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After a lot of cussing, tab bending and grommet insertion, I got the engine covers on the KLR and went to take it out for a spin and noticed the rear turn signals which I thought had survived the wreck had cracked the top of the rubber mounting and were hanging by the bottom of the rubber, enter our hero Captain Duct Tape who saved the day. Ta-da! I put some black electical tape over it to kinda sorta hide redneck fix. Also ordered a set of sweet looking Pro Taper SE ATV high black handlebars to replace the bent stockers.
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Jun 28, 2009 23:02
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Changed the oil and filter on the VFR today. I wondered how a bike could have an 8k mile oil change interval until it took almost 4 quarts of oil with the filter. Then I took it out and almost lost it completely on a backroad. Basically I was coming around a turn and there was some sand in the road. Hit it dead on as I was already going a bit fast and leaned over, tire steps out, squiggles all over the place, then regains traction and I'm on my way. I just kept my feet on the pegs and the throttle constant. This is the fourth time this has happened in less than a year, wtf? I come away each time feeling cool/skilled/whatever but logic tells me my days are numbered. Dammit.
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Jun 29, 2009 01:07
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Gnaghi posted:Changed the oil and filter on the VFR today. I wondered how a bike could have an 8k mile oil change interval until it took almost 4 quarts of oil with the filter. I don't think that 4 quarts of oil is all that much for a bike. Both my TT600 and my brother's Katana use just about that much.
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Jun 29, 2009 03:25
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Drunk Pledge Driver posted:I don't think that 4 quarts of oil is all that much for a bike. Both my TT600 and my brother's Katana use just about that much. Well I've changed oil on cars (turbo ones even) that only take 3.5 quarts. For a relatively small 800 or 600cc motor it seems like a nice surplus.
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Jun 29, 2009 03:37
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Installed a keensert. Finally I can get back to reassembly.
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Jun 29, 2009 04:49
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Put a Dart windscreen and a steering damper on the monster a couple days ago. Got some headshake on a fast wide corner last summer, one scare like that's enough for me thanks.
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Jun 29, 2009 06:33
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Gnaghi posted:Well I've changed oil on cars (turbo ones even) that only take 3.5 quarts. For a relatively small 800 or 600cc motor it seems like a nice surplus. Remember your motor oil is also your gear oil. 
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Jun 29, 2009 10:27
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Tried to out-guess a thunderstorm, and lost. I hate streetcar tracks as it is, wet ones just increase the amount of suck.
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Jun 29, 2009 21:09
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Ola posted:Remember your motor oil is also your gear oil.
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Jun 29, 2009 21:52
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Ola posted:
I forgot to mention what I took pictures of. I hit my first bird.  Saw him go under and flap around in the mirror. I turned to check out the little feller, looked like he had gone clean under the wheel, broke its back and died right away.Birds. They can fly so high yet they insist on crossing roads at 1 ft of altitude.
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Jun 29, 2009 22:02
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Retarded Pimp posted:After a lot of cussing, tab bending and grommet insertion, I got the engine covers on the KLR and went to take it out for a spin and noticed the rear turn signals which I thought had survived the wreck had cracked the top of the rubber mounting and were hanging by the bottom of the rubber, enter our hero Captain Duct Tape who saved the day. Ta-da! If I remember right, the 08s have a problem with the stock ones breaking like that by themselves. Most folks just replace them with another kind of light, as Kawasaki doesn't have a fix for it. Flush mount ones on the fender are popular.
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Jun 29, 2009 22:23
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There's a recall out for the lights, but I don't know if it actually fixes the problem.
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Jun 29, 2009 22:30
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EvilDonald posted:If I remember right, the 08s have a problem with the stock ones breaking like that by themselves. Most folks just replace them with another kind of light, as Kawasaki doesn't have a fix for it. Flush mount ones on the fender are popular. I'll probably just get some aftermarket LED signals and add a few precious surplus watts.
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Jun 29, 2009 22:48
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Ola posted:I forgot to mention what I took pictures of. I hit my first bird. Hah, I think I did that today too! I was riding on a road with some overhanging trees, and was flashing out of the shade and into the sun and back a lot, so i'm not sure what I hit. Must have just brushed off the side, but my left ear was ringing and there wasn't a mark on my helmet...
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Jun 29, 2009 22:59
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Ola posted:I forgot to mention what I took pictures of. I hit my first bird. I was hit in the chest by a bird not too long ago. One of the biggest wtf moments for me so far.
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Jun 30, 2009 04:29
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Subframe and various bits back on. Line up muffler so it ain't melt my tire, and put on bars and tank and panels tomorrow. Man i swear I'm the slowest mechanic who ever mechanicked a mechanical. Probably should have ordered the bits last week that I did last night.
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Jun 30, 2009 05:26
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I gave it a puncture!!! Yay Seriously, I put about 1000km on the bike this weekend, visiting friends and getting to my graduation. Then, dropping off the motorway, something at the rear end felt odd, but I was looking all over whilst in motion and couldnae see anything wrong. Really didn't want to stop, just wanted to get home and get some food, so I trekked home at about 20mph.
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Jun 30, 2009 22:38
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waptang posted:I was hit in the chest by a bird not too long ago. One of the biggest wtf moments for me so far. I hit one with my helmet a while back. If crash safety isn't reason enough to wear a helmet, avoiding the embarrassment of having a beak lodged in your forehead should be.
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Jul 1, 2009 00:02
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I've been lazy and haven't posted this for a couple days. I suck. blugu64 and I worked on his bike last Saturday, doing the coolant and valves. As he said earlier in this thread, it was 105F out, and it was glorious. He had been complaining about his bike overheating a bit while terrorizing suburban neighborhoods taking shortcuts and what-have-you, so he wanted to flush the coolant and adjust the valves on his ninjette. We worked at my place, because I have a garage. While taking all the plastics off his bike, blugu64 noticed the reason why his bike was overheating. All the coolant had leaked out! A bolt decided to part ways with the bike at some point in the past, which loosed up what I think is the return hose from the engine. All that was left in it was a few ounces of coolant - nothing more than a few drips at most. I'm amazed it ran so well! BOLT GOES HERE  (click for big) I grabbed that bolt off my bike and one matching another bolt I've been missing since my last road trip, and we took off to Elliots Hardware to find suitable replacements. Replacements were had, and work continued. For beating the heat in Texas, not much beats Shiner Bock. Its even better when your hands leave dirty fingerprints on the label.   So as I listened to Tejano music on a little crappy radio plugged into the only outlet in my garage (right in the middle of the ceiling), bitching about the heat and drinking shiner, blugu64 managed to adjust the valves on his bike. Once things were back together sufficiently, we filled the radiator up and started purging air out of that thing. I snapped a photo of my garage while it was warming up.  There was a ton of air the cooling system, and getting it out took forever. I'm still not totally sure we purged it all before we gave up, but I'll defer to blugu as to whether he has had to purge again since. After we got his bike together, we threw a minor amount of gear on (helmet and jacket), and went for a spin to the local QT for some Gatorade. It tasted fantastic, and the 40mph 105F breeze felt amazing.
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Jul 1, 2009 03:09
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Ya, what I'm betting happened was it worked its way loose while I was striking fear into the local populace of soccer moms, as I noticed the temp gauge climbing and pulled off to check it out. Fortunately I was close to home and rode back after I gave it time to cool down. Either way looks like we did it right as I couldn't get any more air out of the system. EDIT: Tejano is surprisingly cathartic when its hot and humid outside. blugu64 fucked around with this message at 03:24 on Jul 1, 2009 |
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Jul 1, 2009 03:21
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Checked the front cylinder on the SV650 tonight, where I did the rear last night. Yay all valves well within spec, no need to replace shims Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
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Jul 1, 2009 03:49
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I got my Gas tank ready for the new liner today. The stripping took three quarts of strip and an entire day. And don't get me started on getting the hunting shot out of there. Lordy. Everything else went smoothly. I was going to put in the liner once it cooled down some more, but I decided to wash the dishes. Then I dropped a big glass measuring cup onto the counter, had it shatter and cut the poo poo out of my right hand. My ring and index fingers are so bandaged up I can't bend them. And the biggest hole is next to my ring finger, between the ring and pinky. Thats going to take ages to heal I bet.
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Jul 1, 2009 03:57
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AnnoyBot posted:Friday night I ordered some OEM VTX1800 rear shocks (take offs) from ebay. ...for the '82 Goldwing. And then installed them with the help of a few stacks of washer to allow them to fit since the VTX shocks are bigger than the GL1100 shocks and hit the frame otherwise. Anyway, they loving rock and are stiffer than I expected. Finally I grabbed a new Metzler 140/90-16 rear tire, to replace the squared off, plugged (but identical) tire that came with the bike. I have a full complement fo tire levers, and a giant vise so breaking the bead was easy as pie. Getting the fucker off the wheel was a bitch until I figured out how to combine the vise and a 2x4 so as to pry the tire off in a way I've never done before. It's hard to explain exactly how it worked- I put the vise on the tire and clamped it as tight as it would go, then worked it around until I could get the 2x4 in between the tire and the wheel. Note: This would not work if you intend to reuse the tire. The bike runs beautifully now, and it is finally solid at speed as well. I measured 33mpg tonight, and that was with a lot of WOT. However... Tonight I ordered (from z1enterprises which has the best prices on this stuff that I've seen) fork seals, brake pads, grips and an air filter. And for the '82 Seca I ordered a petcock rebuild kit and fork seals. This is the summer of bike restoration, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
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Jul 1, 2009 07:42
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Got my mesh jacket and textile pants today, in addition to some other odds and ends from bikebandit. Holy hell UPS is fast. The package was scanned into their system Monday evening, then delivered to me Wednesday afternoon. Do they use cargo rigged jet fighters or something?
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Jul 1, 2009 14:56
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Yes, but they keep them fuelled by their usurious handling charges and brokerage fees.
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Jul 1, 2009 15:11
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Phy posted:Yes, but they keep them fuelled by their usurious handling charges and brokerage fees. I don't think it was that bad. I had to pay VAT and so on for importing capitalist goods into Soviet Norway, but usually that comes on a separate invoice. Now it was displayed under shipping costs before I ordered. $80 isn't small coins, but for US -> Norway like ZOOOOM and delivered to my door, it's pretty good value.
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Jul 1, 2009 15:35
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Last week, I got a knock off mesh jacket and gloves from jackets4bikes.com. Arrived next day and is much cooler than the knock off leather jacket I got from them last fall. Yesterday,I broke my speedo cable and ordered a new one from z1 enterprises. I also tracked down some 15w fork fluid and cleaned out my fork seals with a business card as one has a leak. I ordered a seal mate to give it a whirl but could not wait and the card seems to have worked. Today, I got the matching saddle bags to my tailbag at farm and fleet and while they are not huge they are pretty nice and for $60, I can't complain. I got them on ok, but need to cut off extra strap and make some sort of wrap for the straps to keep them clean of road grime and keep them from scratching my paint. I then changed my fork fluid to make sure the leaking side was not low. Which, although I put it off forever, was pretty quick and easy. The new heavier weight oil seems to have stiffened the front up nicely as an added benefit. While I had the tank off, I fixed my right led engine light as it had slid down from where I attached it to the frame since I installed it last fall. Then I gave it a wash and found all the spots where I had chips in my nice new paint job from riding. Oh well I would rather have fun and ride than have a work of art trailer queen. I leave you with a picture of said leds. I had to take a long shutter night shot at twilight to make them show up on film but here they are. Kinda ricey but the bike gets a lot more attention at night which I think may help drivers remember there is a bike next to them. Not really sure on legality but They only cost ~$5 so if I get pulled over I'll take em off. 
my turn in the barrel fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Jul 2, 2009 |
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Jul 2, 2009 02:37
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I made some helmet hooks. They're a bit of a pain since they're connected to the bottom of the seat which is what you remove. Better than nothing though.
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Jul 3, 2009 01:10
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Fuckin' nothing. I'm waiting a week for a single fuckin' bolt.
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Jul 3, 2009 04:25
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Had a local shop extract a broken bent bolt and helicoil the other mounting nut on the left footpeg bracket and my pro taper bars came in today.
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Jul 3, 2009 06:46
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Phy posted:Fuckin' nothing. I'm waiting a week for a single fuckin' bolt. Ugh. Similar. Waiting for a new rectifier so my bike stops leaking electricity.
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Jul 3, 2009 07:25
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Replaced my speedo cable and got to try out my new fork oil and I have to say it is amazing how smooth and solid the front end feels when it actually works like it's supposed to. I love it and now I ordered progressive fork springs to see how much better they make it. I also hit walmart and grabbed a $10 battery powered fm transmitter so I can hook my ipod up to my rider q2 headset without using the crappy aux cable. The radio works ok but fades out when you change direction or get more than 25 miles from whatever station you are listening to. Now I can rock out to music so bad radio won't touch it! Lionel Ritchie here I come!
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Jul 3, 2009 08:19
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I removed an axle for the first time. Had to take the wheel into the shop for them to patch it. Wasn't as bad as I thought, though my brake calipers are a lil' rusted and were somewhat of a pain to get back on. Required judicious use of a rubber mallet. At least my bike is fixed. I've realised I'm really not a nice person to be around when there's a problem with my bikes. Far far too grumpy.
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Jul 3, 2009 08:29
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I bled the brakes for the first time (since the bike was manufactured, apparently)! The fluid that was originally in it was starting to look like Guinness, so I figured now was as good a time as any to change it. I bought 3 feet of 3/16 ID tubing and some nitrile gloves from lowes, and a bottle of valvoline "synthetic DOT3 and DOT4 compatible" brake fluid from NAPA. I put a plastic dropcloth over the fairings and tank to protect them from the supposed paint-stripping powers of the fluid, and then followed the instructions in the service manual for bleeding/replacing the brake fluid. I got fluid all over myself when the drain bottle tipped over half-way through. The brakes seem to be about the same as before I changed the fluid, in that they worked okay when I took the bike for a ride down to the store. They still seem a bit soft, though, and I don't think I'll be able to fix that without changing to stainless steel lines. Additionally, I got a 12-volt accessory socket and soldered some connectors on to it. I'm thinking of trying to epoxy or screw it on to the bottom of the instrument panel and hook it to the accessory 12v line.
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Jul 3, 2009 08:31
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sectoidman posted:supposed paint-stripping powers of brake fluid It definitely does indeed strip paint. Ask me how I know.
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Jul 3, 2009 08:46
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Drunk Pledge Driver posted:It definitely does indeed strip paint. Ask me how I know. So uh, how do you know? 
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Jul 3, 2009 09:26
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I didn't do any maintenance today, just did some riding as I'm still trying to feel out my new bike. I put almost 200 miles on it since I got it/filled it up for the first time and opened the tank today to see what appeared to be a fairly empty fuel quantity. When I filled it up I only took 3.4 gallons, and it holds 7.1, guess I need to get some better references as to how much I have. I headed off on a popular dirt road (the only one left unpaved on the island) so I could work on some dirt riding skills. On my way out I was doing anywhere from 10-40mph, on the return trip I had gained enough confidence to hit 60 on the dirt. I even took it up an ATV trail a ways without dropping it  Here are some pics I took along the way.  
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Jul 4, 2009 06:14
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Put on those Pro Taper bars and adjusted my forks then bought some threaded inserts with bar end weights, got them home and they're too big, have to take them back monday. Guess I'll just wait and get some inserts with new hand guards.
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Jul 4, 2009 16:26
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OH NOW GODDAMNIT! I got my set of valve shims, installed the two the Shimcalc said to install, reassembled everything, and it still doesn't run worth a drat. I'm done for today since I'm pissed off, but tomorrow it all gets to come back apart one more time, get triple checked and quadruple checked, reassembled yet again, and if it still isn't working I'm saying "gently caress it" and taking it in to a shop. Now I'm pissed, so I'm taking a shower and going for a beer. Happy Fourth everyone.
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Jul 4, 2009 18:04
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took my tranny apart! this is why i thought i should:  and it wasn't as bad as i thought on the inside but it still was kind of a mess. most of the bearings in it are in bad shape.  and then there are these things. i don't know what they are but i assume they shouldn't be rattling around loose inside the transmission.  so far it's going quite well for my first tranny rebuild. i thought it would be a lot harder.
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Jul 5, 2009 16:28
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