Figured we didn't have a scetion for this but feel free to add anything you want. Be it common sense or a mundane thing you never know where one little tip may help another motorcyclist out.
Here's one I'll throw out there.
To keep chrome on your bike looking fresh and free from pitting or rust try applying a thin coat of vaseline. This is especially helpful during Winter storage or if you live in areas of high humidity.
__________________ Proud member of Wristtwisters, where we drill things the right way.
Here's another for riders of offroad or dual sport machines.
If your plastic is looking a little tired here's a tip to help bring back a little of that past luster. Take soft scrub with bleach to the plastic using a sponge, with a little elbow grease you should be able to remove stains and or discolorations. After using the cleaner take mop and glow and apply it to the plastic, after doing so your plastic will look almost like new and will have a light protective film that will make cleaning easier.
__________________ Proud member of Wristtwisters, where we drill things the right way.
Here's another for riders of offroad or dual sport machines.
If your plastic is looking a little tired here's a tip to help bring back a little of that past luster. Take soft scrub with bleach to the plastic using a sponge, with a little elbow grease you should be able to remove stains and or discolorations. After using the cleaner take mop and glow and apply it to the plastic, after doing so your plastic will look almost like new and will have a light protective film that will make cleaning easier.
A heat gun also does wonders for faded and chalky looking plastics. Not a hair dryer, an actual heat gun.
This one was posted already, and helped me so whoever thanks. Put a 2x4 under the kickstand before lifting with a rear stand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ridge
A heat gun also does wonders for faded and chalky looking plastics. Not a hair dryer, an actual heat gun.
Good call both of you!
See this is the type of things that I want to keep in this thread. I would appreciate any derailment post be removed as I'd like to keep this as a factual and helpful thread. That way members can fish through the hints and not be side tracked by eronious posts.
Thanks
__________________ Proud member of Wristtwisters, where we drill things the right way.
Speaking of kickstands: One of those plastic foots works wonders when parking on blacktop in the summer or on a non-paved surface.
To expand on that Mike, you can run to your local hardware store head to the electrical section and pick up a blue spacer for a dollar and change near the junction boxes and it will serve the same purpose. I have 2 in my tank bag.
__________________ Proud member of Wristtwisters, where we drill things the right way.
A heat gun also does wonders for faded and chalky looking plastics. Not a hair dryer, an actual heat gun.
+1 on that, I use to sand the plastics on my 450R then remelt/glaze them with a heat gun. Heat gun is very important, because I know first hand that trying to glaze with a torch ends up on the wrong side of beautiful.
WD-40 and a toothbrush will clean just about anything that is grungy.
For track days, air your tires up the night before with 40 lbs. When you get to the track you can air down to the pressure you want to run. Beats trying to find air to air up if you arrive with them low.
__________________
"Towards the end of the vid, it looks like she may have had a bafflectomy." - MarylandMike
Speaking of kickstands: One of those plastic foots works wonders when parking on blacktop in the summer or on a non-paved surface.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dadogs
To expand on that Mike, you can run to your local hardware store head to the electrical section and pick up a blue spacer for a dollar and change near the junction boxes and it will serve the same purpose. I have 2 in my tank bag.
If you're a cheapo S.O.B. such as me ... use a flattened aluminum can.
__________________ It's better to have loved and lost than live with the psycho for life!
Pull over and wait if you can - Oil and grease on the road tends to loosen up and sit on the surface during the start of the rain, so allow a solid 15 minutes or so for cars to splash the excess muck off onto the side of the street. Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble!
__________________ Proud member of Wristtwisters, where we drill things the right way.
LOCK TIGHT should be in everyones bag of tricks... if some thing loosend up on you don't just tighten it again. Take it off and put a dab of blue or red on it. If i had listened to my advise i wouldn't have lost my weight on my handlebar somewhere between portjeff and nyc. Preventative matinence is the best kind.
Before everyone and their sister came out with detailing polish, we used some Pledge furniture polish on an old cotton t-shirt for those quick touch-ups. Chrome,paint,plastics etc.
__________________
Never pick a fight with an old man..if he's too tired to fight, he'll just shoot you.
1979 H-D Low Rider (orig owner)
2006 919 (son's)
2009 K 1300 S (Lava Orange...the faster color)
MAJOR SLICK HAZZARD....TOLL BOOTHS !!! Watch out especially if its wet out. Rain fog or mist. Stay in the tire tracks . All the cars drop oil , tranny fluid and AC condensate mostly in the center of the lane. Leaving a toll plaza in DRY weather, i thought i blew my primary drive. Pulled in the clutch , nice solid clunk into first, let the clutch out , went about 6" foward and stopped !! Freaked me out as the clutch was out it was in gear and i stopped. Blipped the throttle nothin ! As i went to pull in the clutch , i realized that the rear tire was spinning at an idle on an oil slick. Walked it a few feet foward and went about my way. Be in condition RED at any toll booths .....M
__________________
Never pick a fight with an old man..if he's too tired to fight, he'll just shoot you.
1979 H-D Low Rider (orig owner)
2006 919 (son's)
2009 K 1300 S (Lava Orange...the faster color)
I have always used Meguiars Mirror Glaze #10 clear plastic polish on all of my helemnts and fly screens. One bottle last years. I normally replace it about every 4 years or so. Less than 10 bucks a bottle. It take the bug guts off in seconds when used with a damp cloth, then buff. No scratches and in fact it helps to fill in minor scrathes left by other cleaning methods. I have seen some pretty nasty visors and then seen the bike, it is easy to see how the small things have a big imapct on the overall maintenance of a bike.
Pick the right line and the right gear when cornering. If you stay on the outside of the lane until the last moment, you will be able to see further into the corner and exit the corner in the middle of the lane instead of pushing the outside. Use the right gear for your bike. Stay in the power band in the corner and this will 1: allow you to use engine braking to modulate your speed and 2: will allow you to rocket out of the corner in the meat of you power band rather than bogging the engine as you are leaving.
Also, when cornering, look into the corner instead of 20 feet in front of the front tire. This will "slow down" the corner and allow you to see oncoming traffic, gravel, and your exit in advance lessening your chance of being surprised by an unexpected variable.
__________________
In 1915 T. Roosevelt said, in a speech to the KofC, "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. "
I have gone "wide" in a turn, sometimes crossing the center line, once almost going into the grass when going too hot into a decreasing radius corner. I would be afraid to lean the bike over more, but once I started pushing the handlebar grip the way I needed to turn, I no longer got into trouble. This motion has saved me from more than a few repairs and injuries. An awful lot of bike accidents occur from going wide in a turn.
__________________
Never pick a fight with an old man..if he's too tired to fight, he'll just shoot you.
1979 H-D Low Rider (orig owner)
2006 919 (son's)
2009 K 1300 S (Lava Orange...the faster color)
To add to the cheap kickstand puck; If I don't have anything with me, I have used a small flat rock or piece of thick bark mulch. Those have worked well for me, especially at work where the bike will sit all day.
If you're riding due east at sunset, due west at sunrise, or in the dark, give yourself a little swerve back and forth in your lane if you see someone an oncoming lane who looks like they might be thinking about turning left. With sun glare or car headlights behind you, oncoming drivers won't see your light unless you do something to get their attention.
5. Leave your ego at home-The only people who really care if you were faster on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.
6. Pay Attention.
7. Mirrors only show you part of the picture.
8. Be patient
9. Watch your closing speed-Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.
10. Beware the verge and the merge.
11. Right-turning cars remain the leading killer of motorcyclists.
12. Beware of cars running traffic lights.
13. Check your mirrors
14. Mind the gap-One second’s worth of distance per 10 mph is the old rule of thumb. Better still; scan the next 12 seconds ahead for potential trouble.
15. Beware of tuner cars-They’re quick and their drivers tend to be aggressive.
16. Excessive entrance speed hurts.
17. Don’t trust that deer whistle.
18. Learn to use both brakes.
19. Keep the front brake covered-always.-Save a single second of reaction time at 60 mph and you can stop 88 feet shorter. Think about that.
20. Look where you want to go.
21. Keep your eyes moving.
22. Think before you act.-Careful whipping around that Camry going 7 mph in a 25 mph zone or you could end up with your head in the driver's side door when he turns into the driveway right in front of you.
23. Raise your gaze-It’s too late to do anything about the 20 feet immediately in front of your fender, so scan the road far enough ahead to see trouble and change trajectory.
24. Get your mind right in the driveway-Most accidents happen during the first 15 minutes of a ride, below 40mph, near an intersection or driveway.
25. Come to a full stop at that next stop sign.
26. Never dive into a gap in stalled traffic.
27. Don’t saddle up more than you can handle-If you weigh 95 pounds, avoid that 795-pound cruiser. If you’re 5-foot-5, forget those towering adventure-tourers.
28. Watch for car doors opening in traffic.
29. Don’t get in an intersection rut-Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way intersections.
30. Stay in your comfort zone when you’re with a group-Riding over your head is a good way to end up in the ditch.
31. Give your eyes some time to adjust-A minute or two of low light heading from a well-lighted garage onto dark streets is a good thing.
32. Master the slow U-turn-practice.
33. Who put a stop sign at the top of this hill?-Don’t panic. Use the rear brake to keep from rolling back down. Use Mr. Throttle and Mr. Clutch normally-and smoothly-to pull away.
34. If it looks slippery, assume it is.
35. Bang! A blowout! Now what?-No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn’t happy, so be prepared to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course. Ease back the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over very smoothly to the shoulder. Big sigh.
36. Drops on the faceshield?-Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than when it’s been rinsed by a downpour. Apply maximum level concentration, caution and smoothness.
37. Emotions in check?-Take inventory every time you saddle up.
38. Wear good gear.
39. Leave the IPOD at home.
40. Learn to swerve.-Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession. Practice till it becomes a reflex.
41. Be smooth at low speeds.
42. Flashing is good for you-Easy taps on the pedal or lever before stopping makes your brake light more eye-catching to trailing traffic.
43. Intersections are scary, so hedge your bets.-Put another vehicle between your bike and the possibility of someone running the stop sign/light and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half.
44. Tune your peripheral vision.
45. All alone at a light that wont turn green?-Put as much of the bike directly above the sensor wire or try putting the kick stand down directly on the wire.
46. Everything is harder to see after dark.
47. Don’t troll next to-or right behind-Mr. Peterbilt.
48. Take the panic out of panic stops. Develop an intimate relationship with your front brake. Seek out some safe open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine line between maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then do it again, and again.
49. Make your tires right-Check them for spot on pressure and any wear and tear.
50. Take a deep breath-Count to 10. Forgetting some clown’s 80-mph indiscretion beats running the risk of ruining your live, or ending it.
__________________
I come from the land Down Under, Where the women blow and the men thunder!!
When suddenly finding yourself approaching a cop in the other direction at high speed, only use the back brake and engine compression to slow down. Maintain your braking until he is side by side with you then let off. First, the back brake only keeps the nose from diving, which is a clear indication of slowing from excess speed. Second, not allowing him to see an active brake light gives him that split second of doubting you were actually going too fast.
__________________
Quote of the Year
"One would think that the Secret Service was smart enough to get serviced secretly."
When approaching a long line of traffic coming in the opposite direction, swing wide to the right and flash your brights. This allows more people to see that there is actually a human being coming in the opposite direction and now would be a bad time to pull out.
__________________
Quote of the Year
"One would think that the Secret Service was smart enough to get serviced secretly."
Don't doddle like curious little kids when passing semi's. I like looking at big road gear as much as the next guy, but they do have exploding tires and they do throw stuff at higher velocities from tires that are pumped up to 120 psi.
__________________
Quote of the Year
"One would think that the Secret Service was smart enough to get serviced secretly."
Watch your mirrors when entering! Just today, I crested a hill and was met with the flashing lights of a school zone and could see LEO the Lion sitting in the median. I wasn't speeding or anything BUT the jackass who was on his phone behind me never saw the school zone lights because he was too busy on the cell phone. I look in the mirrors and see he isn't slowing down... so I sped up just has he locked his brakes to keep from having a 919 hood ornament. LEO heard his lockup and waved at me as I passed and stepped out and motioned the JA behind me over. WATCH your mirrors!
I love this one...I take it this has happened before MisterMike :001_smile:
aluminum can-kickstand-puck. totally in my tankbag.
Excellent tips rockdog!
Linear Mode
Chevy Camaro Forum
Ford Mustang Forum
Jeep Wrangler Forum
Volkswagen Touareg Forum
Land Rover Defender Forum
