Motorcycle Questions......

[Jim Becker]

Duluth Trading has some nice high-visibility gear available...although no overalls...

[Dennis Peacock]

Duluth Trading has some nice high-visibility gear available...although no overalls...

Nice stuff...but no hi-vis overalls. I guess I'll have to get the LOML to make me a pair.

[Al Willits]

""""""""
Ive used this many times in splitting lanes in LA, people move right over.
Thanks for calling me a moron too... Appreciate it. Maybe your just a bit cranky when it comes to loud things.
""""""
No, just tired of getting pulled over by cops who are PO'd at bikers who think waking citizens up at 3 am is cool, or blasting by them with open pipes at full throttle scary the crap out of them.
If your one one these, the name fits.
Buy a better horn, they are out there, been putting them on bikes for 40 years now.
I'm not buying the louder is better, put the mufflers back on and learn how to drive.

Al

[Lee DeRaud]

Buy a better horn, they are out there, been putting them on bikes for 40 years now.

And a really loud horn is a lot cheaper than a loud set of pipes. (Especially if you factor in tickets.)

The louder horn is probably equally useless for waking up the oblivious twit in the adjacent lane driving with one hand and half a brain as he jabbers away on his cellphone, but at least it doesn't annoy the snot out of everyone nearby for the entire duration of your ride.

[Brad Schmid]

1. What type and brand of oil is the best for a motorcycle engine that wont impact the clutch? (Honda Shadow) Oil Filter too while we're on this subject.

In my Harley, I use HD ScreaminEagle Syn3 20/50. It's designed for use in the engine/transmission/primary. I never need to worry about stocking different fluids for different purposes. Not sure about Honda though...

2. What's the best way to clean the chrome and painted surfaces?
Probably a very subjective question I just use Harley chrome cleaner because I have a tube. I'm sure most brands are about the same. Same for cleaners, soaps, waxes. I use alot of HD products just because so everyone else at home knows it's for the bike and they won't mess with it But the Maguires, etc that I use on the cars would work just as well i'm sure.

3. I assume that standard car wax will work fine on chrome exhaust pipes?

I don't wax the pipes (or anything else that gets over several hundred degrees). I don't really see any point... Wax won't hold up to that for more than a few seconds. In fact, my experience has been that if there is any type of contaminate on chrome and then it gets heated to extreme exhaust temperatures, it causes "bluing" on the chrome. I havn't had problems with heatshields bluing, but definitely pipes...

4. For those that ride to/from work....how are you making yourself more "visible" to all those driving cars/trucks to better your safety?

First - I ride every day (with heavy lightning being the only possible exception), and I ride like everyone is trying to kill me and assume no-one can see me.

Second - I have a deal with my 2 kid's: I always wear a helmet, armored jacket (silver with glow-in-the-dark piping for visibility), leather gloves and boots, and kevlar jeans. In return, they must always wear a helmet on their bicycle, and helmet + pads if they're skateboarding or some such thing. I could probably become a bit more visible by changing from a black helmet to white or yellow or something, which I may do when it's time to replace it again.

Third - Also, I'm in the habit of "flashing" my brake lights when stopping. From experience, it's much more noticeable to the driver behind me if those lights are flashing, and not just steady on.

[David H. Mitchell]

I use the Honda Synthetic oil and Honda filters.
As far as cleaning I use a product called Bomb. It is great on the chrome
and the Tupperware(plastic).

I use a headlight modulator, it does help. On the rear wig wag tail lights. If
those fail, my airhorns.

Dave

[Craig D Peltier]

""""""""
Ive used this many times in splitting lanes in LA, people move right over.
Thanks for calling me a moron too... Appreciate it. Maybe your just a bit cranky when it comes to loud things.
""""""
No, just tired of getting pulled over by cops who are PO'd at bikers who think waking citizens up at 3 am is cool, or blasting by them with open pipes at full throttle scary the crap out of them.
If your one one these, the name fits.
Buy a better horn, they are out there, been putting them on bikes for 40 years now.
I'm not buying the louder is better, put the mufflers back on and learn how to drive.

Al

Have you ever seen grumpier old men? Are you related?

[Dennis Peacock]

Easy now gents.....I didn't ask this question to start the ever hotly debated issues of loud versus quiet pipes for motorcycles. Let's stay off the loud/quiet pipe conversation, ok??!

[Jason Roehl]

Okay, Dennis. But I-4 engines are better than V-twins anyday...

[Lee DeRaud]

Okay, Dennis. But I-4 engines are better than V-twins anyday...

And V4s are better than either.

[JayStPeter]

Easy now gents.....I didn't ask this question to start the ever hotly debated issues of loud versus quiet pipes for motorcycles. Let's stay off the loud/quiet pipe conversation, ok??!

Sheesh, take the synthetic vs. dino oil question to a motorcycle forum. Sorta like an EZ vs. Festool subject .

[Mike DeHart]

1. Most synthetic oils don't do well with clutches. There was one weight of Mobil 1 that was actually OK (and for some reason had different friction modifiers than the other weights). I wish I could remember which one, but I didn't use it. I usually used a synthetic blend motorcycle specific oil (Golden Spectro or similar). You need to find a MC shop that isn't a dealer and sells the stuff in gallon jugs. Still pricey, but way less than quarts from a dealer.

I believe it was nicknamed redcap. If you find a synthetic without friction modifiers you should be ok.

[Barry Reade]

Okay, Dennis. But I-4 engines are better than V-twins anyday...

My KTM 950 and a bunch of Ducati's would disagree

[Mike DeHart]

from the mobil site:

So how is Mobil 1 for passenger cars different from Mobil 1 for motorcycles?

First, let's be clear about Mobil 1's overall benefits compared to those of conventional motor oils, whether for passenger cars or motorcycles:
Superior long-term engine protection.
Superior high-temperature stability.
Excellent low-temperature starting.
Outstanding engine performance.
Low volatility/low oil consumption
It's a little hard to generalize about the difference between Mobil 1 passenger-car motor oils and Mobil 1 motorcycle oils. That's because not all viscosities of Mobil 1 passenger-car oils have the same levels of zinc and phosphorus, and there are even greater differences among the three Mobil 1 motorcycle oils. In general, Mobil 1 motorcycle oils have:
Additive packages balanced differently for motorcycle engine and transmission operation. For passenger vehicles, fuel economy and emission system protection are higher priorities. These require low phosphorus systems and the use of friction modifiers. Motorcycle oils do not require friction modifiers for fuel economy and for better clutch friction less/no friction modifier is optimum. Motorcycle oils allow the use of higher levels of antiwear additives such as ZDDP (phosphorous).
(Updated December 2007)

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...AQs.aspx#FAQs2

[Barry Reade]

And V4s are better than either.

Lee, what kind of V-4 do you have?