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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:Predicting a flood of "how do I change my fork seals" in about three weeks in the thread. And a flood of "how do I change my head bearings?" I tried to wheelie almost every bike I've owned. Dirt bikes are a given. Pegaso would do profound wheelies. Ducati, of course. FZ1 "oh poo poo!" R1150GS will pick up the wheel but really isn't happy about it. And since wheelies are for the most part vehicular wanking I usually do them in private.
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Mar 18, 2010 02:42
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Z3n posted:My friend's Aprilia Falco was the first bike that ever taught me how easy and fun wheelies could be. He borrow my speed triple and I borrowed his Aprilia and we had a great time messing around. That big twin just loved lifting the front, it was like having a wheelie button. And Buells. I owned a S2 and did test rides on a Uly and a Firebolt. Wheelie popping daddys, all of them. Especially the Uly, grab a fistfull of throttle and it was goodbye horizon, hello sky.
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Mar 18, 2010 04:38
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KozmoNaut posted:Wheelie the gently caress out of everything: Farm tractors are wheelying fools. Put the thing in low/low, pop the clutch and give it the gas.
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Mar 19, 2010 03:02
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I4's all seem to have a "resonance" where they buzz and throb and generally make your teeth itch. Balance shafts help but they don't work at every RPM range. For smooth, you want a triple. I've had a Triumph triple and a BMW triple brick and both of those motors were turbine smooth. The BMW was so smooth that it was borderline boring.
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Mar 19, 2010 07:29
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infraboy posted:So now that most new bikes these days come with fuel injection, will there be a time very soon when we'll start seeing direct injection engines in motorcycles like in cars? Seems to be the next logical progression, improved power, fuel economy, and they should sound awesome? Snowmobiles and outboards are using some 2 cycle direct injection, successfully making big power and improving fuel economy. Trying to make them pass emissions on a street bike might take some time but if BRP/Rotax wants do, they could do it. Putting this in a bike would be compleatly batshit. 150 HP! http://www.supertraxmag.com/article.asp?nid=1571
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Mar 21, 2010 04:40
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A check does not automatically mean you need to adjust them. Shim and buckets tend to stay in range until you either roll up big miles and the valves start receding into the heads or your chambers are getting really gunked up and the valves aren't closing all the way. Of all the bikes I've owned over the years with shim/buckets, I think I've swapped out 3 shims total.
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Mar 22, 2010 06:42
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Just to needle you further then, those shims were on Triumph. The shims were the same size as ones used on some Hondas so I went to the shop, where the parts guy tells me he'll swap my shims for his for $2.50 each. IIRC, the Triumph shop wanted $12 per shim.
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Mar 22, 2010 06:53
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I'm not sure what was going through the DPO's mind, but every shim on the Z1 is a 245. Every one. They don't even come from the factory with all the same shim sizes!
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Mar 23, 2010 03:08
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Ola posted:Service bulletins get covered, no questions asked, by the factory no matter how old the vehicle is. Depends on the manufacturer and maybe the location. GM will not cover TSB's, most manufacturers here release TSB's as a detailed fix for specific problems but they do not become an extended warranty. That problem with the sprocket may be covered as a safety concern, having a sprocket come off and jam up your bike at speed would seriously compromise your safety.
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Mar 27, 2010 03:33
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Bad Munki posted:Darnit...we found my battery just fine at wal mart, it's a 12bs. Unfortunately for my wife, wal-mart's brand of choice (everstart) doesn't make a battery for her bike. Should be a 12b4, and we even looked in the book and there was a big "NA" next to her bike. So, I guess she'll have to wait until monday so we can try maybe napa? I'm sure someone carries a replacement. If there is a Batteries Plus near you, check with them. They've had every battery I ever needed. Prices are competitive.
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Mar 28, 2010 02:44
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orthod0ks posted:I'm in the middle of hooking up the grip heaters, and we tapped into the horn wire, but got nothing. Is it a problem that those wires only get power when you're actually hitting the horn button? I like to wire my grip heaters right off the alternator output. You get full power off the alternator and it only powers up while running. It won't run down your battery and it won't put an extra load on your existing R/R.
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Mar 28, 2010 02:48
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I seafoamed a BMW K75 using the vacuum port method, you should have seen the cloud of smoke that resulted-but clearly it needed the treatment. The bike smoothed out very nicely and the throttle response improved. Before it had a sort of "step" effect, like twisting the throttle would belike switching from one level to the next, afterwards, I had a linear throttle. OTOH, I had a Suzuki Sidekick that was starting to show signs of carbon buildup and seafoam did nothing at all except raise an even more impressive cloud of smoke. It's worth doing a good seafoaming if for no other reason than to impress the neighbors, and maybe the fire department if you really do it right!
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Apr 4, 2010 21:25
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#1-you should figure out which wheel is squeaking. Could be something minor or it could be the beginnings of bad wheel bearings, which is not minor at all. #2-GooGone, WD40, tar remover.
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Apr 5, 2010 04:00
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Instead of a car pump, I've wondered if a vacuum operated snowmobile fuel pump would work for those few carbed bikes fitted with pumps. They are quiet, use no electricity and flow enough fuel to feed a 800cc triple at full anger.
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Apr 7, 2010 05:08
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Doctor Zero posted:Reminds me - although they are almost maintenance-free, people with shaft drives should be checking and changing your shaft drive oil periodically. If that runs dry, your whole back tire could seize up, which would be nasty. Also, some bikes have a slip joint for the pinion shaft that needs some moly love , especially BMW's. I noticed that there is a zerk on the pumpkin of that CX500T I looked at, and no doubt a squirt there is a good idear. Gnomad fucked around with this message at 09:06 on Apr 10, 2010 |
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Apr 10, 2010 03:52
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Duuk posted:
Comparing the numbers will tell you more than the raw numbers themselves. The head gasket could be leaking, allowing oil to seep into the combustion chambers, the valve guides could be bad in one or more cylinders, there could be broken/sticky rings, so here is the general rundown. 1 cylinder low-do a wet test (a small spray of oil in the cylinder). If the number increases appreciably, suspect piston sealing. If not, look to valves/head gasket. 2 adjacent cylinders low-head gasket, or, head cracked. all cylinders low-you poor bastard. At least you now get the "opportunity" to go through the entire top endof the motor.
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Apr 11, 2010 22:30
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fuel line is cheap and easy. I get it at Lowes or whoever is close. I don't fool around anymore after trying to light my FrankenBeezer on fire due to a leaky fuel line. PS-some sort of fire extinguisher is a good idea.
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Apr 11, 2010 23:58
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Duuk posted:
Regular motor oil is fine, you need to get it into the spark plug hole without it running down the fins or whatnot carrying dirt from the engine into the chamber. Not too much though, just a bit to seal around the piston. Too much and you can hydraulic your motor. It will give a very impressive compression reading, once.
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Apr 13, 2010 03:55
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Duuk posted:I primarily had in mind that coercing 10w40 to turn into minute particles may not be easily doable with the admittedly ghetto looking tools that I seem to have a habit of constructing. I'll look around for something purpose-built. "Spray" was a poor choice of words on my part. It doesn't need to be a "spray", just a couple of drops will be fine. You could use a turkey baster or similar. All we are trying to do is seal the piston with oil instead of rings. Drop a bit of oil in, turn the engime for a few revolutions with the spark plug out and then check the compression.
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Apr 14, 2010 02:42
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King of all Machines Operate posted:Dumb question here. Where'd you all learn how to wheelie? I was never one of those kids who could wheelie bikes back then so going up on one wheel is a foreign feeling for me. If you absolutely must do this, start out on a dirt bike, as light as possible, that you don't care about. Prepare to fall down, I've done plenty of wheelies that went right over the back. On a dirt bike you pick it up and move on.
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Apr 15, 2010 05:26
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I'm not a big fan of wheelies on my street bikes, but what I do enjoy is doing a good hard 1-2 upshift right in the middle of an intersection and that glorious feeling when the front wheel goes light and skims up a bit. Who needs the dogs on second gear anyway?
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Apr 15, 2010 05:41
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Duuk posted:The variation is within spec - up to 1,93 bar allowed. I'm feeling rather good suddenly. I think you're golden. Change spark plugs, check the valve clearances, maybe do a seafoam treatment if you are super ambitious, if not, Italian tune up time. For those unfamiliar with the Italian tune-up, it's fairly simple. Find a straight road and apply throttle. Lather rinse repeat.
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Apr 17, 2010 02:54
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Jack the Smack posted:Well, after bickering with the DMV for over a month I finally found why I owed so much. They know you have the bike and you want to ride it and they think you have money and incentive. And, they want your money. I knew a guy who owned a truck that was once registered in Kali but moved out of state and they still demanded the reg fees. Not even in the darkest deepest depths of winter despair would I ever consider moving to Kali. I know 25 million people or so disagree with me, so be it.
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Apr 20, 2010 03:08
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Milton posted:My '05 Bonneville's neutral indicator light came on and wont go off. I can start, shift gears, and ride around but it just stays on all the time. You likely pinched the neutral light wire. The switch itself is down in the engine and works by grounding the bulb, somehow you managed to supply that ground.
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Apr 21, 2010 07:53
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Bad Munki posted:When the final destination is optimally Alaska, shipping costs are a bitch. Otherwise, yeah, totally. Oh do I know this. Getting anything here is expensive, and if it has to go freight, it is ruinous. Breaking it down to >70 lb packages would eb the cheapest way.
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Apr 23, 2010 05:59
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Bad Munki posted:
Wasilla area. We have some great roads here, for sport or dual sport. Even some good trails.
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Apr 23, 2010 08:01
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Next time I'm taking one of those green things. Comes in very handy!
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May 1, 2010 05:27
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orthod0ks posted:I headed south yesterday and today and found some nice roads with some sweet twisties. It was mostly awesome, but there's a section of the one road that is a bit rough, and it's absolutely brutal on the bike. I'm spending most of the ride on that section dodging divets in the road because each one bottoms out my back end and puts a hurtin on my rear. We need to know the bike for specifics-all bikes are somewhat adjustable, but the location and nature of these adjustments varies considerably.
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May 3, 2010 00:07
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orthod0ks posted:Oh, yea, duh. It's a '79 GS750L with about 14k miles. These shocks are probably only adjustable for preload then. Look on the rear shocks, you'll see a collar with some scallops, the scallops ride on a pin, it's arranged somewhat like a ramp. Those are the preload adjustments, the farther up the ramp ypu go the more preload you have and the harsher your ride. You can usually tap the ridges in the collar with a punch and hammer to llosen them but tightening them is another matter. The original suspension equipment on the old UJM's were pretty basic even in the old days and haven't aged well. You may want to look into aftermarket sloutions.
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May 3, 2010 02:00
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The $100 ones give you preload adjustments, while the damping will be better than the old shocks you still won't have the ability to adjust compression and rebound damping. It doesn't seem like much but once you've ridden a bike with better suspension components it will be a revelation. Also, you can change your fork oil. The 30 year old fish oil in there now is likely fairly nasty. A lighter oil will loosen up the forks, heavier will tighten, the idea is that you can do a lot to adjust the forks but the rear shocks are usually sealed units.$300 should get you rear shocks that are matched to your wieght and riding style. These guys- http://www.davequinnmotorcycles.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/HAGON_TWIN_SHOCKS.html Hagons are going to be better than JC Whitney shocks. Gnomad fucked around with this message at 08:41 on May 3, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 08:39
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:Are there any real performance gains provided with aftermarket exhausts? My CBR F2 currently has a D&D pipe installed by the previous owner. It's LOUD AS gently caress and provides basically no backpressure I'm guessing. My bike is rejetted for it with a DynoJet kit and a K&N filter. Is this thing actually helping my bike breathe better at high RPM's or is it really not affecting much? A previous owner put an Akropovic on my FZ1 and jetted it accordingly. The raw Ak was horribly loud, but going back to stock gave me a noticeable reduction in power and the bike ran rich. I made a DB killer from a short piece of muffler pipe-I should have taken pictures, but the general idea is that I took a piece of pipe that would fit inside the out pipe, made some cuts in the pipe in one end and folded the cuts into a sort of inverse cone. This made the AK usuable without affecting HP as much as the stock pipe.I also took off the end caps and repacked the muffler with loose fiberglass cloth (not insulation) and between the two changes I have a bike that will pull the front at will but won't make my teeth itch.
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May 10, 2010 07:31
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Dear The Wonder Weapon, You neglected to tell us which motorcycle you posses. However, many motorcycles share a common charging failure, in that the regulator/rectifier assembly goes "tango uniform". Sometimes it is as simple as checking the connector for signs of flaming doom, or it may need replacement. There is no shame in seeking help for this problem, many riders have struggled with this over the years but have recovered with the help of a voltmeter and a check of the voltage at the battery while the bike is running. Sincerely, Gnomad
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May 15, 2010 17:48
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Analog Triplett or Simpson, nothing else will ever be worth using!  Side note-I had an old Simpson that I got at a yard sale in a big box of electronic stuff, couldn't give that thing away. Took it to the local ham radio club for the Christmas party/Chinese auction and the greybeards founght savagely over it. I guess you have to know your market.
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May 15, 2010 22:04
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Uthor posted:Yeah, that's probably it. I may have spilled some coolant down there last time I took the valve cover off. You have a serious lean condition on that side, that is a classic "burndown" and you are right to be concerned. For some reason, that cylinder isn't getting a proper fuel charge, enough to ignite and burn that plug but the heat involved will burn right through the piston if you let it go. I'd check the carb for a blocked jet circut, probably the main side, and leaks around the intake boot. You'll want to do a compression test to see if your piston is fuxored, the reason the plug came out hard is that aluminum has vaporized and condensed on the exposed plug threads. I wish the news was better.
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May 17, 2010 04:36
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K bikes react poorly to worn tires and head bearing problems, and they really dislike squared off tires. Mine would just about slap a person silly-they did have a bad rap for tankslappers in the early days.
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May 19, 2010 02:55
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:6th Gen VFR owners, sigtrap etc. How the hell do I adjsut preload. I mean I have the spanner, and have access to the adjsutment ramp ring. But I'll be damned if I can turn the fucker. I even took a long ratchet extension, placed it against one of the metal parts that the spanner hooks to, then hit it with the mallet several times but this thing won't budge. Is the bike on the centerstand? It's easier to turn the ring if the suspension is as unloaded as possible.
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May 29, 2010 06:09
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Nidhg00670000 posted:Test drove a Honda VF750S with squared off tires and likely bad steering head bearings Well, that's what it sounds like to me, anyways.
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Jun 21, 2010 06:54
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vulgarghost posted:I recently acquired an '81 Yamaha Maxim XJ650 and I need to (and would like to) replace both mufflers, they have pretty much both rusted out. Try to find some Harley Sportster take-offs. Perfectly good mufflers, but too quiet for the rugged individualists.
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Jul 15, 2010 03:01
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ari.gato posted:Do these just bolt on? You may have to be a bit creative, your local auto parts store will have some exhaust pipe adapters for the pipe end, and then you have to figure out a way to attach it to the bike but it shouldn't be that hard. I put a set on a CM400 in an afternoon and they look really good, sound nice too, gives it a deeper tone than the stock "piff-piff" mufflers.
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Jul 16, 2010 02:12
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Ghost of Razgriz posted:Y'all talking about flushing the brake fluid makes me curious. What's a reasonable time frame for replacement? Depends on use, I'm sure. Or is it more a "check it and replace if needed you idiot" type thing? If you have a bike with ABS, yearly is good, otherwise every couple years is OK-but I do my bikes yearly anyway. A bike doesn't have the reserve margin of error a car would.
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Jul 25, 2010 04:40
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