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goddamnedtwisto posted:Why aren't there bike clubs in the same way there's car clubs? I don't mean owners clubs or whatever, but the car timeshare people like these guys? For those not familiar with the concept, you pay a yearly subscription that gets you a certain amount of points - it's one point for like a Triumph TR7 on a weekend in November, or a hundred points for a Lamborghini in Summer (or anything at all around exam results time or Eid around east London, it's certainly an experience to see a bunch of early-20s kids 5-up in an Aventador wheelspinning up Brick Lane). Couple of guesses: - It's always seemed harder to me to hop on a strange bike and go fast than it does with a car. Now I haven't ridden a whole lot of bikes and maybe this gets easier the more bikes you touch, but when on an unfamiliar bike I'm definitely not able to push the envelope like I'd be able to after a few hundred miles of acquaintance. So renting something crazy hot would be neat, but I wouldn't feel I was getting much out of it other than ticking a bucket list, unless I had it for a few days or a week - and most of the bikes you'd want to do that with are ill-suited to riding much distance for more than a day in a row. - Old bikes, especially old sportbikes, frankly kind of suck. Tech really has pushed every aspect forward, tires, brakes, engines, suspension, weight, etc. with essentially no tradeoffs. Meanwhile those old bikes are less forgiving, especially near the limit; if you're used to radial brakes and ABS and you get on something '90s with sliding pins and try to stoppie you're likely to end up in the weeds. You can make an exception to this point to some degree with old two-strokes, who have no real modern equivalent. On the other hand, with cars, modern emissions and safety regs mean, yes, cars might be more powerful and more capable but the sensation of throwing around a nearly weightless old 308 or air-cooled Porsche with the un-catted engine screaming behind you, or a TR7 that's so narrow you can stick your hands out both windows, is an experience you can't buy at the local Kia dealer. - Owning an old Ferrari practically means keeping a Ferrari mechanic on staff, which makes a lot more sense when you have a fleet of Ferraris. There's nothing particularly special about the maintenance on an old Kawi, or even an old Duc, other than the esoteric parts that generally aren't shared between models anyway. - When you're talking rentals, that whole unfamiliarity thing comes into play, but also people tend to be renting to do distance, in unfamiliar areas and sometimes far from service options. That Panamera or M5 is still going to be dead reliable after cruising the autobahn for days, but if your rental Benelli Tre craps out on you halfway through the Alps because it saw a cloud and the electrics disintegrated, your vacation is shot. In a similar vein, the Porsche and Beemer can swallow a passenger or three and a ton of luggage, but unless you get something fairly touring-oriented your storage on a strange bike you can't modify tends to be very limited, even more so on a supersport / superbike's eensy weensy pillion.
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Sep 16, 2013 01:54
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What's the general consensus on breaking in a new engine on a bike? I've heard a lot of conflicting ideas on the subject, especially as to whether or not you should follow the manufacturer's recommended procedure. This write-up seems like a decent start. I think the major points are to vary the RPMs and make sure you give the engine time to warm up properly.
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Sep 16, 2013 17:45
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When I broke in my vstar I gave it varied revs, some good brief wot pulls after a couple hundred miles or so (day two), and hard decels. That was basically the manufacturers' recommendation - they had some guidelines about how long to open the throttle wide (no more than 10 seconds or whatever) too. With the exception of intentionally varying the revs, that's pretty much how I normally ride. I had the cases split for a defect in the transmission at 17k mi and they said the rings and top end looked great so apparently I did it the break-in OK.
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Sep 16, 2013 18:06
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ButtFaceMcCrackin posted:I think the major points are to vary the RPMs and make sure you give the engine time to warm up properly. Those are really the only points. Do those, and change the oil regularly, and it will be fine. I broke in my GSXR (the only bike I've owned since 0 miles) by letting it warm up and varying throttle and it ran great for as long as I owned it.
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Sep 16, 2013 18:39
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Don't lug it if you can help it, but that remains true throughout the lifetime
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Sep 16, 2013 19:08
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So I sold my 675 on July 22nd... here I am a month and a half later considering selling the Jetta TDI I replaced it with. Bahaha. The bike crack is too strong.
BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Sep 16, 2013 |
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Sep 16, 2013 22:03
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'06+ R6's are fun but if you want it for around town as well I'd pass. Track only? Go for it. I loving hated that thing on my commute.
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Sep 16, 2013 22:35
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:Those are really the only points. Do those, and change the oil regularly, and it will be fine. The only thing I'd add to that is try and get it up and down some hills too, and make sure you don't just run it at the same rpm for mile after mile. It won't hurt it, as such, but a too-conservative run-in can lead to the engine being tight and not getting its full potential.
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Sep 16, 2013 23:08
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hot sauce posted:What time period are you coming exactly? A bunch of us from the DC area have been riding together lately, including some VA/WV country poo poo. Me and ought ten were discussing one weekend in October as well out in Shennendoah Valley. Sorry, got probated and missed this post. It'll be mid week, we're doing the Gauley 10/1 so it'd be 10/2-whenever. Doubt I'll still be around by Saturday.
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Sep 16, 2013 23:10
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I recently purchased an R6. When my father came to look at the bike his first comment was "You're going to get pulled over for the headlight setup; I guarantee it." I laughed it off thinking that no one would be that dense seeing as how a poo poo ton of sport bikes have worked that way for years and there are a lot of kids on supersports around my area. Last night I got pulled over by a state trooper. Ten minutes later I'm still trying to explain to him, as well as a local city officer, how the bike's lights work. He's completely bent over, five inches away from the front cowl, with his maglite telling me to "turn em on" and "ok now turn em off." Cue a K9 county sheriff stopping to check out the commotion. His dog is in the back seat barking, growling non-stop, and generally acting like he wants to tear through the car's door and eat me alive. At this point the customers at the gas station I've pulled into are gawking and watching to see what is about to happen to me. The whole scene was surreal and I couldn't keep from snickering under my helmet. I assume the county sheriff informed the trooper about the bike's lights because soon after he arrived they let me go, but not before the sheriff complimented me on the bike. Thanks, awesome sheriff with an out-of-control K9. My father laughed hysterically when I told him the story. He loves it when he can say he told me so.
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Sep 17, 2013 13:09
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GSXR single light supremacy. But seriously, a ton of bikes have had that setup for over a decade now, how did he not know that?
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Sep 17, 2013 14:16
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:But seriously, a ton of bikes have had that setup for over a decade now, how did he not know that?
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Sep 18, 2013 00:53
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:GSXR single light supremacy. Every light/equipment/etc law I have ever read has been 'no ______, except in cases of/only in cases of where supplied from the factory'. The only exception to that is window tint laws. Tint % is fine until it isn't, and then it's on you to meet the new law. Not sure how many cars come with tinted windows though. Point being though is I'm not sure why "it's factory, I've done no modifications to the lighting" wasn't enough for him. I've never heard of people getting hassled for light bars and what not... what's the issue with the R6 style of lights anyway?
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Sep 18, 2013 16:27
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Halo_4am posted:what's the issue with the R6 style of lights anyway? Separate high and low lamp housings; one is always off unless you wire them both on. I don't understand how "This is my low beam and [flip switch] this is my high beam, it's supposed to be this way" wouldn't have sufficed. I had like 5 people in Sturgis tell me I had a headlight out.
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Sep 18, 2013 17:14
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08+ KLRs also have two different bulbs, though at least they're in the same housing. They are side by side so your low beam / day lamp is off-center, which is enough to get some people to try to "help", thinking that both should be on. What's been happening to me lately is at night people thinking my hi-beam is on when it isnt. I'm pretty sure this is factory bulbs it must just be pointed up high or something. I had some Alaskan rednecks chase me down last month to yell at me. 
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Sep 18, 2013 19:56
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tranten posted:08+ KLRs also have two different bulbs, though at least they're in the same housing. They are side by side so your low beam / day lamp is off-center, which is enough to get some people to try to "help", thinking that both should be on. What's been happening to me lately is at night people thinking my hi-beam is on when it isnt. I'm pretty sure this is factory bulbs it must just be pointed up high or something. I had some Alaskan rednecks chase me down last month to yell at me. You may need to readjust your headlight angle while you're sitting on the bike with your typical loadout. A lot of weight on the back can tilt your bike and put your lowbeam up in the trees.
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Sep 18, 2013 21:09
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ARE YOU CALLING ME FAT!? it's cool, I'm fat.
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Sep 18, 2013 21:37
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Crank up the preload.
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Sep 19, 2013 01:24
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I got a letter in the mail the other day from partzilla. Apparently between dec 2012 to july 2013, there was some kind of malware in the shopping cart portions of their website that may have collected personal info, including credit card info and all that. So, I dunno, keep an eye on your accounts if you bought something from partzilla in that time period.
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Sep 19, 2013 14:27
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Just got back from the local bike shop. Dude was pretty chill. Kinda badmouthed "Jap bikes" for a bit to another customer, but I'm cool with it. He mostly didn't like them because of how boring they are. He only rides KTMs, BMWs and Guzzis now. Presumably because he gets his parts at cost. Anyway, I need a new chain and sprockets, as the chain that's on there now shed a roller sometime this week and is leaving metal dust all over the swingarm. He said $350 out-the-door cost for RK everything. That's a good price, in my book. He said it wouldn't be more than $500 out the door to get the carb tuned at the same time, even when I mentioned it had a seized mixture screw. Appointments? Naaah, "we do tires and carbs and chains while you wait. Just bring it in Monday or Tuesday sometime." Awesome.
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Sep 20, 2013 01:39
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That seems kind of high to me. I think you can get a RK kit for way, way less. They aren't hard to put on at all.
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Sep 20, 2013 01:50
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That's a lot of money. The chain and sprocket themselves shouldn't run you more than $100, maybe $150 on the high end. Add  if you don't have a chain breaker, and that's a job that's easily done in an afternoon if you can spin a wrench.Edit: to be clear, $350 is what my mechanic quoted me for the same job. It's just a lot for a straightforward job. ought ten fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Sep 20, 2013 |
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Sep 20, 2013 02:15
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$500 for a chain and "carb tune" while you wait. I wonder what that shop rate comes out to $250 an hr?
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Sep 20, 2013 04:40
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I never get my bikes serviced anywhere, so I glazed over the rest and was more surprised by the 'Bring it in on Monday' part.
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Sep 20, 2013 07:17
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The RK kit for the bike is $300 on the nose. But I'm not getting the kit, I'm getting sprockets in different sizes than stock. So $315 in parts, $35 in labor. If I had all my tools with me, I'd order the stuff and do it, but I'm kinda living out of a hotel off and on for the next couple of weeks, and this chain is going to explode any minute now. Just getting the stuff delivered to the hotel would be a hassle I don't want to deal with. Sometimes, it's not about the best deal, it's about the best value.
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Sep 20, 2013 11:11
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n8r posted:$500 for a chain and "carb tune" while you wait. I wonder what that shop rate comes out to $250 an hr?
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Sep 20, 2013 18:18
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If the RK kit includes aluminum sprockets save your money and get a kit that has steel sprockets.
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Sep 20, 2013 21:58
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n8r posted:If the RK kit includes aluminum sprockets save your money and get a kit that has steel sprockets. I'm going 20,000 miles on a chain, I'm absolutely going steel sprockets all the way.
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Sep 21, 2013 00:04
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Well, did my good deed of the day today. I went to the Kawi dealer to pick up an item I ordered this afternoon, and while I was walking in I noticed some dude in bike gear bring a dual sport wheel in. As I was leaving I noticed him with a couple of the parts guys fiddling with calipers trying to measure up a bearing of which they were obviously struggling. Since that's my thing, I introduced myself and offered to help. Turns out bike dude is German and riding from Alaska to the Southern US on his BMW dual sport. Originally he was going to go to South America, but his friends bailed and he was solo. So he was just riding western Canada/US. As he got near the Canada/US border yesterday afternoon, he heard a really bad sound from his rear wheel. Crossed over (middle of nowhere crossing), didn't get 100' and his rear wheel locked up completely. Dragged his bike back to the Canadian side, ripped the wheel off and left it at the duty free store. Spent the night with some friendly Natives (the real deal) on a nearby reservation. Caught a lift back to my city and looked for a BMW dealership... we have none. In fact, no bike shop is open in town on Saturday and the industrial machine shops all close on the weekends, so he took a cab to the Kawi/Yamaha dealer with the BMW wheel in tow. Probably a fair choice in the circumstance. Anyhow, I took a look at it, and the bearing next to the rotor was completely hosed. Utter catastrophic failure. I was worried it would be some bizzaro bearing, but luckily it measured up to a common size but the dealership had no shop open to remove the remnants and the parts sales guys had no tools, plus they had no seal at all. SO... I and another fellow take pity on the guy. I opened my shop for him and I pulled the remnants of the bearings out and put new ones in. I did have a proper seal too so I was able to put that in as well. Then I took a look at the axle bolt and nut and spacers. The threads were gimped and it was pretty chewed up where the bearing failed. I cleaned it all up and chased the threads for him. He's crashing with the older dude he met at the dealer tonight and he's going to drive him to the border to put his bike back together tomorrow. The karma is I am quite possibly the only guy in my city of 100,000 that could have helped him out to get his bike fixed today. Almost certainly nobody else would have had the seal, and guaranteed no businesses would have been open to work on his bike until Monday... and even then it would have cost him to fix it all up in a rush. And I just happened to walk by him and inquire if I could help.Kraut loves Canadians even more now, I tell you what. slidebite fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Sep 22, 2013 |
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Sep 22, 2013 05:43
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You're a good egg, buddy. I picked up a truck from a friend today in preparation for a trackday. I've been on vacation for 2 weeks but have really spent that time working anywhere from 5-8 hours in the garage each day to get bikes ready, bought, customized, etc. But...tomorrow I change the last sets of tires and we're off to Thunderhill for an open trackday. It's going to be the best. 2 675s, a 999, a 749, Brammo, ZX10, MZ, 2 GSXR 750s, a couple of R6es, and no groups...just ride until you puke and then ride some more. Yes.
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Sep 22, 2013 05:54
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It's amazing, Hans! All of the Canadians I met have motorcycle shops in their back yard with a good selection of parts! And they never lock their doors!
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Sep 22, 2013 15:08
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Was musing in IRC the other day: my first car, a 1981 Lynx, had a 1.6l carbed engine and around 69hp. My 2007 Bandit has a 650cc FI engine and 85hp. Biek supremacy!
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Sep 22, 2013 16:07
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Chris Knight posted:Was musing in IRC the other day: my first car, a 1981 Lynx, had a 1.6l carbed engine and around 69hp. My 2007 Bandit has a 650cc FI engine and 85hp. Biek supremacy! When I bought my SV650 my vehicle at the time was a 1981 VW diesel pickup. The SV makes 70hp/40tq with a 650cc v-twin, the truck made 40hp/70tq from a 1.5L I4...the SV also had two more gears, twice the top speed and a 0-60 time that was ~1/4 the truck. I miss that truck.
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Sep 23, 2013 13:44
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slidebite posted:Good karma That is pretty awesome good on you. Anyone I know who's ridden cross country, especially solo, has marveled at the kindness of perfect strangers. Not nearly in the same league, but last weekend I got to help out a friend of the family's son get his first bike. The parents are pretty awesome for letting their son ride and co-signing the loan. He got an 05 Kawasaki Z1000; a nice bike in good shape. Another friend who much better at mechanics than I looked over the bike with me and the kid had that ear-to-ear grin of motorcycle + "It's mine." It's his first large purchase as an adult so I remember the sense of ownership with doing something like that. Not to just get him in some decent gear. His head's in the right direction on that count too. The weird thing is I feel more apprehensive about him riding than my own riding and am starting to understand other friends who have said the same stuff when their own kids learn to ride and get their first bikes. I went on my first charity ride, a poker run, this weekend and it was H-Dtastic. I got to talking to two guys, a father and son, duo. Dad was on some metric cruiser and the kid on an SV650S. It must be really awesome to ride with your kids. The rumbling sound of freedom was very loud though. And some Harley riders cannot ride well, veering into oncoming traffic at almost every intersection. A few were quite good. I think part of it is steering geometry and the other part is the no helmets. At one point the group I was with was doing 10 under the limit on a beautiful twisty road and I wanted to scream. I bailed on them and after another stop at least was with some people who could keep up with the flow of traffic. Still, it was pretty fun. The right time of year, I'd do it again.
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Sep 23, 2013 15:05
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If I see a rider alone with their bike pulled over on a road, I almost always stop unless its someone clearly taking a smoke/snack/drink break. Most of the time, people seem absolutely shocked that I stopped to check on them, seems its the exception rather than the rule.
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Sep 23, 2013 16:10
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A Z1000 is a pretty monster ride for a first bike. It's what I started with, won't teach the best habits but man is it fun.
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Sep 23, 2013 16:28
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omg y'all riding motorcycles is really fun
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Sep 23, 2013 16:38
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Yeah, I've helped out a few people now. I think it's the same kind of comradeship that lets more or less strangers spend the night with you or get together for a beer. Oddly, I almost never do group rides with anyone.. other than maybe with someone I might have met here or a good real life local friend. Even then though, it's only 1 or 2 people at most. Whenever I am riding and see a group of bikes stopped and chatting (as I often do during the summer), I never stop to join them. Backov posted:It's amazing, Hans! All of the Canadians I met have motorcycle shops in their back yard with a good selection of parts! And they never lock their doors! 
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Sep 23, 2013 16:47
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I always think of Dieter. I blame Mike Myers.
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Sep 23, 2013 16:53
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Snowdens Secret posted:A Z1000 is a pretty monster ride for a first bike. It's what I started with, won't teach the best habits but man is it fun. He borrowed my old EX500 for a few months before I sold it. So it's not technically his ~first~ bike. Jim Silly-Balls posted:If I see a rider alone with their bike pulled over on a road, I almost always stop unless its someone clearly taking a smoke/snack/drink break. I do the same because I was once the broken down rider and nobody stopped; not even supposed "brother bikers". Once, on Navy Duty I saw an old gent pushing a bike along the shoulder. He had run out of gas. I drove him to a gas station to buy himself a two gallon can. I think he would've had a heart attack trying to push up some monster Harley up that exit ramp incline.
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Sep 23, 2013 16:55
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