Compiled and edited by Kristian #562
Updated by jake #1758, 18 May 2005
Please read the Disclaimer before
attempting any work in this FAQ.
Last Updated: 21 Feb 2007, by Winter #1935
There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes - Billy Connolly.
Luck & Experience: You start with a bag full of luck
and an empty bag of experience.
The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of
luck.
Pilots have a saying that works just as well for
motorcyclists:
A superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid
having to use his superior skills.
For other things related to riding:
There are plenty opinions about how to ride your bike. This FAQ contains plenty of those hints and tips. Many riders often ask about how they can improve their riding. The most important investment you can make as a motorcycle rider is in a training course. There are courses on all sorts of things available, and in some countries you are required to complete a basic riders course before you are licensed to ride your bike. These courses are a long term investment in your safety - even if you have been riding for many decades, you can still learn from a course.
BradG 1002, N,CA '01GS
When I was commuting daily I did basically the same thing on my way out of the garage. These days I don't commute so I spend time after each ride going over the bike and focusing on all the usual suspects on these bikes. That way all I have to check when I fire up is that the tires haven't gone flat and the low fuel light isn't on.
Besides the obvious (oil, water, tires, lights) I now check these things between rides:
* - these are newly added after experiences I'd prefer not to see repeated.
Should I stay in gear or go into neutral when I'm at a stoplight? Neutral is recommened for automobiles to increase clutch life, but does it apply to motorcycles?
Switches
which are properly selected, are implemented for the purpose for which they were
designed. That is not to say that any switch won't work. Just that the RIGHT
switch will work LONGER before failing. For instance, you know the common
household AC-lightswitch? There are actually THREE kinds, marked "T", "M" and
"F". F is for fluorescent lights. M is for motors. And T is for tunsgten (incandescant)
lighting applications. Motors are essentially big inductors and draw the arc
that the switch must extinguish a lot longer (physically as well as in time).
I'm not sure of the significance of the difference between T and F.
ANYWAY... it is my understanding that the ignition switch is purpose-built to
last a Long Damned Time turning off the ignition. While the kill switch is not
so robust. Therefore, I have stopped using my kill switch as the OFF switch.
HOWEVER... the kill switch is a HECK of a lot easier and significantly cheaper
to replace than the ignition switch. Pay your
money and pick your poison. Flash 412 (CO)
On my Hondas which I owned previously, it actually stated in the Owners Handbook NOT to use the Kill switch except in an emergency as it could damage some of the electronics in the sytem. I haven't even looked in my F650 book for guidance. Has anyone? Trevor 999 UK 01 GS
The only
reason is that using the kill switch you may forget turning it back on after
killing the engine. People have been known to pull their hair (not to mention
tearing down the bike's electric system) trying to figure out why the engine
won't start afterwards...
I don't know if this is the whole truth, but that's what I've been told. (I.e.
you won't harm the bike in any way, just remember to flip the switch back to
"run").
Of course, since you should bring the ignition key with you when you leave the
bike anyway, why not just use the ignition switch?
veggie_deluxe
People have been known to pull their hair (not to
mention tearing down the bike's electric system) trying to figure out why the
engine won't start afterwards.
Unlike certain other Italian bikes (DUCATI), the kill switch on the F650 also
kills the power to the starter. On a Duc, you can crank and crank and crank and
THEN notice the kill switch is off. On an F650, nothing at all happens when you
mash the starter button with the kill switch in the OFF position, same as the
sidestand "safety" switch. Flash 412 (CO)
FWIW I just took the MSF beginning rider class two weeks ago and they teach ALWAYS using the "kill switch" as part of the startup and shut down checklist. The theory being it would come naturally in an emergency (like lying under the bike watching gas run out!). Don't know anything about "the electronics"though
While the
kill switch is not so robust. Therefore, I have stopped using my kill switch as
the OFF switch. My little plastic headlight "flasher" switch lasted about 3
months, or about 15 uses . . .
Not learning my lesson from the above experience, I do use the kill switch if
I'm pulling into the garage: it's easier to flip that switch, keeping both hands
on the bars, as I coast into the garage. Killing it just as I enter the garage
keeps the exhaust outside. Exhaust is not really THAT big a deal, but I do it
anyways . . . As for the garage door, I installed a little push-button switch on
the bike that activates the door opener. Makes for a real James Bond kind of
finish to my ride. Scott, ID #1244
The problem with using the kill switch is that it does not turn off the bike's entire ignition system, the way the main switch does. It leaves the lights on, as I recall. So if you just get into the habit of using the kill switch and forget to turn off the main switch and remove your keys (something I forget to do at home), you might run your battery flat in a few hours. Using the kill switch to turn off the bike with FI and ABS bikes may also damage their systems over a long period of time (I really don't know). I have no idea what the latest R and K-bike, linked, power brakes do when the kill switch is used. Knowing BMW, it probably shuts down the power system, leaving you without brakes. Richard #230
The switch is there should you find it necessary to stop the engine without taking your hand off of the grip or in case of a fall of any kind and for no other reason. Using it, is no different than putting the side stand down when in gear. It simply stops the engine. Personally..., I never use it. A good example of why the switch is there and when to use it would be if you were off road in a ditch, front wheel turned hard, having difficulty holding the bike from falling and you wanted to stop the engine before gently letting it down and turning off the key. Art 884
I've been riding for about twenty years, now. It
seems to me that the only hard-core advocates of NOT-using the kill switch are
older Harley and Triumph riders. In conversations past, they have all admitted
that it was their fear of a kill-switch failure. I don't blame them. With all
the electrical gremlins they face, it's not wonder they don't want to use their
kill-switches.
Upon delivery, in 1994, of the last Harley I owned, the dealer made special note
to "never" use the kill switch, only use the ignition switch. However, I never
had any problems using the kill switch on that bike. I've ridden newer Triumphs
and Moto Guzzis for many thousands of miles with no kill-switch issues. I use
the kill switch almost every time I kill the bikes and I've never had a
problem.The kill-switch thing is just an "old wives' tale"... guzzimike
The MSF safety issue is when the students pull into the staging area. The instructors are not allowed to turn their back on a running bike, so it's quicker to "Kill" the bike (then let the students find neutral, ignition and fuel tap) so the instructor can relocate to direct incoming students to their "spot". If you wait for the first new students in the staging area to find neutral and shut the bike down before moving, you get a mass traffic jam. Marty #436
I can only think of this: if the kill switch only
cuts power to the engine, but leaves things like gas pump etc. running, that
could be bad, I guess. Mine is a classic, so there's absolutely nothing that can
get messed up from doing this on my bike.
I wouldn't worry too much about it though; if the bike really could be harmed
from turning it off with the kill switch, there would probably be a huge sticker
slapped on the gas tank saying you shouldn't. (OTOH there's no sticker saying
why it would be a Bad Idea to put your mouth to the exhaust..) veggie_deluxe
by Davidhpark, #711
Most accidents statistically occur as they say in the business 5/5/5.
1. First five minutes of riding
You're not yet in the frame of mind of riding, you're slower to think and react
(SIPDE) and you're likely close to surroundings (home/office) that make you
'comfortable' reducing your awareness factor.
2. Within five miles of home or destination
An expansion of #1. When you ride near your home and are "getting there" you
reduce your awareness factor and start to think about what you need to do once
you are home. But... you are not home just yet. Safe riding stops when you are
in the driveway with the ignition switched off.
3. First 5 months of being a new rider or a rider on a new machine
When you don't know either (a) how to ride safely/well you're in the danger zone
and even if you do when riding a different/new bike you're not familiar with how
it reacts under panic or even normal situations. You make assumptions as to its
performance which may be contrary to your own safety.
As far as clothing goes, sure some people may assume that they are just
"running" around the block or somewhere close but that IMHO isn't any reason not
to gear up (at least somewhat). I have all of my stuff arranged in the garage
like Q would for Bond. I choose what I want to ride and the gear that I want
based on my feelings and needs. Leaving with anything less than I should (given
sometimes the obvious choice of less than ideal jeans instead of real pants)
would be against my better judgement.
See also: Manuals & Books FAQ
Feedback:
Long Trip Safety Suggestions.
1) Don't ride when you're tired, or drunk, or upset. (like if you have a
mechanical failure)
2) Stay away from heavy concentrations of traffic. ie cities
3) Don't ride in the rain if at all possible.
4) If you need to ride in the rain go SLOWLY.
5) Relax your grip on the handle bars. Throttle locks are unnecessary if you
keep a light grip on the throttle.
6) Don't grip the bike too tightly with your legs.
7) Don't strain to see ahead. RELAX! paul
Try: http://www.megarider.com/. There are some bits of "Dubious" info, so make your own judgement on what you read. they have a really good monthly newsletter. but not as much freely available info. J@mes NZ #848.
Falling, like counter-steering, can be learned, and should be practiced
continuously. Wrestlers learn how to fall, judokis learn how to fall, hence
bikers should also learn how to fall, lest they are living in a fool's paradise.
Being the proverbial fall-guy myself, this is what I suggest:
(1) When falling is imminent, I hold onto the handlebars come h*ll or high
water, and squeeze my legs around the bike, for I believe that I will be safest
when staying with the bike. Once motion stops, before the dust settles, I can
flip the kill switch, shut off the fuel valve, and can try to get the bugger
upright as fast as possible, before doing a body check on myself. This I
practice whenever possible.
(2) Bike preparation: My Jesse bags (2 mm aluminum and sturdy carriers) protect
my legs during a fall, so does my BMW crash bar. These two items make me believe
that I'll be saver hanging on to the bike than letting go and doing a
cross-country slide. Another trick I have learned is, never tighten the hand
grips on the handle bars. They should be only loosely attached and be able to
give during a fall. Then you can just turn them back to normal without having to
worry about broken mirrors, or broken brake/clutch levers.
(3) It is imperative that you upright the bike immediately. As soon as it lies
on the ground the battery will drain through its overflow hole, and after a few
falls you will no longer have any electrolyte in the cells, and no power. I
learned this the hard way. In Africa I thought that the battery was losing an
inordinate amount of water, and kept filling it up with distilled water. I
should have topped it up with battery acid instead. Batteries don't function
with water alone. Live and learn, or get a dry-cell battery.
Andy #982, 07-Dec-01
If you drop the bike, lift it by squatting next to it, back to the seat, one hand under the tank/seat and the other on the grab rail.
Lift by pushing with the legs, keeping the arms straight.
Once upright you bring the grab rail hand round unto the bars, then wheel away as normal. Saves your back.
I'm an owner of a 2002 F650GS and a 2003 Honda VFR800 and notice that I couldnt raise the bikes to their centerstand w/o someone assisting me. I'm a bit short, 5'5" tall (166cm) , and w/ average strength. Is there a special way or style to raise the stand? I usually use my right foot to step on the stand and use my body to lift the bike but I find it a bit difficult. Although w/ my scoot, an Italjet Dragster, I dont have any problems esp since its very light.
The seat is important--there are also other items as others have mentioned. I don't know what length of trips you have taken but assume few of any great length --You will find that as you do longer trips, you will get used to doing them--your body and even attitude will undergo some changes that will make the trips easier as you do more of them--If you've not done so already, suggest you check out www.ironbutt.com. On this site click on the Archive of Wisdom--here are the thoughts, suggestions and benefits of thousands of miles of riding by some of the most hard core long distance people---they are thoughtful, extremely helpful and one would do well to heed what is said there. Lots of luck in the planning of your future trip--the planning is one of the really fun parts of any trip!! Bill No.391 Las Vegas
Earplugs (& Helmet). The wind noise is more tiring than you think. I put an air pillow under a sheepskin (velcro'd on) that added an inch or two of height, and was (inflation) adjustable as needed (before I rebuilt the seat). Some type of throttle lock/throttle rocker. Taller windshield. None will stop the buffeting around the helmet (especially at your height), but will help relax the arms/chest/neck. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F.
Cold Weather Riding. I wear the following kit and find its good for minus 10 (22F ?) at 50-70 mph without resorting to battery draining kit. I save the power for the GPS and lights (the outfit has two batteries and a big alternator the F doesn't): Thermal balaclava One piece thermal under suit (sub Zero) Thermal socks Thermal undergloves Two finger plus thumb outer gloves Gericke armoured trousers and jacket "snook" type neck warmer Schuberth helmet (flip fronts have a tighter fit at the neck) Frank Thomas boots with Tote overboots for the wet. One piece over suit so keep the rest dry if it rains heavily (easier to dry). I also have a voltmeter fitted to keep an eye on what the GPS, lights etc. are using. Heated clothing is a total waste if you don't keep the heat in. Soup, pasta and Mars bars are a much better heat source from the inside. I do fancy a heated visor though. The internal heat idea needs a bit more care than the switch on the heater approach. If you get too warm through work or a change in the weather, sweat will make you freeze. Open the jacket at any stop and be prepared to take it off to keep and even temperature if you have to push the bike or say put a tent up. Keep a hat on at all times. Warm drinks work a treat but make sure you can find the zips on your riding kit! I think Steve has a charging problem. Will the battery hold 12.5 Volts off the bike for 24 hours? If not you need a new one (try a Hawker). On the bike you should have 13 or so volts with the engine turning. Any combination of heating etc. that drops this below 12.5 is starting to drain the battery. You need 12V to turn an engine, more if its cold. 11.8 is a flat battery. Andy Leeds UK #982
Using this site, http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/wxcalc/windchill.html, I got the following: If it is 27 degress F outside, and I am riding 75mph, the calculator says it feels like it is 4 degrees F. I was happy with that until I tried another one... http://www-wwrc.uwyo.edu/wrds/wsc/reference/chill.html Same stuff, but this one says -10 degrees F. This one, http://javascript.internet.com/calculators/wind-chill.html, also says -10. But then this one, http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/earth/wind_chill/chill_wcscript.html, says 4.
So I did some research... and found this page explaining it: http://www.weather.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml They redid it... and provided the following explanation: The current formula uses advances in science, technology, and computer modeling to provide a more accurate, understandable, and useful formula for calculating the dangers from winter winds and freezing temperatures. So now I am confused. And does simply using a wind chill calculator even make sense when trying to figure out how cold it is when riding? billmallin #1629
by Flash#412, May '01
There seems to be some general confusion and disagreement about how to ride in crosswinds: go faster, go slower, hold tighter, be looser.
Years ago, I found THE ANSWER. It worked for me when I had an R75/5 with a full Avon fairing and Enduro bags, with a backpack strapped upright to the short sissy bar, with a passenger. (Maximum crosswind profile.) And it worked for me when I had a nekkid R80G/S, solo. (Minimum crosswind profile.) I have posted it occasionally on rec.motorcycles and gotten many favorable responses. Though, some folks, with some bikes, claim it doesn't work. YMMV. (It works on an F650, too.)
When riding in a crosswind, particularly a gusting one, all you need to do is stick your knee on the upwind side out as far as you can. The drawback is that if it is cold or rainy, you tend to scoop all the weather into your crotch. The reason it works, I *think*, is that with your knee out, you are putting your bike aerodynamically off-center and must compensate to get it to go straight. Now, when a gust comes along, your knee scoops up a bunch of the breeze, pulling you INTO the wind at the same time the wind is pushing the bike away. In any case, the effect of the gust is reduced by 90% or so.
Try it. It's free. If you don't like it, or it doesn't work, stop doing it. (Disclaimer: The suggestion assumes you are a licensed motorcyclist with enough sense not to fall off. If you try this and fall off, it is your own damn fault.)
"A really good imagination is almost as good as... hmmm I dunno."- E.Foote
David Braun - Flash@DeathStar.org - F650-412 - DoD # 412 - BMWMOA #18854 - VBMW #540
We got this from http://www.deathstar.org/~flash
Made a bit of an error yesterday, I rode to Inverness in the morning and everything was fine, went to a business meeting for about 3 hours. Then I rode back, but the wind had gotten up, quite strong and gusty. I have to ride 20 miles along a firth, and the wind was howling down to the sea, and to be honest I found riding in the cross wind, very difficult. At one point it blew me onto the centre line and I found it difficult to get back, there was nothing coming in the other direction so I crossed into the other side of the road to let the traffic behind me pass and I rested a moment to get my nerve back. Felt a bit of a prat. I wouldn't mind some advice (other than look at the weather forecast) about riding in cross winds. Thanks Larry. 650GS
I don't like riding in heavy winds either, it's a lot more strenuous. One important thing is to try and stay relaxed and not get a death grip on your bike or you'll wear yourself out fast and end up making mistakes. I try to pick a good lane position depending on were the wind or gusts come from, if I do get pushed over too far by a gust sometimes it helps me to open up the throttle a little while trying to get back over into a better position. Other than that I pretty much just go with it, leaning into the wind if needed. Razz '03 black GS, Colorado
Well one standby that is often mentioned is to stick out your knee in the upwind direction. The theory is when the wind blows from that direction it will catch you knee and that pulls you into the wind counteracting the wind force elsewhere. Seems to work a bit for me. It also helps to crouch down and make your sideways profile smaller. MasterITRIT #F650-1231 -- '98 F650 Classic -- '80 Yamaha XT250 -- Rochester, NY.
I ride through a wind farm most every day in the Altamont pass in central California. What helped me a lot is a tip that Flash posted on his web site somewhere in the annals of time... Stick your knee out to whatever side the wind is coming from. I.e. if the wind is blowing from left to right, pop your left knee out and try and make as wide a triangle between your knee and the bike as possible. This has the effect (with me) of adding a nice keel to the good ship F650. Seacuke, #1214, F650GS, California, East of the Bay Area.
Lower your speed as well, the wind will still affect you, but you won't drift as far sideways. F650GS Dakar.
I'll vouch for the "knee into wind" method. I read about it on this site, and have been experimenting for the past couple of months. I've found that the higher your speed, the greater the stabilizing effect of the manoeuvre. This is fine and works well for steady winds. But gusts generally pose a greater challenge. With gusts the greater your speed, the greater the drift or tip. The knee out doesn't work so well against sudden gusts at high road speeds (say over 85mph). It does seem to work well with gusts at speeds up to about 70mph. Darkness
What they said, plus give yourself a little room to move when a gust DOES hit you. And relax just a little bit, if you can. And know that after miles/days of exposure you will begin to respond automatically, just like a pilot in a small airplane does to turbulence. Once it becomes second nature, it won't mess with your mind quite as much as it does at first! Scott #1244 -- Boise, ID. -- '02 Dakar
I recommend reading David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. I don't recall specific gusty wind instructions but he does go into the physics of how the motorcycle works when using counter steering. Everyone does not easily understand this but counter steering is very important for all types of riding not just racing. Before I knew when the gust's got really big I got frightened held on real tight and NOT do the counter steer/lean thing but with practice it works. In addition adding the knee into the wind thing and slowing down is good. If cars are behind you pull over when it's safe and let them pass. Will in CA
I ride a windy section of freeway nearly every day. Sometimes the gusts get downright brutal. It's also the stretch in Denver where nearly every rider I know pins the throttle for the few miles where visibility is great and there are 3 lanes to work with. (225 in front of CC res for the locals) On my Honda I'd hit speeds in excess of 100MPH and the method I use to this day is to duck down over the tank and position my body more towards the side where the wind is coming from. When there's no wind my bike will lean a little bit away from the wind but when a gust hits I rarely move. This is an alternate to the knee technique- my leg starts to hurt a bit when I stick it out there for a long time (you're still creating more wind resistance on the windy side). This works at legal speeds, too. :) The key, like others have mentioned, is to stay loose and try to keep a lower profile. Practice makes perfect. Chppdlvvr 2001 F650GS, Aurora, CO.
Have not tried the knee out yet. I am sure it works. I remember my first rides in windy and gusty conditions and how stressed out I was. However, I believe that the following tips helped a lot. - Keep your knees on the tank. This way, you will NOT feel that your bike is slipping underneath you. Stay relaxed when the wind moves it and go with it. This works for wind gusts - In the MSF, they told us to lean into steady wind. It works! - Lots of riding in all kinds of weather. Relax take it easy. Be one with your bike and you will be able to go with the elements instead of fighting them. Ride Safe. Don Carnage
Flash 412 (CO) > In the MSF, they told us to lean into steady wind. It works! < That idea SUCKS for variable, gusting winds, though.
Last night coming back from LA via the Sequoia National Forest when I was headed west on hwy152 towards route 5 (North-South) there was a HIGH WIND warning. Yes this area is well known to get very high winds coming from the Pacific then over two small mountain ranges they gather speed and force finally slamming down in the valley to the east of Hwy 101 and running like a freight train over Route 5. Now, I've ridden high winds before and so I wasn't "spooked" but fighting it for any length of time can be tiring and mentally exhausting. I'm not going to give any riding "tips" here except to say that sometimes you have to be creative on what route you choose. Now, I was headed west on 152 straight toward the Pacific Ocean so the wind was head-on. I didn't notice it too much as I was sliding through it. I needed to go north to make it back home so I made a right turn on to Route 5. Then when on the on-ramp - whammo! the full force of the wind about 60 mph hit me. It was a strong fight until the next exit about 3 miles up the road when I pulled off to reassess my options. As it was night there were no clouds to read (and the sky was clear previously), I figured that the hot air from the day before was helping contribute to the strength of the wind cell combined with the Pacific ocean air stream. So, the best way to combat this was to find some cover. I decided to return 3 miles south to hwy 152 to head west over the mountains into Hollister/Gilroy and from there to catch hwy 101 northward. From my experience it is always better to ride around/cut through the storms until you let the geography help you. So I did this, riding west into the wind was much nicer than fighting it for 60 miles across the highway. On my GPS when I was turned a few degrees off of west the wind was very noticeable but I kept it pinned and just gunned it over the mountains and to hwy 101. Now I ride 'different' and don't mind going fast, riding in the wind, or what not - but what I'm offering here for you/your wife is the basics of "wind riding" which is that sometimes a longer route is a more pleasant route because it minimizes the effects of the wind. When I did the Reverse Pony Express this past November it was one whole week of storm riding from snow, blizzards, and high winds. All across Kansas there were 50-60 mph winds so there was no way around it, but in other parts of the country I could choose to snuggle some low lying hills to break up the weather. What I've found is that using the geography is the best way to ride the weather. Also it doesn't hurt to know how storms (of any kind form), where you are, and how it should run it's course - riding frequently in all kinds of weather I've come to learn some "seat of the pants" type of weather analysis and now also study some weather formation science (from books) so that as a rider I can plan a route better based on what I see/barometer readings/altitude/etc. When you know what you're facing instead of just trying to "ride" through it it makes for much better riding. It is also good to know when to stop for a break as sometimes it really is too dangerous to ride especially with wind vacuums such as are created by terrain or moving vehicles (read trucks). Hope this wind riding "tip" helps. davidhpark, #711
I have one F650 that is an off-road bike. Fully stripped and using twin PIAA driving lights for night dirt training. Had to build the front-end with cartridge emulators and heavier springs. Tried lots of different rear shocks from other bikes and nothing really worked. Finally had a Penske made three inches longer with a much heavier spring and triple dampening circuits ($750). I wanted more swingarm angle to improve traction and get more ground clearance. Had to go to a big rear sprocket to get the chain clearance over the swingarm pivot. As for riding, mostly stand-up and using the pegs to initiate turns. Body weight shifts back for braking to compensate for nose dive. Forward for acceleration and turns. Knees into the tank are sometimes more comfortable but not needed. In a sliding turn I can lift my outside leg off the peg to demonstrate all weigh is on the inside peg. For sand and deep gravel, weight goes back and throttle on. Steering with pegs in critical. Emergency throttle roll-offs better be with weight fully back or you will push the front end and do a high side. Ramey
Don't want to start the CoG thread again, but your bike is infinitely more stable with you on the pegs and not on the seat. If you can practice enough (off road is great place to get used to it) so that it becomes second nature, standing up and going over is a better option than breaking and/or swerving, especially if conditions are already compromised (as in the steel bridge.) When you get really good you can try popping a little wheelie to get the front tire up and over. When I'm riding off road and constantly battling the urge to sit and brake, I chant the mantra "Stand up or Fall Down, Sh**head" Seems to work pretty well. I've yet to fall down while standing on the pegs, and I can't begin to count the times I've fallen while seated. David#476
I ride dirt quite frequent and have found an awful lot of add ons are neat, but not always needed. I have a few ideas! Tank panniers are always on my bike and protect the signals etc from falls. Saddlebags are neat protection, as well and I almost always have them mounted (Jesse's). The disk protector is good idea ,but cautious riding will keep you from rocks that would do this damage. Not always, so this is a good one, but pricey. I'm depending on my riding skill to protect my disk! Levers are stuck out in harms way and hand protectors are the option (good one). You may even carry extra levers, if really worried a lot. Drilling the levers near the ends will keep them from breaking all the way off and unusable. Many dirt riders use the shorties levers and they are not near as likely to get personal with the ground. I like the drilling idea best. A sudden shock to end of lever usually bends at drill hole or breaks there. Beats a broken lever near the stub! First aide kit is a good idea and mine is mounted to my tank panniers. Skin is not exposed, but the worst kinds of falls can cut pretty deep and/or bruise deep and a pill (s) helps the pain. Water! Always carry it...dirt riding especially. I travel into the wilderness alone on occasion and being self sufficient is the only thing between you and help sometimes. Remembering that will keep you alive if you do what I do! Riding with another is always better! Randy748/Calif.
David H. Park #711
Rim locks do not make installing a new tire or tube any more difficult than normal is you really know how to do it.
5 psi is too low. Bib mousse used for racing emulated 10-12 psi which is correct low pressure setting, 8psi at worse/best case but not really necessary.
2 rim locks in rear and 1 in front
Weight back, gas on, let handlebars move around, keep forward momentum, change direction by shifting weight side-to-side
Knobby tires only!
check and clean/replace that air filter!
Riding in sand is technique not machine specific
Standing with weight over the back of the bike lowers the CoG and makes the front end light.
Speed is dependant on how fast you want to get somewhere
Don't go flying over the tops of dunes as you don't know where/how long the drop-off is.
If you find yourself at the bottom of a big sand bowl ride clockwise around the rim to use centrifugal force to ride the rim to the top instead of charging up the "hill"
Anybody wanting to really learn to ride sand should sign up for the Jimmy Lewis training sessions one of which will be sand training at Dumont Dunes.
See www.dhpmoto.com/jimmylewis for details.
Believe it or not pledge helps water run off your shield. On another site there was a disscusion about rain-x being to harsh and causing problems with hazing if used continously on some blands of shields. I haven't used it on my shield so I don't have any first hand experience with it over time. For people who don't have a squeege built into their gloves ski shops sell a Ski-Gee. It has a hole and you slip it over your thumb and on the other end is a squeege. I keep one on all my bikes because living in Oregon it can be sunny here and raining a couple of miles later. I have found that turning my head to the left and then the right helps clear the water away. Like you I get tired of wiping the shield off. In hard rain it some times works better to not wipe it. The water collects into bigger drops and then run off better. It is easier to see through big spread out drops than than it is to see through small mist type drops.Living in Oregon I get to ride in the rain more than I would like and this is what I have found to work the best for me.I used to try anti fog stuff but I either didn't have it with me when I wanted it or I just didn't want to stop in the rain and apply it. Your mileage my vary and this advise may only be worth what ya paid for it. Tom McCallum
I use car wax on my shields with good results. Seems to make the water bead up rather quickly and blow off. PS I use turtle wax. langlois
Rain-X works great for me. I follow the directions and apply at least two coats. Flash 412 (CO)
You need a pristine visor to start. Brand new. Treat it like very well. I would hesitate putting anything other than spit or breath on it. You want to protect the factory coating. Dirt and rubbing take their toll. I'm not sold on Rain-X. I think it was fomulated for glass which is hard to etch. I haven't tried the Pledge yet. I had the best luck with extreme cleanliness. Buffing with the cloth that comes with my wife's plastic spectacles. The other thing is to manage the humidity in the helmet by managing the crack (no snickering here you neandethals). Once the visor starts to get bad buy a new one. Its over. Even if you manage to polish and buff your way to a clear visor, the coating is probably gone. Chris in Santa Cruz, CA
Fog City Proshield on the inside of the visor will kill fogging in all but the most extreme conditions. Not much you can do for the outside. I have found the windblast off the edge of the windshield will clear the shield (depends on your windshield and comfort in standing) in light rain. And a Wee Willy to clean up afterward. Marty #436
My local bike dealer stopped selling Rain-X as it was reported over time to have made some visors brittle. I have found from experience that a scratched up visor is terrible in the rain as the drops 'collect' in the scratches. Even in slow speed town riding (which unfortunately is 99% of my biking) a clean unscratched/lightly scratched visor performs miles better. It also helps to clean the visor with a proper visor cloth as opposed to tissue. Tissue in time will also scratch up the visor. Other than that i use a Vee-Wipe which is great and I make sure my visor is fully closed to stop rain drops getting onto the inside of the visor. For anti-fogging the inside of the visor I use a light reactive fog-city insert (clear at night, yellow in low light and blue in sunlight). Buy one of these or be called stupid for the rest of your pathetic, god forsaken life. :-) Andrew C (UK)
I came across a website with lots of articles focusing on different aspects of riding. I've found it to be an excellent resource so I thought I'd share it with the board. http://www.msgroup.org/DISCUSS.asp. hk_rider
>>> I also find myself gritting my teeth during higher speeds and more difficult turns so I will try to pay attention to the teeth clenching. <<< This is something all of us have to pay attention to. To be fast, you have to be smooth, and to be smooth, you _have_ to be loose. If you're tense, you're in over your head. It takes a lot of practice to not tense up when you're going fast. Conscious relaxation is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. Work on it. Especially on relaxing the upper body. You're riding skills will improve tremendously when you can enter a corner a bit hot and not stiffen up. Bryan
As a new rider, you will find ALL of this information instructive. If you're really serious, your local librarian can probably acquire the WHOLE report. Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures (aka - The Hurt Report) http://nickolson.net/hurt_sum.htm. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F
Incidentally, the key to going fast at a track is this: learn to brake very hard and smoothly downshift at the same time. Then keep moving your brake markers in until you're just barely trail braking to the apex. No need to be careful coming out, the 650 doesn't make enough HP to get in trouble at the exit. Alan #442 FL
by Ramey "Coach" Stroud, Cascade Endurance Center, Lyons, Oregon
Performance vs. longevity... sort of sounds like the Zen of motorcycles!
We race and tour F650's, and use them at our dual sport training center in Oregon-- we have six of them. Since '97 we have also done a lot different things with the bikes-- superTT (motard), roadracing, Alaska, Mexico, Central America, backwoods stuff, even a drag race or two. We like to run hard and go long-- usually two or three Acerbis tanks a day.
Now to the point. We have never, repeat never had n F650 mechanical failure that has left us sitting by the road in more than 100,000 miles. How, you may ask, is this possible?
Drum roll please... We spend almost as much time maintaining our bikes as we do riding them. Pain in the posterior? No, working on the bikes is as much fun as riding them-- yes, it's an acquired attitude. Changing oil every 3k, polishing as a form of inspection, stem to stern wrench checks, reading plugs, using an electrical meter as a preventive diagnostic, replacing stuff before it's worn out, etc. We take pride in having well prepared bikes.
We also take pride in how we ride. Matching road speed to engine speed is the essence of smooth shifting and clutch/transmission longevity. Braking and accelerating aggressively requires good tires and some technique.
So if you want an F650 to achieve its genetic potential, then you must do your part-- ride it well and maintain it often.
I'm currently preparing an F650 for an international around-the-world rally next year. If there is interest, I'll do an article for the web-site on what we are doing. Maybe, I might even tell you how to take the BMWMOA F650 "Function" award away from me next year.
Flash #412's take on Performance vs. Longevity
I wring the very nipples off my bike. It seems to rather enjoy it at the higher revs. It is, after all, an Italian bike, even if the engine is Teutonic. (Mine's a "classic" '98.) If it doesn't last, I'll fix it. But I figure it is so under stressed that with synthetic oil and factory change intervals, it WILL last.
When my step-father died, he had two kinds of pneumonia, congestive heart failure, diabetes, plebitis and pancreatic cancer. He came darned close to wearing out EVERYTHING at once. He was in his 80's, btw.
That's how I'd like to go. That's how I want my bike to go, too. When I am done, and when my bike is done... "No serviceable parts remained" should be our epitaphs.
Bill No.391 Las Vegas
Subject: Twisties
The October issue of the Chicago Region News---published by the Chicago Region
BMW Owners Association, has a useful article that many of us can profit from.
Its exact title is: Flatlander's Ride Guide for Twisties--by Tom Brown.
Panic is our enemy. Don't race. Don't show off. This is real life. You CAN get hurt bad. You can lose your bike, your license and, you know, other stuff. You can hurt others real bad too.
Panic is our enemy. This is a public road with unknown hazards. Don't take corners at a race-track pace. Keep some cornering and braking ability in reserve for surprise situations. Radar, gravel, road kill, hidden driveways...
Panic is our enemy. When turns start to get "blind", spread out and don't stagger. Use the whole lane.
Panic is our enemy. Enter corners on the outside of the lane (where you can see and be seen early and make adjustments in time). Stay outside until you know where the corner ends unless there's good reason not to...bad camber, tar strips, oncoming car etc. Slow your pace if this happens.
Panic is our enemy. Use a lower gear. This is not an economy run. Engine braking is the best way to adjust speed without upsetting the attitude of your bike in a turn. Enter unknown or blind turns at 1/2 to 3/4 of red- line.
Panic is our enemy. If you loose the rider in front of you, just let her/him go. The ride leader will stop and gather the whole group before each turn-off. Just follow the route and you don't have to worry about losing the group. You're not expected to see them every second. We don't mind waiting for you.
Panic is our enemy. If someone is holding you up pass carefully when there's room. Signal, flash lights and wait for the rider ahead to motion you by. Otherwise, back off and enjoy the day. Bear in mind the passee's experience level. No shame in caution. No glory in getting there first.
Panic is our enemy. Leave plenty of distance. Don't fixate on the rider in front of you. Watch the road instead. If she's/he's a good rider, that's what she's/he's doing---watching the road! Try to take a different line from her/him so you can see around her/him better. Don't assume this rider is the "perfect rider." Don't assume you're "safe" following even the perfect rider's line blindly...everyone makes mistakes or encounters surprises and you want to avoid following the leader into a hazard.
Panic is our enemy. Manage your adrenaline level. If you get "scared", slow down...There may be a good reason for it! It could be the setup on your bike is wrong for the road or load or maybe something's coming loose or it could be that oncoming cement mixer in your lane up ahead...listen to your instincts but don't let them take over. Never freeze...when you feel this starting to happen, slow down, let a couple of riders pass you if necessary. Breathe deeply a couple of times and regain your focus. You'll realize how "zoned out" you were. Survival reactions can cause muscles to freeze, eyes to fixate and put you in the ditch! You should be using your brain and not your "nerves."
Panic is our enemy. Manage your hydration level. Drink water at every stop. When you're "in the wind" your fluids leave your body quickly. If you get even mildly dehydrated, your mental ability will suffer...and you'll be prone to panic and bad judgement. Too much sugar will cause low blood sugar fatigue (sugar coma) when your body pumps massive amounts of insulin into your blood. Ask a diabetic. This is especially prevalent 20 to 60 minutes after meals on the road. Eat light or at least be aware of this issue and deal with it when you feel it...again, be present and deal with your circumstances.
Leader: Explain everything to each rider before each ride so there is no question.
The following steps were provided by SScratch #1082 (who may just be an expert at this :-P ):
David H. Park, #711, Doug 781
01-Aug-01
All this talk of oil changes and S&M has me feeling naughty. So I'm going to ask a question this motorcycling novice knows will piss off the safety dandies. Bob #752
Wheelies on any (most) bikes are a simple matter of finding the point between throttle input and clutch output. I wheelie my Dakar all the time and my Schalber Rallye wheelies even easier. I have also wheelied the stock GS (which is a piece of cake).
More Wheelie Notes from DHP:
Feedback:
Last Sunday I was at
a party and ran into a Civil Engineer who does a lot of the planning for our
town in CA. I bitched at him for a while about the number of lights that are
being built in town, then I bitched at him about the fact that the sensors
don't pick up motorcycles and I sit eternally at the lights waiting for a cage
to "free" me, or just blowing the light if the wait gets ridiculous. He said
that the key to triggering the sensors is not only the *final* trigger up by
the light, but *all* of the sensors (they start about 30-50 feet before the
actual intersection). He said that on a motorcycle the sensors will pick you
up if you are riding about 7MPH or slower. With a healthy serving of
scepticism, I tried the '7mph' method on the way home from the party, slowing
to a near stop before the first sensor of one of the notoriously bad
intersections on my route and basically idling across them. Lo and behold - by
the time I actually *got* to the intersection, the damn thing had turned green
for me! Amazing, shocking and gratifying!
I can't speak for any other towns or inductor pickup schemes, but in Tracy,
California - if you ride nice and slow over all of the sensors, they will pick
you up. No kickstand required! Seacuke #1214
I can concur with Seacuke. I was just about to buy the trigger. Glad now that I didn't. Seacuke is right about the sensors and about the gratification - "I'm somebody, the light actually changed for me!" By accident, I noticed that when I found the sensors on the road I tried to ride over all of them - It worked! Like Seacuke the light had changed for me by the time I got to the crosswalk - yeah baby! I'm a simple guy, small victories like these make my day. Colbster, CA.
You HAVE a green light trigger, most people call it a "centerstand." I stop above a sensor, touch my centerstand right down on the asphalt and lo and behold, the light changeth to green. Woo Hoo! and I'm on my way. More steel in the centerstand and it don't cut the engine out. Works every time for me. Shank NYC USA
I have one and I think it is as useless as nipples on a boar - as my dearly departed dirt-farming father used to say - edited for G-rated audiences. Stan #770
Put your sidestand down right on the inductive pickup line. Works for me 98% of the time. Yet another reason to get rid of that stupid cut-off switch. Flash #412 (CO)
I use this gadget it may not be 100% But it works for me most of the time. http://www.greenlighttrigger.com/. Tony#845 98F Louisville, Ky
There I was, the only one in the turn lane at a stop light, waiting for a green arrow to allow me to proceed. The light went through one, two, then three complete cycles without offering me a green arrow. After missing the 2nd cycle, I rolled the bike back & forth several times to see if it would trigger the sensor - no joy. Not being one to violate the law, I finally gave up and went to the next light and circled back to where I wanted to go - but I felt really silly sitting there at the light waiting & waiting. I can't remember having that problem before, but it seems that most of the time, I'm not the only one waiting at a light. Anyone else have this experience - does the F650 engine being aluminum have any bearing on the size of the magnetic field it generates (e.g. not being enough?). Bob #1248, 2001 GS
I have the same problem with many traffic lights and the "Green Light Trigger" magnet that I have stuck to the bike doesn't help. The only thing that will cause these lights to trigger is more steel or getting the traffic maintenance technicians to adjust the sensitivity of the signal detection equipment (if it can be adjusted). Unfortunately, with shrinking budgets and the talk of layoffs, the signal crews are more interested in changing lightbulbs, instead of adjusting detectors to pick up a motorcycle. What is usually needed is new equipment and different loops with more wires in them. When the signals are reconstructed they usually work fine, but the old equipment installed 20 or 30 years ago, just doesn't get the job done and there is no money to fix them. So nothing happens and you end up having to make a right turn to bypass the signal, or wait for a nice big SUV to pull up behind you. I wonder what you do when you are riding your horse and come to a signal? Richard #230: 1997 Funduro, 2002 R1150R, 2002 Yamaha YZ1, 1993 Honda CB750 - Pacifica, CA, USA
Here's the dillio on lights, given to me by a civil engineer who is one of the planners/architects for my town. On a light motorcycle like the F650, it is absolutely imperative to approach the intersection slowly. There are sensor loops buried in the road for probably the last 100 to 200 feet of roadway before the light. They are triggered by light bikes like ours, when approached at 7mph (!) or less. Hit them all, and hit them all slow, and the Keys to the Kingdom will be yours to enjoy. I've conducted many an informal field trial, and with the exception of older traffic lights in the beautiful (not) town of Pleasanton, CA, the "approach slow" method works 100% of the time. As a side bonus, by approaching the intersection so slowly, sometimes the light changes before I even get to the end of the sensor 'corridor' and I don't have to stop the bike completely! Of course, YMMV, but it really has been a boon to my riding to know this bit about the slow approach. Seacuke, #1214, F650GS, California, East of the Bay Area.
Unfortunately Seacuke, that only works for relatively new signals. State Type 90 and 170 signals will pick up bikes, because they were designed to do so, thanks to the State specifications for the signals and their equipment (detecting a Honda step-through used to be the test to insure that the signal met specifications before it would be accepted for maintenance by the public agency). Earlier signal systems were never designed to be sensitive enough to detect motorcycles. Some of them will and others will not. It depends a lot on the type of equipment, how it was maintained and how the loops were cut into the street. Pleasanton has a lot of new signals, because it has had a lot of development during the past 20 years. It just kind of depends on a lot of factors and you may just get stuck. All you can do is complain to the local public works department and see what happens. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease. If you complain long enough, the signal will eventually get fixed - assuming that it can be adjusted at all. Richard #230
I have heard that
stopping and starting your bike may trigger the sensor. Apparently the
magnetic field of the starter motor turning over may be enough. Its worth a
try. Ratso
F650GS Dakar, Queensland, Australia.
While centered over one of the triggers, push your centerstand down with your foot and hold it there for a moment. I thought this was a joke when I first read about it, but I started doing it on a particularly stubborn signal (and a few others) and so far it's worked for me every time. Razz 03 black GS, Colorado
I have tried this trick on my LT and Dakar and it has not worked for either motorcycle. BBowens
Slow way down and weave back and forth starting about 50 feet before the light. There's a light by work that some cars don't even trigger. It triggers for me every time I do this. Otherwise I blow a light after the first cycle. I've never had a problem with that (legally)- just make sure it's clear. chppdlvvr, 2001 F650GS, Aurora, CO.
Of course if you have some models of BMW motorcycles, such as the "Classic" F650, the engine stops when you deploy the side stand. Leaving you stranded in the middle of an intersection with a stalled engine. Richard #230: 1997 Funduro, 2002 R1150R, 2002 Yamaha YZ1, 1993 Honda CB750 - Pacifica, CA, USA
I disabled and
removed the sidestand lockout switch. Putting the sidestand down ON the wires
in the road rarely fails me.
Flash 412 (CO)
I use the centerstand, not the sidestand. I dunno-it's worked for me so far or it's a heckuva coincidence. *shrug Razz
Green Light Trigger
doesn't work for me either. Actually, I need to look and see if it's still
there! 20 years ago my dad got a ticket for running a light that his Yama twin
wouldn't trigger. The muni judge let him off after he agreed to write the city
a letter asking them to fix it. That same light still doesn't pick up my bike.
I'm sure this has been discussed, but what is the point of the sidestand
switch? IS it to prevent you from starting it in gear? wouldn't that be better
done with a neutral lockout? '97 F650, #1291.
Chris in Santa Fe
The *one* time I tried to use the sidestand to trigger the light, the people in the car that pulled up next to me rolled down their window to tell me that my sidestand was down. I'll run the red if I've waited two light cycles and can turn safely - I think most cops would find that reasonable. '01 F650 GS, '89 Hawk GT. Rebecca
Several types of triggers in use. Motion sensors sometimes have sensors built in that can be triggered by the flashing strobe on the top of emergency vehicles. Flashing to high several times using the high beam trigger can sometimes set these off (also illegal, I think). The loops buried in the asphalt are sensitive to chunks of IRON passing through their magnetic field. For these, find where the loop is buried (look for the large circle of tar that covers the groove the loop was put into) and put your sidestand foot (or centerstand) directly on it, thus maximizing the proximity of iron to the loop (what it lacks in size, it makes up for in proximity). I have triggered some very insensitive signals this way (unfortunately after the first sequence passed me by because I didn't do this). If this doesn't trigger it, I've waited my 2 cycles and go anyway. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F.
Flash #412 & Crasher #1011
December '01
High Sided! What does that mean? You don't watch bike racing then!!
When in a turn and the rear wheel slides out sideways and then grips again (usually because the rider has closed the throttle), the bike and rider are suddenly thrown vertical causing the rider to carry on over the "high side" The opposite to a "low side" where the rider falls the way they were leaning.
When you are leaning in a turn, if you fall off, you don't fall very far. If, as Crasher says, you lose and then regain traction, the bike can stand up and fall over the opposite way. People sometimes say stuff like, "It spit me off." THAT is the high side, you go OVER the bike, instead of just "down."
When travelling in a STRAIGHT LINE, you experience an unplanned dismount due to an inappropriate panic use of the rear brake.
a) Is your unplanned dismount a "high side" or a "low side"?
Answer to (a) is that it could be either, depending on (b).
b) How would you differentiate between the two?
Answer to (b) is... if you locked your rear brake and the back end came around and you did NOT release the brake, falling off the bike, behind the bike, you would have gone down on the low side, by virtue of the fact that the bike would have been leaning toward the direction from which you came. If just BEFORE this occurred, you released the brake and gained traction for an instant, and the bike suddenly rotated about the axis of the tire's contact point with the road, you'd have gone OVER the bike (high side).
It really has nothing at all to do with the SLIDE.
It's the BOUNCE before the slide.
One can go down on the low side and yet find oneself preceding the bike down the tarmac.
This sequence of events does not a highside make.
Ok, I've learned to keep my feet level on the footpegs and they don't touch the ground anymore when I turn. But the scraping sidestand irritates me. It's the loop on the sidestand that is doing the scraping. I don't have the sidestand switch disabled, so the scraping happens when riding with the sidestand "up". What does everyone else do?
Just ignore it and keep scraping? -- (might actually be ok, doesn't happen that often for me)
Take the loop off the stand? -- (I think it's useful finding the sidestand for parking)
Bend it? -- (how much? does it break off?)
Raise the clearance? -- (different rear shock? $$$?)
Feedback:
How about "Slow down"? But since THAT'S no fun -- you might try some Ricky-Racer-type body positioning. When you enter a turn, get far forward on the seat, move your shoulders forward and in (point your chin at your destination) and drop your inside knee way down. At the same time, step down HARD on the high side peg. Do this, and you will need less lean at any given entry speed. Once that subtle move is mastered, add some hanging-off. Start sliding your butt off the seat to the inside as you enter a turn. If you work up to it bit by bit, you can get used to being fully off the seat and this REALLY reduces lean angles. DakotaDakar#1198
You can bend the metal ring attached to the side stand in order to adjust it inwards or outwards. RDW #1134, Vancouver BC
I manage to scrape both left and right center stand feet on tight corners, especially when I hit a bump in the corner (which is common here in AZ, where the typical secondary streets have a concrete drainage dip running along each side). I managed to minimize the problem by tightening up the pre-load on the rear a bit. I fiddled with it for about a week, getting it comfy but stiff enough to avoid scrapes in my usual around town travels. I ride a lowered 03 GS, and I'm 178 lbs plus gear. You also may not be giving the bike enough gas around the corner. When you roll on the throttle as you start your turn, you load up the suspension and get the bike riding a bit higher, thus giving your suspension more room to move, and giving yourself some more ground clearance. To say it another way, you get maximal ground clearance for cornering when you roll on some throttle as you turn, so make sure you're doing that, too. Codewheeney
Q. Had my bike's rear tire start wobbling uncontrollably at a high speed coming down hill... what's that symptomatic of? Scared the bajeebeeze outta me! Thought the tire was gonna pop off and beat me down the hill. Any quick fix? Safe to ride into the shop? Thanks! Ty
.
Got air? Check the Tyre Pressure. Check the Rear Wheel Bearings. Check the Axle Bolts. Refer also Common Causes of Weaving
Carrying a lot of speed down a hill unloads your rear wheel. If you were also braking, which is reasonable to assume if you were carrying a lot of speed, and used some front brake, you unloaded (the weight from) the rear wheel even further. That alone will cause the rear wheel to shake. (if all the weight of your bike is on the front tire because of the hill and braking, the rear wheel is very light and will be free to move around as it pleases.) So if you don't encounter this experience again under normal riding conditions, I would think you have nothing to fix. As for slowing a bike on a hill, lightly applying the rear brake, ( on and off, on and off), and engine braking, can be useful in careful dosages. Tully, NYC, #1076
Small question; ton of answers! So many things can cause geometry of bike to change and cause wobbles, BUT here goes. Look at alignment of rear axle, spokes all good?, check swingarm for tightness at pivots, check for rear shock failure (leaking), I would take rear wheel off and inspect "everything" about it and look at swingarm with wheel off. Rear brake assembly in good tight order? Wiggle swingarm without wheel. You just get new rear tire? Check for bead set...Start in front of bike next and check all systems around suspension, steering head, etc. Randy748/Calif.
I wouldn't take anything apart but I sure would make sure that it was all put together right and that the wheel bearings are still there. Flash #412 (CO)
Q. A couple of weeks ago, going over Hwy 84 from San Gregorio to Alice's, I noticed a minor shimmy in the front wheel, that felt like a fishtail. There had been some improvements (black asphalt patches) to road surface. These may have been the cause? It was most noticeable there. My front tire was a little low (28 #, rear 33 #) and I had a little extra weight in a carryall bag clamped to the passenger seat, plus extra weight in the top case -- maybe 15-20 #'s each. This past week on Mines Road south of Livermore, with some fresh corn in the carryall bag, I adjust the dampening (black round knob, not the screw down low), and it seemed to be occurring less. No "road improvements" however. I'm wondering whether something in the front end needs some attention. Mileage 17,000. This had been a service loaner that I got it at 12,000 miles. I checked the FAQ and now wonder if wheel bearings might be culprit? Tire pressure this last weekend was 30/34, could that have been a factor? Trailwing tires. Back replaced at 12K, front at 15K. Many thanks! Chris 856
Got air? Check the Tyre Pressure. Check the Front Wheel Bearings. Check the Axle Bolts. Refer also Common Causes of Weaving
My front wheel felt wobbly, like a soft tire, when I lost my rear wheel bearing a couple weeks ago. Put the bike up on the center stand and try to wobble the rear wheel - it was real obvious. Muriel #582 in Vermont.
Richard #230, Marty #436, Noel, Iceman #975
December '01
Tank slapping refers to the wheel (and attached handlebars) swinging violently from side to side, due to a harmonic reaction to steering input or poor mechanical condition. Steering dampers were developed to prevent this problem (that can get you killed). I had a 1985 R80 that I converted to an R100RS. If the steering bearings got a bit loose and you hit a rock while leaned over, or if you took one hand off of the bars at around 40 mph to reach the reserve tap, it would result in a tank slapper. I thought I was going to die a couple of times. The front wheel left skid marks on the pavement, as the wheel turned at 45 degrees to the direction of travel, while the bike ploughed ahead. Fortunately, I was able to stop the bike without falling over, or getting hit by an oncoming car. I am now anal about steering bearing tension. (I also noted that my R80 rear shock was longer than the later R100RS bikes. I think BMW reduced the rake of the forks by lowering the rear of the bike, when they bolted the RS fairing to the single sided swingarm airheads. This would make the bike more stable.)
Tank slappers are a feedback reaction caused by something causing steering movement to be amplified rather than dampened (think here of a guitar feeding back...the note getting louder instead of dying out naturally). Like a guitar, certain notes (oscillations) tend to feedback better. So tank slappers tend to happen under certain set of conditions that amplify/feedback these oscillations (certain speed, crosswind, rain grooves, etc). Look for things that move that are moving incorrectly (steering head bearing, swingarm bearing, wheel bearing, suspension parts) or things that shouldn't move that are (loose saddlebags, trunk, fairing, cracked/bent frame).
I was following my wife when she went into a tank slapper on a highway-speed country sweeper (old /2 BMW). Not only did the handlebars get ripped out of her hands, but the rear wheel jumped up and down and side-to-side. She rode it to a stop (she said she pretended it was a horse and squeezed the tank with her knees to steer it). Tightened up the steering damper as a temporary fix. Took several years to finally track down the problem as a slightly bent frame, which reduced the trail of the leading link fork to the point of barely being stable. A replacement telescopic fork with more trail finally solved the problem.
A Tank Slapper very unlikely on f650 because of front fork rake angle, much wider than the average sport bike such as an R6 Yamaha which regularly beat up unsuspecting boy racers on a Sunday after noon. Thus the $200 steering damper often seen hanging off race replica hardware. From watching road racing such as the isle of man TT it can be seen that this usually happens when the front end leaves the ground due to a high speed bump. When the front end lands the front wheel may not be tracking straight and begins to fight to regain a straight line. Staying loose on the bars is said to be the best way to regain control. A tight grip on the bars will translate the shaking to your body and on through to the bike its self. For those who don't understand the slapper principle, think of how the shopping trolley wheel. As for Harleys, some are to heavy in the rear which make the front end bounce. membership fees in the mail.
Regarding tank slappers, I'd also make sure EVERYTHING on the chassis is tight. Engine mounts, swingarm, all fasteners. Tires are balanced, wheel bearings not worn out, just to mention a few things. I've never experienced a "high speed wobble" on my GSA, just a slight oscillation if the bars are twitched at speed. Normal, as far as I'm concerned.
Feedback:
Wobble/near slapper Just wanted to report that I experienced a high-speed, oscillating wobble that did not, but clearly had the potential to become, a tank slapper. Bike = 99 Funduro, heavily loaded, one up with Touratechs. Speed 75+ on I-75 N out of Fla. Strong side wind (15-20) off the starboard beam. Keep experiencing the trill, did the faq suggested routine of light on the bars, slowly backing down the speed. this happened several times, with one time getting really bad and scarring me; came close to a slapper. finally got to a gas station and decided to re-balance my load ... low and behold, one of the retainers on the right bag was not tight, in fact it had popped loose. Tightening it up and rebalancing the load eliminated the problem. I don't believe any one factor lead to the near-slapper; I think my left bag was too heavy, the wind was hard out of the E, and the right bag was loose. all added up a wobble. NormJ #473 Seattle
I have experienced that wobble as an effect of turbulence from large vehicles (I-80 is a GREAT place for that, especially with some of those triple-trailer rigs). Especially noticeable when you duck into/out of the wind in their "shadow". I have found little help for it other than to avoid those type vehicles. The problem with stiffening up the rear shock is that it also raises the rear of the bike, making the handling "quicker" (or more twitchy, as I like to call it). Adding a longer preload spacer in the front forks of my "Classic" raised the front end a bit (slowing the steering back down a bit) and stiffened it up as well, which helped some (some recommend just "springing" for better springs). As Flash said, be sure to check the front steering head bearing for notchiness and tightness (adjusting the tightness if notched may bring more trouble). A cupped wheel or loose baggage can also bring this on. A tall windshield and tail trunk can make it worse. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F
Marty #436
December '01
Do:
Don't:
A quick question about towing the bike (f650 of course) along the road. Of course being in Neutral, other then tire / chain & sprockets, is there any other concerns on towing the bike this way????? liddell
Put a few hundred miles on my GS over the weekend in the N. GA mountains and western NC. Couple of interesting things happened. One, a fellow rider seemed to be signalling me as we passed one another. He was pointing repeatedly to his helmet. Does this mean 'heads up, troopers ahead?' That's all I can figure as I saw a couple of folks being pulled over within the next 20 miles.
Regarding the hand signal... what I've always seen is left hand held flat and moving in an up and down motion (slow down, ease down) when a fellow rider wants to warn me of an incoming speed trap. Dunno what the head-pointing thing is. And I'd say to check the faq regarding better lighting. I think it's out there, but haven't done any work on my headlight situation. Seacuke, #1214, F650GS, California, East of the Bay Area.
Not really sure about the other rider pointing to his helmet and what that means. My understanding of the widely accepted signal for warning another rider of police, is to touch the palm of your hand to the top of your helmet. Often done when a rider who has radar picks up a strong signal and wants to warn a rider or riders behind. Regards & Ride Safe! Bruce Bowens -- 03 Dakar -- 99 K1200LT -- 03 CS (Wife's) -- Goodyear, AZ.
Left Turn: Left arm
straight out from body. Palm Flat. Fingers together.
Right Turn: Left arm out and elbow bent. Hand straight up. Palm flat. Fingers
together.
Stop: Left arm down to side. Palm facing rider behind. Fingers together. Flash
brake lights very rapidly.
Slow Down: Left arm down to side. Press flat palm up and down parallel to the
ground imitating a braking motion.
Need Gas: Point to tank. (Always start a ride with a full tank.)
Hungry: Pat stomach.
Ask Someone To Pass You: Left arm out at side, waving forward. Palm flat.
Fingers together.
Cop Nearby: Pat the top of your helmet.
Turn Signal Left On: Left arm out. Thumb and fingers opening and closing.
Hazard On Road: Point at the area on the road with your hand or your foot. James
j Riley
We have a system that
has worked well for us for 4 years, riding in varying conditions, and even works
with new travel companions:
Headlight ON = All OK,
Headlight OFF = slow down/stop for whatever reason (photo, pee, let's talk, bike
broke, etc...).
This is very easy to identify in your mirrors, at any speed, most distances, and
even works when communicating with cars! When we get separated in traffic, it is
reassuring to see the headlight in the rear-view mirror, and we can proceed
without less worry :-) Unfortunately, most bikes in the USA don't have the light
on/off option anymore. We purchased the switches from BMW through our dealer and
installation was easy-as! Or, some folks just make their own On/Off switch.
Anyway, this was just to give you another option. Chris & Erin Ratay
(Note: In the US they are 'always on' which does limit it a bit!)
Contributed by Flash #412
From 'The Mint' by 352087 A/c Ross
A book by the late Mr. Ross, better known as T.E. Lawrence, who later lost his life whilst riding a Brough Superior.
"16: The Road
The extravagance in which my surplus emotion expressed itself lay on the road. So long as roads were tarred blue and straight; not hedged; and empty and dry, so long I was rich. Nightly I'd run up from the hanger, upon the last stroke of work, spurring my tired feet to be nimble. The very movement refreshed them, after the day-long restraint of service. In five minutes, my bed would be down, ready for the night: in four more I was in breeches and puttees, pulling on my gauntlets as I walked over to my bike, which lived in a garage-hut, opposite. Its tyres never wanted air, its engine had a habit of starting at second kick: a good habit, for only by frantic plunges upon the starting pedal could my puny weight force the engine over the seven atmospheres of its compression.
Boanerges' first glad roar at being alive again nightly jarred the huts of Cadet College into life. 'There he goes, the noisy @#$%#$,' someone would say enviously in every flight. It is part of an airman's profession to be knowing with engines: and a thoroughbred engine is our undying satisfaction. The camp wore the virtue of my Brough like a flower in its cap. Tonight Tug and Dusty came to the step of our hut to see me off. 'Running down to Smoke, perhaps?' jeered Dusty; hitting at my regular game of London and back for tea on fine Wednesday afternoons.
Boa is a top-gear machine, as sweet in that as most single-cylinders in middle. I chug lordily past the guard-room and through the speed limit at no more than sixteen. Round the bend, past the farm, and the way straightens. Now for it. The engine's final development is fifty-two horsepower. A miracle for this docile strength waits behind one tiny lever for the pleasure of my hand.
Another bend: and I have the honour of one of England's straightest and fastest roads. The burble of my exhaust unwound like a long cord behind me. Soon my speed snapped it, and I heard only the cry of the wind which my battering ram head split and fended aside. The cry rose with my speed to a shriek: while the air's coldness streamed like two jets of iced water into my dissolving eyes. I screwed them to slits, and focused my sight two hundred yards ahead of me on the empty mosaic of the tar's gravelled undulations.
Like arrows the tiny flies pricked my cheeks; and sometimes a heavier body, some house-fly or beetle, would crash into face or lips like a spent bullet. A glance at the speedometer: seventy-eight. Boanerges is warming up. I pull the throttle right open, on the top of the slope, and we swoop flying across the dip, and up-down up-down the switchback beyond: the weighty machine launching itself like a projectile with a whirr of wheels into the air at the take-off of each rise, to land lurchingly with such a snatch of the driving chain as jerks my spine like a rictus.
Once we so fled across the evening light, with the yellow sun on my left, when a huge shadow roared just overhead. A Bristol Fighter, from Whitewash Villas, our neighbour aerodrome, was banking sharply round. I checked speed at an instant to wave: and the slipstream of my impetus snapped my arm and elbow astern, like a raised flail. The pilot pointed down the road towards Lincoln. I sat hard in the saddle, folded back my ears and went away after him, like a dog after a hare. Quickly we drew abreast, as the impulse of his dive to my level exhausted itself.
The next mile of road was rough. I braced my feet into the rests, thrust with my arms, and clenched my knees on the tank till its rubber grips goggled under my thighs. Over the first pot-hole Boanerges screamed in surprise, its mud-guard bottoming with a yawp upon the rear tyre. Through the plunges of the next ten seconds I clung on, wedging my gloved hand in the throttle lever so that no bump should close it and spoil our speed. Then the bicycle wrenched sideways into three long ruts: it swayed dizzily, wagging its tail for thirty awf