From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 09:41:00 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 09:40:24 -0400 From: "Judy La Follette" To: "<" Subject: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? Something to rack your brains with early this morning . . . . I was riding home yesterday ('97 748 Duc--43,000 miles) evening from work (DC to Dumfries). I had no problems whatsoever, until I got about three miles from home. I was downshifting to make a right-hand sweeper. I probably got down to about second gear (six gears total) when I noticed that the bike started bucking. It felt like I was in way too high of a gear for my speed, but I knew I was not. I pulled in the clutch and released it and gave the bike more throttle. I could hear the bike revving, but there was no power. The bike literally felt like I was using extreme braking, and then someone put a stick in the rear wheel and I came to a dead stop. This ALL happened in a maximum of 10 feet. The bike was still running fine. A biker immediately came by and asked if everything was ok. I said no. He stopped, but never got off the bike. In the quick meantime, a county cop moved from the traffic light to see what was the problem. I told the biker that I would have the cop follow me home, if I could get it to go. I explained the situation to the cop. He said he also rode, and that he could not see anything obviously wrong with the bike. I ask him to follow me home, and he said if I had more problems to pull over. My first and only real thought was that the bike would either not go into gear or would not pull away from the spot, since it appeared that it lost all power. I started the bike, no problem. I put the bike into gear, no problem. I released the clutch, no problem. I am feeling the bike and moving it all over, no problems. I am continually giving the cop a thumbs up. Bike seems to be running fine, like absolutely nothing wrong with it. I go about 20 feet, and attempt to slow the bike because of the cars that ar stopped at a stop sign. I have absolutely NO rear breaks. I signal the cop that I am turning right at the stop sign and turning right into a townhouse area in the parking lot. I am just playing with the rear brake in this short distance to see if it pumps up. I stop, we look at the rear brake pedal. No brakes whatsoever!!! Absolutely no moisture or fluid around the rear brake or lines. I see nothing wet around the rear brake master cylinder. Cop says, you have absolutely no rear brake, and the fairing is the only thing keeping the brake level from continuing to going down farther. [I ask what he rides, and he says an R1, used to have an R6--a real young guy. He said he bought it from Coleman--I give him the lecture, and he said that he has been lectured quite often.] He gives me a ride home, and a little under a hour, I show up with a guy to help me either load it in the back of a truck or just ride it home (front brake works fine) with him following. We get to the bike, guy pushes on the rear brake pedal, FULL brakes!!! I could not believe my eyes--full rear brakes, when I left the bike with NO rear brakes!!! I have not been able to make the rear brake fail again. I washed the bike to get a good look. No problem I can see. The brake fluid was a little dirty, but I have even seen it worse. I changed the rear brake fluid just in case. Rode it in to work today (about 35 miles), absolutely no problems with the rear brake. So . . . of course, this makes me nervous! Why did the bike feel like I was using full braking (I guess the rear brake must have locked up), stop, and then when I try to move it, I have no rear brake? If the master cylinder did "temporarily" (if that is possible) go, I do not see why that would have caused the rear wheel to brake hard. The pedal did go all the way down, like when a master cylinder goes. I had plenty of brake fluid (at least when I stopped to look at it--not sure what it was doing when it was actually happening), and it was more than halfway between the minimum level and the maximum level. I guess that first jerking of the bike (feeling like it was too high of a gear) was the rear brake being applied and slowing me down, which made me think/feel like I was losing power and the bike was not responding to the throttle. Any suggestions? I actually thought that traffic was light yesterday going home, and did not even really get hot in the leathers. I have ridden the bike in much hotter, heavier traffic. I might have thought it was heat related, if it was hot, traffic was heavy, or I was using the rear brake in slow traffic a lot. None were the case. What would have happened if I was going at a much higher speed? Would the rear brake still have "kind of" locked up? Do I need to worry that it happened once, and nothing was done to fix the problem, so it will come back?! Someone had just said, sometimes you get brake failure. Does brake failure apply brakes before they fail? Thanks in advance for all your suggestions/facts/helpful hints. Judy (concerned) From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:12:25 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 10:16:48 -0400 Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? To: "Judy La Follette" Cc: "<" From: "garcia oliver" Sounds like your r-brake was dragging (for unknown reasons), overheated and locked up. The heat boiled your brake fluid (or water in the fluid) producing vapor bubbles which compress easily but don't tranfer much pressure from the brake pedal. So no brake until temp drops below boiling point. I'd suggest disassembling the rear caliper to fix whatever caused the initial lock-up. --garcia From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:25:12 2004 Subject: When is a helmet not a helmet? Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 10:25:09 -0400 From: "Julian Halton" To: "<" I dropped my helmet from a counter about three feet in the air onto concrete. There was a sharp cracking sound. Apart from two dings the helmet does not _appear_ damaged. When I get on the road, I can no longer close the visor all the way. I was treated to a unbearable earful of howling wind anytime I hit 55 plus on my way home. Structurally I cannot see any damage..but I may need a new helmet because the visor no longer close with a complete seal. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:28:29 2004 Subject: RE: When is a helmet not a helmet? Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 10:28:21 -0400 From: "Smith, Andrew" To: "Julian Halton" , "<" Helmets are a 1-shot deal, brother Julian. You drop it, you buy a new one. Even if you can't see anything wrong there may easily be hairline cracks that you won't notice until maybe you're in an accident and your helmet explodes.. > -----Original Message----- > From: Julian Halton [mailto:julian@XXXXXX] > Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 10:25 AM > To: < > Subject: When is a helmet not a helmet? > > I dropped my helmet from a counter about three feet in the > air onto concrete. There was a sharp cracking sound. Apart > from two dings the helmet does not _appear_ damaged. When I > get on the road, I can no longer close the visor all the way. > I was treated to a unbearable earful of howling wind anytime > I hit 55 plus on my way home. Structurally I cannot see any > damage..but I may need a new helmet because the visor no > longer close with a complete seal. > > > From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:37:13 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 10:41:59 -0400 To: "Julian Halton" , dc-cycles@XXXXXX From: Mike Bartman Subject: Re: When is a helmet not a helmet? At 10:25 AM 7/1/04 -0400, Julian Halton wrote: >of howling wind anytime I hit 55 plus on my way home. Structurally I >cannot see any damage..but I may need a new helmet because the visor no >longer close with a complete seal. I'd say you may need a new helmet because you dropped yours 3' onto concrete... Helmets work because there's a hard shell outside, and a crushable lining inside. If you crack the shell (even micro-cracks that you can't see), you've weakened the outer shell and reduced the protection it can offer you. If the outer shell flexed enough at the impact to crush, even partially, the crushable lining, then the lining won't be there to absorb as much impact when and if you need it to do so, reducing the protection still farther. Since you wear a helmet for protection, a helmet with reduced protective ability isn't good. Folks here have posted in the past that Arai (and perhaps other makers) will examine a helmet after an accident for about $10 (basically the cost of postage) and tell you if it needs replacing or not. I don't know if that offer extends to dropping the helmet without your head in it or not, but it might be worth asking...though in your case, if the helmet is distorted enough to keep the visor from closing, it's probably dead. Only hope would be that the problem is with the visor mounting point, not the shell of the helmet. I.e. maybe you just dislocated the hinge or something to cause that problem. I'd still want the helmet checked out pretty carefully before relying on it though. -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:39:01 2004 From: bernescut@XXXXXX To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: RE: When is a helmet not a helmet? Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 10:38:35 -0400 If it's a Shoei you can send it to them for examination. They x-ray the helmet and verify if it's usable of not. The service is free, you only pay for shipment to their headquarters. I used the serivce when I inherited a helmet, just to verify I wasn't getting a bad one; they shipped back out the same day. I'm not sure if any of the other manufacturers offer this service or not. Cedric -----Original Message----- From: Julian Halton [mailto:julian@XXXXXX] Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 10:25 AM To: < Subject: When is a helmet not a helmet? I dropped my helmet from a counter about three feet in the air onto concrete. There was a sharp cracking sound. Apart from two dings the helmet does not _appear_ damaged. When I get on the road, I can no longer close the visor all the way. I was treated to a unbearable earful of howling wind anytime I hit 55 plus on my way home. Structurally I cannot see any damage..but I may need a new helmet because the visor no longer close with a complete seal. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:47:54 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 07:47:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Gimer Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? To: garcia oliver , Judy La Follette Cc: "<" judy, i've replaced 2-3 rear master cylinders on my '00 996. they put the damn thing right next to the exhaust! it heats up like a mofo and fails regularly. every few thousand miles i have the rear re-bled and it performs adequately for another couple months. good thing i rarely use the rear. --- garcia oliver wrote: > Sounds like your r-brake was dragging (for unknown > reasons), overheated > and locked up. The heat boiled your brake fluid (or > water in the fluid) > producing vapor bubbles which compress easily but don't > tranfer much > pressure from the brake pedal. So no brake until temp > drops below boiling > point. > > I'd suggest disassembling the rear caliper to fix > whatever caused the > initial lock-up. > > --garcia > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:56:43 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 10:56:40 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Moto safety vid from the UK http://makeashorterlink.com/?H2FA510B8 Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:59:11 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 10:59:01 -0400 From: Brian Roach To: garcia oliver CC: Judy La Follette , "<" Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? I completely agree with this assessment. More than likely the piston in the rear caliper didn't retract the last time you used it (any number of reasons - worn seal, obstruction, etc) and the pad was dragging on the rotor. - Roach garcia oliver wrote: > Sounds like your r-brake was dragging (for unknown reasons), overheated > and locked up. The heat boiled your brake fluid (or water in the fluid) > producing vapor bubbles which compress easily but don't tranfer much > pressure from the brake pedal. So no brake until temp drops below boiling > point. > > I'd suggest disassembling the rear caliper to fix whatever caused the > initial lock-up. > > --garcia > > -- http://www.speedwerks.com The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 10:59:45 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 07:59:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. X-Virus-Checked: Checked While we're on the topic of helmets... It's well past time for me to buy a new helmet. My old one is dinged up, scratched, the left hinge has exploded so it's difficult to get a good seal, and I've crashed in or dropped the damn thing... three times now? So, yeah, time to go shopping. Does anyone have any familiarity with the HJC Sy-Max flipface helmet? I'm intrigued by the utility of a flipface, but it's A) not Snell approved, and B) $80 more expensive than a CL-14 (which would be my next choice). Any comments on it, one way or the other? Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:02:35 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 11:02:14 -0400 From: Brian Roach To: Tom Gimer CC: garcia oliver , Judy La Follette , "<" Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? Tom Gimer wrote: > good thing i rarely use the rear. The rear master cylinder and caliper on my 900SS was so small, the thing barely had any rear brake when in perfect working condition. As with you, I found little use for it anyway, so it never really bothered me. - Roach -- http://www.speedwerks.com The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:03:46 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:03:25 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: Julian Halton , "<" Subject: Re: When is a helmet not a helmet? -----Original Message----- From: Julian Halton I dropped my helmet from a counter about three feet in the air onto concrete. There was a sharp cracking sound. Apart from two dings the helmet does not _appear_ damaged. When I get on the road, I can no longer close the visor all the way. I was treated to a unbearable earful of howling wind anytime I hit 55 plus on my way home. Structurally I cannot see any damage..but I may need a new helmet because the visor no longer close with a complete seal. ------------ Julian, there's a high probability the helmet is fine....but how much of a probability are you willing to accept for your irreplacable, one-of-a-kind noggin? My advice: get a new helmet. Send this one in to get checked out. If it's OK, keep as a spare or pillion helmet. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:08:50 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:08:31 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: Fish Flowers , DC-Cycles Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. -----Original Message----- From: Fish Flowers .... Does anyone have any familiarity with the HJC Sy-Max flipface helmet? I'm intrigued by the utility of a flipface, but it's A) not Snell approved, and B) $80 more expensive than a CL-14 (which would be my next choice). Any comments on it, one way or the other? Fish. ----- MCN did a review of flip-fronts a while back. If you like, I can dig it out. The fact that it's not Snell is not necessarily a mark against it. No flip-front (modular) is Snell certified. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:10:48 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 08:10:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. X-Virus-Checked: Checked On Thu, 1 Jul 2004, Paul Wilson wrote: > MCN did a review of flip-fronts a while back. Hmm. I'll have to go hunt through my back issues to see if I got that one. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:14:37 2004 From: "Silver, Arthur (NIH/NIGMS)" To: "<" Subject: Carb Synch Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:13:51 -0400 Anyone ever do this? How hard was it to do. I've read the manual and it seems easy enough to do. I have a 00 GSXR 600 and I recently had it on the dyno and they said that the carbs were off and needed to be cleaned and synched (sp?) and I don't want to pay them to do it if I can do it. Also I noticed that Motion Pro sells two tools for this one is really cheap 40. and the other (the shop model) is 70. I think I'll get the shop model to be sure. Any hints suggestions are greatly appreciated. -----Original Message----- From: Paul Wilson [mailto:viffermaniac@XXXXXX] Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 11:03 AM To: Julian Halton; < Subject: Re: When is a helmet not a helmet? -----Original Message----- From: Julian Halton I dropped my helmet from a counter about three feet in the air onto concrete. There was a sharp cracking sound. Apart from two dings the helmet does not _appear_ damaged. When I get on the road, I can no longer close the visor all the way. I was treated to a unbearable earful of howling wind anytime I hit 55 plus on my way home. Structurally I cannot see any damage..but I may need a new helmet because the visor no longer close with a complete seal. ------------ Julian, there's a high probability the helmet is fine....but how much of a probability are you willing to accept for your irreplacable, one-of-a-kind noggin? My advice: get a new helmet. Send this one in to get checked out. If it's OK, keep as a spare or pillion helmet. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:17:48 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 08:17:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. X-Virus-Checked: Checked On Thu, 1 Jul 2004, Brian Roach wrote: > How much is the HJC? We're selling the new AGV GT-O Modular for $190, > seems like a nice flip-face. $183 from New Enough; the CL-14 would be $110. Plus shipping, I guess, but that probably wouldn't be too damaging. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:19:47 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:19:39 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: "Silver,Arthur (NIH/NIGMS)" , "<" Subject: Re: Carb Synch -----Original Message----- From: "Silver, Arthur (NIH/NIGMS)" Anyone ever do this? How hard was it to do. I've read the manual and it seems easy enough to do. I have a 00 GSXR 600 and I recently had it on the dyno and they said that the carbs were off and needed to be cleaned and synched (sp?) and I don't want to pay them to do it if I can do it. Also I noticed that Motion Pro sells two tools for this one is really cheap 40. and the other (the shop model) is 70. I think I'll get the shop model to be sure. Any hints suggestions are greatly appreciated. ----- It takes about twenty minutes on the VFR. Depending on the model, though, you may need to remove the tank and rig up a temporary fuel supply. I've got the el cheapo mercury carb sticks from Motion Pro. You may also need a special angled screwdriver to turn the adjusters. It does help our four-bangers to run a lot smoother, that's for sure. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:23:04 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 08:22:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Ray Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. To: Fish Flowers , DC-Cycles Fish - If you can, look at other options. I've got that issue of MCN if you need it. You can probably find the text online somewhere, too. I looked at a ton of MFGs whe I was looking for mine, and wasn't terribly impressed with the HJC. I wound up with the Nolan N100 (under $200), which got positive marks in the MCN report. It's louder than a solid helmet, but I think they all are. In any case, I really like the flexibility of it. --- Fish Flowers wrote: > While we're on the topic of helmets... > > It's well past time for me to buy a new helmet. My > old one is dinged up, > scratched, the left hinge has exploded so it's > difficult to get a good > seal, and I've crashed in or dropped the damn > thing... three times now? > So, yeah, time to go shopping. > > Does anyone have any familiarity with the HJC Sy-Max > flipface helmet? I'm > intrigued by the utility of a flipface, but it's A) > not Snell approved, > and B) $80 more expensive than a CL-14 (which would > be my next choice). > Any comments on it, one way or the other? > > Fish. > > From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:35:11 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 10:47:28 -0400 From: Brian Roach To: Julian Halton CC: "<" Subject: Re: When is a helmet not a helmet? What brand of Helmet? Arai and Shoei both offer free inspection if you send the helmet to them. Dropping a helmet (or even crashing on it) does not mean it is trashed. At least not according to the helmet manufacturers. I sent my Arai Signet to Arai after a crash at Road Atlanta, and they certified it as undamaged (internally - the paint was obviously chipped) and safe to wear. - Roach Julian Halton wrote: > I dropped my helmet from a counter about three feet in the air onto > concrete. There was a sharp cracking sound. Apart from two dings the > helmet does not _appear_ damaged. When I get on the road, I can no > longer close the visor all the way. I was treated to a unbearable earful > of howling wind anytime I hit 55 plus on my way home. Structurally I > cannot see any damage..but I may need a new helmet because the visor no > longer close with a complete seal. -- http://www.speedwerks.com The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:41:50 2004 From: "Custer, Carl" To: "'DCCycles'" Cc: "'Fujii, Joanne (NIH/CSR)'" , "'Custer, Mary'" , "'Custer, Steph'" , "'David Nisbet'" , "'Anna Lammerding'" , "Kubera, Roger" , "Boland, Timothy" , "Hess, Robert" , "'Richard Arsenault-Guelph'" Subject: Motorcycle Truth Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:44:12 -0400 This piece is called "Season of the Bike," by writer Dave Karlotski. --------------------------- Motorcycle Truth There is cold, and there is cold on a motorcycle. Cold on a motorcycle is like being beaten with cold hammers while being kicked with cold boots, a bone bruising cold. The wind's big hands squeeze the heat out of my body and whisk it away; caught in a cold October rain, the drops don't even feel like water. They feel like shards of bone fallen from the skies of Hell to pock my face. I expect to arrive with my cheeks and forehead streaked with blood, but that's just an illusion, just the misery of nerves not designed for highway speeds. Despite this, it's hard to give up my motorcycle in the fall and I rush to get it on the road again in the spring; lapses of sanity like this are common among motorcyclists. When you let a motorcycle into your life you're changed forever. The letters "MC" are stamped on your driver's license right next to your sex and weight as if "motorcycle" was just another of your physical characteristics, or maybe a mental condition. But when warm weather finally does come around all those cold snaps and rainstorms are paid in full because a summer is worth any price. A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life. We spend all our time sealed in boxes and cars are just the rolling boxes that shuffle us from home-box to work-box to store-box and back, the whole time, entombed in stale air, temperature regulated, sound insulated, and smelling of carpets. On a motorcycle I know I'm alive. When I ride, even the familiar seems strange and glorious. The air has weight and substance as I push through it and its touch is as intimate as water to a swimmer. I feel the cool wells of air that pool under trees and the warm spokes of that fall through them. I can see everything in a sweeping 360 degrees, up, down and around, wider than Pana-Vision and than IMAX and unrestricted by ceiling or dashboard. Sometimes I even hear music. It's like hearing phantom telephones in the shower or false doorbells when vacuuming; the pattern-loving brain, seeking signals in the noise, raises acoustic ghosts out of the wind's roar. But on a motorcycle I hear whole songs: rock 'n roll, dark orchestras, women's voices, all hidden in the air and released by speed. At 30 miles per hour and up, smells become uncannily vivid. All the individual tree- smells and flower- smells and grass-smells flit by like chemical notes in a great plant symphony. Sometimes the smells evoke memories so strongly that it's as though the past hangs invisible in the air around me, wanting only the most casual of rumbling time machines to unlock it. A ride on a summer afternoon can border on the rapturous. The sheer volume and variety of stimuli is like a bath for my nervous system, an electrical massage for my brain, a systems check for my soul. It tears smiles out of me: a minute ago I was dour, depressed, apathetic, numb, but now, on two wheels, big, ragged, windy smiles flap against the side of my face, billowing out of me like air from a decompressing plane. Transportation is only a secondary function. A motorcycle is a joy machine. It's a machine of wonders, a metal bird, a motorized prosthetic. It's light and dark and shiny and dirty and warm and cold lapping over each other; it's a conduit of grace, it's a catalyst for bonding the gritty and the holy. I still think of myself as a motorcycle amateur, but by now I've had a handful of bikes over half a dozen years and slept under my share of bridges. I wouldn't trade one second of either the good times or the misery. Learning to ride one of the best things I've done. Cars lie to us and tell us we're safe, powerful, and in control. The air-conditioning fans murmur empty assurances and whisper, "Sleep, sleep." Motorcycles tell us a more useful truth: we are small and exposed, and probably moving too fast for our own good, but that's no reason not to enjoy every minute of the ride. Dave Karlotski. This was originally broadcast on NPR's _Savvy Traveler_ and has subsequently been posted without attribution in lots of places. See Dave's website at http://the751.tri-pixel.com . He may not be the most experienced rider, but he's unusually well-attuned to the sensual appeal of riding. Carl (Rubber side down -- I ain't got no shiny parts) Custer From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:45:23 2004 From: "Sean Steele" To: "DC Cycles" Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 11:10:42 -0400 Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. I have one. I dig it. Pros: very padded/comfie, convenient to flip, well-constructed, easy to switch visors, price. Cons: noisy, bit bulky vs. non-flip FFH, price. All in all, it fits my noggin great and I'd buy another one. HJC brought out the CL-MAX this model year, I think *maybe* discontinued the Sy-MAX? Funny, it shares the same visors as the CL-14. Buy both and send one back? -Sean Fish Flowers wrote: > While we're on the topic of helmets... > > It's well past time for me to buy a new helmet. My old one is dinged up, > scratched, the left hinge has exploded so it's difficult to get a good > seal, and I've crashed in or dropped the damn thing... three times now? > So, yeah, time to go shopping. > > Does anyone have any familiarity with the HJC Sy-Max flipface helmet? I'm > intrigued by the utility of a flipface, but it's A) not Snell approved, > and B) $80 more expensive than a CL-14 (which would be my next choice). > Any comments on it, one way or the other? > > Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:47:11 2004 Subject: Best price on a Shoei RF-1000 black Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:47:06 -0400 From: "Julian Halton" To: "DCCycles" anyone know where I can beat $270 plus shipping for the RF 1000 Large? From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:54:42 2004 From: To: Subject: Re: Best price on a Shoei RF-1000 black Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:54:33 -0400 > anyone know where I can beat $270 plus shipping for the RF 1000 Large? Where are you getting that price? Michael J. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:57:44 2004 Subject: RE: Best price on a Shoei RF-1000 black Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:57:41 -0400 From: "Julian Halton" To: , Here... Could be sketchy as feedback is only 22 and the guy has only been on since April: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=79086 57923&category=6749 -----Original Message----- From: mjordan812@XXXXXX [mailto:mjordan812@XXXXXX] Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 11:55 AM To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Re: Best price on a Shoei RF-1000 black > anyone know where I can beat $270 plus shipping for the RF 1000 Large? Where are you getting that price? Michael J. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 11:59:08 2004 From: "Perry Coleman" To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: RE: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 11:47:40 -0400 Fish, I just bought one, about two months ago. Overall, I like it, but I have noticed that it doesn't fit as well in real life as it did in the showroom. I probably should have gotten the next larger size. It ends up pressing on the center of my forehead after a while. On the other hand, the convenience of the flip face is great and the latching system seems quite secure, yet easy to operate. The venting is good, the faceshield is pretty good. It is a bit noisier than my old Shoei, but it also has really nice pockets for installing speakers. It also has additional pads to help with the fit around the face. I might be willing to sell mine (black, large) with an extra dark-tinted faceshield for a good price to an interested party. Perry >From: Fish Flowers >To: DC-Cycles >Subject: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. >Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 07:59:39 -0700 (PDT) > >While we're on the topic of helmets... > >It's well past time for me to buy a new helmet. My old one is dinged up, >scratched, the left hinge has exploded so it's difficult to get a good >seal, and I've crashed in or dropped the damn thing... three times now? >So, yeah, time to go shopping. > >Does anyone have any familiarity with the HJC Sy-Max flipface helmet? I'm >intrigued by the utility of a flipface, but it's A) not Snell approved, >and B) $80 more expensive than a CL-14 (which would be my next choice). >Any comments on it, one way or the other? > >Fish. > _________________________________________________________________ From )B‘will you?’ to ‘I do,’ MSN Life Events is your resource for Getting Married. http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=married From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:02:21 2004 Subject: RE: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:59:11 -0400 From: "Verde, Robert" To: "Paul Wilson" , "Fish Flowers" , "DC-Cycles" Only anecdotal, but I bought one for my girlfriend, she loves it. Robert -----Original Message----- From: Paul Wilson [mailto:viffermaniac@XXXXXX] Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 11:09 AM To: Fish Flowers; DC-Cycles Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. -----Original Message----- From: Fish Flowers .... Does anyone have any familiarity with the HJC Sy-Max flipface helmet? I'm intrigued by the utility of a flipface, but it's A) not Snell approved, and B) $80 more expensive than a CL-14 (which would be my next choice). Any comments on it, one way or the other? Fish. ----- MCN did a review of flip-fronts a while back. If you like, I can dig it out. The fact that it's not Snell is not necessarily a mark against it. No flip-front (modular) is Snell certified. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:13:01 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 12:12:52 -0400 From: Brian Roach To: Perry Coleman CC: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. Perry Coleman wrote: > I probably should have gotten the next larger size. It ends up > pressing on the center of my forehead after a while. Just IMHO, it isn't the wrong size ... it's the wrong shape. Different manufacturers have different shell shapes. A Shoei (up to the RF900 - I haven't tried on one of their helmets in a couple years), for example, will do the same thing to me - they have a round shell shape and I have an oval shaped head. If you got a bigger size, it wouldn't fit snug on the side of your head. You could compensate with thicker cheek pads, but it still wouldn't be a perfect fit. - Roach -- http://www.speedwerks.com The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:19:00 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 12:23:36 -0400 To: DC-Cycles From: Mike Bartman Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. At 11:08 AM 7/1/04 -0400, Paul Wilson wrote: > >MCN did a review of flip-fronts a while back. If you like, I can dig it out. The fact that it's not Snell is not necessarily a mark against it. No flip-front (modular) is Snell certified. True. Snell's web site said (last I looked a few months ago) that they know of no reason why a properly engineered flip-face couldn't pass their tests, but that so far nobody has asked them to test one so none are at the moment. -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:26:50 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 12:30:52 -0400 To: "Perry Coleman" , dc-cycles@XXXXXX From: Mike Bartman Subject: RE: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. At 11:47 AM 7/1/04 -0400, Perry Coleman wrote: >I just bought one, about two months ago. Overall, I like it, but I have >noticed that it doesn't fit as well in real life as it did in the showroom. >I probably should have gotten the next larger size. When was your last haircut? ;-) -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:27:41 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 11:10:22 -0400 From: Brian Roach To: Fish Flowers CC: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. No experience with the HJC one, but what I'll say is that Snell won't approve any "flip-face" helmet. The HJC, Nolan, Shoei, and AGV are all only DOT approved. How much is the HJC? We're selling the new AGV GT-O Modular for $190, seems like a nice flip-face. - Roach Fish Flowers wrote: > Does anyone have any familiarity with the HJC Sy-Max flipface helmet? I'm > intrigued by the utility of a flipface, but it's A) not Snell approved, > and B) $80 more expensive than a CL-14 (which would be my next choice). > Any comments on it, one way or the other? > > Fish. > > -- http://www.speedwerks.com The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:32:02 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 09:31:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. X-Virus-Checked: Checked On Thu, 1 Jul 2004, Brian Roach wrote: > Just IMHO, it isn't the wrong size ... it's the wrong shape. This is actually one of my concerns. My current HJC (An LT-20, about 2-3 years old) consistently gives me a "hot spot" on my forehead after 30-60 minutes. I've measured my head according to the HJC guidelines, and I should indeed be wearing a medium... Does anyone other than Arai make a helmet shaped similarly to their long-oval type? I'd guess I'm definitely a long oval, but a poor one. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:36:52 2004 From: Steve McCollom To: "Julian Halton" , "DCCycles" Subject: Re: Best price on a Shoei RF-1000 black Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:36:50 -0500 X-Authentication-Info: Submitted using SMTP AUTH at out003.verizon.net from [192.168.1.4] at Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:36:50 -0500 > > From: "Julian Halton" > anyone know where I can beat $270 plus shipping for the RF 1000 Large? > > www.helmetharbor.com Call them at 1-866-221-9093; they don't show the price on the website, but it's $269.95 with free shipping. Steve From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:43:04 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 12:42:49 -0400 From: Brian Roach To: Fish Flowers CC: DC Cycles Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. Fish Flowers wrote: > Does anyone other than Arai make a helmet shaped similarly to their > long-oval type? I'd guess I'm definitely a long oval, but a poor one. I used an AGV "Flyer" for the last year and a half, before OGK sponsored us (VERY nice helmets, but very high-dollar). AGV's shell shape is similar to my Arai, and the helmet itself is pretty nice. It does not dig into my forehead like a Shoei or HJC and fits snug everywhere. - Roach -- http://www.speedwerks.com The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:44:37 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 12:44:26 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: Brian Roach , Fish Flowers Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. Cc: DC-Cycles -----Original Message----- From: Brian Roach No experience with the HJC one, but what I'll say is that Snell won't approve any "flip-face" helmet. The HJC, Nolan, Shoei, and AGV are all only DOT approved. - Roach ----- Seems to be a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Snell says it has no problems per se with modular helmets. Snell says no manufacturer will submit a modular for testing. Here's the poop, direct from Snell: http://www.smf.org/faqs.html "Why won't Snell certify some types of helmets like flip up front designs? Snell does not dismiss out of hand, any helmet design that strays from the conventional. Snell does not point out any design specifications, other than general requirements in our standards. We are however, always concerned with innovations and new designs that may effect the helmet's ability to protect the wearer, or in some cases the helmets potential to cause injury. At present, the Foundation has not had the opportunity to test any of the flip up front type helmets. So far, we can not find any fault with these designs as long as they are used according to the manufacturers instructions. We will also certify any size of helmet as long as it meets the same requirements as any other Snell certified helmet." OTOH, Snell's testing standards are not secret. The manufacturers could test their helmets on their own for Snell compliance. One wonders why the manufacturers are hesitant to "walk the plank"? Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 12:46:29 2004 From: "Custer, Carl" To: "'DCCycles'" Subject: The ride nearly ended before it began Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 12:48:49 -0400 Eric Confessed, "Even seeing the debris when I did, I had plenty of time to react and avoid - I just reacted poorly." Long John Counseled, "You may not have. One of the unique problems with bikes evading road debris is the need to counter steer to initiate a swerve. The result is your contact patch moves _into_the object you are trying to avoid before moving back in the direction of the swerve delaying the movement of the very thing you need to miss the debris with, your tire. As a result we really need clear vision of the road surface farther ahead then a cage." [Carl]: Another unique problem with single track vehicles is Target Fixation". You go where you look. So, when an object in the street is revealed by the cage ahead, your instinct is to look out of curiosity . . . and run over it. So, practice looking at the side of objects in the street (man holes, pot holes, cans, etc.) as the vehicle ahead passes over them. Then, the next time something nasty is in the road, you'll be less likely to swat it. Oh, yeah, following too close is a no-no -- almost as bad and riding in a cager's blind spot. Carl in Bethesda From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 14:25:30 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 14:18:34 -0400 To: Fish Flowers , DC-Cycles From: Mike Bartman Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. At 09:31 AM 7/1/04 -0700, Fish Flowers wrote: >Does anyone other than Arai make a helmet shaped similarly to their >long-oval type? I'd guess I'm definitely a long oval, but a poor one. Shoei don't fit me in general for the same reason...not a round-head. I had a good fit with a Bell I got back in the early 80s...I hear they are back in business under their own name again and maybe they are still making them for the same head shape. The quality was pretty good... My H-D fill-face helmet fits me well too...but it was made by HJC, so perhaps you are more oval than I am. Or maybe HJC's helmets vary more by model than Shoei's do? I hear even Shoei has come out with a model for people who aren't round-heads, so perhaps other makers have various shapes in various models and you'll just have to go test-fit a few to see? -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 14:26:34 2004 From: ScooterFZR@XXXXXX Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 14:26:23 EDT Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX OK, time to chime in with my .02 worth. I just recently bought an Icon Halo Mainframe helmet from _www.bikerszone.com_ (http://www.bikerszone.com) , seen here _http://www.bikerszone.com/product.asp?3=1333_ (http://www.bikerszone.com/product.asp?3=1333) , and I absolutely love it. I think the price was $172 with shipping. I've got an Arai RX7RR and the Icon fits almost exactly the same. Maybe even a little better. The ventilation is actually slightly better than the Arai but, when I open the chin vent, it whistles. :-0 The pads are held in place by snaps and are interchangeable. It also has nice little pockets to put speakers. As always MHO and YMMV. ;-) Scooter In a message dated 7/1/2004 12:43:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time, roach@XXXXXX writes: Fish Flowers wrote: > Does anyone other than Arai make a helmet shaped similarly to their > long-oval type? I'd guess I'm definitely a long oval, but a poor one. I used an AGV "Flyer" for the last year and a half, before OGK sponsored us (VERY nice helmets, but very high-dollar). AGV's shell shape is similar to my Arai, and the helmet itself is pretty nice. It does not dig into my forehead like a Shoei or HJC and fits snug everywhere. - Roach -- http://www.speedwerks.com The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 14:35:08 2004 From: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 14:34:59 EDT Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX In a message dated 7/1/2004 9:41:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time, judy.lafollette@XXXXXX writes: > The bike literally felt like I was using extreme braking, Sounds like water in the fluid to me (brake fluid is hydroscopic, it literally sucks water out of the air.) When the brake get hot the water boils expands and clamps the brake on. Give it a little time and the pressure bleeds down but leaves steam in the caliper so it is just like you have air in the line, no brakes at all. Then things cool down the water condenses back into a liquid and you have hydraulic pressure and brakes again. Until they get hot again... Bleed _fully_ that could mean disassembly of the caliper, at very least pushing the pistons back and inverting the caliper while bleeding to drain the water which will be at the bottom of the caliper. It does need to be fixed before you ride again, but you know that. John Walters (Long John) PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Up near DC 1999, Honda ST1100X Pan European 1983, BMW R80RT 200,000+ miles 1976, Honda CR250M Motowhat racer From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 14:40:01 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 14:44:42 -0400 To: "Custer, Carl" , "'DCCycles'" From: Mike Bartman Subject: Re: The ride nearly ended before it began At 12:48 PM 7/1/04 -0400, Custer, Carl wrote: >[Carl]: Another unique problem with single track vehicles is Target >Fixation". You go where you look. That's the "level one" explanation, but it's not the whole truth, at least not according to what I learned in my Aikido training. Skip the rest of this if you are happy with the "don't look at it to avoid it" level of understanding. It's usually enough anyway. "The mind leads and the body follows" is one of the principles I was told, and discovered to be true, in the couple of years I was learning a little Aikido. Where you have your "mind" (your attention, your intentions) is where your body will tend to head, or at least be most prepared to go in terms of balance, muscle tensions, etc.. Where you look is normally where you have your attention, your mind, so the "you go where you look" thing works in most cases. It is very possible to have your eyes and your attention in different places though. Takes very little practice to do this. "Target fixation" comes more from where the "mind" is than from what you are looking at. That the two are usually the same makes it easy to confuse them. For riding purposes the only problem from such confusion might come if you point your eyes somewhere else, but your mind is still on the obstacle...in which case you are still "fixated" even though you aren't looking at it anymore. This is more than just "worrying about it" BTW. Such non-looking fixation isn't real likely, but it could happen, and being aware that it's the mind that's critical, not the eyes, can let you recognize and avoid it. Likewise, if you put your mind in some safe direction, away from the obstacle, you *can*, if you need to, keep looking at the obstacle without having any "target fixation" problems...you will be avoiding it just fine, and there may be times when keeping an eye on the problem might make avoiding it easier...so long as your mind is leading your body somewhere safe. Or maybe you just want to take a close look at it as you pass to see if it's really as bad as it looked from a distance. Keep your mind, your attention and intentions, off to one side and headed down the road and you can look at that pothole all you like to see if it's a killer or only a minor issue. Works for me anyway... >Oh, yeah, following too close is a no-no -- almost as bad and riding in a >cager's blind spot. Probably worse. Besides the road hazard appearing from under them problem you've also got the "I brake for hallucinations" thing to worry about, and if you are too close, you don't have many options...by the time you see the brake lights (if they are even working...), it may already be too late to react effectively...they are ahead of you on the velocity curve, and theirs may be steeper than yours to start with. The difference in your arrival time at your destination between tailgating dangerously and following at a safe distance is almost never more than 2-4 seconds. Following too closely might not get you there at all too. -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 14:43:24 2004 From: "Perry Coleman" To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 14:43:12 -0400 You're probably right. I love my older Shoei and may go ahead and get (or at least try) another. I may also check out the Nolan, as I really have come to like the flip face in the few times I've worn this one. I don't think I want to pay the higher price of the Shoei for that convenience, however. Perry >From: Brian Roach >To: Perry Coleman >CC: dc-cycles@XXXXXX >Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. >Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 12:12:52 -0400 > >Perry Coleman wrote: > >>I probably should have gotten the next larger size. It ends up pressing on >>the center of my forehead after a while. > >Just IMHO, it isn't the wrong size ... it's the wrong shape. > >Different manufacturers have different shell shapes. A Shoei (up to the >RF900 - I haven't tried on one of their helmets in a couple years), for >example, will do the same thing to me - they have a round shell shape and I >have an oval shaped head. If you got a bigger size, it wouldn't fit snug on >the side of your head. You could compensate with thicker cheek pads, but it >still wouldn't be a perfect fit. > >- Roach > >-- >http://www.speedwerks.com >The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! >(302) 672 - 7223 > _________________________________________________________________ FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar )B– get it now! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 14:45:33 2004 From: "Sean Steele" To: "DC Cycles" Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 14:44:38 -0400 Subject: Traffic court tmrw I'm going to traffic court in Arlington tomorrow. Back in May they got me doing 56 in a 40mph zone (Lee Hwy headed east, after the intersection with Bergmann's Cleaning west of N. Quinn St.) Perfect riding conditions, no traffic in sight before or after me, no threat to anyone's personal property (save my own)... Anyone been lately? Is 16 miles over the limit reckless driving in VA? What should I expect from the judge besides a 5-sec. hearing and 18 months of hard labor? Thanks, -Sean WAR-shington, DC '92 "I didn't think it *could* violate any laws, officer!" Seca II From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 14:54:25 2004 Subject: RE: Traffic court tmrw Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 14:54:22 -0400 From: "Julian Halton" To: "Sean Steele" , "DC Cycles" Speeding in Virginia is deadly serious. You are not 20 above so you are NOT reckless. This is what you can expect and should do. - have your ID, driving record HANDY - Go to prosecutor before start time and see if they can plea bargain you down. Best they will do is half the speed - if you accept the plea-bargain, you go to court. Get a slip, pay your fine. Skip the next steps otherwise >> - go to court on time, wait, wait and wait some more. Depending on the last name of your officer, it could be three plus hours. You HAVE to be on time. El coppo can saunter in one plus hours late with no penalty - get hot and uncomfortable - get called. Don't BS the judge. Say I am good driver, mention that you are on road lots and have a good record. They will usually half your speed if you are polite. The last time this happened to a hypothetical buddy let's call him "J". J waited three plus hours, judge said would reduce 20 above to 9 above. J checks online and it ONLY reduced to 19 above. Insurance companies have software that periodically polls your driving record "SO as to offer you the BEST premium possible". Once these show up on your record, your premium gets adjusted UPWARDS..the next cycle. PAY , PAY, PAY......PAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! -----Original Message----- From: Sean Steele [mailto:sean@XXXXXX] Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 2:45 PM To: DC Cycles Subject: Traffic court tmrw I'm going to traffic court in Arlington tomorrow. Back in May they got me doing 56 in a 40mph zone (Lee Hwy headed east, after the intersection with Bergmann's Cleaning west of N. Quinn St.) Perfect riding conditions, no traffic in sight before or after me, no threat to anyone's personal property (save my own)... Anyone been lately? Is 16 miles over the limit reckless driving in VA? What should I expect from the judge besides a 5-sec. hearing and 18 months of hard labor? Thanks, -Sean WAR-shington, DC '92 "I didn't think it *could* violate any laws, officer!" Seca II From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:05:17 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 15:09:37 -0400 To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX From: Mike Bartman Subject: For the Harley folks here....not sure if others will care. Oh, and any with reading phobias, hit "delete" now...this isn't all that short. Sunday, after the ride back from Solomon's, a few of us were at dinner when my security alarm's pager went off. 2 seconds later I was looking out the window of the restaurant, and saw the lights flashing on my bike, but nobody was in the lot at all. Went out to investigate, but all I could find wrong was that one of the hose clamps that holds on the rear heat shield of the forward pipe was broken and hanging on the muffler. I find it hard to believe that that breaking could set off the alarm, but whatever...apparently it did. The clamp apparently broke after it was used as a skid plate a couple of times...part of the screw housing was worn away and had asphalt on it...so I can't blame it for the problem. ;-) Replacing it was a problem though. Battley's didn't have them...said they haven't sold one in over 2 years and don't stock them. Suggested Home Depot. Went to NAPA, Pep Boys...and Home Depot...no luck. They each had hose clamps, but none the right size, none the same quality H-D had used. I got a couple anyway, just in case. A web search turned up Breeze Power Seal clamps. Came in exactly the right size, stainless steel, even stainless steal screws and Mil Spec marking if you want them (the H-D ones had zinc-plated screws). A careful check of the broken one with a magnifier showed that it was in fact a Breeze Power Seal clamp. Sent an e-mail to Breeze inquiring about vendors. Got an answer back in under 24 hours pointing me to McMaster-Carr, and even giving me the part number there (Breeze gets my vote for top support of end-users, even though they only sell wholesale!). McMaster-Carr's web site is *really* well set up for on-line ordering...and they have thousands of products. Being a tool nut, I got more than the hose clamps...and the quality of the stuff seems quite good so far...I'll know more when I've used more of it. I told them to ship "best method" and it showed up next morning. Just put the new clamps on the bike...worked like a charm, as expected with original equipment copies. Only issue is that McMaster-Carr sells only in packs of 10. I'm sure I'll use them eventually, especially if I keep making tight turns at low speed, but at the moment, if anyone needs a couple, I have spares... Web sites for Breeze and McMaster-Carr are: http://www.breezeclamps.com/index.htm http://www.mcmaster.com/ If you need what they sell, my experience with both was excellent. -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:07:43 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 15:07:12 -0400 From: Aaron Maurer To: Julian Halton Subject: Re: Traffic court tmrw Cc: Sean Steele , DC Cycles Virginia law on reckless driving because of speed alone (which I think is pure malarkey): )B§ 46.2-862. Exceeding speed limit. A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who drives a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth (i) at a speed of twenty miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limit where the applicable speed limit is thirty miles per hour or less, (ii) at a speed of sixty miles per hour or more where the applicable maximum speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour, (iii) at a speed of twenty miles per hour or more in excess of the applicable maximum speed limits where the applicable maximum speed limit is forty miles per hour or more, or (iv) in excess of eighty miles per hour regardless of the applicable maximum speed limit. It is a Class I misdemeanor. With a clean record, I was given a chance to have it reduced to speeding alone upon successful completion of traffic school. On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 14:54:22 -0400, Julian Halton wrote: > > > > Speeding in Virginia is deadly serious. You are not 20 above so you are > NOT reckless. > This is what you can expect and should do. > > - have your ID, driving record HANDY > > - Go to prosecutor before start time and see if they can plea bargain > you down. Best they will do is half the speed > > - if you accept the plea-bargain, you go to court. Get a slip, pay your > fine. Skip the next steps otherwise >> > > - go to court on time, wait, wait and wait some more. Depending on the > last name of your officer, it could be three plus hours. You HAVE to be > on time. El coppo can saunter in one plus hours late with no penalty > > - get hot and uncomfortable > > - get called. Don't BS the judge. Say I am good driver, mention that you > are on road lots and have a good record. They will usually half your > speed if you are polite. > > The last time this happened to a hypothetical buddy let's call him "J". > J waited three plus hours, judge said would reduce 20 above to 9 above. > J checks online and it ONLY reduced to 19 above. > > Insurance companies have software that periodically polls your driving > record "SO as to offer you the BEST premium possible". Once these show > up on your record, your premium gets adjusted UPWARDS..the next cycle. > > PAY , PAY, PAY......PAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Sean Steele [mailto:sean@XXXXXX] > Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 2:45 PM > To: DC Cycles > Subject: Traffic court tmrw > > I'm going to traffic court in Arlington tomorrow. Back in May they got > me doing 56 in a 40mph zone (Lee Hwy headed east, after the intersection > with Bergmann's Cleaning west of N. Quinn St.) > > Perfect riding conditions, no traffic in sight before or after me, no > threat to anyone's personal property (save my own)... > > Anyone been lately? Is 16 miles over the limit reckless driving in VA? > What should I expect from the judge besides a 5-sec. hearing and 18 > months of hard labor? > > Thanks, > > -Sean > WAR-shington, DC > '92 "I didn't think it *could* violate any laws, officer!" Seca II > > From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:12:18 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 15:12:08 -0400 (EDT) From: "Daniel H. Brown" To: DC Cycles Subject: RE: Traffic court tmrw On Thu, 1 Jul 2004, Julian Halton wrote: > Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 14:54:22 -0400 > From: Julian Halton > To: Sean Steele , DC Cycles > Subject: RE: Traffic court tmrw > > > > Speeding in Virginia is deadly serious. You are not 20 above so you are > NOT reckless. > This is what you can expect and should do. Note... it isn't quite as simple as just "20 over" http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-862 > - have your ID, driving record HANDY > Maybe have a copy of the above statute, and any other relevant bits handy too. And take a shower, dress nicely, etc. Attempt to look and act respectable. You can get a copy of your driving record off the VA DMV website: https://www.dmv.state.va.us/dmvnet/online.asp Also, if you make a couple calls, you might find it isn't too late to get representation if you feel you need it. -- Dan Brown brown@XXXXXX From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:12:44 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 15:16:30 -0400 To: "Sean Steele" , "DC Cycles" From: Mike Bartman Subject: Re: Traffic court tmrw At 02:44 PM 7/1/04 -0400, Sean Steele wrote: >Anyone been lately? Is 16 miles over the limit reckless driving in VA? Back when I got my license in VA (mid 70s), it was 20 over to be automatically reckless driving. Rule at the time was that first offense was up to the judge, but on the second offense it was an automatic 1 year suspension in addition to whatever fines and jail time you got. Don't know what's changed in the law since then though, but I doubt 16 over on an otherwise empty road is going to be more than just "exceeding the posted limit" with a fine and, maybe, some points. Just a guess though...I've managed to avoid tickets for a long time now. >What should I expect from the judge besides a 5-sec. hearing and 18 >months of hard labor? If the speed was all that was involved, probably not more than a couple hours of beatings and maybe some electric prod work...oh, and the fine plus "court costs" of course. ;-) -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:20:45 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 15:20:27 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: Mike Bartman , Sean Steele , DC Cycles Subject: Re: Traffic court tmrw -----Original Message----- From: Mike Bartman If the speed was all that was involved, probably not more than a couple hours of beatings and maybe some electric prod work...oh, and the fine plus "court costs" of course. ;-) -- Mike B. ----- "Court costs" harrumph. Someone known to me, let's call him "P," received a ticket for ten-over in the Cornhusker State. Fine $25, court costs $42.50. $42.50 for basically opening an envelope and cashing a check, should "P" elect to admit guilt and cough up, which is looking pretty likely. A query for the members of the bar on this list: why is there not a "nolo contendere" plea on these civil infractions? Somehow that would make me feel better. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:21:09 2004 Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 12:20:56 -0700 (PDT) From: "pltrgyst@XXXXXX" Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? To: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX, dc-cycles@XXXXXX --- PenguinBiker@XXXXXX wrote: > Sounds like water in the fluid to me (brake fluid is hydroscopic, it > literally sucks water out of the air.) "Hygroscopic", maybe? 8;) -- Larry __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:22:03 2004 From: "Jim McGonigle" To: "'Paul Wilson'" , "'Mike Bartman'" , "'Sean Steele'" , "'DC Cycles'" Subject: RE: Traffic court tmrw Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 15:22:05 -0400 That's nothing. Got nabbed in NC for 13 over. $110 court costs, $25 ticket. What's the point of fighting that... -Jim ----- "Court costs" harrumph. Someone known to me, let's call him "P," received a ticket for ten-over in the Cornhusker State. Fine $25, court costs $42.50. $42.50 for basically opening an envelope and cashing a check, should "P" elect to admit guilt and cough up, which is looking pretty likely. A query for the members of the bar on this list: why is there not a "nolo contendere" plea on these civil infractions? Somehow that would make me feel better. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 15:30:14 2004 Subject: RE: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 15:30:07 -0400 From: "Smith, Andrew" To: , I can second this opinion. I have the exact same helmet after my last one had a very interesting close conversation with the hood of an SUV (ahh, left turners). I think it represents a bargain in terms of price, and was actually more comfortable than my Suomy which was almost twice the price. I notice that it's a bit noisy but that's easily solved with an ipod or ear plugs. I could use a few more vents in the summer heat (especially those nice visor vents on the Arai's) but for the money I would have no problems recommending the same helmet. Plus it has the name of my fave video game, hard not to recommend.. > -----Original Message----- > From: ScooterFZR@XXXXXX [mailto:ScooterFZR@XXXXXX] > Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 2:26 PM > To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX > Subject: Re: HJC Sy-Max Helmet. > > OK, time to chime in with my .02 worth. I just recently > bought an Icon Halo Mainframe helmet from > _www.bikerszone.com_ (http://www.bikerszone.com) , seen here > _http://www.bikerszone.com/product.asp?3=1333_ > (http://www.bikerszone.com/product.asp?3=1333) , and I > absolutely love it. I think the price was $172 > with shipping. I've got an Arai RX7RR and the Icon fits > almost exactly the > same. Maybe even a little better. The ventilation is > actually slightly better than the Arai but, when I open the > chin vent, it whistles. :-0 The pads are held in place by > snaps and are interchangeable. It also has nice little > pockets to put speakers. As always MHO and YMMV. ;-) > > Scooter > > In a message dated 7/1/2004 12:43:10 PM Eastern Daylight > Time, roach@XXXXXX writes: > Fish Flowers wrote: > > > Does anyone other than Arai make a helmet shaped similarly > to their > > long-oval type? I'd guess I'm definitely a long oval, but > a poor one. > > I used an AGV "Flyer" for the last year and a half, before > OGK sponsored us (VERY nice helmets, but very high-dollar). > AGV's shell shape is similar to my Arai, and the helmet > itself is pretty nice. It does not dig into my forehead like > a Shoei or HJC and fits snug everywhere. > > - Roach > > -- > http://www.speedwerks.com > The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! > (302) 672 - 7223 > > > > From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 16:03:23 2004 From: "rich hall" To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: FW: [SV650_BALT_DC] Saturday Rideouts!!! Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 16:03:15 -0400 Anyone up for a ride? >From: Nathan Wills >Reply-To: SV650_BALT_DC@XXXXXX >To: SV650_BALT_DC@XXXXXX >Subject: [SV650_BALT_DC] Saturday Rideouts!!! >Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2004 12:03:33 -0700 (PDT) > >Weather looks good for Sat, whoever is in for the rideout just reply to me >with Name, Bike, and Bike color. I will give a final tally of the >included bikes and riders Friday night. > >9:30am at Circut City, Tysons Mall >Loudoun County Loop, brisk/not race, 125 miles plus... Will have lunch >stop, and breakoff points. > >Nate >04 SV650S > >Nathan Wills wrote: >Alright guys/ladies, I am going to try to schedule Saturday rides every >weekend that the weather is nice from here on out. This is not going to be >particular to any bike type, and not an all out race through the twisties, >they however will be brisk, and more organized as I go through it a couple >times. There will be strategically timed stops for >bathroom/lunch/fuel/rest. Please come fueled up and ready to ride. > >Heres the deal. I will post the same title, hopefully by Wednesday or >Thursday of every week, and let everyone know where the ride is going. This >week is is going to be Western Loudoun county Virginia. It will be a loop >(probably 100 miles plus). Meeting start place will always be Tysons Corner >Mall, in the rear by Circut City. Meeting time will be 9:30am, and we'll be >out at 10:00 am. Please email nate_97blacktj@XXXXXX to join the list (so >I can account for everyone), and you can get my cell phone number as well. >Hope to get some people on deck for tomorrow. _________________________________________________________________ Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfee)B® Security. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 17:25:23 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 17:25:28 -0400 From: Skip CC: Judy La Follette , "<" Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? as a former cage wrench, I agree also with this assessment. full disassembly of the rear brake system would be prudent at this juncture. --skip Brian Roach wrote: > > I completely agree with this assessment. More than likely the piston in > the rear caliper didn't retract the last time you used it (any number of > reasons - worn seal, obstruction, etc) and the pad was dragging on the > rotor. > > - Roach > > garcia oliver wrote: > > > Sounds like your r-brake was dragging (for unknown reasons), overheated > > and locked up. The heat boiled your brake fluid (or water in the fluid) > > producing vapor bubbles which compress easily but don't tranfer much > > pressure from the brake pedal. So no brake until temp drops below boiling > > point. > > > > I'd suggest disassembling the rear caliper to fix whatever caused the > > initial lock-up. > > > > --garcia > > > > > > -- > http://www.speedwerks.com > The one-stop shop for all your motorcycling needs! > (302) 672 - 7223 From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 17:28:41 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 17:28:32 -0400 To: "DC Cycles" From: Troutman Subject: More Key Issues I returned from another work trip last night, and I see my newly cut keys operate the iginition fine, but the seat/helmet lock won't turn at all. I have tried WD-40, sitting on the seat, wiggling the key and everything else I can think of. Next step is having Honda replace the lock or boring out the lock all together. That would negate the seat lock and any safe under-seat storage. My real problem is that I can't ride the bike much further than the dealership as the seat pan is still locked to the bike but not secured. (Long story, but searching for the keys I pulled the seat part way off and unscrewed the latches) Ideas? ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 17:36:07 2004 Date: Thu, 01 Jul 2004 17:40:57 -0400 To: Troutman , "DC Cycles" From: Mike Bartman Subject: Re: More Key Issues At 05:28 PM 7/1/04 -0400, Troutman wrote: >I returned from another work trip last night, and I see my newly cut keys >operate the iginition fine, but the seat/helmet lock won't turn at all. I >Ideas? Either the seat lock is broken/jammed, or the new keys aren't *exactly* like the originals. (I'm presuming that the old keys worked both ignition and seat). Locksmith? -- Mike B. '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes is better. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 17:46:35 2004 From: "Michael Jordan" To: Subject: RE: [SV650_BALT_DC] Saturday Rideouts!!! Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 17:46:22 -0400 > Anyone up for a ride? Absolutely! But the thought of riding from Sterling to Tyson's (normal commute - the bike knows the way and can do it without me) only to turn around and head back to Sterling seems silly. How 'bout a Loudoun County rally point to pick up riders that are west of Tyson's? If I knew your preferred route out of Tyson's, I could suggest a suitable meeting spot to pick up riders - sort of a ride in slowly, new riders tag on to the end of the line, and ride back out sort of thing. Definitely not a long stop. Michael J. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 18:13:45 2004 From: "Dave Yates" To: "DC Cycles" Subject: Re: More Key Issues Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 18:12:49 -0400 X-ELNK-Trace: 956056117932dab21aa676d7e74259b7b3291a7d08dfec7959fbffa9be323b12c82c8bd19ff511d5350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c Mike, If you've got more than one 'spare', take one key and file the edges down a bit on the key. I had trouble duplicating the factory Kaw key exactly as you mention. I make the key monkey keep fiddling with the spare until the lock operated ignition, tank and seat keys. make sure the keys are free of debris and filings before inserting the key in the key hole. You may be able to make them work with just the wire wheel. You're on the scene, you be the judge. last resort, a little oil on the key may do the trick... HTH Dave > At 05:28 PM 7/1/04 -0400, Troutman wrote: > >I returned from another work trip last night, and I see my newly cut keys > >operate the iginition fine, but the seat/helmet lock won't turn at all. I > > >Ideas? > > Either the seat lock is broken/jammed, or the new keys aren't *exactly* > like the originals. (I'm presuming that the old keys worked both ignition > and seat). > > Locksmith? > > > > > -- Mike B. > > '04 FLSTCI (H-D Softail Heritage Classic with EFI for the non-Harley folks) > > Learning from your mistakes is good. Learning from someone else's mistakes > is better. > From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 18:23:13 2004 From: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 18:23:01 EDT Subject: Re: Temporary TOTAL rear brake failure, but WHY??? To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX In a message dated 7/1/2004 3:21:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, pltrgyst@XXXXXX writes: > "Hygroscopic", maybe? 8;) Maybe. #8-/ Good catch, thanks. John. PenguinBiker@XXXXXX From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 18:58:08 2004 From: Lister Lynch To: "'Troutman '" , "'DC Cycles '" Subject: RE: More Key Issues Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 19:00:16 -0400 Some key points to remember are: - the pins in the tumblers are one sided; they only use one side of the key at a time, so taking the key out and turning it 180* uses a different cut on the key - the tank and seat only use like half the pins of the ignition (something like 4?) so the fact that the iggy works but the others don't is suspect. If'n you get the gas cap open, look at the code stamped underneath it and note the last 3 places (e.g. A68) and match that to the code you got off the iggy. Hopefully, they match. HTH Mike -----Original Message----- From: Troutman To: DC Cycles Sent: 7/1/2004 5:28 PM Subject: More Key Issues I returned from another work trip last night, and I see my newly cut keys operate the iginition fine, but the seat/helmet lock won't turn at all. I have tried WD-40, sitting on the seat, wiggling the key and everything else I can think of. Next step is having Honda replace the lock or boring out the lock all together. That would negate the seat lock and any safe under-seat storage. My real problem is that I can't ride the bike much further than the dealership as the seat pan is still locked to the bike but not secured. (Long story, but searching for the keys I pulled the seat part way off and unscrewed the latches) Ideas? ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 19:57:03 2004 From: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 19:56:52 EDT Subject: Re: The ride nearly ended before it began To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX In a message dated 6/30/2004 7:01:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, omni@XXXXXX writes: > Sort of like a "sport/tourer"? A compromise that can do both, but not > quite as well as one purpose-built for either use? Yep. And while the TLR200 has a saddle (like all trials bikes did when I started riding in the dirt) it is small, hard, and would be painfull on all but the shortest errands. BUT! Cage in the way? Bump. Thump. cage behind you with a tire track down its middle #:-) Elevator out of service? Walk up 10 floors? Hell no. Bump, Bump, Bump, Bump, Bump, Bump, Bump, Bump, 10th floor! Yea I could have fun on that bike. John. PenguinBiker@XXXXXX From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Thu Jul 1 23:48:26 2004 From: "John White" To: "DC Cycles" Subject: Holographic Visors Yes or No? Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 23:36:31 -0400 Seal-Send-Time: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 23:36:32 -0400 X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Original I don't know, I've just started seeing a few of them. I saw one the other day that looked like the Joker and I thought it was unique. I liked the way it hid the rider's identity. Plus, the killer like grin added a nice touch. What do you all think? Besides the cost and lack of any other value except for aesthetics are they cool or do they scream SQUID? John 2002 Yamaha YZF600R Been riding for seven months Taking the MSF course in a week :) From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 03:20:14 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 00:20:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Julian Subject: Getting a flat on a bike To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX I have been using my bike as a commuter tool from Arlington to Bethesda. Wednesday night I noticed my pipe was spattered with almost luminescent spots....think Lewinsky's dress. Okay, get out the Honda spray wax\polish ..no joy. Get out the scrub pad and half an hour of elbow grease no joy. I cannot help but wonder if this is deliberate. Tonight...commute up to Bethesda, park in the usual space of Woodmont. Circa 2AM....start bike, get on bike. Bike feels sluggish. Is it me? Am I exhausted? Keep going...steering is mushy. I am thinking front tire. I try a few tests and it seems alignment is off. Drive down to Canal Road....get up to 60 and realize problemo is grande. Tired, mad, stop at gas station before G-towne. Rear tire is down to nothing air. The pump is of course broken. What next? Gimp across the Key Bridge, put enough air in tire to get me to office on North Glebe. Park bike. Notice huge nail in tire? Foul Play??? A night's work down the tubes..maybe more if my wheel is effed! I won't be parking my bike there any more regardless. So now I get to ask you guys....and gals...what's the correct procedure when you get a flat in the middle of nowhere late at night? Is it bad for the bike to ride with low pressure in the tire? As I type this my neighbor is playing the same strains of music I have heard 1000 plus times at all hours of the day and night. My new philosophy of what goes around comes around wants to be replaced with HULK SMASH!!!! I have had a lot of questions about my bike from customers and fellow co-workers. As I am a Bethesda outsider, I cannot help but suspect malicious action as the locals know that R6 in the gargage belongs to me. What should I do tomorrow with bike? Should I gimp it to gas station...block and half away, pump up tire and gimp to Colemans..or does anyone have a better recommendation. Can a pipe be polished out. Thanks all, and know that your e-mails have helped me this evening to remain calm, not spaz out, and prevent myself from calling down Crom and the other gods of war on my enemies..which lately appear to be everywhere. = __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 04:30:46 2004 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 04:30:40 -0400 From: Skip Smith To: John White CC: DC Cycles Subject: Re: Holographic Visors Yes or No? just because it screams squid doesn't mean it's not cool. saw a guy the other morning on a yellow sportbike. he hits the gas to squirt diagonally between a truck and a car, and it gets wobbly on him. he recovers, and pulls a wheelie. sigh. John White wrote: > > I don't know, I've just started seeing a few of them. I saw one the other > day that looked like the Joker and I thought it was unique. I liked the way > it hid the rider's identity. Plus, the killer like grin added a nice touch. > > What do you all think? Besides the cost and lack of any other value except > for aesthetics are they cool or do they scream SQUID? > > John > 2002 Yamaha YZF600R > Been riding for seven months > Taking the MSF course in a week :) From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 07:57:48 2004 From: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 07:57:37 EDT Subject: Re: The ride nearly ended before it began To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX In a message dated 7/1/2004 12:46:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Carl.Custer@XXXXXX writes: > [Carl]: Another unique problem with single track vehicles is Target > Fixation". You go where you look. So, when an object in the street is > revealed by the cage ahead, your instinct is to look out of curiosity . . . > and run over it. I can testify to that one... After years of dirt biking and woods competition I have lots of experience with it and can guarantee that if you look at the ______ (stump, rock, hole, other bike, fill in the blank) you _will_ hit it. There is nothing that scares an MSF instructor more then having a student lose control while staring at them. But target fixation is not just a bike thing, it can and does happen with any vehicle, the big bad bike scares them, they stare at the bike, they hit the bike. John Walters (Long John) PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Up near DC 1999, Honda ST1100X Pan European 1983, BMW R80RT 200,000+ miles 1976, Honda CR250M Motowhat racer From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 08:10:16 2004 From: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:10:04 EDT Subject: Re: For the Harley folks here....not sure if others will care. To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX In a message dated 7/1/2004 3:05:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, omni@XXXXXX writes: > McMaster-Carr's web site is *really* well set up for on-line ordering...and > they have thousands of products. Being a tool nut, I got more than the > hose clamps. Oh lordy, another tool source bookmarked :-( Thanks John. PenguinBiker@XXXXXX From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 08:10:22 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 05:10:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Gimer Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike To: Julian , dc-cycles@XXXXXX this won't be the first nail you pick up in a rear tire. my bet is NO foul play. if the rear holds air, no biggie riding it with low pressure to colemans (or some establishment more worthy of your business). what material is the pipe made of? "never dull" will likely work for you. --- Julian wrote: > I have been using my bike as a commuter tool from > Arlington to Bethesda. Wednesday night I noticed my > pipe was spattered with almost luminescent > spots....think Lewinsky's dress. > Okay, get out the Honda spray wax\polish ..no joy. Get > out the scrub pad and half an hour of elbow grease no > joy. I cannot help but wonder if > this is deliberate. > > Tonight...commute up to Bethesda, park in the usual > space of Woodmont. > Circa 2AM....start bike, get on bike. Bike feels > sluggish. Is it me? > Am I exhausted? Keep going...steering is mushy. I am > thinking front > tire. I try a few tests and it seems alignment is > off. Drive down to Canal Road....get up to 60 and > realize problemo is grande. Tired, mad, > stop at gas station before G-towne. Rear tire is down > to nothing air. > The pump is of course broken. What next? Gimp across > the Key Bridge, put enough air in tire to get me to > office on North Glebe. Park bike. Notice huge nail in > tire? Foul Play??? > > A night's work down the tubes..maybe more if my wheel > is effed! I won't > be parking my bike there any more regardless. So now I > get to ask you > guys....and gals...what's the correct procedure when > you get a flat in > the middle of nowhere late at night? Is it bad for > the bike to ride > with low pressure in the tire? > > As I type this my neighbor is playing the same strains > of music I have > heard 1000 plus times at all hours of the day and > night. My new > philosophy of what goes around comes around wants to > be replaced with > HULK SMASH!!!! I have had a lot of questions about my > bike from > customers and fellow co-workers. > As I am a Bethesda outsider, I cannot help but suspect > malicious action > as the locals know that R6 in the gargage belongs to > me. > > What should I do tomorrow with bike? Should I gimp it > to gas > station...block and half away, pump up tire and gimp > to Colemans..or > does anyone have a better recommendation. Can a pipe > be polished out. > > Thanks all, and know that your e-mails have helped me > this evening to > remain calm, not spaz out, and prevent myself from > calling down Crom and > the other gods of war on my enemies..which lately > appear to be > everywhere. > = __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail is new and improved - Check it out! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 08:18:27 2004 From: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:18:17 EDT Subject: Re: More Key Issues To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX In a message dated 7/1/2004 5:29:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mike@XXXXXX writes: > I returned from another work trip last night, and I see my newly cut keys > operate the iginition fine, but the seat/helmet lock won't turn at all. Things may have changed BUT! The dealers _used_ to be able to take the key/lock number and cut a key for you on the spot using kind of a "nibbler." It was/is a simple hand tool with a dial arrangement that sets the depth of each "nibble." Each notch is cut independently based on the lock number. _Check around_, the trick (assuming this can still be done at all) will be finding a shop that was willing to buy the tool and knows how to use it. Good luck John Walters (Long John) PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Up near DC 1999, Honda ST1100X Pan European 1983, BMW R80RT 200,000+ miles 1976, Honda CR250M Motowhat racer From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 08:54:07 2004 From: PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:53:58 EDT Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX In a message dated 7/2/2004 8:10:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time, t_gimer@XXXXXX writes: > this won't be the first nail you pick up in a rear tire. Buy a cheap air compressor or even just a bicycle type tire pump and keep it at the house. (This would also take care of your immediate problem) Home is where you are most often going to find the tire low because most leaks will be slow and you are more likely to check it there. Without getting into the do/do not do argument, I carry a plug kit and a CO2 type "pump" but of course you first need a place to keep it so it may not work for you. After having my bike "fiddled" with (silly shit, I assume kids) several times at work I installed an alarm system. That could help, but is of course no guarantee. Story alert! Story alert! Story alert! I went out to my _black_ bike once upon a time and there were white paint splotches up the saddle bags, over the tank, and between the steering stem and fairing looked like someone had shaken a paint brush at the side of the bike. PISSED ME OFF! There was a construction site nearby, not close enough for it to be an accident, but close enough for some smart ass to pull a "prank." I started to clean the spots off while they were still somewhat soft , cussing, and looking for someone to blame all the while. Then I started to notice something odd. There was something familiar about some of the spots. They looked kind of like.... They were! Tracks! Animal tracks! Squirrel tracks! I have never figured out exactly what happened but clearly a squirrel had walked through some paint at the construction site, and then had climbed up and over my bike leaving little white footprints from end to end. Damn squirrels! John Walters (Long John) PenguinBiker@XXXXXX Up near DC 1999, Honda ST1100X Pan European 1983, BMW R80RT 200,000+ miles 1976, Honda CR250M Motowhat racer From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:13:15 2004 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:13:05 -0400 To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX From: Troutman Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike At 03:20 AM 7/2/2004, Julian wrote: >.what's the correct procedure when >you get a flat in >the middle of nowhere late at night? Is it bad for >the bike to ride >with low pressure in the tire? Buy a mushroom or strip kit - basically a rubber plug or strip of rubber (http://www.woodking.com/autotools/4_04.htm) and an emergency air kit that uses CO2 and a valve to refill the patched tire. I keep a full assortment under the seat. You bore out the hole the nail left with a round rasp, then push the plug in from the outside and twist it. Once the tire heats up it is locked in place forever. If the hole is on the riding patch, fix and forget it. If it is sidewall, replace immediately. ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:13:26 2004 From: ScooterFZR@XXXXXX Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:13:10 EDT Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Yeah, I can't stand the little buggers either. My sister lives in Harpers Ferry (in the woods, on top of a mountain) and they are EVERYWHERE. The had her cornered in her house one time last summer. Some at the front door and some at the back. She has come up with different ways of dealing with them but, my bro-in-law won't let her. :-) For example, she has a window box with plants in it that they can get to by leaping off of the railing. She wants to put sharpened stakes around the edges so that they impale themselves when they leap. Then leave the carcasses there as a warning. hehe She wanted a .22 but, another no-no. I suggested a paintball gun. I know those suckers hurt on people, can you imagine what they could do to a squirrel? Plus, you could use different colors for different days. If you see a multi-colored squirrel, he's a repeat offender. LOL Anyway, most I've had is a cat walk across my bike and leave foot prints. :-) Scooter In a message dated 7/2/2004 8:54:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time, PenguinBiker@XXXXXX writes: I have never figured out exactly what happened but clearly a squirrel had walked through some paint at the construction site, and then had climbed up and over my bike leaving little white footprints from end to end. Damn squirrels! John Walters (Long John) From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:15:31 2004 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:15:25 -0400 To: "DC Cycles" From: Troutman Subject: Re: More Key Issues At 08:18 AM 7/2/2004, you wrote: >The dealers _used_ to be able to take the key/lock number and cut a key for >you on the spot using kind of a "nibbler." It was/is a simple hand tool >with a >dial arrangement that sets the depth of each "nibble." Each notch is cut >independently based on the lock number. >_Check around_, the trick (assuming this can still be done at all) will be >finding a shop that was willing to buy the tool and knows how to use it. I actually pulled the ignition last week to get the key code. PITA. The keys they cut for me work fine on ignition and tank, just not the seat. My original key operated all 3. I tried a wire brush to take the new off the key, but no joy. I think the lock is just jammed. I'm headed to Honda tomorrow to just get a new lock if they can't un-hinkie the old one. ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:17:04 2004 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:16:55 -0400 To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX From: Troutman Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike At 08:53 AM 7/2/2004, PenguinBiker@XXXXXX wrote: >I have never figured out exactly what happened but clearly a squirrel had >walked through some paint at the construction site, and then had climbed >up and >over my bike leaving little white footprints from end to end. In the news this week - a woman was getting upset that someone was stealing her yellow ribbons in the front yard. Turned out to be a squirrel. ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:33:16 2004 Subject: RE: Getting a flat on a bike Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:33:06 -0400 From: "Verde, Robert" To: "Tom Gimer" , "Julian" , I had a tire go flat while riding through Amarillo. By the time I had identified the cause of the steering problem as a soft rear tire and had slowed to move to the shoulder, the tire was so flat it broke the bead seal and I was riding on an aluminum rim with a band of rubber lossely flopping around it. Be careful riding even short distances, if the tire is really flat you may find yourself with a real control problem... ;-/ If it is holding air, but is low, use your best judgement. It's one thing to have to replace a tire, but a new wheel is a whoooole new level of pain. Robert -----Original Message----- From: Tom Gimer [mailto:t_gimer@XXXXXX] Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 8:10 AM To: Julian; dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike this won't be the first nail you pick up in a rear tire. my bet is NO foul play. if the rear holds air, no biggie riding it with low pressure to colemans (or some establishment more worthy of your business). what material is the pipe made of? "never dull" will likely work for you. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:41:27 2004 Subject: RE: Getting a flat on a bike Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:41:18 -0400 From: "Verde, Robert" To: "Troutman" , I carry a similar tool, which I have been lucky enough not to have to use (cue frantic knocking sounds); http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product.asp?id=tpgk When I'm not on the bike, I carry it in the Jeep. I also have a JC Whitney (I think) tire inflator that runs off of a lighter plug connection, slow but when I tested it, it does the job. All bets are off if the tire bead is broken, it takes a fair amount of rapid pressure to reseat the bead (or more patience then I have). I've been looking at the tire inflators used by bicycle riders, as my mountain bike isn't wired for 12V I carry a hand pump, but the CO2 cartridge system looks to be pretty compact. Anyone have any experience with these inflators? I've seen shops that carry a version labelled Big Air that looks ideal for a motorcycle tire. Robert -----Original Message----- From: Troutman [mailto:mike@XXXXXX] Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 9:13 AM To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike At 03:20 AM 7/2/2004, Julian wrote: >.what's the correct procedure when >you get a flat in >the middle of nowhere late at night? Is it bad for >the bike to ride >with low pressure in the tire? Buy a mushroom or strip kit - basically a rubber plug or strip of rubber (http://www.woodking.com/autotools/4_04.htm) and an emergency air kit that uses CO2 and a valve to refill the patched tire. I keep a full assortment under the seat. You bore out the hole the nail left with a round rasp, then push the plug in from the outside and twist it. Once the tire heats up it is locked in place forever. If the hole is on the riding patch, fix and forget it. If it is sidewall, replace immediately. ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:43:21 2004 From: "Jim McGonigle" To: "'Verde, Robert'" , "'Troutman'" , Subject: RE: Getting a flat on a bike Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:43:23 -0400 I've used the CO2 ones on a bike. They work well, but the CO2 container would have to be considerably bigger for a motorcycle. One container can fill one bike tire in my experience. Also not sure if I want a big CO2 container on my bike if I fall... :) -----Original Message----- From: Verde, Robert [mailto:Robert.Verde@XXXXXX] Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 9:41 AM To: Troutman; dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: RE: Getting a flat on a bike I carry a similar tool, which I have been lucky enough not to have to use (cue frantic knocking sounds); http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product.asp?id=tpgk When I'm not on the bike, I carry it in the Jeep. I also have a JC Whitney (I think) tire inflator that runs off of a lighter plug connection, slow but when I tested it, it does the job. All bets are off if the tire bead is broken, it takes a fair amount of rapid pressure to reseat the bead (or more patience then I have). I've been looking at the tire inflators used by bicycle riders, as my mountain bike isn't wired for 12V I carry a hand pump, but the CO2 cartridge system looks to be pretty compact. Anyone have any experience with these inflators? I've seen shops that carry a version labelled Big Air that looks ideal for a motorcycle tire. Robert -----Original Message----- From: Troutman [mailto:mike@XXXXXX] Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 9:13 AM To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike At 03:20 AM 7/2/2004, Julian wrote: >.what's the correct procedure when >you get a flat in >the middle of nowhere late at night? Is it bad for the bike to ride >with low pressure in the tire? Buy a mushroom or strip kit - basically a rubber plug or strip of rubber (http://www.woodking.com/autotools/4_04.htm) and an emergency air kit that uses CO2 and a valve to refill the patched tire. I keep a full assortment under the seat. You bore out the hole the nail left with a round rasp, then push the plug in from the outside and twist it. Once the tire heats up it is locked in place forever. If the hole is on the riding patch, fix and forget it. If it is sidewall, replace immediately. ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:48:05 2004 Subject: Can a wheel take being ridden on at all? Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:48:02 -0400 From: "Julian Halton" To: "Verde, Robert" , "Tom Gimer" , "Julian" , Last night I rode with an almost three quarter flat about five miles. Is my wheel hosed? From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:55:28 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:55:15 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: "Verde,Robert" , Troutman , dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: RE: Getting a flat on a bike -----Original Message----- From: "Verde, Robert" U, I'm not paying 50 cents for air" pay air pumps. Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:58:00 2004 From: Daniel To: Troutman Cc: "DC Cycles" Subject: Re: More Key Issues Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:57:27 -0400 Have you tried moving the seat up and down and putting weight on the seat, and then turning the lock? From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 09:58:01 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 06:57:38 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Ray Subject: Re: Can a wheel take being ridden on at all? To: DC Cycles The wheel itself is probably fine, but the tire could be hosed. 5 miles? I'd think about a new one. Look at the wheel - Any sign of grinding or chunks on the edge next to the tire? If it's clean & looks like it was new, you're probably just fine. --- Julian Halton wrote: > > Last night I rode with an almost three quarter flat > about five miles. Is > my wheel hosed? > > From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:22:22 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 07:22:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: Bike Stolen. X-Virus-Checked: Checked Sometime between 2200 yesterday and 1000 today, my black 2004 Suzuki DL650 left my driveway. For reasons too ludicrous to explain (read: my own stupidity), I did not have insurance on the bike. I think I may die now. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:22:41 2004 X-OB-Received: from unknown (205.158.62.49) by wfilter.us4.outblaze.com; 2 Jul 2004 14:21:06 -0000 From: "David Blumgart" To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:22:29 -0500 Subject: Which kit do you recommend? (was: Getting flat...) ----- Original Message ----- From: Troutman > ...Buy a mushroom or strip kit - basically a rubber plug or strip of rubber > (http://www.woodking.com/autotools/4_04.htm)... Which of their kits did you buy? -- ___________________________________________________________ Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:29:57 2004 Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:29:47 -0400 From: "Verde, Robert" To: "Fish Flowers" Cc: "DC-Cycles" Oh, man, that really sucks. Very sorry to hear about the theftage, Fish. Care to share the license number, so the list can cast an extra glance at black DL650s? They aren't that common out there. Robert -----Original Message----- From: Fish Flowers [mailto:fish@XXXXXX] Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 10:22 AM To: DC-Cycles Subject: Bike Stolen. Sometime between 2200 yesterday and 1000 today, my black 2004 Suzuki DL650 left my driveway. For reasons too ludicrous to explain (read: my own stupidity), I did not have insurance on the bike. I think I may die now. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:30:14 2004 From: "Rob Keiser" To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: RE: Which kit do you recommend? (was: Getting flat...) Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 10:30:06 -0400 I bought the BMW kit a couple years ago, and IIRC, it was pretty reasonably priced and had the plugs, adhesive, tool, and a couple cans of CO2. Give Jeff Conlin a call. I believe he's now at Bob's in Jessup. Rob '98 VFR800 From: "David Blumgart" To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: Which kit do you recommend? (was: Getting flat...) Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:22:29 -0500 ----- Original Message ----- From: Troutman > ...Buy a mushroom or strip kit - basically a rubber plug or strip of rubber > (http://www.woodking.com/autotools/4_04.htm)... Which of their kits did you buy? -- ___________________________________________________________ Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:32:06 2004 From: To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:31:59 -0400 > > From: Fish Flowers > Date: 2004/07/02 Fri AM 10:22:15 EDT > To: DC-Cycles > Subject: Bike Stolen. > > Sometime between 2200 yesterday and 1000 today, my black 2004 Suzuki DL650 > left my driveway. > > For reasons too ludicrous to explain (read: my own stupidity), I did not > have insurance on the bike. > > I think I may die now. > > Fish. > OH SHIT! And no INSURANCE??? Double SHIT! Damn I'm sorry to hear that man. Jeezus. Bike thieves should be caught and shot on sight. -aki From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:32:57 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 07:32:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. X-Virus-Checked: Checked On Fri, 2 Jul 2004, Verde, Robert wrote: > Care to share the license number, so the list can cast an extra glance > at black DL650s? They aren't that common out there. *bitter laughter* No tags. I hadn't gotten around to registering and tagging it yet, as I've been limping along on the old Frankenbike GS500. Thus no insurance. I have the day off; I was going to go register and title it today. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:33:56 2004 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 10:34:05 -0400 To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX From: Troutman Subject: Re: Which kit do you recommend? (was: Getting flat...) My wife bought me mine at Galyans a couple of years ago. It looks a lot like these kits : http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=tire+flat+co2+kit&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&tab=wf&cat=153 Unfortunately all of the froogle links to shop.com are dead, but the pictures give a good idea. At 10:22 AM 7/2/2004, David Blumgart wrote: > > ...Buy a mushroom or strip kit - basically a rubber plug or strip of > rubber > > (http://www.woodking.com/autotools/4_04.htm)... > >Which of their kits did you buy? ___________________________________________ Mike Troutman http://www.troutman.org/vfr 1997 Honda VFR 750 AMA http://www.ama-cycle.org/ NMA http://www.motorists.org One who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be in danger in a hundred battles. One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win, sometimes lose. One who does not know the enemy and does not know himself will be in danger in every battle. - Sun Tzu From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:35:57 2004 From: To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: RE: Bike Stolen. Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:35:50 -0400 > > From: Fish Flowers > Date: 2004/07/02 Fri AM 10:32:51 EDT > To: DC-Cycles > Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. > > On Fri, 2 Jul 2004, Verde, Robert wrote: > > > Care to share the license number, so the list can cast an extra glance > > at black DL650s? They aren't that common out there. > > *bitter laughter* > > No tags. I hadn't gotten around to registering and tagging it yet, as I've > been limping along on the old Frankenbike GS500. Thus no insurance. > > I have the day off; I was going to go register and title it today. > how long *gulp* did you own the bike? Did you pay cash? Most finance companies would require insurance. -aki From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:37:31 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:37:20 -0400 (EDT) From: "Daniel H. Brown" To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 adamme1@XXXXXX wrote: > Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:31:59 -0400 > From: adamme1@XXXXXX > To: DC-Cycles > Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. > > > > > > From: Fish Flowers > > Date: 2004/07/02 Fri AM 10:22:15 EDT > > To: DC-Cycles > > Subject: Bike Stolen. > > > > Sometime between 2200 yesterday and 1000 today, my black 2004 Suzuki DL650 > > left my driveway. > > > > For reasons too ludicrous to explain (read: my own stupidity), I did not > > have insurance on the bike. > > > > I think I may die now. > > > > Fish. > > > > OH SHIT! And no INSURANCE??? Double SHIT! Damn I'm > sorry to hear that man. Jeezus. Bike thieves should be > caught and shot on sight. > shoot'n's too good for 'em. Sorry to hear about the bike. And really sorry to hear on the insurance. It reminds me that I need to call my agent - I got a letter from them recently saying that since I've been good lately, and have had coverage for a while, they could look at lowering my rates - of course, I sign the thing, send it back and my monthly bill is 175% of normal this time around. New Math, and all that. -- Dan Brown brown@XXXXXX From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:38:51 2004 From: "Rob Keiser" To: dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 10:27:27 -0400 Damn, dude. I'm so sorry. Throw out some details (Tag, VIN #, accessories, etc.) so we can keep an eye out for it. Rob '98 VFR800 From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: Bike Stolen. Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 07:22:15 -0700 (PDT) Sometime between 2200 yesterday and 1000 today, my black 2004 Suzuki DL650 left my driveway. For reasons too ludicrous to explain (read: my own stupidity), I did not have insurance on the bike. I think I may die now. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:48:30 2004 Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:48:21 -0400 From: "Verde, Robert" To: "Fish Flowers" Cc: "DC-Cycles" Wow. Let me know when I can buy you a beer, it sounds like you could sure use one. Robert -----Original Message----- From: Fish Flowers [mailto:fish@XXXXXX] Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 10:33 AM To: DC-Cycles Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. On Fri, 2 Jul 2004, Verde, Robert wrote: > Care to share the license number, so the list can cast an extra glance > at black DL650s? They aren't that common out there. *bitter laughter* No tags. I hadn't gotten around to registering and tagging it yet, as I've been limping along on the old Frankenbike GS500. Thus no insurance. I have the day off; I was going to go register and title it today. Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:59:13 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 07:59:05 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Ray Subject: Re: Stolen Bike To: DC Cycles Fish - How long did you have the bike for? A couple of days? If so, you might still be covered. My insurance agent has always told me that there's a couple of days grace period after the purchase. Buy the vehicle, then contact them to get it added to the policy. Of course, as far as I know, there's no requirement to have registration or even title to get insurance. In fact, I think you have to have proof of insurance before you can get it registered.... Man, that sucks. Hope they recover it. Brian From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 10:59:58 2004 Reply-To: "Jon Strang" From: "Jon Strang" To: "Julian" , Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 11:02:18 -0400 > Wednesday night I noticed my > pipe was spattered with almost luminescent > spots....think Lewinsky's dress. I cannot help but wonder if > this is deliberate. R6? Nope, not me. > Notice huge nail in > tire? Foul Play??? Nail? Again, not me. > Is it bad for > the bike to ride > with low pressure in the tire? It's bad for the tire. It's bad for the bike if you fall down. It's bad for the rim if it is really low. > As I type this my neighbor is playing the same strains > of music I have heard 1000 plus times at all hours of the day and > night. I ordered some new CDs. I hope you like them. > block and half away, pump up tire and gimp > to Colemans..or > does anyone have a better recommendation. In all seriousness, my super-duper bicycle pump does a great job on my m/c tires. It's a high-volume MTB pump from a bike shop...about $20. It saves me the huge PITA of finding a gas station in Arlington with compressed air. > Can a pipe > be polished out. Yes. Many automotive and household metal polishes out there work well. > ...my enemies..which lately > appear to be > everywhere. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. --jon From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 11:01:28 2004 From: "richard sandwich" To: viffermaniac@XXXXXX, Robert.Verde@XXXXXX, mike@XXXXXX, dc-cycles@XXXXXX Subject: RE: Getting a flat on a bike Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 10:50:05 -0400 You can get the same-type kit at Trash Auto (Advanced Auto, these days) for about 10 bucks. Maybe not as nice, but if it has a plug and a rasp, it would do the trick. Don't know what kind of bikes you guys ride, but if you have storage, a can of Fix-a-Flat is pretty handy. I don't have a nice bike, i.e., one that requires $150 tires, therefore I have a policy of not riding my bikes with a plugged tire. If I use the Fix-a-Flat, it takes care of the problem in the short term, I don't feel bad riding around for a few days on the tire, then I get it replaced. Some would argue about the dangers of riding on Fix-a-Flat-inflated tires, but again, I said it's a short-term solution. Take care >From: Paul Wilson >Reply-To: Paul Wilson >To: "Verde,Robert" , Troutman , > dc-cycles@XXXXXX >Subject: RE: Getting a flat on a bike >Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 09:55:15 -0400 (GMT-04:00) > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: "Verde, Robert" >I carry a similar tool, which I have been lucky enough not to have to use >(cue frantic knocking sounds); >http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product.asp?id=tpgk > >When I'm not on the bike, I carry it in the Jeep. I also have a JC Whitney >(I think) tire inflator that runs off of a lighter plug connection, slow >but when I tested it, it does the job. All bets are off if the tire bead >is broken, it takes a fair amount of rapid pressure to reseat the bead (or >more patience then I have). > >---- >Robert > >------ > >Similar to Robert, I bought a $10 12V pump at Wally-World and it goes with >me on trips. I think it was branded "Campbell-Hausfeld." I removed the >innards and threw away the plastic case. While mainly intending to use it >for emergencies, I used it a couple of times on my trip. I find it easier >to air up first thing in the morning that way, esp. if I'm not getting gas >right away, or the gas station has one of the those "F U, I'm not >paying 50 cents for air" pay air pumps. > > > >Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org >95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] > _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 11:04:08 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:03:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Paul Wilson Reply-To: Paul Wilson To: Fish Flowers Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. Cc: DC-Cycles -----Original Message----- From: Fish Flowers [mailto:fish@XXXXXX] On Fri, 2 Jul 2004, Verde, Robert wrote: > Care to share the license number, so the list can cast an extra glance > at black DL650s? They aren't that common out there. *bitter laughter* No tags. I hadn't gotten around to registering and tagging it yet, as I've been limping along on the old Frankenbike GS500. Thus no insurance. I have the day off; I was going to go register and title it today. Fish. -------------- That sucks, verily. I hope this will not be taken as Monday morning quarterbacking, Fish, but whenever I purchase a vehicle, that puppy's on my insurance before I take delivery, regardless of whether it will be plying the public ways right away or not. Case in point, with the KLR, it was on my insurance (and faxed insurance card in my hands) *before* I went to see the PO, money changed hands, etc. I got the VIN and other necessary information in advance. Remember the *primary* function of insurance is to protect your assets by pooling risk with other policyholders. The state's/lender's requirements are a distant second. I've reached the ripe old age of 39 with enough weird stuff happening to me that "going bare" is not compatible with my comfort zone. I would call bike thieves pond scum, but that's way too far up the evolutionary ladder for them. Paul in DC, whose middle name might as well be "Murphy" Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR [Sport-tour] - 96 KLR650 [Dirt-tour] From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 11:42:12 2004 Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 08:42:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Fish Flowers To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. X-Virus-Checked: Checked Thanks, all, for the kind words, and also for the admonishing slaps. I've owned the bike for longer than the 30 days that State Farm will cover. At least in Maryland, State Farm requires you to register and title the bike before they'll insure, and Maryland requires you to have a bill of sale and certificate of origin before they'll title. It took awhile for Romney to get me the bill of sale, and then when I went to the MVA (last week) to finally get this done, the MVA bounced me because I didn't have the _original_ bill of sale. Well, Romney sent me the original bill of sale, which I received on Tuesday or Wednesday. So, today was to be the day of the great Title-register-insure-tag trip. Gah. Homeowner's won't cover the loss, alas. The (actually rather nice) PGPD officer just left. Apparently he's also a bike enthusiast and used to race dirt bikes, so we commiserated a bit. He gives me low odds of getting it back, and even then it'll likely be trashed. Woo! I think I'll go have a beer. Or maybe some scotch. I've got some Johnny Walker Blue I've been saving... So, anyway. Unless I can cobble together another functioning GS500 by Monday, I may be making yet another trip out to Romney. Assuming my bank will issue me another loan, that is... Fish. From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 11:49:47 2004 Subject: RE: Bike Stolen. Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 11:49:45 -0400 From: "Julian Halton" To: "Daniel H. Brown" , "DC-Cycles" Shootings too good for them I agree. So sorry Fish. -----Original Message----- From: Daniel H. Brown [mailto:brown@XXXXXX] Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 10:37 AM To: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 adamme1@XXXXXX wrote: > Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:31:59 -0400 > From: adamme1@XXXXXX > To: DC-Cycles > Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. > > > > > > From: Fish Flowers > > Date: 2004/07/02 Fri AM 10:22:15 EDT > > To: DC-Cycles > > Subject: Bike Stolen. > > > > Sometime between 2200 yesterday and 1000 today, my black 2004 Suzuki > > DL650 left my driveway. > > > > For reasons too ludicrous to explain (read: my own stupidity), I did > > not have insurance on the bike. > > > > I think I may die now. > > > > Fish. > > > > OH SHIT! And no INSURANCE??? Double SHIT! Damn I'm sorry to hear > that man. Jeezus. Bike thieves should be caught and shot on sight. > shoot'n's too good for 'em. Sorry to hear about the bike. And really sorry to hear on the insurance. It reminds me that I need to call my agent - I got a letter from them recently saying that since I've been good lately, and have had coverage for a while, they could look at lowering my rates - of course, I sign the thing, send it back and my monthly bill is 175% of normal this time around. New Math, and all that. -- Dan Brown brown@XXXXXX From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 11:51:31 2004 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 11:51:51 -0400 From: Skip CC: DC-Cycles Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. hangin's too goo for 'em burnin's too good for em' they should be torn into itsy bitsy pieces and buried alive! Julian Halton wrote: > > Shootings too good for them I agree. So sorry Fish. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Daniel H. Brown [mailto:brown@XXXXXX] > Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 10:37 AM > To: DC-Cycles > Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. > > On Fri, 2 Jul 2004 adamme1@XXXXXX wrote: > > > Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2004 10:31:59 -0400 > > From: adamme1@XXXXXX > > To: DC-Cycles > > Subject: Re: Bike Stolen. > > > > > > > > > > From: Fish Flowers > > > Date: 2004/07/02 Fri AM 10:22:15 EDT > > > To: DC-Cycles > > > Subject: Bike Stolen. > > > > > > Sometime between 2200 yesterday and 1000 today, my black 2004 Suzuki > > > > DL650 left my driveway. > > > > > > For reasons too ludicrous to explain (read: my own stupidity), I did > > > > not have insurance on the bike. > > > > > > I think I may die now. > > > > > > Fish. > > > > > > > OH SHIT! And no INSURANCE??? Double SHIT! Damn I'm sorry to hear > > that man. Jeezus. Bike thieves should be caught and shot on sight. > > > > shoot'n's too good for 'em. > > Sorry to hear about the bike. And really sorry to hear on the > insurance. > > It reminds me that I need to call my agent - I got a letter from them > recently saying that since I've been good lately, and have had coverage > for > a while, they could look at lowering my rates - of course, I sign the > thing, send it back and my monthly bill is 175% of normal this time > around. > > New Math, and all that. > > -- > Dan Brown > brown@XXXXXX From dc-cycles-request@XXXXXX Fri Jul 2 11:56:11 2004 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 12:01:03 -0400 To: Julian , dc-cycles@XXXXXX From: Mike Bartman Subject: Re: Getting a flat on a bike At 12:20 AM 7/2/04 -0700, Julian wrote: >pipe was spattered with almost luminescent >spots....think Lewinsky's dress. >stop at gas station before G-towne. Rear tire is down >to nothing air. My first thought was, "are these two related", but not in the paranoid way you did (BTW, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they *aren't* out to get you! ;-). Does your bike have any "tire goop" in it? The stuff I used in my mountain bike tires was almost a florescent green and if it leaked out a bit, say, past a huge nail before it could seal the leak, and spattered on nearby parts of my bike, it might fit the description "almost luminescent"...and I'd expect it to be a bear to get off too. BTW, it's a real good idea to check your tires with a gauge frequently. Once a week at least, and before any major trip. Glancing at them every time you get on the bike is a good idea too. Glances won't detect a few pounds of problem, but it will prevent you from trying to ride on half-flat tires. Even a few pounds off will affect handling and safety enough to want to avoid it. >guys....and gals...what's the correct procedure when >you get a flat in the middle of nowhere late at night? I'd call the 800 number on my H.O.G. card and get them to send a tow truck to take it to the nearest repair facility. I paid the extra $19.95 so that such a call won't cost me anything except the cost of the actual repairs, which I'd be paying anyway. I believe there are similar plans available through other bike organizations but I haven't looked into it as the H.O.G. one was there already for me. Maybe AMA? If you have tubeless tires you might consider getting and carrying a tire repair kit. You can plug a hole and reinflate the tire enough to get to a repair place fairly easily, and without having to dismount the tire. You have to keep the speed down with the plugged tire, but it will move you. The tire is toast at that point, but a big hole should result in a replacement anyway. Not true for a cage tire, but bike tires are a lot more critical to safety and have demands put on them that cage tires don't. Based on your description, I'd replace yours if I were you. >Is it bad for the bike to ride with low pressure in the tire? Yes. Who's going to maintain it if you are dead or crippled? >I have had a lot of questions about my bike from >customers and fellow co-workers. >As I am a Bethesda outsider, I cannot help but suspect >malicious action >as the locals know that R6 in the gargage belongs to >me. You know your customers and co-workers best, but there is road debris, and you could have picked up the nail on your ride in, even before the spots appeared on your pipe if the tire has tire goop in it and that's what was on your pipes. I once went out to start my Jeep, and it just clicked. It was less than two years old at the time, so age-related problems weren't an option. I had it towed to the dealer, thinking "warranty repair"...but they found that some wires under the hood had been cut! "Any enemies?" the service manager asked. I didn't know of any, and wondered how they had gotten the hood open without setting off the alarm, but it is parked outside, and my (now ex-) wife had had a run-in with a crazy lady on her way home a couple of days earlier. Maybe. Get Jeep fixed (couple hundred in labor to splice things back together), set up security cameras to cover the driveway, and hope whoever it was w