Public service announcement-

650cc single cylinder thumper at 5-6k revs is a girls (and therefore your) best friend.

She was so wet it was soaking through to the seat.

Quote: (02-09-2017 04:08 AM)roberto Wrote:  

Public service announcement-

650cc single cylinder thumper at 5-6k revs is a girls (and therefore your) best friend.

She was so wet it was soaking through to the seat.

Been wanting to try a KLR but haven't yet.

Although, a 650cc twin with short pipe and sport stance seemed to do the trick for a few girls.

Man this was awesome to watch while drinking some tea, warming up to head to the gym:






Those bikes sound intense.

I'm really thinking about buying a used 600 sports bike, but driving a motorcycle down here in miami is basically a death wish. People drive so god damn bad

Oz: where do people drive well?

I got an engine rebuild a few years back but the bike is burning a bit of oil and the oil is always dark. Last time I had it in the shop the mechanic told me compression was down on a couple of the cylinders but it was still pulling well thru'out the range. His diagnosis was that during the rebuild they had screwed up and allowed the gap in the piston rings to become lined up, allowing oil to blow past into the cylinder.

I'd like to tackle this myself, so my question is: can I take off the cylinder heads (valve train, cams and all) to expose the pistons, allowing me to re-align the rings, without having to re-set all the valves and redo the timing? Sounds lazy I know, but I'll be operating at the limit of my know-how in this endeavour, so any shortcuts I can legitimately take will be a bonus.

It's a water-cooled in-line 4, UJM.

Good resource for you here: http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm

Rings generally rotate freely before settling down as it were. So personally I'd be wary of your mechanic's advice.

Quick google- http://www.diagnosticengineers.org/journ...20Gaps.php

Quote: (02-26-2017 12:51 PM)roberto Wrote:  

Good resource for you here: http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm

Rings generally rotate freely before settling down as it were. So personally I'd be wary of your mechanic's advice.

Quick google- http://www.diagnosticengineers.org/journ...20Gaps.php

Nice -thanks; that "diagnostic engineers" read was pretty good. I guess intuitively there was a doubt in the back of my mind - it seemed odd to me that ring gaps could 'line up' but I had faith in the mech who has many years' experience on Kawas and my bike in particular.

It's just something I'd like to resolve since I don't like having to top up with oil; not from any environmental stewardship principle, but more from not wanting to be stuck, and it's a hassle carrying an extra quart on longer rides.

Quote: (02-26-2017 12:15 PM)ed pluribus unum Wrote:  

I got an engine rebuild a few years back but the bike is burning a bit of oil and the oil is always dark. Last time I had it in the shop the mechanic told me compression was down on a couple of the cylinders but it was still pulling well thru'out the range. His diagnosis was that during the rebuild they had screwed up and allowed the gap in the piston rings to become lined up, allowing oil to blow past into the cylinder.

I'd like to tackle this myself, so my question is: can I take off the cylinder heads (valve train, cams and all) to expose the pistons, allowing me to re-align the rings, without having to re-set all the valves and redo the timing? Sounds lazy I know, but I'll be operating at the limit of my know-how in this endeavour, so any shortcuts I can legitimately take will be a bonus.

It's a water-cooled in-line 4, UJM.

I've never taken the heads off an engine but just about every video I've seen had timing chain removal part of the process for getting to the valves. Sometimes you could get shims in without doing that.

So I don't think you're going to get to the piston rings without all of the rest disassembled.

They bring out the marker pens and mark the chain and cogs so that getting back to the right timing is easy for any maintenance that requires pulling the timing chains off.

Just take your time and do it right. I'm somewhat jealous due to the fact that I cannot work on my car/bike like that. Would love to have a garage to mess around in. If I did, I'd buy wrecked bike or a bike badly in need of repair and rebuild the whole damn thing.

Quote: (02-26-2017 12:51 PM)roberto Wrote:  

Quick google- http://www.diagnosticengineers.org/journ...20Gaps.php

That's an interesting one. Sounds like new rings that are properly sized (if there's not damage to the cylinder walls) should fix the problem. But, if you're going through that effort, might as well just rebuild the damn engine properly.

Trading in my Harley for a new one.

Barely has 1500 miles on it and it's a 2016, been less than a year, I've owned it.

I want a bigger tank and more power for a longer ride. Basically, I just outgrew it.

Looks like I'll be getting a dyna street bob or softail - I'm just gonna trade in my bike.

I stacked alot of cash and can pay the sporty off outright, and only have a grand or two to finance OR just save some more and buy the harley outright or make a cash deal and barter with them.


I MIGHT go to the Harley dealership for a new one, or find a low mileage used one at a well known used motorcycle dealership.

Quote: (02-26-2017 03:19 PM)kaotic Wrote:  

Trading in my Harley for a new one.

Barely has 1500 miles on it and it's a 2016, been less than a year, I've owned it.

I want a bigger tank and more power for a longer ride. Basically, I just outgrew it.

Looks like I'll be getting a dyna street bob or softail - I'm just gonna trade in my bike.

I stacked alot of cash and can pay the sporty off outright, and only have a grand or two to finance OR just save some more and buy the harley outright or make a cash deal and barter with them.


I MIGHT go to the Harley dealership for a new one, or find a low mileage used one at a well known used motorcycle dealership.

Before I picked up my new bike I checked out a bunch of used ones.

Someone around here had a used Triumph Rocket III. It wasn't what I was interested in, but that thing was sick.

Tons of power. I thought my sport v-twin with short pipe sounded like a beast, but that rocket was absolutely disgusting.



Check one of those bad boys out.

For how meaty that engine is, it's a 106, Street bob alone is a 103 and cheaper.

The engine looks MASSIVE compared to a Big V Twin.

It's interesting but I don't like the look, I'll be a Harley fan till I die.

Kaotic, for power junkies like you and me, it's possible that no bike will feel fast enough.

I, for example, have ridden a few V-Rods and I think the bike lacks the punch I crave. My current ride has 171hp at the wheel (had it dynoed), and there are times I still wish it were scarier when I crack the throttle.

That said, whether you mean 883 or 1200 by "Sporty", you should definitely enjoy the upgrade. I hope you decide to buy the most bike you can afford. Ignore the armchair quarterbacks who talk about how such-and-such bike has "too much power". There's virtually no such thing.

BTW, I've been riding for 22 years, if that helps any.

Every time I think I'm sold on getting my license and getting a bike, someone I know who rides fucks themselves up badly. I just found out that a guy who gave me one of my first major breaks with my business, helping us land one of the biggest names in the world and giving us instant credibility, is now wheelchair bound after breaking his back at T3 in a motorbike accident. He's just got back from 7 months in hospital. I knew he'd been banged up, but had no idea how badly. I'm hoping I can repay the favour and put some business his way, as he's got a great attitude about it all.

Unfortunately most bikers have a negative saying when it comes out:

"There are 2 types of bikers, ones who have gone down, and ones that who will"

Quote: (02-27-2017 05:59 AM)H1N1 Wrote:  

Every time I think I'm sold on getting my license and getting a bike, someone I know who rides fucks themselves up badly.

Sorry to hear about your friend. Hope he recovers quickly.

I was in a similar headspace when I got my first bike a few years back. My mom hated the idea of it and kept sending me articles quoting motorcycle accident/fatality statistics. Most of them did seem pretty awful, so I dug into the data to see exactly how the risks were distributed.

It turns out that, much like driving any other vehicle, a few simple precautions can dramatically reduce your chances of an accident/injury. Just to quote a few examples:

Alcohol: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2014, 29% of motorcycle riders who were involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or over.

Fatally-injured motorcycle riders between the ages of 35 to 39 had the highest rate of alcohol involvement (42%), followed by the 40 to 45 age group (41%).

Speeding: 33% of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding.

Licensing: 28% of motorcycle riders who were involved in fatal crashes in 2014 were riding without a valid license (and thus unlikely to have completed a safety/training course).

Helmets: In 2015, 37% of fatally-injured motorcycle drivers lacked helmets.

Passenger use was even worse, with 51% of killed passengers not wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

The reported helmet use rate for motorcycle riders with BACs at or over 0.08 percent who were killed in traffic crashes was 51% in 2014, compared with 67% for those who did not have any measurable blood alcohol.

I couldn't find any data regarding body armor, but I assume the pattern remains the same, with a sizable chunk of riders neglecting to wear protective jackets/pants/gloves/boots/etc.

This is easily reinforced by anecdotal evidence: for every rider (like myself) I see wearing head-to-toe protection with a full-face helmet, I see some idiot on a Harley wearing jeans and a tank top with nothing on his head but a pair of Ray-bans.

And how many bikers hang out at bars on Thursday/Friday/Saturday night, then ride home intoxicated, in the dark, again without any protective gear?

So for anyone else reading this thread, perhaps also wary of the dangers involved in riding, keep in mind there's a curve of risk possibilities just like with any other endeavor.

Take a safety course before you start riding (and again every couple of years). Get yourself an armored jacket as well as pants and gloves. Don't speed in congested urban areas. Don't drink and drive. Ride like all other drivers are out to kill you. And always, always, ALWAYS wear a helmet.

Hopefully that'll keep you on the bike for years to come.

^you have to have a different headspace when riding.

Being scared of the bike does you no good. Imagining crashing all the time will make you freeze up and not lean harder in a turn when you need to, or roll off the throttle and send you off roading or into opposing traffic. Or maybe panicking and grabbing a fistful of front brake and not letting go.

On a motorcycle, you're close to the fastest thing on the road. But you can't drive like you're constantly trying to prove that.

It demands respect and your full attention.

If I end up getting scared i may end up just taking my bike to the track and staying off the road. Because it's a street legal race bike. The salesman told me he had to stop riding 1000cc sportbikes on the road because he kept finding himself doing 150+ mph while headed home.

If you have the respect to NOT do that, then you mitigate a lot of risk.

What scares me, but which I cannot stop, is a car crossing the centerline. Even in a car, those types of collision aren't very survivable.

Another thing to avoid is dickwaving about chicken strips.

You've got to keep your impulses in check. Riding a modern 200hp 450lb machine will constantly test that.

I don't come back home surprised that i survived. When that starts happening, i might give it up. For instance, check out Max Wrists videos. I'm surprised he is alive.

And also keep in mind that even the highest performance bikes have stopping distances longer than average cars. I've seen lots of tailgating bikers and in those cases it's only a matter of time. Skill can't save you in those cases.

Also to elaborate, what do you do when things go wrong?

I had very good front brake control on my bicycle and could ride an endo out on a balance point until it stopped rolling forward. I also washed the front end and managed to stay on my bicycle. Those skills transferred to motorcycles and have saved me on bikes without ABS. Multiple people crashed during the msf course because they didn't have the right reaction...

I've also had the back end get squirrely a few times. You can't have panicky reactions om a bike. Fix nervousness before doing motorcycles. I just hope that my reactions are always smooth.

Thanks for the great responses guys. These are some of the most interesting and informative posts I've read on the risks that surround riding bikes. It's really great to read them.

I remember those rates in lecture portion of my license class.

Shits sad, and most people who do ride on the weekends definitely had a beer or 2.

I'll be honest, I've had a beer or a few riding, gotten a little wild and let the throttle a bit more wide open than I should have.

I don't do that much anymore.

Fun fact: My first big ride with friends to a motorcycle event - I witnessed a woman flip a bitch on a 2 lane double yellow highway.

My buddy sideswiped her car, crashed, but walked away thankfully.

That shook me up, but I was fine.

IJ is right, ride like everyones out to kill you.


One big thing I believer is full face one piece helmets - I think that should be mandatory for everyone who rides.

I know guys who wear faux skullcap helmets with peeled off DOT stickers from other helmets.

I don't get that.

As far as gear goes, I wear thick high tops skate shoes (I probably should get some steel toed boots.

I wear denim pants and mutliple layers on top, including a thick denim jacket.

Also wear reinforced leather gloves as well.


There's a place that makes badass custom leather/denim jackets which I'll be getting after my new bike.

I should look into actual riding denim as well.


You just never know when you'll go down.


I've layed down on R6, fortunately only road rad rash one side of my body.


I could never get a new street bike - fuck that, I love the rush of going fast, but not that fast.


That's why I switch to a cruiser, ride packs, and mitigate alot of the risk.

We have toll lanes here that are free for motorcyclists - mitigates most the lane splitting here in CA.

I also recommend getting decent gear of the average size of the girls that you date. I've got an armored suit and helmet for a passenger. Inevitably you'll get begged for a ride.

But get comfortable and experienced on your bike first.

I prefer 2up to the idea of group riding. Most of my riding is solo. Only a couple hundred of the 12k miles or so has been with a riding buddy. I have a hard time relaxing when tracking other bikes and it tends to get stupid, fast, in a group of sportbikes.

Cruisers are more relaxed and have less pressure to get dumb. But all it takes is one showoff to ruin it for everyone else.

Yep, already being asked, more shit to buy dammit

Denim offers the falsest sense of security. I once thought it helped. Turns out its shred resistance is shockingly low.

There I was in the ER after a low-speed spill. Nurse was scrubbing my flesh with what looked like a Brillo pad to get all the dirt out. I may have winced, exhaled sharply, and grunted loudly a time or two. Chick in the cot next to mine thought it was a great time to suggest Aloe Vera as a healing agent for skin injuries.

Nurse responded: "Aloe Vera is great stuff...when you still have skin."

Quote: (02-28-2017 01:28 AM)Hoser Wrote:  

Denim offers the falsest sense of security. I once thought it helped. Turns out its shred resistance is shockingly low.

There I was in the ER after a low-speed spill. Nurse was scrubbing my flesh with what looked like a Brillo pad to get all the dirt out. I may have winced, exhaled sharply, and grunted loudly a time or two. Chick in the cot next to mine thought it was a great time to suggest Aloe Vera as a healing agent for skin injuries.

Nurse responded: "Aloe Vera is great stuff...when you still have skin."

I remember the pain of road rash and having a nurse scrub out the wound just like that. And shedding involuntary tears because my body apparently had to cry over it.