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OSU_Matthew posted:Good call... time to start taking the car to work until I can sort this out. If you wear some earplugs while you ride it will cut down on the wind noise and you might be able to hear what the engines doing a little easier. Sounds crazy I know but give it a try.
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Nov 13, 2013 14:12
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nsaP posted:Please do, that way I won't have to skim over your posts in other threads. Hey op listen to this guy, he complains a lot here, so clearly he knows what's up.
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Nov 13, 2013 14:43
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ChewedFood posted:Should I start a rebuild thread for an 83 Suzuki GS750 that has been sitting outside for >5 years that I picked up tonight? http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/index.php if you aren't there already
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Nov 13, 2013 18:42
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I want to put a usb charger on my bike, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for what to use to do it, for best charging times and such. Anyone in the Phoenix area that could help me with the wiring and all that jazz?
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Nov 13, 2013 20:06
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Schroeder91 posted:I want to put a usb charger on my bike, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for what to use to do it, for best charging times and such. Anyone in the Phoenix area that could help me with the wiring and all that jazz? I paid like $10 for one on amazon that plugs into the standard battery tender leads. I run it on my track bike so my GoPro can charge while recording and I never have to pull it off or swap batteries. Couldn't be simpler. I have it run on the outside so I can unplug it and run my battery tender while storing the bike. It's almost exactly this: http://www.amazon.com/USB-Weather-P...cle+usb+charger maybe it was $15. I remember it being cheap and working great. Now if you want to charge in 'AC' mode, or a tablet or something, you'll have to get something more serious.
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Nov 14, 2013 00:58
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And there are plenty of handlebar-mounted wire-in ones on sites like SuntekStore and DealExtreme that have integrated 12v ports and claim 2.1 amps or whatever (they are not 2.1 amps) for $5-10.
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Nov 14, 2013 02:39
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Go to https://www.canyonchasers.net and look up the article on wiring in a distribution block. It's cheap to do and their instructions are pretty easy to follow. Good way to save your battery.
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Nov 14, 2013 03:05
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What you mean my zinc-plated bolt with a bunch of copper and aluminum O-ring crimp connectors wrapped in electrical tape isn't good enough?
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Nov 14, 2013 03:11
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So how much valve cover oil seepage is too much? It's definitely leaking a little bit, but after an 80 mile round trip it's not like there was a huge mess everywhere, just a sheen of oil at the top of the head. Does it have any ill effects beyond slowly depleting oil? I'm looking at doing a multi-day ride in the near future. My chain and sprockets are originals, with about 3 years and 9000 miles on them. I can't remember what the general wisdom on replacement intervals is, but if the chain is still keeping a good tension and the sprocket doesn't seem all worn down, it should be good for a while yet, right? I recently had it in the shop and they didn't mention anything about the chain, although they did catch and replace the worn-down brake pads for me, so I figure it's probably good but would like a second opinion. They also said the oil seepage could wait until the 12,000 mile service when the gasket will get changed anyway, so maybe I'm just being a paranoid babby.
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Nov 14, 2013 03:52
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I bought a $6 DC power port at the auto parts store and a $5 USB adapter. No problem. Some piece of poo poo spammed his product on some bike magazine's Facebook the other day. Fortunately I can't find the link, but he was selling a cord with a DC tail (I guess that's what it's called) to Micro-usb for like $120. The comment was deleted before he could reply to my scathing words about how much a rip-off it was. Oh found it, http://ridepowerusa.com/shop/6ft-micro-usb-charger/ unbuttonedclone fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Nov 14, 2013 |
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Nov 14, 2013 04:21
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Pham Nuwen posted:So how much valve cover oil seepage is too much? It's definitely leaking a little bit, but after an 80 mile round trip it's not like there was a huge mess everywhere, just a sheen of oil at the top of the head. Does it have any ill effects beyond slowly depleting oil? With proper maintenance, 30-40k out of a chain isn't unheard of. 20k is safe if you only neglect it every so often.
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Nov 14, 2013 04:58
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I wouldn't worry about the seep. Wipe it off after you ride it so you don't cook a bunch of oil sludge all over your engine though.
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Nov 14, 2013 05:01
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clutchpuck posted:I wouldn't worry about the seep. Wipe it off after you ride it so you don't cook a bunch of oil sludge all over your engine though. Or hope it cooks the sludge enough to make an in-situ carbon gasket 
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Nov 14, 2013 05:07
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:Go to https://www.canyonchasers.net and look up the article on wiring in a distribution block. It's cheap to do and their instructions are pretty easy to follow. Good way to save your battery. Awesome, thanks for the link!
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Nov 14, 2013 05:18
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Geirskogul posted:Or hope it cooks the sludge enough to make an in-situ carbon gasket Much like a cast iron frying pan, I shall allow repeated coatings of hot oil to season my engine head until it develops a fine cooking surface. Then use it to fry breakfast eggs during my trip.
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Nov 14, 2013 06:04
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Tamir Lenk posted:http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/index.php Thank you, I didn't know that existed!
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Nov 14, 2013 06:50
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ChewedFood posted:Thank you, I didn't know that existed! GSR will have literally everything you need to know.
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Nov 14, 2013 07:03
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Then i probably shouldn't have made a rebuild thread.
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Nov 14, 2013 07:31
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Nah CA can use more threads, kinda slow around here 
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Nov 14, 2013 08:16
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Could one of you please explain how insurance, tags and I am guessing the yearly bike check works in the USA. I'm looking at buying a bike CA and riding it to Miami before shipping it to the UK (yes, i'm English) So let's say i've bought the bike. I've found a couple of specialist companies who offer insurance for out of towners on a monthly basis which looks good. But, what about registering it, can I just buy it, get the insurance and ride around for 4 weeks, or is there more to it than that? Thanks for any input.
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Nov 14, 2013 11:25
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bad-yeti posted:Could one of you please explain how insurance, tags and I am guessing the yearly bike check works in the USA. Can't help you with that question but have you looked into just how complex it is to import a used bike into the UK? Off the top of my head at the very least you'll need: - to pay import duty and VAT just to get it off the boat - documentation to prove the year of manufacture - a Type Waiver certificate from VOSA if you can probe it's equivalent to a vehicle approved for sale in the UK/EU - even with the Type Waiver you'll need to modify it to UK spec (replacing lights, reflectors, etc) - an extended MOT to *current* standard regardless of year of manufacture (so good luck if it's got carbs) If you can't get these you'll need to have it IVA inspected by VOSA for and Q-plated, so good luck on insurance! Once you've done that obviously you'll then need to pay the registration fee and VED. Basically unless the bike is a super-rare collectors item or has absolutely massive sentimental value to you it would be a shitload cheaper and easier to just sell it in Miami then use the cash in part-payment on an equivalent bike once you get back to Blighty.
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Nov 14, 2013 12:08
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Yes, yes I have, it's a little bit of a pain, but worth while. It's more sentimental than anything so I do want to get it back to the UK. The import side of things isn't too much of an issue as my company will handle that, it's the USA side that's confusing me.
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Nov 14, 2013 12:25
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Spiffness posted:I paid like $10 for one on amazon that plugs into the standard battery tender leads. I run it on my track bike so my GoPro can charge while recording and I never have to pull it off or swap batteries. Couldn't be simpler. I have it run on the outside so I can unplug it and run my battery tender while storing the bike. http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...tery+tender+USB That + car charger of choice = done deal.
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Nov 14, 2013 13:10
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bad-yeti posted:Yes, yes I have, it's a little bit of a pain, but worth while. It's more sentimental than anything so I do want to get it back to the UK. The import side of things isn't too much of an issue as my company will handle that, it's the USA side that's confusing me. call the local DMV/BMV about the registration. If you can get temp tags on it you can ride it. as far as the insurance goes pick a company
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Nov 14, 2013 13:35
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bad-yeti posted:Yes, yes I have, it's a little bit of a pain, but worth while. It's more sentimental than anything so I do want to get it back to the UK. The import side of things isn't too much of an issue as my company will handle that, it's the USA side that's confusing me. I was gonna say, that would have to be one special bike, because the used bike market is so much bigger and cheaper in the UK (including Europe), I can't think of anything other than something like a Victory or full dress Harley that would be worth importing. Can't put a price on sentimentality though.
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Nov 14, 2013 14:23
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So I'm relatively new to the bike thing still, got my first back in March. I've been riding as often as I can, but I wear a suit to work so unfortunately it's mostly restricted to weekends and joyrides. I've been trying to learn as much as I can about good maintenance habits from friends, but I have one specific question. I recently moved to a new place, and the parking "bay" where I keep my bike is uncovered. I have a tarp to cover it, but it obviously doesn't go all the way to the ground. The problem is that this time of year the rain can be quite heavy, and there is loose-sand nearby which looks like it is being lightly splatted up onto the sprocket and chain. First of all, I am concerned about the damage this grit might cause to the chain etc. Am I being a baby? If I need to do something about it I'll either have to make new parking arrangements, make a custom cover for the gear/chain, or find a much bigger tarp... On a secondary note, is it okay to service the bike less often if I'm not putting tons of mileage on? I was thinking of taking it in for a full-service/checkup in January. I have been checking water/oil/brakes etc myself in the interim.
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Nov 14, 2013 16:15
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Do oil every six months regardless of mileage if it is stored outside. Moisture builds up and motorcycles have much less oil to "dilute" it. The problem is worse with irregular riding as you never get it regularly up to the temperature that boils the water out.
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Nov 14, 2013 16:19
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Geirskogul posted:Do oil every six months regardless of mileage if it is stored outside. Moisture builds up and motorcycles have much less oil to "dilute" it. The problem is worse with irregular riding as you never get it regularly up to the temperature that boils the water out. this sound more like urban legend than actual fact. Got anything to back that claim up? Where does the moisture come from, and in an oil system where everything is coated in oil, what harm would, for example some small amount of condensation, actually cause?
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Nov 14, 2013 16:54
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I ride a cbr500r and last night I was riding to a bike meet, and on my way there my bike kind of jerked and jumped up in RPMs. I was in 4th gear, 50mph, and at 5k rpm when it jerked and jumped about 500rpm. The bike wasn't cold, I had been riding for about 30 minutes at that point. I've been trying to take the best care of it and keep things in the best condition, and this is pretty concerning. It did it twice last week too, within a couple seconds of each other, but I don't know the speed/gear/rpm when it happened. I last changed my oil 1850 miles ago,(I'm at 5600 now), and cleaned + lubed the chain 500 miles ago. This is my first bike and to have this come out of nowhere is a bit worrisome. Did I not properly maintain something? Did I mess something up? If it was dropping to a lower gear the rpms would be higher. I had to focus on the road so I can't be positive, but I think after it jumped up 500rpm it came back down to what it was before. I don't think my foot was touching, but it was heavy traffic so I might've been hovering over it at the time. Someone tosld me it might be a gear box problem or I didn't shift properly. What does CA think?
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Nov 14, 2013 16:57
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Whole lot of overstressing here. Prawned, if you're worried about it, get a proper fitted motorcycle cover. Or sweep the area around your spot. Sand and crap will get kicked up onto the chain and other moving parts when you ride anyway. Water can make its way into the engine through the crankcase vents. That being said, it's not much, bikes heat up way faster than cars to purge it, etc etc. I wouldn't short-cycle my oil based on leaving a bike outside, not with any reasonably modern bike and reasonably modern oil. Outside bikes do tend to need more chain lubing, general cleaning and graphite in the locks (to keep deposits from rainwater jamming them up) but your bike generally sees the elements when you ride anyway. Shroeder91, your tale sounds like clutch slippage, assuming road speed didn't go up with engine speed. Awfully low miles for it, though. Did you use motorcycle oil? Regular car oil will make your clutch slip. If you have a cable clutch, check the adjustment maybe.
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Nov 14, 2013 17:38
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I'm not sure if it went up, I let off the throttle because I wasn't sure if my bike was about to fall apart. I've been using the Honda oil my dealership has been selling me. I'll check out the clutch tonight after work.
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Nov 14, 2013 17:51
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ChewedFood posted:Then i probably shouldn't have made a rebuild thread. A rebuild thread here is great. You can pretty easily cross-post to both places. I do that often on random "What did you do to your ride?" posts. On GSR, you'll get a lot of grognard types with entrenched opinions on how to do your bike. They have some orthodoxy that makes sense (adjust your valves, cleaning carbs, etc.) but some of their schtick can be tedious (pod filters are . . . provocative). If you can navigate/stomach some of the cranky old guy posters there, the forums have a deep bench of information on literally every aspect of the GS bikes.
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Nov 14, 2013 18:29
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Linedance posted:this sound more like urban legend than actual fact. Got anything to back that claim up? Where does the moisture come from, and in an oil system where everything is coated in oil, what harm would, for example some small amount of condensation, actually cause? When oil mixes with water it forms a mayo-like emulsion. If you drain the oil after the bike sits for a few weeks it is clearly visible in the pan. The condensation happens when a warm engine cools in a cool, most environment (this is why your muffler rusts from the inside out, and why cars just started up blow water vapor out the exhaust). It's not urban legend, and clearly visible during the winter months. Not my engine, though, so don't believe me if you want. No skin off my teeth.
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Nov 14, 2013 18:49
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Tamir Lenk posted:
Fixed that for you.
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Nov 14, 2013 19:22
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Less grognards here, more Gromnards instead
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Nov 14, 2013 19:28
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Geirskogul posted:The condensation happens when a warm engine cools in a cool, most environment (this is why your muffler rusts from the inside out, and why cars just started up blow water vapor out the exhaust). It's not urban legend, and clearly visible during the winter months. Doesn't happen if you store your bikes in a heated garage 
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Nov 14, 2013 20:11
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Condensation will get into your crank case and yuck up your oil especially if you live in a place, like around here, where the fog rolls in most nights netting you some serious dew on any object cooler than the ambient air temp. I had a 10 mile commute for a while and my oil never got above 160f. Every time I changed it I was reminded of a car with a bad head gasket (mine is air cooled so no chance of a coolant leak). My 30 mile commute gets the bike to full temp every ride and the oil just looks dirty when I remember to change it. If you are going to store it just park it unless you can get it up to operating temp for a good 10 minutes. Otherwise you're making things worse.
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Nov 14, 2013 21:45
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Geirskogul posted:When oil mixes with water it forms a mayo-like emulsion. If you drain the oil after the bike sits for a few weeks it is clearly visible in the pan. The condensation happens when a warm engine cools in a cool, most environment (this is why your muffler rusts from the inside out, and why cars just started up blow water vapor out the exhaust). It's not urban legend, and clearly visible during the winter months. It just seems like if it were a real problem, the UK and the PNW would be blowing engines up all the time. I've only ever seen mayo oil come from cars with blown headgaskets etc. I've never seen an increased service schedule for bikes operated in moist environments, just hot and dusty environments. I don't doubt that condensation can form, I've just never heard of it being a problem.
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Nov 14, 2013 22:28
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Linedance posted:It just seems like if it were a real problem, the UK and the PNW would be blowing engines up all the time. I've only ever seen mayo oil come from cars with blown headgaskets etc. I've never seen an increased service schedule for bikes operated in moist environments, just hot and dusty environments. I don't doubt that condensation can form, I've just never heard of it being a problem. I've seen mayo oil a few times in bikes if I give them a month or two of short runs in lovely weather. You need the mechanical action of the engine actually turning for it to even start to build up, otherwise the water just sits on top of the oil and evaporates away as soon as you get a dry couple of days. Either way it's only an issue if you're running the engine like that for months at a time and even then the first time you take it out for an hour the problem's gone. My old car, which could go literally months without being turned over, never ever had a problem with it. The only possible way it can become an issue is if you're continually letting it build up then burning it off and never checking your oil level because of course when it does burn off it takes some of the oil with it. Well I suppose it could eventually build up to the point where there's significant amounts of water being drawn into the oilways which will obviously have a bad effect, but at that level of engine abuse something else is likely to let go before then anyway.
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Nov 14, 2013 22:40
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Linedance posted:It just seems like if it were a real problem, the UK and the PNW would be blowing engines up all the time. I've only ever seen mayo oil come from cars with blown headgaskets etc. I've never seen an increased service schedule for bikes operated in moist environments, just hot and dusty environments. I don't doubt that condensation can form, I've just never heard of it being a problem. Stored bike run for the first time in a month, 8-mile ride up a hill. I change the oil more often than every six months because it only has 1.5 quarts (separate gearbox and primary). This came out of the breather:  This happens every month I store it and then ride it a few weeks later, and this was in the PNW. I don't have a picture but this same poo poo is on the top half of the dipstick of the CB650 if I do the same thing during the winter (but not out of the breather because it has a recapturing design, unlike the Enfield). When I ride the bike it is my daily driver for weeks at a time, with trips >10 miles, so it definitely warms up. All I'm saying is that if you're in any kind of climate other than Arizona and the bike sometimes get run infrequently, then you should change the oil more often. Don't understand why you're disagreeing with me. Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Nov 14, 2013 |
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Nov 14, 2013 22:42
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