Forum Replies Created
The “Five to Survive” Rule & Why You Should Use It
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Jeff in KentuckyParticipant
I saw an interview with this guy on Two Wheel Tuesday on the cable Speed Channel- he said the only failure besides tires was a fuel pump, when he sucked water into the engine while crossing a deep stream:
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantTriumph and the big Japanese four sell a version of their 600 to 675cc bikes with higher handlebars and the power tuned more for the midrange for street use. The highest rated are the Kawasaki Versys, the Triumph Street Triple, and the Suzuki V-Strom 650 or SV-650. The Yamaha FZ6R and Honda 599, and Suzuki Gladius are other similar bikes. Also sit on the 2005 to 2008 Kawasaki ZZR-600 with its older and more comfortable year 2000 sportbike design, now considered a sport-tourer.
Note that 4-cylinder bikes are considered less beginner friendly, with the power coming on more all at once, and with enough power to suddenly lift the front wheel or spin the back tire in the lower gears with someone not used to the throttle and clutch.
You can raise the handlebars on the faster on the track replica racers, but you pay extra for their track lap time ability, then reduce the lap times by raising the handlebars. Also, the high footpegs bend your knees more and their seats are very thin, more things that you might need to change to make them more comfortable for longer trips. I saw a video about a guy that went around the world on a Yamaha R1 sportbike- it is possible to take the time to get used to the head down and feet up riding position- grip the tank tightly with your legs, and hold up your chest with your legs and back instead of with your arms.
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantI had the same problem with Mozilla Firefox. I had to switch to Internet Explorer to get around the CAPTCHA problem.
I always write my longer articles in a text document saved to the desktop- right click at the desktop, then select new then text document, then write it, save it, and copy and paste it into a forum article, because of being burned in the past and losing many minutes of my time.
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantStarting the engine- let the engine warm up at least a minute before taking off, to get more oil to the top of the engine. Pull the clutch lever in a few times before taking off, to get more oil in between the clutch plates. A carbed bike can have the choke left partly on for the first half mile so the engine runs better until fully warmed up, but remember to turn the choke off when the engine gets warm.
Carbs are set for a cleaner exhaust, and rejetting will make them run better, often just a washer to raise each jet needle and adjusting the pilot mixture screws further out (counterclockwise) will greatly improve the throttle response just above idle, when taking off from a stop sign.
Coolant- change every 2 years is best (every 5 years at the most), half Havoline Extended Life car coolant and half distilled water works as well as the dealer coolants for less cash, or the Evans NPG+ lasts the life of the engine but costs more initially. Most racetracks prefer distilled water and water wetter, but it will freeze and needs to be drained before below freezing temperatures.
Brake fluid- after a few years it will become a brown color from absorbed water and fluid breakdown, and should be replaced. I like the Valvolene Synthetic DOT4 brake fluid because it turns brown more slowly.
Brake pads- for disk brakes you can see the pad thickness, maybe use a flashlight. I rotate the tires backwards with my hand while holding a piece of fine sandpaper on both sides of the rotor, so the new brake pads are bedded in better, and I try to use the new brake pads more lightly for the first few days so the new pads last longer.
Fork oil- it is best to replace it every 20,000 miles. For riders weighing over 150 pounds, you can buy stiffer fork springs and heavier weight fork oil, so the front forks bounce and dive less.
Tire pressure- check it often, typically 30 pounds is best for racing, 35 pounds is best for longer tire life and the weight of a passenger, but the higher pressure somewhat reduces the cornering ability and how smooth the bike rides.
Oil- I suggest trying several, until you find what feels best for your clutch hand and shift foot. A good low priced oil is Rotella T 15w-40. A good medium priced oil is Rotella T 5w-40 Synthetic. Good high priced oils include Amsoil and Maxima. I would change the engine oil every 3000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first. If you change the engine oil twice a year, you can use 20w-50 oil in the summer for longer engine life.
Some reading:
http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/generic/chain.php
http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Filters.html
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantHere is another alternative to the more typical 250cc Kawasaki or Honda, although you pay extra for the full fairing and the luggage storage, and the extra weight makes it more comfortable for long trips compared to the 250s:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/281/4552/Motorcycle-Article/2008-Yamaha-Majesty-Scooter-Review.aspx
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantThe Yamaha MT-01 got better front brakes for 2007- you may want to add a stainless steel reinforced front brake hose, and maybe HH version front brake pads. If you add the custom exhaust, it has more of a Britten look. Here is a review:
http://www.mcnews.com.au/Testing/Yamaha/2007_mt-01/Yamaha_MT01_Rreview.htm
I should get my new bike next week if it ever stops raining, for $5,500 with 350 miles on it. It retailed for $7,200 in 2008. Here is one review for it:
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantMore 250 Honda and Kawasaki Review:
I have seen more reviews for these two bikes- they write that the Honda is best for 65 mph or less, and the Kawasaki is better for above 65 mph. It is the difference between having a single cylinder or two cylinders.
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantSome tips:
Watch the free videos at the Howzit Done with Capt Crash web site, more are at the top right of the home page:
Keep your hands and arms loose. Wear armor for your head, elbows, knees, shins, ankles, shoulders, back and hands.
It often helps a lot to adjust the levers and the height of the handlebar ends to fit you better.
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantAll bikes are give and take. A heavier bike is more comfortable for long trips, but does not corner as well. Wide tires with good treads look nicer and have more grip, but turn in slower.
I am hoping to have my new bike some time either this week or next week. Motorcycle spring fever got both of us.
I had to get another password and switch from Firefox to Explorer, to get past the messed up CAPTCHA.
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantI liked your video, but I would divide it into two videos, one for the bike review and one for a riding video, and add more review info. In the US, only the faired version of this Suzuki is now sold. It looks a lot more modern than the similar 500cc Kawasaki that is not sold new anymore, and the other main differences are that the Suzuki engine is air cooled and the Kawasaki is water cooled and a little faster. Racers usually go from the Kawasaki 250cc Ninja to the Suzuki SV-650 to the 600cc, 750cc and 1000cc 4-cylinders, so it is more of a street bike than a race bike.
Here is a review for my 2002 600cc Honda Shadow VLX:
It is light for a cruiser (483 pounds) and the seat is low, good for cornering and for short legs. It has 30 horsepower and one carb and sold in the US from 1999 to 2007- a jet kit improves the takeoff power, and I drilled holes in the stock muffler baffles and added an oiled foam air filter, with rejetting for the changes. It is a little small for people more than 5′-10″ tall- you can loosen the handlebars to turn the ends higher, buy foot pegs that are further forward, and buy different handlebars to make this bike fit a taller person better. The 25.6 inch seat height is one of the lowest available, and makes putting your feet down at a stoplight easier, especially if your legs are short. The low seat height does make the back shock bottom out easier on big bumps- go around them or go slower over them to save your back, along with raising your butt off the seat for big bumps. The 4-speed transmission seems strange after riding 5 or 6-speeds for years, but I quickly got used to it. Some people add a smaller back sprocket to reduce vibration at 80 mph, but it reduces the already low takeoff power.
The 1988 to 1998 version in the US came with 2 carbs and 5 more horsepower, and a taller seat to make room for an electric fuel pump. The 1999 to 2007 with a single carb has a gravity fed fuel system (one less part to break later). My auto fuel valve designed for safety failed soon after the one year warranty ran out so the engine ran out of fuel- I bought a longer fuel hose and bypassed it-very few bikes with carbs have this new-fangled safety feature that I have lived without for about 7 years, that stops the fuel flow when the engine is off, during a crash or when the bike is parked.
A stainless steel reinforced teflon front brake hose greatly improves the front braking. The back braking is good stock- you can easily make the back tire slide on dry pavement with too much foot pressure, and the front tire will start to slide with the better brake hose and an extra strong grip.
Compared to my previous air cooled 1975 650cc Yamaha, it is cooler at stoplights in the summer and vibrates less at 75 mph. The vibration is annoying above 75 mph, and I added a gel and foam pad on top of the stock seat for more comfort on long trips. I also added a small windshield, that takes the wind off my chest and reduces wind noise.
The best tires I have found for it are the Kenda Kruz, and a larger 110 size front tire improves the cornering ability, but you need to raise the front fender for more tire clearance. A lot of people also like the more expensive Metzeler tires, but I have not tried them. I also added heavier and more fork oil so the low budget front forks do not dive and bounce as much for my 200 pounds.
For long trips at 63 mph, it will get 65 mpg on flat roads, that drops to 45 mpg for curvy roads and lots of extra throttle. Make sure you adjust the clutch lever looser than normal- my clutch plates failed early, and I replaced the clutch plates with the Vesrah brand plates and added the Vesrah brand stiffer clutch springs for longer clutch life. Overall, it is a great bike at 65 mph or less and on curvy country roads. The styling is like a Harley Softail, but with half the engine size and one third the price. The V-twin sound is addictive, especially when engine braking.
It is much less comfortable than a heavier, smoother touring bike like a Honda Goldwing for long trips at 75 mph. I have 20,000 miles on it now; and I am buying another bike (2008 Kawasaki ZZR 600) for longer trips at higher speeds, and keeping this Honda for my usual 22 mile trips a couple of times a week, on my favorite curvy country roads with a 55 mph speed limit.
Here is an article:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/1999_honda_vlx_600/index.html
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantI have found that the Valvoline Synthetic DOT 4 brake fluid turns brown much slower than regular brake fluid.
Some people use a vacuum pump to make the bleeding easier, but this low budget method below works, and is easier with 2 people:
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantIt takes brave riders to race on those narrow 2-lane country roads, with no runoff room like for a modern racetrack. Here is a little history for the Isle of Man TT racing, from Wikipedia:
Giacomo Agostini is the all-time leader in victories in motorcycle Grand Prix history, with 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championships titles.
At the end of the 1965 season, Mike the Bike Hailwood left to join Honda as he had tired of working for the difficult Count Agusta. With Agostini now the top MV Agusta rider, he responded by winning the 500cc title seven years in succession for the Italian factory. He would also win the 350cc title seven times in succession and won 10 Isle of Man TTs.
Agostini dropped a bombshell on the Grand Prix world when he announced he would never again race at the Isle of Man TT, after the death of his close friend, Gilberto Parlotti during the 1972 TT. He considered the 37 mile circuit unsafe for world championship competition. At the time, the TT was the most prestigious race on the motorcycling calendar. Other top riders joined his boycott of the event and by 1977, the event was struck from the Grand Prix schedule.
Some more video for the Isle of Man TT race:Jeff in KentuckyParticipantSome edgier music would make it more interesting for me:
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantI am not too clear on the Guzzi models, since there are so few around. I found this review by a guy that test rode several similar bikes:
“Well I finally rode the Norge today. I gotta say, it’s a nice bike but I can’t say I absolutely loved it. It’s a pleasant ride, although a bit “clunky” for a lack of better description. Not that it doesn’t exude craftmanship, just the dry clutch, and they way the engine purrs is quite a bit different (acquired taste?). I also didn’t feel like I was having fun riding it, maybe the fairing? Oddly enough, reminds me of a Victory for some reason. Not the ergos, power or anything like that, just the way I felt riding it. If it was half the price, I would probably jump on it, but not worth 15k to me for sure.
I also rode the following:
2007 Caponord – Nice perched riding postion, but sounded like a rattle-trap, falls flat on the higher RPM range, and smelled bad.
2009 Tiger – Whoa MAMA! Killer engine, but I think it’s a little too much bike for my smaller stature. Felt fatigued before I even got out of the residential neighborhood around the dealer. If I was 6’2 and 10 years younger perhaps.
2009 1200GS Low – Although I dig the 1200GS with the low suspension, it’s not the most comfortable thing for me, and I can’t justify the extra $$ for it. If I were heading to South America or Africa perhaps, but this ain’t happening anytime soon.
So, without further a-do, I’ve decided to go with the BMW R1200R. Overall, it’s the funnest bike I rode and the easiest to ride. Of all the bikes I rode, it’s the most comfortable for my short stature and meets all my requirements.”
Jeff in KentuckyParticipantI rode 70 miles today on my 600cc cruiser on a nice curvy country road- it got over 80 degrees F here.
I am getting a 2008 Kawasaki ZZR-600 next month with 350 miles on it, for $6,000. Not as sexy as a Moto Guzzi, but the anticipation is high for me too. This bike was considered a sportbike in 2000, but is now considered a sport tourer with a softer seat and 98 horsepower, 4 old style carbs and a top speed at about 155 mph, not that I will ever try it unless I do a track day.
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