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Post by bobf on Jun 26, 2011 19:21:29 GMT -6
Turtl8, if your LED change out works please post your results in detail. Like an explanation of how you can get into the dash wiring area. Any rewires you had to do. Was it worth the effort.
Getting into the dash wiring area knowledge would likely be helpful for more than just me. I have not studied the scoot panel yet and I imagine there is a best way to approach this area.
Right now I won't have much time to make any changes as we are in the process of buying a house and moving to Arizona from Colorado. It might be two or three months till all gets settled in for us. So asking for information is not an attempt to push you or anyone else for how to information. .
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Post by bobf on Jun 26, 2011 17:51:09 GMT -6
On my 2008 MC 54 250B I can barely, if at all, see if my turn signals are operating. This is the Honda clone version. In my garage they look fine but in the sunlight - nothing.
Is there any way to brighten the lights so that I can see if I have them on or off or the left not the right without spending a lot of time looking for them. As I am approaching a turn I have plenty on my mind such as those folks following too closely or the folks in the right angle lanes, left and right, that look like they might just start to move as I start to turn. I don't want a lot of unnecessary distractions and want to make sure my turn lights really are working for me.
A bulb change? A different type of bulb? I even thought of putting a bulb on top of the green turn light indicator. Just a small but bright light that I could wire into the system, maybe a bright yellow over the green background. .
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Post by bobf on Jun 25, 2011 17:26:42 GMT -6
And what do you consider a short ride? How long should a person ride to enable a full charge. .
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bike seat
by: bobf - Jun 8, 2011 21:53:11 GMT -6
Post by bobf on Jun 8, 2011 21:53:11 GMT -6
I would never change from a nice seat to a hemorrhoid pounder. .
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Post by bobf on May 31, 2011 13:54:16 GMT -6
Going to all that expense I would think you could find a hone somewhere. Maybe a tool rental shop, or maybe a company like Sears or auto stores. It would not take you long and if you have a good drill you can drive a hone. I have done that myself on a lawn mower engine. I had the kind of hone that had three grinding stones on a spring assembly. You need to compress it and insert it into the cylinder then run the drill to rotate the grinding assembly. A few times down and up will do the job of removing glaze and preparing the cylinder for startup with new rings. Are there no auto mechanics around where you live. If rural how about a tractor mechanic. Here is a Sears link. I don't know if it will fit your engine but worth a look. Not too expensive either. www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00960635000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1.
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Post by bobf on May 27, 2011 14:01:12 GMT -6
Today it got up into the high 60's, no rain, no strong winds. I decided to push off the center stand and see if this beginner remembers anything.
My first ride in several weeks now went OK, sort of. Some of the smaller details I had already forgotten. So I limited my ride to just the local streets behind where I live. Lots of starts and stops. Feet on the ground and feet up while turning and starting at the same time. Sort of forget that slowly adding power will make this a smoother event.
After several times around this block by block neighborhood I took a longer side street so I could get up to speed. Went OK and then I turned around and headed back to where I lived. Not much in miles but I think I learned some dumb things that I must work on before I push myself into the traffic roads.
Turn signals, easy to do, push or pull the switch. But then I forget to push down on the switch to end the operation. Something I must remember to do. Not as bad or confusing as having the emergency switch turned on. All the lights flashing on or off. Something that I did on my first or second ride back in late March.
Lifting the feet. Simple thing to do and when starting I seem to do that OK. Get rolling, rolling in the throttle and the scoot settles in and away we go with feet up on the running boards. Stopping I must remember to lift the feet before trying to swing them off and to the ground. I did OK but on my last stop sign on my way to the home garage, I was almost dead stopped, tried to slide my foot off the foot rest but there is a lip around the foot rest and I nearly dropped the scoot. I quickly raised my foot and got it on the ground before tipped too far over. Starting or stopping I must raise my feet before doing anything else.
Fun riding and learning. I hope from now on the weather will be more to my liking. I really don't like cold or those heavy winds we get so often here.
Last year I passed my Motorcycle Safety Training course on a 125cc motorcycle. I did well enough to pass the test. Now this spring I am on a bit heavier 250cc scoot and working in real traffic situations. Must get my abilities and confidence up enough to really enjoy the experience. Hope to be a very utilitarian rider as well. If the wife needs some groceries or milk or whatever, I won't need to fire up the big car and use up so much high priced gas to do so.
Happiness to all of you riders. Summer is almost here for everyone. .
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Post by bobf on May 24, 2011 12:16:50 GMT -6
Understand speedracer, I am in effect counter steering. But to me the definitions and such are far too misleading. I prefer to just lean on the right handle bar to turn right.
Imagine my confusion and mistakes if each right turn I had to consider that if wanting to turn right I must first turn the wheel to the left to get the action going to the right. Far too much to think about and put in to motion. So I keep it simple and just push on the handlebar, not worrying about the ever so small a turn to the opposite side the wheel must take to generate a lean. Sometimes I wonder about educated folks that seem to delight in making things impossible to understand. I think the Motorcycle Safety Training folks got it right. Simply press the handlebar on the side you want to turn to. .
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Post by bobf on May 24, 2011 7:48:27 GMT -6
Never heard of counter steering before. In the manual for the motorcycle safety training course they just describe it a pressing. Press on the right handle bar and you will go right. Press on the left handle bar and you will go left. That works for me. I just lean on the handle bar for the direction I want to go.
All this talk about turning left to go right is very confusing so I will just not worry about counter steering, it is too technical. I will just lean on the handle bar to turn.
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coolant
by: bobf - May 22, 2011 17:20:31 GMT -6
Post by bobf on May 22, 2011 17:20:31 GMT -6
Go to your nearby discount store, Wal Mart or whatever, and get a gallon of Preston 50/50 mix. It is friendly to aluminum and can mix with any other coolants as well. .
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Post by bobf on May 19, 2011 10:00:51 GMT -6
Something handy for everyone is one of those screw and bolt size finder things. Usually a flat piece of metal or plastic with lots of holes and pegs. I have a couple for regular US size items but none for metrics. Guess I will need to start looking for the same in metrics. They become helps for finding screw and bolt sizes. I have never seen on that will also give thread size, just the bolt or screw size. But once I even had a SAE thread size gage. It looked like feeler gage pack but the material was thicker and had a section of tooth shapes that could be set into the teeth on a bolt. Find one that fits and the gage tells the tooth pitch etc. The gages I do have were given as advertisements but are often helpful. I will look to see if any metrics are available and post on the forum if I find some. In the meantime try this input. Basically just measure across the bolt hole to find the size for a starter. www.weeksmotorcycle.com/metric-bolts.htmlEDIT: So far this is the only place I found with reasonable price. It may be something you can use. The ones I have, and they came as gifts, advertising, hand outs, sometimes come in very handy. Handy but not worth the high dollars some require. I looked at the company that makes these handout types but they want orders of at least 100 at about $1.50 each. A few at www.amazon.com/Screw-Bolt-Drill-Bit-Gauge/dp/B001M5K9OY for $4.36. And here at less than $2.00 www.boltdepot.com/thread-gauges.aspx.
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Post by bobf on May 18, 2011 12:29:51 GMT -6
Yesterday the front wheel, today the rear wheel. Some problems but all in all not too bad.
I used the valve stem video as a guide. Problem there is that the valve stems in the video were the pull in style and mine were with a threaded stem and washers and nuts to install.
First I removed the core from the valve stem. It blew the core across the garage, so on the rear wheel I first let much of the air out and had good control over the core then.
OK, I started by using a 6" C-Clamp above the valve stem to pull the tire away from the one side to the other side. I also used a 5" C-Clamp, should have had two 6" clamps, and pulled below the valve stem. It took a few minutes to do this but finally I could see the inside rubber part with not tire in the way.
I tried to pull the stem up and out as shown in the video but that did not work at all. I took my box knife and cut the stem off just above the rim while pulling up with the vise-grips. Then went below the rim and removed the bottom part.
Then I put the new valve stem in the hole from the top. Went to the tire side and was able to slip the lower rubber gasket on to the threads and push it up to the rim. Followed that with a metal washer that is provided.
Now for the tricky part. Getting two fingers, holding a nut, between the tire and the threaded shaft of the valve stem, and while doing that, getting the nut to engage and spin up the threads. It took me many tries but eventually done. I tightened the nut against the washer till I considered it tight enough.
Now for the second tricky part. Same as above, but with another nut that becomes the jam nut for the installation. Again many tries, but finally it engaged and spun up against the first nut.
Held the first nut with a thin 1/2" open wrench and used a 1/2" box wrench to tighten the second nut against the first nut.
Then a lot of frustrating effort began. I removed the clamps, took my rubber mallet and started hammering the tire to get it to go back into place. Rubber head flew off so I switched to a 48 oz steel hammer. Did pretty well on the front tire. On the back wheel the tire did not want to return to position. Enough air leaked that I could not use air pressure to force it either. Finally made up some soapy water and squirted it along the exposed rim by the tire. Again had air running and started hammering the tire with my hammer, finally a pop and the tire was again seated.
Time will tell if all this was worth it or not. I will just have to keep checking the pressure to see if, and how badly, the tire may be leaking.
At least now I have the valve stems faced away from the brake discs. Easy to get the air hose on or the pressure gauges. .
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Post by bobf on May 17, 2011 17:17:19 GMT -6
That looks like an impressive machine. Just wonder how they get that thing to lean into the curves. There is not much room to shift the body or put side motion on the handle bars. Or did I miss something while watching.
I bet they cost a bit more than my 250cc Chinese scooter. .
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Post by bobf on May 17, 2011 13:37:25 GMT -6
With out re reading the entire thead I was wondering if anyone made a comment like I am about to do.
When buying new bolts for the scoot I would suggest going up a bit of grade and get aircraft or auto grade. Just buying the cheap old discount bolts might get you some greater griefs. Check on the head and there are patterns that describe the quality. Most hardware dealers can tell you about those marks and what they mean. You don't want stripped threads or twisted off bolts that can happen with low grade bolts. .
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Post by bobf on May 14, 2011 15:36:12 GMT -6
On Wednesday 11 May 2011 at 10:00 am I ordered a set of tire valves stems from KurveyGirl using the web ordering item. Today at 3:00 pm I have the valves waiting in the garage for me to get busy.
Amazing response time from those folks in KurveyGirl. Glad I took the advice of the folks on this forum.
The valve stems look real good and now I have a chance to install facing away from the disc brake pads. I hope then I can check or inflate without losing so much air.
Put a plus mark beside their name. They deserve it. .
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Post by bobf on May 14, 2011 8:09:06 GMT -6
Redneckish? I have a suggestion too. Rather than try to weld the joint why not span it on the inside with some nice strong, flexible, plastic material. Something tough like a flat side from the milk bottle. Externally, tape the split into place. Cut plastic piece to size, smear it with JB Weld, gives lots of time to work with the material. Duct tape might be good for holding it in place too. Block with towels and whatever. Leave it alone for at least one overnight, 24 hours would be even better. Another thing is that maybe the inside of the box and on the plastic insert part, it would be good to sand paper a bit to give the JB Weld something to grab on to. .
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