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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. If you can't afford textile windproof overpants, you can pick up a cheap pair of ski/snowboard pants. I used those before I got my current set of textiles, and they kept the wind out quite nicely, being insulated and all. Plus they have elastic at the ankles, which keeps the wind from seeping up.
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Oct 6, 2008 22:31
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greg_graffin posted:Cheng Shin Hi-Max C907 I'm a really cheap fucker, and had Cheng Shins put on my bike. I use my bike pretty much exclusively for running around town, but I've had no complaints with the tires. I have taken my bike up the twisty canyons a couple times and they gripped just fine. Also done 70+ on the freeway with no ill effects. I've put probably over 2k on them and they still look new. If you do any high-performance riding I would tell you to get something else, but if they're beater tires for a beater bike...?
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Oct 9, 2008 00:12
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Stupid choke question: my bike ('82 CB650) has always been a bit cold-blooded. The only time she doesn't need choke to start is in the summer, when the ambient temps are up over say 80 degrees. Now that it's winter or close to it, I do need the choke to start her up in the mornings. This is normal, I understand. However, in listening to others' tales of choke, they say that they leave it on full or partially for a minute or two when starting up the bike. I use full choke, but I have to release it about 10 seconds after the bike starts or else it stalls out. Once the bike starts, she's started and I just let her warm up for a minute or two. Is this a jetting issue? I don't think I'm doing any damage as I've had the bike going on 10 years now with no problems other than goo in the carbs, which is probably understandable considering the age of the bike and the need for a severe tank cleaning. If it's something I don't need to worry about then I won't.
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Nov 11, 2008 19:12
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Ola posted:She's running rich. If you use choke in the summer, it won't start at all right? Or at least run poorly? Once she's running the gas evaporates better and the added choke causes a too rich mixture. No mods, bike is original. The air filter got cleaned this spring when the carbs were taken apart, but a new one certainly wouldn't hurt. I haven't been able to do a plug chop, but I'm pretty sure the bike runs rich due to my altitude (+4000 ft). I was thinking about doing a re-jet this winter among other things. In other news, watch out for wet leaves, kids! Lowsided this morning pulling into a parking space, of all things. One second I was up, the next I was bouncing down the street. I smacked my visor into the pavement, but not the helmet itself. I went and got my coffee, then continued on to work. My gear looks like I got ambushed by a pile of yard waste 
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Nov 12, 2008 19:03
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Nerobro posted:Leaves are my worst enemy. I can competently ride my bike in snow. I can even handle some ice. Leaves? They are the devil. To the point I have chosen not to ride the last week or so due to so much leaf matter on the streets. Yeah, the streets themselves are ok, it's been rainy and wet but I just ride slower and leave more time for braking, etc. It's the sides of the roads that are a mess, and I did the same maneuver I've done a million times; pulling into the parking space and then turning back left a bit to angle the bike towards the street so I can easily pull out with a good view. Back tire hit the sodden pile (which after studying I found to be about two inches thick) and totally lost all traction. I think had it had even partial contact with the pavement I would've been ok, but there was nothing for the tire to grab and rear end over teakettle I went. Has anyone else's reaction to a minor accident been to stand up and think, "I hope nobody saw that?"
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Nov 12, 2008 19:15
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I wouldn't say I've had enough for it to become routine. I've actually laid a bike down all of 3 times previously. Once was because of gravel (just put a foot down and let the bike slide out from under me - no harm no foul), once I highsided pretty badly when a truck turned left out of a parking lot in front of me (wasn't wearing gear but walked away with just a big bruise on my rear end, lucky stupid me), and then once here in the parking lot at work when some dumb bitch decided to take up both halves of the road around a corner and it was put it down or smash into her car or a cement pillar (took option #1). This was just exceptionally quick, and once I realized I was laying on the ground, I jumped back up and hit the kill switch. Glanced over at the coffee shop and the two people sitting by the windows were still staring at their laptops. I pulled a  and yanked the bike back upright (yay adrenaline). Started her back up, put her at the correct pulling out angle, and then shut her down and went in and got coffee. I was already 2 hours late for work, however when I came in and told my boss I crashed she was all worried about me so tardiness was forgotten 
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Nov 12, 2008 19:41
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Uthor posted:Just remember to take it off reserve once you fill up. That's the worst thing ever. Fill up, ride, run out of gas. Go to flip to reserve, realize you are on reserve, then begin crying as you realize you have to walk to a gas station in full gear in July. I've done that twice in ten years, and it was two times too many. Though I did poach some gas off a guy once who was doing landscaping. He was a rider too, and was shocked and appalled I didn't run premium in my bike. I told him that the mower whose gas I used needed premium more than my bike.
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Nov 16, 2008 17:25
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Is there some authoritative source for handlebar diameter? Google seems to indicate a 7/8" (22mm) handlebar for most Hondas. Sound right? Yase. I got my handlebars for less than $20. However I neglected to measure the triple tree and consequently had to install them upside down (clubmans) The brand I have is BikeMaster, bought 'em at https://www.ridenow.com IIRC. They had quick shipping and it wasn't expensive.
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Nov 19, 2008 00:56
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I put up something in the gear thread, but haven't gotten any interest. I have one of those 10% of coupons for newenough.com if anyone wants it.
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Nov 22, 2008 18:42
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:Last thing: the kill switch on my bike is broken and missing the cover. How necessary is this? Seems to me that pulling the clutch is just as effective as turning the engine off... It's not when you're laying on the ground beside your bike. I dumped mine a couple weeks ago on wet leaves, and my back tire was merrily spinning away; in fact my bike started to accelerate, maybe because gas was pouring into the carbs. Hitting the killswitch was a hell of a lot easier than trying to fumble for the key and turn the bike off.
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Nov 29, 2008 21:25
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8ender posted:I was thinking about doing this as well, since ammo cans are waterproof and dirt cheap from the a/n surplus store. I was actually going to drill a couple holes to mount 2 U-brackets on the back and just fasten them down on my seat rail. Would that be an option for you?
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Dec 9, 2008 21:42
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Go look at the picture I posted in the "putting the bike away is for sissies" thread. That is where and how my bike will sit until springtime, and I've been doing that for 10 years now. I am a bad bike mom, but the CB doesn't mind and other than the seat I've had no problems.
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Dec 19, 2008 18:12
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Zool posted:What a squid. And he's got the throttle on the wrong side, too! I know Chiefs have a suicide shift, do the Scouts have them, too?
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Jan 1, 2009 19:18
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basx posted:So I have my new Harley Sportster sitting in my garage, waiting for spring. Put it in the back of a truck and drive it up? You could walk it up in gear, using the clutch to modulate how much pull the engine is giving. That's kind of iffy on a steep slope though, especially if you don't know what you're doing. Probably get it as far back in the garage as you can, then ride it out. A bike wants to stay upright when it's in motion, so if you were going even 10mph it's unlikely to fall over on you.
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Jan 27, 2009 16:11
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:It's only a $12 item, but I'm still pissed because I spent a lot of time and muscle trying to get them on, assuming that I just wasn't doing it right, or that I missed some trick. I specifically said "I am a noob and don't know what size my bars are, what grips should I get for a 2001 Honda Nighthawk?" And homeslice said "why, any of these here" and I picked one, asked again it it would fit, and was told it would. You probably have 7/8" bars, those are most common on UJMs. Before you go back get a ruler and measure them. And you've just learned that people who work motorcycle retail can be just as stupid as people who work retail anywhere else. Take 'em back, preferably find the same idiot and say "you sold me the wrong grips, I'd like some proper ones, please."
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Feb 10, 2009 16:25
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ail posted:Mother loving rain. My "waterproof" backpack is damp as hell, ruined a notebook. My "waterproof" firstgear jacket got water in the interior pocket, almost breaking my cellphone. My "waterproof" gloves got water inside them and I couldn't feel my hand for the last 10 miles. That last one is mostly a function of a dumb rear end glove design. Gauntlet over jacket means water trickles down the jacket into the glove. Ugh.
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Feb 18, 2009 16:01
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Phat_Albert posted:The battery will explode and you will die. People just throw bikes away when the battery dies, as its far too dangerous to even look at a battery let alone change one. I want to be careful, is it ok to put gasoline in my bike when it runs out or should I fear the explosion? 
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Feb 19, 2009 19:10
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I hosed with my bike over the weekend and noticed the small crack in my muffler has blossomed into a large fissure. I can't afford a new exhaust but unless the guy is a total drunk lazy rear end, it's not going to pass inspection this way (luckily it's not due until the end of May). Can I get some of that exhaust wrap and just wrap up the muffler to cover the unsightly blemish? It's not so large that all the exhaust is escaping out the hole, there's still plenty of pressure at the rear. 2nd portion of stupid question: The bike has the original 4/2 exhaust on it. The mufflers are welded onto the pipes. Can I just saw the pipes above the weld and slip on some aftermarket megaphone exhausts without too much trouble?
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Feb 23, 2009 17:57
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Phat_Albert posted:I wouldnt wrap it. That just tends to blow out quickly anyway. Have it welded if you can, or if you want to go the ultra cheap route, cover it in jbweld and call it a day. Can I pick up JB at the local autoparts store? I've looked around online, and there are several companies that make exhausts that will fit my bike. They are dorky and kind of ugly, but I don't need a hawt carbon muffler on my poopy-looking CB. I also can't afford to drop $300+ on a new exhaust system so I was looking for an easier fix. I would guess that the baffling is completely shot inside, these being stock and the bike pushing 27 years old.
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Feb 24, 2009 16:02
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Phat_Albert posted:Can you weld, or do you know someone who can? Your best bet for the exhaust is to take some measurements and head to JCWhitney.com or something like that and try to find an exhaust that is close to the diameter of the part you are cutting off. The only welding I've done was when I took metal shop in 8th grade Not that I wouldn't love to learn but I don't know anyone with equipment. It's probably JCW that I saw the megaphone mufflers on, iirc. If I can find a proper size, what do I do to get the old mufflers off? Sawzall? Hacksaw? Chewing? They are welded on. I'm at work so I can't get a picture, but the hole is in the muffler on the left side top. It's not even a "hole" per se, but the chrome has rusted into a spiderwebby-looking thing and while you can't see down into the exhaust you can feel the happy poisonous gasses escaping with some force. The headers, while a bit discolored, are still in decent shape.
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Feb 24, 2009 17:34
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Ola posted:Apart from surface rust and maybe some water here and there, not really. But why would you leave a defenseless child out in the snow like that? Some of us are horrible parents. 
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Mar 4, 2009 02:47
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Jeez, my '82 CB650 has about that compression ratio and runs absolutely fine on bargain-bin regular.
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Mar 6, 2009 18:06
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Z3n posted:You know, I'm not the hugest fan of doing tires and stuff, but after bent rotors and stories of people using oil of all things to change tires, I think I'll have a hard time letting my tires out of my sight ever again Or if you're lucky, the local parts shop that did my tires will do them while you wait and let you sit in the shop and watch/bullshit/ask questions as they do it. Then if you see them hosing down the bike with salad oil you can stop them and go "what the gently caress? Better clean that poo poo off before I ride it." Z3n, how are those CB200's? There was a running one for sale locally for $300, I called the guy but it was already sold. Seem like a cute little bike to cafe out for local riding; I don't know how they'd act on the freeway though.
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Mar 27, 2009 17:23
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If you like  you can also clean the tank out using electrolisys. You just need a manual battery charger and somehing like a piece of rebar for your anode. There's a pretty good guide to doing it in the FAQ section at https://www.sohc4.net. From the pictures I've seen if you do it properly you have a shiny like-new tank on the inside because unlike acid it only attacks the rust.
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Apr 18, 2009 15:58
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So the crack in my muffler turned into a regular gopher hole. JB Weld will not save me now  . I'm also poor and don't have the money to drop on a new exhaust system. Inspection is due this month and I won't pass as-is (though I don't really know what having a loud hole in the muffler has to due with safety goddamnit, straight-piped Harleys are 10x as loud). I can find replacement mufflers online at several sources. Am I ok to use a sawzall to cut the welded-on stock mufflers off, and then just slip on the replacements? A guy offered me a 4-into-1 exhaust for $60, but I currently have 4-into-2 and want to keep the balanced look, plus I don't want to have to deal with removing the entire system, buying new exhaust gaskets, etc.
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May 8, 2009 17:04
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Phat_Albert posted:4-1 trumps 4-2 any day of the week. Doooooo iiiitttttt Won't need to rejet or anything? I dunno, I just like the look of the 4/2. While poking around on the internet I found some really neat looking peashooter exhausts that are intended for Triumphs, but 1 3/8" is 1 3/8." Maybe the patch for a quick fix, I really am poo poo-broke right now. Ultimately I want to do a "convertible cafe" on my bike. The later-model CB650's are nearly impossible to do this on, as the frame is much more "cruiserish" and angled...it will involve fabbing a seat pan/hump that will hide the angle of the frame. Apparently the 750F tanks bolt right on to the 650 without mods, so I'll have to source one of those and pound in knee dents. Stock tank on the '82 is very much like a cruiser and won't take the dents well. The "convertible" will come from unbolting the custom pan and bolting on a stock seat for carrying passengers or gear. The best part is I really have no power tools or welding gear so we'll see what can be done with a simple toolset and a loving hammer. 
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May 8, 2009 18:07
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tranten posted:Last week I bought an 87 Honda Rebel 450. It's got about 17000 miles on it and it's my first bike evar! Do you notice anything unusual? Stumbles, bogs, revs for no reason? Is it wobbly at speed? Feel wonky through the corners? Sound like someone throwing a washing machine into a wood chipper? If you answered "no" to all these questions you're probably ok. It wouldn't hurt to have someone who knows what they're doing give it a look over, but hey, it's a Honda. Don't worry about just having a carport to work in. I'm currently rebuilding a bike in my driveway with a $20 Wal-Mart tool kit...and it's working. You'll need some specialized stuff but most of it can be had for cheap like feeler gauges. Shaitan, I think WD-40 is not recommended for cleaning chains.
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May 23, 2009 00:40
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Does anyone here have air-assisted forks? I do on the 650 and the left seal is weeping badly. Thought I'd try the film trick, and then drain/refill the forks. But they don't have normal caps. Can I just disconnect the hose, use a pair of channel locks and unscrew them from there?
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May 23, 2009 17:14
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tayl0r posted:I have a 93 Yamaha Virage 535. I bought it a couple of weeks ago and only rode it a few times since I was still waiting on getting my gear. I finally took it for a longer ride yesterday and I don't feel like I'm getting all the power I should have. When I took the MSF class I rode a little 250 and it felt just as powerful as this bike. This sounds really dumb, but make absolutely sure sure you're in 1st gear when taking off. This is what my bike would do if I were trying to start off in second (I can still get going if I feather the clutch enough). If you're a gear too high all the time your bike will get annoyed with you.
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May 23, 2009 21:36
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Speaking of rubber, I need to start thinking about what to put on the Superhawk. Actually needing tires is a long ways away, but I don't want to get just short of it being ready to ride and then spending a month trying to get the goddamn tires. The tires on there now are in remarkably good shape, but I don't think I trust 40 year-old rubber. There's an original Bridgestone on the front, and a Pirelli (?!) on the rear in that ribbed pattern. Sizes are 2.75X18 front and 3.0X18 rear, tubed obviously. Chen Shin still makes a tire identical to the Bridgestone for about 25 bucks, but while CS has been really good on the 650, I think I want to shell out a little more. I've heard a lot of people use Avon Roadriders on these bikes, any feedback on those?
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Jul 17, 2009 17:57
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Finally got a new (old) choke cable for my CB650. It works fine but I want to lube it anyway. Is WD40 ok? I can go buy some specific cable lube if there is such a thing, but I'd rather use what's to hand. And I haven't posted in here forever, but some of y'all might remember that CP77 I got for a song and was rebuilding. I had been buying up parts and getting ready to put it back together. Then I removed the paper towel in the engine case where the oil cap would go, and found that the threaded rim for the cap was broken, missing chunks in a couple of places  This made me believe I might have to split the cases to ensure there wasn't big ol' pieces of aluminum floating around in there. So, is there a) any way to just drop the oil pan and see if they're hanging out in there, and b)fix the loving broken poo poo without having to replace the entire engine? On that particular bike, the broken part is part and parcel of the engine case and I can't replace it without a whole new case. I can get/post some pictures if that will help.
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May 23, 2010 21:30
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Crayvex posted:Are you sure you need to lube your choke cable? I lived my choke cable on my 77 CB750k like an idiot. I didn't know that the friction of the cable is what holds it out. Doh! Now I have to hold it with my hand for the first couple of minutes when it's warming up. Hmm, ok. I guess I'll put it on and try it. Even though the bike is 28 years old, it only needs choke to start up, if I leave it on for any time after that she stalls out, so holding it wouldn't be too much of a big deal. If'n I don't need to do it, I don't  Also, it is snowing right now. In May. gently caress this weather 
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May 24, 2010 15:45
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Hello CA goons, I have not posted here in some time. My bike has been sitting sad and idle and it's time to bust her out. Need to do fork seal replacement. What's the best way to pull the seals if I don't have a puller?
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May 30, 2014 19:34
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Trying to get the forks off my 82 CB650. It has a pneumatic hose connecting both forks so you can fine tune the suspension. How do I get this poo poo off so I can work on me forks? I have a manual but it just says to remove the top bolt.
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Jun 6, 2014 01:01
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High Protein posted:How about the Triumph retro bikes? 
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Jun 10, 2014 19:33
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