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Serious Thumper 2005 No Login
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Professional "scooter trash".
Posts: 5207
Rosemark TN
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Warm day, low humidity, the "choke" is usually unnecessary. Oversized jets in an otherwise stock bike just means you have to change the plug more often, maybe the oil as well, due to excess carbon deposits.
Tread depth is irrelevant on "old" tires. Look in the sipes (grooves) for significant cracks, check the sidewall for significant cracks, do the "thumbnail test"... if you can't leave a half moon dent in the tread block edge with your thumbnail, the tire has outgassed enough to have become hard. Fine for a burn out contest, not so good in traffic, especially for a new rider. I have tires for one of my trucks that left their molds in 1960, 61 and 62, and are still nice and soft. But, they are for "dress" use only, bias ply wide whites (truck is a 1949 Dodge). The real tires are much fresher radials, the wide whites will be installed once we get to our destination (if I ever finish the thing).
Chain tensioner? My bike is 15 years old, has been flogged its entire life, and still has a notch or two before it lets go. If your bike has been babied, expect significantly less tensioner life, stop and go seems to wear them 2-3x as fast as hard or distance riding. I'd leave it be until at least 8K miles are showing, then pop the case cover off and give it a peek. Good oil, and few short trips will keep it happy for a long time. My odometer died 8 years ago with 15k miles showing on it...
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