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SB35 posted:I'm currently in the new job market and there's a distinct possibility I may be taking my motorcycle out for a bit of commuting back and forth to work. The quickest and easiest way there is partially on a toll road (I90 Chicago Skyway / Indiana Toll Road). If you have handlebars, here's a handlebar mount that I fit my EZ-pass into. I can even stack my old phone on top of the EZ-pass for GPS navigation. However, my new phone (Galaxy S3) is too large to fit comfortably in the case, even without the EZ-pass :firstworldproblems: I can attach/remove the case from the bike in 5-10 seconds by unscrewing it, or you can just unzip it and remove the ez-pass from the case when you get to your destination. lowcrabdiet fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Aug 21, 2012 |
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Aug 21, 2012 17:36
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Cpt.Backfire posted:
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Aug 21, 2012 17:39
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Yeah, if I could have one thing added to my 650R's dash it would be a gear indicator. Shift lights are useless on a street bike, but a gear indicator would be occasionally useful. Hell, even the decrepit 100k+ km 125cc bike I rode in SE Asia had a gear indicator. In fact, it was the only instrument on the dash that worked at all.
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Aug 21, 2012 17:59
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Ya, what happened to those? They've gone away, and I also find them pretty useful.
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Aug 21, 2012 18:08
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The original gauge cluster on my 1978 GS750 had a gear indicator. It always told me that I was in 8th gear.
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Aug 21, 2012 18:48
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Cpt.Backfire posted:If anything I'd rather have a gear indicator than a shift indicator.. just in case I forget where I'm at.
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Aug 21, 2012 20:26
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Is it a bad idea to trade up after 4300 miles of riding and 6 months? I like my '10 Ninja 250 a lot, but I find it slightly cramped and want something a bit more versatile. The 250 might need a valve job soon as it has 5,000 miles on it and the OEM tires could use replacing, which I see as an excuse to trade up... I have my eyes on a later model DL650 or possibly a Ninja 650R with some sort of hard case on either. I feel like I need to be convinced away from this and just stick with the 250. I commute to work 20 miles each way and I do mountain/twisties rides on Sundays, if that changes anything.
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Aug 22, 2012 01:15
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Didn't you just have this problem like a few weeks ago? I'd just wait till you're super comfortable riding the 250 then bump it up.
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Aug 22, 2012 01:26
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nsaP posted:Didn't you just have this problem like a few weeks ago? I'd just wait till you're super comfortable riding the 250 then bump it up. Ugh, yeah last time it was with an F4i, which I decided I didn't particularly like or want at this time. It doesn't help that my riding buddy insists that I need to upgrade to a 650 and that my bike ran like crap this weekend. I'm just going to wait until my fiance gets here and then I'll be more keen on keeping what I've got. I swear this is the last time I'll make a post like this.
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Aug 22, 2012 02:24
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XYLOPAGUS posted:I feel like I need to be convinced away from this and just stick with the 250. I commute to work 20 miles each way and I do mountain/twisties rides on Sundays, if that changes anything. On the other hand the DL650 felt a bit unstable at highway speeds, where the 650R just cuts through wind and turbulence like a hot knife through butter. For 30-45mph twisties they both do a fine job of it.
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Aug 22, 2012 11:53
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Collateral Damage posted:I own a 650R and I just returned a DL650 I had rented for 3 days. I found the DL650 a much better bike at low speeds, with tons of low-rev torque. The 650R really isn't happy below 3k rpm. If your commute involves a fair bit of puttering around in the city, I'd go with the DL. I don't really get this. If the bike isn't happy below 3K RPM, can't you just use a lower gear? v  v
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Aug 22, 2012 14:14
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KozmoNaut posted:I don't really get this. If the bike isn't happy below 3K RPM, can't you just use a lower gear? v
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Aug 22, 2012 14:26
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Hey dudes, I am having a problem with my bike....again. A few months ago you might remember a post made by me regarding it not starting. I replaced the battery since the other batter was probably a solid 5 years old, if not older. I haven't had any issues starting it since I replaced it, I probably put 1500-2000 miles on it in 3 months. This morning I went out to start up my bike (55 F outside so not cold) and the engine turned over once and then wouldn't start. I let it sit, tried again, and it turned over once then refused to do anything else. I am pretty sure the battery is low, so I'll charge it up and give it another shot tomorrow. However, on a battery that's only ~3 months old, I don't think this should be happening. This makes me think that the alternator isn't charging it while I'm riding. Reading some other stuff online points to the starter. I'm not sure why it would be the starter, since it turns over once - if the starter was bad, it shouldn't do anything but click. Does this sound about right, or am I missing something? I have a 1999 Honda Shadow 1100. I'm going to consult the service manual tonight and see if I missed something obvious. I'm also going to take the side panel off and make sure all the connections to the battery are tight and trace the wires to see if there's a loose connection. Just seems really odd that it would start acting up with no warning. Another question - I'm interested in adding a cigarette lighter/charger thing to my bike to power a GPS unit. Has anyone done this, how long did it take, do you have a handy guide or anything? I wouldn't do this until the winter when I have time to tinker. Got to fix one problem before I create another 
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Aug 22, 2012 16:29
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I've got a dc adapter that connects to my battery tender. I hook other up if I am going to use but otherwise keep it in my tank bag. Are you looking for something more permanent? mine only cost me 15 bucks.
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Aug 22, 2012 17:22
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Collateral Damage posted:I own a 650R and I just returned a DL650 I had rented for 3 days. I found the DL650 a much better bike at low speeds, with tons of low-rev torque. The 650R really isn't happy below 3k rpm. If your commute involves a fair bit of puttering around in the city, I'd go with the DL. I'm commuting from a small town to a rural area, so I see like 3 cars on my way in and like 4 on the way out. I'm moving into town in September, so I will see a LITTLE bit more traffic, but nothing to write home about. The 250 has been great in town and on the highway outside of a small amount of cramping in my feet. I'm also used to not having any ability to move the bike below 4,000 rpm.
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Aug 22, 2012 17:30
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I wish I could commute daily. I usually ride in on Fridays when the traffic is lighter, but http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/02/18/forbes_tampa_worst_city_for_commuters If lane splitting were legal I'd buy a DRZ and ride everyday. It's jsut not fun cooking in the heat stopped in traffic.
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Aug 22, 2012 17:53
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I would ride to work every day if I could get a drat parking spot. Everywhere nearby my office is metered parking and the parking garages do monthly spots, but they have a waiting list. That means it's $7 a day to park my bike instead of the $70 monthly spot and I'm not willing to eat the difference.
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Aug 22, 2012 17:56
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So since chrome is pretty poo poo and/or expensive these days - what are the options for making pipes and other chromed bits look pretty these days? Going to be doing some cosmetic fixes on my Nighthawk this winter, and I'm wondering what my options are? Can you powdercoat exhaust pipes in a full range of colors? Gold? Red? What about pitted chrome stuff like headlight and instrument housings? I can probably remove some of the pitting but it'd be difficult to restore it to full on beauty.
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Aug 22, 2012 18:10
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They won't let you park your bike in your monthly spot? Or do you normally use transit and haven't been able to get a monthly spot yet? My 650R makes a fantastic commuter bike and I've been riding to work just about every day since I got it (in early June). The key card for the big garage under my office building doesn't discriminate between 2 and 4 wheels. The bike parking in the garage is generally better than car parking, too. Faster, more fun, less gas, and better parking. Can't argue with that.
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Aug 22, 2012 18:12
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Guinness posted:They won't let you park your bike in your monthly spot? Or do you normally use transit and haven't been able to get a monthly spot yet? I don't have a spot at all. I had been taking public transit.
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Aug 22, 2012 18:15
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americanzero4128 posted:Another question - I'm interested in adding a cigarette lighter/charger thing to my bike to power a GPS unit. Has anyone done this, how long did it take, do you have a handy guide or anything? I wouldn't do this until the winter when I have time to tinker. Got to fix one problem before I create another This is pretty easy anymore. If you're using a battery tender with an SAE connection you're halfway there. You can get SAE to cigarette lighter ends, then plug a USB charger into that. It's what I did when I set mine up this spring. I think you might be able to get straight SAE to female USB cables now too. I had a post about it but I can't find it now. Look around here ( http://www.amazon.com/SAE-USB-Adapter-Motorcycle-Charger/dp/B007VFFQRE ) and the other item suggestion tho, and you'll be searching for just 'sae to usb' or 'sae to cigarette adapter'
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Aug 22, 2012 18:17
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Guinness posted:They won't let you park your bike in your monthly spot? Or do you normally use transit and haven't been able to get a monthly spot yet? I have a monthly spot in my building, but the lot hates bikes. They aren't heavy enough to trigger the auto-gates and one crashed down on some dude, so they banned them from the lot. 
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Aug 22, 2012 18:17
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Tamir Lenk posted:I have a monthly spot in my building, but the lot hates bikes. They aren't heavy enough to trigger the auto-gates and one crashed down on some dude, so they banned them from the lot. Man that's lovely, rather than fix the probem let's just ban a legitimate form of transportation from parking! The gates at my office's garage aren't the most bike-friendly in terms of layout, but as long as you plop your rear wheel right on the (clearly visible) weight sensor then they have no problem being triggered by a bike. The dumb part is that you have to be simultaneously triggering the weight sensor and tap your proxy card to get in/out, but the weight sensor and card reader are kind of far apart because they were obviously never designed for bikes. Fortunately the card readers can scan a card from almost 2 feet away. Also kind of bizarre is that the gates have old signs on them explicitly saying "NO MOTORCYCLES" but then there are several designated motorcycle-only parking zones in the garage. Ah, parking garages.
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Aug 22, 2012 18:26
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You guys must have high tech parking garages. Most of the ones I've used have a big enough space that you can just ride past. The only garages that are actually fully gated are the office buildings downtown for the rich folk.
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Aug 22, 2012 18:30
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nsaP posted:This is pretty easy anymore. If you're using a battery tender with an SAE connection you're halfway there. You can get SAE to cigarette lighter ends, then plug a USB charger into that. It's what I did when I set mine up this spring. I think you might be able to get straight SAE to female USB cables now too. I have a question about these. How safely do they regulate voltage? Since their input can vary based on state of charge, RPM, etc. how smoothly will they keep it to 5v?
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Aug 22, 2012 18:30
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:I would ride to work every day if I could get a drat parking spot. Everywhere nearby my office is metered parking and the parking garages do monthly spots, but they have a waiting list. That means it's $7 a day to park my bike instead of the $70 monthly spot and I'm not willing to eat the difference. Are you spending the difference in bus fare though?
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Aug 22, 2012 18:39
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nsaP posted:The only garages that are actually fully gated are the office buildings downtown for the rich folk. Bingo. Although they don't use the full gate during regular business hours, the daytime gate arm is pretty substantial and blocks most of the driveway. I can actually squeak by the gate on a bike just barely if I really wanted to (and only because my 650R is small and doesn't have any bags or anything like that), but the attendants really frown on that, and I already have a card so I'd rather just take the extra 10 seconds and avoid any problems. My old office just had bikes ride around the gate, it was indeed more convenient. Parking garage chat ITT (but seriously parking garages tend to be so bike unfriendly). Guinness fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Aug 22, 2012 |
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Aug 22, 2012 18:43
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slidebite posted:Are you spending the difference in bus fare though? Bus is $2 each ride, I can easily get a monthly bus pass for $62, and my girlfriend usually picks me up after work, so unfortunately not. There's no way to financially justify eating the cost, I'll just have to wait until I get a parking pass and just ride to work occasionally when I don't want to deal with the bus.
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Aug 22, 2012 18:47
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Hey there, If there was milky white stuff coming out of a 2-stroke engine from near the place where the clutch cable connects to the engine... any idea what that would be? Here is a radical picture! 
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Aug 23, 2012 04:01
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It doesnt look like it from the picture, but is said engine liquid cooled?
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Aug 23, 2012 04:02
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:It doesnt look like it from the picture, but is said engine liquid cooled? I have no idea... It's a 71 Kawasaki G3TR Bushmaster. I know nothing about it except for that there is one in my garage and it is being disassembled. Are there any tell tale signs of an engine being liquid cooled? Wider shot of the engine. 
Resource fucked around with this message at 04:21 on Aug 23, 2012 |
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Aug 23, 2012 04:19
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The presence of coolant or a coolant reservoir or a radiator would be an indication. (Look for a water pump)
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Aug 23, 2012 04:22
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Safety Dance posted:The presence of coolant or a coolant reservoir or a radiator would be an indication. (Look for a water pump) Hmmm, it seems as if none of those things are present. So I'm guessing it's not liquid cooled.
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Aug 23, 2012 04:27
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Resource posted:Are there any tell tale signs of an engine being liquid cooled? A radiator would be a good sign. You don't appear to have one (and indeed I don't think you are going to find a lot of 1970s single-cylinder bikes with liquid cooling, if any) so gonna say it's air-cooled. Where, exactly is said "milky white stuff" (hurr) coming from? Is it coming from the shaft (hurr) on the clutch actuator, or is it leaking out of a grease fitting (hurr) or what? VVVVVV yeah, I saw that too. Neato. I dunno if it's common but it actually does make a lot of sense for a small, compact 2-stroke, since the intake charge is held in the crankcase before it goes into the cylinder Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Aug 23, 2012 |
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Aug 23, 2012 04:27
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Cooling fins generally indicate air cooled. Unless you have some crazy hosed up setup (which is possible since there appears to be a carb entirely encased in your crankcase cover...)
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Aug 23, 2012 04:27
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Sagebrush posted:Where, exactly is said "milky white stuff" (hurr) coming from? Is it coming from the shaft (hurr) on the clutch actuator, or is it leaking out of a grease fitting (hurr) or what? I think it's all coming from the hole you can see near the clutch actuator (slightly below it) JP Money posted:Cooling fins generally indicate air cooled. Unless you have some crazy hosed up setup (which is possible since there appears to be a carb entirely encased in your crankcase cover...) Yes, that is the case.
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Aug 23, 2012 04:31
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Ah, I see it. Well, mixing oil and water together makes fluid that looks like that -- usually more brownish, though -- so maybe you got water in the transmission case and it's frothing up and leaking out. Open up the transmission and see what the insides look like? e: I don't mean like split the cases, just open up the filler cap and take a look. Or drain it entirely.
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Aug 23, 2012 04:34
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Sagebrush posted:Ah, I see it. Well, mixing oil and water together makes fluid that looks like that -- usually more brownish, though -- so maybe you got water in the transmission case and it's frothing up and leaking out. Open up the transmission and see what the insides look like? Perhaps that is it. The transmission allegedly has "problems" so we'll be opening it up and staring dumbly at it. When that happens I will post more pictures and questions. Maybe then the mystery will be solved.
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Aug 23, 2012 04:37
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Thats not liquid cooled, literally nothing was in 71 for bikes. If I had to take a guess, thats not anything thats coming from the trans, since it appears to be outside of the case proper, but not near any seals. That engine appears to be designed very similarly to my RV90 (side-carb and all). Have you actually seen that white part drip out? There is a foam case filter (which definitely could have been white) in that same part of the case in the RV90. Its like a postage stamp sized piece of foam
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Aug 23, 2012 05:09
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| # ? May 17, 2024 15:21 |
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Resource posted:Perhaps that is it. The transmission allegedly has "problems" so we'll be opening it up and staring dumbly at it. When that happens I will post more pictures and questions. Maybe then the mystery will be solved. Milky white or grey trans oil in a conventional 2t (air or water) usually indicates a bad seal somewhere under the piston afaik. E.g at one end of the crank. Gas is getting past the seal under compression and diluting the oil. This can gently caress your trans for obvious reasons.
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Aug 23, 2012 07:48
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