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twigg

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Everything posted by twigg

  1. twigg
    Nope ... That one is probably more reliable. It certainly weighs less.
  2. twigg
    I have Walmart batteries on both my bikes ... Poverty does that to you. But .... They have been perfectly reliable in cold and shine, and at $50 each were a fair price. Walmart also sells AGM batteries for bikes, they are around $75 and I see no real reason why they should not give all the advantages of any other AGM battery. There are better batteries that the regular lead/acid, I know that. But at the price, and if they hold charge for two or three seasons, then they are not doing bad. Both my bikes live on battery tenders and the batteries are rarely less than fully charged. I suspect that helps get the most from them.
  3. twigg
    Firstly .... Loading a bike on a trailer, while very easy, is nerve-wracking and you ALWAYS feel it will break loose and something bad will happen. The reality is that they don't break loose, and they hardly budge an inch if you do it properly. Partly it depends on the type of trailer. Enclosed is a bit different to open. You need to stop the front wheel sliding sideways. A proper wheel chock, screwed down is best (the sideways pressure is small) Failing that, a couple of short lengths of 2 x 4 screwed to the trailer floor will keep the front wheel still. My trailer has an open frame, so I can strap the front wheel hard against the front rail which stops any rearward movement. Four ratchet straps complete the process. One from each side of the triple tree and one from each of the rear frame or pannier mounts. Just ratchet them down until the suspension is very lightly compressed. That bike isn't moving. Again, with an open frame trailer there are plenty of attachment points, but an enclosed one would need tie-downs. Hope this helps. ps I bought a very nice open trailer with a four foot loading ramp and 3500lb axle for $1000, brand new. Trailer is 10 x 7 and could easily carry two VRs
  4. twigg
    The thermostat turns a passive system into a positive feedback system that is able to respond to environmental conditions, and engine work. If there were no thermostat, the engine would warm up to correct temperature very slowly, because it would have to heat all the fluid in the system at the same time as the rad is trying to cool it. In warm climates that would increase wear, and in cold climates it would probably never heat up unless you were stuck in traffic. The thermostat "begins" to open at a set temp, and is only "fully" open much hotter. This means that it restricts the flow sufficiently to keep the engine at the correct temperature all the while the system is heating, and crucially, it can close again if it senses that the coolant is cooling too much. The whole system is pressurised to help it work more efficiently so ... If the thermostat sticks closed, you are in trouble. The small amount of coolant in the engine will rapidly heat and you will get little or no warning before it overheats and seizes, unless there is a secondary "engine temp" warning on the engine side of the system. If it sticks open, or you remove it, then your engine will warm up slowly, may never warm in some places and you will be running way out of peak efficiency ..... increased wear, etc. In very cold weather it is possible that the cooling provided by the radiator can overcome the ability of the thermostat to regulate it, that is why you sometimes see part of the radiator blanked off in winter. Hope this helps.
  5. twigg
    Always ... All The Gear, All The Time The danger, if not the discomfort, when riding in ho weather is from dehydration. At highway speeds, a good riding suit is actually fairly comfortable, but I accept that it is uncomfortably hot when you stop. That's why I always preferred two piece suits ... you can remove the jacket. But traveling at 70 mph in 100F sunshine, while wearing a tee shirt can make you dangerously dehydrated very fast, to say nothing of sunstroke. A riding jacket, with decent ventilation, will give a good cooling effect while keeping you safe. If you pour a little water inside it occasionally you get additional cooling and no body water loss. Drink lots and stay safe.
  6. twigg
    Oh yes .... I forgot to mention lights. With the possible exception of a late model Gold Wing, there are no stock bikes that have good enough lighting for this kind of ride. You will be riding, for many hours, in the dark, and deer sit there waiting for you to go by. At a minimum .... Add some bright red LEDs to the rear, the more the better and get a modulator for the brake lights. Car drivers are not looking for motorcycles, so force them to see you and always assume they haven't. On the front you need to see a long way down the road. The standard headlight needs some help and there are a bunch of ways to do it. Driving lights, two of them mounted as high and wide as you can is the best bet. If you get HID lights, and if you convert the standard headlight to HID too, the extra power draw is minimal. Make sure the driving lights are aimed to light the sides of the road, that's where the danger is. This is a big subject, and research would help.
  7. twigg
    Oh it's perfectly possible. The pace required to complete IBA "Extreme" rides is 62.5 miles per hour, including stops. The pace for the regular rides is 41.7 mph, and that is easy enough, until you have to do it for 1000 miles. These rides are done regularly, the "easy" rides can be completed on stock bikes with a minimum of preparation .... Ask me how I know (I did mine on a 1977 Yamaha XS750), this year. The extreme rides cannot be done casually. The bike and the rider needs preparation. It helps if the bike has an auxiliary fuel tank and is carrying 10 gallons of gas. Good electronics, good clothing and a well planned route. In most parts of the US it can be done without exceeding any speed limits (just), it was designed that way, but many riders will take the view that "5 over" won't hurt much The margins are fine on those rides, and most folk fail their first attempt. Minimum needed, in my view ... for us .... A well prepared Venture. Age doesn't matter, they all can do it. Either carry, or add a 5 gallon fuel cell. I'd go for adding one with quick disconnects. GPS ... at least one. Two is better because you can hold the route on one and use the second for quick detours for gas, etc. Radar detector optional, but most LD Riders carry one. Hydration system. A one gallon rubbermaid properly fixed with a drinking tube. Camelbacks are okay, but you really don't want to wear one on the bike. A cell phone, mounted and connected to the intercom is great. Easy access to immediate things you need .... A good tank bag helps here. Money for tolls, a writing pad and pen. SOmewhere secure for receipts. Good riding gear. A riding suit, boots, gloves and helmet. Wear them all, all the time. In very hot weather a good suit will prevent dehydration, and keep the sun off you. DOn't underestimate the drying power of the wind at 70mph. It's okay for a Sunday afternoon ride, it is deadly for 1500 miles. Read, read, read. Read the ride reports, especially the failures. All the answers are there. Have fun!
  8. twigg
    Nuts? Yeah, maybe. But it's all about preparation. Not all 1000 mile trips are the same. Taking a stock HD Sportster on a 1000 miles in 24hours isn't my idea of fun. Riding a rally prepped BMW K1100LT 5000 miles in five days is more impressive, but less difficult. But yeah, "Nuts" covers it
  9. twigg
    Sounds like a great trip. Which Certified Ride/Rides did it cover?
  10. twigg
    Sp far. for me it was 1036 miles in 21 hours .. March this year. Planning a 2000 miles in 48 hours this summer, and probably about 1100 miles in 30 hours on a Fall Rally. The first on a 1977 Yamaha Triple, the others will be on my '86 VR which is now on the road and did a flawless 120 miles this morning.
  11. twigg
    Jeez! Where do you live? I just paid $50 for insurance. I know it's only Liability, but the limits are set fairly high. I should get a quote for full coverage and see what they say.
  12. twigg
    Temperature won't affect the sync, but it might affect the combustion enough for you to notice. Have you ever noticed how, and a crisp winter morning, your car seems to drive particularly well? You are not imagining it, it is running better Engines adore cold, dense air. They get more oxygen and the whole combustion process is enhanced. That is also why turbo-charged engines have intercoolers. The compressed exhaust gas is very hot, and so it is cooled before it reaches the engine to aid combustion. If there is anything at all that is "marginal" on your bike, it is quite likely that you would notice a difference when you move it to a hot climate. Hope this helps.
  13. twigg
    That's something I have been thinking about. Lowes sells 2" wide flat strip aluminum. It's $10 for 36" and it's 1/8th thick. It should be substantial enough to fabricate a mount that clamps to the fairing frame at the side of the instrument pod, and make a mount that passes in front of, and just below the top surface of the instrument housing. That should provide a platform that is 2" deep by about 15 inches long. If the aluminum isn't strong enough, they sell steel in similar sizes. Not sure how I will do it, but I do need something like that.
  14. twigg
    lol Reception is a little "choppy" now
  15. twigg
    They would remove the collar for balancing so they could lock the spindle of the balancing machine onto the bearing.
  16. twigg
    Next time you need Plastex go get a quart of MEK from Home Depot and an offcut of ABS sheet from your local plastic supplier. You will have more "Plastex" than you can use, for about $10.
  17. twigg
    The bearing collar is a small amount of weight right at the center of the wheel. It will have no influence at all on the tire balance.
  18. twigg
    Here is a little info for your other half Most accidents happen within three miles of home. A blow on the head at as little as 10 mph can kill. Might help persuade him.
  19. twigg
    If it were so simple, then I probably would agree with you. What about iTunes refusing to allow you to listen to your music, that you paid full price for, on anything but an Apple device? How does the musician benefit?
  20. twigg
    lol .... Don't do this on your motorcycle test folks .... Once you have your "M" Endorsement, do it all the time
  21. twigg
    Those who are saying that using high octane fuel is giving them better gas mileage or more power are getting those benefits from somewhere else, not the fuel. The octane rating an engine needs is determined ONLY by the compression ratio. The compression is what causes "knocking", that is, the fuel igniting by the compression not the spark. Higher octane fuels self-ignite at higher pressure, but actually burn less well. If anything, using these fuels would lower your power output, not raise it. You only need the octane that you need. If your bike runs, without knocking, on 87 octane gasoline, then using 89 octane gives no benefits at all.
  22. twigg
    There is no real secret, just practise. As was said ... don't drag or skim your feet on the floor. One day your foot will catch something and the footrest will break your leg. It won't be pretty. All motorcycles can be kept upright barely even moving, again this takes practise. Some can even be kept upright when they are stopped Slipping the clutch and using the rear brake to balance the bike are key.
  23. twigg
    You could try getting it good and hot, so it's dried out, then using one of those ignition sealer sprays. That might save a Saturday
  24. twigg
    Two screws hold it to the bottom of the bracket that carries the coils. The bracket is held by two bolts each side and they are behind the inner fairing. You "might" be able to get it out with a 90 degree screwdriver, but those machine bolts are likely to be tight ... ... so sorry, the fairing has to come off! Unless you get lucky.
  25. twigg
    They are not on the website. Call the store, give the girl the part # and your money, and they will be sent out. I just received some too.
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