Overdue I guess
(http://i.imgur.com/L5aC4qH.jpg?2)
Finally got the brake lines done. Lever is tite like prom nite. Now all that's left is the rear shock and the bike is about as good as I'm willing to spend to make it.
Should've gotten a shorter muffler, that yoshi is ruining the underbody exhaust
That's a Grom headlight, right? Looks sweet.
Do you just have a bar end mirror on the left side?
Nice!
Quote from: SVT_Power on May 17, 2016, 08:53:38 PM
Should've gotten a shorter muffler, that yoshi is ruining the underbody exhaust
Doesn't bother me, I like it
Quote from: CaminoRacer on May 17, 2016, 09:50:36 PM
That's a Grom headlight, right? Looks sweet.
Do you just have a bar end mirror on the left side?
Yep I retrofitted a projector into it too. That pic is like 3 years old, I have regular mirrors. BE mirrors could be interesting though.
Ha.... now that the brakes have such great feel it's obvious the pads are shit. No stopping power. So now, rear shock and pad. I am probably going to bleed the rear soon as well
Why are you calling it the Cockroach? All I can think of is that Modest Mouse song. Doin' the Cockroach!
Its been down like 5 times and it's still truck'n
This was it when I got it
(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/327023_521676698840_650050929_o.jpg)
Put the EBC HH pads on, changed the coolant overflow reservoir and topped off the coolant (last overflow reservoir had a crack in it)
Hope those pads bed in quickly.... looking forward to lower lever effort and better feel. All I need now is a rear shock and this bike is finished for mods. I gotta sort out some electrical shit though.
Looks nice naked.
Yea I hate the bucktoothed look of the fairings. All the upright standards have the same problem.
New brakes feel incredible! Haven't even been close to bedded in and they grip better. Def warrants 2 finger braking. So much nicer into corners.... I can get on and off the brakes much smoother.
Something is up with my chain. I think the shop that installed it years ago didn't take enough links out. I banged peg on one of my favorite tight left handers and it popped off :facepalm: Debating whether to just take a link out or just remove everything. I think I will start with taking out a link and see what happens.
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 07, 2016, 05:43:56 AM
Yea I hate the bucktoothed look of the fairings. All the upright standards have the same problem.
New brakes feel incredible! Haven't even been close to bedded in and they grip better. Def warrants 2 finger braking. So much nicer into corners.... I can get on and off the brakes much smoother.
Something is up with my chain. I think the shop that installed it years ago didn't take enough links out. I banged peg on one of my favorite tight left handers and it popped off :facepalm: Debating whether to just take a link out or just remove everything. I think I will start with taking out a link and see what happens.
Your chain "popped off"? Wtf?
If they installed it years ago I have a hard time believing it as their fault it fell off unless you don't ride at all. Chains do stretch and you're supposed to adjust them every 1-2k miles... You got lucky that didn't jam up between your sprocket and swingarm or something and cause you to lose control or fly off.
It's either too long or stretched beyond repair. I got a new chain/sprocket set coming later in the week and the chain tool coming tonight so I will drop a link on the chain that's on now and then replace it when the other shit comes in. It's still on the original sprockets so that probably fucked up the new chain right away. Stay on top of chain maintenance kids.
Speaking of which, I should check my chain :lol:
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 07, 2016, 08:42:26 AM
It's either too long or stretched beyond repair. I got a new chain/sprocket set coming later in the week and the chain tool coming tonight so I will drop a link on the chain that's on now and then replace it when the other shit comes in. It's still on the original sprockets so that probably fucked up the new chain right away. Stay on top of chain maintenance kids.
I check my chain for proper tension basically every ride. Also, I'm in need of a couple extra links. Send 'em over. :lol:
Lol dude ur akon
I agree, it looks good naked
Quote from: CALL_911 on June 07, 2016, 09:23:46 AM
Lol dude ur akon
(https://media.giphy.com/media/TziYd1ClxHmiQ/giphy.gif)
Man changing a chain is no joke. Had to get an impact gun, a 22 & 27mm socket, a chain kit and a bunch of other shit. Pretty straightforward though and I'm definitely gonna use most of that shit again, if for no other reason than tire swaps
Electric or air impact?
Electric, can't justify a tank right now. Worked well enough, only $45!
Pretty cool vid on how they work. Humans man... we figure shit out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0gSJa3L_7c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0gSJa3L_7c)
I've used an electric a few times and they're awesome, but I'm not sure if they'd handle some of the hardcore bolts I use the air impact for. Like getting 40 year old rusty bolts off. I guess I'll just have to try it and find out.
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 12, 2016, 03:41:43 PM
Man changing a chain is no joke. Had to get an impact gun, a 22 & 27mm socket, a chain kit and a bunch of other shit. Pretty straightforward though and I'm definitely gonna use most of that shit again, if for no other reason than tire swaps
Why did you need sockets and impact to press a pin and put on a chain? Have you never taken your rear wheel off before?
I needed new sprockets too. They were worn to shit.
Throttle response is so much better... pulls way smoother
I cannot get over how much smoother it is! I am such an idiot. I am definitely going to be more diligent with chain tension and maintenance. It feels like it got a tune. It pulls so smooth it almost feels slower since the driveline lash doesn't make the power hit like before. But that's all good. I feel like I could do gymkhana :lol:
Ordered a new rear shock... got a Progressive 1 way shock for a Versys to hike up the ass and give me rebound adjustment. I took it for a ride today and that rear shock is soggy as shit. Versys shock will be a little softer than a 650R one, but I really want the rake and it's the cheapest adjustable rear shock for this bike.
Also got all the shit for my annual oil change.
Got the shock in.... installation and quick impressions:
- Versys frame has wider mounts.... was an adventure fabbing up a replacement for the spacer :facepalm:
- Rear end is definitely hiked up. Have to readjust my headlight a good bit. Bike def seems to want to dive into corners more as opposed to leaning back like a boat.... will take some getting used to
- Spring rate seems a bit softer than I hoped. Going to have to take it on a longer ride to see if I like it, but initial impression seemed so-so. Front seems to match the back though
Mixed feels. Going to see if I can ride to work one day to get a full impression
I don't know about bike geometries so much, but make sure you don't get the speed wobbles above 25 Hz or whatever MPH
Taller rear end is good for turn-in. I'm probably going to get longer rear shocks at some point.
There's def a limit though. Hope I haven't exceeded it. People speak highly of this mod
On my WR I lengthened the rear shock like crazy. The bike would just dive into corners so quickly but would also get some mad headshake/twitchiness on the highway.
When I raised he Harley's rear end, it was just so it could turn at greater-than-walking-speed without scraping. :facepalm:
It had headshake above 100 already, so it's not like it could get worse.
Some more seat time..... one thing that was off, the rebound was set way too high. 4 out of 5 :facepalm: I dialed it back to 2 and that seemed to help, but I think I still have to dial out some preload. Pushing it a little bit, it seems really eager to turn in, but once it's leaned over its stable. Seems like I don't have to lean as much to get the same corner speed, which is good and bad. Good in that it gives me a margin of safety, bad in that I have to recalibrate my brain. Gonna keep dialing it back and seeing how it gets.
Dropping the ass helped a ton. Felt like before so I raised it up a hair and dialed up the rebound. Really nice
Still a bit soft so I got a 1200# spring but that's pretty much set now. I should have put the battery on a tender :facepalm:
Haven't sold this to Rags yet?
Naw, I think this September will be year 5 with this bike. I've got the itch to switch
I've been on mine 6 years. Unless i'm buying an S1000RR it's a waste for me to buy another Sport Bike! Hell most of these newer bikes are no more quicker than my Gixxer. Maybe I'll pick up a Chopper and Keep the Gixxer.....
I could see you on that M109R
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on March 04, 2017, 08:36:52 PM
I could see you on that M109R
Anything but a bagger! LOL!!!!!
Next bike I get I want a V twin sport bike. So probably a Ducati.
I really don't get the allure of V twins
Quote from: CaminoRacer on March 04, 2017, 10:21:45 PM
Next bike I get I want a V twin sport bike. So probably a Ducati.
That's a L-twin
ugughughghghghghhghhhhh
Quote from: SVT_Power on March 05, 2017, 07:09:54 AM
I really don't get the allure of V twins
I already have a ricey I4 so I want a muscley twin
Quote from: SVT_Power on March 05, 2017, 07:09:54 AM
I really don't get the allure of V twins
I feel the same about straight 4s.... even with 150+ HP
L twin sound puts hair on your chest. Also, torque
single cylinders are best cylinders :huh:
Quote from: giant_mtb on March 06, 2017, 05:20:18 AM
single cylinders are best cylinders :huh:
But you've never ridden anything with more than one cylinder... :lol:
Quote from: Cookie Monster on March 06, 2017, 10:31:24 AM
But you've never ridden anything with more than one cylinder... :lol:
Dammit. You caught me. :lol:
V-twin?
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/77/d7/78/77d77816cb5e21281eb62861ee4fdb9f.jpg)
;)
Wow. So much to unpack in that photo
Maiden commute on the cockroach today with the new shock. Overall impressions.... shock is awesome! When I sit on the bike in the garage it feels too soft, but out on the road it's effing perfect. Actually, it's weird now... when I go over bumps, I feel it way more in the front than the back. Ride height out back is pretty much perfect as well.
Still not quite confident on the bike though. Issue is first touch on the throttle. I think I need to lube the cable again.... it's just a little stiff coming off a closed throttle. I have zero confidence in the middle of the turn because I forgot how the throttle reacts, and to get it past the sticking point I have to give too much gas for little adjustments or even just coasting. Something else to do.
Got some Pazzo shorty levers.... clutch lever feel/grip has never been good for me and I figure the brake lever might as well match.
Productive day.... did the front brakes on the G and got Pazzo levers for the bike like a week early
(http://i.imgur.com/lbowna9.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/uQnEfNw.jpg)
Clutch was tricky.... basically had to disassemble it by the clutch to get enough slack. I feel like there's a simpler and cheaper design. Lever feel is awesome
Throttle is fine BTW, I'm just rusty. Need to keep the revs a little higher through roundabouts and corners
Lulz. Throttle cable was a little slack, sapping confidence on that initial tip in. I go to pull more slack out... adjusters are near the end. Ruh roh. I adjust to pull anyway... SNAP.... adjuster at the grip side breaks :lol: Still rideable, but I gotta order a new right grip assembly now. Oh the fun of aging bikes. Man I can't imagine what it must be like to own a bike the aftermarket left behind.
Wrote a review on my new shock:
http://www.kawiforums.com/ninja-650r-er6/365466-progressive-versys-shock-quick-review.html#post4617626
lower it
:nono: Lowered bikes are for douchebags and hobbits. It's different
Cables should be here Monday, which is good because wifey will have the G until we figure out what's up with the Rabbit. Weather looks good and I'm fully over commuting in the Civic; I'd honestly rather ride if the weather is OK.
Got the cables on. Weirdly enough, there was still a good bit of slack in. Maybe with all my crashes the engine has moved a little bit and messed with the geometry. In any case I spaced it out with some washers (I'll see if I remember to get some pics). Worked like a charm. Throttle response is smooth right off the stop. I don't even think about the throttle anymore... really nice. Actually, now with it being so smooth the throttle feels a little soggy. Thinking about getting a quick throw throttle, though that might be a PITA around town. It's perfect from like 0-25%, then soggy from then on. Maybe someone has a cammed solution. I'll look for it.
OMG proper throttle calibration is God. Bike feels so much more planted and stable now, especially with the new shock. Maybe I can hike up the ass end some more.
Front end choppiness is starting to bother me. I think the spring rate is OK, but the quality of the damping sucks. Every path forward seems like a big PITA though. Upgrading the emulators is the cheapest way, but I don't know that it would make enough of a difference. Next step up would be Traxxion's compression/rebound valves or thier AK20 cartridges.... but for that money, I could just get a ZX6R/10R front end. Though the front ends will be PITAs because I'd need a dirt bar conversion and new springs. I think for now I'm just gonna play with the fork oil and maybe replace + adjust the emulators.
Seems like quite the rabbit hole. Mod that, this changes. So you mod this, but now that feels different. Just ride the thing. Conquer the beast before the beast conquers your wallet. Not that mods don't/can't help (obviously there are valuable changes to make), but it's an expensive game.
https://youtu.be/oM1S5OGO5Rc
I mostly do, but I get OCD about those kinds of details. I will probably just leave it.
:ohyeah:
Quote from: giant_mtb on June 02, 2017, 09:56:17 AM
Seems like quite the rabbit hole. Mod that, this changes. So you mod this, but now that feels different. Just ride the thing. Conquer the beast before the beast conquers your wallet. Not that mods don't/can't help (obviously there are valuable changes to make), but it's an expensive game.
https://youtu.be/oM1S5OGO5Rc
Ha, reminds me of this kid who qualified for and ran competitively in the B class at the Loretta Lynn Amateur MX Nationals on a 1985 CR250 a couple of years ago. He actually won the 250B 2-Stroke class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3pOQW_7VMQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3pOQW_7VMQ)
80% rider, 20% bike, no'm'sayin.
Got to the bottom of my intermittent headlight issues... frayed + shorted HID cable. With 23kV supposedly across the leads.... NOT GOOD. Reinstalled a new one at a better angle with more clearance.
I was mulling over selling the bike and just doing the track day thing but I do miss riding. 1-2 days a week isn't enough and I can get home early enough from work to ride, come home and get baby girl from day care. A Street Triple just isn't in the cards right now though, so I said fuck it... let's make a project of it
Went a little ape shit on Ebay....
(https://i.imgur.com/FFPqg5R.jpg)
^^^03 636 forks. Going to rebuild + refill with clean oil and throw some ZX14 brakes on.
(https://i.imgur.com/pE15156.jpg)
^^^Bar end mirrors.
(https://i.imgur.com/LT05j8P.jpg)
^^^Racetech sprung/valved Yamaha R1 shock.
(https://i.imgur.com/j4TCeP6.jpg)
Ebay 09+ rearsets. Had to get some steel stock and do some sorcery to get it all bolted securely. Frame part #'s are the same but either these things are way off with tolerances or the mounting points are different.
This winter I would like to punch the motor out to 700ccs and get some cams. I'll see how the budget looks. I'd like to do a track day on it... just need to get a damn ride down. Renting a truck and all that is a nightmare. Should be fun
You you can just go out and buy a used 636 right?
Quote from: SVT_Power on April 28, 2018, 02:45:22 PM
You you can just go out and buy a used 636 right?
If a used Street Triple isn't in the cards, what makes you think a 636 would be? Not to mention for a bike ridden primarily on the street, 636 is awful. Bad ergos, no torque, track gearing. Very stupid suggestion.
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on April 28, 2018, 04:41:33 PM
If a used Street Triple isn't in the cards, what makes you think a 636 would be? Not to mention for a bike ridden primarily on the street, 636 is awful. Bad ergos, no torque, track gearing. Very stupid suggestion.
And throwing $$$ and parts onto a relatively old and worthless bike/car isn't a very stupid idea right? :huh:
Quote from: SVT_Power on April 28, 2018, 05:34:22 PM
And throwing $$$ and parts onto a relatively old and worthless bike/car isn't a very stupid idea right? :huh:
A 636 is at least as old as my bike, and I'd have to throw parts at it after buying it to get it how I want. So no, at worst my idea isn't anywhere near as stupid as yours.
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on April 28, 2018, 05:57:58 PM
A 636 is at least as old as my bike, and I'd have to throw parts at it after buying it to get it how I want. So no, at worst my idea isn't anywhere near as stupid as yours.
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
My idea of buying a bike that's designed to do what you're trying to get yours to emulate is more stupid? Dude did you move to Ohio and start smoking crack or something?
Quote from: SVT_Power on April 28, 2018, 06:10:53 PM
My idea of buying a bike that's designed to do what you're trying to get yours to emulate is more stupid? Dude did you move to Ohio and start smoking crack or something?
What do you think I am trying to get my bike to do exactly?
Hard to say. Stop spending money and ride the damn thing. ffs.
I will once it's done. I haven't ridden since the #TrackDay
Quote from: SVT_Power on April 28, 2018, 02:45:22 PM
You you can just go out and buy a used 636 right?
I know of a well kept 750 Gixxer he could get for cheap and it wouldn't need half the work as the roach! LOL!!!
Quote from: Gotta-Qik-C6 on April 29, 2018, 01:12:47 AM
I know of a well kept 750 Gixxer he could get for cheap and it wouldn't need half the work as the roach! LOL!!!
What are you stupid?
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on April 28, 2018, 08:03:35 PM
I will once it's done. I haven't ridden since the #TrackDay
Dude I live in the UP and I've ridden more than you since your "track day." You're way too focused on treating your bike like it's a video game. Throw a bunch of parts at it and it'll make me fast, rite? lol
Quote from: giant_mtb on April 29, 2018, 09:26:29 AM
Dude I live in the UP and I've ridden more than you since your "track day." You're way too focused on treating your bike like it's a video game. Throw a bunch of parts at it and it'll make me fast, rite? lol
What are you stupid?
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
Quote from: SVT_Power on April 29, 2018, 09:01:35 AM
What are you stupid?
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
:lol:
Quote from: SVT_Power on April 29, 2018, 09:27:03 AM
What are you stupid?
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
It's funny because he speaks about it all the time. :huh:
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on April 28, 2018, 04:41:33 PM
If a used Street Triple isn't in the cards, what makes you think a 636 would be? Not to mention for a bike ridden primarily on the street, 636 is awful. Bad ergos, no torque, track gearing. Very stupid suggestion.
I've seen a guy put a 636 drive train in a 4 wheeler. He never complained about ergos, torque, or track gearing. It ripped and he knew how to ride. Hilarious that the guy who says he wants to ride the track lists "track gearing" as a complaint. :nutty:
Get a Grom.
Let it all out guys. This feels like it's been brewing for some time.
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on April 29, 2018, 12:08:45 PM
Let it all out guys. This feels like it's been brewing for some time.
Winners, prove me right. Losers, prove me wrong. - Robert California
Quote from: giant_mtb on April 29, 2018, 09:26:29 AM
Dude I live in the UP and I've ridden more than you since your "track day." You're way too focused on treating your bike like it's a video game. Throw a bunch of parts at it and it'll make me fast, rite? lol
Lol. Actually, I was focused on my pregnant wife and newborn child. I only ride on the street on my commute. And please post where I said this was a track build or that I got these parts to drop my lap times. I don't even know my lap times lmao.
giant I did not take you for the butthurt emotional type. I'm honestly surprised. Where is this coming from?
I dunno. I'm kinda hung over and crabby today. :facepalm:
The energy was off. Didn't fit your pattern. See why I don't like drinking? Anyway let me enjoy my nonsense :lol:
Carry on, brother.
Get a Grom
Sportster still running great. 38K miles on it. It's the fastest thing I own. Not saying much, though. ;)
Quote from: shp4man on April 29, 2018, 11:58:43 PM
Sportster still running great. 38K miles on it. It's the fastest thing I own. Not saying much, though. ;)
:lol: