bahhhh

[inexplicable718]

bahhh

[inexplicable718]

and thankx to everyone that replied to my previous thread..

[ineedanap]

I think your chain needs some attention.  

The only color I like more than black is bright orange.  Great choice.  Nice ride.  

[inexplicable718]

I think your chain needs some attention.  

The only color I like more than black is orange.  Looks really good on a GS.  Nice!!!

[Bluesmudge]

The only experience you are going to gain by riding with that chain is how to call roadside assistance (or friend with truck). If you don't know much about motorcycles I recommend you get a service manual for your bike so that you can stay on top of maintenance. Most things are very easy with the GS and it is a fun learning experience. I just don't like the look of that chain.

Nice bike by the way!

[inexplicable718]

The only experience you are going to gain by riding with that chain is how to call roadside assistance (or friend with truck). If you don't know much about motorcycles I recommend you get a service manual for your bike so that you can stay on top of maintenance. Most things are very easy with the GS and it is a fun learning experience. I just don't like the look of that chain.

Nice bike by the way!

Thanks man... Great advice... i will take it to the motorcycle shop and try to get it fixed.. This is my first bike so i dont know much !

[Bluesmudge]

Any idea how many miles are on that chain? Its possible that if it rusted recently that some WD-40 and a toothbrush could fix it up fine. But if its a high milage chain that has been sitting and rusting for awhile...yeah, replace it.

[inexplicable718]

No idea. This bike has 9 thousand miles on it (i am guessing that the chain wasn't replaced with this bike) ...which is nothing... The middle part of the chain is pretty clean..just the outside looks rusty. I think this bike has been sitting for a long time and that is why the chain is rusty and also the tires were kinda flat. You think i can take my toothbrush and get the rust out? I am also not sure about the oil change? should i get it done or wait for 3 thousand miles and then get the oil change?  thankx a lot man. 

[mister]

Nice 

Give the WD40 and old toothbrush a whirl on the chain. You'll quickly discover whether the rust is small surface rust.

My rule of thumb with 2nd hand stuff is... change the oil & filter as first job, spark plugs second job.

If the bike had been sitting so long the tires went flat, I'd also check two things....

Thing # 1: WHEN the tire was made. Look for a shape that's like a rectangle with round corners and which has 4 numbers in it. Mine has PAF 3308. Which means the tire was made in the 33rd week of 2008. So look for DOT followed by maybe some letters and numbers in combination, then the curved rectangle numbers. Prior to 2000 the number was 3 digits long.

Thing # 2: Look for rubber degradation - does the tire look cracked along the sidewall?

I'm guessing the tires probably aren't the best and may need replacing. But they might be fine. Need to double check them as you will be depending on them.

But really do something about that chain. Worst thing to happen is you break the chain while riding down the road.

Thanks for the pics!

Michael

[inexplicable718]

Nice 

Give the WD40 and old toothbrush a whirl on the chain. You'll quickly discover whether the rust is small surface rust.

My rule of thumb with 2nd hand stuff is... change the oil & filter as first job, spark plugs second job.

If the bike had been sitting so long the tires went flat, I'd also check two things....

Thing # 1: WHEN the tire was made. Look for a shape that's like a rectangle with round corners and which has 4 numbers in it. Mine has PAF 3308. Which means the tire was made in the 33rd week of 2008. So look for DOT followed by maybe some letters and numbers in combination, then the curved rectangle numbers. Prior to 2000 the number was 3 digits long.

Thing # 2: Look for rubber degradation - does the tire look cracked along the sidewall?

I'm guessing the tires probably aren't the best and may need replacing. But they might be fine. Need to double check them as you will be depending on them.

But really do something about that chain. Worst thing to happen is you break the chain while riding down the road.

Thanks for the pics!

Michael

Yeah i will try to clean the chain tomorrow and if i cant then i will replace it.

Tires are pretty good. There is still a lot of rubber left in em.

Not sure about oil and filter so i might also change that but its already winter here so i might wait till next summer.

Thanks for the advice man!!!!

[dohabee]

Change the oil and filter, it is cheap and easy to do. If you want to be lazy just drain and refill the oil and don't worry about the filter this time.

At least check the oil level. Put the bike on the center stand and check level with the cap all the way unscrewed.

your chain =  I would scrub all the rust off and lube it before you ride again.


I like the orange paint it looks awesome!

[inexplicable718]

Any idea how many miles are on that chain? Its possible that if it rusted recently that some WD-40 and a toothbrush could fix it up fine. But if its a high milage chain that has been sitting and rusting for awhile...yeah, replace it.

Hey man, i went to the bike shop today and told him that i will use wd-40 and a toothbrush on my chain and he goes "you should slap the guy who told you that" because that will mess up your chain and you need to get a chain cleaner and spray it on chain instead. I dont know ? can anyone tell me that if i use wd40 on my chain it will be alright?

[inexplicable718]

Change the oil and filter, it is cheap and easy to do. If you want to be lazy just drain and refill the oil and don't worry about the filter this time.

At least check the oil level. Put the bike on the center stand and check level with the cap all the way unscrewed.

your chain =  I would scrub all the rust off and lube it before you ride again.


I like the orange paint it looks awesome!

Dude, you know what i did? i took it to the bike shop (worst thing ever) the guy charged me 104 dollars along with filter. Thats really expensive (or is it normal price for NYC?) .. maybe i should have done it myself but someone told me that i should go to the shop for the first time etc (stupid me)

What should i lube the chain with?

yeah i like the paint 2.. thanks man!!!!!

[inexplicable718]

Nice 

Give the WD40 and old toothbrush a whirl on the chain. You'll quickly discover whether the rust is small surface rust.

My rule of thumb with 2nd hand stuff is... change the oil & filter as first job, spark plugs second job.

If the bike had been sitting so long the tires went flat, I'd also check two things....

Thing # 1: WHEN the tire was made. Look for a shape that's like a rectangle with round corners and which has 4 numbers in it. Mine has PAF 3308. Which means the tire was made in the 33rd week of 2008. So look for DOT followed by maybe some letters and numbers in combination, then the curved rectangle numbers. Prior to 2000 the number was 3 digits long.

Thing # 2: Look for rubber degradation - does the tire look cracked along the sidewall?

I'm guessing the tires probably aren't the best and may need replacing. But they might be fine. Need to double check them as you will be depending on them.

But really do something about that chain. Worst thing to happen is you break the chain while riding down the road.

Thanks for the pics!

Michael

hey Michael. As you would know already by my previous posts that i went to the bike shop today. The guy told me that i have a lot of cracks on my tires sides even though there is a lot of rubber left on em. Should i keep riding it or do i really have to change em ? what if i am riding and all of a sudden the tires pops? can i get into an accident or anything like that?

Thanks again

[annguyen1981]

those cracks are an indication of tire rot if I remember correctly.  The shops are technically supposed to fail your safety inspection, but some shops are more relaxed than others.

[inexplicable718]

those cracks are an indication of tire rot if I remember correctly.  The shops are technically supposed to fail your safety inspection, but some shops are more relaxed than others.

yea i got lucky(ahem). But u havent answered any of my questions. High 5!!! how long will these tires last if i ride em constantly? bare in mind that it has a few cracks ..

[dohabee]

those cracks are an indication of tire rot if I remember correctly.  The shops are technically supposed to fail your safety inspection, but some shops are more relaxed than others.

yea i got lucky(ahem). But u havent answered any of my questions. High 5!!! how long will these tires last if i ride em constantly? bare in mind that it has a few cracks ..

You never really know how long they will last which is why it is recommended to replace them.

I wouldn't risk it on a bike but the dry rotted tires on my truck lasted for a couple years.

Post some pictures of the cracked tires, maybe someone will have a recommendation for you.

[inexplicable718]

those cracks are an indication of tire rot if I remember correctly.  The shops are technically supposed to fail your safety inspection, but some shops are more relaxed than others.

yea i got lucky(ahem). But u havent answered any of my questions. High 5!!! how long will these tires last if i ride em constantly? bare in mind that it has a few cracks ..

You never really know how long they will last which is why it is recommended to replace them.

I wouldn't risk it on a bike but the dry rotted tires on my truck lasted for a couple years.

Post some pictures of the cracked tires, maybe someone will have a recommendation for you.

Thanks buddy! i will try to take the pix (of the cracks) tomorrow and post em up!

Do you have any recommendations on what i should use on my chain? wd-40 wont hurt it?

[dohabee]

The recommended cleaner is kerosene.

Some people say wd-40 is bad for the o-rings in the chain and it washes away the grease but other people think it is ok.

[inexplicable718]

The recommended cleaner is kerosene.

Some people say wd-40 is bad for the o-rings in the chain and it washes away the grease but other people think it is ok.

okay..yeah i was doing my own search and i came across this

"Saw your article on using WD-40 for chains and you asked for evidence of potential harm that WD-40 can do, so am attaching a photo. This photo is of a bearing surface from an airplane.
This is a ball and races in a sealed bearing that had been subjected to regular use of WD-40 for a year or two.  The grease was NOT cleaned out before taking this photo - there simply is no grease and the brownish tint is really rust.

The ball had grooves (visible) and was shaped like a potato chip.  The races had not evenly worn (see sectioned edge) and were rutted in spots, although neither shows too well.

We learned that WD-40 is really good for the light uses that it was intended for and that needs to be emphasized.  However, it is largely a penetrant, which will do just that!

Once it penetrates into the sealed area, it dissolves the petroleum out of the grease, leaving the clay binders.  What's left in the bearing is essentially dirt that cakes up, causing the balls to skid.  Without the petroleum, the bearing will also rust.

The reason that kerosene and diesel fuel are still favorites and recommended by the chain people is that while both can be penetrants, they are a thicker petroleum and just what the O-rings are trying to seal against.  Of course, gasoline cleans about the same, but with thinner viscosity and better penetrating power.  In all honesty, I still use gas to clean (I'm lazy), but don't beat the bike often, regularly measure for linkage stretch and sprocket wear, and re-lube on every other tank of gas."

Moral of the story is to not use WD-40 for cleaning motorcycle chains.  Does anyone know of a better product that is specifically designed for cleaning a motorcycle chain without dissolving the grease behind the O-rings?


i guess i am just going to use the lube for it. THanks a lot man!