Kiwi Biker FAQ

[SpankMe]

I want to put together an extensive <a href="/forums/misc.php?s=&action=faq">FAQ</a> for New Zealand bikers, both beginners and long time riders new to NZ. This site has a FAQ, but it's just the standard one that comes with the forum software. I want to add a biker section to it, and when I get enough Q/As, create a separate page for it.

So lets see what ya got, anything related to motorcycling in NZ, eg.

What/Where is the Autobahn?
What kinda bikes can I ride on a learners license?
Which racetracks have open days?
Whats a squid?
Whats a stoppie?
etc…

So any Q/A's you have been asked or have asked, add them here no matter how obvious you might think the answer to be, it wont be obvious to everyone. :apint:

[merv]

Here's one for a starter:

Its getting time I replaced the chain on my VFR. Anyone tell me what's the best thing to do. I generally do all my own servicing on my bikes - don't trust the shop mechanics basically - but having been a dirt biker mainly before I got the VFR I've generally had chains with ordinary joining links.

So what's the best chain to buy and what's the best tools to get to fit the rivetted link and where should I buy them? I live in Wellington area so is Motomail a good option or should I roll on down to Sawyers and expect them to have what I need. I see on the net that there are Regina link fitting and rivetting tool kits so are they or something like it available here?

I probably could find all this out by making some phone calls but hey SpankMe asked for some FAQ's.

[SpankMe]

Well I was actually asking for people to provide both the question and the answer. :rolleyes:

[merv]

... but surely the point is to bring together questions with answers and it shouldn't matter whether they come from the same person at the same time. It didn't seem much point me coming up with a question to answer myself, but then I can probably answer someone else's question.

[merv]

Whatever is happening here we aren't getting too many FAQ's.

How about:

Who are NZ's motorcycling World Champions?

Tell me if I'm right here!

Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger - speedway

Hugh Anderson - 50cc, 125cc GP

Graeme Crosby - Formula 1 TT

Andrew Stroud - Bears

Stefan Merriman - Enduro

.... and I think that's about it.

[merv]

.... and how about:

Who managed to win the NZ Castrol 6 hour race riding the whole distance on their own?


Ginger Molloy
Graeme Crosby

[merv]

... and no one has noticed I'd missed off the World Champs list:

Shayne King - 500cc Moto-X

[merv]

.... and Spank you said you wanted questions and answers. I guess you are going to post the answers to your own questions you listed as examples above sometime.

[bluninja]

Spankme, what sort of stuff are you looking for ?

What is countersteering ? How does it work?

How to do a wheelstand?

How to do stoppie?

What is the difference between a 2 stroke and a 4 stroke?

Choosing a helmet?

What is target fixation?

How to lockwire a bike?

Basic motorbike maintenance...changing oil, filters, plugs, brake pads, removing wheels, bleeding brakes.

I'll have a look at old posts in the next week to see if people have already covered this stuff and invite them to produce a really good FAQ. Since they already know what they are talking about it shouldn't take too much effort. Maybe we need an intrepid FAQer :D to spot FAQs as they appear in the posts and get them tidied and moved to the right place.

TTFN

[SpankMe]

I'm looking for any general motorbike stuff, but mostly questions that are specific to motorcycling in NZ.

Explaining motorbike terms and phrases, popular motorbike events, the largest bike clubs, etc.

Like: I live in Blank, where is the best twisty?

Think about something you know about motorcycling in NZ and give it a question. When posting your answer, assume the reader knows nothing and give it plenty of detail.

[SpankMe]

Originally posted by merv
How about:

Who are NZ's motorcycling World Champions?

This is a good one.

Do you have the years that they won, the bikes they where riding and the teams they were racing for?

[SpankMe]

Are there any New Zealand made motorbikes?

The only one I know of is the Britten. Anyone got details of any others?

[wkid_one]

Why does easter egg chocolate taste so good?

[750Y]

The only one I know of is the Britten. Anyone got details of any others?

What about the BSL? I'm unsure as to whether it was made completely in House but it was rumored to have chewed up millions of dollars.

[bikerboy]

There's a guy that makes Norton Commander Race bikes totally in NZ.

These are brand new bikes not restored ones. For 60k he'll custom make to you race requirements. Beautiful bikes if you like classics.

[merv]

What about the Farmbyke (I think that was the spelling) it had a Suzuki 120cc motor but was made here I think and then there was the N-Zeta scooter with a Jawa motor. I think these were both New Zealand concoctions in the 60s.

[merv]

All that world champion stuff I was talking about I see MNZ has a roll of honour here http://www.motorcyclingnz.co.nz/rollofhonour.aspx which gives New Zealanders results through the years.

However, I'm not sure if its complete because wasn't Stefan Merriman actually the world junior trials champ at one time? That's not listed nor does it appear his enduro championship is either.

The other thing I noticed elsewhere is that Ronnie Moore was actually born in Australia but he rode as a Kiwi so we should keep counting him as our own.

[merv]

Looks like this FAQ thing isn't going any where. I guess you can find out all you want by searching the net anyway so no real need to have another database here, except I guess Spank was trying to get a Kiwi flavour to it. Oh well I tried to help.

[SpankMe]

I guess it's just gonna build up over time. I haven't had much of that to work on it. Been busy with moving the site to a new server. Will try and do some more on it soon.

[SPman]

How about the Autobahn at Bombay - also a meeting place for South or north

The BSL was all in house until the last year when they bought in a motor

Ken Macintosh builds new Manx Nortons - the engines are made in the UK I think, but Ken does the rest

&nbsp;

[What?]

Originally posted by SpankMe
Are there any New Zealand made motorbikes?

The only one I know of is the Britten. Anyone got details of any others?

There has been a few - the first was the Maori, built between 1913 and 1917, featuring a JAP engine and belt drive through expanding pulleys.

Then there was the Stewart scooter in the late fifties - early sixties, and the Mountain Goat (aka Mountain Joke) which was similar to the Farmbyke - absolutely bloody awful!

[bluninja]

What do you need to go start road racing in NZ ?

First you need a race license. To do that you need to be a member of a motorcycle club affiliated to Motorcycling New Zealand Inc. These clubs will also be a good resource for help advice etc going racing. There's a list on the Motorcycling NZ (http://www.motorcyclingnz.co.nz/home.aspx)webpage if you really don't know of any in your area.

After that you apply to MNZ for a race license, which apparently can take up to 14 days to process.

First (http://www.mnz.co.nz/download/first_time_app0203.pdf) Time License Application Form

Licenses run from July 1st to June 30th each year. Cost is $60 for a senior license and $100 for a championship license.

You will need a race license to compete, but you don't need it for trackdays, or practise days for the track.

You then need to submit entry forms for the races you want to compete in. Some will let you enter on the day, others require you to enter at least 1 week in advance.&nbsp;Your bike needs to conform to the rules both generally for racing, and for the class that you want to race in. Basic preperation should be (I know it's obvious):-


&nbsp;Remove or tape up all lights and indicators (horn shold be disconnected or removed).
For water cooled bikes, the coolant should be water, or water with a non-glycol additive. Normal antifreeze is very slippery and almost impossible to clean off tracks.
Lockwire oil filter and sump plug and any other fastening that could come loose and dump oil on the circuit.
Any breather and drain tubes shold exit into a sealed container and not onto the track.


Anything else needed it's up to you to go read the rules, or ask someone that knows to make sure your bike will pass scrutineering.

You as a rider also need to pass scrutineering. This means full leathers, either one piece or zip together. Gloves, boots, a back protector, and an approved helmet.

HTH TTFN

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[Racey Rider]

Originally posted by bluninja
What do you need to go start road racing in NZ ?



You will need a race license to compete, but you don't need it for trackdays, or practise days for the track.

&nbsp;


So would I need a race license to ride in the clubmans class at Taupo on the 15th?


I rang the MNZ last month to get one organized, but was told I couldn't get one yet as they hadden't sorted out the new fees for the coming year. So I missed the first race of the VIC club at manfield. Not a good way to encourage new people into their sport I thought. They should have just given me a free starter race license to get me straight into it, rather than tell me to ring back at the start of June to see if their organised! :ar15: I'll be ringing them tomorrow to get one sorted before the 29th. Maybe I'll tell them I'll take my motorbike raceing money and go skiing or something!:brick:

[bluninja]

Afraid so. They will charge you some sort of fee for the remainder of the year (they did for me last year) but it should be with you quicker than 14 days at this time of year. they also may be able to fax you something to cover for 15th June.

So you going to be racing 150 street stock? Or joining the legions of novices in clubmans ?

TTFN

[Racey Rider]

Originally posted by bluninja
So you going to be racing 150 street stock? Or joining the legions of novices in clubmans ?
TTFN

If I can get to Taupo, (Wifes birthday on the 15th! A weekend away for HER me thinks :D ) I'll take my KR1 out for my first (track) spin on it, in clubmans. Still testing it out basically.
When I get to Manfield, I'll ride the RG in streetstock.

[Andrew]

How do I know when to replace the chain on my motorbike? And since I'm riding something that doesn't put as much power throught the chain, can I get away with being a cheapskate and only replace the chain when its that stretched that its draggin on the ground!:stupid:

[wkid_one]

Noticed a number of people asking questions that would be best suited to this thread - eg Octane/Detonation - is it worth restarting this....

However, some people are confusing FAQ's with FACTS.&nbsp; I think what Spanky was trying to say is that this is a thread for frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about riding/maintaining/developing your bike and riding skills - not pub trivia questions.

So far we have had people ask about Octane/Detonation, 250 Learner Bikes, Replacing Chains, Poor Starting, Detectors, Wheel Alignment (thanks BBird - it rocked)&nbsp;- this is all stuff that should be in this Thread -

Eg Changing Chain - how do you do it?&nbsp; Wiring Detector&nbsp;- how do you do it?&nbsp; So people don't end up asking the same question a hundred times - and newbies can get information immediately without having to filter through the whole site and its various threads.

In fact there should probably should be a seperate forum for FAQ's. so people can load up with DIY's/How To's and advice (constructive but) - how about it Spanky?

[wkid_one]

And Andrew&nbsp;in answer to your question...
<H3>What does the chain do?</H3>In a motorbike, there's limited space. The engine, being heavy, has to go in the middle of the bike. The wheels have to go at the front and the back. Since the engine and the rear wheel are far apart, we need some way to joining them together so that the engine can drive the rear wheel. One method is to have a cog (aka. sprocket) on the engine output shaft and the rear wheel and use a chain to connect the two. Another method is to have a sealed shaft connecting the engine and the rear wheel, with suitable joints at either end to turn the drive round by 90 degrees.
<H3>What goes wrong with a chain</H3>Chains lead a hard life. They're exposed to the little bits of grit which get kicked up from the road. They spin round at high speed, which tends to throw off what little oil gets puts on them. Chains either break (very bad), get seized up (bad) or get worn (inevitable).

To put a chain on a bike, it has to be broken to get it round the swing arm, and then rejoined. There are two main ways of joining a chain. Firstly, you can use a special joining link which clips on to the side of a plate and holds it in place. The other way is to rivet the chain closed, which involves hammering a special pin until the end is smeared out a bit over the side plate and holds it in place.

If the chain becomes un-joined at speed, you're in big trouble. Chains are heavy and if it becomes detached while the bike is moving, it's going to cause serious damage and probably lock up the bike. For this reason, be very careful when joining chains. Don't reuse the closing links, since they get weakened when you take them off. If you have a rivetted chain, check the rivet link to make sure it's flattened enough to stop the side plate from coming off.

The most common way which my chains die is through corrosion. Winter takes a heavy toll on chains with salt and grit on the road and freezing temperatures make it less attractive to go outside and work on the bike for any length of time. Generally, by the end of winter there's a good few seized links in the chain which hop whenever they go over the sprocket. Time to replace the chain ...

There are lots of ways to prevent corrosion, though careful choice of what chain to buy, and regular maintenance. Most bike chains are o-ring chains. This means that there is a small rubber ring at each pivot point. The purpose of this o-ring is to trap grease inside the pivot and keep it lubricated. This means that o-ring chains have a much longer life than plain chains. However, one problem with the o-ring is that if the grease ever gets washed out from within the chain then the o-rings will make it very hard to get grease back in it. Additionally, the o-rings themselves can be damaged by various fluids and by rough treatment. The instructions which came with my last chain recommend cleaning the chain by wiping with a paraffin soaked rag, and then re-oiling.

All chains 'stretch' during their lifetime and eventually need replacing. Chains don't stretch in the same way elastic bands do - they get longer because the metal in the links gradually wear away and makes the overall length of the chain increase. As the chain stretches, the amount of free play increases and you eventually have to move your rear wheel back a bit to take up the slack. If there's too much slack, the chain will jump around lots whenever you change speed. If there is too little slack, the chain will get overtensioned when you slow down and the back end of the bike becomes unweighted.
<H3>Replacing the chain</H3>When you replace the chain, always replace the sprockets too - they're much cheaper than the chain anyway. It's a false economy not to, since putting a new chain over worn sprockets will make your chain wear out faster. It's much easier to loosen the bolt which holds the front sprocket when the chain is still on the bike. You put the bike into a high gear and get someone to stand on the rear brake while you loosen the holding bolt a bit. Since the front sprocket is still attached by the chain to the rear spocket, it can't spin around while you try to loosen it.

[Misssy]

Originally posted by 750Y
What about the BSL? I'm unsure as to whether it was made completely in House but it was rumored to have chewed up millions of dollars.

Yes this was built and designed totally in NZ. Very cool machine.
Have seen it run twice. (have friend who works at BSL) I can't imagine it to have been cheap no. :niceone:

[Kwaka-Kid]

incredibly commonly asked question:

How do i go about Racing my Motorcycle?

or anything along the lines of that, constantly getting ppl like me etc who get to a stage of street riding where they are really limited and just want to hit the track and see how they go.

[Big Dog]

Originally posted by Kwaka-Kid
incredibly commonly asked question:

How do i go about Racing my Motorcycle?

or anything along the lines of that, constantly getting ppl like me etc who get to a stage of street riding where they are really limited and just want to hit the track and see how they go.
Try bluninjas post on this thread.:niceone:

[Gremlin]

Spank has that list of stuff to type out, for the FAQ's section, so here's a bit... all this is in regards to this (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=597309&postcount=32) post.

CHAT FAQ (this is on top of this thread (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=20256) - and commands are based on the standard java client. Some clients may differ in commands)

You may see some identities have little symbols next to their name. This signifies something about their status. Generally, most will have nothing next to their name. The most common symbol is the @ sign, which signifies a room operator (op for short) and they have additional powers, and monitor the room. If you misbehave, they can kick you, ban you and do various other things.

Commands (all have to start at the beginning of the line)
/me - type more words after this, and the line will start with your current nickname, ie Gremlin blah blah
/nick - type a nickname after this command, and your nickname will be changed to that. It is against the rules to take or resemble someone else's nick, and you can be kicked (temporary) or banned (for a period of time)
/quit - This will disconnect you. Type something after the command, to leave that as a departing message
/whois - type a nick after this, and you will get a short run down of their details, such as name and ip address
/ping - again, type a nick after this, and you will ping them, and get a time for how long the person's computer took to reply
/ignore - type a nick after this to put them on your ignore list. No lines typed by them will be shown to you
/unignore - type a nick after this to take someone off your ignore list. Their lines will now be shown
/join - then type #xxxx where xxxx is a room you wish to join. You can also type anything, and set up a room by that name, and tell your friends. You can then have a private chat with several people (whereas a private chat is only between 2 people)

More commands can be found by right clicking a name

Private Messages in chat
This is similar to private messages in general KB. Double click a name to bring up a chat with only that person. No-one else will be able to see this communication, except for the 2 of you. If a friend types something to you first, the tab will appear, and be red.

It will open as a tab, just under the command line. When a message has been typed in it, and you haven't seen it, the tab will turn red, so that you know there is something waiting for you to see. Just click on the different tabs to see the communication.

You can have multiple chats open at once, as well as rooms (channels). The channels you are on are shown on the line just under the command line (on the line labelled public), and private chats are on the next line down, next to status (the private line)

will type on more stuff as I get time... :doobey:

[Hitcher]

Why did the chicken cross the road?

[Mental Trousers]

Spank has that list of stuff to type out, for the FAQ's section, so here's a bit... all this is in regards to this (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=597309&postcount=32) post.

CHAT FAQ (this is on top of this thread (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=20256) - and commands are based on the standard java client. Some clients may differ in commands)


Added it. It's all under the Site FAQ (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/faq.php) section with the rest of the irc faq.

Thanks Gremlin.

[boomer]

Nerd:
Nerd has a few definitions. First, it is an overriding category. Anyone that is a squid, squeif, geek, etc. is necessarily a nerd- although one can be a nerd without being any of the others. Second, a nerd is anyone who does anything scientific or technical, or is a little "different" socially (e.g. is known to catch Fruit Loops, tossed in the air, in the mouth, at dinner), or is reasonably involved in anything out of the ordinary. Thus the existence of such terms as "Flute Nerd" (as this author has been known to term his mother). Many people fit the general term Nerd, although sometimes a modifier is needed: "Physics Nerd," "Music Nerd," "Comedy Nerd," and so on. Finally, the descriptive term nerd, when not as defined above, is one of those concepts that is very hard to define- it is sort of an approach to life; often you can think about someone you know, and realize that they are a nerd, without first going through a checklist of "nerd" qualities.

Squid:
Perhaps the most popular and most overused nerdology term at Harvey Mudd, a squid is NOT anyone who displays nerdy qualities. That is, in the third definition above, a "nerd." A squid, if one is to be a purist about it, is one who spends all of their time cooped up in their room studying. One generally never sees squids, except in class. (This is of course the extreme case- one can have elements of squidliness in them without being a full blown extreme squid in all of its glory). A squid, when presented with the unfortunate situation of having all of his (or her) work done, will not go and blow off time by hanging out with other people, in the lounge, playing frisbee, etc. A true squid during his free time will do something useful: read a book, get ahead on homework, start that Retch research paper that is due in a measly six weeks- but never do much in the way of social interaction.

Squeif:
This form of nerd is very often confused with a squid. A squeif is one who does very well in academics. The person who always scores above average on tests, who has high scored multiple tests, who has a GPA above ~3.5, is a squeif. Note the distinction between squeif and squid. One can be a squid, and still be a C+ student; just because you study all the time does not mean that you will high score everything. Note that often squeifism and squidism are correlated. To be a squeif, one must often necessarily be a squid; and, if one is a squid, one will often also be a squeif. But they are nonetheless separate and distinct qualities.

Schnoid:
The term "schnoid" implies computer use. A "Computer Nerd" is a schnoid. Note that this computer use must be nerdy in order to constitute schnoidism. Thus, one who stays up late at night playing Moria is not necessarily a schnoid, while one who tweaks around with the source code and programs Moria is. Someone who has to find eigenvaules on the computer for pChem is not a schnoid, but someone who is not in the class but tries to find those eigenvalues as a way of blowing off time most definitely is a schnoid.

CJ:
(That's "Computer Jock" for the uninitiated). A CJ is a schnoid who knows what he is doing. A schnoid very good at being a schnoid is a CJ. Now, this term is not terribly well defined. The common question is, how much of a schnoid must one be to be a CJ? Well, in general, one can only be considered a CJ if the stuff one does is computer science specific. So, if you are an extreme "Physics Schnoid," you can program Pascal inside and out, you can write simulations of physical systems in no time flat, and spend lots of time on the computer, you aren't really a CJ. If, however, you go around configuring system disks, rebooting the Vax, rewriting terminal server software, or improving the operating system of any computer, you are very likely a CJ.

Geek:
A geek is more of a social than an academic term. A person can be a geek regardless of whether they are majoring in English or Math, regardless of whether they are a straight-A student or a repeated ITR. A geek is the sort of person who hangs around and just acts, or seems, terribly nerdy (or really, geeky). They often have relatively loud voices, and lack certain social skills. They are the sort of person that, when others are confronted with the possibility of their presence, roll their eyes and try to find a way to go somewhere else. Often the worse quality in a geek is the geek's complete inability to recognize that they may in some way be a geek. The worst sort of geek really thinks he's a great guy that other people want to be with.

Dweeb:
A dweeb is a person who is really clueless in a nerdy sort of way. Again, you can be a dweeb regardless of academic performance. Dweebs are the sort of people who hang around, don't say a whole lot, and rarely have very loud voices. Another characteristic is a dumb laugh (yuk yuk yuk). Every now and then they will make some sort of clueless comment that is either an attempt at being funny by repeating, perhaps with a paraphrase, a joke (and not a very good one) that someone had said quite recently, or a comment that indicates they have more or less missed the point of what was being said. Dweebs are not stupid, just a little socially clueless- and are generally inoffensive creatures.

Dork:
A dork is a combination of a dweeb and a geek- a loud and offensive dweeb, really. They are clueless, but don't realize it, and tend to aggressively enforce their cluelessness on others. If someone has made a joke, a dork will repeat, or make a hopelessly failed attempt to expound on, the joke, in a loud voice, and then look around at everyone with a really stupid smile on their face, not realizing that what they said was dumb and not in the slightest bit funny. This sort of thing can happen quite frequently. Dorks are not as offensive to be around as geeks, but are more offensive to be around than dweebs.

Square:
It is unclear whether this term really fits within the domain of nerdology, but it is often used in that context, so the definition will be given here. A square is someone who is somehow old fashioned or even prudish in non-nanny sort of way. Telltale square characteristics include listening to mainly classical music, refusing to get drunk or even to drink, or an acute sense of morals, regarding, ahem, male/female realtionships, among other things. Some squares tend to attempt to enforce their squareness on others ("you must not drink," or "all rock music is inspired by the devil.") These squares can be hard to deal with if you are not a square yourself, who sees eye to eye with the vociferous square. Other squares can be quite reticeint about their squareness, often enough that unless you know them pretty well, you wouldn't know about their square qualities.

According to Jim2 i'm an artless squid :D

[Ixion]

Eh? That definition of squid is very different to my understanding? Most of the squids round here dont spend ANY of their time cooped up in their room studying. Except maybe when they're in hospital in traction .

[boomer]

who cares... a geeks a geek no matter what name you give it/her/him

[placidfemme]

Well I'm not sure if this will work on your FAQ or if its the sort of thing your looking for... but I think "Is lane-splitting legal" should be in there... that is a very commonly asked question on here...

[Mental Trousers]

Oh yeah, I also added the User Title stuff to the FAQ


Well I'm not sure if this will work on your FAQ or if its the sort of thing your looking for... but I think "Is lane-splitting legal" should be in there... that is a very commonly asked question on here...

A faq is in the form of "Question/Answer". So if you want something in the faq then write stuff up in that sort of format and we can add it. A single question/answer can be added, but if you want to do an entire section (ie I did IRC and transferred the User Titles across that Bluninja did) or a big chunk of one then that'd be much better.

[placidfemme]

Oh yeah, I also added the User Title stuff to the FAQ



A faq is in the form of "Question/Answer". So if you want something in the faq then write stuff up in that sort of format and we can add it. A single question/answer can be added, but if you want to do an entire section (ie I did IRC and transferred the User Titles across that Bluninja did) or a big chunk of one then that'd be much better.

Eh... I don't "want" anything in the FAQ, chances are I'll never use it... I just know its a FAQ, and so I thought it should be there... I don't know the answer... I split regardless.... (when I have a bike that is)

[Mental Trousers]

Reputation stuff added to the main FAQ.

Thanks to Gremlin for helping me sort it out. Large chunks of it are ripped directly from the stuff Waylander did on rep.