The sun was shining but the temperature was -5C, -15C when you factor in the windchill. No matter, I was tired of looking at my Tiger sitting in the garage, so I thought what the heck. I took it out for a 70 mile jaunt on the highway, hoping to burn through the crappy gas still sitting in the carb bowls. It ran a bit choppy for the first few minutes, but I opened it up on the highway and it improved pretty quickly. Most everything was warm, except for my face as the cold wind managed to come up under the chin and keep things a bit frosty. Oh well, let the new riding season begin! :D
Way to go!!
I knew you would get it out before me.
I may dig a path in the snow to the shed n the back yard tonight or tomorrow and push the bike to the garage to start with my list of to do's.
Congrats!!!
The good thing is the streets are dry, so other than the cold, it wasn't too bad. The heated grips worked great, hands were nice & toasty warm.
Well, another chilly day, too cold for highway riding, so I decided to test my skills with the Tiger off-pavement. I explored some gravel roads and frozen dirt roads in the area, eventually putting on about 40 miles or so. For the first few miles I certainly noticed the weight of the bike, but after that I settled in and the bike was awesome. The tires that are on the bike were the lone weak spot, but that will be remedied in the next few days. Other than that, it was a great ride.
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/D-Fuzz/IMG_0134.jpg)
are those T66 Michelins I see ?
They are more than likely the original tires if they are , I always thought they sucked even when they were new :ImaPoser
You have a keen eye. That is what they are. The front is original, the rear has been replaced with another one. You are right, they do suck. Hopefully they will be gone by the next ride though.
did you know that under those rubber covers on the foot pegs is a fairly kick ass steel off road peg
Those rubber inserts were removed about 5 minutes after I got home. The pegs do the job but a set of your pegs is on my list of things to buy.
QuoteI always thought they sucked even when they were new
The new Kenda Big Blocks are an AWEsome tire for the Tiger. I just put them on and went on a long ride:
http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,9398
They preformed very well. The price was right also. I paid $227 for both tires from a local BMW dealer. these tires are made to compete with the TKC80.
If you want something to replace yours I'd check these out. They work really well on the asphalt also.
Well D-Fuzz I got lots done to the bike this weekend. At 2pm decided I had enough tinkering.
I usually do not start riding until the main roads have been cleaned of all the pea gravel from winter sanding, but like you I needed a ride.
I was cold by the time I got home. Rode for about an hour....it was good to get out.
Awesome! How did it run? Any photos of the first ride of the year?
No photo's. I shoulda but I didn'ta.
Ran real nice. The neutral light stopped working, I think it is the new LED bulb I used that popped out. I can fix that in a jiffy.
Only have a few things left to do. Crash bars, tires, coolant flush, front fork oil change, thats about it.
Changed the fuel sender unit today, man that was so easy, and I was all worried. Fork oil I think I will just use a hand pump to extract the old oil and then add in the new. The bike only has 6,400 or so km's so I am not too worried about the oil being that bad.
I need to drop it off at the dealer on Friday, have 4 recalls they are doing to it. I may bring the tires along and ask them to mount them rather than do it by hand. Depends on how much they want to do it. I am cheap at heart.
I will try and take a picture tomorrow after work... ;)
Quote from: "Putts255"Fork oil I think I will just use a hand pump to extract the old oil and then add in the new. The bike only has 6,400 or so km's so I am not too worried about the oil being that bad.
;)
You won't believe the crud that builds up in them, it's not that much extra work but if you change your mind, do flush them properly to get it all out. :wink:
So Bixxer, is this the same as my fear of changing the fuel sender?
I guess I figured getting everything off the front forks etc would be a major pain in the you know what. If it is not that bad then maybe I will reconsider.
Or maybe I use the plunger to pull the majority out and if it is not too bad go from there....eh? What you think?
Cheers!
Just pulling the oil out with the plunger won't get at the crud at the bottom.
I'm not familiar with Steamer forks as I have a Girly, but it's like any job:
a. Take your Time.
b. Have a good manual to hand.
c. Make lots of notes / take lots of photos as you take it apart and label everything if your memory is going.
d. Support the bike properly so it doesn't topple on you while the forks are off.
If there's not a post about it on here already I'm sure Mustang will outline what you need to do.
Putts , what bob says ..........even low mile bikes have shit in the fork tubes .
On your Girly they are the same as the 98 steamer forks , no drain hole .
1. take off front wheel
2. remove front fender and brake calipers (leave the brake lines attached)
3. loosen the fork caps dont remove just loosen them
4. loosen both bottom and top triple pinch bolts
5. take each fork leg out
6. take 1 fork leg and remove the cap , tip it upside down in drain pan
7. when empty compress the leg into the lower , tip it over and drain , extend leg
8 . keep doing #7 until you get most of the old oil and crap out
9. fill it back up with the flavor and qty of your choice of fork oil
10 put the cap back on
11 repeat step 6 thru 10 for other leg
12 reassemble bike in reverse order .
you forgot to tell him how much oil. This is most important. :shock:
And I'll be checkin you, because you told me how much and I want to be sure you werent taking a flyer :twisted:
QuoteFather of 2, married 24 years to fantastic woman, lots of toys and still lots of dreams....
"You're never too old to learn new things."
Can I quote this to my wife........ :ImaPoser
Great tutorial mustang, as usual. By th eway what would be a good oil weight for off road riding? Seems like this would be a good time to put in fork spacer also.
Quote from: "BruKen"you forgot to tell him how much oil. This is most important. :shock:
don't rightly know on a Girly too many conflicting stories ........do a search
QuoteAnd I'll be checkin you, because you told me how much and I want to be sure you werent taking a flyer :twisted:
on a steamer I like a blend of 10 and 15 wt at the
recommended level in the manual** :wink: and 1 inch of preload spacer
** ok on a steamer it's ...........
130mm from top of tube with no spring inside and tube fully compressed.
I have this task on my 'to do' list as well. My forks have the drain hole in the bottom. Can I do the oil change with the forks on the bike or should I take them off as well?
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"I have this task on my 'to do' list as well. My forks have the drain hole in the bottom. Can I do the oil change with the forks on the bike or should I take them off as well?
you can do them on the bike if you have the drains .........but .........the oil shoots out the holes straight across the garage when you pump the forks to get the shit out and the hole is pretty small to drain out all the crud . and with them on the bike it is harder to compress them fully to get the crud out
it's still easier in my opinion to service the forks with them off the bike .
Fair enough. I've done it on other bikes before, so I can likely manage with the Tiger as well. The easy part is taking stuff apart. Getting it to fit back together after is always my challenge. :oops:
I bought 15w oil for my forks. What is the ideal level to fill them too? And do I need to add a spacer at the top as well?
Quote from: "Mustang"Quote from: "BruKen"you forgot to tell him how much oil. This is most important. :shock:
don't rightly know on a Girly too many conflicting stories ........do a search
QuoteAnd I'll be checkin you, because you told me how much and I want to be sure you werent taking a flyer :twisted:
on a steamer I like a blend of 10 and 15 wt at the recommended level in the manual** :wink: and 1 inch of preload spacer
** ok on a steamer it's ...........130mm from top of tube with no spring inside and tube fully compressed.
** ha ha :lol: Triumph dont give a recommendation. Like static sag etc they leave it up to the rider's preference.... (I surmise)(where did you get the figure from? works for me tho :P
and you cant beat consistency...
:D
Quote from: "Mustang"Quote from: "BruKen"and Mustamgs recommended 15wt oil....which has still to go in WHEN SOMEONE CAN TELL ME HOW MUCH :(
what has always worked for me and the showas is to push the forktube down into the lower and then add oil until it is 5 1/8 inches (130 mm) from the top of the fork tube , may take you a couple of trys to get the right level as I suspect you will need to refill the damper units with oil
Quote from: "BruKen"** ha ha :lol: Triumph dont give a recommendation. Like static sag etc they leave it up to the rider's preference.... (I surmise)(where did you get the figure from? works for me tho :P
ummmm sure they do page 1.35 ,chapter 1 general specifications ,manual #3850300 issue #6
ok technically it's for the Kayaba's but the showas are identical forks without the drain holes
oops *** you made me go look it up
this is from a newer manual , not sure the volume # I have it on PDF
see the little k's and s's at the far right column ? k=kayaba s=showa
and yes they are different on the tiger 130mm for kayabas 144 mm for showas also note the showas recommend 10-20 wt oil
(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee47/2uoykcuf/repairs/forkoil.jpg)
Oh bollox, you gave me duff info. I have Showa forks on with 10 wt. Do I drain them? Thought they lacked the infamous dive.
:D
Thanks for the fork info.
My new Kenda Big Blocks arrived this morning. I already had the Michelins stripped off, so the new rubber went of pretty quick. I actually ended up putting a D606 rear on for the next little bit. I thought the rear tire will end up wearing faster than the front, I had the Dunlop kicking around and I don't plan to go anywhere far from home for the next couple months anyway. They are forecasting cold, crappy weather again until the weekend, so it will be a couple days before I can try them out. I start some holidays on Thursday, so I plan to explore lots of backroads over the next 2 weeks. We have quite a lot of flooding going on here, so I'd like to go for a ride and see how things look.
Quoteon a steamer I like a blend of 10 and 15 wt at the recommended level in the manual** and 1 inch of preload spacer
What does mixing the 2 weight do?
probably does nothing other than make me feel warm and fuzzy ........ :ImaPoser
15 wt works pretty good in the showas or kayabas forks
20 wt makes em a little stiffer but more harsh feeling
Quoteso I plan to explore lots of backroads over the next 2 weeks. We have quite a lot of flooding going on here, so I'd like to go for a ride and see how things look.
_________________
Scott
Pictures?????
For the past week, a couple buddies & I had been planning to go for a ride this morning. Well, I woke up to -5C temp, 50km/h wind and snow flurries. One on the guys is a fairweather rider and bailed out, but the other guy was game so we went. He rides a Harley, so it was a pavement ride for a bit, then we split up and I took the gravel roads to get home. Lots of the gravel roads around here are either flooded or close to, so I got to try out the knobbies a bit. They worked good, no crashes. I have to do some practising with this bike at low speeds in tights spots. Is it alright to slip the clutch a bit to keep the revs up?
No pics today. Too cold to take the gloves off.
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"I have to do some practising with this bike at low speeds in tights spots. Is it alright to slip the clutch a bit to keep the revs up?
it's fine just don't overdo it , if you are going to do a lot of "low speed , tight spot riding" I would seriously consider a 17 tooth front sprocket . It will raise your rpm by 600 though on the highway ............75 mph is going to see the tach around 5500
No, I try not to do it much, just had to snake my way through a spot where the road was washed out a bit. Too cold to get wet and wasn't sure what the road was like under the water.
Another question: It seems that the bike is running a bit rich, you can smell the exhaust when you get off. Is it because it is so freaking cold? I don't want to start mucking around with the carbs too much right now because we might actually get warm weather at some point this year. Otherwise, the bike is running great.
In UK, Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) teach the following for slow riding:
Set revs 1500 -2000
Apply rear brake
Let clutch out to the bite point when revs dip slightly
Gently ease rear brake a little to move off, then control speed with rear brake, leave the clutch and throttle alone.
It takes a bit of practice (but not a lot) and really works. Wet clutch reduces chance of clutch damage HOWEVER they are only teaching for the purpose of "U" turns and pulling out of junctions. As Mustang says, off road you could be asking more of your clutch so be careful, don't overdo it. :wink:
Quote75 mph is going to see the tach around 5500
Is this going to be hard on the engine? What about just short commuting and lots of dirt riding? Would extended highway rides be detrimental for the engine?
I decided to go for a ride this morning (can't wait forever to get decent weather). I got onto the backroads just west of my place. It was a bit wet and muddy, but not too bad. I started down one road that I have ridden 100 times on my DR in the summer. It was good for a bit, then gradually became more snow covered until the road was completely white. The Tiger had no problem with the snow, but a vehicle had driven down the road in both directions, creating 2 sets of icy tracks. At one point the tracks crossed and as I rode over the crossing, the front wheel went one way and the back went the other. Down she went! I wasn't going fast and there was no damage at all. But I did realise how heavy the bike is, especially with a full tank of fuel. WOW!! It was amplified by the fact it was icy under the snow, so it was tough to get good footing. I also learned that just because I put knobby tires on the bike, it didn' t suddenly become a dirt bike.
Bob, after seeing some of your photos and hearing about your rides, I have a real appreciation for how tough it must be to ride in those conditions.
QuoteI also learned that just because I put knobby tires on the bike, it didn' t suddenly become a dirt bike.
:ImaPoser :ImaPoser
OMG, the exact thoughts I had after that ride! I got pinned under the bike a couple of times and was cursing a blue streak! My GPS, at one time as I was laying under the bike waiting for my buddy, it kept saying "lost satellite connection"........I'm like 'NO SHIT"!.....LOL
Have fun and keep it upright....its a reall challenge....I know! :ImaPoser
:iagree It's likely a good thing I was so pissed off about going down because I needed a good adrenaline boost to lift the bike back up. I can't imagine doing that more that a couple times a day.
My sister, who is not an engineer ( but that doesn't preclude her from having ideas that are good in principle) and is of small stature, asked if I could make something to help her get her bike up after drop recently. I haven't gotten round to looking at it yet, but here's the idea anyway.
She wanted a telescopic pole with a fork on the end that could be slipped under the bike and located on the footrest that would be short enough to carry on the bike, but extend long enough to enable her to lift the bike and then walk toward it as she continued the lift. Telescopic wouldn't work as it would be hard to get the rigidity reqd, but maybe a 3 or 4 section folding arrangement would work, I have a length of sturdy aluminium channel section that might work. Hmmm.
The problem is most people dont pick up a bike correctly. There are a couple of techniques that hinge around where the balance point of the bike is. Here are a few
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSgJ8O_atIs
I watched a slip of a girl pick up a GS like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkBN1ENtWz8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXHsgJzPIe4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeLkrPkjimo&feature=related
I pretty much used the same technique as the fella with the GSA. My problem was it was rather slippery uner the snow, so it was tough to get good traction to push with my legs. I ended up using a lot more arms than I normally would have. Given the temps at the time, my tongue would likely have stuck to the windscreen if I'd tried that other trick. :P
I got my Thunderbike crash bars mounted up today. What a tedious friggen job! Most of the bolts are easy enough to put in, but I really enjoyed the one on the left side where you have to drain the coolant, disconnect the hose to the waterpump, find just the right angle to get that stupid torx bit in to loose the bolt, and then try to put it all back together again. Oh well, I like the way they look and they will protect the bike better then next time it goes for a sleep. :wink:
QuoteOh well, I like the way they look and they will protect the bike better then next time it goes for a sleep.
I have personal experience with Tigers taking naps during rides! One time on my last ride she got so sleepy she fell asleep on my leg! :ImaPoser Good thing I had my Alpinestars on.
Seriously though the " Thunderbike " bars really work well!
Good Job D-Fuzz. I got my crash bars mounted up on Sunday. The bike is currently in a few pieces in the garage. Pulled the front forks off and drained the oil, cleaned them up real nice and refilled etc... Oil was a brownish colour but not real bad.
Will finish putting them back on tonight after I clean up the calipers etc...
Just a heads up there are a couple 2003 and 2006 Tigers that have hit Kijiji in Alberta the last week or so. One is in Calgary, orange I think.
QuoteFather of 2, married 24 years to fantastic woman, lots of toys and still lots of dreams....
"You're never too old to learn new things."
_____
NICE!
Quote from: "Putts255"Good Job D-Fuzz. I got my crash bars mounted up on Sunday. The bike is currently in a few pieces in the garage. Pulled the front forks off and drained the oil, cleaned them up real nice and refilled etc... Oil was a brownish colour but not real bad.
Will finish putting them back on tonight after I clean up the calipers etc...
Just a heads up there are a couple 2003 and 2006 Tigers that have hit Kijiji in Alberta the last week or so. One is in Calgary, orange I think.
I saw that orange one, very nice. Not sure I'd trade my Steamer for one though. But then, I haven't ridden a Girly yet either to make a comparison.
When I got my Kenda Big Blocks last week, I only put the front tire on, choosing instead to put a Dunlop D606 on the rear. Well, the D606 was a bit too load on the pavement for my liking, so I spooned on the rear Kenda this morning. Man, was the sidewall on that thing ever stiff. I dread getting a flat anytime at the roadside because it is going to be a bugger to get off. I am going to for a ride tomorrow with some friends, so we will see how they feel on a longer trip, about 300-400km for a day.
I know what you mean about the tires. I got the front one done yesterday a little tough, but the rear, WOW!
I got the bead to break and can usually pull the wheel through the tire once the wheel is inside the tire. But no joy.
Oh well tomorrow is another day.
Enjoy your ride in the morning!!
I went for a ride today with my cruiser buddies. Put on about 300km or so, checking out some of the flooding that has been going on around our area. The bike ran great, better and better each time out. The Kendas provided a little vibration in the pegs that I could have lived without, but they were fine otherwise.
I guess this is called "lake-front property."
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/D-Fuzz/IMG_0140.jpg)
The waterline is supposed to be about 200 yards out.
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/D-Fuzz/IMG_0143.jpg)
Washing off a little dirt.
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/D-Fuzz/IMG_0146.jpg)
QuoteThe Kendas provided a little vibration in the pegs that I could have lived without, but they were fine otherwise.
What did you do for balencing? I used dyna beads, 1 oz in the front, maybe a hair more, and 2 ozs in the rear. Got a smooth as glass ride on the pavement.
I tried balancing them with jackstands and lead weights. I doubt it did much good though. I ordered up some Dyndabeads though and will put them in instead..