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Installed the grab rail mounting kit on the T120, which will serve as a better anchor for my SW Motech Legend tail bag while I wait for the grab rail to show up in a week or so. Then I can install my SW Motech SLC carriers for my panniers and have proper storage again. Also installed a probably unnecessary engine guard. Also from SW Motech. I swear eventually there will be things that aren’t just OEM or SW Motech on the bike, but those Germans make good poo poo, I already had the bags from my last bike, and their distribution center for the US is about 20 minutes away so it’s really easy to stop by and see if I actually like things before I order them. I would feel very manly about breaking one of the torque wrenches, but it was while tightening something to 7 nm. Why yes, it was a cheap one from Harbor Freight. How did you guess?
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Mar 28, 2023 04:46
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moxieman posted:Yeah just buy the DID tool and never look back. Okay, that D.I.D KM500R seems well regarded. The other candidate is Kellermann KTW 2.5 which people also seem to like. They're different designs but cost exactly the same. The kellermann has replacement press pins available and seems to have more functions but in reality I only need the tool to mushroom the pins well which I'm sure the D.I.D is capable of. Also it seems to come in a nice looking case that says "made in Japan" which is a plus in my childish mind. I don't like spending this much money on a tool that I'll use maybe once a year tops but this seems like one of those cases where it can't be avoided.
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Mar 28, 2023 05:33
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In my experience there is a vast difference in quality between two chain tool kits that look identical, down to the same box. Metallurgy and quality of springs, perhaps? I had a couple of cheap tools that looked the same as the more expensive ones but had an undesirable explosively dismantle feature
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Mar 28, 2023 08:27
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I replaced the original rear shock on my K6 SV650S. Went in easily enough with minimal swearing required.  Then it rained all afternoon so I couldn’t test it but it feels good sat still.  Spent a fair bit on it this month. New tyres (Michelin Road 6), progressive front springs, braided hoses and full service ready for the UK summer fortnight.
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Mar 28, 2023 16:35
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Also I put a tank pad on and by some miracle of cosmic alignment it does not appear to be wonky. Certainly straight enough to not trigger a sigh every time I look at it.
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Mar 28, 2023 16:50
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I put one of those YSS shocks in my 919, I'm really happy with it. I consider it an OEM+ replacement for the spanked original 40k mi shock, at a third of a price of an Ohlins or similar. Love the lower fairings, I lusted after a set when I had my 2007 SV.
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Mar 28, 2023 17:27
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At one point I was thinking about trying to sell my GSF650 for a SV, but I've barely put any distance on it so far. Need to give it a few more years I think, and those SVs are pretty rare round here.
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Mar 28, 2023 22:42
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Went to go for a ride on Sunday, felt a loud clunk come from the rear.   I last had my wheel off like 3-4 months ago and have done at least 1500 miles on it, never felt/heard anything before. I always make sure to install the caliper correctly. I may have loosened everything up and redid my chain tension/wheel alignment a couple weeks ago, and it slipped out then? I don't even know. I needed to rebalance the rear anyway. I had CycleGear mount the tires; they didn't clean the rim and the weights have since come off 
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Mar 31, 2023 04:45
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Well, I'm glad you aren't dead!
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Mar 31, 2023 05:00
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Put some Michelin Power Cup Evos on the Ninja 400 last week, replacing the Pilot Power 2s at about 5k miles. My god what a difference. Previously squirrelly-feeling angles are like nothing now, they're so planted. Downside is they're "95% track 5% street" so will not be doing much mountain road riding on this bike anymore, if any. They also give a target track temperature range to shoot for praise jesus, no more dicking around with trying to translate street tire numbers and vibe-based opinions.
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Apr 3, 2023 17:23
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Finally sanded out the scratches on the clutch cover from a PO crash. Lots of sanding, priming, sanding, painting. It's my first time doing this kind of work, came out good enough. Was inspired by this Japanese guy on youtube who does full bike restores and makes it look too easy.  This is now the shiniest part of the bike so I'm not sure if I'll wet sand down the last bit of texture. No before pics, but you've all seen a scratched thirty-year-old clutch cover before.
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Apr 4, 2023 04:14
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There's something just so very satisfying about polishing and painting metal when in turns out nice Miserable otherwise
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Apr 4, 2023 12:04
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Ulf posted:Was inspired by this Japanese guy on youtube who does full bike restores and makes it look too easy. You cant just drop this sort of teaser and not link it. also I need some inspiration to get my 75 Kawi F11 back on the road Good work by the way, I assumed you were just painting it to clear up bad paint or something, you cant tell there were scratches there
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Apr 4, 2023 13:52
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Beve Stuscemi posted:You cant just drop this sort of teaser and not link it. https://youtu.be/bQIDkmmqv5Y quote:Good work by the way, I assumed you were just painting it to clear up bad paint or something, you cant tell there were scratches there
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Apr 4, 2023 15:19
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Thanks for sharing. Videos where people work on things but don’t ruin it by talking to you the whole time are one of my favorite things to put on while I work. And phenomenal work there. I have some temptation to get into paint and body work because I’m an art school dropout with a relatively steady hand, so I appreciate seeing the work y’all do there.
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Apr 4, 2023 17:19
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The above linked video is so close to perfect, and it would be if it didnt have the music. Stick a good mic next to the bike and let that be the soundtrack
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Apr 4, 2023 18:28
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Beve Stuscemi posted:The above linked video is so close to perfect, and it would be if it didnt have the music. 100% agreed. I don’t want to hear you trying to create your brand and I don’t want to hear the public domain music you didn’t hate. Just gimme them sweet tool and engine sounds, babyyyy.
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Apr 4, 2023 18:43
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Beve Stuscemi posted:The above linked video is so close to perfect, and it would be if it didnt have the music. I think youtube has certain rules against commentary so laden with profanity it would make a sailor blush.
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Apr 4, 2023 19:15
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Beve Stuscemi posted:The above linked video is so close to perfect, and it would be if it didnt have the music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-WtZ1VrAFM
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Apr 4, 2023 19:25
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Rebuilt my petcock and replaced clutch parts today. For the last year or so I’ve been paranoid about my clutch on long trips, I wasn’t looking forward to having it slipping a thousand miles from home. I knew I was probably early for a clutch to go (60k miles) but on long trips you get caught up in your head a little. Plus when I’d bought the bike at 20k miles the PO had the clutch cable set pretty tight, maybe even partially engaged. So I got new friction plates and springs and what I thought were the right tools. Turns out the CB750 clutch takes some weird (and expensive) tools to get out. In the end I bought some contraption from EBC and spent a few days grinding and fabricating what I needed out of it. I also sacrificed a 1” socket and grinded out a 4-pin spanner for the locknut that some jackass from Honda put over the clutch pack (later designs use a 27mm hex locknut, which I changed it to). After finally getting all the right tools and a lot of yanking I got the clutch pack out. I measured the old friction plates and… they were at like-new thickness. Ah well. The springs were out-of-spec so it wasn’t for nothing. The biggest thing is I won’t worry/obsess over this anymore.
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Apr 7, 2023 00:04
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I installed my heated grips without loving anything up! Or that’s what I thought until I noticed that when I propped the master cylinder up, it scratched the cheap plastic housing on my clocks. Not bad, but annoying. I’ll do something about it at some point, but I’m not sure what yet. But they work, I didn’t goof anything up mechanically, and now I think I’m gonna gently caress off on a long ride tomorrow while there’s (supposedly) a single day of good weather. Only other thing I still want to do to the bike is add a center stand. Also want to use the fact that I can now use a larger bag on the right (the Harley has a higher muffler) to get two new ones and hand these down to my partner for her Himalayan, but that doesn’t count.
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Apr 8, 2023 02:28
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Dropped my FZ6, broke some plastics... sigh... They were pretty beat up anyways, but now they're very broken. Superglue will be used while I contemplate whether to spend the time and money finding new ones or just use this as the jumping off point for my new naked STREETFIGHTER  As for good things done to bikes, the SV now has fresh caliper piston seals, new pads, braided brake lines and I'll pick up new master cylinder kits from the shop on Tuesday. Yay.
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Apr 8, 2023 05:34
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Cleaned the fork of the FZR again, used the seal cleaning tool again. There's been a LOT of construction going on so i found sand loving everywhere on that bike, with a ton sticking to the dust seal. I reckon it's just stretching the inevitable (getting new seals) but the SV is now needy. By now the SV needs serious attention. Brakes have gotten really bad after the winter, riding in salt, and sitting around mountains of sand that's blowing everywhere. Still good enough to ride to the shop with, if i have to - but it feels like it's full of gunk. Plenty of power but hard to modulate/choppy. Dealership didn't have the parts in stock so i'm gonna see if simply cleaning all the parts is enough to make it feel good again. It doesn't stick, feel soft or leak so i think there's a decent chance of it being a matter of cleaning out crud from all the passages. I'm kinda annoyed that the SV waited with bitching until the time of year that all shops are busy with getting the bikes of people who only ride in summer working again. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 14:51 on Apr 8, 2023 |
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Apr 8, 2023 14:38
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Geekboy posted:I installed my heated grips quote:Only other thing I still want to do to the bike is add a center stand.
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Apr 8, 2023 16:52
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The two most used things on my VStrom: heated grips and center stand. Maybe it's the barn door windshield, idk
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Apr 8, 2023 16:57
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Having heated grips on the Harley made me a true believer. I’m just gonna install them on everyone’s bikes in our garage when they’re not looking. Don’t think you need them? TOO BAD you’ll thank me later. My Royal Alloy scooter has a center stand and it’s really loving useful, so I’m already a little aware but drat I hate spending even more money. Also, I know it’s probably a bear to add heated grips to a Chinese scooter that looks like an old Lambretta, but I’m still tempted. I really tried getting the old grip off through brute force and felt very silly when I gave up and squirted a little brake cleaner under it. 20 minutes of struggling, 1 minute to actually pull the thing off with almost no effort. I continue to refuse to learn things the easy way.
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Apr 8, 2023 18:22
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Picked it up from storage! It's only like 4°C out, but wasn't too bad a ride home. I was most worried about my hands tbh, but the old winter gloves I got years ago were fine. The sun helped. And since so many people leave the street on holiday weekends I snagged a parking spot right in front. And of course as I was suiting up the overpants in the store I realized I had worn just my regular boots and not riding boots like I normally would lol
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Apr 8, 2023 19:48
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Remy Marathe posted:Reverting the bars on my T120 to stock was the best thing I've done to it in hindsight. Initially I thought I liked the PO's risers and was worried, but nope they just made it slightly fuckier to steer. I finally got around to this and man, what an improvement. It feels like a real motorcycle again. The risers were undeniably more comfortable but with bars back to stock my confidence immediately increased and everything felt more natural. Even the levers felt better.
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Apr 9, 2023 00:07
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Imagine if every PO mod was a genuine improvement, it would mean the manufacturers are wildly incompetent
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Apr 9, 2023 00:12
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I gave my 2004 fz6n a decent wash and removed reusable stuff that does not increase the value, like barkbusters, doubletake mirrors, gps mount for my ancient tomtom gps and cyclops led h4 bulb. I found and installed the stock bar ends after the images. 114500km - 71000 miles.  
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Apr 9, 2023 17:18
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I tried to change the oil on my cbr but the drain plug wouldn't budge. I could feel it starting to round off in the socket (yes it was the proper size for the bolt). My mechanic did the last oil change, so I guess I'll have to take it back to him.
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Apr 9, 2023 20:15
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T Zero posted:I tried to change the oil on my cbr but the drain plug wouldn't budge. I could feel it starting to round off in the socket (yes it was the proper size for the bolt). My mechanic did the last oil change, so I guess I'll have to take it back to him. I wouldn't take it back to a guy who put it on that tight tbh Fwiw, twelve point sockets are for chumps and you'll never round it off with a six pointer
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Apr 9, 2023 20:29
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Two things you can try first:
You can also get a breaker bar but only after you deal with the above two items.
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Apr 9, 2023 20:31
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I'm using a six-sided socket and am turning it in the right direction. I watched a video to make sure, and noted the guy used a lot less force to get it loose than I was using. When applying as much force as I am, it starts to slip off. I'm going to buy a new bolt and see if I can get ahold of a breaker. My worry is the threads in the engine casing may be stripped.
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Apr 9, 2023 22:04
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Seems kind of weird, you're certain you're using the correct sized socket? The threads won't be stripped because it wouldn't be tight if they were so no need to worry about that. In a pinch without a breaker you can put a pipe or even a deep socket+extension on the end of the ratchet handle for more leverage. Also if you aren't already doing this, it's best to put one hand on the back of the ratchet to keep it on the bolt while you push with the other one.
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Apr 9, 2023 22:14
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I assume you have sprayed it with penetrating oil and let it sit for a bit, right? And have you tried giving a few good mallet whacks on the bolt head (solid, but not so hard you break the case obviously)?
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Apr 9, 2023 22:19
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No I haven't used a penetrating oil or tried whacking it. I just warmed up the bike for a couple minutes and removed a couple fairing bolts, per the manual. I'll try the oil next. I'm basically following the procedure from this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkeqay-q4u0&t=79s I'm using a similar wrench and am pressing on the head as I turn, but I'm not able to get enough leverage. It's a 12mm socket on a 12mm bolt. I'm using a harbor freight tool set though. Maybe the tolerances are too high.
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Apr 9, 2023 22:32
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Being HF there's a good chance the socket is softer steel than the bolt. I am not joking.
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Apr 9, 2023 23:04
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I understand not wanting to buy a bunch of tools without knowing if it’ll fix the problem, but you’ll be able to get more leverage into there with a socket extension (assuming you’re not already using one). You’ll be able to press down hard on the ratchet while holding it in a better position, such that it’s not really going to be possible for the socket to slip off (I’m guessing at what’s happening from your description). Just looked at that video and heh I used to have the same bike. I don’t remember the exact tool clearances for the drain bolt but from the video I can see it being a problem if you are using a ratchet without an extension. Good luck, don’t do anything drastic, and remember you can usually get through any problem like this with some thought and playing around.
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Apr 9, 2023 23:13
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T Zero posted:I'm using a six-sided socket and am turning it in the right direction. I watched a video to make sure, and noted the guy used a lot less force to get it loose than I was using. When applying as much force as I am, it starts to slip off. IME as a simpleton I find you tend to pull non laterally on the wrench when applying force. Are you pushing the socket up into the bolt with your free hand? Mine is 18lb-ft so yours should be as well, which isn’t that much.
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Apr 10, 2023 00:28
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