Service
Service
RAY NIERLICH
LOW-OCTANE CAPACITY
Q: I picked up my Victory Octane this April. I now have more than 5K miles on it, and I'm having more fun than a barrel of monkeys with it. I only have one complaint: The small tank is a royal pain. What can I do? Will a Harley tank fit with some modifications? Can my existing tank be modified? Will I have to carry a gas can with me the rest of my life? I’m sure the aftermarket will have a solution some day, but I can’t wait. I’m 70. Time is running out.
MARCEL THOMAS HOBART, IN
You must like getting into bar fights. Putting a Harley tank on your Indian? Really? My suggestion: Ride with a friend on his Interstate Norton Commando and you’ll never be out of range. Sorry to say I know of no current bolt-on solution for your bike. It would prob-
ably be harder to modify your tank than to just make a cus tom one from scratch. Find one of the talented fabricators and get him to take pity on you, or wave hundreds at him.
IF THE SHOE FITS
bought a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. There are a few service and maintenance things that I want to do while the bike is away for the cold New England winter. One of those things is new tires. This bike currently has a 180/55ZR-17 on it, but everything that I see says the OEM tire is a 190/55ZR-17. Is there any benefit to having a 180 instead of a 190? Isn’t a 190 wider than a 180? Wouldn’t I want a wider contact patch for traction and stability?
JEREMYANTUNES BRANFORD, CT
A smaller-section rear tire will quicken the handling slightly. Some sporty riders prefer to fit a 180 instead of an OE190. Your ZX-10 is on the sharp-handling end of the scale and sports a formidable powerplant, so any extra stability may be welcomed. Keep the stock tire sizes and also keep the same brand and model of tire front and rear.
ROCKET MAN ROAST
do you suggest to reduce heat coming from the exhaust pipes off of the engine of the Triumph Rocket 3 touring bike?
ANDREW RAY CYCLEWORLD.COM
You are aware you chose a bike with a monster 2,300cc engine as its central feature? You could always build a custom carbon-fiber frame and put the engine behind you. While you’re at it, add a second engine, turbo them both, and head to Bonneville. Seriously, there isn’t much to be done, but you might get a small improvement by uncorking the exhaust. Start here: r3owners.net/threads/r3t-derestricting.16023/.
TEMPERAMENTAL GAUGE
Why is it that my liquid-cooled motorcycle temp gauge will soar or register the true temp? At a stoplight my car temp gauge stays at the same level no matter what the outside
temp or cooling stress being placed on the motor. Is it normal for a bike’s temp gauge to change by a few degrees even when steady-state touring? This fluctuation in the temp gauge seems more pronounced during the stifling heat of a Virginia summer! (BTW: Great magazine. I have been a subscriber for years!)
WALT TAYLOR RICHMOND, VA
Bike engines being smaller physically, almost exclusively made of aluminum, and hung out in the breeze, shed heat way more quickly than any car. In some cases bike cooling systems aren’t as sophisticated as the typical car’s, since space and weight are at a premium. Modern cars must meet strict emissions standards, requiring steady, higher-running temperatures. They also have A/C systems that add extra heat into the radiator and must have enough extra capacity to handle that when used in the most severe conditions. Car gauges are typically heavily damped so
that fluctuations in the gauge don’t concern owners. Many don’t have numbers on the face for the same reason.
Your bike is acting perfectly normal. (Tell us what bike you have next time!
We all want to know.) When scorching hot, you are watching the electric radiator fan kicking on and off. When slightly less miserable out, you might be able to see some variation when the thermostat opens and closes.
GIVE US A MULLIGAN, MIKE
In the September Service column someone wrote in about a 2015 Versys 1000 running cool and you said that was an indication of a missing or stuckopen thermostat. Since I have a 2014 Ninja 1000 (same engine) doing the same thing, you got me wondering about the possible problem. I emailed Kawasaki with the question and received a reply that the thermostat in that engine begins to open between 136 and 144 degrees Fahrenheit and is fully open at 167 degrees. I would suggest more thorough research before answering and possibly causing unneeded maintenance and money for your readers.
MICHAEL SPROSTON WEAVERVILLE, NC
A Michael, I occasionally feel the need to whiff one to give loyal readers a chance to show me you’re paying attention. You are 100-percent correct in your analysis. In my defense, when I discovered (too late) that in this day and age of tightening emissions regulations and emphasis on fuel mileage, Kawasaki runs a 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) thermostat in lots of its bikes, I was blown away. I still stand by my answer to Mr. Gravel. The symptoms he was experiencing are the symptoms of a stuck-open thermostat. What I failed to realize is that Kawasaki has done this intentionally.
I can only assume (always dangerous) that Kawasaki doesn’t want chugs of relatively cold water entering the lower cylinder passages when the engine is up to operating temperatures. Big temperature variations from the top to bottom of the cylinder will cause bore distortion and poor ring sealing. In warm ambient conditions the 140-degree thermostats are basically always wide open. If Kawasaki saw fit to incorporate a bypass cir-
cuit in the cooling system, it could safely run higher-value thermostats.
This would give more consistent running temps, more even temperatures throughout the engine, improved moisture dispersion, and better emissions too.
Do check out Bill Watson’s site, wattman.com. He has a clever Thermo-Bob bypass fitting that will fix all your bikes’ cold running.
GET A GRIP, DUDE
My 2001 Honda CB900F Hornet is a joy to ride. It’s quick, easy to handle, gets 50-plus mpg, and is made in Italy, with all that implies. But the pain in my hands is enough, at times, to wipe out all the attaboys that the throttle and brakes have gathered. I’ve already installed BMP extra-heavy bar-end weights and have tried numerous gummy grips with little, or no, relief. Over the course of 50 years, I’ve owned and logged more than a quartermillion miles on 18 motorcycles and a scooter. In that time, pain in my hands has never been an issue. The bike would never have made CW’s Best Used Bike list if everyone experienced the same thing I do. Help, please.
THOMAS P. DOUCHERTY CYCLEWORLD.COM
A You’re telling us that your CBR900 (919 in the US) vibrates worse than the BSAyou had 50 years ago? I’m assuming you have engine vibration coming through the grips and it’s not the angle of the bars that is bothering your hands. Different bars may help. Do you have a windscreen attached to your bars? If so, try it without. If not, maybe you need one?
I would suggest riding a similar bike to see if the vibes are particular to your bike. Check your engine mountings to be sure they’re tight. Also check for a loose cam chain, though the tensioner is reliably automatic on these.
Lastly, try fitting your Honda CBR900 with a one-tooth-larger countershaft sprocket; this will move the period of the vibes and perhaps make them less bothersome.
GOT A MECHANICAL OR TECHNICAL PROBLEM WITH YOUR BELOVED RIDE? Perhaps we can help. Contact us at cwservice@ cycleworld.com with your questions. We cannot guarantee a reply to every inquiry.
