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henne posted:Any ideas on why my DRZ SM will crank for about a minute thirty (until the dying battery runs out of juice) with no luck starting but will bump start the first time every time? Its getting to the point where I just go straight to the bump start in the morning. Need a drat kick starter. Did it suddenly stop working or did starting get progressively harder? I'd go with a weak battery, tight or sticking valve(s) or a combination of two to start with.
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May 20, 2011 12:37
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quote:My only question is going to be if you can somehow hook it up to get TPS readings, because if you can output TPS vs. RPM vs. A/F, there's no need for any other tuning. LM-2 has fully programmable analog inputs, so that should be a piece of piss. Z3n posted:That kit is stupid expensive over here, why is it so cheap over there? I'll ship you cheap stuff if you ship me cheap stuff? the walkin dude posted:Do I need to grab a multimeter for that? Yes, you don't need a fancy one and they are essential for MC troubleshooting.
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May 20, 2011 16:41
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I'd just get stock pads; I went with EBC Sintered pads on the SMC this time and while they stop well they're a bit squeaky for my liking. I'll get the Brembo OEMs next time, I think.
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Jun 9, 2011 22:17
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Phy posted:Is there anything wrong with swapping new pads onto an old rotor and not resurfacing it? Should I at least hit it with brake kleen first? Nothing in the slightest. Just go easy for a few miles or so while the pads bed in.
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Jul 9, 2011 23:08
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KARMA! posted:I tried to find the right size aquarium tubing since the common type had a diameter that was too small. Then I realized I'm a dumbass and heated up one ned with a lighter and put it over the brake nipple. So that's my tip. Another way, especially good for feeding stiff hose over barbed fittings, is to slip over a piece of hard tubing, metal or plastic, which has a reasonably snug fit over the hose. Just let a little bit of the hose poke out of the tube and then push on, using the tubing to impart much more force. Especially good for pneumatic hoses.
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Jul 13, 2011 12:11
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Carbonate posted:There's still quite a bit left, actually. Normally if you turn the adjuster screws 2-3 turns, it gets pretty tight again. That only moves it a few millimeters down the swingarm. I think i still have around 5 more 'slots' left (each about half a cm apart) or so. I guess this is so you can get both sides of the hub lined up so the wheel isn't sitting in all crooked or anything. As non-ring chains wear they do so faster and faster. O-ring chains do this when the o-rings start failing. Get a decent o-ring chain, carefully clean off all the stupid sticky grease it comes packed in with kerosene or parafin (don't worry, the o-rings will keep grease in all right places), then either oil it regularly with gear oil, get an automatic oiler or use a high quality 'dry' PTFE spray like Dupont Teflon or Wurth PTFE. Any kind of sticky chain 'wax' is only going to pick up grit and lube + grit = grinding paste.
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Jul 13, 2011 21:13
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The Senator Giroux posted:Is there anything short of replacing both parts that I can do to fix this? I already know that this idea is dumb, but would using something like quiksteel welding epoxy to fill in the hole on the crankshaft back to the original size and then sanding that down work? I'm already sure that that won't work, but I'm trying to see if there's anything that can be done before I start ordering replacement parts. Not really, epoxy is ok for filling small cracks and such but it doesn't have the strength for this. If you've got a welder who'll work for beer you could get them to fill it in and then re-drill it. Even then, time/cost might still work out in favour of new parts.
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Jul 18, 2011 11:06
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Captain Kosmos posted:I have been thinking about building a winter bike, but biggest problem is that i don't really know what kind of bike would be best for winter. On a blog about guy who drive his Sportster in winter said that bike with low center of mass is good for winter. Before that i thought that Dual-sport or offroad bike would be best but i don't really know anything driving in snow. So i've been thinking about older BMW or Ural/Dnerp, both are pretty cheap ~2000€, most Urals have sidecar but are known to be really unreliable. BMW should be reliable but Ural would be really cool. Did i say i live in Finland? So there could be -40ºC(-40 ºF Now this is an interesting challenge. I would approach this from a standpoint of "what bike will be better when it falls over" than "what bike will be less likely to fall over", if you get what I mean. A cruiser would be low, stable and predictable, but then when you did fall over on it, would be a pig to get upright in icy conditions, probably expensive too. A cheap dual sport could take some gnarly tyres and would be much easier to get upright, and be much less expensive when it went down. You can easily find a nice set of handguards to both protect the levers and shield your hands. A kick start for when the low temperatures kill the battery. Something reliable and air-cooled like a Honda XT400 would be my choice. The main disadvantage is the height. I'd consider (if you aren't extremely tall) getting a lowering link so that you could flat foot it. The Ural is awesome, and I'm strongly considering it for my next bike, but I'd spend the extra on one of the ones made in the last couple of years. The quality control is apparently much better and they are using modern, imported parts for things like brakes etc. Also you can do this to the new solo Urals, which gives me a funny feeling in my pants.
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Jul 20, 2011 13:55
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mattmofob posted:Looks like this, I want to be able to go at least 60mph and be able to take one hand off the bars without crashing. As suspension performance under braking is sort of a moot point with that bike, you could steepen the steering angle. From the looks of the frame this might be accomplished by just taking the triples off, inserting a lever and giving a tug... I am assuming, from the use-case you give that you are wanting to become the worlds cutest drive-by assassin.
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Jul 21, 2011 13:49
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sewersider posted:God dammit was checking my bike and found a nail head in the rear wheel right in the centre, I'm guessing the best to do is to get the tyre replaced asap, the pressure is holding with no problem though. If the tyre is due to be replaced soon, just replace it. Relatively new tyre? good quality patch/plug as Inu said.
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Jul 25, 2011 11:52
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Pinny posted:ABS looks like it will be mandatory on all new 125cc+ bikes from 2017, at least in Europe : http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-industry/mandatory-abs-set-for-motorcycles/18510.html  "Tried to lay 'er down, stopped safely instead?!"
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Jul 27, 2011 12:31
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crazyivan45 posted:Sold my little Vulcan and picked up a brand new V Star 950. Love the bike, but the stock sound is a little tinny for my taste. I've ordered a Vance and Hines slip on exhaust. Since this is just a slip on will I need to recalibrate the ECM? Depends how flexible your ECU is. You might get away with just resetting the ECU and letting it recalibrate, at worst you might need a dealer remap, which, depending on your dealer, could be a rip-off. A quick Google reveals that many people with your bike just take a 1.5 inch hole saw to the end of the stock muffler and forgo aftermarket pipes.
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Jul 27, 2011 17:12
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FakeUsername posted:Would that be enough for it to be leaking oil? The old ring is still there (4 years old, yet it was barely driven, so I don't know what wear level to expect on it) because it never came off the bolt. O-rings aren't inert, they shrink, dry out, harden and crack like all rubber parts, regardless of how much the machine is used.
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Jul 28, 2011 09:05
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Tipped posted:I'm thinking about digging into the fine art of home motorcycle maintenance. I've bought several books on the principles of motorcycle systems, and the appropriate Clymer manuals for my bikes. I wouldn't go all out on a multi piece tool kit for bike maintenance. My suggestion would be to get stuff as you go along. As a baseline though, get yourself: An impact driver and rawhide or rubber mallet. A 1/4 or 3/8ths mini socket set with a couple of extensions, small enough to pack when you go on trips. A socket for each size of wheel nut and a breaker bar to fit A torque wrench of something like 15-110nm (which will probably be 3/8th so get some step ups and step downs so you can use your big sockets and your smaller ones. A decent, comprehensive roll of spanners*. Mole grips and a couple of adjustable spanners*. A loving impact driver and Mallet. EDIT *Wrenches, you funny talkin' septics.
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Jul 29, 2011 12:41
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I'm averse to paying for cheap tools that will just break anyway, I've taken the other tack and bought individual tools as I have come to need them, and spent the money on good quality stuff. Most of the time I just make sure that I'm working on my bike when the local tool shops are open, and buy stuff as I need it. While working on the bike you'll also come across tasks that would be way easier with *insert specific tool*, if only you had one. When I have some spare cash or I want to treat myself I often get myself these 'luxury' tools. This year I bought my torque wrench a baby brother so I can obsess over the more ridiculous torque ratings in my manual. Cheap doesn't always mean lovely though, second hand tools can be a total bargain. Check out thrift shops and yard sales for old tool kits. I got an old tool kit included with my BSA Bantam that is a treasure chest of random old spanners, most of them older than I am. Old tools only get to be old tools by either never being used, or being good.
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Jul 29, 2011 13:26
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A reasonable rule of thumb; something equally or less sticky than whatever is on the front. What are you using the bike for? Commuting? Do you ride in rain much? Just get what you had before or something more hard wearing from the same manufacturer.
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Aug 1, 2011 10:57
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The headlight on the 690 is a death-ray as-is, I can't imagine what HID would be like. I can't help but think with the suspension travel on a sumo or dirt bike even with the light cut off above mirror height you'd still end up blinding people when you accelerate*. *or, of course, if you're wheelie-ing like you should be.
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Aug 9, 2011 09:18
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Where I live there are a lot of rises, dips, hills, humps and speedbumps. HID on other vehicles, no matter how well adjusted, is still a pain in the rear end. I'm still baffled by the fact that we still don't have decent auto-dimming headlights as standard on most vehicles. It's been possible since the 50s for fucks sake.
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Aug 9, 2011 15:51
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Carbon Deity posted:I don't feel comfortable riding an SV650 up three hours of interstate having just got my M endorsement. Leave early, ride 5 hours up nice back-roads and take your time, make a trip of it? Motorways are the anti-thesis of what riding is about for me.
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Aug 16, 2011 09:16
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Saga posted:From the parts 'fiche, it appears to be part of a vacuum assembly, probablyrelating to a flapper in the airbox, as the page it's on is "air intake duct / solenoid It might be emissions equipment too, my KTM had a solenoid nearly identical to that which bled off hot gas from the exhaust back into the air box for the first few minutes of running to get the catalytic converter up to temperature in order to meet Euro emissions standards.
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Sep 6, 2011 13:50
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House Party 4 posted:Why does my bike get poo poo gas mileage? Which gallons are being quoted? British Gallons are bigger.
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Sep 26, 2011 13:53
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There's always the venerable BSA Bantam too, simple unit engine, 3 or 4 gears, still plenty of spares available.
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Oct 17, 2011 15:07
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Ziploc posted:Is there a coating on my '02 Bandit 600 headers? There are some tiny bits of corrosion and other poo poo that I want to take some steel wool to. But I'm afraid of any coating that may be on it. I don't know if you have a coating or whatever, probably not, but; Try balled up aluminium foil instead, it's softer than steel, and a lot softer than chrome, perfect for small rust spots.
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Oct 19, 2011 12:31
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You can also use electrolysis, there was a goon who did it to a vintage two stroke a while back, worked really well as I remember.
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Dec 2, 2011 09:48
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Geirskogul posted:If you've got the equipment already, electrolysis can work fairly well, but you do risk thinning the metal too much if it's an old tank, and you have to be very careful and specific with which chemicals you use. When you're done, you can also re-coat the inside of the tank with, say, copper (easiest metal to electroplate, IMO. All you need really is a lot of vinegar). It really is much easier to remove rust with electrolysis when it's on the outside of objects, though, and setup if you haven't done it before can be a pain. I can't argue with the results it gives if done properly. You can homebrew the equipment pretty easily, all you need is an old AC/DC converter and some spare flex. Chemicals should be fairly benign (and thus easy to acquire) too.
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Dec 2, 2011 11:42
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:Paging needknees, z3n, other KTM 690 owners. My friend is going to do a valve check/adjust - is there a decent guide online? It's pretty straightforward, you need to take the two forward fairings off, then remove the airbox (be careful, there is a sensor wire that needs disconnecting on the left side). Once you have the airbox out you need to pop a couple of hoses off the valve cover, and then it's just four bolts to pull the cover off and they're right there. It's shim/bucket so I recommend getting a magnetic probe to pull the shims out and to prevent their hardened steel little asses from jumping into your sump. The most important thing to remember is that the two pivot pins for the rockers MUST go with the oil pathway facing the correct way up, which I am 90% sure is down. Do you have PM?
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Jan 3, 2012 09:05
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Aargh posted:Got a bit of a question about tyre pressures, specifically how much is 10psi likely to affect handling? When i bought my bike the dealer i got it from had the tyres at 38 pounds even though the manual states 28 front and rear. I recently had it serviced by a ktm dealer and they put the pressure back up to 38 again. Just wondering what pressure i should be running at - bike is a KTM 690 SM. 38psi cold!? I can only imagine the bike must be really skittish at that kind of pressure. Have you ridden in the wet at that pressure? Yeah, 28 is what you should be at (I have the SMC), I'd ask them why next time you go there. If they give you some 'we know better than the mfg' bullshit I'd find another dealer. I stopped using my dealer for anything other than occaisional parts after a couple of badly executed repairs and a costly mis-diagnosis. Too many mechanics these days are just part-fitters and have no attention to detail.
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Jan 5, 2012 00:28
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_Dav posted:Any of you going to the London bike show in February? I wanted to do this but I just can't justify the costs (London is a short but re-assuringly expensive flight away). Please take lots of pictures and make a thread or just whang them in the Pictures/Vids thread. mootmoot posted:I'll be going on Saturday with a friend. She knows I post on internet forums although she doesn't quite get it. I'm not sure you do either?
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Jan 24, 2012 14:34
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An observer posted:Is it easy to reverse throttle/brake and clutch positions on the handlebars? "Why?" aside; I think probably not very easy at all, especially if they're hydraulic as you can't mount most hydraulic levers upside down.
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Feb 27, 2012 18:05
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Has anyone done a DIY tubeless conversion before? Read a few different guides and went shopping at lunch: I've got a good thick poly glue to seal the spoke holes, and a roll of seriously good riggers tape to put over them for, I dunno, security? I've read mixed reports about recycling the valve stems from the tubes, I'm probably going to see if the local tyre places have replacement ones.
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Feb 29, 2012 21:44
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Geirskogul posted:Why do you want to do it? What's your motivation? Why does anyone want tubeless tyres? You can plug punctures / repair on the road. Easier to change them (which I do myself). Less unsprung mass / cooler running. quote:You could die in a horrible accident when your Seal-All glue fails Think about this for a second. If a spoke starts to leak it will be no faster (probably much slower) than a normal puncture. quote:and you lose the ability to tune your spoked wheel. This is a good point, and after some research I found a guide with an ingenious method to allow the spokes to still be tuned. http://www.teamincomplete.com/Projects/950/1719tubelesswhee.html
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Feb 29, 2012 22:28
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Geirskogul posted:Changing tubed tires isn't that difficult. Still more work than not. quote:There isn't a huge difference in weight This is motorcycles. I've seen way more extreme measures to cull similar or less weight. quote:or you're being a yobbo  All times are yobbo times with a 690quote:Also, what are you doing about different bead construction? The bead is actually the same on my rims. quote:I counter that with the fact that tubes allow you to use those puncture sprays for pinhole leaks or punctures. I've not seen these, but from limited googling it seems like they are a 'limp to the garage' repair at best. quote:Not all spoke insertion points are air-tight, or nearly so. If you look at some, you'll see that a glue patch failure would be a pretty quick deflation. This is a modern 17 inch Behr rim with pretty high quality spokes, I'm pretty sure I could get enough pressure in there to seat the rim without even sealing them. quote:Also, the amount of glue required to leave you with adjustable spokes more than outweighs the weight of a tube by itself, unless you're comparing it 3x heavy duty rubber tubes. I gave this some more thought actually, if I have the rim off to true it, I'll have the tyre off anyway, so I can just reseal them. quote:I guess I just don't see the point in spending this much time I'm taking the wheels off to prep and powdercoat them anyway, not too much effort. quote:money (if you buy the "proper" glues) Less than a tenner. quote:and risk (there is definitely added risk, you can't argue that away) Can, did. No more risk than getting any other kind of puncture. quote:just for the possible convenience of using a plug once maybe. The convenience of not having to unmount the tyre to fix a flat, and do it in enough time that I'm barely late for work. This tuesday was the second nail I've pulled out of this same tyre. quote:Carry an extra tube, wrenches and CO2 with you if you are really worried about a flat. I agree a plug and CO2 is probably easier to carry around but you gotta live with it honestly. It sounds ridiculous but KTM didn't actually provide any space for even the tool roll. When I picked the bike up from the dealer we were both scratching our heads where it was supposed to go. Ready to Race
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Feb 29, 2012 23:55
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Aargh posted:Weird, theres space on the SM's - mind you there's a bit of a weight difference and different plastics but I'd have thought the SMC had space for a tool roll. The SMC is quite different actually, the subframe is also the fuel tank (you sit on the tank) and the airbox is up front under the forward half of the extended seat. But yeah, I'd struggle to find a space for a single decently sized wrench, and forget sockets, drivers etc. This might change when I finally get round to removing the airbox and replacing it with a pod filter. The airbox is absolutely massive.
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Mar 2, 2012 11:36
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Dellikose posted:Don't forget to replace the crush washer when you check/clean the oil screen (which you should). If you get half way through changing your oil before realising you forgot to buy a replacement washer, like I sometimes do; You can use a blowtorch, jet flame lighter or gas ring to heat up the old washer (suspended on a piece of wire) until it is glowing pinkish-red, and then quench it in cold water. This will re-anneal the washer (make the metal soft again) and you can re-use it. Better to just remember to buy one though.
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Mar 6, 2012 15:30
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Gnaghi posted:I guess I'm gonna start commuting to work even though it's only 10 minutes away. Should I shorten the oil change interval a bit? Spec is something like 8k but I usually change it way before that, around 3k or so. My commute is 10-20, traffic dependant. I've ended up changing the oil every 1500mi, and even then it's black and ruined, the recommended is 3000mi for my bike though, because its Ready to Racetm and that means using oil by the thimble-ful, apparently.
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Mar 8, 2012 18:28
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Pred1ct posted:What's the best way to remove tar from bike plastics? I get a lot of little black dots/streaks of tar on my fairing and they are a pain to get out. Have seen some suggestions that WD40/kero is good for removing tar which would be fine for rims or metal but I'm a bit reluctant to use it on the fairings. Lighter fluid (zippo type stuff), they repackage it and mark it up as 'tar remover', it's very gentle on surface finishes. Gnaghi posted:I've been meaning to try WD-40 on the sticky reflectors on the husky. I don't think I'm supposed to have them at the track since they're not unlike untaped lights when the sun hits them. Also they add weight. Also lighter fluid.
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Mar 13, 2012 15:14
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Forty Two posted:Lighter fluid is very similar to gasoline and probably not the best thing to use. As always I would recommend isopropyl alcohol which should be safe on (just about) anything. It's really not. It's made in part from Naptha, which while used in Gasoline production is not what makes it eat paint. Goo-gone is the same thing with a citrus oil added and marked up.
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Mar 14, 2012 12:25
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quote:Consider taking the basic MSF again to regain your confidence, and buy a more reasonable bike. Agreed: Get a second hand DRZ-400SM, do an MSF or local equivalent. Bomb around on that til you get your mojo back (no bike inspires confidence like a motard).
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Mar 20, 2012 15:45
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fyallm posted:The DRZ-400SM is a little to ehhh for me to buy. ehhh?
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Mar 20, 2012 16:52
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 10:48 |
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Ponies ate my Bagel posted:...don't be a dipshit like I was please. I just reckoned something like a motard would be great for getting confidence back, it's upright, easy to ride and so very much more forgiving than a sports bike, even a 250cc. Also, if you're rusty, and nervous, there's a really good chance you're going to bin it, probably not in a dangerous way, but possibly an expensive way with such a bike as a Repsol RR. A ninja, a CBR250, GS500 even SV650 or some smaller v-twins would be a way saner option. In my experience bikes are at their most fun when you are capable of maxing them out. See: mootmoot loving up his previously beautiful Daytona, Ponies ate my Bagel binning his lovely R1 and practically every other crash thread on other, more squid-tolerant, forums. You can bin a sumo, pick it up, keep riding, then sell it at the end of the road at the same it was worth at the start of the road. Get good then go large, the odds are stacked against you the other way.
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Mar 20, 2012 17:21
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