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It's a plunger type (a pretty nice one though), so I suppose that probably makes it easier than the lovely one from walmart that feels like it will explode at any moment. I cannot contest looking ridiculous around my car with it! It has gotten me out of a jam before though when I had a slow tire leak in the car (in the valve core of all places), pumped it up from basically 0 to 30 psi, drove 50 miles home where I fixed the core by replacing it with one from one of my bicycles. Rolo posted:I just had a bad moment that almost led to an accident. Posting this in the newbie thread to remind everyone about the dangerous period I'm in where I've been riding fat and happy for a few years and accidentally let my guard down. Glad you got out ok! Good reminder for everyone that YES you do actually need to practice emergency braking some more. Yes even more. Russian Bear fucked around with this message at 23:53 on Nov 10, 2021 |
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Nov 10, 2021 23:50
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| # ? May 17, 2024 04:16 |
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I too use a bicycle (TNT plunger style) pump for pumping air into my motorcycle tyres. I find it more convenient than faffing with the air compressor that I also own!
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Nov 15, 2021 23:29
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My air compressor is loud as gently caress and I hate running it. I really should get a belt drive unit and just be done with it.
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Nov 16, 2021 03:35
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I haven't used one myself but supposedly the California Air Tools ones are the quietest compressors you can buy. https://www.amazon.com/California-Air-Tools-10020C-Compressor/dp/B0188XBTLY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZWqHndbkVI
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Nov 16, 2021 03:42
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Thanks for this, they apparently have smaller ones too and I ordered a 1gal one, mostly for setting beads on tubeless bicycle tires.
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Nov 16, 2021 05:14
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Steakandchips posted:I too use a bicycle (TNT plunger style) pump for pumping air into my motorcycle tyres.  I use mine on car tires too occasionally. A bit of pumping potentially but zero faffing so it owns. There are recurring discussions in AI about battery powered or 12v compressors for this and I always think there's no way those things beat a decent floor pump for convenience. Mine has a pressure gauge that is actually pretty accurate which is a plus, I'm pretty anal about tire pressure in general and especially on the moto. The pump also goes up to 12 bars so when I shoot PET bottle water rockets with the kids I can bring them right to the edge of disaster 
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Nov 16, 2021 06:35
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I use a VIAIR 85P with a motorcycle battery connected to a 12v cigarette lighter socket and it works very well. The VIAIR is a lot quieter and faster than your typical $20 cigarette lighter based charger, and the motorcycle battery makes it so I don't have to park my bike close to a car to get the compressor going. It's also nice for getting the full size spare in the trunk of my car, as the existing cord just barely reaches it and it's a pain in the rear end.
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Nov 16, 2021 17:58
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I have this dewalt inflator and it is 100% the best. It is also an absolutely ridiculous price for something that airs up tires. I had one that got stolen and I immediately bought another. Well, that's my story.
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Nov 17, 2021 17:20
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Sagebrush posted:I haven't used one myself but supposedly the California Air Tools ones are the quietest compressors you can buy. I have the compressor module without the tank. Can attest to its quietness. at 'home' I use a 1950s shop compressor that's as quiet as the above. Prior to buying that I ran a tnt style bicycle pump. not at 'home' I use the bikes built in compressor. Its not as quiet.
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Nov 17, 2021 17:58
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Sagebrush posted:Chain tensioning I may have skipped over this bit in the thread or just plain forgot but what's the correct technique for this? My bike manual states 28-35mm of slack and I've read that this should be from the tightest part of the chain. The chain tugs on the bike seem reasonably naff because it's a cheap Chinese made bike so getting the wheel tight again and having it stay at the exact tension I'd like is a little harder than I'd ideally like. What should be a 10 minute job takes a bunch longer as I find the wheel has slipped forward or back as I've been torquing it up. I did read a cool tip about chain line though which made sense. Basically the guy was saying set the tension chain side first and then spin the wheel with your hand and listen to the noise the chain makes on the sprocket as you tighten the non drive side. A nice straight chain line (and hence straight wheel) should be the point where the chain is running quietest. Feel free to tell me that's complete poo poo but it seemed to work well, squiffy chain tugs aside.
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Nov 17, 2021 18:34
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Olympic Mathlete posted:I may have skipped over this bit in the thread or just plain forgot but what's the correct technique for this? Get a bike with a single-sided swingarm and eccentric adjuster  Seriously: the tension should just be about two fingers of up-and-down motion measured at the center of the lower chain run. There are exact specs in the manual, but the tension changes constantly as the suspension moves so it's not like you have to get it set down to the millimeter. (The changing tension from the suspension geometry is why making sure the chain is not too tight is just as important as making sure it isn't too loose). If you have regular dual sided adjusters you can tighten them down gradually and knock the axle back and forth with a mallet as you do. You don't have to loosen the whole thing up again for every adjustment. I've never had problems getting the tension to stay where I want it using that method. Your guy's idea of spinning the wheel and listening for tight spots sounds reasonable too.
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Nov 17, 2021 19:08
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Olympic Mathlete posted:I may have skipped over this bit in the thread or just plain forgot but what's the correct technique for this? Ok so the chain adjusters only work in the tightening direction. If you overtighten, you can't just loosen it off a bit, you need to loosen rightght off and start again. Loosen the axle nut so that the adjusters can move the wheel but NOT so loose that you can move the wheel by hand. Get it so the chain is 90% there and both sides are equal based on the markings. Tighten the axle so there's a noticable drag when tightening the adjusters, set the chain tension (at the tight spot), then torque the axle nut, then nip up the adjusters another 1/8-1/4 of a turn so they don't come loose as you ride. The key thing is to work against the tension of the axle, if you're trying to do it with everything loose and flopping around you will never succeed.
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Nov 17, 2021 19:31
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Slavvy posted:Ok so the chain adjusters only work in the tightening direction. !! I think this is where I was probably going wrong, my last experience with chain tensioners was on BMXs when they basically hooked round the axle and you could pull and push it to where it needed to be. That and the not fully loosening the axle whilst doing it. I'll give this a shot when I'm next due a tighten in a couple of weeks. Thank you. Sagebrush posted:If you have regular dual sided adjusters you can tighten them down gradually and knock the axle back and forth with a mallet as you do. You don't have to loosen the whole thing up again for every adjustment. I've never had problems getting the tension to stay where I want it using that method. Your guy's idea of spinning the wheel and listening for tight spots sounds reasonable too. And yeah I was tapping the back wheel with a rubber mallet to get it to where I needed it, it was just tightening it up fully where it wanted to be elsewhere. Ta. Olympic Mathlete fucked around with this message at 12:37 on Nov 18, 2021 |
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Nov 18, 2021 12:29
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If anyone in SoCal is curious about track days you can do a "taste of the track" (4 laps) at Willow Springs for $25 on Thanksgiving weekend: https://shop.motorepublic.com/products/taste-of-the-track Personally I'd do a full track day if I was going to make the ride out there, but this lets you go around the track with just a helmet, jacket, and jeans, so you don't have to invest in full leathers.
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Nov 18, 2021 23:59
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Newbie tip: When in doubt, stop for gas. Ask me how I know…
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Nov 20, 2021 18:54
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 Did you have to push it somewhere or find a way to transport some gas to you? I always try to run a new to me bike close to empty once to get a good idea of max range, and one time I drastically overestimated and stalled at a light. That was fun pushing a 480 lb bike to the next gas station.
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Nov 20, 2021 22:41
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Thankfully I was in town and a friend who rides bought me some gas. I pushed for a bit before giving in and calling for help - the nearest gas station was a mile down the road, but it’s a commercial filling station so I’m not sure if they would have taken my card. Passed a moving truck rental place with a fuel island and asked if there was any way I could get some gas and they said no.
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Nov 21, 2021 05:02
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I only once ran close to empty and the gas station I went to was a commercial station only serving Diesel, so I had to give up and find a normal gas station without my fleet discount. Luckily the bus driver parked there knew about a local shop that has a single pump right out front (which I completely missed even looking for it). But yeah, that made me kinda nervous but in reality I probably could have gone quite a bit further.
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Nov 21, 2021 08:51
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I accidentally put E85 in the Hawk once. It didn't like it, but still ran enough to limp home and drain it.
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Nov 21, 2021 13:30
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215 km was my worst range. i pretty much have to go with the odometer since below 1/3 of a tank my bike just flashes FUEL!
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Nov 22, 2021 21:55
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Just so I don't do something dumb and burn my house down, I can connect a pair of ledes to my battery still in the bike, leave my bike in the garage (Toronto, Canada) and leave it on a trickle charger ( batter tender junior) all winter with no problems right? It was a pain in the rear end to get at the battery, and I plan on leaving the ledes attached the rest of the year under the seat.
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Dec 5, 2021 19:20
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Yes, that's totally fine. The whole reason to use a tender instead of a charger is that you can leave it hooked up indefinitely and it will intelligently maintain the charge without any risk of damage or fire. The battery tender should come with a plug pigtail designed for that purpose.
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Dec 5, 2021 19:34
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Sagebrush posted:Yes, that's totally fine. The whole reason to use a tender instead of a charger is that you can leave it hooked up indefinitely and it will intelligently maintain the charge without any risk of damage or fire. Thanks a ton. Pigtails installed and bike packed for the year. Cheers
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Dec 5, 2021 20:11
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Sort of the opposite inquiry: If I intend to ride all winter (at least an hour a week, once a week) anything I should be doing to ensure reliable starting? Bike is fuel-injected, stored in an unheated, covered car port and temps here drop below freezing, though I will likely avoid riding on such cold days. Also I keep my tires inflated to near the max rec on the sidewall (29psi). Is it worth reducing pressure a bit to improve traction on cold days?
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Dec 6, 2021 03:13
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Your bike will be totally fine in freezing weather on the condition that your battery and the charging circuit are in good shape. I rode for two years with a lovely regulator. I managed to start it most of the times. With a new regulator, it has become 'will always start'. Measure charging voltage, it should be between 13,8v and 14,5v with the engine slightly above idle. Measure voltage while cranking. Should be above 10v or so (i haven't really measured that a lot). If it cranks at normal speed in freezing weather, it's fine Tire pressure sounds already low to me. What kind of bike is that? I hate running low tire pressures, if anything it feels like i get less traction. Sporty tires suck quite badly at freezing temps. If handling is skittish in the cold, perhaps look at some touring tires.
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Dec 6, 2021 04:29
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Run your tires at the pressure on the sticker on the frame or swingarm. Mid to high 20s is normal for dual sports, low 30s for most Street bikes, I think. But yeah a sidewall rating of 29 sounds weirdly low. My street tires are 42 psi max, dirt tires are 56 psi max.
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Dec 6, 2021 04:46
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T Zero posted:Sort of the opposite inquiry: If I intend to ride all winter (at least an hour a week, once a week) anything I should be doing to ensure reliable starting? Bike is fuel-injected, stored in an unheated, covered car port and temps here drop below freezing, though I will likely avoid riding on such cold days. Yeah what bike is this cause that sounds bizarre, is it a 50cc?
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Dec 6, 2021 05:02
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CBR250 This is from the manual, and identical to the chart on the swingarm
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Dec 6, 2021 14:13
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T Zero posted:Sort of the opposite inquiry: If I intend to ride all winter (at least an hour a week, once a week) anything I should be doing to ensure reliable starting? Bike is fuel-injected, stored in an unheated, covered car port and temps here drop below freezing, though I will likely avoid riding on such cold days. Just keep them at 29 psi. What makes winter riding more dangerous is 1. ice or snow being slippery and 2. All the garbage that gets put down to address that. I wouldn’t ride when it’s right around melting (including when the sun shining on ice is enough to melt it at like 27F), but frozen ice on a 20 F day should be fine as long as you’re just riding straight over it.
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Dec 6, 2021 14:21
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I'm still confused about the 29 psi rating on the sidewall. Stock tires on the CBR250 were IRC Road Winners, rated to 36 psi. A max cold fill rating of only 29 would indicate to me an extremely budget tire that I'd want to avoid. But anyhow, just to be clear, there's never any reason to run road tires lower than the bike's recommended psi, assuming the tires are appropriate to the machine. Different story for dirt riding, but airing down on road tires will gently caress up handling and cause uneven wear which will further gently caress up handling, and no additional traction will come of it at any point.
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Dec 6, 2021 17:28
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:I'm still confused about the 29 psi rating on the sidewall. Tire recommends are different from manufacturer recommends. My MT03 tires are rated for a max of 36. The recommendation from Yamaha is 30 for the front 33 for the back. Russian Bear fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Dec 6, 2021 |
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Dec 6, 2021 17:36
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T Zero posted:CBR250 Ok yeah so step one is ignore what it says on the sidewall, step two is just run 29psi, step three is get some actually good tires asap cause those are terrible.
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Dec 6, 2021 18:07
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Russian Bear posted:Tire recommends are different from manufacturer recommends. My MT03 tires are rated for a max of 36.
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Dec 6, 2021 19:03
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Can you take a picture of the part of the sidewall where it says 29 psi? I'm wondering if the tire has a "recommended pressure" stamped into it for some reason as well as the maximum pressure. I could see it making sense on inexpensive tires for small bikes -- pretty much every ~250 street bike is going to run about the same pressure anyway, and you maybe want to cut down on the number of clueless people who read that maximum pressure figure and blow the tire up to 50 psi.
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Dec 6, 2021 19:12
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My mistake - I said "sidewall" when I meant "sidearm/swingarm". Sorry for the confusion. The tires are Michelin pilot street radials, rated max 38 PSI front, 41 psi rear. Front tire is new this year, rear tire is 1.5 years old, with plenty of tread left.
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Dec 6, 2021 19:23
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Oh you’re good then. Run swingarm pressures.
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Dec 6, 2021 19:36
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Already rambled on in the slack, posting here too: After the BRC sessions I went to ride again but found my rear was all but flat, and then discovered the nail when it wouldn't hold air. Rather than plug it with my 300lb self, and still aware that the front tire was mounted backwards by the PO, I decided to just get two new tires, and then decided I might as well do them myself. So after receiving various irons, expensive as poo poo but sweet rear end Pit Bull front and rear stands, a tire stand with a bead breaker, rim/tire lube, right angle valve stems because why not, a balancing stand, and a fresh set of Michelin Road 5s, I got to it. Started with the rear, and removing the wheel from the bike took all of a few minutes. Breaking the bead was no trouble with that stand as well. Removing the tire was a pain, because at first I forgot to actually use the lube, and then wasn't lining up the tire in the center of the wheel to make it easier on myself. After finally realizing both of those, it finally was freed. Popping the new tire on was very easy in comparison, then that left me with trying to inflate it. So the small AC powered portable compressor wasn't doing it as expected, then went to the more powerful DC powered VIAIR unit in the car, but that wasn't enough either. Took the whole drat wheel to the closest gas station but that pump seemed to cycle off and on and I wasn't getting anywhere there, either. So then I got a small, but still proper 3 gallon pancake compressor, hose, and chuck, and that finally did it. Greased up all the axle stuff and got it back together and went on a short ride for the first time since November 13th. Still haven't done the front, as the fork socket doesn't arrive until tonight, but from the experience of changing the rear I'm hoping to do the front in half the time now. And actually have it mounted in the correct direction.
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Dec 6, 2021 21:15
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metallicaeg posted:Already rambled on in the slack, posting here too: When removing and installing the front wheel it is easier (sometimes necessary) to remove the calipers first since this usually comes down to a couple bolts. Make sure you don't pump the brakes when the calipers are not in contact with the rotors or you'll have to figure out a way to push the pistons back out (hint: it involves the right size C clamp). You also might want to think about removing said rotors when doing the tire install because it's not hard to bend them.
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Dec 7, 2021 01:01
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Gorson posted:When removing and installing the front wheel it is easier (sometimes necessary) to remove the calipers first since this usually comes down to a couple bolts. Make sure you don't pump the brakes when the calipers are not in contact with the rotors or you'll have to figure out a way to push the pistons back out (hint: it involves the right size C clamp). You also might want to think about removing said rotors when doing the tire install because it's not hard to bend them.
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Dec 7, 2021 04:13
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| # ? May 17, 2024 04:16 |
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How involved was the process of balancing the wheels? I am incredibly inept mechanically and tires frighten me.
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Dec 7, 2021 22:08
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