The friendly "dumb" bike questions thread

The friendly "dumb" bike questions thread

Author
Discussion

Rubin215 QFSM

3,985 posts

155 months

Tuesday 29th December 2020
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A500leroy said:
Seight_Returns said:
How do I tell when my chain needs changing ? And do I always need to change the sprockets at the same time as the chain ?

For bicycle chains there's a cheap tool you can buy that measures chain stretch - when its stretched 1% it's time for a new one. Is there something similar for motorbike chains ?
Chain chain when adjusters are at the end and cant be adjusted any further, or when the sprockets are damaged/uneven. Yes always change the chain and sprocket together and dont buy cheap, look at the gold ones.
By the time you get to the end of the adjusters the chain will be absolutely knackered and well beyond safe!!!

All manufacturers specify a maximum distance between a certain number of links; to measure this you need to adjust the chain to the point where you have taken the slack out of it and then measure between the two points (usually the rivets).
Remember to loosen it off again and adjust correctly afterwards!

With experience, you can also pull the chain away from the back sprocket to get a rough idea how worn it is.

Also consider that the sprockets themselves wear on the load-bearing sides so the teeth will gradually wear down on one side; Google images is your friend here.

In ye olde days of cheap-st metal, we would but another chain and then turn the sprockets round to get twice the life out of them; I certainly wouldn't do that now!
hehe

Jazoli

9,086 posts

249 months

Tuesday 29th December 2020
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Rubin215 QFSM said:
By the time you get to the end of the adjusters the chain will be absolutely knackered and well beyond safe!!!

All manufacturers specify a maximum distance between a certain number of links; to measure this you need to adjust the chain to the point where you have taken the slack out of it and then measure between the two points (usually the rivets).
Remember to loosen it off again and adjust correctly afterwards!

With experience, you can also pull the chain away from the back sprocket to get a rough idea how worn it is.

Also consider that the sprockets themselves wear on the load-bearing sides so the teeth will gradually wear down on one side; Google images is your friend here.

In ye olde days of cheap-st metal, we would but another chain and then turn the sprockets round to get twice the life out of them; I certainly wouldn't do that now!
hehe
For once I agree with Rubin, you should be changing it well before you get to the end of the adjusters, the easiest way is to pull the chain off the sprockets when it is adjusted to the correct tension as said and judge for yourself, any more than a few mm and it needs replacing.



Rubin215 QFSM

3,985 posts

155 months

Tuesday 29th December 2020
quotequote all
Jazoli said:
For once I agree with Rubin, you should be changing it well before you get to the end of the adjusters, the easiest way is to pull the chain off the sprockets when it is adjusted to the correct tension as said and judge for yourself, any more than a few mm and it needs replacing.
I think we agree with each other fairly often, we only shout about it when we disagree...

biggrin

Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Wednesday 30th December 2020
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vindaloo79 said:
Edit- I have some degree of breakdown cover, I really ought to save the number somewhere
In your phone, maybe?

Biker 1

7,696 posts

118 months

Friday 1st January 2021
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Pothole said:
vindaloo79 said:
Edit- I have some degree of breakdown cover, I really ought to save the number somewhere
In your phone, maybe?
Top tip: a little over a year ago, some clown reversed his car into me & smashed up front mudguard, rendering bike unrideable. I had all the insurance/breakdown company details on my phone, but didn't have my reading glasses to hand.... A total nightmare asking passers by to read stuff out etc!!!! So: I now have a zip lock bag under the seat, containing an old pair of glasses, small notepad & a couple of throw-away ballpoint pens.....

A500leroy

5,085 posts

117 months

Friday 1st January 2021
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Should it really take 20 odd attempts to start a carb'd bike after its stood for a month?

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Friday 1st January 2021
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A500leroy said:
Should it really take 20 odd attempts to start a carb'd bike after its stood for a month?
No, if you were setting it up right in the first place and the choke is properly set. But if you flooded it then maybe!

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 1st January 2021
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Krikkit said:
A500leroy said:
Should it really take 20 odd attempts to start a carb'd bike after its stood for a month?
No, if you were setting it up right in the first place and the choke is properly set. But if you flooded it then maybe!
Mine starts on the first go after a month or so with barely any choke (I keep it garaged). Sounds like you might have flooded it with too much choke.

Speed addicted

5,561 posts

226 months

Friday 1st January 2021
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ruprechtmonkeyboy said:
Krikkit said:
A500leroy said:
Should it really take 20 odd attempts to start a carb'd bike after its stood for a month?
No, if you were setting it up right in the first place and the choke is properly set. But if you flooded it then maybe!
Mine starts on the first go after a month or so with barely any choke (I keep it garaged). Sounds like you might have flooded it with too much choke.
Also how old is the petrol? I’ve had issues with the old Kawasaki as it doesn’t like stale fuel in the carbs, drain the float bowls and off it goes!

tvrolet

4,251 posts

281 months

Friday 1st January 2021
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By ‘first go’ is that electric start or kick start? Remember a time when all bikes ran on carbs and were kick start. If the didn’t regularly fire up first or second kick even after being left for a while then all riders would have right legs like tree-trunks; and even ‘normal’ people - girlies even - could get a kick start bike going.

...so something’s wrong.

I’ve had bikes fire up straight away on 10+ year old fuel, so although the should run better on fresh fuel I’ve never found old fuel a cause for non starting.

Is this a bike you have got running before? Is there a technique you’re missing? For example on the ‘47 Chief it needs 2 (or 3 in cold weather) ‘primer’ kicks with full choke and throttle wide open and ignition off. Then it will start first real kick on full retard every time. It without the ‘primer’ kicks you’d never get it going. The Hurricane needs all 3 carbs tickled to overflow and full choke. If it hasn’t fired up after 2 kicks (it usually does) then you need to tickle the carbs again. Warm starting is a different technique again.

So it could just be you’re not doing whatever that bike needs to get it going. But if you’ve got a decent spark at the right time and it’s getting fuel at the correct mixture then it should start in a kick or two.

Plan B is some Quik Start down the inlets (or Start Ya bd as it’s called in Australia) but not sure if I’d risk it if it’s a particularly high performance or valuable motor.

DuckSauce

390 posts

66 months

Saturday 2nd January 2021
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My bike probably isn't going to get ridden much over the next couple of months. Can anyone recommend a cheap battery charger that can connected up, so that the bike doesn't go flat?
I started it in the garage the other day after about 4 weeks of not riding and it only just started

CaptainSlow

13,179 posts

211 months

Saturday 2nd January 2021
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DuckSauce said:
My bike probably isn't going to get ridden much over the next couple of months. Can anyone recommend a cheap battery charger that can connected up, so that the bike doesn't go flat?
I started it in the garage the other day after about 4 weeks of not riding and it only just started
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/470768?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0MD_BRCTARIsADXoopa3Ew6plLdeQGuTzTLH2rexbTIx3EFGk06FMrtlgBjULwW2DAE4SU8aAl2eEALw_wcB

Kent Border Kenny

2,219 posts

59 months

Saturday 2nd January 2021
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A500leroy said:
Should it really take 20 odd attempts to start a carb'd bike after its stood for a month?
Not if all is working correctly.

Possibilities are that fuel has made it past the carbs to the cylinders, that it’s evaporated from the float bowls gumming everything up or that the battery’s not putting out enough current to spin the engine and produce a strong spark.

I’d start by charging the battery, taking the plugs out and spinning the engine for a couple of seconds. Next I’d check for a spark and then put the plugs back in and try again.

If it runs I’d put some redex in the tank, ride around like a lunatic using high revs until you empty the tank and then put new fuel in.

If you still have an issue at that point it’d be a new battery and then as a last resort taking the carbs off and cleaning and checking them.

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 2nd January 2021
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DuckSauce said:
My bike probably isn't going to get ridden much over the next couple of months. Can anyone recommend a cheap battery charger that can connected up, so that the bike doesn't go flat?
I started it in the garage the other day after about 4 weeks of not riding and it only just started
Not sure how old your bike is but my 90s gsxr doesn't go flat with the battery connected all the time and the kill switch set to off. I start it once a month over the winter just to let it warm up. Maybe older bikes have less electrotickery to flatten batteries?

crofty1984

Original Poster:

15,830 posts

203 months

Sunday 3rd January 2021
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Don't ride from Leeds to Worksop on a CX500 with fork oil on the front brake and a disconnected rear brake. You can do it, but it's a bit hairy.

Onelastattempt

386 posts

46 months

Sunday 3rd January 2021
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crofty1984 said:
Don't ride from Leeds to Worksop on a CX500 with fork oil on the front brake and a disconnected rear brake. You can do it, but it's a bit hairy.
Don't ride a CX500 ever! Even with working brakes! You can do it, but it's a bit hairy!
I remember borrowing a mates once, I had a lot more respect for his riding skills after doing about 5 miles on it. You had to force it to corner, and fight it back upright again. The brakes seemed to work, then you suddenly realised that putting your feet down would have more effect. To make it worse he had fitted a king and queen seat, a good lesson it how to make an ugly bike even uglier.
Aaah, the good old days, I don't half miss them.

Kent Border Kenny

2,219 posts

59 months

Sunday 3rd January 2021
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DuckSauce said:
My bike probably isn't going to get ridden much over the next couple of months. Can anyone recommend a cheap battery charger that can connected up, so that the bike doesn't go flat?
I started it in the garage the other day after about 4 weeks of not riding and it only just started
Assuming it’s a 12v system then I’d suggest a CTEK one, the 0.8 one will be fine.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CTEK-Automatic-Maintainer...

If you might ever want to use it on a car then get the 5.0 instead.

Whichever one you get, wire in one of their comfort connectors to make it easy to attach and detach.

I’ve switched my bikes to lithium ion batteries recently. Much lighter, and with far less self-discharge.

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Sunday 3rd January 2021
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Yeah I like the 0.8 CTEK I've got, it trickle charges cars fine too.

Kent Border Kenny

2,219 posts

59 months

Sunday 3rd January 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
You can. Back before chargers were very sophisticated some car ones could damage smaller motorbike batteries but nowadays they should be fine.

I use the 5.0 on my hikes if I want to charge overnight, or the 0.8 if I am leaving them on charge. I also have the lithium one for my car.

crofty1984

Original Poster:

15,830 posts

203 months

Monday 4th January 2021
quotequote all
Onelastattempt said:
crofty1984 said:
Don't ride from Leeds to Worksop on a CX500 with fork oil on the front brake and a disconnected rear brake. You can do it, but it's a bit hairy.
Don't ride a CX500 ever! Even with working brakes! You can do it, but it's a bit hairy!
I remember borrowing a mates once, I had a lot more respect for his riding skills after doing about 5 miles on it. You had to force it to corner, and fight it back upright again. The brakes seemed to work, then you suddenly realised that putting your feet down would have more effect. To make it worse he had fitted a king and queen seat, a good lesson it how to make an ugly bike even uglier.
Aaah, the good old days, I don't half miss them.
To be fair, don't ride from Leeds to worksop on anything. If you do, you'll end up in Worksop. Shudder.