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Revvik posted:Even better! I did an S to SM conversion except I never hosed with the forks. Picking up my dirt wheel set tomorrow, then putting all the brake and sprocket hardware on. Did you get stock wheels but from an SM? If not how are you handling the speedo (or lack thereof)?
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Aug 9, 2018 04:05
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Slavvy posted:Does anyone know if fork oil and shock oil are the same stuff or do they differ in some fundamental way? Same stuff, but shocks run an oil with a higher cst index than forks because they see higher heat (I am not a suspension technician, just repeating what the Nitron guy told me when I asked him the same question)
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Aug 9, 2018 05:49
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Redvenom posted:Did you get stock wheels but from an SM? If not how are you handling the speedo (or lack thereof)? No, I had them built. I picked up some hubs from a wrecker on eBay, then some Warp 9 rims and found a powder coater. I would highly recommend not doing it that way - buy them fully assembled, you’re not really getting a great deal on pieces unless you know how to assemble and true a wheel. Even though I love my unique color set I wouldn’t go through the pain in the rear end again. As for the speedometer, I haven’t resolved that yet. I might grab a Trailtech computer, or see if an SM computer can swap in. Or I might just say gently caress it. It’s really low on my priority list
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Aug 9, 2018 07:29
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I did the Trailtech when I did my S to SM conversion. It is nice to be able to easily adjust the speedometer for the different sized wheels.
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Aug 9, 2018 14:12
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Jazzzzz posted:Same stuff, but shocks run an oil with a higher cst index than forks because they see higher heat (I am not a suspension technician, just repeating what the Nitron guy told me when I asked him the same question) Thanks. In the end I found some spectro stuff that's almost exactly the same CST as ohlins poo poo so I'll just run that.
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Aug 9, 2018 20:23
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Dumb question of the day - my bike has been leaking a little bit of oil and while I've been trying to avoid getting any on my tires, I noticed this morning I had a small patch of oil on my tire where I had run over the oil while pulling the bike out of the garage. I was running late so rather than grabbing a shop towel and trying to wipe it off, I figured it would just rub off on the road as I rode the bike. I guessed it'd be all gone by a half mile or so, but am I missing anything here? For all I know it stays slippery for the next 30 miles, but it seems like the dirt on the road plus mechanical scrubbing action would take care of it fairly quickly. The bike felt fine as I was riding it, though I did take the first big sweeping freeway turn on my commute a little slower than usual. As I said, dumb question, but anything that affects traction on a bike is worth running into the ground in my mind.
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Aug 9, 2018 21:53
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MomJeans420 posted:Dumb question of the day - my bike has been leaking a little bit of oil and while I've been trying to avoid getting any on my tires, I noticed this morning I had a small patch of oil on my tire where I had run over the oil while pulling the bike out of the garage. I was running late so rather than grabbing a shop towel and trying to wipe it off, I figured it would just rub off on the road as I rode the bike. I guessed it'd be all gone by a half mile or so, but am I missing anything here? Yeah, I've worried about that too, but it's fine.
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Aug 9, 2018 22:07
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Thanks, that's kind of what I figured, seeing as how when I get teflon chain lube on my tire I just rub it off with a thick paper towel and it's fine.
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Aug 10, 2018 02:06
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I might have an issue with my XJ600, and I might not. When I'm cruising at highway speeds (50-75 mph) at moderately high rpms (5,000 - 7,500), something sounds just a little off. It has the typical I4 high speed whine, but there's the slightest bit of growl to it. It's really minor, and nothing feels much different from normal, but the sustained whine has become every so slightly angry sounding, like a swarm of bees instead of a swarm of mosquitoes. Oil consumption is pretty normal, fuel economy is about the same as always. A friend suggested the carbs are out of sync, and I haven't hosed with them yet. Any ideas? HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Aug 10, 2018 |
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Aug 10, 2018 20:10
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:
Exhaust leak maybe. See if there's any deposits or different colors at the ports or joints.
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Aug 10, 2018 20:34
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Ola posted:Exhaust leak maybe. See if there's any deposits or different colors at the ports or joints. Hm. Hadn't considered that. Thanks, will check it out tonight.
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Aug 10, 2018 22:41
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Deffo exhaust leak. A bolt probably vibrated itself loose. This is especially the case when you mutilply the likelyhood by 4. That or your engine is about to explode.
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Aug 12, 2018 03:15
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Occasionally when I get on the motorway and shift into 5th (top) my bike is sort of coughing/losing power in short busts as I try to maintain 70mph. Downshifting makes it go away, and it stops happening after a minute or so when I shift back up. I haven't tried riding it out in 5th 'cause its fucken scary. I assume this is some kind of EFI witchery? Regardless, if it keeps doing it I'm taking a trip back to the dealer.
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Aug 14, 2018 19:26
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It’s EFI? Take it to the dealer. Alternately, my Versys 650 would turn the FI light on when I would hold it WOT in top gear, so I just sold it 
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Aug 15, 2018 02:32
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Renaissance Robot posted:Occasionally when I get on the motorway and shift into 5th (top) my bike is sort of coughing/losing power in short busts as I try to maintain 70mph. Downshifting makes it go away, and it stops happening after a minute or so when I shift back up. I haven't tried riding it out in 5th 'cause its fucken scary. What kind of RPM is the engine at there? Is it possible it's sitting in the 6k emissions dead spot?
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Aug 15, 2018 10:21
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It's right around 4-5k (redline is at 7). But like I said, if I downshift to 4th and run there for 30-60 seconds and then go back up to 5th, it stops doing it. Could the heat of the exhaust pipe near the O2 sensor be a factor? I don't remember it doing this when the weather was warmer, and the bike's temperature is all I can think of that would change after a minute of giving it the beans.
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Aug 15, 2018 11:53
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Ola posted:Exhaust leak maybe. See if there's any deposits or different colors at the ports or joints. Coydog posted:Deffo exhaust leak. A bolt probably vibrated itself loose. This is especially the case when you mutilply the likelyhood by 4. I tried looking around the ports and it's so loving filthy that I can't see any evidence. That makes a lot of sense, though. From the sound of it, it's just a pinhole in a gasket or something similar. There's no way anybody else would be able to hear it without having ridden it a lot before. I can't remember if I have fiber or copper gaskets, but the former would make sense. New, but related question: What's the best product to just spray on a greasy, dirty engine and hose off with minimal scrubbing?
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Aug 15, 2018 16:18
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:New, but related question: Simple Green
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Aug 15, 2018 19:50
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Renaissance Robot posted:It's right around 4-5k (redline is at 7). But like I said, if I downshift to 4th and run there for 30-60 seconds and then go back up to 5th, it stops doing it. Try changing the oil, sometimes air/oil cooled efi engines do funny things if the oil is really old or too thin. I'd also try bypassing your side stand switch just in case it's vibrating at a certain frequency or something. Has it got the factory exhaust? Why can't you buy decent normal bikes like the Bonneville?
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Aug 15, 2018 20:08
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Jazzzzz posted:Simple Green Good suggestion. I also like this stuff. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJZ0UO/ Just spray it on the whole bike, wait a couple minutes then rinse.
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Aug 15, 2018 20:40
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Paid attention today, got on the motorway and shifted to 5th at right around 70mph which put it at 4krpm. Bike coughed/surged three times, then it levelled off. Oil is only two weeks old, exhaust is original. It's unlikely to be vibes or anything like that because it only does it in 5th (in the exact situation of having just accelerated up to 70mph, and at no other time. Slowing down later on in a motorway journey and then accelerating back up to 70 doesn't trigger it). I'll see what the dealer has to say about it. There's a decent chance the bike is completely fine and I'm causing this behaviour somehow.
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Aug 15, 2018 20:45
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Renaissance Robot posted:Paid attention today, got on the motorway and shifted to 5th at right around 70mph which put it at 4krpm. Bike coughed/surged three times, then it levelled off. Maybe, and I'm just speculating here, the fuel map or the ignition advance changes right at that rpm and for instance gives it a weak spot where it has ignition advance for high rpm but is just coming off 4k. In the other gears, the load is normally low enough, i.e. the engine has enough leverage, to power through it, but in 5th it is just weak enough that you physically notice. If something like this is the case, it should be noticeable in 4th going uphill. The diagnosis might be "they just built it like that" and the fix is a tune or a power commander.
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Aug 15, 2018 20:56
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There's also a good chance the factory mentality was 'nobody who cares about this stuff will buy this bike because this bike exists to look cool and not much else' so they cbf coming up with some decent mapping as you're right in the typical lean hole they all have. But maybe the dealer didn't put the airbox on properly or something, never underestimate dealer uselessness, just badger them until they make it go away.
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Aug 15, 2018 20:57
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Yeah, if it's not fuel mapping I have no idea wtf. Curious to hear what they say.
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Aug 15, 2018 21:44
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Painting question: In the home stretch on re-spraying my KLR. I've already started doing coats of clear on the plastics, tank just needs a few more coats of paint then will be ready for clear. I want to add some replacement decals but they ship from USA and I probably won't get them for a month - what would be my best course of action? Clear coat the tank now and strip it back later, then re-clear, or just put the decals straight on over the clear coat and add additional coats afterwards? Or is it in my best interest to hold off on the clear until I get the decals?
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Aug 17, 2018 07:32
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That problem raises an interesting question, for me at least. Some people like to take all of the decals off of their motorcycles. If it's possible to take them off, are they covered by clearcoat at all?
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Aug 17, 2018 14:16
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On my Savage the side cover decals are over the clear coat and the tank decals are under it. I imagine it varies from bike to bike.
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Aug 17, 2018 18:14
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Every Japanese bike I've seen has had the tank decals under the clear coat, Hyosung just stick them on the outside and it looks awful.
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Aug 17, 2018 19:45
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Slide Hammer posted:That problem raises an interesting question, for me at least. Some people like to take all of the decals off of their motorcycles. If it's possible to take them off, are they covered by clearcoat at all? Yeah, I can't speak for the other ones (were all removed before I bought the bike) but the KLR tank decals were under what must have been an adamantium/clearcoat mix. Took a combination of paint stripper, an orbital sander with 40 grit, and a dremel for the nooks and crannies to strip it down to the bare metal. Is a pretty beautiful object once it's bare, but the aesthetic didn't really suit a dual sport.
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Aug 17, 2018 21:29
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I could have sworn we had a customer who removed all the decals on his KLR at home, so presumably they weren't clearcoated. Looked a lot better that way too.
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Aug 18, 2018 01:28
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My pregen KLR decals on the tank are clearcoated, decals on the plastics are bare.
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Aug 18, 2018 02:45
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 So I need a sanity check here: I've had the DR650 for well over a year and I'm still crazy for it. First bike I've had that I haven't wanted to get rid of after a year, and in fact I love it as much now as I ever did. After paying $1000 for it, I haven't had to put hardly any money into it. Maybe $600 over the last year for tires and farkles and such. It looks pretty rough, like the survivor it is at ~45000 miles, with rust and wear. Mechanically it's as flawless as if it just rolled off the lot. Doesn't burn a drop of oil. I want to spruce it up a bunch mechanically, in the electrical and suspension departments. This would be to the tune of about $700, and I'm not sure if I'm putting lipstick on a pig. I've already put a steel braided front brake line on, which was a great improvement. HenryJLittlefinger has sent me some exhaust wrap and instructions so I can make the header pipe look all fancy. Suspension: I've always wanted PLEX valves, and the front end brake dive is getting annoying. The DR already has .63 straight rate springs, and performs flawlessly in every situation but rough rocky paths, and occasional brake dive. Seriously it's great in all sorts of corners, and I can lean it harder than I did the 690. Can I do drop in PLEX valves up front for a plusher ride and more ability off road, and not do the rear? Would that upset the perfect balance I have now, or just make things a bit nicer up front? Electrical: WINTER IS COMING and I want to step up my heated gear game. With the windscreen, hand mitts, heated gloves, and heated jacket, it's pretty nice in the winter. But I want more. I want to add heat demon grip heaters, and a heated seat pad.  Loaded down with this extra 76 watts, and my current heated gear on high, brings the charge system to 12.2 volts, so I guess I need more? I can get an extra 40 watts stator, plus a regulator, for $280. That's such a steep price for a measly gain, but might make a difference? Or should I just send it as is, only adding heated grips to the overworked stock stator, and avoid the suspension? If I can get by with just the Plex valves up front, that's only 200 and I'd happily do it. Coydog fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Aug 19, 2018 |
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Aug 19, 2018 02:47
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The valves will definitely make things nicer up front, your overall balance and bike behaviour won't change because you aren't changing springs, at most you'll just have to modify your corner entry technique a little bit. As for your electrical stuff, try checking the voltage with the engine at riding rpm as most dirty bikes seem to have poor charging at idle in general and with the stator spinning faster you might not have a problem. E: it's also cool watching you have the exact same revelation I did with my sherpa - that skinny tyres trump all when it comes to corner speed and that having a bike that fills you with confidence is a better speed part than anything in the ready to race catalogue Slavvy fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Aug 19, 2018 |
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Aug 19, 2018 02:59
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I'm glad to hear that I can just do some valves and not rock the boat. That would be really nice, because I do miss how plush the 690 was in it's suspension. Sadly, the 12.2v charge system reading was at cruising speed. At idle it takes a dive. This worries me, because I spend some time at idle during commutes. Also, going +50 watts instead of just +40 watts costs $50 extra and thats awful so I'm trying to make do with 240 watts instead of 250. Before you ask, there is nothing more that I can scavange out of my system. Even my headlight is only 14 watts. I do ride/commute through the winter, and really want to feel the warmth, you know?   Cheap capable dual sport pals. I'm really astounded at how easy it dives into tight corners as well as wide ones. I've thought nothing of railing it in the mountains, or getting aggressive in turns around town. Best of all, it just feels ~right~ through it all.
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Aug 19, 2018 04:19
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Ok yeah that sounds pretty borderline tbh. I don't really see why you need a seat heater, but I can attest that heated gear and handguards are infinitely more effective than heated grips. Or you're secretly my missus and your thermostat is convinced 10°c is absolute zero. If I had to choose what to spend money on I'd choose handling first hypothermia later but that's me.
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Aug 19, 2018 06:54
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With the windscreen and hand mitts, my heated gear does fine. My hands get cold in the winter, and I'm just sick of being cold when riding. Adding some warmth to my palms would be great. The heated seat pad is a luxury, and I think it would help warm the blood in my lower half. Two years ago I upped my game with a heated jacket, last year I upped it some more with heated gloves and wind protection. This year I want to go with the nuclear option. Plus, I want to be able to use high beams as needed on those cold dark nights. I'm still unsure of what difference 40 watts will make. I've emailed FFRC about the plex valves. So I guess the verdict is that putting money and legit good components into a beater bike I love isn't a bad expenditure?
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Aug 19, 2018 17:20
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Well you already tried a high grade modern bike and ended up swapping it for a lovely old beater so you tell me. I used to think those people who put 100,000k on one bike were weirdos but now I realise they just know what they like and stick to it.
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Aug 19, 2018 19:57
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It’s lipstick on a pig, but if you love the pig?  Dual sport/dirt bike suspension just dives more than regular bikes IME (because it has way more travel?). You might try progressive springs or going one rate higher. Have you serviced the forks ever? Might be they could just use some new fork oil.
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Aug 19, 2018 22:57
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I don't think fork dive is his problem as you can control that with your braking technique, and a skinny 21" tyre can't really support Marc Marquez corner entry derring-do anyway so braking gently is usually more effective. Remember also that energy absorbed is the square of fork travel so a big dive actually lets you brake pretty hard (upright) without losing traction. I think the main improvement to be had in that bike is fitting valves. Separating the compression & rebound is hugely beneficial on basically anything with damping rod forks and tends to bring both better tracking and a plusher ride; be wary of swapping out springs (unless you're really fat) as it often brings unintended balance changes that can push the bike out of your comfort zone, which to me is going backwards regardless of any on-paper benefits.
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Aug 19, 2018 23:31
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builds character posted:It’s lipstick on a pig, but if you love the pig? Wise words. It it was given straight rate 66% stiffer springs, and fresh oil last year, by the PO. Everything feels balanced and easy to corner on, which is something I don't want to mess with.
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Aug 20, 2018 01:04
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