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Jack the Smack posted:The motorcyclists that I know ride a distance to the car that they feel they can brake adequately. Over time every motorcyclists starts getting closer and closer to cars, and I've noticed I've done it myself. It not only depends on the rider but the motorcycle, but mostly a rider. A DRZ or a scooter will stop in no time due to having much less inertia compared to a 700lb+ cruiser. Actually, cruisers are far more effective at stopping than standard bikes or even sportbikes. Put down the pitchfork for a second, and let me explain. A modern sportbike is short wheelbase, with a lot of weight biased over the front. Your typical cruiser is long wheelbase, with most of the weight biased back in the frame. You get hard on the brakes on a sportbike, the back end comes off the ground, and that's the end of it, you're at max braking. A cruiser will never lift the rear wheel under braking (ok, it probably could, but you'd be doing some seriously screwy poo poo to make that happen). Thusly, if a cruiser user properly brakes, with both brakes on hard, they will stop faster than a sportbike. Longer wheelbase. The other thing that people don't take into account is how much skill it takes to really emergency stop a motorcycle on the street. Cars are zero skill to stop, mash the gently caress out of the pedal and let the ABS cycle, and it'll do it all day across all surfaces. Motorcyclists do ok until they discover that there's a patch of oil, water, whatever in the road, or that one time where they brake a little too hard or a little too soft or you accidentally leaned forward too much or you have to swerve. So...don't loving tailgate. Z3n fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Jul 10, 2009 |
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Jul 10, 2009 05:23
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I'm in need of the thumb-locknut for my clutch cable. The bike is a 1979 CB750. Does anyone know offhand of the measurement of this locknut so I can just get a nut from the hardware store? Service honda sells it, but I don't know that $12 total with shipping for a nut makes any sense. Would my local Honda dealership have this part in stock, do you think? I'd assume the measurements are more or less universal, because it's just a clutch cable nut, but just in case, I figure it's worth an ask.
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Jul 10, 2009 15:37
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99% of the riders safety in a tailgating/hard braking incident comes down to rider skill. Can a 1098 or whatever out-brake your car? Chances are probably good that it can under ideal circumstances. The problem arises when the rider isnt paying attention, or doesnt know how to get the most out of their braking. You'd poo poo if you knew how many people not only brake primarily with the rear, but think its the RIGHT way to stop effectively. 
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Jul 10, 2009 16:05
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Those of you that wear headphones and listen to music on longer rides, what phones do you use and is there a trick to getting them to stay put while you put the helmet on? I tried to put on my pair of Sony MDR-EX71s to listen to music on my 4 hours of riding yesterday, and they just wouldn't stay put while I slipped the helmet on. It was pretty much impossible to get them back in properly once the helmet was in place as well. Taking the helmet off again to get rid of them was a painful process. When I put the helmet on, my ears kinda fold down until its in place, then usually open back up properly. This seems to make the phones fall out or get moved around. Maybe I should just tape my ears to my head. 
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Jul 10, 2009 16:41
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sirbeefalot posted:Those of you that wear headphones and listen to music on longer rides, what phones do you use and is there a trick to getting them to stay put while you put the helmet on? I tried to put on my pair of Sony MDR-EX71s to listen to music on my 4 hours of riding yesterday, and they just wouldn't stay put while I slipped the helmet on. It was pretty much impossible to get them back in properly once the helmet was in place as well. Taking the helmet off again to get rid of them was a painful process. Ipod headphones or similar.
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Jul 10, 2009 16:42
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sirbeefalot posted:Those of you that wear headphones and listen to music on longer rides, what phones do you use and is there a trick to getting them to stay put while you put the helmet on? I tried to put on my pair of Sony MDR-EX71s to listen to music on my 4 hours of riding yesterday, and they just wouldn't stay put while I slipped the helmet on. It was pretty much impossible to get them back in properly once the helmet was in place as well. Taking the helmet off again to get rid of them was a painful process. Either earbuds, or if you have a big enough surface, you could put some strips of the grabby side of velcro on the back of the phones and stick them in place before you put the helmet on (which is the way some helmet headphones work).
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Jul 10, 2009 16:48
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dietcokefiend posted:What is the name of the power connectors found on this set inflation set. I have seen it used on a ton of things, but never been able to actually search for it to buy male or female sides of it. While it does take a little while, you can easily inflate a motorcycle tire with just a portable hand pump that they make for carrying on a bicycle. It's a lot cheaper and smaller. It's also a really easy to just put a little air in your tires on longer trips if you are too cheap to pay for air.
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Jul 10, 2009 16:52
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sirbeefalot posted:what phones do you use I've seen etymotic mentioned here more than a few times, although they're pretty expensive. The thing is, you want an earphone that's going to isolate your ear from outside noise, otherwise you're just going to be blaring it louder than the wind noise in your helmet and hurting your ears that much faster.
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Jul 10, 2009 17:06
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Shlomo Palestein posted:I'm in need of the thumb-locknut for my clutch cable. The bike is a 1979 CB750. Does anyone know offhand of the measurement of this locknut so I can just get a nut from the hardware store? Service honda sells it, but I don't know that $12 total with shipping for a nut makes any sense. Would my local Honda dealership have this part in stock, do you think? I'd assume the measurements are more or less universal, because it's just a clutch cable nut, but just in case, I figure it's worth an ask. If you're talking about the nut that goes onto the bolt that goes into the clutch handle assy for adjusting the cable there, just go to any bike shop around and you'll find one. It's a universal part that all the older bikes used. If you're talking about the nut that goes on the cable itself, how the hell did you get it off?
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Jul 10, 2009 17:15
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bobula posted:If you're talking about the nut that goes onto the bolt that goes into the clutch handle assy for adjusting the cable there, just go to any bike shop around and you'll find one. It's a universal part that all the older bikes used. Ha, it's the first part. Thin locknut; a similar nut exists on cable brakes for bicycles, after you've adjusted brake tension, you tighten the nut to keep that setting. The function is exactly the same.
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Jul 10, 2009 17:26
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n8r posted:While it does take a little while, you can easily inflate a motorcycle tire with just a portable hand pump that they make for carrying on a bicycle. It's a lot cheaper and smaller. It's also a really easy to just put a little air in your tires on longer trips if you are too cheap to pay for air. Oh yea fully understand that. That was the only picture I could find quickly that had that connector on it that was visible. I have a nice high volume mt bike pump that could probably fill the tire faster than the electric thing. I am planning on using the power connector to hookup a USB 5v port and cig lighter setup to the plug coming off the battery that is also used to charge it.
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Jul 10, 2009 17:52
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http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDREX36V-RED-Earbud-Headphone/dp/B001EYU3KS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1247245120&sr=1-3 I use these headphones and they block out a lot of wind and road noise, very happy with them!
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Jul 10, 2009 18:00
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDREX36V-RED-Earbud-Headphone/dp/B001EYU3KS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1247245120&sr=1-3 I have the same, or very similar, headphones. They were ~ 30 bucks at Best Buy and I'm happy with them. They come with a few different size buds so you have a good chance of finding ones that fit good. When I put my helmet on I pull apart the chin straps very lightly so the inside of the helmet doesn't shift the buds in my ear. The buds are flexible so they do a good job of blocking outside noise as well.
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Jul 10, 2009 19:30
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I have a friend who's looking to get into bikes so I felt obligated to make some helpful recommendations (like talking him out of getting something that will kill him). Here's the catch though, he's 6'7 and all legs. I had him take a seat on my SV650 and the grooves in the tank that normally accommodate my legs comfortably (I'm about 6'2) end up poking him right in the thighs. So what's a good idea for a starter bike that's not way too much power but a large enough frame to fit a taller rider comfortably? He's interested in sport bikes but I'll entertain any suggestions.
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Jul 10, 2009 21:08
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Cypher posted:I have a friend who's looking to get into bikes so I felt obligated to make some helpful recommendations (like talking him out of getting something that will kill him). Here's the catch though, he's 6'7 and all legs. I had him take a seat on my SV650 and the grooves in the tank that normally accommodate my legs comfortably (I'm about 6'2) end up poking him right in the thighs. He might want to consider one of the VT1100 series Honda cruisers - ACE, Sabre, Aero, etc. They're fairly large bikes and should be able to accommodate his size. The VT1100 seems like a big engine, and has a bit of oomph, but it's not going to get him in much trouble. Proll'y less than a Ninja 250. They're also cheap, reliable, and easy to mod for even greater tall-guy support (e.g., highway pegs). The only concerns I can think of are style and weight.
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Jul 10, 2009 21:26
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Cypher posted:I have a friend who's looking to get into bikes so I felt obligated to make some helpful recommendations (like talking him out of getting something that will kill him). Here's the catch though, he's 6'7 and all legs. I had him take a seat on my SV650 and the grooves in the tank that normally accommodate my legs comfortably (I'm about 6'2) end up poking him right in the thighs. Dualsports. KLR, DR650, DRZ-400 (in enduro or supermoto flavour), XR650L, and plenty of 250's from all the Japanese. Also the BMW F650GS and Aprilia Pegaso. DS bikes are quite tall and it's hard for a many shorter riders to flatfoot them, but once you're sitting down they've got acres of room. Seats are kind of hard on the more dirt-oriented ones.
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Jul 10, 2009 21:27
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Phy posted:I've seen etymotic mentioned here more than a few times, although they're pretty expensive. The thing is, you want an earphone that's going to isolate your ear from outside noise, otherwise you're just going to be blaring it louder than the wind noise in your helmet and hurting your ears that much faster. You can find them for around 80$ on Amazon. Still kinda spendy, but worth every penny. Also gambling on the "ideal circumstances" to be there when you need to outbrake a car is risky.
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Jul 10, 2009 23:37
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I had etymotic er6is for a couple of years, and they are great for the task, but rather expensive. I found the cords just awful in that they would tangle if you looked at them wrong. After only a few years of not much use one of the buds died and they only have a 1 year warranty which seemed like poo poo for such a spendy pair. I now wear SkullCandy Smokin' Budz which to my ears sound pretty darn good for cheap headphones. They don't block out quite as much noise, but it's pretty darn close. They are a bit larger, so you might find you have to be a bit more careful putting your helmet on/taking it off. The cords aren't nearly as easy to tangle.
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Jul 10, 2009 23:57
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Phat_Albert posted:
I looked at a private seller Ducati 750SS. The guy selling it was primarily a HD rider and had purchased the Duc because he thought they looked cool. The bike had 900 miles on it when I looked at it. I asked him why he never rode it and he told me he didn't like the brakes, they were really poor. A bit of probing revealed that he refused to use the front brake "if you do you'll go right over the handlebars". Considering that the primary usefulness of a 750SS rear brake is to keep the bike from rolling backwards, I can understand his concern. I have found my braking technique has suffered from using the ABS on the BMW GS. You can grab a fistfull of lever and that bike stops hard. That behavior on the FZ1 results in considerably more drama, but no pavement-synchronous orbit....yet.
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Jul 11, 2009 02:26
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After my Sony in-ear buds broke recently i have just started wearing foam plugs and just looping my iphone plugs over the top of my ears so they just sit near my ears, takes a bit of fiddling to start with but i can get it first time now. The foam plugs cut all the wind/exhaust noise and the plugs play the music loud enough to hear comfortably while not cutting car noise and such. I was always planning on buying some etymotics or getting some made but i can at least put it off for a while now.
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Jul 11, 2009 03:03
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I'll have to screw around with mine a little more, I guess. They're in-ears, like the etys and others linked. Here's a stock photo.My problem is if they don't stay put correctly, they don't block nearly as much external noise, and sound like poo poo. Hell, if I can't get them to work, I hope at least those foam plugs will work.
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Jul 11, 2009 03:35
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So I bought a bike. When I got it home and had it sitting in my garage, I noticed something. When sitting in place with the clutch in, I couldnt get the bike to shift past 3rd gear, whether the engine was running or not. I didn't notice before because I only took it up to 3rd gear during the test ride. Is this normal? So the question is: Should i be able to click a bike through all the gears when I'm sitting still with the clutch in?
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Jul 11, 2009 03:47
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sirbeefalot posted:I'll have to screw around with mine a little more, I guess. They're in-ears, like the etys and others linked. Here's a stock photo.My problem is if they don't stay put correctly, they don't block nearly as much external noise, and sound like poo poo. Hell, if I can't get them to work, I hope at least those foam plugs will work. I don't disagree that the Etymotic are awesome, I just can't see shelling out that much cash. Seriously, try the $30 Sony ones, the flexible buds work well. If you don't like them what is $30 when you are going to spend $80 to $150? Edit: Oops, I clicked the picture and realized you already had Sony ones. I'm surprised they don't work for you but I guess ears are shaped different on everyone.
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Jul 11, 2009 03:52
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Logue posted:So I bought a bike. When I got it home and had it sitting in my garage, I noticed something. When sitting in place with the clutch in, I couldnt get the bike to shift past 3rd gear, whether the engine was running or not. I didn't notice before because I only took it up to 3rd gear during the test ride. Is this normal? Is your engine running? I just tried my bike sitting not running and I couldn't even get it into a gear (out of N). I suppose it's possible your transmission gears aren't sitting in the right position to let you shift up past 3rd. I'd take it out before worrying too much.
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Jul 11, 2009 03:54
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Logue posted:So I bought a bike. When I got it home and had it sitting in my garage, I noticed something. When sitting in place with the clutch in, I couldnt get the bike to shift past 3rd gear, whether the engine was running or not. I didn't notice before because I only took it up to 3rd gear during the test ride. Is this normal? No, on every bike I've owned it takes a bit of effort to switch through the gears when still. Sometimes I have to roll it forward while in neutral and shift it down, without holding the clutch, to get it in first. My dad has problems since he rides harleys and calls my bike "A loving piece of poo poo" every time he tries to shift it while it's off and even angrily stomps on the shifter.
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Jul 11, 2009 03:57
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Jack the Smack posted:No, on every bike I've owned it takes a bit of effort to switch through the gears when still. Sometimes I have to roll it forward while in neutral and shift it down, without holding the clutch, to get it in first. My dad has problems since he rides harleys and calls my bike "A loving piece of poo poo" every time he tries to shift it while it's off and even angrily stomps on the shifter. Ah, I forgot sometimes it has to be rolled around. I'm still new to this whole two-wheel thing, i guess. Another issue it has is that it'll stall sometimes if I rev it in neutral, then let go of the throttle. Is the idle set too low (its a 450 twin currently idling at ~1400), or are the carbs dirty? Logue fucked around with this message at 04:08 on Jul 11, 2009 |
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Jul 11, 2009 03:57
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Logue posted:So I bought a bike. When I got it home and had it sitting in my garage, I noticed something. When sitting in place with the clutch in, I couldnt get the bike to shift past 3rd gear, whether the engine was running or not. I didn't notice before because I only took it up to 3rd gear during the test ride. Is this normal? I just tried it to make sure, but my EX250 will go into first, or neutral while off and sitting still. No higher than neutral unless I roll it around a bunch while trying to shift up. If I forget to downshift when coming to a stop, getting back to first is a nightmare until I move the bike forward a few feet. Otherwise, it shifts just fine. I think its something to do with a wet clutch? Someone else will know the reason better than I.
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Jul 11, 2009 04:00
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On my Vulcan, it's extremely difficult to go up or down more than one gear when the bike is standing still, whether or not the engine is running. With the engine off, rolling the bike helps. With the engine on, letting up on the clutch slightly between shifts works.
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Jul 11, 2009 04:16
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sirbeefalot posted:I just tried it to make sure, but my EX250 will go into first, or neutral while off and sitting still. No higher than neutral unless I roll it around a bunch while trying to shift up. If I forget to downshift when coming to a stop, getting back to first is a nightmare until I move the bike forward a few feet. Otherwise, it shifts just fine. I think its something to do with a wet clutch? Someone else will know the reason better than I. Same with my ninja. Apparently thats just the way it is.
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Jul 11, 2009 05:20
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BlueBayou posted:Same with my ninja. Apparently thats just the way it is. Kawasaki bikes have positive neutral finders, which do not allow the bike to shift into second if you are not moving.
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Jul 11, 2009 05:23
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I just let the clutch out ever so slightly to let me downshift, or if the bike is off roll the bike forward an inch or two; that or I remember to downshift 
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Jul 11, 2009 06:56
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sirbeefalot posted:I just tried it to make sure, but my EX250 will go into first, or neutral while off and sitting still. No higher than neutral unless I roll it around a bunch while trying to shift up. If I forget to downshift when coming to a stop, getting back to first is a nightmare until I move the bike forward a few feet. Otherwise, it shifts just fine. I think its something to do with a wet clutch? Someone else will know the reason better than I. My experience with an ex250 was during my MSF course. It had 250 miles on it and was beautiful. That situation was identical for me. I could get it no higher than neutral, and if i didn't get to N before I came to a complete stop, it was a nightmare.
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Jul 11, 2009 08:09
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Anybody ever use a stop-leak oil additive with any effect? My 83 shadow has developed a (very small-no fluid build up and only barely visible after 200+ miles of riding) gasket leak near the bottom of the engine. I have already taken the engine out of the bike and fixed an upper gasket leak a couple years back. It took 2 attempts to get it running right again on that one... and this one is waaaay deeper. Just curious if it's even worth trying or if it's more likely to do more harm than good. I'm no mechanic and have been learning by trial and error due to owning an 83 motorcycle. I don't trust myself to get that deep into the engine and will have to get a real shop to do it as the alternative.
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Jul 11, 2009 17:03
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I would just let it leak until it gets worse. I have no idea what a stop leak additive would do to the relatively tiny internals of a motorcyle engine versus a car but I suspect it wouldn't be good.
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Jul 11, 2009 17:46
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Halo_4am posted:Anybody ever use a stop-leak oil additive with any effect? My 83 shadow has developed a (very small-no fluid build up and only barely visible after 200+ miles of riding) gasket leak near the bottom of the engine. I have already taken the engine out of the bike and fixed an upper gasket leak a couple years back. It took 2 attempts to get it running right again on that one... and this one is waaaay deeper. Just let it leak. Or you can fix it the ghetto way, like I try...clean the hell out of the leaking area, and pack RTV into the crack. Wipe away any excess, let it dry, and see if it leaks. It fixed a leak on the cases of the silverwing... A mechanic will charge you more than the bike is worth to get it fixed. Do not use stop leak on it.
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Jul 11, 2009 19:44
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How do you guys handle getting cash out for tolls? I'm the type of guy who has his cash in hand like 3 miles before the toll booth in a car. On the bike, it's a huge pain to grope around pockets with gloves on. Are there any tricks for this kind of stuff?
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Jul 11, 2009 20:11
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Get an EZPass: https://www.ezpassva.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 I have an IPass in IL and have never stopped for a toll on my bike. I also have an EZ Toll mesh pouch: http://www.meshproducts.net/eztoll/ Makes my windshield look nicer in my car and lets me strap it to my luggage or handlebars on my bike.
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Jul 11, 2009 20:19
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Uthor posted:Get an EZPass: I can't justify the up front costs for an ez pass, since I run through tolls about twice a year. That site lists $35 for the pass, a 25 deposit, and a $35 minimum balance.
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Jul 11, 2009 20:36
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chryst posted:Yeah, that's the correct answer, I guess. Well, the $35 is going to be there for you to use, but you won't see the $25 deposit unless you return the device. If you go through them infrequently, I would prepare exact change in a separate pocket or a tank bag. And I would stop at manned booths (if you can) so as not to piss off the people behind you when digging around for change. Or, if the system is like the one in IL, run the things, call the toll free number when you get home, and pay over the phone.
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Jul 11, 2009 21:29
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8ender posted:I would just let it leak until it gets worse. I suspect [stop-leak] wouldn't be good. Z3n posted:Just let it leak. I suspected it would do more harm than good to a small 25 year old engine. Thanks for confirming. I think I will try packing RTV into it from the outside, that's what I had to use to fix the last one since it turned out there was no actual gasket in the first place, and was a silicone seal from day-1. It has been fine since, but obviously it's a little different to apply properly vs attempting to patch from the outside.
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Jul 11, 2009 22:49
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