Motorcycle Question Thread II: Less chatting and more questions

«‹›7 »

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > Motorcycle Question Thread II: Less chatting and more questions

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

I've always been afraid of getting a flat at high speeds. I wondered if I could keep the bike in control long enough to get pulled over.

It happened to me at about 65 the other day and it was fairly anti-climactic. The bike just gets really hard to lean. At low speeds is when the front end really starts getting unstable.

Anyway, now that I got past my fear of flats, I need new tires. I am also extremely broke, but I can scrounge up enough for at least one new tire a month (yes, I know I should do both at once, but I can't afford it) for the next two months. Anyone have any decent on-line places that have good prices? I remember a couple being listed in the old megathreads. I'd like to try and save as much as possible since cash is tight.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2009 16:22

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 18, 2013 16:48

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

dietcokefiend posted:

What caused the flat in the first place?

You know, I'm not entirely sure. I see a spot on the tire that looks like it might have had a nail that got thrown out. I was fine for most of the ride home from work before it went suddenly flat, and then after I filled it up at a gas station, I was able to ride home. She's been parked in the garage since, and although I definitely lost about half the pressure, it hasn't gone completely flat again. It's odd.

I knew I needed new tires soon anyway, so I'm not going to bother patching. I was just hoping I could have a chance to save it up over the next few months rather than being forced to do it now but oh well. Probably for the best (and safest) anyway.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2009 16:28

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Z3n posted:

What sizes? I may have some takeoffs floating around that I could send to you to tide you over so you can get some decent tires.

She wears big shoes.

150/80HR17 Front - 180/70HR16 Rear

# ¿ Feb 26, 2009 16:31

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Z3n posted:

God drat, you run a taller tire on the front than I run on the rear

You can check http://www.swmototires.com/ and ebay. You may be able to find some cheap takeoffs via ebay. You may also have some luck talking to your local dealership, usually they have a big stack of old tires sitting out back.

Edit: Fixing URL.

PlasticSun posted:

http://www.swmototires.com/ this guy is great he's a fast shipper and has some of the best prices on tires I've seen.

Yeah, those are drat good prices. A little cheaper than the cheapest place I could find on a random google search, but I know absolutely nothing about that place, so it's good to order from a reputable source.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2009 20:33

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Nerobro posted:

right away? no. Would I suggest it? No. Your carbs have filters in them already. Your petcock is supposed to have a filter on top of it, and unless you threw it away, it's still there.

It's a waste of time, and a good way to ensure you'll run into fuel flow problems. The failure mode from "having to many filters" is either the bike losing power at the worst time posable, or holeing a piston.
There's another problem on top of that. If your motor is having trouble with one circuit or another, you'll ride around that circuit. Meaning you're running most of your fuel through the circuits that are already clean.

And if they're really clogged. NO fuel goes through them. So you've just wasted a week riding around on a bike that stutters, and drives poorly becuase you didn't want to spend half an hour cleaning your carbs.

It's a losing situation. Always.

Uh huh. SOME of us would have 6 loving carbs to dissasemble, clean, and synch. If I were to do something first, it would be dump seafoam in it.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2009 23:04

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Nerobro posted:

Honda Valkyrie? Cleaning the carbs should not alter your sync, or require disassembly beyond pulling the float bowls. I can't think of a single example where that's untrue.

Yeah. Okay, I admit I was being pedantic, and I appreciate where you're coming from, but it's still one of those "So easy, why the hell not" things to me.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2009 03:56

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

hoho`win posted:

I've tried a whole lot of different things when it comes to the charging system.

What have you done? The charging system is pretty much a stator, a rectifier, and some wires.

Oh, well, and a battery.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2009 04:16

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Well, my baby's got a new front tire. Turns out I was right - not only had there been a nail in the tire, but also the valve stem was cracked and slowly leaking.

They checked the rear tire for me just in case and though they said the tread's getting low (I knew that), but it seems to be intact and should easily hold for a month or two while I save up for it.

Holy poo poo, the new tire is like having a brand-new bike. The new Avon Cobras are loving incredible tires. All I have to do is think of turning and I'm already halfway through the turn. I can't weait to get it on the freeway on the way home tonight to see how much more stable it feels at speed.

If anyone is in the Nashville area, the Honda dealer in Cool Springs is loving awesome. They were really, really nice, and since I was waiting, they actually pulled an ATV they were working on off the lift and did my bike right away. Plus they didn't care that I was bringing in a tire from outside.

Also, SW Motoshoes as recommended here was awesome. Only took 4 days to get the tire from order, and they replied by email with the tracking number within minutes. Thanks goons!

# ¿ Mar 6, 2009 20:07

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Bad Munki posted:

Okay you guys were so speedy and helpful last time, you get one more:

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/mcy/1032331601.html

Here's an '08 vulcan 900 custom in that kind of lizard green. Some people like the color, some don't. Personally, I do. Anyhow, fellow's asking $6800, which I think is too high (kelly lists it at $5940), even though it only has 1500 miles on it and is supposedly in absolutely perfect condition.

Still seems high to me. A quick check of eBay shows that a Vulcan 900c of that year and milage goes for a little under 6k. If you wanted the bike really bad it wouldn't be a bad price though.

If you're after cruisers, you may want to consider a Honda Shadow as well. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about a Vulcan, but I've never heard anyone rave about them either.

basx posted:

... by a what I think of as a Jet-Ski company.

What the gently caress is this? So they make Jet-Skis, so loving what? They also make really nice motorcycles.

Orange Someone posted:

Since we've wandered onto the subject, are the nuts on the battery posts meant to be vertical with the bolts coming in from the side or are the nuts meant to lie horizontal with the bolts coming in from the top?

As long as you can secure the cable to the terminal without it coming in contact with anything around it, it doesn't really matter which way you do it.

Doctor Zero fucked around with this message at Mar 7, 2009 around 16:05

# ¿ Mar 7, 2009 16:03

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Bad Munki posted:

Yikes. And in light of the thread subject, I feel compelled to say: "WHY?"

No problem with the pink and white. That's fine, put a nice lookin' gal on there and we're all good. But I am so not a fan of pictures in general on bikes. Make a neat pattern if you want, even put some flames on there, but seriously, please no viking warriors or pictures of your dead terrier Fluffy (grandma's finest 4 eva).

There is one bike that is deserving of viking warriors

I'm still not doing it though.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2009 19:06

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

ChlamydiaJones posted:

So where exactly is my fuse box?

Depends. Most bikes I've owned, they've been under the seat or behind a sidepanel.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2009 20:48

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

kcer posted:

What would you attribute a loud single clack noise to while changing gear? This happened today while I shifted up, and since it's an autonomous reaction I couldn't recall if I'd just done a bad shift. I've never heard it before.

I swear, if this the start of another issue

Sometimes I get a louder clunk when shifting. Haven't noticed it when upshifting - usually downshifting. I assume its either the linkages catching just right (or just wrong), or as Z3n said, a slight mis-shift.

I wouldn't sweat it unless it starts happening constantly, or you start noticing slipping.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2009 21:20

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

kcer posted:

Thanks for the replies.

Why would slipping relate to it?

I was just trying to think of cases where you have to start worrying about an actual problem.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2009 22:54

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

BotchedLobotomy posted:

I did some testing on my weird fuel system and I found out the following:

-If I run the bike on PRIME it runs great

-If I run the bike on RESERVE it runs great

-If I run the bike on ON it runs for a minute or so and then dies out. (probably consuming the fuel in the carbs?

Would this be a case of a bad vacuum or a bad petcock?

I would guess petcock first. They aren't too hard to take apart. There could be some crap plugging the ON intake.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2009 07:46

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

To expand on what Z3n said, agree on a system of signals. Taps, hand gestures, whatever. I would say you need a way to communicate at least:

- Slow down
- I need to stop/stretch/pee/gently caress/whatever
- Hold on a second (usually as a response from the rider to the above)

# ¿ Mar 16, 2009 21:25

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

BotchedLobotomy posted:

I assumed since that one worked it was probably a lovely petcock. Well poo poo! I hope I can find one for cheap. Is it as easy as draining the tank and bolting a new one in? Should I go aftermarket or is OEM the way to go on petcocks? my bike model is notorious for having fuel starvation issues at high speeds on stock fuel setups so I guess aftermarket would be the way to go yeah?

I meant to reply to this earlier, but forgot. Hopefully you haven't bought a whole new petcock.

Unless the petcock is physically cracked, there's no need to buy a whole new one. You can get petcock rebuild kits much cheaper. These typically consist of all the gaskets you need and a diaphragm if you have a vacuum actuated one.

Find a diagram of your petcock for specifics, but in general you disconnect the tank, and run the gas out of the petcock (put it to prime or something). You shouldn't have to drain the tank unless you can't clamp the fuel line for some reason. You just dissassemble the petcock, change all the gaskets and diaphragm, put it all back together, and re-hook it up.

Be careful with the new diaphragm! They are fragile, and if you tear it you're starting over again. Also, they usually go in one way, and one way only. TAKE A PICTURE OF THE WAY THE OLD ONE IS INSTALLED BEFORE YOU TAKE IT OUT. Seriously, this will save you about an hour of trying to figure out which way the loving thing goes in. I speak from experience.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2009 18:18

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Stoic Commie posted:

I definitely see where you're coming from. If it is for sure just the ignitor though, I am definitely going to buy it. The market is really inflated around here and it is impossible to find a working cheap bike around here.

This is the problem. Unless I missed something you posted earlier, until you fix the ignitor you don't know what else is wrong with the bike, or if it will even run after you replace it.

Cross your fingers.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2009 18:24

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

8ender posted:

Does anyone know of any good techniques for cleaning electrical contacts? I'm getting into the detail work on my KZ project and right now I'm just cleaning them with a small file and sandpaper. I feel like there should be a better way.

The bike has some old fashioned fuses that I'm planning on replacing with a modern ATC type fuse box, but this doesn't solve the problem of all the old bullet connectors.

Get some Electrical Contact Cleaner spray at an auto parts store and spray the poo poo out of it.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2009 16:15

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Armyman25 posted:

A basic question on how much RPM to have before shifting. When I ride my Bonneville, I usually just shift about half way through the rev-range, mostly going by ear. If I'm accelerating quickly, should I let the revs be higher before upshifting? When is it appropriate(if ever) to redline the engine?

I mainly ride for the enjoymnent of riding, not for the speed or to race anyone.

Thanks!

It really depends heavily on the bike. I shift my Valk around 3k. On my Silverwing that would have been nearly lugging.

Playing it by ear shouldn't ever steer you wrong. Redlining is fine breifly, even if it sounds like the bike is going to asplode. It takes quite a bit of time at redline to really do any damage.

If you can find a dyna chart for your model bike, and want to shift at the maximum time for power, find where the HP torque peaks, then find the RPM on the bottom. That's the sweet spot for your bike*.

But really anything that between lugging and redline should be good.

*DISCLAIMER: I think at least. Maybe a racer can tell me better.

VVV ah cool.

Doctor Zero fucked around with this message at Mar 27, 2009 around 20:19

# ¿ Mar 27, 2009 20:07

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

LostinService posted:

This def doesn't deserve its own thread but can someone identify which type of motorcycle this is? It has a sidecar. I'd like to do a little research on it and the first step is identifying it. I hope someone in CA can help me with that.

Click here for the full 750x563 image.

TIA.

Edit: That image and a VIN are all I have on it. I'd rather not spend money on a carfax report so if no one can identify it from the photo its perfectly cool.

Edit2: The given vin is only 16 digits long so its invalid and vin decoders are unable to match it.

Looks like it might be a Ural of some kind:

# ¿ Mar 28, 2009 05:16

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Gnomad posted:

I think thst's one of the Chinese copies, given the shape of the heads.

http://www.chang-jiang.com/bmw/a2.html

Chang Jiang, not exactly a paragon of reliability. Alaso, it may be difficult to register here in the US.

Ah yeah, that's definitely it. Good catch.

# ¿ Mar 28, 2009 16:34

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

nskowyra posted:

so you think that if i take off the fenders/seat/gas tank. seal up the pipes/air filter/gas tank, I should be good?

Figure out where your idea adjust screw is and avoid spraying that. It is possible to move it if you spray it hard enough (shop did that to a friend's bike and it drove him crazy trying to figure out what they hosed up).

# ¿ Mar 29, 2009 19:24

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Mechanism Eight posted:

I've recently bought a 1991 GS500 with (allegedly) 16,000 miles on it and have so far put another 500 on. I've got almost no mechanical knowledge so when the bike suddenly started making louder sounds than usual today I had to record it and ask for advice. It's always made a light ticking sound from what I assume are the valves opening and closing but I assumed that was OK.

The recording is here, is that "normal"?

I bought the bike from a smalltime dealer and he replaced the oil, filter, sparkplugs, chain, tyres and sprockets but I doubt the valve clearances have been done in a while. I was planning on working through routine maintenance when the weather picks up but is this something I should look into right away?

~~I'm not an expert on GSes, but, no that does not sound normal to me.~~

EDIT: Well, I guess they just sound like lawn mowers compared to my bike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6WYgFk5pyw

Doctor Zero fucked around with this message at Apr 2, 2009 around 19:10

# ¿ Apr 2, 2009 19:08

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

dietcokefiend posted:

Seriously why the gently caress would a dealer not want to sell one brand they sell and push a different one (both bikes on the floor).

Sales quotas and/or bonuses?

# ¿ Apr 6, 2009 18:09

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Legerdemain posted:

My mirror has started to go out of adjustment on the freeway, any ideas to make the ball and socket a little... stickier?

Some mirrors have adjustment screws in the stem that can tighten them up. Try taking it off the bike and looking (unless it's obvious that there's no way it could).

Otherwise, I think you'd just have to buy new mirrors.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2009 03:10

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

OrangeFurious posted:

On the topic of boots, does anyone know a good LA area shop to try on a few pairs? The places I've been to usually have one or two pairs of trillion dollar Sidi robo-legs, a single pair of Joe Rocket "motorcycle shoes" (aka ugly sneakers) and motocross gear. I have yet to see anything in between.

I've also yet to find a pair from new enough that fit, hence the need for someplace local.

Red Wing Shoes has a large selection and they're pretty comfortable to boot.

http://www.redwingshoes.com/Locator...e=CA&Country=US

EDIT: Ugh, I didn't mean to do that.

Doctor Zero fucked around with this message at Apr 15, 2009 around 02:58

# ¿ Apr 15, 2009 02:27

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

OrangeCrush posted:

hmm did not work, thanks anyways, Ill cehck this thread later on see what some more opinions are, I left the guy a message lets see if he will deal.

vrrooomm

edit- I wasnt doing it right, IRC working.

How tall are you? If you're over 6' you're going to be sitting on the pillion to be comfortable.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2009 18:50

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Windshield pros:

- Deflects bugs
- Deflects wind and reduces noise
- Can duck behind it in the rain

Windshield cons:

- Acts like a loving sail in a heavy crosswind

- Might change optics if you have to look through it
- If it's not high enough, might send the wind right into your face / cause buffeting

To me, it's all about the bugs and wind deflection:

With windshield:

Without:

# ¿ Apr 16, 2009 19:28

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Odd little thing with my Honda CB250: neutral is almost impossible to hit unless I'm moving. All other shifting is fine except going into Neutral whilst standing still.

I've literally gone back and forth from 1 to 2 a dozen times at a stretch, getting a little flicker of green in my indicator light but then sliding past to the next gear. However, if I'm on the move I can easily (often accidentally) hit Neutral if I don't give it a good kick coming up from 1st or down from 2d.

Any idea why it would be doing this? That's not normal, right?

Maybe. Both my Hondas have been like that to a point. I can still find N at a stop, although it can take a couple tries.

Also, while in motion, make sure you are shifting with authority, as I like to think of it. It will save you the embarrassment of revving the engine a bunch and nothing happening when you're trying to get going.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2009 20:35

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Plastic Bottle posted:

I've never motorcycled in my life, but want to try and have recently been given a '91 Kawasaki Vulcan 700cc cruiser. It has 16,000 miles on it and is in pretty good condition. My only question is, is this a decent bike to start on? While I would prefer something smaller, I can't exactly argue with the price, so will this bike make learning much harder?

Power-wise, the bike will be fine, I think. Weight-wise it'll probably weigh around 500 lbs or so, which is heavier than a smaller bike, but not horrendous. I think you'll be fine.

If you take the MSF, keep in mind that the little 250s that you learn on will be far easier to do tight maneuvers on, and that it will tire you out more when you build up your riding stamina.

I think considering the price, it'll be good.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2009 19:32

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

2ndclasscitizen posted:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

He also does the "GET RICH QUICK NOW BY SITTING AT HOME ON YOUR rear end" website designs, doesn't he?

# ¿ Apr 22, 2009 14:33

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Plus, in general, it makes more financial sense to take the $700 and bank it in case something goes wrong than it is to pay it and never use it.

# ¿ Apr 22, 2009 20:31

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

God-damned Pilates posted:

Provided I can find it without the EC tag, is 5w30 preferable? Should I just stick with the manufacturer recomendation? I'm not really gonna take it out if it's <60 out (except in the spring, when 45 is "warm" to me).

Also, the last oil change I did, my EMGO filter basically crumbled in my hands when it came out...after ~1000 miles. Is this supposed to happen, or are EMGO filters trash?

EMGO filers are cheap, but they shouldn't be that cheap. I haven't had a problem with one like that. Maybe it was just a bad one?

# ¿ Apr 24, 2009 17:44

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Watommi posted:

Thanks, I'll see what I can do. I'll have my girlfriend blocking for me, which as I think about it may be more scary than just having random traffic behind me as I constantly go between 65-80 mph. I'll be sure to change the oil when I get home.

Saturday afternoon traffic on the 5 between LA and SD isn't bad, right?

Right?

Well, the good news about heavy traffic is that you'll pretty much be forced to vary your throttle.

# ¿ Apr 24, 2009 18:10

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

chryst posted:

Ok, time for the first oil change. The manual says to use 10w-40, and nothing labeled as "energy conserving".

Anything else I should know about picking oil, or will the box of Castrol GTX synthetic stuff I've got be ok?

Hooo-boy. The eternally argued question.

Personally, I just go buy motorcycle oil because the extra $3 is worth the peace of mind and not having to deal with a bunch of people arguing over motor oil.

# ¿ Apr 28, 2009 20:26

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

chryst posted:

Seemed to me it sounds about the same, without the electric-ish whine sound. I dunno if that's what you mean or not.

I figured as much, but this being my first new bike, I've still got a lot of dumb new-bike questions.

If you let it sit in the rain a lot, the water might pool inside the pipes and rust them from the inside, but you won't let your bike sit in the rain right? RIGHT?

# ¿ Apr 29, 2009 18:29

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Uthor posted:

I've been leaving mine in the rain on and off for four years now with little problem. I have a tiny bit of surface rust in a handful of places and that's it. It's just water; the bike isn't going to melt from it.

I do have a cover that I try to get on if rain is forecasted, but I'm lazy sometimes. And it's ripped.

I don't leave it out in the snow, however. It's tucked away nice and safe for the winter.

Yay! Another person advising everyone else to do follow their bad habits because they are lucky enough to have seemingly avoided repercussions!

# ¿ Apr 30, 2009 02:58

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

8ender posted:

You know I think the manufacturers take rain into account when they design the bikes.

I wash my bike too.

I wasn't saying you can never get a bike wet. I'm really glad some of you don't give a poo poo if you leave your machines out in the rain and snow, but how hard is it to get a $20 cover? Would you REALLY advise people to just leave bikes exposed just because you do?

That's all I'm getting at.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2009 18:28

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

sirbeefalot posted:

Few things:

� I'm looking for a chronographic solution to ensure punctuality when I'm riding. I have two analog watches that are not only stainless steel and heavy, they're also really difficult to read at a glance and are fit to a single size - my bare wrist. What do you guys do for a clock while you ride? Big velcro band around your jacket's sleeve? Clock mounted on the bike somewhere? Forget that time exists?

Put down the thesaurus and look into handlebar clocks http://www.clocks4bikes.com/. I have no idea about that website, but it gives you an idea. My bike has a clock built into the instrument cluster, but I'd probably do something like that otherwise.

Or, yeah, Velcro a $3 watch somewhere.

# ¿ May 2, 2009 01:18

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 18, 2013 16:48

Doctor Zero: Sep 21, 2002; Would you like a jelly baby?
It's been in my pocket through 4 regenerations,
but it's still good.

Ponies ate my Bagel posted:

I've lowered my want/expectations as far as bikes go. I am now looking used due to my boss wanting me to commute farther sooner than expected. I'm not quite ready to buy but in the next 45-60 days I will be.

Would this bike be a bad idea?
http://slo.craigslist.org/mcy/1153257919.html

Be very wary of salvage titled vehicles.

1) it's hard to know what was really wrong with it. It could have just been a lot of plastic. It could have been something really bad, and fixed shoddily. Not all states make you list everything done to the bike to get it back up to riding condition.

2) salvage titles don't ever disappear. Ever. You can't "launder" one away. It will be a bitch to resell the bike with a salvage title.

I'm not saying don't buy it, but go in cautiously.

# ¿ May 5, 2009 15:16

«‹›7 »

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > Motorcycle Question Thread II: Less chatting and more questions