|
I live in Florida, and I'm thinking about getting my MC license. However, I've never ridden anything more powerful than a juiced up moped (It would hit 65 actually). Anyways, I've got a friend who's got a Kawasaki Ninja 250, who told me I could take it for a spin, just to see what it's like. Now just out of curiosity, if I do decide to try the bike, and is lucky enough to be pulled over in the 5 minutes I'd be driving.. what would the penalty be for driving without the proper license here in Florida? I've got my normal car license, so I would be able to give the cop something.. I tried googling my way to an answer, but with no luck.
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2008 18:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 5, 2024 03:41 |
|
|
Hermansen posted:Anyways, I've got a friend who's got a Kawasaki Ninja 250, who told me I could take it for a spin, just to see what it's like. As long as you stay in residential areas, and obey all local traffic laws, you're not going to get a second glance from any LEOs. Just make sure the tags on the bike aren't expired, don't act like you just stole it, and you should be fine.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2008 20:51
|
|
|
Simkin posted:As long as you stay in residential areas, and obey all local traffic laws, you're not going to get a second glance from any LEOs. Just make sure the tags on the bike aren't expired, don't act like you just stole it, and you should be fine. Since I've been meaning to ask forever and this is a question thread...where is your avatar from?
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2008 21:07
|
|
|
Whoa. Wife Turds posted:Since I've been meaning to ask forever and this is a question thread...where is your avatar from? It's from a video clip of some touring car racing in the mid 90s. One driver made a *cough* opportunistic pass *cough* which the driver in the video deemed to be just a little dodgy, and took offence at. The commentator made light of it by saying soemthing to the effect of "he says he's going for first," rather than saying that he was flipping off a fellow driver for a poo poo pass.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2008 22:07
|
|
|
I recently purchased an old Honda sl00. Iv had mopeds in the past, but this is my first ride with a clutch, so im still learning. Iv "rode" it for the last two days with no consequence, just the usual stalling out, regular newbie stuff. I started it up today and went out for a ride, but my engines acting weird. I dont know the technical term, but basically its running at way high rpms. I can hear it whining yet im only in first going about 5 mph. Once i push through this and get to the higher gears it does allright. My engine seemed to be getting way hotter than usual so i stopped riding and let her be. I dont know if its my technique thats flawed, or somthing with the bike. any suggestions or advice?
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2008 22:10
|
|
|
double post, sorry
philkop fucked around with this message at 22:51 on Oct 22, 2008 |
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2008 22:35
|
|
|
Hermansen posted:I live in Florida, and I'm thinking about getting my MC license. I has this exact thing happen to me today, (well i actually own the bike and plan on riding it daily, so its a bit more responsible in my situation, but..) just try to explain your situation, i got off with a warning, other than that i dont know the penalty, i was looking for it too. (why not test it in an abandoned parking lot :P)
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2008 22:36
|
|
|
moved to Gear threads
Chris Knight fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Oct 23, 2008 |
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2008 00:15
|
|
|
Ok some crazy poo poo has been happening on my bike. It's completely shut down 4 times now in the past two days. The first 3 times where the same day. Twice while riding on the highway the first time it started right back up the second it was out for a good 10 mins. The third time was after I got to my destination from riding on the highway. The 4th was when I got home from work yesterday. The high trip was Tuesday. Checked my oil it was fine. I have no idea what else it could be. One thing I can tell you the second time when it was out for a bit it was as if the battery was out or dead there was no neutral light or anything then the neutral light randomly came on and I was able to start it again. If its the battery wouldn't it not have enough charge to start the bike after it shut off. It's really cold out lately but I've never heard of a battery running out while a bike was running I thought it was impossible. Any ideas? I will be taking it to a shop Saturday but I'd like to have some idea what's going on so I don't get taken for a rube.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2008 15:30
|
|
|
Have you checked your battery? Possabily the terminals are lose. I've seen that happen.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2008 15:36
|
|
|
KidDynamite posted:Ok some crazy poo poo has been happening on my bike. I had the same problem with my bike. It turned out that the kickstand was a little loose at the top of its travel which was causing it to briefly stop making contact with the killswitch. Your problem may very well be something different but its worth checking out.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2008 15:53
|
|
|
Nerobro posted:Have you checked your battery? Possabily the terminals are lose. I've seen that happen. When I took out the battery to trickle charge it last night the screws were tight so loose terminals is out. And having ridden with a loose terminal on my old battery(the screw on the positive terminal was stripped) I know that my 500 just stays on with not lights but the motor keeps running but I'm not sure if it was because the terminal would only jiggle around a bit and turn off the lights.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2008 15:56
|
|
|
See if you can recreate it by pushing on things like the killswitch housing, pushing the killswitch itself harder into the housing, the sidestand, stuff that would happen under normal riding and vibration that could cause a short of some sort. What happens when it goes off? Do all the lights go off? Does the oil light come on? The first would indicate an ignition problem, the second would indicate a killswitch problem. (in some form or another, kickstand, clutch switch, etc) Z3n fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Oct 23, 2008 |
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2008 17:26
|
|
|
I've got an '08 rebel that I commute on, and recently after getting home (maybe 15 minutes of 65mph), I'll shut of the engine and it'll sit for about 1 or 2 seconds and then I'll hear an audible thud. The best I can describe it as is if you're at home, and someone drops something decently heavy on the floor in a room above you. I'm assuming this is a backfire, but I'm afraid it's something crazy like an overheated piston igniting unburned fuel in the chamber. The bike runs fine, no noticeable loss of power, all maintenance is current, though I'm soon due for oil. I had adjusted my valves at 600m (~3000 on the clock now) to middle of spec, and switched out the plugs to some extended high speed types recommended in my manual. The oem plugs were a perfect creamy tan when I removed them. I guess a second question is whether I should be using the alternate plugs all the time, or if I should be swapping them out for the standards until I'm actually taking a leisure ride.
|
|
#
?
Oct 23, 2008 18:57
|
|
|
Handiklap posted:I've got an '08 rebel that I commute on, and recently after getting home (maybe 15 minutes of 65mph), I'll shut of the engine and it'll sit for about 1 or 2 seconds and then I'll hear an audible thud. The best I can describe it as is if you're at home, and someone drops something decently heavy on the floor in a room above you. The thud could be things contracting as they cool down. I'm sure you've heard heat shields and stuff tick before. It might just be a louder version of that. The high speed plugs should be fine for riding everywhere as long as they aren't fouling out. If they look fine then they are fine. If they start to soot up or the bike starts to crap out when you are just cruising you may need to put the old heat range plugs back in.
|
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2008 02:55
|
|
|
Handiklap posted:I've got an '08 rebel
|
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2008 03:24
|
|
|
poo poo poo poo poo poo poo poo My bikes been working fine for the better part of the last week or so. I had an issue with my bike revving too high for the speed/gear I was in, but it seemed to resolve itself. Now its back and worse. I start it up like normal, sounds good, still have the clutch in, all is good until I release the throttle and start moving in first, it quickly gets louder and higher, like it wants me to change gears all ready. But Im only going 5mph!! I hear the engine whine so I switch to second. The problem persist. Its not until Im in third that it stops, but Im in third going about 15-20mph, my bikes an old honda sl 100, no tach but the spedo has lines for when to shift. 3rd is usually about 25mph+, so I dont know whats going on. I just need to get to work!
|
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2008 19:02
|
|
|
Sounds like your clutch is slipping. Adjust it?
|
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2008 19:51
|
|
|
Krakkles posted:Sounds like your clutch is slipping. Adjust it? I haven't tried anything yet, I broke my last ride(chinese moped)trying to fix it, so iv been a little reluctant. Il look into adjusting my clutch, hopefully thats it. I was in a bit of a panic, thought maybe my whole transmission could be down D:
|
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2008 20:16
|
|
|
yeah that's clutch not transmission. if you're lucky the controls are just out of adjustment. worst case, you need new clutch plates, but if you have a japanese bike, that's not much of a big deal either.
|
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2008 23:54
|
|
|
oils looking a lil low too, would that cause my bike to act like that?
|
|
#
?
Oct 25, 2008 23:58
|
|
|
philkop posted:oils looking a lil low too, would that cause my bike to act like that? It could, theoretically - not likely, though. Still, easy enough to test and fix it 
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 03:22
|
|
|
Krakkles posted:It could, theoretically - not likely, though. Still, easy enough to test and fix it Where does the clutch engage? All the way at the end of the travel? Or halfway out?
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 03:31
|
|
|
So what's a 250cc bike like? I've looked at a couple and they're really cheap. I assume they're a step above mopeds, but not super powerful. I've toyed with the idea of getting one for cheap simple transportation around town, but scooters and such are limited to 45kmh/h (over here in europe) and are thus a bit too slow for traffic and so I wouldn't feel comfortable being overtaken all the time by cars. Are they still kind of dangerous? A hand full? Or a good idea for someone who just wants to get around on the cheap?
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 14:39
|
|
|
Oldsmobile posted:So what's a 250cc bike like?
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 16:15
|
|
|
sklnd posted:They're pretty capable up until highway speeds. Even then, highway travel is doable, but you don't have much acceleration at that point. I do just fine with my Ninja 250 on surface streets and highways here in Texas, and I'm not a small guy. Echoing this, I find it pretty easy to hit 75-80 on my Ninja 250 as well, it can go faster but I haven't tried it. I didn't get the same peppy feel with the 250's we used in the MSF (some Suzuki crap). Over in the EU you also have a lot of choices in the 125cc market.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 16:38
|
|
|
Oldsmobile posted:So what's a 250cc bike like? You're focusing on displacement. Don't do that. A Suzuki GT250 will do 110mph. A RGV250 will do 130. And a Rebel 250 will barely crack 80. With 250cc, you can find bikes with anywhere from 10hp to 70hp. All motorcycles are dangerous. Your average fatal motorcycle wreck happens under 40mph. Even a slightly modified moped will do that. Some 250's are a handful. Most aren't. Most are pretty lightweight. Not all are very useful. What I'm trying to say is, your question is not a good one. :-) If I understand your question, you want a little commuter bike to run around town on. I need to know what sort of speeds you would be expected to go. I'm 100% comfortable driving around KDC67's Yamaha LT2 on almost any surface street. And it gets to 45-50mph pretty smartly. Riding a slow bike around town, is a lot of fun.... but you do need to plan your moves so you don't end up a greasy wet spot on the pavement. When we recommend a first bike to someone, we point them at a bike with 30-70hp. That excludes bikes like the nighhawk 250, rebel, GZ250, TTR225, but includes the Ninja 250, older 2 stroke 250s, the DRZ400, most any 500cc cruiser, 650cc thumpers.... It's a wide variety of bikes. About the only thing they don't have in common is displacement.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 17:26
|
|
|
Nerobro posted:When we recommend a first bike to someone, we point them at a bike with 30-70hp. That excludes bikes like the nighhawk 250, rebel, GZ250, TTR225, but includes the Ninja 250
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 17:42
|
|
|
sklnd posted:The Ninja 250 has about 25 hp. 28 at the rear wheel, roughly 32 at the crank. Nero never specifies which measurment he's refering to  I'd say anything over 20hp with the correct gearing is freeway capable. The ninja 250 is def. the best of the 250s (besides the exotics) when it comes to small displacement bikes and freeway use.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 17:52
|
|
|
Nerobro posted:No. Low oil will actually make the clutch not slip. The clutch is designed to be oil bathed. Not until the last bit.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 17:54
|
|
|
As a new rider, a Ninja 250 will put the fear of god into you. Its more then capable up to highway speeds, though you'll have to plan out your passes.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 19:02
|
|
|
For some reason that even I can't fully understand why, I have become increasingly interested in purchasing a motorcycle. However, I don't consider this a bad thing in the least. I've been doing some cursory research into the different styles, makes, and models of bikes, and as of right now I am leaning towards a Cruiser or Touring motorcycle. While I can appreciate the looks of Sport bikes, I really can't see myself as the kind of guy who would enjoy riding one. I like cruisers because they have a more laid back feeling to them, which is what I am aiming for. I'm not asking for anyone to give me the full newbie rundown and clog up the thread with any sort of bullshit that could just as easily been taken care of through PM or such, nor am I really asking for anyone to flat out pick a bike for me (though if you want to say "hey look into this kind of bike" I'd definitely enjoy hearing opinions on cruiser/touring bike models). My main questions are more towards what exactly I should look for in a Cruiser when I start scouring craigslist and used bikes so I don't end up with a bike that dies in six months or that I will pay thousands of dollars for and end up hating. Unfortunately none of my friends ride motorcycles so this seems like my best place to ask. I apologize if any of these questions are stupid, I'd just like to make as informed a decision as I can so once I do get a motorcycle I can come back with good stories and whatnot. So, does anyone mind helping a total newbie out with this issue? 
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 22:09
|
|
|
Nerobro posted:What I'm trying to say is, your question is not a good one. :-) Well, it's not a good one, since I don't know a drat about bikes. But I suddenly found out how cheap 250cc bikes were and was instantly interested since I've been thinking about cheap two wheeled transportation that's not a scooter. OTOH I might not want to kill myself.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2008 23:32
|
|
|
I just bought a 2004 Ninja 250, as my first bike. I did a bit of the suggested maintenance on ninja250.org this weekend, cleaning/lubing the chain and changing the oil and oil filter, and I noticed that when I was adding new oil the sight glass was at the top-mark after only a liter and a half. I had let it sit for about 15 minutes prior with the drain bolt and oil filter assembly out, and it was up on the center-stand for the entire time. After running the engine for a few minutes to get the new filter wet and then waiting for the oil to settle, it was still at the high mark on the sight glass. I was under the impression that it would take about 1.9 liters to fill, so I'm rather puzzled as to where the extra .4 liters came from. Did I overfill it?
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2008 00:40
|
|
|
I bought an '01 F650GS a month ago which was having some cooling problems. After replacing the thermostat, coolant temp sensor, and doing a proper coolant change(which the previous owner may not have done), the problem appeared to be gone. I've only put about 20 miles on the bike, but the last time I had it out, there was white smoke from the exhaust and the temp light came on as I was riding home. The smoking isn't too bad. If I started it up right now, it might be barely noticeable, although it was very noticeable when I had the bike out. Head gasket? If I took a sample of the coolant to a shop to have a combustion test done, will it detect anything if the coolant is only has ~10 miles on it? Anything else I can check?
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2008 00:57
|
|
|
GoldenDelicious posted:My main questions are more towards what exactly I should look for in a Cruiser when I start scouring craigslist and used bikes so I don't end up with a bike that dies in six months or that I will pay thousands of dollars for and end up hating. Unfortunately none of my friends ride motorcycles so this seems like my best place to ask. I apologize if any of these questions are stupid, I'd just like to make as informed a decision as I can so once I do get a motorcycle I can come back with good stories and whatnot. First of all...this is a good resource. http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html How mechanically competent are you? That guide checks all of the big boxes, and all of the little ones, so if there's some issues with the bike, you should be able to figure it out there. As to bikes...well, I'd highly recommend that you take a local safety class for 3 reasons: 1. It gives you some valuable information and skills when it comes to being a safe rider. 2. It lets you ride around on a small bike that someone else owns that you don't have to worry about dropping or loving up. 3. It gives you some idea of what kind of bike you'd like to ride. Typically they have a few different bikes there and you'll end up on something that'll at least give you a baseline on things. Besides that, stay within 30-70hp, remember that displacement isn't always a direct reflection on how much power a bike makes, and post up if you find something that seems appealing in the "What bike should I buy" thread for advice on pricing and such. sectoidman posted:I just bought a 2004 Ninja 250, as my first bike. I did a bit of the suggested maintenance on ninja250.org this weekend, cleaning/lubing the chain and changing the oil and oil filter, and I noticed that when I was adding new oil the sight glass was at the top-mark after only a liter and a half. Bikes don't always take the full capacity of oil to fill. You still end up with some stuff floating around in different passageways, etc...so...don't worry about it. Keep an eye on the sightglass, but you're probably fine. Mine would never take the full capacity. Legerdemain posted:I bought an '01 F650GS a month ago which was having some cooling problems. After replacing the thermostat, coolant temp sensor, and doing a proper coolant change(which the previous owner may not have done), the problem appeared to be gone. I've only put about 20 miles on the bike, but the last time I had it out, there was white smoke from the exhaust and the temp light came on as I was riding home. The smoking isn't too bad. If I started it up right now, it might be barely noticeable, although it was very noticeable when I had the bike out. Sounds like you sorted it out. Headgasket problems should show up in the oil as well, so if your oil isn't clear after riding it for a bit (you can get condensation in it that'll make it look milky), you should be good to go. If you're not losing coolant, your oil is clean, you're fine. A little white smoke is normal on startup, as the engine burns off any excess water or condensation. If it doesn't go away once the bike is warmed up, then you may have a problem. But if your coolant is clean and your oil is clean, then you're fine.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2008 02:53
|
|
|
Legerdemain posted:I bought an '01 F650GS a month ago which was having some cooling problems. After replacing the thermostat, coolant temp sensor, and doing a proper coolant change(which the previous owner may not have done), the problem appeared to be gone. I've only put about 20 miles on the bike, but the last time I had it out, there was white smoke from the exhaust and the temp light came on as I was riding home. The smoking isn't too bad. If I started it up right now, it might be barely noticeable, although it was very noticeable when I had the bike out. Actually, I'd suspect the head gasket. If it smoked and the temp light came on there's something going on and you've done the easy stuff already. You might not find any oil/coolant contamination, I'd pop the valve cover off for a look and check for mayo or cottage cheese under the valve cover, or other signs of condensation.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2008 03:59
|
|
|
Gnomad posted:Actually, I'd suspect the head gasket. If it smoked and the temp light came on there's something going on and you've done the easy stuff already. You might not find any oil/coolant contamination, I'd pop the valve cover off for a look and check for mayo or cottage cheese under the valve cover, or other signs of condensation. I've seen gauges spike/lights come on due to air in the system or bad gauges/sensors as well. Assuming that is, that it came on before, he did all the work, and then it went away. If he did all the work and now it's doing it, then yeah, probably some issue there. The wording is a bit confusing. 
Z3n fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Oct 27, 2008 |
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2008 04:02
|
|
|
Z3n posted:I've seen gauges spike/lights come on due to air in the system or bad gauges/sensors as well. The cooling system on a F650 can be a bit tricky to bleed. I wonder if the fan comes on? He never said that, if the fan doesn't come on there will be doom.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2008 04:19
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 5, 2024 03:41 |
|
|
So, theoretically, if one were riding a carburated 644cc single cylinder up a very steep hill, and managed to very slowly lay it on it's right side, would it be normal for gas to pour out? In theory, we're talking about an '09 DR650. One with light scratches to the plastic over the tail pipe and no other observed damage. One that didn't fire up when first righted and cranked, but started up when it got a little throttle on the second try of cranking.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2008 04:44
|
|