Search found 162 matches

by Turbojoe
Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:56 pm
Forum: Maintenance
Topic: Dirt cheap air filter cleaning
Replies: 9
Views: 15030

Dirt cheap air filter cleaning

I don't know how most of you wash your stock air filters but this is how I do it. (Did it again today.) DAWN brand dish washing liquid. I've tried other brands and they simply don't work as well as Dawn. I use the "Direct Foam" product now but have used the standard stuff in the past with ...
by Turbojoe
Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:32 pm
Forum: Introduce Yourself
Topic: New rider in Arizona
Replies: 3
Views: 6096

Re: New rider in Arizona

Not sure how I missed your post. I'm in Mesa. I've driven my car to work at ASU exactly 0 days since I got my 2004 Vulcan 500 in May. I look forward to riding the 500 regardless the weather. While I've had much faster bikes in the past this one just seems to suit me better than anything I've owned b...
by Turbojoe
Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:19 pm
Forum: General Troubleshooting
Topic: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage
Replies: 22
Views: 29306

Re: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage

I went ahead and did the oil change today. Put about 4 ounces of SeaFoam in the crankcase last night and let it run until the fan came on then let it "soak" overnight. Fired her up this morning and let her run again until the fan came on. Drained out the old Valvoline 20w50 MC oil. After a...
by Turbojoe
Mon Nov 21, 2011 1:13 pm
Forum: Beginners
Topic: That dreaded MOtorcycle Skills Test!
Replies: 3
Views: 8189

That dreaded MOtorcycle Skills Test!

While I'm not a beginner (been riding 44 years) I did have to take the new (to me) 29 state motorcycle skills test when I decided to get a bike again after 10 years away from steady riding. I could have transferred my CA license to Arizona when I moved here but I sold my bike when I moved and had no...
by Turbojoe
Sun Nov 20, 2011 2:41 pm
Forum: Introduce Yourself
Topic: Vulcan 500 newbie AND trouble maker.....
Replies: 6
Views: 8415

Re: Vulcan 500 newbie AND trouble maker.....

burkbuilds wrote:Welcome to a free speech forum, hope you enjoy being here. :)


Yeah, what a breath of fresh air it is here! So many forums are nothing but revenue generators and that's OK. A lot of them come dangerously close to infringing on the First Amendment though.

Joe
by Turbojoe
Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:55 am
Forum: General Troubleshooting
Topic: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage
Replies: 22
Views: 29306

Re: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage

Yeah, I probably should have been more specific about the JASO rating but I've never run across the MB myself. In a motorcycle specific oil I'm sure the only place to find it is a Harley shop or one of the few brands that still use a dry clutch. BMW? Not sure. It's still worth noting that JASO-MA is...
by Turbojoe
Tue Nov 15, 2011 2:22 pm
Forum: General Troubleshooting
Topic: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage
Replies: 22
Views: 29306

Re: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage

Because we've had such a huge temp drop here in Arizona I'm sure the heavier weight oil will have some affect in mileage. I'm coming due for an oil change in another 400 miles (3 weeks) and I'll be going back to the Rotella 15w40. It'll be interesting to see if it has an impact on mileage. I sure ho...
by Turbojoe
Tue Nov 15, 2011 2:04 pm
Forum: Electrical
Topic: Corroded battery terminals. home made lithium battery pack.
Replies: 18
Views: 26077

Re: Corroded battery terminals. home made lithium battery p

OK. Here's a little more on the subject: You can buy pre-built 4S2P A123 motorcycle batteries for around $100.00. I decided to build my own because I already had all the cells I needed on hand. I had to buy the connectors and some 8 gauge wire but total build cost was less than $15.00 for me. So far...
by Turbojoe
Mon Nov 14, 2011 3:12 pm
Forum: Electrical
Topic: Corroded battery terminals. home made lithium battery pack.
Replies: 18
Views: 26077

Re: Corroded battery terminals. home made lithium battery p

Wow! Didn't expect this. I work nights so my schedule is pretty whacky but I'll try to put more together on this when I can. As far as the volatility of lithium batteries go you're probably confusing these with Lithium Polymer and those certainly will burn down your bike and your house if you try to...
by Turbojoe
Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:51 pm
Forum: Electrical
Topic: Corroded battery terminals. home made lithium battery pack.
Replies: 18
Views: 26077

Corroded battery terminals. home made lithium battery pack.

A few months back I changed my battery to A123 Lithium Ion that I built from cells harvested from DeWalt drill packs. (I also use these cells for my radio controlled airplanes and helicopters.) I hadn't really had any problems other than knowing the stock battery was quite old due for replacement. W...
by Turbojoe
Fri Nov 11, 2011 10:51 pm
Forum: General Troubleshooting
Topic: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage
Replies: 22
Views: 29306

Re: What might cause a 10 mpg drop in my fuel mileage

I'm fighting a mileage drop right now too and I'm convinced it's the gas as we move into winter. I'm only losing about 5-6 mpg from average though and not 10mpg like the OP. Hauling my fat, flabby (240lb) ass around is now giving me 46 mpg where I used to get 51-52 regularly. The bike is meticulousl...
by Turbojoe
Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:32 pm
Forum: Introduce Yourself
Topic: Vulcan 500 newbie AND trouble maker.....
Replies: 6
Views: 8415

Vulcan 500 newbie AND trouble maker.....

I'm still a relative newbie to the Vulcan 500 though I've owned many, many bikes since I was 11 and I'm now 55. I bought a really nice 2004 EN-500 in May 2011 with 6400 miles. It's already about to turn 12,000 miles now in November. I use it mainly for a 30 mile combined commute to and from work. My...

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