The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

Whoa.
Great post, thanks.
 
So I might be doing a rather long trip this September. I'd be flying over to OH to be with family, then ride my old bike back to Seattle. Once my dad bought a Porsche he stopped caring about it, so why not?
 
Bought this second hand for $250:

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It's in pretty good condition, the previous owner had to sell his bike and gear due to "life priorities", I just need to freshen it up with some polish and it should be good as new. :) Of course I can't wear it because it's hot as balls here in Portland, so I'll keep on with my textile jacket.

Haven't ridden the VFR too much yet except to work. I'm planning to sign up for an Intermediate MSF course with these guys: https://team-oregon.org/ , just have to find a weekend that works...
 


how the hell does that work???
(i know they're set up for alcohol, but does that matter?)

They're adding additional jets for more base fuel flow. Gasoline's optimal stoichiometric air to fuel ratio is 14.7:1. For alcohol, it's 6.4:1, so a lot more fuel has to be supplied.

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So I might be doing a rather long trip this September. I'd be flying over to OH to be with family, then ride my old bike back to Seattle. Once my dad bought a Porsche he stopped caring about it, so why not?

You'd hate the mountains on it. May I suggest Forward Air?
 
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First video of my trip to the TriDays a few weeks ago. This was the first bit of proper mountain riding we came across, it was also the road that took us across the border into Austria.
Not my best riding of the weekend, still getting up to pace, crossing over the line in a few places where I shouldn't have and so on. But it does get better over the course of the weekend. :)

For the Americans: The actual border crossing is just a sign that says "you are now in Austria" at which point I say something similar. The place where we stop at the end is not a customs office, but a petrol station. Yay for the Schengen Agreement! ;)
 
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Chemical Guys recently did a full detail on a MUDDY BMW R1200GS adventure bike. The bike was filthy, and we did a full documentation of the entire detailing process from start to finish. Hopefully you guys enjoy the video!!! maybe it will inspire some riders to get out and detail their bikes!!!

[video=youtube;abA7rhxJ-q0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abA7rhxJ-q0[/video]
 
I've not watched the video yet (I saved it for later), but I have been wondering for a while how to keep the engine block nice and shiny. My engine block is matte black and over time the finish becomes kind of dull and grays out with spots here and there (like dried up spots of water) and no matter what I do I can't clean that up properly. Then there's areas that are extremely hard to reach so they usually stay unwashed which after a while becomes an eyesore. Front of the engine is pretty much the same problem, it's constantly exposed to all sorts of nastiness from the road and very hard to clean so I often don't bother other than spraying it with a pressure hose.
And then I walk into a second hand dealership and somehow they manage to get all those bikes in pristine condition! :eek: I don't get it. :(
 
So I might be doing a rather long trip this September. I'd be flying over to OH to be with family, then ride my old bike back to Seattle. Once my dad bought a Porsche he stopped caring about it, so why not?

DO IT!!!

I would like to recommend beartooth pass, chief joseph highway, lolo pass, and of course you will likely be going through South Dakota which means badlands national park and the black hills.
 
I've not watched the video yet (I saved it for later), but I have been wondering for a while how to keep the engine block nice and shiny. My engine block is matte black and over time the finish becomes kind of dull and grays out with spots here and there (like dried up spots of water) and no matter what I do I can't clean that up properly. Then there's areas that are extremely hard to reach so they usually stay unwashed which after a while becomes an eyesore. Front of the engine is pretty much the same problem, it's constantly exposed to all sorts of nastiness from the road and very hard to clean so I often don't bother other than spraying it with a pressure hose.
And then I walk into a second hand dealership and somehow they manage to get all those bikes in pristine condition! :eek: I don't get it. :(

It honestly comes down to the products. There is retail and professional detailing products. The retail products dont work very well. professional products get the job done, and do an amazing job. Check out the rest of my Chemical Guys channel. I have over 700 videos showing you these tips. I have been working as a professional detailer and car care consultant for about 12 years now.
 
I mostly use Chemical Guys products after a colleague (and part-time detailer) convinced me to make the switch from Meguiars products. ;) But I don't have much laying around, mostly I use Mr Pink for washing, a rim cleaning product (I don't remember the name but it kind of looks purplish) and Eco Smart (which I use often and am very happy with).
 
I mostly use Chemical Guys products after a colleague (and part-time detailer) convinced me to make the switch from Meguiars products. ;) But I don't have much laying around, mostly I use Mr Pink for washing, a rim cleaning product (I don't remember the name but it kind of looks purplish) and Eco Smart (which I use often and am very happy with).

What bike are you having problems cleaning the block? I might be able to give you recommendation on products.
 
Triumph Tiger 800, on my Hornet I don't even bother. :p
 
You'd hate the mountains on it.

How so? Is it the altitude killing the power?

DO IT!!!

I would like to recommend beartooth pass, chief joseph highway, lolo pass, and of course you will likely be going through South Dakota which means badlands national park and the black hills.

Either North Dakota or South Dakota. Not sure which one yet. Though there seems to be more than wasteland in the latter. My brother and I drove through SD once, but we didn't stop.
 
Either North Dakota or South Dakota. Not sure which one yet. Though there seems to be more than wasteland in the latter. My brother and I drove through SD once, but we didn't stop.

Both have good and bad parts. The Eastern 2/3 of both states are equally boring. North Dakota has Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is nice.

IMG_1418-X3.jpg


However, western South Dakota has both the Badlands National Park

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And the black hills of course

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If I had to pick, I'd do SD on the way from OH to WA.
 
Iron Butt Rally results are in.

When the scoring was finally done, checked, audited and checked again, Eric Jewell had won the 2015 Iron Butt Rally. After one DNF (2013) and seven finishes including 2nd place in 2011, Eric was finally able to scrape that monkey off his back and stomp it into the ground where it belonged. Early in Leg 2, Eric dialed the Call In number leaving a message for Tom Austin. It was a vulnerable, reflective Eric Jewell. ?The only way I can beat these guys is to ride more.? In the end, that?s what it took ? riding more. Eric clocked in at 7:56 AM. He had ridden 11,087 miles, 899 fewer miles than 2nd place Josh Mountain, but with 161 more points.

In true Iron Butt flair, Jewell?s ST1300 was dead on arrival with the fuel pump that had plagued him throughout the final night giving out in the last 200 feet with Eric coasting into the parking lot. Even his bike left it all on the field.
 
Took my old beater out the other day. Found a nice lookout and caught the sunset.

It's the little things in life.

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I swear i have falling in love with the BMW S1000 line up. I want this bad boy so bad.

 
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DO IT!!!

I would like to recommend beartooth pass, chief joseph highway, lolo pass, and of course you will likely be going through South Dakota which means badlands national park and the black hills.

This is the right answer. Chief Joseph and Beartooth are amazing rides, but the pull across the flatlands and Snake River Valley are going to suck.

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The ST1300 fuel pump is a known issue, especially at high altitude. The previous owner had mine rebuilt so it produces the right PSI at all altitudes, so it should not be a problem. Still, nice to see the ST on the podium.
 
So my loan application fell through as I am only on a "temporary visa" so my girlfriend and I have applied for a joint loan, so hopefully we get a positive reply in the coming week.
 
[video=youtube;Q7-IxpGXsDw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7-IxpGXsDw[/video]
 
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