Suzuki A100 - The Journey

[StoneChucker]

This morning was the big day. I started work at 10am so I had time to do the necessary before then. Today was the day I had the "new" A100 WOF'd and Rego'd. I went to bed last night actually looking forward to riding the 2 stroke to work! Strange how a new bike takes all the attention for the first couple of days/weeks??

Bike started first time out the garage, and I left it idling while I kitted up. When I returned I saw the SENS was working well (Suzuki Engine Notification System) as there was a nice smokey haze surrounding the bike :devil2: It did cut out briefly (explanation to follow) but started again fine and I took off. This is where I felt the new feeling of not knowing whether my bike would make it to it's destination :wait: About 500m to 800m from the petrol station near my house the engine died, with a rather unspectacular put put and then nothing. I realised pretty quickly that I'd simply run out of gas :weird: (hence it cutting out earlier). Pushed it to the Servo and filled up. By this time I was pretty hot (bike gear is not designed to push your bike in).

Set off and no further worries at all. Got to VTNZ Upper Hutt and found the testing guy used to own an A100. He did a check, and it passed easily - not a single point of concern :niceone: Got the rego done and set off for Welly. The brakes on this bike are far from perfect, but this forces you to brake how you're technically supposed to, by using BOTH brakes, not just the front. People comment that the handling is shocking too, and I guess I can't argue but I quite like the new sensation of how it tips into corners, and the SUPER bouncy suspension. I can't wait to get it on a track and tip it further :ride:

The testing guy was right, they are great commuters. It has no trouble in city traffic and not much trouble on the motorway. I can get it up to an indicated 108km/h (yes, seriously) by crouching down on the tank. With a half crouch it cruises at 95 ish and if I sit upright it sits at 80 - 90km/h. I thought at first the mirrors were really crap, but have since found they have great visibility when you're in the crouched position :Punk: Obviously whoever designed this bike had great forsight! Overtaking is pretty easy, but it requires a little planning. I was overtaking a couple of cars with no trouble.

I've just got used to the different gear shifting (4 down, neutral at the TOP) but I stalled once by accidentally having it in 4th when I was expecting first :whistle: One gripe I have with it is the indicator switch. It's on the opposite side to the R1 and the switch is very simple. You have to visually check it's off after use, as it's got no centre push to cancel.

Something that is rather unusual is the response from joe Public. The testing guy and his mate were pretty interested in the bike, and some random guy in a truck on Victoria Street commented on how "nice" the bike was. Said something about it being cheap to run too. Never got any comments while riding in traffic on the R1 :oi-grr:

So, in summation, I feel I now have some taste of what it used to be like to be a "biker". The not knowing for SURE if you bike would make it from A - B, the senses which are stimulated (sound and feel) on the bike. The having to let it warm up more than newer bikes to obtain maximum performance. The engine noises (each part going through the motions). There's also the fact that while certainly bad for you, the smell the two-stroke produces is rather nice. When you do work/maintanance on the bike, no matter how minor, you come away with dirty/greasy hands and a sense of having achieved something, like the times when men were men and worked as such :Punk: . And finally, the feeling that it's not the END of the world if you drop it (coming out the garage, on the road, wheverever). If it falls, meh :whocares: , pick it up, spit and shine the exhaust and carry on as normal (No, I didn't fall off, just saying what I would do).

I can definitely see myself having a vintage bike of some sort in the garage with whatever new bike I happen to have at the time.
Just gotta get to the end of today, and I get to ride it home again.

Cheers.
Dave.

[White trash]

Good story Stoney.

When do you want to have an A100 Vs CG125 battle?

[Skunk]

Never got any comments while riding in traffic on the R1 :oi-grr:
There's a reason for that...


I can definitely see myself having a vintage bike of some sort in the garage with whatever new bike I happen to have at the time
If ya keep the R1 long enough it'll be vintage...

Good on ya Stoney, we'll compare notes next week eh? :niceone:

[Hitcher]

I'm hesitant, nay afraid, to ask...

[StoneChucker]

Hitcher: hehehe, you mean what happened to the R1? Nothing :devil2: Still got it. I got this as a bucket racer and just so happen to need it road registered to get to the meetings :ride:

UPDATE:
I forgot to mention, it runs pretty darn good after it warms up COMPLETELY. Takes about 5 minutes of good riding by my books. Got it to 110 km/h indicated on the way home. I was seriously impressed! It closely resembles a space shuttle on re-entry at anything after 102 km/h ish, in terms of shaking and me wondering if I'm going to make it or burn up in a glorius ball of burning metal trying :devil2:

[riffer]

Ah what a good read. You've taken me back to when I was 17, had just started work at Government Printing Office in Wellington, and I used to ride every day to work between Holborn Drive in Stokes Valley and Mulgrave Street in Welly on my 3-year-old GP125.

It had 6 gears, and it was actually faster in 5th as it couldn't get past about 7,000 in top.

Like you, I had to lean on the tank to keep up to speed, and I could just get about 120 out of it.

Of course, I weighed 75 kgs back then... :whistle:

Nice writeup Dave.

[Racey Rider]

It closely resembles a space shuttle on re-entry at anything after 102 km/h ish, in terms of shaking ....

Just squeeze tighter with the legs to make sure everything stays together!
Welcome to Our world. :niceone:
Two/ers United

[F5 Dave]

I was pretty convinced GP125 only had 5 gears?

Back to the A100 (used to have an A50T the trail version, haha) Forget warming it up. 10 seconds on choke then just riding it gently, it's not a precise tight bit of machinery. Leaving a 2 stroke idling for that long is likely just to oil up the pipe meannig it takes a while to clear out.

[Paul in NZ]

Looked very stylish this morning in Tory st Dave!

[Ixion]

I was pretty convinced GP125 only had 5 gears?

Back to the A100 (used to have an A50T the trail version, haha) Forget warming it up. 10 seconds on choke then just riding it gently, it's not a precise tight bit of machinery. Leaving a 2 stroke idling for that long is likely just to oil up the pipe meannig it takes a while to clear out.

Yeah, there ain't really anything IN a two smoker TO warm up. Except maybe the carby itself. 4 stroke syou're warming them up to get the oil thinned out and ciculating. No oil in a 2 stroke, cept what comes in new each time.

Once it's firing cleanly ringa ding ding it.

[Pwalo]

Ah yes, the joys of small two strokes. 16 years old, sixth form, Suzuki T125,commute from J'ville to Wgtn Coll. Fantastic fun riding with my mate on his SL125.

The old Suzuki was surprisingly quick, being a twin. I also think it helped weighing 60kg on a good day as well.

And there's nothing like the smell of two stroke oil on a cold winter's morning. Sh*& I'm getting old.

[F5 Dave]

Now a decent watercooled 2 stroke you'd want to ride very gently for a while or it could cold seize. But on an A100 chances are unlikely the piston would ever get close enough to the bore. :rofl:

[StoneChucker]

Cheers, but something warms up... Sounds like crap for the first couple of minutes then is pretty darn good after that.

You'll never friggen guess what!!! The thing wheelies! Well, the front wheel comes off the ground by giving a good tug and accelerating hard in first. Probably only due to the suspension rocking action though :Punk:

Been doing some pretty cool rear wheel skids, which I'd never try on the other bike :devil2:

[merv]

Here's a pic of my A100 back over 32 years ago. The motor on the later one is probably the same and the best technique I found to avoid plug fouling was fire it up, ride off and basically screw it hard not worrying about warm up. If you gingered those things along and then screwed it then the misfiring would start and you would end up pulling the plug out to clean it. I sold mine with getting on to 20,000 miles (30K) on the clock and it was still in good nick and the motor never needed any work.

[Ixion]

Cheers, but something warms up... Sounds like crap for the first couple of minutes then is pretty darn good after that.

..:


that's cos air cooled two smokers have a very large piston to bore clearance when cold. Alloy piston expands a lot quicker than steel bore. So when dead cold the piston is rattling around a fair bit, which sounds ratty. Once tis warm the piston fits better in the bore . Once it's hot the piston fits REAL well. Ask Mr Pyrocam !

But don't need to 'take it easy" while cold like you do on a 4 stroke. Yowant to get that piston warmed up and expanded as soon as possible.

[StoneChucker]

Ok, will do. Oh, I don't actually wait for it to warm up, just let it idle while I put my helmet on. I've been riding it off cold, soundling like crap anyway :ride:

It's amazing, I take the bike to work today and I see Jim on the motorway (and have a chat at the lights), Paul said he saw me in Tory St and I passed WhiteTrash on Kent Tce.! Small world ay? ! :grouphug:

[sAsLEX]

I passed WhiteTrash on Kent Tce.!

Bet you that dont happen too often

[bungbung]

pissed WhiteTrash on Kent Tce.!


Bet you that dont happen too often

I have the money

[StoneChucker]

So I couldn't resist and took the bike to work again today (something I think I'll do alot more of). Now, this was the second journey I've done on it, and just like the first trip, I ran outta fricken petrol again! At least I know now that it does about 140 - 150 kms per tank safely. I was cruising at about 105 - 110 indicated when it started to shake, shudder, bouce, splutter, stop, go, stop, splutter and finally stop again. Thought I'd screwed the engine with continous high revs. Luckily just the fuel missing!

Had to push it for about 20 minutes. :mad:

Picture this: Me, on the bike doing about 100, with my feet on the rear pegs and crouched all the way down on the bike. Now picture this: Woman in red car driving past looking at me and laughing... :mad: :rofl: hehe, was a pretty funny sight I guess. :motu:

[FROSTY]

ohh dave dave dave you silly prat. :devil2:
The A100 isnt like the R1 --out of gas isn't actually bone dry
next time it happens Turn the fuel tap to reserve (if it isn't already)
If it is and youve run out then lay the bike almost on the ground on the side the fuel tap is on .Theres about 1/4 liter of gas still in the other side of the tank and it should get ya to a servo.
Akchewally on that subject --One thing I would do to your bike is flush the tank out completely -I'm betting there will be water in the very bottom of the tank.

[crazyxr250rider]

So I couldn't resist and took the bike to work again today (something I think I'll do alot more of). Now, this was the second journey I've done on it, and just like the first trip, I ran outta fricken petrol again! At least I know now that it does about 140 - 150 kms per tank safely. I was cruising at about 105 - 110 indicated when it started to shake, shudder, bouce, splutter, stop, go, stop, splutter and finally stop again. Thought I'd screwed the engine with continous high revs. Luckily just the fuel missing!

Had to push it for about 20 minutes. :mad:

Picture this: Me, on the bike doing about 100, with my feet on the rear pegs and crouched all the way down on the bike. Now picture this: Woman in red car driving past looking at me and laughing... :mad: :rofl: hehe, was a pretty funny sight I guess. :motu:
absolute clasic

[TonyB]

Great write up. Now you've got me thinking...
Are you going to remove the lights etc for racing? Is it hard to do?

[StoneChucker]

My fuel-COCK is stuck on reserve. I've oiled it, but it won't move. I will remember that trick about laying it on it's side though, thanks! :niceone:

I'm not removing the lights for racing, just taping them over completely. I have to ride to and from each meeting, so it'd be too much hassel. The mirrors come off easily.

Went on the Velox Round the clock ride today, on the A100. Pretty good fun with the upright riding position, cruising at a max 80 km/h (didn't want sore arms from crouching the whole day) and alot of time to yourself, thinking about stuff, life, the corner, lines you take on the road. A much more relaxed ride for sure. Left at 10:30am and got back at about 6pm. Must admit that after that amount of time, I was missing the "get home quick" ability of the R1. Got to the top of the Takas on the way back and saw I had just about NO engine oil left. I had about half a reservoir when I left in the morning. I guess a whole day of max gear, max rev riding will do that? Luckily I made it back to the Caltex in Upper Hutt, where I think I just about ran outta petrol again too. Close one that. These bikes definitely take a little more thought in that regard.

Confuscious say, Man with no fairings has cold legs :yes:

Went out to Lake Ferry, and got to do lots of stupid shit on the bike :devil2:

Now that I've done one long trip on the bike, I don't think I'll do too many more of them. To Martinborough and back would be my future limit.

[Pickle]

So when SKUNK gets his A100, I will have to register the Ct110 for a trip over the hill, I can see a small bike trip coming up :yes:

[Ixion]

My fuel-COCK is stuck on reserve. I've oiled it, but it won't move. I will remember that trick about laying it on it's side though, thanks! :niceone:

I'm not removing the lights for racing, just taping them over completely. I have to ride to and from each meeting, so it'd be too much hassel. The mirrors come off easily.

Went on the Velox Round the clock ride today, on the A100. Pretty good fun with the upright riding position, cruising at a max 80 km/h (didn't want sore arms from crouching the whole day) and alot of time to yourself, thinking about stuff, life, the corner, lines you take on the road. A much more relaxed ride for sure. Left at 10:30am and got back at about 6pm. Must admit that after that amount of time, I was missing the "get home quick" ability of the R1. Got to the top of the Takas on the way back and saw I had just about NO engine oil left. I had about half a reservoir when I left in the morning. I guess a whole day of max gear, max rev riding will do that? Luckily I made it back to the Caltex in Upper Hutt, where I think I just about ran outta petrol again too. Close one that. These bikes definitely take a little more thought in that regard.

Confuscious say, Man with no fairings has cold legs :yes:

Went out to Lake Ferry, and got to do lots of stupid shit on the bike :devil2:

Now that I've done one long trip on the bike, I don't think I'll do too many more of them. To Martinborough and back would be my future limit.


'Tis fun though , in its own way, is it not. Like I've said before, real bikers can have fun on any bike, Doesn't just have to be speed speed and nothing but speed.

Those little smokers, you really want to top up, or at least check the oil tank every time you fill up. I always think of it as a "petrol oil" stop, just doing it every time it becomes a routine so you don't forget and run out. Believe me you DON'T want to run out. And the first warning you will get will be when it seizes. BTW, you ARE covering the clutch all the time, aren't you?

[Skunk]

So when SKUNK gets his A100, I will have to register the Ct110 for a trip over the hill, I can see a small bike trip coming up :yes:I was talking to Skunk_Control 'bout this just this morning... Have to see the state of the bike when I get it. :rofl:

[Ixion]

This may seem a silly question, but what actually are the rules and rationale of this bucket racing ?

(and why is it called bucket racing ?)

And do they have in Auckland ?

[StoneChucker]

This may seem a silly question, but what actually are the rules and rationale of this bucket racing ?

(and why is it called bucket racing ?)

And do they have in Auckland ?
Bucket racing is called such because you are required to race with a bucket on your head. You are allowed to cut eye holes mind you. I think it originated from a drunken bet, that you couldn't ride a bike with a bucket on your head :drinkup: :whistle:

I'm really new to it, so won't hinder you with possibly incorrect details. For me, it's all about fun. I compare it to indoor go-kart racing, on two wheels.

[StoneChucker]

So when SKUNK gets his A100, I will have to register the Ct110 for a trip over the hill, I can see a small bike trip coming up :yes:
ABSOLUTELY. I'm game for that, it's rather enjoyable :ride:

[StoneChucker]

This may seem a silly question, but what actually are the rules and rationale of this bucket racing ?

(and why is it called bucket racing ?)

And do they have in Auckland ?
Bucket racing is called such because you are required to race with a bucket on your head. You are allowed to cut eye holes mind you. I think it originated from a drunken bet, that you couldn't ride a bike with a bucket on your head :drinkup: :whistle:

I'm really new to it, so won't hinder you with possibly incorrect details. For me, it's all about fun. I compare it to indoor go-kart racing, on two wheels. There is a thread somewhere with the exact details, or someone will reply shortly I'm sure.

[Pickle]

This may seem a silly question, but what actually are the rules and rationale of this bucket racing ?

(and why is it called bucket racing ?)

And do they have in Auckland ?

I suggest you pm Speedpro as he runs/ organises bucket racing in Auckland

[F5 Dave]

See my post in the racing section re the Bucket GP this weekend in Auckland.

[speedpro]

I suggest you pm Speedpro as he runs/ organises bucket racing in Auckland
once upon a time that was true. feel free to call though.

my bike should be available for a test ride this saturday (18th)morning if anyone is interested.