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I juste bought my first bike and unfortunately I couldn't get the owner's manual with it. I'm looking at the Clymer's manual on Amazon, is that a good choice for more info? The bike is a 2004 DRZ 400S, if that makes any difference.
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Mar 29, 2014 01:58
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kloa posted:You could probably find it in pdf format on the web somewhere. Gotcha. Thanks.
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Mar 29, 2014 02:02
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HotCanadianChick posted:Suzuki sells them from their website for about $20: http://www.genuinesuzukimanuals.com/ I just bought it a minute ago. I found pdfs elsewhere, but I still want a hard copy.
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Mar 29, 2014 02:30
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nsaP posted:Have you heard of printers? Well they're (presumably) sending me a bound and high quality version for $20. To print 100+ pages in a high quality on an ink jet would probably cost me almost twice that.
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Mar 29, 2014 03:06
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As a dual sport owner (for 5 days!) I advise you to find the bumps and ruts in the road and go over them as often as possible. It is fun. *ninja edit* This post was written with tongue in cheek.
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Apr 1, 2014 17:11
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Razzled posted:Can anyone who has taken the DDS/MSF basic rider course chime in with any words of wisdom for what to expect or how I might prepare beforehand? I'm about 10 days out from my weekend and getting more and more anxious as time goes by. Was it pretty reasonably easy? Hard? Any major do/don'ts? 9/10 people in my class were scared to ride a motorcycle faster than a reasonably in shape man can run. One rider crashed, twice, during the course. You pretty much have to try to fail.
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Apr 2, 2014 06:24
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Z3n posted:I highly recommend the Sena SMH10s - we have about 8 of them total in our friends group. Most of us eventually end up moving to the headphone + boom mic setup, because it's proper sound damping, good quality sound, and easy to move between helmets. I've had mine for 2 years? of nearly daily use and battery life is still great, they sound great, everything is awesome. I was looking at those. Is there a way to play music on them without using my phone with a blutooth connection? I'd like to just use my ipod and a headphone jack, but I don't know if the Sena's have that option.
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Apr 4, 2014 18:44
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Spiffness posted:Yeah you can plug any 2.5mm source right into them. Alright, I think I will order one off Revzilla then.
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Apr 4, 2014 20:34
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SaNChEzZ posted:Got a riding buddy yet? I'd go for the two pack and split it with someone if you can, you'll usually save about $30 per headset if you can find the pair cheap. Nah, and all my dumb friends who claims they want to ride haven't gotten licenses or bikes. (pretty sure their girlfriends are behind that) Edit for question So the PO put a bunch of stickers on the plastics and I would love to remove them. I've heard of using a blow dryer to heat up the sticker in other situations, but what do you all recommend? Chichevache fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Apr 6, 2014 |
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Apr 6, 2014 03:29
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apseudonym posted:I just moved here for work two months ago. Technically I should have a CA license but the DMVs in the bay area are a special kind of hell and Where in the Bay exactly? The Alma DMV in San Jose is really good. And if you make an appointment before going in you really won't have any trouble. I registered my bike, took 2 tests, and updated my license in under an hour. If you're not making an appointment then it's your own drat fault it takes long
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Apr 6, 2014 04:23
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. I still have my previous Utah license.
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apseudonym posted:All the appointment slots for DMVs I've looked at (I'm in Santa Clara) are >1 month wait time. I'll probably just go take my laptop and camp out in the DMV for a day. Yea, sometimes getting the appointment can take a while, but it is better than sitting in the DMV for hours on end.
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Apr 6, 2014 07:16
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I've been reading this thread for a while and a lot of this discussion has gone over my head. I know the basic parts of my bike (engine, wheels, go-stick, stop-stick, and gas-hole), but if I really want to learn more what would you all recommend? Should I just read the DRZ forums more, is there a book (besides the owner's manual) that I should buy, or maybe even a selection of beginner friendly youtube videos(don't suggest Ichiban Moto)?
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Apr 23, 2014 16:36
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clutchpuck posted:Get a service manual for your bike and do as much service as you can yourself. That's been the plan, but at the moment I can't even ride the bike much less work on it. (MRI for my back is on Saturday.  )
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Apr 23, 2014 16:49
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:Lets start with what you want to know. Every single part of a motorcycle is an incredibly deep rabbit hole that people can dedicate their entire careers to. Of course we cant all have that deep of knowledge on everything with bikes, but you can get below the surface level easily. Everything. The problem for me is how often I read an excellent post here but I feel like I miss most of the conversation due to not knowing all the terms, etc. I guess I was just hoping for a good beginner encyclopedia, not just wikipedia, where I could learn more about 2 stroke engines, or what double overhead cams actually mean for the bike, etc. If there isn't an easy resource besides just using Google then I can understand that. Z3n posted:Did someone say they wanted Yes.
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Apr 23, 2014 18:08
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Ola posted:Wikipedia, no joke. For the broad brush strokes, it's great. ReelBigLizard posted:Also, and especially for actually doing the jobs that need doing, YouTube. There are multiple step by step instructional videos for every single service operation from adjusting your suspension to rebuilding your engine, often one for your specific model or series of bike. Use Wikipedia to find out the proper name for the bit you want to fix/adjust/service, then plug it into youtube. Thanks. I figured those were options, but I wasn't sure if they was an "official" good source to use instead of these.
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Apr 24, 2014 19:13
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Z3n posted:Honestly, the best way to go is to try and learn the basics of engines and poo poo, and then come here and ask questions. Yea, that's what I'm trying to do. The problem was not knowing whether there was a good place (besides Wiki) to learn the basics of enginges.
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Apr 24, 2014 21:31
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M42 posted:So I know more about bikes now than when I got licensed, how they work, how to take an engine halfway apart, etc etc. Yet I still can't figure out what the gently caress was up with my MSF bike. It wouldn't go into neutral unless it was off at the key. What kind of transmission voodoo was that? Mine did that too when I took the MSF.
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Apr 30, 2014 16:51
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KozmoNaut posted:Wasn't there some other guy a while back who turned out to be a rapist piece of poo poo? Tsaven Nava I think.
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May 5, 2014 07:29
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Z3n posted:No, it should go all the way up to over an indicated 100mph. Glad my DRZ has a digital speedo. I don't have to dream that my bike was really intended to go over 80 mph while going downhill with a tail wind.
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May 6, 2014 05:02
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:Uhhm, if you watch the screen self test when you turn the key on you can clearly see that the DRZ was intended to do 199mph!!! Whoops, my fault. How do I get into sixth gear?
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May 6, 2014 19:18
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Anyone ever seen any good posters or images that could be printed as posters espousing the virtues of wearing gear? Like the percentage chart used in that new Icon helmet? Post a picture of a professional rider who is all geared up wrecking at 100 mph and being ok. Then post a picture of the gorey mess that is an unprotected body going down at 40 mph.
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May 8, 2014 05:19
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nsaP posted:The track and the street aren't the same. Crash at 100 on the road and you're probably hosed up. Who gives a poo poo? He's just looking for quick graphics to demonstrate what gear can do for you.
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May 8, 2014 05:39
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Sagebrush posted:Here is a nice CT scan of the skull of someone who crashed while not wearing a helmet. Everyone knows what a skull is supposed to look like, right? Boom. That's a hell of a picture. When I'm talking about gear with someone I usually just explain what a crumple zone is and how your whole loving face is one.
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May 8, 2014 08:05
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What are some tricks that the rest of you have for getting a stop light to register your presence? I'm in Los Angeles and I have been constantly getting stranded at red lights because my bike, DRZ 400S, isn't heavy enough to trigger the sensor. I stop in the center of the sensor marks and I even go as far as to put down my kickstand and rock on the panel, which I had heard works. Nothing. I've waited for minutes at lights with no results, which has resulted in me making some pretty questionable* turns. How do you deal with it? *The question is whether or not a cop is watching.
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May 20, 2014 03:47
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HotCanadianChick posted:Don't stop your bike in the center, stop it with the engine right over the ring of sealant in the pavement. That ring is covering a magnetic induction coil looped under the pavement, getting as much iron over the loop itself will set it off. I've done this ever since I started riding and I've yet to have a light not trip for me. I'll give that a shot, though I think I've done it in the past with no result. Is there a chance that the height of my bike is the problem? I'm pretty sure my ground to engine clearance is a lot higher than the average bike.
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May 20, 2014 05:17
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I'm going on my first long distance ride in the morning. LA to the Bay on a DRZ with stock seats  . Any tips before I leave? I've got a Sena so I hope to stay sane with music, but I'm not quite sure what else to expect and I'd rather be prepared.I'm taking I-5 too so it is going to be a poo poo ride.
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May 29, 2014 04:09
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Sagebrush posted:Don't take the 5. I know  but we are in a hurry and my girlfriend is driving my car, which is stick and scares her. I've got to stick close to her.
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May 29, 2014 04:12
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Crayvex posted:Why are you not just driving together? You have added a variable that may be a distraction. "Is she still with you? Did she get lost? Do I look like a dong on my bike?" Because we can't tow a bike behind a Toyota Corolla.
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May 29, 2014 04:31
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Baller Witness Bro posted:Well, you could I bet. A single bike trailer isn't much weight and you can probably get a hitch thrown on for like 100-200 bucks. This is probably a convo you wanted to have more than a night prior to leaving however. Yea, maybe I could have done that. But I did want to ride too. Z3n posted:Regularly check and top off your oil if needed. Yeah, good tip. Guess I gotta pick some up then. I'm pretty sure I'll pass a Cyclegear on the way down 210.
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May 29, 2014 04:45
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Made it over the Grapevine and my bike died out of nowhere. It turns on, but it won't start. It clicks and that is it. I think it is a spark plug problem but I don't have the tools to get in there at the moment. Gonna get it towed and then we will see.
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May 30, 2014 03:39
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n8r posted:Spark plugs rarely fail. I'm going to guess loose battery cable. If it was that would it have died while I was riding? Also, I am still getting the bike to turn on, it just isn't turning the engine on. I don't know, I'm a dumb beginner posting from a rock on the side of I5. At least the sun went down.
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May 30, 2014 03:50
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My buddy said replace the fuse, so I tried that. No luck.
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May 30, 2014 04:26
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I don't think the tow truck is gonna show 
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May 30, 2014 04:26
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prukinski posted:You on the Bakersfield side of the grapevine? The stator on my bike died between LA and SF in exactly the same place late last year. Got a tow to powerstride batteries in Bakersfield where the shop owner/manager/whatever - David - lent me two batteries and a quick charger on the faith that I'd send them back when I got to the Bay. I limped the rest of the way home by disconnecting the headlight and swapping out batteries every 50 miles / charging them at truckstops. If the problem is your charging system and you don't want to pay middle-of-nowhere prices for an R/R or stator or whatever, I can't recommend him / Powerstride enough. Yeah, I'm on the Bakersfield side. I dropped my bike in the parking lot of R. Tillery power sports, so we will see how that goes. I'm staying at a literal crack hotel right now, so if I don't get stabbed tomorrow then I'll go find out if my bike was stolen. If my bike is still there then hopefully the mechanic doesn't rob me blind. At least Bakersfield hotels are  friendly.
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May 30, 2014 07:25
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nsaP posted:Pro tip for ya, if you're staying in a seedy motel, get a ground floor room and roll your bike inside. Good idea, but I left the bike at the mechanics since I have no
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May 30, 2014 07:39
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So the bike shop checked it out and it isn't the spark plug or battery. He couldn't jump it and he showed me the plug. Right now his best guess is that the engine seized. He says he won't know more till he tears it down, but his best guesses are a seized piston, "big end" rod failure, crank bearing, or balance shaft bearing. The dude seems trustworthy to me and so far there's no charge. I'm not sure if I should just have him work on it or if I should bring a truck down from the Bay so I can haul it home.
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May 30, 2014 18:12
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Baller Witness Bro posted:Lol get the gently caress out of that shop. K. Not that I don't trust you, but what in particular am I missing?
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May 30, 2014 18:27
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nsaP posted:It's hard to diagnose from the internet but from your description it seems like he jumped to 'seized motor, let's open'r up" really quickly. Fair enough. He did mess around with it a bit and stuck one of those cool little cameras inside the bike and poo poo. But I can't really afford to do what he's planning anyway, so I guess I'm just hauling it up to the Bay. The engine did die without fanfair, but I also had good earplugs in and the Sena cranked up, so if it was making noise I missed it.
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May 30, 2014 18:34
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Bugdrvr posted:Depending upon what bike it is, a used motor would almost definitely be cheaper than rebuilding one that died due to mechanical failure or lack of lubrication. DRZ400S. I've got a friend with a truck so we will pick it up and haul it back. Probably today
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May 30, 2014 18:43
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n8r posted:Pretty easy to tell if the bike is seized. You can put it into gear and try to push it. If the wheel is locked you're in trouble. Also a seize would have sent you skidding down the road. If you can push it freely in gear that's also a bad sign as that would indicate it has no compression. Probably a good idea to not deal w/ the shop you ended up at if they didn't try to diagnose stuff like that without tearing into it. Well it doesn't move when it is in gear unless you hold the clutch in. Is that what you mean? goddamnedtwisto posted:Maybe not - when my MZ seized it came on exactly like running out of fuel, it hesitated, coughed, lost power and then died when I pulled the clutch in. It was only when I tried to kickstart it and nearly went over the handlebars because the lever wouldn't move that I remembered that two-strokes need two-stroke oil... That was how mine died, not with a bang, but with a whimper. 
Chichevache fucked around with this message at 19:05 on May 30, 2014 |
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May 30, 2014 19:02
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