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http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/mcy/3500720338.html  What are the pros/cons of owning a H-D of this age (obv the seller doesn't list mileage) and what are the key things to look for if checking one out to buy?
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Dec 26, 2012 05:12
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That pavement looks strikingly clean for being beneath a shovel.
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Dec 26, 2012 14:00
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Back around Thanksgiving I replaced the 2-2 short pipes with a 2-1 setup on my carbed 2006 Sportster 883. (post) I figured some readjusting would need to be done with the new pipes, but have had zero time over the holidays and the bike runs just fine for the limited amount of time I've been able to ride it. The only thing I've noticed is that the already mediocre range on my ~2.5gal tank dropped noticeably, enough that I had to switch to reserve a couple of times which hadn't happened since the first week I got the bike. There are two good Harley shops within a stone's throw of my house who would probably readjust and tune for a few hundred bucks, but when I got the bike I told myself I was going to learn how to do everything myself. So: what stuff do I need to check/do in what order? I'm guessing it's running way too rich? Keep in mind, I've never worked on a bike before so while I am familiar with a carb and it's function, I start getting lost with terms such as rejet/shim level/needle type etc. I need some basic idiot instructions to get started  I'm already planning to pick up a good manual, and have plenty of tools. Thanks guys.
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Jan 3, 2013 15:52
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To rejet your carb, you are going to want to familiarize yourself with how to read spark plugs. They will tell you if the bike is running lean or rich. My assumption is that you are running the stock carb with stock needle, etc. What I would do in that case is try to find online someone that is running your same exhaust/air cleaner on that bike to see what size jets they are using. That will most likely save you a lot of time testing. That's not to say that all bikes are identical so you might still have to tweek some. You have a pilot jet and a main jet in your carb. You are most likely going to have to change both of these unless someone has previously rejetted the carb. A good site for jets and other carb parts is http://www.cv-performance.com/. Reading other sites about rejetting will give you more in-depth instruction but the short version is that you will check your plugs, see if they are lean or rich. Assuming they are lean, you will up the size of your jets so you are pushing more fuel to the mixture. If they are rich, you'll go to smaller jets to decrease the amount of fuel to the mixture. Once you've changed out jets and adjusted the mixture screw to get the idle correct, you'll check the plugs after riding, rinse and repeat until you get it dialed. This is a pretty blind method and the best method is taking it to someone that can dyno tune it as they can look at the actual air/fuel ratio and make adjustments. That costs more money though. If you're patient and stick with it, you can get a bike dialed in pretty close by just reading the plugs
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Jan 9, 2013 06:47
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Here's one of the best carb jet howto's I've seen. Complete with diagrams and explanations as to why it all works and why adjustments change things around for you. If you've never messed around with this stuff before it's well worth watching. http://youtu.be/y836ZPjvoMI
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Jan 9, 2013 17:44
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I put some cheap fork boots on my sportster. Next step is a nacelle kit and I want to find some sort of retro taillight.
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Jan 31, 2013 08:05
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I finished up the nacelle fork boot combo. Before   After  
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Feb 4, 2013 20:23
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I think the fork boots look a little too big and even if they fit a little silly.
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Feb 5, 2013 02:53
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I wanted to set my vstar up with boots like that but sold it before I got to it. Looks cool. Maybe I'll do the DT just to receive disapproval from n8r.
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Feb 5, 2013 03:00
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I get what he's saying, it's not that fork boots there look bad, it's that -those- fork boots look like they were intended for much longer forks
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Feb 5, 2013 03:03
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Snowdens Secret posted:I get what he's saying, it's not that fork boots there look bad, it's that -those- fork boots look like they were intended for much longer forks Agreed, they are shock boots and eyeballing them when I installed them didn't take into account the compression from the bikes weight. The nacelle caused me to push the tops down some which bunched them even more. I need to trim off a few pleats which will be a pain but should be doable with the boots in place. I'm not complaining as they were only $6 on amazon and I knew there would be some extra work to get them to work but the boots harley sells are like $60 and too short for standard forks so either way requires some extra setup.
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Feb 5, 2013 04:03
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I went back in today and installed my cheap ebay crash bar and cut out 3 pleats. The boots look better but I think another pleat should come out. I just wanted to take my time because it I cut them too short I have to take off the nacelle and forks all over again. 
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Feb 5, 2013 17:49
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I like the nacelle. I think if it and the fork sliders were powder coated black, it'd look awesome. Nice job!
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Feb 5, 2013 19:45
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Dear CAHOG, I recently replaced the stock pipes on my 2011 Nightster with Vance & Hines Short Shots (like everyone else in the world - see below), and now I'm afraid my bike might be too loud. It might just be because I'm so used to it being quiet. It looks and performs much better, but going through my neighborhood I feel a bit like an rear end in a top hat.  Please advise.
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Mar 12, 2013 21:36
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Strife posted:Please advise. Shift sooner.
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Mar 12, 2013 22:23
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Strife posted:Dear CAHOG, If they hate the sound of Freedom, that's their problem isn't it?   When I swapped out the 2-into-1 that was on my Duece when I bought it for some Bub Sidecutters (not me), and started the motor with them for the first time, I literally laughed out loud at how ridiculously loud it had become. I don't ever use my horn now when someone is pulling out into traffic, I just drop it into neutral and rev it a lil' That being expressed, I'm surprised that your bike performs better, unless you at least did Stage 1 type stuff to it as well. Those shorties rob backpressure
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Mar 12, 2013 22:34
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It doesnt perform better it just performs louder. Shift earlier.
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Mar 12, 2013 23:14
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Spiffness posted:It doesnt perform better it just performs louder. You say this as if there should be a distinction 
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Mar 12, 2013 23:18
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Schlieren posted:That being expressed, I'm surprised that your bike performs better, unless you at least did Stage 1 type stuff to it as well. Those shorties rob backpressure Honestly it probably doesn't perform better, I was likely just more excited about twisting the noise maker.
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Mar 13, 2013 01:18
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Alternatively, you could get or make some baffles. Might quiet them slightly. Otherwise, as others have said, chug it when you are leaving/returning home. Even as a Harley rider, i was annoyed as poo poo every time my neighbor came home and revved his bike about 17 times before he shut it off. Don't be that guy.
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Mar 13, 2013 16:27
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Scrapez posted:Alternatively, you could get or make some baffles. Might quiet them slightly. I live way up a hill so I kinda have to be loud on the way home (quiet on the way out), but my neighbors are all jerks and were all jerks before I had the bike so I don't feel particularly guilty... every once in a while I'll rev it like once in the garage before killing it, but that's just because it's hilariously loud. Need to clear out those pistons so it starts right up next time! You know, for performance. I wonder, is there a way maybe to make them a little quieter? I wouldn't mind losing a few DB. In my opinion, even with earplugs, constant exhaust noise can sometimes seem as fatiguing as the wind and all that.
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Mar 14, 2013 01:45
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Strife posted:Dear CAHOG, sell them and get a decent 2 into 1. the bike will perform better and it will be slightly quieter.
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Mar 14, 2013 02:28
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I actually have an idiot question. When I was bolting on the new pipes, I dropped one of the nuts and couldn't find it. Running the bike, it sounds like there's a rattle coming from the engine area, but I haven't been able to get anything out of it using a magnet. Is there any way that nut could wind up inside the crank case? Looking at the service manual, it doesn't really appear to have a way 'in' that would allow that nut to ruin something, but I'm not really sure where to begin to diagnose that rattle to put my mind at ease.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:12
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You didn't drop it into the exhaust port, right? You'd know in a hurry if you'd done that. Think of it this way, the crank case is full of oil. Did you open anything that had oil in it? There's a breather tube somewhere but it probably goes to the airbox and should be way too small to drop a nut down.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:14
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No, this was after the pipes were into the exhaust port with one nut bolting the flange onto the cylinder head. But no, I didn't open anything that had oil in it. I mentioned it to the guy at the dealership when I went to go buy some special HD-branded nuts, and he said "well hopefully you didn't drop it into the crank case!" which made me feel like my bike might explode if I ride it.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:17
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Put the bike on the stand and rev it up; see if the rattle appears at a certain engine speed. That would indicate it's something loose and vibrating in resonance, like maybe you didn't tighten something down or the new pipe vibrates on its hanger or something. If the rattle appears at all speeds, or only when you're going down the road, then yeah it's probably the missing nut. Check all the little nooks and crannies around the cooling fins and things...you'd be surprised the kind of places loose nuts will jam themselves given the chance. that's what she said e: well, that's a Harley guy for you, somehow believing that you can access the crankcase through the exhaust system
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Mar 14, 2013 20:18
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^^ That's what I intend to do. I've got to take everything off to ensure that it's all sufficiently loctite-ed anyway, and I mean to replace the aluminum exhaust gaskets, so if something's loose I'll surely uncover that along the way. Thanks for your help guys.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:34
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You're fine, if it got anywhere it might have found its way into a gap between the engine and frame. If it was that easy to get poo poo into an otherwise sealed engine then all my bikes would be full of bees and gravel.
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Mar 14, 2013 20:35
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Strife posted:^^ That's what I intend to do. I've got to take everything off to ensure that it's all sufficiently loctite-ed anyway, and I mean to replace the aluminum exhaust gaskets, so if something's loose I'll surely uncover that along the way. Maybe it's somewhere between the engine and oil filter?
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Mar 14, 2013 20:55
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High Protein posted:Maybe it's somewhere between the engine and oil filter? Yeah it's gotta be somewhere like this - I replaced the pipes on my 883 and I can't think of anywhere a bolt could have dropped down inside anything, unless it somehow bounced uphill into the actual exhaust port. All you had to really remove was the brake linkage rod and two-peice belt cover thing right (I'm still learning bike terminology )?Also, did you put in new exhaust port gaskets? I dunno what the Nightster uses but I'm assuming it's probably the same wire-mesh ones I had to install. If you forgot those and didn't cinch down the headers tightly enough, that might cause rattling? Finally, if the Short Shots are too loud, I highly recommend a V&H 2-to-1. It was a vast improvement soundwise over my old 2-to-2 Big Radius setup. Torquier, too.
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Mar 15, 2013 07:43
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If you want a shorter exhaust but want the torque of a 2 into 1, V&H side shots are an option. The side shots have a combined chamber between them.
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Mar 15, 2013 21:10
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Speaking of exhaust... I think I have been corrupted. The 10 day forecast for March has said so far every weekend was sunny and 40's here in Chicago, but by the time it turns into the weekend forecast it's become low 30's and snow/rain. Yesterday was only a 10% chance of rain and a balmy 35 degrees, and I decided that was good enough. My V-Max is in maintenance limbo from a long series of off-season mods, and so I decided to take the wife's Softail out until I couldn't feel my hands anymore. Being the first serious set of miles I put on 2 wheels this year I was dong riding a bit, nothing dangerous or overly obnoxious but plenty of same lane weaving, taking the corners a little faster than necessary, and a bit of WOT on the occasional empty road straight. Generally just enjoying the hell out of the afternoon and trying to ignore the increasingly numbing desire for heated grips. That's when it happened. I road under an overpass with that thing's Screaming Eagle (TM) exhaust and before I even knew what I was doing the clutch was in and I was revving the pipes. It was stupid satisfying and a huge smile crept across my face and stayed there for about a mile. All this time I just thought Harley riders were douchebags when it comes to that kind of poo poo, but now I know it's actually the bike's fault and the rider is helpless to stop it. Maybe today I'll go buy a loud pipes save lives bumper sticker. What the gently caress is happening to me? Halo_4am fucked around with this message at 14:31 on Mar 17, 2013 |
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Mar 17, 2013 14:24
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I never rode before but I'm thinking about getting bike. I have a paid off car, and though it has about a quarter million miles on it, it runs fine. I was just planning on getting a new car but if what I have works, why bother? I enjoy driving a lot but I think it'd be a lot more fun on a bike instead of a lame rear end corolla. If I buy a bike, I'd like to slowly try to make it my primary vehicle. I'd keep my car, but I'd like to limit my use. I'd like to mainly use it for commuting to work and some weekend road trips. My purchase is still a few months out and I'd most definitely take the safety course before I buy anything. My budget for a car was around $25000, so if I wanted to, I could buy a softtail or a road king or something. However, my googling tells me this a bad idea and I should just get a sportster to start with. I really do want to try to make a bike my primary vehicle and want to make sure a sportster will fit my needs. If I do go with a sportster, should I go with an 883 or a 1200?
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Apr 1, 2013 03:56
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The Harley owners will tell you more about the motors, but first off: take the MSF and buy a used bike. You'll hate yourself when, not if you drop the bike in a stupid fashion and bring the value down 4 grand instantly.
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Apr 1, 2013 04:05
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SaNChEzZ posted:The Harley owners will tell you more about the motors, but first off: take the MSF and buy a used bike. You'll hate yourself when, not if you drop the bike in a stupid fashion and bring the value down 4 grand instantly. This. And even if you're dedicating yourself to a lifetime of Harley ownership you should look at a cheap used metric as a learner ride, they're dirt cheap. For God's sakes don't buy a new Harley as a beginner bike. I'd stick to the smaller frames, too, a touring size bike like a softail / Road King will teach you how to ride straight but not much else.
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Apr 1, 2013 04:14
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Haggins posted:I never rode before but I'm thinking about getting bike. I have a paid off car, and though it has about a quarter million miles on it, it runs fine. I was just planning on getting a new car but if what I have works, why bother? I enjoy driving a lot but I think it'd be a lot more fun on a bike instead of a lame rear end corolla. I'd recommend something small cheap and used and then get the bike you really want once you've been riding on the street a bit. I recently got a sportster and while I like the bike it's not the most agile and braking and steering are a bit less intuitive than I would urge someone to start out on. Also keep in mind the 883/1200 are the same weight so you aren't getting any easier of a bike to drive by getting the 883 just less power to try to manage while driving. CA tends to recommend bikes like a rebel/ninja250 as beginner bikes for a reason. No sense in dropping a new bike when you can buy used, drop it several times and sell it for what you paid and get the skills to handle anything and not be afraid of turning or braking. That said you can probably find a used sportster cheap if you insist on starting on one. If buying new the 883 is substantially cheaper and can be converted to a 1200 for $500-1000 but it will have less resale value. Edit: A sportster may be ok if you are a ginormous goon, as I think there were a few posters on here who were just too big or tall for something smaller but I'm 5'10" 220lb and the sportster is still a topheavy pig when not rolling. my turn in the barrel fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Apr 1, 2013 |
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Apr 1, 2013 04:19
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The Rebel 250 is really too small for most American roads. It's significantly less powerful than even a Ninja 250, and it's physically very small; not the kind of thing someone who's cross-shopping Harleys is going to have any interest in. A much better entry-level cruiser is something like a used Suzuki S40, Yamaha V-Star 250, or an older 750cc class metric cruiser. Haggins: don't forget to account for the price of the MSF course ($free to $500ish depending on where you are) and roughly $600-$1000 in gear.
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Apr 1, 2013 04:29
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The Harley MSF course is often more expensive than a normal course. It comes with a big dollop of Harley advertising, too, if it matters. Can be easier to schedule though. The actual motorcycle safety content is the same.
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Apr 1, 2013 04:32
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Yeah don't go and buy a Road King for your first bike. A used 883 would be fine though (although I am biased because that is exactly what I have as my first bike). Being used, it won't lose a ton of value fast, and you can see if the cruiser thing is really what you want. I have plenty of fun with it in the curves (my tires are worn evenly!) and it's easy enough to park and maneuver at low speeds (I am 6'3" however). I did rent an old Ninja 500 when I was out of state, and while it was noticeably easier to steer I still missed my Sportster (apples and oranges, I know). It's a solid, pretty minimalist bike really. A VSTAR or whatever would have been cheaper, but they just look bloated to me. I've had it for ~7 months and it's already starting to feel slow, which is probably good though hahah. I don't know how much more power you get out of a 1200, but it's not going to be anything huge so if you can get one similarly priced you might as well. The Royal Nonesuch fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Apr 1, 2013 |
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Apr 1, 2013 06:13
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Sagebrush posted:The Rebel 250 is really too small for most American roads. It's significantly less powerful than even a Ninja 250, and it's physically very small; not the kind of thing someone who's cross-shopping Harleys is going to have any interest in. A much better entry-level cruiser is something like a used Suzuki S40, Yamaha V-Star 250, or an older 750cc class metric cruiser. I'm not really sure what you mean by 600-1000 dollars in gear... The MSF course I took just required you to bring a helmet, wear long sleeves and ankle boots of some kind. Any kind of helmet is fine, I bought a dirt cheap skull cap for 25 bux because I wasn't sure I'd like riding. Thank god I did, because my course was in august in Louisiana... a full face would have been miserable when you're mostly just sitting around on the bike. Don't buy a bunch of gear just for the course, you wont be going faster than 20 mph, its all low speed maneuvers. You might eventually spend that much on gear but it isn't necessary just to take the course. edit: Ok now that I'm reading your sentence again you're just listing two separate costs of owning a motorcycle... nevermind, whoops! ADINSX fucked around with this message at 14:38 on Apr 1, 2013 |
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Apr 1, 2013 14:35
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