|
Is it a terrible idea to keep the factory sprockets when I replace the chain? Front and rear both look to be in good shape with very little if any wear on the teeth. If I do replace them, I'm seeing a few options. OEM replacements are like $60 front/$80 rear. I see JT brand fits for $13/$25 and Renthal is around $25/$40. Is this a case where I'm going to get what I pay for, and the JT ones will wear out faster than the new chain? Or does it generally not matter? Edit: I've got a 525 chain that a buddy gave me. Brand new, he sold his old bike before putting this on. Gladius OEM is 520. Will the 525 fit? Mr. Eric Praline fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Dec 12, 2010 |
#
?
Dec 12, 2010 01:54
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 6, 2024 10:46 |
|
|
It matters, but JT are apparently pretty darn good, at least for dirtbikes. They're out of Thailand, which I figure is probably better than China. I've got JTs on my Weestrom right now, front and back, based on what I've read about them, but I haven't had a chance to go riding since the chain swap.
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2010 02:20
|
|
|
Kommando posted:G'day Gear is very expensive here in australia so even factoring in shipping you can end up with some good deals from overseas, however NEVER NEVER NEVER buy a helmet anywhere but australia. Never. If it doesn't have the stupid little australian certified sticker on it you can get in trouble for it (if the cop knows to check, but the few cops I know know what they're looking for). Even though you might be buying an identical helmet from overseas, no sticker = illegal. http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/motorcyclesafety/motorcyclehelmets.html
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2010 02:28
|
|
|
spootle posted:Gear is very expensive here in australia so even factoring in shipping you can end up with some good deals from overseas, however NEVER NEVER NEVER buy a helmet anywhere but australia. Never. If it doesn't have the stupid little australian certified sticker on it you can get in trouble for it (if the cop knows to check, but the few cops I know know what they're looking for). Even though you might be buying an identical helmet from overseas, no sticker = illegal. I don't recommend faking it on a novelty helmet, but I wouldn't have a problem with tossing a "for demonstration purposes only" sticker on a helmet that passed other relevant standards.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2010 02:52
|
|
|
Z3n posted:I don't recommend faking it on a novelty helmet, but I wouldn't have a problem with tossing a "for demonstration purposes only" sticker on a helmet that passed other relevant standards. You would if you got knocked off by someone else whilst wearing a non-ADR approved helmet suddenly found yourself not being covered by the other person's insurance.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2010 02:59
|
|
|
2ndclasscitizen posted:You would if you got knocked off by someone else whilst wearing a non-ADR approved helmet suddenly found yourself not being covered by the other person's insurance. Oh right, some countries actually have give a poo poo about helmet laws. I forgot about that with all the freedom that we have in America. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2010 03:42
|
|
|
Is there a Triumph equivalent of svriders.com, where the info is good and the people (generally) are helpful and not retarded? I just got word of a *huge* bonus coming my way, and rather than be responsible and pay off credit cards, I convinced the wife that a Street Triple R is more important.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2010 16:33
|
|
|
chryst posted:Is there a Triumph equivalent of svriders.com, where the info is good and the people (generally) are helpful and not retarded? I think RAT net is one of the best. http://www.triumphrat.net/ But can't vouch for the content (think my brother in law uses it). It's weird how quality doesn't necessarily relate to the bike's popularity. As far as I can tell, the leading forums for my Hornet (excluding the 599, for the sake of pre-emptively avoiding offence to 599 owning goons) have, let's say, a poor signal to noise ratio. My old TRX had at least two extremely good ones (one English, one French), despite being a relatively unloved machine. Personally I like the normal triple better than the R for road work, but YMMV I guess.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2010 20:00
|
|
|
Saga posted:I think RAT net is one of the best. I'm excited about the R because of the upgraded suspension. I can have it all soft and plush for normal riding, and then hop off and easily stiffen things up when it's time to tear up some corners. If I'm really smart with this bonus, I might even be able to work in a day at one of the Total Control classes.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2010 20:07
|
|
|
Realistically you can use any battery in a bike as long as it fits in the basket and you can find a way to adapt/connect the terminals to be compatible, right? I scored a 15yo new-in-box unfilled wet battery out of my grandpas garage that may be the right size for a project 250 ninja I might be picking up soon, and free is the best price. It's been sitting dry for 15 years, with the sealed bottle of acid next to it in the same box. Should I Ph test the acid or something? Just fill it up and go? How long does this stuff stay good?
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2010 00:05
|
|
|
So in my never ending battle with the carbs on my bike, I have an interesting problem. I've gotten the top end and mid-range dialed in no problem. It's snappy and runs great there. My problem is 1/4 throttle cruising and low end. I have a 1996 xj600. I've put a factory pro jet kit, advanced the ignition timing 4 degrees, and installed a full Yoshi exhaust on her. The bike redlines at 12,000rpm. It used to have a lot of lean surging while exhibiting the behavior of being too rich as well. To counter the lean surging, I backed out the fuel mixture screws to 4 turns out (from what I've read on xj600 seca II specific forums is that 2.5-3 is normal). Backing out the fuel mixture screws and adjusting the idle screw took care of the lean surging and the bike idles fantastic. When I rev the engine, the RPMs drop and hold quickly and evenly. The issue is that after it warms up, there is a REALLY nasty spot around 4200-4800 rpm in 2nd and 3rd gears. The bike stutters and seems to splutter a bit. If that happens and I crack open the throttle to 1/2 or WOT, the spluttering goes away. For the life of me I cannot figure out why it's JUST there that it happens. Could it be an air leak and not carb related? Do I need to adjust my floats? Would this type of dead spot be caused by fouled plugs, or is it something entirely different? Sorry for the long post. I'm losing my mind with this problem and I've been trying to tweak it and solve it for close to 6 months now. ari.gato fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Dec 16, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2010 19:16
|
|
|
This could be completely wrong and irrelevant to your bike, but that might be the spot where the ignition changes from regular to advance. Again, might be completely wrong but check your manual. If it is the problem, your 4 degrees of advance is simply too much at low rpm in the advance range. So I would try resetting it and see what changes.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2010 21:09
|
|
|
ari.gato posted:
It should happen in all the gears at the same exact spot in the rev range, except become more pronounced in higher gears where torque won't pull through so easily. If it's only happening in certain gears or at certain speeds then it's not a jetting issue.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2010 21:44
|
|
|
Ola posted:This could be completely wrong and irrelevant to your bike, but that might be the spot where the ignition changes from regular to advance. Again, might be completely wrong but check your manual. If it is the problem, your 4 degrees of advance is simply too much at low rpm in the advance range. So I would try resetting it and see what changes. I don't think it's the timing plate. The bike was doing this before I advanced the ignition. The problem I'm having now is the last remaining bug I can't seem to iron out. FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:It should happen in all the gears at the same exact spot in the rev range, except become more pronounced in higher gears where torque won't pull through so easily. If it's only happening in certain gears or at certain speeds then it's not a jetting issue. Went out for a lunch ride to test this and it's exactly how you describe. Not just in those 2 gears, but in all gears at the rev range of 4200 - 5100 rpm (roughly). What would you recommend I do?
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2010 22:30
|
|
|
Check the charging system perhaps? That rev range might be before the stator puts out its max voltage while the coils are asking for quite a few watts. For charge delivery diagnosis, do you have a carb sync kit? If so, hook it up so you can ride with it and see if one of the gauges are fluttering when the problem occurs.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2010 23:56
|
|
|
Ola posted:Check the charging system perhaps? That rev range might be before the stator puts out its max voltage while the coils are asking for quite a few watts. For charge delivery diagnosis, do you have a carb sync kit? If so, hook it up so you can ride with it and see if one of the gauges are fluttering when the problem occurs. How would I go about checking the charging system? I don't have a carb sync kit that I can put on my bike. I have a larger DIY one, but not something portable.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 00:03
|
|
|
Here's a fairly decent guide: http://www.ehow.com/how_5283056_check-motorcycles-charging-system.html The numbers of revs and voltage might differ from bike to bike, but basically voltage across the battery terminals should be in the high 13s, low 14s at 40-ish percent of the redline rpm. edit: the charging system might still check out fine - but see if the increase to high 13s, low 14s happens at the same rev range as the stumble.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 00:11
|
|
|
Ola posted:Here's a fairly decent guide: http://www.ehow.com/how_5283056_check-motorcycles-charging-system.html I'll definitely give that a shot. Thanks for the tips. I'll followup and let you know how it goes.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 01:37
|
|
|
So how would I kill an apparent cold-engine coolant leak? Seems like I've been losing a few drops worth each time before the bike warms up, then it doesn't leak anymore. I can only tell because it flies back onto the frame, the engine case, etc from the radiator hose connections and dries. It only leaks when the bike is running and still cold. The hoses don't look rotten or anything, they are probably the originals (from 2005). I tried tightening the hose clamps a bit but I'll have to verify whether that did anything tomorrow morning. Would it be foolish to clean the area around the ends of the hoses and caulk it up with some silicone? I hope its not the radiator itself that"s leaking. :/
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 02:21
|
|
|
ari.gato posted:I don't think it's the timing plate. The bike was doing this before I advanced the ignition. The problem I'm having now is the last remaining bug I can't seem to iron out. It sounds like a jetting issue to me, then. Especially because you need to back out your mixture screws four whole turns, which is more than you should have to do. I'm suspecting you have an incorrect main jet in there or the wrong needle clip position. Try this guide that Factory Pro offers: http://www.factorypro.com/tech_tuning_procedures/tuning_carbtune,CV,high_rpm_engines.html These symptoms for rich and lean are confusing and sometimes so similar that you can't tell the difference. My advice is to make the bike run in one extreme first (for example, put in a smaller main jet to make it run leaner) and see how if it's better or worse, and then go from there. Because you don't have access to a dyno a lot of this will be trial and error. The main things you have to play with are main jet size, pilot jet size (probably don't need to touch this), needle clip position, and fuel mixture screws. Also your float height, which is easy enough to verify that it's correct.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 02:52
|
|
|
My first instinct is to say that's a needle issue. But I'm no expert. Small throttle openings means the needle's going to be doing the majority of the modification to the fueling, when you're wide open the needle is basically completely out of the loop. sirbeefalot, clean the hell out of everything and pin down exactly where it's leaking from.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 02:55
|
|
|
Hey guys, I have carb problems To summarize, i got this amazing carb i bought for basically nothing on eBay (and that z3n kindly helped getting to me here in the underworld) that i'm putting on the serow. It's a Mikuni TM 38, quite a nice flatslide for a simple dualsport 250cc 4-stroker. After a lot of trouble to get it in place (i have to destroy the fuel petcock that would get in place, do some changes to the airbox, re-route some wires...) I was ready to give it the first start and start tuning the carb up. Fuel tank is on the bike, throttle cable is on, I put some gas on the tank... Only to see it pouring out of the carb!  I take a look at it and the gas in coming out of the hole pointed by an arrow in the pic below. The mikuni parts guide say it's the pilot air jet (didn't even know such a thing existed). While roaming the internet, several people said that their carbs just didn't have a pilot air jet and the bikes worked just fine. I tried them putting a screw there, but gas still came out of that little hole marked by a circle in the picture.  Click here for the full 480x640 image. Anybody has any experience with those carbs ? Someone mencioned on some dirtbike forums that he's carbs didn't have a jet there, just a plastic plug or something, so maybe when people say that their carbs don't have jets it means the hole is plugged, not just wide open like this ? Is my only hope finding that goddamn jet ? Because them seen to be quite especific jets and I really don't think i'm going to find one here in bumfuck, Brazil. p.s.: The float needle seens to be closing properly.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 03:51
|
|
|
I've a Honda Spree. Yes it's dorky, but it's the best I could do for learning about maintainance. Trouble is, it'd been in storage for a couple of years before I bought it. The guy said it needed a new muffler, some new gas, maybe an oil change. He started it with a jolt from his car, so I know it runs. Trouble is, what should I pay attention to for something like that? I recharged the battery and when I try to kick-start it'll give me a pb-pb-pb and nothing else, like it's trying to start but can't. What to check?
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 04:00
|
|
|
Either a toasted battery (don't know if the Spree needs a loaded battery to kick-start, a few bikes need) or maybe some gunk in the carbs from all this time. I'd first go with battery and then carbs. Also check tires (older than 5 years and they're history) brake lines change brake fluid brake pads oil gas
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 04:05
|
|
|
Primo Itch posted:Either a toasted battery (don't know if the Spree needs a loaded battery to kick-start, a few bikes need) or maybe some gunk in the carbs from all this time. Thanks for the quick answer. I'll be trolling around for those things. Right now the battery is on a float charger in the garage.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 04:27
|
|
|
A mate put this pic up on facebook before and I was just wondering what could make this happen (the bike has 7k kms on it, I think it's a GSXR of some kind): Click here for the full 431x720 image.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 05:43
|
|
|
Mechanical overrev
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 05:57
|
|
|
spootle posted:A mate put this pic up on facebook before and I was just wondering what could make this happen (the bike has 7k kms on it, I think it's a GSXR of some kind): Gotta agree with BlackMK4 here. Overrev seems most likely as any more consistent failure would have done a lot more damage. Could have also been a botched valve adjustment if it was just run for a bit.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 06:42
|
|
|
Jr. posted:Thanks for the quick answer. I'll be trolling around for those things. Right now the battery is on a float charger in the garage. The charger won't do poo poo if the battery is bad. If you have a BatteriesPlus nearby they will test it and sell you a new one if it's bad. Otherwise you'll have to take it to an Autozone / PepBoys / what have you to test, then find a new one somewhere if it's bad.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 15:48
|
|
|
spootle posted:A mate put this pic up on facebook before and I was just wondering what could make this happen (the bike has 7k kms on it, I think it's a GSXR of some kind): That's totally normal piston wear, no worries. Why did he take it apart?
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2010 15:59
|
|
|
I'm planning out an early summer/late spring trip for as soon as I accrue enough vacation time to make it worth my while. I'm riding out of Baltimore and my main question is: north or south? I could head for skyline drive/blueridge parkway/maybe deal's gap. North is less "known" motorcycle territory but I am sure there is fabulous riding to be done in upstate NY/southern Canada/New Hampshire (whatever). Any suggestions? I'd like to take 6 days (three out, three back) might be able to take 7-8 depending.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2010 15:32
|
|
ohwandernearer posted:I'm planning out an early summer/late spring trip for as soon as I accrue enough vacation time to make it worth my while. I'm riding out of Baltimore and my main question is: north or south? You can be at deals gap in under a day, spend 5 days there, and then come back. That'd be the best option. I'd only suggest this if you have a buddy to ride with though. I can't see Deal's gap being as fun as possible without someone else to ride with.
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2010 17:52
|
|
|
Primo Itch posted:change Cable brakes on a Spree. Also, Sprees should fire with no battery, the lights will just be dim, and the blinkers will either be slow or not work at all.
|
|
#
?
Dec 18, 2010 17:58
|
|
|
How does riding a big V-twin supersport compare to a high revving I-4? I'm talking an RC51, or TL1000R, or even SV1000 vs a GSX-R 750, R6/R1, CBR600/CBR1000 etc. The only 'sport bike' I've ever ridden is my '89 GSX-R 750. Are the newer ones torquier, or just have a peakier top end? I might have about 5-6 grand to play with in the spring time to buy a newer sport bike for the street, something I might keep for awhile. I love the sound of a high revving I-4, but I also love the lower rpm sounds of v-twins and the torque they make. Conflicted? I'd say so.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2010 06:12
|
|
|
I think they both have their fun moments. Personally I love I4's. Being on the highway buzzing at like 8-9k rpm's and thinking "man this thing is up there pretty good, must be tapped out!" and then hitting the gas for instant, crazy acceleration is something that never gets old for me. Not to say vtwins don't have this, it's just sooner haha.
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2010 06:43
|
|
|
MrZig posted:How does riding a big V-twin supersport compare to a high revving I-4? I'm talking an RC51, or TL1000R, or even SV1000 vs a GSX-R 750, R6/R1, CBR600/CBR1000 etc. I'd say on the cheap side of things you can't go wrong with a 929 or 954. For twins I'd be looking at an Aprilia tuono or Mille, or an RC51. If you shopped around you could probably get an older Mille or a cheap RC51 for around 3k and spend around 2.5k and find a nice 929/954, getting you both types to play with. As to setup, a properly setup I4 will be the equal of a twin torque and powerwise, but keep pulling where the twin tapers off. But the twin will let you play in the powerband more and be geared shorter due to a lower rev limit. Basically, you just gotta get your hands on one and play with it. For 5-6k you could easily scratch both itches...they both have insane performance and good things about them, so it's basically all about personal appeal.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2010 08:43
|
|
|
MrZig posted:How does riding a big V-twin supersport compare to a high revving I-4? I'm talking an RC51, or TL1000R, or even SV1000 vs a GSX-R 750, R6/R1, CBR600/CBR1000 etc. As much as I love twins, you pretty clearly get more performance out of a four. At the risk of teaching you how to suck eggs, the torque output is just a function of capacity and compression ratio. A 1000cc four and 1000cc twin should produce the same peak torque. The four, for a given level of sophistication, should also have more area under curve - it has the advantage of two extra cylinders. Typically the twin will be geared to account for the narrower power band, which often accounts for the torquier feel. Paradoxically, the fact that the four will tend to have greater flexibility means you're like to ride it a gear higher and/or the mfg. will gear it higher, so the perception is that the twin has the broader spread of torque. In an apples-to-apples comparison, the opposite should be the case. There's also the fact that the Japanese have pretty much given up on performance twins, so they've been focusing R&D on the 600 and 1000 fours for the last five years or so. It doesn't really help the case for twins if you want performance. Even if you compare the same generation, Japanese twins don't come out too well. My '954 was far quicker than my buddy's RC51 around a track. Same deal with the TL, which Suzuki struggled to get on even terms with the GSX-R750 and eventually gave up on. As far as fours and your '89, it will depend on what you're comparing it to, but basically peak power is going to be much, much higher. There may be some loss at the bottom end, but an up-to-date four is likely to be much quicker revving, which substantially offsets this. Compare a ZX-7R motor to a modern ZX-6R and the former feels like a tractor. That doesn't mean a twin makes a bad road bike, of course. You don't need all the performance of an average bike to go very quick on the road and keep in front of the traffic, and there are packaging advantages for the rider if you prefer narrower bikes. My favourite road bike so far is probably my old TRX850, which made just under 80hp with mods, and was objectively slower point to point that my Hornet. The hornet can't compete with the thrust curve of the twin in second gear, but overall is lighter with a better chassis and a more flexible powerplant. As far as good choices, a Mille, Tuono or, ideally if you can find one, a Falco (the sport-touring model - cheaper and more practical day to day), would be a good choice. The Aprilia engine produces a very flat torque curve - it can be tough to tell exactly where the hell you are in the powerband without looking down at the rev counter. They are all good choices for a taller rider. They aren't overweight as such, but they have noticeably large proportions. If you're on the smaller side, they might not be such a good choice. Personally, I wouldn't buy an RC51 unless you ride one and are irretrievably smitten. It's huge fun to ride on the road in isolation and the digidash and high tank still make it feel special, but it has no chassis advantage over the 954 (they actually have similar quirks, e.g. the tendency to lift the back wheel unreasonably early early, a/k/a the ability to do rolling stoppies at any speed), steers slower, weighs more and has a lot less motor. All for more money, usually. Similarly, I wouldn't buy any TL/SV with the possible exception of an early full-power TL1000S with the shock swap done. The TL-R can't hold a candle to a GSX-R and the SV isn't the same sort of bike. Good luck finding a TL-S that hasn't fallen to pieces (or been pimped in some embarrassing way) - the finish on them was utterly poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2010 09:48
|
|
|
V4 supremacy. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2010 16:03
|
|
|
Newer I4 sportbikes, at least in the 600 realm, generally are much peakier than older sportbikes. My 1994 CBR F2 had more midrange and its power delivery was so close to a twin that some racing organizations actually allowed it to race in twin events. Modern 600s will not be delivering serious power until way up in the powerband, which makes them annoying on the street compared to a twin. They definitely deliver on the track, though. Edit: I think the gearing is way different, too. I could completely run through the first two gears up to redline on my CBR F2 and still be legal if I was on an onramp. No chance of doing that on a modern sportbike. FuzzyWuzzyBear fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Dec 19, 2010 |
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2010 16:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 6, 2024 10:46 |
|
|
MrZig posted:How does riding a big V-twin supersport compare to a high revving I-4? I'm talking an RC51, or TL1000R, or even SV1000 vs a GSX-R 750, R6/R1, CBR600/CBR1000 etc. Get an 848 and have the best of both worlds. Boatloads of usable power/torque AND relatively high revving! I seriously loving loved the demo I had on one, and (in a year or so) I'll have one for myself. Hopefully. Maybe...  Gotta ask, what are you going to use the bike for? After owning and putting a fair bit of street and track miles on a 08 CBR1000 I don't know if I would go that route again. I think I'd have even less fun on the street on a 600, since by the time you're in the powerband of the thing you're breaking so many laws it's not even funny. At least on the big bike you have some hefty midrange to play with. I had a 1125R for awhile as well, granted it's a bit different than a Duc or RC51 or something, at least I have the "big twin sportbike" thing to compare it against. It definitely had an advantage over the CBR1k on the very low end, but after that the Honda stomped it. If I'd ever changed the gearing on the CBR to something halfway reasonable the low end would probably have been a wash. Midrange the CBR pulled harder and top end was a joke. By the time the 1125 wheezing the CBR was just getting into the big meat of its powerband. Basically, go out and ride some stuff 
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2010 18:56
|
|
