ASK THE OLD BLOKE ?
One of our regular readers, Peter, suggested this. He reckoned that a page where people could write in with questions would be a good idea. I could try to answer them, but if the questions were put up on a separate page then all readers would be able to read them and offer any advice or assistance they were able to. So it provides a facility where I can help readers, but also where readers themselves can help each other!It’s a good idea, and something that has happened already through the Feedback pages; where a couple of readers have written to me asking for information and I’ve put their question on the Feedback page. So it's good to have a separate page just for this.The original idea was for questions of a mechanical nature, but it could also be questions on other matters; such as wanting to know my opinions (and that of other readers) on a particular bike, etc. As Peter described it, “A sort of Dorothy Dix, but with more class.”So here it is! How this works, is you can send an email by clicking the "email" button at the bottom of the page, (the address is theoldbloke_bikes@yahoo.com.au;) and I will publish the question, and whatever answer I might have come up with, on the page here. And if you see a question you can offer some help with, or even just an opinion, then send me an email and I will publish your reply.Note that letters may be edited for reasons of space, so if you think you can help but need more detail, just send me an email and I’ll provide whatever other information might’ve been in the original, or contact the person who sent in the question on your behalf.The question, and the reply, will remain on the page here, so it becomes a future reference for readers looking to see if anyone else has had a similar problem, or asked a similar question.Okay, so if you have a question … ask away! That’s what the page is here for!INTERMITTANT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM?
Peter wrote in with the first one to kick things off. And it’s a fairly curly one. His bike is a Yamaha XS1100, which has had a few mods to it. (You can see a pic of the bike, and read about some of the mods, near the top of the 2007 Feedback page). Here is his question.“My problem is I think electrical and I have had numerous people assess the issue, with little or no results. When I’m riding the Beast will cut out for no apparent reason. Pushing the start button will sometimes restart the motor, sometimes not; sometimes I can slip the clutch and get it back into life, sometimes not; on other occasions I have to stop and wait for a while and start it. This scenario doesn’t happen on all rides; and the weather, style of ride, distance of rides makes no difference.”He has replaced the battery a couple of times, but that hasn’t cured the problem. The problem goes back to the time of the re-build two years ago. He says, “On the day I picked up the bike, I rode home and then went to go out again and it failed to start (new battery back then too). I trailered it back to Show and Go where the coil was found to be faulty and replaced with what was available in their shed. Prior to the rebuild I can’t remember having the cutting-out issue, but the starting issue had been around or a while.”The Old Bloke's Reply:
Sounds a tricky problem! And a difficult one to answer – especially when others have had a look at it and not come up with a cure. One problem that can effect older bikes is loose or dirty connections in the wiring-loom. And that's something that could easily have been caused during the re-build. I’ve had this problem with an older bike. Like yours, Peter, mine was doing some weird things. A knowledgeable mechanic I took it to had experienced this with other older bikes and went looking for that. Cleaning and tightening the connections fixed the problem. So that could be the answer.Starting problems can also be fuel-related – particularly if the bike has been standing for a while. Apparently the fuel “goes off.” Another factor can be condensation in the tank. If the bike isn't used regularly the tank should be filled at the end of each ride, so it's kept full while standing. If the tank stands for any length of time not full, the moist air inside condenses and causes water in the fuel.Tracking it back to the rebuild again, it might be an idea to check that the coil Show & Go replaced is an equivalent item to original. If they just fitted one they had on the shelf and it didn't match original specs, that could cause a problem.So, there’s a couple of things to consider. Anyone else have any other ideas?Readers' Replies:
Doug was quick to offer a suggestion. As he said, with a modified bike the problem could be caused by a number of things. But he offers this suggestions. “If the bike is running lean or the timing is out it can run hot and cause the motor to miss and cut out after a while out on the road. It will then restart after it has cooled down. Check air filter connections, joins etc for air leaks.” He also suggests making sure the plugs are the correct heat-range. Another suggestion was trying a different fuel. He said he had trouble while running Premium 98-octane unleaded. Going back to 95-octone unleaded made a big difference. The XS would certainly be happy on 95 fuel, so that could be another thing to try. (If you’re running straight 91-octane unleaded I’d suggest going to the Premium 95).Possum used to have an XS1100, and says it developed a similar problem. He offers this suggestion. “Take off the engine cover where the vacuum operated advance & retard lives. You should see a yellow and a white wire, very fine wires they are. These wires carry a lot of current and can break internally without there being an obvious break in the covering plastic. For a while the system can shoot a spark across the break to continue operations. After a while the gap erodes and the problem similar to the one quoted occurs. My clever mechanic was able to locate the break, cut and rejoin the wires and bring the bike back to life.” So there’s another thing to try! 
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Tim, who lives in a fairly remote part of Tasmania, is just getting back into bikes. He’s been aiming towards big nakeds; in particular the Suzuki GSX1400 and Honda CB1300. He’ll be buying 2nd-hand “with a budget of about $10,000”. I had suggested he also consider the Yamaha XJR1300, as you can find the odd one that is very late model and very low kms for just that amount of money. (I know, because I’ve recently bought one!). But I think he preferred the Suzi or the Honda. Anyway, he wrote to tell me he’s going to go to Melbourne in 2 weeks to look at some bikes. He has one particular one in mind. “It’s a GSX1400, a private sale, 2001 model, 14,000ks, polished rims, Akrapovic exaust, immaculate (so they say), asking $8900. Interested in your comments on that one?” (That's not it in the photo).He is also planning on buying clothing and helmet while he’s there. He asks, “Can you recommend any stores I should look at or brands I should look for or keep away from? Budget for gear hopefully under a grand. Have been looking at Rjays gear, but not sure.”The Old Bloke’s Reply:
Good to hear you're getting closer to buying a bike, Tim. I know what it's like to be constantly searching the web-sites and not being able to decide! (I did that for nearly a year!).The bike sounds like a good choice if you're after that style bike. A couple of our readers have, or have had, those and loved them. (That's a photo of a reader's bike above). The price is a fair bit more than market-value, but of course with only 14,000km it's way below average mileage for that year-model. So if it is as immaculate as claimed it's probably still a good buy. Although you might have trouble insuring it for the amount you paid for it. I'd try negotiating it down a bit. Red Book market value is at least $,2000 less than the asking price, so use that as a point of negotiation.Clothing and gear is a big item! But you don't have to spend a fortune to get good stuff. Rjays is usually good quality and good value, so I think you're on the right track there. I like Dririder jackets, and some of their range is quite reasonably priced. (I also have a Rivet jacket, and they’re also good value). When it comes to helmets, you could easily blow your entire budget on that one item! But you don't have to. Cheap helmets - provided you get a full-face and it carries the appropriate approval - can actually be quite good; as recent tests in Britain have shown. The trick is to try to get a balance. (An $800 helmet and a denim jacket from a surf-shop is not a good combination!). Try to get reasonably good quality items in all gear - things that will do a good job but are at the budget end of the price range.As for stores, I'm not familiar with Melbourne stores. (Except Elizabeth St is full of 'em!). Perhaps some of our readers can help? On any of the subjects, bike or clothing?Readers' Replies:
Not a lot of reader response to this one, but Martin did write to comment on the importance of proper clothing. He says, “For me it's Draggin jeans or good quality leather, a jacket with built in armour, even if popping down to the local shops. Don't know about you folk, but I prefer my skin on my bones not on the bitumen!” Well said! Oh, and I might point out that Martin is from Queensland, where the hot weather is often used as an excuse for not wearing properly protective clothing.TALKING TORQUE
Ivor asked a question on the meaning of the terms “power” and “torque”. He thought he knew what they meant until he read a recent article. “In the current (Oct / Nov) issue of Motorcycle Trader, one of the staff wrote an article on power and torque; explaining what the terms mean. I thought I knew what they meant, but now I’m confused! I’ve always thought of power as what produces acceleration and top speed; and torque as pulling power, especially from low revs and on hills and under load. But the writer of the article said, ‘When you launch your bike, the thrust, the pull, the force you can feel, is torque. You can’t, however, feel power. Power is the effect of the acceleration that the torque delivers, over a period of time. As a rider, you can measure torque through the seat of your pants, but you’ll need a stopwatch to measure power.’ What’s your take on this, Old Bloke? ‘You can’t feel power’ - that can’t be right, can it?”The Old Bloke’s Reply:
I read the same article, and it confused me too! Discussions about power and torque, what they are and which is most important etc, go back to about the time the engine was first invented! But, like you, I thought I had a good understanding of what they were; or the effect of each. Without going into the specifics of how they were measured (which I do remember learning up on once), I've concentrated more on the concept of what effect each has on over-all performance. Like you, I thought of power as what makes a motor “fiery”, or responsive; and what gives it that top-end performance. Torque, by definition, is a rotational force; and to me, it’s the force that we call pulling power, especially, as you say, when under load or at low revs. I was content enough to leave it at that, and accept the confusion of the article. (Some amount of confusion seems to be an inevitable part of getting older!). But your question made me get back to basics and do some research so I could make sure I was giving you a correct answer.Basically, the article in Motorcycle Trader was right. Basically. Although it did say not to think of torque as a “twisting force,” which is exactly what it is! (They were just trying to be helpful by relating it to what happens at the back wheel). Torque is, as I said above, a rotational force. In an engine it’s the force that causes the crankshaft to rotate. It’s a form of leverage, measured in units of weight and distance; like pounds/feet, or kilogram/metre, Newton/metre, etcPower is the confusing one. To really understand this, we have to go back to where the term came from; and yes, it does have something to do with horses! Power is actually defined as “a rate of doing work.” James Watt was the guy who came up with a way to measure this rate of doing work. He did this by observing horses pulling coal up from a coal mine. He found that one horse could lift 550 pounds at the rate of 1 foot per second. This rate, of 550 pounds-per-foot-per-second, he called one horsepower. (The metric unit, Kilowatt, which uses a different formula based on the same principle, was given the name in honour of Watt. And so it's correct abbreviation is "kW" with a capital "W"). So how does a horse lifting coal relate to engines? Well, the horse has to exert a force on the coal to lift it. In an engine, think of this force as it’s torque. The other factor was how fast the horse was lifting the coal. In an engine, think of this as how fast it is turning; measured, of course, in revs per minute (rpm). So power is a function of force and speed. We could just multiply the engine’s torque by it’s speed, but for reasons which seem complicated and have to do with consistency when using different units of measurement, this is divided by a constant figure. Using imperial measurements (horsepower and lb/ft) the figure used is 5252. And that’s where we come to the equation the article listed. Power = Torque X RPM, divided by 5252.This shows why maximum power is always developed at higher rpm than maximum torque. After an engine reaches it’s maximum torque, as the revs continue to increase, so does the figure gained by multiplying the torque by the revs. Even though the torque is decreasing, it isn’t decreasing as quickly as the revs are increasing; so the product of the two continues to increase. This figure (the engine’s power) reaches it’s maximum when the rate at which the torque is decreasing is the same as the rate of increase in the revs. After that, as the torque decreases at a greater rate, the power figure decreases.So, can you feel power? Remembering that power is described as “the rate of doing work”, I think you can feel "work being done," can’t you? So, (and this is just my personal opinion), I reckon it’s wrong to say, “you can’t feel power.” I think it gets back to what I said was my concept of power as being how “fiery” an engine feels; you’re feeling it working! But it does explain why we (erroneously!) say that certain engines “feel more powerful” or “feel less powerful” than they are; because what we’re feeling is actually torque. So what I’m saying is that I think we can feel power, but mostly what we are actually feeling is torque. I hope this clears it up for you. Researching this threw new light on it for me, and I wasn’t the one asking the question!BUYING A NAKED - AND CLOTHING
HELMETS FOR THE LARGER-SIZED HEAD
Bill wrote asking for assistance in replacing his helmet. He says his current one is close to it’s use-by-date, but he can’t find a helmet in his size. “I now have a HJC in 3XL. This is the largest lid I could find when I bought it. I went into my local bike shop (Westerns at Penrith) to buy a new one. The only one they said they could get was a 2XL with a 3XL liner?????? I need a 4XL as the old one is only just big enough and gets uncomfortable after a while. Do you know of any manufacturers out there that make a big helmet? I can't be the only boofhead on the road! Any help would be appreciated as I don’t want to have to give up riding because I can't get a lid.”The Old Bloke’s Reply:
Can I firstly point you in the direction of an article I wrote a while ago about Buying A Helmet. There are some useful tips there for buying, and for things to watch for. That’s not answering your question; although part of why I mention that is to make sure that you are buying the correct size. Your helmet should be comfortable, but it should also be a snug fit, not too loose. The “2XL with a 3XL lining” might sound like they’re reducing the amount of protective stuff so that your head fits in; but it’s not necessarily as bad as it sounds. Many, if not most, manufacturers don’t produce as many different shells as they have sizes. For example, if a certain brand helmet has, say, 6 different sizes, they won’t have 6 different shells. They’ll have, maybe 3, and adjust the fit by varying the thickness of the internal components. I suppose you could argue that the one with more “protective stuff” inside has to be safer, but the one with less still has to meet standards. It’s a case of putting extra stuff in to reduce the internal size, rather than taking some out to make it bigger. I contacted Motorcycle Accessories Warehouse, (http://www.mcas.com.au. Ph: 9648 1400) which has recently opened a huge new store at Auburn, which is not that far away from where you live. They said that they currently don’t have any helmets available in 4XL. The only helmet they had available in 3XL is the THH T380 open-face, which retails for $69.95. I did a bit of searching on the net and read that motor-racing suppliers were able to supply helmets in larger sizes. So I contacted Revolution Racegear in Sydney. They didn’t stock sizes larger than XXL, but also told me that motor-sport helmets can’t be used for motorbikes as they are a different approval.I looked at a few other web-sites, but the largest helmets I could see available were XXL. So, I’m afraid that’s about all I’ve been able to come up with. Can anyone else help?Readers' Replies:
Steve wrote to suggest trying The Helmet Warehouse at Yagoona (I keep forgetting about them!). I did phone them for you, but the largest they had was an open-face M2R in XXXL. Steve says, “Other than that you may have to contact the various importers / wholesalers such as Cassons, Wayne Gardner Enterprises etc and see if they can help.” Yes, contacting the importers directly is a good idea. Especially combined with the info Lindsay provided below.Lindsay wrote with a link to a web-site that listed several makes of larger-sized helmets. (Lindsay says she had the opposite problem – finding a helmet small enough!). Here is the link: http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/extra-large-motorcycle-helmets.htm. The link is to a site in the U.S. but if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you’ll find a “Contact” link, so you could email them and ask if they know who might distribute them in Australia. Alternatively, you could get the makes and models and ask local importers / wholesalers. By the way, if you follow the links on the site there are some interesting articles on helmet noise and ear-plugs etc.Glen wrote with this suggestion. “I also have a large brain cavity and found that helmets sold in Harley Davidson dealers tend to be in larger sizes. They tend to be expensive, but at what price is comfort?” So you could try Fraser Motorcycles.Martin wasn’t able to help with size, but wrote to say that Shark helmets were particularly good. He says, “I researched them and found that the latest technology is designed to ensure that any impact is not absorbed just in the impact area but is progressive and spread over the entire helmet.”Rod suggested the Helmet Warehouse too, with a link to a page on their site. He also suggested a look at BMW helmets. As he said, "They're expensive, but excellent quality."Well, Bill, I hope that helps. Thanks to the readers who wrote in too.
Tony wrote to me asking my advice on what bike he should buy. He currently rides a 1996 Kawasaki ZX6R, but finds that it is becoming a problem with the weight on his hands / wrists. So he's looking at something with a more up-right riding position. He says, "I have looked at other bikes, mainly 600cc bikes. My first choice was a FZ6, but as I looked further I was offered a Suzuki Bandit 1250 for the same ride away price as the FZ6.He says he's leaning towards the Bandit (pictured above), with the only thing that concerns him being the extra weight, although he says, "I don't think it will be a problem as I am 182cm tall and almost 100kg so I think I will manage it easy enough."He says that he's not a racer, but does enjoy some spirited riding. He says, "Basically I am after a fun bike that will cruise, and handle some of the twisties that I like."He seems to be pretty much decided on the Bandit already, as he ends with these words: "Please tell me that I should buy the Bandit, as I need to hear it from someone else. Does that make sense?"The Old Bloke's Reply:
You want me to tell you to buy the Bandit? Okay, I can do that - go buy the Bandit, Tony, you'll love it! And I know exactly what you mean when you say you need to hear it from someone else! Hmmm, but maybe I should say a bit more about them! :-)I haven't ridden a Kawasaki ZX6R, but I have ridden both the FZ6 and the Bandit. I assume you've probably read my thoughts on these bikes? If not, click here for my test of the FZ6, and here for my test of the latest Bandit.The first thing I would say is that the FZ6 would make a good replacement for the ZX6R, for someone who wanted the same size and similar type of bike, but with more comfort. It's a sporty-type bike, of about the same capacity and weight as the one you have, but with a more comfortable riding-position. The Bandit is a very different bike, of course. So, whether you choose the Bandit or the FZ6 would largely depend on whether you want the same size bike that you have, or want to go to something bigger. Smaller bikes, like FZ6, are cheaper to run and maintain, of course. But bigger bikes have their advantages too! They have a very different feel, in the general way they ride and also in their power characteristics. And they’re often more comfortable than smaller bikes. Part of this would depend on your preference in riding style too. The FZ6 is quite tractable from low down (it'll pull away easily from low revs), but it doesn't feel especially powerful. You've got to really get the motor singing to feel the power. I'd reckon the ZX6R would be similar (but probably with less power down low). The Bandit, however, has power almost from idle. You don't have to rev it to access its power. You can ride it like you'd ride the FZ6 if you wanted to; winding it out through the high revs, but you'll be going VERY quickly if you do!For me personally, I prefer riding the low-mid-range. I don't like having to get the engine screaming to get it going. That's why I wasn't impressed with the performance of the FZ6. Gearing is another issue. Mid-size sports or sports-tourers these days usually run a top-gear gearing of a bit under 20kph / 1,000rpm. That means that at 110kph the engine is doing about 6,0000rpm. You can get used to it (and you might already be used to that!), but to me that's not relaxed cruising! The Bandit, however, runs about 30kph / 1,000rpm; so at 110kph it's doing less than 4,000rpm. That is relaxed cruising! So for easy cruising it's no contest; the Bandit would be my choice! And the bike still goes like a rocket when you twist the throttle; so acceleration certainly doesn't suffer because of higher gearing.You’d find that you'd have to ride it differently to the ZX6R. It's a sports-tourer, and you ride it in a more relaxed way than a sports-bike. You can still ride fast, but you don't have to be as aggressive. Handling is the same. The Bandit I reckon handles very well! But you wouldn't flick it around quite like you would a sports-bike. You can still have fun through the twisties though! In fact I'd say it'd handle twisties on the open road in a probably more stable way than the smaller bikes. But it wouldn't be as agile on a tight race-track - or if you tried to ride it on the road in that manner!On the subject of weight, the Bandit is about 40kg heavier than the ZX6R and the FZ6. That's a big difference, and you'd certainly notice it; especially if you haven't ridden many larger bikes. But the Bandit doesn't really feel a heavy bike. The weight is there, and as I said, you'd notice it, but it's quite manageable. And you sound like a big strapping sort of bloke, so you shouldn't have any trouble. Just a matter of getting used to it. I'm a 72kg weakling and I manage the similar weight of my XJR1300 okay. My only criticisms of the Bandit were that the seat was a bit too firm (a comment also made by other testers); but, looking at a pic of the ZX6R, it's hardly a lounge-chair, from what I can see. So I'd reckon you'd find the Bandit pretty comfortable. (And you would've tried the seat out already, no doubt!). The ride was a bit firm for my preference too, but here again, you're probably used to a reasonably firm ride. And there is some adjustment available in the suspension. The FZ6 has preload on the rear but no adjustment on the front. Another reason to go for the Bandit!Suzuki are excellent value! With most things, cheaper means inferior quality; you know the old saying, "You get what you pay for!" But with Suzuki you get a lot more than you pay for! They are well-made and the Bandit would be of equal quality to the FZ6.Have I convinced you yet? Sounds like you've pretty much decided on the Bandit anyway, and I reckon you really would love it! Just be aware that's it's a very different thing to the ZX6R, and the FZ6 too.Try to get a ride on one first. Then you can see how the different style of bike suits you, and also get the feel of the weight etc.Let me know what you get!UP-DATE
Okay, time for an up-date on some of the questions we've had - and you (and I) - have answered.Peter and his Yamaha XS1100. Peter says he followed my suggestion of topping up the fuel-tank after each ride (so keeping the tank full when not in use), and this seems to have cured the starting problems. He says he hasn't followed up on the other suggestions (which were excellent - thank you again!) but the bike has been running okay lately. Yes, they're strange like that aren't they! You can guarantee the moment you go to check something or take it to a mechanic it'll work fine! Anyway, still a few things to try when it does mis-behave, Peter.
Tim buying a big naked. Tim was deciding between a Suzuki GSX1400 and a Honda CB1300, but was fairly decided on the Suzie. Well, he ended up buying a Suzuki. Not the one he mentioned, but a different one, which sounds like better value than the one he first mentioned above. Check the Feedback page of 2008 (towards the bottom) to see a pic of it. He's very happy with his new purchase too!
Bill and his search for a large helmet. Bill still hasn't been able to find a XXXXL size helmet. Other than importing one from the US. Of course that wouldn't be approved for use in Australia, so that is a concern. (But really, how often is that checked?). It is a reputable brand and approved for the US, so it should give Bill the protection he needs. (But of course, being illegal to wear, we couldn't recommend that could we! Could we?).
Tony's Decision - Bandit or FZ6? Despite the FZ6 perhaps being a more natural successor, for what he wanted, to his current Kawasaki, Tony was pretty much decided on the Suzuki anyway. I tried to throw in some objective guide-lines on each, but kind of went with his leaning towards the Suzuki. Well, he has since bought the Suzuki. You can read about it on the Feedback page - right down the bottom, last entry for 2008. He's happy with his decision and is already planning a trip away on it.
Well, that's probably enough for one page, so I'll start a fresh page. Keep them questions a rollin' on in, folks!
WHICH BIKE TO BUY?
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