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bbelk wrote: I agree with you that staying out of crashes is more important than the gear, but sometimes....

Staying out of crashes is more important than gear . . . right up until the crash.

Then gear is all there is.

PITAPan wrote:

Couple thoughts:

Maybe limit it to one thought.
Just in case the server blows up.

ME 109 wrote:
Maybe limit it to one thought.
Just in case the server blows up.

I have backups in case of server failure.

If you only have one thought, then thinking the rest of the world should be similarly crippled might make one feel more comfortable...

You are certainly permitted to just read one. Go through them all carefully to determine which one that should be.

Hi,

Very interesting. I appreciate all the love.

FYI regarding that photo of me putting through the parking lot:
• The helmet straps are not loose. I was wearing a grey, long sleeved T-shirt thing which has a hood. I'm wearing the hood under the helmet. The straps are not visible because they are up under my chin. The front edge of the hood is tapering down under my jacket and the combination looks like loose straps.
• I've been shopping for a full face or modular. It finally arrived in the mail yesterday. No you guys will not make me paranoid however I'm wearing it as I type right now . You know, just in case... I don't know... a plane crashes into my house.
• I am concerned the jacket might be too loose. It is second-hand and it's a bit too big (a Large which is 42-43. I'm a 42), but I'm considering sending in to Aerostich for added "flutter straps" which will tighten up the arms keeping armor where I want and need it. On the other hand I could afford this as a starting point. Now I'll just pay a little more to have it tailored. May as well get the back armor too.
• Ordered some new Aerostich pants so those should fit and I'll be able to wear them with many things. I think those show up Saturday. I hope I live that long... still wearing the helmet.
• One of the kids on the ride was wearing a zip up shirt thing that was covered in armor over his shirt. I was considering that for under my leather jacket.

I've lived in Los Angeles my whole life. Sometimes it's safe, sometimes it's not. Just like everywhere else. The idea is to just be aware and use some good judgment. 99% of the time that's overkill and way more than what most others are doing. YMMV.
I have been practicing my Brake and Escape. I'm really enjoying my Ride Like a Pro DVD.

I doubt the headers are stainless. How can I tell, with a magnet? Otherwise I guess I can sand them a bit cleaner and then spray paint them. Is there nothing to do for rust down the pipe? I'll just have to replace the whole thing later?

Thanks for all the thoughts and kind words.
I appreciate it.

{Putting the visor down to go take a peek in the fridg.}

Can you change your handle to "B.D."?

Great story. looked like a fun ride.

Souljer wrote:Hi,

Very interesting. I appreciate all the love.

FYI regarding that photo of me putting through the parking lot:
• The helmet straps are not loose. I was wearing a grey, long sleeved T-shirt thing which has a hood. I'm wearing the hood under the helmet. The straps are not visible because they are up under my chin. The front edge of the hood is tapering down under my jacket and the combination looks like loose straps.
• I've been shopping for a full face or modular. It finally arrived in the mail yesterday. No you guys will not make me paranoid however I'm wearing it as I type right now . You know, just in case... I don't know... a plane crashes into my house.
• I am concerned the jacket might be too loose. It is second-hand and it's a bit too big (a Large which is 42-43. I'm a 42), but I'm considering sending in to Aerostich for added "flutter straps" which will tighten up the arms keeping armor where I want and need it. On the other hand I could afford this as a starting point. Now I'll just pay a little more to have it tailored. May as well get the back armor too.
• Ordered some new Aerostich pants so those should fit and I'll be able to wear them with many things. I think those show up Saturday. I hope I live that long... still wearing the helmet.
• One of the kids on the ride was wearing a zip up shirt thing that was covered in armor over his shirt. I was considering that for under my leather jacket.

I've lived in Los Angeles my whole life. Sometimes it's safe, sometimes it's not. Just like everywhere else. The idea is to just be aware and use some good judgment. 99% of the time that's overkill and way more than what most others are doing. YMMV.
I have been practicing my Brake and Escape. I'm really enjoying my Ride Like a Pro DVD.

I doubt the headers are stainless. How can I tell, with a magnet? Otherwise I guess I can sand them a bit cleaner and then spray paint them. Is there nothing to do for rust down the pipe? I'll just have to replace the whole thing later?

Thanks for all the thoughts and kind words.
I appreciate it.

{Putting the visor down to go take a peek in the fridg.}

Helmets break in, a lot. it should be generally a bit too tight initially. Breaking it in off the bike can be wise. Cotton helmet lines (several and cary them all) can also be very nice. Helmet stays clean, switching liners keeps you head drier in the heat. on my flip up (Concept) the liners make the helmet pull on smoothly over my glasses.

A local tailor or seamstress can fit straps too. You cone up with the straps and hardware. I get my strap stuff online. it's inexpensive. I like knowing ho is around that does good work overnight. Strap hardware goes on the inside of the arm, no sense in having it shattered on first impact and your armor being out of place on second impact. I have not done this on my too big jacket...it's very heavy leather (Ashman) and I don't think it would work. it works well on the lighter perf leather (Vanson--import)

I've been figuring the shirts with the hard plate exo-armor a bit much for road work. For off road where falling on rocks is in the picture, big difference. Little accidents will really get you--not kill you so much as get you into smaller injuries, a broken arm, leg or foot. I hurt a foot pretty badly just stalling the bike and falling over at 0 speed on a steep uphill right turn. Boots would have saved the deep bruising to my foot. A friend with a sever spine injury in a freak accident (got sideswiped by a semi walking the bike on the shoulder in the snow) got me rethinking spine armor. All the jackets and shirts have something. Spines don't heal well. The full armor saved me in another 0 speed fall down---on a very steep bit of pavement I was sidehilling to make a u-turn. It was a long way down and I tumbled a couple times. No bruising or even soreness--the armor worked. The fairing brackets were trashed. But overall I don't think you can over do it. it's just if the stuff isn't quick to get into and reasonably comfortable, you will fall out of using it.

A magnet can reveal stainless---but many stainless alloys are magnetic. They tend to rust more. Rusted out chrome tends to be blotchy, there will be a spot of good bright chrome somewhere unless it is really bad. you can try polishing out a spot and it it turns honey colored on the first ride, it is lilely stainless. #m prep pads work really well, especially in an air right ngl grinder. Kinda costly. A stater kit will have the mandrel and brown and blue pads. The brown are too coarse except for flaking off really heavy rust. The blue with a very ligh touck are Ok on stainless, beter as they wear in. finisht o full polish with a flannel wheel and compound in a buffer (looks like a grinder with buffing wheels). You can touch up with smaller buffing wheels in a grinder. Keep stainless very clean. No finger prints or other oils.

rust down the pipe? maybe aerosol vegetable cooking oil on the inside. A couple rounds of that, cooked on, is a pretty tough film. Linseed oil cooked on is ideal, don't come in aerosol. Eventually mild steel with rust out no matter what you do. Replace, possibly with stainless. Don't cry. it had lifespan and lived it.

Hi,

Hope everyone had a great holiday and happy new year.

As you know 2013 was a big year for me starting a new adventure and, I hope, a long chapter in my life.
I thank you all for your support, advice and encouragement. It's been a big help.

The bike has been fine, but I have a few questions.
• What do you think of getting brighter lights? LED, etc. for the headlight?
• The bike has never dripped a drop of oil on the garage floor. Yay! However there is bit of smeary, oily crap around the cylinder heads where they join the case. Also below the front cover and at the front of the oil pan I think. Like I said it's never dripped anything except gas from the carb. So is that just old road grease and grime, or should I clean that up and start looking for trouble? When I first got the bike I had it gone over which included changing the oil. I checked it a few days ago (two months after the oil change) and cold, the level was a bit above the "MAX" word.
• Sometimes the "N" light does not turn on when in Neutral and/or I have a hard time finding neutral, when at a light for example. Other times, no problem.

Here is a quick picture from the last group ride 12/22/2013 with the same group I wrote about before.

Parked at the beach with the others.
We rode up Pacific Coast Highway about an hour or so. That's PCH across where you can see cars. Behind me is the beach.

Thanks again and happy new year.

Souljer wrote:Hi,

Hope everyone had a great holiday and happy new year.

As you know 2013 was a big year for me starting a new adventure and, I hope, a long chapter in my life.
I thank you all for your support, advice and encouragement. It's been a big help.

The bike has been fine, but I have a few questions.
• What do you think of getting brighter lights? LED, etc. for the headlight?

You get new fancy new LED lights for you ? Bad idea. You get some for me? Excellent idea. I'll send you the model I want and shipping info.

I suggest asking about what you actually want to know, rather than asking a splatter question. For that use google, you'll get back as much splatter as you want to read. if you begin with thinking about what you want to accomplish and then work backwards, you questions become more directed and the answers you get become more useful. So for example, you might say you want more light far out for high speed night driving or perhaps more wide close in light for windy roads in deer country...something like that. Then you would ask what specific lights people are using to get this, what they like and don't about their choices, cost, availability, etc.

Souljer wrote:Here is a quick picture from the last group ride 12/22/2013 with the same group I wrote about before.

Get a helmet bag. When you take your helmet off, bag it. if you set it on the seat it will fall off (100% guarantee) and will be compromised. Putting it on the mirror compromises the styrene liner. I use the slip in bags that come with helmets for storage. The one I carry is a fleecy zip up one that is quick to use. it has proven to be handy to have abourd for other uses000from stuffing under may jacket for warmth to holding some groceries on the back.

Souljer wrote:Parked at the beach with the others.
We rode up Pacific Coast Highway about an hour or so. That's PCH across where you can see cars. Behind me is the beach.

When riding with sportistas, if they get the slightest bit sniffy if you pull in last, simply offer to race. Say, first one to the ChocolateSmith in Taos(?) (go in and get some chocolate pate in wax....) I always like the look of fear in their eyes...

Souljer wrote:• The bike has never dripped a drop of oil on the garage floor. Yay! However there is bit of smeary, oily crap around the cylinder heads where they join the case. Also below the front cover and at the front of the oil pan I think. Like I said it's never dripped anything except gas from the carb. So is that just old road grease and grime, or should I clean that up and start looking for trouble? When I first got the bike I had it gone over which included changing the oil. I checked it a few days ago (two months after the oil change) and cold, the level was a bit above the "MAX" word.

Is that two months and 20,000 miles or two months and 200 miles? Start a maintenance log. Record date and mileage of all work as well as notes---type and weight of oil, clearances and dimensions, etc.

"trouble" is seen on the garage floor--as in puddles, not drops.

The heads connect to the cylinders. The cylinders connect to the case. Learn and use the correct terms---it matters not only for communication with others but also for understanding the machine. There is a joint and gasket between the head and cylinder (head gasket) and another between the cylinder and block (cylinder base o-rings). Those base o-rings wear and weep. Cosmetic issue. They are always replaced when R&R the cylinders so they will get fixed then.

There is an o-ring around the base of your ignition canister that can get tired and weep causing weepage at the lower front of the front cover. Also a front main seal in there on the crank shaft and a variety of static gaskets. Clean up and then monitor closely to see where the weepage comes back. Again, no drips (that wash the dirt off) and you got cosmetic issues. You might identify the weak spots but they do not constitute "trouble". The o-ring on the ignition canister is another replace-whenever-canister-removed deal. The front crank seal is a specialty operation and should not be done unless really leaking.

oil should not be filled above the MAX mark, but a little high is of no consequence. On some bikes, if high it burns down pretty quick. On others, not. Leave it alone and make sure you are checking the level correctly. Always smell the dipstick as well as wiping and looking at the level.

Souljer wrote:• Sometimes the "N" light does not turn on when in Neutral and/or I have a hard time finding neutral, when at a light for example. Other times, no problem.

Sometimes my right elbow itches. Other times, no problem.

Unless you can identify the difference between "some times" and "other times", you know little. Correlate the problem with another event and you know much---running temp, stiffness of your boots,---something. I suggest riding it a lot and getting better with the transmission for starters. Sometimes you need to ease out the clutch a hair to turn the shafts for neutral engagement. The switch/light should be 100% when solidly in neutral--as in let the clutch out and spin it briefly in neutral.

Hi Souljer,

and thanks for writing up your experience as an R100R owner! I'm slightly envious to see that you can go on a pleasant ride at Christmas time, in the sun and on dry roads near the ocean . . .

Re the queries in your latest post, I agree with PITAPan that it helps with being more specific with queries, but that said, we are not all born mechanical wizards, and need to learn the right terms.

Souljer wrote:However there is bit of smeary, oily crap around the cylinder heads where they join the case. Also below the front cover and . . .

Most airheads will start sweating some oil at those places. Nothing to worry about, just keep an eye on it, to check that it isn't getting worse suddenly. Another typical place for airhead oil leaks are the rubber bungs that seal between the pushrod tubes (two almost horizontal ones, parallelish to and under the cylinders) and the engine block. Sometimes oil leaks from them are thought to come from other places, such as the heads, and the engine sump.

When you changed the engine oil, what viscosity did you use? 20W-50? Thinner oils (10W-40, 15W-40) can weep past tired oil seals quicker than the recommended 20W-50 oil, and make slight leaks look worse.

Souljer wrote:Sometimes the "N" light does not turn on when in Neutral and/or I have a hard time finding neutral, when at a light for example. Other times, no problem.

The neutral switch sits on the underside of the gear box, with two connectors poking out horizontally. See if you can reach them and check that they are connected firmly. If not, a weak signal to the neutral light could result. I assume you also changed the gearbox and the final drive oil?

Safe riding.