MyBB Motorcycle Owners Thread

[KingMikel]

What has your experience there been?

I quite like the guys, and if they have stock that's fantastic. Just hope you don't have to order anything, they just never phone you back.

Bikerswarehouse are sheisters - they'll say whatever they have to, to get the sale.

Randburg motorcycles is nice, if you don't need it urgently.

I quite like Linex and Motomate though. It also seems like they at least stock something different whereas the rest all stock the same stuff.

This is for buying stuff only. Technical stuff happens privately.

Guts & Gas have supplied and fitted the following for me, which is why I'll keep punting & supporting them.
-Givi Tank Bag
-AGV AX-8 Carbon Fury Naked & black visor
-Smoked visor & pinlock for my Shoei GT-Air
-A/S SP-5 * 2
-A/S SMX-1 Stella
-2x Michelin PR 4s
-Chain & sprockets
-Brakes
-Hip pads for my Oxford Spartan jeans.
-Oxford undergarments

Most of the stuff was ordered, and I wait at most 2 days.

 

[SauRoNZA]

There was nothing to follow, as this is the first time I'm mentioning it.

Basically, there is an issue whereby the bike has trouble starting for the first time in the day. I had lots of trouble this morning, and this late evening it started perfectly. I suspect I need to understand the issue better, hence mechanic on Monday. I honestly don't know much about cars and bikes, etc, so will update with technical information once I have it. But practically, trouble starting in the morning, fine for the remainder of the day.

Sounds like the battery might just be poked or lacking In a proper charge.

I bet the previous owner hasn’t ridden it for a while and then only in short bursts, not enough to really charge it.

Is it only in the morning? Starts again in the afternoon when heading home from work?

****

Well scratch that. If it’s cranking every time it’s not the battery.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Guts & Gas have supplied and fitted the following for me, which is why I'll keep punting & supporting them.
-Givi Tank Bag
-AGV AX-8 Carbon Fury Naked & black visor
-Smoked visor & pinlock for my Shoei GT-Air
-A/S SP-5 * 2
-A/S SMX-1 Stella
-2x Michelin PR 4s
-Chain & sprockets
-Brakes
-Hip pads for my Oxford Spartan jeans.
-Oxford undergarments

Most of the stuff was ordered, and I wait at most 2 days.

Haha! Ok cool. So I'll mark off my experiences as outliers and give them another chance when I next something. I'm riding around with one of their stickers anyway.

 

[SauRoNZA]

It does two things (and I say this based on only one experience with the bike this morning, so pinch of salt) most of the time it takes, and then fizzles out, occasionally not taking, but the starter motor (I'm assuming) making a noise. Turns out, the trick was to A) put the bike in gear and move it a bit, and B) provide some throttle as it was taking (which I'd been warned against due to the risk of flooding the engine).

This was at eight thirty or so this morning - After 11 hours in a cool underground garage it started first thing, no issues this evening.

Hang hang on.

This bike will have a manual choke then. Well that or a broken automatic one.

Did the owner show you how to use that? There should be no need to apply any throttle and that’s how flooding does happen yes.

 

[SauRoNZA]

My pinlock insert is stuffed... (I guess, don't clean it with windolene....)

Any ideas where to get a new one sandton/randburg?
Ideally I'd actually like the auto-dimming one...

I actually seem to remember the Shoei website told me where to go.

Which brand of helmet?

Langston Racing can likely help or point you correctly.

 

[KingMikel]

I actually seem to remember the Shoei website told me where to go.

Which brand of helmet?

Langston Racing can likely help or point you correctly.

They do Bell & Shark. Bell don't do pinlocks as far as i know.

Haha! Ok cool. So I'll mark off my experiences as outliers and give them another chance when I next something. I'm riding around with one of their stickers anyway.

If they don't get back to you, please let me know. I'll rev them properly.

 

[kombi-man]

Sounds like the battery might just be poked or lacking In a proper charge.

I bet the previous owner hasn’t ridden it for a while and then only in short bursts, not enough to really charge it.

Is it only in the morning? Starts again in the afternoon when heading home from work?

****

Well scratch that. If it’s cranking every time it’s not the battery.

Not necessarily, if the batt voltage is low, the electronics might also struggle to power correctly. Injectors etc will then also struggle. Get the Batt out and give it a good, solid 24 hours charge on a proper charger, or better yet, replace batt. This will then also remove other doubts relating to the starter motor and if it's sticking or not.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

They do Bell & Shark. Bell don't do pinlocks as far as i know.



If they don't get back to you, please let me know. I'll rev them properly.

Unfortunately for them though, the DMD sale happened recently, so I'm stocked up on clothing. Will see if anything comes up though.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Not necessarily, if the batt voltage is low, the electronics might also struggle to power correctly. Injectors etc will then also struggle. Get the Batt out and give it a good, solid 24 hours charge on a proper charger, or better yet, replace batt. This will then also remove other doubts relating to the starter motor and if it's sticking or not.

Most of these electronic systems don't try to fire at all when that is the case. It just does nothing then.

This sounds more like a (mechanical) spark/fuel/air problem by the description.

 

[kombi-man]

It blows my mind how a limited number of other road users in their cars perceive motorcyclists as lower, or inferior, or poor, whatever the adjective may be, to them. Most of the time my daily commute is relatively smooth-going, but, on the odd occasion when it's particularly thick, how drivers will purposely close a gap that you're about to come through, or, for that matter, passing vehicles along the line, and some of them steer further across onto the lines, forcing you stop and wait until there's a big enough gap to go around them.. I no longer make a fuss about this attitude, as it's just not worth my time or the C-cells, but, the fact that people perceive you to be "pushing in" on a motor cycle, or, they feel as they have to sit in that queue of cars, so must you.

I've been commuting to work and back for the past 11 years now, and I must say, it's a VERY small percentage of drivers who do this, but, they exist. Be careful out there.

 

[BlackBiker]

It blows my mind how a limited number of other road users in their cars perceive motorcyclists as lower, or inferior, or poor, whatever the adjective may be, to them. Most of the time my daily commute is relatively smooth-going, but, on the odd occasion when it's particularly thick, how drivers will purposely close a gap that you're about to come through, or, for that matter, passing vehicles along the line, and some of them steer further across onto the lines, forcing you stop and wait until there's a big enough gap to go around them.. I no longer make a fuss about this attitude, as it's just not worth my time or the C-cells, but, the fact that people perceive you to be "pushing in" on a motor cycle, or, they feel as they have to sit in that queue of cars, so must you.

I've been commuting to work and back for the past 11 years now, and I must say, it's a VERY small percentage of drivers who do this, but, they exist. Be careful out there.

Im quite familiar wit this and when yo ask them why they are unable to give a clear answer and others just hate bikes and will attempt to run you off the road as if its your fault they loved ones/ friends died on motorcycles

 

[McSack]

Just accept that it is a privilege to be able to lane-split not a right and your problem goes away
Don't know where you okes are riding but in my experience the above-mentioned is a really-really-really small % of drivers. Think it might have happened to me like twice in 30 years of riding

 

[McSack]

Most of these electronic systems don't try to fire at all when that is the case. It just does nothing then.

This sounds more like a (mechanical) spark/fuel/air problem by the description.

Had a very similar issue on my 1200 Super Teneré. Battled to start in the morning but no issue after that 1st start even if the bike then stood the whole day
Replaced the battery with a Motobatt.... problem sorted

 

[SauRoNZA]

It blows my mind how a limited number of other road users in their cars perceive motorcyclists as lower, or inferior, or poor, whatever the adjective may be, to them. Most of the time my daily commute is relatively smooth-going, but, on the odd occasion when it's particularly thick, how drivers will purposely close a gap that you're about to come through, or, for that matter, passing vehicles along the line, and some of them steer further across onto the lines, forcing you stop and wait until there's a big enough gap to go around them.. I no longer make a fuss about this attitude, as it's just not worth my time or the C-cells, but, the fact that people perceive you to be "pushing in" on a motor cycle, or, they feel as they have to sit in that queue of cars, so must you.

I've been commuting to work and back for the past 11 years now, and I must say, it's a VERY small percentage of drivers who do this, but, they exist. Be careful out there.

The reality is that sadly the majority of them are exactly that...

Bottom dollar delivery bikes.
"Biker" club types who think they own the road and are usually of the lower scum variety.
N00bs who have no idea what's potting on bikes way too big for them.

While there are way more dickheads in cars roaming about, they don't flow through traffic and therefore aren't seen near as often.

 

[CT_Biker]

There was nothing to follow, as this is the first time I'm mentioning it.

Basically, there is an issue whereby the bike has trouble starting for the first time in the day. I had lots of trouble this morning, and this late evening it started perfectly. I suspect I need to understand the issue better, hence mechanic on Monday. I honestly don't know much about cars and bikes, etc, so will update with technical information once I have it. But practically, trouble starting in the morning, fine for the remainder of the day.

Does it have carbs?

How does it sound when it starts?

 

[copacetic]

Bike (not) starting.

 

[CT_Biker]

Bike (not) starting.

I'll have a listen in a bit - if you're based in Cape Town I could give you a hand with your maintenance.

 

[copacetic]

I'll have a listen in a bit - if you're based in Cape Town I could give you a hand with your maintenance.

I am based in Cape Town, and I would very much appreciate some help, as I'm a bit at sea to be honest.

 

[CT_Biker]

I am based in Cape Town, and I would very much appreciate some help, as I'm a bit at sea to be honest.

Basic mechanics is not difficult to learn. There are tons of resources one, but they are not suited for beginners.

It sounds like your battery is not holding charge, possibly a dead cell or two - take it for a second opinion though. I am guessing based on how it sounds.

Reason for it struggling to start in the morning is that your battery is losing charge while standing over night - the lengthy gap between rides is where you losing charge most likely.

 

[copacetic]

Basic mechanics is not difficult to learn. There are tons of resources one, but they are not suited for beginners.

It sounds like your battery is not holding charge, possibly a dead cell or two - take it for a second opinion though. I am guessing based on how it sounds.

I have now without a doubt killed the battery - Just tried now, and after a couple tries it is dead. Will get the AA to assist this afternoon, so I can at least go for a drive, charge the battery and get the bike home to fiddle with over the weekend.

That said, I think the general problem is more than a battery issue (unless the mechanic who was dealing with the bike most recently is incompetent, and having spoken to him, I did not get that impression at all), and I will get a better history after chatting to him on Monday.