The friendly "dumb" bike questions thread

[Dakkon]

Ok, a basic question to get this thread on track, I have a new bike with no centre stand, it has crash bobbins things on the swing arm and I have a paddock stand to lift it up at the back, all good.

Can you do this on your own, or should you get another pair of hands to hold the bars whilst you get it up on the paddock stand? I am scared stiff if I try it on my own I will drop it?

[cbmotorsport]

Dakkon said:

Ok, a basic question to get this thread on track, I have a new bike with no centre stand, it has crash bobbins things on the swing arm and I have a paddock stand to lift it up at the back, all good.

Can you do this on your own, or should you get another pair of hands to hold the bars whilst you get it up on the paddock stand? I am scared stiff if I try it on my own I will drop it?

It's just a case of practice. Put the stand under the first bobbin (sidestand side) so that it's slighty supported, put your arm across the pillion seat and tilt the bike to the vertical, and engage the second bobbin, lift.

The bike will only fall over if you go beyond the vertical before you've engaged the second bobbin. Always keep it slightly off vertical until you've got that in. If it falls back the way it came, it'll go back on it's sidestand.

Edited by cbmotorsport on Thursday 7th March 14:22

[CousinDupree]

Yep, you can also loosely strap the side of the bike to something if you are worried about it going over the other way.

Maybe for the first time you do it anyway.

[CousinDupree]

Another option is an Abba stand, if there is a fitting kit for your bike

[wuckfitracing]

I also didn't know how to do this. Watched a youtube video about it. Bit nervous at first but its easy.

[gareth_r]

If you're not confident about putting the bike on a paddock stand, you could buy a free-standing roll-on wheel chock/front stand to hold the bike while you position the rear stand.





Or even build some sort of wooden frame.

[CaptainSlow]

...or put a block of wood under the side stand to make it stand more vertical.

[dern]

Dakkon said:

Ok, a basic question to get this thread on track, I have a new bike with no centre stand, it has crash bobbins things on the swing arm and I have a paddock stand to lift it up at the back, all good.

Can you do this on your own, or should you get another pair of hands to hold the bars whilst you get it up on the paddock stand? I am scared stiff if I try it on my own I will drop it?

I think you live pretty close to me (I'm near Newbury) so if you want a second pair of hands to be there just in case while you practice let me know. It's not difficult when you get the hang of it but it can be a leap of faith the first couple of time.

Cheers,

Mark

[horsemeatscandal]

Non-matching front/rear tyres; yay or nay?

General road riding and all-weather commuting, nothing particularly aggressive. Currently stuck in a never-ending cycle whereby if I want to change tyres and have them both match, I’d have to get shot of a perfectly good tyre.

[Biker 1]

horsemeatscandal said:

Non-matching front/rear tyres; yay or nay?

General road riding and all-weather commuting, nothing particularly aggressive. Currently stuck in a never-ending cycle whereby if I want to change tyres and have them both match, I’d have to get shot of a perfectly good tyre.

It's a nay from me. Tyres are always designed as a pair - I don't give a toss about my knackered Nissan that gets me a couple of miles to work every day, but my bike is a performance missile & I won't risk it.

Now my question: weight limit for my bike, including rider & pillion, is 150kg. Now, I've been on the pies & am a fat bd, weighing in at 99kg, + lid + jacket + trousers + boots = at least 110 kg. Mrs B is on a diet, but still the wrong side of 60kg, + jacket + lid + trousers + boots = something like 70kg. Therefore total weight of the two of us is at least 180kg. How much leeway do the manufacturers build into this? Would there be insurance implications for overloading the bike? Will the tyres explode??

[RizzoTheRat]

Given the choice I'd go for the same both ends but for general road riding and commuting I wouldn't worry too much providing they're a similar style. I currently have a Michelin PR3 on the front and a Bridgestone BTsomethingorother on the back as I couldn't get a Michelin when i needed one in a hurry.


As for BNs pie addiction, I know a guy who regularly rides 2 up at more than the rated weight limit who managed to snap the suspension mount off his swingarm

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Tuesday 12th March 09:12

[MotorsportTom]

horsemeatscandal said:

Non-matching front/rear tyres; yay or nay?

General road riding and all-weather commuting, nothing particularly aggressive. Currently stuck in a never-ending cycle whereby if I want to change tyres and have them both match, I’d have to get shot of a perfectly good tyre.

I don't enjoy doing it and don't plan too but I have done and have no problems.

Had a bridgestone S20 (I think?) on the front and a pirelli angel touring tyre(again I think) on the rear. Spanked it in the dry, rode it in downpours in the wet. Commuted and did tours and it was never a problem.

Maybe a good combination by chance but on an old fireblade in Ireland on a bank holiday I couldn't be fussy about what rear tyre I bought.

Surely though just replace with whatever tyre doesn't need replacing? I.e. the front is a Michelin pilot road and rear needs replacing.... buy a Michelin pilot road?

[Krikkit]

On the subject of tyres, if the OE ones are still available would you fit them, or try a different one?

Need a set for my Monster, it's on Pirelli Diablo at the moment which is the OE fit. I'm a novice riding road only, so they're way beyond my abilities anyway.

[MotorsportTom]

Krikkit said:

On the subject of tyres, if the OE ones are still available would you fit them, or try a different one?

Need a set for my Monster, it's on Pirelli Diablo at the moment which is the OE fit. I'm a novice riding road only, so they're way beyond my abilities anyway.

Completely depends. I'd look at reviews of similarly priced tyres in your sizes and make my decision based on that.

If you can get an allegedly better tyre for the situations you are putting it in, for the same money (or less) why would you not fit that instead?

[Krikkit]

That's what I thought, just wanted to double check

[Biker 1]

RizzoTheRat said:

As for BNs pie addiction, I know a guy who regularly rides 2 up at more than the rated weight limit who managed to snap the suspension mount off his swingarm

That's ever so slightly very worrying!! I thought about the Hastings Mayday rideout with Mrs B in tow, which is about a 90 mile round trip on pretty much every type of road imaginable....

[cbmotorsport]

Krikkit said:

On the subject of tyres, if the OE ones are still available would you fit them, or try a different one?

Need a set for my Monster, it's on Pirelli Diablo at the moment which is the OE fit. I'm a novice riding road only, so they're way beyond my abilities anyway.

Pilot Road 5's are what you want. Excellent mileage, great wet or dry, would even do a track day if required.

[Google [bot]]

I recently put a Diablo on the front and a Pilot 5 on the rear of my CBR, again through necessity and need. Feels great, and I was advised it would. But then I know fk all apart from it feels confidence inspiring.

[RizzoTheRat]

Biker 1 said:

RizzoTheRat said:

As for BNs pie addiction, I know a guy who regularly rides 2 up at more than the rated weight limit who managed to snap the suspension mount off his swingarm

That's ever so slightly very worrying!! I thought about the Hastings Mayday rideout with Mrs B in tow, which is about a 90 mile round trip on pretty much every type of road imaginable....

To be fair I think he had got something like 80-90k on the bike at the time and reckoned about half that was 2 up

[horsemeatscandal]

MotorsportTom said:

I don't enjoy doing it and don't plan too but I have done and have no problems.

Had a bridgestone S20 (I think?) on the front and a pirelli angel touring tyre(again I think) on the rear. Spanked it in the dry, rode it in downpours in the wet. Commuted and did tours and it was never a problem.

Maybe a good combination by chance but on an old fireblade in Ireland on a bank holiday I couldn't be fussy about what rear tyre I bought.

Surely though just replace with whatever tyre doesn't need replacing? I.e. the front is a Michelin pilot road and rear needs replacing.... buy a Michelin pilot road?

Problem is, the front is OE, as is the back. Back is coming up for a replacement, front has got plenty left on it. If I replace the back with an alternative, they then don’t match unless I do both at the same time or until the front needs replacing. I could obviously change both at the same time but that’s more outlay.

The tyre performance is fine for me, but the longevity is poor. Hence, I want to go PR5 based on many recommendations but the bd tyre is twice the price of OE.