|
From the previous thread:quote:A buddy of mine is having some strange issues with his Ninja 250. He went down lightly at fairly low speed a week ago, with only very cosmetic damage. He rode for a week or so, and then one day last week, the bike was basically dead. He ordered a new battery, and in the meantime he charged the battery just to be sure. He was getting over 13v with the key on, and barely over 13 with a blinker going.. Now, here's the weird part.. His neutral indicator doesn't work at all, and neither does the oil light, and the starter doesn't do anything either.. He was told to check the fuses, which were all okay. The battery is a few years old too. I had that problem when I blew a fuse. It's possible that something could be grounding out. Has he tried wiggling the key and checked ALL of the connectors? Something could have worked it's way loose...(junction box, ECU, etc). I'd bet on a broken wire somewhere in the ignition circuit. Does he have a repair manual? If he doesn't, I can send him mine as I don't need them anymore, just give me address.
|
# ¿ Oct 5, 2008 05:24 |
|
|
# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:22 |
|
Petekill posted:I asked this in the stupid questions megathread, but didn't get an answer. I've owned one bike, but I don't know the answer. What makes that distinct mechanical whine/scream you hear coming form bikes, mostly supersports? Is it the transmission gears, gear driven cams, or what? Most of the time it's the chain. They are louder when well lubed. Anuv, for street use, tires should be checked cold. It's also worth noting that pressures should range from 32 to 38 PSI for street use with normal load. I run 36f and 38r in all situations on the street. My experience is that lower pressures do not increase stick but do increase tire wear significantly. Track use is 50/50 if they are done hot or cold. All the high end track tires are ideally checked at both to measure the increase from cold to hot. Ideal increase is from 5 to 7 PSI. Z3n fucked around with this message at 07:49 on Oct 5, 2008 |
# ¿ Oct 5, 2008 07:43 |
|
mr.belowaverage posted:Most tires say right on them, but the numbers are cold pressure suggestions. The numbers that the tires say on them are the max load ratings. You don't want to use that unless you're approaching the max loaded weight of the bike (ie, 2 up touring with luggage or 2 really big people).
|
# ¿ Oct 5, 2008 18:20 |
|
shaitan posted:With the cold weather hitting us, how do you guys handle cold weather riding, more specifiically your legs? I don't have any riding pants so I'm stuck riding with normal jeans right now, would some thermals work well? Along with my jacket, a sweatshirt and some underarmour ski mask I have my upper body all set. Pick up a set of textile overpants. The sort that have an inner liner as well. Or if you get really cold, pick up some heated gear. Heat grips are a must, at least, because they're all of 30$, and they're dead simple to install. Z3n fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Oct 5, 2008 |
# ¿ Oct 5, 2008 18:41 |
|
shaitan posted:How much does somethign like this usually set you back? I figure I have about another month of solid riding left so I won't be riding in the freezing cold so heated gear wouldn't be worth it. I'm in upstate, NY Around 100$...http://www.newenough.com/protective_apparel/textile_jackets_and_pants/tour_master/venture_textile_motorcycle_overpants.html My g/f has the women's version of those and likes them. I can't find the Tour Master ones that I have that were 100$. Protection and insulation all in one. And I strongly recommend heated grips...They're one of the best bang for the buck items you can buy on a motorcycle. I'd run pirelli sport demons on the ninja 500. Z3n fucked around with this message at 19:03 on Oct 5, 2008 |
# ¿ Oct 5, 2008 18:57 |
|
JaySB posted:Would I be incredibly dumb to grab a Buell XB9R Firebolt as a first bike? Not incredibly stupid, more like just stupid. The biggest issue with the big twin is that it will be very sensative to throttle inputs, even at lower RPM, simply because of how much grunt the engine has from just off idle. And with 60-ish foot pounds of torque, even at lower RPM, you're going to be able to power wheelie it off the throttle in first gear alone, plus the engine braking will be monsterous. I'd strongly push you in the direction of something else. Buy a cheap beater and pick up the Buell as a 2nd bike.
|
# ¿ Oct 6, 2008 01:07 |
|
Polynomial posted:Question about throttle response. I've been trying to be smooth with my throttle control since I started riding. One thing that I've noticed was that when I slowly roll on the throttle, the RPMS go up correspondingly. However, when I slowly roll off the throttle, I see a much quicker decline in RPMS...almost too quick. No, that's normal. The engine has to do work to increase RPM, but doesn't to decrease it. That's one of those things that weirded me out when I went to the 929...the RPM would drop so quickly compared to my ZX-6E that I'd always think that the bike had died.
|
# ¿ Oct 6, 2008 01:11 |
|
Phat_Albert posted:Well, after doing 200 miles in the pouring rain in 40 degree weather, I've decided two things. One, the bark busters are staying on the Bandit. Two, I need grip heaters. Depends on how much you want to spend. I used the cheap ones, which were just generic heated grip elements, with a 3 way toggle switch. These: http://www.newenoughhp.com/accessories/grips__heated_grips/symtec/motorcycle_grip_heaters.html The nicer ones will have better controllers than just a 3 way switch, and in many cases are built into a set of grips. I found that the generic ones were quite good enough for my purposes. If you don't already have a distribution block set up, I highly recommend doing that too: http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/generic/relay.php
|
# ¿ Oct 6, 2008 03:31 |
|
Atomic Hotdog posted:Can anyone recommend some regular old grips for my 99' SV650? The ones I have are pretty worn down and getting sticky for some reason. I actually really, really like the stock SV grips. I'd go to a local cycle shop and poke a couple different sets though until you find something that you really like. My friend has some of the huge foam ones on his KLR and while i'd hate them on any other bike, I love them on that bike, and I use the thinnest ones possible on my trackbike. Streetbikes get something with a little more squish. Trintintin would it be possible to go back to stock signals? Or maybe contact someone who supplies clear turn signals, like http://www.clearalternatives.com/?
|
# ¿ Oct 6, 2008 04:17 |
|
KidDynamite posted:Anyone have a good site to order Pirelli's from? Since tire express doesn't carry them. If you look carefully, sometimes ebay can have some great deals.
|
# ¿ Oct 6, 2008 06:37 |
|
Lord Zuthulu posted:Is it just me or are aftermarket pipes overpriced? When I get the bike I want in a year or two I'd like to get this nice set of Zards. The thing is they're $1200! For slip-ons! Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it just a tube, some holes drilled in it, wrapped with insulation and put in a can? I know they've got to make a profit but this seems like a big markup. Tell me there's more to it than that. Lots of tuning, yes, but the markup on pipes is absurd. I believe the top of the line LV pipe for an 08 R6 retails for around 1800$, dealer cost is supposedly 800$. I'd put it a bit lower than that, probably around 600$...you can see why pipes are such hot items for the dealer to throw in at a "50% discount you pay labor" and poo poo like that. The bright side is: Used pipe depreciate like a mofo.
|
# ¿ Oct 6, 2008 06:47 |
|
Fantastipotamus posted:Firstly, the engine braking on my XB12SS is actually significantly less than my SV650 ever was. When I got my Buell, I was under the same impression you were (and I haven't ridden the XB9's, only my 12), but it turned out that one of the things Buell did was to take a lot of the engine braking out. It's still there, but the revs drop a lot slower than you'd think. The throttle input is actually very smooth as well, when I first got it, I was riding around with my jaw dropped as I was very surprised how easy it was to ride. Interesting. I'll have to see if I can steal a test ride from someone on one then. I was going off of the Harleys that I've ridden, which will come off the gas pretty hard. I also hear that buells are very, very sensative to suspension changes. dozer_d11 posted:I have an offroad question? I just bought a '98 cr250 and need a few things, the bike stores in Canada seem to enjoy raping you. Has anyone used thumpertalks store, are they any good? I've never used it personally but have heard it's good. Can't say anything beyond that though.
|
# ¿ Oct 6, 2008 17:07 |
|
It'll be easy. Take a shop manual, take your time, don't overtorque the cover bolts, and it's pie. At worst, you may have hosed up the actuator shaft somehow, but I doubt it. If you have to order a new part, your bike may be down for awhile, while you wait for the part to show up, but it shouldn't be that bad.
|
# ¿ Oct 7, 2008 17:29 |
|
Phat_Albert posted:Heres a question. The Bandit doesnt have a clock, and this bugs me. I see plenty of stick-on battery operated clocks. Those are all well and good, but I do a significant amount of night riding. Yes. Set up a relay box like I linked to earlier and find a backlit watch that'll take 12vs. I'd recommend a bicycle computer, actually, because it'll probably be cheap and easy to come by.
|
# ¿ Oct 7, 2008 22:13 |
|
OptimusMatrix posted:I was reading the R6 forums and a guy on there works for cycle gear and he said on the 25th of Oct. They will be offering IN STORE Pirelli Diablo's as a set for 179 bucks. You can call your local store and reserve it but it won't be on their site. It's in store only. It's worth noting that these are about 3 tire "generations" old now...the old school pirelli high performance tire. Still, if you just need something cheap to toss on there, or are commuting and don't haul rear end through the twisties, they'll be great. Certainly better than anything that you could get for the same price. Just don't expect them to act like a current generation set of tires.
|
# ¿ Oct 8, 2008 17:21 |
|
greg_graffin posted:What would you recommend instead? The BT45's are the more "touring" tire in those sizes, and the Sport Demons are the more "sport" tire. I hated dunlops when I ran 208Fs, back in teh day, but now I'm in love with the 211GPs. Sometimes a company will make a piss poor tire, but the replacement will be great. The qualifiers? drat good. 208GPs? drat good. 208Fs? Horrible. Supposedly the new bridgestone DOT race tires are drat good too. And they're making a lightweight slick for the SV's and such... What i'm saying is...if you see a tire that's getting great reviews, don't put too much faith in what you experienced with one set of tires. I've heard of people bitching about Bridgestone, dunlop, michelin, only to learn they're running 8+ year old tires that are coming apart at the seams.
|
# ¿ Oct 8, 2008 21:55 |
|
Phat_Albert posted:I know its not a question, but this isnt worth its own thread. drat, if that out here...
|
# ¿ Oct 10, 2008 16:36 |
|
kcer posted:Leaving work today, I hopped on the bike and was a bit too eager to get the kick stand up, and knocked the bike into gear, stalling it. On it's own I thought nothing of it, and the following may just be coincidence, but on the ride home the gears felt a lot harder than usual to change. I've not changed my foot position that I know and while on a quiet road, I had a look down while changing gear to make sure I wasn't resting on the rod connecting to rubber - I thought I might be pressing down the on the lever arm. That's problem 1. You just need to adjust the clutch. If the adjustment is all out at the top, then adjust it from where the cable goes into the clutch cover...there should be another adjuster down there. If both of those are adjusted, you may need a new cable, or it may be time to do the clutch. If it wasn't abused, though, the clutch should be fine. I'm going to bet that you just need to adjust it. quote:DOT 3 and 4 play nice together, no need to worry. Silicon based DOT5 would be problematic, if it were mixed in, but unless he happened to have that lying around, you should be golden. Just thank your dad for being awesome and making sure your brakes don't fail, causing you to die. That's my understanding of it as well.
|
# ¿ Oct 10, 2008 23:50 |
|
Bugdrvr posted:How do you guys clean your motorcycle gear? Leather cleaner and conditioner.
|
# ¿ Oct 12, 2008 03:43 |
|
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? 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?
|
# ¿ Oct 12, 2008 17:08 |
|
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. 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.
|
# ¿ Oct 12, 2008 17:31 |
|
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.
|
# ¿ Oct 13, 2008 19:28 |
|
Kaptainballistik posted:OK, Ive got the Yamaha ( 72 AT-1) in more bits that The Rev's Italian masterpiece... 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.
|
# ¿ Oct 15, 2008 03:17 |
|
greg_graffin posted:OK, let me try this again. In the BRC I took all the slow speed exercises revolved around using the friction zone and the rear brake to control the bike. We didn't use the throttle at all. From a standstill I should be able to hold the rear brake and slowly let the clutch out into the friction zone until I feel the bike start to pull. It doesn't - it just stalls. You won't be able to do it if you're holding the rear brake. If you hold it at the very, very edge of the friction zone, you can get some bikes moving, but if you have a bike that's cold and the idle is low and lumpy, it still may not move. Especially prevelant on bikes that are not set up correctly, are air cooled, or idle particularly low.
|
# ¿ Oct 17, 2008 03:58 |
|
Lawn posted:I went into a dealership today looking at scooters and wound up looking at motorcycles. I can't help myself. Height won't be an issue. 2 up probably would be...doable but difficult. I'm sure Albert or one of the guys who's done more than just sit on one like me could chime in on that front though. You are talking about a roughly 35hp engine though, so it's gonna take a bit to get where it's going.
|
# ¿ Oct 18, 2008 06:39 |
|
Lawn posted:I went into a dealership today looking at scooters and wound up looking at motorcycles. I can't help myself. Height won't be an issue. 2 up probably would be...doable but difficult. I'm sure Albert or one of the guys who's done more than just sit on one like me could chime in on that front though. You are talking about a roughly 35hp engine though, so it's gonna take a bit to get where it's going.
|
# ¿ Oct 18, 2008 06:39 |
|
Lawn posted:I'm looking at two different DRZ 400 SM's, both about the same price (4800 and 5000) but one with mods and one stock. I don't know anything about the mods, can anyone give some advice on this one? I'd take the modded one and try and talk him down a good bit...his ad states he's negotiable, so 4200$ in cash may be enough to sway him. I'd personally go for it at 4500$, though.
|
# ¿ Oct 18, 2008 23:45 |
|
The NonBornKing posted:It's about time to synchronize my carbs. I've been thinking about constructing my own synchronization gauge using the method described here. Basically, instead of measuring the vacuum with mercury you attach both ends of a long tube to either carb's vacuum port and then make sure the fluid isn't moving back and forth between them. This is attractive because I cringe at paying $100 for a single-purpose tool that could be done with something much cheaper. Those work, but can be a bit of a pita because if you're not careful you can suck the mercury into your bike. Typically, you buy hose that can just slip over the brass fittings on your vaccum ports.
|
# ¿ Oct 20, 2008 06:09 |
|
The NonBornKing posted:One of the reasons I would rather use the cheapo method is that you can use whatever fluid you want. The article linked mentions using automatic transmission fluid, which shouldn't damage anything should it get sucked into the engine. Yeah, any fluid is fine. Even still, it's easy if you're not careful and wing the throttle open really hard to suck fluid into the bike. That's really the only downside to those though. When they're set up right, they work just as well as the expensive ones. My bikes have always had brass fittings in the intake boots themselves. I've never seen a setup like that. I'd imagine that you could find any sort of threaded fitting, though, and make something work. Harley?
|
# ¿ Oct 20, 2008 16:58 |
|
Lawn posted:I checked out the DRZ with the mods and he's willing to sell it for 4300, but there's a lien on the bike. Nobody I know has any experience buying a vehicle with a lien... is it something to stay away from? If I have a bill of sale through the DMV form is that a legal guarantee that I should get the title? They were saying I'd make a check out to the bank, then they'd get the title, then transfer it to me. I'd have the bike in the meantime. You may or may not be able to contact the company that the lein is held by and get them to release it directly to you. I'd go with that first. Lien holds can always be a bit of a PITA unless the company and the seller are both local and you can conduct buisness right there. Centerstands are not a either/or proposition. I like having them on any bike I ride regularly, trackbikes...not so much. It's a convience/parking item. greg_graffin has it right with getting the bike on the centerstand. You always want to shove down and forward as hard as possible on the arm of the stand and lift straight up on the back. It seems impossible until you do it once or twice and then you get the hang of it.
|
# ¿ Oct 20, 2008 20:21 |
|
Krakkles posted:Should I keep my registration with me on the bike? Yes. The simple fact that you have registration on hand may even get you out of tickets. Especially true when paired with the mythical motorcycle license and insurance.
|
# ¿ Oct 20, 2008 20:47 |
|
Krakkles posted:Ok, another stupid one. I feel like I have better control over the throttle when my hand is completely wrapped around it, but it significantly cuts into my reaction time, because if something happens and I suddenly need to brake, it feels like it takes a long time to get back on the front brake. I've taken to rolling my thumb under the throttle and keeping at least two if not all four fingers on the brake. I don't always, but generally when I'm not on an empty straightaway with great visibility. The reason that MSF and other new rider instructional schools will tell you not to cover the brakes is because new riders have a tendency to grab at the front brake, rather than applying it smoothly and progressively when something threatening/unexpected occurs. So, someone starts to roll foward on you and make the typical left in front of the motorcyclist move, and you grab the front brake and lock the front and dump the bike. Once you've mastered that urge to grab at the front brake, covering the brakes is ideal. I'm almost always covering the brake with 2 fingers in the city, and on the open highway I will 4 finger the throttle. Traffic usually means I'm covering. Z3n fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Oct 20, 2008 |
# ¿ Oct 20, 2008 22:27 |
|
Replace the wires first. You're going to have to do it, regardless, so fix what's broken first, because you'll have to do it period. If it doesn't fix the problem, no sweat, because you needed to fix that anyways.
|
# ¿ Oct 21, 2008 18:30 |
|
NVaderJ posted:I'm concerned that whatever caused the wires to melt in the first place would just melt the new ones as well. Well, ideally you'd replace the entire connector and solder in new wires...you could double check that they're not getting some absurd reading, but a lot of things can cause wires to melt...resistance building up on the plug, etc. If the connector and the wires are fried, I'd probably say you built up a bunch of resistance there and the heat melted the wires. Either way, you're going to have to replace them to test it accurately, so it's work you have to do no matter what. And you'll be able to tell without frying your repair job if there is a problem. You have a wiring diagram, right?
|
# ¿ Oct 21, 2008 18:46 |
|
Coredump posted:Does anyone have a preferred brand for steel brake lines for their motorcycles? What about hand guards, anyone got a favorite? I like Galfer. Don't have anything else to really go on there, IMO lines are lines, pretty much. They'll cut them to any length you specify, which is nice, without any extra charge.
|
# ¿ Oct 22, 2008 00:25 |
|
Coredump posted:When you say "they'll" who is that? As far as I can tell Galfer only sells to distributors. I contacted my local shop, they ordered them for me, and because I had an oddball bike, I asked them if they could cut to these exact lengths and cut them to my specs for no extra charge. Shop was MotoLoco in Santa Barbara.
|
# ¿ Oct 22, 2008 01:35 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
|
# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:22 |
|
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 |