Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Anyone in here from NC? A coworker of mine at our corporate office has put a bug in my ear that I may be offered a position in Newton, I’m trying to find out a bit about the area, specifically Newton/Vale area.

Any input from you guys?

 

Just throwing it out there, but I think Sumo Springs makes makes some stuff for trailers.

 

I’ll check’m out thanx.

I got 3500lb axle and springs.
Just today finally got the trailer weighed at 1440lb as pictured (without bike)
Hoping just changing the shackle mount location will fix the current issue

 

Sorry I don’t have much on Newton specifically, but I am in Charlotte which is around an hour away. Hickory is a town closer to that area and is fairly decent, especially if you like to buy furniture. You’re not too far from Lake Norman which is a nice area with stuff to do on the lake.

So basically have nothing to offer other than you can ride to a lot of other areas fairly close.

 

ahh not bad man ive got a m100 that im thinking of selling to get away from a trailer setup still not fully sure tbh i know if it goes im gonna order a gfc for my truck so then i can use the hitch carrier on the truck instead of towing a trailer

 

Hells yeah

Nice

That's why I went with a Tacoma bed. I can swap everything over to my truck if I don't want to pull the trailer. I even have the same wheels/tires and suspension(frame is from an 07 access cab)

 

Hells yeah, is right..

 

Good to know, I appreciate the info. I flew into Charlotte and stayed in Newton (I think) when I when I went up for orientation but I really didn’t see much of the area, I do recall that it looked like a fun area to ride.
I’m sure it won’t be bad from a “things to do” standpoint as I currently live about 20 minutes away from the second largest city in Mississippi, so there’s not a whole lot to do around here and to be honest I like it that way.

 

Truth be told it’s a family camp trailer. I just built it to my liking.
Will tow with the wife’s 4Runner mostly for the family outings. Sometimes I’ll run the hitch hauler on the truck to seek out spots but I also have property in Vermont that if I go to solo I’ll option the bike on the trailer for a nice base camp. Everything I consider building is always multifunction. I just like having options

 

got a point but a m100 is pretty dang cool lol

ya makes sense ive had my trailer since 2019? its been great but idk if i wanna deal with it anymore lol

 

Yeah it is, I am thinking about it. It will take all day to get it and $115 in gas

 

I'd get different plugs....


https://youtu.be/Qm6fTWaj3QE

 

Eh, I'm not going to let one video turn me off mushroom plugs. I don't get how he thinks it's so complicated to use when rope plugs are even messier and more tedious to use (having to thread those gummy, sticky ropes through the tool is very not fun, especially on the side of the road). Also judging by how easily the probe/nozzle tool went into the tire in his video he probably made the hole a little too big. You don't need to make the hole that large.

I just used two of them in my tire today and went on a ride and the bike was fine. Reviews online all say that they hold up great. Only real downside is not being able to stack plugs for a bigger patch but if I got a hole that big in my tire I'd probably just phone in a tow truck at that point. Or walk.

 

No worries. Just some food for thought is all.

 

I've used both sticky strings and Dynaplug on my travels and also have a few internal plug patches for when I get home so I can unmount the tire and patch from the inside. All have worked but my preferred kit for ease of use in the Dynaplug. If done carefully you can even use more than one at a time just like the sticky string. I like the not having to rasp out the hole and make it any larger aspect. Regardless of which one you pick, keep in mind that the tube of glue that goes with the sticky strings can dry out over time and the lube on the strings or Dynaplugs can dry up as well so consider replacing those items periodically so you have fresh supplies when you need them. You don't want to be stuck on the side of some back country road in the middle of BFE with no cell service and a tire plug kit that has stale supplies and doesn't work when you really need it.

 

Sounds like some sage advice from experience, or at least second hand knowledge there. Good info to keep in mind.

 

When I first started riding long distance rallies a friend of mine who was sort of mentoring in me in that area made a few wise suggestions. Take every tool out of the factory tool kit and try to use it when doing service work on your bike. I found the factory Yamaha kit under the FJR seat was pretty weak regarding the supplied tools. Hex keys were too short to have any real leverage to break loose or tighten most fasteners. They got pulled out and replaced with long armed, ball end hex keys that are up to the task. The stamped pliers in the factory kit suck. Poorly made, not very comfortable in your hand, and kind of small. Replaced those with a pair of these.

https://www.vampiretools.com/shop/products/pliers/vampliers-6-25-screw-extraction-pliers/

Great grip, better handles, and more capable. Also useful on those tire plugs being talked about. One of the items from the kit that stayed is the screwdriver. Straight tip on one side and actual JIS on the other side.That JIS tip is important because that's a big reason so many older Japanese bikes have chewed up screws. Most folks thought the screws are Phillips but they're not, they're JIS which while looking the same are not. The OEM wrenches in my kit are functional and stayed in the kit but I did add a 10mm combo wrench to the kit. Following a discussion on one of the FJR forums I also recently added this tool.

https://cruztools.com/product/combo-motorcycle-axle-wrenches/

This was a result of a guy I know recently suffering a tire failure that was not going to be plugged. He was camping and ran over a tree branch that somehow went through the sidewall. Campground owner was nice enough to run him into the nearest town to get a new tire but he needed to remove the wheel and tire first and the factory tool kit doesn't include the right sizes to yank a complete wheel. Not something I would normally plan on doing but agreed with the need to be capable going forward.Just enough room under the seat in the little tool cubby to make it fit.

I also have my Dynaplug repair kit and small compressor under the seat along with a pencil type tire gauge. That pouch also has a limited assortment of zip ties. I have a few longer zip ties taped to my wiring harness that runs parallel to the frame under the seat. Tucked back near my tail light under the pillion seat is a Ziploc baggy with 2 pairs of disposable Nitrile gloves and 2 rags of old t-shirt material. I also have a small plastic box that some drill bits came in carrying a spare taillight bulb and some spare blade type fuses.

 

That line is the most important line IMO. The practice you get using it in the shop in perfect conditions can tell you what works and what won't in the field.

 

Agreed! Yet if someone else I respected hadn't brought it up I'm not sure I would have ever given it a thought. The tool kits that come with most bikes are hardly given any thought by an owner until you need them and then it's a bit late to find out something is missing, or doesn't work the way you need it to under less than perfect conditions.

 

I purposely did my first tire change with only the tools I carry so i can do one in the field if needed. Granted I wouldn't swap a tire in the field, only patch or change a tube, but it was a good lesson on how to do it. It sucked and took forever but I did it. Now that I did it though I do everything the easy way because I shouldn't make my knuckles bleed for fun.