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Renaissance Robot posted:I was mostly just curios, I'm happy to continue paying to have my tyres done based on my experience of bicycle tyres being a massive bitch, and the fact that the last time I had the rubber on my kawasaki changed it took two professionals several attempts to get the front bead seated, and if they're struggling gently caress knows how I'd manage. For some reason I think American places charge an ungodly amount for fitting tyres while it's normally like a tenner at most British garages. At that price I'd always get it done by someone else, no matter how much kit and experience I had, unless we're talking like race tyres or something where you're changing them every week.
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Jul 25, 2019 16:21
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Yeah if I call a shop and they tell me it's going to be like a hundred bucks to seat two tires I'm going to try myself first since I'll have to go to the shop if I gently caress it up or can't seat the bead anyway. If it's more reasonable I won't bother.
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Jul 25, 2019 16:24
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I put on tires myself as a first timer but it was a massive pain in the rear end and I didn’t sit the bead on the rear tire properly and spent hours fixing it. In hindsight I should’ve just had someone do it
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Jul 25, 2019 16:30
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Still seems less pain in the rear end than pulling my carbs. Which really should be my next project 
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Jul 25, 2019 16:41
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I think becoming intimately familiar with your carbs is a rite of passage. It took me nearly a year to figure out how to get the intake ducts hooked up to the carbs properly
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Jul 25, 2019 16:50
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Carbs are easier than tires. Carb work is just about being careful and methodical but tires are physically exhausting. Like tires literally do not fit on the wheel and have to be stretched into place. Without a machine, that's a huge pain. And if you've got a tubed wheel, the first time you try it you absolutely will puncture the tube at least once. I do all other work on my bikes myself, but saving twenty bucks is not worth the headache of trying to mount tires myself.
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Jul 25, 2019 16:56
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I know some people who can't be arsed with faff. They'll buy some carbs cheap the next time their model is in a breakers yard and just sit them in a lunchbox full of fuel to be a replacement when things go wrong. Also the garage I buy tires from doesn't even charge to fit them on the rim if you've taken the rim off the bike yourself.
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Jul 25, 2019 17:03
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Sagebrush posted:Carbs are easier than tires. Carb work is just about being careful and methodical but tires are physically exhausting. Like tires literally do not fit on the wheel and have to be stretched into place. Without a machine, that's a huge pain. And if you've got a tubed wheel, the first time you try it you absolutely will puncture the tube at least once. This. Years ago I hated carbs, now the only hateful part is getting them in and out of the bike, the satisfaction of getting them set up perfectly is immense. Years ago I hated doing tyres and I still loving do, gently caress tires.
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Jul 25, 2019 20:34
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Cheapest I can get a shop to change tires for me is a Cycle Gear 30-odd minutes away that charges $20/tire off the bike IF you bought tires from them. Everywhere else it's $30/tire just to mount, plus balancing ($2-15/wheel depending on if you use weights/beads/that slime that goes in the center of the tire), plus disposal fees for the old tires. A tire changing setup pays for itself pretty quickly at those rates, but I don't really have the space to put one.
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Jul 25, 2019 20:59
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My local bike shop lets you change your own tires for $15/hr, once you get certified on their tire changing machine ($45 course).
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Jul 25, 2019 21:03
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MomJeans420 posted:My local bike shop lets you change your own tires for $15/hr, once you get certified on their tire changing machine ($45 course). This is a real good idea; I wish there were something like that in Chicago.
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Jul 25, 2019 22:32
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Here in NYC it was, like, $120 to mount two tires off of the bike. Now that I have some experience, I do it myself. For the Ninja 250 (tubeless) I had to lay my body on top of the rear tire/wheel (sitting vertically) in order to get them to seal enough that air would start accumulating inside. This is with a small Home Depot air compressor that my father bought me something like 20 years ago. Had brief visions of those "what happens when you overinflate a truck tire" youtube videos, but in the end I saved 2-work-days-worth of money.
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Jul 26, 2019 13:27
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captainOrbital posted:This is a real good idea; I wish there were something like that in Chicago. I should have clarified they'll actually let you do any work you want (and use all of their equipment) for $15/hr, it's a pretty good deal for people that don't have a garage and tools. You can also just pay them to do work, but if you're doing it yourself and get stuck, you can just ask them for help really quick, which is nice. I kind of wonder if it's sustainable as a business model, but I hope it is.
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Jul 26, 2019 17:25
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MomJeans420 posted:I should have clarified they'll actually let you do any work you want (and use all of their equipment) for $15/hr, it's a pretty good deal for people that don't have a garage and tools. You can also just pay them to do work, but if you're doing it yourself and get stuck, you can just ask them for help really quick, which is nice. I kind of wonder if it's sustainable as a business model, but I hope it is. Shop space, tool use, and mechanical advice for $15/hr? I suspect that's actually a killer loving deal if you have the sense to not take advantage of it and wear out your welcome.
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Jul 26, 2019 18:02
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Open-ended question: why does every motorcycle under the sun have exhaust headers facing forward of the bike, and then routes the exhaust in some pretzel shape to bring it to the rear of the bike? Why not just have the bike with exhaust headers facing backwards?
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Jul 26, 2019 18:16
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Phy posted:Shop space, tool use, and mechanical advice for $15/hr? I suspect that's actually a killer loving deal if you have the sense to not take advantage of it and wear out your welcome. That's actually their business model, they advertise more as a DIY place than a typical mechanic. Moto Republic in Eagle Rock I've been doing stuff at home because I can just leave my bike apart and not rush things, but if I end up doing my fork seals myself, I'll definitely go there to use all the specialized tools. You can ask them a question or two for free, but they have a "private wrench" service where they'll work on things with you the whole time, so you learn how to do it from someone who knows. I don't know what that costs per hour, for all I know it could be more than just their usual service fee per hour. Something like that would have been really helpful when I was first starting to work on cars years ago.
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Jul 26, 2019 18:20
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Mirconium posted:Open-ended question: why does every motorcycle under the sun have exhaust headers facing forward of the bike, and then routes the exhaust in some pretzel shape to bring it to the rear of the bike? Why not just have the bike with exhaust headers facing backwards? Airbox > ducts > carbs > boots > engine is prob a much tougher proposition to hang off the front of the engine than an exhaust pipe
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Jul 26, 2019 18:37
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Mirconium posted:Open-ended question: why does every motorcycle under the sun have exhaust headers facing forward of the bike, and then routes the exhaust in some pretzel shape to bring it to the rear of the bike? Why not just have the bike with exhaust headers facing backwards? apropos of the plating a WR450F discussion... https://canadamotoguide.com/2009/10/08/yamahas-yz450f-reversed-head/
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Jul 26, 2019 18:40
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Mirconium posted:Open-ended question: why does every motorcycle under the sun have exhaust headers facing forward of the bike, and then routes the exhaust in some pretzel shape to bring it to the rear of the bike? Why not just have the bike with exhaust headers facing backwards? Because it's much better to have the exhaust take a convoluted route than inlet air, not to mention you really don't want your carbs or throttle bodies in the path of poo poo off your front wheels
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Jul 26, 2019 18:48
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Mirconium posted:Open-ended question: why does every motorcycle under the sun have exhaust headers facing forward of the bike, and then routes the exhaust in some pretzel shape to bring it to the rear of the bike? Why not just have the bike with exhaust headers facing backwards? Adding to the previous answers, Harleys and Ducatis have one exhaust port pointing forward and one backward, while the intake ports are inside the v, where the fueling device sits directly under the tank. e: the heat from that rear pipe is often a nuisance, which is why it's nice and practical to hang them all out front in the breeze.
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Jul 26, 2019 19:08
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RE: pipechat, bear in mind pipes need a certain minimum length, mufflers need to pass noise regulations and it's all a compromise with packaging and serviceability. Japanese I4's and similar are super conveniently packaged. Other places on the packaging-convenience continuum:  
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Jul 26, 2019 20:53
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Que bella 
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Jul 26, 2019 20:57
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Looks wonderful on a hot day
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Jul 26, 2019 21:04
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Jazzzzz posted:Que bella  
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Jul 26, 2019 21:08
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Mirconium posted:Open-ended question: why does every motorcycle under the sun have exhaust headers facing forward of the bike, and then routes the exhaust in some pretzel shape to bring it to the rear of the bike? Why not just have the bike with exhaust headers facing backwards? You want the hottest part of the engine to have as much airflow as possible. That means the cylinder head and the exhaust headers should be at the very front of the powerplant. Everything else follows from that. Packaging and charge flow issues can be worked around (as seen in the pictures posted above) but you will always have better cooling at the front of the bike than at the rear. For an inexpensive air-cooled single or inline engine, putting the cylinders up front with the exhaust ports facing forward just makes the most engineering sense.
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Jul 26, 2019 22:37
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Sagebrush posted:You want the hottest part of the engine to have as much airflow as possible. That means the cylinder head and the exhaust headers should be at the very front of the powerplant. Everything else follows from that. Packaging and charge flow issues can be worked around (as seen in the pictures posted above) but you will always have better cooling at the front of the bike than at the rear. For an inexpensive air-cooled single or inline engine, putting the cylinders up front with the exhaust ports facing forward just makes the most engineering sense. Whereas water cooling lets you do things like put the intake at the front and the exhaust at the rear of your new whiz-bang 450 single cylinder design, and then wrap the header ALL the way around the jug - because you're Yamaha
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Jul 26, 2019 23:10
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I thought you were kidding.  
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Jul 28, 2019 01:10
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I think I fixed my starting issues with the BMW s1000xr by replacing the battery. I thought about cleaning the starter connections, but they are under the tank, so this felt easier. I also got new led lights(headlights and running lights), partially because my headlight died. But the lamp failure light still lights up although occasionally it comes off. It is pretty annoying. Any ideas?
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Jul 28, 2019 03:28
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pokie posted:I think I fixed my starting issues with the BMW s1000xr by replacing the battery. I thought about cleaning the starter connections, but they are under the tank, so this felt easier. Replacement factory LED lights, or aftermarket LEDs that replaced halogen lights?
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Jul 28, 2019 04:46
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The BMW 300 single has a saner front intake rear exhaust config:
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Jul 28, 2019 06:09
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Jazzzzz posted:Replacement factory LED lights, or aftermarket LEDs that replaced halogen lights? Aftermarket from Super Bright LEDs. Dealer didn't have OEM ones so I am assuming they don't exist (the dealer tried selling me the LEDs I ended up getting from the web, but they wanted x3 the cost, fuckers). I went on another ride after my last post, and this time the warning was mostly off but would occasionally blink into existence for a second. I will start by making sure I plugged everything in solidly.
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Jul 28, 2019 06:38
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Yamaha seems to be the only one of the Big Four gunning to beat the Austrians in the off-road segment, so it makes sense they're trying new poo poo, as opposed to, say, Suzuki, who makes bikes that look like meticulously, lovingly restored examples from the 80's, which is kinda awesome tbh, I love seeing some brand-new square turn signals.
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Jul 28, 2019 06:42
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pokie posted:Aftermarket from Super Bright LEDs. Dealer didn't have OEM ones so I am assuming they don't exist (the dealer tried selling me the LEDs I ended up getting from the web, but they wanted x3 the cost, fuckers). BMW's factory LEDs don't come in bulb form, it's an entire headlight assembly. That's why I asked - the factory stuff is like $1200 to replace if it shits the bed. You're likely getting an intermittent warning on your dash because the bulbs you swapped in aren't drawing quite enough current (same reason LED turn signals on bikes not designed for them require a different flasher relay to slow down the blink rate). Check your connections as you said, but you may just have to try a different replacement LED.
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Jul 28, 2019 17:37
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Jazzzzz posted:BMW's factory LEDs don't come in bulb form, it's an entire headlight assembly. That's why I asked - the factory stuff is like $1200 to replace if it shits the bed. Yeah, that sounds like BMW. It's weird that the dealer would suggest these lights then. I am not sure wasting another $90 or whatever on replacement lights without guaranteed results is worth for me. I can just... not look at the warning light 
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Jul 28, 2019 19:08
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pokie posted:Yeah, that sounds like BMW. It's weird that the dealer would suggest these lights then. I am not sure wasting another $90 or whatever on replacement lights without guaranteed results is worth for me. I can just... not look at the warning light I see the D word again! Know a guy with an s1000r who I first met at a safety event thing a couple of years ago. As I was gawking at his bike, because I'd never seen up close before, I remarked on his genuine extremely expensive rizoma levers. He told me he'd just had them fitted and the dealer has regrettably informed him they aren't compatible with his cruise control and if he wants that feature he needs to stick with the factory ones. So I took the clutch lever off and put it back with the two little clutch switches orientated correctly and not all hosed up and wrong and what do you know, everything worked perfectly after that. Same dealer also told him the cam chain rattle was a mysterious yet totally normal noise they were unable to identify but it's totally fine. E: just imagine that side scroller screenshot telling you never trust the police, only your fists but with bike dealers instead Slavvy fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Jul 28, 2019 |
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Jul 28, 2019 19:58
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Slavvy posted:I see the D word again! To be fair to myself I inquired about the lights a couple months back before the starting issues. Btw I also have expensive rizoma levers, but I put those on myself. Do you mean quick shifter and not cruise control? Because yeah you have to put it on right for the former, and the rizoma manual points it out.Do you think there is a way to circumvent the dumb warning light for lamp failure?
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Jul 28, 2019 20:29
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pokie posted:To be fair to myself How was fitting the led bulb? I've been putting it off because there is so little space in there. I had the lamp failure warning when I switched to led turn signals. Some resistors fixed that up.
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Jul 28, 2019 20:33
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Kastivich posted:How was fitting the led bulb? I've been putting it off because there is so little space in there. I got the ones below and they fit fine except that I couldn't put the lid back on. But they aren't in the way of the forks etc. I can't imagine anything would fit under OEM rubber lids. https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...ens/5409/12507/ It was an easy installation. It only took me an hour because I kept trying to do everything without removing the little black fairing bits that hug the forward front fairings.
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Jul 28, 2019 20:38
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pokie posted:To be fair to myself It sounds like resistors will fix your problem yeah. And I mean cruise control though presumably the quick shift wouldn't have been working either, they didn't have the little paddles that operate the micro switches around the right way or engaged with the lever correctly, so one of the switches was permanently open aka clutch pulled in. So his cruise would never engage as a result.
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Jul 28, 2019 21:02
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Slavvy posted:It sounds like resistors will fix your problem yeah. Oh interesting re:cruise. As for resistors, do yo mean figuring out what resistance the old lamps were equivalent to and adding some into the circuit?
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Jul 28, 2019 21:27
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