Two posts in one day. Hope you can handle the excitement, dear reader. Or bot....
BikeBandit, one of my favorite places to get parts and accessories and affiliate marketing partner, is having a sale on boots/shoes and gloves. Lots of brands and styles on sale including:
Boots:
alpinestars
spidi
speed and strength
Gloves:
alpinestarts
cortech
icon
tourmaster
Two quick reminders-I'd appreciate you using the buttons scattered around this page, and if you review items bought from BikeBandit on their website, you get entered in a drawing for a gift card. We both win!
Enjoy your rides this weekend!
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Anyone have experience with a bike getting stuck in a Cycle Gear Trackside tire chock?
Just a quick question-recently received a comment (AMAZING, I KNOW!) regarding the Cycle Gear Trackside chock I reviewed long ago. Seems the writer has a tire stuck in the chock and was seeking advice on getting it out.
I wasn't sure what to say, as I stored a bike in my Trackside wheel chock, and once I pumped some air into the tire, braced the chock in place, and pulled back it came on out. It does take some effort with these chocks, which sometimes causes the chock to slide along with the bike.
Anyone have experience? Is the writer's only option disassembly of the chock? While I think that would work, would be a PITA.
Update (10/28) Saw a few more of these wheel chocks in use out at Chuckwalla Valley Racetrack this weekend. Even a small pit bike took a good amount of effort to pull out-owner said it's usually both due to the design of the chock and sticky tires!
Please leave comments or links, thank you.
I wasn't sure what to say, as I stored a bike in my Trackside wheel chock, and once I pumped some air into the tire, braced the chock in place, and pulled back it came on out. It does take some effort with these chocks, which sometimes causes the chock to slide along with the bike.
Anyone have experience? Is the writer's only option disassembly of the chock? While I think that would work, would be a PITA.
Update (10/28) Saw a few more of these wheel chocks in use out at Chuckwalla Valley Racetrack this weekend. Even a small pit bike took a good amount of effort to pull out-owner said it's usually both due to the design of the chock and sticky tires!
Please leave comments or links, thank you.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Mechanical Fellowship, a good indy shop, and a ride tomorrow
After a few false starts, I was able to link up with a friend to do some motorcycle maintenance on his Kawasaki Vulcan 900. He recently had replaced his rear brake pads, but noticed his rotor was wearing unevenly and the tire was getting fairly square and worn. Much like I used to, this friend mainly commutes on his bike, so the profile of his rear tire gets pretty bad-it looked almost like a car tire!
So a few days ago he dropped off the tire and the replacement rotor driving home from work. This morning he rides the bike down and as it cools we prep a bit. Turns out the wrenches I've got and the condition of his rear axle meant we weren't going to get anywhere, so we loaded up the parts in the o-fish-ul Millie's Garage Shop Truck, he suited up and headed down to the Miramar Auto Hobby Shop. Checked in, got tools and put the bike on the lift.
Let me tell you something-impact wrenches are awesome! One quick pop and the axle was loose. A few minutes later axle, two spacers and rear brake are out and a short wrestling match with the rear wheel and belt and the rear wheel is off the bike. Remembering the nightmare getting some Sportster brake rotor bolts loose, we get the allen drivers and a large socket wrench.....Wow, 4 come out really easily, but of course one....strips out almost immediately. GREAT......
Since my friend didn't buy a new inner tube, I recommend seeing what condition the old tube is in before we go bolt shopping. Turns out the tube is in good shape, but the stem is corroding and starting to delaminate a bit. So we now have a shopping list.
We head out, and the first shop, Fun Bike Center, has an inner tube but no rotor bolts for sale. Halfway there. Off to Cycle Gear, but they would have to order a kit. Strike two and time to let our fingers do the walking as the old ads used to say. My buddy calls a couple of shops, and Lee's Cycle Service says they likely have a bolt that will work. So we head over there, and not only do they have the bolt, they pre-coat it in red loctite and send us on our way. Back to the Auto Hobby Shop, Mike helps us get the tire mounted (after we fought with the new inner tube), mount the new rotor with 4 old and one new (Thanks again, Lee's) rotor bolts. Having done a few rear tire changes now, I use a few tricks I've learned, Ed uses one he knows and boom, we have an operating motorcycle again. Check off another successful weekend of motorcycle maintenance!
OK, so about the ride: At Lee's Cycle Service the service rep mentioned a ride tomorrow starting at the shop that ends at Dave and Buster's to watch the Laguna Seca Moto GP race. Registration/Continental Breakfast at 1000, KSU 1100, raffle tickets instead of cards at stops, then to D&Bs to watch the race. I won't make the start of the ride due to church, but may try to get down to watch the race. I think it's sponsored by DOWNAZ RIDAZ, a sportbike club I've seen at some bike nights and would like to support a sportbike event.
So a few days ago he dropped off the tire and the replacement rotor driving home from work. This morning he rides the bike down and as it cools we prep a bit. Turns out the wrenches I've got and the condition of his rear axle meant we weren't going to get anywhere, so we loaded up the parts in the o-fish-ul Millie's Garage Shop Truck, he suited up and headed down to the Miramar Auto Hobby Shop. Checked in, got tools and put the bike on the lift.
Let me tell you something-impact wrenches are awesome! One quick pop and the axle was loose. A few minutes later axle, two spacers and rear brake are out and a short wrestling match with the rear wheel and belt and the rear wheel is off the bike. Remembering the nightmare getting some Sportster brake rotor bolts loose, we get the allen drivers and a large socket wrench.....Wow, 4 come out really easily, but of course one....strips out almost immediately. GREAT......
Since my friend didn't buy a new inner tube, I recommend seeing what condition the old tube is in before we go bolt shopping. Turns out the tube is in good shape, but the stem is corroding and starting to delaminate a bit. So we now have a shopping list.
We head out, and the first shop, Fun Bike Center, has an inner tube but no rotor bolts for sale. Halfway there. Off to Cycle Gear, but they would have to order a kit. Strike two and time to let our fingers do the walking as the old ads used to say. My buddy calls a couple of shops, and Lee's Cycle Service says they likely have a bolt that will work. So we head over there, and not only do they have the bolt, they pre-coat it in red loctite and send us on our way. Back to the Auto Hobby Shop, Mike helps us get the tire mounted (after we fought with the new inner tube), mount the new rotor with 4 old and one new (Thanks again, Lee's) rotor bolts. Having done a few rear tire changes now, I use a few tricks I've learned, Ed uses one he knows and boom, we have an operating motorcycle again. Check off another successful weekend of motorcycle maintenance!
OK, so about the ride: At Lee's Cycle Service the service rep mentioned a ride tomorrow starting at the shop that ends at Dave and Buster's to watch the Laguna Seca Moto GP race. Registration/Continental Breakfast at 1000, KSU 1100, raffle tickets instead of cards at stops, then to D&Bs to watch the race. I won't make the start of the ride due to church, but may try to get down to watch the race. I think it's sponsored by DOWNAZ RIDAZ, a sportbike club I've seen at some bike nights and would like to support a sportbike event.
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