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Post by earlwb on Jun 8, 2015 11:15:55 GMT -5
Well that was certainly hilarious. LOL
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Post by earlwb on Apr 16, 2015 14:05:19 GMT -5
Well that is a mysterious one for sure. I would think a paper clip too. But a oil seal is a possibility though. But the oil seals I see have a long tiny spring wrapped around the inner seal area. So those pieces don't look like a oil seal spring tensioner to me. I can't think of anything off hand that it could be. It could have been pieces that got into the engine when the engine was assembled at the factory too.
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Post by earlwb on Apr 16, 2015 13:58:42 GMT -5
What do you mean by the speedometer is wrong?
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Post by earlwb on Mar 2, 2015 14:42:36 GMT -5
The tire sealant will be slung up against the inside of the tire due to centrifugal force. There won't be any seal all up against the tire valve. If the tire valve is bad you have to replace it. Do not ride the scooter until the valves are replaced. You run a huge risk of having a tire go flat instant at high speed. That typically results in a crash and you get huirt and the scooter gets damaged.
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Post by earlwb on Feb 18, 2015 12:41:10 GMT -5
Riding a big bike in a traffic jam becomes a major chore. Eventually my clutch hand starts to get tired and get weak. Then trying to squeeze the clutch handle become a nightmare. I have been forced to get out of the traffic and rest a while and then look for a alternative (long way home route).
But out on the open highways the big bikes are sure nice then.
Scooters are great in the city areas as with no clutch and light weight, you can tool along with the crowd in a traffic jam and it doesn't bother you much then.
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Post by earlwb on Feb 18, 2015 12:34:25 GMT -5
In the cities lane splitting is probably quite dangerous. The automobile drivers all tend to move over to the side to see what is happening up ahead. Thus effectively closing up the middle space between lanes. On the freeways, if the traffic jams up, the drivers to that same thing too. So I don't see lane splitting as working OK. Then of course the type A personality road rage group seems to want to kill you too.
But maybe way out in the country away from the cities then it might work. The people tend to be much more polite out there too. They tend to move over to help make it easier for you to pass them too. They wave and say Howdy too.
California seemed unique in that all the drivers tend to stay in neat lines and not stray from side to side. So one could do lane splitting there much more easily. I haven't seen that here in Texas.
Lately the sport bike riders have been pissing everyone off with their shenanigans. A large group gets together and shuts down a busy freeway so they can perform stunts. Then they all speed off daring the police to catch them in they can. So with all the hostile motorists out there, lane splitting will get you injured or killed in short order. There have been instances of sport bike riders getting their bikes vandalized or destroyed too. Even if the rider wasn't doing any of the stupid stuff.
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Post by earlwb on Feb 13, 2015 11:57:27 GMT -5
You may be OK. Since it was real cold, there may have been some moisture on the unit. Thus it caused some water vapor to form and go off into the air. Inside a automatic enrichener unit there is a heater coil that gets red hot. As it heats up it causes a accordion like bellows to expand pushing a plunger down into the carb to cut off the extra rich fuel flow. Inside the bellows like affair there is a wax like substance, it sort of melts and expands as it gets hot.
Anyway, you may have seen the moisture turning to steam on the unit.
But if there was a lot of smoke and it had a acrid smell, then something may have gone bad with it. The Honda dealer ought to be able to sell you a new heater unit. They probably have them on Ebay toio.
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Post by earlwb on Feb 2, 2015 16:08:03 GMT -5
Man you are lucky. Usually they throw the scooter into the back of a van and drive off with it. Then they can work on it at their leisure. I hope the damage isn't too severe. Good luck.
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Post by earlwb on Jan 17, 2015 22:46:37 GMT -5
It is nice you got it done. It is also nice they are open on Saturdays too. I like the notifications of how much time left in the queue too. But yes they want to charge a tax on everything. Out here they even have a special tax for if you simply give someone a vehicle too. You would think that paying zero dollars would result in no sales tax. Well that it does, but then the "gift" tax or something like it kicks in. Thus you cannot win they got you anyway. Heck even when you die, the governments are the first in line to make sure they get the tax money from your estate.
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Post by earlwb on Jan 13, 2015 10:35:58 GMT -5
Well I have seen the handlebar mounted windshields cause a death wobble before. I had it happen to me many years ago with a motorcycle too. There are a lot of factors that can cause it even without a windshield. It happens a lot more than people might think. But the scooters tend to have flexible frames, crappy suspension, loose front ends, etc, and that can all contribute to the problem. Usually once it starts the death wobble, you can't get out of it, it quickly gets worse until you high side the bike. They call them "tank slappers" too. Now at slow speeds you may not ever experience it, but at highway speeds all bets are off.
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Post by earlwb on Jan 11, 2015 23:05:40 GMT -5
I should mention that the windshields people put on the scooters can be very hazardous to your health. Many people have wrecked out with crosswinds catching them unawares and causing a wobble to start that just gets worse until they crash by highsiding the scooter. it happens with motorcycles too. Especially at freeway speeds with 18 wheelers passing you by or you passing them by. The scooters or motorcycles that use frame mounted fairings and windshields don't have the problem. It is the windshields mounted to the front handlebars or forks that have the risk.
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Post by earlwb on Jan 9, 2015 15:23:20 GMT -5
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Post by earlwb on Jan 8, 2015 15:41:42 GMT -5
Out here we still have some city streets with the old 1960's huge hemispherical lane divider bumps. The bumps are like 8 to 12 inches or so tall. The bumps look like a big 1/2 of a ball glued to the road and may still have some old yellow paint on them. The bumps are actually made from cast iron from the appearance of them. Some have little fins on them like they need cooling or something. Others are just 1/2 round and smooth like ball. They had glued them down many years ago and merely reused them when they repaved the road no less. You definitely need to watch out for them. People have complained to the city and everyone passes the buck and won't do anything about it. The city says it is the county the county says it is the state and the state says it belongs to the city. The bumps would damage your car tires if you ran over them and it would be really bad to hit them on a two wheeled vehicle.
The even more insidious thing to watch out for is the gaps in the road pavement expansion joints. This is even more worse in the winter when the pavement shrinks etc. Then the gaps become even more wide. Wide enough for a scooter or motorcycle or bicycle wheel to fit into with obvious consequences. I have known a couple of people so far that crashed because of it already. Anyway at one example out here, it is a turnabout over the freeway to get to one side to the other on the side access roads. It has a longitudinal gap in the middle of the road going almost the entire length of the overpass, and is about six to 8 inches wide amazingly enough. I know at least one person riding a scooter that wrecked out because of it too. The city says it isn't their problem, the state says it belongs to the Feds and the Feds say they gave it to the state.
Train tracks crossing the road at a angle can be particularly hazardous too. It is super easy to wind up with the front or rear wheel getting caught on the metal rail and gap and then you lose control and wreck out.
Potholes are a classic. If it is raining or just rained, you need to avoid riding through water puddles as there could be a huge pothole lurking under the water. Even when dry the potholes can bend rims and blow out tires still.
Oh yeah, the drain grates or sometimes the drain grate is missing can get you too. Usually on overpasses and bridges they put drain grates down to help drain the water. The grates invariably have the slots running parallel with the traffic flow. It is easy to get the wheels to catch on the slots and it may cause you to crash if you aren't paying attention. of course the thieves stealing the manhole covers or drain grates are not helping matters either.
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Post by earlwb on Dec 21, 2014 22:59:02 GMT -5
Lane Splitting should be illegal. I don't have a problem with it staying that way. Besides this is something that would have to go through congress anyway, not a executive order. Unfortunately if it did pass, it would only apply to Federal highways and roads. The states and local governments control their roads and highways separately. Here in Texas with the undisciplined drivers it is dangerous enough as it is. The trucks with all the wide mirrors on them tend to take up the whole lane anyway. The car drivers all move from side to side trying to see what is going on up ahead too. Thus that nifty looking gap in between the cars could be gone at any time. The police here in the metroplex area now have a bad view about motorcycle riders, especially the sport bike riders. The sport bikers have been grouping up and causing all sorts of trouble, such as closing down a freeway just so they can all cut doughnuts and wheelies. They also like to taunt the police as well. Thus the police are now getting quite upset with it all. A few months ago a sport bike rider, caused some trouble, and he took off expecting the police to not chase him. But instead four different jurisdictions got involved and ran him to ground. He finally ran out of gas and they hauled him off to jail. Yes he was one of those police taunters that thought he was above it all and could get away with anything. Earlwb,
You said it PERFECTLY pertaining to this area! Have a bone on the Old Chopper Guy!
If I recall, you're here in Grapevine too. Did you ever hear the story of the brain-dead teeny on a "Sport Bike" who supposedly T-boned a vehicle on 26, where Wal-Mart is now, doing somewhere around 200 mph... Cutting the vehicle in half, going sky-high airborne where he was hit and killed by a landing jetliner over 114?
I have NO idea if that's true, or "urban legend" but I did PERSONALLY witness a similar wreck years ago, same place, when a rider on a crotch-rocket T-boned a Suburban exiting a business on 26. I'd estimate he was doing around 150-160 mph (I heard him shift 4 times from the light at Mustang Dr., and was wound up tight in 5th) and he did indeed cut the Suburban in half, and, launched himself into the top of the berm of the 114 overpass, pureeing his bike, and himself all over 114 traffic with what was left raining down on the other side of the freeway. He surely didn't suffer, but that last 5 seconds of flight must have been the WORST few moments of his short and foolish life. Something for everyone to remember when they feel a little "frisky" and "indestructible" at the same time.
Another 50 mph and he would have been high enough to get nailed by a plane on landing approach.
Whew! Now THAT is some BAD riding.
Ride safe, and keep it under 200 on those 45 mph surface-streets!
Leo (in beautiful GRAPEVINE) Texas!
Actually something like that did happen. A young guy on a 1000cc crotch rocket with a rich dad and a lawyer on permanent retainer did something like that. it wasn't 200mph though, more like 140mph. He T-boned a family driving in a BMW (if I remember right). The Fort Worth police used to display the car at some shows for a while too. it was another one of those where the parents ignored the kid and let him do anything he wants and bought him everything. If he got in trouble the lawyer would be there right away to get him out. So he got that invincible complex going. Here is one that happened in Sweden where the motorcycle rider was going 155 mph.  |
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Post by earlwb on Dec 21, 2014 22:50:51 GMT -5
Those could be really useful, if they are low cost. I remember when they wanted something like $25 a month or more for the service. So getting it down to $20 a year makes it really attractive. Now then, it really depends on if the police will use the technology and track the scooter or not down. Or do you have to do that for them too.
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