Ribsauce posted:I bought my DR350 geared at 12/41 which is great for dirt but the road, not so much and I am only getting ~35mpg to boot. I was thinking about bumping up the front to 15t which was stock gearing. First of all, how much low end will I really lose? I do ride in the dirt a lot but I don't know if I really need it geared so low (high?). And the 15t will increase milage right? Currently to go 70 (indicated) I am near the redline in 6th, 15t should make this better right. You'll gain a few mph on the top end if you bump up the front sprocket. Don't expect one tooth to give you like 20+ mph gains though. You really oughta replace the chain and sprockets as one set so they all wear together. If it's a super cheapie bike then I wouldn't worry about dropping the extra cash. Everything you've listed is pretty simple. I'd say the fork oil change is the hardest of those because you'll be removing the forks. The wheel removal, sprockets, chain, brake pads and such all come off with just a few bolts and are dead simple. I guess this is true for the fork oil as well but there's a little more caution involved there I guess. If anything you should DEFINITELY do all but the fork oil and tire change as that poo poo is dead simple and not worth paying anyone to do. You'll wanna remove your wheel and take it in for a change as that's cheaper. I feel like if you're going to remove your forks to change the oil you should just change it yourself.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2011 23:28
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 18:10 |
|
|
Will I gain fuel efficiency? 70mph is fast enough for me on a Dr350 to be honest. Thanks for the other answers
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2011 23:51
|
|
|
Z3n posted:Flat tire? nsaP posted:Yeah, what do you mean "felt", because a motorcycle tire isn't like a bike tire. I thought it might have been a flat, but it's fine. When I mean loose, it felt like the back could slide out under me any second, it was a weird feeling. Must have been me being tired because it was fine to work and back today.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 00:01
|
|
|
chryst posted:I've got a friend's Virago 250 that she kept at m place over the winter. Runs ok when it's warmed up, but getting it warm is a slow process because the choke is acting weird.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 01:53
|
|
Ribsauce posted:Will I gain fuel efficiency? 70mph is fast enough for me on a Dr350 to be honest. Thanks for the other answers You should gain a little as you won't be as high in the RPM range at the same speed. I still wouldn't be expecting like 10mpg difference or anything. Unless you were REALLY tapped out before at 70mph you won't see a huge difference other than it being a little less buzzy. Since you're buying new sprockets you could go 1 or 2 down in the back as well to help out the top speed a little more. Really I'd just buy a 14 tooth front and stick with your rear setup. How much dirt vs street do you do?
|
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 03:06
|
|
|
Honestly pretty close to 50:50. I ride it to work a lot but I don't hit any highways. I don't ever get on the interstate nor do I plan to much, but I will take roads with 65mph speed limits going out of town to camp or visit people. I ride it as much as possible and until I get a place with a garage it will be my only bike, otherwise I'd buy a better bike for highway and 200+ mile trips. In addition, I plan on doing a few longer trips this summer, like 10 day type things. I don't ride any insane technical singletrack stuff yet as I am not skilled enough, so I don't need a super low gearing for my dirt riding probably.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 03:18
|
|
|
BradleyJamers posted:I thought it might have been a flat, but it's fine. When I mean loose, it felt like the back could slide out under me any second, it was a weird feeling. Must have been me being tired because it was fine to work and back today. This is a phenomenon I've experienced many times on my two different bikes. I think once it gets in your head, it's all imagination and you feel like the back end is loose. I have thought my tire was low/flat several times when there was clearly nothing wrong. It's all mental :P
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 03:34
|
|
|
You're probably fine bumping up the gearing then if you don't need to be lofting the front all the time in the woods in 1st/2nd. That being said I've always downsized the front sprockets on my bikes and I've not had a reason to ever go taller than factory gearing on dirtbikes as I've done woods riding / track riding and never (legal) street riding. It's an easy enough switch that if you really hate it you can just switch back / to another size. Front steel sprockets also have the advantage of being like 15 bucks so go hog wild with buying 1 or 2 and trying them out. It's only 1 bolt (at least on all the bikes I've had) to get it on/off so you can easily try stuff out. Pro-tip in case you've never removed a sprocket before - leave the chain ON the bike when you go to break the bolt loose so you don't damage the transmission or anything wrenching on it. Some people even throw it in neutral and have a buddy jam on the back brake while you break it free.
|
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 04:29
|
|
|
Most of those things are pretty easy as long as you have the necessary tools and patience to do it right (this is true with most maintenance really). The pads, brake fluid and chain/sprockets can all be done without any real specialty tools (outside of the chain tools) besides some spanners and a socket set/breaker bar maybe. The tire change would be really simple if you are just bringing the wheels into a shop to have them swap them out rather than having them do all the work to take the wheels off, mount the tires, and remount the wheels. The forks might require some specialty tool(s) to disassemble and get the fork oil level right depending on what type of fork they are.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 05:14
|
|
|
Sprockets are a thousand times easier with an impact wrench. Good plug in electric type or a high quality battery one, or a proper air driven one. But so much easier with the impact, if you have a single nut that's torqued to 80 foot pounds and was installed by a monkey.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 07:14
|
|
|
Seconding impact wrench, made removing my front sprocket super easy, also very handy for the rear sprocket nuts which are sometimes torqued with the strength of god. That being said my GS500 front sprocket was held on with a circlip, needed some pretty fine tipped circlip pliers to get it off.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 07:19
|
|
|
Oh god, after replacing pistons I never want to see a circlip ever again.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 07:23
|
|
|
What about the chain when moving up 2 teeth? Do I need a different chain or to add links or something?
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 14:36
|
|
|
Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Sounds a bit complicated for an internet diagnosis, but it sounds like the enrichener (choke) device in the carb is not working correctly. Plugged up by something maybe. And sounds like generally running a bit lean, may need mixture screw adjustment or different jets. Hopefully just needs a carb cleaning, but that isn't a sure fix. Something's up in the carb, though. Plugs are actually a perfect shade of brown after it's all warmed up and running, which I was really surprised about, but I wouldn't doubt that it's just not getting enough gas through the enrichener. I'll start looking for crud around there.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 15:27
|
|
|
Hi all, I'm looking for a helmet communications/GPS listening system. Is there a forum favorite or set of forum favorites for this? If there's a more appropriate thread, feel free to send me there. Thank you!
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 16:11
|
|
|
Dalrain posted:Hi all, I'm looking for a helmet communications/GPS listening system. Is there a forum favorite or set of forum favorites for this? If there's a more appropriate thread, feel free to send me there. Thank you! This page has a ton of reviews : http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-intercoms/ Looks like the Scala G4 is the favorite, and it can hook up wirelessly to a GPS, or an MP3 player.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 17:35
|
|
|
I have a couple of questions. 1) My '71 CB350 has never idled well. It stalls quite easily. Yesterday, as I was riding around, my bike was cutting out at nearly every stop sign and light unless I kept on the throttle a little bit. Anything I should be looking into in particular to remedy this problem? 2) My girlfriend used to ride a motorcycle around during college, and I believe she's interested in getting back into it in the future now that I'm spending more time riding. She is quite petite, though, and would really like a low seat height (and perhaps something that isn't too heavy). She used to ride a bike similar to mine around but didn't like how high the seat was on that either. I suggested we maybe look into a GS500 because the Suzuki site specifically notes a "low seat height," and I've seen it recommended as a friendly bike for novices around here. However, the seat is literally 1cm or so lower than bikes like the SV650. Is this seriously what constitutes a low seat height? Should she look at some small-ish cruisers instead?
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 17:44
|
|
|
Ribsauce posted:What about the chain when moving up 2 teeth? Do I need a different chain or to add links or something? If your chain isn't at the very tightest adjustment already, you should be fine. 2 teeth isn't huge. Dalrain posted:Hi all, I'm looking for a helmet communications/GPS listening system. Is there a forum favorite or set of forum favorites for this? If there's a more appropriate thread, feel free to send me there. Thank you! My friends use the Sena SMH-10, they're very happy with it. M.C. McMic posted:I have a couple of questions. 1. Carbs need to be cleaned, sounds like clogged pilots. You can try seafoam in the tank and a lot of throttle, or do it right and pull and clean the pilot jets. If they're really varnished up, you might need to run something through them. 2. You're going to be stuck with either cruiser or older vintage bikes to get that kind of low seat height.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 17:54
|
|
|
M.C. McMic posted:
Why not go to a dealer and have her sit on some bikes? The ninja 250 might be up her alley.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 20:24
|
|
|
M.C. McMic posted:I have a couple of questions. If it actually idles well when you are holding the throttle open yourself you might just need to turn the idle up a bit. There should be a big plastic knob somewhere between your carbs that you can give a half turn at a time to see where it puts you idle wise. The nut just holds the butterflies open so it's the same thing as you holding it yourself. Also, never trust the factory tachs on older bikes especially. A friend of mine was trying to get his bike to idle at the specified 950+- and it kept dying on him. I went and looked at it and the tach was indicating 1100 with the thing barely turning over. I set it by ear and it's happy now. If it idles lovely then yeah, a carb cleaning is in your future.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 21:27
|
|
|
Bugdrvr posted:
And a carb sync!
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 21:46
|
|
|
Thanks guys, going to order that sprocket tonight. Brace yourselves for a barrage of questions next Saturday when I have my bike in 30 pieces and my Clymer manual (just ordered) is in the garbage haha Has anyone used this dual sport riding techniques DVD? How is it? http://www.dualsportriding.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4 edit Also, what is the best way to make a heat shield thing for my exhaust pipe. My Gears Navigator tail bag gets too close to it and I need to figure out something Ribsauce fucked around with this message at 00:02 on May 9, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 21:53
|
|
|
Z3n posted:2. You're going to be stuck with either cruiser or older vintage bikes to get that kind of low seat height. Find an old TY175/250 twinshock. Or a Bultaco Sherpa. Stick road rubber on it. Hey presto!
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 22:33
|
|
|
M.C. McMic posted:2) My girlfriend used to ride a motorcycle around during college, and I believe she's interested in getting back into it in the future now that I'm spending more time riding. She is quite petite, though, and would really like a low seat height (and perhaps something that isn't too heavy). She used to ride a bike similar to mine around but didn't like how high the seat was on that either.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2011 22:56
|
|
|
Bugdrvr posted:If it actually idles well when you are holding the throttle open yourself you might just need to turn the idle up a bit. There should be a big plastic knob somewhere between your carbs that you can give a half turn at a time to see where it puts you idle wise. The nut just holds the butterflies open so it's the same thing as you holding it yourself. I'll try that, thank you. I also drove over to my parents' place and picked up the Seafoam and repair manual I left over there. I'll probably run some Seafoam through the bike regardless. Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:As z3n said, in the USA there are very few bikes made that will fit small people. How petite is petite in this case? Basically the two best options I'm aware of are a Honda Rebel or a Virago 250 (Yamaha). I find the Rebels totally unappealing and would prefer the Virago, but the Viragos are harder to find. I don't remember GS500s having that low a seat height either. She's pretty small... like 5'2"/5'3"... maybe 120/125 lbs. I'll look into those bikes, thanks. M.C. McMic fucked around with this message at 02:32 on May 9, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 02:25
|
|
|
1 more question (for now haha) I have a gears navigator tail bag (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/71/14271/ITEM/Gears-Navigator-Tail-Bag.aspx ) which is awesome except the bottom gets really close to my exhaust pipe. I only rode with it for about 15 minutes and the bottom was very hot. Is there a heat shield or something I can put near my pipe? I googled but did not see one for the DR350. What do exhaust wraps do? I can't tell if it is what I need. I am talking about the end of the pipe
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 03:44
|
|
|
What exactly is heating it up? Proximity to the pipe itself or is the actual exhaust gas hitting the bag? If it's just proximity you could probably fab up a heatshield and line the inside with some reflective tape to help cut down transmittance to the bag. Alternatively you could tape up the bottom of the bag. If it's the actual exhaust hitting the bag then I'm not sure what you can but to buy a new pipe that has a different angle.
|
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 03:47
|
|
|
Heat from the pipe. What kind of tape can I put on the bottom of the bag?
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 04:12
|
|
|
Hi guys, Just got a 2004 VTR250, but I've been trying to lower the angle of the pedal, but can't for the life of me figure out how. Uploaded some pics for perusal. http://imgur.com/a/9uxYp Figured it would be as easy as moving the lower bolt above the U shaped bracket, but after going at it with a spanner (see: marks on the bolt  ) realised that it was pretty much connected to the U shaped bracket.I spun the top nut a few times, it didnt do anything. Owners manual and service manual both say nothing about adjusting it. Ideas? edit: been told it is the bolt that spins, but it seems to be pretty drat stuck in that U-shaped bracket+nut. How do I un-stick it 
Don Music fucked around with this message at 05:14 on May 9, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 04:59
|
|
|
xd posted:The Yamaha demo truck came by this weekend, so I test rode a R1 today. My wrists were hurting within a few minutes. I have ridden a F4i for the last year and before I rode a UJM (1980 Honda CB650). I realize the F4i has a little more relaxed riding position than current sportbikes, but I didn't think it would be that different. Does the R1 have a more aggressive riding position than a CBR RR, GSX-R or a ZX? I've sat on the GSX-R and CBR and they seem fine to me, but it's hard to tell until you are actually riding the thing. No, the F4i is just incredibly relaxed compared to modern sportbikes. You just need to change the way you ride - I hold myself up by locking my thighs against the tank with my feet and relying on core strength. I can ride 8-10 hour days like this just fine, and I have pretty bad back issues. Raised rearsets and tank grips helped a lot. The Kawi and Yamaha have more 'dedicated' riding positions than the GSXR and CBR though, in my opinion. BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 05:23 on May 9, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 05:20
|
|
|
After hearing that going -1/+2 for sprockets is the best thing you can do to an I4 bike,(feel free to tell me if this is a bad/good idea, or if I should just do the front or just the rear or something) I've been shopping around online for them. What makes a Vortex sprocket $30 more than a JT one? I don't know anything about sprocket brands. Also whats a place with good prices?
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 05:38
|
|
|
Yeah, you have to hold on with your thighs and feet. Ideally you won't be putting any pressure on the handlebars whatsoever. What I tend to do while I'm on the highway though is to ride with one hand on the bars and the other resting on the gas tank. That way I can keep my feet relaxed and put all of my upper body weight on my left arm. Probably terrible for my shoulder though. Edit: Yes -1/+2 is a good move. Vortex rear sprockets are (unless otherwise stated) made from aluminum. This means they are significantly lighter than the steel JT sprockets. In either case the fronts will be steel. However, aluminum sprockets wear out MUCH faster than steel sprockets. If you're mostly commuting or going on casual rides I wouldn't hesitate to buy a set of JT's. They're excellent sprockets and will last a long time. Aluminum sprockets are nice if you're looking for maximum performance because they are rotational mass/unsprung weight which translates to huge weight savings. The sprockets on my bike right now are actually toast -- it's had a set of Vortexes for ~4000 miles/~7 track days and they're completely destroyed now. The best of both worlds is an aluminum bodied rear sprocket with steel teeth. Rental, Driven, and Supersprox all make these kind of sprockets but they are fairly $$$, probably not what you're looking for. I'm personally ordering a set of Driven sprockets this week that are this style. If you want a performance oriented sprocket and are willing to invest a little bit more up front for a sprocket that will last 2-3x as long, this type of sprocket is a no brainer. -Inu- fucked around with this message at 05:55 on May 9, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 05:41
|
|
|
So my sisters boyfriend backed into my 2007 KTM 690 SM. Why do I feel like I got dumped by a chick? gently caress. (No pun intended) The damage was surprisingly minimal all things considered. Surprised the side exhaust bracket didn't snap. Some scratches/bents and the clutch lever snapped in half. Still works, though. Even the side stand still works even though it got knocked that way. The only thing is the handlebars got tweeked about an inch. That seems to obviously be what took the brunt of the impact. It's pretty minimal but definitely noticeable and needs to be fixed. Seems to drive find aside from that. How invasive is it to get that fixed? Should I go to an authorized KTM dealer or just any bike shop or what? How much am I looking at? He was talking about going through insurance but I don't think it's worth it. I feel like a douche for asking him to pay 100%. I parked behind the car and didn't tell them so I feel it's partly my fault. Just an accident. I think I'll just sell it $200-300 cheaper than I was planning.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 06:11
|
|
|
How much are you planning to sell it for? I'd probably just swap the bars out for a fresh set, that should sort it out. Figure about $80 for a set of bars (if they're fat bars like the 690 has), the same in shop labor or you could do it yourself, just swapping controls, not a big deal. If you go through insurance they'll probably total out the bike.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 06:39
|
|
|
Z3n posted:How much are you planning to sell it for? I'd probably just swap the bars out for a fresh set, that should sort it out. Figure about $80 for a set of bars (if they're fat bars like the 690 has), the same in shop labor or you could do it yourself, just swapping controls, not a big deal. The bars are fine, really. Just need the alignment straightened out. I don't want to put all that on my friends insurance/record. It has 12k miles, some mods, extended warranty. I paid $5,300 I think? So I'm thinking $5k if I can or just south of that.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 06:44
|
|
|
Christoff posted:The only thing is the handlebars got tweeked about an inch. That seems to obviously be what took the brunt of the impact. It's pretty minimal but definitely noticeable and needs to be fixed. Seems to drive find aside from that. How invasive is it to get that fixed? Should I go to an authorized KTM dealer or just any bike shop or what? How much am I looking at? Is the bar bent, or are the forks twisted in the triples? If it's the first, a new bar won't be that expensive nor particularly hard to swap yourself. If it's the 2nd, again, not that hard. You just need to get the front wheel off the ground, undo the pinch bolts on the triple clamps and they should straighten out, might need a bit of persuasion with a rubber mallet.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 06:45
|
|
|
Hm, not sure. Bars seem straight just offset an inch to the left.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 06:49
|
|
|
They might have just been pushed sideways in the clamps.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 06:55
|
|
|
Christoff posted:The bars are fine, really. Just need the alignment straightened out. I don't want to put all that on my friends insurance/record. 2ndclasscitizen's got the solution, but if you want to try a 690 before you buy one, swing up to SB at some point and ride mine. I'd like to have a go at the 690 SM, so we could swap bikes for a bit and you could see if it's really worth it or not.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 06:59
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 18:10 |
|
|
Z3n posted:2ndclasscitizen's got the solution, but if you want to try a 690 before you buy one, swing up to SB at some point and ride mine. I'd like to have a go at the 690 SM, so we could swap bikes for a bit and you could see if it's really worth it or not. I'm pretty set on it regardless. I'm going to come by and visit one of these days.... 2ndclasscitizen posted:They might have just been pushed sideways in the clamps. Yeah I think that's it. It rides perfectly fine otherwise I adjusted to the difference real quick.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2011 07:12
|
|