|
TotalLossBrain posted:Snowing again in Portland WTF
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 17:19
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 12:57 |
|
|
Christ, i had the scariest ride in my whole life today. When i left, there was a moderate wind. No big deal, have ridden on windy days plenty of times. At first, i just had a pretty strong head wind, 5bft as reported by some weather stations. No big deal. Just had to give it some extra throttle and tuck in. However, around Schiphol airport, the highway turned to be almost to perpendicular the wind, with 7 or 8 bft gusts. I felt like i was riding at the absolute limit of traction on the front wheel, practically unable to keep a straight line. I was one gust away from moving onto the hard shoulder and crawling along at city speeds, just because it didn't feel safe anymore. I ended up exiting the highway about 8km down the road, to find a safer route through cities and on slower roads. I stopped, to check if my tires were still hard and whether i didn't have oil dripping on my tires because i was thrown around so much that i suspected there was more wrong than just the wind - but no. Bike was completely fine (except for the horn that quit working for some reason). I put on my rain suit too, because the ridiculous wind ripped through my perforated leathers and made me very cold. On the way back, i had mosty a tail wind and that didn't bother me much, except when the wind and road again started to turn perpendicular. I exited the highway before a large flyover construction where i'd be 20m up into the air with a perpendicular wind, finding a way through Amsterdam's port area to a place where i felt i could safely enter the highway again. Be safe, folks. Don't let 'get there-itis' get you, take it slow if you have to.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 17:25
|
|
|
I thought I was fine with it being a little lovely because I figured I’d add some of the bits and baubles I’ve picked up for the bike, but it’s cold enough that I don’t actually feel like laying on the garage floor today.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 17:26
|
|
|
Why do I keep needing object lessons to remind me to always aggressively scan the pavement in front of me? This morning I almost dropped the Triumph like a block from home, in a left-hand turn I usually hit with the vanvan and its chonky tires. It's a rough patch of pavement that I've learned to ignore apart from the worst potholes, but street tires plus a brand new pile of gravel that I rode heedlessly through nearly wrecked my day. When compensating I dipped my foot hard hard enough to hurt a little, and while I'm glad that's the second time such a dip has saved the Triumph from a drop, it's also a habit that will probably get my leg and groin seriously injured in an unrecoverable situation. Moments like this usually scare me straight for a little while, but here and there I always end up riding right over or through things that I should've spotted and avoided.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 17:52
|
|
|
Familiarity leads to complacency. Complacency leads to mistakes. You just have to stay permanently alert. Train yourself to be constantly looking for anything out of the ordinary. I don't think anyone is born with this ability. Humans spend their whole lives evolving through different forms of self-destructiveness, from the ignorance of childhood, to the recklessness of adolescence, to the overconfidence of adulthood, to the obliviousness of old age. People don't usually start to become cautious until they've had a couple of good scares. As much as it would be nice to entirely avoid that stage of motorcycling, I think it is a necessary step in learning to ride well, and getting out of these situations with nothing more than a pounding pulse and a renewed sense of mortality is about the best you can hope for.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 19:02
|
|
|
Ok the 75 mph windstorm is not infact better then the snow.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 22:28
|
|
|
There’s a stop sign that people consistently blow through maybe 1/4 mile from my house. It helps me remember to stay vigilant all the way home. It’s so fricking easy to space out when you’re in the home stretch. I still catch myself getting to the first stop sign about 3 blocks from home before my brain kicks in, though. I definitely find it easier to remember that I am most likely to wreck close to home at the end of a ride than at the beginning of it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 22:28
|
|
|
UCS Hellmaker posted:Ok the 75 mph windstorm is not infact better then the snow. I bet your roads will be cleaner when it's over
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 23:13
|
|
|
I joined a bunch of local riding groups on FB a couple of months back because I thought they'd be an ok way to source parts for my oldish bike, and now I'm leaving all of them because every one of them is the worst. I keep thinking about something a queer activist friend told me once - that whatever marginal community or subculture you're in, you'll always find the biggest rear end in a top hat in charge, and basically my rant here is directed towards myself: you should have known better you loving idiot
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2023 00:40
|
|
|
I mean to be fair that's true of the culture at large as well. I've somehow managed to build an entire unwanted career in management because blathering assholes keep threatening to bubble to the top and become my incompetent boss.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2023 01:48
|
|
|
Remy Marathe posted:I mean to be fair that's true of the culture at large as well. If it helps, you're not alone. I even left my last job at an executive level because I just wanted to be an individual contributor but here I am in management again.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2023 03:22
|
|
|
Same here. Left executive management to start my own company because with very few exceptions most corporate management groups are filled sociopaths failing upwards by absolutely parrying blame and accountability like they’re playing MBA Dark Souls. I make less money and I don’t know if my business will still be a business a year from now but I’ve never been happier. I see the results of my work and I don’t have 15 layers to go through to get something done.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2023 16:19
|
|
|
  it stopped loving snowing
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 03:32
|
|
|
FBS posted:
Musht be nische 
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2023 04:01
|
|
|
The loving left fork seal went in the goldwing  and it’s supposed to be in the 70’s next week. I’m gonna do the seal buddy dance but I don’t have much faith I guess I’ll be out on the RV90, but either way, I’m riding.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 00:44
|
|
|
Beve Stuscemi posted:The loving left fork seal went in the goldwing Wait wasn’t it you who also had a fork seal blow in front of a prospective buyer? I guess there’s no good time for a fork seal to go but.. drat.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 01:56
|
|
|
There is no fork big enough for an oldwing 
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 02:02
|
|
|
Beve Stuscemi posted:The loving left fork seal went in the goldwing I dropped off my Monster for Desmo service a week ago and the weather has been gorgeous and I probably won’t get it back for another week. This is my sign that I need a backup bike.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 02:18
|
|
|
epswing posted:Wait wasn’t it you who also had a fork seal blow in front of a prospective buyer? Yes, but this time I think it’s because my anti-dive is partially stuck on (because it’s only leaking on the fork that does the anti-dive). I’ll be fully disabling that when I do the seals.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 03:31
|
|
|
Quite A Tool posted:I dropped off my Monster for Desmo service a week ago and the weather has been gorgeous and I probably won’t get it back for another week. Having a Ducati is a sign you need a backup bike Beve Stuscemi posted:Yes, but this time I think it’s because my anti-dive is partially stuck on (because it’s only leaking on the fork that does the anti-dive). I’ll be fully disabling that when I do the seals. You can't just disable Honda's high tech system! You'll pay for this!!!
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 04:16
|
|
|
In my short time with the FJR the linked brakes have really been growing on me
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 04:25
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:Having a Ducati is a sign you need a backup bike First of all how dare you. I knew this was coming when I bought the bike but the Seattle area is basically devoid of Ducati techs so it will absolutely go on to a new owner well before the next Desmo service comes up. Jokes on me though cause I’ll probably get an Aprilia next.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 04:39
|
|
|
Yay, good weather, now i can ride comfortably in my leathers instead of in multiple layers of textile. God loving damnit why is it SO loving BUSY everywhere. I honestly had a better ride in the rain a while back than today. I was gonna tag along with a Kawasaki test ride because they usually do nice routes, but their group decided to stay in a traffic jam and not filter (completely understandable) but i really didn't feel like being stationary for a good 10 minutes so i filtered and went my own way. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 15:09 on Apr 8, 2023 |
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 14:33
|
|
|
FBS posted:In my short time with the FJR the linked brakes have really been growing on me I know it makes me old, but the linked brakes on the goldwing are super nice. I still brake with both levers, and if I brake with one it’s usually the front, but every once in a while if I need to scrub off a couple of mph it’s nice to just tap the pedal and have the bike actually slow down Slavvy posted:You can't just disable Honda's high tech system! You'll pay for this!!! I can, and I will! I already partially disabled it, but I don’t think I went far enough. It’s super easy to do, you just stick a washer between the activator portion and the fork leg, so the activator can’t reach the thing it’s supposed to hit in the fork leg. I don’t think I used a thick enough spacer though. So it’s time to chuck another washer in there. Beve Stuscemi fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Apr 8, 2023 |
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2023 16:02
|
|
|
My muffler finally blew a hole in its rusted self. gently caress. I've had bad luck working on exhausts in the past, so I hope that I can remove this. Good news for me is that wemoto has a replacement exhaust for like $83 US dollars shipped. If I can get this old one off.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 04:13
|
|
|
Slide Hammer posted:If I can get this old one off. you can rent a sawzall from home depot for like 20 dollars 
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 04:22
|
|
|
On my cavalier I had good luck with a patch of JB Weld and a mountain dew can, YMMV.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 05:06
|
|
|
Remy Marathe posted:On my cavalier I had good luck with a patch of JB Weld and a mountain dew can, YMMV. What's the motorcycle equivalent of a cavalier?
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 05:12
|
|
|
That might actually have been my '98 Suzuki GS500e. Though the oil filter was better placed on the suzuki by a longshot.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 05:16
|
|
|
Trying to think of a bike with no redeeming qualities that is nonetheless everywhere and all I can think of is the Hyosung gt250
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 05:18
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:What's the motorcycle equivalent of a cavalier? A Buell Blast.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 05:22
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:Trying to think of a bike with no redeeming qualities that is nonetheless everywhere and all I can think of is the Hyosung gt250 Harley-Davidson
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 09:19
|
|
|
Finger Prince posted:A Buell Blast. It’s this. It was never good to begin with and it’s had 800 PO’s who all ruined it in highly personalized and inscrutable ways
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 13:30
|
|
|
Slide Hammer posted:My muffler finally blew a hole in its rusted self. gently caress. I've had bad luck working on exhausts in the past, so I hope that I can remove this. Just want to report that this bolt came off easily—Didn't even need half of my strength with a breaker bar and it started to smoothly turn. I'm happy that I had the prescience to apply copper grease to the threads the last time this happened. I'm gonna spray the replacement exhaust with clearcoat in hopes that it will retard the onset of rust this time... this exhaust pipe only lasted 4-5 years.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 14:21
|
|
|
isn't clearcoat just gonna burn off the first time you ride
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 14:23
|
|
|
Yes, obviously this calls for cerakote 
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 14:30
|
|
|
Beve Stuscemi posted:It’s this. Also meets the "how is this piece of poo poo still running?!" criteria.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 14:40
|
|
|
Renaissance Robot posted:isn't clearcoat just gonna burn off the first time you ride Yep. A plain steel exhaust system sounds disturbingly cheap. If you can't get one that's made of stainless or titanium, or chromed, it should at least be galvanized. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 15:08 on Apr 9, 2023 |
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 15:06
|
|
|
It's chromed. As a manner of habit, I assume. I doubt anyone makes anything else for a GN125 (most bottom-dwelling, food-and-mail-deliverying motorcycle). I just don't want it to rust out as quickly, due to riding year-round. Might as well do something to it while it's new and off the bike.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 15:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 12:57 |
|
|
I'm pretty sure there isn't any one off treatment you can do to a mild steel exhaust to stop it rusting after a few years of all weather riding. It's a GN125 though, at least replacements are cheap and plentiful. Seriously, 4-5 years for an $80 part is really good.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2023 15:26
|
|