R100R 1993

[Airbear]

Lovely writing there, Souljer. Quite an adventure you had amongst the young.
Better to have a 'cartoon bike' than an 'angry insect'.

By the way, when a carb has the dribbles I can usually fix it by popping off the float bowl and tickling the float up and down a couple of times with the fuel supply on. This washes out the particle of whatever is preventing the needle from sealing. You might even be able to impress the kiddies by being able to fix something in a carpark.

[ME 109]

Are you the one who mentioned 3000rpm? That turned out to be very... healthy advise. Thanks.

Well, someone on adv suggested keeping revs at a minimum of 3k for the charging system.
I suggested keeping the revs higher for power when you needed it. More traffic, more revs.

When doing tight, slow turns in first gear, try using the rear brake to control power to the ground. The clutch is also slipped to a degree. About 14-1500 rpm plus the clutch slip/rear brake helps significantly in balancing the bike.

[Souljer]

Hi,

Yes that was you. Thank you.
I don't recall anyone ever mentioning that part about more revs in lower gears = more available torque in traffic. I noticed I was keeping it between 2500 - 3500. When it got up around 4k I tended to shift up. However on the streets that did not happen too often.

I watched several videos on YouTube and ended up buying this guys series and book. I find it very useful and watch it often. In this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIM1ZJJajHs
he's selling it at a rally somewhere. There are several of these from different bike rallies. There is also one that is a teaser/introduction to his 5th version of his basic training video, which I now have. I try to practice this stuff at least once a week. In the video he explains exactly what you're talking about. In that last picture from my story you can see me covering the clutch. I don't remember, but we were entering the parking lot so I probably was using these slow speed techniques.

Before buying but after watching a few videos I tried out the techniques. I don't know about other bikes and motors but just standing still and giving it some throttle, you can really feel the bike push or rock to the right. Moving slowly with the correct amount of rear brake I can feel the bike sit up, even when moving very slowly. Could the fly wheel be acting as a gyroscope?

[Souljer]

Hi AirBear,

Thanks for that. I'll try that.
Not sure I want to fix anything in front of the children. Better that they think it's magical technology. Like an abacus.

I agree about the angry insect look. That's what I'd been thinking and exactly what I did not want when I started seriously looking for a bike about 3 months ago. I even mentioned it in my first post here when I was looking for help and guidance.
The R100R is very close to everything I wanted. I'm happy with it.

If:
• 'Cartoon Bike' makes me laugh.
• I'm happy my gear has huge reflective patches.
• I'm happy my motorcycle motor is cooled by air flow (no radiator and thus fewer parts).
• I'm not concerned with top speed. I'll get there when I get there.
• When I get there I think it's cooler than the sports bikes because I have panniers to stow my gear and the kids have to carry their gear around.
- does that mean I'm older or wiser?

[ME 109]

Hi,

Moving slowly with the correct amount of rear brake I can feel the bike sit up, even when moving very slowly. Could the fly wheel be acting as a gyroscope?

Difficult to put into words, but I know what you mean.
Using the rear brake as such makes it possible to do full lock turns with feet on the pegs.
Keep that clutch covered at low speeds/low engine revs!
If you stall while doing a very tight turn, the bike will immediately want to fall over into the turn. Particularly when the rear wheel stops turning because it's in gear with a dead engine. Being able to immediately pull the clutch will release the rear wheel and prevent the bike falling over.

Pulling the clutch can also aid in standing the bike up in a second or third gear corner, if you find yourself with insufficient power to roll the throttle on to achieve the same result. Useful in situations where one doesn't want to roll on more power/speed, and also doesn't want to fall into the corner.

[Airbear]

...
If:
• 'Cartoon Bike' makes me laugh.
• I'm happy my gear has huge reflective patches.
• I'm happy my motorcycle motor is cooled by air flow (no radiator and thus fewer parts).
• I'm not concerned with top speed. I'll get there when I get there.
• When I get there I think it's cooler than the sports bikes because I have panniers to stow my gear and the kids have to carry their gear around.
- does that mean I'm older or wiser?

Older AND wiser I would say, Souljer.
Not sure about myself. I was once a young fool and now I'm a much older fool.
I do have a lovely old airhead that I have repaired and refurbished to a state that causes me to grin whenever I lay eyes on her. She is one of my favourite people, especially since she has always carried me home safely. (Well, almost always - there was one night when an unroadworthy cow side-swiped us and she (the bike, not the cow) had to come home in a trailer).

ps: Chuey once said that it is wrong to anthropomorphise motorcycles because they don't like it. I beg to differ.

[daz]

"Older AND wiser I would say, Souljer.
Not sure about myself. I was once a young fool and now I'm a much older fool.
I do have a lovely old airhead that I have repaired and refurbished to a state that causes me to grin whenever I lay eyes on her. She is one of my favourite people, especially since she has always carried me home safely. (Well, almost always - there was one night when an unroadworthy cow side-swiped us and she (the bike, not the cow) had to come home in a trailer). "

Still holding a grudge on the poor woman who ran into your bike?

[Airbear]

Still holding a grudge on the poor woman who ran into your bike?

Ha, no Daz. Both I and the bike required surgery on our front ends. She, definitely of bovine persuasion, was seen wandering in circles the following day, then disappeared. Probably made her next appearance on the farmer's barbecue. I was and am still pissed off with the farmer, whose fences and cattle grids are still in notoriously bad condition. I continue to eat beef with pleasure.

[bbelk]

Just catching up on this thread and I enjoyed it.

if you have anyone (including yourself) that likes you looking like you, and you enjoy solid foods after a major trauma, find yourself a good quality, VERY good fitting full face helmet.

Here is a picture I send my son once a year. He rides a large noisy bike and wears a half-shell helmet. The helmet in the picture is my neighbors. He broke his arm in this crash, but his face was fine. I agree with you that staying out of crashes is more important than the gear, but sometimes.... When my neighbor went down, it was because a role of pink fiberglass insolation fell off an oncoming truck on a two lane road. Some things are just really hard to avoid.

Hey man, that was really good, keep it up.

I enjoyed your story of the ride with the youngsters a lot.

[PITAPan]

Couple thoughts:

Helmet chinstrap looks loose. Even trivial acidents can be pretty violent. if it comes off what's the point? I know of two recent incidents where well fastened helmets came off, both very severe accidents, one rider survived with major injuries--both legs broken just going over the bars, the other was DOA, massive chest injuries. if the helmet can rotate on your head, like sliding off the head to the rear, it presents a sharp edge at the nape of the neck and the chinstrap can get around your throat. either can be easily fatal in situation you should be getting up and walking away from.

Friend of mine was in a minor accident on 880 in stop 'n' slow outside of Fremont. Rear ended a guy or something and fell down. But he fell forward onto his stomach and the face of his full face helmet went right into the ground. he gets up, piscks up the bike and rides home. Some rashed fairings---and the faceshield and right front side of the helmet were ground off. Maybe 25mph? looking at they helmet is instructive...more than a year of facial reconstructive and plastic surgery if he was wearing an open face, and he still would have been significantly disfigured. The multiple bone structures (jaw) and sinus cavities will crush, absorbing the impact and protecting the brain, it's survivable...

Cops have to deal with the public and possibly deploy weapons, very fast. They are also looking around for a lot more than what car is trying to cream them. Max visibility matters. A full face helmet is problematic. So they don't wear them. They know they are at greater risk. Comes with the job, like getting shot at. Their rider training doesn't lessen the risk. They could wer more protective helmets without giving up the advantages of the open face. They aren't smart enough.

Friend of mine has been wearing the same old style (think Buco) open face for 35+ years. He paints it every so often. He has survived one low-side that broke his leg and one freak accident that broke his spine. Still wears the same helmet. In the words of The Man, "...do you feel lucky?..."

The jacket looks very baggy. if it has armor it it then the armor won't be where you want it when you want it. Going down at any speed you ideally want to be on your back sliding feet first. if the jacket is too loose it will ride up, costing you lower back protection. I have a very oversized leather jacket I wear in the cold, with a lot of warmies under it. Although I left the elbow and shoulder armor in it, mostly for show, I wear an armored shirt over a T-shirt, close to the skin. It's an elastic mesh thing I got on discount (older model with oddish styling).http://www.actionstation.com/catalog/bo ... -black.php On closeout directly from Bohn it was about $75. I figure a chipped elbow would cost 10x that much, never mind a spinal injury. The summer perf jacket fits snugly, has exterior straps to locate the lower arm armor. I'll add a race back protector if I know I'm going farther in harms way.

Modern armor is designed not to cut through a jacket from the inside on impact. Older types will have exposed edges....

There are endless discussions about jacket and glove materials. But the construction matters more. If the seams blow apart on impact who cares how good the leather or nylon is? Seams that are positioned correctly and things like kevlar thread count for a lot. Styled up gloves made of a zillion little pieces and bits of styling fako CF plastic might look ferocious, but all those seams melt on impact and you're wearing a bundle of little rags. I wear race gauntlets that are extremely secure for 95% of my riding. Only the rain gloves are looser and less secured. Often I'll just let the race gloves get wet if the conditions are iffy---like urban riding. I carry surgical gloves to wear under--adds some warmth and keeps the hands from tuning black from leaching leather dye. I switch to the rain gloves on tour. warm, goretex FWIW which ain't much, decent leather and I waterproof it. Wet leather is very soft...

I have a pair of perf leather pants I got used from a guy who had a severe accident on his sport bike and had retired from riding. The scuffing all over the leather said a lot about what touched down. The only non-cosmetic damage was to the velcro patch on one knee. it had melted through. Some nylon suits are very well regarded as crash worthy (and staggeringly expensive). But nylon melts. That's why I wear leather, always.

I've been up to Griffith park. pretty. but riding LA streets sucks. urban riding is all about scanning. Hard to relax and enjoy the ride. Try heading up to Ventura along the coast, then a bit further and turn inland on 33. Killer road all the way to the county line (when the pavement goes to hell). May be full of squids on the weekend, lot of them can't ride or stay in lane and are extremely dangerous. When I was last through it was deserted except for one guy having fun in a Super 7.

If the headers are stainless you can polish them out. otherwise people have had success with having them professionally coated. ye Olde rattle can header paint works too. You redo it once a year or so. Structural problems happen on the inside later in the exhaust tract when the gasses cool and water condenses out. I have seen the entrances to mufflers rusted away. if you have a collector box or Cat, the issue will be there.

If you don't want stuff stolen in LA, take it with you. Your plastic bags are worth little--they can be opened with a good kick--or just drop the bike on them. I have a pack-safe helmet bag and an exo-mesh to go over a duffle for light security but for something like a public lot in down town Denver (for 2 hours) I take everything with me in a backpack duffle and then cover the bike and lock the cover.


Edit:

insomuch as I am once again catching grief for being overly brief, I'll try to add something. Riding over 3000 rpm is essential for charging. In urban riding you are loosing ground (electrically) every time you stop for a light and idle. it takes 2++ minutes of riding just to recover what you used starting the thing. Riding around at torque peak may appear to have advantages, but the responsiveness of the CV carb is very poor. Just try cracking it hard and see what it does and how quickly. ry at different RPMs and see where it does the best. When rolling, your greatest threats will come from the direct front and front quarters. Accelerating out of trouble is seldom useful. Being able to swerve really hard and stand the thing on it's nose with the brakes will serve you better. So will being able to thread needles with it.

Watch your shadow. Your shadow points to danger, and the longer the shadow, the greater the danger.