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Z3n
Jul 21, 2007

I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

shaitan posted:

whenever I go on rides of 50+ miles (did my first 100 mile day yesterday!), my right hand starts acting funky. I have problems opening it up all the way (extending my fingers) and my pinky gives me the hardest problem. This will go on for hours after the ride has stopped. I suspect it's my grip but I don't know how else I'm supposed to hold onto the throttle unless i'm...well...holding it. Any tips on adjusting my grip?

My bike is a Ninja 250, so it could be partly due to the vibration.

You shouldn't need any significant force to hold the throttle open, you could be able to maintain a light grip with barely any force and still keep the throttle where you want it. It sounds like like arm pump, which you'll get from deathgripping the bars...so are you deathgripping the bars?


OrangeFurious, I had a similar issue that would occur on my ZX-6E whenever I did the same thing...lots of gas, followed by braking and the engine would die. I would just blip the throttle to keep it alive for a bit, or not use the clutch. I'd be curious if someone else has a suggestion, though...I'd guess floats?

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mr.belowaverage
Aug 16, 2004

we have an irc channel at #SA_MeetingWomen

OrangeFurious posted:

My Thruxton intermittently stalls when I coast with the clutch lever in. I haven't been able to pin-point anything, but have noticed it occurs more often when I'm going downhill and when I've been laying on the throttle. I cannot consistently reproduce it, but the most common scenario is cresting the top of a suspension bridge near my home at 80+ mph, pulling in the clutch for the descent, and the needle on the tach dropping to zero at which point it's off.

Any ideas? I'm on a 2007 Triumph Thruxton, air-cooled parallel twin.

I have this problem on my KZ1000. She's old and cranky, though. When she's rolling she's fine, then if I'm approaching a light or slow-down, and clutch-in, she dies. :confused:

shaitan
Mar 8, 2004
g.d.m.f.s.o.b.

Z3n posted:

You shouldn't need any significant force to hold the throttle open, you could be able to maintain a light grip with barely any force and still keep the throttle where you want it. It sounds like like arm pump, which you'll get from deathgripping the bars...so are you deathgripping the bars?

I probably am. I have only been riding for a couple of months and I haven't really thought too much about my grip until just recently. I think that once I get going at decent pace I am concentrating on the road and making sure some creature doesn't try to kill me that I just never think about how hard I'm gripping the throttle, it never feels like I am but maybe I am.

A guy I work with recommended those little wrist throttle holders too, I didn't realize it was so cheap either.

Z3n
Jul 21, 2007

I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

shaitan posted:

I probably am. I have only been riding for a couple of months and I haven't really thought too much about my grip until just recently. I think that once I get going at decent pace I am concentrating on the road and making sure some creature doesn't try to kill me that I just never think about how hard I'm gripping the throttle, it never feels like I am but maybe I am.

A guy I work with recommended those little wrist throttle holders too, I didn't realize it was so cheap either.

Personal taste bit, but I hate those plastic throttle aids. The kinda that I like are clicked on and off and put tension on the grip to hold it in place.

I'm pretty sure, though, that you just need to double check your grip every so often. It's good to wiggle your elbows every minute or so and see if you can't relax your grip a bit while you're taking long trips, to avoid tensing up on the bike.

Orange Someone
Aug 20, 2007
Hmmm
I don't get a sore hand, but after a few hours of riding, I do get a quite sore shoulder on my throttle side. It's the muscle just at the back, near the top. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have a middle ground when it comes to riding, I either do 4-hour+ rides, or it's riding to work which is 20 minutes, so I can't really say how long it takes the pain to set in. Doesn't seem to have set in on the 45-60minute rides, but that's a lot of in town work, so there's a lot more moving about and relaxing of the hand.

It could be gripping too hard, or it could just be the fact that you need to grip to be able to operate the bke. Having said that, it's a 125cc on 60 or 70mph roads, there's not even much changing of the throttle once at speed, WOT all the day.

Uthor
Jul 9, 2006

Gummy Bear Heaven ... It's where I go when the world is too mean.
I was reading the adventure bike round up in Cycle World and noticed all the bikes came with spoked wheels. What's the advantage of this? I know having spokes means you need to run a tube, which makes patching a hole difficult/impossible. I would think bikes designed to be ridden off-road would want to avoid spokes for that reason alone.

Beve Stuscemi
Jun 6, 2001




They're lightweight, easier to true when bent, and tubes really arent that bad for patching.

Plus, by running a tubed tire, they are much easier to get off the wheel.

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester
Oct 3, 2000
i dunno if it's true of the new BMWs but i learned a few days ago that the old GS models, early 90s, had tubeless spoked rims. they did this by extending the rim a little beyond the tire bead and attaching the spokes there, so the spokes are not under the tire. very clever.

Simkin
May 18, 2007

"He says he's going to be number one!"

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:

i dunno if it's true of the new BMWs but i learned a few days ago that the old GS models, early 90s, had tubeless spoked rims. they did this by extending the rim a little beyond the tire bead and attaching the spokes there, so the spokes are not under the tire. very clever.

My dad's R1150GS has the same tubless/spoke setup. It's kind of weird to see the actual ends of the spokes, but I guess if it works...

Gnomad
Aug 12, 2008

Simkin posted:

My dad's R1150GS has the same tubless/spoke setup. It's kind of weird to see the actual ends of the spokes, but I guess if it works...

And works pretty well. It's nice to change tires without messing around with tubes.

Nerobro
Nov 4, 2005

Rider now with 100% more titanium!

OrangeFurious posted:

Any ideas? I'm on a 2007 Triumph Thruxton, air-cooled parallel twin.
First, don't pull in the clutch. The thing is stalling because you're cooling the cylinders off enough that it will need the choke on. Keep the bike in gear, use engine braking to your advantage. If you keep the rpms up and the motor temp will stay up, and it won't stall when you get to the bottom of the hill.

Same goes for the KZ.

The problem is somewhat abated by richening up the pilot screws.

Zenaida
Nov 13, 2004
I asked in the thread I posted, but I figured more people have this thread bookmarked than that one...

I put 2002 R6 forks on my SV, and I want to replace the fork oil and seals, since there's a horrible clunk type noise when it hits a pothole or other very abrupt bump. I'm trying to get all the parts that I need ordered, and I thought there are supposed to be upper and lower sliders for the fork tube that need to be replaced, but on Bike Bandit's and Ronayers' fiche I only see one? Also, what kind of oil should I buy?

Gnaghi
Jan 25, 2008

Is this a good first bike?
Has anyone tried the Polly heated grips? I'm trying to order them but the company is telling me they are only for snowmobiles, not motorcycles. Is there some hacking involved to get them to work on a bike?

OrangeFurious
Oct 14, 2005

Ce n'est pas une St. Furious.

Nerobro posted:

First, don't pull in the clutch. The thing is stalling because you're cooling the cylinders off enough that it will need the choke on. Keep the bike in gear, use engine braking to your advantage. If you keep the rpms up and the motor temp will stay up, and it won't stall when you get to the bottom of the hill.

Same goes for the KZ.

The problem is somewhat abated by richening up the pilot screws.

That explains the issue. For the record, my goal isn't usually to decelerate by coasting - when this occurs I'm normally going downhill and accelerating without using the throttle. Thanks for the explanation.

Z3n
Jul 21, 2007

I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Gnaghi posted:

Has anyone tried the Polly heated grips? I'm trying to order them but the company is telling me they are only for snowmobiles, not motorcycles. Is there some hacking involved to get them to work on a bike?

No, there's no difference. Snowmobile/atv/motorcycle, they're all effectively the same.

http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/generic/heated-grips.php

If you're talking about the inbar kind, though, as they note there, they won't work as well on aluminum bars.

Beve Stuscemi
Jun 6, 2001




Gnaghi posted:

Has anyone tried the Polly heated grips? I'm trying to order them but the company is telling me they are only for snowmobiles, not motorcycles. Is there some hacking involved to get them to work on a bike?

Be careful ordering these. If they're designed for a snowmobile/ATV, chances are, the right-hand grip wont be big enough to fit over the throttle tube, since Snowmobiles and ATVs use thumb-style throttles.

You could always hog the grip out, but you stand a chance of ruining it. You may or may not be able to force the grip on over the throttle tube.

Gnaghi
Jan 25, 2008

Is this a good first bike?

Z3n posted:

No, there's no difference. Snowmobile/atv/motorcycle, they're all effectively the same.

http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/generic/heated-grips.php

If you're talking about the inbar kind, though, as they note there, they won't work as well on aluminum bars.

Awesome, nice link. Hopefully they'll be hot enough, they're only $30 anyways.

Phat_Albert posted:

Be careful ordering these. If they're designed for a snowmobile/ATV, chances are, the right-hand grip wont be big enough to fit over the throttle tube, since Snowmobiles and ATVs use thumb-style throttles.

You could always hog the grip out, but you stand a chance of ruining it. You may or may not be able to force the grip on over the throttle tube.
My understanding was these are heating elements that slide inside the bars, rather than replacing the grips.

Beve Stuscemi
Jun 6, 2001




Oh, well then, yeah, they're the same.

Gnomad
Aug 12, 2008
The problem with the cartridge grip heaters is that the throttle sleeve makes a great insulative barrier and your throttle side grip takes forever and a week to heat up. I tend to like the under the grip heaters better for that reason, and they get the heat to the hands quicker. The cheapo heaters I put on my Pegaso were better than the factory heaters on the GS.

Spartak
May 12, 2007
what matters most is how well you walk through the fire
I want to take the front wheel off my CB250N but the wheel spindle nut won't budge. Is it threaded the normal way? Or do I just need to get a bigger wrench?

NVaderJ
Oct 27, 2003

OH YEAH? I'M FROM DETROIT(s suburbs)!
I need at least one mirror on my '84 Honda Magna to be road legal. It seems that OE parts aren't available. Is there a trick to selecting an aftermarket mirror? I see the threaded holes on the handlebars where the mirrors used to be, but I don't know what mirrors I can choose from.

Nerobro
Nov 4, 2005

Rider now with 100% more titanium!

NVaderJ posted:

I need at least one mirror on my '84 Honda Magna to be road legal. It seems that OE parts aren't available. Is there a trick to selecting an aftermarket mirror? I see the threaded holes on the handlebars where the mirrors used to be, but I don't know what mirrors I can choose from.

Excepting Yamaha, all mirrors use the same mount. 10mm metric thread. Just hop on ron ayers, bikebandit, or dennis kirk and buy a set you think is pretty.

NVaderJ
Oct 27, 2003

OH YEAH? I'M FROM DETROIT(s suburbs)!

Nerobro posted:

Excepting Yamaha, all mirrors use the same mount. 10mm metric thread. Just hop on ron ayers, bikebandit, or dennis kirk and buy a set you think is pretty.

This is exactly what I was hoping for. Now that I have way too much to look at, are there any mirror guidelines I should know about? I'm all about function over form, so whatever will (cheaply) translate to safer riding is what I want to get.

Edit: I would also like to get a new set of handlebars. Is there a standard size for those as well, or are those something I would have to hunt around for?

NVaderJ fucked around with this message at 15:12 on Oct 14, 2008

George RR Fartin
Apr 16, 2003




NVaderJ posted:

This is exactly what I was hoping for. Now that I have way too much to look at, are there any mirror guidelines I should know about? I'm all about function over form, so whatever will (cheaply) translate to safer riding is what I want to get.

Edit: I would also like to get a new set of handlebars. Is there a standard size for those as well, or are those something I would have to hunt around for?

I personally like the lollipops on my CB; they're convex, so you see a whole bunch of the road. But generally, safety wise, bigger = more view/better magnification = safer. As long as you remember that objects in the mirror are closer, etc... :)

7/8 bars are what you're looking for. Harleys use 1" and BMW's use something close enough to 7/8 that they usually fit.

Beve Stuscemi
Jun 6, 2001




NVaderJ posted:

Edit: I would also like to get a new set of handlebars. Is there a standard size for those as well, or are those something I would have to hunt around for?

All Japanese bikes use 7/8 inch bars.

Well, not all, but 99% of them. Modern huge metric cruisers sometimes use 1 inch bars, presumably to fit in with the Harley crowd.

e:fb

Chopsy
Dec 27, 2005

GUNS GUNS GUNS
BIKES BIKES
YOUR MOM

Spartak posted:

I want to take the front wheel off my CB250N but the wheel spindle nut won't budge. Is it threaded the normal way? Or do I just need to get a bigger wrench?

Is there a pinch bolt holding that spindle nut in place? I'm pretty sure most of my bikes have a pinch bolt there. I once tried to pull out the axle to yank the wheel, but I'd forgotten about the pinch bolt and that made it basically impossible.

Kaptainballistik
Nov 2, 2005

Why ask me ? I cant understand me either!
OK, Ive got the Yamaha ( 72 AT-1) in more bits that The Rev's Italian masterpiece...

How the hell do I remove the front axle? , Does it slide out with some Hammer love or is it retained by some wierd Yamaha majiks? Tried some mild impact love but i dont want to break something I dont fully understand. Pinch bolt is off.

Rest of the bike came apart easily ( For a Rusted POS)

EDIT: Anyone rebuilt a set of Yamaha front Shocks of 72 vintage?

Kaptainballistik fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Oct 15, 2008

Taisa
Jul 22, 2004
Sexy Incubus
Stupid question; I caught my helmet on something as I was carrying it, and it pulled half of the visor out. I quickly inspected the pieces (it's a Shoei TZ-R and everything is visible) and it looked to be in working order. Later as I mounted the bike, I noticed it kept coming off. Turns out the spring is missing for the visor release latch.

Question is: where the hell do I get a 10 cent spring for a bike helmet to keep the visor secure? I mean if you can name a spring loaded pencil/pen that uses the same size spring, that'd be great.

Z3n
Jul 21, 2007

I think the point is Z3n is a space cowboy on the edge of a frontier unknown to man, he's out there pushing the limits, trail braking into the abyss. Finding out where the edge of the razor is, turning to face the darkness and revving his 690 into it's vast gaze. You gotta live this to learn it bro.

Kaptainballistik posted:

OK, Ive got the Yamaha ( 72 AT-1) in more bits that The Rev's Italian masterpiece...

How the hell do I remove the front axle? , Does it slide out with some Hammer love or is it retained by some wierd Yamaha majiks? Tried some mild impact love but i dont want to break something I dont fully understand. Pinch bolt is off.

Rest of the bike came apart easily ( For a Rusted POS)

EDIT: Anyone rebuilt a set of Yamaha front Shocks of 72 vintage?

Do you have a picture? Some of them are a little bizzare.


Taisa: Contact Shoei, I can pretty much promise you that they'll ship you one for free.

Smirk
Sep 20, 2005

The truth never set me free so I'll do it myself.
If contacting Shoei doesn't work out: Shoei Base Plate Kits from New Enough

nskowyra
Jul 25, 2007
Vice President of Cool
BACKGROUND:
Got a 1998 CR250R (standard dirt bike) pretty much stock. Live in northern NY (Potsdam) and plan on using it during the winter. Plan is to warm it up with a heater fan when I want to use it. Temps range from -10-30 for the winter and will probably snow. the tarp is big enough to cover the bike completely and tuck under the wheels.

QUESTIONS:
Is it cool to leave out in below freezing temps under a tarp? Should I prop the bike off the ground even if I plan on using it 3-7x a wk? I got a block o wood and metal lifter stand.

Thanks for your time

Only registered members can see post attachments!

kcer
May 28, 2004

Today is good weather
for an airstrike.
I got the clutch adjusted on my YZF today, and while it's better positionally, it still feels like a light switch. The problem is the only means of comparison I have it the 500cc I did my lessons and test on.

If you hold up your hand and cover your index finger so only the very last joint can move, the amount that it moves through is how much I have to move the clutch lever to go from stationary to fully open.

Is this the norm?

KidDynamite
Feb 11, 2005

kcer posted:

I got the clutch adjusted on my YZF today, and while it's better positionally, it still feels like a light switch. The problem is the only means of comparison I have it the 500cc I did my lessons and test on.

If you hold up your hand and cover your index finger so only the very last joint can move, the amount that it moves through is how much I have to move the clutch lever to go from stationary to fully open.

Is this the norm?

I'm not sure if it's the norm but your bike should have some sort of play adjuster. All you need to do is push the lever away from you while you sit on the bike and turn that adjuster. Then just turn on the bike and see how you like the play.

kcer
May 28, 2004

Today is good weather
for an airstrike.
It's not the play I'm bothered about, it's the actual application of the clutch. It's almost like turning on a switch. There's such a small movement between applying the clutch and taking it off. Maybe it needs an oil change, maybe the plates are worn?

I can't be sure. I wonder if that lad at work would let me test it against his VFR :v:

WHEEZY KISS A DUDE
Dec 28, 2000

ASK ME HOW TO GET FREE BEER!
(THE ANSWER IS "CHEATING GOONS OUT OF IT")

nskowyra posted:

BACKGROUND:
Got a 1998 CR250R (standard dirt bike) pretty much stock. Live in northern NY (Potsdam) and plan on using it during the winter. Plan is to warm it up with a heater fan when I want to use it. Temps range from -10-30 for the winter and will probably snow. the tarp is big enough to cover the bike completely and tuck under the wheels.

QUESTIONS:
Is it cool to leave out in below freezing temps under a tarp? Should I prop the bike off the ground even if I plan on using it 3-7x a wk? I got a block o wood and metal lifter stand.

Thanks for your time

I'd take it to a local shop and get them to set it up for riding in extreme cold weather. This is because temperature changes of only 15-20 degrees can cause a two-stroke to run dramatically different, to the point of unridability. If it's been ridden mostly during the warmer months, it's going to run like total rear end in the winter.

I'd flush the coolant system and put in new, 100% antifreeze (NOT 50/50!) and I recommend pre-mixing with a two-stroke oil designed for snowmobiles. Red Line makes a good one, although it's a bit on the expensive side.

Other than that, leaving it out should be fine. Just keep the tires aired up consistantly to avoid cold-weather-rot.

Nerobro
Nov 4, 2005

Rider now with 100% more titanium!

DOOKIE ROPES YO posted:

I'd flush the coolant system and put in new, 100% antifreeze (NOT 50/50!)

BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD idea. use the proper mix. Using less water hurts both the cooling and antifreeze capability. Using LESS water and it will freeze sooner, and cool worse.

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester
Oct 3, 2000

kcer posted:

It's almost like turning on a switch. There's such a small movement between applying the clutch and taking it off. Maybe it needs an oil change, maybe the plates are worn?
worn plates would have the opposite effect. i had the same problem when i got a new clutch plate for my antique, the old plate had springs in it and the new one was solid so it engaged a lot more stiffly. i just had to get used to it. dunno if there's anything you can do about yours.

WHEEZY KISS A DUDE
Dec 28, 2000

ASK ME HOW TO GET FREE BEER!
(THE ANSWER IS "CHEATING GOONS OUT OF IT")

Nerobro posted:

BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD idea. use the proper mix. Using less water hurts both the cooling and antifreeze capability. Using LESS water and it will freeze sooner, and cool worse.

My mistake. I use Motul's Motocool Expert cooling solution, which explicitly tells you not to mix, so I was under the impression that it's better to run non-mix coolant.

As it turns out, the Motocool isn't 100% antifreeze.

Beve Stuscemi
Jun 6, 2001




Anyone know of any good howtos on rewinding stators? The one in my RV90 hardly makes any power anymore. I'm figuring its time for a rewind.

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Nerobro
Nov 4, 2005

Rider now with 100% more titanium!

Phat_Albert posted:

Anyone know of any good howtos on rewinding stators? The one in my RV90 hardly makes any power anymore. I'm figuring its time for a rewind.

... The only decent ones out there are for the GS bikes. And those are for the 9-12 pole stators. Pull your stator, measure the size of the wire. count turns as you unwind it.

I'd put dollars to doughnuts that a electric motor rebuilding shop would redo your stator for less than the cost of materials to do it yourself.

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