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Thread: New biker from Auckland (biketimus_prime)

  1. #1
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    10th March 2014 - 15:45
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    New biker from Auckland (biketimus_prime)

    Hey everyone,

    I recently bought a bike and just today acquired my learners licence. I sorted out insurance after that and went for a ride. It has been a very steep learning curve but after my first legal and proper ride today, all I can say is I LOVE IT! What a life changing thing it is to have a bike! I've always been into my cars and have done a few track days and worked on my own car since I was 16 but a bike is a whole different ball game in terms of riding and mechanical work!

    I had to do a lot of research about gear, and the process of buying all the way to riding the bike and I hope to make a thread to guide other newbies through it so they don't have to search all over the place for the basic info.

    First order of business was checking everything was okay with the bike and I found the chain was a bit too loose, I also found that the nut holding the axle was finger tight! So after watching a youtube video I managed to get the right tension on the chain as well as aligning my rear wheel up again (what a mission that was initially!).

    Anyway, here are some pictures of my bike, it is a 2004 Suzuki GSX250 with 35,000km on the clock.





    Hope to have a fun time on here and meet a few of you at events or whatever you do

  2. #2
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    6th May 2012 - 10:41
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    Quote Originally Posted by biketimus_prime View Post
    Hey everyone,

    Hope to have a fun time on here and meet a few of you at events or whatever you do
    no one here has a bike. They just come here to slag each other off and remember the good ol daze.
    Now youre here, we'll slag you off.

  3. #3
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    6th February 2010 - 19:32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Akzle View Post
    no one here has a bike. They just come here to slag each other off and remember the good ol daze.
    Psychological projection was conceptualized by Sigmund Freud (6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) in the 1900s as a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously rejects his or her own unacceptable attributes by ascribing them to objects or persons in the outside world. For example, a person who is rude may accuse other people of being rude.

    Welcome to kiwibiker BP,

    Sounds like you've done some good research and are ready to spend some decent time on the road. That's a sweet first ride.

    Enjoy!

    WELLINGTON: Tag-o-rama

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Akzle View Post
    no one here has a bike. They just come here to slag each other off and remember the good ol daze.
    Now youre here, we'll slag you off.
    Haha sounds like every other car forum I'm on. There must be some great fights on here

  5. #5
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    25th April 2009 - 17:38
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    Nice bike, chain looks a little tight though
    "A shark on whiskey is mighty risky, but a shark on beer is a beer engineer" - Tad Ghostal

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by rustyrobot View Post
    Psychological projection was conceptualized by Sigmund Freud (6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) in the 1900s as a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously rejects his or her own unacceptable attributes by ascribing them to objects or persons in the outside world. For example, a person who is rude may accuse other people of being rude.

    Welcome to kiwibiker BP,

    Sounds like you've done some good research and are ready to spend some decent time on the road. That's a sweet first ride.

    Enjoy!
    Thanks, I have never been so alert on the road before, you learn to spot a bad driver who may make idiotic manoeuvres from ages away!

    Quote Originally Posted by bogan View Post
    Nice bike, chain looks a little tight though
    Haha please don't say that, I check it after every ride now to make sure I haven't messed up somehow!

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by biketimus_prime View Post
    Haha please don't say that, I check it after every ride now to make sure I haven't messed up somehow!
    Just make sure you check it to the model specific specs, not some general measurement often given in vids. Better slightly too loose than slightly too tight imo.
    "A shark on whiskey is mighty risky, but a shark on beer is a beer engineer" - Tad Ghostal

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by bogan View Post
    Just make sure you check it to the model specific specs, not some general measurement often given in vids. Better slightly too loose than slightly too tight imo.
    Yeah the last owner gave me the manual for the bike and I went off that
    I need to sort out the clutch lever. Clutch only engages/disengages when the lever is only a few mm away from rest (whatever the right term is for that). Is that normal? I feel like it should be halfway between fully pulled back and at rest.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by rustyrobot View Post
    Psychological projection was conceptualized by Sigmund Freud (6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) in the 1900s as a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously rejects his or her own unacceptable attributes by ascribing them to objects or persons in the outside world. For example, a person who is rude may accuse other people of being rude.

    Welcome to kiwibiker BP,

    Sounds like you've done some good research and are ready to spend some decent time on the road. That's a sweet first ride.

    Enjoy!
    are you trying to tell me im a fuken jew?

    Ive got a sneaky suspicion im not who youre thinking i am.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by biketimus_prime View Post
    Yeah the last owner gave me the manual for the bike and I went off that
    I need to sort out the clutch lever. Clutch only engages/disengages when the lever is only a few mm away from rest (whatever the right term is for that). Is that normal? I feel like it should be halfway between fully pulled back and at rest.
    That comes down to personal preference mainly (as long it is fully engages/disengages through the stroke), should be an adjuster on the lever/cable join.
    "A shark on whiskey is mighty risky, but a shark on beer is a beer engineer" - Tad Ghostal

  11. #11
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    Looks like a tidy bike BP, also check the chain for tight spots and set tension on tightest section.

    As bogan says better on the loose side than tight.
    "Sorry Officer, umm.... my yellow power band got stuck wide open"

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Akzle View Post
    are you trying to tell me im a fuken jew?

    Ive got a sneaky suspicion im not who youre thinking i am.
    I've got a sneaking suspicion you used the wrong turn of phrase. I could be incorrect though.

    As an aside, did you know that fuken is Japanese for 'a husband's marital rights'. Fuken funny.

    WELLINGTON: Tag-o-rama

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by bogan View Post
    That comes down to personal preference mainly (as long it is fully engages/disengages through the stroke), should be an adjuster on the lever/cable join.
    Yeah the owners manual shows how to do it, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I like how it is now, but I'm worried that it may get looser and not disengage completely but I won't notice because my weight stops the bike moving forwards even if the clutch is slightly engaged still.

    Quote Originally Posted by BigAl View Post
    Looks like a tidy bike BP, also check the chain for tight spots and set tension on tightest section.

    As bogan says better on the loose side than tight.
    Yep I made sure that I checked many different spots and they are all within 25-35mm.

    Oh also another question, when you guys come to a stop and you're gearing down and braking, what is the right way of doing it? I do this:

    *Apply rear brake then front brake
    *Lightly hold rear brake, let off front brake so I can rev the engine
    *Downshift
    *Apply front brake again, all the while holding rear brake slightly on.

    Is that okay? I also gear down as much as I can (without skipping any gears, I skipped from 3 to 1 once and almost died) first sometimes and then apply the brakes for the last bit to come to a stop.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by rustyrobot View Post
    I could be incorrect though.
    wouldnt be the first time...

    As an aside, did you know that fuken is Japanese for 'a husband's marital rights'. Fuken funny.
    except we're spriching anglais.
    But no, i did not know. Thanks for tha learnering.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by biketimus_prime View Post
    Yeah the owners manual shows how to do it, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I like how it is now, but I'm worried that it may get looser and not disengage completely but I won't notice because my weight stops the bike moving forwards even if the clutch is slightly engaged still.



    Yep I made sure that I checked many different spots and they are all within 25-35mm.

    Oh also another question, when you guys come to a stop and you're gearing down and braking, what is the right way of doing it? I do this:

    *Apply rear brake then front brake
    *Lightly hold rear brake, let off front brake so I can rev the engine
    *Downshift
    *Apply front brake again, all the while holding rear brake slightly on.

    Is that okay? I also gear down as much as I can (without skipping any gears, I skipped from 3 to 1 once and almost died) first sometimes and then apply the brakes for the last bit to come to a stop.
    No need to let off the front break when you downshift, you should probably start off with a rider training day or Auckland Street Skills session if they still do em, better to get into the right habits from the start, rather than try and change bad habits later.
    "A shark on whiskey is mighty risky, but a shark on beer is a beer engineer" - Tad Ghostal

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