hiro
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Everything posted by hiro
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It's probably prohibitively expensive to set up shop to build something new like that. Then you need people who know how to service it. And where would you get parts for it?
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What? The coolant drain has the same type of aluminium crush washer. This is the coolant thread after all. heh The oil never leaks anyway.
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I had an old AMC Gremlin with front drum brakes. The piston was frozen on one side. Maybe from moisture and/or not being used for too long. I think the fluid pressure blew past the seal. Was able to fix it. I hear that ozone from electrical machinery can do a number of rubber, too.
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The coolant drain did leak a little with just plain water. I flipped the washer before I put coolant in and gave it slightly more torque and it is good.
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I love the torque of the 650 compared to the 300. It doesn't feel like it could get away from me, but it pushes me back in the seat. Taking off the windscreen and sitting upright adds to the sensation. haha Now I know how a sailboat feels. I wonder if I should actually change the brake fluid. Only 1788 miles on it and the reservoirs were probably never opened and the fluid is pretty clear, but it's been in there 5 years. The manual suggests every 2 years. (?) Looking over the service manual, there are some surprising recommendations. Probably not doing all that, except the brake hose makes me think twice. Maybe get a steel braided line in that case. Anyone every have a brake line explode? Fuel hose - replace 5 years Radiator hose and O-ring - replace 3 years Brake hose - replace 4 years Brake fluid - change 2 years Rubber parts of master cylinder and caliper - replace 4 years
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True. haha BTW, I didn't even change the crush washer!!! Someone might lose sleep over that. haha
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What I read is that ethylene glycol doesn't really degrade that fast, but that the additives do. That's the difference between a 1-year coolant and a 5-year coolant. I guess watering it down too much isn't great either. My bike is not likely to get that cold though. This is Ohio and we have a garage. If we move, it will probably be to a warmer place. Probably 51-49 isn't the end of the world? haha
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Thunk of something. Using pre-mixed 50/50 coolant after flushing with distilled water...the coolant might be more diluted than 50/50. Not sure how much fluid is trapped in the system. OK for summer, but at the end of the year, I wonder if it would make any difference if like 1/2 quart were drained off, then topped up with more 50/50? My coolant capacity is 1.3 quarts, so I'd have over half a quart left anyway. Assuming I bought two 1 quart bottles and that I'd be willing to pull the fairing off for that.
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I'm seeing prices like $20-25 for Bridgeport and Ariete. Kinda steep.
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Maybe this type? I saw comments about ones with rubber bases and saw a photo of one with a support bracket.
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You got the better ones? How much? I think my bike would need 11.3mm.
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I was thinking this type. This photo is from an FJR site even.
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True. Filling isn't much better, but I can do that at home with a bicycle pump.
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Should I be taking notes?
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Ah, an engineer. I'm curious how your tires would compare. Looks like you have at least 4 bike tires. My thumbnail test tells me that my Roadsmart II's are harder than my M7 RR's. Oh, I should compare them to Roadwinner's just sitting in the garage, but they're different technology--bias-ply. Anyone want a set of used Roadwinner's?
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Now that I have dual discs on the front, getting at the valve stem reached a new level of pain. Are angled valve stems good? Any problems with them? What's a good design, brand, or model?
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Hey, I heard that! I was thinking, how is this pressure gauge more popular than a durometer? haha
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I guess the answer is the same again. Just throw money and new parts at it. heh
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Wait. What do you use your durometer for?
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Sounds right. Is it a Shore "A" meter? I guess that's the right one for rubber. I was looking at a vintage one on ebay. My car tires usually get old and I can feel a loss of grip.
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There are digital and analog ones on ebay for about $30. I was just thinking, why not compare old tires to new tires to see how much they've really changed?
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OMG, no! haha
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Anyone use a durometer to check the hardness of tires? Either comparing old to new or cold to warm?
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I would say that if you're changing coolant types, yes. If there are signs of contamination, yes. If it's been many years since the last change, yes. Routine change, maybe not. My 3-year-old bike and coolant showed some white stuff in the reservoir. A quick suggests that that indicates some aluminium corrosion. It wasn't much, so not a big deal. Three years is the recommended interval for that bike anyway.
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For coolant I see "Permanent type of antifreeze," "Soft water 50%, Coolant 50%," and "green." Oil shows "API SG, SH, SJ, SL or SM with JASO MA, MA1 or MA2" and "SAE 10W-40." Somewhere it probably does say to always use Kawasaki products though. haha I wonder if alternative products would void the extended warranty that came with the bike.
