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I really need to take a beginners mechanics or somesuch course, I hate not knowing/understanding things. I change my own oil and pads, and such, but I want to break into the level above that. So while the bike is sitting, should I be taking my battery off the tender, slapping it into the bike, and starting 'er up once a week/month/etc, just to move the fluids?
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Jan 18, 2013 18:38
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epalm posted:I really need to take a beginners mechanics or somesuch course, I hate not knowing/understanding things. I change my own oil and pads, and such, but I want to break into the level above that. Yes, you should start it as much as possible while in winter storage.
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Jan 18, 2013 18:41
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JP Money posted:Thank god! I was really hoping I'd specifically win you over with my argument Lol and again you misread me. I only spoke to my motivations for giving advice, not yours. Christ you're dim dude.
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Jan 18, 2013 18:41
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Get over yourself. I obviously never made a statement indicating I wish people harm. We can go back to helping people now and leave the pedantry alone.
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epalm posted:I really need to take a beginners mechanics or somesuch course, I hate not knowing/understanding things. I change my own oil and pads, and such, but I want to break into the level above that. Not really. Starting the bike but not letting it get up to operating temperature means you collect impurities in the oil. Rather, you should put some stabil in the tank, ride it to the gas station, top it off, and then put it in storage. If you can pull it out for a reasonable length ride (20 minutes or more) during the winter, definitely do that, followed by adding stabil and topping off the tank, but just letting it idle for 5-20 minutes won't really do anything good for it.
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Jan 18, 2013 18:46
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Z3n posted:Not really. Starting the bike but not letting it get up to operating temperature means you collect impurities in the oil. Rather, you should put some stabil in the tank, ride it to the gas station, top it off, and then put it in storage. If you can pull it out for a reasonable length ride (20 minutes or more) during the winter, definitely do that, followed by adding stabil and topping off the tank, but just letting it idle for 5-20 minutes won't really do anything good for it. That's not true. If it has carburetors old fuel will be the bane of your existence come spring. Impurities in the oil don't really matter because you should be changing it anyway. But yes, a 20 minute ride is better than letting it idle for 20 minutes.
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Jan 18, 2013 18:55
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epalm posted:Here's a video of my vstrom trying to start up... It might just be the old ethanol gas. Did you put any fuel stabilizer in it before it sat? front wing flexing posted:That's not true. If it has carburetors old fuel will be the bane of your existence come spring. Impurities in the oil don't really matter because you should be changing it anyway. But yes, a 20 minute ride is better than letting it idle for 20 minutes. The biggest reason I run up to operating temp before I shut it down is to avoid accumulating moisture in the engine. Once its up to temp, moisture boils off and gets re-breathed with charge (or vented). The nasty baby poop emulsion all over my primary case the first time I changed the fluid out was absolutely gagworthy. clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 18:59 on Jan 18, 2013 |
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Jan 18, 2013 18:55
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front wing flexing posted:Impurities in the oil don't really matter because you should be changing it anyway. Synthetic oil won't go bad from just sitting in the bike over the winter.
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Jan 18, 2013 19:02
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Z3n posted:you should put some stabil in the tank, ride it to the gas station, top it off, and then put it in storage clutchpuck posted:Did you put any fuel stabilizer in it before it sat? Did that before it sat. front wing flexing posted:If it has carburetors It doesn't. High Protein posted:Synthetic oil won't go bad from just sitting in the bike over the winter. I changed the oil before it sat, used synthetic oil.
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Jan 18, 2013 19:38
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^^^^^ ^Stabilizer helps prevent clogging of carbs and stuff, but doesn't stop the gas from degenerating in terms of age, so fresh gas and some seafoam and it should clean up pretty quick. When I have to deal with a bike that has old gas in it, I siphon out most of it, dump it into the car, and top it off with fresh stuff. That usually cleans them up pretty quick. front wing flexing posted:That's not true. If it has carburetors old fuel will be the bane of your existence come spring. Impurities in the oil don't really matter because you should be changing it anyway. But yes, a 20 minute ride is better than letting it idle for 20 minutes. VStroms are FI, and honestly, to get everything running well you need to run it through the gears and really get the oil pressure up and going. Bikes don't really run well at idle in the grand scheme of things, not enough oil pressure, not enough RPM for the charging system to work well, suspension doesn't get moved through it's stroke, etc. If you properly stabilize the fuel, keep it topped off, and keep it on a tender, it can easily sit for 4 months without any negative effects.
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Jan 18, 2013 19:47
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front wing flexing posted:Yes, you should start it as much as possible while in winter storage. You have a lot of opinions that are wrong.
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Jan 18, 2013 21:07
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Hey folks, I have a question that's been weighing on my mind recently. I'm a few weeks out from moving cross country, and I'm faced with the unfortunate fact that I need to sell my bike. Things have been pretty tough financially this year, and between that and other complications the bike has been sitting covered in my parking structure since this past April. As a result it'll no longer start. I'm at a point where I don't have the time or the know-how to get it running as I prepare for this move, and as much as I'd love to, I can't take it with me. I'm trying to get rid of it on Craigslist, but I'm not sure what the bike is worth in it's current state.    I got it used in Sept. of 2010 at about $1350 with it working a-ok and ballpark 25k on the odo. My inclination was to try to move it quickly for $300 or $400 given it's not running, but I'm really not sure if that's asking too much, or if I'm fleecing myself by asking that price. I'd really appreciate any advice you folks could give. Thank you in advance!
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Jan 18, 2013 23:14
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There's a good chance that with fresh gas and a charged/new battery it'll go. You can off it non-running for cheap but there are a few easy things you can do to try to get it running and it'll be worth way more. Otherwise someone else is just going to do them.
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Jan 18, 2013 23:24
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nsaP posted:There's a good chance that with fresh gas and a charged/new battery it'll go. You can off it non-running for cheap but there are a few easy things you can do to try to get it running and it'll be worth way more. It's almost certainly just a buggered battery, things don't just randomly gently caress out by sitting around (unless they're french). Just shill out $80 or however much it costs in your area for a new battery, put a few liters of new gas in and it'll fire up.
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Jan 18, 2013 23:30
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nsaP posted:There's a good chance that with fresh gas and a charged/new battery it'll go. You can off it non-running for cheap but there are a few easy things you can do to try to get it running and it'll be worth way more. For what it's worth I threw fresh gas in the tank and gave the battery a proper jump from my car a few weeks back. It went from not firing at all when I hit the starter to trying and failing to turn over. The next thing I was going to try was adding more oil because the dipstick seemed low, but then distractions related to the holidays kept me from following through. Now with my finances what they are and this move on the horizon, I'm pretty reluctant to put any more money into it in hopes of getting it going again, so selling cheap is sort of what I'm leaning towards. I'm just not sure how cheap cheap should be. Thank you, though!
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Jan 18, 2013 23:38
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With a totally dead battery, jumping doesn't work because the dead battery seems to suck away all the current from both the jumping vehicle and the bike's alternator. Seriously try a new battery, you'll make much more on it if it's running. Or give it to me for 20 bucks I guess.
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Jan 18, 2013 23:42
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Buy a $35 battery tender, charge it up, make it run, and include the tender with the sale. The difference you'll get between a non-runner and a runner will more than pay for the tender.
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Jan 18, 2013 23:57
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Where are you located?
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Jan 19, 2013 00:39
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Colorado front range, at least for the next couple weeks.
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Jan 19, 2013 01:20
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High Protein posted:Synthetic oil won't go bad from just sitting in the bike over the winter. Oil doesn't just go bad, but depending on your climate and storage situation you could wind up with the crankcase collecting moisture over the winter.
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Jan 19, 2013 02:35
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republic posted:For what it's worth I threw fresh gas in the tank and gave the battery a proper jump from my car a few weeks back. It went from not firing at all when I hit the starter to trying and failing to turn over. How long has it been sitting? It could just be a bunch of goo in the carbs. You could try to get it fired up with starting fluid...if the goo isn't too bad, once it starts pulling gas through it'll dissolve it. Even a shaky running bike is worth more than a non-starter, and you can blame any issues on "well it just needs the carbs cleaned" like every craigslist bike seller ever.
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Jan 19, 2013 02:46
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republic posted:Colorado front range, at least for the next couple weeks. Aww, was hopinh you'd be in the bay. Need a light, small displacement cruiser for a family around town bike  I'd throw it up for a grand with the story and see what happens.
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Jan 19, 2013 03:14
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CA really wants you to fix your bike, man 
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Jan 19, 2013 03:31
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EDIT 4: Figured out the questions on my own: apparently it's best not to drain a gas tank some weeks prior to taking apart the bike, since the gas provides some protection for the seals and such. So I'll drain the tank just prior to pulling it off to put on new petcock and pulling the carbs. For my other question, my bike wasn't rolling even with the clutch in because when a parallel parker knocked it over some weeks back it fell highside and pressed the brake lever beneath the engine cover, so the rear brake was partially engaged even when I wasn't stepping on the pedal. I unbent it slightly and it works fine now. Apparently it's a known danger in the EX500 that the right fall will punch the brake pedal straight through the engine cover, so guess I got lucky. This is why I'm sticking with turning an old Kawasaki into a streetfighter/hooligan bike: given where I live it's going to turn into a streetfighter eventually anyway. I'm prioritising stripping off the most breakable bits and getting it lean. This is also why I probably shouldn't buy a Ducati while living in a densely-populated area. TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 17:32 on Jan 20, 2013 |
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Jan 19, 2013 21:20
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Hey guys, just got my bike back from the mechanic yesterday after getting a new cam chain put in as the old one was poo poo. I noticed from the word go that the clutch grip point felt a little bit funny, but it was just as if the cable had been readjusted when they put it back in - I know they had to take the clutch out of my bike to replace the cam chain. I noticed last night when I got home that when coming to a stop the revs took a few seconds to get back to idle range, it slowly went down from whatever RPM I had been at back to idle - about 5 or so seconds all up. This was with the clutch in and when I put the bike into Neutral. This afternoon I headed to the pub to catch up with some mates and the same RPM thing happened, however I also noticed that I had to forcefully move the gear lever from 1st gear to Neutral - usually it will just 'roll' over and 'slip' into Neutral - this is the same as any bike I've ever ridden. (The roll/slip, not the forcefull movement). Should also note that prior to taking it to the mechanic in the first place the RPM dropped back to idle instantly, just like any other bike I've ridden. I thought this was odd and tested it out when I left the pub and it seemed to act normal initially. However, I went around my brothers house to drop some stuff off and I got the same issue of the having to force the bike from 1st to Neutral, and the RPM moving slowly. I found this time that in order to put the bike into Neutral I had to let the clutch out, roll forward a little under power and then it went in as normal (easily). Again, I thought it was odd but I attributed it to just being new parts on the bike/me wierding out and looking for an issue, but I took it easy anyway. (I don't really have a choice, it's my only form of transportation and my next destination was only 15km or so away). Skip ahead to near my next destination and I'm stopped at traffic lights and the bike stalls out - I restart it 3 times with the same result and the last time I hold the revs at about 4k RPM and just hold it there and get through the lights, then pull over on the side of the road. I looked behind me and saw smoke/steam or something, then looked down and saw it jetting out under the fairing on the left hand side slightly in front of the clutch case (I believe that's what it is, the front sprocket is under that cover, the gears are listed on it, etc.) Anyway, I decided that was enough and shut the bike down and hopped off, ditched the helmet, put the bike on its centre stand and flicked it on again to have a close look at what was going on. I couldn't see anything wrong and it seemed to be running fine from there. Gave Dad a call and asked him to come pick it up. Would any of you be able to shed some light on what the issue may be? The bike is a Kawasaki ZZR-250 (1990 model). I'll be giving the mechanics that worked on it a call in the morning and getting them to have a look, but I'd like to know what a likely cause/issue may be and if it's something they may have caused. I know 100% for a fact that there were none of these issues before I had them replace the cam chain. Thanks guys. Shimrod fucked around with this message at 11:24 on Jan 20, 2013 |
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Jan 20, 2013 11:05
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I would adjust the clutch cable straight away. Sounds like it's not adjusted properly and not disengaging the gear all the way.
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Jan 20, 2013 17:55
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Tool question: Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably-priced tachometer? I made a complete rookie mistake when I gave my carb a much-needed deep cleaning and now need to do an idle-drop procedure to set my carb screw correctly. The only tachometers I can seem to find are either the HF automotive multi-tester(which wouldn't even register the ignition signals from my truck reliably), and these crazy-rear end $300+ units that are squarely in the "professional tools for high-dollar sports car mechanics" category.
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Jan 20, 2013 22:15
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Amazon has a zillion different kinds of optical tachometer for like 15-20 dollars; then you just need to find something spinning at the crankshaft rate (or some multiple thereof) that you can put a mark on. What bike are you working on?
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Jan 20, 2013 22:21
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Just don't buy this one. It's entirely inaccurate, and the scan-rate is uselessly low anyway. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Z32OHW/
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Jan 20, 2013 23:02
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Kilersquirrel posted:I made a complete rookie mistake when I gave my carb a much-needed deep cleaning and now need to do an idle-drop procedure to set my carb screw correctly. For the benefit of your fellow rookies, what exactly was this rookie mistake and how should the rest of us avoid it?
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Jan 20, 2013 23:19
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Sagebrush posted:What bike are you working on? '99 Shadow Deluxe VLX(VT600CD). Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, I'd seen opticals but they were all HF stuff and didn't trust them. My rookie mistake? Forgot to count how many turns and fractions of a turn the screw was out before disassembling the carb to squirt carb cleaner through all the passages and scrub it with cotton swabs after gunk broke loose somewhere inside the fuel system and lodged in some passages. My particular carb's adjustment screw controls air flow into/through the carb rather than controlling the fuel flow directly, and tuning it means setting the screw at 3 turns from bottom, getting the engine up to temp, bringing the throttle stop to almost zero(I presume, the FSM isn't 100% clear there), then adjusting the RPMs around via the carb screw, turning it back out 3/4, readjusting using the throttle stop to a certain 50 rpm range, and a few more steps before finally backing it out around a full turn's worth. All of this means I absolutely need a decent tach to do things right, and unfortunately can't just use my nose/compare fuel mileage over a few adjustments to find the sweet spot. E: \/\/ Ding ding ding! I realized what I had done about a second after I removed it and instantly felt retarded.
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Jan 21, 2013 07:04
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Probably didn't count the number of turns for the pilot circuit before removing the air/fuel screw.
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Jan 21, 2013 07:04
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In my defense, I was working full-time on an extremely high-volume help desk and taking several 3000-level science courses simultaneously, so my stress level was somewhat high and my available time and spare brainpower were extremely low. And republic, I would buy the poo poo out of your bike if you were in a 3-hour radius of the DFW area. I love Hondas and in particular those wheels, i had them on my old '85(but with black paint inlay up the center of each spoke) and they are 1000% cooler than the bicycle spokes i have on my current ride. Not to mention they help drop your center of gravity nicely and are way easier to keep clean what with the dust here. If you're relocating to north central Texas by some chance, say so.
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Jan 21, 2013 07:31
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Maybe this will peg me as a new rider (only a couple bikes and a couple years of experience), but, aside from high-performance situations (racing), what is the motivation for separating front and rear braking? Everyone says and everyone knows, the front has ~80% of your braking power, the rear has more like ~20%. Why not have one brake lever than distributes braking power to the wheels in that ratio? I guess I can start to answer my own question by saying I've been in situations where I know I don't even want to touch the rear brake at all. Is that it?
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Jan 22, 2013 03:10
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epalm posted:Why not have one brake lever than distributes braking power to the wheels in that ratio? It's not unheard of.
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Jan 22, 2013 03:29
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I use just the rear a lot: - adjusting speed on the highway by small amount - descending a hill with loose traction (in gear) - dragging around parking lots to stay stable - wicked fishtails
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Jan 22, 2013 03:29
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I personally would never want both brakes connected, I use my rear at times I wouldn't want to touch the front (fairly often actually). Slow turns, inclines, parking lots etc.
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Jan 22, 2013 03:38
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Yeah, I tend to use just the rear if it's a low-traction situation (eg. it's just started raining and all the oil comes out of the road) and I have plenty of room to stop. If a wheel is going to break loose I'd much rather have it be the rear than the front. On the other hand, in most everyday riding I just use the front, and have no real need for the rear. Makes it easier to hold on hills I guess? Just don't really see the reason for linked brakes unless you have a physical problem that prevents you from coordinating your hand and foot. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Jan 22, 2013 |
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Jan 22, 2013 03:44
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epalm posted:Maybe this will peg me as a new rider (only a couple bikes and a couple years of experience), but, aside from high-performance situations (racing), what is the motivation for separating front and rear braking? Everyone says and everyone knows, the front has ~80% of your braking power, the rear has more like ~20%. Why not have one brake lever than distributes braking power to the wheels in that ratio? Simplicity, ease of production, 'it's always been that way', and people being accustomed to it are all pretty compelling reasons for sticking with something that's cheaper and simpler than the alternative.
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Jan 22, 2013 03:52
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I was hoping you guys would be able to help me out, Ninja250.org and google have failed me. Last week I got the cam chain on my ZZR250 replaced, it came back with a few problems that I described in an earlier post over the weekend and one of the issues the shop said were present was the stator cover gasket was leaking which was why I saw a heap of smoke/steam (they believe it dripped on the exhaust and hence the smoke). My issue with this is that I'm positive that I saw the stator cover taken off the bike when it was in their workshop last week and I've never seen and smoke pouring out of my bike. Ever. They're saying that the cover wasn't touched and they would have put a new gasket on if they had taken it off. Would you guys be able to tell me if the stator cover needs to come off any any stage to redo the cam chain in a ZZR250? Usually I'd trust them but when I had a look at the bike in their storage area there were a few parts off it and the stator cover side of the bike was the only ones I could get a look at and I'm positive it was off. Thanks.
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Jan 22, 2013 04:46
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Honestly, I would just sever and take it to a different shop. Don't know about what's involved with that particular job, but if you feel like they're loving you over, why give them more money?
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Jan 22, 2013 05:20
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