alnilam posted:It's a 2007 kawasaki vulcan 500, which they stopped making in 2009 i think, and I've had trouble finding batteries that fit. Even the unsealed Yuasa batt I got wasn't quite right but ended up fitting. The unsealed one is YB12A-A right? Try YTX12-BS, should be physically identical but sealed.
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# ? May 17, 2017 20:21 |
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# ? May 16, 2024 09:22 |
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Slavvy posted:The unsealed one is YB12A-A right? Try YTX12-BS, should be physically identical but sealed. Thanks! I'll double check the dimensions and look for that one. Not sure why it never came up before, even at several motorcycle part shops who swore there was no sealed battery available.
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# ? May 17, 2017 20:38 |
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Just a guess, but maybe so it doesn't cut the ignition when you're doing a normal clutched shift? Slide Hammer posted:There's a special kind of patch called a mushroom patch that is especially good for motorcycle tires, but it's more expensive than a normal patch.
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# ? May 18, 2017 02:57 |
I have the feeling there's some lost in translation poo poo going on here, when you say patch do you mean one of those plug things you pull through from the inside, glue and stitch? Or is it some redneck poo poo I've never seen? The only two (tubeless) puncture repair methods I've ever seen are plugs and strings and strings suck rear end. Any bike shop in this country will happily plug a puncture for you though, I've only ever seen one fail and that was my own dumb fault on my own dumb bike.
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# ? May 18, 2017 04:19 |
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"Patch" just as in "patch up"; technically, it's just those gooey strings or the mushroom plugs. "Plug" is better. I need to get some mushroom ones. Edit: Wait a second... there are two types of mushroom plugs. One are these little mushroom buttons that are inserted with some kind of gun? I'm referring to the much bigger, flatter mushrooms. Slide Hammer fucked around with this message at 05:41 on May 18, 2017 |
# ? May 18, 2017 05:32 |
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Fauxtool posted:hoho good luck. I missed that it was a 1290. It definitely has a rain mode that removes 50 or so HP The aircooled ones suck arse in the city. Heavy, snatchy dry clutch, lumpy power delivery, and they will cook your legs. This is why the newer watercooled ones are so despised by the true believers, because they fix all those problems. Well they still cook your right leg but that's still 50% better. I'd go so far to say that even though it makes double the power the 821 Monster is actually a better option for a learner than an M600, it's just such an easy bike to ride. e: The newer baby Monsters that are available in some territories and use the Scrambler motor and gearbox are fine, though.
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# ? May 18, 2017 07:21 |
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I also feel like the build quality on the aircooled monsters was not great? Source: riding an aircooled monster 600 and thinking the build quality was not that great.
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# ? May 18, 2017 17:44 |
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Slide Hammer posted:Edit: Wait a second... there are two types of mushroom plugs. One are these little mushroom buttons that are inserted with some kind of gun? I'm referring to the much bigger, flatter mushrooms. Mushroom plugs are the ones that are put in with the little gun while the tire is still on the wheel. The bigger, flatter ones are patches, and they're put on from inside the tire while it's off the wheel.
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# ? May 18, 2017 17:46 |
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Monster 620 is one of the 5 bikes I've ridden and I gotta say it was not my fav city bike. Hella fun on country roads though.
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# ? May 18, 2017 18:11 |
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I just fixed my rear with a string plug and it seems to be fine? The first one didn't take but the second was fine and I went out a few days ago and it felt normal. The hole is in the tread tho which probably helps.
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# ? May 18, 2017 18:22 |
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I pretty much hated my Ducati 620ie from the getgo, and was glad to sell it a week later. The guy that bought it also hated it, and sold it to buy a WR250x, which was the Right Choice. I felt like the ducati was painfully italian, with a dangerously wide turning radius. I constantly was almost dropping it in parking lots. The engine didn't feel like it made any fun torque or sound until the top of it's tach, so it was always urging you to push past safe speeds (maybe good?). It was nice to look at, though.
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# ? May 18, 2017 18:23 |
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Coydog posted:I pretty much hated my Ducati 620ie from the getgo, and was glad to sell it a week later. The guy that bought it also hated it, and sold it to buy a WR250x, which was the Right Choice. They like it only because of the exposed trellis frame. I looked at the specs and cautioned against it.
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# ? May 18, 2017 18:52 |
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In that case, the 390 Duke would be perfect for him.
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# ? May 18, 2017 19:31 |
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that is what I told her to buy. She wont outright admit that she wants the monster because its from a luxury brand and its more fashionable. All I can do is roll my eyes. Does the 390 duke only come in one color scheme each year? Fauxtool fucked around with this message at 20:13 on May 18, 2017 |
# ? May 18, 2017 20:06 |
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KTM is a pretty drat luxury brand, she just doesn't know anything about bike brands. If she did, she would be looking for a yamaha and not a ducati. I don't know if the 390 had different colors, but I think not. I don't even know if they sold them after the first year because there are like 4 in the USA, in typical "gently caress you for wanting our products" KTM/Husky fashion. edit: It's ok, we all wanted ducatis when we got into motorcycles.
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# ? May 18, 2017 20:32 |
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Coydog posted:edit: It's ok, we all wanted ducatis when we got into motorcycles. not me, i lusted after the 2005 r1 because it was the best. I recommended KTM because when it breaks they will at least be able to fix it at the dealership instead of keeping your bike for 3 months while they order a new engine. Have ducati gotten better at not having catastrophic transmission failures? I see so many used ones for sale where it "totally starts up, just sounds rough, shouldnt be too hard to fix." I just know he bought it like hoping to repair and flip but couldnt handle it. Fauxtool fucked around with this message at 20:56 on May 18, 2017 |
# ? May 18, 2017 20:50 |
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Ducatis have gotten a lot more reliable since VW bought them, but that doesn't mean you won't hear about problems with random crap breaking and then finding out it's gonna take three weeks to get a part from the mothership in Italy. I made the potential mistake of buying a fine used Italian motorcycle last November and haven't regretted it yet. Remains to be seen how badly I'm annoyed by having to make a 3 hour round trip to the dealer to turn off the "service now" idiot light that pops up one year after the last time the dealer plugged in, whether or not you've done your own oil/fluid changes, etc.
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# ? May 18, 2017 21:19 |
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To be fair, Jazzzz, that bike is beautiful and just about the perfect bike for you. Also, I'm about to hit 10k on the SMC, and feel like I barely rode it this spring.
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# ? May 18, 2017 21:29 |
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Fauxtool posted:I recommended KTM because when it breaks Correct usage of 'when' instead of 'if'. The relative (lack of) reliability of KTM, Aprilia and Ducati is debatable but it's something you have to take for granted if you don't want to roll Japanese.
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# ? May 18, 2017 21:34 |
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Coydog posted:To be fair, Jazzzz, that bike is beautiful and just about the perfect bike for you. Also, I'm about to hit 10k on the SMC, and feel like I barely rode it this spring. I'm so glad that SMC went to a good home
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# ? May 18, 2017 22:20 |
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So, looks like I can do amsterdam in one day, instead of two, and should be checking out the flower fields and outer villages on my last day. Also, this bad boy is still available to rent for that day. Good idea, or best idea? edit: wow, it's 10cc more, 1/3 less power, and 1/3 heavier, than the 690SMC. KTM owns. Also, I'm completely stoked to spend a week touring on a CB500x in europe. I think it will be the perfect bike for that. Coydog fucked around with this message at 02:18 on May 19, 2017 |
# ? May 19, 2017 01:45 |
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Coydog posted:edit: It's ok, we all wanted ducatis when we got into motorcycles. the first bike i wanted was a norton commando 850
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# ? May 19, 2017 02:30 |
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First bike I ever fell in love with was the Norton F1: Then once I was old enough to actually maybe buy a bike, it was the NC30, which I still say is the prettiest bike ever to come out of Japan: I think I might have a fat arse bike fetish.
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# ? May 19, 2017 07:12 |
goddamnedtwisto posted:First bike I ever fell in love with was the Norton F1: Did you ever end up actually owning one? I still miss mine so badly and now they're priced waaay out of reach.
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# ? May 19, 2017 09:20 |
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Slavvy posted:Did you ever end up actually owning one? I still miss mine so badly and now they're priced waaay out of reach. Nah, the right one never came up - I got my license just at the back end of the grey import boom in the UK and by that point most of them had been raced or otherwise thrashed to poo poo - good ones (by which I mean ones without really obviously bent frames) were over £5k by then. Mind you I then ended up buying a Laverda Formula so it's not like I can say it was common sense that stopped me.
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# ? May 19, 2017 11:49 |
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Anyone ever used stunt levers (like RSC, impaktech, etc) in place of a regular clutch lever on a street bike? I have hand problems and they've recently gotten worse, making it a lot harder to ride my sv in traffic. Regular adjustable ones ain't enough anymore.
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# ? May 19, 2017 13:01 |
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What's all this I'm reading on this page about Monsters not being any good and go get a KTM 390 instead? If you need a small rear end bike and you want an unreliable and expensive to fix one, sure get a 390. Air cooled Ducatis are pretty reliable by Euro bike standards, there's not much to go wrong on them. The motor design is like 40 years old now. I love KTM but KTM is just Ducati with more Italian-ness. And Monsters are universally great bikes. The only complaint I've had is that the 600 range is down on power.
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# ? May 19, 2017 13:16 |
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M42 posted:Anyone ever used stunt levers (like RSC, impaktech, etc) in place of a regular clutch lever on a street bike? I have hand problems and they've recently gotten worse, making it a lot harder to ride my sv in traffic. Regular adjustable ones ain't enough anymore. What specifically do you need to improve or change with the levers? Lever effort, or travel, or what?
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# ? May 19, 2017 13:54 |
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I'm assuming she wants a lighter/easier clutch pull. I believe the RSC clutch does this by using a high quality ball bearing assembly. That would make it smoother and possibly ease the initial bite point, no? I'm failing to see where it would lighten the pull off the actual clutch cable in any significant capacity, especially being a very short one/two finger lever. I would be curious to know what other people with experience with these different levers have to say if there are any here. I have short levers and in the past I would two finger my levers but over the past six months I have started using my whole hand due to fatigue and eventually shooting pains in my left arm if riding 6-8 hours at a time. I'm considering going back to a full size lever but haven't made the leap yet.
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# ? May 19, 2017 14:16 |
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Easier pull. Stunt levers have the pivot point in a different place. I've used one, they do actually make the pull lighter. Just wondering if anyone else does it on the reg. They make normal length stunt levers as well.
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# ? May 19, 2017 14:20 |
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Then once I was old enough to actually maybe buy a bike, it was the NC30, which I still say is the prettiest bike ever to come out of Japan: What about an NC24? https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/mcy/6133370981.html
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# ? May 19, 2017 14:45 |
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M42 posted:Easier pull. Stunt levers have the pivot point in a different place. I've used one, they do actually make the pull lighter. Just wondering if anyone else does it on the reg. They make normal length stunt levers as well. Thanks for the reply. I figured a lot of the "OMG this is amazing" reactions to those clutch levers were people trying to convince themselves the purchase was justified. I'm definitely interested now. Do you get shooting pains in your forearm muscles after fatigue sets in? If so, would you say the pull may be light enough to remedy that problem with something like a RSC? I would probably go with a long lever due to how ridiculously short the other lever you normally see is. If you end up going with one of the levers, post a review after you've developed an opinion on them if you don't mind.
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# ? May 19, 2017 14:55 |
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Then once I was old enough to actually maybe buy a bike, it was the NC30, which I still say is the prettiest bike ever to come out of Japan: The guy I bought my Multi from had an RC30 in Rothman's livery in his stable, along with a regular VFR750. Beautiful bike. He shot me a link to a Flickr album of him riding down by Gatlinburg with some other dudes on vintage Honda race bikes, including a dude with an RC45: Jazzzzz fucked around with this message at 15:01 on May 19, 2017 |
# ? May 19, 2017 14:57 |
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I have a joint disease, so my experience with the pain or lack thereof won't really be applicable to other people, but I'll let y'all know if I get one.
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# ? May 19, 2017 15:02 |
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To go back to the earlier tire plug conversation - I was a true believer in the mushroom type plugs but they have one major flaw - they're not self vulcanizing so if they're up against a cord in the tire, the cord will eventually saw through the plug. You also can't jam multiple plugs into a large hole or split like you can with the rope type ones, so these days I use the rope type. There was a Japanese company that made a self vulcanizing mushroom plug but they seem to have gone out of business There have been some issues with the 390 platform, mostly in cooling fans and cam design - it is built in India and the spec is lower for sure. KTM tends to stand behind their products though (a lot of this depends on your relationship with the dealer), and as far as I can tell, Aprilia is the only Euro manufacturer that is keeping the sort of soul that leaves you swearing on the side of the road. Ducati and KTM pretty much have the reliability game down pat now, with the caveat of KTMs Austrian built bikes being much nicer in spec and qc than the Indian built ones. The biggest reliability issue I see is folks who don't know they need to check the oil regularly as the bike breaks in, especially on the 690 / 701s.
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# ? May 19, 2017 15:31 |
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I don't think the quality of the Austrian bikes is that great, at least the 690 platform. Previous engine had the rocker arm issue, new one's got decompressor issues. My previous engine completely failed due to an assembly error. The 701's build quality is rather workmanlike, cables/wires rubbing against plastics and the frame, mine's leaked oil from the counter shaft since I got it. So that's Austria being next to Italy. It's also Germany's neighbor, which is evident in the stingy optioning on some bikes, BMW style. The 701 requires a $100 dongle to disable rear ABS, on a $11k dirt bike. '16+ Duke requires a $200 (iirc) Track Pack for ride modes.
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# ? May 19, 2017 18:47 |
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M42 posted:Easier pull. Stunt levers have the pivot point in a different place. I've used one, they do actually make the pull lighter. Just wondering if anyone else does it on the reg. They make normal length stunt levers as well. I don't know if it's an option for you, but maybe you could convert to a hydraulic clutch? My hydro clutch Husky is seriously one-finger pull.
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# ? May 19, 2017 18:49 |
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Z3n posted:There have been some issues with the 390 platform, mostly in cooling fans and cam design - it is built in India and the spec is lower for sure. KTM tends to stand behind their products though (a lot of this depends on your relationship with the dealer), and as far as I can tell, Aprilia is the only Euro manufacturer that is keeping the sort of soul that leaves you swearing on the side of the road. Ducati and KTM pretty much have the reliability game down pat now, with the caveat of KTMs Austrian built bikes being much nicer in spec and qc than the Indian built ones. The biggest reliability issue I see is folks who don't know they need to check the oil regularly as the bike breaks in, especially on the 690 / 701s. Swings and roundabouts with Aprilia though - the V4s do have some issues with reliability but they're mostly of the "holy poo poo this thing would have been a GP bike 10 years ago" bleeding-edge variety. The V2s and (non-rebadged) scooters are rock-solid at this point, and the fit and finish (and quality of things like fasteners) is streets ahead of Ducati and KTM. No Aprilia would ever leave the factory with poo poo like the dumb knee-poker frame member and self-disassembling tail unit on the Monster or the cheese-metal fasteners that people are always complaining about on the KTMs (and some Japanese brands I could mention). Now if it's sitting on the side of the road that you're after, might I suggest Aprilia's poor demented half-brother Moto Guzzi?
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# ? May 19, 2017 19:05 |
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M42 posted:Easier pull. Stunt levers have the pivot point in a different place. I've used one, they do actually make the pull lighter. Just wondering if anyone else does it on the reg. They make normal length stunt levers as well. Time to get something with a hydraulic clutch. Like a VFR, or Ducati.
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# ? May 19, 2017 19:08 |
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# ? May 16, 2024 09:22 |
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:Time to get something with a hydraulic clutch. Like a VFR, or Ducati. Bandit 1200!!
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# ? May 19, 2017 19:47 |