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The biggest problem is going to be endurance and knowing when to stop. You might push yourself too hard when you really shouldn't be riding. It also sucks when you get halfway, realize that you are done and wish you had taken a car, and you can't really do anything about it other than keep going.
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Aug 13, 2009 21:44
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NoCleverName posted:So I rode my bike for the first time on the street today. Now I've got a question that I already really know the answer to, but I'll ask anyway. I'm travelling down to DC next week (leaving Thursday) from Boston, which is about 450 miles each way. Is it reasonable at all, given what will be about one week's experience riding on roads, to ride my bike down to DC instead of taking my car? Honestly, I feel the answer is probably no, but has anyone else attempted that sort of thing with so little experience? I got up to 45 mph today on the road, but that is the fastest I've gone to this point. Riding around Boston is simultaneously awesome and frightening as hell. I'd recommend you do a few long (1 hour+) trips on the bike first to see if your up for it, and to get comfortable moving about while riding. My knees tend to cramp up after about 4-5 hours. Take some anti-inflammatory pain killers with you, and take frequent breaks and you should be fine.
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Aug 14, 2009 02:21
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So I'm taking my first ride on my 2007 Speed Triple where I need to have directions. I don't have a tank bag though. I was thinking of just taping the directions to my tank. What type of tape can I use and not hurt the tank? Can I use duct tape? Will painters tape hold up for 4 hours? Also, note that my tank is plastic so I can't use magnets.
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Aug 14, 2009 12:53
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Painters tape or masking tape I would imagine would work. Might need some goo-gone afterwards, but it shouldnt be a big deal.
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Aug 14, 2009 14:15
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Does anyone use a non-motorcycle specific GPS on their bike? I have an extra generic Garmin, and was thinking about making a mount for it.
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Aug 14, 2009 15:50
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Tipped posted:Does anyone use a non-motorcycle specific GPS on their bike? I have an extra generic Garmin, and was thinking about making a mount for it. I use an old streetpilot 2610, Cheap cheap and water resistant. As for mounting it, ram mounts are so awesome.
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Aug 14, 2009 15:57
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I have a Garmin Nuvi 255 that I use on my KZ1000P:
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Aug 14, 2009 16:08
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Phat_Albert posted:Painters tape or masking tape I would imagine would work. Might need some goo-gone afterwards, but it shouldnt be a big deal. On another website someone suggested putting the directions in a ziploc bag and rubber banding it to my arm. That might work too.
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Aug 14, 2009 16:30
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cmorrow001 posted:On another website someone suggested putting the directions in a ziploc bag and rubber banding it to my arm. That might work too. I've seen some touring getups that have a map pocket on the upper thigh. I bet that gets all the ladies.
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Aug 14, 2009 16:32
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cmorrow001 posted:So I'm taking my first ride on my 2007 Speed Triple where I need to have directions. I don't have a tank bag though. I was thinking of just taping the directions to my tank. What type of tape can I use and not hurt the tank? Can I use duct tape? Will painters tape hold up for 4 hours? I've used clear scotch tape with zero problems. No special clean up afterwards, neither. Just make sure you get all the edges so the wind doesn't get under it.
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Aug 14, 2009 16:32
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cmorrow001 posted:So I'm taking my first ride on my 2007 Speed Triple where I need to have directions. I don't have a tank bag though. I was thinking of just taping the directions to my tank. What type of tape can I use and not hurt the tank? Can I use duct tape? Will painters tape hold up for 4 hours? http://www.roadgear.com/index.php?page=Product&id=131
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Aug 14, 2009 16:39
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NoCleverName posted:So I rode my bike for the first time on the street today. Now I've got a question that I already really know the answer to, but I'll ask anyway. I'm travelling down to DC next week (leaving Thursday) from Boston, which is about 450 miles each way. Is it reasonable at all, given what will be about one week's experience riding on roads, to ride my bike down to DC instead of taking my car? Honestly, I feel the answer is probably no, but has anyone else attempted that sort of thing with so little experience? I got up to 45 mph today on the road, but that is the fastest I've gone to this point. Riding around Boston is simultaneously awesome and frightening as hell. The bigger question is do you know the route? Have you done it before in a car and are you comfortable doing it day or night from memory? If so, you might be able to do it if you give yourself enough time every time you step on the bike. But if it's a new route and you have to split your attention between the directions, other drivers in urban riding conditions, and controlling the bike, I'd say no. There's no shame in not taking the bike if you don't feel ready. I've never driven in DC or Boston though, I'm just assuming they're nearly as hostile as NYC for the uninitiated. Edit: This post sounds wishy washy. Don't do it, the motorcycle will be there when you get back. RichBomb fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Aug 14, 2009 |
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Aug 14, 2009 17:23
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DC is terrible to even drive a car in, forget motorcycles. The drivers here are just godawful and you're lucky if they bother to look before merging.
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Aug 14, 2009 18:43
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The Road Gear idea is good but this is a spur of the moment thing and I am leaving in a few hours. I think I'll use painter's tape and a ziploc bag. I'll let you guys know if it doesn't work well.
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Aug 14, 2009 18:47
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So I put new bars on my bike and it seemed like I was getting more vibes from it. However, after getting new grips and attempting to make some dampeners for the bars I'm starting to think it might actually be my gloves. Would them being too tight on my hands make it feel like the vibes are worse than they actually are?
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Aug 14, 2009 18:54
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NoCleverName posted:So I rode my bike for the first time on the street today. Now I've got a question that I already really know the answer to, but I'll ask anyway. I'm travelling down to DC next week (leaving Thursday) from Boston, which is about 450 miles each way. Is it reasonable at all, given what will be about one week's experience riding on roads, to ride my bike down to DC instead of taking my car? Honestly, I feel the answer is probably no, but has anyone else attempted that sort of thing with so little experience? I got up to 45 mph today on the road, but that is the fastest I've gone to this point. Riding around Boston is simultaneously awesome and frightening as hell. 1. Traffic on the surrounding highways is either dead stopped, or doing a minimum of 75 (speed limit of 55). On the HOV lanes (limit 65), it's usually above 80. If your bike can't keep up, just be prepared to have people ride your rear end for a couple seconds, and then zoom around you. Generally I don't feel like my life's in danger or anything on the highway. 2. When stuck in traffic, DC area drivers become actively hostile. They'll clip your lane when merging, try to speed up to prevent passes, etc. If you even look like you're trying to lane split, (which is illegal) drivers will switch lanes at random, and close all the space they can. It can get scary, but maintain space, block your lane, and be defensive, and you'll be fine. 3. Surface streets in the city are easy riding for a little bike, and the grid layout is really hard to get lost in. Cars are still aggressive and inconsiderate, but much less hostile. You can get away with lane splitting if needed with relative safety. Plus street parking is easy to find, and some of the garages even let bikes park free. Edit: FWIW, I started commuting from the suburbs into the city after about a week of riding my first bike, and had no problems. It really is just a matter of riding defensively.
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Aug 14, 2009 19:20
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Print out the directions - tape down with painters tape. I've never had problems with painters tape leaving residue. I had to do the exact same thing a while ago when I realized a magnetic tank bag won't work on an aluminum tank.
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Aug 14, 2009 19:29
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so I had the headlight on my xj600 stop working, I pulled the fuse and it was blown. I put a new fuse in and it popped too, as soon as I turned the key. where should I start looking for whats causing this?
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Aug 14, 2009 21:16
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A short. A short that's part of your headlight circuit.
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Aug 14, 2009 22:18
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So I went to lube my chain for the first time in too long (probably close to 500 miles) and noticed something weird. It's a bit hard to tell from the pictures (I forgot I had my camera on me and used my cell phone), but it's a red band in the center of every other roller. It's something hard as it didn't seem affected when I scratched at it with a screwdriver. I know red dust from the o-rings is bad, but this is at the center of the rollers and exactly every other one. Click here for the full 1280x1024 image.  Click here for the full 1280x1024 image. You can kinda see it better if you look at the lower part of the chain as that seems to be more in focus.
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Aug 14, 2009 22:25
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I've had this mad idea of combining these two in some insane "ride anywhere and ride forever" project. The Ural has the disadvantage of being underpowered at highway speeds and utilizing outdated engine technology. However it does have a sizable amount of space to work with and thats where I got the idea of throwing a Smart CDI diesel engine in it. Removing the turbo may help with the size and increase mileage at the same time. Is this a stupid idea? Some will say "Just get a car" but thats not the point is it. Imagine 100mpg at highway speeds and offroad/winter riding.  Click here for the full 1280x1131 image.  Click here for the full 1920x1440 image.
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Aug 15, 2009 02:29
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I don't believe removing a turbocharger will help fuel efficiency.
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Aug 15, 2009 03:13
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Having just looked at the Ural website, I had no idea those things were so expensive. I realize they all have sidecars (big pain in the rear end in my view), but $12,000 to start? I was expecting about half that price and even then I thought they weren't worth it.
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Aug 15, 2009 03:14
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Ya, they're pretty ridiculous. They're a niche thing that I guess some people are willing to pay for. I think the sidecar and the styling are pretty cool but I wouldn't consider one without the 2wd. Used would be best if one were to swap the engine anyway. And sklnd, I have no idea what the effect would be on a common rail diesel but I'd imagine it would be the same. Less air=less fuel.
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Aug 15, 2009 04:27
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King no one posted:And sklnd, I have no idea what the effect would be on a common rail diesel but I'd imagine it would be the same. Less air=less fuel. less air = less fuel = less power Whether or not its more efficient at a given speed depends on a lot more factors than just that assertion (torque curve, transmission gearing, etc).
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Aug 15, 2009 04:55
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King no one posted:And sklnd, I have no idea what the effect would be on a common rail diesel but I'd imagine it would be the same. Less air=less fuel.
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Aug 15, 2009 04:59
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Uthor posted:*red lines*
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Aug 15, 2009 05:01
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My bike can't breath!  Thanks to the carb cleaning thread I decided to give it a shot with my new to me bike, 86 Kawasaki zl600. According to the PO is sat for a year and a half, but it fired right up when I went for a look. I have been riding it around for 2 weeks or so and put about 600 miles on it. The last three or four rides, but especially the last ride it started to run like poo poo. Won't idle starts to sputter / backfire and dies. It still runs ok when on the throttle, anything above 3000 rpm seems ok. One of the carbs had a small leak, a few drops after the bike was turned off. Now it leaks a good .5 cup of gas or so when it's shut off, and when I was at a stop light a bunch of gas came out of a drain hole in the airbox. So the plan is to clean the carbs, I pulled them off tonight. I pulled the float bowl off the leaky one and the gasket looks way to big for the seal, it this a case of carb cleaner expanding the rubber?  Strange thing is, now that the gasket is drying it shrunk a little (maybe that's not so strange) I want to give the carbs a good cleaning, pretty much following the advice in the carb thread. I also want to resync them, I found a few homemade sync tools that use plastic tubing and ATF, looks pretty easy, any reason not to do this? I also want to adjust the valves, should I get the carbs back on and get it running first, rather should I not try to do to much at once? Guess I will spend all morning tomorrow cleaning these badboys and trying to put it back together, sorry for the rambling post. Am I missing anything simple? Am I on the right track?
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Aug 15, 2009 06:14
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Nerobro posted:Looks like you wore through the chrome plating on the rollers. they use copper as a base layer for plating. I wouldn't worry about it. Hmm, okay. I'm more weirded out that it's on every other roller than anything else. I just need it to last for a 150 trip before the end of the month and then I can sit in a garage and take a closer look at it. I'm more worried about the engine at this point, anyway.
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Aug 15, 2009 06:48
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spandexcajun posted:My bike can't breath! really, don't bother so much with the resync. at least not now. rubber swells around light petroleium products. AKA gasoline. As that evaporates from the rubber it shrinks.
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Aug 15, 2009 08:27
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Two down, time for lunch and then I'll do the other two, this is not so bad.  I already had put the pilot needle back, but I think you can see all the other major parts; main jet, needle slide, float, pilot jet, etc... This is fun! Both pilot screws were about 2 & 3/4 turns out, I put them back in 3 turns out since the internet convinced me it's better to run rich then lean. Good idea? I don't think I can get to the pilot screws when the carbs are back on the bike so I don't want to screw them up. FWIW the bike popped (backfired?) when I let of the throttle at high RPMs, that is from as lean condition right?
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Aug 15, 2009 19:44
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Yesterday I went riding and when I got back I noticed that underneath my bike was smoking and there was this odd smell. I checked it and it appears oil is leaking onto the muffler. Checked it today and doesn't look like anymore leaked. I go take off the fairing and I notice that the coolant reservoir is really low, I am pretty clueless with bikes/cars, should the coolant be at least at the L line of the reservoir? The bike is an 07 Ninja 250. Might the dripping oil and low coolant be related?
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Aug 15, 2009 20:01
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I'm sure it's been asked before, but does anyone have a link to an article on how to repair a busted chain at the roadside? Also, is it possible to inflate a patched tire with a bicycle pump (and a half hour or so) or is that one of those things you really need a powered compressor for?
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Aug 15, 2009 20:07
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Phy posted:I'm sure it's been asked before, but does anyone have a link to an article on how to repair a busted chain at the roadside? Also, is it possible to inflate a patched tire with a bicycle pump (and a half hour or so) or is that one of those things you really need a powered compressor for? I think you could, but considering you can get a 12v mini compressor for $20 I'm not sure it'd be worth the hassle to pump it up by hand.
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Aug 15, 2009 20:11
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Phy posted:I'm sure it's been asked before, but does anyone have a link to an article on how to repair a busted chain at the roadside? Also, is it possible to inflate a patched tire with a bicycle pump (and a half hour or so) or is that one of those things you really need a powered compressor for? Or you could get some of those CO2 mini tanks. Supposedly they put enough gas in to get you to someplace else. but I've never used them.
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Aug 15, 2009 20:34
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shaitan posted:Coolant is low. You need to make sure you are checking the coolant under the appropriate conditions. Look in your service manual to figure that out. Mine says the engine needs to be both warm and running and the bike should be level, not leaned over on the side stand.
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Aug 15, 2009 20:47
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My friend's 1993 Honda CB400 Super Four had a problem with the old battery not charging. I reckoned it was either because of a dodgy battery, not being giving enough time to charge (he liked starting it up in the garage since he cannae ride it atm) or the charging system being faulty. So I checked the charging system (using the ever reliable point at garage door, rev bike and see how bright(er) the light gets), seemed to be working, so we bought a new battery. Seemed to be all fine and dandy, with maybe a small amount of hesitation sometimes when starting after lots of short trips. Then the bike decided to die when he was pottering around the local estate, and the worrying thing was that it wouldn't bump start plus the battery was too low to even turn the starter over, so we pushed it home and put it on charge. Just wondering if it's likely that the charging system is working, but not well enough. Been mighty busy at work, so not checked the bike since we put it on charge. Really got to cram it into his brain not to run the bike in the garage. Hopefully that will soon be a moot point, he's doing his DAS now (mod 1 tomorrow).
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Aug 15, 2009 20:52
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Buhbuhj posted:So I put new bars on my bike and it seemed like I was getting more vibes from it. However, after getting new grips and attempting to make some dampeners for the bars I'm starting to think it might actually be my gloves. Would them being too tight on my hands make it feel like the vibes are worse than they actually are? If you were going from stock bars to aftermarket you probably will get more vibration. A lot of stock bars have some dampening (metal rod coated with rubber) built into them, most aftermarket do not. You probably also noticed the new bars weighed half as much, that's why. You'll get used to it.
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Aug 15, 2009 21:02
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The NonBornKing posted:You need to make sure you are checking the coolant under the appropriate conditions. Look in your service manual to figure that out. Mine says the engine needs to be both warm and running and the bike should be level, not leaned over on the side stand. Yeah, I haven't gone out and filled it until I verify that I am checking it right. But even after a 30 minute ride yesterday I noticed it was well well WELL below the L line. e: Ok I just checked, the coolant should be between the two lines, so I know I need to fill that up. shaitan fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Aug 15, 2009 |
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Aug 15, 2009 21:27
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Phy posted:I'm sure it's been asked before, but does anyone have a link to an article on how to repair a busted chain at the roadside? Also, is it possible to inflate a patched tire with a bicycle pump (and a half hour or so) or is that one of those things you really need a powered compressor for? Carry a spare master link, a hammer and a pin punch, or a chain breaker. And a bicycle pump will inflate a truck tire in half an hour. A motorcycle tire is a couple of minutes.
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Aug 15, 2009 21:53
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