|
nsaP posted:With engine braking and a bit of awareness and forethought you might be surprised how little you'll use your brakes in regular city riding. That could require a bit more finesse with the clutch hand though. Hey, that's a good point! Shifting definitely slowed me down a lot just to go from 2nd to 1st. Z3n posted:If it's only under extended or heavy use, there are a number of things that could be done. The 2 easy solutions that come to mind for me are: Ha, I came in here today to post about this, cause I was thinking on it last night. You really had to wrangle both the clutch and the brake on both the MSF bikes I was on, and normal bikes proooobably aren't that bad. Both of the options you posted sound good, I'll definitely keep those in mind. In fact the stunter brake might be just the thing for when it gets too bad, cause my left hand is a-ok. Saga posted:Ultimately, if there is a significant impairment, the safest thing will be to re-plumb the system so that the pedal operates the front and the lever the back. This sounds good too. It's good to know I have options. Thankfully I don't think you do as much lever squashing on the street as you do in the msf, especially when you're waiting in line and your POS rebel won't go into neutral while running. Thanks for the help, everyone! 
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2012 00:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 13:24 |
|
|
Please help my stupid newbie self. Got my bike home yesterday with no trouble. Today, I tried starting it up and it would turn over but not catch. The more I tried playing with things (basically just switching to reserve to make sure there was fuel as well as using the choke since hey, it's pretty drat cold out) the weaker things got; lights dimmed, less turning sounds, that sort of thing. Eventually when I would press the starter, all the lights would turn off and the red light on my speedometer would blink very weakly with no turning over sounds. Once I stopped pressing the start button, all the lights come back. I pulled out my MSF booklet to make sure I was doing the start up procedure proper, and it all seemed correct. No downed kickstand or anything like that. To me that screams a really weak battery. It's a bike that hasn't seen much action during the last 2 years and as far as the guy knew, it only ever saw basic maintenance like oils and such. So, it might be the same battery that was in it since it rolled off the assembly line, for all we know. I don't have any chargers on hand, at least not until tomorrow. I need to get this thing to a shop anyways, maybe I can call in a favor of my uncle and just take it over there via his truck. But I mean, if it's just a battery, it can't be impossible to install myself right?
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 10:17
|
|
|
The lights dimming and the fact that it ran fine yesterday sounds like a dead battery to me, yeah. It's possible that when you bought it, the guy had just charged the thing -- even a near-dead battery will often hold a charge for half an hour or so right after you take it off the power. That charge will dissipate overnight, but it's enough to start the engine a few times. Batteries are trivially easy to install (usually take off a cover/lift up the seat/otherwise expose the battery, disconnect the two wires, pull out battery, put in a new one, reattach wires, close seat/cover) and cost $50-$80. A standard battery comes "dry", meaning empty, and you have to fill it with acid yourself (the acid is included) but that's the most complex part of the whole situation.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 10:58
|
|
|
Agreed. This is nothing to get worried about. If you're parked on a hill, you could always bump-start the bike (Bike on, hop in, put in second gear, clutch in, start rolling down the hill, and when you get going kinda fast, pop the clutch).
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 11:41
|
|
|
Thanks. It really surprised me as I was all psyched up to get a bit more familiar with the bike before I rode it into the shop tomorrow. Mostly, I was concerned I just wasn't starting the bike up correctly, but I'm confident we can rule that out. In regards to push starting, I have really steep hills nearby but the bike is so drat heavy, I couldn't push them up very far. It'd also have to leave it at the bottom of the hill if the trick failed. In any case, I'm wondering if I left anything on overnight that might have drained it. There wasn't any blinking turn signals when I first turned on the bike. However, I don't have a switch that turns off the headlights, just one that changes high and low beams. That aside, I always turn the Ignition off and take the key out - can the battery still be drained by stuff like that even with the Ignition off?
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 12:04
|
|
|
Don't worry about your headlight. It went off when you turned off the bike. Some bikes have a 'P' setting a little bit beyond off -- this keeps the tail light running (ostensibly so you can park the bike with marker lights illuminated, but I've never run into a situation where that's useful). It's possible you left it in that mode, but unlikely that just the tail light would have drained a good battery overnight. Don't worry about bump starting it (although try it once when you get the bike running, so you know how to do it in case you ever get stranded). Jump start it off of a car battery if you want, or just go ahead and get a new battery. If there's a Batteries Plus near you, call them first.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 12:37
|
|
|
Lothire posted:Thanks. It really surprised me as I was all psyched up to get a bit more familiar with the bike before I rode it into the shop tomorrow. Mostly, I was concerned I just wasn't starting the bike up correctly, but I'm confident we can rule that out. In regards to push starting, I have really steep hills nearby but the bike is so drat heavy, I couldn't push them up very far. It'd also have to leave it at the bottom of the hill if the trick failed. Starting from cold in winter, use full choke and no throttle unless the manual tells you otherwise, then reduce choke gradually as necessary until it is warm enough to idle correctly. If you did anything else you probably finished off the battery by repeatedly cranking it. One way or the other, probably just an old, dead battery.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 12:43
|
|
|
Lothire posted:The more I tried playing with things (basically just switching to reserve to make sure there was fuel as well as using the choke since hey, it's pretty drat cold out) Charge the battery, it might be fine. Sounds like you tried starting a cold engine in the cold with no choke and managed to drain the battery by trying to start it a few times. If it's cool out, use the choke. If charging the battery doesn't fix it then put in a new one.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 14:21
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:Don't worry about your headlight. It went off when you turned off the bike. If you jump it off a car battery, make sure the car is not running.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 16:24
|
|
|
americanzero4128 posted:If you jump it off a car battery, make sure the car is not running. +1 ^^^ Jumping from a running car can blow out your R/R. Don't do that. Your battery is not like a car battery that can run hazards and a radio for while without losing too much juice. Motorcycle batteries aren't great for supplying power without a running engine and charging system. Leaving your lights on and engine off can drain the bike's battery pretty quickly. Moreover, the starter motor is the biggest power hog on your bike. So it needs a pretty robust battery to fire up, and repeated use of the starter motor will swiftly deplete even a brand new battery. If cold weather or other problems inhibit your engine from starting, the multiple draws from the starter motor can crush the battery. This also happens when doing a lot of work on a bike, tuning etc. The repeated use of the starter to run the engine only at idle often strains the battery, requiring a recharge. Not to worry, though. Just pick up a trickle charger to freshen the battery when necessary.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 17:54
|
|
|
Also worth mentioning that unlike a car your motorcycle alternator isn't going to be doing much if any charging at idle. Getting it started and letting it idle for a while to "charge" will just kill your battery.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 18:59
|
|
|
NitroSpazzz posted:Also worth mentioning that unlike a car your motorcycle alternator isn't going to be doing much if any charging at idle. Getting it started and letting it idle for a while to "charge" will just kill your battery. Good catch. I meant to say just that in the context of working on bike/starting/idling in the garage. Basically, be stingy as gently caress with your electrical power. Ride more. Idle less.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2012 19:17
|
|
|
I ordered a new fender and chin scoop for my motorcycle and they came with a black gel coat, ready to sand and paint. When it arrived the gel coat was so well done that I just put it on. Now, my question is, is it possible to clean it up a bit without painting it? Say, run a clay bar over it and put a coat of wax on it? It wouldn't have a perfect showroom quality to it but it's been a pain in the rear end trying to find someone to paint them around here.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2012 00:32
|
|
|
Tamir Lenk posted:Basically, be stingy as gently caress with your electrical power. Ride more. Idle less. Sounds like a trickle charger is going to be a useful thing to have, will have to pick one up. I appreciate all the info about the starter/choke, things are fairly cold out here in the pacific northwest but not freezing yet. I'm eager to get on the bike and really dedicate to it. As I said, it's my first bike so I'm going to be learning a lot flopping around local roads and parking lots. Hopefully such regular activity will keep the bike well during these cold days.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2012 01:36
|
|
|
Tyorik posted:I ordered a new fender and chin scoop for my motorcycle and they came with a black gel coat, ready to sand and paint. When it arrived the gel coat was so well done that I just put it on. Now, my question is, is it possible to clean it up a bit without painting it? Say, run a clay bar over it and put a coat of wax on it? It wouldn't have a perfect showroom quality to it but it's been a pain in the rear end trying to find someone to paint them around here. Is the gel-coat gloss black? If so running it as-is shouldn't be a problem. Take some swirl removing rubbing compound to it to smooth out any small imperfections then wax it. Worst thing that could happen is it starts to oxidize/fade in a couple years and you have to get it painted.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2012 16:38
|
|
|
I seem to have a very slight coolant leak from the inlet hose to my radiator - strangely it doesn't seem to happen when it's running (or is happening so slowly as to not be noticeable), only when it's stopped and cold - possibly it's a problem with expansion. Anyway I've tracked down the source - cellphone pic thumbnailed for unnecessary hugeness:  That metal bit at the top seems to be one of the reinforcing braids for the hose. No idea how it managed to push through like that but the leak does seem to be coming from under there. My first instinct is to throw a jubilee clip on it upstream of the existing clip and have done with it, but I'm worried if the rubber there is already perishing (bike is three and a half years old) that there may be weaknesses elsewhere, but replacing the whole hose looks like it'll be a massive pain in the dick and not something I fancy doing in the middle of winter. Is it a stitch in time thing? I'm guessing there's very little chance of the hose failing catastrophically, so as I'm not planning any long trips until spring I feel like I can stand to bodge it for now and then deal with it if it breaks. with no more effort expended than if I'd done it now.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 16:13
|
|
|
Is there any extra length in the hose? I would try removing the clamp that is on there, pull off the hose, clean everything up and put the hose back on, sliding it up a little farther than it is now. Then just hose clamp it (jubilee clamp? I never knew they were called that until now). But use a quality one not one that looks like a cheese grater. At 3.5 years that hose shouldn't be terribly deteriorated. obso fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Dec 8, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 17:54
|
|
|
obso posted:Is there any extra length in the hose? I would try removing the clamp that is on there, pull off the hose, clean everything up and put the hose back on, sliding it up a little farther than it is now. Then just hose clamp it (jubilee clamp? I never knew they were called that until now). But use a quality one not one that looks like a cheese grater. There's not really any slack, no - however on closer examination I suspect the original clamp wasn't quite put on in the right place. The pipe it clamps to has a 30 degree or so bend (almost directly away from the camera in that pic) and the clamp is very slightly overlapping the beginning of that bend, meaning it's really only actually holding the hose tight over about half it's length. I'll just replace that clamp with a new, wider one a little bit up and it should be right. And I'd never really thought about the name jubilee clip until today (it doesn't really make any sense as a descriptive term) and apparently it's a genericised trademark for yet another thing the British gave the world, so there you go.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 18:50
|
|
|
For all those interested, it was indeed just a drained battery. I'll be snagging a tender over amazon as I'm sure it'll happen throughout my ownership. New tires was all that was required, everything else checked out. Good shop, very friendly, probably a bit expensive on the tires but they gave me a discount so I'll be using them for now. Now for a question: keeping the battery charged by riding, the guy said if you take it out every week or two and ride above 3krpms, the battery should stay well charged. Would an hour of joy riding local roads do that well enough?
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 03:38
|
|
|
Yep. For the last month or so my bike has only really got a 5km commute to and from work and prior to that I did accidentally run the battery flat (left the headlight on and the keys in it) and it is perfect.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 04:33
|
|
|
Lothire posted:For all those interested, it was indeed just a drained battery. I'll be snagging a tender over amazon as I'm sure it'll happen throughout my ownership. New tires was all that was required, everything else checked out. Good shop, very friendly, probably a bit expensive on the tires but they gave me a discount so I'll be using them for now. About 15 minutes should be enough to keep it well charged. The big issue is when people just turn the bike on and let it idle for 10 minutes or something, which is generally a terrible idea on a motorcycle.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 04:42
|
|
|
If you're overly concerned about it you can get a battery health indicator as discussed here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3098443&pagenumber=161&perpage=40#post409730933 Pubic Lair posted:I was intrigued and googled around
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 17:23
|
|
|
So I will be rebuilding my front calipers on my VFR pretty soon. I have rebuilt brakes before but I was wondering if anybody had some tips on really getting that gunk out. Last time I used some super fine steel wool and a toothbrush but I want to hear if anybody else has any better methods or tips.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 19:17
|
|
|
Copious amounts of brake cleaner is where I'd start...but most of the time when I've been rebuilding brakes its dirty but most of the stuff lifts out with minimal work.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 19:26
|
|
|
I don't use brake cleaner or anything else due to paranoia about it getting in places (and on parts) it shouldn't be. If I need to lube anything to help free it up I just use brake fluid itself, being sure to keep it well clear of rotors and pads. I use fine steel wool pads and a drill or dremel (whichever is closer at the moment) to make short work of any seriously caked on road crap/brake dust. Wrapping a drill or rotor bit in the pad and then running it as something of a grinding wheel. If you're using chemical cleaners this isn't necessary, but it's a nice alternative if you're like me and don't want to use chemical cleaners OR spend a ton of time using ol fashion elbow grease. :edit: I missed that this wasn't your first time... oh well leaving this here for anybody considering doing this for the first time. Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNz00OTRLzM It's pretty detailed and makes the first time approaching this chore much less intimidating. As well as covers all the general 'while you're in there' stuff. Also go get a big ol bag of those stupid clips that hold the retaining pins in place. They're technically supposed to be replaced every single time they're pulled, and while that's not 100% necessary it's a pretty good idea to do it. Halo_4am fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Dec 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 20:05
|
|
|
Z3n posted:About 15 minutes should be enough to keep it well charged. The big issue is when people just turn the bike on and let it idle for 10 minutes or something, which is generally a terrible idea on a motorcycle. So, more battery chat. Since the Aprilia's rotax motor is famous for killing batteries and then other things (or other things killing the battery, YMMV) and my bike also has an alarm system, I put a new, larger-capacity YTX14 in it a little over a year ago. It also gets put on a trickle charger whenever it's at home and not being ridden. I was resetting some of the clock functions tonight, as I recently experienced a problem with a cheap, lovely Chinese LED taillight that stranded me by blowing a critical dash fuse whenever you hit the front brake. The dash's OBD functions are showing battery voltage of 11.7 volts, with ignition/lights on and the trickle charger plugged in. Surely that should be over 12? Or am I missing something? It's not exactly an old battery and the bike never does a trip less than 20 miles.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 20:10
|
|
|
It should be over 12 with no load. 11.7 seems about right with the bike on...headlights etc drain a good amount of power and most trickle chargers wont do anything against that sort of load.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 20:16
|
|
|
Z3n posted:It should be over 12 with no load. 11.7 seems about right with the bike on...headlights etc drain a good amount of power and most trickle chargers wont do anything against that sort of load. Hmm, yeah, I guess that makes sense. It is a trickle charger after all. I guess I will just keep an eye on it over winter and see how it goes.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 21:09
|
|
|
It's winter, I live in Japan, and I'm supposedly taking ownership of a motorcycle next week. I've been thinking about getting an ETC (electronic debit) for the expressway tolls, but it's a bit of a PITA and requires a $500 deposit. The bike in question also lacks a cigarette lighter to plug the reader into; the current owner said my options were either to fit the bike with a rectifier or rig a battery with a toggle switch onto the reader and flip it on before I get to the toll gate. I'm not against either of those (how involved is installing a rectifier?), but in the meantime I'll be paying cash. Anyone have any tips/tricks for doing that while wearing gloves?
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 13:52
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:It's winter, I live in Japan, and I'm supposedly taking ownership of a motorcycle next week. I've been thinking about getting an ETC (electronic debit) for the expressway tolls, but it's a bit of a PITA and requires a $500 deposit. The bike in question also lacks a cigarette lighter to plug the reader into; the current owner said my options were either to fit the bike with a rectifier or rig a battery with a toggle switch onto the reader and flip it on before I get to the toll gate. I'm not against either of those (how involved is installing a rectifier?), but in the meantime I'll be paying cash. Anyone have any tips/tricks for doing that while wearing gloves? Why would you need a rectifier? Get something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Waterproof-Cigarette-Lighter-Socket-Charger/dp/B005LURIM2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355144384&sr=8-1 Then the only pain is working out how to route the cable/where to install the socket (zip-tied to a fork leg is quite popular, obviously ensuring it's not in the pinch between fork and frame)
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 14:02
|
|
|
goddamnedtwisto posted:Why would you need a rectifier? Get something like this: That's what the guy said, and he generally knows his poo poo pretty well. Bike is a '96 Honda XLR250R Baja, if that makes any difference (not a lot of English-language material on it).
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 14:10
|
|
|
Broke 20,000 miles some time last week: time for a valve clearance check. Anyone done it on a FZ6 before? How difficult is it? I've never done it before, but I've been able to do all other types of maintenance so far.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 16:29
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:That's what the guy said, and he generally knows his poo poo pretty well. Bike is a '96 Honda XLR250R Baja, if that makes any difference (not a lot of English-language material on it). You *might* - just might - need an upgraded alternator and reg/rec as a little 250 won't have the beefiest battery and electrical system in the world, but unless this thing is sucking down an amp or two of power I really can't see it. Maybe, as they're relatively rare on motorbikes, he just thinks lighter sockets are some strange voodoo?
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 18:20
|
|
|
Pope Mobile posted:Broke 20,000 miles some time last week: time for a valve clearance check. Anyone done it on a FZ6 before? How difficult is it? I've never done it before, but I've been able to do all other types of maintenance so far. Take some pics and notes if you do, I'll be looking at the same thing in a year. I was thinking that I wouldn't have much routine maintenance this winter cause I'd thought that I'd barely ridden this year, but I found a video from when I first got my gopro in March and I've done over 5000 miles since then. If I rode as much as I'd liked that'd be closer to 15 I guess. edit: Are you sure it's up to be done or are you doing it early? I feel like I remember seeing the interval being like 25k miles. nsaP fucked around with this message at 18:24 on Dec 10, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 18:22
|
|
|
I'll look at the manual when I get home, but I could've sworn it was at 20,000. I might just be mixing it up with the 20,000 maintentance and the 25,000 valve check, though.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 18:58
|
|
|
I had my valves checked by a shop last week and they walked me through the whole process. If you have a garage and proper bike stand, it's pretty easy to do. Take the cover off and line up the valves (shop manual will tell you how to line them up) then measure the clearance of each. If it's out of spec you pull out the valve and replace the shim (must be same diameter, the thickness will vary based off desired clearance).
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 22:32
|
|
|
While we're on the topic: I've never had a bike with valves that required shims; they've always been adjustable. Are there crazy advantages to a shim setup over adjusters, or is it a matter of manufacturing cost?
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 00:16
|
|
|
The joys of bike ownership. My back brake light is stuck on. Doing some general searching has done nothing but confuse the hell out of me. Supposedly there's a nut I can adjust somewhere that will do something? 2002 Honda Shadow 750 Spirit. Just got back from the shop yesterday. Ugh. \/ It all looks to be in order to me. The brakes work fine, nothing too tight as to slow wheel rotation. Lothire fucked around with this message at 01:06 on Dec 11, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 00:45
|
|
|
Check the switches at both brake levers so they're not stuck. Also check the return spring on the rear brake lever so it lifts the pedal all the way up and isn't hanging on the switch.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 00:50
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 13:24 |
|
|
Geirskogul posted:While we're on the topic: I've never had a bike with valves that required shims; they've always been adjustable. Are there crazy advantages to a shim setup over adjusters, or is it a matter of manufacturing cost? In the order of valve actuators, you've got rocker arms, then shim over bucket, and then shim under bucket. I'm pretty sure rocker arms are only really good up until around 9k RPM, so for older bikes that was plenty sufficient. The older T595 triumph engines were shim over bucket and they would eject shims at around 12-13k with race built engines so people would convert them to shim under bucket to prevent that from happening. The shim under bucket type are also superior in terms of maintenance time and wear, so a big part of that choice was to increase maintenance intervals. There's also desmodromic which is just, yaknow, the devil's way.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 01:06
|
|