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Went for my first night ride and I think I like riding at night better. It's really a kind of zen calm riding through a small town that looks and sounds deserted at night.
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Jul 28, 2009 15:13
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| # ? May 7, 2024 22:10 |
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 Went for a spin around the neighborhood. Things I learned= The Shifter is really loving close to the Peg. I have monster feet, sometimes this can be an issue. The sidestand is seriously bent. I don't think I'm going to trust it anymore Petcocks have a purpose, dummy Hey this isnt first gear at all! I got my first compliment. Some guy i pulled up alongside asked me if I built the bike myself. You know, because its such a chopper. His compliments made me feel great, though. The Front tire is so old and cracked that it WILL kill me. Once I get some new front shock boots and start really riding it I'll put on the Dunlop D70 front I have stored for it. drat that front brake has some life in it Scramblers just sound louder than they ought to.
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Jul 28, 2009 18:32
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Chill_Bebop posted:mmm... scrambler I don't know what it is, but any scrambler just scratches that reptillian part of my brain, telling me that I neeeeeed one. That's a drat fine looking bike.
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Jul 28, 2009 19:03
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I put some new coerce bars on. The bars were the easy part, it took me way too long to get the drat bar ends on. 
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Jul 28, 2009 22:42
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I took it to the practicing lot (well, had a friend take it to the lot for me) and found out that I like it. I also found out that the testing laws have changed since November '08. Some of you may remember that I failed my first riding test then and came back cursing to the left and right that the cones were closer together than they should have been. Turns out that NOW, the cones are SUPPOSED to be closer together by a fair margin, if I'm reading the internet correctly, 4m -> 2,5m. I'm fairly sure they were "trying it out" before it was actually changed. I could have done the exercise if it hadn't been a surprise you pricks.  The GSX600F, total length 2170mm, is surprisingly light on its feet in a 2,5m gap slalom after a bit of practice and an exploded indicator stalk. I glued it back together.
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Jul 28, 2009 22:51
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Today I fixed a long-standing issue with the carb on my KLR. I shimmed the needle jet and adjusted the pilot mixture screw as well, so now it rides and pulls much better than it used to. I also popped open the brake fluid reservoir on the handlebars to find..... none! It was pretty damned empty, just a bit around the corners. I bought some, and filled it up, good times. I had heard the brakes on the KLR were a little spongy, but that was getting ridiculous. I think I may still do stainless steel line on the front to augment a horrible front brake.
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Jul 28, 2009 22:55
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Fantastipotamus posted:Today I fixed a long-standing issue with the carb on my KLR. I shimmed the needle jet and adjusted the pilot mixture screw as well, so now it rides and pulls much better than it used to. You probably need to flush and bleed the system. The brakes on the KLRs I've ridden have always been decent as long as the system was in good shape. And SS lines aren't going to make it any better if the lever is mushy. It'll reduce flex and improve initial bite, but it's not going to do much of anything if there's air in the system. I've discovered that most people have never changed their brake fluid and as a result, when they change their lines and are forced to flush the fluid they're amazed at the difference it makes.
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Jul 28, 2009 23:49
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Z3n posted:You probably need to flush and bleed the system. The brakes on the KLRs I've ridden have always been decent as long as the system was in good shape. And SS lines aren't going to make it any better if the lever is mushy. It'll reduce flex and improve initial bite, but it's not going to do much of anything if there's air in the system. I've discovered that most people have never changed their brake fluid and as a result, when they change their lines and are forced to flush the fluid they're amazed at the difference it makes. Realistically, the KLR needs (in no particular order) 1) brake fluid flush/change 2) oil change 3) coolant flush/change 4) replace chain/sprockets I'm probably going to go up a tooth in the front to stretch it out just a little more for road riding. I've actually heard of people keeping different front sprockets for road/trail riding (specific sizes that don't require a chain change though). I don't have anything to hold the bike up apart from the kickstand though, so I may pay my local bike mechanic to do that.
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Jul 29, 2009 00:16
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Fantastipotamus posted:Yeah, though bleeding brakes scares me a bit. The old fluid is definitely gross though, it's rust colored (I could see it swirling around in the reservoir) which I can't imagine is good. It's a dirtbike with a cradle frame, so you could toss it up on just about anything. I wouldn't try doing the front sprocket without some form of impact wrench, though. It's a huge pain in the rear end otherwise. My 80$ or so electric one (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Represent!) is fantastic for anything bike related. Gearing changes can really change a bike's character. Lotta fun.
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Jul 29, 2009 00:46
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Z3n posted:It's a dirtbike with a cradle frame, so you could toss it up on just about anything. I wouldn't try doing the front sprocket without some form of impact wrench, though. It's a huge pain in the rear end otherwise. My 80$ or so electric one (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Represent!) is fantastic for anything bike related.
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Jul 29, 2009 01:13
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Fantastipotamus posted:You don't think I could get it off with a half-inch drive socket wrench? My front sprocket was hand tight when I changed it..
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Jul 29, 2009 01:24
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In the past when working on my KLR I just laid it over on a stack of old tires. The KLR is a fairly rugged bike and is hard to hurt.quote:You don't think I could get it off with a half-inch drive socket wrench?
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Jul 29, 2009 01:56
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Fantastipotamus posted:You don't think I could get it off with a half-inch drive socket wrench? Torque on those is supposed to be 72 foot pounds. You could do it with a big cheater bar, but it's way, way easier to break it loose with an impact, especially considering that they have a bit of a tendency to be sticky, and you've got to have something to lock the rear wheel in place. I've used everything from the rear brake to a piece of wood jammed through the wheel (on something without spokes), to putting the bike nose into a wall. It's really, really handy to have an impact wrench around if you don't have one. Well worth the money for the frustration and split knuckles it'll save you. The electric ones may fall short here and there on cars for really big stuff, or require some time to work something off, but on a bike they're perfect.
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Jul 29, 2009 03:08
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Z3n posted:It's really, really handy to have an impact wrench around if you don't have one. Well worth the money for the frustration and split knuckles it'll save you. The electric ones may fall short here and there on cars for really big stuff, or require some time to work something off, but on a bike they're perfect. One of the mechanics I work with has an electric impact wrench, and it is the most horrid sounding tool I've heard. Other than that, I agree with you. Today I bought a new set of tires for my Blast. $116 for the pair.
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Jul 29, 2009 04:17
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After a six month deployment, connected the battery on my SV650s, started it and rode away. It didn't even hiccup.
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Jul 29, 2009 09:21
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Took it to the drags. Half a second off my previous best. Also, Civics!  People doing minute long burnouts! People with open diffs doing burnouts! JUST HURRY UP AND DO YOUR loving RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Jul 29, 2009 15:43
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2ndclasscitizen posted:Took it to the drags. Half a second off my previous best. What exactly is the process for drag racing a motorcycle? How long do you burnout? What tires do you use? Do you drop your pressures down?
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Jul 29, 2009 16:30
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Z3n posted:What exactly is the process for drag racing a motorcycle? How long do you burnout? What tires do you use? Do you drop your pressures down? It isn't much different than a car. You shouldn't do any more of a burnout than what is required to clean your tire and get it up to temp. The entire reason you pay a lot of money for performance tires is their ability to shed heat and a long burnout just wastes rubber; in extreme cases a long burnout just makes the tire really greasy. You can use specialty drag tires if you want, but you're probably not good enough to out drive your tires; better tires will just mask your inability to properly launch. There are competing schools of thought on dropping tire pressure on a street tire. I'm a member of the "a little bit helps" camp, just remember that you aren't on a wrinkle wall slick and your stiff sidewalls aren't going to flex much so trading off top end stability for a marginal increase in starting line traction on a machine that makes all its ET at the top end is a poor trade.
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Jul 29, 2009 17:13
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frozenphil posted:It isn't much different than a car. You shouldn't do any more of a burnout than what is required to clean your tire and get it up to temp. The entire reason you pay a lot of money for performance tires is their ability to shed heat and a long burnout just wastes rubber; in extreme cases a long burnout just makes the tire really greasy. You can use specialty drag tires if you want, but you're probably not good enough to out drive your tires; better tires will just mask your inability to properly launch. There are competing schools of thought on dropping tire pressure on a street tire. I'm a member of the "a little bit helps" camp, just remember that you aren't on a wrinkle wall slick and your stiff sidewalls aren't going to flex much so trading off top end stability for a marginal increase in starting line traction on a machine that makes all its ET at the top end is a poor trade. Well, I've never dragged raced a bike, besides at the start of a race, and that's not really the same. I'd like to refine my technique. It's pretty good at the moment, I seem to be able to pull fairly consistant launches from my days of stoplight GP and racing cars off the line, but I'd like some concrete data that'd let me figure out where I can improve. I'd be running the DOT slicks that I typically use on the track. Wear on the tires isn't a concern as I've got plenty of take offs, and the center on those never wears out before they're toast anyways. Sadly, I don't think there are any drag strips in Santa Barbara
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Jul 29, 2009 17:42
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I BOUGHT my bike yesterday. A couple weeks ago my troublesome ol' Vulcan 88 died due to charging system failure. Since it had begun to be troublesome (2 hard runs to Sturgis will take its toll on an old Jap bike like that), I'd become reluctant to ride it any more than just a scoot, so a new one was inevitable. So yesterday I went to the dealer and asked him to get me into a brand new V Star 1300, and after a little working on his price, there I was signing paperwork. The picture isn't of mine, since mine is in a crate right now https://wi.somethingawful.com/f5/f5fb7dbe58f111df60955f6a6aa187ae418b88f6.jpg I should be able to pick it up this afternoon. The thing is sweet. 1300 liquid cooled EFI, belt final drive, dual front discs, floorboards, nice wide stock bars... The demo was smooth as silk compared with their 1100s and the riding position isn't so bunched up. All I need are a bug shield and some bags and I am set.
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Jul 29, 2009 18:23
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Z3n posted:What exactly is the process for drag racing a motorcycle? How long do you burnout? What tires do you use? Do you drop your pressures down? No burnout, Pilot Road 2CTs, no. Basically unless you've got your bike strapped down/lowered and stretched or have something properly powerful, doing a burnout is just going to make it harder to keep the front down. I need to learn how to wheelie properly though, so I be more confident in giving it the full berries off the line.
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Jul 30, 2009 05:23
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Picked the bike up from the shop and then bedded in the new rotors and pads. Oh, so sweet. So much nice braking power when I give the lever a decent squeeze. I'll have to readjust my braking points around town now that I can pull up so much better.
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Jul 30, 2009 05:39
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Bucephalus posted:What style of bars are those (superbike, Daytona, etc.)? They're GP Touring bars from http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/ 4.2" rise and 4.2" rake. Perfect with my long arms and what is supposed to be a vertical standard seating position: I get just enough weight forward to make 70mph more comfortable, and not so much that stop and go causes any real/lasting discomfort. This shot wasn't directly from the side, so it looks swept back further than it is. 
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Jul 30, 2009 05:46
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I put the new set of Pirellis on the Blast today. Changing tires is extremely easy using a hydraulic tire machine.
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Jul 31, 2009 02:09
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Got my ignition module today. Redline is now 7,200.
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Jul 31, 2009 02:20
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Swapped out the leaking CCT on my SV. What a loving pain in the rear end. gently caress CCTs.
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Jul 31, 2009 05:44
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Sold it!
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Jul 31, 2009 06:21
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Zool posted:Sold it! What are you going to buy next? Are you finally gonna restore the 2smoker? 
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Jul 31, 2009 07:10
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 Getting some new shoes put on the SV tomorrow, hopefully everything's still standing by the morning!
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Jul 31, 2009 07:32
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Z3n posted:What are you going to buy next? Are you finally gonna restore the 2smoker? I sold the BMW, so I still have the ZX6R for road duty. I still haven't decided between dirt bike, Supermoto track bike, and Supermoto street bike. I'm really hoping to find a KTM 450 enduro converted to SM with both sets of wheels (in my price range). Then I get all three in one! Spiffness keeps trying to convince me to get a Husky 610SM so I can get arrested with him.
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Jul 31, 2009 14:33
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Zool posted:I'm really hoping to find a KTM 450 enduro converted to SM with both sets of wheels (in my price range). Then I get all three in one! Spiffness keeps trying to convince me to get a Husky 610SM so I can get arrested with him. Trials bike duh
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Jul 31, 2009 15:16
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Fantastipotamus posted:Yeah, though bleeding brakes scares me a bit. It shouldn't. I'm a goddamn retard and I bled my brakes just fine. There's a really easy-to-follow walkthrough on https://www.sohc4.net in the FAQs. Should work on any bike.
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Jul 31, 2009 15:35
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Zool posted:I still haven't decided between dirt bike, Supermoto track bike, and Supermoto street bike. with him. Still argue: Start with the awesome street bike. The most fun on a day to day basis. You can use it on the track too! It's only expensive if you crash. And not even that expensive really. Then buy cheap rear end dirt bike. Your going to destroy your first dirt bike crashing a gazillion times anyway. Then if you get real and truly addicted to offroad and SM racing/trackdays, spend the 3-4 grand it takes to get a good offroad/SM bike. It'll never be as good on the street as a 610, which is 90% of your riding. Zool posted:Spiffness keeps trying to convince me to get a Husky 610SM so I can get arrested with him. Let's do half of this.
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Jul 31, 2009 18:11
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Worked on the Rebel today: Dropped the triple clamp a half-inch. Installed clubmans. Installed new rear shocks to raise the rear end. (32" inch seat height yay!) Installed rear-sets. Valve adjustment. Oil change. Cleaned it. Next up is the loaf/cafe seat a friend of mine is making for it (think Triumph thruxton, with the removable boattail thing) and then a little re-gearing on the rear end. Maybe I'll post some pictures when I get home from work. It's been a fun project.
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Jul 31, 2009 18:28
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 So far I've checked the valve clearance on the rear exhaust valve, Everything is in spec there, so I reassembled everything and will check the other 3 valves some other day.
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Jul 31, 2009 23:18
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I broke the 100 mile mark on the odo. 
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Aug 1, 2009 03:14
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Continued Detail work, got rid of some old decals. I finally bought an actual motorcycle Cover. I feel better, even if the thing is pretty thin and flimsy. And I picked up some very cheapo Gloves.
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Aug 1, 2009 03:32
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Yesterday: XL1200S: New primary cover gasket and various gaskets for covers. Adjusted primary chain, changed primary fluid, tranny fluid, engine oil. Adjusted drive belt tension. Scrambler 125: Found wiring problem and fixed, bike now runs like a champ, going on craigslist today. Scorpa SY250: New caliper installed and bled. Today: WR250F: Put carb back in, hope everything is working well. Put on new grippy tank and shroud decals. KDX200: Install rear brake resivour, carburetor, pipe, new sprockets and chain, new handlebar dampeners, new grips, left radiator. Flush cooling system, flush rear brake.
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Aug 1, 2009 14:15
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Yesterday: Had Buell footpegs installed on the ZZR-600. Today: Put my new Corbin seat on. It already has Heli-bars, so I'm ready for my 3000 mile trip now. ninja edit: The middle aged bandanas and leather crowd hate it when I tell them my bike is part Harley.
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Aug 1, 2009 17:44
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| # ? May 7, 2024 22:10 |
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The bike shop had its monthly summer BBQ, so I rode over there and had a burger and some dogs and considered having it cleaned by the possibly underage girls in bikinis and heels, but didn't since all I had on me was $20 bills and I feel stupid asking for change for the tip on a free wash. Then I got some stuff at Target and then gas. Whee.
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Aug 1, 2009 19:27
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