Motorcycle-Era |OT| Two are better than four

Fallout-NL · Dec 13, 2019

Looks like I am actually taking the S1 on the road tomorrow. Have an appointment for the Buell wizard to look at the front suspension and motor mount as that is the last thing we can't seem to figure out. Downside is having to drive it in these conditions. Upside is that we'll hopefully have this issue sorted a lot sooner than expected.

Luckily, there's been some rain in the last few days but I'll still give it a good hosing down afterwards.

Patriiick · Dec 15, 2019

Saying goodbye to my GSXR this morning. I've enjoyed the 5 or so years I've had with her. Looking forward to an upgrade in the next couple of months. Definitely don't envy the 3hr ride on motorways in the cold that the new owner has to look forward to.

Fallout-NL · Dec 15, 2019

The S1 certainly lived up to its HD heritage as a bunch of stuff tried and succeeded in shaking itself loose on the way home, managed to catch everything (mirror on the right and two exhaust header bolts, yeah...) before it was lost on the freeway though. Lets just say it's not a problem since we're still sort of in the shakedown phase and there was a bunch of work that needed doing anyway. Probably figured out the suspension issue too. One of the rings/spacers is not in the correct position causing the front motor mount rubber thing to flex a little bit more than it's supposed to. That's likely what I'm feeling in the front end.

Ordered a bigger rear pulley too. Gears feel too long now. It needs to rip to 80 miles an hour and after that, who cares really :P.

Patriiick said:
Saying goodbye to my GSXR this morning. I've enjoyed the 5 or so years I've had with her. Looking forward to an upgrade in the next couple of months. Definitely don't envy the 3hr ride on motorways in the cold that the new owner has to look forward to.

Sticking with a sportsbike or are you looking for something different?

Patriiick · Dec 15, 2019

Fallout-NL said:
The S1 certainly lived up to its HD heritage as a bunch of stuff tried and succeeded in shaking itself loose on the way home, managed to catch everything (mirror on the right and two exhaust header bolts, yeah...) before it was lost on the freeway though. Lets just say it's not a problem since we're still sort of in the shakedown phase and there was a bunch of work that needed doing anyway. Probably figured out the suspension issue too. One of the rings/spacers is not in the correct position causing the front motor mount rubber thing to flex a little bit more than it's supposed to. That's likely what I'm feeling in the front end.

Ordered a bigger rear pulley too. Gears feel too long now. Its needs to rip to 80 miles an hour and after that, who cares really :P.

Sticking with a sportsbike or are you looking for something different?

Going for one more balls out sportsbike before my tall skinny frame finds the ergonomics too much. The 600 was my first big bike so I'm looking at a 1000 next. The RSV4 has caught my eye. It'll be more of a weekend toy so practicalities can go out the window. I've commuted all year round on the Gixxer for the last 5 years so I'm not going to miss that.

Edit* I definitely jinxed things posting the above. Got a call from the guy who bought the bike who was at a service station on the wayt out of town, fuel cap lock fucked itself, couldn't get it open. AA guy arrives, can't get it open either. I take the bike back off the guy with plans to get the lock fixed tomorrow, 500m down the road as i'm going through the gears, white smoke pouring out the back of the bike. Luckily a kind bloke with a van spotted the massive cloud of smoke and picked me up and took me back into town. I'd be surprised if the engine isn't completely gone.

Scotch · Dec 15, 2019

Patriiick said:
Going for one more balls out sportsbike before my tall skinny frame finds the ergonomics too much. The 600 was my first big bike so I'm looking at a 1000 next. The RSV4 has caught my eye. It'll be more of a weekend toy so practicalities can go out the window. I've commuted all year round on the Gixxer for the last 5 years so I'm not going to miss that.

Edit* I definitely jinxed things posting the above. Got a call from the guy who bought the bike who was at a service station on the wayt out of town, fuel cap lock fucked itself, couldn't get it open. AA guy arrives, can't get it open either. I take the bike back off the guy with plans to get the lock fixed tomorrow, 500m down the road as i'm going through the gears, white smoke pouring out the back of the bike. Luckily a kind bloke with a van spotted the massive cloud of smoke and picked me up and took me back into town. I'd be surprised if the engine isn't completely gone.

Wow, that's some shitty luck. :(

You're a good dude for taking the bike back off the buyer. Don't know if I'd have done the same, but then again I'd probably feel guilty as hell. I remember buying my first bike, a Ducati 900 Supersport, and at the first gas station I stopped at it wouldn't start back up. We got it going eventually but my heart sank for a bit.
These kinds of situations are just messed up for all parties involved. Good luck.

Briareos · Dec 15, 2019

The suspicious man would say the buyer knew he did something to the engine then deliberately broke the cap as a cover.

Fallout-NL · Dec 15, 2019

BriareosGAF said:
The suspicious man would say the buyer knew he did something to the engine then deliberately broke the cap as a cover.

If I were a betting man...

Scotch said:
You're a good dude for taking the bike back off the buyer. Don't know if I'd have done the same, but then again I'd probably feel guilty as hell. I remember buying my first bike, a Ducati 900 Supersport, and at the first gas station I stopped at it wouldn't start back up. We got it going eventually but my heart sank for a bit.
These kinds of situations are just messed up for all parties involved. Good luck.

Yeah that sucked. He must've known his odds were pretty good that it wouldn't act up during the test ride.

Patriiick · Dec 15, 2019

Think it's the first time I've ever had any (supposed) engine issues in 5 years of owning the bike. She's quite high mileage(36k) so maybe it was just a matter of time till something went. My friend seems to think it might be head gaskets that have gone kaput.

Fallout-NL · Dec 15, 2019

Well, you're a good man for taking it back. That is for sure.

Subpar Scrub · Dec 20, 2019

Patriiick · Dec 20, 2019

Finally passed me bike onto it's new owner. Hope I never have to ride in weather like that again. It was 125 miles to his town in the most god awful downpour for about 3hrs straight.

Scotch · Dec 21, 2019

Patriiick said:
Finally passed me bike onto it's new owner. Hope I never have to ride in weather like that again. It was 125 miles to his town in the most god awful downpour for about 3hrs straight.

What about the cloud of smoke? Was the engine okay?

Patriiick · Dec 21, 2019

Scotch said:
What about the cloud of smoke? Was the engine okay?

Yeah it was just me being overzealous with an oil top up the day before. I think I was a bit hungover and tired at the time and wasn't paying much attention. Pleased it wasn't anything serious. The bike didn't miss a beat on the ride over to it's new owner.

Fallout-NL · Dec 21, 2019

Man, that's great. Love it when the answer is simple and easy to fix like that. Did it end up going to the same guy, or?

Subpar Scrub, looks good!

Microsoft · Dec 29, 2019

Would it be worth riding a motorcycle in a city like New York? Anyone have New York motorcycle riding experience?

Dougald · Dec 29, 2019

City riding is only good for traffic, so it seems kinda depressing in the US

It would probably be ok if you had secure parking

Envelope · Dec 29, 2019

Thinking about learning to ride a motorcycle this next year, unfortunately I don't see any MSF classes available yet

Microsoft · Dec 30, 2019

Dougald said:
City riding is only good for traffic, so it seems kinda depressing in the US

It would probably be ok if you had secure parking

From what I've read, NY motorcycle riding is quite difficult. Cops have it against motorcyclists, there's no parking, traffic doesn't see you, and the list goes on. I may be living in NY for a while and it sucks to know that it may not be convenient to own a motorcycle in NY...

HellforLeather · Dec 30, 2019

Microsoft said:
Would it be worth riding a motorcycle in a city like New York? Anyone have New York motorcycle riding experience?

Having been to New York a few times....riding a motorcycle there seems like it would be a miserable experience.

Mengy · Dec 30, 2019

HellforLeather said:
Having been to New York a few times....riding a motorcycle there seems like it would be a miserable experience.

It is. I live a few hours from NYC and I've been in the city on motorcycle a few times and yep it sucks. Of course driving a car in there sucks too. I prefer to just take a bus to the city now. Actually I pretty much just stay out of NYC entirely, lol.

That said, NY state has some awesome motorcycle riding in it, but if you live in the city then you have to first ride out and then back in, which will be frustrating.

Dougald · Dec 31, 2019

Microsoft said:
From what I've read, NY motorcycle riding is quite difficult. Cops have it against motorcyclists, there's no parking, traffic doesn't see you, and the list goes on. I may be living in NY for a while and it sucks to know that it may not be convenient to own a motorcycle in NY...

Maybe you can get a cheap long-term garage somewhere a bit out in the sticks thats still commutable by public transport? Then you could head into the countryside for riding on weekends without worrying about parking or having to leave your bike elsewhere/sell it. New York at least has decent public transit, by American standards anyway!

Fallout-NL · Jan 1, 2020

Happy new year motorcyclists of era! Lots of safe miles and easy to solve mechanical issues to all.

Microsoft · Jan 7, 2020

Fallout-NL said:
Happy new year motorcyclists of era! Lots of safe miles and easy to solve mechanical issues to all.

I guess everyone is just busy as heck. Plus, almost no one is riding around this time of the year. I like what you said btw, very nice, "lots of safe miles and easy to solve mechanical issues".

A little late, but Happy New Year to all!

Microsoft · Jan 7, 2020

Dougald said:
Maybe you can get a cheap long-term garage somewhere a bit out in the sticks thats still commutable by public transport? Then you could head into the countryside for riding on weekends without worrying about parking or having to leave your bike elsewhere/sell it. New York at least has decent public transit, by American standards anyway!

I think my bike is too big and heavy for NYC. I may, unfortunately, have to sell it. I may have to get something that's more favorable for the city. I'm thinking I need something with a lot of torque. Which is a bit ironic considering what I have now has a lot of torque. But then again, I will be having to make regular trips to VA, at least for the first few months.

We'll see how it goes, nothing is set in stone. There's a lot of stress involved, though, that's for sure.

Briareos · Jan 7, 2020

On the other hand...

Rotkehle · Jan 8, 2020

Happy new year from me as well.

Because of the development of the climate here in here in Germany I was able to do many little tours in December. Many days with over 10-15 degrees Celsius. That's the sad gut pleasant development here. At least its not burning here. At least until now. The last summer was critical.

The temperature will rise to 15 degrees Celsius tomorrow. I hope to free up some to e to do a little trip.

In The first week of August I will make a trip with two or three friends from Germany to Scotland. I'm hyped as fuck. But I looks like I will sell my XSR900 and shift to a bike with Corner ABS and corner TCS...oh and a bigger tank. A safe range of 180km is just not enough for me.

Microsoft said:
For the first time in my life I have been getting depression/anxiety/sadness. It's why I haven't been very active here. I did get into a relationship and recently ended it, but I was feeling depressed even during the relationship. She definitely helped but at times made it worse. I am coping very, very well but gosh darn it, I hate the feelings. I wish I could go for a ride to see if it might help (probably won't, honestly) but I can't go out for a ride due to it being too cold or don't have the motivation. I don't know? Anyone have some advice? Is this my 1/4 life crisis?

This may comes a little bit late, but as someone who has a wife with some very hard episodes of depression that nearly ended fatal for her. The one thing that helped to give her the tools to get her out of the downward spiral was therapy. Which is relatively easy here because of our health care system but I would have paid every price for this to get her stable again.
Now she is my wife and mother of our child and she helps me to get out of darker episodes.

Torro · Jan 8, 2020

Axelotl said:
Because of the development of the climate here in here in Germany I was able to do many little tours in December. Many days with over 10-15 degrees Celsius. That's the sad gut pleasant development here. At least its not burning here. At least until now. The last summer was critical.

I went to the Alps on the Autobahn in my black leather suit last summer. My onboard thermostat was measuring 42°C. I drank ~4 liters of water and did not have to pee once.

Fallout-NL · Jan 8, 2020

Axelotl said:
At least its not burning here. At least until now. The last summer was critical.

It does make you wonder huh.

(Glad I'm not the only one in this thread with very mixed feelings on the subject.)

Microsoft said:
I guess everyone is just busy as heck. Plus, almost no one is riding around this time of the year. I like what you said btw, very nice, "lots of safe miles and easy to solve mechanical issues".

A little late, but Happy New Year to all!

Thanks bud.

Microsoft said:
I think my bike is too big and heavy for NYC. I may, unfortunately, have to sell it. I may have to get something that's more favorable for the city. I'm thinking I need something with a lot of torque. Which is a bit ironic considering what I have now has a lot of torque. But then again, I will be having to make regular trips to VA, at least for the first few months.

We'll see how it goes, nothing is set in stone. There's a lot of stress involved, though, that's for sure.

I'd try it first. I'd consider selling it only if it really doesn't work and you're planning on staying in or near NY for much longer.

Mengy · Jan 8, 2020

It's going to be up around 50 this Friday and I just happen to have the afternoon off. I'm going for a ride!

Rotkehle · Jan 8, 2020

Fallout-NL said:
It does make you wonder huh.

(Glad I'm not the only one in this thread with very mixed feelings on the subject.)

you should visit our lakes in the Sauerland. The Möhnesee was so fucking empty...Without enough rain the last years and in general very dry summers and winters, we have a massive ground and drinking water deficit. And the forecast is not flattering.

Briareos · Jan 8, 2020

Mengy said:
It's going to be up around 50 this Friday and I just happen to have the afternoon off. I'm going for a ride!

52F and raining in Maine this Saturday, what a weird world. All the bikes are winterized, sadly, no hope of a ride. Also also, salt.

That said watching some Royal Jordanian videos yesterday really got me excited to ride again.

Microsoft · Jan 8, 2020

Axelotl said:
Happy new year from me as well.

Because of the development of the climate here in here in Germany I was able to do many little tours in December. Many days with over 10-15 degrees Celsius. That's the sad gut pleasant development here. At least its not burning here. At least until now. The last summer was critical.

The temperature will rise to 15 degrees Celsius tomorrow. I hope to free up some to e to do a little trip.

In The first week of August I will make a trip with two or three friends from Germany to Scotland. I'm hyped as fuck. But I looks like I will sell my XSR900 and shift to a bike with Corner ABS and corner TCS...oh and a bigger tank. A safe range of 180km is just not enough for me.

This may comes a little bit late, but as someone who has a wife with some very hard episodes of depression that nearly ended fatal for her. The one thing that helped to give her the tools to get her out of the downward spiral was therapy. Which is relatively easy here because of our health care system but I would have paid every price for this to get her stable again.
Now she is my wife and mother of our child and she helps me to get out of darker episodes.

I'm not dealing with depression anymore. I think my job was the culprit. I have since resigned. I have to agree with you though, some therapy for myself would help. It'd be a bit difficult for me to get therapy since I'd have to pay out of pocket. It's a good thing you and your wife found a solution. Depression just sucks.

Fallout-NL · Jan 9, 2020

We did finish the first winter project (and I always say 'we' because I don't want to take credit for what is much of my dad's expertise and effort), which was replacing the leaking pushrod tube gaskets on the S1 and fixing the front engine mount. You guys will probably remember last year's massive restoration project where we also delved pretty deep into the engine, most of that stuff went really well, except for those pesky gaskets that sit at the bottom of the pushrod covers/tubes. There's 4 of them, real sonofabitch to get in properly. I think our trouble was that those tubes, due to differing tolerances in the new pushrod-cover-base we used, had space to move up ever so slightly, causing them to clear the gaskets partially, resulting in a pretty massive leak.

Anyway, that's fixed. We also changed the front engine mount setup. The previous setup was likely causing some front suspension weirdness I was feeling. Some alterations had been made in the past (different bolt, different isolator, different diameters, the in- and exclusion of several washers) and we had to figure out what really needed to be in there. Biggest change is a new bolt with a smaller diameter, allowing the bolt to be inserted from the bottom instead of the top and the inclusion of a washer that should restrict the isolator from moving up and knocking into the headstock (yeah...). Now of course, you would say: 'why not just follow the manual to the letter?' Well, this part (the isolator, bolt and washer setup) has been updated in one of the many recalls that were performed on early Buells and it's kinda difficult to determine what parts you need exactly (where to get them, if at all) and what the final word is on how to install them. I think, after discussing it ad nauseam at the shop, we got it finally, but a test ride is necessary to make sure we did.

Last thing we did is change the rear sprocket (on the final drive) for a larger one. The gears felt quite tall before. Anxious to find out how noticeable the change will be.

Next up is my dad's M2 Cyclone. New wheels, new oil pump drive gear, 1275cc kit, new flat slide carburetor and a bunch of other stuff.

Rotkehle · Jan 9, 2020

Microsoft said:
I'm not dealing with depression anymore. I think my job was the culprit. I have since resigned. I have to agree with you though, some therapy for myself would help. It'd be a bit difficult for me to get therapy since I'd have to pay out of pocket. It's a good thing you and your wife found a solution. Depression just sucks.

Im glad that you found the reason. Depression never just fanishes and is gone forever. Stay alarmed and act fast if you feel that it want to come back.

Torro · Jan 9, 2020

Last year I took photos with my GoPro attached on a chest strap. It's a really great way to create memories of your tour without having to stop for photos.

Fallout-NL · Jan 9, 2020

Ah, that does look quite nice.

Fallout-NL · Jan 16, 2020

Don't want to jinx it (those pesky gaskets especially), but I think it's fixed. Front end feels great after altering the front isolator setup. We have a new clamp for the exhaust. Exhaust headers are loctited down properly. Mirrors also fixed with loctite. Bigger rear pulley feels great. So yeah. I think we're there. It's done. Can't wait to put a lot of miles on it. Hope there will be time to do so coming season.

Rotkehle · Jan 16, 2020

I love that short exhaust :D

Briareos · Jan 16, 2020

I am jealous of your non-snow-covered ground. Bike looks good too ;).

Rotkehle · Jan 16, 2020

BriareosGAF said:
I am jealous of your non-snow-covered ground. Bike looks good too ;).

I don't think that we will see snow this year at all. We had like 15C today.

Fallout-NL · Jan 16, 2020

Axelotl said:
I love that short exhaust :D

Yeah, combined with the engine it's a neat little package visually.

BriareosGAF said:
I am jealous of your non-snow-covered ground. Bike looks good too ;).

Thanks! Re: the ground, this pic was shot on one of those (for Dutch standards) rare days where it wasn't extremely damp/wet, which is why the bike was even out at all. Still some salt to contend with.

Rotkehle · Jan 16, 2020

Fallout-NL said:
Yeah, combined with the engine it's a neat little package visually.

wouldn't be allowed here. Stay away from the police if you are here in Germany. They are too strict here.

Fallout-NL · Jan 16, 2020

Yep, understood. When we visit Germany I always take the Uly and install the DB killer. It's still not TUV, but I hope it'll do.

Dougald · Jan 17, 2020

The 1200 hasn't moved since the end of September. Probably another month and a half still to go...

Moogrose · Jan 18, 2020

Fallout-NL said:
Don't want to jinx it (those pesky gaskets especially), but I think it's fixed.

That's a fantastic looking bike, hopefully you get lots of trouble free km from it.

Dougald said:
The 1200 hasn't moved since the end of September. Probably another month and a half still to go...

I'm really jonesing for a better ride, but have been on my bike at least once a week since the winter has been so mild. (Mostly travel between different offices around town)

Can't wait for spring/summer. Ugh.

Deleted member 15497 · Jan 19, 2020

I've been pretty busy with my NC30 over the past weeks.
New front tyre, changed the front brake calipers for the original gold ones, fitted new pistons and seals in there.
Just ordered a new chain, didnt get sprockets as its only done like 1000 miles since the last chain and sprockets, but that was 6 years ago, so the chain has gone a bit stiff.
New gear lever as the ball joint was pretty much ruined, feels loads better now.
New battery fitted as well.
New clutch and brake lever.

Going to have a look at the Firebolt's front disc next as the lever sometimes pumps when I brake so going to take this disc off and have a look at the springs and bushes behind it- hoping it's not warped, although they're only like £160 for a new disc.

HellforLeather · Jan 20, 2020

Im very glad that I live in a climate where I can technically ride year around....although its not that great these days.

So on Saturday I went and test rode some bikes since I am in the market for a naked sport-oriented machine:

Aprilia Tuono RR - this thing is a serious bike for serious people. Tons of power, sweet up and down quickshifter, but its barely more comfortable than a full on supersport bike. Also the fit and finish is really far below what I was expecting. I was pretty shocked to see cheap looking plastic covers on both sides of the engine and over the sproket...just gross chinsy plastic crap...why does nobody mention this?

2019 Ducati Hypermotard - God, I love Duc powerplants. Its a bit vibey but its a surprisingly well mannered machine around town. Feels a lot like a dirtbike though, you are sitting way up by the tank. The seat is horrendous though, its narrow just like a dirt bike but unlike a dirt bike...you are expected to sit on this for long periods of time. In my short time on it, my ass hurt. The suspension isnt Ohlins or anything either but it felt pretty decent out of the box, which was surprising since I am about 210lbs without gear.

2019 Triumph Street Triple RS - ooo boy...I think this might be the one. Much more comfortable than the other two bikes, great perky little engine, the dash is probably the best of the new fangled TFT displays that I've seen. Feels super light, very very flickable. The only downside is it felt a little bit out of sorts for my weight but I could probably dial this in to be closer to where I need it to. The fit and finish on Triumphs these days is pretty hard to beat too, everything looks and feels like quality shit. I was going to wait for the KTM 890 Duke R but I dunno....Im seriously tempted here.

Fallout-NL · Jan 21, 2020

Haven't seen many of 'em up close lately, but going by the videos, the details and the finish on new model Triumphs do look absolutely amazing. A definite cut above pretty much everyone else in that regard. My only complaint re: the Street would be that it's a triple, and while they're fantastic, they're also a bit less fun than twins or v4's. Still, there's also the Street Twin and the new Thruxton that look pretty damn great.

HellforLeather said:
God, I love Duc powerplants.

Heh, I did too, until I tried the mighty X1. They're still good though. Ducatis. I think I sorta miss my old 998 the most. Not the ergonomics, *shudder*. But that bike and its powerplant did offer a degree of drama that was much more a match for what my Buells give me now.

HellforLeather said:
KTM 890 Duke R

Yes! I'm all for a more sensible amount of power, but would it 'do it for you' enough if you're also looking at the Tuono and stuff like that?

Stevey said:
I've been pretty busy with my NC30 over the past weeks.
New front tyre, changed the front brake calipers for the original gold ones, fitted new pistons and seals in there.
Just ordered a new chain, didnt get sprockets as its only done like 1000 miles since the last chain and sprockets, but that was 6 years ago, so the chain has gone a bit stiff.
New gear lever as the ball joint was pretty much ruined, feels loads better now.
New battery fitted as well.
New clutch and brake lever.

Nice work. Getting it ready for the coming season.

Going to have a look at the Firebolt's front disc next as the lever sometimes pumps when I brake so going to take this disc off and have a look at the springs and bushes behind it- hoping it's not warped, although they're only like £160 for a new disc.

And you only need one disc :D.

I did those springs and bushings btw on my Ulysses. There was no pump, but it did clear up the ticking I was hearing.

Moogrose said:
That's a fantastic looking bike, hopefully you get lots of trouble free km from it.

Thanks!

I'm really jonesing for a better ride, but have been on my bike at least once a week since the winter has been so mild. (Mostly travel between different offices around town)

Can't wait for spring/summer. Ugh.

Yeah, hosing the Ulysses down after every ride is getting to be a bit of a chore. I saw the salt trucks out again the day before yesterday. Such a disheartening sight.

HellforLeather · Jan 21, 2020

Fallout-NL said:
Yes! I'm all for a more sensible amount of power, but would it 'do it for you' enough if you're also looking at the Tuono and stuff like that?

Well the reason why I checked out a Tuono is because a dealer near me had a few that were a smoking deal. Like the same price as a new Street Triple RS. So I checked it out but I am looking for something more in the range of the Street Triple. I've had high HP bikes and it just doesnt interest me as much anymore. Im looking more for something that is a good laugh.

Fallout-NL · Jan 22, 2020

HellforLeather said:
Well the reason why I checked out a Tuono is because a dealer near me had a few that were a smoking deal. Like the same price as a new Street Triple RS. So I checked it out but I am looking for something more in the range of the Street Triple. I've had high HP bikes and it just doesnt interest me as much anymore. Im looking more for something that is a good laugh.

Yeah, makes sense. The 890r has something like 120hp and 99nm, which seems plenty to have a good time on the street with. I hold similar beliefs myself, which is why I ride air cooled, high displacement, modest hp, high torque bikes. The purchase of that liquid cooled 1125r (which is kind of the opposite) a few months back confirmed this. It's 'just' 150 or 155 hp or so, but I already feel it's just too quick. There's just no way to use all that power responsibly and it's significantly less fun to be on a bike where, the entire time, you feel like you're holding it back, not using what it has on tap.

Motorcycle-Era |OT| Two are better than four

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