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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: kisner33 on May 13, 2010, 01:16:15 PM

Title: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: kisner33 on May 13, 2010, 01:16:15 PM
Some of you may have seen my other post regarding how my brother removed the fork cap on my bike and how I ordered a new one.  The local bike shop is roughly 2 miles away from me on flat back roads.  Now, my question is, is it WAY too unsafe to drive at extremely low speeds and bad for the bike with no spacers + fork caps on the bike?  One of the caps is off so I was debating removing the other to even it out and ride it extremely slowly to the shop and leave it there for them to go over the bike and fix any other problems, aside from the obvious.  In case some of you didn't see, here is the pic ::


(http://i42.tinypic.com/muj0yb.jpg)
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: OilSooner on May 13, 2010, 01:19:12 PM
dude, no.

If you have to ask if its too dangerous, then you already know the answer.

rent a uhaul for 29.00 a day if you have to, throw it in the back, and drive it up there.

good luck
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: kisner33 on May 13, 2010, 01:24:48 PM
closest uhaul is 40 miles away and cheapest is $80 from them lol...worst case i will, but i thought i'd ask to see if driving 20mph on backroads for 2 miles was possible.
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: Junkie on May 13, 2010, 01:28:15 PM
2 miles and don't wanna rent a uhaul? push it...
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: OilSooner on May 13, 2010, 01:29:32 PM
Quote from: Junkie on May 13, 2010, 01:28:15 PM
2 miles and don't wanna rent a uhaul? push it...

This is actually what I was thinking as a free alternative.

You dont know anyone with a truck?

Must not live in the South.   :icon_razz:
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: xanthras on May 13, 2010, 01:49:35 PM
Don't ride that man. Find someone with a pickup.
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: twelvepoint on May 13, 2010, 02:07:30 PM
Get your brother to push it there
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: plurpimpin on May 13, 2010, 03:15:50 PM
call up one of your buddies with a truck and buy him a case of beer. that's what I always do  :thumb:
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: tt_four on May 13, 2010, 03:24:05 PM
Well the worst of all the ideas was removing the internals from the left side to even it out. Right now you're running at 50% suspension. If you took the other side out you'd be riding at 0% suspension. Riding there with one side is the kind of thing I would do, but that's not saying it's a good idea. If I could make it the entire way without having a car pull behind me to interrupt me from going 15-20mph I'd give it a shot, but seriously 2miles is like a 35-40 minute walk. You wouldn't even have to push the bike. You could turn it on and just gently let out the clutch so it would pull itself there if you got tired. I definitely vote truck. Did you call the dealership?? I'd bet they have a shop truck and they'll come pick it up for a fee, that your brother has to pay anyway.

Did you really never find the stuff he pulled out??
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: Paulcet on May 13, 2010, 04:55:27 PM
Quote from: twelvepoint on May 13, 2010, 02:07:30 PM
Get your brother to push it there
:thumb:
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: burning1 on May 13, 2010, 05:36:25 PM
Buy the fork cap, bring it home, screw it down. Ride the bike to the shop, and have them inspect it.

Riding with the forks open like that is a bad idea. Riding with both forks off is a very bad idea.
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: werase643 on May 13, 2010, 05:38:30 PM
go for it :thumb:


we always need new parts bikes
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: pandy on May 13, 2010, 06:19:20 PM
Desperate times call for desperate measure....  :icon_mrgreen:

(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a146/pandyz/crx.jpg)
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: black and silver twin on May 13, 2010, 07:47:30 PM
you would destroy the valving by bottoming it out constantly, cant you just drive/catch a ride to the dealer?
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: kisner33 on May 13, 2010, 10:02:07 PM
Quote from: tt_four on May 13, 2010, 03:24:05 PM
Well the worst of all the ideas was removing the internals from the left side to even it out. Right now you're running at 50% suspension. If you took the other side out you'd be riding at 0% suspension. Riding there with one side is the kind of thing I would do, but that's not saying it's a good idea. If I could make it the entire way without having a car pull behind me to interrupt me from going 15-20mph I'd give it a shot, but seriously 2miles is like a 35-40 minute walk. You wouldn't even have to push the bike. You could turn it on and just gently let out the clutch so it would pull itself there if you got tired. I definitely vote truck. Did you call the dealership?? I'd bet they have a shop truck and they'll come pick it up for a fee, that your brother has to pay anyway.

Did you really never find the stuff he pulled out??

The part has been ordered already, but it's coming from factory so it's going to take like 10 days...curious, how hard is it to screw the fork cap down if I have the suspension completely unloaded?  I'm gonna do my best to see if i can find one of my friends who has a truck, though I just figured I'd ask if it was possible to do this without doing much damage to the bike. 

As for the part, the only part actually never found was the fork cap.
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: gregvhen on May 13, 2010, 10:25:23 PM
would it really be bad to ride with both off? cause i mean it would bottom out once and stay there ya konw, like a cruiser with no suspension, i would think 2 miles at bottomed out wouldnt be bad, especially since its not unloading and bottoming, unloading and bottoming etc... its, it drops down easy as he pulls the cap off, and he rides rigid for 2 miles, hows it that hard on the bike? he said its all flat smoothe road
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: jrains89 on May 13, 2010, 11:55:26 PM
ok. you are smashing two pieces of aluminum together that aren't supposed to be in contact, constantly, tiny bumps in the road will make them grind and bounce. 350ish pounds of force juts over and over bashing. the forks are there to KEEP the front end from being rigid. but hey i'm just another guy on the internet
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: the mole on May 14, 2010, 01:27:39 AM
Here's an idea:

Put the bike exactly where it was when your brother pulled the cap off, then undo the other one and see where it goes, you should find two there! At least it'll narrow the search area.

If you go really slowly and avoid potholes its probably OK to ride it to the dealer, better if you leave the other fork together. But if you just tell them to look it over, you don't know really how much work they'll do for the money they charge you. Better to wait for the part to arrive, and in the meantime check it over yourself. Bikes are pretty easy to work on, just check for loose bolts etc, adjust chain, align rear wheel, check fluids. Then you can start on the motor if you feel up to it. Otherwise take it to the shop to get a service.
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: sledge on May 14, 2010, 05:48:00 AM
If getting the bike to the shop is such a problem why not ask the mechanic to come out to you.........or am I thinking too hard?
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: tt_four on May 14, 2010, 07:03:54 AM
I might've already read this part and forgot, but why aren't you just picking the part up and screwing it back in yourself? Replacing the fork springs is one fo the first mods a lot of new guys here. You can follow the 2nd half of the instructions in the wiki and be on your way in half an hour. While they're open you might as well pull open the other side and just replace all the oil in the forks too.
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: kisner33 on May 14, 2010, 07:51:56 AM
Quote from: the mole on May 14, 2010, 01:27:39 AM
Here's an idea:

Put the bike exactly where it was when your brother pulled the cap off, then undo the other one and see where it goes, you should find two there! At least it'll narrow the search area.

This was the first thing I tried, no such luck   :mad: I spent a little over 2.5 hours tearing up the garage looking for it...it's in there somewhere, just have no clue where.  

Quote from: tt_four on May 14, 2010, 07:03:54 AM
I might've already read this part and forgot, but why aren't you just picking the part up and screwing it back in yourself? Replacing the fork springs is one fo the first mods a lot of new guys here. You can follow the 2nd half of the instructions in the wiki and be on your way in half an hour. While they're open you might as well pull open the other side and just replace all the oil in the forks too.
The part's missing, I ordered a new one.
Title: Re: Is this too dangerous?
Post by: tt_four on May 14, 2010, 09:33:52 AM
Quote from: kisner33 on May 14, 2010, 07:51:56 AM


Quote from: tt_four on May 14, 2010, 07:03:54 AM
I might've already read this part and forgot, but why aren't you just picking the part up and screwing it back in yourself? Replacing the fork springs is one fo the first mods a lot of new guys here. You can follow the 2nd half of the instructions in the wiki and be on your way in half an hour. While they're open you might as well pull open the other side and just replace all the oil in the forks too.
The part's missing, I ordered a new one.

But after the new part comes in, it sounds like without a truck it would be a lot easier for you just to go to the dealership, pick up the part, and come home and fix it, rather then trying to get the bike to the dealership. It sounds to me like you're trying to rip out the kitchen sink just so you can carry it over to fill your cup, you know?