Why I like Motorcycles

There is the old saying in motorsports "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" but anyone would be a fool to believe that the vehicle on the showroom floor is the same as on the race track. They are two completely different animals.

I'm very much aware of the emission regulations imposed on motorcycles. For one thing they basically eliminated the 2-stroke motorcycle because of the oil being burned to lubricate the engine.

We also know that we have speed limits that impose a pragmatic limitation on motorcycle riders. Yes, being able to cut a second off the time required to pass a car or truck might seem important but in fact it is not. The requirement is that the passing of another vehicle must be safe so a slower motorcycle merely requires the rider to adjust their timing of the pass so that passing is safely accomplished. A 250cc obviously requires a larger distance between oncoming vehicles than a 500cc would require. Excessive speed is still not acceptable for making the pass.

Now here's a question worthy of consideration. Should the California CARB standards be our national emission standards? If the technology exists to cost effectively reduce the emissions then why isn't it being applied across the board?

 

Supersport is factory bikes. It IS what is on the showroom floor. What they do in superbike and MotoGP is wizardry... but the tech matriculates. Fly by wire, traction control, etc.

Bikes are much less emissions efficient than cars. It is counterintuitive because they are, on average, twice as fuel efficient... but half as emissions efficient. I always chuckled at enviros who list planet health as an excuse to ride... because that little thing is polluting more than the Hummer they rattle their fists at. 2 strokes... I miss them so much. Just amazing little powerplants.

Catalytic converters etc are just too big and heavy for bikes, so they have gotten a bit of a pass over the years, save in California. You will be delighted to know, though, that the EPA is matching standards with CA in the near future, and all bikes will be Cali-like.

The technology exists, but it comes with performance costs, and added expense. In the sportbike world, the cheapest easiest way to drop weight and gain HP is to immediately change out the pipe, and put a power commander (EFI programmable unit to change fuel mixture) or, in my day, carb jets and needles. Next time you are at a place with a bunch of sportbikes in the parking lot, go take a look. You will be hard pressed to find many with stock exhaust. Some buy them for the sound, some the power, and most "the look".

 

All it takes in the nutter state of California is a petition drive to put an
initiative { drive } up for a ballot vote.
That is how the 2 stroke Ban was started way back in the late 90]s.
Now even old type 2 stoke outboard motors are banned.

 

What on earth are you babbling on about now.Of course ALL Major brand motorcyles
HAVE Catalytic Converters right inside the exhaust. Have for years.Plus the
O2 Sensors.Bikes HAVE to meet emmissions standards or the manufacturer
will pay a huge fine and then have to shelve models until the standard is meet.
My new Honda CB 1100 has an awesome engine but it's been Detuned on purpose
in order to satisfy a government emmissions mandate.
Again ... what are you babbling on about now.

 

They have tiny cats. The reason emissions standards have been so lenient on motorcycles is because to make them as efficient as cars would have required huge cats, which are unwieldy and impractical on motorcycles, and bikes are such a small part of road traffic, they have been allowed to be among the worst pollutants you can buy.

You would be wise to address me with more respect. I am very knowledgeable on the subject. I don't "babble on" about things... I explain them.

 

I raced local NASCAR superstocks and we started with a factory Chevy small block and that was the end of the comparison to a stock car. The block machining, cam, valves and virtually everything else was different. The engine "looked stock" but that was all. A racing superbike "looks" sort of stock but is far from it. By analogy it's like comparing a .223 caliber Bushmaster with an M-16. They look alike but are completely different firearms.

I just sold my restored 1976 Harley-Davidson SS250 2-stroke and it was a blast to ride. My very first motorcycle was a Yamaha 70 2-stroke. Yes, I sort of miss them but not that much. You know what I really miss? I miss the 2-cycliner Honda 125 from the late 1960's and early 1970's. Today Honda offers a 125 but it's a single that isn't nearly as good looking (but does have about 1/2 the parts to break LOL)

Apparently the issue of unique California special motorcycles is going away in the not too distant future.

I don't oppose emission standards per se but do believe they should be co-developed between the government and the industry. As the industry improves the technology to reduce emissions then the standards should be incorporated.

True but like in racing if everyone has the same standards to meet there is no advantage or disadvantage.

 

Purgatorio {1309}
Vien dietro a me, e lascia dir le genti.
" Come follow me and let the world babble. "

 

Honda has the All New GROM

 

I raced AMA supersport for several years. I have a pro license. The frame and engine MUST be stock. You cannot change cams/mill. The rest is the billion dollar bolt-on and tire market... Superbike is a totally different animal. In supersport, however, the powerplant, drivetrain, and frame are stock. The minimum weight you could run was like 366 as memory serves. Cars are very different. Your changes to suspension, exhaust and tuning, brakes etc have more to do with finding your limits and adaptation to your style on the track. You have a factory powerplant, a minimum weight, and there is only so much race/av gas is gonna getcha. The technology developed for these bikes is to improve their standing in the track results... and are developed on the track. Bikes weigh what they weigh because of AMA standards. They produce the power they produce because of AMA standards. It is direct translation.

Not really worth arguing about... but the only advantage the factory teams get over everyone else is their bikes engines are all magically balanced, and yours came off a showroom.

 

It's an 03' Kawasaki Vulcan 500. Getting ready to roll over to 24k. I have no idea when the vavles were last checked. I seem to remember a guy at the Vulcan forum saying they need inspected every 5-7k. I have absolutely no desire to mess with it myself, or the carbs, just wondering how often everyone else needed some maintenance.

I checked the front disk, it's nice and dry so I'm guessing the line needs bled or the fluid is low. Again, not something I care to jack around with.

 

There are basically 2 kinds of Valves.The kind that need adjustment { shim under bucket }
and Hydraulic or self-adjusting mechanical lifters.
The Kawasaki Vulcan 750,1500,1600 and 2000 are Hydraulic.
Your Manual { Every new bike comes with a motorcycle manual and in it
a maintenance schedule } will spell out whether to need valve adj. periodic
maintenance.
On motorcycles with hydraulic valves the inspection is usually at around
24,ooo miles.
For Shim under Bucket much sooner. Like around 8,ooo miles.

 

What he said.

Sounds like what you need is a reliable motorcycle mechanic. They can be hard to find. You should take it to the dealership... if they are not complete crooks. Look around online for horror stories. Not (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)ing, but multiple bad stories... and avoid until you find one that doesn't have any.

 

Yes,certainly Sherlock.But it may be necessary to check those valves even if
you don't own a motorcycle.
It mite be best to practice on a Schwinn bicycle first.

 

Drunk again, boy?

 

Yeah, I'll probably take it in to the Kawi dealer I got it from. Sucks though, I know their mechanics are busy as hell this time of year, so I'll have to 'cage it' for awhile.

 

Anyone ever been stranded in BFE due to break down or running out of fuel?

I've ran out of fuel here in town a couple times (you'd think I'd learn to check the tank), but was within pushing distance from a gas station the first time, and a good Samaritan gave me a little fuel the second time.

Had a slight scare while cruising some black top in the middle of nowhere, but fortunately I was just in the wrong gear for the speed while going up a hill. It sure felt like (*)(*)(*)(*) was about to hit the fan.

 

No...both my mikes have had fuel gauges.

 

That's part of the dealer scam they run.I have witnessed it now for near 15 years.
Dealers always act like there's so busy they just don't know when they squeeze you in.
It's purely psychological.That's why many a Motorcyle dealer went under.
Because they can't get enough business to sustain the business.
Service is probably the easiest way for a dealer to post a profit margin.
New Motorcycles have a built-in mark-up that is fairly advertised.But not
the Service dept.Dealers now charge I believe $ 85 dollars an hr. for service.
That's just for labor.That's why they purposedly round off labor to the
full hour.Ex. ... They have yer bike for an hour and a half yet charge you for
2 hrs.If just an oil change the bike sits idle draining for a full 30 minutes.
It's a scam.Just like the scam car dealers have adopted.They are trained at schools
for this practice.You go in and explain exactly what's wrong with yer car and where
the problem is and yet they won't even look at it w/o a mandatory Diagnostic.
meaning you could pay easily over $ 100 for a quick diagnostic and they don't
fix squat.Plus diagnostics are programmed to spot stuff,most often very minor { doesn't
reguire maintenance }
Another ex. You have a problem with fuel delievery.You think you may need to
have the injectors cleaned.When all it may be is you don't put the gas cap on
tight enough.Or may have even forgotten to put the cap back on.
Most new cars have pressurized gas tanks.Forget to put the gas cap on
properly,just once and yer looking at a problem.Dealers exist for your Moola.
Don't let them sweet talk you into thinking their yer buddy.

 

How so. You mean you have 2 little Mikey's like the tot in the cereal commercial.

 

Ran out of fuel twice in 15 years.Once on my Valkyrie Tourer which had
carbs and a reserve petcock.The Bike sounded really rough and loud just before
it started to stall out.So you may have a few seconds to squeeze off the road
into a spot or hopefully a gas station.
I ran out of gas on my VTX 1800 in the middle of summer and ended up
pushing it about a half mile to a Convenient.The bike also got loud before it
ran down.
And the last time was about 4 years ago,again in summer and on a 2 lane
freeway.I was on my M109 Suzuki { Now retired } and close to 5 miles the
closest Convenient. I was gonna just grin and bear it and push.There was an incline which
meant if I made it up that the other side would let me glide probably 2 miles.
Luckily I wasn't pushing more than a few minutes when a Pickup truck and
long trailer stopped and offered assistance.We lashed down the bikem as secure
as possible.The sidestand and weight of the bike would have to handle it's
immobility.The guy was a professional landscaper and the trailer was totally
empty.But the trailer was TOO long and a bit rickety.Even though the guy went
kinda slow the trailer hopped around.But we made it to that Convenient and he
gave me his business card.

 

I've never been stranded but have "run out of fuel" twice.

The first time was no real drama as I actually ran out at the pump.

The second time was traveling from Bend OR to WA on Hwy 97. I'd filled up in Bend but rode around a little the night before leaving and didn't stop in Madras (44 miles from Bend) to top off because I knew there was a gas station in Shaniko (81 miles from Bend). The problem was that when I got to Shaniko the gas station was no longer in business!!! The next gas station on Hwy 97 is at Biggs Junction where Hwy 97 crosses the Columbia river.that is about 138 miles from Bend OR. Had I left Bend with a full tank I would have made it easily as I can get about 145 miles out of a tank of gas but I didn't add the few ounces of few that I'd used the night before leaving and I didn't top off in Madras.

About seven miles from Biggs Junction the engine sputtered on a turn... and then again on the next turn as the fuel ran away from the pick-up. It's a winding road and every time I went into a turn the engine would quit but then fire up again on the short straight aways. Fortunately it's about a 9 mile downhill run to Biggs so it was downhill all of the way and even if I ran completely out of gas I would still make it without having to push but it kept sputtering and quiting all of the way there. When I finally made it and filled up it took the full 3.3 gallons the tank will hold. The tank was bare as a bone.

Lesson Learned: When you only have a 3.3 gallon tank you should never pass up an opportunity to top off even if it's just a fraction of a gallon when traveling on long stretches of deserted highways.

PS - I now carry an extra quart of fuel on road trips just in case. It isn't much, about 11 miles of fuel, but it can make a difference between calling for roadside service and making it to the next gas pump. Pushing my Harley is completely out of the question. LOL

 

Sorry Charlie but you really can't do that.Carry additional gas in a container
when riding. If caught you could lose yer license and have yer bike towed for
impound.Carrying any gas is lethal. Whats to say you get knocked off yer bike and that
quart of gas goes flying or skidding on the ground to be run over in summer by hot tires.
Sometimes you talk like a novice.
I think you are.

 

In what jurisdiction can you "lose yer license and have yer bike towed for impound"? Be specific and cite the relevant statutes.

Or don't, and admit you're bloviating, as usual!

 

That would've been a hell of a hike pushing a bike that size. Luckily the cycle Gods had mercy!

 

Another lesson I take from your post, is that in some cases, it might be worth the effort to call and check out the stops along the planned route.

And you just reminded me that I need to have my reserve looked at. It doesn't work for some reason. I've even tried switching it over to reserve when filling up... still didn't work as I discovered the second time I ran out of fuel.