Your weather is sick. Mid afternoon, sunny, 67, light breeze. Every day....
Staying at Shelter Island.
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Your weather is sick. Mid afternoon, sunny, 67, light breeze. Every day....
Staying at Shelter Island.
Haha yup...Am currently sitting outside at a Mexican restaurant eating the most filling burrito and right amount of kick salsa/chips making plans to ride on my next day off (Saturday)
People suck, crowds suck, traffic sucks, immigrants suck, 10x more expensive sucks, government sucks, homeless problem sucks, taxes suck. But the weather, pretty single women, canyon roads, dirt roads, and amount of stuff to do ain't bad.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...pstqjbdpsk.jpg
that thing got hwackd so hard, it bent!
2 weeks later, I finally got around to replacing the clutch push rod
she is back to normal
while I was there - I checked the chain slack - over 2-1/4"...ouch!
forums said 0.8-1.2" halfway between the front and rear sprocket...anything more than 1.5" is too much. I adjusted it, and now she's good to go...the back ordered part actually shipped LOL...so I have a backup to minimize down time if it ever happens again.
tools to leave on bike to adjust chain on the fly:
-22mm for axle head
-24mm for axle nut
-5mm allen key for chain adjusters
already got my slime pump and tire plug kit for flats.
perfect timing: YZ goes to shop for bottom/top end today
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psvwzuxzmx.jpg
I am guessing clutch start/safety switch?
Battery is fine, when it starts it fires up as usual...but sometimes I can flip the kill switch and hit the starter button as if the clutch is not pulled in...and that was the only thing that I can imagine getting mucked when I swap the clutch push rod
If I get a running start and crank the motor a little bit while roll starting, it will then allowe to start the bike just fine
The clutch interlock connector is notorious for coming loose. You will see connectors on the front of the clutch lever. The one hidden away at the bottom is the one that comes loose....
I dunno what happened...only thing I can guess is that I tightened the chain (it's a stretcher...needs adjusting every week) and now it's fixed...starts without issue
However
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psdnso4qj1.jpg
One quick ride for an errand got exponentially worse
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psuunygklf.jpg
So she's parked...needs chain and sprockets anyhow
It's been 3 months...3,500 miles...it *must* have had a lot of miles beforehand because I have read reports of 5-10,000 miles and I barely got 3,000 out of mine
The rears are hella expensive at $130-$160 per tire...so I may try a Shink rear to use up the front and off road with them until I go to PR...then just use the YZ for dedicated dirty duty
Downshifts kill rear tires
I recommend Bridgestone T30 sport touring tires, good life and road manners and cheaper
If the 650 is like the thousand the starter button contacts need occasional cleaning
T30 looks good but I want that 10% dirt option for weekend jaunts after work
just watched this video on DL650 options:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-ZBikC_9Us
seems the Shinko 705 isn't half bad at a fair price...and he even recommends the front Metzeler Tourance with different rear, so I think I'd be okay running the tourance front out and a shinko 705 rear...especially at $84 shipped from Chaparral
twenny or turdy to mount and I can call this a $115 tire installed until I'm ready for F/R dedicated street rubber
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps0smjg31i.jpg
ehhh...the 'requisite' maintenance is all happening at once
not really feeling $500 all at once right now...gonna park it and spread out the costs
+07+ DL650 should have a 525 chain with 118 links with a 15/47
I think Shinkos are in both bias and radial the cheap one being bias ply... I think radials are better
I have been in the dirt with o30 no problem and non would be good in soft mud
NEVER saw a chain do that
Probably over tightened it.
Shinko getting mounted...gonna give it a shot...it's a radial
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps07bnaraf.jpg
Just wanna ride... weather so damn good...love running all my errands on 2 wheels... prefer to only take my truck if it won't fit in the top case
Stromtrooper forum protip: turn the axle around!
Instead of installing from left side, install from right so it's easier to hold the brake caliper in place
Also did this out of 2 wheeled frustration:
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...pstdd1ylat.jpg
You are going to ride it with rollers missing on the chain?
naah...was gonna just leave it and do everything at once, but decided on doing tire now while I figure out the chain/sprocket situation
I dread chain and sprocket changes..$150-$220 for a quality 530 kit and steel sprockets + $60 install. I try to nickel and dime (ie. get a new 120 link 530 did vx2 chain mislabeled on ebay for $30 shipped) and try to get parts for ~$100-$120, but the vstrom is not as bad as I thought....
$170: strom troopers has a dude that sells kits
but a quick ebay search shows many different options
$105 shipped - JT X1R (X-ring) chain + JT sprockets
$139 shipped - OEM suzuki chain and sprockets
$144 shipped - DID VX2 chain (pretty tough chain!) with JT sprockets
I've gotten JT sprockets with a DID chain many times and they last...hopefully the X1R chain does equally as well...it's a 525 on a 60hp vstrom and $105 shipped ain't bad...let's try it! ordered!
If a chain breaks it will wrap around the front sprocket and SAW into the case
Ask me how I know
Eek!
I wouldn't want that!
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psskko5o0q.jpg
Finally got a day off to get this thing to a shop...years ago I broke a motion pro chain breaker and vowed to just pay a stupid shop a stupid $50 to swap out chain/sprockets...one guy let's me wait...but he was 35 miles away. Went to a shop 3 miles away and they cut/installed chain and front sprocket (I don't have the socket big enough and I don't have an impact handy)...they charged $70...and I did the rear
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...pseuqqxqtv.jpg
so $175 installed isn't such a shabby deal. $108 installed for a rear tire...so $283 for my bike service this month.... hopefully it will last!
31,214 miles for these
Will need rear brake pads soon... probably have a month on that so can spread out the cost a bit.
I just met up with a friend last week that declared bankruptcy...he is trying to make $340 last 2 weeks...sold him my old FZR cheap and he's going to ride that through the summer until he can get back on his feet again. Reminded me when I was in school and as a recent grad and nickel/diming to save a buck on bike maintenance. Looked at some of the past few years...man has that budget gone up! I would like to find a middle ground and cut back on some of that spending...sometimes more money spent on bikes doesn't mean more fun. I already have a lot as it stands... can't forget to enjoy what I got!
aaaaand the first theft attempt was fouled!!!
rode down to the beach (in Long Beach...so uh, security is important) and parked on a street with rear tire touching the curb. Steering lock on. Came back, bike was moved off the curb about six inches...marks on the ground were consistent with kickstand being dragged on pavement from parked location to new location. Steering lock and behemoth weight of this piggy meant they gave up. Bird poo on seat and top case probably helped.
Built in security system worked! :spit:
If so you would be the 1st theft of our little fuggly bikes
I have the clutch mod on the 1000 so now I can tool around town at 2500 RPMS results 45 MPG, so motor healthy
Will drop to 38 when naughty
Woke up, rode up the coast to Malibu
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psudsqvsrx.jpg
Next time I am packing a snack
Tires were low....front 30 warm (should be 33 cold) rear 30 warm by the shop (should be 41 cold)....aired them up and they feel way better....bike didn't wanna lean before!
Did some light "urban" off road exploring...when the dirt is really hard pack this bike sucks again in the dirt. Definitely a love/hate relationship.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psrvqzcheq.jpg
And on the way to Malibu my left handguard wiggles loose LOL...
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psccqppuad.jpg
needed a roadside repair with the tools I left under the seat....and I even broke one of them ha
eBAY, You don't NEED them just a little more buzz in the handlebars
If your near longbeach, Ca look up safari cycles they should have them cheap
Ahh no worries...fixed it roadside...just broke the factory toolkit screwdriver
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...pscl9tdve3.jpg
Bad news - I finally bumped a mirror splitting at a stoplight today. This bike is a bit wider than 600...I backed up and offered to pay...but dude was super cool, we fist bumped and I rolled on.
Good news - scrubbed tire has enough traction for a wee little poppa wheelie
Went foolin today at a local dirty spot after the gym...gotta say the weight scares me...
Went to do a putt-putt u turn and the front started to wash out...you can't lean and turn at all! Keep her upright as much as possible during low speed manuevers...I put my leg down for balance but worried about snapping my leg off if she landed on it.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...psdxzuuprv.jpg
ProTip - a quart of oil wedges in nicely between madstad and front of bike. Handy for keeping the stink of oil out of the top case... terrifying if it ever comes out and shoots at your face.
Piggy
What kind of oil? :whistle:
All oil discussion must be directed to the calsci website :lol:
Rode same spot again...
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps71lon82z.jpg
Tried some low speed, clutch slipping standing riding through some rutted Sandy stuff and the front wanted to wash without even pushing with the rear wheel!
Foot down kept me up but I don't like that...me thinks just to learn the limit of these tires and ride dirt within them.