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Looking at first motorcycle update sep 22 bought one!

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Drove in this morning to work ... it was probably 45F, no frost so I felt OK...no issues, but the tires felt cold the entire time, haha.
 
OILFIELDTRASH said:
I'll pass. Ive never run into an issue braking myself and I don't want the added weight or cost to go along with it.
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OFT... You seem like a good guy with good intentions, but you consistently give some of the worst motorcycle advice on this forum.

ABS on a bike is amazing. I hate computer controlled anything, I am an old man grinch, and I still am blown away by ABS on a bike.

It solves probably 90% of the issues which cause single vehicle accidents - both up in the mountains and emergency stops (panic braking induced slides).

ABS is an absolute no brainer. I will pass on traction control, electronic throttles, electronic gear shifters, all of that junk is overkill.. but ABS can truly save your life.
 
Greenman said:
There are a few places here in CA that offer an advanced course. You use your own bike, and they teach you how to make it do what you want. A friend of mine took the course, said that after twenty years he had finely learned how to ride a bike.
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I also took the ERC and it was fantastic. The MSF is critical for new riders, but I personally got far more out of the ERC.

One of the things that was amazing to me was practicing emergency braking until completely stopped. When I took the ERC I had numerous track days under my belt, at least 50k street miles, including countless trips to the mountains. But, I had never practiced braking all the way to a complete stop.. I took the ERC on a 636, and easily cut my braking distance by 20% or more.. That is a life or death distance in an emergency situation.

They practice this by setting up 'start braking' cones, then putting a cone where you stop. You go up to ~45mph, and they keep moving the cone closer. I actually started doing this on my own about twice a year after the ERC just to keep the skill up.
 
side question, my GF has a buddy 125 scooter now, and she needs her motorcycle endorsement, is there a class she can take that is scooter related, and not moped? Seeing as there's no clutch and it's different riding, I don't know if I would put her through basic rider training on a 250 with a clutch.
 
on top of that, what's the best way to winterize the bike? I am planning on storing at my GF's parents ... which is 25-30 miles away, in a garage, that will get to whatever temp it is outside most likely.

Is there a kit I can buy? From what I read ...
fill tank full, stabalizer
trickle charge battery
lube up forks (what do I use for this)
put some leather sealant on seats (I have some from my car i'll use)
lower PSI in tires 5-10 - do I need to lift the rear up, or just let it sit on the ground?
 
ViviTheMage said:
on top of that, what's the best way to winterize the bike? I am planning on storing at my GF's parents ... which is 25-30 miles away, in a garage, that will get to whatever temp it is outside most likely.

Is there a kit I can buy? From what I read ...
fill tank full, stabalizer
trickle charge battery
lube up forks (what do I use for this)
put some leather sealant on seats (I have some from my car i'll use)
lower PSI in tires 5-10 - do I need to lift the rear up, or just let it sit on the ground?
Click to expand...

Your seat isn't leather. Don't put anything on it.

I would put the bike on stands if you have them.

ViviTheMage said:
I am now curious if my bike has it ... some 08 sv650's had ABS...
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Look at the front wheel, there will be a slotted disc near the hub, this is where the system reads front wheel speed. Also, your bike would have decals noting that it is an SV650SA
 
Are stands that worthwhile, well, the seat is vinyl, should I put vinyl conditioner on it that I use for my dash on my car? good stuff...

Or should I just take it to a shop every year to winterize it?

what about the rest, I don't want seals/rubbers cracking over the winter months!
 
SpatiallyAware said:
OFT... You seem like a good guy with good intentions, but you consistently give some of the worst motorcycle advice on this forum.

ABS on a bike is amazing. I hate computer controlled anything, I am an old man grinch, and I still am blown away by ABS on a bike.

It solves probably 90% of the issues which cause single vehicle accidents - both up in the mountains and emergency stops (panic braking induced slides).

ABS is an absolute no brainer. I will pass on traction control, electronic throttles, electronic gear shifters, all of that junk is overkill.. but ABS can truly save your life.
Click to expand...

I still feel that ABS on a bike is for people who lack bike control skills. If you came from riding dirtbikes, you would hate it. I am a firm believer that everybody that wants to buy a street bike should spend at least a year or two in the trails learning how to handle poor traction conditions. Do i want some computer controlling my brake inputs when i hit some gravel on the road? No thanks, i have plenty of knowledge on how to handle that myself.
 
ViviTheMage said:
on top of that, what's the best way to winterize the bike? I am planning on storing at my GF's parents ... which is 25-30 miles away, in a garage, that will get to whatever temp it is outside most likely.

Is there a kit I can buy? From what I read ...
fill tank full, stabalizer
trickle charge battery
lube up forks (what do I use for this)
put some leather sealant on seats (I have some from my car i'll use)
lower PSI in tires 5-10 - do I need to lift the rear up, or just let it sit on the ground?
Click to expand...

Not sure if your bike is fuel injected or carburated. If carburated, you may want to run it down until the fuel is almost gone. Someone suggested that you should run the bike with the fuel valve set to off if that is possible. The carbs will then be drained hopefully.

If that is not possible, fill the bike with premium gas and add fuel stabalizer. Also, take the battery and put it on a tenderizer to keep it warmly charged during winter. Cover the bike too in the garage. Most people with carburated bikes usually take out and drain the carbs in addition but that is tough and a pain.
 
jaha2000 said:
I still feel that ABS on a bike is for people who lack bike control skills. If you came from riding dirtbikes, you would hate it. I am a firm believer that everybody that wants to buy a street bike should spend at least a year or two in the trails learning how to handle poor traction conditions. Do i want some computer controlling my brake inputs when i hit some gravel on the road? No thanks, i have plenty of knowledge on how to handle that myself.
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I did come from riding dirtbikes my entire childhood.. not just scooting around the yard but 80's enduro stuff and much much more... and you know what skills transfer? Using a clutch and shifting. Pretty much every other aspect of riding is totally different. Braking, turning, leaning, feet placement.....

There is a HUGE difference between TC issues in the dirt and ABS on a streetbike. Seriously... If you haven't really tested these then there is no way to compare. It's far different from car abs/non abs 'feeling'.

Even the early ABS bikes (BMW K bikes) were amazing, the newer stuff is even better.

If you're looking at a bike with an ABS option there is absolutely no reason to not get it.
 
I'd suggest adding the stabilizer right before you fill up so that it's well mixed with the fuel, then run it a while so the stabilizer gets all through the fuel system. I usually use a cylinder oil too (cylinder fogger) to make sure nothing rusts and the rings don't seize.

I'd do an oil change before putting it into storage, and then shortly after starting it up in the spring. Cheaper oil is probably fine for this.

In theory a plasticizer like armorall will help protect all of your rubber components, but I've never tried this.
 
JCH13 said:
I'd suggest adding the stabilizer right before you fill up so that it's well mixed with the fuel, then run it a while so the stabilizer gets all through the fuel system. I usually use a cylinder oil too (cylinder fogger) to make sure nothing rusts and the rings don't seize.

I'd do an oil change before putting it into storage, and then shortly after starting it up in the spring. Cheaper oil is probably fine for this.

In theory a plasticizer like armorall will help protect all of your rubber components, but I've never tried this.
Click to expand...

What do most do about the rubber parts that may crack? I will run stabilizer through it before filling up ... 93 vs 87, does it matter?
 
ViviTheMage said:
Are stands that worthwhile, well, the seat is vinyl, should I put vinyl conditioner on it that I use for my dash on my car? good stuff...

Or should I just take it to a shop every year to winterize it?

what about the rest, I don't want seals/rubbers cracking over the winter months!
Click to expand...


Yes, stands are definitely worthwhile. T-rex is fine, they did semi copy pitbull but that design has been around forever and a day.

I used to use vinyl conditioner on seats, but if I were you I'd wait. It does make it slippery, and until you know to hold the tank with your knees you should leave the seat alone.
 
ViviTheMage said:
What do most do about the rubber parts that may crack? I will run stabilizer through it before filling up ... 93 vs 87, does it matter?
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I like honda polish. It has some rubber protectant in it. In my experience the sun tends to do more damage than the cold, so I wouldn't stress *too* much. Bikes are fairly durable items, they are made to get rained on etc, and most seem to store fairly well.

If I were you, I'd put the bike on stands (front/rear), remove the battery and take it home to put on a tender, I would fill the tank completely full (so no empty air space in the tank), add stabilizer (the kind designed to keep ethanolated fuel from going bad) and run it for a few minutes.

Personally I would probably leave the old oil after letting the bike get nice and hot. Old oil is fine for storage as long as you've burned any moisture out of it.. But definitely change it at the beginning of the season.

I would wipe down the fork legs and wipe rubber protectant on the fork seals and rubber parts. Do a good chain lube. Also bleed the brakes at least every other season, if not more.
 
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sze5003 said:
Lucky you! Well then I suggest just run it down with gas until its almost empty, fill it with premium fuel and stabalizer too. Take your battery and bring it inside on the tenderizer.
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Almost all metal tanked bikes end up rusting due to this. If gas is touching the tank it will keep it from corroding. Since the garage is unheated and it's only sitting for a few months I would assume it's better to leave the tank full.
 
ViviTheMage said:
What do most do about the rubber parts that may crack? I will run stabilizer through it before filling up ... 93 vs 87, does it matter?
Click to expand...

Well, most people are worried about tires cracking/drying out, which makes sense because they're the rubber component exposed to the most sun (generally). I think that anything that will protect the rubber from UV, ozone, and oils would work just fine. Armorall is a silicone rubber/plastic dressing, and I imagine so are things like tire black, et al. I bet any of them would help.

The fuel argument is that 93 octane has less crap in it than 87, which has a larger amount of crap that will break down faster or evaporate faster (and leave shitty deposits) as compared to 93. 93 will also have more detergent additives, which will probably help keep your fuel system a little cleaner. Is there a big difference? Enh, debatable. Is the cost difference enough to really care? Definitely not. For $1-2 more it's worth the peace of mind IMO.
 
BTW.... If you haven't figured this out yet, motorcycle riders are the most elitist bunch of bullshitters you will ever meet. Every rider is full of crazy stories (some of them true) and will offer advice on anything (some of it accurate).

.......But it's a good group to be in. Some of the best people I've met were daily riders.
 
ViviTheMage said:
Are stands that worthwhile, well, the seat is vinyl, should I put vinyl conditioner on it that I use for my dash on my car? good stuff...

Or should I just take it to a shop every year to winterize it?

what about the rest, I don't want seals/rubbers cracking over the winter months!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't put anything on your seat. It will probably just make it slippery which you don't want.
 
any recommendations on rubber protectant? I might skip the stand this winter and just put it on the kickstand..it'll go in my GF's parents garage (5 stall so space is no concern) 30 miles away, so it will be safe...only one window. I will be covering it up with my Dowco cover anyhow.

I will leave the tank full, put in stabilizer, run it for the entire 30 mile drive down, top it off, and store her after applying some of the protectant and vinyl cleaner I use on my car.
 
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