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TACHLESS BEHAVIOR -> HEATED DISCUSSIONS -> CRUDE TALK -> ASK KEVIN
RAY NIERLICH
REVELATION
Q: From information I have gleaned during reading an article written by Sean MacDonald, the Husqvarna 701 does not have a tachometer. Sean wrote that the “bike pulls hard until just before the rev limiter kicks in.” Is it safe to run the motor up to the rev limiter repeatedly? How are you supposed to know when you are approaching the rev limiter without a tachometer?
My experience with rev limiters comes from a GM pushrod engine that blew a rod through the block when the limiter kicked in. Based on my experience, since the 701 does not have a tachometer, I would want to short-shift and miss some of the available power.
JOHN KNOX
CYCLEWORLD.COM
A If you’ve wondered whether that poseur ■ dude at bike night, the guy who sat there with his Ducati wailing away, popping and snorting on the limiter, was really doing harm, the answer is yes. The lessons you learned from that GM pushrod engine will serve you well. Your Husky engine (a retuned KTM 690) is quite tough, but running any engine on the rev limiter regularly is ill advised. Limiters are designed to save the engine on the odd occasion that exuberance overcomes sensibility. Just listen to the engine, and get
accustomed to its power delivery and you’ll learn when to shift. Not having a tach on a bike like this isn’t a big deal. If you have time to be studying the tach, you aren’t having enough fun.
HOT CHI
Q:
HOT CHILD IN THE CITY
I have owned my 2007 BMW R1200GS Adventure since spring of 2011, putting on a bit "over 100,000 kilometers in that time. I’ve had the pleasure of using it the way it was intended, riding from Germany to China via Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia and back over Japan, Southeast Asia, and Turkey. We are currently on a trip around South America.
The problem I am having relates to the engine overheating during slow, big-city riding. It doesn’t even have to be terribly hot for the engine to hit the top of the temperature gauge and see the oil pressure light flicker at idle as it did in heavy traffic in Moscow. I
have had the thermostat and oil cooler checked out, and they appear to be working properly. I have heard that the 2007 R1200GS runs quite lean and therefore hot, though I haven’t done an exhaust gas analysis to confirm that.
Have you heard of this problem and any solutions?
EKIEI0 CYCLEWORLD.COM
At the risk of sounding like
■ the jerk at the dealer: “They all
■ do this, sir.” This isn’t really a problem on your BMW. With some other engines, it would be cause for consternation. If it bugs you, fit a fan to the oil cooler as BMW does on the police models. Using a heavier-weight
oil for the hot, ambient conditions might reduce the light flickering but won’t reduce engine temps.
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!
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, since space and weight are at a premium. Modern cars must meet strict emissions standards, requiring steady, higher-running temperatures. They also have AC systems that add extra heat into the radiator and must have enough extra capacity to handle that when in use in the most severe conditions. Car gauges are also 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 may be able see some variation when the thermostat opens and closes.
OIL ORIGIN Q Cleaning the air filter on my 2016 * Harley Switchback, I noticed oil * in the bottom of the filter. Will you explain this? STEVE FORDONE CYCLEWORLD.COM
A You ran it. Harleys of all ages and ■ displacements are known for ■ pumping some oil out the crankcase breather, which on your bike goes into the air cleaner. A little oil is entirely normal so long as it doesn’t get ridiculous. See “Slobber” in the August 2016 issue for a kindred soul’s lament.
NO SMOKE MOVEMENT
QIn a February 2014 letter you * talked about the pros and cons ■ of two-stroke bikes and/or motors. You stated that things like DFI would serve to make a modern twostroke legal. You left out the Yamaha GL750, which already had fuel injection, four cylinders, disc brakes, reed valves, and water-cooling.
I lusted after that bike. I worked two summers as a teenager to save up to buy it. In fact, I still have the original motorcycle magazine report with all the lovely pictures of what was never to be!
Just thought you'd like to know (of course I am sure you already know).
CHARLES HISSOM
CYCLEWORLD.COM
A We miss the wafting aroma of burnt oil and cacophony ring■ ding of two-strokes as much as you obviously do, Charles. Unfortunately, the winds of change have blown against us. On the plus side, KTM has had a prototype two-stroke EFI dirt bike spotted during testing.
SCOOTIN’ RIGHT ALONG
I ride a 2014 Honda Forza. My I * question is, am I okay going too ■ km/h for an extended period of time, i.e., one hour or longer? ED HIEBERT WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA
A You are A-okay until your der■ riere can’t sit in the seat any ■ longer...or until you have run out of gas. The 279CC single had EFI and liquid-cooling and is fully capable of sustaining 65 mph for as long as you'd like to sustain it.
TEXAS OIL
I have a 2001 Kawasaki I H ZRX1200R with 28,000 miles, ■ Ivan’s Stage 1 jet kit, full Muzzy exhaust, and Barnett heavy-duty clutch kit with Kevlar plates. I’m going to install a Holeshot Stage 2 jet kit with K&N pods. Those are the only engine mods to the bike (it runs like new). What would be the best oil to use for my bike?
I change oil on or about 3,000 miles like clockwork. This will be the first time I personally will do the oil change (just bought the bike a few weeks ago). It has iow-40 oil in the bike now. I live in Dallas (summers are hot, while winters are mild). Is Castrol 20W-50 conventional oil correct, as it’s my go-to oil since the ’80s? I’m looking for the best oil to get the best protection for my bike. I’m a weekend warrior. That’s when I go out of Dallas and let the ponies run free on the back roads (my buddy and I usually do 350 to 400 miles in a day when we go ride, with lots of triple-digit riding). Other than that, it’s rough Dallas city traffic.
TRACY TAYLOR DALLAS, TX
A Back in the day most everybody used Castrol in most everything. ■ Nowadays I don’t recommend any of the car oils for engines with wet clutches. The additive packages have changed from what they used to be so as to be less polluting for catalytic converters. These oils are too slippery for wet clutches and starter drives. Most don’t offer enough load protection for solid lifter cams either.
I would run a semi-synthetic iow-50 such as Motul 5100 in most modern motorcycles. These semi-synthetics are very good oil, better than what was available only a few years ago and cost less than a full synthetic. But if your baby deserves the best, go with a full synthetic motorcycle oil such as AmsOil, Mobil 1, Motul, etc. For your conditions I’d recommend 15W-50 or 20W-50 weight oil to cope with the heat and type of riding you engage in. You can also follow the manufacturerrecommended oil-change intervals, especially if you use full synthetic.
FALSE FALSE SHIFTS S
Q: in I bought October a Ducati 2014, and Panigale it now 119 has 9R 1,600 miles on it. (Yes, one butt and and three thn bikes to share it: VMAX, 1199S, 1199R—oops, almost forgot the Piaggio BV350.) That being said, the R has given me false gearshifts since day one, meaning in a high gear—fourth, for instance—I kick it up and it will flash the red rpm lights, with the overrev noise like it’s in neutral, then kick finally to fifth gear. This happens in about a second, and the bike is up and running fine again. Until it happens
again, unannounced. I can’t replicate on my own, of course!
I sent the bike to Peninsula Motorsports (our dealer). They had their hands on it a few times and no luck. I contacted Ducati Customer Service, and their answer was pretty much that the dealer had found nothing. They would send a service order, but if nothing was found again, I would have to pay for the service. So I didn’t do it. This Memorial Day weekend I was doing a 200-mile run, and it did it again twice while shifting fifth to sixth (at about 140 mph). I come home and the bike is leaking oil, and it will be back at the shop. Have you ever heard about this issue? Any ideas what else I can try? I’m afraid this is a lemon, as my 1199S runs flawlessly!
CARLOS FORTE CYCLEWORLD.COM
A My advice is always to get a second opinion whenever you have ■ a problem that has been unre-
ASK KEVIN
DIRECT DRIVE AND OVERDRIVE
QThis is a quote from Lee Conn at Motus M/C: “When you have adequate ® power/torque, you can design in overdrive gears for better fuel economy. They ® may be out there, but I think most bikes/cars have overdriven top gears for the same reasons. On the Motus, you are only turning 3,000 rpm at 70 mph in sixth gear and still have a ton of passing power while barely sipping fuel. That’s a good thing! At 1-1 (fourth gear), you’d have a ridiculous amount of torque at cruising speeds but would be using much more fuel. These bikes are designed for performance, comfort, and range, and the overdrives check the boxes for all three.”
This next quote is from Bert Baker, Powertrain engineer. “The DD6, or Direct Drive six-speed, combines three technical approaches to achieve the most advanced transmission gearset design available foryour big twin with minimal compromise. Firstly, first through third gears are straight cut (spur) for strength during maximum acceleration with no parasitic axial thrust. Secondly, fourth and fifth gears are automotivestyle helical gears for quiet and smooth operation as highway speed approaches. Lastly, sixth gear is direct drive, which means there is no underdrive or overdrive in top gear, which translates into 99 percent efficiency for minimum parasitic loss, minimum wear and tear, and maximum fuel efficiency.”
It seems to me that Baker’s statement is true. And if so, then Conn’s statement is not true. Is it that simple?
MARV DECKER CYCLEWORLD.COM
Alt used to be that all British bikes had direct-drive top gears, and only the lower three ratios required driving through the countershaft, which they did through two meshes. To shift into top (fourth) the mechanism would dog the output gearto the mainshaft, resulting in a 1:1 ratio that did not drive through any mesh but the primary gears or chain.
The Germans and Italians, and later the Japanese, adopted all-indirect gearboxes. Power came in from the clutch on the input shaft, and all ratios were driven by their own gear pairs. Thus, power was passing at all times through a single mesh while the unengaged gears “windmilled.”
To make an overdriven top gear on an all-indirect gearbox is simply a matter of providing the required tooth counts in whatever pitch is being used.
To make a direct-drive high-ratio (cruising economy) top gear in a British-style gearbox (direct drive in top) all the other ratios would have to be lowered appropriately.
In this way, they are both right. Overdrive fifth and sixth are common in all-indirect gearboxes (ratios less than 1.00), but by other means a similar end effect may be had from a British-style gearbox in which the countershaft transmits no power in top gear.
-Kevin Cameron
solved after more than a couple of visits to your regular guy. Same advice holds true for your doctor, dentist, or plumber.
I called my go-to Ducati guy, Jordan Rhodes at Dallas Ducati, for his take on your situation (advancedmotorsports. com). Jordan says the Panigale transmissions have been bulletproof, so he’d focus on external causes. Check the shift linkage closely. Is there sufficient clearance between the clamping bolt and the swingarm? (The higher gear throws are slightly longer, and the rear chain adjusts with an eccentric.) Check the adjustment of the drive chain. Does
your bike have aftermarket rearsets? Since you are fortunate to live near civilization, you have several good choices for shops. Desmotosport (desmotosport. com): not a dealer, so no warranty work, best Yelp ratings. And since your bike is still under warranty, Monroe Motors in San Francisco. Ask for Matt (munroemotors.com). CTU
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.
