sees it, is he going to poo poo a brick and pull you over? Can you emergency brake, dodge, accelerate, turn ect while you have something like that over your back? If you can handle it, go for it. Everyone who rides for a while gets in a situation where they have to improvise. Use common sense and you'll be fine. In India or Asia you might just be called a huge pussy for worrying about a guitar case, real men drive scooters with their whole families and a weeks worth of groceries on board.
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Dec 9, 2008 01:04
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MrKatharsis posted:I have a Kryptonite lock that fits in the front disc. I'm pretty sure my bike isn't going anywhere without me hearing it. Those alarmed disc locks are really not very loud... I could only hear mine if I had my windows open, and the drat thing false alarmed constantly anyways. They sound loud up close, but the tone is a very high frequency and it's easily blocked by walls/windows.
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Dec 9, 2008 01:17
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AhhYes posted:Now that this isn't the "stupid" questions thread, I'm mildly concerned about asking this... I doubt the top of the bag sticking out into the wind would make much, if any, difference. I would be more worried about landing on it in a crash. That couldn't be comfortable. Plus, a low speed flop might end up costing you a bunch more money if you smash your guitar with your rear end on the way down. That said, I have ridden with mine quite a few times. I bungeed the body to the tail of the bike and had the neck sticking out like an expensive poker. Never had a problem.
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Dec 9, 2008 01:23
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Spiffness posted:The limit to what you can carry is what you can safely carry. Does it affect your ability to drive the bike? If a cop sees it, is he going to poo poo a brick and pull you over? Can you emergency brake, dodge, accelerate, turn ect while you have something like that over your back? Yeah, I think I can handle it. I just wasn't sure about the aerodynamics honestly. I've never ridden with anything more than a backpack, and I got to wondering if I would instantly regret having stuff sticking out all over the place. Bugdrvr posted:I doubt the top of the bag sticking out into the wind would make much, if any, difference. Well, luckily I don't really care much about the guitar. I've needed to upgrade for years. It isn't worth much, so I wouldn't lose much if I happened to land on it. Now that I think of it, I would gladly throw my guitar under the bike if it meant saving it damage. Spiffness posted:In India or Asia you might just be called a huge pussy for worrying about a guitar case, real men drive scooters with their whole families and a weeks worth of groceries on board. Good thing I'm not in India or Asia. Although I readily admit to being a pussy when it comes to risking myself/the bike. I figured better to ask on the internet than find out while on the bike that I'd made a huge mistake.
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Dec 9, 2008 01:50
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buildmyrigdotcom posted:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swfDcNujb_U That right there is why I'm weary of leaving my LT2 anywhere. She weighs ~160lbs and she's really pretty.
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Dec 9, 2008 02:02
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AhhYes posted:I figured better to ask on the internet than find out while on the bike that I'd made a huge mistake. The most intelligent thing you can do in this situation is be able to admit you've made a mistake when you have and be willing to turn around and go home before it becomes really dangerous. And get yourself up to highway speeds/the maximum speed you'll attain somewhere that you can slow down again quickly if you need to. I successfully carried a yardstick home from the hardware store once. (Give me a medal for badassery!)
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Dec 9, 2008 03:44
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Ive lost a torque wrench out of my backpack on the freeway because of wind =\
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Dec 9, 2008 03:50
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z3n: You're best off trimming down a stock harness. you'll be amazed at how many wires are actually necessary. On the subject of stealing bikes, my Peugeot 103 weighs less than 110lbs. It doesn't even have an ignition key. I really like light bikes, but a bike weighing so little that any numbskull could pick it up makes things a bit worrying.
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Dec 9, 2008 05:16
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GriszledMelkaba posted:Ive lost a torque wrench out of my backpack on the freeway because of wind =\ I triple check that my backpack is completely zipped with the zippers on the side rather than the top every single time I get on my bike. One time I trusted my friend to close it for me and about $300 worth of gear went flying all over the highway never to be seen again. Sometimes I pull over just to check it if I'm not completely sure. It's such a stupid reason to lose so much money.
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Dec 9, 2008 06:37
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AhhYes posted:Other than that it isn't all that different from my backpack. With an actual guitar in it? It seems like you're greatly increasing your odds of snapping your back in half or something when you wreck. Is is really worth risking your safety to such a large degree for a minor convenience? Backpacks alone are already pretty big safety hazards from what I've heard (though I forget the reason).
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Dec 9, 2008 06:42
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The tiny increase of injury from a get off seems pretty negligible. I just imagine the constant arrhythmic blasts backwards once you're going faster than 70mph more bothersome. Seems like that'd get real loving annoying.
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Dec 9, 2008 06:58
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GriszledMelkaba posted:The tiny increase of injury from a get off seems pretty negligible. I just imagine the constant arrhythmic blasts backwards once you're going faster than 70mph more bothersome. Seems like that'd get real loving annoying. Of course, the aerodynamic issues are real easy to overcome - take side streets, and ride slow.
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Dec 9, 2008 11:38
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buildmyrigdotcom posted:I triple check that my backpack is completely zipped with the zippers on the side rather than the top every single time I get on my bike. One time I trusted my friend to close it for me and about $300 worth of gear went flying all over the highway never to be seen again. I usually just secure the zipper pulls with some twist ties. Works wonders, and gives me peace of mind.
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Dec 9, 2008 15:15
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buildmyrigdotcom posted:Backpacks alone are already pretty big safety hazards from what I've heard (though I forget the reason). Besides the obvious "rigid objects inside act as a nice fulcrum for breaking bones over," I'd like to hear the details. I ride with a sport coat, pair of shoes, mp3 player, random documents in mine all the time. Usually not more than maybe 5 pounds of stuff. I've got panniers, but I usually keep them pretty empty for groceries or other bulky/rigid items. Handiklap fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Dec 9, 2008 |
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Dec 9, 2008 15:22
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You can nickel and dime your safety hazards all you want but beyond wearing full leathers and maybe a back brace it really doesn't matter. Oh those keys in my pocket give me -5 agility of my balls! Oh this backpack gives +3 to too much illegal one wheel behavior! gently caress it man you're on a motorcycle that's the biggest risk of all. Wear your loving leathers so you don't have any asphalt poisoning and if you get in a situation that the strat on yo back might make your impact worse? OH NO you are in an impact and you're hosed anyway.
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Dec 9, 2008 15:38
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So I bought two ammo cans like the ones below with the idea of turning them into some sort of storage tins mounted to the luggage rack on my new bike. They've got nice rubber seals at the tops and it looks like its not going to be too hard to rig up a padlock on each. I'm trying to think of a good way to secure them to my tube style luggage rack in a way that would let me remove them easily but I'm coming up short. Any ideas? 
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Dec 9, 2008 15:45
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8ender posted:So I bought two ammo cans like the ones below with the idea of turning them into some sort of storage tins mounted to the luggage rack on my new bike. They've got nice rubber seals at the tops and it looks like its not going to be too hard to rig up a padlock on each. This guy built his own rack for them. http://www.klr650.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19646 His way of mounting makes them pretty easy to remove, just 2 nuts per can. How much customization you'll need depends on your luggage rack, but the boxes are pretty big/heavy so take that into account when looking for a way to mount them.
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Dec 9, 2008 17:07
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8ender posted:I was thinking about doing this as well, since ammo cans are waterproof and dirt cheap from the a/n surplus store. I was actually going to drill a couple holes to mount 2 U-brackets on the back and just fasten them down on my seat rail. Would that be an option for you?
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Dec 9, 2008 21:42
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The ones I used on my rebel were 50cal sawboxes - think two gallons of milk. Sprayed them with some aerosol tool dip rubber and masked off the honda wings after a few coats. The walls of them are pretty thin, so for reinforcement I attached two 1/8"x1" pieces of steel flat vertically to the boxes with a couple of stainless bolts, and then a grade 8 bolt through the seat rail and each flat into the boxes for mounting. Don't forget the loctite, and if they're going straight to your rails without any kind of stand-off, make sure you're not interfering with your swingarm travel, or in my case the chain guard. As far as mounting them on a rack, maybe some rubber coated tension clips, sort of like the ones that hold a booklet on the inside front cover of a dvd case? Combine that with some kind of pin that engages right in front of a cross rail to prevent them from just sliding off. Handiklap fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Dec 10, 2008 |
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Dec 10, 2008 02:29
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Ugh ever have one of those days where you try to fix something but only manage to break something else that is like 2 times worse? The whole one step forward two steps back deal. Last week while checking out the speedo line I managed to snap a instrument panel stud in half tightening down a nut I thought was loose but was actually as tight as it could ever be. 
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Dec 10, 2008 05:44
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Going to give AI a shot before I call the mechanic tomorrow. I can't seem to get my carb tuned right. If I sync the carbs by vacuum or by visual inspection, I get a rough idle. I can't smooth it out by adjusting the idle needle. When I decelerate I get a lot of rumbling and popping, not quite backfiring but close. The torque curve is good at anything above idle. I synced the carbs by just listening to the bike and picking the sweet spot where the idle sounds best. Idles perfectly, good smooth torque curve. However, if I rev it up to about 2500 rpms while just sitting there I get a lot of what I would call misfiring - engine sort of stumbles around. Other than that it sounds great, much smoother on deceleration. The other bad thing though is that the carb is so out of sync physically that I'm no longer even resting on the idle control screw. It's actually resting internally on one of the butterfly valves closing completely. If I just look at the butterfly valves I can see that they are significantly different. Only other information I have is that my air valve doesn't seem to be working per spec. It only partially seals at like 17 when it should fully seal. It doesn't seal until over 20 iirc. Could this have anything to do with it? Carb has been recently cleaned and I am almost positive there is no obstruction. Someone mentioned leaky piston rings causing lack of compression. Any ideas? Edit: 93 EX500 darknrgy fucked around with this message at 07:17 on Dec 10, 2008 |
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Dec 10, 2008 07:05
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Your carbs are horribly out of sync. You don't have a sync tool right? Bring them as close together as you can visually, so the butterflies are similarly open. Then sync the carbs by ear at a higher rpm, you're not supposed to sync at idle. Then hopefully get it done with gauges at some other place later. I don't know what the air valve does so can't answer it, but I know some other bikes have galleries downstream of the carbs to equalize pressure which will mask a poor sync at idle.
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Dec 10, 2008 10:37
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Going to look at a used 2001 Bandit 600 later on today. The guy didn't list miles on the Craislist ad. Any mechanical problems in particular I should be on the lookout for? Awesome, thank you. vvvvvvvv Follow up: bought it, feels like it's in great shape mechanically. Some aesthetic issues to sort out and a new pair of tires to put on, but overall I feel like I got a great deal on it. Thanks again! 
Sound Mr. Brown fucked around with this message at 07:17 on Dec 11, 2008 |
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Dec 10, 2008 14:19
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Bandits as a whole are very reliable. The 600's dont have any real glaring issues to look out for, so be on the lookout for how well it was (or wasnt) taken care of. Look for signs of abuse (Check the rear fender for rubber from burnouts) and try to get a feel for how he treats the bike. Even an abused Bandit will still be fine, but evidence of burnouts and such will be good leverage on the price.
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Dec 10, 2008 16:08
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Quick dumb question. More a 'ped question, but I figure the principle is the same: There seem to be two main ways to clean an exhaust: caustic chemicals, or putting in on hot coals for an hour to burn out the smutz. As a variant on the 2nd, I've heard of folks putting an exhaust in an oven on "Self Clean" mode, with all windows open to vent the carbon monoxide. I did the coal thing last week, cooked the exhaust for over an hour on red coals. The actual exhaust never got "cherry red" like some folks describe, and when I banged it against the ground (with the ash-screw removed) very little carbon fell out. However, after about 10min of being on hot coals, a constant stream of smoke came out from the pipe (very little smoke from the coals themselves, so I don't think is was just diverted smoke). How can I tell if I was at all successful in burning out all the old 2-stroke oil and congealed carbon in the exhaust? Further, since my exhaust is small enough to fit in a large kettle, can I just boil the exhaust on the stove in a (lovely from Goodwill, parts only) kettle to get the gunk out? My gut says this might not work since maybe the hottest stove-top water isn't hot enough to melt the gunk. Or might it work?
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Dec 11, 2008 03:21
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Unless you fancy boiling it it caustic chemicals, no, probably not. I'll let the other guys answer as to the efficacy of a burn/clean cycle.
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Dec 11, 2008 03:33
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:There seem to be two main ways to clean an exhaust: caustic chemicals, or putting in on hot coals for an hour to burn out the smutz. I prefer the chemicals, but they aren't that bad. I've got a nice foam spray that I used on my (larger) two stroke pipes caked with 10 years of oil buildup. Just spray it in, let it sit, and hose it out. Repeat while running a rag on a stick through the pipes.
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Dec 11, 2008 06:15
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Phat_Albert posted:Anyone ever used HiFloFiltro air filters? Never used their air filters, but they make good oil filters. I can't imagine they're bad. Is it a paper type or an oiled foam type?
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Dec 11, 2008 06:36
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I am (probably) stupid: I Have a '07 CBR 600RR, and due to a non-riding-related back injury, have not ridden since late July, so over 4 months. I foolishly did not think to put any kind of fuel stabilizer in my tank. I have not yet attempted to start my bike since August, How hosed am I?
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Dec 11, 2008 09:50
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Tequila Ranger posted:How hosed am I? Not very hosed, I think. If it's been exposed to different temperatures there might be water in the gas, so you could perhaps drain a pint from the petcock (or hologram activated piezo-electric solenoid valve or whatever these modern bikes have) before you try starting. It will probably need a few cranks.
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Dec 11, 2008 10:07
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Tequila Ranger posted:I have not yet attempted to start my bike since August, How hosed am I? Dump a third of a can of Seafoam in the fuel tank and shake the tank around a bit before starting it and you'll be just fine.
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Dec 11, 2008 12:59
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Terminus Est posted:Never used their air filters, but they make good oil filters. I can't imagine they're bad. Is it a paper type or an oiled foam type? Paper type.
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Dec 11, 2008 16:28
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it's an EFI bike. I doubt there's going to be any problem at all. Just charge the battery.
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Dec 11, 2008 16:28
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Phat_Albert posted:Paper type. I think you should be just fine using that air filter. I'm pretty sure HiFloFiltro makes a lot of OEM filters and think that the Honda branded oil filters for my 599 are made by HiFloFiltro. Slap that puppy in.
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Dec 11, 2008 22:37
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Just finished applying some rim tape to my bike. Anyone have any issues with this stuff peeling off while you're riding down the road? It shouldn't, but I just wondered if I should be worried. Oh and here's a pic! Click here for the full 604x368 image. That's my dad. He helped hold it up straight and rolled it back and forth for me to make it easier to apply the tape.
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Dec 12, 2008 05:38
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My trackbike has it and I haven't had a problem with it yet.
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Dec 12, 2008 06:18
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Okay, good to know. Not like it was expensive, but it would look silly if some fell off. I used up the two extra strips on my helmet. It wasn't blue at all, but now it has 2 reflective blue stripes that replaced two painted red stripes.
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Dec 12, 2008 06:29
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I'm really jealous of the new 250 after spending close to 2 years on my comparatively lousy looking 2005 model.
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Dec 12, 2008 06:48
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buildmyrigdotcom posted:I'm really jealous of the new 250 after spending close to 2 years on my comparatively lousy looking 2005 model. I wouldn't be personally. They're no better to ride, having spent time using my wifes 2006 model as a run-about before I bought my Hayabusa, and having ridden the 'new' model, I'd just get an older one. The newer one looks a little nicer I suppose, but realistically it's overpriced and underperforming. Not "bad" by any means, just not all that great either. Also, it has these stupid angles on the tank that dig into my god-drat knees while riding. Ouch.
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Dec 12, 2008 07:58
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