GN 250 Problem

[paturoa]

Oh yeah, sorry!

One was that it might have been a choke issue - apparently new bikes can be pretty finickity with the choke and it might have just been throwing a wobbly (not sure about this one, since I did get it idling without the choke yesterday)

The other was the possibility of the petrol being a bit stale and just needing to get fuel circulating to flush the engine (or something like that, I'll play the "girl card" here)

Anyway, I figured it didn't hurt to try - seemed much happier today, so perhaps it was the fuel thing and all the idling yesterday managed to clear the problem?

Sounds OK, goes OK...that's OK!

excellent news

- choke, maybe but I doubt it as you point out it was idiling OK
- stale petrol is a good one - lol - not ("girl card" is banned at my place - been replaced with "haven't learnt that one yet" card)

You've probably got it right with idiling as this could clear things slowly, probably never know.

[sunhuntin]

cleaning: go to super cheap and in a fluro yellow tin is a product called "brite shine" or similar. use that on all chrome and also on the engine where muck gets in. also can be used on mirrors and light covers. avoid paint with it though.
for paint, i use pledge furniture clean....but the last can i bought has a fucked up sprayer and sprays everywhere BUT the rag
for muck that doesnt shift with easily, i spray a bit of cleaner on the chrome cleaner and use that.
also a big tin of good ol elbow grease! i love cleaning my bike and consider it a bonding time, where i see whats changed and things like that.

next time the bike is sitting for a period, start her at least once a week. ive had mine sitting for a week at the longest, and started her once...she struggled, but got there in the end. ive never had troubles like what you described though....next service, get her checked thoroughly [sp?]

[Shadows]

Now my chrome is dirty - how do I clean it?

Chrome plate is usually only 0.25 - 0.5 microns thick and highly porous. If it is not properly cared for it will flake from the nickel and / or copper plate beneath it, and after that the steel beneath will soon rust through to the surface. And as for polish, most polish removes a thin layer from the surface being polished, and a thin layer is all you have!
Keeping it dry is not sufficient, the air (full of moisture/salt/oxygen) can still get at it. Always keep a thin coating of oil on it like CRC Longlife or CRC Marine (Normal CRC 5.56 or WD40 is a little too thin though). Spray it on and wipe it around with a soft rag, eventually the rag will be saturated, just keep on wiping.
Don't get it on your tyres or brake discs though!
The stuff gets into all the nooks and crannies normal cleaning/drying will never reach, it will actually drive out any moisture, and because it doesn't allow the air to get in, there is really no way the metals can oxidise.
It does attract dirt, but it just wipes off with the next application. Nothing will stick to the bike.
Buy it in bulk 4 or 5 litre packs, not in cans, a mechanical spray bottle full of the bulk stuff is heaps better to use than the canned crap and is cheaper in the long run. I found one spray can would only last about one and a half cleans especially on the first applications. Mind you, I basically cover my entire bike in it, not just the chromed parts, of which I have few.

And remember the right hand side of the front wheel makes a great little water trap at the bottom when your bike is on its side stand. The right side of the front rim is normally the first bit of chrome to start going bad as a result. You'll find with a chain driven bike that the chrome around the rear wheel rim will last the longest (though on most bikes you'd never guess) as it is always covered in chain oil, which, although it looks like shit, protects the chrome quite nicely.

[apteryx_haasti]

UPDATE - rode in from Eastbourne to Wellington this morning - excellent ride and a cage even let me into their lane when I was merging from the petone on ramp.

I do like the petone overbridge on a bike as opposed to a car -

Bike - go up the middle - sneak over to the rhs - merge into the motorway traffic

Cage - inch along - swear at truck that won't let you merge - finally merge - get on motorway - swear at truck that won't let you merge (repeat...)