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Awesome advice, you two - thanks. The bike shop that I bring my bikes to for maintenance stuff, being 45 minutes away from me, also has a huge dirt bike section so I'll be zeroing on my goal there. Shimrod: '05-'06 636 feels immense, while '03-'04 636 feels small (and nimbler). I prefer the feeling of a "small" bike with a slightly lower tail and a wide/tall handlebar, which all contribute to a comfy riding experience for me. As for comfortable engine characteristic, that depends on you. If you like long-distance-traveling with a high-strung engine, go for it. Some days I feel like going high-strung, but there are some days that I don't. The bike will keep on asking you, in its little neutrotic way, to go over 100 mph. It's the acceleration part that the bike feels best at, not continuously cruising on the highway. My old '05 636 bike was huge and felt like an actual rocket that I sat upon, which made it kinda awkward for my 5'8'' girlfriend (she was afraid of dropping it whenever she duckwalked or stopped the bike). It was a bike that certainly fit my height well. But the clip-ons hurt my back (tall torso, 34'' leg length). I was used to my SV650n which had a relaxed feel and let me sit into it. So I sold it. When I looked at my '04 636 and test-rode it, the bike was certainly different - I now sat into it instead of onto it, it felt substantially smaller & was way more comfy. Its tail was lowered one "notch" down using aftermarket dogbones, which I liked (I like a lower tail). I left the stock rearsets be as they don't bother my legs, and installed a Corbin seat and tank grips. The bike's perfect except for the handlebar setup. I've taken a 6-hour ride on the bike and my back suffered a little bit from that bar. I would've died with clip-ons. the walkin dude fucked around with this message at 17:46 on Nov 25, 2012 |
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Nov 25, 2012 17:40
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You probably don't need the shop. If the bars don't show the part number, you can probably measure them close enough on the bike to give you your current geometry when compared with a table of measurements. Then you just need to know what's bothering you about the bars and find ones on the Renthal table for road or 7/8ths motocross (wider IIRC - and yeah, 7/8 not 3/8ths, sorry) that have appropriate measurements. http://www.renthal.com/File/apps1.asp?tabtype=5&productid=0&appid=ROAD&zone=&biketype=&manufacturer=&model=&bikedate= I suspect you just need more rise (i.e. "higher" controls) because you're too far above them at 6'5". Unless you've had your arms surgically shortened, the sweep is probably just fine. You'll see that most of the bars they offer for road have less rise than the "road high" so it may just be a case of getting those. If you want to experiment, you can find a set of riser blocks that comes with different blocks (and bolt lengths) in a kit so you can experiment (did this with my KDX250). Due to fork rake, more rise means closer bars roughly amount of rise x fork rake. Remember you need riser blocks to fit the smaller 7/8" (braced) bars, not the 1 1/8" clamp size used for fat bars! Whether you go for riser blocks or a bar with more rise, before you start, check how much free length you have in your cables - throttle, brake, clutch and also switchgear. A 1" rise almost certainly means you need longer hoses or something will bind. The PO may already have sorted that if there is sufficient free length in the current setup. Remember, nothing must bind with forks topped out (i.e. fully unloaded front wheel in the air) at full lock in either direction, or you could have a nasty surprise! Saga fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Nov 25, 2012 |
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Nov 25, 2012 21:09
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the walkin dude posted:Awesome advice, you two - thanks. The bike shop that I bring my bikes to for maintenance stuff, being 45 minutes away from me, also has a huge dirt bike section so I'll be zeroing on my goal there. Interesting, thanks.
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Nov 26, 2012 04:24
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theperminator posted:Oil capacity is 3.5 Litres, i guess that puts it at burning 875Ml per 1000 Miles. Got me. My dealer replaced it 2000 miles after I bought it so I would hope they know what they're doing.
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Nov 26, 2012 07:35
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Long post again! Hoping you guys can help - have traced the starter problem to either the neutral diode or the starter relay. Push starting does get the engine to turn over, and after a few push-starts the neutral light came on again when I popped it in to neutral to move it (not a sign of a drained battery or buggered fuse, as everything else on that circuit works fine). A couple of times, it's turned over in neutral, then died before I could get it to idle for more than ten seconds (cold, damp weather - I think I'm also going to need to check the spark plugs when I'm done with this). What is mainly happening, though, is the neutral light comes on, when I press the electric starter, the relay clicks and the light goes off/flickers as the starter motor turns briefly then goes off, if that gives you any ideas to save me rooting around the electrics. Also, the Haynes manual suggests I unscrew the starter relay lead - tried this with an allen key, tricky to get access with only the seat off and the cowling loosened a bit, sparks came off. Will I be fine, or should I get a hold of an allen key with a rubber handle? The screws are stripping like they've had an abusive childhood, and none of the usual elastic band etc tricks are working. WTF are the screws made out of, it seems to be happening to half and the other half are fine, mostly on the right-hand and underside screws which suggests to me it's to do with weight distribution, but shifting the weight does nothing, so it might be a result of long-term sitting. Any suggestions for getting them out, or is it a case of go get a drill extractor bit/pop down my local mechanics and get them to pull it out (my socket wrench extractors are either too small or too big).
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Nov 26, 2012 12:17
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Wootcannon posted:Long post again! Hoping you guys can help - have traced the starter problem to either the neutral diode or the starter relay. Push starting does get the engine to turn over, and after a few push-starts the neutral light came on again when I popped it in to neutral to move it (not a sign of a drained battery or buggered fuse, as everything else on that circuit works fine). A couple of times, it's turned over in neutral, then died before I could get it to idle for more than ten seconds (cold, damp weather - I think I'm also going to need to check the spark plugs when I'm done with this). What is mainly happening, though, is the neutral light comes on, when I press the electric starter, the relay clicks and the light goes off/flickers as the starter motor turns briefly then goes off, if that gives you any ideas to save me rooting around the electrics. Also, the Haynes manual suggests I unscrew the starter relay lead - tried this with an allen key, tricky to get access with only the seat off and the cowling loosened a bit, sparks came off. Will I be fine, or should I get a hold of an allen key with a rubber handle? Sounds like starter relay if battery is known good and you can bump start it fine, but i am an electrical ignoramus so grains of salt etc. Right side and low down equals fairing bolts have seized on the bits where dirt and water collects. get allen head impact socket poss. one oversize and hammer in with rubber mallet or lump hammer if necc. Use impact driver or just ratchet to remove and replace with new fairing bolts as low profile will make it tough to slot heads without cutting fairings. Those are generic bolts so cheap to replace. coppaslip on the threads of the new ones and don't overtighten.
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Nov 26, 2012 12:28
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You are a legend, cheers. I can't find my hammer and I don't have an impact driver, but I imagine I'll be able to substitute. ninja edit - Hello knee sliders I have no need of, you'll do just fine. For some reason I think you live in Glasgow from one of the threads - if so I owe you a pint at some point for the help. edit: gently caress. Have borrowed hammer off a neighbour, tried hammering in a slightly oversized allen key, it was in nice and snug, bloody thing then stripped again. Same with a screw extractor. Think this is going to be a job for the professionals, will pop the seat on, give it a bump start, and drive it to the mechanics. edit the second: And none of the local mechanics will touch motorbikes, so if there's nothing else I can do, it's off to the shop that I know is good but is a pain in the arse to get back from. Whenever they have an appointment free. My poor baby. Return of the edit - Pushstarted it, got it running mostly fine, except the tachometer was acting oddly (Going up from 2k revs, it'd jump back down to 1 and 0k and then up to 3k) and the exhaust and engine sound seemed a bit puffier than normal. This at least narrows the electrical problem down, as does the buzzing of a poorly connected circuit inside the cowling. Time to go down the mechanics, but any further suggestions re electrics much appreciated. As a side note, since the starter relay seems off from the picture in the Haynes book, and a couple of the hooks and a screw seem off in positioning, it looks like the battery was taken out and popped in incorrectly. Wootcannon fucked around with this message at 14:06 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 12:45
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I'm not sure how you went about belting the allen key in but don't put any pressure on it until it's really in, just keep tapping it, belting it, then tapping it until it's really in there and it should be able to turn once you get it in far enough. If that fails, maybe try using a small screw driver that will hook on enough once its been belted in? Remember to hit it straight on and not put any pressure on it to turn while you're hitting it in. I learnt this the hard way -_-'
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Nov 26, 2012 14:54
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Working on a similar screw, I once had to resort to dremeling a slot across the head and using my biggest flat head screwdriver to pull it out. If you go that route, it might pay to use one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/impact-screwdriver-set-with-case-37530.html
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Nov 26, 2012 14:59
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Wootcannon posted:You are a legend, cheers. I can't find my hammer and I don't have an impact driver, but I imagine I'll be able to substitute. ninja edit - Hello knee sliders I have no need of, you'll do just fine. Yeah, at that point give up and call the shop. They will have a helicoil kit on hand for one thing. When you get it back, just remove new bolts, pop a tiny bit of coppaslip on the threads and retighten until snug. Even scottish winters won't gently caress them then. Not in Glasgow, just lived in Edinburgh and used to visit a pal who was studying at the Mac.
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Nov 26, 2012 15:14
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Just drill the head off. Using a drill bit that is slightly larger than the threaded section of the screw drill out the center of the head (where the stripped out hole is) until you see the head pop off and get stuck to your drill bit. Then you can remove the panel and grab the remaining part of the screw with vice grips and screw it out. I've had to remove everything from body fasteners like you're dealing with to engine case bolts that stripped because they make them out of the softest steel they can find apparently. Re. the electrical problem: Go over every electrical connector on the bike. One at a time unplug the connectors, look at it to make sure it's not burnt/melty, squirt some dielectric grease in there and plug them back in. This serves 2 purposes, just unplugging/replugging cleans the contact areas and the dielectric helps to weatherproof and keep them from corroding in the future. I've fixed many an intermittent electrical problem doing this. And even if it doesn't fix anything it's excellent preventive maintenance. VV Well, this first. I guess I shouldn't assume people would check to see "is my battery charged?" when something doesn't start. obso fucked around with this message at 16:26 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 15:47
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You need to buy a multimeter. There is no way of knowing if your battery is good without one, and it sounds to me like your battery is hosed. Now, why your battery is hosed is another thing, could be age, could be a screwed up charging system. Again...need a multimeter to know. Standing voltage on the battery off the charger should be at least 12.6 volts DC. Key on it shouldn't drop below 12ish. Bike running it should be at at least 14 with the bike reved to 40% of total rpm. Figure this part of it out and we can dig deeper to fix it once you know what the problem is.
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Nov 26, 2012 16:20
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I'm in a bit of a bind here. I want to wax my bike, but I don't know how. On top of that, I don't have a garage. Is my best bet to take it to a shop to detail/wax it? I think a place around here charges something like $75-100 for motorcycles, more for cars. At some point I read that you're not supposed to wax a bike in direct sunlight and blah blah blah so I figure that kind of rules out doing it in front of my apartment.
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Nov 27, 2012 03:44
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Buy some Honda polish/Suzuki Polish/Yamaha Polish/etc since its all the same stuff just rebranded. Problem solved. I never screw with actually waxing a bike. E: also 303 aerospace protectant is better than all of them but you probably have to buy it online. Beve Stuscemi fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Nov 27, 2012 |
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Nov 27, 2012 03:45
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I have a can of turtle wax that I've used for ages on all kinds of small things that could use a coat of wax, and it worked fine for the tank/headlamp/side covers/fork boots on my bike too. If nothing else, it makes it easier to wipe off mud spatter and road grime. Apply it with a damp sponge, allow to dry a few minutes (not too long!), wipe excess off with a clean cloth.
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Nov 27, 2012 03:48
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Tyorik posted:I'm in a bit of a bind here. I want to wax my bike, but I don't know how. On top of that, I don't have a garage. Is my best bet to take it to a shop to detail/wax it? I think a place around here charges something like $75-100 for motorcycles, more for cars. At some point I read that you're not supposed to wax a bike in direct sunlight and blah blah blah so I figure that kind of rules out doing it in front of my apartment. It's really easy, get some cut & polish, put that on in circles really lightly with one cloth, give it a few minutes then wipe it off with another. Then use the wax, same principle - put it on lightly with a cloth, let it set for a few minutes then take it off (same as polishing your boots, etc. if you've ever done that). Cut & Polish ensures it's clean and shiny underneath, wax protects it. Usually takes me about 20 minutes to do my fuel tank and about the same per other piece of fairing on my ZZR. Good way to kill a couple of hours 
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Nov 27, 2012 06:53
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Tyorik posted:I'm in a bit of a bind here. I want to wax my bike, but I don't know how. On top of that, I don't have a garage. Is my best bet to take it to a shop to detail/wax it? I think a place around here charges something like $75-100 for motorcycles, more for cars. At some point I read that you're not supposed to wax a bike in direct sunlight and blah blah blah so I figure that kind of rules out doing it in front of my apartment. Just do it some afternoon when the sun is low enough that the building throws shade. If that's not possible, find some quiet shady part of the parking lot at the city park--you just need a clean bike, a tin/bottle of wax, and a couple cloths, so throw them in a backpack and head out.
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Nov 27, 2012 07:39
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Tyorik posted:I'm in a bit of a bind here. I want to wax my bike, but I don't know how. On top of that, I don't have a garage. Is my best bet to take it to a shop to detail/wax it? I think a place around here charges something like $75-100 for motorcycles, more for cars. At some point I read that you're not supposed to wax a bike in direct sunlight and blah blah blah so I figure that kind of rules out doing it in front of my apartment. Buy some spray silicone lubricant. Spray on all the shiny painty bits of your bike (not your wheels dude). Leave to dry. For less dazzling shine, get some paper towel and buff to merely "shiny". Paint is now shiny and protected. http://muc-off.com/en/bicycle/25-silicone-shine.html?category=car Time required, about 60 seconds.
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Nov 27, 2012 08:17
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Saga posted:(not your wheels dude). Also not your seat, in case that wasn't obvious. Vwwoooop. e: christ it really bugs me that they keep calling it "silicon"
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Nov 27, 2012 10:28
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Sagebrush posted:Also not your seat, in case that wasn't obvious. Vwwoooop. In fairness, he's just had to dumb everything down for me.
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Nov 27, 2012 12:00
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Sagebrush posted:Also not your seat, in case that wasn't obvious. Vwwoooop. I was called a silicon once. It was in France, so I was not amused.
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Nov 27, 2012 14:26
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All good suggestions. My only other issue is, and I should have mentioned this before, parts of my bike have some scuffs in the clear coat that I want to get out. How much does that complicate things?
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Nov 27, 2012 15:47
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Tyorik posted:All good suggestions. My only other issue is, and I should have mentioned this before, parts of my bike have some scuffs in the clear coat that I want to get out. How much does that complicate things? Depending on the depths of the scuffs, you may be able to hit them with some polishing or buffing compound and then buff them out. Plenty of good finishing guidance here: http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_repaint.htm
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Nov 27, 2012 16:26
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Tyorik posted:All good suggestions. My only other issue is, and I should have mentioned this before, parts of my bike have some scuffs in the clear coat that I want to get out. How much does that complicate things? Just follow Shimrod's instructions above but replace "cut n polish" with "swirl remover rubbing compound" (I have a feeling we are talking about the same thing, just different names) and spend a little more time rubbing it into the scuffed areas. If you can borrow a random orbital polisher it will make the process much easier and the final result better.
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Nov 27, 2012 18:09
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My dad wants a GPS for Xmas. He doesn't do smart phones or tablets (I would just get a Nexus 7, put it in a tank bag and be done with it - right now I use my $130 smart phone when I need gps.) These things are crazy expensive, can I get a good one for $300-400?
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Nov 27, 2012 19:49
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thylacine posted:My dad wants a GPS for Xmas. He doesn't do smart phones or tablets (I would just get a Nexus 7, put it in a tank bag and be done with it - right now I use my $130 smart phone when I need gps.) Oh hell yeah. Anything Garmin does is good, easy to use, works fine. Does he want a motorcycle specific, waterproof GPS? Then things start costing real money. Cheapest good-brand is TomTom Urban Rider, cheap Chinese variant is the "Peaklife". Never used either one, but plenty of experiences posted online.
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Nov 27, 2012 21:36
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Well, a dedicated GPS is nice because the battery lasts about five times as long as that Nexus 7 would, and it has all the maps built in so that you don't have to worry about a data connection or buying some offline mapping app or whatever. Also it's designed exclusively for mapping so it has all the features you could possibly want. I use my smartphone too now, but there are times when I miss my old dedicated unit. How much of an outdoorsy guy is your dad? You don't need to get a motorcycle-specific unit...you can get a very nice Garmin or Magellan hiking-style handheld GPS (you can get a bar mount for them) right in the middle of your price range. I had an eTrex and an Explorist and both were quite nice little units. They're designed to be readable in sunlight, which would be a big advantage on a bike. Waterproof, too, in case you get caught in a storm.
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Nov 27, 2012 21:38
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You can get a Garmin Zumo 550 for about $280. I'd say that's a good bet
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Nov 27, 2012 21:45
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A couple months ago I asked if anyone had taken the Harley Davidson Experienced Rider course. Unfortunately, back then no one answered and my local Harley dealer finally had added a course to their list for experienced riders. So I signed up and paid about $120 for the class, hoping it was going to give me some extra knowledge that wasn't talked about in the Rider's Edge Basic Riding class. Unfortunately, the class is pretty much the exact same curriculum as the normal HD class, which is the same as the basic MSF riding course. You do a little bit of slalom through cones, you do the double u turn in the 28 foot painted box, you do quick stops on your bikes, and the whole "weave to avoid the fictional semi" thing. At the very end they set up one coned course that had a few more turns in it that was not in the basic riding class, but it was really all the same. Since this class is "bring your own bike" I was the only sport bike rider, everyone else had big touring bikes or cruisers. Ultimately, it was an okay experience, but I did not really learn anything new. I would say if you want to get some additional experience, skip this class and go for something different, especially if you have a sport bike and are looking for some more skills in that regard. The one cool thing was that everyone there was really nice, and most of the people on their big Harley's were somewhat curious about my Japanese contraption.
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Nov 28, 2012 19:19
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Sagebrush posted:Well, a dedicated GPS is nice because the battery lasts about five times as long as that Nexus 7 would, and it has all the maps built in so that you don't have to worry about a data connection or buying some offline mapping app or whatever. Also it's designed exclusively for mapping so it has all the features you could possibly want. I use my smartphone too now, but there are times when I miss my old dedicated unit. Neither of these match up even vaguely with my experience with a TomTom Rider - battery life was an hour, tops (down to about ten minutes if you actually had a call come in), although it did come with a charger cable that was far too short to reach my battery (and, I'll bet, *any* battery). The Bluetooth was shonky as gently caress and only paired up with the phone about one in ten times too, you have to buy a subscription to get updated maps and traffic news, and the pathfinding could be laughably slow. The Cardo Bluetooth set it came with was really really good though,and I now use an upgraded version of that with my ancient, £50 non-contract Nokia 5230 which is my GPS, phone, and music player for long journeys - battery life with music playing and GPS running (albeit with the screen disabled because it was in my pocket) is 8 hours, and Ovi Maps is free and easily the best GPS I've ever used. Also it's a resistive touchscreen so it works with gloves. Alternatively get a car GPS and something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GIVI-S850-UNIVERSAL-WATERPROOF-HOLDER/dp/B002YEI2U0
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Nov 28, 2012 19:42
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cixelsyd posted:A couple months ago I asked if anyone had taken the Harley Davidson Experienced Rider course. Unfortunately, back then no one answered and my local Harley dealer finally had added a course to their list for experienced riders. That question has been asked and answered multiple times since I've been here so I'm sorry that apparently no one saw yours. But yes, generally the advice is that the class is exactly what you found.
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Nov 28, 2012 23:54
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cixelsyd posted:A couple months ago I asked if anyone had taken the Harley Davidson Experienced Rider course. Unfortunately, back then no one answered and my local Harley dealer finally had added a course to their list for experienced riders. I would have answered but I was a bit confused. The last MSF type thing I participated in had two types like this. One was Advanced Rider, which was basically what I assume you thought this was - advanced riding skills. The other was "experienced," which they basically marketed for people who had ridden a long time but had bad habits, or never developed good skills. Looks like you got the latter.
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Nov 29, 2012 00:23
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If the rotors have front to back play (relation to wheel rotation) in the buttons are they going to fail or is it just the annoying noise? STM full floater buttons $175 for a kit. http://www.parts-unlimited.com/products/?productId=81889 or Spiegler. http://spieglerusa.com/brakes/brake-rotor-spare-parts.html BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 07:19 on Nov 29, 2012 |
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Nov 29, 2012 06:52
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BlackMK4 posted:If the rotors have front to back play (relation to wheel rotation) in the buttons are they going to fail or is it just the annoying noise? How much play and oem or affermarket rotors? Ive found that most oem rotors are more "semi floating", in that while they float they tend to not loosen up like aftermarket rotors will, probably due to more aggressive spring washer designs. After market ones are more of a mixed bag depending on the company. Z3n fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Nov 29, 2012 |
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Nov 29, 2012 16:18
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Stock. I'm pretty sure they are fine now that I think about it more, I just rode out to Vegas in the middle of the night for fucks and I shall post a video when I get home tomorrow.
BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Nov 29, 2012 |
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Nov 29, 2012 16:35
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BlackMK4 posted:Stock. I'm pretty sure they are fine now that I think about it more, I just rode out to Vegas in the middle of the night for fucks and I shall post a video when I get home tomorrow. Such a good looking bike. I really dislike the new one. 
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Nov 30, 2012 05:32
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Frankston posted:Such a good looking bike. I really dislike the new one. Better than the new street triple.
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Nov 30, 2012 06:13
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:Better than the new street triple. What differences are there on the 2013 Street besides the rad cowl, plastic tank surround and exhaust? The new Daytona has kinda grown on me, still not a fan of the exhaust or the eyeshadow though. Really doesn't matter to me though, you can pry my 08 from my cold dead hands theperminator fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Nov 30, 2012 |
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Nov 30, 2012 06:36
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theperminator posted:What differences are there on the 2013 Street besides the rad cowl, plastic tank surround and exhaust? They apparently changed the frame and the forks to make it more stable, and the fueling to make it a little less twitchy and better gas mileage. Still hate the cowl and the exhaust.
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Nov 30, 2012 06:55
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A few months ago someone linked to a product for securing a motorcycle to a trailer using the foot pegs. I'm pretty sure it was simple links that went over the pegs then latched down to lock it in place. Not this one - http://www.riskracing.com/pages/Lock-N-Load_Motocross_Transport_Page.html Anyone save that link? Nevermind found it - http://www.cinchitdown.com/ So now the question is how to make something similar because I'm a cheap bastard and not paying $125-150 a set. NitroSpazzz fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Nov 30, 2012 |
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Nov 30, 2012 15:24
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