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Odette posted:Replaced the rear brake light. Looks like both filaments are on, and tapping the brakes doesn't do jack poo poo. Did I gently caress it up? New/old bulb are the same, right? Did you disconnect the housing/socket from it's harness? If it used bullet connectors you might be able to get the tail light running both filaments. If not, check your brake pedal and lever switches. I've had them go bad before.
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Jun 6, 2015 23:07
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Boys who love boys
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Odette posted:Replaced the rear brake light. Looks like both filaments are on, and tapping the brakes doesn't do jack poo poo. Did I gently caress it up? Is your foot brake switch adjusted properly?
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Jun 6, 2015 23:08
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monsterzero posted:New/old bulb are the same, right? Did you disconnect the housing/socket from it's harness? If it used bullet connectors you might be able to get the tail light running both filaments. If not, check your brake pedal and lever switches. I've had them go bad before. Pretty sure they're both the same bulb. I didn't need to disconnect anything, all I need to do to replace my brake light is to take off the red plastic housing, twist the old bulb out, twist the new one in. Slavvy posted:Is your foot brake switch adjusted properly? Yes, it was working right up until the brake light blew. I replaced it ASAP, as in next day.
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Jun 6, 2015 23:14
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Hey guys, I'm looking to upgrade from my SV650 into something a bit more upright, comfortable and fun. I've got my heart set on a KTM 690 SMC, but the price tag is making me pause a little. The nearby KTM dealer has a KTM 640 LC4, does anyone know how good these bikes are and if they are in any way comparable to the SMC which I realize is the gold standard of supermotos at the moment. In a related question, the secondhand SMC they have is going for a sticker price of £3750, how much would be a reasonable offer against this? I got my SV for a steal, so I haven't had to negotiate bike prices before. The SMC has apparently been sitting for a while, the guy made it sound like they'd have to do some work on it to make it ready for a test ride. It also needs a few items that I'm not sure if the shop will replace when they get it running or not, such as some shabby-looking grips and faded/damaged stickers(which I don't really care about, but hey, any bargaining chip is a good one).
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Jun 7, 2015 00:44
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What style lights did you buy? You bought the proper ones with two actual filaments in them instead of one, correct? Having said that, my brief affair with a Ducati made me realize just how bad some manufacturers are about housing for electrical components. Your bulbs might not be fitting in the housing exactly right. You might want to just give them a bit and see if that fixes them.
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Jun 7, 2015 01:40
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Trauma Tank posted:Hey guys, I'm looking to upgrade from my SV650 into something a bit more upright, comfortable and fun. I've got my heart set on a KTM 690 SMC, but the price tag is making me pause a little. The nearby KTM dealer has a KTM 640 LC4, does anyone know how good these bikes are and if they are in any way comparable to the SMC which I realize is the gold standard of supermotos at the moment. That is a screaming deal on a SMC. The 640 LC4 is much closer to a DRZ than a 690.
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Jun 7, 2015 01:45
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nitrogen posted:What style lights did you buy? You bought the proper ones with two actual filaments in them instead of one, correct? Yep, two filaments. Actually took the bulb out of the package & inspected it. Now that you mention it, the loving bulb was a bitch to get seated in the housing. Will go wiggle it now.
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Jun 7, 2015 03:31
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Sorry to keep asking questions but I think I might be bad at fixing things. So, after adjusting the valve clearances on my bike (and getting delayed for a long time before actually starting it back up again) the engine is kind of intermittently making a rattling/tapping sound when I start it up. I'm pretty sure that this means I made them too loose (or maybe just one of them is too loose?), but I thought I'd better ask more experienced folks before jumping to any conclusions.
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Jun 7, 2015 07:41
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Trauma Tank posted:Hey guys, I'm looking to upgrade from my SV650 into something a bit more upright, comfortable and fun. I've got my heart set on a KTM 690 SMC, but the price tag is making me pause a little. The nearby KTM dealer has a KTM 640 LC4, does anyone know how good these bikes are and if they are in any way comparable to the SMC which I realize is the gold standard of supermotos at the moment. A supermoto is a lot of things compared to an SV but comfortable is not one of those things. Not saying not to get it, just that if comfort is important to you you're going to be pretty disappointed. I'd also say that a second-hand supermoto - especially a KTM - will have not been treated well up to this point and may have some fun little PO-related surprises waiting for you.
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Jun 7, 2015 07:46
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Seashell Salesman posted:Sorry to keep asking questions but I think I might be bad at fixing things. Maybe the chain tension is too lose/tensioner damaged?
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Jun 7, 2015 08:33
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goddamnedtwisto posted:A supermoto is a lot of things compared to an SV but comfortable is not one of those things. Not saying not to get it, just that if comfort is important to you you're going to be pretty disappointed. The comfort thing is more related to how cramped I am on the SV. I'm 6'1, and I find after riding for more than 30 or so miles my feet hurt like hell from being pushed into the pegs, as well as my back and hands and such that a more upright riding posture should help to fix. Apparently the SMC has been serviced at this same dealer for its entire life, so hopefully I should have a fairly clear picture from its service history, but yeah. I'm gonna contact them and ask them to get it ready for a test ride and take it from there. I'll bear in mind that there could be some issues hidden away. Is there anything in particular I can ask the dealer about, or is it more of a general awareness thing?
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Jun 7, 2015 09:19
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Was reading a bikeexif article recently where the builder of a nice custom bike said that he had "used a wide band O2 sensor to tune the carb, and got it running pretty well,” when he replaced the stock carb with a more recent model. How does that work exactly? You put the O2 sensor in the exhaust and then fiddle with jets? I have no idea what you would do.
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Jun 7, 2015 10:05
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Probably just means they put an air/fuel ratio sensor in the exhaust while tuning it on a dyno. Those use O2 sensors. It gives you a readout of how well the gas is burning in the engine as the exhaust comes out the back.
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Jun 7, 2015 15:27
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Slavvy posted:Maybe the chain tension is too lose/tensioner damaged? You mean the actual chain that goes to the back tire? This was just starting the bike up in my garage in neutral.
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Jun 7, 2015 16:40
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No, I mean the engine timing chain.
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Jun 7, 2015 19:54
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Slavvy posted:No, I mean the engine timing chain. I really hope that's not the problem. I have no idea how to diagnose or adjust that. Has anyone here had to mess with the engine timing chain on a 88-07 Ninja 250?
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Jun 7, 2015 21:57
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A little bit of valve noise is just healthy. Since it's coming and going, together with the mechanical hypochondria we all get when we're new to working on bikes, it's probably fine.
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Jun 7, 2015 22:06
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Figured out my issue with left curves. Somewhere along the way I picked up a bad habit of locking that elbow - just the left one, I do the whole "kiss the mirror, pretend grip is a screwdriver" thing on the right side without problems. Still have to consciously remind myself to bend it every time, but it's improved my left handers tons.
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Jun 8, 2015 01:02
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M42 posted:Figured out my issue with left curves. Somewhere along the way I picked up a bad habit of locking that elbow - just the left one, I do the whole "kiss the mirror, pretend grip is a screwdriver" thing on the right side without problems. Still have to consciously remind myself to bend it every time, but it's improved my left handers tons. I have the same issue. But, mine is a little less fixable. I broke my left elbow pretty bad in a dirtbike crash when I was 8, so it bends really funny. Most bikes put it in a weird spot where it's a super conscious effort to bend it correctly for lefts. Every bike school I've been through dinged me on it, until finally an instructor for CSS watched me for a day and just told me to "drop yer shoulda like yer tryna beat a defendeh" and it pretty much corrected me. Still a pain in the rear end though. But his football/hockey comparison in a British accent was great.
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Jun 8, 2015 01:16
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Dumb question: Ever since I got my new overpants, I've noticed a hot spot around my left knee on my DRZ. Seems to be about where the carb is, but I can't see that getting as hot as it is. Any ideas?
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Jun 8, 2015 02:42
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Try wearing thinner pants under your overpants?
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Jun 8, 2015 03:20
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I'm already wearing thin basketball shorts underneath. The main difference between these and my old pants is the zipper on the inside leg, so maybe that's what's letting in more heat. I just thought it was odd that I don't notice on both legs.
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Jun 8, 2015 03:30
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Deeters posted:I'm already wearing thin basketball shorts underneath. The main difference between these and my old pants is the zipper on the inside leg, so maybe that's what's letting in more heat. I just thought it was odd that I don't notice on both legs. Ahh, ok then - I've had issues where thicker pants cut off circulation and made me feel warmer. But yeah, zippers and other stuff can let more heat through. Probably just the airflow deflecting heat on to your leg.
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Jun 8, 2015 03:41
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So it turns out the first time I tried to adjust my valve clearances I was confusing the metric and imperial markings on my feeler gauges, so they really were quite too loose. I did it properly and the bike seems to run way better than when I got it from the previous owner. Not sure if this is because I accidently bumped the idle knob or because the valves were just far too tight before, but I had to turn the idle down by a bit over 500RPM.
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Jun 8, 2015 04:51
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Synchronise your carbs for further blowing of the mind.
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Jun 8, 2015 07:14
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Trauma Tank posted:The comfort thing is more related to how cramped I am on the SV. I'm 6'1, and I find after riding for more than 30 or so miles my feet hurt like hell from being pushed into the pegs, as well as my back and hands and such that a more upright riding posture should help to fix. Supermotos will tend to have higher pegs (for better ground clearance) and a really uncomfortable seat. Like I say, they're not built for comfort at all. At the very least try and get a test ride and see how you can get along with it, because it's not impossible it will be a more comfortable setup for you, but that'll be despite, not because. It is more of a general awareness thing, I don't know KTM well enough to give you specifics, but I'd be looking at things like steering head and front wheel damage from wheelies, evidence of drops like scratches )or suspiciously clean bits) on areas that stick out, that sort of thing.
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Jun 8, 2015 07:28
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Seashell Salesman posted:So it turns out the first time I tried to adjust my valve clearances I was confusing the metric and imperial markings on my feeler gauges, so they really were quite too loose. I did it properly and the bike seems to run way better than when I got it from the previous owner. Not sure if this is because I accidently bumped the idle knob or because the valves were just far too tight before, but I had to turn the idle down by a bit over 500RPM. Rode to work this morning and just before I get there, I'm taking off from a stop and the engine did something that just felt... weird. Kind of felt like it went from vibrating to thumping. I was able to limp into the car park but not sure if it's a good idea to try and ride back home, it's about 12 miles.
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Jun 8, 2015 19:28
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New rider, I want to get frame sliders for my bike but I've heard they can screw up your frame if you're going fast. Between no-cut and cut frame sliders is there one that's more or less likely to cause frame damage? Looking at these no-cuts, anybody have experience with the brand? http://www.amazon.com/06-08-T-Rex-R...iders+ninja+650
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Jun 8, 2015 19:30
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Cut/no cut refer to whether or not you have to cut through your fairings to mount them. Honestly if you wreck hard enough to tweak your frame with a slider, the frame's probably the least of your worries. They're handy for dumb slow speed drops, which is what you're most likely to do as a newbie.
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Jun 8, 2015 19:56
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No slider crew, whattup
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Jun 8, 2015 19:59
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BlackMK4 posted:No slider crew, whattup The one bike I've crashed with sliders ended up with a tweaked engine mount eye thing (steel frame) because the mounting bolt bent and deformed the steel tubular section the bolt passes through. That was a dumb sliperyness-induced 40km/h lowside.
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Jun 8, 2015 20:06
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BlackMK4 posted:No slider crew, whattup Future Streetfighters of America
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Jun 8, 2015 20:43
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BlackMK4 posted:No slider crew, whattup Same. Bought a brand new Ninja for my first bike. No sliders. I feel like it's a good motivator to not gently caress up, and a nice reminder for the future if I do.
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Jun 8, 2015 20:47
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No fairing crew represent. The stator cover is my slider.
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Jun 8, 2015 20:53
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Seashell Salesman posted:Rode to work this morning and just before I get there, I'm taking off from a stop and the engine did something that just felt... weird. Kind of felt like it went from vibrating to thumping. I was able to limp into the car park but not sure if it's a good idea to try and ride back home, it's about 12 miles. Maybe a cylinder quit firing for some reason? Will it start ok?
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Jun 8, 2015 20:59
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How do these tires look for another ~100-500 miles? Both the front and rear are at their wear bars at 6,100 miles on a Honda CTX700. Front:  Rear:  On that note - is it weird that my front tire is wearing so fast? It's easily as worn as my rear and came new with the bike. I religiously keep my tires at 36/42, the recommended pressures.
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Jun 8, 2015 21:00
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Front - bottom end of that range (I wouldn't even ride that poo poo.) Rear - top end of that range.
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Jun 8, 2015 21:11
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Radbot posted:How do these tires look for another ~100-500 miles? Both the front and rear are at their wear bars at 6,100 miles on a Honda CTX700. Those rears look like the pirellis that came on my Pegaso that, when I brought it in for new tires, they cheeky mechanic helpfully suggested "they go around corners too, you know".
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Jun 8, 2015 21:19
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Linedance posted:Those rears look like the pirellis that came on my Pegaso that, when I brought it in for new tires, they cheeky mechanic helpfully suggested "they go around corners too, you know". Probably a result of the 42psi? I hardly ever ride this thing in a straight line since I rarely commute with it and prefer to take it up to Nederland/Georgetown/Bailey in Colorado. Seriously, I'm hardly rayelin the gap but I do keep a brisk pace in the canyons.
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Jun 8, 2015 21:23
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Ola posted:Maybe a cylinder quit firing for some reason? Will it start ok? It starts up pretty okay. I rode it about a mile going to lunch and coming back (trying to figure out if I'm good to ride home or not, pretty confident I can get home now). I got a more experience motorcycle guy in my office to listen to it idle just now, and he thought it sounded bad. He also noticed that the revs drop really fast when you let go of the throttle, so fast that the engine almost stalls (this is while in neutral) before sputtering back up to idle speed.
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Jun 8, 2015 21:35
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