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Plastic Bottle posted:I've never motorcycled in my life, but want to try and have recently been given a '91 Kawasaki Vulcan 700cc cruiser. It has 16,000 miles on it and is in pretty good condition. My only question is, is this a decent bike to start on? While I would prefer something smaller, I can't exactly argue with the price, so will this bike make learning much harder? I started on an 1100cc cruiser, and though I've been repeatedly told it was an awful bike to learn on, it worked out just fine. I'd say that almost any bike is okay to learn on if you're responsible and acknowledge it could destroy you. Cruisers tend to be significantly less powerful than sportbikes of comparable displacement, so 700cc on the Vulcan shouldn't be overwhelming. It's a fairly heavy bike, so keep that in mind, and take the MSF.
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Apr 20, 2009 03:38
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Yes, I am definitely taking the safety course when the semester ends and I can start riding.
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Apr 20, 2009 03:39
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Nerobro posted:Didn't read the article I linked to did ya? I read about 1/3 of it just now and it jives so far. Torque feels good, HP rules track/drag. My other points are about what you generally feel in a high torque engine vs a high HP engine. Should I keep reading or...? Not trying to start an argument, just curious what you meant. Edit: Well, hold on, I see now that the second part is a critique. Edit2: okay semantics debate aside, I still don't think I said something incorrect. I'm in agreement with the response that the following conclusion is not meaningful: "It is better to make torque at high rpm than at low rpm, because you can take advantage of *gearing*". Bottom line, is that it's better to have more horsepower than the other guy if you want to beat him in a race, all things being equal. I'd rather use an electrical motor without any gearing in examples because you can assume a flat torque curve. If you offered me two motors, one that put out more torque with less power, and one with less torque and more power, I would always choose with one with more power (and then gear it however I want). If I'm just picking out something for the street, I might end up choosing something with more torque because it's more manageable and feels better. Maybe. All just depends on all of the other parameters. darknrgy fucked around with this message at 04:39 on Apr 20, 2009 |
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Apr 20, 2009 03:41
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Well, it's still being a mechanical rear end in a top hat but in slightly different ways. Now that I unplugged and replugged all of the ignition connections, it seems to have fixed the bike of it's cutting out at highway speeds problem. It still dies at low rpm and idling while hot. When it does this the tach doesn't just drop, but goes down as it would if you shut the bike off so I'm guessing it's something new that's popped up. Or related somehow but not exactly the same problem. I was thinking maybe heatsoak, but I have my fuel line run away from the engine as far as possible. It is harder to get started again and sounds like it's only catching on two cylinders for a few rpms when restarting. Before it would immediately come back to life. Once it gets over this, it runs and idles just like always. Any more ideas? A word of advice to anyone reading. If you are executing a low speed turn through a busy intersection and the bike cuts off midway through you just might drop it and look like an idiot. It's been 15 years since any of my bikes have hit the pavement and in the last week I've put this one over on the same side twice. At least this time I wasn't going backward.
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Apr 20, 2009 04:03
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Z3n fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Apr 20, 2009 |
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Apr 20, 2009 04:22
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I've been looking into acquiring a moped for summer transportation since I live in Boston and my driver's license is getting suspended. Anything under 50cc seems to be a kind of legal gray-area, so could I potentially get in trouble for riding a moped on a suspended license?
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Apr 20, 2009 05:05
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http://www.mass.gov/rmv/license/7moped.htmquote:Mopeds will not be operated: Doesn't sound like a gray area to me.
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Apr 20, 2009 05:46
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Plastic Bottle posted:I've never motorcycled in my life, but want to try and have recently been given a '91 Kawasaki Vulcan 700cc cruiser. It has 16,000 miles on it and is in pretty good condition. My only question is, is this a decent bike to start on? While I would prefer something smaller, I can't exactly argue with the price, so will this bike make learning much harder? It's a big, heavy bike. That will give you trouble with parking lot confidence. It's only got roughly 55hp. That's a sane number. If you want a cruiser, it's a good bike. Would I recommend doing your first couple thousand miles on it? Probally not. As the bike for you to put your first few years on? I think it would be great. If it's in great shape, find something to putter around. Because you will hurt your first bike. darknrgy posted:*stuff* Bugdrvr posted:It still dies at low rpm and idling while hot. When it does this the tach doesn't just drop, but goes down as it would if you shut the bike off so I'm guessing it's something new that's popped up. Or related somehow but not exactly the same problem. Yeticopter posted:I've been looking into acquiring a moped for summer transportation since I live in Boston and my driver's license is getting suspended. Anything under 50cc seems to be a kind of legal gray-area, so could I potentially get in trouble for riding a moped on a suspended license? Because it matters to me, a lot. Moped...Scooter...NOT THE SAME. You lost your license, you probably shouldn't be driving. Look up the penalties for driving without a license. Go get a bicycle, get healthy, clear your mind.
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Apr 20, 2009 05:56
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My question was lost at the bottom of the last page, but if someone could just verify that I probably won't explode on the way to work tomorrow, that'd be great. 
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Apr 20, 2009 06:18
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sirbeefalot posted:My question was lost at the bottom of the last page, but if someone could just verify that I probably won't explode on the way to work tomorrow, that'd be great. I'd plug that red dotted hose. My guess is that it hooks into the canister somewhere, leaving it open mught cause a vaccuum leak. The clear hose is an overflow tube, leave that open.
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Apr 20, 2009 06:29
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After a few years of having my Derbi Senda Supermotard sitting torn apart in boxes after graduating from college, I have finally gotten around to getting it put back together and running. It is a 70cc 2t six-speed motorcycle that has had a propensity to explode and leave me stranded at inopportune times. After thoroughly cleaning the carbs, especially the pilot of my Dell'Orto PHBG 21, I was able to get it started and it idled and revved like a champ. I took it out for a quick test-ride and found that all was not quite right. I was pretty sure I was running my bowl dry as after two blocks the motor revved to red line like it does with a vacuum leak or when the fuel is cut off. After shutting it off (it bogged out and died) I pushed all possible sources of air leaks around hoping to seal the motor off then re-kicked the bike over. It idled normal and revved normal. If the bowl was dry, it shouldn't behave like this as my petcock is vacuum operated. It had idled and revved for a good thirty minutes the night before when I first got it running. Normally it'll scream and cry when the piping isn't right immediately. Air leak diverted, I soon discovered that either my memory is poo poo or the bike is vibrating like a sex toy. I could see my hands oscillating in a quality inch wide peak to peak oscillation. The engine is an unbalanced single with a powerband between 8kRPM and 13kRPm (that means it lives there, anything below lugs the engine). The bike, by default sounds like Satan weed-whacking his lawn, but I don't remember these kinky vibrations. What the hell could be causing that sort of oscillation? Bonus shits and giggles of a Derbi from the seat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUfCoBB0ZKw
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Apr 20, 2009 06:43
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Nerobro posted:
Excellent. That I can fix with a minimum of annoyance. O-rings ordered. Strange that both of these problems popped up together. I'm guessing it was either the long ride last weekend or the fact that it's been above 80 for the first time since I've had the bike. Thanks for all the help!
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Apr 20, 2009 06:58
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I'm mounting a new chain today, it has more links than I need so I will be chopping a few off. Should I aim to fit it as near to the foremost position of the adjusters as possible? Allowing for proper tension in the now and stretch in the future are the only variables I can think of.
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Apr 20, 2009 10:41
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I would chop it so it has however many links are stock. It should put you at or near the beginning of the adjustment range.
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Apr 20, 2009 14:49
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Ola posted:I'm mounting a new chain today, it has more links than I need so I will be chopping a few off. Should I aim to fit it as near to the foremost position of the adjusters as possible? Yes. The more space you have in the adjusters, the more life you'll get out of the chain with proper maintenence. But it's still better to go one link too long than one link too short 
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Apr 20, 2009 15:38
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Plastic Bottle posted:I've never motorcycled in my life, but want to try and have recently been given a '91 Kawasaki Vulcan 700cc cruiser. It has 16,000 miles on it and is in pretty good condition. My only question is, is this a decent bike to start on? While I would prefer something smaller, I can't exactly argue with the price, so will this bike make learning much harder? Power-wise, the bike will be fine, I think. Weight-wise it'll probably weigh around 500 lbs or so, which is heavier than a smaller bike, but not horrendous. I think you'll be fine. If you take the MSF, keep in mind that the little 250s that you learn on will be far easier to do tight maneuvers on, and that it will tire you out more when you build up your riding stamina. I think considering the price, it'll be good.
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Apr 20, 2009 20:32
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So I'm a new (4-5mo) rider and I did my first track day at Firebird East.  What causes the bluing I'm seeing here? Is it something to be worried about? The tires have like 800mi on them, 600 of them being twisties, 100 track, and 100 highway. I was running 31/29 in the tires. BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Apr 20, 2009 |
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Apr 20, 2009 21:53
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It's not a big deal, just the oils in the tire rising to the surface after abuse. Happens to most tires that get heat cycled heavily (ie, under track use or very fast street riding). Some develop it after being abused and then sitting for awhile, some develop it immediately afterwards. Either way, it's just a sign that they're just being used for fast riding and are heat cycling. It'll wear away as the tire wears. Also, be aware that softer track oriented tires can heat cycle themselves to the point of being slippery as hell if they're constantly subjected to abuse. Most of my track tires are cooked after 3-4 trackdays, despite still having plenty of tread left. So don't take tread wear as the gospel for wear on a motorcycle tire. I've seen people grab DOT race takeoffs that looked good but had some really fast laps on them, or street tires that looked moderately worn but had seen a lot of abuse, and slide all over the place because the tire was simply cooked. Z3n fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Apr 20, 2009 |
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Apr 20, 2009 21:58
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Would leaking fork oil affect the strength of forks? My forks have always been very weak (can get very close to bottoming out with no issue) since I've owned it and I know it needs its fork oil replaced. (was leaking when I bought it for who knows how long) Would replacing that fork oil fix my problem or do I probably need new forks too?
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Apr 21, 2009 01:45
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BotchedLobotomy posted:Would leaking fork oil affect the strength of forks? My forks have always been very weak (can get very close to bottoming out with no issue) since I've owned it and I know it needs its fork oil replaced. (was leaking when I bought it for who knows how long) Would replacing that fork oil fix my problem or do I probably need new forks too? Yes, the incorrect type or low oil will ruin their damping ability. But why would you need "new" forks? Just get some new springs.
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Apr 21, 2009 02:02
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CoolBlue posted:Yes, the incorrect type or low oil will ruin their damping ability. But why would you need "new" forks? Just get some new springs. Not even. If hte fork oil is to low, you won't get the air compression in the forks, reducing the spring rate. Don't replace the forks. Just drain, and fill them.
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Apr 21, 2009 02:17
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About the chains and such-a worn out chain is not determined by the space left on the adjusters-it's determined by chain wear. I've always had to replace chains well before I ran out of room on the swingarm. Don't assume it's all golden if you still have a couple of hash marks on the adjusters. A certain poster here once believed that and instead of replacing the chain on a CT90, took out a couple links. The chain slack was welltaken up, and the chain didn't break, but the teeth on the rear sprocket wore rapidly to the point of the chain rolling over the nubs without any forward motion taking place. Don't be this guy.
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Apr 21, 2009 03:24
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Nerobro posted:Not even. If hte fork oil is to low, you won't get the air compression in the forks, reducing the spring rate. I still need a special tool to do this, right? most of the stuff I see online about replacing fork seals and oil involves some heavy duty dismantling. 
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Apr 21, 2009 04:01
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Depending upon what you have, you may need a special tool but most forks you don't. To do the forks on my bike I would need some metric allens, a ratchet handle, a few metric sockets a screwdriver and maybe some miscellaneous other stuff that's not at all uncommon. The biggest pain (beside taking it apart) is getting the lower legs off of a conventional fork without an impact gun. With a hand tool the securing bolt has a tendancy to spin when you are trying to take it off. An impact would make quick work of it. However, if you brought your fork legs to any shop with decently nice techs they would probably gun both of the bolts off for free in about 20 seconds. Bring the forks back with a few bills for a tip when you are done and they will gun them back on for you.
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Apr 21, 2009 04:07
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What do I do with used coolant in CA?
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Apr 21, 2009 04:53
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darknrgy posted:What do I do with used coolant in CA? I'm not in CA, but I took mine to Pep Boys. They took it as it was less than a gallon. I would call around first as the first place I went wouldn't take it.
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Apr 21, 2009 05:06
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Got my chain mounted ok yesterday. Didn't get it fully forward but well enough. In case of ridiculous wear I guess I can always lob off another link. Lesson learned: the chain tool is not for breaking a non-master link. The smallest pin snapped with a flash of light. No angle grinder and no saw, had to grind off the roller pin head with a small file and contracted all kinds of carpal tunnel syndromes. And first proper ride on new tires this morning. Avon says their Roadrider performs better on lengthwise grooves from roadwork etc. I was skeptical but got this proven beyond doubt on a section I've gone past hundreds of times which is heavily grooved. MUCH better, amazing! The tip into the curve feels lighter and a little unnerving, but then more solid further in. I guess this is due to how cupped the previous tires were. No chance for sharper leans in the morning commute, will take a few easy miles in my local twisties after work. Two problems remain: Front sprocket will not come off, riding with the old one now. Bought a 32 mm socket for the nut, stuck it on a good cheater bar, but it was a 12 sided piece of crap that just slipped. Didn't want to buy a full set of 6 sideds but looks like I have to. And a pneumatic impact wrench. And there's a bad noise from the front brakes, only changes a little with braking. I think one caliper is rubbing slightly on the disk, only got a quick look before going to work. Why would the caliper start rubbing now if it didn't do it before?
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Apr 21, 2009 08:25
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BlackMK4 posted:So I'm a new (4-5mo) rider and I did my first track day at Firebird East. You've definitely shortened that tyre's life, blue-ing on the tyres isn't good. Shouldn't be to bad with that small amount of miles, but be aware. Getting some warmers is probably not a bad idea either. Are those 003's or 016R's?
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Apr 21, 2009 08:30
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2ndclasscitizen posted:You've definitely shortened that tyre's life, blue-ing on the tyres isn't good. No, the bluing just means it's been through a proper heat cycle. It's nothing to worry about.
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Apr 21, 2009 09:15
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Gnomad posted:A certain poster here once believed that and instead of replacing the chain on a CT90, took out a couple links. The chain slack was welltaken up, and the chain didn't break, but the teeth on the rear sprocket wore rapidly to the point of the chain rolling over the nubs without any forward motion taking place. Don't be this guy. I had someone call and say that his bike didn't go anywhere when he put it in gear and he wanted to know why. One look at the almost entirely round rear sprocket satisfied any questions. A good idea of whether the chain is worn out or not can be had by adjusting it and then trying to pull it away from the sprocket where it wraps around. If you can pull it away to any extent it's junk.
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Apr 21, 2009 13:23
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Gnomad posted:About the chains and such-a worn out chain is not determined by the space left on the adjusters-it's determined by chain wear. I didn't read this properly first time around, will take this to heart.
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Apr 21, 2009 13:44
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Nerobro posted:Not even. If hte fork oil is to low, you won't get the air compression in the forks, reducing the spring rate. I was more referring to replacing the springs if, and only if, they were still too soft for his liking after replacing the oil.
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Apr 21, 2009 14:12
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BotchedLobotomy posted:I still need a special tool to do this, right? most of the stuff I see online about replacing fork seals and oil involves some heavy duty dismantling. Forks can be done in two hours or less. 2ndclasscitizen posted:You've definitely shortened that tyre's life, blue-ing on the tyres isn't good.
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Apr 21, 2009 14:14
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How does one install rearsets? I have an '80s UJM that I already have Clubman handlebars on, and I'm looking to add rearsets so that I can control it from the passenger pegs. All I know about them is that they move the shifter and rear brake controls back, but I don't know how, or what I need to buy and how to install them (or if it's complex enough that I need a shop to do it for me).
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Apr 21, 2009 15:43
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:How does one install rearsets? I have an '80s UJM that I already have Clubman handlebars on, and I'm looking to add rearsets so that I can control it from the passenger pegs. That's not what rearsets are. Rearsets replace the normal pegs, and move them (typically) up, and back. They are not in the same place as passenger pegs. :-) For most bikes, there are rearsets available. They cost $250-400. It's not hard to install them. You unbolt the stock peg mounts, and bolt the rearsets in their place. If you're looking to do it yourself, and you're asking the question you are.. you probably shouldn't be doing it yourself. I made my set from bicycle pegs and plate aluminum. ;-)
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Apr 21, 2009 15:51
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2ndclasscitizen posted:You've definitely shortened that tyre's life, blue-ing on the tyres isn't good. Shouldn't be to bad with that small amount of miles, but be aware. Getting some warmers is probably not a bad idea either. Are those 003's or 016R's? 016 non-oem type.
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Apr 21, 2009 17:04
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Nerobro posted:That's not what rearsets are. Rearsets replace the normal pegs, and move them (typically) up, and back. They are not in the same place as passenger pegs. :-) Thanks, I wasn't aware that that is what rearsets did. I'll look and see if any sets are compatible with a 1982 Honda CM250C. Edit: Already having a hell of a time trying to decipher if any of the rearsets I find on eBay, etc, will work with my bike. FuzzyWuzzyBear fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Apr 21, 2009 |
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Apr 21, 2009 17:44
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:Thanks, I wasn't aware that that is what rearsets did. I'll look and see if any sets are compatible with a 1982 Honda CM250C. A valid alternative if you have access to the appropriate tools is just finding a nice piece of reasonably thick aluminum, and making some jack up plates.  You can see them in that picture...They just move the mounting point on the frame up and backwards. You're probably going to have difficulty finding any rearsets for that bike, which is why getting some jack up plates may be a good way of doing things. Also: tire warmers won't stop bluing, they just reduce the number of heat cycles that a tire goes though. They will still blue when pushed sufficiently hard.
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Apr 21, 2009 19:49
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Z3n posted:A valid alternative if you have access to the appropriate tools is just finding a nice piece of reasonably thick aluminum, and making some jack up plates. What about extending the shift linkage for those of us with set mounted shift levers? I've been considering making risers for my bike because I don't really want to drop 350 for nice Woodcrafts. (And I'm selling my bike for a track only piece soon)
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Apr 21, 2009 20:02
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BlackMK4 posted:What about extending the shift linkage for those of us with set mounted shift levers? I've been considering making risers for my bike because I don't really want to drop 350 for nice Woodcrafts. (And I'm selling my bike for a track only piece soon) Just figure out the threading on your shift rod and either pick up an extender or a longer shift rod. Plenty of companies make rearsets and will sell you individual parts if you need them. Make your jack up plates, spend 20-30$ on a new, longer shift rod, and you're good to go. There's almost always enough adjustment to get them working nicely even if the sizing isn't perfect. I'm running a woodcraft set of rearsets with the longer shift rod plus jackup plates and an extender, and it works fine. Although the shift rod is bent in the linked picture, you can see the extender. Also, if you can make it work, I highly recommend running controls with bearings on your rearsets. I've got one of the older vortex shift levers on my bike and it shifts so nicely with the bearings. I went from 2-3 missed shifts in a trackday to none. The older vortex shift levers match woodcraft peg thickness, so you can run a nice lever with bearings without having to run the pegs that rape boots.
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Apr 21, 2009 20:08
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