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House Party 4 posted:Other than a garage, how do you guys secure your bikes to prevent theft? If you've got the room, you can build or buy a locking shed for $500-$1000 that will store 1-3 bikes. Top it off with some security lights and a bit of paranoia and you're as good as you can get (minus a garage). I'm in the process of building a wooden one to replace my old cracking home depot shed and I even ran power to it for a worklight, mini fan and two battery tenders. If I didn't have the room (for example apartment parking) my dream setup would be a high-top cargo van or maybe an enclosed trailer if I had more than one spot to use.
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Apr 13, 2011 18:39
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"[panic posted:"] Many bikes won't charge properly until you get into high RPMs, so if you went out for a quick local errand you probably never charged back the power you pulled from the battery to start it. Repeat this again for the trip back, and if you've got a small capacity battery that can be close to enough to drain it right there. My Bonneville did exactly this until I got a larger replacement battery in there. It couldn't hurt to check voltages and such to make sure everything's ok though. No need to jump the battery or anything though. Do you have a slight hill nearby, or strong legs? Just bump start it. Check youtube for about a billion videos how if you don't know. Once I learned how to easy it is, I felt like an idiot for ever having thought I was stranded with a dead battery.
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Apr 13, 2011 19:10
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"[panic posted:"] I've never had any issues from jump starting a bike from a car. You don't need to start the car, it'll be more than enough to start a bike. I did however burn up a RR using a bike to jump start a car. 
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Apr 13, 2011 19:10
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obso posted:I've never had any issues from jump starting a bike from a car. You don't need to start the car, it'll be more than enough to start a bike. You can actually do some pretty serious damage to a bike if the car is running, but I've always heard you theoretically should be able to jump a bike off a car's battery. I tried it once, but the only cables I had were battery tender cables, and I blew the fuse because I guess they're only meant for a trickle charge.
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Apr 13, 2011 19:14
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SlightlyMadman posted:You can actually do some pretty serious damage to a bike if the car is running, I've always been told this, but about the worst thing that would happen is you could cook a battery. Other than charging a bike battery too quickly the rest of the motorcycle electrical system isn't going to be effected by it. They all run at the same voltages.
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Apr 13, 2011 19:21
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obso posted:I've always been told this, but about the worst thing that would happen is you could cook a battery. Other than charging a bike battery too quickly the rest of the motorcycle electrical system isn't going to be effected by it. They all run at the same voltages. Ah, could just be hearsay then, I don't sufficiently know what I'm talking about to say either way, but I'd always heard it was the excessive amperage, not the voltage, that cooks it.
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Apr 13, 2011 19:24
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Just don't turn the car on. Jump it with the car off and you're totally fine.FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:I've switched from gear oil to chain wax because I got tired of the insane amount of fling off. Two weeks of riding would turn my wheels black. One thing to keep in mind about chain wax is that you need to clean the chain in between wax applications, otherwise the gunk never comes off and the wax keeps building up. You can either use a purpose-built chain cleaner or plain old WD-40 for cleaning. I've found the WD works well enough but a purpose-built chain cleaner does a very thorough job, so I use it occasionally (about once a month). Run one bead down each set of orings for one rotation of the chain, and then wrap a rag around the chain and rotate it around a few times, and then repeat with a fresh rag, and you shouldn't have a huge amount of flingoff. Z3n fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Apr 13, 2011 |
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Apr 13, 2011 19:46
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 DP.
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Apr 13, 2011 19:48
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SlightlyMadman posted:Wow, that site is amazing and I really wish I'd known of it after I got my first bike. I just came across this article, brilliant. http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/To_wave_or_not_to_wave%3F
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Apr 13, 2011 19:52
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Just bump started it and it ran fine. Leaving it running in the garage for the next hour or so to get the battery charged up. Note for future reference: Bump starting a cruiser (even a relatively light one) is a real bitch.
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Apr 13, 2011 19:58
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You can't leave it running in the garage, first of all you're going to put a huge strain on the cooling system, and second of all, it needs to be reved to at least 1/3rd of total RPM in order to be charging the battery.
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Apr 13, 2011 20:06
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"[panic posted:"] Go down to walmart and buy a trickle charger for $20 before you screw up your bike.
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Apr 13, 2011 20:07
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Doh. Thanks guys. Now that I got it running, should I just shut it off and connect the battery tender? Sorry for the idiocy -- I am just learning how to work on bikes and I never hosed around with cars or anything in the past. [panic] fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Apr 13, 2011 |
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Apr 13, 2011 20:08
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"[panic posted:"] Yeah, just shut off the bike (engine and ignition) and connect the battery tender. It'll need several hours to charge fully and most chargers have an indicator light when the battery is good to go. Make sure it's on 12v if it's selectable.
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Apr 13, 2011 20:17
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Z3n posted:Theft insurance! Yup. Carrying a beefy chain everywhere is a huge pain in the rear end. I've only got a token disc lock because the insurance company wants one.
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Apr 13, 2011 22:07
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chryst posted:Yeah, I was kinda hoping the wax lube would be a fair compromise. Waxes seem to work on my mountain bike chains. Castrol chain cleaner is the poo poo. Do you have 10 years of encrusted lube and dirt (ON YOUR CHAIN!!!)? A quick spray and you'll be looking at a big black pool of muck on the ground and some very shiny metal/plastic. The downside is you use a can every time you "properly" clean the chain. It's probably cheaper just to buy a new chain every year. It really is the best though - unlike brake cleaner or contact cleaner, not all chain cleaners are created equal. Ecological MTB stuff just has no chance with anti-fling motorcycle lube. My general feeling is that wax is best for bad conditions because it collects less dirt. Dirt + thick chain lube = grinding paste applied directly to side plates and oil seals. In good conditions, I'd go for a light oil reapplied regularly. So basically what FWB said.
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Apr 13, 2011 22:13
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I'm a fan of the 'dry' teflon wax, the one I use is marketed by Wurth but I reckon it's actually the Dupont one rebranded. It goes on very thin and gets in between the surfaces but then quickly dries to a thin, dry-feeling film. It lasts a goodly while in fair conditions but rain seems to take it's toll, I'm now looking into chain oilers because I am lazy when it comes to chain maintenance. Any recommendations?
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Apr 13, 2011 22:23
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MotoMind posted:Fork seals are removed by pumping 80PSI of air into the fork air valves. Drain the fork oil and wrap the area with a rag unless you want fork oil aerosol on everything. This is a ways back, but it didn't seem to work for me. I drained the fork oil, took out the springs, and removed the retainer clip. I then wraped a towel around the forks. I then used a bike pump to get up to 100/120 psi whatever it would go to. Then the dust seal, which looks like another seal ontop of the actual seal, came up a bit and the air leaked out. This didn't leave me enough space to get the top seal out. I then hooked up my compressor and tryed blowing it out with volume of air. didn't do anything. I then mangled the top seal to get it out. The fork seal, the ones that i had bought, were kind of loose in there. I get the air pushed them out of the way, but then since the dust seals don't seal well against the tubes, air would just leak out instead of pushing the seals out. Putting them back in, I had to pound the new dust seal down harder then the oil seal. Maybe my seals weren't used up enough, or it was because they hadn't been changed? I don't know. It would be nice to know what to do as I have to change 2 more sets on other klr250's, and don't want to be ruining seals I don't need to.
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Apr 13, 2011 22:39
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"[panic posted:"] How sure are you that the battery was drained? Did the lights dim when you hit the starter button? If not I bet you have a starter button disconnect system where the starter won't work unless the clutch is pulled in or some poo poo. Those clutch levers switches go bad all the time. Did you put a multimeter on the battery to make sure it was low?
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Apr 14, 2011 00:23
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ReelBigLizard posted:I'm a fan of the 'dry' teflon wax, the one I use is marketed by Wurth but I reckon it's actually the Dupont one rebranded. It goes on very thin and gets in between the surfaces but then quickly dries to a thin, dry-feeling film. It lasts a goodly while in fair conditions but rain seems to take it's toll, I'm now looking into chain oilers because I am lazy when it comes to chain maintenance. I tried a Scottoiler for a while. It worked alright but the straw that delivers oil to the chain was constantly getting knocked out of alignment by the sprocket and I got tired of messing with it. I think the system works better if you don't have large bolts sticking out of your sprocket because then the straw can't stay secure. There's also "manual" oilers that are basically an inverted tube of oil near your chain that just require a squeeze and it'll deliver some oil after you get riding. These are much more inexpensive than a Scottoiler and are a better deal in my mind. Or you could just oil the drat chain after you ride in the rain or after every couple hundred miles and stop being so lazy. I use the Dupont Teflon Wax, it's cheap and it lasts a while. My chain would get rusty in the rain with gear oil and the wax, no real difference there.
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Apr 14, 2011 00:50
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blindjoe posted:This is a ways back, but it didn't seem to work for me. Not sure I quite follow what happened. It sounds like the seals didn't blow clear of the fork lowers? On my KLR650 both the seals blew clear, but they were in pretty good tight condition to begin with. I used an MTB pump with decent volume of air. A larger pump may ensure that you get a good spike of pressure to blow everything clear. If the KLR250 doesn't submit to this technique I guess you need to disassemble per the manual's instructions. The dust seal is always the hardest to pound in. Use a long piece of PVC as a driver.
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Apr 14, 2011 01:12
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What is this air pumping fork disassembling thing? Never heard of this. I just yank on the tube and after a few hits the seal comes out.
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Apr 14, 2011 03:36
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In case anyone is interested, here's a code for $5 off $100 at MotorcycleSuperstore.com. Not the biggest discount but figured I'd post it up. S11D1GB00A. Those are one's and zeroes not L's and O's. Expires 4/30/11.
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Apr 14, 2011 04:16
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ReelBigLizard posted:I'm a fan of the 'dry' teflon wax, the one I use is marketed by Wurth but I reckon it's actually the Dupont one rebranded. It goes on very thin and gets in between the surfaces but then quickly dries to a thin, dry-feeling film. It lasts a goodly while in fair conditions but rain seems to take it's toll, I'm now looking into chain oilers because I am lazy when it comes to chain maintenance. A used scottoiler universal system off e-bay. Scottoiler would say (as would a lot of people who use them) that the lubrication is superior to regular cleaning and lubing because you have a constant oil supply, and that improvements to chain life bear this out. Plus you don't need to lube the thing, although lube is cheaper than good chain cleaner IME. You do need to spend some time getting the alignment right and adjusting the quill-end bit so it all works. I helped a buddy put one on his bike, although I've been just too lazy to do it on my own. Might get one for the CBR I suppose.
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Apr 14, 2011 09:22
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ReelBigLizard posted:I'm a fan of the 'dry' teflon wax, the one I use is marketed by Wurth but I reckon it's actually the Dupont one rebranded. It goes on very thin and gets in between the surfaces but then quickly dries to a thin, dry-feeling film. It lasts a goodly while in fair conditions but rain seems to take it's toll, I'm now looking into chain oilers because I am lazy when it comes to chain maintenance. I bought a Loobman: http://www.chainoiler.co.uk/ It's so refreshingly simple (and inexpensive!), squeeze bottle->oil comes out. End of story, and you can use any cheap-rear end oil you can find. Actually, I received a  top-secret pre-production version of the next generation with a better reservoir and mounting system since I agreed to take a few pictures once I got it mounted. Haven't gotten around to doing that just yet, but I'll probably slap it on this weekend.
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Apr 14, 2011 09:28
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Hey now! That looks really cool. I've been thinking about a Scottoiler but couldn't really justify the costs. I'm loving the simplicity (and the name) of the Loobman. edit: can you fit it so it points to the front sprocket? Ola fucked around with this message at 10:12 on Apr 14, 2011 |
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Apr 14, 2011 10:07
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KozmoNaut posted:I bought a Loobman: http://www.chainoiler.co.uk/ I looked at the loobman, the price is certainly attractive but the amateur engineer in me dislikes the fact that it will still drip if you have to stop for a while when it hasn't finished applying the latest dose. Especially as I do a lot of very short trips through the day. I've had an idea though, going to see if I can engineer my own solution...
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Apr 14, 2011 10:32
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There's always home-made, which is even cheaper. Here's a translated page of a dutch forum explaining how. Btw, 'opzuigslangetje' means the hose that sucks up the oil.
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Apr 14, 2011 10:46
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You can opzuig my slangetje. 
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Apr 14, 2011 11:02
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ReelBigLizard posted:I looked at the loobman, the price is certainly attractive but the amateur engineer in me dislikes the fact that it will still drip if you have to stop for a while when it hasn't finished applying the latest dose. Especially as I do a lot of very short trips through the day. You could just do a smaller squeeze or not squeeze for every trip. The enhanced edition has a better reservoir design:  You push the button on top and it fills the tiny chamber at the bottom. He says it generally doses out a bit less oil than the original Loobman and reduces dripping. But yeah, if you're just going out for a short trip, there's no need to lube, you don't have to do it obsessively every time you ride.
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Apr 14, 2011 11:49
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Crayvex posted:How sure are you that the battery was drained? Did the lights dim when you hit the starter button? If not I bet you have a starter button disconnect system where the starter won't work unless the clutch is pulled in or some poo poo. Those clutch levers switches go bad all the time. Did you put a multimeter on the battery to make sure it was low? I did check with a multimeter (another new piece of equipment, hooray!) and the battery was drained. Recharged it overnight with a battery tender and it is working fine this morning. I'm still concerned about the sudden drain but I'm guessing that I just left the key turned and drained the power.
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Apr 14, 2011 14:41
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Reposting this from the last page, sorry if people saw it but just didn't know. I brought this problem to you guys a few weeks ago, and now I've got a related question. My 05 Ducati Monster 620 has been having fuel pump issues. It'll occasionally die out either while riding or while idling and occasionally when I turn the key I won't hear the pump turn on. I took the pump out to inspect the wiring and everything looked fine. I was thinking electrical issue since whenever the pump is actually working, it works fine, i don't get any performance issues. While I was inspecting the pump I looked at the relays and both were "clicking" on and off as they should. So yesterday I was trying to get it to repeat the problem so I could try and direct wire the pump from the battery to prove once and for all if it's the pump or a wiring issue and of course I couldn't get it to shut off. While enjoying the longest ride the bike has given me in awhile, I noticed that the tachometer was behaving oddly. It still registered the engine speed, but it would bottom out as if the engine was off when idling. So it'd sweep up when I gave it gas, but wouldn't show that it was idling at 1k, it'd just drop all the way to the bottom. This got me thinking that I had occasionally had the instrument cluster behave oddly when I shut the bike off. The LCD displays would remain on for a second, and the right turn signal would flash for a bit before everything finally shut off. So my question is this: Since I know that the fuel pump and the instrument cluster both use the relays, and I've been having both instrument cluster and fuel pump issues, is it possible that the relays can be malfunctioning in some other way even though they're still "clicking" on and off as they should?
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Apr 14, 2011 15:35
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What's all this business about chain oilers? I have a 100-pack of master clips and two chains. After every ride I swap in a chain that's ready to go. I remove the dirty chain, clean it in a parts washer, dump it in a vat of liquefied petroleum jelly, and hang it up to dry. I don't run o-rings either.  Edit: I would do this if not for the fact that non o-ring chains lack press-fit side plates. I've lost a master link before and that would get messy quick if the side plate fell off.
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Apr 14, 2011 15:49
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Arguing with people on facebook about why it's safer to start on a NOT A 600 is like pulling teeth.
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Apr 14, 2011 17:51
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KidDynamite posted:Arguing with people on facebook about why it's safer to start on a NOT A 600 is like pulling teeth. I know what you mean. They always seem to have this image in their head of them on a supersport that they can't shake. I usually get through to them after a week or so. Using the "you'll kill yourself" analogy usually doesn't work because they always know some guy that started on a sportbike and "is fine." Instread, I usually try to show that they'll be too indimidated to really learn on something like that, and while they may not die, they sure as poo poo won't be proficient riders.
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Apr 14, 2011 18:08
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:I know what you mean. They always seem to have this image in their head of them on a supersport that they can't shake. I usually get through to them after a week or so. Using the "you'll kill yourself" analogy usually doesn't work because they always know some guy that started on a sportbike and "is fine." Instread, I usually try to show that they'll be too indimidated to really learn on something like that, and while they may not die, they sure as poo poo won't be proficient riders. This is what I'm using too. I say while they may have the self control to not roll the throttle there are situations where you will need to and on by starting on a 600 you'll be scared to. One of the idiots arguing against me I know for a fact started on a Katana so I don't know wtf his deal is. I wish there was something I could copy paste instead of typing lots of words. There isn't is there?
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Apr 14, 2011 18:12
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Just find a good youtube video of idiots crashing sportbikes and use that ad nauseum as a reply for anything they say.
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Apr 14, 2011 18:13
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I would try to point out to them that starting on a 600cc sport bike is akin to learning to drive stick in a 500HP, 10 second car...running skinny tires. If you only go straight on dry pavement, go right ahead.
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Apr 14, 2011 18:19
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Did my fork seals on monday and finally got a real chance to ride it today and notice I have oil seaping up through the wipers. Not leaking all over the place and still holding air pressure but seaping up on compression. Could have I put just a tad to much oil in them or are the Allballs seals I put in crap?
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Apr 14, 2011 18:22
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evilnissan posted:Did my fork seals on monday and finally got a real chance to ride it today and notice I have oil seaping up through the wipers. Not leaking all over the place and still holding air pressure but seaping up on compression. Quantity of oil doesn't really matter since you fill past the seals anyway. Not sure why they'd leak, but you can take a thin piece of something, like a feeler gauge, insert past the dust and oil seals, and retract in a diagonal, sideways motion. If there is any debris in there, it will help. Did you do both oil and dust seals?
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Apr 14, 2011 18:26
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