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I debadged my bike completely yesterday. Took off the chromey rubber tank trim, the v star 1300 sticker on the airbox, the warning sticker on the tank, and the yamaha logo on the rear fender. Most noticeable is the visual improvement on the tank, now it looks like a real gas tank instead of a chinzed up toy.
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Aug 23, 2009 17:07
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| # ? May 11, 2024 23:11 |
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Went on a group ride with a bunch of friends. Most of them were on Harleys, about 6 of them of various flavors among the couch on wheels group, but there was a Ducati GT1000, BMW R1200GS, Kawasaki KLR 650, Yamaha FJR1200, and my Ninja 250R. I learned, almost the hard way, to keep my arms loose when making turns. I had been riding sort of mid/back of the pack and leaving a good bit of room between the Harley parade in front of me in order to get over 20mph through the corners (I've been practicing moving my rear end around on the seat, what a difference that makes!). As I was coming through one set of S turns, with the R1200GS on my rear end, I see brake lights in my peripheral vision from the FJ that was in front of me. I would have been fine if I had just rolled off the throttle a bit and maintained my line, but instead I just locked my arms and started running wide. My brain engaged as I got perilously close to the edge of the road when I noticed the guardrail a few feet off of the road. I loosened up my death grip, rolled on the throttle, and leaned her in more. The rear tire was on the painted strip and kicked out slightly, hitting a dead possum on the side of the road in the process and sending the possum over the guard rail. The dude behind me on the BMW came up to me at the next stop and told me how awesome I am and how cool that looked. He thought I did it on purpose and I wasn't about to correct him. 
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Aug 24, 2009 03:50
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 Remounted the tank, with the shittiest paint job I've ever done, charged the battery and got the electric start back online. Took a picture, made a CL, ADVrider, and local Bike forum sale ad, and proceeded to wait and wait for no calls or emails to come
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Aug 24, 2009 23:44
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Took off and lubed my shift linkage: the rain storm I rode in Friday froze it up. I got home fine, but the next day it was seized up pretty well, couldn't use my toe to pull up into 2nd. I'm guessing the lube that was on there (what's left after 27 years) didn't take well to the first time it was articulated in the wet. Pulled the snap ring off, wiggled the assembly off, cleaned everything with wd-40, and used synthetic grease to put it back. WONDERFUL!!
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Aug 24, 2009 23:45
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Out with the old in with the new! Rear tire, sprockets and chain! So how much am I going to hate my self for trying to put a tubeless street tire on with tire levers? Haven't tried to put it on yet but I think it's going to be a bitch just from how much stiffer the side walls are. Did the front a couple weeks ago and it wasn't too bad but, it was a dual sport tire.   I think these were over due. The front sprocket was much worse.  Neighbor came up with the tow strap idea. Even gave me the anchor hooks to put in the porch beams overhead. Maybe one day i'll have a garage with a proper lift.
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Aug 25, 2009 08:54
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last night: M-Class endorsement ahoy! The DMV office was insanely packed. I got out of there at 5.15pm, they closed at 5, and there were still 80 people waiting in the lobby. Changed engine oil and filter, and filled the crankcase with fresh, clean Valvoline 10-40 motorcycle oil. I can't remember when the previous owner said he changed the oil last, but it was loving nasty, and the filter looked like it'd been in there for way too long. Oh well, at least at this point I know when all the bike's fluids were last changed. My plan is to change the engine oil and gear oils again in 500 miles and then start regular intervals. After the oil change, I sprayed the engine and wheels down with degreaser and rinsed everything down. It was getting dark so I didn't take pictures, but there was a ton of dirt, grime and gunk on the driveway, so it's got to be a lot better. I need a headlight though. I put a Silverstar bulb in, but the headlight bucket and lens are from two different models of headlights. It's all rigged up with duct tape to fill the space between the lens and where the inner ring should be, and I don't like the way it lights up the road at all.
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Aug 25, 2009 13:21
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I hit 6,666.6 miles on the Man, I will tell you what, watching these two guys (whom I chatted with for a while, very nice guys) on their TTR250 and WR250 illustrated to me how much of a hog the KLR is in anything besides the lamest of class-VI roads. Completely out-classed (not that I was surprised by this, but it was just an in-my-face illustration of it). They offered to ride with me out another way (after one of the guys said he had a KLR and HE wouldn't take it down the route I was scouting), so I rode with them. A couple nasty water holes, interesting inclines and miles of loose rock later, the inevitable happened.. I hit a free-standing, 7" diameter rock as I was coming off another obstacle, and it rolled out from under my tire, as the bike slid, I grabbed a little too much throttle (probably in reaction to the almost-falling) and yanked the clutch in to keep the bike from squirting off the trail... and *thump* down I went. No pain, no problems.. though, a KLR with a JUST filled 7 gallon gas tank is heavy as a motherfucker. I lifted it by myself though, which impressed the guys. I looked at what we were facing (another nasty, technical uphill mess) and said that I really appreciated what they'd done for me thus far, but I don't think that was within my capabilities. They said they respected that, and were glad I understood my limitations. One of the dudes followed me back to the intersection, and I preceeded back whence I came. Headed back, I grabbed this shot with my iphone, having hit 6,666.6. Quite the afternoon. Now to go look at the WR250's. 
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Aug 25, 2009 21:01
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 This is what my ride did to ME today
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Aug 25, 2009 22:23
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Weren't you trying to sell that? 
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Aug 25, 2009 22:36
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Z3n posted:Weren't you trying to sell that? Yup. just adjusted the clutch all perfect, too.
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Aug 25, 2009 22:41
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Put some Napolean "Barens" on the bike. Now I can actually see more than my elbows!
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Aug 26, 2009 20:58
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Fantastipotamus posted:
A post like this is exactly why the offroad riders that post in CA tend to be a bit anti big dualsport.
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Aug 26, 2009 22:23
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n8r posted:A post like this is exactly why the offroad riders that post in CA tend to be a bit anti big dualsport.
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Aug 26, 2009 23:02
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Changed the tires on mine. gently caress that was a chore! Took about 3.5 hour of work including some serious head scratching, deadblow hammering, rubber muscling, and figuring out how my rear end comes apart. It's nice to work in a garage for once, and even nicer not having what basically amounts to a car tire for my rear : http://twitpic.com/ffvmq My bike doesn't feel 27 years old anymore, yay! E: yes, it stands on it's own quite easily. I put Bridgestone S11's on. EE: mine is also a GS 
UserNotFound fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Aug 27, 2009 |
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Aug 27, 2009 14:05
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yesterday afternoon: new Bridgestone BT45 tires installed, and passed state inspection. My GS is now 100% road legal, after riding yesterday and this morning I'm wondering why I waited so many years to do this.
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Aug 27, 2009 14:21
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Went from this: To this  Gonna wait a few days to put on the fairings cuz I'm likin the naked look The cause for the change: 
CSi-NA-EJ7 fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Aug 27, 2009 |
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Aug 27, 2009 16:18
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:Went from this: This always makes me wonder who post what they did to their ride "today". A lot of things seem to be one day projects or upgrades. What you did makes me feel like less of a man, even though I do all my own wrenching...and if you did that in a single day (or 2), I salute you.
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Aug 27, 2009 17:11
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Engine drop and disconnecting everything thing from the frame took 2 days then reassembly took 2 afternoons. Had a few hangups but runs like a ducati now
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Aug 27, 2009 17:27
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Parked it snugly for the next 2 and a half weeks while I do some traveling.  Looking forward to that first return ride rush though.
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Aug 27, 2009 19:26
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Mine is still at the shop awaiting new front rotors.
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Aug 27, 2009 20:31
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I reconnected the sodding vacuum tube that runs from the petcock to the engine case. Never before have I been so drat proud of our troubleshooting. I think it was because there was no drama, nothing broke, the bike was in a better situation at the end of the day than it was at the beginning and I actually knew what I was doing. Turns out the crankcase end had vulcanised and cracked, it felt exactly like a coke bottle lid. So we trimmed a quarter inch off the end, and jammed the now rubbery tube onto it's mounting. Viola, bike runs again. Now to fix that drat charging system.
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Aug 27, 2009 20:54
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Spiffness posted:Parked it snugly for the next 2 and a half weeks while I do some traveling. I see you left the key in the ignition...
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Aug 28, 2009 15:00
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Stuck a center stand on the KLR. Should make putting new tires on easier when I do that this weekend/next week (depending on when I get time). The tires came in earlier this week, but I haven't been able to do more than look at them.
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Aug 29, 2009 01:19
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I rolled over 1000 miles which I am proud of for just 4 weekends worth of riding. I also got to experience riding through a summer squall. I did not enjoy 60mph gusts blowing me nearly out of my lane or leaning at 45 degree angles, even with my leg poked out into the wind, to keep going in a straight line.
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Aug 31, 2009 15:31
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My 1992 Suzuki GS500L hit 10,000 miles just after leaving the Indy MotoGP race : http://twitpic.com/fxq78 Also fixed my clutch (on the backstretch of the Brickyard!!!) so that it only takes a single finger pull instead of a 4 strong fingers
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Aug 31, 2009 16:48
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Waxed the chain and took it for a ride yesterday. After hitting highway 7, I went and found a freshly paved turnaround(keyhole) for a suburb that hasn't been built yet(one unoccupied house). It took me a little while but I got both knees sliding. It's hard to trust that the bike will grip at that angle. Before anyone says it, no I'm not gonna try that on a road. There's no room for error at that point. It's just good to know that it can get over that far. Slim Pickens fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Aug 31, 2009 |
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Aug 31, 2009 20:59
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Rode to work. Pulled into parking space. Switched ignition off. Shut petcock off. Dismounted ...with the kickstand still up. 
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Sep 2, 2009 03:09
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Took rear wheel with new tire and pinched tube to shop, got new tube put in, took wheel home, put on KLR, took front wheel off, put front wheel in car, put new tire in car. Getting the front tire changed out tomorrow.
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Sep 2, 2009 03:56
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Bucephalus posted:Rode to work. Did it fall to the ground or did you gain the strengths of 10 men with the adrenaline pumping through your veins to save it? I've had some miraculous garage tip over saves in my time
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Sep 2, 2009 04:00
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Bucephalus posted:Rode to work.  This is how you should dismount. Kickstand out after you've dismounted.
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Sep 2, 2009 08:25
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Cut a giant hole in the airbox of my DRZ400SM, replaced the main and pilot jets and ..tried.. to replace the stock needle, but then I broke the retaining clip inside the slide when replacing the needle. Impatience and carelessness strike again. Proceeded to order a new slide which should arrive tomorrow.
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Sep 2, 2009 11:35
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Mercator posted:
Are you really supposed to turn the petcock to off? I only ever touch it when I have to get to reserve gas.
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Sep 2, 2009 15:17
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:Did it fall to the ground or did you gain the strengths of 10 men with the adrenaline pumping through your veins to save it? I've had some miraculous garage tip over saves in my time No, it fell against the truck next to it*. Gouged his fender flare, cracked my windshield right down the middle. Didn't give a poo poo about the bike, don't like damaging other people's property. (Truck's owner shrugged it off, said he was just glad I came & told him.) Pvt. Public posted:Are you really supposed to turn the petcock to off? I only ever touch it when I have to get to reserve gas. 27-year-old Honda. Ounce of prevention. Mercator posted:
I'm trying to picture myself holding the bike up while I swing a leg over. Ain't seein' it. *I leave room for other riders to share the space. VVV This, with sad emphasis on "usually". Dagen H fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Sep 2, 2009 |
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Sep 2, 2009 22:33
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Mercator posted:
Why? I usually put the kickstand down, verify that it's in place by jamming my foot against it, and then put the bike on the stand and swing my leg off.
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Sep 2, 2009 22:40
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Packed up the WR250F for 4 hours on a MX/hare scramble track tomorrow. 45 minute laps!
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Sep 2, 2009 22:59
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You swing the kickstand out right as you pull up. 
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Sep 3, 2009 00:40
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Ola posted:You swing the kickstand out right as you pull up. Heh, sometimes I do this, de-gear, and then throw it up on the center stand. Then my exit can be just as flamboyant by rocking forward off the center stand, catching it in gear and riding away without putting my feet down.
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Sep 3, 2009 02:25
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You lock up the rear, slide it out to the left, then whip to the right, power sliding to a stop and kick the kickstand down as the bike naturally settles and hop off the bike. Supermoto dismount
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Sep 3, 2009 02:52
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Spiffness posted:You lock up the rear, slide it out to the left, then whip to the right, power sliding to a stop and kick the kickstand down as the bike naturally settles and hop off the bike. And then you go into the supermarket all parkour like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk7R8Ht-1lo
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Sep 3, 2009 03:11
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| # ? May 11, 2024 23:11 |
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It's kind of hard to explain, but here's a picture of me getting off my bike and putting the side stand down as I pull into work.
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Sep 3, 2009 03:47
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