Scruit

Every group ride needs a set of these for teh n00b of the group.

+1 Especially commuting. If I have some place I need to be then fair enough, but I'll take the twisties any time I can. The only thing worse than slabbing it between ambivalent cagers is doing same when the bike can't get over 75mph... "Carburation Issue"

If I can't ride in a place where I can see the eyes (beside, ahead or in sight of his mirrors) of any driver ahead of, behind or beside me then I'll either slow down or speed up until I get to a place I *can*. But then I'm a safety nazi who's generally geared up for the apocalypse...

The toolbox blocks the signal too much. looking for a new install location. I had two phones being tracked - my "bike" phone in the toolbox and my regular cell in my pocket. The regular cell shows a good solid track all day today - the bike phone had large gaps (10 mins at a time). Next I think I'll try installing it in a false panel in the top cargo bag.... Having said that, the i290 tracks beautifully when it's got goot signal (in my pocket) and even witht he intermittent signal right now I can tell you that my bike is still parked where I left it outside the dealership. They haven't moved it or test ridden it yet (they said they'd get to it tomorrow). If I can get this working 100% then that's damn cheap peace of mind knowing that if my bike is stolen there's a damn good chance I'll be able to track it...

I'm lucky in that I have a workshop and a pole barn. Space to work on / store a couple dozen bikes... Now if only I could convince my wife to let me buy a second bike... Bikes are like guns. They all have their time and place. You wouldn't go varmint hunting with a Kimber 1911, but you can't really CCW with a Ruger M77 MkII in 22-250 (4000 fps jacketed hollowpoint = sucky day for mr.woodchuck) now can you? So, you need a "Hunting" bike and a "CCW" bike and a "Zombie Apocalypse bike" and a... Get the picture? I think you need a Cruiser for Bike Night at The Loob. You need a touring bike to come with us to Alaska... A turbo 'busa would be good too because it can go from 0 to "soiled underwear" in about 2.0 seconds. Then you need a 'wing for the Nationwide Children's Hospital toy drive (put the comically large stuffed toy in the back seat) Then you need a 2-stroke for going offroad. And you need an enduro so you can get to your 2-stroke from home. So, anyway, Honda Northwest has a nice Councours in stock. I told my wife I was going to divorce her and marry the bike. "Good, becaue if you buy that damn bike and that's the only RIDING you'll be doing."

It wasn't technically a full repost, as only half of the joke was posted...

There needs to be a "Throwing in the towel and going to the dealership" smiley. After redoing the valve clearances 4 times and always coming up with the same result I'm done messing with the bike. I'm taking it to the local Suzuki dealer for them to take a look at it. My guess is a carb problem.

At 4k miles the bike was: - Top speed 95mph. 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds. Valves were quiet when the bike was cold and a little tappy when the bike was warm. I adjusted the valves to make them all a little tighter. .005 In, .008 Exhaust. - Top speed 75mph. 0-60 in something closer to 10 seconds. Valves were quiet when the bike was cold or hot. So I tried to adjust them again. Couldn't even get the feeler guages in there. This time I stuck with .005 Intake, .008 Exhaust, tightening the valve until I could only just feel friction on the feeler. Started up the bike - no good. Valves made a heck of a racket. So I tried to adjust them again. Again I went with .005 Intake, .008 Exhaust, tightening the valve until I could only just pull the feeler out when the locknut was cinched down : - Top speed 65mph. 0-60 in something like 15 seconds. Valves noisy when cold and hot. So what is the trick here? Am I using the right clearances? What is the trick with the amount of drag I should expect from the feeler guage? If I use the idle speed adjustment and wind the idle up a bit then I can get the bike to 70mph...

K, now I *know* there's something wrong... After I did the valve clearances before I was having trouble getting the bike over 75mph - but as I was only on country lanes I figure I just didn't have time to accelerate etc. I redid the valve clearances again, only thing time I went a little loose (thinking the clearances were probably too tight before). Went form no ticking at all to an audible ticking sound while the engine was running. And now I can't get the bike over 65mph. I'm leathed to spend $300 on something I can do myself in a short amount of time - but apparently I'm doing something wrong because every time I touch the clearances the bike's performance gets worse and worse. When I first got the bike it could do 95mph on it. Don't ask how I know. Specs list the top speed a 99mph.

Pulled the plugs today. Here's what I got: Funny that one seems to be rich (left, darker one - rear head of the V-twin) and the other seems to be lean (white) yet it's a single carb? I've been told this bike runs lean from the factory so it can meet EPA regs. But the soot suggests rich, so I'm not sure what's going on. The engine and fuel/exhaust are 100% stock. The only thing I've changed is I did the valve clearances earlier this year. To be honest, I'm thinking the power loss came about the same time. I'm going over the valve clearances again to be sure. The dealership on Park Mill Run Dr (dunno what they call themselves now - their website is ohiomotorcycle.com) wanted $300 to check the valve clearances. I can do it in 30 mins, so I'm sure they can a well. I'm in the wrong business if 30 mins of work gets them $300.

I ordered the regular heated grips rather than overgrips because I figured it'd be better to have the grips be a consistent diameter. Also, I *know* I'm going to forget them when it turns out I need them...

I will say also add that when I'm in my house watching TV and I hear a bike coming past on the highway that's 1/2 mile away - my first thought is; "Douche."

I have some real heavy gloves that work fine for must riding but in the 30's at freeway speeds for an hour = hands too cold to operate the bike safely. I just ordered a set of these grips for my bike as I'm hoping to bike it as much as possible over winter. 40 mins at 65 mph

Well, the phone can still get a signal in the bike's lockable tool box. Cool. I'll see it run over a few days, and then I'll permanently mount it. Also, it gets both GPS and wireless signal while inside my workshop with the door closed. Hopefully this means if someone takes the bike and hides it in a garage then I'll still get a track.

K, well it's tracking now. Just need to install it permanently on the bike. Ordered a car charger for $7. For now I'm going to experiment with putting the phone on the bike and making sure it can get both wireless and GPS signals. Good excuse to take a ride. Not that I need an excuse.

Fair enough. We'll see how it goes.

You don't need wireless signal for the GPS to work, but you DO need signal to upload the data to the website. Boost is part of Sprint, I think.

From another site: Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back 10. Afraid it will invalidate warranty. 9. Leather and studs make it too heavy to raise arm. 8. Refuse to wave to anyone whose bike is already paid for. 7. Afraid to let go of handlebars because they might vibrate off. 6. Rushing wind would blow scabs off the new tattoos. 5. Angry because just took out second mortgage to pay luxury tax on new Harley. 4. Just discovered the fine print in owner's manual and realized H-D is partially owned by Honda. 3. Can't tell if other riders are waving or just reaching to cover their ears like everyone else. 2. Remembers the last time a Harley rider waved back, he impaled his hand on spiked helmet. 1. They're too tired from spending hours polishing all that chrome to lift their arms. Top Ten Reasons Why Gold Wing Riders Don't Wave Back 10. Wasn't sure whether other rider was waving or making an obscene gesture. 9. Afraid might get frostbite if hand is removed from heated grip. 8. Has arthritis and the past 400 miles have made it difficult to raise arm. 7. Reflection from etched windshield momentarily blinded him. 6. The espresso machine just finished. 5. Was actually asleep when other rider waved. 4. Was in a three-way conference call with stockbroker and accessories dealer. 3. Was distracted by odd shaped blip on radar screen. 2. Was simultaneously adjusting the air suspension, seat height, programmable CD player, seat temperature and satellite navigation system. 1. Couldn't find the "auto wave back" button on dashboard. Top 10 Reasons Sport bikers Don't Wave: 10. They have not been riding long enough to know they're supposed to. 9. They're going too fast to have time enough to register the movement and respond. 8. You weren't wearing bright enough gear. 7. If they stick their arm out going that fast they'll rip it out of the socket. 6. They're too occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken strips. 5. They look way too cool with both hands on the bars or they don't want to unbalance themselves while standing on the tank. 4. Their skin tight-Kevlar-ballistic-nylon-kangaroo-leather suits prevent any position other than fetal. 3. Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops. 2. It's too hard to do one-handed stoppies. 1. They were too busy slipping their flip-flop back on. Top Ten Reasons Why BMW Riders Don't Wave Back 10. New Aerostich suit too stiff to raise arm. 9. Removing a hand from the bars is considered "bad form." 8. Your bike isn't weird enough looking to justify acknowledgment. 7. Too sore from an 800-mile day on a stock "comfort" seat. 6. Too busy programming the GPS, monitoring radar, listening to ipod, XM, or talking on the cell phone. 5. He's an Iron Butt rider and you're not!. 4. Wires from Gerbings is too short. 3. You're not riding the "right kind" of BMW. 2. You haven't been properly introduced. 1. Afraid it will be misinterpreted as a friendly gesture. Top Ten Reasons Why Dual Sport Riders Don't Wave Back 10. Vibration of knobby tires prevented the rider from taking his hand off the bars. 9. MX style safety gear was too bright to see you wave. 8. His front fender prevents you seeing him wave back. 7. Was too busy configuring his GPS/Enduro Roll/FishFinder. 6. His rain/wind/thorn/bug/bird proof thousand-dollar jacket won't allow it. 5. Faceshield was too covered in mud to see. 4. Doesn't recognize a wave in any language other than German. 3. Too busy splitting lanes/filtering through traffic. 2. One handed wheelies are not easy. 1. On single-track trails you stop, not wave. Top Ten Reasons Why UJM Riders Don't Wave Back 10. Something's buzzing around the tank. 9. Do you hear than noise the valves are making? 8. Trying to push start. 7. Just felt something shimmy. 6. Trying to isolate source of resonant shudder. 5. Hypnotized by digital gear indicator 4. Needs that hand to affect on-the-fly repairs 3. Previous owner replaced #3 with a 2.5 2.5. Mentally reviewing which parts use SAE and which use metric. 2. Wait, there's a number 2? This bike never had a #2, did it? ****! 1. Can't see your tank badge to determine what brand of bike you're on. Why scooter riders don't wave back: 10. If you knew what a 10" wheel was like at 50mph, you wouldn't let go of the bars either. 9. And risk droping the PBR 12-pack? 8. Didn't see you - catching a few winks on the way home from an all night clambake. 7. It's a mod vs. rocker thing. 6. They just let the cloud of blue smoke trailing behind the scooter act as their "wave". 5. Hey, if you want 140 mpg, you gotta keep your elbows and knees in and your hands down on the bars. 4. The forty year old original hand grip on their vintage Vespa would fly apart if they let go of it. 3. Yes, I saw you. No Gucci - no gesture. 2. They're being filmed during a commercial shoot for a trendy lifestyle product nobody really needs. 1. Why do motorcyclists keep pointing toward the ground with two fingers when they ride by? What is that? What does it mean?

Well, we can still complain and bitch about it... My experience on who waves back: Factors that make a wave more likely from the other rider: - I wave early - They are riding 2-up (sometimes get two waves!) - Other bike is a touring model (suggesting they ride long distances - posers don't like to ride too far) - Other rider has a helmet on (Not trying to start a debate on the whys and why nots, that's just my observation) - I'm commuting to/from work. (Posers don't commute, but some folks commute on small Vespa-tyle scooters and don't do the wave thing) - Non-ideal riding conditions. (Posers don't ride in the rain or below 50) Factors that make a wave less likely: - Other rider cannot spare his or her clutch hand (pulling away from lights, etc. Usually get a nod instead) - It's the weekend and the weather is perfect - I'm wearing my dayglo jacket and the other bike is a cruiser I'm a slut, I'll wave at anything with two wheels. We all share a common enemy (cagers) and the enemy of my enemy is my friend, no?

I just got the disposable phone. It's an i290 with Boost mobile. I have to open it up, install the sim, charge and activate etc and make sure it's all working, then install the GPS tracking software.

You weren't drunk. He was looking for drunks and processing you would have taken too up much of his drunk-hunting time.

Yeah, when they are positioned correctly they are great - but when positioned incorrectly they can make things worse. I'd rather go no-windshield than have a bad windshield.

I raised up the lowers and now the buffeting is totally gone. I can ride with my visor open in the calm air behind the windshield. From the pic above, where you can see the bolt behind the lowers... I just removed that bolt and attached it to the lowest bolt on the new bracket. Now I need to CAD the bracket and get a pair fabbed up at the machine shop.

Buy the new bike now, or maybe in a few weeks when nobody's buying... Then use whatever good riding days exist over the winter to get her dialled in. You get the bike for less and you're ready to go day#1 of the biking weather next year.

The buffeting is 90% fixed. Here's the prototype mounting bracket in aluminum. I found a mahcine show that will fab up the brackets for me from a CAD file, so I downloaded their CAD software and I'm drawing up the design based upon this prototype with a couple of tweaks... - The lower windshield bolt is pinched between two large washers rather than having the bolt go through the bracket. This was a the widest aluminum stock I had on hand so I improvised when I needed to go wider. In the CAD design I'm extending the bracket to have a bolt hole instead of the pinched washers. - The holes that don't currently have bolts in are not needed and will not exist in the final version. - The edges of the piece will be tweaked to follow the lines of the existing brackets and windshield. The bolt holes will have at least 1/2" material around them. (The top windshield mounting bolt hole in this pic does not have much material aft of the bolt - that has to be fixed. I'm going to compare the cost of making a pair of these in 1/8" steel and chroming it, or having it made up in stainless. The company will use the CAD file to cut the plate with either water or laser, so it's going to be a professional stock-looking part when it's done. The reason the buffeting is only 90% fixed is that by raising up the windshield so much I opened a huge gap between it and the lowers. There's air rushing through there around the tank now - I can stop it by putting my arm out in front of my belly. I'm going to adjust the lowers to compensate.