Anyone else interested in motorcycles?

[AnotherJohnson]

Once you get past the initial break in, chain life is all about lubrication and acceleration. A thoughtful rider can get a long life. Two up hill climbs can be tough though.

You don’t want to break one in service. It can do a lot of damage. At 14000 miles, a chain doesn’t owe you anything.

[admin]

I do a full clean and lube every 400 miles and I do a full visual inspection on it that time including measuring chain slack. I ride very "mildly" and my little ninja can only must 42 hp at maximum so perhaps it's lack of stress. I checked my service manual and it doesn't give any general recommendation for chain replacement if the inspection is ok.

[AnotherJohnson]

With that level of care, it may last a lifetime.

Lucky Ninja.

[SteveFord]

I got 25,000 miles out of this chain but was hoping for 30,000 as the plan was to do it at the 50,000 mile service along with a new rear tire.
Nope.

[AnotherJohnson]

At that mileage sprockets were a good idea too. Good you did them.

Modern chains are a lot tougher than those of 60 years ago.

Of course back in the 60’s admin’s 42 HP was quite powerful. My RE 750 Interceptor was rated at about 53. When the CB 750 came along high was 60. And the power wars were fully escalated.

[SteveFord]

I'm trying to keep the bikes running so took the Yellow Banana out today and the water temperature was 195 - 205 degrees which is too hot so came back home, popped the seat to check the overflow tank and sumbitch, a mouse nest with a momma mouse and a bunch of baby mice!
Mom is quick and missed my boot sole, babies and the nest into the weeds.
That explains the young Pilot Black Snake in the yard last week - go get 'em!

It doesn't look like they got the wiring and tomorrow it's time to quit being so lazy and change the coolant, it's overdue.
Of course you have to take off the bodywork to get to the radiator cap and overflow tank, why would they make that accessable, that'd be stupid!

[admin]

I'm trying to keep the bikes running so took the Yellow Banana out today and the water temperature was 195 - 205 degrees which is too hot so came back home, popped the seat to check the overflow tank and sumbitch, a mouse nest with a momma mouse and a bunch of baby mice!
Mom is quick and missed my boot sole, babies and the nest into the weeds.
That explains the young Pilot Black Snake in the yard last week - go get 'em!

It doesn't look like they got the wiring and tomorrow it's time to quit being so lazy and change the coolant, it's overdue.
Of course you have to take off the bodywork to get to the radiator cap and overflow tank, why would they make that accessable, that'd be stupid!

Using more water and less coolant in the ratio will allow better cooling, so if you are not in a climate with freezing problems, you can get better cooling.

I hear you on the accessibility. I have a lot of fairings to remove whenever I do work on my bike, even it's minor. I changed the spark plugs this spring and boy that took awhile with having to remove the tank. Putting it back together took even longer.

[SteveFord]

Coolant changed, temps back to normal, no additional unauthorized rodent activity detected on this bike, no wires eaten but it did chow down on the factory tool kit.
Oooh, PLEATHER, my favorite! Num num num

I did find another nest started under another bike so cleaned that out and a woman at work told me that mice hate the smell of peppermint oil.
She gave me a really fancy gift bag containing a bottle of peppermint oil so now all my bike's tool trays smell like peppermint.
I don't want to put poison down if snakes and toads are eating the mice, probably should set a few traps - the kind the mice go into and then it shuts the door.

Here's the old girl, this is a really fun bike - small, light, comfortable and goes like hell.

[AnotherJohnson]

You’ve got quite the menagerie.

My current bikes are both air cooled. So no coolant issues for me.

[admin]

You’ve got quite the menagerie.

My current bikes are both air cooled. So no coolant issues for me.

We are not going to be seeing many new air cooled bikes due to the tightening emissions standards. Lots of the Harleys are oil cooled but even they are switching over more to water cooled.

[AnotherJohnson]

Yes, even Moto Guzzi’s new line will have liquid cooling.

Can’t meet emissions regulations without fuel injection and a well controlled head temperature.

[SteveFord]

An old boss/buddy of mine brought over his wife's Triumph Legend to get going right, it was running like crap after a dealership replaced an ignition coil.
I take it out and it's running on 2 cylinders so remove the petcock, clean the tank out, order some new plugs for it and look what I found:



The morons didn't screw in the center spark plug (notice the missing ground electrode) and the one with the oily threads somehow had two crush washers.
Luckily, their service technicians are highly trained and have the experience and knowledge to maintain or repair your off-road and street-legal vehicles as otherwise they would have screwed things up totally.
Runs a lot better now!

[AnotherJohnson]

Count yourself lucky that they didn’t strip the head.

[SteveFord]

I was holding my breath when I tightened it up...

[AnotherJohnson]

Anti seizing compound (light coat) will keep those threads from seizing in that already carboned up plug port. But you already knew that.

Just thinking ahead.

[AnotherJohnson]

My T100 got some bad gas and it’s been a pain to run at low idle. It’s sorted now. I’m going to start adding a bit of sea foam when I tank up. I always use E-0. This is the first bad gas I’ve had to deal with in years.

[admin]

That's a pretty bad mistake for a pro shop. I think I would have a word or two with the manager if that was my bike.

I tend to do maintence work myself. I changed the plugs on my bike this past spring.

[SteveFord]

Knock on wood, my bikes are running well.
Had to stick a new battery for Sir Costalot (1050 Sprint ST) just in time for rain to move in for a couple of days.
I have no idea if one thing is better than another but I was told to use Chevron Techron which you can get at Wally World if you're lucky.
It seems to work okay, nothing has blown up!

Where's that new Guzzi they were teasing us with?
The way bike prices are going I know I can't afford it but I'd sure like to at least see one.
Take a look at that dinky little horn and where they stuck it:
https://www.motoguzzi.com/us_EN/v100-mandello/

[admin]

Where's that new Guzzi they were teasing us with?
The way bike prices are going I know I can't afford it but I'd sure like to at least see one.
Take a look at that dinky little horn and where they stuck it:
https://www.motoguzzi.com/us_EN/v100-mandello/

That's going to be a very expensive bike. The adaptive aerobreaking sounds interesting.

[AnotherJohnson]

The 100th Anniversary celebration was postponed from last September to this September.
I expect that they will have some available for the celebration in Lake Como.

But I doubt that we'll see any on this side of the pond until after Christmas. Hope I'm wrong.