Things to check while the wheels are off?

[Bigfoot]

Removed the wheels to get some new rubber installed. I wish I could have gotten some more miles out of the rear but heading to Arkansas to play next weekend and want some fresh rubber on there for that and next month taking a 4000+ mile trip. I will keep the old one around as a spare. The front has worn very weird and is rather lumpy. It will go in the dumpster.

I should have made a call earlier, but after I pulled the wheels off, found out that I can't get access to the tire machine till tomorrow. So my question to you all, what should I check on the bike while the wheels are off and I am waiting?

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[raYzerman]

How many miles on that thing? Usually, see how the brake pads are wearing, a little fresh grease on the axle shafts and wheel bearing seals, should be good to go. Depending on miles, you can take the brake pads out and clean up the caliper pistons with a little brake fluid and a toothbrush, clean up the pad pins.

[Hppants]

Grease the driveshaft splines.

Not necessarily related to having the wheels off, but I'd also grease the pivot points for the clutch and brake handles, and the rear brake lever.

[Allen_C]

I see Shinko Ravens waiting to be mounted! Ray and pants covered the other items!

[Bigfoot]

The bike has just under 39k on it. I will check the brake pads and on my other bikes it was standard practice for me to grease up the axle and other parts rayzerman mentioned as well as the driveshaft splines. I don't have a clutch lever to grease but will certainly take a look at the brake levers. And yes that is a set of shinko Ravens. I have used shinko for the last 6 years or so on my other bikes. I know they are softer compound and wear quicker than some other brands, but I like the way they ride and can't complain about the price. $135 for the set. They stick to the road very well, at least the other ones I have tried have on my other bikes. Figured I would give them a try, if I don't like them, I'm not out a fortune and will change them out for something else.

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[gixxerjasen]

Clean what normally can't be cleaned easily with them on. That's what I'd do. No, it's what I'd tell you to do, because I am lazy.

[Bounce]

There are at least 3 things here (maybe 5 if you don't mind spending just a little bit longer).

http://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/maint.html

[Bigfoot]

Clean what normally can't be cleaned easily with them on. That's what I'd do. No, it's what I'd tell you to do, because I am lazy.

LMAO, well i did already hit the inside of the mufflers with some never dull.

[Bigfoot]

There are at least 3 things here (maybe 5 if you don't mind spending just a little bit longer).

http://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/maint.html

Thanks Bounce, that will give me something to do tomorrow.

[PhilJet09]

Grab each fork leg and push/pull forward, back and side to side and see if you can feel movement or a light clunk. At almost 40k miles, of you haven't replaced the bushings inside them, they're probably getting close. It might not be a priority, but at least you can add it to your list of things to do during an extended down time. If you really can't feel much movement, forget what I said and check again this winter.

[PhilJet09]

Also, not a bad time to check your steering head bearings.

[Bigfoot]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will certainly do that. I have only had the bike for a couple months and put the last 3k on it. It seems the bike was well cared for, everything i have seen so far assures me of that. That being said, i have no way of knowing if something major might have been missed by a previous owner. The P.O. told me he had just had it in to the dealership for a 36000 mile service, whatever that means. Luckily i have found no bad surprises yet.

i just thought of a question I have been meaning to ask. when you fuel up, do you stop at the bottom of the filler neck or do you keep filling it? If you stop at the bottom, how much does that affect the capacity of the tank. I have been getting between 40 -42.5 mpg so far. I hit reserve (the point where fuel gauge changes to tell you the completely useless informational number of miles past empty you have gone) right around 200 miles consistantly. But when i fill it, it seems i am putting 4.8 - 5 gallons in. The capacity is listed at around 6.5 gallons. I should be able to go around 260 miles per tank, unless I am not getting the whole 6.5 gallons by stopping filling at the bottom of the filler neck.

[BkerChuck]

I fill my tank completely. Right up to the small holes in the filler area. I pushed mine pretty good once, local area riding, until I showed 76 miles on the F odometer. I went right to the nearest gas station and put in 6.54 gallons. My personal best and I have no intentions of trying to beat it.

[raYzerman]

The F odometer becomes a useful number when you know how far it takes to go empty. Usually this is 60 miles or so (some have had less or more) depending on your riding. Take some spare fuel with you sometime and run it dry, then you'll know.

The fill neck adapter is meant to keep a certain amount of air in the top of the tank so there is room for expansion. You can try to fill it beyond that but might get an extra .2 gallons in as you splash it.

[Hppants]

I confirmed on my recent tour that this current bike will only burn about 6.4 gallons before she farts. This is the second time with this bike and I'm going to call it confirmed. What that means for me is that I can only count on 50 miles in reserve (40 mpg under extreme conditions x 1.25 gallons).

My Gen 1 would suck the entire 6.6 gallons out, as confirmed by running out of gas twice on that one.

Like Ray, I go all the way to the little holes. I would imagine you could get a couple more ounces in the tank by putting the bike on the center stand, but I can't ever remember trying it.

[Bigfoot]

Thanks​ guys, exactly​the info I was looking for.

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[Uncle Hud]

As for the weird tire wear pattern ....

This is called "scalloping" and it's normal if you ride the bike hard. When you corner at higher speeds, the surfaces of the tread blocks experience high lateral forces and are consequently deformed. The tread blocks are pushed sideways, like a pencil eraser when you bear down on it. Tread blocks will get a layer of rubber molecules scrubbed off on a flat plane -- the contact patch -- but they're deformed by the lateral forces. When you park the bike, the tread blocks are no longer under lateral forces, and they relax into their 'normal' state. When relaxed, the scrubbed off surfacec changes from flat (under G-forces) to curved (under no lateral deformation).

That's my understanding, anyway. Seems plausible to me, since I ride like a grandma and rarely see that wear pattern. Also seems plausible since that wear pattern is uncommon for the rear tire; compared to the lateral forces exerted on the front tire, the rear is just rolling along.

[silverback]

As for the weird tire wear pattern ....

This is called "scalloping" and it's normal if you ride the bike hard. When you corner at higher speeds, the surfaces of the tread blocks experience high lateral forces and are consequently deformed. The tread blocks are pushed sideways, like a pencil eraser when you bear down on it. Tread blocks will get a layer of rubber molecules scrubbed off on a flat plane -- the contact patch -- but they're deformed by the lateral forces. When you park the bike, the tread blocks are no longer under lateral forces, and they relax into their 'normal' state. When relaxed, the scrubbed off surfacec changes from flat (under G-forces) to curved (under no lateral deformation).

That's my understanding, anyway. Seems plausible to me, since I ride like a grandma and rarely see that wear pattern. Also seems plausible since that wear pattern is uncommon for the rear tire; compared to the lateral forces exerted on the front tire, the rear is just rolling along.

I have heard this and also high speed damping causes it. One article I read even started talking about balancing the damping with the rigidity (springiness) of the frame with a side load on it. Too engineery for my chicken style!

Anyway, Bigfoot, something you should do while the bike has the wheels off is to wash those wheels. The silver ones are always nasty looking because of road grime and such. Maybe get them powder coated black like the Gen 3 bikes. Hated cleaning wheels on the other two bikes. Much easier with them off the bike.

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[Bigfoot]

Good idea on the powder coating. Unfortunately not in the budget for time or money at the moment. I am going to pick up a set of 90 degree stems to put on when I mount the tires.

And I call bullshit on your "chicken" riding. Lol, I have ridden behind you enough watching you scrape pegs to know better.b

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[silverback]

Good idea on the powder coating. Unfortunately not in the budget for time or money at the moment. I am going to pick up a set of 90 degree stems to put on when I mount the tires.

And I call bullshit on your "chicken" riding. Lol, I have ridden behind you enough watching you scrape pegs to know better.b

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I can't even keep up with a 125cc hypermotard!

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