RubberSideDown

I found the perfect Luddite bike:

This is the Abba Sky Lift in operation- I'm going to seriously look into sourcing one in 2015:

I really like the Bursig stand- the Abba SuperBike stand would have been a good choice as well, but it takes a little longer to get the front wheel off the ground as a strap has to be used. If I could get the new Abba Sky Lift, though (which lifts the bike higher and allows the front or rear to be elevated), I'd trade it in.

I'm referring more to people who do their own maintenence- I've just heard a few disappointing stories from the various service centers in LOS?

I have a 20L bottle that I dump my old oil into- evey four changes I bring it to a local car service center and pay a few baht to have them take it off my hands.

I've read about Kawasaki shops reusing them (and even performing oil changes without changing the filter), which is why I brought it up. I've got oil, filters, and gaskets on-hand, but not everyone does (and it might not even occur to someone that they need one)- my point is that if you're due for an oil change and a gasket isn't available, you can reuse your old one once (and possibly more) without an issue rather than waiting until you can source one.

The manual of course says to use a new one, but an OEM crush gasket isn't always available- my price of 25 cents is delivered to an address in the US and brought over for me- it's not about the money, but rather the access to the part.

It's a crush washer- it has to deform to some degree to create a proper seal, which is why it makes a difference (to some point) which way around it is- it will eventually reach a point where it won't compress anymore and will leak. I think flipping it once would be fine, and would create a new crush area rather than reusing the old one, which seems like it could expand and possibly fail- I always use a fresh one as I have them on hand, but I was just pointing out that they should be able to be used at least twice (and probably more than that, but push it too far and it will fail). I keep the old ones just in case. Of course, there will be people who have used the same one a dozen times with no ill effects, but why take the chance?

I was bored today (no riding, just a bit of wrenching;)), so I thought I'd toss up a couple of pics.

I did an oil change today (which I do every 2K miles once the bike is broken in), and I took a close look at the drain bolt crush gasket as I often see questions about them in threads on various boards (asking if it needs to be changed). From what I've heard, shops tend to reuse them rather than swap them out (they're a cheap part in the States- I bought a dozen from Parts Unlimited for 25 cents each)- maybe it's tough finding OEM gaskets here.

I tossed the bike up on the Bursig stand (the sharp-eyed among you will spot the torque wrench and official Hello Kitty drain pan) and dumped the old oil (with a socket extension it's not necessary to remove any body work to access the filter or drain bolt on the 14R, which makes it really easy):

For comparison, the old crush gasket is next to a new one- it's clearly indented about 1mm from the edge (the drain bolt was torqued down at 22lb/ft- the filter is torqued to 13lb/ft):

However, flipped over, it's as smooth as new, with no scoring or indentations:

Based on what I saw, I wouldn't worry too much about turning it over and reusing it (the edge of the indented side would flatten, and the difference in width would be negligible), but I'd only do it once, as I think it would then be compressed to the point where it wouldn't be able to create a proper seal.

^

I love, but it's a handful in the super-tight stuff (it will handle it just fine, but it'd just not what it was created for)- it still feels like an event everytime I hit the start button.

My Supertech R boots (how'd you know they were size 12?) smell just fine, and they sure aren't going to spend the night outside unless they're on my feet (my dog would chew and/or pee on them- having an entire evening to leisurely destroy my pricey kicks would be his Holy Grail)- ditto my Vortices- my SMX-1 boots have been banished to the cabinet of my tool chest, though.

No Thai paperwork (and likely no way to register it), and difficult/costly to service. For what you want a bike for, that KTM ain't it- as a second or third bike, maybe...

No complaints about the CM Kawasaki service center- I got clutch/brake fluid changed and chain adjusted- they took me right away without an appointment, did nice, clean work (on a not difficult job, of course, but I watched them the whole time and they did everything with care and were very careful to keep fluids off the bike)- 875 baht and in-and-out in less than 40 minutes.

^

You're obviously compensating for something- a Real Rider can get along with 2.5hp.

^

That would be overkill- a real biker also knows how to properly accessorize and color-coordinate- Hello Kitty paint job OR leathers, but never both.

Yup- I meant the CRF-50 ( though the PW-50 would be fine if I can find one). I've got a full Hello Kitty paint job planned for 2015, so the plate holder is a given.

^

Love my Garmin Zumo 350 (I'm updating the firmware as I type this)- I won't be getting rid of it anytime soon.

If the jacket fits properly, the sleeves will be a bit long when you're off the bike and not stretched out- how is the fit in the riding position? You can't really compare the fit of textile to leather- I have a Dainese Rebel jacket (leather) and Air Tex jacket (textile) both in 54 (I'm 6'2" 90kg), and the initial fit is very different- leather breaks in and has to start off very tight, while textile doesn't change much. I think you should have 'suffered' a size 56 for a while and waited for it to loosen up rather than going with 58- having a jacket modified by a tailor that doesn't have experience with motorcycle-specific clothing isn't a great idea.

^

We've already got Hello Kitty clothes, shoes, a tent- probably a couple other things I'm forgetting- when she's ready for her Honda PW-50, a themed license plate is a given.

And the battle for Hello Kitty domination begins, with the dogs already having destroyed five of the hundred balls the thing came with, and the brown one getting brained pretty good (and deservedly) with the toy shopping cart:

Most false-neutrals (particularly on new bikes) are the result of pussy-footing the shift- some transmissions require a more positive engagement, especially before they're fully broken-in.

If it's popping out of gear, that's an issue, but I would chalk this particular problem up to a Ducati idiosyncrasy that will likely resolve itself through either the rider or the transmission making a change in behavior.

I'd be really surprised if it's restricted- it would be the same across the Ducati Thailand line, and we'd know about it for sure.

What wouldn't surprise me are minor differences in the ECU (this is a regional thing that is generally true of all bikes) that are causing the different readings in your display.

the book says 400cc.

but the engine is 600cc. checked by another mechanic in Pattaya and also it is a 4 speed transmission

400 cc is 5 speed .

after we found the owner,he went to the shop and of course there is a show. who would be happy if his bike is sold,ALREADY FULLY PAID and already on the road but the shop keeps saying that it is a work 'still' in progress ? still waiting for this paint/chrome part. still waiting for assembly and yet to test !!

so,it's in my name now.

If the engine is stock, that's a pretty big red flag that the book is 'recycled' (meaning fake and related to another bike) and that even if the transfer went through successfully you could have an issue further down the road.