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I pulled up between two cars at a red light once in Chicago; one was turning left and one was turning right. The guy in the car turning right rolled down his window and gave me a lecture, telling me that I could be "killed" or "arrested." I just nodded behind my mirrored visor and rode off. Honestly, both of those potential consequences seemed a bit extreme.
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Jul 3, 2020 16:18
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Verman posted:As someone who bicycle commuted for a decade in Chicago, lane splitting brings up a lot of horrific flashbacks of getting doored. It's engrained in my brain to stay three feet or more from static cars for that reason. In the UK cars will actually move out of the way to let bikes split past sometimes, it's pretty great. Unfortunately you still can't split everywhere because a lot of the roads are too narrow when they're backed up with traffic, especially if you get two fat SUVs next to each other. I got doored once on a bicycle, but that was an accident 
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Jul 3, 2020 17:56
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How are 2 strokes for dual sports? Do you have to carry a squeeze bottle of oil when you fill up when out and about? A cheap KDX 200 popped up but got me thinking about fuel 
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Jul 3, 2020 19:39
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My dummy understanding is that the concerns are more about the long germ engine life of 2 strokes, but I'm with you, I'd like to hear more about it from someone that knows.
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Jul 3, 2020 20:03
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kloa posted:How are 2 strokes for dual sports? Do you have to carry a squeeze bottle of oil when you fill up when out and about? A cheap KDX 200 popped up but got me thinking about fuel How cheap? Who cares, buy it. Bikes around me have skyrocketed since covid. Dealerships are out of dirtbikes. People see driving from Seattle to Montana to buy new dirt bikes. Used market is inflated like 200%. I'm seeing used cr80s and TTR150s from 2006 selling for what they paid brand new back in 2006. Kdx 200s are legendary trail bikes. If you really want to do a lot of true dual sport (50/50) riding, mixing gas and oil with precision will be a bit of an inconvenience on the go if needed (not impossible, just carry a small thing of oil) but if you're using it as a trail bike that occasionally gets on the road, you can't go wrong. I know some people carry a bottle of premix in their bad while riding. Two strokes require more frequent top end rebuilds but they're much easier and cheaper to do than four strokes. My only concern would be finding parts. This is where I just don't know enough about the kdx. They might be easy to source parts for but they're also pretty scarce on the used market. People are buying up all the parts bikes for when their bikes fail. I will say I don't see them for sale hardly often/if ever. Honda xr200s are in the same boat. I just don't see them sit on the used market. Buy it. You can probably buy it, ride it for a year and sell it for what you paid. dirt bike magazine kdx200
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Jul 3, 2020 20:38
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I did the sheetiron 300 on a 300exc that got like 22mpg. To make sure I could get 100 miles between fillups I had to keep a backpack with a 2 gallon dromedary bag of fuel strapped to the rear end and kept a quick mix bottle of oil in a side case use the marks on the bottle to coincide with how much fuel you put in, hopefully beforehand so the fuel mixes it around as it enters. Like it's fun for the concept to do but, like, I'll never do it again because it was annoying. Though if you seize a piston on a 2 stroke you could realistically carry a spare piston and cylinder and do a trailside swap in a couple hours. But yeah buy it everyone should ride a 2 stroke for a while at some point they're a lot of fun. You will definitely need to keep a bottle of measurable oil with you for filling up if you're going further than a gas tank and don't have a pre-mixed fuel canister waiting. 
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Jul 3, 2020 21:19
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I personally have spent hundreds of hours on two stroke trail and dirt bikes out on trails that were pretty far out from civilization. My main concerns were the same as they were on any bike, losing a chain, snapping a cable or blowing a tire way out in the middle of nowhere. In my experience if you make sure your two stroke is jetted properly and getting the right premix, it will last a good long while. The two strokes I’ve had fail on me have given me a good amount of warning. I’ve had a crank seal go out and lost a crank bearing but the bike pushed oil out of the overflow for two weeks prior. I have also ridden a 90cc two stroke from Milwaukee to Chicago and back so I’m a big proponent of “take care of your two strokes and they’ll be fine”
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Jul 3, 2020 23:33
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cover the clutch and you’ll be golden dual sporting a 2t
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Jul 3, 2020 23:41
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I rode my plated 300 xcw on a dual sport ride and hated it. Was not geared for going 55+mph constantly, poo poo was buzzy and painful for my hands after like 20 miles Also I ran out of fuel very quickly and had to glide it downhill in neutral back to the parking lot lol
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Jul 4, 2020 01:39
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Verman posted:How cheap? Who cares, buy it. To elaborate on this: yes you can run a kdx200 fine on the street but they are painfully, devastatingly slow. Like 4t 125 levels of slow, especially when you fit longer sprockets so it isn't screaming it's guts out all the time. Is it's gonna be predominantly a road bike it isn't worth it at all IMO but for the trail they're excellent. Parts are very easy to get in my experience.
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Jul 4, 2020 02:40
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Pistons and cylinders being wear items doesn’t keep people from buying Italian bikes and it shouldn’t keep you from buying a two stroke
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Jul 4, 2020 05:40
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Well jokes on me for asking and not just throwing money at the KDX the second I saw it since it’s gone  I’d like my next dual sport to be 25% road and 75% trails but it’ll realistically be more like 50-75% roads and the rest trails as a weekend warrior between work and 6 months of winter here.
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Jul 4, 2020 05:44
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2t chat: was it Cagiva or Gilera that made the 2t ds/adv bike back in the late 80s or early 90s? A smaller one, may have been a 250? Blast chat: I want to see Zach and Ari do a trip on Blasts for Throttle Out or On Two Wheels. I still have never ridden one but still think my response to it would be the same as to a KLR650. I.e., well, this sucks, but at least I’m on a motorcycle still.
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Jul 4, 2020 05:51
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:2t chat: was it Cagiva or Gilera that made the 2t ds/adv bike back in the late 80s or early 90s? A smaller one, may have been a 250? Do you mean the Yamaha TDR125/250?
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Jul 4, 2020 09:10
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Renaissance Robot posted:In the UK cars will actually move out of the way to let bikes split past sometimes, it's pretty great. Unfortunately you still can't split everywhere because a lot of the roads are too narrow when they're backed up with traffic, especially if you get two fat SUVs next to each other. I know everyone does it but isn't filtering technically illegal still in the UK? Either illegal or like a grey area. Unsurprising to hear the US police are total killjoys about it.
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Jul 4, 2020 13:50
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knox_harrington posted:I know everyone does it but isn't filtering technically illegal still in the UK? Either illegal or like a grey area. It’s legal. https://www.bikerandbike.co.uk/filtering-motorbike-whats-law/
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Jul 4, 2020 14:55
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High Protein posted:Do you mean the Yamaha TDR125/250? YES! I don’t know why I thought Italian.
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Jul 4, 2020 15:38
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Yeah, you'll occasionally get boomers having an old man yells at cloud moment complaining about "bikes weaving in and out of traffic", but a) what they're really picturing is the high speed chase from last night's episode of Police Camera Action, and b) even if they see you splitting they aren't going to start poo poo because you'll be long gone by the time they work out whether they want to be mad enough to even honk. Regardless of whether they think it is or should be legal, most people just accept splitting as a thing that happens here.
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Jul 4, 2020 16:35
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I noticed a big difference between riding in London where bikes are so commonplace that even the doziest driver is generally aware of bikes, to riding in Birmingham which was loving lethal. The standard of driving here in Switzerland is generally quite poo poo. On the mountain roads people drive down the middle a lot and swerve out of the way when something comes the other direction. Wankers.
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Jul 4, 2020 16:55
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Man I wouldn't even drive a car in Birmingham. Or go there, at all, if I can help it.
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Jul 4, 2020 17:22
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Slavvy posted:I still don't understand. If it won't start with a new battery but it'll start with a jump start, your new battery must be hosed? What happens if you just connect your jump battery to it by itself? Anyway the charging system has nothing to do with any of this, I don't know how that even got involved in the first place. If I put the multimeter across the mower battery as I crank it, what should I be looking for? Shelvocke posted:This is my thought, if it jumps (and the jumper is attached to the frame as per recommend technique), but doesn't start with a new battery, the frame to earth is probably the culprit (unless you got super unlucky and the new battery is also pants) When you talk about the 'frame to earth' being bad, do you mean that you suspect there's a loose connection? I guess if it were a loose connection I'd expect the problem to be more intermittent, and for the mower to occasionally shut down while I was riding if the connection jostled too much.
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Jul 5, 2020 22:02
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My horn wasn't working at all. Probably due to years of neglect and getting wet (I'm the 5th owner, I think, and I live in Scotland). I replaced the horn with a new horn. Now the horn works, and it's really nice and loud, but only if I press VERY hard down on the horn button. How do I fix this so it doesn't take a very hard thumb-mashing to make the horn work?
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Jul 5, 2020 22:56
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Steakandchips posted:My horn wasn't working at all. Probably due to years of neglect and getting wet (I'm the 5th owner, I think, and I live in Scotland). Taking the switch unit apart and cleaning and/or bending into shape the switch contact, probably.
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Jul 5, 2020 23:05
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Do you guys think my spare Yuasa YT7B-BS could power a VIAIR 85P compressor? It requires 12V/15A, and I'm generally familiar with amps/volts/watts/etc, but I'm not sure what to make the amps vs CCA specs. I'm assuming no on this one, but figured I'd check. 
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Jul 6, 2020 03:43
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110A CCA generally means that the battery can source up to 110 amps in a surge if the load demands it, as in the case of a starter motor. It can't do that for very long but fortunately you only need 15 amps. It may be a problem that it's only a 6.5 amp-hour battery, though. 6.5Ah means the battery can supply 6.5 amps for 1 hour until it's discharged, or 3.25 amps for 2 hours, or 0.65A for 10 hours, and so on. If your charger requires 15 amps, that means you can only run it for a little over 20 minutes from a full charge to empty. Does the compressor actually draw 15 amps, or is that just the size of the fuse it requires? Look for the rating in watts and divide that by voltage -- e.g. if it draws 120W then that is 10 amps at 12 volts. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 04:02 on Jul 6, 2020 |
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Jul 6, 2020 04:00
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It says it needs 180watts/15A at a minimum, so I think it may actually draw 15A. That said, I only need it to run for usually 30 seconds per wheel, so it seems like I should be able to play with tire pressures then throw the battery back on the tender. This is just me being lazy about having to plug it into my car in the driveway, it always feels like a pain to play with bike tire pressures because I have to get my bike close enough to the car that the cord will reach, turn the car on, roll down the window, etc. I have a spare battery lying around that my tender says it still good, so I thought it may be worth a shot.
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Jul 6, 2020 06:22
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Steakandchips posted:My horn wasn't working at all. Probably due to years of neglect and getting wet (I'm the 5th owner, I think, and I live in Scotland). Squirt some contact cleaner in there. There's almost certainly a hole in the bottom of the control cluster (is there a proper word for the thing with the buttons that attaches to the handlebar?) to let moisture out, use that to get at the back of the switch, press the button in and squirt it into the surrround to get the the front. Don't take it apart unless you absolutely have to because there is a spring that has been waiting from the moment the bike was built to fire itself into low Earth orbit and will take that opportunity the moment you get near it with a screwdriver... or so I've been told, I've certainly never had to pay a hundred quid for a whole new assembly because that spring is completely irreplaceable.
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Jul 6, 2020 07:37
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right arm posted:california is a poo poo hole Why do you hate California the way slavvy hates KTM?
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Jul 6, 2020 13:00
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I dunno, as someone who doesn’t live in California but travels there a lot I think it’s nice and I’d live there if it wouldn’t cost $2.5 million dollars to buy a similar house to what I have out here in MKE for significantly less. When the kids are grown and my wife and I are ready to downsize I’m gonna make a big push for it though
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Jul 6, 2020 13:12
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builds character posted:Why do you hate California the way slavvy hates KTM? I should say I hate californian transplants and not california itself. california without the californians would be a wonderland 
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Jul 6, 2020 14:31
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builds character posted:Why do you hate California the way slavvy hates KTM? right arm posted:I should say I hate californian transplants and not california itself. california without the californians would be a wonderland That explains it. Were you a Portland area native or did you just live there long enough to get squeezed out by climbing rents/real estate prices from people fleeing California but bringing ridiculous expectations for housing costs with them? My grandpa was bitching about Californians moving to Portland a good 30+ years ago. Bend got screwed, too. Hell, when I was in Hood River a couple of years ago prices were asinine and there's nothing there but fruit orchards and wind surfers. The Boise area is being overrun now, has been for the past few years. I'm surprised the Mormons haven't started a purge.
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Jul 6, 2020 16:11
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Jazzzzz posted:That explains it. Were you a Portland area native or did you just live there long enough to get squeezed out by climbing rents/real estate prices from people fleeing California but bringing ridiculous expectations for housing costs with them? My grandpa was bitching about Californians moving to Portland a good 30+ years ago. Bend got screwed, too. Hell, when I was in Hood River a couple of years ago prices were asinine and there's nothing there but fruit orchards and wind surfers. I grew up southeast of portland in a little logging town my parents moved to after having me, but rented there for quite some time. my dad grew up in WA and lived in NE portland working for PGE and lived in a shithole house that would probably be worth $600000 or so now lol mom lived all over, mexico originally, then japan, australia, and the virgin islands. crazy childhood lol the change is insane from when I'd visit friends in high school and just like 10yrs later. poo poo even thinking about when we started living here compared to when we left in september is just nuts how much stuff has changed we made the decision to move to nashville for a couple years to save up money to put towards a downpayment on a place back in oregon or idaho since while poo poo is expensive in nashville, it is cheaper than portland, plus we both work medical jobs with no kids (but a giant berner ) so moving was easy. so I wouldn't say squeezed out so much as we just had better opportunities out here especially since she is originally from TN. I've got family out in garden valley area and thoroughly enjoy boise as well, so the plan is to return in about 1.5 - 2yr once we have a big ole downpayment
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Jul 6, 2020 16:40
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Squirt some contact cleaner in there. There's almost certainly a hole in the bottom of the control cluster (is there a proper word for the thing with the buttons that attaches to the handlebar?) to let moisture out, use that to get at the back of the switch, press the button in and squirt it into the surrround to get the the front. Don't take it apart unless you absolutely have to because there is a spring that has been waiting from the moment the bike was built to fire itself into low Earth orbit and will take that opportunity the moment you get near it with a screwdriver... or so I've been told, I've certainly never had to pay a hundred quid for a whole new assembly because that spring is completely irreplaceable. I squirted contact cleaner spray in the holes in the switchgear (that's what the control cluster is called, FYI). It improved things a tiny bit, but not a great deal. Will do a bit more tomorrow. Yeah, I am not taking it apart. Will let the shop do it if I bring it in prior to an MOT in November (assuming I haven't sold the bike by then).
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Jul 6, 2020 22:54
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Nidhg00670000 posted:2003 SV650. Follow up to this. I hosed around some more, switched back to the old plugs (and then put the new ones back in when it didn't make a difference), checked grounds, scratched my head a lot. Nothing worked, still would just go round round round on the starter without catching at all. So my dad came over to help me brainstorm a bit plus that he wanted to hear and see the problem himself, and when I showed him it started up perfectly.
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Jul 7, 2020 03:17
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New to me bike has a 20+ year old county tax sticker and an expired inspection sticker on the fork. Any pro tips for removal without damage? I tried WD-40 with no success.
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Jul 7, 2020 23:18
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Tyro posted:New to me bike has a 20+ year old county tax sticker and an expired inspection sticker on the fork. Any pro tips for removal without damage? I tried WD-40 with no success. Hairdryer/heat gun?
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Jul 7, 2020 23:59
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Goo Gone/Acetone? Just cover the fork seals 
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Jul 8, 2020 00:00
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Tyro posted:New to me bike has a 20+ year old county tax sticker and an expired inspection sticker on the fork. Any pro tips for removal without damage? I tried WD-40 with no success. Goo gone, or soak it in 90+% isopropyl alcohol. If it's a delicate surface, light oils will take most of it off with some rubbing, but some adhesive residue will probably still be there so you'll have to use alcohol or goo gone or something for that anyway.
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Jul 8, 2020 00:05
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Cool thanks y'all. I got one mostly off with careful use of a paint scraper but the old one is really stuck on there. I'll try the goo gone or alcohol.
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Jul 8, 2020 00:16
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I need CA's help solving a stupid problem. After confirming my no-start problem was a failed fuel pump, I bought this replacement fuel pump kit. The pump works great, but the fitments is.. less than exact. I was able to get everything together, except the fuel hose between the pump and the sending unit. That little corrugated straw they provide in the kit is flexible, but not at all pliable. I can't get it onto the sending unit barb more than a 1/4" or so, and it slips off under pressure. I tried warming the hose with boiling water, then a heat gun, but it just gets hot to the touch and not really any more pliable. This is some kind of stiff nylon, I think. Is there a method here I'm missing? Or what is a good alternative fuel hose I can use? It has to be EFI pressure rated, and submersible rated. All I'm finding is the thick, heavy, braided rubber bulk hose which probably won't flex into the place it needs to go; the route between the barbs isn't straight. I'd like to eventually ride this year. mr.belowaverage fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Jul 9, 2020 |
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Jul 9, 2020 01:04
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