Major milestones: 100,000 miles!

[Watcher]

That's a lot of miles in just 7 short years.  Do you tour with it?


Nevermind, you mentioned you ride every day just commuting.  I'm headed that way now since I don't own a car anymore.


Have you ridden in snow?

[Slack]

Have you ridden in snow?

If there is any accumulation on the roads you will eventually fall. Hopefully no one runs over you, since they won't be able to quickly stop in the snow. And even if you don't go down, you'll be going so much slower then traffic it will be very dangerous.
But, if it's snowing but not sticking to the road, game on. Just be careful; it changes quickly. I dropped my KLR this winter when I went trough a shady section and hit ice.

[Big Rich]

A couple years ago I was working on a bike late at night in the garage. I finally turned the last bolt and was anxious to just take the bike around the block, so I opened the garage door and..... it was snowing HARD. Those huge snowflakes that are the size of half dollar coins... you know what I'm talking about. But the roads were dry so I took the bike out for a spin thru the neighborhood.

Riding a cycle at 2am with those huge snowflakes was one of my most memorable rides ever.

[noworries]

Well done.

[applecrew]

I've ridden in the snow, but only when it's not accumulating. Not a big fan of it because it reduces visibility. In the winter I'll wait till the roads are clear and dry. I have on a couple of occasions been surprised by a few patches of black ice. Once I needed a change of undies afterward. Talk about puckering up!!! I do not ride aggressively in the winter because of the possibility.

I have ridden across larger patches of ice, too, and have been prepared. I don't care what's behind me - I will slow down real slow and ride with both feet out.  I personally don't like doing it, but you need to be safe.

My daily commute is 70 miles round-trip, mostly highway. It's awesome on some of the rural roads around here!

[cWj]

You guys have reminded me that I, in fact, have technically ridden in snow. The first December I had the bike, I got caught in a the beginnings of a dusting going across the Verrazano Narrows. That actually wasn't so big a deal. The WINDS were a different story.

congrats on the hunnerd grande.

[applecrew]

 

Current mileage 100985. I think my ride home tonight will be the final curtain call for my motor.  Tuesday afternoon as I stopped at a Lowe's near my house
I noticed the oil pressure light started blinking at me while idling when the motor was very hot. Since I was near my oil change being due, I changed the oil last night going from 10W-40 to 15W-40, thinking that might help.

Alas it appears that this did not help. This morning on my way in to work, once the motor was good and hot, the light started blinking at idle again, followed by a short rattling sound that only occurs at idle. Knowing that the oil change did not work as desired and the appearance of a very new rattling noise, this indicates (to me) that bearing surfaces are worn to the limit and that this is a death rattle.

Going to park her tonight and try to figure out what my options are. I have a few leads on a used motor, but crap they are not cheap - getting quotes around $1000 for a used unit in running condition. It might be worth my time to tear it down to see what the damage is. Or a new ride...

I love my GS, I would also love a new ride... but in the end tt's going o be a purely economic decision.

[gsJack]

My 02 GS is parked with 101025 miles on it so make sure you go at least 41 more miles tonight before you park it or you'll end up in 2nd place.      Mine is parked due to age, mine not the GSs. 

I heard my jugs rattling when very hot summer before last and replaced the 15W-40 oil I has used for most of the 100k miles with some 20W-50 and didn't hear anymore piston rattle.  An oil pressure light coming on at idle when very hot isn't necessarily a fatal problem, cars did that frequently years ago with a lot less mileage.  Your OK as long as light goes out soon as you pick up the idle a bit.  Could be some 20W-50 would keep it out.

Could be your rattle is something else, on my first ride last year I heard a rattle as I came to a stop.  It rattled loudly at idle but never above 2-3k rpm.  Finally figured out it was a loose starter clutch, repaired it, and no rattle since so make sure what your rattle is before giving up on it.

[applecrew]

My 02 GS is parked with 101025 miles on it so make sure you go at least 41 more miles tonight before you park it or you'll end up in 2nd place.    

Well put! It's about 35 miles to home from here, so if I make it, I might try for a few more!  Can't really tell where the rattle is from yet - I will definitely research it because it is a new sound that started this morning! I have several thoughts on this issue and I don't want to give up on her quite yet but I may have to start tearing her down to get a better picture. My immediate suspicion is the cam journals on the head; I could see what looked like some metal in the oil I changed out last night. I never thought steel on aluminum was a great idea for a bearing surface, but what the hell - 100,000 miles tells me it wasn't that terrible an idea.

We'll see and keep your fingers crossed for me!