This is topic Show me your crotch rocket! in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-09-2003, 10:47 PM:
The motorcycle bug began bitting me about a year ago, and ever since I have wanted a bike. Anyone out there have pictures of their bikes that they would like to post. It would be cool if you were in them as well.
Josh
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 12:33 AM:
I had a bunch of big old Harley Hogs! No pictures, though.
OINK!!
Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 08-10-2003, 12:44 AM:
Hey!!!!! You tricked me!
I hate "teaser" topics.
Danny
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-10-2003, 01:12 AM:
Good point Dan. Josh, could ya please re-edit the topic title a bit?
Anyway I like motorcycles but I don't really want to own one. If I did I'd want a Japanese bike. Why? Well for one they're not as damn loud. Loud bikes are retarded. I hate it when old fat dudes on Harleys think they're the shit just because the things are so damn loud. And when they go under a bridge they really rev it up due to the reverberation, and it gets REALLY LOUD. But for some reason that really seems to excite the old fat dudes (usually with at least one tattoo and three flies circling their body due to the odor. Sometimes they have an ugly hag on the back as a passenger). Also I want my motorcycle to be fast. Faster than a slow car. Which many of the Harleys are definitely not. Plus the Suzukis and whatnot look pretty cool. You will often see people wearing helmets and jackets on these bikes. Why? Smarter riders.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 01:15 AM:
Yeah, Joe. Josh needs a a different mode of transportation. His dad told me today that he dropped the transmission in his car last night, and he had to have someone give him a ride home from work.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-10-2003, 01:54 AM:
In the straight world, the term crotch rocket refers to a device that is nestled between the legs of an individual with the capability of traveling at very high speeds. What this term translated to in the gay world is not exactly in my area of expertice, nor do I really feel the need to be educated in that particular form of, shall I say, recreation
Josh
PS I'm just giving you shit..
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-10-2003, 02:12 AM:
quote:
"In the straight world, the term crotch rocket refers to a device that is nestled between the legs of an individual with the capability of traveling at very high speeds."
Exactly...

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 03:24 AM:
Josh! You sound like the dweeb in the movie AIRPLANE. Besides, just wait until a bee fwaps against your face and drops in your lap and stings you in the balls.
Been there.....no fun. You would be surprised how fast I was able to bring my Harley to a halt when that happened.
You'll need to wear a jock strap to conceal yourself for a few days. I hope the doctor doensn't laugh his ass off like he did at me...It'll look like a case of elephantitas.
Whatever you do, don't wear a yellow jacket or buy a yellow crotch rocket. The bees just love that color. The bees will hover and land on that thing (and you) just like stink on shit.
May I suggest the color of Hunter Green with Pink Polka Dots?
You'll be the talk of the town.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-10-2003, 03:42 AM:
quote:
...the term crotch rocket refers to a device that is nestled between the legs of an individual with the capability of traveling at very high speeds...
Hmmm that sounds like a description for one of them thar battery-powered "drink mixers" you see at the pharmacies.
I think 99% of people would understand that since there really is no "official" definition for "Crotch Rocket" that in slang it means a Bike.
I did find it interesting that for some unknown reason, a comparison was made as to what the term meant in the straight & gay "worlds". I haven't got a clue as to what that is supposed to infer or as to why it even was mentioned in the context of these posts. I know there are alternate and sexual innuendos associated with that term...perhaps that was the intent of using the "teaser" title.
Some definitions from the Urban Dictionary and other sources:
"A motorcycle a male buys to make up for the (lack of) size of their crotch."
"A fast motorcycle, usually goes 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and 0-100 in under 4.2 seconds."
"A Diesel powered dildo."
"An euphemism for a man's penis."
"A man who is known to be exceptionally vigorous during copulation episodes."
"A girl laying down with legs spread open."
"A tampon."
"Affectionate term to describe a high-performance sport bike motorcycle. "
"Any fancy and extremely fast motorcycle. Usually rode by someone who is young and has poor judgment. The Bike usually goes from Zero to Death in a term of seconds."
The last one is a little "preachy" for my likes. I was young and stupid at one time. Now I'm just stupid.
OBTW Paul/Josh: I dropped FIVE manual transmissions in my mom's car while I was in High School. Damn cheap-ass 1st gears! Just couldn't take the pressure of popping the clutch!
And Paul, Bees do it in cars too. I once had a bee fly into my car while driving along and it fell in my lap and YEEEEOUCH!
>>> Phil
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 03:49 AM:
Phil, I think Josh will now be pissed off at both of us.
Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 08-10-2003, 03:51 AM:
quote:
"A motorcycle a male buys to make up for the (lack of) size of their crotch."
And here I thought they bought 1998 Corvettes.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-10-2003, 03:57 AM:
Paul: Yeah, me thinks that too...
Daryl: I got your lame reference the 1st time!
(I see you deleted the triple post!)
>>> Phil
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-10-2003, 04:04 AM:
I decided to travel forward in time to see how Josh will fare. Here is a picture of Josh at a biker rally 5 years from now.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 04:06 AM:
Yup!!!! Kind of looks like that dude in the Blue (whatever) in the movie Police Academy.
Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 08-10-2003, 05:32 AM:
Hey, Brad... that guy in the first picture looks suspiciously like Robin, the Boy Wonder. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.........
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-10-2003, 06:14 AM:
Close. That's "Choda Boy" on the right with his rocket flying in front of Orgazmo. ("Orgazmo" is tied up with the "naughty twins" on the bed.)
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-10-2003, 06:25 AM:
The "Naughty Twins" is probably where the idea for the Asian Twins, Fook Mi & Fook Yu, in "Goldmember" came from.
Ummm... I don't care to see that perverted movie "Orgazmo"....I'm just speculating. I can not imagine who would be perverted enuff to have that film....or those that would watch it.
OBTW: What is "Hamster Style"?
>>> Phil
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 08-10-2003, 07:50 AM:
Ooh. Naughty twins. Sounds like another name for a Harley engine.
Dirty minds think alike. It's amazing how an innocent topic asking people to send images of their motorcycles made a 180 degree turn and became a sex issue / size thing.
Beavis and Butthead are on this forum!
I'm Beavis.
I love this forum.
Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 08-10-2003, 11:47 AM:
Ha!
On-topic post!
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-10-2003, 01:35 PM:
This is more like what I had in mind...

Josh
Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 08-10-2003, 01:38 PM:
Phil wrote: quote:
Ummm... I don't care to see that perverted movie "Orgazmo"....I'm just speculating. I can not imagine who would be perverted enuff to have that film....or those that would watch it.
That's a hot one!
BTW: Have any of you ever seen the trailer for this picture? It's a riot! The scene with the old lady with the walker is great!
BTW part 2: this is the first time I've ever heard anyone use that term for a motorcycle. I don't see a connection between the term and whether someone is queer or not.
BTW part 3: Those things are dangerous!! Your mom might kill you herself if she finds out you want one.
Danny
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-10-2003, 01:41 PM:
looks as if I stepped in a bit of shit. back in a month or two.
JJ
Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 08-10-2003, 01:46 PM:
Hope my post, or others, didn't scare you off. No harm done.
No hiding, you can come out from under the computer desk now.
Danny
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-10-2003, 01:56 PM:
"Crotch Rocket" is another way to say, "Rice Rocket"... A derogatory term for Japanese motorcycles that look like stupid space ships which put the rider in the position of humping the gas tank in order to ride one.
A Harley is NOT a crotch rocket!
You may refer to a "Harley Davidson motorcycle" with the following terms:
- Harley.
- Bike.
- Model-specific names such as "Softail" or "Fat Boy".
- or just simply "Machine".
Anybody who uses any other words to describe a Harley should be kicked squarely in the crotch!
Joe, you say you don't like Harley's. This is America, after all. Still, I don't think you've taken a good look at the new "V-Rod".
HarleyDavidson.com
The V-Rod is supposed to be able to blow virtually any crotch rocket right off the road... Nothin' but dust!
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-10-2003, 02:04 PM:
quote:
Hope my post, or others, didn't scare you off. No harm done.
No hiding, you can come out from under the computer desk now.
<<cautiously peeks over desk>>
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 02:10 PM:
Here is what I thought you wanted.

Or maybe this one:

Randy, some more names for a Harley:
Hog
Pig
Sow
Harley Piggitson
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-10-2003, 03:03 PM:
Phil, it looks like Josh is giving you a run for the "stirring the pot" throne.
Paul, I vote for the Cushman in the above post. Josh would look great riding one of those bad boys.
Josh, yeah just what is "hamster style"?
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-10-2003, 03:45 PM:
quote:
Josh, yeah just what is "hamster style"?
Funny, is that chinesy music I hear in the background......
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-10-2003, 04:48 PM:
Maybe so, Randy, but that Harley is still UGLY! And probably unnecessarily loud, too!
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-10-2003, 05:05 PM:
Brad, WTF RU talkin' bout?
Paul: Is that a Cushman Super Eagle?
Randy said:
quote:
Anybody who uses any other words to describe a Harley should be kicked squarely in the crotch!
That sounds like a definition of **WHY** a Harley would be called a croth rocket.
>>> Phil
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 06:05 PM:
Josh said: quote:
looks as if I stepped in a bit of shit. back in a month or two.
Strange you said that. When I was talking to you earlier today about the capacitors, Poopers had an accident at the doorway and I stepped in it not knowing it was there.
But at least you were not barefoot...
But that is better than your cat barfing on Poops. I had to hose it off with your garden hose.
Phil, that is a Cushman Eagle. Josh and I saw that on display at a restaurant in Omaha while we were there for the Strong International. Now I don't know if it is a Super Eagle, but a Cushman Eagle was my main source of transportation when I was in high school.
The second picture is a Harley-Davidson "Topper". I think it was Harley's answer to the Cushman box which was quite popular in the early '50's.
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-10-2003, 07:25 PM:
V-Rods do have that Harley "sound" but they aren't as loud as other ones.
Harley Davidson actually has a patent on the exhaust pipes of these machines that covers, among other things, a way to "tune" the sound that comes out of them. That low, rumble sound that Harleys make is a signature of the brand. I don't know if it's true or not but ledgend has it that H.D. has a trade mark on the sound of a Harley.
As to Harleys being louder than other bikes, I think you're full of it. Rice rockets are just as loud, I say. It's just a different pitch. Harleys rumble. Rice rockets hum. If a Hog has the sound of a lion's roar a rice rocket sounds like a buzzing mosquito!
I don't think your preference has anything to do with volume but more to do with pitch.
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-10-2003, 09:02 PM:
I'm not full of it. I have heard some modified Japanese bikes that "buzz" really loud. I think they are stupid as well. But my dad owned a really cool Suzuki for quite some time (as well as some other Japanese bikes) and none of them were anything I'd consider excessively loud. At a higher frequency it takes less db to "seem" as loud anyway.
Just 'cause I think Harleys are built for the white trash market is no reason to.... hmmm... I have no point here.
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 08-10-2003, 10:38 PM:
I guess this is the first serious reply...
Josh, if you don't have any experience on a motorcycle, my best advice would be to find a cheap Japanese motorcycle from the late 70's or early 80's.
The first bike I bought was a 1972 Honda cb500 and I paid $100 for it. I wrecked it shortly after I bought it.
My point is that you will probably wreck your first bike early on so don't spend too much on it.
After you get some experience:
if you want a sport bike, you need to know what you want it for.
If you want a bike purely for speed and looking cool, get a GSXR 1000 or a Yamaha R1. However you will be sore after about 10 minutes of riding.
If you want more of an all purpose bike you can get the Suzuki SV1000 or Honda interceptor 800. Both quick but not blown out racers like those above, and they have a more upright riding position so you can ride longer without getting sore.
Personally, I am saving for a Suzuki Hyabusa GSX 1300R. 175 hp and a top speed (before the governor is removed) of 189mph.
I don't know much about cruisers but I would go with either a Honda VTX1300 or a Honda shadow 1100 ACE.
You can see pics of all the bikes on the maufacturers web sites.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-10-2003, 10:43 PM:
Stupid question, but what kind of a moron would drive a motorcycle at 189 mph? You'd be about as lucky to survive that as putting 5 bullets in a gun and taking a turn at Russian roulette. God forbid you breathe wrong at that kind of speed. Motorcycles are dangerous enough as it is. You must have full attention to the road at all times and even 10 times more important to consider are the idiots driving cars and trucks all around you. Before all the motorcycle enthusiasts start attacking my comments, yes I do know there are tons of people that drive motorcycles every day and have safe trips. But if there is an accident, the guy in the car will very possibly walk away. The guy on the motorcycle will very possibly be dead or injured for life. Is it worth possibly spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair?
A car is much, much safer. I hope by the time you gather up the money for your bike you reconsider.
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 08-10-2003, 11:20 PM:
I never said I would ride at 189mph. I am too scared to go above 90 on my bike now, but it's also almost 30 years old.
However, bikes with power are much safer to ride. When you are in a dangerous situation the extra power will help you get out of it easily. It comes in handy going down 635.
Also, the more power a bike has the less you have to shift gears and it makes the ride more enjoyable. From what I have been told, you can't red line a hyabusa in first gear until 80mph.
I definitely agree that motorcycles are dangerous. I also know that people die in car crashes everyday, people die in plane crashes, and people get hit by cars and die. People still drive cars, fly in planes and cross the street.
I have been in wrecks already and I would never stop riding out of fear of crashing.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-10-2003, 11:47 PM:
I was lucky on motorcycles. At 17 and 18, I crashed the Cushman. I hit a city bus with it, and also dumped it while going around a corner. Some asshole through a banana peel out of his car window and the front wheel of the cushman ran over it while I was banking it around a corner. The Cushman just slid out from underneath me and I went bouncing down the road on my ass. I also crashed a 750 Honda because of traveling at excessive speed. I never crashed a Harley, but I have had them fall over on me.
When I hit the city bus, it really smashed my ankle because I hit the bus on a glancing blow.
There was a 16 or 17 year old kid up here about 25 or 30 years ago that took his motorcycle for a spin against his father's wishes. He had his girlfriend on the machine with him. He was traveling at a high rate of speed and some jerk ran a stop sign. He dumped his bike, she went flying and landed in a field, while he was bouncing down the road on his ass. It ground one of his ass cheeks clear down to the bone (and then some) where the doctor had to actually build that kid a new rectum. Both the kid and his girlfriend survived. The kid is OK, except he is still missing one ass cheek as far as I know. I have been told that he leans a little when he sits down.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-11-2003, 05:15 AM:
Paul, that's a half-ass example!
But the general idea is still the same:
BIKES, ESPECIALLY "CROTCH ROCKETS" ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!
Even ***IF*** you can be responsible and drive sanely, and NOT give in to the temptation of all that power and speed, you are still many times more likely to croak with a bike than with a car.
One has NO protection from the idiots on the road! You are hanging out there NAKED with not only your balls, but your LIFE AND FUTURE at RISK!
Also, there is NO "shield" from the jerks that like to pick on bike riders by throwing things at them or harassing them at stop lights. Ran into that many times in Michigan, Ft. Lauderdale and other places.
I've had 3 bikes B4, and every time when I forgot how stupid it was, and I got the bug, I bought a new one.
Getting drenched riding in the rain, the cold weather with snot frozen to your face, the hot sweaty summer, and ***HAVING*** to get somewhere...like work, made me come to my senses and get a car.
Not trying to preach or dictate. Everyone has to make their own decisions in life and that's just my 2-cents from personal experience. I was lucky and never killed myself.
If ya wanna do something dangerous, build a giant Tesla coil and see if you can burn down your house...
I hope you reconsider Josh!
Sincerely,
>>> Phil
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 08-11-2003, 12:41 PM:
Here is my current bike, a 1990 GS500E. It has some styling of crotch rockets with average rider comfort. It has a DOHC air cooled twin that is easy to work on. Also it is only about 50hp so you cant get yourself into too much trouble. But one disclaimer... if you havent ridden dirt bikes extensively DONT get on a street bike until you do, it sure hurts a lot less to go down in the sand than on pavement at 60MPH. Although while riding the other day some old ass hole decided to get into my lane to pass me while I was still in the process of setting up for a turn, sure scares the heck out of you. Be careful, I only ride out on back roads during fair weather and when very few cars are around, not for commuting or anything.
There are horror stories though, while working at a motorcycle dealership we had to put a bike back together that had hit a deer at 120mph+. Needless to say there wasnt much left of the bike. Amazingly the rider was ok. Last I heard the stupid guy crashed the bike again.

In the background is my 1968 JD 112 that I am using/restoring... much safer than a bike.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-11-2003, 01:11 PM:
Three major reasons why I left the motorcycle world:
1. It hurts too much and takes a long time to recover from injuries if the operator survives.
2. With the assholes driving cars the way they do, you are just a mere obsticle in their path and some of them are cooky enough to run you down.
3. Near-miss wrecks were getting more frequent. Inattentive driving by the cycle operator, car drivers and road conditions and obstructions, just to name a few.
I might add this: A seattle police officer was killed when his Harley suffered a mechanical failure. The bolts holding the front fender fell out and the fender fouled the front wheel. The front wheel jammed and the officer lost control of his machine. The officer was then run over by freeway traffic.
Head-on collisions with a car and motorcycle seem to be common. Impatient car drivers don't look before the pass or they just simply don't see you until it is too late. How many times have you experienced a near miss by an on-coming car making an impatient pass? How many aggressive drivers have you experienced when they cut you off and you had to some hard braking to aviod getting hit?
OK...Here is something you don't know.
quote:
Exposure, measured in terms of vehicle miles of travel (VMT) in 2001, shows that motorcyclists were about 26 times as likely to die in a crash than someone riding in a passenger car, and are 5 times as likely to be injured.
Overall highway fatalities were up about 1.5 percent in 2002 to 42,850, compared to 42,116 in 2001, the traffic safety agency said. That represents the highest number of fatalities since 1990.
The federal agency's preliminary report states that 3,276 cyclists lost their lives on America's roads in 2002, or 95 more than the 3,181 killed in 2001. That is 65.5 people per state per year on the average. If one could ride a motorcycle year-around instead of just 4 to 5 months, I'll bet that figure would double to 131 fatalities per year average per state or 6,550 fatalities nation wide.
As you can see, the statistics are very grim.
As you can also see, some of us on FT are very concerned about losing you to something as stupid as a motorcycle wreck.
Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 08-11-2003, 06:43 PM:
Time for my 2 cents:
I got bitten by the motorcycle bug two summers ago but didn't actually get one until last summer. I bought a 82 Yamaha SECA 750 for $400.00 it was rideable (somewhat) but not much to look at. This model has a square headlight in the front that looks like someone took a headlight from a car and wedged it on there. It had a really horible paint job that the previous owner did to it. He used that paint kit that you can buy a Walmart that is suppose to look like it changes color but instead came out an ugly purple-green. And the exhust system was almost rusted out. But the bike has a couple of things going for it. It had new tires and front brakes and a good engine with only 12000 miles on it and it has a shaft drive system.
Over the course of a year I have fully restored it. First it needed a tune up and the carburetor rebuilt. Than I had to replace the exhust system. I also salvage a round headlight off a Honda at the junkyard which necessitated a rewireing job. And finally I completely repainted it (yellow and black). I will try to post a picture at a later date though I really wish that I had taken a before picture. This weekend I am buying an 82 Honda Nighthawk as my next project bike for $200.00. This one is also rideable but I will have to track down an oil leak.
Now to the topic at hand. If you are really intent on getting a motorcycle for the first time, you should take a motorcycle skills course first. They are supported by local dealerships and usually only cost around $40.00 for the entire course. They provide the motorcycles, all you have to have is the riding gear. Which leads to my next point. This is not a cheap hobby. Getting a decent helmet will run about a $100.00 (you can get them cheaper but I wouldn't mess with those). You also need boots and gloves ($70.00 and $25.00) and of course a jacket ($100.00 - $300.00).
There really isn't nothing like riding a motorcycle down the highway at 80-90 mph and it is definately a fun hobby to have. But you always have to look out for the other people on the road. I have never had an accident but I have had several close calls (just yesterday I got ran off the road by a Pizza Hut delevery car). People in cars and trucks just do not look out for motorcycles so you have to look out for them. Riding motorcycles isn't for everyone but if you got the bug than you should give it a shot.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-11-2003, 07:11 PM:
Not only take the course, but many states require it. In California, you have to take a separate motorcycle written test and a "ride-along" road test before you can get a "Motorcycle" endorsement on your driver's license. I thought that a little bizarre.
Depending on your age and bike experience, they require you to do a closed-course test, starting, stopping, emergency stops, avoiding obstacles, etc while being observed. Then you must also have a car & driver to allow the "examiner" to follow and observe you on the road test.
The Cal DMV motorcycle "study guide" has many excellent tips and common-sense pointers.
I still maintain my class M1 motorcycle endorsement...just in case...
>>> Phil
Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 08-11-2003, 10:26 PM:
Phil as far as I know EVERY state requires you to take a written test (to get your permit) and a road test (to get the endorsement). What I am talking about is a seperate motorcycle skills course which is only required if the operator is under 18. These classes are usually sponsored by the local motorcycle dealers and riding clubs. So they are really cheap (sometimes as low as $20.00). They teach you how to ride, how to care for your bike, etc. And at the end of the course, they give you your skills test so you can get your endorsement.
Just go to any motorcycle shop and they can get you in touch with the people running the class. Though they are usually given at a local community college. Unfortunately for me I live in Michigan where three out of our four seasons are winter. So where I live the classes are all given late spring/early summer. So because I bought my bike near the end of July, I had to teach myself to ride (none of my friends ride bikes).
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 08-11-2003, 11:22 PM:
Someone remind me to post to this with an intelligent reply. I'm just not in the mood now.
Josh, from the sounds of the replies, I am one of the few, if the sole, person to actively ride sportbikes at this time.
IMO, for a beginning rider, don't go out and get the 954RR, R1, GSXR-1000 or the aforementioned 'Busa (as they are most commonly known). Look around in the trader, local paper and even the local dealers for a used (97+) Suzuki SV 650. It's a nice looking bike, relatively light, decent power (about 75hp IIRC) and it is plain out fun to ride. This bike allows a new rider to the chance to find out what "extreme lean angle" is all about, all while not breaking the bank, nor your insurance rates...
I'll post more later.. if you'd like a really good place to learn about one bike, in particular, check out rrzone.com.
This is one of me along with my last bike, a '93 900RR. If I have to explain any more than that to anyone, you're obviously not into modern sportbikes..

and another one of the garage a year or so ago.. Bikes you say, yeah, I like 'em..
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 08-12-2003, 07:48 AM:
Jason, in the first image, are you in the NC mountains?
I was not going to go on this topic, but here goes.
I used to ride a Yamaha 400. No, it's not a crotch rocket. I was taught to ride by a pal that had an immaculate 1962 Harley-Davidson that he rode often. This HOG just happened to have mufflers on the exhaust. It had a fantastic rumble, and was quiet at the same time. My pal always stressed to me that I need to always keep an eye on everyone around me on the road even more than when in a car. He and I went riding often, and he would point out potential hazards as we rode along. BTW: We had radio headphones when we rode.
One day, months later,
I was near Marion NC on my 400 on a 2-lane road (old US 70) I was running at around 35 mph. It was a long straight section of the road. I noticed a car on the left side getting ready to pull into my lane. I thought that the driver saw me. WRONG. I was about 30 feet from the car when it lunged out and into my path. If I cut to the left lane, I'd been hit head-on by the car that was my witness. I had to go off the right side of the road... chain link fence and telephone poles. I went over the handlebars when the bike went to the ditch. I remember rolling for what seemed like an eternity, then I stopped. The bike hit a telephone pole and bent its frame.
I was wearing my helmet, a heavy leather jacket, and some heavy leather pants that were just given to me by my Harley friend as a present. I got lots of scrapes and little cuts, and one cracked rib.
My Witness got the drivers license tag number of the car that caused the accident. The owner claimed that she never saw me, and she looked... Claimed that I was flying for her not to see me, because she looked... The police had to serve her papers at home because she never even knew what she had done. It was revealed in court that she had just finished screaming at her 4 kids in the car just as she pulled into the highway. So, friends, you never know when or where its going to happen.
I've been on other bikes since then, but have not really wanted to own one again.
Remember, I was only going 35.
I dont even want to imagine an accident going 60, 80, 130 mph.
I'll stick with 4 wheels as my primary mode of transportation.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-12-2003, 01:47 PM:
Yes, it sounds like a sex device! Just hearing the term "crotch rocket" induces a slight "tee-hee-hee-hee-hee"!
I've never owned a motorcycle, but my two younger brothers always had them when we were teens. Every time I got on one, it seemed, something happened. Once, it required stitches. Another time, I nearly broke my neck and was out cold for about a minute. Presently, my baby brother just bought a new big road bike and I won't even attempt to drive it. I'm too afraid it will fall over with me.
"Uneasy Rider"
Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 08-12-2003, 04:54 PM:
Something revelant that was in today's local newspaper. A guy was backing out of a restruant parking lot right into the path of group of motorcyclist forcing them to take evasive acton in order to avoid a collision which caused the front two motorcycles to crash (each carrying a passanger). The driver knowing that he f*ck up big time actually jumped off a bridge into the river to avoid getting his ass kicked by all the harley riders. The police cited him after he swam out of the river.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-12-2003, 11:06 PM:
Jason,
Thats what I'm talking about
JJ
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 08-13-2003, 06:52 AM:
Phil Hill wrote:
quote:
If ya wanna do something dangerous, build a giant Tesla coil and see if you can burn down your house
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-13-2003, 03:36 PM:
I was sorta thinking more along these lines...


>>> Phil
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 08-14-2003, 01:06 AM:
I'm protoyping, dammit.
And my robot looks better than yours, too.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-14-2003, 01:10 AM:
Yeah, I saw that.. he's cute!
>>> Phil
Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 08-15-2003, 09:30 PM:
Odd that I noticed this thread today.
I'm really not one for noticing motorcycles... but today I actually saw one that looked kinda cool without looking like it was all plastic.
Motorcycles just aren't for me... my mom worked in the E.R. when I was growing up so all I ever heard about was motorcylce accidents and strange stories of what people shoved up their butts that day and how many people came in with severed body parts.
Besides... what do you do when it rains?
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 08-15-2003, 11:08 PM:
Bruce,
Yes, we were at Deal's Gap (the Overlook to be exact) in that photo. 11 miles. 318 turns. Need I say more?
Scott,
Rain does not stop a true rider. Snow and ice only slow us down. That's what studs are for. Easy Paul... I mean tire studs....
Fortunately enough for me, it never gets too cold to ride where I live..
As for all of you out there who proclaim that motorcycles are dangerous.... bullshit. The IDIOT on the bike or the IDIOT in the cage is where the danger factor comes into play. A properly attired, trained and seasoned rider is a MUCH better asset on the road than any of the morons with licenses in cages. One can never express the true fun and exhilaration of being on a bike, riding, enjoying all that nature has to provide to one who thinks that bikes are dangerous because the uneducated public deems them so. Pfffttt..
Josh, if you have broadband, I'll email you a clip of the crew I ride with..
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-17-2003, 02:01 AM:
I do have DSL so feel free. if its under 2 megs, send it to my regular email, if not, send it to abookofjoshua@aol.com
Josh
[ 08-18-2003, 01:05 AM: Message edited by: Josh Jones ]
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 08-17-2003, 02:21 AM:
Jason has a good point. Anyone who has ridden motorcycles will almost always be a better driver in a car, simply because you have to FOCUS on the road and traffic on a bike.
I ride in anything except when the roads are iced over. I have a nice rainsuit and waterproof boots, so after I ride in the rain and I get to wherever I'm completely dry. When it's cold I wear about 4 pairs of pants a thermal suit and gloves, the windshield helps a lot too.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-17-2003, 12:32 PM:
This one is for John Spooner, and also for S's and G's, but its not my bike.

JJ
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 08-17-2003, 10:08 PM:
Josh,
A '90 or 91' 600, right?
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-17-2003, 11:42 PM:
Josh, where the hell is your brain bucket? And where are the leathers you should have on so you don't grind your ass down to the bone when you fall off that thing?
BTW, nice slide show.
Josh, I thought it was abookofjoshua@aol.com
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-18-2003, 12:10 AM:
Jason, its a 91, she said she paid 2300 for it. The bandana thing was for Spooner, I wasnt actually riding. I am looking into taking the ABATE program offered by the state. You take the course, which is free, and they give you your class M endorsement, which I thought is pretty cool.
PS I fixed the email address
Josh
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 09-23-2003, 11:58 PM:
Just an update.
I took the state offered abate program, which if you pass the course, get your endorsement. I now have my license and have been riding for about a month. I bought a 92 Kawasaki Ninja 250, which has enough power to do highways nicely. I had my first highway trip on Monday, a fix it trip to KBMW-AM for work, some 50 miles away. Could have picked a calmer day, but everything worked out ok. Having this small of a profile gives you a new respect for semi's
I'll post a pic when they come back from the lab.
Josh
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-24-2003, 12:46 AM:
What is the state offered abate program?
Do they hand out free fishing worms on Thursdays?
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 09-24-2003, 12:55 AM:
Josh, it you think a Semi looks big when you are sittin' on that motorcycle, wait until the time comes when you almost tangle with a set of locomotives that you didn't see when you are crossing some tracks at a no warning signal crossing.
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-24-2003, 01:29 AM:
In the middle of the night, in the Triumph GT6, driving through rural wherever, up the hill & around the curve, HOLY CRAP there's a HUGE solid animal towering over the car a few feet in front, screech swerve, flying on, WHAT WAS THAT? HOW does a hippopotamus get out in the road? Hysterical calculations boil it down to the fact that it must have been an escaped pig or hog. I had never seen one before. On a motorcycle, I guess Josh will at least be more than 4" off the ground.
Variations of scale probably become almost insignificant at some point. Yesterday on the interstate, a Pontiac somehow lost control & went under the trailer of a whatever-wheeler behind the trailer's front axle, then the trailer's rear wheels ran over it.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 09-24-2003, 02:07 AM:
Hitting anything with a motorcycle is dangerous. The day before yesterday, some dilrod tried to run away from the police. As he was running across Interstate 5, he was hit by a motorcycle. The motorcycle driver lost control of his machine and now lays in the hospital in critical condition.
The person trying to escape the police was killed on impact with the motorcycle.
What were the police chasing him for? Something stupid. He was drinking a beer in public.
Of course after he was killed, the police discovered 1/2 ounce of cocaine in his pocket and had an outstanding warrant.. Now you know....
I don't know how many deer wander the highways in North Dakota. I think all they have out there is is buffalos. Hitting those things would be like running into a brick wall.
And watch out for that brick laying in the middle of the highway or that 2X4 that fell out of someone's truck. Wait until you get hit in the face by a rock that was lodged between the dual wheels of a truck.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 09-24-2003, 04:55 AM:
The abate program is sponsored by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Its an 18 hour course that teaches you the basics of motorcycle safety through bookwork and even more on the bike training. I was impressed with it and recommend anyone starting out to take one of these courses.
We have buffalo, but I think your much more likely to hit a deer. My mom has hit one or two. I had the displeasure of hitting an owl not too long ago. I felt really bad
Josh
Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 09-24-2003, 09:19 AM:
FWIW Josh,
You will look cool on top of your motor scooter. Now all you need is a pretty girl to wrap around you or at least let Paul ride with you
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 09-24-2003, 09:41 AM:
Sam...
I think he'd better with off with the girl.. LOL..
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 09-24-2003, 11:39 AM:
Jason, I agree
JJ
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 09-24-2003, 11:55 AM:
No need to worry...I wouldn't get on that damned thing. I sold my last motorcycle in 1984 and have no desire to ride another as a driver or passenger.
Posted by Ethan Harper (Member # 472) on 09-24-2003, 12:53 PM:
Josh and Paul have seen my bike on their last visit to Dallas. I ride a Honda Shadow which is a cruiser. I do have loud pipes but that is mainly for safety reasons, loud pipes do save lives on the road. I eventually would like to get a Crotch rocket maybe a Ducati or something along those lines. As far as riding goes it is dangerous but there is plenty things that you can do to be safe as far as lane positioning, space cushioning and so forth. I also do agree that it is a bit easier to get out of trouble than it is in a car simply because it is a lot easier to manuever faster and easier than you would in a car. That is my 2 cents.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 09-24-2003, 05:06 PM:
Ethan, I agree. I was driving those damn things from 1956 through 1984. One really has to watch their butt...One slip in judgement might be the motorcycle operator's last.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 09-24-2003, 11:07 PM:
Gosh! Yous should lighten up on Josh. He's doing all the right stuff to pursue something he loves to do! I'm sure he just now didn't fall of the turnip truck and is fully aware of the pros & cons!
quote:
I had the displeasure of hitting an owl not too long ago. I felt really bad
Yeah, I know how you feel. I hit a skunk the other day. I was very sad. Thank God it was instanly killed and didn't suffer. The darn thing ran right out in front of me. I had no time to stop. And living in the hills where the roads are very narrow, I had no place to go to avoid the poor thing. I hope it was not a "mom" with some babes.
>>> Phil
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 09-24-2003, 11:33 PM:
Phil's right.
The motto in my family is "everyone is out to kill you." Remember that everytime you ride and you'll be fine.
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-25-2003, 01:06 AM:
quote:
Gosh! Yous should lighten up on Josh. He's doing all the right stuff to pursue something he loves to do! I'm sure he just now didn't fall of the turnip truck and is fully aware of the pros & cons!
Ooooo, we should have a movie night & show old driver education splatter movies like "Red Asphalt"! Snacks should be hamburgers & Tropical Punch Kool-Aid.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 09-25-2003, 01:50 AM:
William: Ummm... Ha Ha HA...you are sooooo 70's.
>>> Phil
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 09-25-2003, 04:12 AM:
You forgot the salsa, William.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 09-25-2003, 01:28 PM:
We could also run "Reefer Madness"....
>>> Phil
Posted by Paul Turner (Member # 832) on 09-26-2003, 12:50 AM:
Ok, at the risk of getting back on topic. Well, sort of. These by no stretch are crotch rockets. Hey, it'll give the Harley haters something to scoff at.

And yes, when you own an old bike, you spend a lot of time doing what I'm doing in the pic.
About the dangers of motorcycles:
A) Cheaper than a shrink.
2)45-50 mpg at 80 mph. Try that in your hybred.
iii) As an avid bicyclist, I can say I'm WAY safer on my Harley than on my bicycle.
BTW, the oil in the pan is from my partner's Japanese car -- not either of my bikes. Tho it does look a lot like the pan under my 9030 . . . .
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 09-26-2003, 03:26 AM:
You get that purple toolbox from K&B drugstore, Lafayette?
Posted by Paul Turner (Member # 832) on 09-26-2003, 09:13 AM:
Actually, it's an S&K toolbox that got painted purple when I lived in a less than savory part of town. I figured it would make it more identifiable if the bad guys got it. I also figured the shade might deter the more homophobic among the thieving population, whereas the purple on the motorcycle was the factory colour that year.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 10-08-2003, 10:54 PM:
OK, finally got the pics back, here she is....

Josh
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-08-2003, 11:01 PM:
Hey Josh, Great pic and a really nice bike...BUT, ya REALLY gotta lose the green socks...
>>> Phil
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 10-08-2003, 11:28 PM:
Phil, what are you smoking? The green socks match the red trim on the bike wheels, thus bringing Christmas cheer to everyone!
Cool pic Josh.
Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 10-08-2003, 11:47 PM:
Green socks....
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 10-09-2003, 12:09 AM:
Green socks? That's just Josh....
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 10-09-2003, 12:11 AM:
A leftover from my Packer athletic days
Josh
Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 10-09-2003, 12:27 AM:
Right whatever... we know they're really left over from your days as a RaV3r k1d. WH3r3'5 uR gL0w 5t1cK?
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 10-09-2003, 12:37 AM:
WAAA - fun!
Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 10-09-2003, 01:17 AM:
quote:
Right whatever... we know they're really left over from your days as a RaV3r k1d. WH3r3'5 uR gL0w 5t1cK?
Hey Scott, next time you're lurking around theatres down here in the LA area, I'll show you where I keep my GLOW STICK.
Danny
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 10-09-2003, 01:28 AM:
You kids are 3V1L
JJ
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-09-2003, 05:56 AM:
So Danny, what have you been doing with your stick to make it glow?
Green like Josh's socks?
>>> Phil
Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 10-09-2003, 11:02 AM:
Hmmm, shouldn't we put a rating warning on this thread or something?
Ahhhhhhh, the thread talked!!!!! Did that say cock rocket?
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-09-2003, 05:31 PM:
Rach, you're just jealous cuz us guys walk around with those things... attached to us.
>>> Phil
Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 10-09-2003, 05:46 PM:
Hey Danny,
I'll be down in L.A. soon...
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 10-09-2003, 11:48 PM:
Sweet Jesus.....
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 10-10-2003, 12:20 AM:
I'm not saying this is a hygiene issue, but there are hundreds of strains of luminous bacteria.
Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 10-10-2003, 12:21 AM:
Oops? Did I click
I meant to click
Right?
And really -- I don't think Jesus would approve.
Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 10-10-2003, 12:47 AM:
quote:
Rach, you're just jealous cuz us guys walk around with those things... attached to us.
Upset because I don't have one attached - no.
Upset because theres not always one within reach - yes.
Oh god, that was just wrong... No Jesus would not approve!
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-10-2003, 01:39 AM:
Yous are both wrong! Jesus would not be offended by any loving human emotion or act.
Trust me, there are many Mexicans named "Jesus" here and they have all concurred.
>>> Phil
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 10-10-2003, 11:31 PM:
Phil...
That would be Hey Zeus... not Jesus.. LOL...
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-11-2003, 12:46 AM:
That's true Jason for the pronunciation, but it is spelled as I mention...
>>> Phil
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 10-11-2003, 09:35 AM:
Phil,
You take the fun out of anything, don't you? lol
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-11-2003, 07:55 PM:
Oh come on Jason! I bet you say that to ALL the guys!
>>> Phil
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 10-12-2003, 01:19 AM:
Only the really decripit old ones nicknamed COOTER.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-12-2003, 06:31 PM:
Thank God I ain't old or "decripit", or nicknamed "Cooter".
It's all a fragment of our Grad-Poo-BAH's mind and his obsessions.
>>> Phil
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 01-04-2004, 01:16 AM:
Well, I finally bit the bullet:

That's me pondering if it was worth the money

It's a Small step up from my old school honda.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-04-2004, 12:30 PM:
What? No green socks?
Bitchin' bike Chris! Kewl!
>>> Phil
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 01-04-2004, 04:02 PM:
Chris,
That's an '00 or '01 750, isn't it? I can't remember, of hand, the color schemes of the Gixxer lineup, as I'm not fan of 'em in the first place.
The old school (CB 750 is it?) looks pretty damn good for an 80's era ride! I remember my uncle had an '80 something CB 750F that I convinced my cousin to lend me the keys to one fine afternoon at the age of, oh about 12-13!. I rode it around the driveway and yard, then took tree branches and swiped over the tread marks to 'cover my tracks'.
I'm actually hoping to get out the CR this week and go to teh local Nat'l Forest to ride trails for a few hours. I dropped the hint to the other half an hour or so ago..
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 01-04-2004, 04:49 PM:
Ok Chris, I'm definately coming down to ride now
Can I ride it pretty please, pretty please
Meanwhile, my bike has been going through some transformations too. I'm ordering an exhaust for it Monday. I will bring pics.
Josh
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-04-2004, 04:58 PM:
Nice bike Chris. I can tell by your clothing attire that you just took that picture too. After all, it's "bike weather" 99% of the time here in Dallas! Josh wouldn't know. He's currently freezing his ass off and using a car for transportation.
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 01-04-2004, 05:56 PM:
It's an '03 600, brand new. The old School honda is a 78 cb750k with 12k original miles. My uncle had it in his garage pretty much since I was born and I bought it from him last year.
It's a good bike but an upgrade was long overdue.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 01-04-2004, 07:03 PM:
If you'd like a nice set of new leathers, I've got a set I'd sell ya at a good price...
Two piece suit.. Fieldsheer. Blue/Black. Size 44 Euro i believe it is...
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 01-04-2004, 09:27 PM:
I dont think I'll be buying anything for a while.
I Still have to pay for school next week.
I have to tell you, I wanted a little more at first, either the 750 or a hyabusa, but even riding this thing during the break in period is way more than I expected. I havent past 5,000 rpm and am kinda scared to see what it does around 9 or 10. Breaking it in jsut sucks because I cant ride for more than 30 minutes at a time. At least thats what they told me to do at the dealership.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-04-2004, 10:18 PM:
Chris, the cb750k was, and still is, a great bike.
When I was tooling around on my Yamaha 750, my friend had one of those Hondas. It was a cool 4 banger... SMOOTH! Real Smooth!
>>> Phil
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 01-05-2004, 12:56 AM:
Dont take my word for it, but I have never heard anything about 30 min limit on break-in riding from working at a Yamaha/Suzuki dealer. The things you want to avoid are redlining the bike and droning along at the same RPM for long periods of time for the first few weeks.
And do be careful, those bikes just wake up at 5k and will pull to over 11k. Over 80 in first gear sure is an interesting thing.
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 01-05-2004, 06:04 PM:
They told me that I needed to "heat cycle" by riding forw hile then cooling off, I dont really know, I have just been doing what they told me, better to be on the safe side.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-05-2004, 10:04 PM:
Yeah, I agree Adam..that's what I've told and followed over the years... bikes and cars.
>>> Phil
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 01-05-2004, 10:46 PM:
I just finished a 300+ page book on bike engines and such, but I'm still no expert.
The reason they may ask you to do that is to thermally stress the engine parts to run them in properly. The rings and seals really arent set until about 5000 miles or so.
JJ
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 01-05-2004, 11:16 PM:
30 minute rides are a farce... Heat cycles are important, so to speak, but you want to avoid riding around at the same speed/rpm for long times. Keep the motor working, revving... it'll help seat the rings better. I've got frineds who race for money and for fun.. they do break in's in various ways. One buddy rides the piss out of it after the first hour or so... and his motors are consistently strong.
DO change the oil at 600 miles. Get all the fabrication shavings out of the motor. Some people will say if you're goingto run synthetic oil, now is the time to start.. some say opposite. I just screw it and just run 10/40 in it and be done with it.
Ride it like ya stole it....



Here's a link http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
Warning:
This is a very controversial topic !!
I wrote "Break-In Secrets" after successfully applying this method
to approximately 300 new engines, all without any problems whatsoever.
Links to this article now appear on hundreds of motorsports discussion forums from all over the world. The reason is that over time, large numbers of people have done a direct comparison between my method and the owner's manual method, and the news of their success is spreading rapidly.
The results are always the same... a dramatic increase in power at all RPMs. In addition, many professional mechanics have disassembled engines that have used this method, to find that the condition of the engine is actually better than when the owner's manual break-in method has been used.
The thing that makes this page so controversial is that there have been many other break-in articles
written in the past which will contradict what has been written here.
Several factors make the older information on break-in obsolete.
The biggest factor is that engine manufacturers now use a much finer honing pattern in the cylinders than they once did. This in turn changes the break-in requirements, because as you're about to learn, the window of opportunity for achieving an exceptional ring seal is much smaller with
newer engines than it was with the older "rough honed" engines.
In addition, there is a lot less heat build up in the cylinders from ring friction
due to the finer honing pattern used in modern engines.
The other factors that have changed are the vastly improved metal casting and machining
technologies which are now used. This means that the "wearing in" of the new parts
involves significantly less friction and actual wear than it did in the distant past.
With that in mind ...
Welcome to one of the most controversial motorsports pages on the internet !!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How To Break In Your Engine For
More Power & Less Wear !
One of the most critical parts of the engine building process is the break in !!
No matter how well an engine is assembled, it's final power output is all up to you !!
Although the examples shown here are motorcycle engines,
these principles apply to all 4 stroke engines:
Street or Race Motorcycles, Cars, Snowmobiles, Airplanes & yes ...
even Lawn Mowers !!
( regardless of brand, cooling type, or number of cylinders. )
These same break in techniques apply to both steel cylinders and Nikasil, as well as the ceramic
composite cylinders that Yamaha uses in it's motorcycles and snowmobiles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's the Best Way to Break in
a New Engine ??
The Short Answer: Run it Hard !
Why ??
Nowadays, the piston ring seal is really what the break in process is all about. Contrary to popular belief, piston rings don't seal the combustion pressure by spring tension. Ring tension is necessary only to "scrape" the oil to prevent it from entering the combustion chamber.
If you think about it, the ring exerts maybe 5-10 lbs of spring tension against the cylinder wall ...
How can such a small amount of spring tension seal against thousands of
PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) of combustion pressure ??
Of course it can't.
How Do Rings Seal Against Tremendous Combustion Pressure ??
From the actual gas pressure itself !! It passes over the top of the ring, and gets behind it to force it outward against the cylinder wall. The problem is that new rings are far from perfect and they must be worn in quite a bit in order to completely seal all the way around the bore. If the gas pressure is strong enough during the engine's first miles of operation (open that throttle !!!), then the entire ring will wear into
the cylinder surface, to seal the combustion pressure as well as possible.
The Problem With "Easy Break In" ...
The honed crosshatch pattern in the cylinder bore acts like a file to allow the rings to wear. The rings quickly wear down the "peaks" of this roughness, regardless of how hard the engine is run.
There's a very small window of opportunity to get the rings to seal really well ... the first 20 miles !!
If the rings aren't forced against the walls soon enough, they'll use up the roughness before they fully seat. Once that happens there is no solution but to re hone the cylinders, install new rings and start over again.
Fortunately, most new sportbike owners can't resist the urge to "open it up" once or twice,
which is why more engines don't have this problem !!
An additional factor that you may not have realized, is that the person at the dealership who set up your bike probably blasted your brand new bike pretty hard on the "test run". So, without realizing it, that adrenaline crazed set - up mechanic actually did you a huge favor !!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's How To Do It:
There are 3 ways you can break in an engine:
1) on a dyno
2) on the street, or off road (Motocross or Snowmobile.)
3) on the racetrack
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a Dyno:
Warm the engine up
completely !!
Then, using 4th gear:
Do Three 1/2 Throttle dyno runs from
40% - 60% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes
Do Three 3/4 Throttle dyno runs from
40% - 80% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes
Do Three Full Throttle dyno runs from
30% - 100% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes
Go For It !!
Frequently asked Question:
What's a dyno ??
A dyno is a machine in which the bike is strapped on and power is measured.
It can also be used to break in an engine.
NOTE: If you use a dyno with a brake, it's critical during break - in that you allow the bike to decelerate fully on it's own. (Don't use the dyno brake.) The engine vacuum created during deceleration sucks the excess oil and metal off the cylinder walls to keep the rings from wearing too much. That's why a new engine "smokes" on decel. When you're doing it right, you'll notice that the smoke goes away after about 7-8 runs.
Important Note:
Many readers have e-mailed to ask about the cool down, and if it
means "heat cycling" the engine.
No, the above "cool down" instructions only apply if you are using a dyno machine to break in your engine. The reason for cool down on a dyno has nothing to do with
"Heat Cycles" !!!
Cool Down on a dyno is important since the cooling fans used at most dyno facilities are too small to equal the amount of air coming into the radiator at actual riding speeds. On a dyno, the water temperature will become high enough to cause it to boil out of the radiator after
about 4 dyno runs. This will happen to a brand new engine just as it will
happen to a very old engine.
(Always allow the engine to cool down after 3 runs whenever you use a dyno.)
If you're breaking your engine in on the street or racetrack, the high speed incoming air will keep the engine temperature in the normal range.
(In other words, you don't have to stop by the side of the road to let your bike cool down.)
What about "heat cycling" the engine ??
There is no need to "heat cycle" a new engine. The term "heat cycle" comes from the idea that the new engine components are being "heat treated" as the engine is run. Heat treating the metal parts is a very different process, and it's already done at the factory before the engines are assembled. The temperatures required for heat treating are much higher than an engine will ever reach during operation.
The idea of breaking the engine in using "heat cycles" is a myth that came from the misunderstanding of the concept of "heat treating".
On the Street:
Warm the engine up completely:
Because of the wind resistance, you don't need to use higher gears like you would on a dyno machine. The main thing is to load the engine by opening the throttle hard in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear.
Realistically, you won't be able to do full throttle runs even in 2nd gear on most bikes without exceeding 65 mph / 104 kph. The best method is to alternate between short bursts of hard acceleration and deceleration. You don't have to go over 65 mph / 104 kph to properly load the rings. Also, make sure that you're not being followed by another bike or car when you decelerate, most drivers won't expect that you'll suddenly slow down, and we don't want
anyone to get hit from behind !!
The biggest problem with breaking your engine in on the street (besides police) is if you ride the bike on the freeway (too little throttle = not enough pressure on the rings) or if you get stuck in slow city traffic. For the first 200 miles or so, get out into the country where you can vary the speed more
and run it through the gears !
Be Safe On The Street !
Watch your speed ! When you're not used to the handling of a new bike, you should accelerate only on the straightaways, then slow down extra early for the turns. Remember that both hard acceleration and hard engine braking (deceleration) are equally important during the break in process.
On the Racetrack:
Warm the engine up completely:
Do one easy lap to warm up your tires. Pit, turn off the bike & check for leaks or
any safety problems. Take a normal 15 minute practice session
and check the water temperature occasionally. The racetrack is the perfect environment to break in an engine !! The combination of acceleration and deceleration is just the ticket for sealing the rings.
Go For It !!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah - But ...
the owner's manual says to break it in easy ...
Notice that this technique isn't "beating" on the engine, but rather taking a purposeful, methodical approach to sealing the rings. The logic to this method is sound. However, some will have a hard time with this approach, since it seems to "go against the grain".
The argument for an easy break - in is usually: "that's what the manual says" ....
Or more specifically: "there may be tight parts in the engine and you might do damage or even seize it if you run it hard."
Consider this:
Due to the vastly improved metal casting and machining technologies which are now used, tight parts in new engines are an extremely very rare occurrence these days. But, if there is something wrong with the engine clearances from the factory, no amount of running will correct the problem ...
... regardless of how easy or hard you run the engine during it's break-in !!
The real reason ???
So why do all the owner's manuals say to take it easy for the first
thousand miles ???
This is a good question ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What is the most common cause of engine problems ???
A: Failure to:
Warm the engine up completely before running it hard !!!
Q: What is the second most common cause of engine problems ???
A: An easy break in !!!
Because, when the rings don't seal well, the blow-by gasses contaminate the oil with acids and other harmful combustion by-products !!
Ironically, an "easy break in" is not at all what it seems. By trying to "protect" the engine, the exact opposite happens, as leaky rings continue to contaminate your engine oil for the rest of the life of your bike !!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What about running it in the garage ???
Maybe you have a new snowmobile and it's not quite winter yet, or a new bike and it's snowing...
The temptation to fire up a new vehicle in the garage just to actually
"hear" the new engine can be very strong.
This is the worst thing for a new engine, in fact, my advice is:
don't even start it up until you're ready to warm it up for the first ride.
The reason is that brand-new rings don't seat all the way around the 360 degrees of their circumference. The gas pressure from hard acceleration forces the rings to contact the cylinder around their entire circumference, which is the only way the rings can properly wear into the exact shape of the cylinder and seal the combustion pressure.
Now, imagine if the engine is run in the garage. There is no load on the engine, so the rings are just going up and down "along for the ride". Only a small portion of their surface is actually contacting the cylinder wall. The ring area that does contact the cylinder wears down the roughness of the honing pattern on the cylinder walls. Once the roughness of the cylinder is gone, the rings stop wearing into the cylinder. If this happens before the entire ring has worn into the cylinder and sealed, you will have a slow engine no matter how hard it gets ridden after that point.
The difference between what happens in an engine running in the garage, versus one being ridden is a hard concept to put into written words, so if I may use the sounds that we all can relate to: it's the difference between "zing-zing-zing" and "bwaaaaaaaaaAAAAAA"
During "zing-zing-zing" the rings don't get loaded for more than a split second, whereas during "bwaaaaaAAAAAA", the engine is in 100% ring sealing mode.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recent Snowmobile Info:
Yamaha's break-in recommendation for the RX1 has been to idle the engine for 15 minutes.
Some owners found that the heat build up from doing this was so extreme,
that their taillight had begun melting (!!!)
Yamaha has since changed the recommendation to three 5 minute idle periods.
Why would Yamaha recommend a break in method which will prevent the rings
from sealing as well as possible ??
This is a good question ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words:
The piston on the right was broken in as
per MotoMan's instructions.
These Honda F3 pistons show
the difference.
Both came out of race bikes, and their owners used the same type of fuel and oil. The only difference was the break in method they used...
The one on the right was broken in as per MotoMan's instructions.
The one on the left was broken in exactly according to the owner's manual. The resulting leaky rings have allowed pressure to "blow by" down into the crankcase on acceleration, and oil to "suck-up" into the combustion chamber on deceleration.
Needless to say, this bike was slow !!
It's up to you:
The loss in power from an easy break in and the resulting poor ring seal can be anywhere from 2% - 10% !!
After a full season of hard racing:
- Perfect Ring Seal ...
- No Scuffing ...
- Lots of Trophies !!!
What about street bikes ??? The same thing happens !!
This piston is from a 650 Honda Hawk. The brown discoloration that extends up into the piston pin bore is burnt oil from the extreme heat leaking past all 3 rings !!
The uneven heat leakage was so bad, that it caused the cylinder to distort and become out of round, causing piston to cylinder scuffing in the tight part of the "oval" cylinder.
Why would Honda recommend a break in method will prevent the rings from sealing as well as possible ??
This is a good question ...
When I showed the customer his
pistons, he said:
" I don't understand how that happened, I followed the owner's manual instructions 100% !! "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What's the third most common cause of engine problems ???
A: Not changing the oil soon enough after the engine is first run !!
Change Your Oil Right Away !!
The best thing you can do for your engine is to change your oil and filter after the first 20 miles. Most of the wearing in process happens immediately, creating a lot of metal in the oil. Plus, the amount of leftover machining chips and other crud left behind in the manufacturing process is simply amazing !! You want to flush that stuff out before it gets recycled and embedded in the transmission gears, and oil pump etc...
Why do the manufacturers recommend waiting until 600 miles to
flush out all the loose metal ???
This is a good question ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 more words on break- in:
NO SYNTHETIC OIL !!
Use Valvoline, Halvoline, or similar 10 w 40 Petroleum Car Oil for at least
2 full days of hard racing or 1,500 miles of street riding.
After that use your favorite brand of oil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Viewer Questions:
Q: If break- in happens so quickly, why do you recommend using petroleum break- in oil for 1500 miles ??
A: Because while about 80% of the ring sealing takes place in the first hour of running the engine,
the last 20% of the process takes a longer time. Street riding isn't a controlled environment, so most of the mileage may
not be in "ring loading mode". Synthetic oil is so slippery that it actually "arrests" the break in process before the rings can seal completely. I've had a few customers who switched to synthetic oil too soon, and the rings never sealed properly no matter how hard they rode. Taking a new engine apart to re - ring it is the last thing anyone wants to do, so I recommend a lot
of mileage before switching to synthetic. It's really a "better safe than sorry" situation.
Q: My bike comes with synthetic oil from the factory, what should I do ??
A: I recommend changing the factory installed synthetic oil back to petroleum for the break-in period.
Q: What about the main and rod bearings, don't they break - in ??
A: Actually, the operation of plain bearings doesn't involve metal to metal contact !! The shiny spots on used
bearings are caused from their contact with the crankshaft journals during start up after the engine has been sitting a while,
and the excess oil has drained off. This is the main reason for not revving up the engine when it's first started.
The subject of plain bearings is one of the most mysterious aspects of engines, and will be covered in a future issue
of Power News. In it, I'll reveal more information that fully explains the non-contact phenomenon.
Q: Why change the oil at 20 miles ?? Doesn't the oil pick up
screen catch the aluminum chips ???
A: It's true that the screen stops the big pieces, but many areas of the engine aren't within the oil filtration system. The oil that is splashed around will circulate metal debris to the lubricated bearing surfaces. For example, transmission gears and their ball bearings are unprotected by the filtration system, and even the cam chain makes a perfect "conveyer belt" to
bring metal debris up into the cylinder head !!
A close examination of a new engine will reveal lots of aluminum deposits on steel parts. This aluminum coats and tightens
up the clearances of the parts, which creates a loss of power. Most of the time I spend "blueprinting"
an engine is actually inspecting every part and "de-aluminizing" them !!
I prefer to remove the oil pan and clean the aluminum bits out of a new engine out that way, but a $20 oil change
is an easy and inexpensive way to flush the initial particles that come loose in the first miles.
Q: What about motorcycle V.S. car oils ???
A: This is a topic all by itself !! It will be covered in a future issue of Power News.
Q: Will this break - in method cause my engine to wear out faster ???
A: No, in fact, a poor ring seal will allow an increase in the by products of combustion to contaminate the oil.
Acid contamination and oil consumption are the 2 reliability problems which are the result of an
"owner's manual" or "magazine tech article" style easy break-in.
By following the instructions on this page, you'll find that your oil is cleaner and the engine will rev quicker
from not being "aluminized". Plus, you'll have much better torque and power across
the power range from the vastly improved ring seal.
Reliability and Power are 100% connected !!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are some of the other common myths about engines ??
Here are some popular engine tuning concepts in which the truth is
quite the opposite of what is commonly thought:
- Bigger Ports
- Polishing The Ports
- Ignition Advancers
- Flatslide Carburetors
- Fuel Injection Tuning
- Cam Timing
- Jetting
Intake Porting !!
Smaller Intake Ports Gain 7 % More Power !!
Never Before Seen in Magazines
.
Learn How to Do it Yourself !!
If you've found the Break In Secrets article interesting, please sign up for Power News Magazine.
Find out why the manufacturers recommend an easy break in,
and the revealing evidence which provides answers to those good questions
we've all wondered about.
(The questions the manufacturers wish you wouldn't ask ...)
Plus, find out how much more power the readers of this page have gained, as well as
photos and analysis of other engine parts in long term tests of this process.
Whether you're into motorcycles, cars or snowmobiles, Power News contains
the most provocative engine tech articles in the world ...
... you'll never think about engines in the same way again !!
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-05-2004, 11:57 PM:
Holy Shit Jason! What a long B O R I N G post!
And, too bad those pics aren't in focus!
I did find a pic of you in another 10 years.....

>>> Phil
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 01-06-2004, 12:01 AM:
Yeah, well Phil, all I can say is.. I didn't take them.. any of them..
Soooo.. don't shoot the messenger...!
And yes, that post was long. A lot longer than I expected. Myabe I should trim it down a bit?
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 01-06-2004, 01:00 AM:
Thanks for the post Jason, quite informative.
JJ
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-13-2004, 04:09 PM:
Dammit, will this winter never end
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-13-2004, 04:18 PM:
What winter? It's only about 80 degrees outside here in Honolulu. A perfect day to wear my tank top and shorts.
-Claude
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 02-13-2004, 09:34 PM:
Yeah sounds nice Claude, but you can't ride very far on an island!
Well, the weatherman thinks that we will get some snow tonight, so my bike MIGHT be parked for a DAY, MAYBE.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-13-2004, 10:06 PM:
Holy Smokes, Chris! Snow in Dallas? What a bummer! I'm gonna re-think moving there.
While the 80's sounds good in Hawaii, I'm sure the humidity is right up there as well! YUK!
Josh, nobody has any empathy for you. Ya really gotta quit yur bitchin' about the cold wx and come to God's country! I would have said Dallas, but Chris has nixed that with the snow forecast!
BTW: The present temp here in Hollywood is 72 and there are canyons really close by me to ride in
BTW2: Marilyn called me today from Acapulco, Mexico and said she will be listening to your show tonight. She told me she wants to request a couple of tunes for Brad and Adam. Hubba, Hubba!
>>> Phil
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 02-13-2004, 10:12 PM:
we usually get two days of "snow", which is really usually ice, per year.
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-13-2004, 11:53 PM:
Chris says "You can't ride far on a island". Sure you can. It can take almost an entire day to drive completly around the big island of Hawaii. Driving around my island (Oahu) can take about six to seven hours if you take your time and make lots of stops. I actually have the best of two worlds. I live on an island where it is nice all year long and if I want to drive and keep driving, I just get on an 777 jet and visit my friend in Indiana and together take nice long driving trips . Ralph together with his wife and I have driven many times to upstate New York and we have made many stops along the way. One of the best side trip we took was to Gettysburg where we spent about six hours touring the battleground, The only thing we do not have in Hawaii is the season change. My favorite time of the year is fall when the color of the leaves change in the northern part of the country and I miss it very much. I also love winter. Unlike many of you, it's nice to be able to fly away to my warm island state when I had enough of that cold white stuff on the ground.
-Claude
Posted by Erick Akers (Member # 875) on 02-14-2004, 07:57 AM:
Anythings better than ice,
IT'S SNOW, about 4 inches of the white stuff!!!
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 02-14-2004, 01:50 PM:
And it is already melting, which means it will probably be ice tonight.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-14-2004, 06:29 PM:
Holy Moly! Who would ever come out on a night like that? I sure wouldn't!
>>>Phil
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-16-2004, 05:07 PM:
A way of life up here I'm afraid
JJ
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-16-2004, 08:27 PM:
OK...I concede
I will no longer will post as to why I think cold wx and snow sux...(But! Snowboarders are STILL cool!)
I have been enlightened as to the merits of freezing one's ass off and as to why those "up there" in the north prefer to sleep with the dryer Snuggles bear...
I'm checking out of all of this...
>>> Phil
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 04-23-2004, 09:47 PM:
I noticed (how could I help but...) that gas prices shot up another 3 cents a gallon...about $2.05 for regular now.
So, the picture below is a distinct possibility. It may not be this particular machine, but whatever I get will get good mileage. I wish I had my old Cushman Eagle back again.
On a trip to Texas with Josh some time ago, Josh saw an actual Cushman Eagle. He didn't appear to be particulary impressed with it, but one thing at my age...I want something that is designed to get from point "A" to point "B" without spending an arm and a leg to keep the damned thing running. Cushman met that criteria.
I am not going to invest in a Harley Hog. I had enough of them. Maybe a nice Honda road bike is what I have in mind.

The dude that owns this POS wants too much money for it.
This thing is for kids....it goes too damned fast!! I am a gramps that likes to drive 25mph in a 75mph zone. (J/K).
Phil, seems as though I rode that Cushman when I was 18 in temperatures of -10 belos zero in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Sure, I froze my butt off, but that's the way of life in the midwest just like Josh said.
If that Cushman Eagle started up, I drove it....no matter what temperature it was, or if it rained or snowed. I was even stupid enough to carry a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of zinc 7 miles to my best high school friend's house in the country on a windy day. We used it to make rocket fuel for our rockets during the rocket craze. Zync and Sulphur made a good fuel....we ignited it with a power transformer from an old junk TV set.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 04-24-2004, 01:04 AM:
Dunno if I posted this or not, but I picked up a new ride...

This is a fellow forum members bike.. lowered with several mods..
Mine is Indigo Blue, which is more BURPLE than anything. Paint color like this..

No comments on my mechanic, OK?
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 04-24-2004, 01:27 AM:
Jason: I just got a new bike too! Here's a pic of it and my "salesperson"...

BTW: Are you sure your "mechanic" isn't a plumber? (And! That tattoo on her anti-breast is too HOT!)
>>> Phil
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 04-24-2004, 08:02 AM:
All I'll say is that she knows her way around the shop.. and she is hands on with the tools..
LOL...
Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 04-24-2004, 03:07 PM:
I bet she is!
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 04-25-2004, 03:40 PM:
Paul? On a buell? Whatever gramps....
I dont even really like buells.
new pics soon, whenever I get my jacket.
Josh
Posted by Travis Hubrig (Member # 1745) on 04-25-2004, 04:38 PM:
I need a mechanic like that, my battery died!!!
She could JUMP start it pretty quick.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 04-25-2004, 11:03 PM:
Oops...
Checked my email and voila..
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 04-26-2004, 05:37 PM:
I thought the title of this thread was Show me YOUR crotch rocket, not show me pictures similar to your crotch rocket. I wonder what Jason is hiding...
I am thinking about starting a chopper project. I plan on using a japanese in line four for it and mounting it in a rigid frame. I would like to salvage most of the parts. I jsut need to learn how to weld and then I will be reasy to start.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 04-26-2004, 11:41 PM:
Ahhh, Chris.. are you calling me out by chance?
LOL... Truth is, I'm not hiding a thing...but all kidding aside, the blonde in the photo is NOT my mechanic.. (big surprise). Actually, she belongs (like any worldly possession) to a fellow forum member on another forum...
I did buy an '02 Warrior, but havn't taken possessionyet. It had a factory recall (tranny) that had to be resolved prior to possession, so I'm taking the opportunity to add a V-BAK, Lower ratio 5th gear set, HC pistons, 31T pulley, Heavy Duty Valve springs.. and a few other little things... getting it ready for the 110ci kit this winter... I wanna see the look on the faces of all the Harleys I smoke.. not to mention the ass busting I'm gonna give most any sportbike from light to light!..
Two words.. BRING IT!
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 04-27-2004, 12:26 AM:
I dont know anythign about Yamahas.
How many cc's is 110ci?
I sure do enjoy smoking Harley's, mustangs and camaros. I love how cocky these guys are until they get put in their place.
I may get a new exhaust for my 600, but it has more than enough power for me as it is, so anything else I do to it will be cosmetic. I rarely crack it past 6k RPM, so I dont really see the need for more power.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 04-27-2004, 03:38 AM:
Chris: You are such a brute! Hubba Hubba!
quote: Paul G. Thompson
Phil, seems as though I rode that Cushman when I was 18 in temperatures of -10 belos zero in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Sure, I froze my butt off, but that's the way of life in the midwest just like Josh said.
Ummm ... Hot tip Paul, that's why I moved for Michigan to God's country! My balls (and butt) have better things to do than freeze!
Josh: (Deleted by poster cuz of awkward sentence constuction...)
>>> Phil
[ 04-27-2004, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: Phil Hill ]
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 04-27-2004, 07:30 AM:
Chris,
The Warrior is a 1670cc. The 110ci kit takes it up to aprrox. 1720 or so. With the 110ci kit, cams, etc.. it puts about 120hp & 145lbs torque to the ground. Plenty enough to blitz that 600RR or 'Stang GT from light to light..
Phil.. I bet you wanna see Josh jacket... DOH!
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 05-04-2004, 01:53 AM:
Ok, obviously I missed something here (or at least its now deleted) I aint gonna let this thread die that easily!

Josh
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-04-2004, 02:16 AM:
OMG! You STILL have the training wheels on your motorcycle? Crazy![av=s]
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 05-04-2004, 07:24 AM:
Pitbull stand... Alpinestars jacket...Muzzy pipe..
Looks like you've set yourself up with the right stuff..
Have you jetted it yet? Factory makes an awesoem jet kit.. Marc Salvisberg is on the 900RR list I'm a member of.. VERY knowledgible about his stuff...
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 05-04-2004, 09:53 AM:
I would suggest that you take Jason's advice, who knows, you may be able to get 50hp out of that thing. You've outfitted yourself with all of the right stuff except an 04 hyabusa.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 05-04-2004, 10:46 AM:
Jetting wasnt much fun. It took me about 6 weeks to get it where it is now. 6 jets and 8 carb pulls later....This bike absolutely sucks as far as carb work is concerned. You have to pull the rear fender, the battery and air box to get the carbs out. I looked at jet kits, but they appear to be just as much hassel as buying the jets and shimming the needles yourself. I've managed to become a decent mechanic me thinks, although I managed to pick up another expensive hobby Just wait till I start thinking about track racing
it is pricy, but if your gonna do it, do it right....
Josh
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 05-04-2004, 01:34 PM:
Have you messed with the final drive ratio any? Changing out a sprocket is quick cheap and easy way to get your power where you want it. Personally, I prefer bikes that ride smooth on the highway at high speeds. So, I get smaller rear sprockets to make the engine run smooth at those speeds. get a smaller rear sprocket if you want all your power at a low RPM, goo dif you dont do much highway riding. Check out http://sprocketspecialists.com/
They have a huge selection. Good prices too.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-04-2004, 03:04 PM:
quote:
Ok, obviously I missed something here (or at least its now deleted) I aint gonna let this thread die that easily!
Not so fast there...you should check out pages 4 and 6 of this thread.
No big deal. We don't have enough pictures of you in rotation anyway, so keep posting them.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 05-04-2004, 06:00 PM:
I'm *STILL* waiting for the pics of his equipment...
>>> Phil
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 05-04-2004, 10:38 PM:
Watch out about going to a smaller rear sprocket on a 250, there isn't that much power to spare. You may find yourself losing a lot of the get-up-and-go that the bike has. Now on a 600 cc sportbike its a different story.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 05-05-2004, 01:30 AM:
Well, greg white was getting schooled on whellies on 2 wheel tuesday tonight! LOL
Josh
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-05-2004, 05:28 AM:
Are you drunk, Josh? That sentence is CrAzY![av=f]
I hope you had fun on "Tuesday tonight".
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 05-05-2004, 06:35 AM:
Ya think that was great, check this shit out....
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ah the perfect end to a night of drinking.........
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......
BTW Chris, I think the record for these little guys is 38 HP, after really expensive engine work like porting, bigger pistons, and cams. a motor like that is probably worth more than the bike new!
Some people will increase the size of the front sprocket by a tooth or so to lower cruising RPM, usually with minimal loss in 'launching torque'. it drops engine rpm from 9K to like 7.5K at 80 MPH.
JJ
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 05-05-2004, 10:26 PM:
I wanted to get one tooth bigger on the front of my cb750, but there was any room in the compartment to do so. I took it down from a 41 tooth to a 36. It runs 80 at about 5k rpm down from 7 or 7.5.
Now, as for the GSXR, 110mph is about 7k
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 05-06-2004, 02:41 PM:
there again, diferent bikes are geared differently, with the difference in the primary drive, transmission, and final drive systems.
JJ
Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 08-16-2004, 02:30 PM:
Long time coming (no wisecracks, k, Phil?
) but here's a pic of my former street beast:

It's a 1986 Yamaha FZ750. It was an abandoned repair from the dealer I worked for. I totally rebuilt the engine, forks, etc. but didn't get to finish the cosmetic work.
This bike's engine was amongst the first of Yamaha's five-valve per cyl. Genesis motors. The recommended valve adjustment interval was 26,000 miles!! Most bikes need it at 3,000 or 6,000. I put over 42,000 miles on it after the rebuild and NEVER touched the valvetrain! It tested perfectly when it was last in the shop to find the dead ignitor box.
I've ridden in rain, snow, ice, a tornado (not on purpose!) and even took a lap on it at Hollister Hills motocross raceway. The bike never whimpered. (But it did not get along with my motocross bikes, but that's another story...)
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-16-2004, 07:22 PM:
Holy Smokes, Tony! What a great bike!
But, where are your green socks?
>>> Phil
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 08-17-2004, 12:49 AM:
Show us your crochet rocker!
Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 08-17-2004, 12:52 AM:
quote: Phil Hill
But, where are your green socks?
Don't have any, Phil. But we can talk about my purple FTL's
William: What's the zero-to-sixty time on that beast?
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 09-08-2004, 10:42 PM:
My new ride, bought today. '04 Yamaha FZ6
Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 09-08-2004, 10:53 PM:
Very nice. I want a ride.
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 09-09-2004, 12:01 AM:
Not bad, I would have gone with the R1 though. Any pictures of your actual bike?
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 09-09-2004, 12:38 PM:
Thanks for the nice comments, I am pretty happy with the decision I made.
I didnt want a full on sportbike, they are just not comfortable to me. This bike sits similar to the old Honda CB's and other older standards. It has plenty of power, 98hp on the build sheet. I think its 17 less than the R6 because of a different camshaft profile and fuel injection compared to forced induction downdraft carbs. Here is a bad pic of the actual bike.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 09-09-2004, 04:11 PM:
Adam,
You made a good choice. A naked sports bike can be VERY fun. I actually thought about buying a Honda 919 (the nekkit counterpart of the 929RR). I wound up buying a Road Star Warrior instead. The rumble of that V-twin excites me every time I crank the bike.
Besides, a real rider understands that it isn't WHAT you ride, it's that you ARE riding. Right Chris?
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 09-10-2004, 02:26 AM:
Right, as long as it is not an automatic. Personally, I like to have different bikes for different things. Currently I am trying to find a good touring bike, but I can't find a good one in my price range. I would only spend big money on sport bikes though.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 09-10-2004, 05:11 PM:
"I'd only spend big money on sports bikes though"
Man.. It saddens me to think that you'd only spend big money on what can be found at less than 1/2 the cost of new..
If you're looking for a decent tourer, in it's true form, check out a VFR. I'm telling you.. since I moved onver to the cruiser market.. I'm quite happy with the ride, mod's available, an dteh cost of everything in general..
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-27-2005, 05:46 AM:
My new ride, and me, anxiously awaiting spring.
Kawasaki ZX-6R

Whats really funny is the parents are now royally pissed, as I'm now occupying BOTH stalls of the garage with my bikes. I guess that will change today
Josh
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 02-27-2005, 02:12 PM:
Now your bike matches your socks!
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 02-27-2005, 03:38 PM:
Congrats Josh...
I don't have a shot of me on my current scoot, but here's a picture of it..
http://www.rswarrior.com/Gallery/RRUFAST.aspx
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-27-2005, 08:01 PM:
Well, the number one priority was to find a bike that did finally match my illustrious green socks. The red and black just wasnt working
This will be fun, something like 120 HP and a top speed of ~175 MPH. Look out Rossi
JJ
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 02-27-2005, 08:25 PM:
Josh,
What'd you do with the other Ninja?
I'd like to run across an older Ninja 250 that I could lower to buy for my wife. They are relatively light, easy to handle, and pretty cheap as well. AND, if she, no wait, when she dropped it, I wouldn't sweat it that bad...
120hp.. my '93 900RR dyno'd out at 130 give or take. I'm still of the opinion that the R6 will walk circles around your pretty 'Ninja Turtle'.. ...
Ride... Watch.. Listen.. Live... Enjoy.
I sure wish I were able to head to Daytona this wknd...
I've got the bike, the place to crash and the truck/trailer to pull down with... I just don't have the time from work..
Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 02-27-2005, 08:31 PM:
Cool ride Josh.
Even better if it could glow in the dark.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-27-2005, 09:16 PM:
Jason, you'd be surprised what those guys can do in ten years
As far as an R6 kicking its ass, I dont think so. the ZX-6R has a 36cc advantage,but I cant remember if its rear wheel horsepower or engine HP is between 120 and 130.
The 250 is still in the garage, working on getting it running. I think I'll keep mine for a while, lots of fun
last I checked you can get a new one for just under 3K. I dont even think you'd need to lower it, they sit quite low as it is.
Jen, given a blacklight, I think it would glow in the dark
Josh
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 02-27-2005, 10:28 PM:
Josh,
At a meager 4' 10", I'd have to lower it for her.
Check out the AMA CCS races or the AMA Superbike races and see how that R6 does.. ;-)
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-28-2005, 03:13 AM:
in AMA you couldnt run the 6R, as the class is limited to 600cc, so a ZX6RR would be the candidate. Cycle World did a shootout earlier this year, and the 6R was either 1st or 2nd. They were ranting and raving over the engine.
Of course all this is mute point, I'm not taking the thing to Daytona to race it after all.
JJ
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-28-2005, 04:44 AM:
My understanding is the 6RR is the track version of the street 6R bike.. no?
Really cool ride, Josh! Makes me want to trade in my Vespa... mine is pink but it's this model:

BTW Jason, ***THE*** ONLY sport bike is a Ninja!
quote: Josh
My new ride, and me, anxiously awaiting spring.
Gosh Josh, you should move somewhere like Arizona or New Mexico where the weather is great and there are wide-open roads to ride. (But careful of them thar coppers!)
quote: Adam
Now your bike matches your socks!
Pay no attention to Adam, Josh. I can't imagine where he comes up with that stuff... I think he has a foot fetish!
Call me...
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 02-28-2005, 02:49 PM:
Phil,
You're *still* a scumbag.. LOL..
Josh,
Remember that Cycle World sells ads. They are very biased, or so most in the m/c world feel, toward their advertisers.
At any rate, you're right, the point is moot. You should, however, take your bike to the track to see what it feels like riding around on the banking... Suweeeet!
Keep the rubber side down... or the rubber on , as Phil might say... Either way, use your head and be safe...
Posted by Don Cross (Member # 2980) on 02-28-2005, 02:57 PM:
Is anyone aware of plans to "bring back" the rotary engine to the motorcycle world??
I'm suprised that the automotive version of the rotary is basically (for all practical purposes) a 1.3 liter.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 02-28-2005, 04:25 PM:
Don,
The mainstream industry hasn't talked about this, but I've read, some time ago, about upstarts and 'visoneers' trying to produce a bike with a 'wankle', or is it 'wanker?'
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-28-2005, 05:20 PM:
Wanker....LOL
Posted by Don Cross (Member # 2980) on 02-28-2005, 06:23 PM:
I've actually seen two fairly old production Honda motorcycles with rotary engines. Its quite amazing what types of performance and reliability one can achieve with a rotary.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-01-2005, 04:12 AM:
Problem is, and what killed the wanker... err I mean the Wankle(el) engine is that it is extremely environmentally unfriendly and pollutes like hell and cannot economically be made not to. Like a cheap whore, it's a dirty bitch!
What's worse however, it has always been a gas guzzler and there are many problems with engine life... most having to be rebuilt around the 30,000 to 40,000 miles in autos.
Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 03-01-2005, 03:00 PM:
Nice Vespa Phil.
Does that thing go cross country?
Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 03-01-2005, 03:40 PM:
The 6RR is a homologation bike, they make just enough to be allowed to race them in AMA. They are street legal, but are intended more for a base platform for a racing bike. I believe the R6 is around 120-125 at the crank on the point of origin build sheets. If you ask your dealer they can give you a copy of the original certificate of origin which must give the manufacturer's rated HP at the crank.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 03-02-2005, 02:22 PM:
120-125 CRANK Hp translates to about 110 or so at the back tire. Factor in around 10-15% drive loss loss for any vehicle. Yamaha did this with the R7 years ago.
Sportbikes today are getting to the point that they simply are death machine on wheels to the young gun who is new to the road and who has seen all the latest 'stunter' vids..
I've been there and done that... stunting and riding like I stole it, but somewhere over the course of the last several years, I grew out of that stage. I'm too old to be laid up in the hospital and road rash just doesn't look that good in the mirror.. if you survive to see it. Hell, motorcycles are deadly enough as it is with super stupid and blind cagers all around..
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-02-2005, 07:40 PM:
I agree Jason... when I think about all the dumbass stunts I did in my teens and 20s, I feel very lucky to have made it this far without killing myself.
(OBTW: expand that to teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, etc... I'm STILL doing dumbass things!) HA!
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 03-03-2005, 03:54 PM:
FYI: The dudes at the dealership say that the 636 runs right around 125 HP off the crank.
JJ
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-25-2005, 09:14 AM:
The bike bug finally bit me, but I decided to make it dual purpose. Besides, John Deere makes really good equipment.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 04-25-2005, 05:04 PM:
Now thats just wrong...but funny
JJ
Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-25-2005, 05:18 PM:
Hell-there ain't nothing wrong of having a little fun when mowing the lawn. Takes a great imagination to soup up something like this. Only thing missing are the road pegs, "trumpet" pipes, wind deflector and the tassled grips (lol). Bet this gets many a lookers when this is being used to mow the golf course with.
-Monte
Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 04-26-2005, 11:42 PM:
quote:
I've been there and done that... stunting and riding like I stole it, but somewhere over the course of the last several years, I grew out of that stage. I'm too old to be laid up in the hospital and road rash just doesn't look that good in the mirror.. if you survive to see it. Hell, motorcycles are deadly enough as it is with super stupid and blind cagers all around.. [Mad]
Well, I just got thrown out of that stage right into a brick wall. My 600 was stolen from my house this weekend. Noone saw anything, probably chopped and in 1000 pieces. I won't get another one, as fast as they got it from my house they could easily get it anywhere I go inside for more than a minute. The thing that gets me is that I was home when they did it. I just hope they come back and try to get my truck, cuz I will be ready for them, locked loaded and ready for a barbecue.
Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 04-26-2005, 11:55 PM:
Dang, I wished it would happen... But dude I didn't know it would come true. Nah. Sorry to hear that happened to you Chris, I'm sure you really loved that bike, such an awesome bike too.
Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 04-27-2005, 12:09 AM:
quote: Chris Hipp
The thing that gets me is that I was home when they did it. I just hope they come back and try to get my truck, cuz I will be ready for them, locked loaded and ready for a barbecue.
Be sure you blow his nuts off first like Ving Rhames did Zed in Pulp Fiction.
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 04-27-2005, 01:14 AM:
quote: Chris Hipp
...locked loaded and ready for a barbecue...
quote: William T. Parr
Be sure you blow his nuts off first like Ving Rhames did Zed in Pulp Fiction.
I agree Chris! But Todd, Stop being such a pussy! I would start blowing away at their kneecaps and slowly work my way up!
ANY low-life POS that would steal/take ANYTHING from me would feel my full rath! I worked HARD for all that I have, AND I only give to people/charities that I want to!
Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 04-27-2005, 02:11 PM:
quote:
But Todd, Stop being such a pussy! I would start blowing away at their kneecaps and slowly work my way up!
Yeah but sometimes shock can set in quickly with pain or aderenaline so you might as well nail the bastards where its going to hurt the worst first.
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 04-28-2005, 09:15 PM:
Chris,
I feel your pain brother.. 'Tha Roach' was stolen from outside my apt years ago. Luckily, they only got it across the road before the ditched it. It had the key switch broken and, other than that, it was fine.
My roommate had to replace teh front rotors on his Gixxer... And the Wal Mart across the street sold a hammer and some other tools late that night to a pair of dudes, but they didn't have the tape running on the register they checked out on... Couldn't determine who it was...
We think we know who did it.. but we'll never really know the truth. All I can say.. if I ever 'find' someone trying to snatch my shit.. they're catchin lead before I call the police..
POS theives are F'n scumbags. My hope is that ANYONE who steals a bike gets hit by a fucking train on their way down the road.
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 05-05-2005, 11:53 AM:
Here here!!
Dude, that really sucks. I totally agree with the above recommended techniques. Even up here in God's country
stuff gets stolen. Rumor on the streets is that 05 6R's are a hot item at the moment....great...
JJ
Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 05-05-2005, 10:07 PM:
Another pic of my ride.. lowered 2" in the rear...
damn resizing got me again... sorry, don't feel like fighting with photoshop right now..
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-13-2005, 05:39 PM:
A dual jet engine powered crotch rocket.......
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 10-21-2005, 04:32 PM:
Well, the summer is coming to a fast end all I can say is damn it was fun. this last monday I took the bike to a track day I signed up for ran by Track Addix. The course was Mid America Motorplex just outside of Omaha, NE. The school was informative and I learned a lot, including a few tricks to get me out of tight situations, as well as cornering tecniques, and how to find the line through the track. and by the end of the day, I was only the second slowest guy out there
I cant wait to go again.
Summer was not so kind to some of my riding buddies. 1 guy got killed being stupid, several others were seriously injured, and a bunch more trashed their bikes. I myself had two minor run ins with stationary objects(corners with gravel), nothing serious, but enough to keep me busy with the bike over the winter
I'm still waiting for track pics, but the bike track ready is here.

JJ
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