Bubba

Tough to tabulate the meaning of poll responses from those of us who don't fit the standard guidelines. I'm retired, so no steady income. I live on the quarterly dividends from my stock holdings, which gives me enough money to live on comfortably and do what I want...short of the dream of the yacht on the Riviera. With no vehicle or personal loans outstanding and a paid-off mortgage, expenses are pretty minimal. I managed to save for a nice retirement even though I never earned more than $60K a year, mostly because I've always lived pretty basic and started investing in the market in my 20s: never had cable or sat TV (still don't!), always drove used cars, paid cash for affordable toys, and didn't spend a lot on the latest/greatest tech stuff. To this day, I use a burner phone that costs me $100/year. What's odd is that I THOUGHT I WANTED all that stuff at the time, but looking back over the last 40 years, I can tell you that I don't miss not having it. I'm in the process over the next 5 years of divesting some of my stock and diversifying into safer and less volatile investments, aiming for about a 60:40 to 50:50 blend; I typically do one large sale of stock late in the year, keeping my MAGI under the bracket bump to 20% for LTCG income. So at any one time over a year, I may have as much as $150K-200K in my savings (prior to redirecting the funds from the sale) to right now, where I'm down to under $4000 total cash and awaiting the next payment of quarterly dividends from my brokerage account. Not collecting SS yet and prolly won't until I reach 70. But I did just buy a sweet '12 KTM 990 SMT that brings out the hoonigan in me--proof that 65 year old guys DO have fun!!!

Sounds more like a bad start capacitor on the motor to me. If the end caps on the capacitor are bulging slightly, that's a pretty good sign. Not that expensive to replace.

Hmmm....full moon last night?

If you've been inside a carb once or twice, no reason to get it professionally done. Get an exploded fiche diagram of the parts and how they go together. Keep track of the hard and 'soft' parts in separate bags for each carb. If possible, try to NOT disassemble the carb bodies from each other and from the carb rack; you'll have a much easier time putting everything back together and syncing the linkages. (I got this advice from an old racer/mechanic at Western Hills Honda, and I figure he knows more than me.) A rebuild kit shouldn't be too much--maybe $25-30 each carb--unless you need to replace the diaphragms (if they're CV carbs) as these typically don't come with the rebuild kit. Pine Sol makes a great soak for the metal parts, and try to find a small ultrasonic bath to clean the parts like the jets with very fine orifices. Depending on how many miles are on the bike, the main jet needles may be worn from vibration--they're soft metal--and those and the main needle seat will need replacing. The pilot jets (small ones) are more crucial to smooth running than you may think; they are critical for fueling response at lower RPMs and to throttle input up to about 1/4 throttle, so make sure they are perfectly clean. Another fairly important tuning tip is to ensure the fuel level in the bowl is set correctly. You'll need to bend the tang on the float than controls fuel shot-off to get this set correctly. Fuel level in the bowl is typically set to just below the lip of the bowl, but can vary based on engine model and aftermarket tune, i.e. air box and exhaust mods.

Not an uncommon problem in wet clutch assemblies that have sat for a long time. Had the same issue with an old Z1A that was thrown down the road and had been sitting in the back of a friend's garage for a decade or more. The clutch plates basically freeze together--old thick oil, rust, oxidation--and the release springs don't have enough pressure to force them apart. Once I got the motor running, I actually had to get the bike rolling and drop it into 1st and then take it up the street banging shifts thru 2-3-4-5 under power while holding the clutch lever in. It eventually came free and worked flawlessly from then on. If that doesn't work, you'll have to pull the plates and either soak 'em to loosen them or replace with new. Also, if you're not familiar with the tranny in Kaws, they all have a 1st-2nd lockout--a simple spring-loaded ball detent--that prevents the shift forks from selecting 2nd gear from neutral unless the bike is moving.

Don't want to litter the thread with repetitive posts, but I gotta throw in another big thumbs-up for the Angel GTs. Had 'em on my FZ1 and loved 'em. Great feel in both dry and wet and aggressive riding in the twisties in NKY. I rode the bike on back roads to TN/NC/GA and railed the mountains with loaded bags. Figure if you're a decent rider who likes to play in the corners, you'll get about 6-7K miles on the rear, maybe 7-9K on the front. I had the PR3s on my FJR and although they were OK and seemed to give decent mileage, I never felt as comfortable on the Mich as on the Pirellis. Never heard anything bad--either on-line reviews or word-of-mouth--about the GTs.

Wait....you mean you passed up the opportunity to see the 8000# prairie dog? There is a lot of flat and straight there. Pretty sure you could catnap your way across Kansas while doing 80+ on the x-way and still arrive safely at the CO border.

Awwwright!!! Another buddy I can smooze a trailer off of....Shweeeet.

With sincere apologies to those who adeptly ride H-Ds or cruisers...yes, I realize this is stereotyping, but there is a certain contingent of riders who perpetuate this image. Mea culpa.... Just saw this on ADVR. Has all the makings for a catastrophe of epic proportions. I'm guessing they'll also set the record for the most number of wrecks and Medivac flights on the same day!!! My advice? Get there early and bring a lawn chair. Make sure you're sitting on the inside of the curve... Saturday, May 21st , 2016 A WORLD RECORD attempt of the LARGEST GROUP of Harley-Davidson motorcycles on The DRAGON, 318 CURVES in 11 MILES The group will leave the Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson Outpost location, US 129 Dragon, and ride to Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort $10.00 Per Bike Registration at 11AM Run leaves at 2PM https://www.facebook.com/events/180519568974013/ FYI. Current record is 2404.

C'mon guys. Give him a break. This isn't an 800 HP pro-mod fire-breathin' Suzuki he's working on...it's a 305 cc twin producing maybe 30 HP on the high side. That oil should work fine. The issue of using automotive oil comes from the friction-reducing agents in modern oil--it doesn't play well with the wet clutches in a motorcycle, causing slippage. However, those oils contain molybdenum and are always labeled "Energy Saving" on the package, and what you bought isn't one of those. And the caution against using synthetic oil isn't valid, either, as most modern high HP bikes recommend it; however, if you change oil at least every 6 months or 5000 miles, you don't need the pricey stuff. As for your valve check, if all you did was check the clearance and you didn't adjust anything, then you haven't hurt anything. Whatever noise you're hearing was there before you did the work and you're simply hyper-vigilant from concern at this point. When you do make a valve adjustment, you typically want to insert the feeler that results in only a slight drag and not force it. You also must have the cylinder you're checking at top dead center (TDC) so the cam lobes are pointing away from valve bucket. You want the clearance ideally to be in the middle of the range, but looser is always better than too tight, as the valve clearance gets smaller/tighter over time from the valve seats wearing and recessing into the head. It does sound like you want to learn and you'd prolly benefit from finding someone local to you who has some wrenching skills to oversee your work at first. Good luck!

If you're not inseam challenged, don't overlook the DL650 'Wee' Strom. They make excellent all-round bikes for everything from grocery haulers to backroad hooners to long-mileage touring rigs. They require a little set-up work upgrading the stock suspension--especially if you weigh in as a heavyweight--to make them a great handling bike, but you won't find an uglier, more beloved motorcycle anywhere that has the reputation of being about as reliable as a 24 oz framing hammer. I've had mine for over 4 years and put 40K miles on it without a single glitch.

FYI, for whoever correctly warned about using intake cleaning products in the Eco-Boost engines: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2014/12/induction-service-cleaners-can-damage-ford-ecoboost-engines.html This is something I did not know. Makes sense, tho. I got a hunch that owners of the latest cutting edge DI engines--boosted or not--will be seeing problems like this as the mileage rolls up. The additives in top-tier fuel for cleaning valve deposits work well on carbed and MPFI engines, but not so well on the DI motors.

They're usually located inconveniently right behind and underneath the muffler bearings. Damn design engineers! Definitely a dealer-only service item.

Good meeting up with some OR crew yesterday. Thanks to Snot (love that handle!) for arranging this and to Hellmutt for letting her out of the kitchen so we can all drink together! Offer stands to do a NKY day ride on some of the best roads within 50 miles of SW Ohio.

I used to lurk on the F150 forum--one of the best for finding info about your Ford truck--and there were lots of threads about the power loss and misfire issues with the Eco-Boost. I don't follow that thread because I have the old 4.6-3V V8, which I absolutely love, so I can't add anything particularly useful here. Here is a sticky from the forum that will take you the rest of your weekend to read and maybe shed some light on the problem. Good luck. http://www.f150forum.com/f38/2011-55-60mph-5-0-shuddering-ecoboost-engine-miss-loss-power-possible-fixes-128636/

Damnation. I clicked on this, lost 30 seconds of my meaningless life scrolling the detritus that is this thread, and now I have to say 3 Our Father's and 3 Hail Mary's to get back any possibility of an eternal afterlife....

Might make this. Been out'a town since December and just got back last night about midnight. Tons of shit backed up around the house, but if the fates align....

What type of head shape do the Bell helmets fit? Round or oval head?

Damn! HELL'A big parking lot. LOL

Jim: 26??? Yowzah. That seems way low for a big cruiser. That must be recommended inflation for parade drills....

Jim: This prolly works for you, but that would be higher than is typically spec'd by the manufacturer. Max sidewall inflation pressure might give you greater tire longevity but prolly isn't ideal for everyday riding with respect to grip. Of course, it depends on the type of bike, blah, blah, blah, but my guy tells me this would only be the case where the tire size and tire load rating were very close to the bike+rider weight, i.e., heavy cruiser with slightly undersize tires. YMMV....

SS: That question is about as easy to answer as "What's the best oil?" Tire pressure depends on SO MANY things: type of bike, type of tire (radial vs bias-ply, tube vs tubeless), weight of bike, weight of bike+rider+passenger+luggage, type of riding, overall average speed, anticipated top speed, air and/or road temperature, and even how you personally want to balance tire grip with tire longevity. From my experience, there are some general "rules of thumb": 1) You really can't go too badly wrong sticking with the manufacturer's recommendation in the owners manual. (This assumes you haven't dramatically changed the type of tire that came on the bike as OEM.) 2) Generally, the heavier the bike and it's load (rider+pass+luggage) the higher the pressure. 3) Lower pressure will usually result in a shorter tire life. 4) For extended extreme speeds (i.e., >120-130 MPH) you should bump the recommended pressures up several pounds. NOTE: THIS DOES NOT EQUATE TO BETTER HANDLING!! 5) For track days, most run lower pressures than typical street pressure for increased grip. 6) For colder air/pavement temps, slightly lower pressures give better grip. All of this shouldn't be taken as gospel, but is a short summary of what I've experienced over about 50 years of riding both street and dirt. Never exceed the maximum pressure listed on the tire sidewall, and don't exceed the GVWR of your motorcycle. When I say 'lower' or higher' I'm generally talking just a few pounds of inflation. For instance, I typically keep my tires inflated to about 34/36 F/R (Suzuki DL650, ~525#, DS radial tires) for normal commuting. If I plan on running the backwoods aggressively, I lower the pressure to 32/34. In winter weather, this might be as low 30/32. When I load up for a trip, whether it's on backroads or expressway, I air up to 36/38+. And I never have any tire problems on the Strom with extreme 130+MPH speeds.... BTW, I ride the poor little thing pretty hard and typically only get 5000-7000 miles out of a set of tires. My front usually lasts a little longer than the rear, but I pitch it when it gets triangulated, even if it still has some tread left.

Hellmutt: Not sure if you've got heart set on a brand new '15, but if you're interested in a Multi and want to save some serious cash, there's a '10 MS base model (no ABS, no panniers) with 13K miles for sale on ADVRider flea market for $7900. Looks super clean, 100% stock and located in Nashville, TN, so an easy 1-day drive-n-buy. Just an FYI... http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/2010-ducati-multistrada-beautiful-cond-nashville-tn.1099628/#post-27983465

Hope this is topical and not a repost or old info. Thought this was a pretty neat idea. https://www.facebook.com/michael.sandrock.9/videos/1256319011061556/

Give Brian Mullins (Kanatuna on the AFJ site) a call. Can't guarantee he'll have anything remotely like what you're looking for, but he still races and tunes the old, loud shit in his shop. Last contact I had for him is brianlmullinsatgmaildotcom or 859-409-7166