ReconRat

Ha! Steel manhole covers can be slippery when dry. Same for steel plates over road construction. Wet leaves won't necessarily feel slippery, and might not be slippery. But will save slippery as ice for that special occasion when you didn't want it. Gravel will stop your front wheel from turning, if too much brake is used (the back wheel also). Worse than ice sometimes. Look through the gravel to where you will be on pavement again. That's where you want to be and upright when you get there.

My Liberty Mutual includes roadside and towing and fix a flat on call, but I'd better have the phone number with me if I'm going to ever use it.... have you seen those adapter hoses that fill the tire from the engine compression? Works when you can get to the plugs. Like on an air cooled v twin or vertical twin. Sort of have to flag a Harley down if you have fairings hiding your engine.... I used to carry a simple can of air with sealant. Mostly because it might take several days to walk back to civilization....

haha, ok... that will be my next stop... edit: ok, didn't work out that way. It looks like you have to order on line for 7.99 each and pick a store to pick it up at. In the store they had a 4 quart with fram filter deal, but they charge separate for the fram filter. That brings it back up to 40 something for oil. No where near the deal at AutoZone. Autozone threw in the filter. Neither one of the Advanced deals were advertised in the store. Only the 7.99 a quart was advertised on line. They knew about the 4 qt with filter deal, but didn't offer me the 7.99 deal I asked for. They suck.

Go buy some anyway. Motor oil has a shelf life of at least 2 to 5 years.

ok, Autozone: 4-stroke motorcycle oil on sale. Good Mar6-Apr2, 2012 $2.99 qt for Castrol (4T/10W-40 or 2T/20W-50)or Valvoline (10W-40) (mineral/dinosaur) or 4 quarts of synthetic with a Fram motorcycle filter. $34.99 Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 (synthetic) Castrol Power RS Racing 4T (synthetic) Valvoline 4T (synthetic) I didn't catch what all weights in most of them. Mostly 10W-40 but some 20W-50. I got 4 qt of Castrol mineral for Winter storage, and 4 qt of Mobil 1 4T with a Fram filter I won't use. Here's what happened. No motorcycle filters, that made it hard to do the deal. I found one off the filter list, and that was it. A PH4967 which is group 3 off the calsci chart. Fits some Buell, Harley, Indian, Moto-Guzzi, whatever. The computer wouldn't ring it up. We tried other filters, even the correct filter which they didn't have, nothing worked. Had to get manager to override it. PITB. But pretty much worth it. Couldn't figure out if there was a limit on this either. Yes, I really wanted to buy them all. And now I suppose I'll go back and do it again, since I have two bikes... Yeah, go ahead, try to beat Castrol 4T mineral oil in quality or price at $2.99qt. And the mineral oil rang up discounted ok, it was the synthetic with Fram filter that got goofed up. edit: and watch what you grab off the shelf, somebody had put some car oil up there with the motorcycle stuff.

Well, they put it up on their website, but I never found it in the stores. I found the T triple had the JASO-MA. Doesn't matter, it was for Winter storage anyway. I'll use anything for that. Sometimes just cheap car oil. I looked, and the Valvoline, Honda GN4, and Yamalube mineral oils (by the gallon) are all close to Rotella price anyway, if found at a cheap price source. Have found a sale on excellent motorcycle full synthetic, but not saying what and where till I go see if it's true and buy it all. Ha! I'll probably post it up after work tomorrow. After I go and try to buy a case of it. edit: They are all called Rotella T: T6 (full synthetic) T5 (synthetic blend) T Triple Protection (unknown) T3 professional value (unknown) T1 (unknown) The ones that are unknown on website are no doubt basic mineral based oils. oops... there's a T CI-4 PLUS diesel oil also.... (or was, it might have changed name)

I saw in the news that Obama stopped over on the other side of 315, and checked out the electric vehicles at the engineering lab.

Confusion... Shell Rotella has dropped the JASO-MA specifications from their website for Rotella T3 and Rotella T6. It now shows JASO-MA for "Rotella T Triple Protection". I won't be using Rotella any more, not if they can't make up their minds... edit: HA!, I just looked, it was actually the Rotella T Triple Protection that I bought. It was the only Rotella that had the JASO-MA in the Walmart. Still not impressed that the website said T3 and T6 and then changed it. Pardon me while I go drain that crap.

Honestly, I think I'd rather run one of the Repsol instead of Castrol. But it's hard to break habits. (I've used Castrol in everything forever.) I would say use the Repsol or better in a high compression engine. Part of that is just curiosity, I want to see if the Repsol is as good as I think. Dunno...

try search for JASO-MA http://www.ohioriders.net/search.php?searchid=1423786 or just JASO http://www.ohioriders.net/search.php?searchid=1423814

Mobil 1 is probably the best freakin' synthetic oil ever made. But be sure it's the motorcycle oil, not the car or diesel oil.

oh oh... oil and filter thread warning... Use only JASO-MA in bikes... I ran the Rotella when it gained the JASO-MA rating. I've not been too overly impressed, but the stuff works. I'll be using it to store the bikes over the Winter, because it's ultra cheap. Otherwise using something like Castrol Actevo 4T or equivalent or better. Which is an ok choice for a low compression water cooled 4cyl bike like mine. Different bikes and different riding styles have different needs. Technically I ride to work in the city a lot, so that has demands on the oil I will use. Many of the filters are all the same with various different name brands on them. I use the ones with the additional micro filters, but even that is contestable as to whether it's a good idea or not. I won't name all the brand names, but one of the micro filtering types is available at discount stores cheap. (yeah, walmart) I am using the same thing bought straight from the Purolator factory in 6 packs, unmarked filters. Even cheaper. Search for the oil threads, we got a ton of them with really good info in them. edit: when in doubt, use what the owner's manual or service manual says to use. If that's all dealer stuff, it will work great. edit: confusion... Shell Rotella has dropped the JASO-MA specifications from their website for Rotella T3 and Rotella T6. It now shows JASO-MA for "Rotella T Triple Protection". I won't be using Rotella any more, not if they can't make up their minds...

Ummm, statistics and probability. Great combo. Win, don't gamble. It can be done, until they throw you out.

Picked this up from on Google+ from a guy in Illinois: A website that collects all the bikes for sale all over the internet and puts them all in one place. So far it's only dirt bikes and dual sport though. We'll see how this works out. Might be a way to find cheap pit bikes. http://www.bikefinds.com/

Oh, and measure twice and cut once when shortening a chain. heheh you can put it on the sprockets and pull it tight to check your plans. Use a grease pencil or sharpie to mark which one to cut or remove rivet from.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/states/oh.html http://www.touringbikers.com/motorcycle-roads-ohio.html http://www.sundaymorningrides.com/road/states/OH.shtml http://www.motorcycleroads.com used to be a good website, but it doesn't seem to work anymore. It's messed up somehow and now worthless to try and use.

I can now feel when it's aligned correctly. But yes, it's seldom on the first try. I've come close to breaking one while trying to push without grinding first. Which just makes me think I should get a spare pin or two. It will happen eventually when I don't want it to break.

You can dispersed camp on almost any undeveloped federal land. Which usually means no notification to the federal parklands, but sometimes need to check that. Just follow the guidelines. Most federal parks and state parks allow some sort of primitive camping as well. But often limited to certain areas. I've even pulled into national parks and signed in at the gate for the night. Gone in the morning. Halfway to Hampton would be northern Virginia or northern West Virginia. Like around Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia. Cabins are available. West Virginia rules do not allow unregulated camping in state parks. Fee required. Primitive drive-in camping is available at James River in Seven Bends State Park in Virginia. Mononghela National Forest and George Washington National Forest and Shenandoah National Park are also about half way. Shenandoah requires a free permit for back country camping. George Washington National Forest has 5 dispersed camping sites listed. No fee on some and open year round on some. Winner. Stuff like that. Just Google your route and zoom in on the park lands and click on the links to the parks to find information. edit: Reserve America. Find and search federal, state, and private camping spots. edit: ok, after more looking, the blue ridge parkway has mostly federal land with dispersed camping allowed in many areas. Shenandoah National Park is in the North part. Permits can be obtained at locations along the parkway. See this Shenandoah Park page for info. edit: I remember staying overnight in the Cherokee, North Carolina area. Don't know exactly which park, there are dozens of them. Somebody tried to take the tires off the car. I was sleeping in the car, so it didn't work out for them. But that's pretty much true of all the Cherokee North Carolina area. So just watch yourself and be aware. edit: USDA information on dispersed camping in North Carolina.

This. Grind off the heads of the two old master link rivets before pushing the pins with the tool. Otherwise expect to be replacing the tool tip if damaged from breaking hard stuff like 530 chain. And this. Pit Posse has excellent motorcycle tools. Most of the upscale deluxe kits in it's own case will work well. Be aware that some types of chains require special tools, that you'll need to buy from the manufacturer (different forming of the head of the finished rivet). Not many, I avoid them. Don't mix parts of different chains, links and stuff. The master link should be specific to the type of chain. It will be a press fit on most. It won't slide right on like a bicycle master link. The kit will do that part also. It will press the old one out and the new one in. If you've not experienced in forming the head of a rivet, try to measure it for finished dimensions. Dimensions should be included with the master link. I use a Dremel on the old master link rivet heads, it's pretty quick. Take them down till flush. An angle grinder works, but it's hard to find a position to get contact. Grinding the old side plate doesn't matter, it won't be used again.

ehh, for a week or two it will be April rain, and a day or two of near freezing. It's ok to miss that part...

I'm buying a wallet...

Just the facts Jack (Dunlop used since most do not list diameters) 1991-1995 ZX-7R (ZX 750 K/M) 120/70ZR17 3.50 rim SportMax Q2 front diameter: 23.80 SportMax Qualifier front diameter: 23.79 SportMax RoadSmart front diameter: 23.62 SportMax D211 GP-A front diameter: 23.81 180/55ZR17 5.50 rim recommended (6.00 rim allowed) SportMax Q2 rear diameter: 24.97 SportMax Qualifier rear diameter: 24.97 SportMax RoadSmart rear diameter: 24.84 SportMax D211 GP-A rear diameter: not offered 1996-2003 ZX-7R (ZX 750 P) 120/70ZR17 3.50 rim SportMax Q2 front diameter: 23.80 SportMax Qualifier front diameter: 23.79 SportMax RoadSmart front diameter 23.62 SportMax D211 GP-A front diameter: 23.81 190/50ZR17 6.00 rim recommended (5.50 rim allowed) SportMax Q2 rear diameter: 24.95 SportMax Qualifier rear diameter: 24.83 SportMax RoadSmart rear diameter: 24.86 SportMax D211 GP-A rear diameter: not offered Other tires not listed for use which might be used: 120/60ZR17 3.50 rim SportMax Q2 front diameter: 22.80 SportMax Qualifier front diameter: not offered SportMax RoadSmart front diameter: 22.91 SportMAx D211 GP-A front diameter: not offered 190/55ZR17 6.00 rim recommended (5.50 rim allowed) SportMax Q2 rear diameter: 25.32 SportMax Qualifier diameter 25.39 SportMax RoadSmart rear diameter: not offered SportMax D211 GP-A rear diameter: 25.92 5.50 rim vs 6.00 rim won't change the diameter much, but it would slightly change the width, profile, cornering contact patch, and feel of the tire. Results will vary. So basically if the rear changed from the smallest diameter available to the largest diameter 190/55 offered, it would be a change of 1.09" and lift the back .545". I'm assuming you used a 190/55. If you used a 190/50, there shouldn't have been enough difference in diameter from the 180/55 worth talking about. Although the difference of no tread on a rear tire would be worth 3 to 6 millimeter anyway. Here's the deal. Years ago I couldn't find the correct matching rear tire on one of the old bikes, and went one size larger. Yes, it was like riding on a point (front tire contact). I can relate when you say that. That is what it felt like. But on that bike, the result was ultra snappy turn ins. I got used to it, and I liked it. But you're saying it doesn't feel like that. I'm surprised no one mentioned the effects of tire pressures. The larger tire should run a lower pressure for the correct load rating. Not necessarily for correct handling. Might be worth checking or experimenting with. I'll guess raising the front tire pressure (not over max) and lowering the rear a bit might help.

Barred owl or spotted owl... http://home.centurytel.net/bobowlcalls/recordings2/11%202006-08-01%20p0090%20M%201n%2011025.wav