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My trips have been planned by finding a cool destination, then using google maps to see as much as possible on the way there. If you have some nice waypoints on the way, like a good steak, a waterfall or a nice valley, it feels much more like an adventure than just a scenic detour. I also go all OCD...keeping up on remaining distance, calculating mileage, planning fuel stops etc etc ... and then breaking the plan as I see fit. GPS is really fun and it does not distract you from riding any more than a map does, if you use it as a map and not like flight instruments for flying in clouds. Got a cheap car gps from Garmin and a rock solid mount from here: http://www.ram-mount.com/
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Oct 16, 2008 08:55
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ClockworkZero posted:Maybe I was sitting on it wrong? Unless the seat was rubbing your scalp, there's not a lot of wrong ways. Did you have both feet on the pegs? You usually know right away, if it feels a tad uncomfy in the showroom it will kill your butt on the road.
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Oct 16, 2008 19:57
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Even though I can pass in 4th (usually between 35-45 mph on my commute) it's fun to tap it down to 2nd, give it a big fat blip and smooth clutch release, ease out in the next lane sitting right in the powerband, then twist and finish passing before you even noticed it started. Quick safe fun passing. The mid range on my '86 GSX is a tad anemic and I don't like being in the opposite lane too long. I'm having serious BMW lust these days. The F800ST seems like so much bike for the money, while my penis thinks I should announce its proud size to the world by resting it against an R1200R. My GPS device says I should consider the R1200GS, my brain says I should consider the F650GS but my wallet says I should stop being a moron and stick with the Suzuki one more season. A month ago I tried the R1200GS, R1200S, K1200GT and R1200RT. All amazing bikes on their own, the big tourers are obviously just that, the S was a kick in the nuts from Mr Newton and the GS is just a fantastic ride. Shut up wallet, what do you know?! 
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Oct 21, 2008 23:02
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The GS is amazing for sure, even with looks only a mother can love. But c'mon, this is pretty mean. 
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Oct 22, 2008 09:13
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Whoa. Wife Turds posted:bang Glad you are walking and talking. No chance to find the guy?
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Dec 3, 2008 21:46
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Agreeing on some anti-Harley sentiments even though I appreciate them. They are too heavy and there's too much vanity. That said, one of the best persons on two wheels I know rides a ridiculously expensive Ultra Glide, a friend of my father who rides a Low Rider. He did 14,000 miles on it this year, bought it in March. Hot, cold, rain, sleet, always going places. My father told me to see him about my Suzuki's leaky fork seals. He said he'd fix them for free as long as I had the parts and no problem asking about other stuff. He knew a lot about the bike as well. Great example of a true rider who chose his brand instead of a true brander who had his ride chosen for him.
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Dec 6, 2008 04:43
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I roll slow and wave candy in school zones.
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Jan 30, 2009 00:34
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I'm going to use the phrase "sweet, forbidden love" in my next school zone encounter.
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Jan 30, 2009 10:26
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Diagnose James May's '69 CB 250.quote:Has the bike ever started? Yes. Did it run properly? No. Did it: a) run perfectly for a bit and then cut out, b) run continuously until you tried to open the throttle, c) run flatulently on one cylinder at tickover even though the twist grip was against the stop. Answer: C. In which case, are there two sparks? Yes. Is the fuel reaching both carburettors? Yes. Were they painstakingly rebuilt on the kitchen table using the recommended jets, needles and float valves despite complaints from Woman that the smell of petrol vapour was corrupting the flavour of delicate Pak Choi? Yes. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/jamesmay/4324384/Help-fix-my-Honda-please.html If you get it right you will win his friendship and you get to go for put-put rides with open face helmets and goggles, then finally a nice pint in his local where you chat about variable melocities, the decline of whitworth threads and smoking pipes. I think the comment on timing chain is on to something.
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Jan 30, 2009 21:53
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I give a flat palm out, straight to the side. After a few greets the arm might sag down a little. If I encounter lots of bikes I might get lazy and just to a 45 degree wrist bend. Lazier still, I just raise four fingers from the handlebar. Even lazier still I just go limp, fall of the bike and tumble across the road in a friendly manner.
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Feb 1, 2009 15:36
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Does anyone wave when cars let you pass? It hasn't happened that many times, but when I've been on great roads, having a good time and a car lets me pass I give them a big wave. It kind of has to be big since my left hand is busy and my right hand is obscured when I'm ahead. "Oh god a biker, he's going to kill us, let him pass! Oh poo poo he just made a nazi salute, I TOLD you those guys are evil!"
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Feb 2, 2009 20:25
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I'm going to go more polite. I'll first wave frantically so they stop, then I'll greet them individually. "Nice to meet you Sir, I also ride motorcycles as you can see."
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Feb 3, 2009 02:56
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My helmet is quite prone to fogging. I bought some anti-fog spray that gets polished on the inside, works decently. I also find wearing a balaclava helps since I breathe through the fabric.
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Feb 7, 2009 20:51
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A foot of snow just landed with a FOOMPH outside my window, so yeah I wouldn't mind a vacation in California right now.
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Feb 9, 2009 21:07
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As it was mentioned in the money saving FAQ, most who consider commuting on a bike will not actually sell their car. So all the fixed costs on the car remain. I don't have a car so I would commute on the bus. Even with last summer's eyewatering gas prices, the fuel cost to and from work was less than half of the bus ticket. The door to door time was a third. But for the price of the bike, the upkeep, the gear and the cool extras I could have ridden that bus for years. I bought the bike for the fun of riding, a cheaper commute is just a hollow rationalization that's fun to throw around. And riding to work in torrential rain and heavy traffic is more comfortable than the drat bus anyway.
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Feb 18, 2009 18:33
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Might as well keep your money tied up in vehicle suited for quick escape from rioting masses instead of placed in the hands of unstable banks. 
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Feb 18, 2009 19:52
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This is my gently caress you Friday. Why? Let me explain. I'm having serious infatuation issues with newer japanese big bore naked bikes. Let's take a look at 3 prime candidates, all in the  category.The Honda CB 1300, gotta be in red and white.  The Yamaha XJR 1300  Then my favourite, the Suzuki GSX 1400, all 106 hp / 126 Nm @ 5000 of it.  For the latter, a 2002 model is available now for $17400. Serious moneys right? So I checked the Brit market, just to see if there was a big difference. Was there ever. A nice 2003 there was listed at $3800  There's NO EFFORT AT ALL to import one, I can just ride aboard the ferry, choo choo and be home the next day. But then, according to the calculator on the customs website, I have to pay TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS to the government in taxes. Most of that is for the displacement, a 900 is way less.So in conclusion gently caress YOU foreign people for getting awesome bikes for nothing, gently caress YOU again because your average pay isn't that much lower than ours and two huge gently caress YOUS to the most tax thirsty government since Attila the Hun. I'm going to ride my '86 GSX until maglev bikes or teleportation takes over.
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Feb 20, 2009 21:17
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Simkin posted:I think you could be the first person in history to have a valid reason to make an 11/7. There's one clever way of avoiding this though. If I could buy a crashed GSX with a sound frame, I could import a Brit GSX and move all the parts over, no such thing as a salvage title here. But I suppose a naked bike won't get totalled unless the frame's bent... but it's an idea. edit: gently caress I think there's no salvage titles because wrecks can't be re-registered gently caress YOU gently caress YOU Ola fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Feb 20, 2009 |
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Feb 20, 2009 22:24
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Z3n posted:
Hopefully yeah. It's the relativity of expensiveness I'm trying to poke holes in. As seen above, a used GSX 1400 is 2/3rds cheaper in the UK than in Norway. That's a serious amount of money, using a great condition UK bikes as a parts bike might actually pay off. Or not, frustrated research follows. Ola fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Feb 20, 2009 |
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Feb 20, 2009 22:35
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blugu64 posted:I've always wanted to try lutefisk; but alas it's not to be found in Texas. Sounds like you have an excuse for a ride to Minnesota. Anyway, I'll let the smelly fish clear my vision and see my bike as a fully usable ride for several years to come. I'll stick to googling for cool, high bang-for-buck upgrades
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Feb 21, 2009 01:43
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If it's only been sitting for 2-3 months and ran fine before that, I bet some sweet battery charging is all that's needed.
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Feb 26, 2009 14:29
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Got a little tip after fiddling with earplugs today. I like listening to music while riding long distance and I appreciate the benefits of hearing protection from wind noise. I have in-ear type plugs from Sony Ericsson which dampen the noise ok but they don't sit well in my ears. A little tug on the cable will pull one out and I have to stop, remove the helmet and so on to put it back in. So what I did was basically take a normal foam plug and cut it with a sharp knife at the thick end so it's slightly longer than the normal plastic plug element. Then poke a hole with a nail and jiggle it about a bit so it expands. Then simply push the plug element through so the foam piece sits like the normal plastic element. Squeeze it flat, put it in ear like a normal foam plug, wait for it to expand and presto. Sits much tighter, blocks a tad more noise, music is perfectly clear. There's some debate if it's safe to ride while listening to music, I think it definitely takes some of the situational awareness away. I'll keep this to low traffic, long haul use.
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Feb 26, 2009 15:48
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http://www.kettenmax.com/ This looks like a fun product. Basically a box with brushes in it that cleans your chain as you rotate the wheel. It does peg my bullshit meter a bit, not because I don't think it works but because it replaces old school elbow grease on a simple task. If the video actually showed a really dirty chain being cleaned or with sufficient internet praise I'd buy it. For now I'll just dance to the awesome(ly generic) 80s synth pop in the demo video. Reminds me of the ads on old VHS tapes. http://www.kettenmax.com/video/Kettenmax%20Premium.wmv edit: they're singing praise for it over at advrider.com, this goes on my to-purchase-with-idle-money list Ola fucked around with this message at 14:00 on Feb 28, 2009 |
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Feb 28, 2009 13:48
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This is my new idea for motorcycle touring this summer, originally it was just England. The stars that need to align are money and my summer holiday, the timing with friend group A in Provence, friend group B in Oslo and internet friend C in Tuscany is already there. Budget is between $2200 and $2800, time a bit over 3 weeks. (not dead exact, I just paintbrushed the approx route) I've cut down the original England idea a bit to allow room for Europe, much like those rapscallions in Brussels eh eh? Anyway, here's the basic outline: - Ride to Kristiansand, spend the night at my aunt's, take cargoferry to Immingham near Hull. - Up to Scotland, do backroads and passes down the northwest coast. - Then through Lake District and Yorkshire Dales - Through Cat & Fiddle pass down to Portsmouth - Ferry over to Cherbourg, visit the D-day beaches. - Across France to the village of Contignac in Provence. There I will spend a few days with some friends who have a house there. - While in Contignac, take a daytrip up in the Alps to Col de Turini - Then to Italy and Tuscany to visit a Norwegian guy who lives there. He's "tagesk" on advrider. Two days or so, doing local rides. - The trip north goes through the Alps; Bormio, Stelvio, Davos. - Autobahn boredom through Germany, maybe a detour here and there but this is my pure transport stage. - Into Denmark, across the Öresund bridge to Sweden and up the coast to Oslo, just in time for two of my best friends' wedding!  - Finally home to Bergen and be broke for six months Total distance will be around 4500 miles, which is only 200-220 pr day but allowing for a few days rest. Costs will be cut in the food/comfort area. Mostly tenting, mostly supermarket/pub food. Apart from indulgences in Contignac and Tuscany of course, anything else would be a travesty. Now to make those stars align... 
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Mar 2, 2009 21:19
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My gas estimates will be higher for sure, but I'm hoping to save A LOT on tenting and eating cheaply. Broken down in days: 2 days from Bergen to Kristiansand, then ferry to Immingham 6 full days in England 2 days into and across France 3 days at friends in Cotignac 1 day to Toscana 1 day in Toscana 1 day to and in the Alps 2 days across Germany and into Sweden 1 day to Oslo and then 2 days for the wedding and the ride home = 21 days All of the destinations are worth more time than I spend on them, but you can't smell every flower I suppose. I'd be happy to have a riding buddy at any stretch, I'll post a thread when the time draws closer.  Of course, there's a good chance I won't have enough money to do it, so it might not happen at all, haha.
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Mar 3, 2009 01:07
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BotchedLobotomy posted:Should I leave that sucker on ON/Reserve when not in use? Yes. If it's hard starting, set to prime and wait a few seconds. Then try again, choke as required. If you're unsure if it'll flood you can hit the start button then gradually pull the choke as you're cranking. When it catches simply adjust choke as necessary.
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Mar 3, 2009 02:08
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I wonder if that varies from region to region. Some say their carbs are hosed after four months of sitting but my old Honda CB 100 once sat for over a year and its little Keihin was just fine. Maybe different additives from different gas suppliers has some effect and I guess temperature/ moisture cycles is important as well.
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Mar 4, 2009 12:05
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 Speedo drives can be pretty disgusting. I ghetto fixed my broken speedo, more pics and description over here: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=138232 Ola fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Mar 6, 2009 |
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Mar 6, 2009 19:14
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Being a hardass and riding around on winter roads took its toll on the Zook, headers and the front end of the frame was caked in road grime and salt which got some mean rust going. Note to self, hose it down often when doing that. I got rattlecans of black hot paint and grey rim paint, the latter is supposed to hold up pretty good against rocks and dust blast. I repainted my CB 100 once with days of prep work and it came out really well but this was just a shine up.  After cleaning the frame and headers and some scotchbrite pad lovin'. Not exactly master level prep work but what the hell.  All dressed up and ready for the prom. I overmasked like poo poo, partly because I was paranoid about tiny droples of paint, partly because I got lost in the work while listening to nice stuff on the radio.  Oil cooler and battery tray getting some love.  I forgot to take a pic of the finished headers, they came out really nice with no run and just a cool flat black surface, only interrupted by the scattered nodules of rust I'd missed. The frame however, not so good. The rim pain was real thick and runny and wasn't a perfect color match to the rest of the frame either. I had to stop somewhere, but it's funny how you just move the ugly down the bike when you clean something up. Now the rest of the frame looks crap. I'll do a concourse restoration when I'm old and fat, hopefully it'll look ace when a fine layer of spring road dust settles on the frame and helps blend the different shades. Now excuse me while I go cough in regret of not using a dust mask.
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Mar 8, 2009 20:19
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Is that an R/R exposed to cold fresh air I see right under the Katana's saddle? Is it mounted like that originally? By the way Nerobro, what's your take on Dynabeads for balancing tires? I've read a lot about them and I'm sort of convinced. Thinking about trying it when changing my tires soon.
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Mar 9, 2009 00:13
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Somewhere inside that biker's beard is a little label that says "gentle wash only, do not tumble dry, Harley-Davidson MotorClothes® Authentic Biker Beard". Probably on the way home from his accounting job feeling extra rebellious.
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Mar 9, 2009 23:35
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verb: twist, squeeze, or compress in order to extract liquid Pretty drat accurate.
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Mar 10, 2009 01:42
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Spring is trickling in, one degree at a time. Took the bike out around the island, was nice and comfy inside the leathers. Tried dicking with different suspension settings. Front end was harsh on straight bumps but a bit vague, wallow-y and nervous in the corners. Before I've always thought stiffer is better, cause that's how the racers roll right? Wrong. Set the damping to softest (4 settings), preload still on hardest (2 settings), much better. More comfy on the bumps, still vague and wallow-y but no more nervousness. Yay! Nerobro's tip on cleaning some excess oil off the air cleaner helped cure my mid range flat spot, got even better as the engine heated up. A bit too cold and a bit too slow roads to get it up to normal operating temps, I assume it's even better there. Not going to bother with a carb sync tool yet, it is loving smooooooth. Forgot my cam, so some crummy cellphone snaps will have to do.  A narrow bridge.  Same bridge, different vantage point. You can barely make out the towers in the middle of the sound.    Fishy community.  Memorial to WW2 fallen in the village of Telavåg. A great tragedy happened here during the war. Two German officers were killed in a skirmish with the resistance, the retribution was severe. All the houses blown up, all the boats sunk, all the cattle slaughtered and all the men sent to Sachsenhausen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telav%C3%A5g  A plaque of apology from a German monastery.   The fields are all bumpy because of sheep grazing. Soon they will be filled with cute lambs bouncing around in blissful ignorance of their impending doom. They are quite tasty.  I tried to find a good view of the open ocean, but have to ride a bit further north for that. Not far at all, but couldn't be bothered! Yay spring!
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Mar 13, 2009 13:02
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If it's any consolation, the road surface is crap in many places. In one corner there was a ridiculously sharp bump, almost like a crease after bending. Didn't go over it thankfully, but I'm pretty sure it would have upset the bike enough to ruin my day.
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Mar 13, 2009 13:59
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I changed my fork oil last year, the old one was milky grey digusting stuff. Used 10w. There is likely a small imbalance now, as one seal leaked for a while, then quit. I don't really notice that from corner to corner. There's no air valve on them, thank goodness. The front has a two way preload setting via a nut with cams on the top of the forks and four way knob for damping on the bottom. I suppose it does both compression and rebound, or maybe just compression and rebound is fixed? Rear has preload on a dial and a four way damping setting. It didn't do much when I twisted it and upon opening it appears the driven gears on the cable are chewed up. I posted a little help-me here: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=138553 So now my rear damping is fixed setting until I fix it. Maybe I'll go for some aftermarket stuff, but to be honest I feel the whole thing is perfectly ridable. I might also be using the terms in the wrong way.By nervous, I meant the steering felt loose and the bike felt like falling into the turn when cornering hard. This is gone now. By wallowing, I mean undulations in the road will change the radius of the turn noticably, so I have to correct. And by vague, I mean doing the same type of muscle-memory motion for a turn that looks identical to another results in a different line than I expected, so I have to correct. The last one might very well be rider skill, I've been a bit of a pussy so far. And from reading about other people's experience with handling issues, it's very likely to change a lot when replacing tires. My tires are from '03 and '04, both quite flattened at the top. I'm changing them as soon as my wallet is in better shape, hopefully within the month. Later on in the year, the most I'll consider in suspension upgrades is $3-400 on a rear shock and whatever it was for those cartridge emulators. I'll try balancing fluid levels with some clever piping asap. Thanks for the input guys. As for Norway v Scotland - we have prettier girls with WAY better teeth, we're severly limited in the way of castles and our legacy of alcohol production is limited to methanol-riddled moonshine which tends to set our gloomy minds and wooden houses on fire.
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Mar 13, 2009 18:12
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Yup, I think I'm in good shape all things considered. Thanks again.
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Mar 13, 2009 18:36
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Zenaida posted:This is definitely a good idea. My Goldwing-riding friends rode about 1000 miles in a day to eat at a particular burger joint in the next state over. Of course, they were riding Goldwings. They had to stop for food? Didn't the bikes have the kitchenette option?
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Mar 14, 2009 15:46
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I had two great exchanges of waves yesterday. First one was an oncoming bike that waved a "slow down" type of motion, first time I've seen that on the bike. Sure enough, later on there was a speed trap. I rode past safely within the speed limit and gave the policeman operating the laser a "uh huh, that's how a good citizen rides" type of nod. He smiled at me and nodded back. Made my day!
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Mar 15, 2009 19:31
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Simkin posted:Is the 'tap on helmet' used to indicate the local constabulary in your neck of the woods? I've seen it (and used it) a few times around here, but maybe it's a NA only thing? No, well at least I haven't seen it or heard anyone mention it. This guy put his arm straight out then moved it up and down. I guess anything that isn't "sup buddy" should mean stick the the speed limit and watch out. Simkin posted:I sing on long trips, especially when slabbing it. Oh god, I can't stop singing stupid children songs. My bonnie lies over the ocean... I've started listening to music / the radio with my cellphone which has nice isolating ear plugs. Cutting down the wind noise was the motivator as I could feel my ears were quite fatigued after a long trip. I don't like it at low speed since I can't hear the engine well enough to give it just the right amount of throttle when inching forward and similar, but I think that'll go away with some practice and relying on other senses. I wouldn't use it when commuting in dense traffic, I really like hearing what's happening around me. I don't find music messing with my concentration at all. That part of the brain that starts meandering as soon as its bored (bring back, bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me, to me) is kept busy, while the part that is concerned about operating a motorcycle remains undisturbed.
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Mar 16, 2009 11:03
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fronkpies posted:Always check the simple things first. Amen. My bike has just started stumbling a bit in the low range, it did last year too and I thought it was fixed. Trying to get all the simple poo poo checked out before I start pondering throwing money at it. Question in a chat thread: Will a poor battery cause all three of these symptoms? - Light changes brightness when revving. - When hot, stumbles a bit up to 3500, seems like less power overall. - A bit harder to start than usual. Valves were done last July, only have 4000 mi since then, but who knows...
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Mar 20, 2009 16:11
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