|
Last_Ranger posted:I was hoping to get a focused explanation on bike safety and avoiding accidents. I've been reading through the stats on the IIHS website. It seems alot of accidents happen due to sheer irresponsibility of the rider. Supposing I took basic and advanced training classes, wore armor and a helmet, and drove responsibly, what are my odds for coming out of a wreck? Pretty low, honestly. Most crashes are due to people either riding like knobs or not giving enough cushion space to cars to avoid their stupid manouvers. Using myself as an example: I've been riding for 4.5 years now, 125k across 10 bikes, with everything from track riding to commuting, and the number of accidents I've had would be cut down to zero if I didn't choose to ride like an idiot (starting a career at the track also contributes). Out of my accidents, one was due to trying to show off or something on cold tires leaving work (too much throttle, acting like an idiot, back end stepped, I slammed the throttle off and highsided). Second accident was a left turner in front of me, I was going too fast over a blind hill rushing to get to school, 3rd was a 5mph drop in gravel when I was tired and not paying attention, 4th was a lowside on a dirtbike when I tried to ride it like a streetbike, and 5 and 6 were at the track at 40 and 80mph, thinking that I was safe because I was going slower than my typical pace and I could just get on the throttle way early and hard an not worry about it. So...every accident I've had has been pretty much due to me acting like an idiot or trying to go faster. The most serious injuries I've ever had were in accident 1, a massive concussion. The rest of it, thanks to gear, has been limited to minor to no injuries. Had I been wearing some sort of knee protection in accident 2, I would have had no injuries at all in the last 5 accidents. Z3n fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Feb 9, 2009 |
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 18:19
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 14:02 |
|
|
Ola posted:For single vehicle accidents, this is just about as typical as it gets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whVXD3ex9DA Ahahah holy poo poo that was beautiful.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:11
|
|
|
/\/\/\ I especially love how the second rider was totally fixating on him. I'm at ~2900 miles on my DR, and my rear tire is just about showing wear indicators in the middle. Am I doing something wrong? Pressure is and has been fine, I haven't done any burnouts. 
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:31
|
|
|
I forgot in that video how the second rider just rides off the edge too. I wish I could find that video of somebody at streets of willow...person in front of them crashes, goes tumbling off the track, and they target fixate and go off the track and hit the bike.  Krakkles, pretty normal, lots of heavy throttle use and you're using dual sport style tires. Switch to something more street oriented, as you don't do any offroad stuff. I think I'm gonna run distanzias on my street SV when the day comes.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:40
|
|
|
Z3n posted:Krakkles, pretty normal, lots of heavy throttle use and you're using dual sport style tires. Switch to something more street oriented, as you don't do any offroad stuff.  How would these be?
Krakkles fucked around with this message at 20:46 on Feb 9, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:41
|
|
|
bikes are composed in the rain. Just in general. :-) I doubt you'll notice the difference in the rain if you go to a more street oriented tire. Sport demons and BT45's are available in your wheel sizes.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:45
|
|
|
Hmmm. Are those available/usable with tubes? I wish I had the $1100 I need for a set of 17" SM wheels for it 
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:50
|
|
|
You can use ANY tire with tubes. If you're going to use tubes, what the tire is designed for doesn't matter to you.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:51
|
|
|
Listen to Nerobro. The Perelli Sport Demon is the best tire for anyone stuck in your size range. If you never see dirt, do it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 20:59
|
|
|
Two problems. 1. The front brake on my 78 Honda CB400T Hawk has been giving me trouble lately. At first it would stick every once in awhile in the middle of a ride but would release eventually. After a couple weeks of this the (single) piston was completely stuck and the front wheel wouldn't rotate at all. Goon Aflicted and I rebuilt the master cylinder and cleaned out all the crap that was in there, bled the brakes, and everything seemed to be working fine. I took the bike out for a ride and stopped for gas after 10 minutes. I start the bike back up and the front brake locks up again. I limped the bike home and was only able to get the front wheel to move freely again by bleeding a bunch of fluid out of the bleeder valve. I was able to get the piston out of the cylinder by pumping the brake lever and refilling the master cylinder with fluid a couple times. The fluid that came out was a filthy black color with a bunch of crap in it, despite the fact that I've bled the brakes on the bike 2 or 3 times recently trying to figure out what was going on. Will rebuilding the caliper resolve the problem? I can't imagine anything else that could go wrong in such a simple brake system other than a collapsed brake line. I'm moving in a week and HAVE to get this fixed by then so I can ride the bike to the new place. Do I need or should I have to replace the brake line, can I just go by Cycle Gear and pick one up, or will I have to special order it? 2. After riding the bike for the 10-15 mins. until the brake locked up, anytime I stopped I noticed a bunch of smoke coming off the bottom of the crankcase, which is just what I need right now. We're thinking that at least one seal has shrunk from all the cold weather we've had recently. I really would like to avoid tearing the motor and transmission out of the thing and replacing all the seals, is there anything else I can check? greg_graffin fucked around with this message at 21:42 on Feb 9, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 21:22
|
|
|
That's not a caliper problem, that's a master cylinder problem. Get a new/rebuild your existing master cylinder.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 21:24
|
|
|
Nerobro posted:That's not a caliper problem, that's a master cylinder problem. Get a new/rebuild your existing master cylinder. edit: before the edit.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 21:25
|
|
|
Then you didn't rebuild the master cylinder right. It's not bleeding down the pressure like it should. It's not a caliper problem. you can buy new master cylinders for almost the same price as the rebuild kits, I'm apt to push you in that direction.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 21:28
|
|
|
Nerobro posted:Then you didn't rebuild the master cylinder right. It's not bleeding down the pressure like it should. It's not a caliper problem. you can buy new master cylinders for almost the same price as the rebuild kits, I'm apt to push you in that direction. I forgot to mention that after getting the piston out of the caliper I tried to push it back in to see if it would go in without any brake lines or anything else attached and it's extremely difficult to get back in.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 21:30
|
|
|
Nerobro posted:Sport demons and BT45's are available in your wheel sizes. Sport demons aren't available for a 21 inch front. Krakkles, buy an SM kit and run any more sport/track tire on it! Sure, you'll get like, 4k out of a rear if you're lucky, but they're so much fun and so sticky!
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 22:09
|
|
|
greg_graffin posted:I forgot to mention that after getting the piston out of the caliper I tried to push it back in to see if it would go in without any brake lines or anything else attached and it's extremely difficult to get back in.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2009 23:23
|
|
|
Gnomad posted:It does sound like you are installing the clutch side on the throttle. ^^^ Well I'm slow! Went to get the throttle grip off, was still stuck halfway on, pulled it for minutes, with all my weight, with no success. Then jimmied it up with a prybar, hosed it with WD-40, and a few minutes later it came off with tugging. Compared the grips, they both have identical interior diameters. So the clerk sold me the wrong kind of grips? It's only a $12 item, but I'm still pissed because I spent a lot of time and muscle trying to get them on, assuming that I just wasn't doing it right, or that I missed some trick. I specifically said "I am a noob and don't know what size my bars are, what grips should I get for a 2001 Honda Nighthawk?" And homeslice said "why, any of these here" and I picked one, asked again it it would fit, and was told it would. Also mainly annoyed because I couldn't ride for two days because I had the grip half-on. Will drop by tomorrow and get competent sales help. Not trying to get the guy fired, not necessarily demanding a refund of my $12, but I do want to walk out of there with a set of grips that will actually fit my bike.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 05:14
|
|
|
Well gently caress, took off both wheels to take to the tire shop tomorrow and ran into a little problem. 1. Tilting the rear wheel to its side to get it out carefully I managed to drop the sprocket face first on the garage floor from about 8 inches up. Appears to have hit the raised nut son the side, no impact to the teeth at first glance. If I managed to nick the very outer edge of one of the teeth would that be a big problem since it isnt a direct wear surface like the inner bearing face area? There was so much caked on grease that it looks like it cushioned any impact blow it could have taken. I will be cleaning it down entirely with kerosene to inpect everything just in case. 2. With the wheels off I had some finger-in-hole-and-spinning one-on-one action with the bearings front and rear. Out of 5 total 2 feel loose and notchy. The bearings cost 41 bucks for everything plus seals online, can I do this myself with a brass punch and a few correctly sized sockets with a hammer? Or will I need a shop to do this with a puller and press?
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 05:19
|
|
|
TapTheForwardAssist posted:
Yep, you got ATV grips. Welcome to the world of the modern bike dealership. Just try to find a part for a motorcycle  but all kinds of cool stuff on the shelf for ATVs.And I would not feel the least bit apprehensive about getting my money back or swapping them for the right grips. It's your money.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 06:01
|
|
|
TapTheForwardAssist posted:It's only a $12 item, but I'm still pissed because I spent a lot of time and muscle trying to get them on, assuming that I just wasn't doing it right, or that I missed some trick. I specifically said "I am a noob and don't know what size my bars are, what grips should I get for a 2001 Honda Nighthawk?" And homeslice said "why, any of these here" and I picked one, asked again it it would fit, and was told it would. You probably have 7/8" bars, those are most common on UJMs. Before you go back get a ruler and measure them. And you've just learned that people who work motorcycle retail can be just as stupid as people who work retail anywhere else. Take 'em back, preferably find the same idiot and say "you sold me the wrong grips, I'd like some proper ones, please."
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 16:25
|
|
|
TapTheForwardAssist posted:Compared the grips, they both have identical interior diameters. So the clerk sold me the wrong kind of grips? Not totally sure about this as I am also a n00b when it comes to grips. I have a 2001 Honda Shadow and I just bought and installed some heated grips. They are 3rd party parts I got from the Honda dealer. They are both the same size. My bars are actually larger on the throttle side than the clutch side. So the plastic throttle sleeve is actually the same outer diameter as the bars on the clutch side. What I'm saying is that it may be that you got the wrong size grips, but it isn't necessarily true that they should be different sizes. Measuring is your friend. They were also hard as gently caress to get on. The clutch side still isn't on all the way. I've been working it up a few millimeters every time that I ride. There's only about a 1 inch gap at this point. Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 18:27
|
|
|
To be absolutely clear. Grips on a motorcycle are NOT the same diameter left and right. The right side, has a bigger hole in the middle to accomatate the throttle sleeve. If your grips are the same inner diameter, they are ATV, or Bicycle grips. Unless it's a fairly recent cruiser, or Harley, all motorcycles run 7/8" diameter bars. I put on my grips using just water. You need to be QUICK about it. Alcohol has the same rules. You don't want to use anything that will leave residue. You need to push the grips on from the end. You can't "pull" them on. They tighten up as soon as you put tension on them.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 20:10
|
|
|
Still mulling over tires for the Bandit. Anyone have any comments on Conti Road Attacks? They seem to get great reviews, and phenomenal mileage. http://www.canyonchasers.net/reviews/tires/road-attack.php http://onewheeldrive.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=475&Itemid=130 Beve Stuscemi fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Feb 10, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 22:22
|
|
|
Phat_Albert posted:Still mulling over tires for the Bandit. Anyone have any comments on Conti Road Attacks? They're not bad tires. They're soft and flexy, so I always felt like I was riding on faith when it came to them. For my riding style, they didn't work. I could drag pegs with them, but they never felt really comfortable, unlike the Pilot Roads which always seemed to let me know when things were going to start sliding, even when cooked. I ran them on a Triumph S3 T595, so I was on the same bike as Dave runs, and I really, really didn't like the feedback they gave. I push my tires harder than he does, though, so I think that may have something to do with it as well. They got great wear, great mileage, and worked well in the rain, but I wouldn't run them again. Not enough feel of overall grip or feedback from the road for me to really feel good on them. I need at least one of those 2 things to really feel good on a tire. Personally, I throw money at tires. You run them for a long time, and the additional feel and such you get out of a good set of the latest tires is usually worth more than the slight additional cost. 50-100$ now always sucks, but it pays off in the longer run.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 22:35
|
|
|
All the reviews seem to say that they are stiff tires with great feedback. How long ago did you run them?quote:Additionally, they are very communicative tires, which may be a love or hate characteristic depending on the rider. Where the Pilot Roads are almost numb by comparison, the Road Attacks communicate every weird road surface to the rider. I feel like I know exactly what's going on. quote:Unlike Bridgestones, (also known for a stiff carcass) the Conti's do not sacrifice ride. The Bridgestones I've ridden tend to provide a very harsh ride where even the smallest bumps are felt all the way to my fillings. I suspect because the Conti's use a zero-degree belt, just like Pilot Roads, Metzelers and Pirelli's, the tires provide a very predictable yet smooth ride
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 22:42
|
|
|
Phat_Albert posted:All the reviews seem to say that they are stiff tires with great feedback. How long ago did you run them? About 6 months ago? They were on the Triumph when I sold it. Tires are super subjective. I know that there's certain things that I don't like about compounds, sidewalls, etc. I tried running them at the pressures they recommended and lower (because the recommendation is pretty much the limit in the rear) and could never get the feel or the feedback that everyone claimed out of them in real world situations. One place where they were great was in the wet, to the point that I prefered riding them in the wet to the dry. For other useage, although other tires gave slightly lower overall grip levels, I prefered the feedback they gave previous to sliding. I just felt like I never had enough feedback until it started raining, where they actually seemed to improve, it was bizarre. I'm gonna send you a PM on some other stuff.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 23:10
|
|
|
Got the bearings out of the rear wheel, 2 had 1-2mm of play, another was loose and notchy. For those of you that remembered my squared off rear tire picture, could the loose bearings account for the shifty rear end feel at highway speed? Waiting for some expanding plug bearing removers for the front wheel since the spacer clearance is tighter, preventing me from using a punch. I ordered some "All Balls" wheel bearings which supposedly use KML bearings. Anyone have first hand experience with this brand?
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2009 23:15
|
|
|
I have an originally-49cc supermoto fitted with a 75cc cylinder. Ever since I bought it second hand a year and a half ago, the rpm curve sucked. It would slowly rev up from 1500-8000 (sometimes it wouldn't even reach 8k, I posted about this problem a year or so ago. It turned out the air filter wasn't letting enough air in so I poked holes in the plastic casing and it made it a lot better). Then after 8k it would jump to 11k really easily. These numbers are approximate, I know the bike redlines at 11k but it doesn't have an odometer. Going up hills or ramps (like the underground parking in my building) was especially bad, if I didn't approach the ramp with mid-high revs, the engine would lose revs horribly on the way up and kind of limp its way up. About a week ago, I noticed that the engine was able to rev up a lot easier when going up the ramps in the parking. Then when I got out to the street, after the first 30 metres, the change was really noticeable. The piston almost felt 'loose' inside the cylinder at mid revs. I'd only felt this before when in higher gears and just before the rev limiter kicked in. Over the course of the week, this 'sensation' has got more and more noticeable, and now when I'm coming to a stop, just as the revs get close to idling, the bike starts vibrating/shuddering a lot and makes a deeper, kind of hollower, noise than usual. I am also starting to hear/feel this shuddering at low-mid revs. Another effect this has had is there is almost no engine braking any more. I've searched google for 'loose piston cylinder' and 'lost engine braking', and it seems like what might be happening is 'piston slap'? I've watched a few videos on youtube, and the ones that had distinguishable audio kind of sounded like what my bike does. I'll record a video in the morning before I go to class. Does anyone know what this could be, and will it will get worse, ending up with the cylinder seizing up on me at 40mph and me dying? What options do I have to avoid this or even fix the issue?
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2009 00:57
|
|
|
quote:It does sound like you are installing the clutch side on the throttle. UPDATE: Well, this is going in my next Helldump callout. I was indeed putting the clutch grip on the throttle. The reason I thought they were the same is that I compared them right after trying to squeeze the wrong one on, so the clutch grip was temporarily stretched to be as big as the throttle. This whole subject just sounds like one non-stop dick joke. In any case, I hosed the bars and grips down with hair-spray, slid each on in about 45 seconds of pushing and twisting, let dry, and I'm golden like showers. As a side note, for $12 I'm really pleased with my Renthal grips. They're very thin and slim, firm enough to be durable but soft enough to be comfy, and grip like a porn star's tight grasp on a handsome schlong. schwanzes
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2009 08:42
|
|
|
I have an '08 ZZR-600, mechanically identical to an '01 ZX-6. The suspension is very soft, so I'm thinking about upgrading, but google is really letting me down. Should I: 1) Go to the local performance shop and get them to set up the suspension for my weight? 2) Get aftermarket(or used ZX-10) shocks? How do I find the correct parts? 3) Shut up and deal, because there aren't any curves in this stupid state anyway?
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2009 15:11
|
|
|
MrKatharsis posted:I have an '08 ZZR-600, mechanically identical to an '01 ZX-6. The suspension is very soft, so I'm thinking about upgrading, but google is really letting me down. Do one. Then if it's still not improved, come back and we'll talk about 2.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2009 16:41
|
|
|
MaiaN posted:I have an originally-49cc supermoto fitted with a 75cc cylinder. Let me put on my asbestos undies to protect from the flames of righteous indignation from the defenders of the 2 cycle engine, here we go! Running small engines, especially 2 cycle engines at the outer edge of their envelope is not a recipe for long life. In particular, ring life is measured in hours, not miles. It's a consequence of a life lived at the outer edges, and not entirely unexpected. Will it get worse? Yes. You do need to check your compression, checking the rings would be a lovely idea. Excess clearance can cause the engine to seize, the blowby blows the oil off the rings, leaving the cylinder unlubricated which is no good at 11k, or even 8K. It could be rings, but if you don't address this right away, it'll be rings and piston, and maybe rings, piton and cylinder. So yes, you should be concerned.
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 07:27
|
|
|
Gnomad posted:Let me put on my asbestos undies to protect from the flames of righteous indignation from the defenders of the 2 cycle engine, here we go!
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 08:15
|
|
|
Gnomad posted:Let me put on my asbestos undies to protect from the flames of righteous indignation from the defenders of the 2 cycle engine, here we go! I'm a huge defender of the 2 strokes but you're correct. They burn hot and bright but that comes at a price. Top end rebuilds are an afternoon with beer affair though, depending on the engine.
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 13:03
|
|
|
Gnomad posted:Let me put on my asbestos undies to protect from the flames of righteous indignation from the defenders of the 2 cycle engine, here we go! Is the 'envelope' you speak of the powerband? I only ride it at those revs because that's when it has any power. I actually rode it between 3-8k revs (or whatever revs are just before the powerband) for months because I hate the sound the bike makes, but my spark plug kept on getting oily. A few people who supposedly know more about 2 stroke engines even told me to thrash the motor a little  Gnomad posted:Will it get worse? Yes. You do need to check your compression, checking the rings would be a lovely idea. Excess clearance can cause the engine to seize, the blowby blows the oil off the rings, leaving the cylinder unlubricated which is no good at 11k, or even 8K. Ok I'll stop riding the bike until I fix it then. I have no idea how to do this though. Is it a fairly big/complicated job, could I read a book or website (any suggestions if so?) and be able to do it myself, or should I take it to a mechanic and basically quote your post to them? 8ender posted:I'm a huge defender of the 2 strokes but you're correct. They burn hot and bright but that comes at a price. Top end rebuilds are an afternoon with beer affair though, depending on the engine. MaiaN fucked around with this message at 13:18 on Feb 12, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 13:11
|
|
|
MaiaN posted:This sounds encouraging. Is it something a complete novice could accomplish with the right book? Sure. Most of the time its just a matter of yanking off the head, throwing some new rings in, and putting a new gasket in before banging it all back together. Here's a really good video to watch. The person in this video is doing a top end rebuild of a two stroke dirt bike. Likely your scoot would be even more simple than this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FFIWtqU5Zc
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 14:27
|
|
|
MaiaN posted:This sounds encouraging. Is it something a complete novice could accomplish with the right book? Its literally a Tab A Slot B affair, there isnt much to go wrong other than making sure you have the rings on the right way. Its a little messy sometimes if you have a liquid cooled engine, but otherwise it couldnt be simpler.
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 15:56
|
|
|
MaiaN posted:Is the 'envelope' you speak of the powerband? I only ride it at those revs because that's when it has any power. I actually rode it between 3-8k revs (or whatever revs are just before the powerband) for months because I hate the sound the bike makes, but my spark plug kept on getting oily. A few people who supposedly know more about 2 stroke engines even told me to thrash the motor a little Yeah, you do have to spin that engine, it's the nature of the beast. Riding it at 3K isn't going to help really, it is made to turn over quickly. It's just that as a consequence of the design, you'll go through wear parts faster and rings in a high performance 2 cycle are a wear part, a consumable if you will. The top motocross guys rering after every race and sometimes between heats. It's not only the small 2 cycles that need maintenence. Those bitchin little Aprilia motards with the 450cc Vtwins are 4 cycle engines and the factory recommends a rebuild at 70 hours. Those 70 hours probabaly go by awfully fast on a bike like that.
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 16:24
|
|
|
Thanks for the video 8ender, it looks quite straightforward. I doubt I'll be doing it in 7 minutes though  My engine is liquid cooled, would I just have to put a rag on the coolant tube like the guy in the video does, to absorb the coolant that comes out? When changing the rings, is there anything I should look out for on the piston or cylinder that would mean it/they need changing too? How much money would I be looking at for the different parts, approximately? Also, here is a video I took yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuJrH1v26nI
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 16:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 14:02 |
|
|
Drain the coolant as best as you can. You dont want any in the crankcase.
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2009 17:45
|
|