yEE hAA! - Got me a bike!

**SlowHand** · 20th September 2005, 10:32

Got an RG150 on yesterday - pick it up later this week.

Semi- broke myself in my test riding it in the rain. decided not to wear bike pants, and paid for it with numb knees. Still awesome.

Cant wait to get it!

**DemonWolf** · 20th September 2005, 10:49

hehe.. congratulations Albin.. happy riding =)

**Sniper** · 20th September 2005, 11:07

Congrats matey, get in touch with Pyrocam. He also has a RG150 in Auckland.

**Avignon** · 20th September 2005, 11:11

Congrats mate, ride safely at least until you have a bit of experience.

**Ixion** · 20th September 2005, 13:12

Congratulations

And COVER THE CLUTCH

**ZorsT** · 20th September 2005, 14:15

Congrats on the bike. RG150's are awesme! - just be careful with powerband in the wet with a crap back tyre...

Originally Posted by Sniper

Congrats matey, get in touch with Pyrocam. He also has a RG150 in Auckland.

Pyrocam has an RGV150... different, but still a suzuki 2-smoke

**SlowHand** · 20th September 2005, 15:40

Originally Posted by Ixion

Congratulations

And COVER THE CLUTCH

What do you mean? Can you explain why etc?

I'll give you cookies...

**SuperDave** · 20th September 2005, 15:50

Originally Posted by Albin

What do you mean? Can you explain why etc?

I'll give you cookies...

In the event of a seizure, covering the clutch will allow you to come out without first meeting the tarmac.

**Ixion** · 20th September 2005, 15:59

Originally Posted by Albin

What do you mean? Can you explain why etc?

I'll give you cookies...

Two strokes may sometimes seize up (Now don't panic, it's not that common nowdays, but it does happen - ask Mr pyrocam).

If the motor seizes, the rear wheel will lock, which can be a tad awkward . Especially if it's mid corner. Covering the clutch (riding with your open left hand resting on the lever) means you can pull in the clutch to unlock the wheel (the motor will remain locked up of course) that bit more quickly. When they seize , you usually don't get much warning.

Don't panic over this, people often ride two smokers for thousands of kilometres without a seizure. But it definately can happen, so it's as well to be prepared.

Do remember too, that the motor is designed , deliberately, to burn oil. So the level in the oil tank WILL drop , and can do so surprisingly fast. So it's as well to get in the habit of checking and refilling every time you get petrol (use a good two stroke oil NOT ordinary cage oil) . Personally , I like to be able to see a bit of smoke, 'tis reassuring like.

Some older riders advocate covering the clutch on 4 strokes as well. I suppose there's nothing wrong with it , but to my mind the likelihood nowdays of a four stroke seizing is very very remote. As I said, it's mainly an old fogy thing, from the days of shit lubricants and the early aluminium pistons (I know old riders who still maintain that cast iron pistons were better, but that's another story)

**SlowHand** · 20th September 2005, 19:08

2 stroke oil thing - yeah, I had an RX7 once before it drunk me under the table. "they're thirsty" someone said, I thought, "they cant be THAT bad". Now I've learned to listen.

Mystery solved then. I thought I had to get it covered, with bark buster thing or some kind of flywheel/clutch protecter. i will definately make it a habit to cover the clutch. At the moment Im so occupied with gears, breaks, throttle, I cant feel the bike like i can feel a car - you know, feeling where the weight is, what wheels doing what etc.

**Flyingpony** · 20th September 2005, 20:07

Originally Posted by Ixion

And COVER THE CLUTCH

Have covered the clutch since I learnt to ride oh so many years ago, it just feels perfectly natural and relaxed. It's also an insurance policy when under heavy (emergency) brakes, especially in the wet, against sudden engine stalls. Besides that, every five seconds I've a gear shift before hitting 55km/hr in fifth, makes wrapping the hand back and forth around the grips pointless.

Originally Posted by Albin

At the moment Im so occupied with gears, breaks, throttle, I cant feel the bike like i can feel a car - you know, feeling where the weight is, what wheels doing what etc.

In good time, these will become second nature and you'll start to feel what your bike is doing beneath you.

First thing to do is relax and listen to the feedback you're getting from the bike, so find a quiet street and practise detecting just the slightest touch of rear/front brake, try changing direction by placing more weight on one side of the bars and/or foot pegs, and again do this in corners. Weave around imaginary road cones. Without using the speedometer, try guessing your speed by just listening to your engine and knowing which gear you're in. Try knocking off exactly 2km without looking. Next time you're in slow start-stop traffic, try not to stop - it's a balancing act. Try counter-steering - scary at first but very powerful. When you see a stone/cat eye, try to get just your front or rear wheel to go over it but not the other, and detect the small bump(s) when either/both wheels go over it. There are so many games you can play to learn the feel of your bike, these are just some of them.

**jimdaworm** · 21st September 2005, 07:15

Wicked bike. They are a LOT of fun

. Watch out for the wind though and make sure you use some half decent 2 stroke oil in it.

Probably want to at least take off the power valve cover and clean out all the muck... apparently you should pull out and clean the power valves too... I have been to scared to soo far.

When I first got mine and pulled of the pv cover it was full of black muck and the two springs that were supposed to help the powervalves were floating around and the clip supposed to be holding them in was broken.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13898

Have fun!

**SlowHand** · 21st September 2005, 10:19

Im not really mechanically minded - well, Im too scared to rodger it, so dont really touch engines unless someone tells me that its ok - only "engine" stuff I've done is change the rocker cover gasket and a thermostat on a car. Is there a manual or something around for these bikes?