What Did You Do to Your Ninjette Today ??

[NevadaWolf]

Yesterday joined my Mom on her first group ride! She normally rides passenger on the Harley, but is now learning on a little Honda Rebel 250 to build up to her Honda Shadow.

Our motley crew:

[EternalNewb]

It's so cool that your mom rides! I loved the mixed group.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by EternalNewb

It's so cool that your mom rides! I loved the mixed group.

She's having fun though struggling with the California version of the MSF. Our crew was really ecclectic yesterday. Normally it'd just be me and Sydney (the Harley) and his rider refers to us as "The Odd Couple", then we became "The Odd Couple Plus One" with the addition of the GS, finally we just became "Odd" when we got the Rebel out.

To stay on topic here: flushed out the mystery pink goo and added in familiar blue Engine Ice. Tried getting the engine hot enough so the fan would kick on so I could check everything but gave up after idling forever and the water temp only reaching 203*. Ugh!!

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

To stay on topic here: flushed out the mystery pink goo and added in familiar blue Engine Ice. Tried getting the engine hot enough so the fan would kick on so I could check everything but gave up after idling forever and the water temp only reaching 203*. Ugh!!

Thermobob. Search it in the forums here. It basically replaces the thermostat and adds a bypass. This does 2 things. 1) opens the thermostat at a higher temp and keeps the coolant within a smaller temp range than the OE unit, keeping the engine at proper temp. 2) the bypass allows the coolant to flow through the engine and warm up quicker instead of running through the radiator during a cold start and making the engine take forever to get up to temp.

Look into that if you're annoyed by the engine temp. There's a couple writeups on here, the best one (imho) is by exploringcarolina, but Rojo has also done it on his newgen (I think) and he's always good for tidbits of tech advice.

[NevadaWolf]

Thanks, I'll look but I was only interested because the DIY said run the engine until the fan comes on then check the levels again. Fan never came on so couldn't finish the DIY steps.

[RedPepper64]

Finished the second fork tonight and found the spare gsxr steering damper in the garage. We have a damper clamp but it's 3mm too big. Ugh.

[tfkrocks]

Got my riveting master link today and replaced the clip-type link with it.

[Singh2jz]

Switched the mirror mounts to make it look like this..
IMG_20130906_160204.jpg

The mirrors are still doing their job, so it's all good..

[kxpower?]

And after fixing the petcock, I discovered 2 or 3 spots on the tank itself dripping gasoline. I'm gonna try and restore the the rusty/ugly/leaky tank first by soldering the bigger holes and sealing with Red-Kote (thread here http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...484#post746484)

Then if that works I'll go after the nicer-looking one.

Originally Posted by kxpower?

Well, technically last night:

*Swapped out rusty leaky tank for a less-rusty, non-leaking tank.
*Swapped filler caps so my key still fits.
*took apart, cleaned, and rebuilt petcock with all new rubber parts
*scrounged up some 1/4" OD teflon tubing to replace missing main/reserve straws (kicking myself for not taking a picture)
*installed tank+ put a gallon of gas in, only to see it dribbling out around the petcock lever
*Rigged up a little catch can where the gas leaking out drained into a gas can (left out overnight cause it was like 10:00)

This morning:
*found my gas can full of water due to rain last night
*jumped on Ninjette to discover that the spring washer in the petcock doesn't go next to the little 4-hole rubber thing, it goes between the cover and the lever
*Bought insurance for it, $126 a year is a freaking steal!!!


Tomorrow:
*arguing with the lady at the county clerk's office over how much I paid for this thing when I got it in baskets a year and a half ago (AKA getting the 2fiddy some tags )

[jokesonyou24]

Nothing...'cause I don't own one...yet

[LittleRedNinjette]

Well, fix that!!!

[jokesonyou24]

Yeah I'm planning on it. Looking at one right now an '05 with 9k-ish miles for 1900 in my area...time to talk to the bank

[LittleRedNinjette]

Good luck!!!

[jokesonyou24]

thanks I'm definitely going to need it...

by the way glad to hear you're OK after the fender bender...I'm starting to think member of the month may be cursed . If you do decide to streetfighter your bike(depending on how you want to do it), you should be able to pick up most of what you need through Amazon for around $200-$250, shipping included. I priced a 7' fork mount headlight, fork mount signals, a trail tech vapor, and handlebar mount mirrors for about $210 with shipping

[LittleRedNinjette]

good to know! thanks, i miss riding already. its going to be a long 6 weeks....

[tfkrocks]

Had a day off school so I decided to go check out Skaggs. Damn that's a nice long secluded road. The one lane section right out of stewarts point is ****ing awful though. I started there and the road is just so cracked and bumpy that I was wondering why people like this road. Once I passed it though it was nice. I would've enjoyed it more if I didn't start getting sleepy toward the end when the road opened up and became a lot faster.

I found out the oyster place I stopped at for lunch has $1 raw oysters on Thurs so I had a delicious lunch

Oh and here's an updated bike pic just because I don't think I posted any since I bought it.


Edit: I've started noticing a high pitched noise coming from my bike when I open the throttle while moving at higher speeds (ie. highway). Not sure the actual source of the noise. Should it be a cause for concern? I think it might've started after I changed the chain and sprockets last week...

[rcruz17]

its been a while since I even been on this site since then I dropped it doing a u-turn it feel on the sidemarker and cracked the fairing It had happend before to the previous owner and when I got it I glued the fairing with plastic epoxy so that just cracked off...again...side marker got all busted Ordered a diff style see If I can get a more flush mount look DIY coming soon if I make it happen!

On the other side of the bike replaced the fairing with used one from ebay this side was missing a chunk from the top which was cracked also.



I will be playing with fiberglass to repair the broken side fairings I took off anyone interested in buying them If I end up repairing them?

[Trubin]

Originally Posted by rcruz17

its been a while since I even been on this site since then I dropped it doing a u-turn it feel on the sidemarker and cracked the fairing It had happend before to the previous owner and when I got it I glued the fairing with plastic epoxy so that just cracked off...again...side marker got all busted Ordered a diff style see If I can get a more flush mount look DIY coming soon if I make it happen!

On the other side of the bike replaced the fairing with used one from ebay this side was missing a chunk from the top which was cracked also.



I will be playing with fiberglass to repair the broken side fairings I took off anyone interested in buying them If I end up repairing them?

What kind of epoxy do you use? I have deep scratches that I wanna cover with plaxi-dip. What you recommend for deep scratches, to then send them down and paint over with plaxi-dip.

[cuong-nutz]

I love now ninjas look when they're brand new and well taken cared off! I can't same for the mine with all the abuse I give :x

I cracked my front cowling and broke my windscreen again yesterday practicing.

[rcruz17]

Originally Posted by Trubin

What kind of epoxy do you use? I have deep scratches that I wanna cover with plaxi-dip. What you recommend for deep scratches, to then send them down and paint over with plaxi-dip.

im new to the whole repairing plastics thing but when I first got the bike and had a few cracks I fixed them with Loctite epoxy plastic bonder but after it went dont I feel the epoxy didnt hold good enough and just broke off again which is why now I want to experiment with fiberglass.

If you plan on plastidip the whole bike and have some cracks the loctite plastic bonder will hold it together for you but dont expect it to be a permanent fix.

[cuong-nutz]

started putting the motor back together. found out i boogered the threads for the crankshaft bolt when the motor fell over with the bolt partially threaded in. went to look for my tap and found out i have 2 10x1.5mm taps and I'm missing the 10x1.25mm tap that i need!!!!

[rcruz17]

I DIYed some new flush mounts!




CHECK OUT MY DIY!!!

[MagicMike]

Got 18000km service done. New rear tire, new chain and sprockets. Went 15t on the front and it makes a massive difference in the bike feel. I really like it.

The shop even detailled the bike for me, but of course today it is raining

[kmanlyst]

Haven't done it yet but doing it tomorrow since I have a day of, throwing a 15t front sprocket on.

[Israel Torres]

Installed my Shogun No-Cut Frame Sliders on my '13 Ninja 300 ABS - AWESOME! Total time was about 4 hours


Not sure if there are different types of SE ABS 300s out there but it worked great for my bike...

Here's the video I watched before attemping! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OimxX8yKm2Q

[EternalNewb]

Had my mother help me check my oil level and stuff, since the person who helped me before kept tilting the bike, so I couldn't get an accurate read.

Also, took a spin with my friend. I, of course, rode my ninjette while she sped around on her Vespa. At least we both matched on our little black putters.

[Daks]

Came home from a week and a half long trip and went to make sure the battery didn't die. It did not.

But for some reason now there was gasoline SPEWING from between the fuel line and a fuel filter my dumbass ex had put on there after I painted it (and after he discovered they have a filter built into the line AFTER cutting the line). No idea why it decided to start leaking heavily just now, it's been fine for months since the filter was put in.

Anyhow, I let it be til today when I went out and bought new fuel line to stick on there. Started up but had a super grumpy idle until the carbs were all back in order with gas in 'em. Didn't get to ride but at least I'm not spraying the engine with gas anymore.

[Rugby Winger]

What did I do to my Ninja today? I rode it.

[allanoue]

broke it

stuck in second gear until the left foot peg mount plate is replaced on the 28th or 29th
Is there a trick I need to know moving the peg to the new plate?

[anacron]

Adjusted the rear preload.

I tested it around town but need to hit some twisties to see if the stiffer suspension makes a big different. The bike feels much more planted mid-lean.

[rasta]

Today, thanks to the heads up by our friend @Motofool, I cleaned and lubed my chain

[Motofool]

I know that your chain really appreciates that care.

[EternalNewb]

Buzzed to the physical therapist's and back. Poor bike'll get a much nicer, more enjoyably long ride in tomorrow.

[anacron]

Originally Posted by rasta

Today, thanks to the heads up by our friend @Motofool, I cleaned and lubed my chain

I'm planning on washing my bike and cleaning/lubing the chain. Did you use a chain cleaner to get the gunk off?

[rasta]

Originally Posted by Motofool

I know that your chain really appreciates that care.

Oh man, I couldn't believe how dirty it was. Now I just have to fix my alignment.

Originally Posted by anacron

I'm planning on washing my bike and cleaning/lubing the chain. Did you use a chain cleaner to get the gunk off?

From what I read, WD-40 is an acceptable cleaner. Just sprayed a bunch on a paper towel, wrapped the towel around the chain, and basically jerked the chain off.

[tfkrocks]

If you can find it, kerosene works well too. Cheaper than WD-40 anyway. I had trouble finding it in a reasonable size container recently though; only found much larger containers than I wanted or kerosene replacement. I need to remember to go look again...

[walty87]

http://instagram.com/p/eVp4FStzw3/#

oil change :]

[cuong-nutz]

Originally Posted by tfkrocks

If you can find it, kerosene works well too. Cheaper than WD-40 anyway. I had trouble finding it in a reasonable size container recently though; only found much larger containers than I wanted or kerosene replacement. I need to remember to go look again...

You can find it in various sizes at home depot, lowes, ace hardware, and some hobby stores.

[Kokosun]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

I abused the crap out of her so badly she visited Heaven and Hell in a single day. I even got to go sightseeing!

Rode out to Idaho Springs, CO and pre-rode the road up to mountain to see it in the daytime-ish. Then I began my actual ride at 4am MDT and ascended to a whopping and very chilly 14,130' to the parking area on Mt. Evans. 21 hours later I knocked on the Devil's door at Badwater, CA where it is -282' AND FARKING HOT! In between, I even stopped by Four Corners monument to just take in the sights. LOL

Just out of interest, any (obvious) reduction in performance at 14'k? I just wonder because when flying a normally aspirated aircraft engine needs to be leaned out at higher altitudes. I wondered what happens to a bike? When I lived in Texas, I'm not sure if it was my imagination but the bike seemed to perform a lot better in winter (lower density altitude) than in summer (higher density altitude). Of course, my bike has carbs (not fuel injection) and that would make any changes more noticeable. But, I'm guessing that at 14,000ft, the difference in performance might be noticeable. Was it?

[Kokosun]

Originally Posted by anacron

I'm planning on washing my bike and cleaning/lubing the chain. Did you use a chain cleaner to get the gunk off?

I use kerosene to clean my chain. I don't know if it's true, but I've heard that WD-40 can damage the chain. But LOTS of people use WD-40, and I haven't heard any horror stories, so maybe it's fine. Kerosene works great, and is really cheap. I bought a 1 litre container of it a few years ago, and there is still loads of it left, and I clean and lube my chain at least every 500 miles.