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Ordered a lithium battery for the tenere. The Biltema brand battery that I had and same type that came with the bike is a little higher that stock. High enough for the posts to touch the seat plastic apparently, and me being a fat-rear end or the plastic being a little old and bendy snapped the + battery post...  Electricians tape and strips to get the last 60 km home.. and it worked. 
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Mar 31, 2024 16:11
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opengl posted:(One of the) previous owner(s) did a not so great job of painting the frame and swingarm, it was coming off pretty badly. I kept telling myself it's a ratty track bike that's going to end up in the dirt sooner or later and to just touch it up if anything, but next thing I knew I had stripped the frame and swingarm. I just can't help myself. I'll finish prep this week and see how it takes to some fresh paint. Can't look any worse than it did before. Man just smack me over the head if I ever say I want to paint a frame and swingarm without already having the bike disassembled. I don't want to think about how much time I spent on this, mostly in prep. Even though I already had the old paint stripped, there was a lot of primer left so I spent more time with the wire wheel taking it down to bare metal, giving the new paint job a fighting chance to stick. Was half tempted to leave it like that.  Also had the added excitement of unforecasted rain starting right when I was in the middle of laying down paint, even though I was under my patio the wind was blowing it in so I had to set up a makeshift rain screen from scrap cardboard, trash cans and trash bags in record time. It turned out pretty drat good for a rattle can job though. 3 coats of self etching primer, 3 coats of satin black, 3 coats of matte clear. Reassembled, oil changed, setup the quick shifter. Track ready. First day in 2 weeks, can't wait.   
opengl fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Mar 31, 2024 |
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Mar 31, 2024 23:22
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Pulled the wheels off the ER6N, new tires at my local shop today Edit: I wish I could upload a picture to imgur, but the 3rd party upload app is broken, the awful app uploader doesn't work, and imgur app and website both refuse Maybe later TotalLossBrain fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Apr 4, 2024 |
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Apr 4, 2024 17:26
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Apr 4, 2024 17:45
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It's pretty impressive how quickly imgur went to poo poo.
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Apr 5, 2024 17:20
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Old New  Might have to try some headlight polish or something on the old windscreen to see if I can salvage it. IronDoge fucked around with this message at 17:42 on Apr 5, 2024 |
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Apr 5, 2024 17:32
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Do it! My RS came with a windshield I was for-sure ready to replace, but then I spent a few hours sanding it with progressively higher grits. then gave it a once-over with PlastiX using my car buffer and it's basically crystal clear. Worth the time investment IMO.
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Apr 5, 2024 21:50
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I love pressing old parts I kept around "just in case" back into service. The frugal bugle. I'd had a few front brake master cylinders now that had the problem of dragging the brakes, even though they were new. Manufacturing problem? Who knows. Chinese parts, but, it can't be solely because they were made in China, considering the first replacement I got back in ~2014 was also from China and worked great. In fact, that's the one that I put back on the bike. Its reservoir had been destroyed by 8+ years exposure to UV, so I thought that I needed to buy new brake master cylinders, which is when I started having this problem. At some point, I remembered that the reservoir, being mostly held to the master cylinder body with the reservoir cap screws, just pops off. I popped off the reservoir of one of these newer brake master cylinders and stuck it on the 2014 Chinese brake master cylinder... voilà. Would like to know what the hell was going on with those other brake master cylinders. They started to drag when cold, then stopped when, I suppose, the friction heated up the caliper again. One was worse than the other. Maybe the caliper needs to be cleaned??
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Apr 7, 2024 18:45
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There is a little return hole in the master cylinder that allows the fluid to get back into the reservoir, when you release the brakes. It's tiny. If it's clogged, your brakes will drag. You can diagnose that by intentionally making the brakes drag, and then opening up one of the bleed nipples. That will make the pressure in the system disappear, if it's caused by the return hole being clogged. If there's no change in drag, then it's the calipers. How long have your calipers gone without internal cleaning or replacing the seals? The seals can swell up, the caliper body can corrode along the ridge that the dust/water seal sits in and squeeze the seal tighter against the piston. My experience is somewhat limited to my own 2 bikes, but if it's more than 15 years, just replace the brake seals anyway. It's not that hard of a job, and if you do it before everything jams up, it's much easier. Disk brakes can always drag a very tiny bit. But if you ride for a while without touching the brakes and come to a stop with your non-dragging brake, they should be no warmer than like 30 degrees C - in other words, just above 'not stone cold'. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Apr 7, 2024 |
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Apr 7, 2024 20:12
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Fractured the weld riding in the dirt.   I have started amassing parts to split cases. Replacing the entire transmission and updating it at the same time. Getting an aftermarket reinforced clutch basket that won't shatter and ruin said cases while I'm in there.
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Apr 7, 2024 22:19
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cursedshitbox posted:Sorry you were saying? I mean, both bikes were running again when I sold them and gently caress they were a hoot to ride outside the city, but there sure were a lot of unlisted maintenance items for the ~2005 era 690 and 990 dukes. You know, torquing internal bolts down to the spec they should have been at the factory and peening rocker arm bearings. Just totally normal, everyday preventative maintenance that's listed clearly in But yes, I'm extremely happy to see your 950 still going more or less strong.
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Apr 8, 2024 00:12
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LimaBiker posted:There is a little return hole in the master cylinder that allows the fluid to get back into the reservoir, when you release the brakes. It's tiny. If it's clogged, your brakes will drag. Thanks for the info. Getting to the hole on this model of brake master cylinder is difficult because the reservoir covers it up with a baffle. I had a GS 750 20 years ago where I was able to poke a strand of wire from a wire brush down into the master cylinder's relief hole to clear it, but that's not as easily done on this model. In any case, this master cylinder is working better than the other two, and I'm just wondering where the temperature element comes from. I replaced the piston in the caliper recently because I was surprised at how cheap it was, about 3 years ago. I wasn't able to get one small nub of the dust seal all the way into its recess, though...
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Apr 8, 2024 04:12
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I got my SV650 inspected this morning so now it's road legal again. Nice enough dude who did it, really liked to talk about motorcycles. Technically I failed due to my low beam shining too low. The dude got a screwdriver to adjust, but the screw was pretty tight and all he had was Phillips drivers so we agreed I would do it myself with a JIS driver to avoid damaging anything. No need for a re-inspection for the light though (everything else was OK) so I'm good to ride for 25 months without this particular regulatory hurdle.
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Apr 8, 2024 08:01
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Haha, I had the same on my VFR this year. Couldn't find a long enough screwdriver to adjust it so he just said sod it, it's passed.
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Apr 8, 2024 10:32
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Slide Hammer posted:and I'm just wondering where the temperature element comes from. So did you clean the groove it sits in with a wire brush on a dremel or something similar? It's not normal that the dust seal doesn't pop right into place. Either it's the wrong seal, or the groove is filled up with crud and corrosion. Don't go for 'Good enough' when it comes to brakes.
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Apr 8, 2024 10:51
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i got a recall notice for my not quite 2 month old ninja. something about the spark plugs not being installed correctly. it goes in for service pretty soon so hopefully the can futz with it then.
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Apr 9, 2024 01:16
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I got a postcard about a recall (something about the brakes, I think) either just before or just after I did my 600 mile service on my Bonneville. I hadn’t even seen it yet when I took it in and they took care of it. I’m sure they’ll do the same for your bike.
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Apr 9, 2024 01:52
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I did the brake pads on the VStrom last weekend. Pads had material left but it looked glazed and didn't work all that well. Braking is much better now. I'm getting a new chain and sprocket kit to my door today and it's high time. 30k miles and I'm pretty sure it's the original chain. I'm limited out on adjustment and it's still loose, making noise. Next up after that is fork seals. Not looking forward to loving around with those.
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Apr 11, 2024 17:54
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I don't think my seals are leaking but after 25k miles and 20 years on the road I should do them and put in heavier springs to match my weight. Noticed an oil leak now that I might try to dig into myself if doesn't seem that bad, but it would be the first time cracking open any part of the engine for me. I'm also due for valve checks and the current set of tires probably won't last much more than this year. 
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Apr 11, 2024 18:29
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Uh when are the valve checks due. It's 25k miles right?
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Apr 11, 2024 18:45
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I wired a proper remote battery terminal on the RS today. Having had to jump my bikes before I've been meaning to add this jump terminal before I need it. Thought of being in a parking lot somewhere trying to pull the fuel tank before being able to take a jump was mildly annoying. I have an SAE tender pigtail to the battery already, but it's fused, and even if it wasn't it's so thin gauge wire that it would probably just liquefy the second I engaged the starter motor.
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Apr 12, 2024 02:07
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Sunny day yesterday so I took the Fireblade out of hibernation to get to work. So much fun, but also very difficult keeping anywhere near the speed limit. My route to the office is mostly autoroute which sucks on the Scrambler. I really want a DesertX but my head is saying Multistrada V2S.
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Apr 12, 2024 08:45
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I haven't done poo poo today other than provisional planning and a bit of research but I've got several hours of garage time scheduled tomorrow when I will finally get to commune for real with the new-to-me DRZ400. The plan is to revert the ride height and a few other things back to stock and look over anything that might cause it to fail its roadworthiness inspection. I'll have to figure out a way of getting it off the ground though, I haven't bought any gadget for this yet. There's always a hard point in the ceiling and a chain hoist or the two post car lift so its coming up one way or another if I cant bodily muscle it up on some kind of stool-shaped object yet to be determined or possibly built. Exiting times ahead!
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Apr 13, 2024 19:11
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Man, working on my hosed up exploded DRZ was some of the most fun I ever had, even if I was super frustrated at the time. I'm almost envious!
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Apr 14, 2024 01:13
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Fun time in with the new/old DRZ in the garage today! I'm on lunch/coffee/posting break. I've learned the hard way not to wrench hungry/tired, in a hurry or needing a piss. That's when bad things happen in my brain that causes bad things to happen to vehicles or whatever. Block and tackle got the bike onto some kind of step stool. I needed the bike off the ground to get at the suspension links. I needed the tank gone to get at a good lift point, but it wasn't a complete loss:  Signs of a coolant leak. I haven't looked into it yet but hopefully it's just a loose hose clamp or something simple. I got the links sorted without drama and also put on the stock footpegs, then decided to look into what's up with the kickstand so the bike will hopefully lean nicely when back on the ground.  Yup, that's some quality P.O. fuckery right there! Thankfully the piece that was zawsalled out was in the box-o-parts so I'll do some forensic welding after lunch. I'm confident I can fix it good enough for whom it's for, and if the worst should happen and the kickstand repair fails catastrophically it's not the end of the world, it's a 20 year old DRZ after all. I haven't found anything catastrophic with the bike yet so I'm pressing on. Oil was a bit low, tire pressures way high, some screws not stock, some a bit loose and some plastic panel fasteners are missing outright. Maybe they're in the box-o-parts too, I'll have to look into that.  Yeah, that will weld up fine I think. Invalido fucked around with this message at 13:12 on Apr 14, 2024 |
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Apr 14, 2024 13:07
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Set up a tether for a little insurance for these old bones on the track bike
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Apr 14, 2024 14:39
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So you won't fall off? 
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Apr 14, 2024 15:17
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Forensic welding is a  conceptHonestly, if the cut off chunk of kickstand was in the box of parts, you’re dealing with a pretty decent PO all things considered.
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Apr 14, 2024 15:23
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I changed sprockets and chain on the VStrom. The old set was horrible, I now realize. It might even be the OEM set (30k miles). The pins are just wrecked. Each link can move 1-2 mm away from the next link. There was a decent amount of metal dust under the front cover. The front sprocket seems to be missing a lot of meat. And what do you know, the ride quality improvement is loving amazing. Super quiet and smooth now. It had been making loads of noise, surging, very jerky power delivery and engine braking. All better now.  Now I need to figure this bullshit out next. I know the fork seals are leaking, but so are the calipers. 
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Apr 14, 2024 17:15
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 Good enough after a splash of paint. I had a productive second stint: -Fixed the chain slack (too tight). -Flushed the brakes. Rear reservoir was empty, both fluids extremely dark. Like used motor oil dark. -The coolant leak is probably fixed. The hose clamp wasn't very tight, but I think the root cause might have been that the radiator bolts weren't tight so the whole things was sort of flopping around. -glued up a cracked rear blinker housing passably and did a neater duct tape job than was there before. Taped the other side too because both housings were full of dust/dried mud. Also symmetry. -adjusted brake pedal and shifter downward to what I think is stock. They should probably come down ever further but they're at least closer to right. -lubed and adjusted clutch cable. It should probably be replaced. -emtied the tank, fuel was green and had some floating gunk in it. Sloshed fresh fuel around until it came out clean. Filled up from a jerry can. There's no filter between petcock and carb, I wonder if that's bad. -verified that the speedo works. -re-checked all lights, reflector, horn and those kind of things that might cause it to fail inspection. The Steering damper isn't coming off right now since the whole steering head watchammacallit needs to come off for that and I ran out of time/energy. I couldn't mount the second mirror since the thread don't fit and the adapter that is present on the left side is nowhere to be found. The mirrors are the local Harbor Freight equivalent cheapo parts, but these are no longer sold. Bro who just got back home after travelling is probably gonna fabricate some kind of adapter (unless there's something available at a local store) since we're both impatient to get this thing inspected and hopefully found road worthy.
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Apr 14, 2024 19:14
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I finally started to check out my oil leak. Removed the belly pan plastic and that was where most of the oil was going, as like half of the inside was just a thin layer of sludge. Sprayed some degreaser and cleaned up as much of the bottom of the engine as I could get to. Really hoping that the leak can be fixed without needing to take off the exhaust headers since half of those nuts and bolts do not look like they're gonna come off easily. At least the oil level was still showing on the dipstick. Very much at the bottom, but it was still enough there to be clearning the minimum level, so it is a very slow leak.
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Apr 15, 2024 14:11
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I just finished rebuilding the suspension on my woods bike, and I'm doing my yearly linkage regrease.
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Apr 15, 2024 21:50
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I’ve seen DRZ people drill and tap those to fit a Zerk valve. That way they could use a conventional grease gun to top it off. classic suzuki. Mine had the thinest coat of that light clear grease they like to use on everything and needed servicing after it started squeaking.
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Apr 16, 2024 13:29
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Got it from storage 
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Apr 16, 2024 22:37
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I’ve been sick as a dog and haven’t felt up to riding, so I’ve just looked at my bike longingly from my car during some really nice weather. It always happens this way. We had an amazing weekend of nothing but sun and warm weather and I spent it in bed.
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Apr 16, 2024 23:07
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Here it's 50mph gusts or rain and sometimes both on the weekends and it's perfectly loving awesome during the work week.
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Apr 17, 2024 00:30
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Chris Knight posted:Got it from storage Blessed day! May your battery be charged and your fuel stable. I'm jealous of your and Steve's gangtag. Suzukis are all I ever ride, purely by happenstance. Bro is taking the DRZ for inspection tomorrow, it's taxed and insured and all is ready with two mirrors and everything. Hope it goes well, the only think I know about which might possibly be an issue is exhaust noise, but I think almost everything is loud compared to my stock muffler SV. But it's usually the things you don't know about that will usually get you. In the meantime I'm looking longingly for interesting gravel roads on google maps. There's next to nothing where I live but lots and lots where I will spend a large part of my summer break from work. I've been fiddling with shifter and brake position on the SV brought about by getting new boots. It took a few tries to get it just right but now I'm happy with the ergos again I think.
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Apr 17, 2024 05:22
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Working on getting it back out of storage. It runs, I could ride it home tonight if I had my gear with me, but I want to do the valve shims and a carb balance first. Does my front sprocket look worn enough to be worth replacing? My rear is for sure fine. 
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Apr 18, 2024 03:32
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I adjusted the headlight angle on the SV. Inspector dude was wrong, it wasn't the JIS screw on the bezel (which is for side to side) but rather the 10mm bolt under the can - I learned this from watching possibly the world's worst youtube video but it was good enough for the purpose. I rarely ride at night so it might be a while until I get to see what the light pattern actually looks like IRL but according to the note I took last monday and the tape on the wall I used it should be in the ballpark.
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Apr 18, 2024 07:58
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I installed that same lovely Touratech knockoff storage box that every GS owner buys off AliExpress because gently caress paying $300 for a plastic box. But I mean, whoo boy. You see a lot of reviews on YouTube where everyone is "yeah lol $300 for box" and then they spray it with a hose and are all "yah seems fine" -- mine definitely came off the assembly line when the injection mold operator was having a bad day. There's visible daylight in the seams under the metal "covers" so as far as waterproof storage goes, this seemed to be one step above just taping my valuables to the subframe. BUT it's nothing that five minutes with some caulk didn't fix. I just unscrewed it and took it to pieces, slapped a good dab of caulk on each of the seams and clamped it back together for a day. Put it in a tub of water the next day and it was 100% watertight after an hour so I'd say I'm plenty pleased and have zero doubt this will hold up just as well as the expensive option now. $70 + five minutes of my time.
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Apr 18, 2024 12:25
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