Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Yes, it happened. Yes, I am sorry in advance. Normally I don't say "yes" that often. I also don't normally blog. Which as as true as saying that I don't normally shoot myself in the face.

Yes, there is a first time for everything.

Why motorcycles? The549 IS a moorsicle. I tried to explain that to a tearful friend going through a divorce last night...after years of marriage. I pointed out that obviously there is some sort of God for us to be able to feel this much. We all almost die before we die, even if it's rotting away in front of a computer monitor. No conversions here...fear is living fear. The549 is a motorcycle. Godless is bikeless.

My blogs will be cheapened at first by it being a collection of posts (edited for entertainment/posterity/confusing literary style) about how I became a "real" rider. What that means, God only knows. All I know is that I wave to scooters, hooters, and cars that give me the right of way (and punk rock vegans who give me the right of whey), and just about anything I damn well feel a smile about.

SO -

Apologies, fun, annoyances, relationships, life problems, cheap motorcycles, cheaper gear, and prideless as possible, welcome to my blog!

GD, The549, how about a normal introdution?

-I live in northern CA
-I'm in my roaring 20's
-The bike bug bit me two years ago
-I bought a nighthawk 450, signed up for the forums here
-That bike died a fiery death being dropped by a young brother

====

-Had $1000 extra money a few months ago, enough for a motorcycle! And insurance. Bought a 1990 Kawasaki Zephyr 550cc for $800, and insurance for $250. Had most other gear already. Pics:

Friday February 9th: The wonderful bike day. I acquire the bike (that one ^^^^^), and make a list of things I need to do: new battery, charger, and....ride.

Think:foreboding. dun...dun...dunnnn!!! Riding would come, but who would ever forsee walking the bike home a few blocks, overheating, frustration of hours and hours, and smoking a pipe around the gas tank? But that's for later....this omniscience in retrospect gives me a lot of options for how I write these posts, we'll see how it unfolds.

blog!

asrterbdfyeasrtQER

February 10th: Finally get charger and the right battery...plug it in outside.
WOW IT'S ALREADY CHARGED! AHAHAH HAPPINESS!!

I rushed out to spark the battery in place (gotta be more careful next time...), and fizzled my hand to spazz (electricity...I don't like it). Started it up, and was on my way - at about 5 miles an hour in the parking lot. Oh man, oh man oh man oh man that was the funnest 5mph I've done in a long time....

And here's the earlier post:
"So I putted (is that a word?) it around the parking lot today. Feels smaller than my nighthawk, and has more power - starting power at least. I only got it up to maybe 2k rpm in first. It hits steering lock really early though, weird. Engine sounds good, more meaty than I'd expect 4 puny little putting pistons to produce. But it's not that "falling apart" meaty sound.
Figured out all the controls, got a new battery charged, figured out all controls, and I still need to adjust the clutch cable more.

I definitely only did "putt" the thing around, though. In fact, the flat parking lot was so wet, oily, and slippery (you can see from above pics) that I almost fell on my face walking back to my apartment. I suppose I really *should* save my first ride for another time. "

Posted Sunday Feb 11th: "Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I just got back from practicing turns and 8's in the parking lot, and I'm laughing from how fun it was! Monday - you dmv people better not have the day off...AUGH! They do! Oh well, tuesday will be the day."

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Posted Monday Feb 12, in the PLEASE OH MOTORCYCLE GODS HELP ME forum:

The549 wrote:So along with a new bike to ride for the first time, $800 out of my pocket and a set of tools, I got my first new (to me) bike problem.

I think this just started happening yesterday in the parking lot. I noticed a little leak. I didn't think much of it and assumed it was oil at first, but found out upon smelling that it was gas. It leaks out of the housing (in between air box and carbs) drain tube.

I think I left the choke on, but could this cause the bike to leak that easily? We're talking at least a gallon leaked; it's flowing all the way through from the tank.

The previous owner cleaned the carbs out 4 months ago, so hopefully he put them together correctly.

Lastly, how do I know when the bike is safe to start up? There was gas in the air box and housing.

ANY help appreciated.

AND

The549 wrote:Oh yes, the pics. The leak comes out of the hose the arrow points to.

AND

The549 wrote:Ahaha

Yes, so what are these newfangled "vacuum petcock" things anyways? Back in my day, we used to make gas tanks out of wood!

I thought pri was primary. So there's no "off" is there?

Rarely do I feel this mentally challenged.

Fixed. Thanks!

A BIG thanks to IAN522, SEV, KARATECHICK, AND HONDA750.

....I had left the petcock on prime. I thought it was primary. Next time I should think more.

February 13th: I go to the DMV to register it. You know the clerk that seems to have mental difficulties - the one that you really don't want to get? Yes, I got him. That comment is me being an azzhole, I know. But such is life. After many many hours of struggle and 2 retries, I walk out with registration and a motorcycle permit. "No two-up, no freeways, and no night riding." Right.


Posted Tuesday February 13th, unedited:

"==For your information, no, I don't die nor do I even crash at the end of this story...it's just another boring ol' first ride new-rider experience.==

So I went out tonight for my first real ride....I rushed home from work, bought insurance ($290 for 12 months:), printed it out, put that and new registration in my Zephyr 550, and I was off! Off to the computer, that is. I hadn't eaten since 10am, and it was 7:30pm. But I had things to do...see, I have my permit, which doesn't allow for nighttime riding. So I searched the books to find out what that violation is (just in case), which seems to be an infraction, which is considered a violation of city ordinance and is a civil case only involving a fine. Ok, I might die anyway, so I'll risk it. However, let me know if I'm wrong! I don't want a misdimeanor.

I smell like gasoline.

I started the thing up, checked for leaks, put the choke on, left it to idle while I got my helmet (bike still locked to a post), put on my gloves and helmet, and was off! I was alert, and I knew the roads I was going on well.

I got out on the road, and flat-footed the orchards of stopsigns that grow outside my aparment complex. My helmet was fogging up like a misty mountain hop, so kept it open or cracked. After the fourth stopsign, I had a car behind me, and was a bit nervous so I winkered over to the right and let them all pass. I came up to a main road with a lot of traffic (45mph), and pulled out and was on my way, and completed a U-turn shortly thereafter to get to my friends house. His empty house, anyway. I check over my bike, and I'm off again. Around the empty backroads I run.

My first funny car encounter was like this-each line happening concurrently within itself:
car-slow and stop, me sloow and stop
car-GO, me GO Woops!
CARSTOP! MESTOP!
<pause>
Car edge out a bit, me-go, me stall
MESTOP
CARSTOP!
I wave and wave as I back up with my legs, and after a few hours, the car is finally on its way.

Yesterday I leaked out 2 gallons of gas because of my ignorance of a vacuum petcock, so I drive to a gas station. At the stoplight, a GIGANTIC pickup pulls up behind me (must have been at least a Ford Ranger ). I stay in the center of the lane. I spend a long while getting gas and buying oil. I put in half a quart, and note that I can't put the container in the "glove" box or whatever that taillight section toothbrush case thing is called. I leave it next to the trashcan. Someone could use it. But unspoken blood of mine boiled after getting my gear on, so I hopped over my bike and shoved the thing up my shirt. Good to know I have room to do all that drinking and riding I was planning. Razz

I get home and check the bike over, and start walking back to my apartment. BUT.....then, I turn around.

I ride to my second and final member of my band's house, which was empty. I was planning on asking him where the first member was. I'm off again.
This time, I practice emergency braking, and lock up the rear tire for a millisecond at 20mph or so. I let it go right away, but I knew that at a faster speed, that could mean a spill. I'm gonna practice more. AGAIN against better judgement, I took it to 50mph, and WOW, that feels really fast. I feel like I'm being lifted out of my seat a bit, so I need to figure out my posture.

I finally get back home, safe, sound, and blitheringly happy. I practiced swerving, braking, u turns, turns, backing up, and being alert. ALL the cars I saw were very curteous, curtesy of a small college town. I know I need to be careful, and I do my best. It will be a lot more dangerous in other areas that I will ride in.

The rush! The ****ING FUN! Not like the unconscious barbaric snarl of a 45 minute hardcore punk rock set, but more like a slow burning cigarette. That leans into the turns. You know that feeling you have as a kid or (if you're like me) as an adult that you want to fly? I feel like that's what I was doing. No one was there to do it with me, no one supremely special is in my lonely life, and no one was back at home waiting for me. But flying is worth it.

-I'm damn hungry."

I messed up some dates and did an update further up this blog - I inserted Feb 12 after the feb 11th post. Since I can't delete posts, I'll just put up a picture of a beautiful woman...and a guy too.

Fuel is still all over the ground....but thanks to the folks mentioned above, we're putting that behind us. But now I'm noticing something....my bike is acting up.

The549 wrote:...[Today I changed the] oil, rode to uni. On the way back, I noticed that it was struggling at idle, and died once. Got back home and saw that the left of four carb rubber intake was not securely fastened with the spring loop. Fixed that and sprayed wd40 to look for leaks, found none.
I took it out later and after 10 minutes, it would die at below 2000rpm. As the engine got warmer, the thing died more often and finally quit and was UNstartable when I got halfway into my apartment parking lot.

Sparkplugs are fine (grey but clean, gapped correctly), waited an hour and a half and it started up again quickly, and would idle at 1200 or so, just as perscribed. But after warming it up a bit the idle dropped to 800-1000 and struggled for dear life, and adjusting the idle screw could only lower idle or cause it to skyrocket past 3000. It was also smoking a bit, which stopped after a few minutes.

I tried to adjust the idle screw and it couldn't adjust to the range I wanted, unlike yesterday. In fact, if it was adjusted in a certain way, at random times without ANY input other than GOD idle would go from 900rpm to 4500rpm; staggering past 1500 but then shooting up like all hell. Ie the screw was adjusted for 4500 rpm but it was stuck faltering at 900rpm until a leprechaun jumped in it and it revved itself. It can't idle normally. It's either dying or past 3000.

Did my gas overflow cause this? Did something clog the idle jets? Is it running lean or rich (sparkplugs look on the lean side but I've only ridden this thing for 2 days and owned for 4)...

You know, it's been interesting getting back into the single world. 5 years is waaaay too long for someone my age. That would be like more than 20 years for an old guy. So now, it's valentine's day. Valentine's Day....a day to stay home.

The549 wrote:Dear bike...HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

I'm glad you don't mind that I'm in your affairs leaving guitar in the dark...it's ok she doesn't know...

I know I'm a bad partner...I should have given you more than just some ol' dinosaur juice, and now you're acting up. But it's ok, we'll be back on the proverbial "road" in no time! I'm dedicated to you, so, bike-
happy valentines day.



Again, the smoking reference. I'm trying to quit, but it's hard guys. Haven't been this excited since I broke up with my last girlfriend!

February 15th:

The549 wrote:Update: Drained the carbs. I've been trying to start it, and it's taking a loooong time. It's been cranking for a sum total of at least 40 seconds, and halfway through it caught a bit, and then went cold again. I had the choke between halfway and full on, and was giving it gas.