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I'll be sure to hurry and replace those two slightly rusty bolts on my bike now that you've said something.
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Apr 30, 2009 02:52
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CoolBlue posted:Oh god please don't leave it in the rain. As said, buy a cover or a storage unit if it isn't your main form of transportation. You REALLY don't want to leave it in the rain. It will be my main form of transportation But yeah, Ill go buy a cover for it. No snow around here at least It was parked for a while near all the Cal students bikes, and I kept thinking "well they leave *their* bikes in the rain, why can't I?" But then i realized they are students....
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Apr 30, 2009 03:35
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Uthor posted:I've been leaving mine in the rain on and off for four years now with little problem. I have a tiny bit of surface rust in a handful of places and that's it. It's just water; the bike isn't going to melt from it. Yay! Another person advising everyone else to do follow their bad habits because they are lucky enough to have seemingly avoided repercussions! 
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Apr 30, 2009 03:58
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Doctor Zero posted:Yay! Another person advising everyone else to do follow their bad habits because they are lucky enough to have seemingly avoided repercussions! Hey, I'm not saying he should leave it out in the rain every day for years upon years, just that the bike will survive out in the rain once in a while. I make no claim that I care about my bikes appearance. It's not like I'm telling him to leave a helmet at home or to ride on tires with no thread left because someone somewhere did it and nothing bad happened.
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Apr 30, 2009 04:47
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CoolBlue posted:Oh god please don't leave it in the rain. As said, buy a cover or a storage unit if it isn't your main form of transportation. You REALLY don't want to leave it in the rain. It really doesn't matter. I've stored bikes of all ages outside and inside, and in coastal california the weather isn't extreme enough to cause any serious problems. If you're leaving it for 10 years outside, then yes, it's probably prudent to do something about it...but if you're caring for it properly (lubing the chain, greasing the appropriate linkages at the appropriate times, etc, it's really not a big deal. My 93 ZX-6E lived outside for the vast majority of the time I had it in rainy Santa Cruz, and I never had a problem due to the rain. I don't think a much newer 250 is going to have any problems with anything. You can ride your bike through a torrential downpour, and basically coat the entire thing in water at 60mph, and you really don't have to be concerned about damage to the bike. However: BlueBayou's bike is a custom that's missing a lot of the plastics and side covers that would keep things protected from water damage, so it's probably prudent to cover it. I still don't think it'd do any damage, but better safe than sorry. However, every other (stock) motorcycle out there isn't going to have a problem being left in the rain. Honestly, I'd be more concerned about sun damage on the paint than I would be things rusting in california. It was designed to be ridden in all conditions, it's not a big deal. Z3n fucked around with this message at 05:29 on Apr 30, 2009 |
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Apr 30, 2009 05:26
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Doctor Zero posted:Yay! Another person advising everyone else to do follow their bad habits because they are lucky enough to have seemingly avoided repercussions! You know I think the manufacturers take rain into account when they design the bikes.
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Apr 30, 2009 05:43
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Z3n posted:However: BlueBayou's bike is a custom that's missing a lot of the plastics and side covers that would keep things protected from water damage, so it's probably prudent to cover it. I still don't think it'd do any damage, but better safe than sorry. However, every other (stock) motorcycle out there isn't going to have a problem being left in the rain. Honestly, I'd be more concerned about sun damage on the paint than I would be things rusting in california. It was designed to be ridden in all conditions, it's not a big deal. Yeah the nudity of my bike is what makes me most wary. Its just odd because I had a friend who used to cover his car, but never when it rained - he said the rain would ruin the cover. So I keep thinking that covering my bike in the rain is a bad idea. Also if you put a cover over your bike just after riding, won't it burn the cover? My helmet lock is just above my pipe and Im terrified of using it.
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Apr 30, 2009 05:44
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BlueBayou posted:Yeah the nudity of my bike is what makes me most wary. The EX250 actually has 2 helmet locks, the one that you're concerned about using and one that mounts to the top of the subframe. I don't know if that second one will be accessable due to the mods to your bike though...You should really post more pictures, I'd be interested to see how extensive the modding was. Either way, I almost always carry my helmet because I'm paranoid about someone messing with my stuff. I'm not exactly sure what your friend was on about with the cover, but I really don't think rain would ruin the cover as they're designed to be waterproof to protect whatever's under them.  Yes, the bike can be hot enough to melt the cover if you put it on directly after riding, especially naked bikes. Good covers are very heat resistant and can be put on shortly after the bike is parked. They cool down pretty quick, but you have to watch out for the mufflers.
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Apr 30, 2009 05:49
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Z3n posted:The EX250 actually has 2 helmet locks, the one that you're concerned about using and one that mounts to the top of the subframe. I've never noticed another helmet lock. Where is the second one on the subframe, and are you sure it exists?
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Apr 30, 2009 06:33
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BlueBayou posted:Also if you put a cover over your bike just after riding, won't it burn the cover? Mine melted some holes in the cover, but there are a couple of heat resistant panels in the cover that seem to have worked decently to minimize the damage. The worst is where the pipes connect to the engine as that was a bit above the panels and it melted through. I've never had my cover melt on my engine. I do have a cruiser with really big mufflers running down low on both sides of the bike, however, so you're mileage will vary on how much damage a hot pipe will do to a cover.
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Apr 30, 2009 06:54
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The other thing about a cover is that it's a very cheap method of theft deterrent. It obviousy won't stop them from stealing it if they want to, but it helps to disguise what it is, particularly if the bike is parked off the road. I have two bikes, and both get stored outside, and ridden through Britain's lovely lovely winter weather. I have covers for both, but there are times I forgot. Whenever I get off my arse and find a house, a garage is high on my list of needs.
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Apr 30, 2009 08:12
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I just passed my MSF this weekend, and am waiting for the skill test waiver (CL389 or something) to get mailed to me. I've been told that when I go to the DMV (California) to get my M1, they will ask me for my old license so they can void it (hole punch and/or confiscate). Can anyone confirm if this is true? And if so, is there an easy way around this? I'd rather keep my old one. Sorry this question isn't directly about motorcycles, figured I'd ask in the question thread though.
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Apr 30, 2009 11:02
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Doctor Zero posted:Yay! Another person advising everyone else to do follow their bad habits because they are lucky enough to have seemingly avoided repercussions! Nearly all of my bikes have been stored outside, they've had feet of snow on top of them and sure they're not the prettiest examples of their model but they operate just fine. Never had an issue with a bolt rusting off or anything like that. The chain on my Dakar requires more maintenance because of it I expect but otherwise I haven't experienced any problems. I used to have a cover but when it partially melted on the exhaust after I put it on right after arriving back home I gave up on them. I say start without a cover and if you think the bike needs one go for it but I don't think they're needed. They do seem to deter people from loving with your bike though.
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Apr 30, 2009 14:47
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blugu64 posted:I've never noticed another helmet lock. Where is the second one on the subframe, and are you sure it exists? If you pull off the seat, there should be a small hook on the side of the subframe for the D-rings of a helmet. I don't recall which side it's on. Most motorcycles have a helmet "lock" under the seat of some sort. Vulgus posted:I just passed my MSF this weekend, and am waiting for the skill test waiver (CL389 or something) to get mailed to me. They did ask for and void my old license. I don't think there's an easy way around it. My friend lost his license, requested a new one, and then found it later and ended up with 2 though.
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Apr 30, 2009 15:47
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Vulgus posted:I've been told that when I go to the DMV (California) to get my M1, they will ask me for my old license so they can void it (hole punch and/or confiscate). Can anyone confirm if this is true? And if so, is there an easy way around this? I'd rather keep my old one. They took my PA license, punched a hole through the issue and expiration dates, and handed it back to me. I'll keep it, the hole isn't that obnoxious. Unless you've got a younger brother that wants it, or something...
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Apr 30, 2009 19:01
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8ender posted:You know I think the manufacturers take rain into account when they design the bikes. I wash my bike too. I wasn't saying you can never get a bike wet. I'm really glad some of you don't give a poo poo if you leave your machines out in the rain and snow, but how hard is it to get a $20 cover? Would you REALLY advise people to just leave bikes exposed just because you do? That's all I'm getting at.
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Apr 30, 2009 19:28
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Doctor Zero posted:I wash my bike too. Yes, considering that the vast majority of bikes around here live outside and run and look just fine, I don't think it's a big deal, barring some special circumstances (custom work leaving electronics exposed and stuff). If you're paranoid about condition, you'd be better off washing and waxing it regularly than using a cover in california. Not to mention that a cover doesn't protect from most of the things that I'd be concerned about (road grime, salted roads, etc).
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Apr 30, 2009 19:59
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I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of people that are downplaying the need to at least attempt to keep a bike out of prolonged exposure live in areas without six months of winter/inclement weather.
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Apr 30, 2009 20:36
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If the battery on a ZX6R 2002 hasn't been changed in 12,000 miles it's probably a good idea to change it now?  The bike died on me the other day. Stalled it once at a stop sign, tried to turn it back on and it wouldn't. Got it back home, hooked up the battery charger to it and it turned on again. I'm scared to go riding around, would suck for it to die again. Taking it to the shop next week to get the rear tire changed, I'll see if there's any other problems.
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May 1, 2009 04:15
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Yeah, it's an older battery and it's already been drained. It's $50 and zero labor to switch it so you might as well do it. Since it will be in the shop anyway, I'm sure they can run a check on the electrical system with no problems.
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May 1, 2009 04:23
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I can't get my KLR to idle right. I dropped it in the mud a while back and had to rebuild the carb to get the mud out of it, and since then it's been a bit wonky. It runs fine on the main jet, if anything a little better than it used to since I took the opportunity to do the famous "22 cent" mod, which richens the mixture slightly on the main jet by shimming up the needle a bit, and to drill the slide for faster response. Common modifications. But the idle is baffling me. It takes forever and a day to return to idle speed when I close the throttle. Also when the engine gets hot, like in stop and go riding, it wants to idle at 3,000 RPM. This gives me no engine braking at all and makes shifting smoothly a bit of a chore. I figure this almost has to be the idle mixture, and my brain keeps telling me that the mixture is too rich. But the Interwebs tell me the mixture is too lean. I tried richening it up, which made no difference, and then leaning it out, which helped some but didn't fix it altogether. From what I've read, 1 1/2 to 2 turns out is normal for this beast, but I had mine all the way in to 3/4 of a turn out and, while better, it still wasn't right. This poo poo be pissing me off. Help? Oh, and I'll need a front tire soon. I'm running a Continental TKC80 on the rear and am happy with it so far, so I figured I'd put one on the front, too. Opinions?
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May 1, 2009 16:31
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My bet is there is some insanely tiny crap stuck in the pilot jet. Get the pilot out of there and clean the hell out of it.
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May 1, 2009 16:59
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Phat_Albert posted:My bet is there is some insanely tiny crap stuck in the pilot jet. Get the pilot out of there and clean the hell out of it. Yeah, maybe. I've cleaned it a half dozen times, but yeah, that poo poo can be stubborn. Honestly, I'm tempted to order a new jet and the little washer and spring and O-ring and just replace the whole works. It's pretty cheap. And it now comes to mind that when I drilled the plug out to access the needle, I got the bit into the top of it and screwed it all the way in pretty hard. I replaced the needle* but not the jet- I may have boogered it up when that happened. I feel like an idiot for not thinking of that until now.  * Go go Bike Bandit! The needle they sent me had a bent tip, and when I called about it they said they'd send a new one, and not to even send the old one back. I got the new one three days later. I like those guys.
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May 1, 2009 17:09
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Few things: • I'm looking for a chronographic solution to ensure punctuality when I'm riding. I have two analog watches that are not only stainless steel and heavy, they're also really difficult to read at a glance and are fit to a single size - my bare wrist. What do you guys do for a clock while you ride? Big velcro band around your jacket's sleeve? Clock mounted on the bike somewhere? Forget that time exists? • I'm interested in setting up some kind of charging solution for my gadgets while on longer rides. I was thinking of rigging up something with this car charger I have, that plugs into a standard 12v DC lighter port and gives two 5v USB ports to power whatever. I was planning on either rigging up a lighter port on the bike somewhere, so I could remove the converter and cover the port up, or fabricating a more permanent solution with the internals of the converter, somewhere convenient on the bike. Comments on this? Again, what do you guys do for charging things on the road if your bike didn't come equipped with something stock? This is on a 2004 EX250. • Finally, and I doubt anyone can actually help me on this one, my left wrist keeps getting sore after riding for ~20 minutes or more. Obviously just cruising doesn't have this effect, only when I'm stopping and going, clutching often. I clutch with all four fingers, and the clutch is not that stiff or anything. When not on the clutch, my hand is knuckles up, wrist pretty much parallel to the ground. Could there be something I should adjust (either in my procedure or on the bike)? It was killing me all the way from Santa Monica back to Hollywood the other day, and that really killed the buzz I had from riding Mulholland Highway earlier.
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May 1, 2009 23:49
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sirbeefalot posted:Few things: 1. Cheap digital watch, velcroed to your triple tree. 2. I'd use something like this: http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CST&Category_Code=Kits Or something like this: http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/generic/relay.php Depending on what you need. 3. Are you gripping the bar really tight? You should be loose on the bars. You may find that you need to lift your wrist to get it more comfortable. The reason you keep your wrist level on the throttle side is to prevent unintentional throttle inputs and to make sure that when you roll off to grab the brake, you're completely off the throttle.
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May 1, 2009 23:57
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sirbeefalot posted:Few things: Put down the thesaurus and look into handlebar clocks http://www.clocks4bikes.com/. I have no idea about that website, but it gives you an idea. My bike has a clock built into the instrument cluster, but I'd probably do something like that otherwise. Or, yeah, Velcro a $3 watch somewhere.
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May 2, 2009 02:18
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For what it's worth there's a 12v accessory wire under the front fairing on the EX250.
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May 2, 2009 06:11
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sirbeefalot posted:• Finally, and I doubt anyone can actually help me on this one, my left wrist keeps getting sore after riding for ~20 minutes or more. Obviously just cruising doesn't have this effect, only when I'm stopping and going, clutching often. I clutch with all four fingers, and the clutch is not that stiff or anything. When not on the clutch, my hand is knuckles up, wrist pretty much parallel to the ground. Could there be something I should adjust (either in my procedure or on the bike)? It was killing me all the way from Santa Monica back to Hollywood the other day, and that really killed the buzz I had from riding Mulholland Highway earlier.
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May 2, 2009 11:21
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On the subject of storage, what are the problems/risks with storing a bike indoors? I have no garage and currently use a shed to store my bike (which I will need to replace with a bigger one if I get a second bike), but the thought occurred to me that if I put a ramp I can just ride them up my porch and into my living room. The floor is wood and I would need to put an oil mat and maybe something else down. Possible benefits are awesome, such as working on it indoors and a/c'ed, as well as good security (compared to a shed at least). I've had people tell me that if I do this, gas fumes will build up and explode the house. 
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May 2, 2009 13:31
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Gnaghi posted:On the subject of storage, what are the problems/risks with storing a bike indoors? I have no garage and currently use a shed to store my bike (which I will need to replace with a bigger one if I get a second bike), but the thought occurred to me that if I put a ramp I can just ride them up my porch and into my living room. The floor is wood and I would need to put an oil mat and maybe something else down. One of my buddies stores his less used bikes in his living room and it works out fine. If it's a modern bike with evap controls, the fumes will be caught in the charcoal canister and be a non-issue, if your bike vents directly into the atmosphere aulde skôôl style, results may vary. Problems would result if you filled your bike with fuel stored underground in tanks cooler than ambient temp and then placed right into the living room, fuel expanding when warm has caused more than one garage fire. Don't discount the stinky power of gasoline. I bought a fuel tank over the interwebs, when I went to the post office to pick it up I could smell it as soon as I walked in the door. I'm surprised they didn't hand it over to the bomb squad.
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May 2, 2009 16:51
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Taking out my carbs for Keihins left a wonderfully smelling garage. My housemates were not pleased for that week
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May 2, 2009 17:23
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:Taking out my carbs for Keihins left a wonderfully smelling garage. My housemates were not pleased for that week We pulled the carb off my bike in the garage at my friend's house. It's linked to the house through a utility room. Goddamn, that fuel smell stunk the house out for ages. They weren't best pleased, they'd only just got rid of the stink of the stuff that had sealed the driveway.
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May 2, 2009 18:10
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I just picked up a '93 Ninja 500 on the cheap yesterday, and I need some help with a few things before my Clymer's manual comes in. The bike started and idled perfectly when I went to take a look at it, but after I had taken it home in the back of my truck, the bike wouldn't turn on. The battery has a standing charge of about 12.5 volts, so I know it's not dead. My guess was that a connection was jarred loose at some point in the trip home. Where should I start looking? Also, the previous owner said he had just replaced the clutch cable, but when the bike was in gear and the clutch fully disengaged, it didn't do anything. The rear wheel would still have power and would happily spin away. Is this just a matter of adjusting the cable? edit: clutch != choke AncientTV fucked around with this message at 19:41 on May 2, 2009 |
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May 2, 2009 19:33
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^^ I'm assuming you mean 'clutch cable' and not 'choke' - even with the bike in neutral, or the bike in gear with the clutch in, there is still some small amount of power going to the rear wheel, by virtue of the bike having a wet clutch. There is enough friction between the plates (due to the oil in between), that the rear will spin up if it's off the ground. It may be less pronounced on some bikes, and usually isn't even noticeable when the oil gets up to operating temperature. If, on the other hand, the bike is actually bogging down while you're at a stop, while in gear with the clutch in, then yes, you should adjust the clutch cable. Re: the bike not starting - check the battery leads first. If those are in good working order, it may be something more involved like the engine kill switch, or even (probably worst case scenario) the ignition.
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May 2, 2009 19:38
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Simkin posted:Re: the bike not starting - check the battery leads first. If those are in good working order, it may be something more involved like the engine kill switch, or even (probably worst case scenario) the ignition. edit: Found the problem. I suppose the bike was stolen at one point, because the wires leading the ignition were cut and electical-taped together. AncientTV fucked around with this message at 22:35 on May 2, 2009 |
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May 2, 2009 19:43
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Gnomad posted:One of my buddies stores his less used bikes in his living room and it works out fine. If it's a modern bike with evap controls, the fumes will be caught in the charcoal canister and be a non-issue, if your bike vents directly into the atmosphere aulde skôôl style, results may vary. Problems would result if you filled your bike with fuel stored underground in tanks cooler than ambient temp and then placed right into the living room, fuel expanding when warm has caused more than one garage fire. Hmm I dunno, Fabio had bikes in his kitchen. I might try it and see how it goes. Thing is I mostly keep the windows open in the summer and the bike would be right next to one.
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May 2, 2009 21:10
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At the house in aurora, when we brought the bikes inside we'd leave the gas tank and carbs outside. That kept the volatile, stinky stuff outside. We were usually pretty productive over the winter months.
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May 2, 2009 22:41
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She lives!   It only took me a month and half to replace the stator, between work and going on vacation time was at a premium. I got everything reassembled, and I'm cranking out 13.9 delicious volts at idle. I just have two things to fix before I can get back on the road: 1) The clutch cable and throttle cables need a little adjusting. The clutch isn't engaging all of the way and the throttle is sticking. Hopefully not a huge deal. 2) I missed a step when putting the alternator cover back on. Oops.  I'm seeping oil around the cover. Fortunately it's three screws without any other disassembly needed, so I can correct my mistake fairly easily. Nerobro - thanks again for helping me with successfully diagnosing this.
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May 3, 2009 03:58
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Got a question about my 1988 ZX600 C1. Few weeks ago, I was dumb and changed the oil filter, thinking that majority of the oil would escape through that opening... Then I added a bunch more oil. (I work in a dimly lit underground garage, recently remedied by a flashlight). Long story short, I took the bike for a ride, and after a few miles a delay developed between when I opened the throttle and when the bike accelerated. Eventually the bike stalled. After managing the get home, I put the bike away for 2 weeks and haven't looked at it until now. Today I: - Changed 2 of the spark plugs, noticing that there's some oil on them - Cleaned the air filter from oil residue - Drained the oil properly and filled it up to a proper level (checked after running the engine a bit). Here's the problem: - After twisting the throttle, the RPMS pick up, but then they promptly drop and the bike stalls. - I can start it on either choke, or the throttle fully open, but it won't stay running for long with just the throttle open, or on idle without choke - When running it on choke, the rpms don't pick up after some time like they normally would Any ideas as to what the hell is happening?
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May 3, 2009 19:01
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Polynomial posted:Got a question about my 1988 ZX600 C1. How overfilled are we talking? There was a thread over on kawasakimotorcycle.org about a heavily overfilled zx600 that spewed oil everywhere and partially hydrolocked the engine damaging the rods. Actually just found the post: quote:Having done this myself with an automatic oil feed I know this could be a major problem. My mistake after way over filling the bike was to not stop right there and take it apart. I had oil in my airbox, oil in my carbs, oil in my floatbowls. I tried to run it out hoping the excess would burn away. Don't do that. Start taking the bike apart. Check your airbox first. Drain your oil. Install new filter. Get a new air filter if needed. I ended up with oil in my cylinders. Oil does not compress like your air/fuel mixture. I killed my engine. Don't do that to yours. Take apart what needs to be taken apart, clean everything. Install new parts as needed, refill oil to proper amount.
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May 3, 2009 19:08
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