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ReformedNiceGuy posted:So stupid question time; I cleaned my bike for the first time last night and well, soap and water don't really cut some of the tougher bugs / chain splatter. For bugs and dirt I just go with hot, soapy water. If it's not moving, just soak longer. For chain splatter/tar/oily stuff as well as sticker/adhesive residue Lighter Fluid is king.
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Jul 31, 2012 16:33
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ReformedNiceGuy posted:So stupid question time; I cleaned my bike for the first time last night and well, soap and water don't really cut some of the tougher bugs / chain splatter. Simple green for most stuff. The tough stuff gets the kerosene (not on paint though, just chains and whatnot)
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Jul 31, 2012 16:35
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I rarely wash my bike. Hondapolish, or the Suzuki/Yamaha equivalent, and a rag is really all you need. Cleans and polishes in one wipe. Unless we're talking actual caked on dirt, which does still require water to get off.
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Jul 31, 2012 16:45
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:oh god this scares me. you mean the lack of warming up or the bumpstarting? Forged pistons need to be warmed up carefully - they are harder or something and basically can damage your jugs if you start revving the thing while the piston is not up to operating temperature. In general warming up a bike slowly is the safest way to warm a bike up. I think if you're dealing w/ race motors like "real" MX bikes and the like warming a bike up slowly is the right choice. I can also see a case for warming up older bikes that don't have the just aren't designed as well as a modern engine.
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Jul 31, 2012 16:57
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:What's the collective understanding on CA about warming up the engine? For an air cooled bike is it better to leave the choke on for 5 minutes with the bike resting on it's side stand, or riding it with the choke on and gradually closing it as the bike gets warm? My bike's "choke" is just an fuel enrichment system, and it relies on the vacuum pull of a closed slide. So giving it throttle with the "choke" open makes it run a bit wonky and can kill the idle. On a cold engine, I use some "choke" to get it started and back off the choke to reduce RPM as they climb. After a minute (more if the weather is cold), I can close the choke off and roll out. Basically, start with choke, close garage door, pull on gloves, check mirrors, close choke, and go. Once the bike has run for a few minutes, it starts without choke on the first hit of the starter.
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Jul 31, 2012 17:02
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ReformedNiceGuy posted:So stupid question time; I cleaned my bike for the first time last night and well, soap and water don't really cut some of the tougher bugs / chain splatter. For bugs and tar, you can also try spraying WD40 on a paper towel and then massaging the affected parts with the towel. In case this isn't obvious, keep the WD-40 far away from brakes, tyres and (in large amounts) your seat! If it's in a safe location and not on anything delicate, you can spray the WD40 on directly and use a soft toothbrush to lift stuff off. Stuff may also include old stickers/decals, of course. For chains, sprockets and surrounding areas, if you want the nuke it from orbit and drat the cost solution, Castrol Chain Cleaner. It melts old chain lube nearly instantly and deposits it in seconds on whatever you parked the bike on. It's also pricey and you can burn through a bottle very quickly. The old lag's solution is to remove the chain completely and soak/scrub it until it's spotless. Not much of an option unless you have a clip-type link and are a dab hand at popping it off, however. I second OWT that for an all-in-one polish, Honda polish is the poo poo. They discontinued it for a while and I started cutting myself and drinking too much. Thank god they brought it back. http://www.amazon.com/Honda-Spray-Cleaner-Polish/dp/B00383T62O I think the aroma is called "Fleur de DN-01" - it's pretty fruity. Leaves your bike bubble-gum fresh.
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Jul 31, 2012 17:24
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Olde Weird Tip posted:If your bike really needs minutes upon minutes of choke to run right, its time to look into carburetion issues. It's a 1985 Rebel and I'm fairly certain the carbs have never been cleaned. I'll make that a priority. I've got a shop manual for the bike, and my neighbor runs a customs shop out of his garage, so I can go to him for help if I need it. Essentially, if it's sitting running with the choke on, it takes 5 minutes before it's warm enough for me to turn the choke completely off and ride it without any stuttering. If I leave it on and ride it for a few blocks and then turn off the choke (or do half way for another few blocks and then turn it off) it runs just fine.
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Jul 31, 2012 17:38
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Saga posted:I second OWT that for an all-in-one polish, Honda polish is the poo poo. They discontinued it for a while and I started cutting myself and drinking too much. Thank god they brought it back. Use this instead, it's essentially the same poo poo only cheaper - and your local motorcycle shop probably has it on hand. http://www.amazon.com/Original-Spirits-Spray-Cleaner-Polish/dp/B007KPX7HQ/ref=pd_sbs_auto_5
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Jul 31, 2012 18:04
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I'm a massive fan of Muc-Off - http://muc-off.com/en/ Not sure if you can get it in the States, but hose down bike, spray this stuff over it, hose it off, done. The only thing it can't deal with is really heavy, oily muck, that needs ten seconds with an alloy wheel brush before you hose it off. Spray it on a rag and it'll clean chains too. (When I had a faired bike I found normal furniture polish was surprisingly good at cleaning it and keeping it clean afterwards).
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Jul 31, 2012 18:14
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ReformedNiceGuy posted:So stupid question time; I cleaned my bike for the first time last night and well, soap and water don't really cut some of the tougher bugs / chain splatter. Fingernail for the tough bugs.
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Jul 31, 2012 18:20
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:It's a 1985 Rebel and I'm fairly certain the carbs have never been cleaned. I'll make that a priority. I've got a shop manual for the bike, and my neighbor runs a customs shop out of his garage, so I can go to him for help if I need it. If it runs fine when you do that, just keep doing that. I wouldn't mess with the carbs. Are magic sponges too rough for shiny parts or painted parts? I don't know how abrasive they are.
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Jul 31, 2012 18:41
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nsaP posted:Are magic sponges too rough for shiny parts or painted parts? I don't know how abrasive they are. Abrasive enough that I wouldn't touch a clearcoat or an oxide finish with them. Use one on a plastic soda bottle and you'll see how much. The Mr. Clean Eraser ones are basically a 600 grit wetsanding sponge with a chemical cleaner inside.
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Jul 31, 2012 18:56
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nsaP posted:If it runs fine when you do that, just keep doing that. I wouldn't mess with the carbs. Sweet, no work is the best work.
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Jul 31, 2012 18:56
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n8r posted:Forged pistons need to be warmed up carefully - they are harder or something and basically can damage your jugs if you start revving the thing while the piston is not up to operating temperature. ah that's fine. I know better than to just start and ride a built bike anyway. I was just worried about not being able to bumpstart my bike after I bore it out. GnarlyCharlie4u fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Jul 31, 2012 |
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Jul 31, 2012 18:59
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:ah that's fine. I know better than to just start a ride a built bike anyway. Never mind all the 2 stroke guys and guys with built racebikes with no starters who have to bump start their bikes because there's no other way to start them... Bump starting isn't going to hurt your bike. Reving the poo poo out of it while cold will, regardless of what pistons are in it. Ride it gently until it's nice and warm and then go beat on it. Letting them idle at low RPM isn't always a good choice either, because the oil is thicker and viscous when it's cold and the pump can't always keep up with the pressure needed to protect the bearings. Anyone who's started a ninja 250 when it's cold has heard the awful sounds they make if you let them idle below 2k when really cold. Basically, you want to minimize engine load and RPM until it comes up to temp.
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Jul 31, 2012 19:12
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Z3n posted:Never mind all the 2 stroke guys and guys with built racebikes with no starters who have to bump start their bikes because there's no other way to start them... I thought about this. Then, my mind started playing tricks on me and rationalizing my fears with "well they probably rebuild motors between races anyway right?"
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Jul 31, 2012 20:58
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Are you also assuming that they don't have clutches or neutral and a steady hand to hold the throttle with? Just because you bump start a bike doesn't mean that you have to tear off WFO to keep it running.
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Jul 31, 2012 21:25
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JP Money posted:Are you also assuming that they don't have clutches or neutral and a steady hand to hold the throttle with? Just because you bump start a bike doesn't mean that you have to tear off WFO to keep it running. No, you missed the part where I was asking if it's the bumpstarting or the lack of warmup that was bad for the bike. I already know that not warming up a bike is bad if you have forged pistons, but n8r's reply made me think that bumpstarting might be a problem also: nsaP posted:Idling to warm up is a chump's game. I don't even start it when I'm gearing up, I duck walk that bitch out the driveway then bump it going down the street. n8r posted:Don't listen to any of these guys if you have wiseco pistons (you probably don't).
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Jul 31, 2012 21:34
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Ah I see. Your bike really doesn't care if you manually crank the bike using the back tire or a little whirly spinny motor. It's pretty happy any way you cut it provided you aren't at 16k rpm's a second after either of those.
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Jul 31, 2012 21:37
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JP Money posted:Ah I see. Your bike really doesn't care if you manually crank the bike using the back tire or a little whirly spinny motor. It's pretty happy any way you cut it provided you aren't at 16k rpm's a second after either of those. I figured as much but it's always good to be reassured that I don't have to kick the drat thing for a couple minutes to get it going. I can just roll out the driveway, down the hill, and let in the clutch.  As for the 16k, I hardly doubt I'll be pushing anywhere near that, but I do hope to be able to get an SOHC CB750 to shift at 12-13k one day.
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Jul 31, 2012 21:43
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:I figured as much but it's always good to be reassured that I don't have to kick the drat thing for a couple minutes to get it going. I can just roll out the driveway, down the hill, and let in the clutch. Don't do this since it really loving blows pushing a bike uphill if it won't start. Ask me how I know  I don't trust dirt bikes so much any more after that experience as a kid haha.
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Jul 31, 2012 21:45
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JP Money posted:Don't do this since it really loving blows pushing a bike uphill if it won't start. Ask me how I know Tell me about it. Word to the wise, save yourself a heart attack and have your Goldwing towed the 4 miles home. It may only be less than an hours walk but it's a hell of a lot longer when you're pushing a 600+lb bike up hills. The hill outside my driveway is actually fairly tolerable for pushing bikes up, and I'd still rather do that than cold kickstart the thing most times. So no problems there.
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Jul 31, 2012 21:49
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Splizwarf posted:Abrasive enough that I wouldn't touch a clearcoat or an oxide finish with them. Use one on a plastic soda bottle and you'll see how much. The Mr. Clean Eraser ones are basically a 600 grit wetsanding sponge with a chemical cleaner inside. The Mr. Clean erasers have no chemicals at all. They're a super-fine foam with a structure almost like glass. They will dull plastics, and, in my experience will clean, but not dull clearcoat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine_foam
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Jul 31, 2012 22:35
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:No, you missed the part where I was asking if it's the bumpstarting or the lack of warmup that was bad for the bike. n8r doesn't really understand how motorcycles work. Occasionally he'll say something true but the majority of the time he's repeating something someone else told him without bothering to include the appropriate context for it. And because of that, he often gets it seriously wrong. Either that or he's trolling, but when your trolling is indistinguishable from poo poo posting, there's a point where you might as well just write them off as an idiot.
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Jul 31, 2012 23:00
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Olde Weird Tip posted:The Mr. Clean erasers have no chemicals at all. They're a super-fine foam with a structure almost like glass. They will dull plastics, and, in my experience will clean, but not dull clearcoat. Some of them do come with aromatic chemicals - specifically the "febreeze" branded ones.
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Aug 1, 2012 00:17
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Olde Weird Tip posted:The Mr. Clean erasers have no chemicals at all. They're a super-fine foam with a structure almost like glass. They will dull plastics, and, in my experience will clean, but not dull clearcoat. Holy poo poo, you just blew my mind.
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Aug 1, 2012 00:23
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Z3n posted:n8r doesn't really understand how motorcycles work. Occasionally he'll say something true but the majority of the time he's repeating something someone else told him without bothering to include the appropriate context for it. And because of that, he often gets it seriously wrong. Really? you're very quick to regurgitate poo poo you've heard as gospel aswell, and if you look at the post it was nsap that was taking the piss, n8 gave real advice based on real world old bike ownership.
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Aug 1, 2012 01:38
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I have what’s probably a very stupid question, but since I'd never driven anything more powerful than an automatic sedan, let alone ridden four inches over an engine while going 80 miles an hour, I figured I’d ask. Should it sound like it’s working that hard? I have a 2011 HD Nightster 1200, and 4k RPM sounds brutal. Red line is about 5500, and with no tach, that’s about 110 mph in 5th gear, but going around 80 feels like I’m pushing the bike too hard. Apparently I should be able to shift at 4k going flat out, but that just sounds like too much VRRRMM. I have no frame of reference though. Am I just being paranoid?
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Aug 1, 2012 02:56
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Strife posted:I have what’s probably a very stupid question, but since I'd never driven anything more powerful than an automatic sedan, let alone ridden four inches over an engine while going 80 miles an hour, I figured I’d ask. Compared to the car I was used to, I thought my bike was going to explode between my legs. Now 10,000 rpm on the freeway isn't quite as odd feeling.
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Aug 1, 2012 03:12
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echomadman posted:Really? you're very quick to regurgitate poo poo you've heard as gospel aswell, and if you look at the post it was nsap that was taking the piss, n8 gave real advice based on real world old bike ownership. I've actually got "real world old bike ownership and rebuild" experience too. I've also dyno tuned and tested old bikes. Feel free to listen to n8r though, and keep reving your bike while cold because you don't have wiseco pistons in there, and clearly it's fine.  Strife posted:I have what’s probably a very stupid question, but since I'd never driven anything more powerful than an automatic sedan, let alone ridden four inches over an engine while going 80 miles an hour, I figured I’d ask. Yes, you're just being paranoid. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Aug 1, 2012 03:27
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Who said anything about revving their bike cold? You need to chill out buddy.
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Aug 1, 2012 03:29
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nsaP posted:Who said anything about revving their bike cold? You need to chill out buddy. quote:Forged pistons need to be warmed up carefully - they are harder or something and basically can damage your jugs if you start revving the thing while the piston is not up to operating temperature. This is true of all bikes, not just bikes with forged pistons. Also, letting it sit at idle and warm up isn't particularly good for it bikes either, because the oil pump typically doesn't provide enough pressure at low RPM when the oil is cold and viscous. Which is why it's better to actually ride the thing around than just let it sit at idle to warm up. Again - if you have ever owned a Ninja 250, you can hear the rattling from the lack of oil pressure when it's cold out and you let it idle too low. On some bikes you can even see the pressure light go on. Get the bike started, keep the revs high enough to stop the engine from lugging and knocking but don't run it to redline, and it will come up to temp faster and you don't have to sit there waiting for it. Z3n fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Aug 1, 2012 |
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Aug 1, 2012 03:40
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Z3n posted:This is true of all bikes, not just bikes with forged pistons. Also, letting it sit at idle and warm up isn't particularly good for it bikes either, because the oil pump typically doesn't provide enough pressure at low RPM when the oil is cold and viscous. Which is why it's better to actually ride the thing around than just let it sit at idle to warm up. You sure can pull a wall of text out of your arse at a moments notice, it was nice here for the last week or so, were you away? Its great that you've dyno tuned old bikes and that you feel you have to tell everyone about it like you do with your extensive racing career. n8 never said poo poo about revving the piss out of an engine or letting it sit at idle, he made a point that forged pistons need more care, and said that all engines need to be warmed up carefully. then a bunch of people made posts about their warm up methods, some jokes were made, and gnarlycharile had a mild humour failure and got worried about his rebuilt engine. you then came rushing in as usual, bursting to show everyone how smart you are, delighted to get one over on your mortal enemy n8 and posted the same thing as him but with a snarky little moan as an addendum. I don't doubt that you have plenty of bike experience, lots of us here do, but you are still a hobby level tinkerer like the rest of us. you're very quick to write off anyone elses opinions and experiences just because they were mean to you on the internet.
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Aug 1, 2012 04:41
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n8r has also failed to really point out before advising people to warm their bikes carefully to before setting off is that he rides a tuned 2-stroke. His advice is relevant to tuned 2-strokes. The vast majority of CA ride 4 stroke machines, which are perfectly happy being started and ridden straight away as long as you keep the rpms to a reasonable level for a few minutes.
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Aug 1, 2012 05:22
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Wow... you guys are really something else. If you don't warm your bike up like this you're pretty much going to have to rebuild your motor tomorrow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6AeYuB9dIc ps I also own a 4T Aprilia RSVR
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Aug 1, 2012 07:28
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Ah bloo bloo bloo   
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Aug 1, 2012 09:49
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Next Up: What oil should I use!?
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Aug 1, 2012 14:33
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Olde Weird Tip posted:Next Up: What oil should I use!? REAL WORLD OIL EXPERIENCE
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Aug 1, 2012 14:37
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I have tested my oil on a dyno and can confirm that you should definitely use oil in a liquid state. Frozen oil simply is not as good, as my extensive racing experience proves. The best oil is also a light pink or salmon colour. If it is a brown colour it is probably not oil at all but the terrible result of mixing differently dyed coolant. I heard this somewhere once or at least something like it so it is completely accurate. If you are using Wiseco pistons (if your bike has a big DOHC sticker on it that is meaning you have wiseco pistons), you should start the bike on pink oil and then once it is warmed switch to a nice green oil. Simply remove the sump plug and then pour through the filler until the oil is a nice green colour. But if you see lots of metal shavings start to fall out you have probably taken too long and need to rebuild your engine. When you rebuild don't use forged pistons that is like theft - use genuine OEM and support our biek industry OK. OWT I hope this answers your question HTH. Saga fucked around with this message at 14:51 on Aug 1, 2012 |
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Aug 1, 2012 14:47
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All I have on hand is blood, mostly human (some cats are available), can I use that in place of pink oil? It's very fresh, although I'm concerned it will become a brown color quickly if I mix it with air.
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Aug 1, 2012 14:59
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