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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bike /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1479149386 Message started by Oldfeller on 11/14/16 at 10:49:43 |
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Title: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bike Post by Oldfeller on 11/14/16 at 10:49:43 In Greensboro, NC there is a nice, elderly Dr. Smith who bought his brand new play toy bike from the Suzuki dealership in 2001 and he took it back to the dealership each year for servicing and inspection. For a Stealership, they treated him reasonably kindly, only charging him between $368 and $647 for each yearly "inspection time servicing" soaking. (yup, each & every year he carried it back to the dealership and he OK'd every item they told him about). He paid for "age checked, out of date tires" and multiple carb re-balancings at $279 in labor per re-balance. He bought batteries every other year religiously. He had his gas tank cleaned and re-sealed twice. I am reading the man's entire whole service record, and it says he had no real unusual issues with the bike whatsoever -- mainly because as a Dr's springtime play toy it never got used for very much, ever. Condensation in the tank and letting the gas evaporate completely out (putting condensed gas crud in his tank) was his MAJOR issue. 9,000 miles in 15 years. 600 miles a year on average. We do that in a 3 day Dragon weekend, easy. His last service bill at $647 AND THEN IT GOT SICK AGAIN which was the final straw that led to my roving trailer being able to scoop up the good doctor's machine and bind it up tight with my 8 cycle straps so it could not escape on the trip home. It is running really really well and I am more than pleased with my newest bike. Purty, ain't it? :D |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Oldfeller on 11/14/16 at 10:50:14 another shot |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Oldfeller on 11/14/16 at 10:50:53 and another |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Tocsik on 11/14/16 at 11:25:26 Man that seat looks comfy! Hope you got yourself a sweet deal. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Gary_in_NJ on 11/14/16 at 11:26:46 That sure is a clean bike. Ride the wheels off it - somebody has to. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by verslagen1 on 11/14/16 at 11:42:45 That rectifier sitting just over the muff might something to be concerned about. High compression pistons? |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by verslagen1 on 11/14/16 at 12:27:36 You capture trailer looks as good as this... http://geekologie.com/2016/11/the-grappler-police-bumper-a-car-chase-e.php |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by engineer on 11/14/16 at 13:05:02 Congratulations on finding a really great bike! The "stealership" will be sad when the good doctor and his bike don't show up next spring. It really looks good and hardly broken in, nice buy. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Oldfeller on 11/14/16 at 13:41:02 2A392E2F303D3B39326D5C0 wrote:
Yup, the forums recommend moving the RR to somewhere else. 10:1 compression, runs 87 octane gas, makes 55 hp It is a 15 year old bike and Blue Book range between good and excellent is exactly what I paid for it. Where I made out was the completely anal maintenance done on the bike by the stealership -- that gas tank SHINES from all the attention paid to the de-crudding that has been done. Now, I like the way it looks, but I am going to lose the buddy seat completely as my toe hangs on it when mounting. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by BSTON on 11/14/16 at 13:57:12 That's how I felt when buying my '03 Savage. The previous owner didn't put a single mile on it but changed the oil, and spark plug, and shined it like crazy. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by verslagen1 on 11/14/16 at 14:16:59 56757D7F7C75757C6B190 wrote:
That's too bad, looks like a pretty decent back rest. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Rodger on 11/14/16 at 15:09:26 Congratulations on the new- to-you bike, Oldfeller! Your strapping job reminds me of my Dad's saying: "Nothing built too strong ever fell down." [ I called it the "Belt AND Suspenders Rule." ;) ] |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Steve H on 11/14/16 at 15:46:32 OF, Congrats on the new bike :) Sounds like there's nothing you need to do to it other than sit on it and ride. Hope you enjoy it. I bought a 96 Virago 535 a while back with 6000 miles on it. Haven't had much time to mess with it. But, it will get ridden as soon as I have the time to get the misfiring situation fixed. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by MMRanch on 11/14/16 at 16:01:55 Congratulations OldFeller ! :) :) :) That is a GREAT-LOOKING Bike ! 8-) I see its a Suzuki but thats all I can tell , 55HP is more than enough for anything. One of my favorite bike was a 53HP Yahama XS650 and it would run way up past too/fast ::) , never had a windshield on it . I guess I'll have to wait till spring to see it in person :( . ... ::) ... If I do a day ride to Kent's this winter I'll be 45 minutes south of the Dragon ... :-? |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Rodger on 11/14/16 at 16:36:23 If I'm not mistaken, that's an Intruder VS800GL, from the rear drum brake (larger Intuders had single discs, front & rear, if memory serves.) |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Kris01 on 11/14/16 at 18:36:33 Barcalounger on wheels? ;D Man, that looks comfortable! Good going, OF! |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Dave on 11/15/16 at 06:48:24 That does look like a "big old comfy couch".....and shiny too. A "Dragon Trip" might result in the first time the bike has seen rain....or a dirt road! |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by BSTON on 11/15/16 at 08:57:35 1B202D3A2B273C3A2129243B480 wrote:
That bike might just stop and demand mats to be put down on a dirt road before proceeding. :) |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Oldfeller on 11/15/16 at 09:18:56 It did do something strange all right -- it asked me to clean the burned in place plastic off its pipes and take some starting actions to get the stickers off the tank. I didn't wash or polish it although it asked for it, instead I took off the side covers and the seats and rigged a cheater wire to the positive battery terminal for ease of charging (until the male and female adapters arrive and I can wire it up properly). I cannot take off the buddy pad, it has the bike's CPU hidden under it. I find that if I kiss the windshield and toss my leg up from there my toe can sweep in short of the buddy pad and it all works out just fine. I did find the Dr's current reported trouble which put the bike in Craigslist, a trouble which felt like a strong intermittent stumble and "popping sounds". He says it has happened before and costs about $350 to fix (and a week at the stealership while they clean the tank and teardown clean and re-balance the carbs). Yeah, to me it sounded just like what you get when you need to switch over to reserve ...... Yup, Bike had no gas in it and the fuel pump was sucking air ..... The bike needed: ..... a tank full of fresh gas ..... an overnight slow charge on the battery ..... being taken out on the beltway and exercised some It came home a contented very happy little bike. It has been talking to my Savage and it likes having a Daddy that can fix it whenever it needs it. It's old daddy was nice, but he was a klutz mechanically. Yes, my Savage is a guy and my Intruder is a girl, so obviously they get along together well and my Savage has even lent her his license plate so his girl can go out and play some today. ::) ..... of course she thinks they're formally engaged now, but I don't think that's what he meant .... he thought he was just being nice. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Oldfeller on 11/15/16 at 09:34:17 757B6D6F67616A020 wrote:
The channel is just to hold the wheels straight while loading and unloading. The common practice (to cinch the front wheel tight against a trailer bed or a chock) isn't good for a spoked wheel set up, so my bike literally floats between 8 straps, in neutral, only fighting against its own suspension spring tension. My wheels run true much longer that way. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Rodger on 11/15/16 at 09:59:30 Ahhhh, I get it. Good idea, not overstressing the spokes. Hadn't thought of that, since last spoked bike I had was the '73 CB350. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Kris01 on 11/15/16 at 17:49:07 The few times that I've trailered mine, I strapped the front end by the forks, not the wheel. What's wrong with strapping the wheel? How would it overstress the spokes? |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Oldfeller on 11/15/16 at 19:37:35 Lancer can tell you -- straps can put forth a good bit of tension, enough to bend the bed of a pick up truck. All that force is pushed through the wheel (and the spokes). I have knocked a front wheel out of true before, so I avoid that action any more. My straps are fighting other straps through a solid connection point, with a down force residual that does not exceed what your weight puts on the wheels and spokes. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Dave on 11/16/16 at 03:22:40 I don't want to derail this thread - but I have always used a wheel chock, or just butted the front wheel up against the back of a truck bed, then used tie downs to the top of the forks. I have never had any spoke or bent wheel problems as a result. (However I don't tighten the straps down far enough to collapse the forks.....just enough to make the bike snug and limit the wiggle on bumps). |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by Oldfeller on 11/16/16 at 11:18:23 All the 15 year old yellowed hardened WARNING and RECOMMENDED tank stickers are off now and the tank is polished again. Used the grease trick, applied thickly overnight then left out in the sun to get warm -- worked like a charm as a fresh razor blade could cut through the softened adhesive layer under the sticker like it was thick butter. Gasoline cleaned up the left over clear adhesive, then I polished it twice (rubbing hard using normal paste wax) to get rid of anything left behind by the removal process. |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by old_rider on 11/24/16 at 08:53:42 NICE! My buddy Kevin has one just like it, think his was a 90-something though.... except its so rusty you cannot see the edges of some of his bolts :) He rode it until last summer, his mom (he is 44) decided he needed a safer ride :) and got him a new. 900 suzuki. And if you want to know.... yes it will do 110mph :) (indicated) |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by MMRanch on 11/25/16 at 21:06:39 So , OldFeller How long are those shocks ? :-? If ya end up with shorter shocks , there may be a market for the longer ones ??? ::) Is the extra petrol-bags for this bike or your old one ? :-/ |
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Title: Re: Motorcycle trailer trap catches Dr. Smith's bi Post by springman on 11/25/16 at 22:25:01 Nice bike OF. Congrats. Hope you enjoy the heck out of it. :) |
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