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PokeJoe posted:I washed all the mud off it that the squirrel that lives in my garage got all over it. Also took the opportunity to wax it. My stock carburetor had a mixture of corroded innards and varnish. White residue was most prominent, but the jets had green crap in them, too.  So I removed it and installed another stock, but non-corroded, carburetor. So fresh and so clean.  Also, I broke an exhaust bolt while loosening it to see how my exhaust would fit after I did my best to bend back the flange into a flat shape. Lovely.  Since I have to take the pipe somewhere to get bent back into shape and probably get a new flange anyway, I might as well have them remove the broken exhaust bolt and get me a fresh pair.
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Jun 13, 2011 20:09
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M4rg4r1ne posted:What's it like waxing a squirrel? It's hard to get a hold of them at first but drat if they don't sparkle in the sun when you're done  .
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Jun 14, 2011 00:12
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I took a six hour day trip that turned into an eight hour day trip because I left too late and hit rush hour traffic on the way back. Maybe I can find a better seat for the Ninja on ebay or something cause god drat. I came across a power plant and was going to ask them if it was possible "that it could blow up like that one in Japan" but there was a lake in the way.  Then on the way home I went to pass a dump truck with a trailer by way of the slow lane and he decided to merge into me.
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Jun 16, 2011 12:54
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Soldered up a homebrew Lambda sensor eliminator. It's been unplugged for ages but I was getting sick of the warning light on the clock so I snipped the plug off the defunct sensor leaving some short leads and soldered a 330ohm across the heater (white + white) and a 1MegOhm across the sensor (black + grey). Ecu thinks the sensor is still there and is running lean (which thanks to emissions reg's, it is), enriches the mix slightly and all the mid-range snatchiness goes away, Huzzah!
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Jun 16, 2011 15:39
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I made a mess:       Removed the gl1000 heads and blasted the gasket surface. Last night I found out that the "top end gasket set" that vesrah sells for the gl1000 does not include pretty much anything to rebuild the top end. O-rings don't fit the oil plugs right, and none of the gaskets that go between anything and the heads are included (water joint, points breaker, fuel pump, timing cover back, etc...). But I got new final drive gear gasket?  Not exactly, "everything you need to rebuild your top end" as the catalog said. Looks like I just blew $90. Now I get to go spend $160 on a "complete" set.
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Jun 16, 2011 16:47
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 Oh no, something is missing!  Oh, there you are. Time to change tires the cheap-rear end redneck way!  I placed it down there and using the wood as a lever on a smaller block, broke the bead of the tire. (The paint scratched off was from some jackass a PO payed 50 bux to gently caress their rims up)  To actually get the tire off, I used cut outs from the thick plastic Folger cans to protect the rim while I pried the rubber off with a tire rod. It is absolutely critical that you use Classic Roast™.  The green piss is Slime tire sealant, which did not work worth poo poo. I'm a bit confused on why it stayed a liquid instead of actually doing anything to plug the hole.  Using the magic Folger slips, I muscled the tire back on with a friend. Tada!  A quick and shoddy balance job later, the wheel went on with a bit of a fight. One thing I learned was that when the bike is in neutral, the chain is a little shorter in slack than when it is in gear, which stopped us from getting the wheel seated for a good 20 minutes. In the future, I'm never paying some rear end to scratch my rims up for me, but I'm definitely ponying up for a rear stand after that. Bixington fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Jun 18, 2011 |
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Jun 18, 2011 03:28
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Joe's K3 got a donor oil filter housing and bolt from a box of parts I've got. It was pretty rusty though, so a couple hours of electroloysis was needed to clean them up. While that was happening I managed to salvage most of his butchered wiring harness and make some new connectors from an appliance repair kit obtained through a local camera shop's going out of business sale. A little dab of hot glue to keep out moisture and seal the wires in there good as well as some dielectric grease in the mating ends of the connectors and we're good to go! ...always be sure to grease up your mating ends. Things can get pretty rough without it.
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Jun 18, 2011 06:40
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The wife and I bled the brakes on her BMW 1150, and I took the rear wheel off my Vstar only to discover TWO punctures instead of the one I was taking it off to get patched. $50 patch job beats a $200 tire. I don't think I ride fast enough to worry about the tire coming apart...
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Jun 19, 2011 04:50
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I put a $22 set of drag bars on the SR250. Makes a HUGE difference from the cowhorns. As purchased (Feb 2010):  Before:  After:     Still a long to do list, but I never thought that 22 bucks would make such a huge difference. To do: Remove lovely center stand. Replace front tire (hopefully without 30,000 pinch flats like the rear) replace pegs, remove pax pegs. Do something with that rear fender/tail light, perhaps chop tail? Swap seat for something less "Oh, I took the back half off, but stopped there" Bar end mirrors? Pound dent on right side of the tank in till it looks nice, then match on the left side. Paint (Black rims, silver spokes? I dunno. Replace/remove front fender Replace turn signals Perhaps replace headlight? I was pondering selling it...now I'm not so sure.
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Jun 19, 2011 19:50
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Jabs posted:Replace front tire (hopefully without 30,000 pinch flats like the rear) Maybe you already know this, but make sure to rub the partially-inflated tube down with baby powder before shoving it into the tire. It'll help prevent pinch flats a ton. Also, the new bars look good!
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Jun 19, 2011 23:01
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I started with baby powder, but I had to move to soapwater by the end as it was too humid and greasy for the powder to keep things slipping.
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Jun 19, 2011 23:12
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Took it down some new roads. 
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Jun 19, 2011 23:19
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Oh my god, not only do you have the best looking country but you appear to have the best roads as well. Have you thought about doing an Ola's trips megathread? I think a lot of people would be interested in reading something like that.
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Jun 20, 2011 01:17
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Put the 99 R6 up on the jack and finally, after 8 months of owning it, lowered the front forks (raised the front end) to stock height. Then it immediately started raining. COME ON!
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Jun 20, 2011 02:06
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Wheel is back on the vstar. It holds air so I took it for a spin to shake down any alignment and belt tension noises. Gonna double check belt tension before I take off on my Iron Butt 1000/24 attempt but other than that I am pretty much ready.
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Jun 20, 2011 06:18
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Installed after-market clutch and brake levers on my Katana from here: https://www.rideitmoto.com Chinese Pazzo knockoffs? Sure why not! They look awesome. I'll throw up a pic when I get home from work.
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Jun 20, 2011 13:54
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Probably Hates You posted:Oh my god, not only do you have the best looking country but you appear to have the best roads as well. I just remembered I intended to do that with my project thread. I'll gather up some pics there and then I'll go see a 600 ft waterfall tomorrow!
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Jun 20, 2011 14:18
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My bike has been patiently waiting to be ridden for months as I work on my LED tail light/indicator conversion. About 2 weeks back I fitted the LEDified tail/brake light, and finally got the left rear indicator back together in LEDified form, wired in the voltage regulator etc. So tonight I pulled the cover off it, gave it a brake fluid and oil change (the brakes feel pretty fricking sweet now, not that the old fluid was filthy or anything, it would have been due for replacement by now due to moisture content I'd say though), and then rode it from the family home to my new place. It had been troublesome to start and I suspected the battery after a long period of being unridden, however whilst trying to bump start it on flat ground at the servo after pumping the tyres up, I realised that it seems maybe the kill switch is playing up. It seemed like if I just pressed on it it would kill the bike, it didn't even have to rock noticeably toward the OFF position for the bike to die. If I pressed it down again on the ON side of the switch, the bike would fire up. Will do more testing here but is it normal for the kill switch to be this sensitive?
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Jun 20, 2011 14:27
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It shouldn't be sensitive enough that if you just push it any direction but off it switches off. I'd probably open up the handlebar and check to see if the contacts are clean. Once it's clean, you can use WD40 for what it's supposed to be used for...displacing water!
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Jun 20, 2011 19:28
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My wife told me that she wouldn't ride with me anymore because she almost falls off my back half the time I take off. I'm not a crazy rider or anything, there's just no back on my seat. Today I went to the scrap yard to get a new tail light and guess what I found. A luggage rack/backrest! Got the lens and rack for $40! Below are before and after pics. Also, I removed the windshield and put a new seat cover on inbetween the two pics. And yes, that's the same paint job. It changes based on how bright it is outside! 
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Jun 23, 2011 01:28
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I did the first of my now-twice-yearly WD-40 wipedowns to try to keep the bike from rusting as fast as it is. Freakin' Indian potmetal construction  I also changed the oil to get the summer blend in there (10W-40 and 30W 50/50), put on my new speedometer, and did some tidying up with the wires. Yes, the tank is a different color. It originally had horrible PAPER "Royal Enfield" decals, and when I took them off a month or so after buying the bike the paint had faded so much that you could still read it. No UV protection at all. I wouldn't be surprised if it was NOS WWII paint they found in a shed. Even though it only lasts a few days at most, I really like the shiny look a WD-40 wipedown gives it. Sorry for the cell-phone pics. http://geirskogul.imgur.com/summer_cleaning 
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Jun 23, 2011 03:38
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Please tell me your gear matches the bike, that thing is awesome.
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Jun 23, 2011 06:54
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Geirskogul posted:Even though it only lasts a few days at most, I really like the shiny look a WD-40 wipedown gives it. This post isn't helping with my struggle against buying the trials 500 my neighbourhood dealer is trying to shift. Also: look into anti-corrosion waxes, they'll keep it looking awesome for ages. Even some furniture waxes work. WD-40 just doesn't stick around, especially in weather.
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Jun 23, 2011 13:33
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Try some ACF-50. It's quite expensive but it really does the job. Try spraying it on to a rag and then polishing the bike with it after you've cleaned it. Just don't get it on the seat (or brakes for that matter)!
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Jun 23, 2011 14:01
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I'll keep the ACF-50 and anti-corrosion wax ideas in mind. This morning, before the heat has had a chance to come out, I drained and replaced the gearbox grease, and changed the primary oil. The gearbox was full of plain #00 grease, mostly because the older models don't have sealed shaft bearings. While I was changing the primary oil, I had a look at the bearings on the clutch shaft, and found that they were actual sealed bearings, so I took it upon myself to change that crap out for some 90-110W gear oil. Whaddya know, I can shift gears without it going "CLANK" every time, now. Also filled the primary with ATF-F - still lubricates like plain 30W oil, but is a tiny bit "grippier" so maybe I won't have too much clutch slip climbing steep hills. Here's an abbreviated list of some of the things that have gone wrong with it: Wiring harness caught fire, leaving me stranded, in the rain, 30 miles from home. Had to do a total rewire (check out the geirskogul.imgur.com link - there's pics). That same day, before the wiring harness fire, the battery decided it wanted to be free, and ejected at 65mph on the highway. State trooper and I spent an hour looking for it on the side of the road. Rear brake works better than the front, even though the front is TLS and the rear is SLS. Still haven't figured that one out. Four months into owning it, the engine started having massive blowby and breather problems. I sent it to the dealer for work, and I didn't get it back until eight months later, apparently with almost all new internals (piston, rod, crank, etc). It still had the exact same problem, so I hounded, pleaded, and ended up yelling for a fix. Six (!) months again later, and it had a new engine, because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with the original; that's why the engine is a different color in my photos. Doesn't help that the new engine doesn't have a VIN engraved, which made it a bitch to register. Only time in my life I can honestly thank how backwards Idaho is. Aforementioned paper decals on the tank. PAPER. The tires it came with were years old (again, check the geirskogul.imgur.com link) when I purchased it, and must have sat in the sun for those few years. They were so cracked and hard. The alternator is something like 80 watts peak, and at or near idle it's more like 40 watts. Doesn't help that the bike will run for months without ever hitting 3,500 RPM. My headlight is 65 watts, so I had to convert everything else to LED and low-power equivalents to keep it from discharging 100% of the time. Turns out the crap voltage regulator WILL run without a reference voltage, like the battery. It simply puts out DC-rectified straight alternator voltage when there's no reference, though. That's what probably led to my wiring harness fire the day my battery took a plunge. It was still worth the full re-wire, though, because the stock harness was made up of more than 30 24-and-smaller gauge wires running to and fro. It was also full of water (?). All this being said, it is my only mode of transportation, and when something goes wrong it is a pretty simple bike to fix. I also get post-it notes stuck to the tank every other day at the gym from older gentlemen asking where I bought it. So, if you can find one for a reasonable price, like a year or two old model, go for it. They've got a two-year unlimited-mileage warranty, so break all you can within that first year and you're golden.
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Jun 23, 2011 17:42
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Forty Two posted:Try some ACF-50. It's quite expensive but it really does the job. Try spraying it on to a rag and then polishing the bike with it after you've cleaned it. My buddy wants me to build him a bike but doesn't want to paint it. You think the ACF-50 would be up to the job of protecting his exposed frame and bits?
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Jun 23, 2011 18:34
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No. It'll eventually wear away/wash off and you'll never be able to get it in every nook and cranny anyway. If you want a bare metal finish you should get it clearcoated. I'm sure you can get matte or satin finishes instead of the usual gloss if you're not a big fan of that. Also, most of the ACF-50 would evaporate/burn off the engine the first time you start it up. When you say 'build him a bike', are you building it completely from scratch? Sounds like an awesome project!
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Jun 23, 2011 19:25
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Spent too much on some bits of plastic and metal to protect my already armoured knuckles from twigs and leaves: They look pretty though, and they also reduce some more of the vibration at the bars over the stock plastic ones, which is nice. Spiffness posted:Your wheels need at least one more tone. Quiet, you. I can't afford nor justify those. Certainly not before ridding myself of the exhaust and airbox. ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Jun 23, 2011 |
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Jun 23, 2011 19:35
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Your wheels need at least one more tone.
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Jun 23, 2011 19:50
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ReelBigLizard posted:Spent too much on some bits of plastic and metal to protect my already armoured knuckles from twigs and leaves: Paint is like 10 bucks. I'm gonna pick up another set of bark busters but I think they'll just be the narrow metal ones for commuting. Which type are those? On the 2 tones:   That was with no painting experience and rustoleum rattle can, they still came out ok. 
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Jun 23, 2011 20:29
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Now I've got this image in my head of two-tone white and red wheels on the Husky.
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Jun 23, 2011 20:38
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Aww, I miss the fat piggy drz 
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Jun 23, 2011 20:39
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Z3n posted:Which type are those? The Acerbis Supermoto model with the replaceable plastic on the side quote:That was with no painting experience and rustoleum rattle can, they still came out ok. If I go the DIY route I will most likely media blast one half back to bare and then re-anodise (I've always wanted to have a go at DIY anodising).
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Jun 23, 2011 20:44
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Gnaghi posted:Now I've got this image in my head of two-tone white and red wheels on the Husky. Do it. Especially if you don't offroad your bike much. Spiffness posted:Aww, I miss the fat piggy drz It was a good one. In some ways, it lives on because the money I made from it went into the racebike which then went into the 690. At least that's what I tell myself.  ReelBigLizard posted:The Acerbis Supermoto model with the replaceable plastic on the side Cool, I'll check those out. If the plastic is replaceable, I'll probably just run them without for commuting. I didn't want to deal with pulling the spokes off and then having to reinstall and re-true the wheel. Painting meant the bike was down for a minimum of time.
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Jun 23, 2011 21:11
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Sold the Duc. Guy traded me his '00 SV650 and $2500 cash for my old Monster that needed tires, valves, fluids and a new belt. Pretty pleased right now. He's a collector so I know the bike's going to a good home. It worked out well for both of us.
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Jun 25, 2011 13:43
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What model was the Duc again? I'm drawing a blank.
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Jun 25, 2011 14:45
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The stock dogbone I ordered for my 99 R6 came in, and while I intended to wait for today to install it I went ahead and did it last night, so I get to ride more today. It was my first time using my motorcycle jack, and with the aid of a pair of 2x4s and my front wheelstand I was able to keep it stable enough to do the job. The previous owner had this thing pretty low, and I had shifted to the higher hole in the aftermarket link last fall, but the front forks were still sticking up an inch and a half and it handled like poo poo. So last weekend I lowered that and ordered an OEM link for the swingarm. It finally sits right and I can't wait to ride it once I change the oil and do chain maintenance today. A minor downer is that I'm 5'9" and can't get both feet completely flat on the ground anymore. The cut kickstand is also officially useless - it looks like it might keep the thing up in the garage, but it's leaning like it's in mid-turn at the Isle of Man and I would not feel great leaving it like that in a parking lot all day at work. Boosting it with a block of wood for now, maybe the store up the street has a replacement stand for a decent price. If not I'll just use the block of wood for the weekend and ebay a replacement that'll get here by the time I get back from a weeklong trip.
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Jun 25, 2011 15:02
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Replaced the fan switch moves air on radiator bike happy again
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Jun 25, 2011 16:56
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My K5 SV650's throttle tube gained a significant amount of looseness after I installed a set of ProGrip Dual Density 724's. I found it difficult putting on the throttle grip and felt something pop. Crap. So I ordered a new R6 throttle tube and installed it. Problem went away. Yay. I left the R6 grip on, and liking it so far... Also installed CRG Arrow mirrors on the same bike. WAY BETTER than the Mirrcycle $16 bicycle mirrors I had on there previously. Well worth the $180 cost of both mirrors.
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Jun 25, 2011 17:36
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Swapped the fork oil and put progressive springs on my GS500F. Having no faith in my mechanical ability, I was wary of this. It took me around 3-4 hours. It all seems to work well as I took it out on a 45 minute test ride backroads/highway and I am not currently dead. So there is that. The springs are great, no more bottoming out under hard braking (tested in a lot behind my house) and turning seems somewhat sharper. A few bumps on the highway hit me a bit harder as these are slightly stiffer, but nothing a little leg bounce can't fix.
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Jun 25, 2011 20:03
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