yeah.. i need to safety wire some more bolts on my bike. CCS will let you use safety washers but wera will not If that bike it going to stay on track, I'd honestly just forget making the stock master work and throw on a brembo master cyl. The mechanical advantage gained is so money. I absolutely love late braking and passing on the brakes since I'm generally down on power.

7/24/2011 1:16:02 PM

here is a vid of my cuz and I tooling around WV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz63fvinj3Y
need to do some more filming off-bike to add to the video but this time of the year i'd rather be riding than filming

7/25/2011 2:30:53 AM

track weekend with Igor at summit point?

7/25/2011 7:18:11 AM

@ FenderFreek

I'm assuming you tried clamping down the brake handle with the reservoir cap loose overnight?

7/25/2011 9:49:30 AM

I haven't tried that trick on this, but I have used it to firm up slightly soft brakes. Would it make any difference if the master is building little to no pressure already?

Brembo master would be tits, but that's $$ I don't have to invest in this right now. I'm just trying to get what I have working for as little money as possible. If I can unload the Virago for a good price I may consider dropping a few bucks to get the front end redone, including the master and new springs. I am almost positive that this thing is way undersprung for me, being about 265.

[Edited on July 25, 2011 at 11:19 AM. Reason : .]

7/25/2011 11:18:59 AM

Yea, that wouldn't be enough. You must still have air in the MC.

Some of the stuff I've done to get air bubbles out of the SV when I put in SS brake lines:

1. Clamp the handlebar overnight
2. Run the engine, pump the brake lever, shake the bars, turn the bars left to right (all at the same time)
3. Put the bike on its side and shake the bars
4. Epoxy 2 clear tubes to a mason jar cap. Fill the mason jar with brake fluid. Attach one tube to an air compressor hose. Open the reservoir. Shoot a little air in the jar so brake fluid runs out the other tube. Attach that (filled) tube to the bleeder valve. Open the bleeder valve and carefully pump fluid into the bleeder. While doing that, I pumped lever.
5. Same as 4, except close the reservoir and make a really tight connection at the bleeder, causing a pressure buildup. Then I closed the bleeder while the fluid was being pumped to seal in the pressure. Then I tried 1, 2 and 3 again.

#4 and 5 were the hardest, messiest and least effective

7/25/2011 12:26:32 PM

^^ there's no question you won't have enough spring up front. At 225 in gear I was bottoming my stock stuff going hard (but not hard enough to lock) into turn 1 at VIR and CMP. If you want a hookup with traxxion dynamics, lemme know. Also if you come to VIR on AMA weekend (it's a nesba weekend now) thermosman is the end-all east coast guy to hook it up for you and he only charges like $40.

7/25/2011 5:14:39 PM

Quote :

"track weekend with Igor at summit point?"

Sure. i'll sit on the sidlines, and hold my a beer with one hand and clap with the other. Good man Rick Beggs from R&R cycles runs a roadracing school up there, and iI'd love to learn a thing or two from him, but i'm still too poor for track days.

7/29/2011 12:35:52 AM

I installed the Russell bleeder bolt last night and bled the master cylinder out. Got a few bubbles out of it, but no dice. Still went straight back to the grip with zero resistance. I went to bed, resigned to the fact that I would probably need a new master cylinder.

I ran out to the garage this morning to grab some stuff off of the SV, and gave the gixx another little squeeze on my way back in, hoping for some small miracle. Straight to the grip. Wait, it feels a bit...tighter than last time. I tried it a couple more times and it seemed to firm up significantly. I guess it just needed to sit for a while.

It actually requires a good bit of force to get it back to the grip now, but it is still too soft for real use. I went ahead and zip-tied it back since I had an appreciable amount of resistance, so hopefully when I get home it will either be totally firmed up, or I can bleed a nice fat air bubble out of that shiny new bleeder and call it a day.

7/29/2011 9:04:29 AM

why the hell has no one put a video up on youtube of a rocket III with open pipes

they're all baffled, slip-on, 3-into-1, have what must be a fake left-side pipe, or some other stupid custom shit

you can't tell me that in the last 5 years or so nobody has straight-piped that beast

7/30/2011 4:29:54 AM

Started painting the fairings on the GSXR, got them primed up and out drying now. Probably going to rattlecan red/white/black for simplicity's sake.

I also decided to see how the sag checks out on those forks and I am pleasantly surprised. Mind, all this is on a rearstand and the forks are raised in the triple, so there is considerable "bias" on the front end. With the preload cranked all the way in, free sag is ~10mm. After me on the bike (no gear) and bouncing it, the rider sag measured out at ~45 mm. I think I can probably live with 40mm of rider sag until new springs are in the budget, so I'll have to get someone to hold it and see if taking it off the stand helps bias the weight a bit more toward the back. I'm sure if I can lose 15 or 20 lbs, that won't hurt anything either.

[Edited on July 30, 2011 at 7:20 PM. Reason : rrr]

7/30/2011 7:19:34 PM

Bad photochop rendition of the proposed paint scheme. Since the tank is already painted w/ the blue design, I'm running with blue.



[Edited on July 31, 2011 at 4:42 PM. Reason : better]

7/31/2011 4:37:09 PM

got any photos of the progress? im going to do mine this fall.

7/31/2011 4:49:21 PM

Not much so far, the only thing I've really done is torn the bodywork off and paint prepped it.

Front upper cowling in primer


Fender and lower in first coat of black. These came out kinda rough, so I'm going to sand them a bit and shoot one, maybe two more coats on them.


Stripped down


Dent in tank, only real damage still visible


Other side


All the guages work, and I'm assuming this was in a stock bracket because all the original light wiring is still intact.


Mocked up front upper cowling

7/31/2011 5:15:36 PM

As a naked bike enthusiast, I have to point out that keeping the lower fairing off would be sexy as hell.

8/1/2011 1:54:48 PM

unfortunately it wouldn't pass tech inspection

8/1/2011 2:45:06 PM

Speaking of tech, what can you get away with in terms of remaining treadlife on tires? The ones on there have been run a good bit and have maybe 50% left (and that's probably being optimistic).

8/1/2011 4:00:27 PM

I just got my honda inspected with the rear tire essentially bald (a bit of tread on the sides still and no threads showing) and it passed


probably depends on where you go

also

8/1/2011 4:34:36 PM

I believe he's talking about for track purposes

8/1/2011 6:56:45 PM

depends on the group and the riding level. in most advance groups you can run mostly whatever because they aren't gonna micromanage your day, but at that pace you're gonna roast a set of tires in short order anyway. do you have pics of the tire and details on the compound?

I know my michelin pilot pure one races lasted way longer than they looked like they should. On the other hand my new metzlers look good but push HARD right and won't keep a line a decent pace

8/1/2011 9:23:28 PM

Sexy bike is sexy.

See - the '74 in Anaconda, Montana

8/1/2011 11:14:09 PM

when you comin back to the track man?

8/2/2011 12:40:29 AM

My work has had me in Detroit for about the past 2 months. I JUST replaced the stator cover on the GSX after smashing it at CMP.

I'm good to go...but its easy to puss out with 100 degree heat everyday.

8/2/2011 11:33:38 PM

oic. sign up for the VIR S-S-N weekend 8/20-8/22

8/3/2011 9:07:23 AM

OOO

8/3/2011 10:20:22 PM

seriously contemplating picking up a supermoto this weekend and possibly an R6

8/6/2011 8:07:06 PM

Get both.

I got the sanding and second coat of black laid down on the lower fairing and fender yesterday and both came out just like I expected. This morning I got to shoot the first on the upper, and adhesion and coverage with the white is noticeably better than the black. Not sure if it was in the prep or just because it was a lighter color, but it's going to require very little sanding.

8/7/2011 8:24:43 AM

Rode out to the Testicle Festival in Rock Creek MT this past weekend and lets just say that place is like Sturgis meets the worlds largest orgy!!!

8/8/2011 4:15:38 PM

sure sounds like it would be

8/8/2011 4:22:46 PM

It is no joke f00! lol

8/8/2011 4:28:08 PM

That sounds awful enough to go to

8/9/2011 2:20:23 AM

Selling the Virago:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/2537953090.html

8/9/2011 1:30:01 PM

Bought a duc monster 1100evo this week. I can throw up pictures if anyone is interested.

Now, to decide what to do with the sv650, because I don't think it'll be seeing much use

8/13/2011 3:11:49 AM

pics and setup the sv to race lightweight twins imo

also, I go to put my bike in the truck for a weekend at beaveRun after topping off my coolant and apparently there was enough rust and shit in the tank that this process clogged the fuel pump
looking to invest in a backup bike. kicking myself for not buying that r6 for 2k

8/13/2011 3:18:38 AM

^^Definitely track prep the SV650

8/13/2011 7:07:34 AM

Track gixxer is complete! (still needs a proper race tail, fresh tires, and new slider pucks)

I just finished the last round of wetsand and clearcoat this morning, and I'm satisfied with the sheen and depth I've got at this point. I also just figured out that this thing is GP shift, fortunately sooner rather than later.











[Edited on August 16, 2011 at 6:48 PM. Reason : .]

8/16/2011 6:47:12 PM

nice work man. those tires look like they'll handle another day or 2 at B or I pace

8/16/2011 7:28:37 PM

Paint my sidecovers plz

8/16/2011 7:34:44 PM

Photo of the duc after installing the fender eliminator



[Edited on August 23, 2011 at 9:42 PM. Reason : .]

8/23/2011 9:41:30 PM

pulled the baffles out of my pipes to go full-open, not that they did much anyway, and installed some torque cones pre-header...fucking awesome. the thing rips and still has enough back pressure to run right


not that any of you ride cruisers and give a shit about what i'm talking about, but LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT DAVE SUPPORTS EXHAUST CONES

8/23/2011 10:06:29 PM

8/25/2011 4:13:14 PM

^ LOL

8/25/2011 4:16:50 PM

I closed somebodys gas flap one time, as i got real close I saw them snap their head around and give me this fearful IS HE GOING TO KILL ME? then they gave me the ohh im a tard and was talkign on my cellphone while pumping gas look.

8/26/2011 7:38:48 AM

I am buying a bike right now, just havent been able to ride for a long time.

hopefully i move to cali soon and i get to ride up the coast.

help me pick

2004 Victory kingpin with 11000 miles $5900
or
2009 Victory vegas 8 ball with 7000 miles. $8800

8/28/2011 11:29:37 PM

Saw a nasty wreck on Capital near Atlantic yesterday. It looked like the bar near Hertz Equipment rental was having some bike event that afternoon and somebody clipped another bike. Three ambulances total.

Also, anyone familiar with Cleveland Cyclewerks?
http://www.clevelandcyclewerks.com/bikes/

8/29/2011 2:59:43 PM

Quote :

"pulled the baffles out of my pipes to go full-open, not that they did much anyway, and installed some torque cones pre-header...fucking awesome. the thing rips and still has enough back pressure to run right not that any of you ride cruisers and give a shit about what i'm talking about, but LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT DAVE SUPPORTS EXHAUST CONES"

I was just going to say that I heard you riding through campus last week and the VTX sounded awesome. I knew that it was louder!

8/29/2011 5:58:01 PM

^^^ norcal or socal?

8/30/2011 1:29:09 AM

Quote :

"Also, anyone familiar with Cleveland Cyclewerks? http://www.clevelandcyclewerks.com/bikes/ "

I see what they did there. Excellent turd polishing skills ITT.

I mean props for making some affordable semi-cool bikes for those who can’t afford anything else, but who really wants to be seen on a custom Chinese bike that tries to be something else? Also, by “engineered in Cleveland” do they mean letting a Taiwan Factory know which bunch of Arlen Ness catalog look-alike parts to slap on an equally ripped-off engine and frame design?

8/30/2011 9:23:18 AM

Quote :

"I was just going to say that I heard you riding through campus last week and the VTX sounded awesome. I knew that it was louder!"

Thanks man ...definitely louder and throatier at lower RPMS but those cones keep the back pressure up just enough so I actually got a boost in my top-end without losing any on the low, and my mileage is better

But as of yesterday I'm getting a bunch of popping/gurgling on decel and I'm not sure why just yet. It's almost behaving as if it's running lean but I know I've got the thing way over-jetted right now...Hoping I didn't overtorque the header crush gaskets to lose my exhaust seal or even worse manage to fuck up my valve seating. Either way it's only running at about 85% power and popping a lot when I roll off the throttle, so I need to get on it.

How's the wheels man, you ever park it on centennial? I wanted to say I saw your bike there yesterday but I was in a hurry tryin to beat the storm

8/30/2011 9:45:50 AM

Rolling up to a red light today behind some bro on a big Chinese scooter. He never slows down and blows right through the light. I catch up to him at the next light and pull along beside. Beneath his lame half-helmet he's blasting



at full volume from his radio. I finally get his attention and ask him why he drives his girlfriend's scooter like a jackass. He said something along the lines of "it's fun, that's what I do, man", but generally didn't want to partake in friendly banter, so I wished him poor luck and drove away. I hate scooters and I hate people who run red lights. I hope that guy dies today.

8/30/2011 3:35:24 PM