Some Questions

[HappyMan]

Now that I have the Tigger to look at if not ride I had a couple of questions.

The bike as I received it showed that the coolant level was below the cold line while the bike was standing straight and level.  Obviously it should be at least at the cold line.  How sensitive and accurate is this?  What is the norm?  Being that the bike only has 2300 miles on it I'm a little surprised that it's low.  Should I be concerned?  Should I inspect anything in particular on this bike for leaks?  Seems there was a leaky cap issue I've read about.  Was that the cap on the radiator or the filler cap that was spoken of?  What coolant should I use.  I noticed this stuff was blue.

I've also heard others speak of an inaccurate fuel gauge.  What characteristics should I be looking for in this gauge?  Is it inconsistent or is it something that is consistently inaccurate and you just learn to read it?  Such as when it reads a 1/4 tank it's really half full or worse yet about to leave me on the side of the road....

I use a lift for my bikes when working on them that slides under the engine and lifts from the frame but I noticed that this bike is all pipe underneath with nothing to rest the weight of the bike on other than the pipes.  I've got a center stand coming and I've yet to chose the skid plate but those items will make this easier.  Until then, is there a good way to lift the bike for maintenance?

I'm taking the cockpit apart to install the heated grips they threw in with the deal.  Any words of advice on this or is it pretty straight forward?  Any tricks or lessons learned I should know about?

Thanks in advance.

[Stretch]

The coolant level should be kept at 'cold' when cold.  Otherwise the overflow may puke.  There's not much room for expansion in the system beyond that.

Sometimes a radiator cap spring gets weak, allowing the rad to puke a bit.  It's a cheap fix, but you have to pull the fuel tank.

Fuel gauge:  When mine drops to the red line, I still have two gallons left.   :roll:

Heated grip install is pretty straightforward:  plug 'em in.

[pit0rz]

re: grips
Take care when you fish the leads through the bars and slide the grips onto the bars.  Just take extra care that you keep the wire lined up with the slot in the bar so the wires don't get pinched.
When you go to slide the metal plugged ends into the white plastic blocks pay close attention to the orientation of the plug.  Do it just like the picture shows.  I got 3 out of the 4 right on the 1st try.  That last one was a bitch to get back out and flip the right way.  Other than that just take your time and follow the instructions to the letter!

[HappyMan]

I'll need to top of the coolant then.  Any particular brand?  It's been a long time since I've had a liquid cooled bike so I just want to make sure there is nothing I've missed through the years.  

I'll need to see why it's low after only 2300 miles though I don't see anything leaking at the moment.  I have yet to pull the bike apart and get to know her yet though.

[noivson]

Use a fine piece of wire to 'fish' the wires.
After sitting for a couple of weeks in the cold, coolant drips will show up. Not to worry, start it up more!
Might think about aiming the headlights while the cowling is off. Some fasteners are encased in rubber.

[ridin gaijin]

Fuel gauge:

I was just told by the dealer that it works on a crude-sounding mechanical principle, where there's actually a float that slides up and down in a track depending on the level of gas in the tank. The thing, predictably, is sort of vaguely accurate and prone to getting stuck after a while.

As with any motorcycle, use your trip odometer at fill-ups and keep track of your mpg mentally. When the light comes on, how much longer you have will vary depending on what kind of riding you're doing at the moment.

I think the most I ever got out of a tank was about 260 miles. It was somewhere in the godforsaken desolation that is Nevada...poor planning on my part made for a tense few minutes...!