Category: Motorcycling

Posted on

FJR Scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance.

Today 8/1/06 Mileage: 3444
Oil Change.

4.2 qts of Yamalube 20-40
Purchased (5) Qts @ $4.20 a quart and a crush washer from Honda-Kawasaki-Yamaha of Middletown (my least favorite dealer) they don’t stock the 20/40 in the gallon jug and they are oh so friendly there.

Total bill: $23.27 with tax.

$.85 for a dang crush washer, I need to buy these elsewhere and of course they only had (1). They only stock (5). These are the same morons that didn’t stock a brake lever when I dropped the ZX-11. The same lever that fits about, oh, 80% of the bikes Kawasaki makes. Go figure.

I already had the oil filter, bought two when I purchased the bike.

I also changed the rear drive fluid (again), still had some left over from the original quart. (Actually did that two days ago at 3200 miles).

I need to do a throttle body sync (again), and tighten my steering head bearings, there is just a little bit of play, I mean ever so slightly. I already ordered the tool and am waiting for it to come in.

I’ve also started noticing a little drive line thunk, at take off but understand that’s just the way it is, I only really notice it if I roll backwards and unload the driveline.

At 10k I’ll probably pull all of that apart and re-grease it unless this becomes a bigger issue.

Throttle play seems to be getting a little sloppier too, I might have to do the throttle mod. I’ll try to adjust some of it out when I do a TBS on the next free afternoon.

Posted on

Vintage Motorcycle Days 2006

Wow, OK so I have missed this event for the past 2 years. Well no more, It’s only 2 and a half hours up the road and it’s a blast. Next year I’ll do the whole weekend I think.

This year Gar and the gang were back for more racing. Let me start over. If you don’t know what VMD is and no it’s not a Venerial Motorcycle Disease. It’s everything, racing, motocross, fleamarket, freak fest, you name it.

Geared towards vintage motorcycles but just about anything on two wheels goes.

Gar and Cooter both have motards. Cotter a DR 650 and Gar a brand new KTM SMX 520. Gar has had a run of bad luck at VMD with bikes that get there and won’t run. So this was to be his year with a brand new bike.

However… This is Gar we’re talking about. On Friday night during practice, a plug that goes where a starter would be in his case (if he had electric start) came out spewing oil on the track and putting a rider down. This angered some folks, not to mention Gar. This is also a brand new bike, and a RARE bike. The plug thing, well, it’s not supposed to come out. In fact it’s hard to get out if you want it out. But, we’re talking about Gar. Being that this is a new and rare bike and this plug isn’t supposed to come out means that no dealer will ever stock this part. Ever. Gars weekend of racing is pretty much done.

5812

Of course we tried to fashion a cover of some sort and with what we had available and with permatex but when I left Saturday it still leaked. 🙁

5817 5837

They re-did the job Saturday afternoon before I left with some super duper permatex and let it cure over night, and it worked! So apparently Gar is racing today.

I spent most of the day in the pits with the guys dorking around with Gars bike. But did wander over and watch a couple races. It’s pretty sweet watching all this vintage (and not so) stuff on the track.

I took a few photos too.

Lots of photos on the gallery here.

5932
5964
6036
Posted on

Motorcycle trip to: Vermont BMWMOA “It’s Not Flat”

But wait, BMWMOA = BMW Motorcycle Owners of America and you don’t have a BMW. Well, I know but I thought I’d ride up there and give a bunch of guys bike envy.

Truth is, my father rides a BMW RT, and his friend Kyle Sr., also has an RT, and his son Kyle Jr., who also gets called Bradley by his father rides a nice RS. So they have a vested interest in going to this show. Last year it was held in Lima Ohio because someone at BMWMOA was getting paid big time by someone in Lima. They had to be, that’s the only reason I could think of having it there so they moved it to Vermont.

Continue reading “Motorcycle trip to: Vermont BMWMOA “It’s Not Flat””

Posted on

The 600 Mile Service

Ok after much internal debate I decided what the hell. Since it’s basically illegal for manufacturers to require you to get your service done at a dealership to keep your warranty intact, I’m going to do the 600 mile service myself.

Chances are better that I’ll get it done right anyway.

I ordered up a service manual and it arrived last week. The only surprise in it was that for 06, they do recommend a throttle body sync at the 600 mile interval. Something the dealer that I purchase the bike from said wasn’t necessary.

When I picked up the bike I bought two oil filters. Last week I picked up the required crush washers, and Yamalube. Both 20-40 engine oil and shaft drive lube (which is just 80/90 weight gear lube).

Continue reading “The 600 Mile Service”

Posted on

Ben “I’m an Idiot” Roethlisberger

Just so we’re clear on this:

Out on the AP newswire today this was published:

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he doesn’t plan on doing public safety announcements for motorcycle or helmet safety following his motorcycle accident last month.

“I don’t think that’s my place,” Roethlisberger said in a taped interview aired Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“Some people feel that, you know, I probably should be doing that and being a big advocate for that,” Roethlisberger said from Los Angeles. “But for me, I’m going to let people make their own decisions … So I don’t think you’ll see me doing any kind of billboards or advertisements.”

I too support people’s right to make their own decisions, but let me get this straight.

You just had an accident by which you smashed your head into a car, and were with in ‘seconds’ of losing your life because you didn’t wear a helmet.

Imagine if you had been on a rural road, or somewhere where paramedics wouldn’t have gotten to you so fast. You’d be dead.

Now I’m know that helmets don’t save everyone and as I’ve posted in the past, neither do seat belts. In your accident however, it would have been huge!

Ben, you’re an influential person, no matter how stupid you may be.

Here’s to hoping that the judge forces you to do community service announcements as part of your punishment. Since you didn’t even have a valid motorcycle license (maybe you had temps) and if you did, you were required by LAW to wear a helmet.

There’s no deciding there, you didn’t have a choice to make. You hadn’t yet earned that choice.

Perhaps you should be advocating that NFL players should have the ‘right’ to choose not to wear a helmet during games?

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,