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karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

jujube posted:

How do I persuade a friend who's never ridden a moped and is dead set on buying a >2000 600cc sportbike? I'm worried he'll buy one, ride it for a month, crash/drop it, sell it and forget about motorcycles.

I feel guilty for getting him interested in bikes :(

Pray he won't pass his AVB exam?

You can't talk him out of a bike, but you can talk him into good insurance and, if you're lucky, full gear.

Good luck dude. :(

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karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
I'm not going to buy poo poo that I'm not going to wear. I might have some hand-me-downs laying around which they are welcome to use but that's it.

Not that I know people that want to ride 2 up, but still..

Rudager posted:

Noobie question, going around corners.

I can do fine at low speeds, but I'm struggling to lean around a corner at any decent speed, 50-60km/h or more. (I'm Australian, so work your own MPH out) I understand the physics of it, and I think alot of it is lack of confidence, any tips?

You could also try to tuck your elbows in. Every time I feel the bike turning heavy or just running wide for no reason, it is because my arms are locked up and tense.

Rudager posted:

The roads around here are pretty poor, and feeling a bump while it's on a lean freaks me out a litte, plus I've felt the back sliding around a little bit as well

Yeah, lost of folks are scared as soon as the bike leans into a corner, tense up, ruining a smooth, forgiving ride. Now the back sliding around could mean that your tires are poo poo or that you are too focused on not killing yourself instead of letting the bike do its thing. :)

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Shifting up without a clutch is pretty easy but how do you shift down without? Is that even possible?

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Binge posted:

I thought I wanted a cruiser (which is why I went after the Shadow), but the more I ride, the less I'm into it. I don't want a full blown sport bike like a Ninja or GSXR type deals. Would something like a Suzuki SV650 be a good choice? I'd definitely be looking into some fairly older model ones as I'm sure I won't have a ton to spend.

Pretty much every cheap bike is in your category, so I would worry more about the picking part instead of the choosing.

"More powerful" is also a bit of a misnomer, since peak power tells very little about the characteristics of any bike. You can't tell what you'll like or dislike from a bunch of bulletpoints on a forum. Torque, handling, seating position and speed only have meaning when you have experience to tell them apart.

You're looking for reference bike to further your understanding of your taste wich means my tip for you is: pick one you like to look at, but is not a cruiser. Not very helpful, but you don't have a big list of criteria here. :)


Binge posted:

Also, what are some good general tools to buy?

Don't cheap out and buy when needed.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
My tdm has a bit of a hard time shifting into or out of first. If I don't go along a crawl speed my shifter keeps rattling and grinding gears. Is this a characteristic of some gearboxes or is there a setting I can fiddle with to make it less 'grabby'?

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Saga posted:

Karma!, this is a characteristic of a hosed gearbox. It's not normal for either 3VD or 4TX.

As Z3N says, you hope that the problem is that the clutch isn't disengaging properly, which will manifest most obviously bridging the gap between 2nd and 1st. Start with cable adjustment.

If you can't adjust it out, you could try pulling the clutch, replacing the clutch springs and checking that the plain plates haven't warped.

Good thing I have warranty then, since adjusting only changed the engagement point further out.

Saga posted:

If it's not a clutch problem, I'd just avoid 1st gear unless you fancy rebuilding the transmission.

Ack, I need this thing for a motorcycle holiday mid-august! Thanks for the details, I'll get right on it. Let's hope it's just the clutch..

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Ola posted:

I don't have a very good butt dyno, but more of a butt nervous passenger. "Oh god what was that sound? Is it the valves? The chain? Probably nothing...did the steering just go abit loose? Or perhaps tight? I wonder how my air pressures are doing. Oh god maybe something is leaki..WHAT was THAT"

Just add more fiber in your diet, it'll be fine.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Two questions:

1) I bought new mirrors for my bike. New and old are the stalk type, but the new one is too thin for the old retainer. Is there some kind of adapter available or am I SOL?

2) (one of) My front brake discs is warped. How easy is such a thing replaced and what kind of tools do I need?

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
You'll get the full bike experience on any bike. That's what you need to know for now, the rest is risk mitigation. Some see 'more bike' and think that means a better experience, where it actually means a smaller margin of error. And you will error, believe me. That's just a fact of riding.

The CB1000 is a far better choice of a first bike then a lot of other choices that's for sure, but it is still be a bit of a risk that most people here would be weary of taking.

Take this information with you in your decision. :) Good luck!

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Z3n posted:

Couldn't have said it better. But you're wary of taking risks, not weary of them.

Unless, of course, you're taking risks while tired. :v:

You try writing perfect coherent Dutch and we'll talk mister!!! :turianass:

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
With my bike (not an sv) when I pull the choke open, it'll catch eventually.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Wait, the stator is 3 phase? I did not know that, that's pretty cool. Is this always the case with charging systems?

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Knots posted:

Conventional wisdom is that you need a larger bike for long distances and carrying poo poo, but conventional wisdom is also that beginners need a smaller bike. I don’t particularly want to buy one and have to sell the drat thing in less than a year to “upgrade”.

These guys made it clear in 1994 that you don't need a big bike to do a big journey: http://www.tokyotolondon.com/ :). There is so much more to a big trip than the bike, so don't buy one on the basis that you're 'going to do a trip someday'.

that means we come back to beginner bikes and why the need for distinction, margin of error, versatility, etc.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Crayvex posted:

I don't get you motorcycle camper types. The last thing I want to do after spending hours and hours in the saddle is sleep at a campsite. There are numerous cheap hotels out there. Do your back a favor and sleep on a bed.

It's cheaper, more adventurous and sleeping on a mat with a sleeping bag is comfortable enough since I don't have old rickety joints. So there. :colbert:

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Well that's also a kind of adventure I guess.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Vilkata posted:

Last night I laid my bike down during a slow corner in my apartment complex. Besides my incredibly bruised ego, my bike seems fine cosmetically. I haven't been able to get her to turn over yet, probably due to the engine being flooded from gas coming out of the top vent when she was on her side. Anyone have any suggestions on what I should do to make sure everything is fine and okay?

Nothing really. Just start it up again and ride it.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
When it is raining really hard, my bike is hard to start (even w/ choke) and sputters and spats at low revs. My guess is that my sparkplugs get a bit wet. What can I do to remedy this?

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Weinertron posted:

Is it an SV650 / some other small V-twin? On SV650s, the front spark plug gets wet and it runs on a single cylinder. The solution to this is to clean out the drain around the front spark plug, which usually gets clogged up by some crap. I've had to do this after I got tired of running on 1 cylinder in the rain.

Yeah, but parallel twin. The drain holes are the size of a pencil, so it would be hard to clog 'em up though!

makka-setan posted:

Check the spark plug caps. Mine were not only cracked but all the rubber parts were rotted through. Some WD40 or other water displacing agent probably wouldn't hurt either.

Alright, I'll hunt further. Thanks to both for telling me I'm looking in the right direction! :)

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Press that button every time you're not thinking about your turn signal. Mine has a different feel whether my turn signal is on or not that silently tells me that my bike's ashamed for me not paying enough attention.

I'm sorry bike, I won't do it again, honest! :(

(My internal monologue is hilarious. Well, to me anyway. "poo poo I haven't checked my signal, I hope I don't feel that click... Phew, no click. Yeah I'm still a boss.")

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
When you have more 'Oof! That could've gone wrong if I did not see that one coming!' then 'Oof! I almost crashed, better not do that again...' moments.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Z3n posted:

Theft insurance! :v:

Yup. Carrying a beefy chain everywhere is a huge pain in the rear end. I've only got a token disc lock because the insurance company wants one.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
There's always home-made, which is even cheaper. Here's a translated page of a dutch forum explaining how.

Btw, 'opzuigslangetje' means the hose that sucks up the oil.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Ola posted:

You can opzuig my slangetje. :smug:

Oh Ola, you always know the right thing to say. :swoon:

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Kommando posted:

some bag of mouldy cocks stopped at a green arrow in front of me yesterday and i dropped the ER5 on its left side in surprise bending the left rear shock. The mechanic says they are rare and expensive. Is this bullshit? Is it easy to replace shocks yourself. I imagine it is.

Stop crashing. :(

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
My chain conspired with the little retainer plate of the chain tensioner (on the chain side) to sing a little diddy called 'gently caress this, I'm out'. I have a feeling that I am to blame for this spectacle, but I have no idea why.

In what way did I fail basic motor maintenance? I got new rubber and set the tension of the chain to about an inch. The left tensioner was a lot easier to put tension on than the right one, but the right one's still truckin'. Both set to the same depth. The chain was lubed, although now come to think of it I did not check for tight spots.

.. ohh gently caress, I might have set the chains when the rear was still in the air. Erm, could that be it? :(

Anyway, off to buy some new chain + sprockets.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
TDM 850, so a roadbike.

I just looked up the specs, and it says.... 40 ~ 50 millimeter. Yeah.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Z3n posted:

Yeah, too tight chain will cause issues. You're probably going to notice a bit more driveline lash after you loosen it to the appropriate amount. Most of the time I ballpark my chain by checking that it can just barely tap the swingarm if you push up hard on it...that's typically around the 45mm range. Too tight is a problem because not only will it lock up your suspension once the chain doesn't have any more slack to take up, it'll put a huge amount of strain on the output shaft of the transmission, occasionally leading to the output shaft sheering off or damaging the bearings after extended use.

I like how you called having your chain adjuster exploded an 'issue'. :P not a lot of damage though, a nick on the wheel and the chainguard's bracket bent a bit. Haven't seen the front sprocket area, but I don't believe there's much to worry about since the chain came out pretty clean.

karms fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Apr 21, 2011

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Good idea! I'll get right on it. From which end should I start checking?

Only registered members can see post attachments!

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
The tensioner for one! Nothing else. It might have damaged the inner front sprocket cover too because I haven't had time to check that out yet, but it probably didn't do much since there was very little drama.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Backov posted:

This thing doesn't have a fork lock, so I'm guessing it'll be pretty easy to steal. What's a good way to make it a little harder to steal?

There are different type of locks for a bike, but they never really make it hard to steal a bike. If there's room for three guys to lift the thing in a van, you're SOL. This means that the best protection is, sadly, insurance.

That said, locks aren't completely useless. If you can get your bike right next to a post or metal fence of some kind you could secure the bike to it with a chain lock. A disc lock is a good replacement for the missing steering lock, although it only stops a random lummox to go on a walkabout with it.

Backov posted:

Anyone know anything about maintenance I need to do on these Dnepr engines?

Dnepr's one of those brands that have a cult following, so I think you can find a buttload of information on some dnepr specific site. Oh hey look at that!


Backov posted:

Finally: The PO did some stupid poo poo, as you can see. What's non-obvious is that the rear tire is actually a car tire of some kind, and the rear forks have been modified to accomodate it. That seems kind of suicidal to me, for some reason. Am I right?

On a whole, yes.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Bugdrvr posted:


If it idles lovely then yeah, a carb cleaning is in your future.

And a carb sync!

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Errant Gin Monks posted:

Ugh... riding around yesterday I glance down at my speedo and suddenly it drops to 0. I'm getting no function in the speedo, the odometer or the trip meter. I am going to take it off but I was wondering if it is most likely an internal gear problem or a problem with the wheel assembly.

Any suggestions?

If your bike's like mine, speed's measured with a mechanical cable on the front wheel. If this is not the case, someone smarter than me has a better explanation.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

crazyivan45 posted:

Also, my front brake is now making a whiring sound whenever I hit it. Braking power seems normal, but the noise is a little worrisome

It is the back of the pad rubbing against the caliper. It doesn't damage anything, just annoying. Put a bit of (copper?)grease between the pad and the caliper if you want it gone.

Try to not get any grease on the brake discs though. :)

OR it might be that your brake blocks are worn to the metal and need replacing immediately.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Latvian engineering. Because a motorcycle is too much like a motorcycle.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
New calipers on front with new-ish pads. Bled brakes. Even though the handle feels solid, braking power is very lacking.

Is this a case of having to 'seat' the used pads or me not bleeding the brakes correctly?
(pads have plenty of life left so that's why I'm not getting new ones)

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

Z3n posted:

Take the pads off, sand them down on something flat (sandpaper on a glass sheet or window works well), and then go bed them in. Everyone has a different technique and way of doing it, I get on the freeway and drag the brake progressively harder for 10 seconds or so, and then let off for 30 seconds or so and repeat until they start to feel good, usually 3-6 repetitions is enough.

I scuffed up the pads and dis some hard braking, and they are starting to grab. Thanks! I also bled the system so more wich eeked out the tiniest of bubbles.

One set of the used pads were worn in a wierd offset, but I'm getting a new set for it anyway.

Thanks again for the advice. :)

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

ChesterJT posted:

The tight u-turn and cornering and braking are great but the cone weave still needs some work. I start to get a little wider on each weave so by the last cone I'm way out of position to make it. Just more practicing needed.

If you want some advice on this, you're not holding your throttle steady. Try to find a steady spot on the bars where you can rest your thumb, or hold on the the bar end weights with your pinky.

karms fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Jun 7, 2011

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker

KozmoNaut posted:

I have an annoyance with my Bandit 600. In a certain RPM range, approximately from 3500-5000rpm, I get this really persistent buzz in my left ear. It makes no difference whether I use earplugs or not, the buzz is 'inside' my ear and only in my left ear.

What could be causing it? Vibration? Some sort of resonance?

It's a real buzzkill :(

Tried moving your butt? Standing up? Different helmet? Other rider? Etc.

karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Front tire could be flatspotted or cupped.

If you want to check the bearings, get the front of the ground and turn the bars. They need to move without any bunching or (much) resistance.

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karms
Jan 22, 2006

by Nyc_Tattoo
Yam Slacker
Make sure the one you end up with has an e-rating. Without one, German constables will confiscate the exhaust, give you a big fine and will leave you without an exhaust .

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