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So I bought a bike today after months of being an irritating pile in the bike thread.

It's a 2006 Honda CBR600F4i. 8000 miles, upgraded levers and Jardine exhaust, clean title, brand new (less than 100 miles) tires. Bike has some small rash on the fairings, but nothing bad and I'll feel less bad about dropping it.

I probably paid too much ($4400) but given the state of the market here I don't think it's too bad. I couldn't find another F4i with this low mileage for the same price in my area, and the cheaper ones all either were beat to shit, or had high mileage (or both). People seem to like to make these into stunt bikes and ruin them.

Oh, and for those of you who'll say I should've gotten the Speed Triple:  :hammerhead: :wanker: :evildude:

I'm a ricer at heart and this bike fits me great.

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150612_201500495_HDR_zpswpoztuwj.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150612_201500495_HDR_zpswpoztuwj.jpg.html)

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150612_201513797_zps5osfzqk9.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150612_201513797_zps5osfzqk9.jpg.html)

I rode it about 40 miles home, through SF and then on the highway. First time riding in over a year. Felt natural. I love this thing.

*zips up flamesuit*

 :clap: :wanker: :rastaman: :cheers: :nyd: :muffin:

Congrats bro it is a good buy.

Fun fact, I had an F4i nose on my bike for a while. Thought it would help with wind protection, turned out it was just wobbly as fuck.

(http://i.imgur.com/j52cuRs.jpg)

Anyways enjoy the new ride. How are the ergos? When I had clip ons my back would start hurting after about 20 minutes.

Thanks guys.

Sporty, ergos aren't bad. The CBR600RR made me feel like I was popping a squat on the bike. This one, not so much. Around town it feels great just puttering around, but once you get up to freeway speeds, I find you really have to tuck in to avoid the wind. I was riding back on the highway and people were going so fast that I was cruising at 80-90 the whole way and my chest was on the tank to stay out of the wind. It's not that comfortable doing that so once in a while I'd sit up to a comfortable position and deal with the wind before crouching down again.

Also, I noticed that while crouched down, my elbows can rest on my knees comfortably, and that takes all the weight off my wrists without me having to pinch the tank with my legs. :lol:

Would I be lame for getting a little saddle bag or trunk thingy for the bike? I feel like that would be kinda lame. IDK.

How is life at 14,200 RPM?

Quote from: thecarnut on June 12, 2015, 10:11:04 PM

Would I be lame for getting a little saddle bag or trunk thingy for the bike? I feel like that would be kinda lame. IDK.

Personally, I love having saddlebags.  When I got them, I figured I'd only mount them when I was taking longer trips (250+ miles) and I'd run without them for shorter rides.  I haven't taken them off since mounting them.  In one I keep a rain suit, some paper toweling, a bottle of water, and some Windex wipes (after ~150 miles, my visor ends up so buggy I can barely see out of it).  It's really nice to have a place to carry that sort of stuff.  The other I keep empty as a place to stash my helmet and gloves if I decide to stop somewhere.

Get a set of soft bags that just drape over the passenger seat and strap to the rear.  Gives you a place to carry stuff and you can easily remove them and take them with you.  They're also not nearly as expensive as hard luggage.  Other option is a soft tail bag (straps onto the back seat) or tank bag.  Tail bag would probably work better for you.  Or you can ride with a backpack on.

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on June 12, 2015, 10:17:23 PM
How is life at 14,200 RPM?

Better than 12,000 RPM. :evildude:

Seriously though, I have to recalibrate how I shift on this bike. My old bike and my car had the same RPM (around 8k) and I'd always shift around 3-4k. On this bike I keep shifting up at 3k, meaning I'm constantly upshifting and end up riding in 5th gear at 30 or so, and then I look at the tach and realize I still have another 11000 RPM to play with. :lol:

Quote from: MX793 on June 12, 2015, 10:38:22 PM
Personally, I love having saddlebags.  When I got them, I figured I'd only mount them when I was taking longer trips (250+ miles) and I'd run without them for shorter rides.  I haven't taken them off since mounting them.  In one I keep a rain suit, some paper toweling, a bottle of water, and some Windex wipes (after ~150 miles, my visor ends up so buggy I can barely see out of it).  It's really nice to have a place to carry that sort of stuff.  The other I keep empty as a place to stash my helmet and gloves if I decide to stop somewhere.

Get a set of soft bags that just drape over the passenger seat and strap to the rear.  Gives you a place to carry stuff and you can easily remove them and take them with you.  They're also not nearly as expensive as hard luggage.  Other option is a soft tail bag (straps onto the back seat) or tank bag.  Tail bag would probably work better for you.  Or you can ride with a backpack on.

Yeah, I might get something less permanent. I rode back with my backpack on and it wasn't bad, but I want to start going to the gym after work which means an extra pair of shoes and clothes.

Also a cop was following me the entire time on the way to the grocery store. I was doing 30 in a 35 and he was just chillin in the lane over behind me.

I was shitting brix because no insurance. :mask:

Congrats man. Nice bike.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 12, 2015, 11:07:29 PM
Also a cop was following me the entire time on the way to the grocery store. I was doing 30 in a 35 and he was just chillin in the lane over behind me.

I was shitting brix because no insurance. :mask:

Why did you ride your uninsured bike to the store?

Quote from: SVT_Power on June 13, 2015, 12:28:21 AM
Why did you ride your uninsured bike to the store?

Because the itch was too strong.

It was too late to call the local agents about pricing for insurance. I'm gonna do that first thing tomorrow after I handle the DMV title stuff.

U can get insurance online. Just plug in the VIN and u are good to go IIRC. Maybe it's different in CA.

Nice bike! And DO NOT put Saddle Bags on that bike! Invest in a nice sized (And water proof) backpack and call it a day!  :cheers:

I vote for saddle bags and a top mounted trunk. ADV time.

I use a hiking backpack to carry my gym shit in.

Quote from: MexicoCityM3 on June 13, 2015, 12:13:15 AM
Congrats man. Nice bike.

Thanks man! :cheers:

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on June 13, 2015, 08:15:53 AM
Nice bike! And DO NOT put Saddle Bags on that bike! Invest in a nice sized (And water proof) backpack and call it a day!  :cheers:

Hah, yeah it doesn't fit the character of the bike...

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 13, 2015, 08:10:16 AM
U can get insurance online. Just plug in the VIN and u are good to go IIRC. Maybe it's different in CA.

Yeah... I just need to decide if I want comprehensive or not. It effectively doubles my insurance at a MINIMUM. It's an older bike... but I don't want it to get stolen. It'll also be street parked in SF. I dunno.

Theft is def worth getting along with as much security shit as you can carry/afford.

Bleh, theft tripled the price to $1200 a year. fuck.

I just got a decent amount of liability only (few levels up from minimum) for $30/mo, which isn't bad. There are some nice ass bikes parked downtown so hopefully mine won't be the one to get stolen. :lol:

Maybe I should vinyl wrap it to make it look shitty and less flashy.

Theives dont give a shit whats on the outside, they want that CBR600 engine, that Unilink swingarm, electronics etc.

If u get some security parts u can get a discount.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 13, 2015, 10:03:43 AM
Theives dont give a shit whats on the outside, they want that CBR600 engine, that Unilink swingarm, electronics etc.

If u get some security parts u can get a discount.

Yeah I'm going to go look at disc locks. The Xena alarm disc lock for ~$100 is tempting. I might go to the cycle gear today and ask what kind of disc locks and other security stuff they recommend. The F4i has a decent amount of room under the seat so I can at least cram some stuff in there.

I'm not going to be riding to work for a while so I'll just throw the bike in the garage for now. I think through State Farm I can get comprehensive with a $500 deductible for $55 a month which is reasonable, so I will probably do that in a few weeks and dump the Progressive insurance I just bought. I can't get State Farm today because they're all closed and I have to do it over the phone on a weekday (dumb...) so I'll probably do it in a few weeks once I get my security shiz figured out. That way when I shop for the insurance I can tell them what I have on the bike as well. Good thing I can cancel insurance whenever I want lol. Just need to get dat refund from Progressive.

Nice. That's a nice stable you've got going. How have your parents reacted?

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 13, 2015, 11:11:35 AM
Nice. That's a nice stable you've got going. How have your parents reacted?

Thanks! I feel very lucky to be able to go outside to that. :lol:

My parents are in India right now but they know I've been looking for a while. I emailed my parents the pictures and my dad was like "that's a cool bike dude". My mom also knows I'm going to do ATGATT (except for this weekend lol) so she's not too worried about it now. Also I don't drink or do drugs and they know I'm a generally responsible person so I think they're starting to trust me more.

Ah, nice. I always loved when my parents were outta town and I had the garage and driveway to myself. So much room for activities.

Im glad your mom came around. Well we will see. 4 years later my mom is still pleading, and she doesnt even know about the wrecks............................................

Plural...?

I didn't realize how tiny this tank is... Seller gave me the bike with a full tank and I had to fill up again. I've put like 110-120 miles on it already.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 13, 2015, 10:47:26 PM
I didn't realize how tiny this tank is... Seller gave me the bike with a full tank and I had to fill up again. I've put like 110-120 miles on it already.

That is not a bad range for a bike. Not great, but nothing to complain about. After 100 miles of riding, it is time to rest the buns, anyway.

Keep it out of VTEC :lol:

Yesterday I got 151 miles out of 3.4 gallons. 44 MPG, not bad. Tank is good for 4.1 gallons supposedly. Another benefit of low revving engines

Quote from: thecarnut on June 13, 2015, 10:47:26 PM
I didn't realize how tiny this tank is... Seller gave me the bike with a full tank and I had to fill up again. I've put like 110-120 miles on it already.

How many gallons did it take?  The F4i is supposed to have a 4.8 gallon tank.  Unless you're really ragging on it, or these get much worse mileage than I anticipate, you should be able to safely go 150-160 miles between fill-ups (that's about where I'd expect you to hit the "reserve").

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 14, 2015, 04:50:52 AM
Keep it out of VTEC :lol:

Yesterday I got 151 miles out of 3.4 gallons. 44 MPG, not bad. Tank is good for 4.1 gallons supposedly. Another benefit of low revving engines

I've been getting 46-47 mpg pretty consistently.  Worst tank was ~43 and I think my best was ~49.  On a 5-gallon tank, that gives me ~220 miles to fumes if I use the lower end of my observed economy.  Wish I could get a little better out of it (or had a little more capacity).  I usually fill up ~150-160 miles.  Fuel stations can be a bit sparse where I ride so I like to keep at least a gallon in the tank.

I averaged ~52-53 over the life of the Bandit.  Worst was 48 and change (only tank I ever dipped below 50) and I got 58 on one tank.  I wouldn't think twice of going 180 miles between fill-ups, even riding where fuel stations can be a bit sparse.  Worst part of that was learning to disregard the fuel gauge.  With the fuel economy I got on that bike, I could pretty safely push 190-200 miles and still have 50+ miles left in reserve but the fuel light started blinking at like 150, which tends to get the range anxiety going.

I've been toying with the idea of gearing the Kawi taller to more closely match the Bandit (Bandit turned 3500 RPM @65 vs 4500 for the Kawi) to see if I can get a few more MPGs out of it.

Damn, 46-47 MPG is damn good. Removing the fairing absolutely killed my gas mileage and aero. The bike is a tent, and most of my commute now is an 85-90 MPH blast. When I have to take backroads home my gas mileage increases... I am usually happy to break 40 MPG.

It's not awful, but it's not as good as I'm used to.  I'd probably pick up another MPG if I ditched the panniers, but I like being able to carry some stuff (bottle of water, paper towels, jacket liner, hat, paper map) and don't like riding with a backpack on.

Quote from: MX793 on June 14, 2015, 06:39:52 AM
How many gallons did it take?  The F4i is supposed to have a 4.8 gallon tank.  Unless you're really ragging on it, or these get much worse mileage than I anticipate, you should be able to safely go 150-160 miles between fill-ups (that's about where I'd expect you to hit the "reserve").

I've been getting 46-47 mpg pretty consistently.  Worst tank was ~43 and I think my best was ~49.  On a 5-gallon tank, that gives me ~220 miles to fumes if I use the lower end of my observed economy.  Wish I could get a little better out of it (or had a little more capacity).  I usually fill up ~150-160 miles.  Fuel stations can be a bit sparse where I ride so I like to keep at least a gallon in the tank.

I averaged ~52-53 over the life of the Bandit.  Worst was 48 and change (only tank I ever dipped below 50) and I got 58 on one tank.  I wouldn't think twice of going 180 miles between fill-ups, even riding where fuel stations can be a bit sparse.  Worst part of that was learning to disregard the fuel gauge.  With the fuel economy I got on that bike, I could pretty safely push 190-200 miles and still have 50+ miles left in reserve but the fuel light started blinking at like 150, which tends to get the range anxiety going.

I've been toying with the idea of gearing the Kawi taller to more closely match the Bandit (Bandit turned 3500 RPM @65 vs 4500 for the Kawi) to see if I can get a few more MPGs out of it.

I'm so confused right now. The bike took 2.4 gallons yesterday. I could have put a bit more if the pump I was at didn't have a safety shutoff thing that wouldn't let me pump it to the very top, but even still I could see the fuel level was pretty high. Even if I could have put in 2.7 gallons or so, that doesn't make any sense why it started flashing when I had 2 gallons left in the tank.

http://f4i.modyourbike.com/general/fuel-gauge (http://f4i.modyourbike.com/general/fuel-gauge)

That says it should only come on when I have .97 gallons remaining. The seller gave me a full tank of gas (or close to it anyways, since I could see the fuel at the top when I flashed my light into the tank), so that means I've gotten about 46 mpg, which seems a bit high. I'm still new to the bike and haven't ridden it hard at all (I did take it up to 100 yesterday but that's whatever on these bikes) and I do shift at 3k rpm (:lol:) but I still don't think that's right.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 14, 2015, 12:07:04 PM
I'm so confused right now. The bike took 2.4 gallons yesterday. I could have put a bit more if the pump I was at didn't have a safety shutoff thing that wouldn't let me pump it to the very top, but even still I could see the fuel level was pretty high. Even if I could have put in 2.7 gallons or so, that doesn't make any sense why it started flashing when I had 2 gallons left in the tank.

Do you stick the nozzle into the tank?  I always hold it just at the opening so I can get a full tank without tripping the auto-shutoff

Quotehttp://f4i.modyourbike.com/general/fuel-gauge (http://f4i.modyourbike.com/general/fuel-gauge)

That says it should only come on when I have .97 gallons remaining. The seller gave me a full tank of gas (or close to it anyways, since I could see the fuel at the top when I flashed my light into the tank), so that means I've gotten about 46 mpg, which seems a bit high. I'm still new to the bike and haven't ridden it hard at all (I did take it up to 100 yesterday but that's whatever on these bikes) and I do shift at 3k rpm (:lol:) but I still don't think that's right.

Fuel gauges on both my current and previous are pretty pessimistic (though range to E readout on the Kawi is generally pretty optimistic).  The Bandit would start blinking when I still had over 1.5 gallons left.  One day I rode a good 25 miles with the low fuel light blinking and when I stopped to fill up, it only took 3.7 gallons (5 gallon tank).  No harm in filling up early.  I'd err on the side of caution for the first few tanks and when you get a feel for what your typical fuel mileage is, base your fill-ups as much on the trip meter as on the fuel gauge.  Just be sure to reset your trip meter at every fill up. 

I don't think 46 mpg sounds high at all if you generally shift it at 3K or so.  I get 46-47 on my bike shifting at 3000-3500 (and getting on it occasionally to overtake a slower car or whatever) and that's with a heavier bike, bigger motor, more power, and I'd wager worse aero with my panniers.  I wouldn't expect a 600, driven in a similar manner, to do much, if any, worse.

Quote from: MX793 on June 14, 2015, 03:34:24 PM
Do you stick the nozzle into the tank?  I always hold it just at the opening so I can get a full tank without tripping the auto-shutoff

Fuel gauges on both my current and previous are pretty pessimistic (though range to E readout on the Kawi is generally pretty optimistic).  The Bandit would start blinking when I still had over 1.5 gallons left.  One day I rode a good 25 miles with the low fuel light blinking and when I stopped to fill up, it only took 3.7 gallons (5 gallon tank).  No harm in filling up early.  I'd err on the side of caution for the first few tanks and when you get a feel for what your typical fuel mileage is, base your fill-ups as much on the trip meter as on the fuel gauge.  Just be sure to reset your trip meter at every fill up. 

I don't think 46 mpg sounds high at all if you generally shift it at 3K or so.  I get 46-47 on my bike shifting at 3000-3500 (and getting on it occasionally to overtake a slower car or whatever) and that's with a heavier bike, bigger motor, more power, and I'd wager worse aero with my panniers.  I wouldn't expect a 600, driven in a similar manner, to do much, if any, worse.

Yeah I stuck the nozzle in the tank. Maybe I was just being stupid or something but I couldn't get any fuel to come out without sticking the nozzle in the tank. It might be a safety thing in California or something because when I used to fill the nighthawk in Texas I would hold the nozzle just outside the tank and pour in the gas to the top.

Also, I'll ride this tank down and see when the reserve indicator comes on. I get being pessimistic but yelling at me to get gas when it has half a tank is ridiculous. Plus online it days it should only go on after it has .97 gallons are left, which should realistically give me a 160-180 mile range before getting the reserve indicator.

Gas lights on bikes are finicky. Sometimes mine comes on super early, like a gallon plus, and yesterday mine didnt come on when I had less than a third or so left. Def get a feel for what your mileage is and go from there.

Just bought an Abus Provogue 300 disc lock, a disc lock reminder cord (so I don't ride off with the lock on the rotor :mask: ) and a chin screen for my helmet. I'm hoping having the disc lock will make comprehensive insurance cheaper when I go through State Farm.

Speaking of helmets, how noisy are your guys' helmets? Mine is so loud that even crouched down under the windscreen, with music playing through my Westone 3's (which otherwise make me essentially deaf to the outside world because they seal so well when music is playing), I can still hear the wind rushing by. Without headphones or earplugs it's positively deafening. I'm hoping the chin curtain will help a bit as well as keep me warmer in the winter.

I want something like a Shoei RF-1200 but man it's expensive and I don't know if it's worth it if the wind noise doesn't die down.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 14, 2015, 09:11:21 PM
Speaking of helmets, how noisy are your guys' helmets? Mine is so loud that even crouched down under the windscreen, with music playing through my Westone 3's (which otherwise make me essentially deaf to the outside world because they seal so well when music is playing), I can still hear the wind rushing by. Without headphones or earplugs it's positively deafening. I'm hoping the chin curtain will help a bit as well as keep me warmer in the winter.

I want something like a Shoei RF-1200 but man it's expensive and I don't know if it's worth it if the wind noise doesn't die down.

I never ride above 45 without earplugs or tight-fitting earbuds. Wind noise is crazy loud

Quote from: thecarnut on June 14, 2015, 09:11:21 PM
Just bought an Abus Provogue 300 disc lock, a disc lock reminder cord (so I don't ride off with the lock on the rotor :mask: ) and a chin screen for my helmet. I'm hoping having the disc lock will make comprehensive insurance cheaper when I go through State Farm.

Speaking of helmets, how noisy are your guys' helmets? Mine is so loud that even crouched down under the windscreen, with music playing through my Westone 3's (which otherwise make me essentially deaf to the outside world because they seal so well when music is playing), I can still hear the wind rushing by. Without headphones or earplugs it's positively deafening. I'm hoping the chin curtain will help a bit as well as keep me warmer in the winter.

I want something like a Shoei RF-1200 but man it's expensive and I don't know if it's worth it if the wind noise doesn't die down.

I can't hear my ear buds at highway speeds!

I always ride with ear plugs.  Seems like my old Icon helmet, which had a chin screen, was a lot quieter than my current HJC.  I didn't wear earplugs with my Icon and don't recall it making my ears ring after a ride.  Not sure if it was the chin screen or the helmet overall.  I plan to get a chin screen to help keep debris from blowing up into my helmet. Lately I've been getting a lot of bugs bouncing off my chest and up inside the helmet.  Or light debris like grass clippings.

+6 on earbuds. Quick run to the store, I won't wear them, but on the highway they are pretty much mandatory. Some helmets are quieter than others, and a good windscreen/fairing can help, but no helmet is quiet enough. I see all those helmet headphone products and I'm like "who the hell is riding around on the highway with no earplugs?" Insanity.

All those Harley Hardasses cruisin down the highway with no helmet, no ear plugs...blows my mind. How is that even remotely enjoyable.  I love listening to "BRGRGRGRGRGRGFJFJCKXKZALALELVOOOOOENC S A BRBRBRBRBR" for extended periods of time!

I even wear ear plugs when I ride my moped for extended periods and it doesn't even go more than 43mph. :lol:

Lol, I don't wear earplugs, and my half helmet doesn't cover my ears. No problem at all. The secret? A windshield!  :lol:

My bike has a nice exhaust note. Unlike those rice rocket bikes that sound like an industrial sewing machine motor . :evildude:

Quote from: shp4man on June 15, 2015, 08:10:01 AM
Lol, I don't wear earplugs, and my half helmet doesn't cover my ears. No problem at all. The secret? A windshield!  :lol:

My bike has a nice exhaust note. Unlike those rice rocket bikes that sound like an industrial sewing machine motor . :evildude:

Haters gonna hate. :evildude:

Dat feel when you have a sweet motorcycle parked in the driveway but you take the train to work. :cry:

Getting the rest of the gear today. I'm praying it'll all fit so I dont have to send anything back. Once I get the bike registered, change the insurance to get comprehensive, and get my disc lock it's bye bye train!

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 15, 2015, 07:56:18 AM
All those Harley Hardasses cruisin down the highway with no helmet, no ear plugs...blows my mind. How is that even remotely enjoyable.  I love listening to "BRGRGRGRGRGRGFJFJCKXKZALALELVOOOOOENC S A BRBRBRBRBR" for extended periods of time!

I even wear ear plugs when I ride my moped for extended periods and it doesn't even go more than 43mph. :lol:

https://rideapart.com/articles/stop-cruiserface-now (https://rideapart.com/articles/stop-cruiserface-now)

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 15, 2015, 04:45:27 AM
+6 on earbuds. Quick run to the store, I won't wear them, but on the highway they are pretty much mandatory. Some helmets are quieter than others, and a good windscreen/fairing can help, but no helmet is quiet enough. I see all those helmet headphone products and I'm like "who the hell is riding around on the highway with no earplugs?" Insanity.

If you have a touring bike with a full-height windscreen, you really don't need earplugs.  It's like riding in a convertible.  The Goldwing I rode had so little air getting to the rider that, in my jacket and full-face helmet, I started to get uncomfortably warm after only 10 minutes or so due to lack of any cooling air flow on a hot summer day.  There's actually a little vent window in the middle of the windscreen you can open to get some air on you.

Quote from: MX793 on June 15, 2015, 08:46:34 PM
https://rideapart.com/articles/stop-cruiserface-now (https://rideapart.com/articles/stop-cruiserface-now)

Po-ta-to, po-ta-to-pot-ta-to... :lol:

Well, I rode to work today... about 43 miles. Wasn't too bad except the temperature dropped like 10 degrees riding to the city and I started freezing my ass off. Otherwise, there wasn't much traffic and I only had to lane split in the city. Took me around 50 minutes to ride. It's about 30 minutes faster door to door than taking the train but I don't know if it's worth doing it every day...

Sounds like a no brainer to me!  :huh:

Hehehehehe

Just got insurance. 25/50/25k liability, matching uninsured motorist coverage, and comprehensive with a $500 deductible for $217/6mo. Ballerific.

You rode to work without insurance? wut

Quote from: SVT_Power on June 16, 2015, 11:57:26 AM
You rode to work without insurance? wut

Nah, I had liability only from Progressive for $370/year. Just cancelled it. It was awkward calling in to cancel it after 2 days but fuck it I wanted to ride. :lol:

Who gave u that deal

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 16, 2015, 12:13:38 PM
Who gave u that deal

State Farm.

What's weird is they quoted me $650/year before, and then yesterday another agent quoted me $900/year but didn't even take the VIN of the bike. Today I called a different office and they took the VIN of the bike and gave me a killer deal.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 16, 2015, 12:06:45 PM
Nah, I had liability only from Progressive for $370/year. Just cancelled it. It was awkward calling in to cancel it after 2 days but fuck it I wanted to ride. :lol:

Wow, Progressive is pretty inexpensive for me.  I pay $125/year for liability through Progressive.  Just looked to see what comp would add and with a $500 deductible, it goes up to $331/year.  Granted, they were willing to count my dirtbike experience as a kid into my total years of riding experience, so I show up as having like 18 years of riding experience.  ~$435 a year with comp on a sportbike is a pretty decent rate, though.  I may have to give State Farm a call next time my rate is due for renewal.

Quote from: MX793 on June 16, 2015, 03:06:59 PM
Wow, Progressive is pretty inexpensive for me.  I pay $125/year for liability through Progressive.  Just looked to see what comp would add and with a $500 deductible, it goes up to $331/year.  Granted, they were willing to count my dirtbike experience as a kid into my total years of riding experience, so I show up as having like 18 years of riding experience.  ~$435 a year with comp on a sportbike is a pretty decent rate, though.  I may have to give State Farm a call next time my rate is due for renewal.

Wow, $331 a year is nice. Is the Ninja 1000 considered a sport bike or a tourer? My friend said that his FZ6 was labelled as a standard bike, even though it's essentially a detuned R6 with more upright ergos (similar to your N1k vs the ZX10R, right?). Do you not have comprehensive on the Ninja?

I skipped collision because I'm going to just hope I won't be a dumbass and wreck my bike, but I can't control it getting tipped over or stolen so I can rest easier knowing I have a comprehensive on it. $435 on a 600cc almost supersport bike given my level of experience is amazing. :lol:

Quote from: thecarnut on June 16, 2015, 03:13:48 PM
Wow, $331 a year is nice. Is the Ninja 1000 considered a sport bike or a tourer? My friend said that his FZ6 was labelled as a standard bike, even though it's essentially a detuned R6 with more upright ergos (similar to your N1k vs the ZX10R, right?). Do you not have comprehensive on the Ninja?

I skipped collision because I'm going to just hope I won't be a dumbass and wreck my bike, but I can't control it getting tipped over or stolen so I can rest easier knowing I have a comprehensive on it. $435 on a 600cc almost supersport bike given my level of experience is amazing. :lol:

I think it gets classed as a sportbike.  Being 1000cc+ doesn't help much either.  My bike is actually unrelated to the ZX10.  Not even the same displacement (N1K/Z1K is 1043cc vs 998 for the Zixxer).

I don't bother with comp because the likelihood of it being stolen is pretty slim.  When it's home, it's in a locked garage.  If I ride it to work (which I seldom do), the parking lot there is secure enough to deter all but the most determined thieves (fenced and gated with cameras).  The only places I would park it where I'd be off and out of sight of it for more than 15-20 minutes are state parks, and I just don't see thieves spending much time looking for bikes to steal at places like that (most charge you an entry fee to drive onto the property).

Quote from: MX793 on June 16, 2015, 03:34:05 PM
I think it gets classed as a sportbike.  Being 1000cc+ doesn't help much either.  My bike is actually unrelated to the ZX10.  Not even the same displacement (N1K/Z1K is 1043cc vs 998 for the Zixxer).

I don't bother with comp because the likelihood of it being stolen is pretty slim.  When it's home, it's in a locked garage.  If I ride it to work (which I seldom do), the parking lot there is secure enough to deter all but the most determined thieves (fenced and gated with cameras).  The only places I would park it where I'd be off and out of sight of it for more than 15-20 minutes are state parks, and I just don't see thieves spending much time looking for bikes to steal at places like that (most charge you an entry fee to drive onto the property).

Ah OK, that makes sense. I'm trying to clear out the garage at home to park it in there next to my dad's car, but I'm mainly worried about it at work because it's sitting out in the open. Of course, I walked by it during lunch and saw it surrounded by some BMWs, including an S1000RR so maybe I'm being paranoid. :lol:

On a random note, I can't believe Honda didn't provide inserts for spools for this bike. I was going to buy a stand for it this weekend to easily change the oil and lube the chain. Now I have to push the bike down the street and lube it that way. :rage:

Quote from: thecarnut on June 16, 2015, 03:41:48 PM
Ah OK, that makes sense. I'm trying to clear out the garage at home to park it in there next to my dad's car, but I'm mainly worried about it at work because it's sitting out in the open. Of course, I walked by it during lunch and saw it surrounded by some BMWs, including an S1000RR so maybe I'm being paranoid. :lol:

On a random note, I can't believe Honda didn't provide inserts for spools for this bike. I was going to buy a stand for it this weekend to easily change the oil and lube the chain. Now I have to push the bike down the street and lube it that way. :rage:

The F4 and F4i had mounting provisions for a center stand (and some models came with them from the factory in some markets).  Might want to look and see if you can just buy a factory center stand and install it.  Way easier and more convenient than a bike stand and spools.  Definitely one feature my Bandit had that I miss (and can't be installed on the Ninja).

Quote from: MX793 on June 16, 2015, 03:50:56 PM
The F4 and F4i had mounting provisions for a center stand (and some models came with them from the factory in some markets).  Might want to look and see if you can just buy a factory center stand and install it.  Way easier and more convenient than a bike stand and spools.  Definitely one feature my Bandit had that I miss (and can't be installed on the Ninja).

But center stands look weird on a sport bike. :cry:

Anyways, first day of commuting in the bag! Only had to do a bit of lane splitting on the highway. It wasn't too bad, except my headphones came out partially while riding back and the wind noise became ridiculous. The highway I take is empty enough that I never feel that I'm going to get in someone's way or get hit.

The gas issue came up again. About 80 miles into this tank, the reserve indicator popped up, and it started flashing all 4 bars (extremely low) at 100 miles. I kept riding and got home at about 115 miles and opened the tank lid and peeked inside. There's still a good amount of gas left in the tank. I'm not sure why it keeps on yelling at me so early. I'd expect to get at least 150 miles before getting the reserve indicator, considering most of my riding is on the freeway. I might have to do more research. Other than that, and a visor full of dead bugs, it was a blast. Saved time and got to leave when I wanted at work.

Anywho, I also stopped by Cycle Gear because my HJC's visor was about to snap off (it actually did in the store). The guy was nice enough to install two new screws into the visor holder thingy and I was good to go. I did try on a Shoei RF1200 though. God damn that thing is NICE. It's so light and I hear it's extremely quiet. Unfortunately, in the colorway I want, it's pretty expensive ($530 before tax). I mainly went there for an AGV K3 helmet because AGV makes some awesome colorways and it's priced reasonably, but when I put it on, it was pressing pretty hard against my forehead and temples even though the cheeks were pretty loose. Guess I can't wear an AGV then. :(

Honda designed the lower fairing to largely hide the center stand.  This bike has one and I doubt anyone who wasn't looking for it would notice.
(http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Honda%20CBR600F%2001%20%202.jpg)

VFR800 Interceptors have had center stands up through at least the last generation. I think they currently still have them.  Again, largely concealed when not in use.

Getting a good helmet is worth it. I am due and I think my next one will be a hi viz Bell with their Transition shield. I'm gonna hold off until this winter though till things get desperate.

And yea a centerstand is key. I have a bike stand and its a PITA. Plus it only works for the back... I'm SOL if I want to do anything on the front.

I have not heard good things about Bell helmets.  There's a shop near me that specializes in motorcycle helmets (huge selection, lots of brands) and they won't carry Bell because the quality is poor and they got sick of complaints and returns.

Gah that sucks. Worse than Scorpion? Bell is the only company that has the transitions visor. I don't mind my tinted visor, but I don't want to have to have another helmet or be swapping visors all the time to ride at night.

Quote from: MX793 on June 17, 2015, 05:13:25 AM
Honda designed the lower fairing to largely hide the center stand.  This bike has one and I doubt anyone who wasn't looking for it would notice.
(http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Honda%20CBR600F%2001%20%202.jpg)

VFR800 Interceptors have had center stands up through at least the last generation. I think they currently still have them.  Again, largely concealed when not in use.

Hmm... I think for the cost of a center stand I could get some spool tabs welded on and a rear stand. I'll look into both options.

Speaking of helmets, I can't complain about my CL-17. It's comfortable and fits well. Only problems are the visor doesn't like to move up and it's super noisy. Hopefully the chin curtain will help with noise. If I do get a new helmet it's going to be the big dog RF-1200. $580 after tax. :mask:

OK I'm confused. The CL-17 has always been relatively comfortable and its rated as a neutral/round helmet. The RF1200 I wore yesterday was extremely comfortable from the minute or two I had it on for but it's rated as an intermediate long helmet.

I guess I'll seriously start helmet shopping when the Snell M2015 standards come out. Till then I'll just hope my visor doesn't eat more screws and I'll keep using it.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 17, 2015, 05:47:40 AM
Getting a good helmet is worth it. I am due and I think my next one will be a hi viz Bell with their Transition shield. I'm gonna hold off until this winter though till things get desperate.

And yea a centerstand is key. I have a bike stand and its a PITA. Plus it only works for the back... I'm SOL if I want to do anything on the front.

In case you're looking, I picked up this one and it's awesome for any front end work.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050H39OW (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050H39OW)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FOQgVeUh1vg6uI7WpI-DRM4-aJ81ED-fZC4ek-rbirY=w483-h643-no)

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 17, 2015, 07:42:12 AM
Gah that sucks. Worse than Scorpion? Bell is the only company that has the transitions visor. I don't mind my tinted visor, but I don't want to have to have another helmet or be swapping visors all the time to ride at night.

I just wear sunglasses  :huh:

Quote from: thecarnut on June 17, 2015, 08:24:21 AM
Hmm... I think for the cost of a center stand I could get some spool tabs welded on and a rear stand. I'll look into both options.

Speaking of helmets, I can't complain about my CL-17. It's comfortable and fits well. Only problems are the visor doesn't like to move up and it's super noisy. Hopefully the chin curtain will help with noise. If I do get a new helmet it's going to be the big dog RF-1200. $580 after tax. :mask:

I'm always leary of welding on aluminum.  Especially tempered aluminum.  As soon as you weld on it, you reduce its strength considerably.  Post-welded strength of 6061-T6 is roughly half the strength of the tempered wrought alloy.

You can probably get the factory center stand and all of the hardware for $200 or less.

Another option is a hook style wheel stand that doesn't require spools.

So this won't work on a sportbike?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Big-Red-1-500-lb-Motorcycle-Jack-T66751X/100594527?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cG%7cBase%7cPLA%7cD25T%7cTools&gclid=CJORxP-Tl8YCFYqDfgodBzYA3Q&gclsrc=aw.ds (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Big-Red-1-500-lb-Motorcycle-Jack-T66751X/100594527?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cG%7cBase%7cPLA%7cD25T%7cTools&gclid=CJORxP-Tl8YCFYqDfgodBzYA3Q&gclsrc=aw.ds)

Quote from: MX793 on June 17, 2015, 10:27:15 AM
I'm always leary of welding on aluminum.  Especially tempered aluminum.  As soon as you weld on it, you reduce its strength considerably.  Post-welded strength of 6061-T6 is roughly half the strength of the tempered wrought alloy.

You can probably get the factory center stand and all of the hardware for $200 or less.

Another option is a hook style wheel stand that doesn't require spools.

I didn't want to drill into the aluminum for the same reason. Can I remove the rear wheel with the center stand and not have it fall over?

Quote from: MX793 on June 17, 2015, 10:19:34 AM
I just wear sunglasses  :huh:

Im guessing you have one of those chin flip visors? Hmm I guess that could work.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 17, 2015, 11:09:34 AM
Im guessing you have one of those chin flip visors? Hmm I guess that could work.

No, I have a regular helmet.  I have prescription lenses, so I have to wear glasses under a helmet one way or another.  It does limit what helmets I can wear, though.  Shoeis, unfortunately, don't work with glasses.  Creases for the cheek pads are positioned where they grab the bows and lift the glasses off my nose.  I've found HJCs work fine, as did my old Icon.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 17, 2015, 10:43:56 AM
I didn't want to drill into the aluminum for the same reason. Can I remove the rear wheel with the center stand and not have it fall over?

Yes.  When on the center stand, the weight is split between the front wheel and the stand.  Rear wheel can be spun freely (great for chain maintenance) or removed entirely (which just shifts the weight balance even further forward).

Quote from: MX793 on June 17, 2015, 02:45:49 PM
Yes.  When on the center stand, the weight is split between the front wheel and the stand.  Rear wheel can be spun freely (great for chain maintenance) or removed entirely (which just shifts the weight balance even further forward).

Hmm, I'll look into it.

I'm also looking at a Sena headset, Power Commander V (unlikely though) and integrated LED turn signals and an under tail kit from Hotbodies. I should probably fix my car but this stuff is too addicting. :lol:

Quote from: thecarnut on June 17, 2015, 02:51:16 PM
Hmm, I'll look into it.

I'm also looking at a Sena headset, Power Commander V (unlikely though) and integrated LED turn signals and an under tail kit from Hotbodies. I should probably fix my car but this stuff is too addicting. :lol:

Be careful with the integrated LED signals. Some locations and/or states are real sticklers and will fail your bike's inspection if they're not 9 inches apart as per federal standards.

They've let mine slide so far, but they did chew me out for my former flush-mount front blinkers, which I swapped out for LED stalks.

Quote from: Speed_Racer on June 17, 2015, 03:07:50 PM
Be careful with the integrated LED signals. Some locations and/or states are real sticklers and will fail your bike's inspection if they're not 9 inches apart as per federal standards.

They've let mine slide so far, but they did chew me out for my former flush-mount front blinkers, which I swapped out for LED stalks.

Aw crap, the undertail I want does away with the turn signals and integrates them into the tail light.

I guess that's a no go. :cry:

Quote from: shp4man on June 17, 2015, 10:36:22 AM
So this won't work on a sportbike?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Big-Red-1-500-lb-Motorcycle-Jack-T66751X/100594527?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cG%7cBase%7cPLA%7cD25T%7cTools&gclid=CJORxP-Tl8YCFYqDfgodBzYA3Q&gclsrc=aw.ds (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Big-Red-1-500-lb-Motorcycle-Jack-T66751X/100594527?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cG%7cBase%7cPLA%7cD25T%7cTools&gclid=CJORxP-Tl8YCFYqDfgodBzYA3Q&gclsrc=aw.ds)

Would crush the exhaust on my bike or Sporty's 650.

Quote from: Speed_Racer on June 17, 2015, 03:07:50 PM
Be careful with the integrated LED signals. Some locations and/or states are real sticklers and will fail your bike's inspection if they're not 9 inches apart as per federal standards.

They've let mine slide so far, but they did chew me out for my former flush-mount front blinkers, which I swapped out for LED stalks.

A lot of those tail light (and headlight) units aren't DOT approved.  Many of them say in the fine print "not DOT approved" or "not for highway use" or "Off-road use only".

Quote from: thecarnut on June 17, 2015, 03:10:24 PM
Aw crap, the undertail I want does away with the turn signals and integrates them into the tail light.

I guess that's a no go. :cry:

What if you got creative?

I love my flush underbody kit, but my integrated tails are way dimmer than stock. And I really don't want to get rear-ended. So I'm trying to find a stock tail-light to swap back in and I'll custom mount signals separate from my tail-lamp (location TBD)

Eh I'm not too worried about it right now. I think I'll spend that money and save it for maintenance. I'm hopefully going to pile the miles on it.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 17, 2015, 07:42:12 AM
Gah that sucks. Worse than Scorpion? Bell is the only company that has the transitions visor. I don't mind my tinted visor, but I don't want to have to have another helmet or be swapping visors all the time to ride at night.

I've had my Bell a few years now and it has held up well! The Transitions shield is great! It's totally transparent and and always has just enough tint! It's not cheap but it's worth every penny!

So I didn't realize my HJC came with a PinLock. I installed it. Hopefully I won't have to crack the shield anymore to get it to unfog. I'm excited to try the new chin shield as well.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 18, 2015, 07:28:17 AM
So I didn't realize my HJC came with a PinLock. I installed it. Hopefully I won't have to crack the shield anymore to get it to unfog. I'm excited to try the new chin shield as well.

Are you sure the chin vent is open?  That diverts air to the inside of the shield to help with fogging.  I've only ever had fogging when it's cool and extremely humid, like when it's raining.

Yeah, it's open. My glasses still fog up, though.

Yay waiting at the DMV... Fees are going to be around $400 I think. I could lie and say that I purchased the bike for less than I did and pay less, but I'd rather not. You know, karma and all that.

Gonna do an oil change this weekend. I'm going to put off any mods till next month.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 18, 2015, 08:45:14 AM
Yeah, it's open. My glasses still fog up, though.

Pin lock won't help glasses, unfortunately.

Quote from: MX793 on June 18, 2015, 10:40:35 AM
Pin lock won't help glasses, unfortunately.

Yeah, I figured as much. The visor itself doesn't really fog up anymore. I think the chin shield also helps a lot with wind noise but it's still really noisy in there.

Anywho, either I'm doing something wrong, or these newfangled pumps really don't let you pump unless the nozzle is pressed against something. It shut off after 2.7 gallons but I was able to sneak in 3.5 gallons, and probably could have gotten 4 gallons in. Since I've been filling it all wrong (not all the way to the top) I still can't get a good read on MPGs. I probably won't ride to work tomorrow so tomorrow evening or Saturday morning I'll go elsewhere and try to top it off for reals to start counting my MPGs.

Still, even if the tank could take 4 gallons, that'd leave me with another .8 gallons left before filling. The odometer read 113.9 miles. I think that's in the low 30's. That's honestly some bad gas mileage considering that was all highway mileage. Could aero be killing my MPGs? I don't even have to brake on the highway when traffic slows down. Just sitting up will scrub speed like crazy. I want to get a different windshield but Revzilla only has the Zero Gravity Double Bubble which is pretty small (I think it's for racing) and I want something a bit taller, but the Sport Touring one looks silly on a CBR. Hmm...

Also, since I had to go to the DMV I was on the crappier highway with more traffic. Lane splitting honestly was not bad at all. I was splitting at up to 40 mph, after which I'd just pick a lane and cruise in it till traffic slowed down again. It was a ton of fun. Just need to keep paying attention to the cars to make sure they're not going to change lanes without warning.

114 miles on 4 gallons is <30 mpg.  That's terrible.  Looking around the web, seems like most people get between 37 and 43.

I get 40 MPG all day, something is def not right there. Give it a few more tanks

Quote from: MX793 on June 18, 2015, 11:21:16 AM
114 miles on 4 gallons is <30 mpg.  That's terrible.  Looking around the web, seems like most people get between 37 and 43.

I think the thing is, last time I just stuck the nozzle in the tank and let it fill up, and didn't try to top it off. It took about 2.4 gallons and there was a lot of room left over on the top of the tank, so I was starting off on a 75% full tank. This time I tried to fill it up as much as possible and there was much less room left at the top of the tank (but I still couldn't fill it to the top) so that may be why my mileage appears to be so bad.

Welcome back to California, where the gas pumps have a vapor recovery system . That's why it clicks off too soon when you fill up your bike. Try pumping the gas real slow after it clicks off.

Quote from: shp4man on June 18, 2015, 01:35:04 PM
Welcome back to California, where the gas pumps have a vapor recovery system . That's why it clicks off too soon when you fill up your bike. Try pumping the gas real slow after it clicks off.

I was able to fill it partially by jamming the nozzle in at weird angles so the nozzle wouldn't touch the gas in the tank and shut off, but there was no way I was going to get it to the top.

I need to find a place that has the older style nozzles so I can actually get more gas in there.

Do the Cali pumps have that little collar thing on a bellows?  Try pulling that collar back.

So I'm thinking about doing a CBR600RR swingarm swap... they look cool and it'd be an easy way of getting spools.

I don't know if I could trust myself to do that, though. A local shop wants me to take the swingarm off the bike and bring it to the shop. I'm kinda scared to do it because any fuckups on the bike means I'm dead if shit comes apart.

Granted I've done a ton of work on my car and nothing has ever come apart (yet, knock on wood) but I'm way more scared on a bike since I'm at its mercy...

Quote from: shp4man on June 18, 2015, 01:35:04 PM
Welcome back to California, where the gas pumps have a vapor recovery system . That's why it clicks off too soon when you fill up your bike. Try pumping the gas real slow after it clicks off.

Dunno why, but my Audi often triggered pumps' auto-off way too soon. I could be sittin at 1/4 tank and I'd have to baby the gas in by just barely squeezing the trigger otherwise it would click itself off. Incredibly annoying, especially in the winter. Never had that issue with other vehicles. Many times I just ended up putting $10-15 in because it was a PITA trying to actually fill it.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 19, 2015, 05:28:44 PM
So I'm thinking about doing a CBR600RR swingarm swap... they look cool and it'd be an easy way of getting spools.

I don't know if I could trust myself to do that, though. A local shop wants me to take the swingarm off the bike and bring it to the shop. I'm kinda scared to do it because any fuckups on the bike means I'm dead if shit comes apart.

Granted I've done a ton of work on my car and nothing has ever come apart (yet, knock on wood) but I'm way more scared on a bike since I'm at its mercy...

Swingarms aren't that hard to remove.  I used to disassemble the entire rear suspension linkage, including removing the swingarm, on my MX bikes every to every other season to clean and re-grease all of the bearings.  First time I did it took me a little bit because I had to figure out what had to come off in what order (had to remove the brake pedal and master cylinder to get at the swingarm pivot bolt), but it really wasn't hard.   The  harder part is figuring out how to support the bike while removing and after the swingarm is off.  On a dirtbike it's easy to just lift the bike up on a wooden milk crate or pedestal stand right on the bottom of the frame (right under the motor).  The bike was designed to be supported like that.  Newer sport bikes with perimeter style frames and under-slung exhausts can't be held up that way.  On a bike with a built-in center stand, you actually could pull the swingarm with the bike supporting itself on the center stand.  I suppose you could cob up some kind of support using a jack that picks up on the F4's factory center stand mount. 

All told, I think it's a hell of a lot cheaper and easier to just try to find a built-in center stand and install it than to try welding spool mounts or swapping to a swingarm from a different model and then using a bike stand (which takes up more space in the garage).  Found a UK Honda dealer where you could order all of the center stand parts brand new for $300 + S&H.  My bike has spool mounts, but if it had a factory center stand mount, I sure as hell would be looking for a center stand vs using a bike stand.  I have a bike stand that I don't use and will be selling because it's a huge PITA and it's very difficult to use while trying to hold the bike up.  I nearly dropped my bike trying to use it by myself.  In fact, the leverage ratio on the stand is such that I actually need a second person to help put the bike on the stand because I can't both hold the bike up and put enough weight down on the stand to get the rear wheel up off the ground.  With a 100 lbs lighter bike (50 less pounds on the rear wheel), I would probably be able to do it by myself, but even then it could be hairy (bear in mind, I weigh about as much as you do).  Never had a problem with putting my heavier Bandit up on its factory center stand and I didn't have a piece of metal eating up 9 square feet of my limited garage space.

Quote from: MX793 on June 20, 2015, 08:14:48 AM
Swingarms aren't that hard to remove.  I used to disassemble the entire rear suspension linkage, including removing the swingarm, on my MX bikes every to every other season to clean and re-grease all of the bearings.  First time I did it took me a little bit because I had to figure out what had to come off in what order (had to remove the brake pedal and master cylinder to get at the swingarm pivot bolt), but it really wasn't hard.   The  harder part is figuring out how to support the bike while removing and after the swingarm is off.  On a dirtbike it's easy to just lift the bike up on a wooden milk crate or pedestal stand right on the bottom of the frame (right under the motor).  The bike was designed to be supported like that.  Newer sport bikes with perimeter style frames and under-slung exhausts can't be held up that way.  On a bike with a built-in center stand, you actually could pull the swingarm with the bike supporting itself on the center stand.  I suppose you could cob up some kind of support using a jack that picks up on the F4's factory center stand mount. 

All told, I think it's a hell of a lot cheaper and easier to just try to find a built-in center stand and install it than to try welding spool mounts or swapping to a swingarm from a different model and then using a bike stand (which takes up more space in the garage).  Found a UK Honda dealer where you could order all of the center stand parts brand new for $300 + S&H.  My bike has spool mounts, but if it had a factory center stand mount, I sure as hell would be looking for a center stand vs using a bike stand.  I have a bike stand that I don't use and will be selling because it's a huge PITA and it's very difficult to use while trying to hold the bike up.  I nearly dropped my bike trying to use it by myself.  In fact, the leverage ratio on the stand is such that I actually need a second person to help put the bike on the stand because I can't both hold the bike up and put enough weight down on the stand to get the rear wheel up off the ground.  With a 100 lbs lighter bike (50 less pounds on the rear wheel), I would probably be able to do it by myself, but even then it could be hairy (bear in mind, I weigh about as much as you do).  Never had a problem with putting my heavier Bandit up on its factory center stand and I didn't have a piece of metal eating up 9 square feet of my limited garage space.

Honestly, putting a center stand on a sport bike seems all wrong. :lol:

I'll have to look into it, though. I have the garage space at my parents' place so that's not an issue. The main issue is removing the swingarm and then leaving the rest of the bike upright.

Also, I changed the oil today and checked the chain tension. Holy shit the chain was so tight. Spec is 1-1.5" of slack. The chain had about .25" of slack. I ended up loosening it to about 1" of slack and re-lubing it. I tried to stay as even as possible on both tensioners, and measured the axle to swingarm pivot bolt many times, so I think the wheel is as straight as it's going to get. I think it's probably off by 1-2mm, but that could be errors in measuring or the tape not being precise enough. Either way, after I loosened the chain, pushing it around became so much easier. Before, I wouldn't be able to push it easily and I thought I was just a sad weak man, but now I can just roll it around without having to turn the engine on. Hopefully that translates to a smoother ride and better MPG.

I also sprayed the chain with a lot of WD40 and scrubbed it with a chain brush, then wiped it dry and sprayed some Motul chain lube on it. I'm letting it dry for now before I head out on a test ride. Hopefully my oil change and chain tinkering don't kill me or the bike. :mask:

A number of sportbikes have had them over the years, particularly Hondas.  Every generation of CBR600F had them either as standard or as an option (meaning the mounting provisions are there).  VFR/Interceptor has always had them.  GSX/Katana series had them.  Ninja 600 and ZZR600 (up until the '05 model).  Ninja 250 and 500 as well.  The reason they've gone away is weight, cost, and on some bikes they can limit maximum corner clearance.  Race bikes don't even have side stands.  None of these reasons matter for a bike that's being used on the street.  The 600F isn't a hardcore homologation bike.  There's nothing out of place about a center stand on that bike.

Yea just get the center stand dude. I wish I had one. Using the rear stand is a PITA. Have to balance the bike while getting the stand up and aligning the swingarm holders. Makes no sense.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 21, 2015, 05:42:12 AM
Yea just get the center stand dude. I wish I had one. Using the rear stand is a PITA. Have to balance the bike while getting the stand up and aligning the swingarm holders. Makes no sense.

I marked my rear stand (on the hooks) with a sharpie so I can align the tabs up before I stand the up. That helps a little.

I reinstalled a center stand on my EX250. It's better to just take a dump before you go ride to make up for the extra weight.

Moped has center stand and a standard side kickstand. :praise:

Quote from: 280Z Turbo on June 21, 2015, 03:34:14 PM
I reinstalled a center stand on my EX250. It's better to just take a dump before you go ride to make up for the extra weight.

Your dumps weigh 10-15 lb?

You might want to get that checked out.

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 21, 2015, 03:41:20 PM
Moped has center stand and a standard side kickstand. :praise:

Any motorcycle with a center stand has a side stand as well.

Yay! I figured out how to fill up the tank today! I just pressed the donut thing around the nozzle up with my hand and it allowed me to pump with the nozzle out of the tank. Got it nice and full, to the brim today. :praise:

Now I can see how far I can make it on one tank.

By my calculations, I got 41.8 mpg this last tank. I am pretty happy with that.

Quote from: thecarnut on June 21, 2015, 04:15:45 PM
Your dumps weigh 10-15 lb?

You might want to get that checked out.

You can also shed your helmet and safety gear. I saw a guy the other day riding shirtless.

Rag saw your photo on FB from tonight...


LOLOLOLOLOLREKT

Quote from: SVT_Power on June 26, 2015, 11:23:15 PM
Rag saw your photo on FB from tonight...


LOLOLOLOLOLREKT

STFU NOOB.

The tank lid was always a little sticky/finicky to open. One of the lock bars in the tank is bent so tomorrow I'm going to straighten it out after I fix the lock.

But yeah it was embarrassing. That was in a group of 50+ riders, too. FML.

Got a lot done to the bike yesterday. On Friday, for those of you who aren't friends with me on Facebook, I ended up breaking my key off in the tank when I went to fill up with gas during a giant group ride. The cap was always sticky because one of the bars in the tank was bent. I think when I went to open it on Friday it just failed. My dad and brother drove out the 25 miles to get me my spare key and I got back home. On Saturday morning, I was able to fish out the broken piece with two tiny flathead screwdrivers, and I got a few more keys made, and then I opened up the tank and straightened out the bent bar. The cap opens super smoothly now and self locks as well when the cap is pushed.

I also installed my Competition Werkes fender eliminator kit. It took forever and the instructions were bad and I had to hack off most of the tail plastic (not the tail fairing), but it looks good now.

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150628_103213400_zps7dpojef7.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150628_103213400_zps7dpojef7.jpg.html)

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150628_103225372_HDR_zpszcnmvoft.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150628_103225372_HDR_zpszcnmvoft.jpg.html)

I'm so tempted to ditch the turn signals and get an integrated tail light but I'm scared it won't be as bright and it's definitely not legal. For now I'll leave it as is, and probably order a Double Bubble windshield off of amazon.

Pick some smaller LED "Cat Eye" blinkers!

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on June 28, 2015, 10:20:00 PM
Pick some smaller LED "Cat Eye" blinkers!

I'm rocking these LEDs from Cycle Gear as my front blinkers: http://www.cyclegear.com/SPEEDMETAL-LED-Lighted-Tip-Turn-Signals (http://www.cyclegear.com/SPEEDMETAL-LED-Lighted-Tip-Turn-Signals). They are decently bright considering the cost, they look good too!

Quote from: Speed_Racer on June 29, 2015, 01:58:08 AM
I'm rocking these LEDs from Cycle Gear as my front blinkers: http://www.cyclegear.com/SPEEDMETAL-LED-Lighted-Tip-Turn-Signals (http://www.cyclegear.com/SPEEDMETAL-LED-Lighted-Tip-Turn-Signals). They are decently bright considering the cost, they look good too!

Those are like the type I used on my 2003 Gixxer when I did the 954 tail light swap!  :cheers:

I'm going to look for some newer OEM LED tail lights actually. Don't want to get integrated if it's not as safe and if I'm going to get ticketed all the time.


Also, after I rode to work today, I came to a stop in gear, and was about to reverse into my parking spot, except I couldn't shift gears at all. The shifter wouldn't change gears and I couldn't get into neutral. I had to roll the bike a couple inches and then when I tried again it worked normally and I could find neutral.

Is that normal? I read that it's normal for bikes to clunk into first gear, but I've never had this happen to me before.

My bike does that sometimes. I actually have to pull the clutch in, roll it and then change gears. Only a problem when the bike is off and in gear though.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on June 29, 2015, 02:47:17 PM
My bike does that sometimes. I actually have to pull the clutch in, roll it and then change gears. Only a problem when the bike is off and in gear though.

This was with the bike running. :mask:

Quote from: thecarnut on June 29, 2015, 02:40:36 PM
I'm going to look for some newer OEM LED tail lights actually. Don't want to get integrated if it's not as safe and if I'm going to get ticketed all the time.


Also, after I rode to work today, I came to a stop in gear, and was about to reverse into my parking spot, except I couldn't shift gears at all. The shifter wouldn't change gears and I couldn't get into neutral. I had to roll the bike a couple inches and then when I tried again it worked normally and I could find neutral.

Is that normal? I read that it's normal for bikes to clunk into first gear, but I've never had this happen to me before.

That happens to me about once a week.

Sometimes bike transmissions get stuck between gears, usually from too light a touch on the lever. This is a Harley thing, though.

I've had bikes stick in gear or between gear (or in neutral) every so often.

Quote from: shp4man on June 29, 2015, 03:48:38 PM
Sometimes bike transmissions get stuck between gears, usually from too light a touch on the lever. This is a Harley thing, though.

Engaging first gear on a Harley elicits a sound akin to a microwave oven striking pavement after being hurled out of a 3rd story window.

 :lol:

Quote from: MX793 on June 29, 2015, 04:13:40 PM
I've had bikes stick in gear or between gear (or in neutral) every so often.

Engaging first gear on a Harley elicits a sound akin to a microwave oven striking pavement after being hurled out of a 3rd story window.

Payback for the " rice rocket sounds like an industrial sewing machine " remark?  ;) :lol:

Quote from: shp4man on June 29, 2015, 04:46:56 PM
Payback for the " rice rocket sounds like an industrial sewing machine " remark?  ;) :lol:

No, just an observation from H-D's I've ridden.  If nothing else, the mechanical cacophony lends the bikes some character.

I bought some more rice for the F4i. :mask: :lol:

Pics........

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on June 30, 2015, 02:48:39 PM
Pics........

Sure, in like two weeks after the stuff is delivered and I get around to installing it. :cry:

Quote from: thecarnut on June 30, 2015, 02:56:45 PM
Sure, in like two weeks after the stuff is delivered and I get around to installing it. :cry:

How long does it take to install some stickers?

Also, no video of your F4i in action?

Quote from: Speed_Racer on June 30, 2015, 04:25:50 PM
How long does it take to install some stickers?

Also, no video of your F4i in action?

Pfft I'm not putting stickers on my beautiful fairings. :wub:

There's a video of a group ride I went on and I'm in it for a couple seconds. :lol:

Quote from: thecarnut on June 29, 2015, 02:40:36 PM
I'm going to look for some newer OEM LED tail lights actually. Don't want to get integrated if it's not as safe and if I'm going to get ticketed all the time.


Also, after I rode to work today, I came to a stop in gear, and was about to reverse into my parking spot, except I couldn't shift gears at all. The shifter wouldn't change gears and I couldn't get into neutral. I had to roll the bike a couple inches and then when I tried again it worked normally and I could find neutral.

Is that normal? I read that it's normal for bikes to clunk into first gear, but I've never had this happen to me before.

I once snapped the shifter off on a cheap Chinese four wheeler when that happened.  Damn thing wouldn't go into gear and I didn't know about the roll trick.  Had to limp it all the way home in 2nd. 

Good looking bike, even if it is a but Japanese.


Should have gotten a Speed Triple.

Quote from: Raza  on July 01, 2015, 07:36:36 PM
Good looking bike, even if it is a but Japanese.


Should have gotten a Speed Triple.

:lol:

The only Speed Triple anywhere close to my budget was ~$700 more, had 3x the mileage and had an unknown maintenance history. I just rolled over 9k miles on the way to work today.

Also, is it normal for the 1-2 shift to be "firmer" or have more kickback through the shifter than the other gears? I don't know if I'm being paranoid or not but just want to be safe as I'm piling on the miles on this bike.

Quote from: thecarnut on July 02, 2015, 09:37:27 AM
I don't know if I'm being paranoid or not but just want to be safe as I'm piling on the miles on this bike.

:lol: @ Piling on the miles! I know a guy with a 954 with 75K on it! You'll be ok!!!

1-2 takes you through neutral, so it's usually higher shift effort than other gears.

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on July 02, 2015, 10:22:58 AM
:lol: @ Piling on the miles! I know a guy with a 954 with 75K on it! You'll be ok!!!

I'm on track to putting 18-20k per year and it's my only commuter... I'd like it to be reliable. :huh:

There are 200K mile F4is..... u will be skraight homie.... just make sure to keep up with maintenance :huh:

Quote from: thecarnut on July 02, 2015, 10:58:09 AM
I'm on track to putting 18-20k per year and it's my only commuter... I'd like it to be reliable. :huh:

like Sporty said. With regular upkeep you'll be fine!

I think that one F4i is over 300k now. Original motor and original clutch at least at 240k miles. He did have to do some tranny work, but that was with over 100k on it already.

I'm just paranoid lol.

Quote from: thecarnut on July 02, 2015, 09:37:27 AM
:lol:

The only Speed Triple anywhere close to my budget was ~$700 more, had 3x the mileage and had an unknown maintenance history. I just rolled over 9k miles on the way to work today.

Also, is it normal for the 1-2 shift to be "firmer" or have more kickback through the shifter than the other gears? I don't know if I'm being paranoid or not but just want to be safe as I'm piling on the miles on this bike.

I don't know about bikes, but several cars I've driven have been like that.

First of the incoming rice!

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150703_161350747_zpsi3dk6rwm.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150703_161350747_zpsi3dk6rwm.jpg.html)

Also got resistors for the front flushmount LEDs which are coming on Monday.

Hopefully I don't get pulled over but it's just a fix-it ticket and this is 100% plug and play.

Bought an almost new, barely used Pitbull stand! Cost me $110 but it's very nice and super sturdy. No more having to push the bike down the street to oil my chain. :rockon:

That was a pain in the butt to do every weekend.

Do you have swingarm spools now or did you find a stand that hooks onto the swingarm itself?

Quote from: MX793 on July 07, 2015, 11:00:14 AM
Do you have swingarm spools now or did you find a stand that hooks onto the swingarm itself?

I bought the stand that has both spool stands and pads so I'm just using the pad side for now. It seems sturdy. :huh:

If I ever buy a bike with spools in the future this stand will work for that too so I guess I'm all set.

Oh, I also bought some Rok straps to strap my backpack to my seat. It's kind of uncomfortable though because I end up sitting on the very top of the backpack. Plus I'm nervous that one of the many straps on the backpack will fall into the tire/chain/brake and cause a crash or something.

I've already ordered a Kriega US-30. I think that will work better and it has a shoulder strap to use as an off-the-bike bag as well.

Plus it's waterproof. I rode home in the rain on Thursday (light rain) and I was nervous I was going to fry my laptop.

I've been eyeing up a Kriega US20 to supplement my panniers for my upcoming trip.  Not sure if I need the extra space.  I'll have to do a trial pack to see if I can fit a week's worth of stuff in the panniers.

Yeah I was having a hard time visualizing the size of each pack but I carry a lot of stuff, especially on gym days, so I decided it's worth getting the big one.

I just hope it's not uncomfortable like it is when I strap the backpack to the seat.

30L is about what a decent sized backpack or small-to-medium duffle holds.

Well, after strapping my backpack to the seat of the bike, my back feels SO much better. Holy crap.

Can't wait to get the Kriega (hopefully Thursday) so I can have something bigger that fits on the bike better and is sturdier than my current backpack.

So I got the US-30 yesterday and put it on. It's pretty nice, well built and the strap system is way more convenient than the Rok straps I was using before. I couldn't find a great place to put two of the straps on the subframe so this weekend I'll have to take the rear fairing off (again) and find a better place to strap it, but other than that it's nice.

The main complaint I have is that it's not great as a backpack. More storage pockets would have been nice. On this pack there is only the main compartment and one zippered compartment. I put some food in the zippered compartment with my disc brake lock and the food got squished. :cry:

The Kriega is a dry pack.  It, like all of them, compromises easy accessibility for the sake of waterproofing.

Quote from: MX793 on July 09, 2015, 10:03:41 AM
The Kriega is a dry pack.  It, like all of them, compromises easy accessibility for the sake of waterproofing.

Some non-waterproof side pockets to put stuff like food, my watch, etc would have been great.

Either way, I'm happy with it. It fits nicely on the bike, has a ton of room in the main compartment, and doesn't have ginormous, ugly straps hanging around when the pack is off the bike. They even provided little clips so your strap ends don't go flying about while riding.

There's a rally put on by the local forum in September. It's ~1000 miles over three days. I'm tempted to do it, especially since this pack will fit 2 days worth of clothes, shoes, etc easily.

Dammit, scratched a mirror today lane splitting. I was trying to creep through traffic in SF and had to get passed a tight spot with a big rig on one side and a van on the other and had less than an inch of clearance between the two. I barely nicked the trailer of the big rig.

Oh well. Body work isn't in great shape anyways. It's a commuter bike.

Now you're starting to get it :lol:

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 10, 2015, 04:46:37 PM
Now you're starting to get it :lol:

I'm still a bitch when it comes to splitting. Some guy blew past me today on an R6 down the lane while I was trundling along (obviously I pulled over to let him by).

Still, though, I'm not really scared of trying to squeeze past cars. Some biker yesterday stopped behind some cars because there were a couple of busses ahead with only a small gap in between. I just rode through anyways. Fuck standing behind cars and smelling all their exhaust bullshit.

Yea, best practice is just sucking it up and going through. Have to judge well though. Riding in NYC absolutely steeled my nerves to all that shit.

Well, my ricer lighting project is now done. I seem to lose more and more bolts and plastic clips every time the fairings come off, but they are still sturdy so #yolo lol.

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150711_190916326_zpsjv4gof4k.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150711_190916326_zpsjv4gof4k.jpg.html)

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150711_190639239_zpsbfdwgpau.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150711_190639239_zpsbfdwgpau.jpg.html)

(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/thecarnut/IMG_20150711_190446232_HDR_zpsffk41zbl.jpg) (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/thecarnut/media/IMG_20150711_190446232_HDR_zpsffk41zbl.jpg.html)

Oh, and that Pitbull stand is sturdy as fuck. I like it a lot.

Looks sharp in blue!

Yea, really good looking bike. I thought the newer ones had the split seat though?

Thanks guys!

Sporty, the split seat was '01-'03, since the F4i was Honda's top (and only, I think) 600cc bike. In '03, though, they also released the CBR600RR, so from '04-'06 the F4i got the more touring oriented banana seat.

You can convert the banana seat to the split seat, but that requires a new subframe, fairings, seat (obviously) and taillight. My integrated taillight won't work with the split seat bike and I can't find many options for the '01-'03 bikes. I don't mind either seat design, so I'm pretty happy.

So, uh, how bad are ebay China fairings?

There are a couple liveries that I really want. Ugh.

Quote from: thecarnut on July 10, 2015, 04:38:12 PM
Dammit, scratched a mirror today lane splitting. I was trying to creep through traffic in SF and had to get passed a tight spot with a big rig on one side and a van on the other and had less than an inch of clearance between the two. I barely nicked the trailer of the big rig.

Oh well. Body work isn't in great shape anyways. It's a commuter bike.

At least you didn't clip the van, the driver might've actually noticed  :lol:

Quote from: thecarnut on July 10, 2015, 05:19:45 PM
Fuck standing behind cars and smelling all their exhaust bullshit.

Have you driven behind a motorcycle?

Quote from: thecarnut on July 13, 2015, 03:31:31 PM
So, uh, how bad are ebay China fairings?

There are a couple liveries that I really want. Ugh.

Two of my guys have them and they're ok! Not bad at all. The paint is a lil bit thicker on them though!

Quote from: thecarnut on July 13, 2015, 03:31:31 PM
So, uh, how bad are ebay China fairings?

There are a couple liveries that I really want. Ugh.

I am thinking about getting some plain black ones for the 650. Americans dont appreciate the subtleties of a naked bike for the most part. And my bike kind of looks like shit.

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 14, 2015, 04:33:45 AM
I am thinking about getting some plain black ones for the 650. Americans dont appreciate the subtleties of a naked bike for the most part. And my bike kind of looks like shit.

You trying to sell the bike?

My OEM fairing has a crack on the right side. I'm going to use some fiberglass tape and patch it up so the crack doesn't spread, but I'm also looking at getting some eBay fairings for beater use. $400 painted and shipped... I really like the Konica Minolta livery:

(http://www.xtremeshack.com/photos/88bdb7fa.jpg)

My tank would be blue, though.

Quote from: SVT_Power on July 13, 2015, 07:41:14 PM
Have you driven behind a motorcycle?

Dude, the fumes on my bike make me lightheaded. I don't want to ride behind another bike with the same problem. :lol:

Just because my bike is smelly doesn't mean I necessarily want to smell other cars' (or even worse, big trucks and buses) pollutants as well. Cars have HVAC and windows. I think they can deal with my (essentially) straight piped bike more than I can deal with a ton of cars.

Quote from: thecarnut on July 14, 2015, 09:58:46 AM
Dude, the fumes on my bike make me lightheaded. I don't want to ride behind another bike with the same problem. :lol:

Just because my bike is smelly doesn't mean I necessarily want to smell other cars' (or even worse, big trucks and buses) pollutants as well. Cars have HVAC and windows. I think they can deal with my (essentially) straight piped bike more than I can deal with a ton of cars.

MAN UP!!!  :rolleyes:  :lol:

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on July 14, 2015, 11:58:50 AM
MAN UP!!!  :rolleyes:  :lol:

Says the jealous man who can't lane split. :devil:

Quote from: thecarnut on July 14, 2015, 09:35:35 AM
You trying to sell the bike?

Probably next year. I want more.

Lane splitting, even if allowed, isn't something I'd ever do.  Too many clueless, inattentive drivers that change lanes at the last minute without looking because they realized they weren't in the correct lane or make a turn from the wrong lane.

Quote from: MX793 on July 14, 2015, 02:55:22 PM
Lane splitting, even if allowed, isn't something I'd ever do.  Too many clueless, inattentive drivers that change lanes at the last minute without looking because they realized they weren't in the correct lane or make a turn from the wrong lane.

I'd rather take my chances lane splitting than be a sitting duck waiting to be rear ended. There are studies out there that show that lane splitting is safer than not lane splitting, if done in a safe manner (10-15 mph faster than surrounding traffic, and not splitting about 40-50 mph). The other benefits also far outweigh the risks, such as saving time and being cooler by not sitting in the baking heat with a hot motor between your legs.

I lane split when I went down to LA a few months ago. It feels a bit nervewracking at first but it was much better than that LA traffic. It saved me several hours of sitting in construction traffic on I-15 on the way in and out.

Cali drivers were surprisingly accommodating, I had several see me coming up from behind and move over a few feet in their lane. I was doing max 15-20 while traffic was a standstill, and I stopped when traffic around me hit 30. Would recommend!

Quote from: thecarnut on July 14, 2015, 11:59:48 AM
Says the jealous man who can't lane split. :devil:

:rage:

Quote from: Speed_Racer on July 14, 2015, 03:17:27 PM
I lane split when I went down to LA a few months ago. It feels a bit nervewracking at first but it was much better than that LA traffic. It saved me several hours of sitting in construction traffic on I-15 on the way in and out.

Cali drivers were surprisingly accommodating, I had several see me coming up from behind and move over a few feet in their lane. I was doing max 15-20 while traffic was a standstill, and I stopped when traffic around me hit 30. Would recommend!

Yeah I wouldn't do it with moving traffic! We actually split lanes here when traffic is backed up on the freeway regardless of the law!

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on July 14, 2015, 04:52:59 PM
  :rage:Yeah I wouldn't do it with moving traffic! We actually split lanes here when traffic is backed up on the freeway regardless of the law!

I lane split up to 40 mph. It's honestly not bad. You just have to be super vigilant about keeping an eye on what the cars in front of you are doing.

I'll only split lanes if traffic is backed up at a stoplight. That freeway shit is too risky for an old man like me.  ;)

Quote from: MX793 on July 14, 2015, 02:55:22 PM
Lane splitting, even if allowed, isn't something I'd ever do.  Too many clueless, inattentive drivers that change lanes at the last minute without looking because they realized they weren't in the correct lane or make a turn from the wrong lane.

I've done it.  A few times.  In my Passat.  :mask:

Not safe.

Hit 116 mph on the way to work today. Man this thing is so stable in full tuck. My Nighthawk was all over the place above 100 mph.

I noticed my bar ends are mismatched. I'm thinking new bar ends and grips time. Maybe next month I will get new fairings. I'm thinking Rothman's fairings.

Pls do track days. Laguna and a bunch of others are rite there

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 16, 2015, 01:05:54 PM
Pls do track days. Laguna and a bunch of others are rite there

Too scared. Don't have leathers. Don't want to track the commuter.

I'm going to Laguna on Sunday for WSBK and again in two weeks to go track the Miata (if I can get the dumb thing smogged first). I'm probably only going to sign up for the auto-x at Laguna to derft the Miata and put the new diff to work. :lol:

Passed 11k on the way to work today. :rockon:

Quote from: thecarnut on August 03, 2015, 11:10:12 AM
Passed 11k on the way to work today. :rockon:

Take it to 14.5k already

Quote from: SVT_Power on August 03, 2015, 12:42:26 PM
Take it to 14.5k already

Lol

 :facepalm:

I think I'm going to do an oil change and wash the bike this weekend.

I found out that the reserve comes on so early. I rode 40 miles into the reserve and still had half a gallon left in the tank when I went to fill up. I had over 160 miles on the clock when I filled up, so I'm pretty sure I can get 2 days worth of commuting (170 miles) out of one tank. I'm just kind of nervous pushing it that much, though.

Big things are coming!

(http://i.imgur.com/SDFjuXn.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/HOfVM8N.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/7EjwLMP.jpg)

I will venture a guess.
Butt flap removed.
A can of Jardine coffee.
Chicken strip removal kit on the way.

dope

Quote from: 68_427 on September 03, 2015, 12:11:11 AM
dope

:rastaman:

Paint your wheels blue!

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on September 03, 2015, 06:29:55 PM
Paint your wheels blue!

That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

Quote from: giant_mtb on September 03, 2015, 06:53:30 PM
That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

Red is faster

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on September 04, 2015, 06:55:23 AM
Red is faster

Yeah, at getting pulled over. :rolleyes:

Quote from: giant_mtb on September 05, 2015, 02:43:50 AM
Yeah, at getting pulled over. :rolleyes:

Pull over? Yeah, maybe if you're riding a Harley. CBR600s don't pull over.

Dropped the F4i yesterday. All of a week after installing the fairings.

Fuck my life.

Quote from: thecarnut on September 09, 2015, 11:03:33 AM
Dropped the F4i yesterday. All of a week after installing the fairings.

Fuck my life.

Next upgrade - frame sliders

Quote from: Speed_Racer on September 09, 2015, 02:28:45 PM
Next upgrade - frame sliders

I had frame sliders but removed them because I didn't want to drill holes in my new fairings.

Im sorry, I chuckled

No worries, everyone drops their bike some time

Eh, damage is minor. No cracks, just some small rash. Broke the mirror but bought a pair for $18 on eBay.

Quote from: thecarnut on September 09, 2015, 02:32:00 PM
I had frame sliders but removed them because I didn't want to drill holes in my new fairings.

:facepalm:

Still not going to install them. :huh:

 :huh:
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1069/531762004_2e2be1eb09_b.jpg)

Quote from: thecarnut on September 09, 2015, 03:33:43 PM
Still not going to install them. :huh:

Then why do u have them

He probably removed them to put his new shit on

Quote from: 68_427 on September 10, 2015, 05:47:44 AM
He probably removed them to put his new shit on

+1

Good news! I found frame sliders online that don't require any fairing cutting!

Bad news, they are out of stock. :cry:

After about 860 miles over 3 days on the F4i, I was about ready to sell the thing for something more comfortable.

Ended up ordering an LSL handlebar conversion kit ($$$ :( ) and Buell footpegs that should drop the pegs by about an inch. Hopefully those will make it more comfortable.

Next month I'm going to get some no cut frame sliders and do the valve check. I put on Michelin PR4's last week before this weekend ride. Great tires but so expensive. :mask:

Comfort-wise, what bothered you most?  Tight/cramped muscles from the riding position or saddle sore?

Quote from: MX793 on September 21, 2015, 08:24:31 AM
Comfort-wise, what bothered you most?  Tight/cramped muscles from the riding position or saddle sore?

It was mainly my knees and back. I'm hoping the knee pain will be reduced with lower pegs and the back pain will go away with the handlebars.

I did get saddle sore from the stock seat, but shifting around helped a lot. I would have liked to stand up but with the clip ons and my long legs I can't stand up without keeling forward over the windshield. Next year I'd like to get a Corbin seat. They're about an hour from me so I could get one done the same day.

I'm kind of worried about ground clearance with lower pegs, but honestly I'm enjoying touring far more than going crazy on mountain roads, and I'm not likely to track the bike any time soon, with the Miata being the track rat right now.

On an unrelated note, I'm heading to Cycle Gear after work to spend another $300+ on a waterproof jacket and boots. Sigh. I'm just going to start socking money away for a Roadcrafter.

Are your riding pants padded in da butt?  Helps a buttload for general saddle comfort.

Nah. I wish they were. I wore bike liners the first day but they didn't help all that much.

Also on the list of things to buy:

Throttle lock
RAM mount
APE manual chain tensioner to be installed when I get my valves checked. Hopefully they don't charge too much to do it or else I'll do it myself.

Throttle lock is awesome.

Not a fan of even the idea of a throttle lock.  I put a Cramp Buster on my throttle grip.  Much safer than a lock, can be easily removed in seconds without tools if I don't want it and works brilliantly at reducing cramping and fatigue.

I throttle locked all the way from SC to ME and back. Throttle lock is awesome. Never felt like it was unsafe.

You don't need tools to remove a throttle lock and it is disengaged in seconds....

Some of my friends had throttle locks this weekend. I was so jealous. I'm just going to get the cheaper $20 plastic one.

Dis one is best

http://www.2wheelride.com/GoCruise_throttle%20control2.html (http://www.2wheelride.com/GoCruise_throttle%20control2.html)

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on September 21, 2015, 04:06:08 PM
Dis one is best

http://www.2wheelride.com/GoCruise_throttle%20control2.html (http://www.2wheelride.com/GoCruise_throttle%20control2.html)

My friends have the plastic ones. They said it works great but they paid like $12-15 for them. I can only find them on Amazon for $20 so I might as well step up to that one for $32.

Quote from: thecarnut on September 21, 2015, 04:00:00 PM
You don't need tools to remove a throttle lock and it is disengaged in seconds....

Some of my friends had throttle locks this weekend. I was so jealous. I'm just going to get the cheaper $20 plastic one.

Having had throttles stick (once wide open in a very narrow, twisty, bike path in the woods), I don't like the idea of anything that mechanically wedges my throttle on.  Cruise control that automatically disengages when brakes are applied is one thing, but I'm not comfortable with something that wedges my throttle with no failsafe shutoff.  My dad gave me the Crampbuster off his old bike (his Spyder has cruise control) when I met up with him for the ride in Tennessee this summer and it was perfect for the return trip as far as allowing me to stretch out my hand while maintaining speed.  If he hadn't given me his, I would have just bought one since they are only like $10-$15.  I'd never felt the need for something like that before, but that 800 mile day down to Tennessee had my hand tightening up and while I managed to find ways to stretch my fingers, it was tricky to do without accidentally letting off the throttle and losing speed.

Quote from: thecarnut on September 21, 2015, 04:07:44 PM
My friends have the plastic ones. They said it works great but they paid like $12-15 for them. I can only find them on Amazon for $20 so I might as well step up to that one for $32.

Are the plastic ones adjustable? You want the adjustable wheel.

Quote from: MX793 on September 21, 2015, 04:10:29 PM
Having had throttles stick (once wide open in a very narrow, twisty, bike path in the woods), I don't like the idea of anything that mechanically wedges my throttle on.  Cruise control that automatically disengages when brakes are applied is one thing, but I'm not comfortable with something that wedges my throttle with no failsafe shutoff.  My dad gave me the Crampbuster off his old bike (his Spyder has cruise control) when I met up with him for the ride in Tennessee this summer and it was perfect for the return trip as far as allowing me to stretch out my hand while maintaining speed.  If he hadn't given me his, I would have just bought one since they are only like $10-$15.  I'd never felt the need for something like that before, but that 800 mile day down to Tennessee had my hand tightening up and while I managed to find ways to stretch my fingers, it was tricky to do without accidentally letting off the throttle and losing speed.

Well, you don't lock the throttle wide open, unless you're riding a 250. :lol:

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on September 21, 2015, 04:12:50 PM
Are the plastic ones adjustable? You want the adjustable wheel.

Nope, they have a 7/8" and 1" version for different bikes.

I'll get the more expensive one with the adjustable wheel. I want to use it on my commute home when it's late and there's no traffic.

You can rent a Polaris slingshot up in Columbus for $100/day. Guess who's going to rent one for my first "motorcycle" experience :lol: 

I'll go pick up BGK and go roll through campus.

Quote from: MrH on September 21, 2015, 05:11:48 PM
You can rent a Polaris slingshot up in Columbus for $100/day. Guess who's going to rent one for my first "motorcycle" experience :lol: 

I'll go pick up BGK and go roll through campus.

1. This is not F4i related. :nono:

2. Slingshots are fucking gross.

3. That is not a motorcycle experience since all the controls are the same as a car's.

4. Slingshots are fucking gross.

How did this thread get so fucking lame all of a sudden?

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on September 21, 2015, 05:56:52 PM
How did this thread get so fucking lame all of a sudden?

Slingshot

Motorcycle section has more than one thread?

Quote from: MrH on September 21, 2015, 06:16:24 PM
Motorcycle section has more than one thread?

:facepalm: :lol:

Bought a new jacket and boots today. Waterproof Bilt stuff. The jacket has a neck curtain and freeze out inner layer, as well as actual venting! Much cooler on the highway with the liner removed. Plus it zips to my pants!

With my waterproof freeze out pants and jacket plus freeze out balaclava I'm ready for this winter. Oh, and my boots are tall so my pants don't expose my legs when they ride up when I sit on the bike. Copped the boots for $70, last pair in the store in my size. :rockon:

So I was looking at my mpg stats for this weekend... low of ~28 mpg, high of ~55mpg. The low tank came from numerous drag racing and top speed runs, while the high tanks were due to either cruising slowly or puttering slowly through a 1 lane for both ways mountain pass that had tons of blind corners. Part of that was also downhill so I think I got mad mpgs from that.

Quote from: MrH on September 21, 2015, 06:16:24 PM
Motorcycle section has more than one thread?

:lol:


Install Nitrous to slingshot. 

Got me some Harley parts for my Honda.

(http://i.imgur.com/M91mppV.jpg?2)

At least those look small enough that you shouldn't need the usual Harley-sized 5gal bucket of chrome polish.

Quote from: thecarnut on September 24, 2015, 11:31:40 PM
Got me some Harley parts for my Honda.

(http://i.imgur.com/M91mppV.jpg?2)

:rage:

Pretty sure my clutch cable is on its way out. Time to start practicing bump starts and clutchless shifting. :mask:

Why not just replace the cable?  Not that hard to do.  Also, have you tried lubing it?  You can buy a cable lube kit for cheap.

Quote from: MX793 on September 29, 2015, 08:21:20 AM
Why not just replace the cable?  Not that hard to do.  Also, have you tried lubing it?  You can buy a cable lube kit for cheap.

Ordered both a cable luber thing and a cable on the internets.

Wrestled the LSL Superbike handlebar conversion kit on yesterday. Holy shit that was a ton of work. Brake lines had to be swapped, tank and airbox and had to be lifted to reroute the throttle cables, all the wiring up front and clutch had to be rerouted, etc. Finally got it on though and combined with the Buell XB9 pegs, the bike feels fucking amazing. So comfortable now.

(http://i.imgur.com/cTLAbKS.jpg?1)

(http://i.imgur.com/MOo01bl.jpg?1)

(http://i.imgur.com/unAg3oI.jpg?1)

Don't mind the ghetto ass windshield. I still need to cut it a bit more and clean it up, as well as do a couple other small things to the bike. I also messed up the kill switch so it doesn't click into place anymore, so I taped it down for now. I need to do the valve check in a couple weeks so I'll probably try and fix it then.

Bought new grips and a USB charger thing today. Going to pick up a RAM mount for the handlebar tomorrow. This weekend I'll install those, along with an oil change, frame sliders, and general adjustments to the handlebars (need to adjust the angle the brake lines come out of the master cylinder, which might mean rebleeding those) and pegs. Then hopefully the bike should be good in the controls department.

Next weekend I'm taking the bike in for a valve check and while he's at it the mechanic will install the new APE manual cam chain tensioner I just got (one known weak point on these engines) and new NGK spark plugs.

So much money spent! Worth it doe.

My USB charger is the best upgrade I've made to my bike!  :rockon:

Quote from: Gotta-Qik-G8 on October 08, 2015, 10:51:54 PM
My USB charger is the best upgrade I've made to my bike!  :rockon:

Sweet! I can't wait to install it tomorrow.

Cleaned up the windshield and installed new grips, RAM mount, new frame sliders and USB charger yesterday. Also gave it an oil change.

Went to a riding clinic today that focused on turning, and then the whole group/clinic went on a 120 mile ride in the mountains. I think my turning abilities have improved a lot, but holy shit canyon carving and leaning off the bike and gripping the tank is so TIRING. I can beat on the Miata all day in the hills and not feel that tired (the stiff ride hurts more than anything else) but on the bike it's so tiring. Getting some clean corners is so rewarding though.

Also, with the lowered pegs I keep scraping my pegs and boots. Good thing the toe guards on my boots are replaceable.

Oh, and I'm 4 miles from hitting 17,000. :rockon:

Got the Bike Master heated grips yesterday. They honestly look pretty decent quality. I like the mounting options for the switch control.

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to power the 12v for this thing. Right now I think the easiest thing would be to get an Add-a-circuit fuse and plug into the running lights fuse in the fusebox. I'm just hoping they don't take so much power that my lights end up looking dim. I haven't looked at the manual yet but I'm really hoping the taillight and the headlight are on separate fuses so I can just tap into the taillight.

If the Add-a-circuit doesn't work, I'm going to just get a relay and tap that into the running lights for switched power signal and then wire the relay to the battery.

Sporty, how did you wire your grips up?

Quote from: thecarnut on October 25, 2015, 05:41:33 PM
Went to a riding clinic today that focused on turning, and then the whole group/clinic went on a 120 mile ride in the mountains. I think my turning abilities have improved a lot, but holy shit canyon carving and leaning off the bike and gripping the tank is so TIRING. I can beat on the Miata all day in the hills and not feel that tired (the stiff ride hurts more than anything else) but on the bike it's so tiring. Getting some clean corners is so rewarding though.

Also, with the lowered pegs I keep scraping my pegs and boots. Good thing the toe guards on my boots are replaceable.

Oh, and I'm 4 miles from hitting 17,000. :rockon:

What do you find is getting tired when tackling the twisties?

Quote from: Speed_Racer on November 06, 2015, 12:18:09 PM
What do you find is getting tired when tackling the twisties?

Usually my legs, from trying to grip the tank to keep the weight off my arms, and also from constantly shifting my weight around to hang off the bike. In general I find it takes far more concentration to ride at the same pace that I can drive in the car.

I feel like a bike actually requires less effort than a car when just cruising at a leisurely pace, but much more when really flogging it.

Maybe I ride lazy, but I can't remember every getting tired legs. I get sore legs from the cramped seating position, and a sore lower back from leaning forward. I agree about the increased concentration needed though.

How's your core strength?

(http://i.imgur.com/ZFhjk5Y.jpg?1)

Hit 20k on the way to work!

Needs more.

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on November 23, 2015, 05:26:31 PM
Needs more.

Yeee

Time to adjust valves?

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on November 23, 2015, 05:36:01 PM
Time to adjust valves?

I did that 4k miles ago (which was actually just over a month ago).

Quote from: thecarnut on November 23, 2015, 06:24:16 PM
I did that 4k miles ago (which was actually just over a month ago).

Italian tune-up?

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on November 23, 2015, 08:19:33 PM
Italian tune-up?

:lol:

Surprisingly, at 16,000 miles, 13 of the 16 valves had to be adjusted. :mask:

The mechanic said it'd be good for another 20k miles so I'll do it again at 36,000 miles (if I don't crash/get it stolen/etc by then :mask: ).

Why do motor sickle engines need their valves adjusted?  How?  I know it's a thing, but I don't know why it's a routine thing whereas for a car, you never hear someone say "yeah, about due for a valve adjustment."

Quote from: giant_mtb on November 24, 2015, 12:51:13 AM
Why do motor sickle engines need their valves adjusted?  How?  I know it's a thing, but I don't know why it's a routine thing whereas for a car, you never hear someone say "yeah, about due for a valve adjustment."

It's a high performance thing. For example, Summit requires periodic valve adjustments.

Quote from: giant_mtb on November 24, 2015, 12:51:13 AM
Why do motor sickle engines need their valves adjusted?  How?  I know it's a thing, but I don't know why it's a routine thing whereas for a car, you never hear someone say "yeah, about due for a valve adjustment."

Combination of factors.  Bikes run at higher RPMs than cars, generally.  Bikes have smaller valves (less valve seat area).  Bikes generally require tighter valve clearances than cars.  Most bikes run solid lifters (Harleys are a notable exception and use self-adjusting hydraulic lifters).  Many cars use self adjusting hydraulic lifters.  But it's not true that cars never need valve adjustment.  Any car using solid lifters, and there are quite a few, will need periodic valve clearance checks and adjustment.  The intervals tend to be much longer than for bikes (60K to 100K+ miles), but that relates back to the other previously mentioned factors.

What modern cars use solid lifters?

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on November 24, 2015, 06:32:24 AM
What modern cars use solid lifters?

Summit.

MODERN cars. Summit prob has TPI :lol:

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on November 24, 2015, 06:52:59 AM
MODERN cars. Summit prob has TPI :lol:

Naw dood. Summit is MPI, OHC, PS, PB, AT, etc.

omg, I just realized you said TPI, and not TBI.
I wish Summit had Tuned Port Injextion :wub:

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on November 24, 2015, 06:32:24 AM
What modern cars use solid lifters?

Some lower end models do, believe it or not.  Newer Hyundai 4-bangers have a 60k mile valve clearance inspection and solid lifters.

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on November 24, 2015, 07:41:18 AM
omg, I just realized you said TPI, and not TBI.
I wish Summit had Tuned Port Injextion :wub:

I meant TBI :lol: I thought it stood for throttle point injection.

I always imagined TBI to be like a baby blowing spitty raspberries. Its no wonder the 100 HP 5.0L SBCs got like 3 MPG

TBI? I sure wouldn't be surprised if Summit had traumatic brain injury.

Quote from: BimmerM3 on November 24, 2015, 09:34:01 AM
TBI? I sure wouldn't be surprised if Summit had traumatic brain injury.

I would reply with something witty, but I have not yet reached the Medical Terminology unit of my course.

Just ordered a DID chain and sprocket kit for the F4i. Chain looks saggy and is nearing the end of the adjustable range, plus there's a couple small kinks.

I just hope it lasts the next two weeks before I can get it on. Only getting it on Monday.

Now I have to see how hard it is to replace all this myself.

Quote from: thecarnut on December 01, 2015, 03:46:04 PM
Just ordered a DID chain and sprocket kit for the F4i. Chain looks saggy and is nearing the end of the adjustable range, plus there's a couple small kinks.

I just hope it lasts the next two weeks before I can get it on. Only getting it on Monday.

Now I have to see how hard it is to replace all this myself.

It's not hard at all. I think it took me longer to figure out the chain tool (didn't have instructions) than it took to swap my chain out for a new one.

Chain tool? I need to go buy one of those too?'

Sigh

Here's the one I bought. Combo chain breaker and chain riveter. Though if you have a dremel, you can saw off the old chain and just pick up a cheaper chain riveting tool.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0099Z4MJ2 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0099Z4MJ2)

Edit: CycleGear has the same thing for $5 less.
http://www.cyclegear.com/STOCKTON-TOOL-COMPANY-Chain-Breaker-and-Rivet-Tool-Kit (http://www.cyclegear.com/STOCKTON-TOOL-COMPANY-Chain-Breaker-and-Rivet-Tool-Kit)

Oh I guess that isn't too expensive. I'll have to watch some YouTube videos on how to do it.

Just get a bigger rear sprocket. More fasterer!

:cry:

This thread sucks.

Better than Summit. :evildude:

Blow it out my ass