Beginners Bike Guide

[Junkie Mod]

Originally Posted by electric!sheep

WTF are you talking about? Maybe I'm missing something, but the only "valve work" that needs to be done is adjusting the clearance, which is a stupidly easy job if you have a few hours, and should not be left to the dealer or bike shop. Stealerships are notorious for "adjusting" your valve clearance, and upon inspection it's clear that none of the valve cover bolts were ever touched.

I adjusted the valve clearance on my Yamaha XT600 in 15 minutes due to the nicely placed valve portals in the head, along with the screw adjusted tappets. My KLR took more like 3 hours, but that was because it uses shims. I'm not sure what most sportbikes use, but I'm guessing they're adjustable.

you have an XT600 now? how long have you had it, and how do you like it compared to the KLR?

[electric!sheep]

Originally Posted by totensiebush

you have an XT600 now? how long have you had it, and how do you like it compared to the KLR?

I got it for $800, stripped of all the street bits, including the battery, and I've had it for 3 weeks. It's a completely different kind of bike. Once you get used to it, the KLR is a barely adequately powered adventure tourer; this XT600 is a fire-snorting bull of a dirt bike. Both are heavy in the grand scheme of things, but with 45 hp and 48 lb/ft of torque on a 300lb body (wet), the XT600 will pull effortless throttle wheelies in first, and probably second. I'm too chicken to use second much around my yard, since it goes like a bat out of hell with any amount of throttle. Plus, it's much shorter, so I can throw it around like a true dirt bike. The KLR is just too big for that kind of manhandling, unless you're a stacked 6'5" guy.

I gather the Suzuki DR650 approximates the XT600 (which was only made for a few years), but it still doesn't have more power than the KLR. The Honda XR650 is probably the epitome of what the XT600 tries to be, and I wouldn't mind having one for general hooliganry. The KLR would be my stately touring machine.

In any case, I'm taking the XT600 to Carnegie tomorrow if the weather holds. If you get a motorcycle license, you're more than welcome to beat on the XT sometime. It runs like a top, but looks like ass, so I'm going to run it into the ground.....and then I'll get a over-bore kit. They go up to 700cc.

Edit: BTW, I recently missed a KLR250 on Craigslist for $400. It had the fruitiest paint scheme possible, but that's a SMOKING deal. It was gone before I could drive out to buy it. Keep your eyes peeled for stuff like that.

[Junkie Mod]

I'm getting an M1 this summer, I just wasn't about to get to Newark at 7:15am using public transit twice during Spring Break.
So your XT600 isn't street legal, or just had the street parts removed? Either way, sounds like a pretty good deal for $800.

edit: and i wouldn't have been able to get the KLR250 even if I had my M1, I'm not in the Bay Area right now. not a DS, but there are also things like this: http://www.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/148266269.html that come up from time to time, although I wonder how the condition is compared to what it claims

[electric!sheep]

Originally Posted by totensiebush

I'm getting an M1 this summer, I just wasn't about to get to Newark at 7:15am using public transit twice during Spring Break.
So your XT600 isn't street legal, or just had the street parts removed? Either way, sounds like a pretty good deal for $800.

edit: and i wouldn't have been able to get the KLR250 even if I had my M1, I'm not in the Bay Area right now. not a DS, but there are also things like this: http://www.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/148266269.html that come up from time to time, although I wonder how the condition is compared to what it claims

The latter, street title with street parts removed.

[Mandres]

Originally Posted by electric!sheep

I adjusted the valve clearance on my Yamaha XT600 in 15 minutes due to the nicely placed valve portals in the head, along with the screw adjusted tappets.

Damn, I wish my bike had screw-adjusted tappets. Dealing with the shims is a pain in the ass

[Detman101]

Originally Posted by Soapbox Exile

Oh, I've been meaning to ask... is motorcycle repair insanely complex or is it reasonable for someone like myself who has significant handy-work type experience to take up a project. I'm hoping to possibly learn more and if it's feasible try a summer and winter project to repair an old bike or put one together. I'm the type that does as much as possible by hand and I'm a quick learner, but I'm not even going to try it if it's going to be something that'd be an impossible task unless you've been doing it for 10+ years or something.

Well, I started riding in 2002 and was building my own bike by 2003 but I have previous experience working on cars and I lived, breathed, slept and ate BIKES from 2002-2003 hehe. I also had a lot of manuals and background information on tuning before I decided to actually go forth and make my own bike. It took a year to do with 6 months worth of carb-tuning (the hardest part).

Anyoen that really loves working with their hands and is dedicated to finishing their project can do it. It cost me about 500 dollars total for parts from junkyards and ebay.

Good luck

[Detman101]

Originally Posted by electric!sheep

WTF are you talking about? Maybe I'm missing something, but the only "valve work" that needs to be done is adjusting the clearance, which is a stupidly easy job if you have a few hours, and should not be left to the dealer or bike shop. Stealerships are notorious for "adjusting" your valve clearance, and upon inspection it's clear that none of the valve cover bolts were ever touched.

I adjusted the valve clearance on my Yamaha XT600 in 15 minutes due to the nicely placed valve portals in the head, along with the screw adjusted tappets. My KLR took more like 3 hours, but that was because it uses shims. I'm not sure what most sportbikes use, but I'm guessing they're adjustable.

Thank you.

Glad someone else set it straight.

[maleman876]

so ive been looking and researching, and have a nice new job starting this summer (before i even graduate college, no less). ive budgeted everything out and looked at what it will cost to insure my car on my own (getting off parents' policy), rent, utils, etc. and will still have plenty left over for a bike. been wanting one forever, but due to my parent's (mom's) stranglehold on insurance and the like my hands have been tied.

went to the honda and the suzuki/kawi/yamaha dealers in town just to look and get and idea on what i want, and i really really REALLY like the gs500f (http://www.suzukicycles.com/products...6/Default.aspx)

i ride a cr250 back at my parents (not competitively or anything, jsut in the woods for fun) so i feel that a 250 street bike would be way too slow. now, call me retarded for this, and flame me if you must, but i am thinking of buying new. (in before depreciation/dropping speech) im a single guy, with a good paying job starting soon, no responsibilities financially except for rent/utilities which i pay for now just fine working part time at minimum wage. figure i may as well treat myself. this will be a graduation present to myself of sorts. obviously i wont be purchasing anything until the paychecks start coming in and i have taken the MSF.

i am SO freaking excited. i am finally financially independant, have a job, two classes from graduating (luckily theyre letting me work around my school schedule), and can buy a bike

[Junkie Mod]

I would look at a used GS500E if I were you, they're available for $2000 or so in pretty good condition, and although I haven't done any research into it, I bet you could find a fairing to put on one so that it would look (and perform) the same as the F.

[maleman876]

Originally Posted by totensiebush

I would look at a used GS500E if I were you, they're available for $2000 or so in pretty good condition, and although I haven't done any research into it, I bet you could find a fairing to put on one so that it would look (and perform) the same as the F.

problem is, i cant find anythign around where i live. cycletrader turns up nothing and the nearest GS500E on ebay is in texas.

[McKnight]

Originally Posted by electric!sheep

WTF are you talking about? Maybe I'm missing something, but the only "valve work" that needs to be done is adjusting the clearance, which is a stupidly easy job if you have a few hours, and should not be left to the dealer or bike shop. Stealerships are notorious for "adjusting" your valve clearance, and upon inspection it's clear that none of the valve cover bolts were ever touched.

I adjusted the valve clearance on my Yamaha XT600 in 15 minutes due to the nicely placed valve portals in the head, along with the screw adjusted tappets. My KLR took more like 3 hours, but that was because it uses shims. I'm not sure what most sportbikes use, but I'm guessing they're adjustable.

stupid easy if you have a couple hours lol. Good for you


Its not something I want to screw up. So Im not going to do it. Its not something I want to even get into. Doesnt fucking mean I take it to a stealership.

[electric!sheep]

Originally Posted by HunteR

stupid easy if you have a couple hours lol. Good for you


Its not something I want to screw up. So Im not going to do it. Its not something I want to even get into. Doesnt fucking mean I take it to a stealership.

Good luck then. My buddy took his bike to a seemingly decent independent shop with sputtering and backfiring troubles. I had been telling him that it was the ignition coil, but the shop said it had no compression and needed a rebuild. He balked, and when he went to replace the coil, it turned out that the leads had been loose on the old one, causing intermitted spark.

I wouldn't take the risk of having someone else work on my bike. If something fails, I could easily wind up dead, unlike with a car. But whatever works for you. My main point was to clarify the meaning of "valve work" for the uninitiated.

[McKnight]

I dont have the tools. I dont have mechanical experience with the inside of engines. I havnt been living long enough to know where to start. I have an on call mechanic. Try not to look down on me too much. I do work on everything else.

[Giant Penis]

I want to start riding as soon as I'm done with college and can afford it. I have some questions which I haven't seen answered about the ninja 250. I'm about 5'7 and weigh like 135, so it should be pretty quick. How is it on the highway though? I want to travel a lot, and I know it won't be the best for this kind of stuff since it's a bit light and underpowered, but can it do 80+ without a problem? And I'm just curious, what's the top speed on them?

[Psilocybes]

yea the max load for a ninja is like 350 and the max speed is quoted at 100mph so yea. It can do 80 no prob with you on it.

Like someone said ... even a 'slow' bike is fast compared to a car. Ive got a yamaha xj600 which is no sports bike and it hauls ass.