Motorcycling and An Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

1 September 2006
Total Distance 5273km [since 12 May]

Riding Focus:
As for previous week - Pivot Steering and Two Step Vision procedures.
This week Golf November Two Five Zero explored places for the first time the Akatarawa.

Before I start have you degreased and lubed your chain recently?
And, how far can you go on a tank before you have to flick the reserve on?

Well I ran out the tank to 256km with 8litres and 2litres held in reserve. Classic, a whopping 32km to the litre before going to reserve.
So this answers the question too about the chain lube - before the 3rd tank fill I clean the chain, therefore running approximately 500km between cleans.

Here's a quick rundown of the past week:

Sunday - Degreased & Lubed the Chain. Then Whitemans Valley a good test starting from the Silverstream end there are a few kilometres of uphill slow winding road. Went across this three times down to the Valley flat and back.

Monday - Upper Hutt to Waikanae down SH1 and back around Pauatahanui Inlet [Note Paekakariki Hill Road will be closed for a while.] The ride through the Akatarawa is a cautious one, and newbies give it quite a few months before you take this on and make sure you have another rider with you. It is quite narrow and winding.

Wednesday - Wainuiomata Hill and out to Wainuiomata Coast, back over hill and around to Eastbourne and back to Stokes Valley This is an excellent ride for practising your two step vision and pivot steering. Be careful as you near the coast there may be a bit of gravel here and there. And, cover the brake when you are approaching curves and crests - you may have an early milkshake and woolly jumper with stock straying over the road.

Thursday - A good loop circuit Silverstream - Whitemans Valley - Mangaroa Hill [instead of going right through to Te Marua, take the Mangaroa Hill this brings you back to SH2 traffic lights just before Caltex Upper Hutt] back through Wallaceville up over into Whitemans Valley - Silverstream - Stokes Valley.

Friday - As for Thursday but included a run to the top of Rimutaka Hill.
Degreased & Lubed the Chain - as I will be doing the Martinborough run tomorrow.


Cleaning The Chain
I use kerosene in a squirt bottle, and hold a sheet of cardboard behind the chain so as not to splatter the wheel. Also use a toothbrush [get a packet of 5 brushes from the $2 shop in Lower Hutt]. Wipe off the chain as you proceed with old clean cloth. [Post Script 2009 - spay kero onto cloth dampen only and wipe chain.]

Here's a tip: Use a black marker pen to put a blop on a chain link, use this as a guide as you progressively clean the chain - just wait for the blop mark to return to your starting point.

One more tip: Use a pair of rubber gloves - recommend 'Nitrile Disposable Gloves' a box of 100 for approx $12.50 [get these from the Safety shop in Ngauranga Gorge near LV Martins. Generally whenever working on your bike always wear gloves, not only for chain work.

Another tip: don the riding gloves and helmet after degreasing the chain and take the bike for a half kilometre ride to flush out the chain.

When you get back from the half kilometer ride put the bike back up on the stand and commence your lube, once again put down a marker point on the chain link.

Oh Yes Another Tip:
Every second time you degrease and lube your chain - remove the front sprocket housing and get in there and give it a good clean out too. Surprising how much gundge builds up in there.

Heads Up and Enjoy

Had a chuckle to myself when I looked back and saw the fuel economy of the GN250, my goodness that was a great bike to start out on.

Also safety first comment, I live in a dead end street that ends at bushland and make the call to don just gloves and helmet for the half kilometer run up to the end of the street and back.