A Motorcycle Thread About Absolutely Nothing!

The first thing I wanted to check was if the motor would turn freely and wasn't seized up. I figured, for $100 this would be a lot of entertainment and very educational for me as I began to dismantle the bike.

I was able to find a very thorough manual online and I downloaded it. It helped a lot. The electrical components on the bike were protected from the weather so the R/R and black box were good. The fuses were still good too. However, everything that had rubber externally needed to be replaced (turn signals, seat, tires, carburator covers etc.).

I put the bike up on the bike's center stand and dismantled everything. I would sometimes work on it a couple hours a day just studying where the wires went, what did what etc. always referring to the manual.

I bought aftermarket mirrors and signals for it from ebay - another tank which I never used and a new seat. I also bought new tires, new brakes as the brake fluid had ruined all the rubber brake lines.

I filled the engine up completely with automatic transmission fluid once I saw it turned freely. What this does is eat any internal rust right up and keeps everything from getting even more rust. I also mixed in some seafoam Sea Foam | Motor Treatment


Once I replaced spark plugs and coils, and drained the engine, I got it to start but it wouldn't run right. Suspect .... the carbs.

This bike has jet needles in the carbs and they were all fouled up - gas turns into a reddish jelly when it sits for a long time, and all that gunk was in the carbs. I took the carbs completely apart but there was one jet needle screw that was stripped. It was near where the big dent was on the gas tank (yeah, someone got pissed and hit the bike when they stripped the screw).

The bike would not run properly unless I got that screw out and bought a new jet needle and screw. So I got a screw extractor and was able to get it out. The problem was ... I needed a new one.


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(More in next post)
 
I got a refurbished and rebuilt complete carburator from someone who sold it to me for $40. It was a steal, and once I replaced my old carbs with the new one, the bike ran like it was brand new. Not even a hiccup.
However, all the transmission fluid and seafoam that had been in the engine made a lot of smoke while it cleaned out the internal components of the bike.


But .... the bike looked like a horrible chemical accident - it needed to be painted. The dent needed to be fixed and some of the plastic covers needed to be repaired.


Bondo does wonderful stuff. I scratch glazed the plastic and repaired the dent with bondo. I stripped what paint and decals I could off the bike, the purchased the proper surface prep, paint and clear.

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The paint I used is called planet green from House of Color - I also did some metal leafing too:

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It was definitely a lot of frustrating fun and I learned a few neat things. I highly recommend it.
 
I have a top feed campbell hausfield automobile spray gun - one large and one touch up and an air compressor.

I also had to build a paint booth out of pvc pipe, plastic sheets, two fans and furnace filters.

also, metal leafing is a great way to add some "flair" to any bike. I went to a sign shop and bought some of their template sticky paper (I forget what it is called). It doesn't crease and you can use it again and again. Then, I downloaded tattoo designs I liked and I used this one for the top of the tank:


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I heard that yesterday - the 27 years old rider got killed by a driver making illegal left turn in NYC... just a few blocks from my work. It's the same route I take everyday to go home from work. The driver was unlicensed 25 years old girl who left the scene of accident and later turned herself in 3 hours later.

Motorist who killed hedge fund executive in West Village hit and run was driving without license
A hit-and-run motorist who killed a young Manhattan hedge fund executive as he rode his motorcycle on Sunday was driving without a license, police said Monday.

Naisha Sutton, 25, of the Bronx, surrendered to police in Brooklyn hours after the accident that claimed the life of Ronen Katz, 27, police said.

Katz - an East Village resident who was a vice president at Manhattan investment firm Angelo, Gordon & Co. - was killed while riding his red 2009 Ducati motorcycle in the West Village shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday.

"It was a nice day," Katz's mother, Leora Katz, told the Daily News. "He went for a nice ride."

But as Katz rode north on West St. and approached the Holland Tunnel entrance at Canal St., he was struck by Sutton's Nissan as she made an illegal left turn, police said.

Katz later died at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Sutton fled the scene of the crash. About three hours later, she surrendered to cops at the NYPD's 75th Precinct stationhouse in East New York, Brooklyn, police said.

She was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and unlicensed operation in addition to a count for the illegal turn, police said.

Katz was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania whose sister, Tamar Katz, is a three-time Israeli national figure skating champion, his mother said.

Katz recently received an award from the Creativity Foundation for his commitment to public service. He was due next month to be honored with a young business leadership award for his work with the Hebrew Academy for special children.

"There are only good things to say about him," Katz's heartbroken mother said. "A brilliant boy. I wish I had five like him."
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Wall Streeter Killed in Canal St. Hit-and-Run
Ronen Katz was driving his motorcycle when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver at Canal and West streets on Sunday.

TRIBECA — A successful young Wall Streeter known as a brilliant businessman with a penchant for volunteering was mowed down and left for dead Sunday as he rode his Ducati motorcycle near Canal Street and the West Side Highway.

Ronen Katz, 27, who lived in the East Village, was allegedly struck by Naisha Sutton, 25, as she made an illegal left turn from Canal Street onto West Street around 5 p.m., police said. Sutton, who was reportedly driving without a license, fled in her maroon Nissan Sedan and was later arrested after she surrendered to police in East New York, according to police and the Daily News.

Katz, who was riding a red 2009 Ducati toward the Holland Tunnel, according to the News, was rushed to Beth Israel Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Sutton, of the Bronx, is expected to be arraigned Monday on charges of leaving the scene of an accident, making an improper left turn and being an unlicensed operator.

Katz's mother, Leora Katz, told the News her son had gone out for a ride to enjoy the nice weather.

"There are only good things to say about him," Katz's mother said, according to the News. "A brilliant boy. I wish I had five like him."

Ronen Katz was a vice president at Angelo, Gordon & Co., an alternative investing firm, where he described himself as working "15 hours a day" in 2005. The company did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

Katz somehow still found time to help out at local nonprofits, including the Hebrew Academy for Special Children for disabled youth, officials there said.

“Not only was he wise in the business world, but he was a generous person in terms of giving back to the community,” said Rabbi Solomon Stern, executive director of the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. “He had a charitable heart.”

Stern said Katz helped raise money for his organization, which offers education and therapy for the disabled. Stern was planning to present Katz with the 2010 Young Business Leadership Award at the Hebrew Academy for Special Children’s annual benefit on Oct. 7, he said.

Katz’s neighbors on East 12th Street said they were shocked to hear of his death Sunday night.

Antoinette Debden, 26, who lives in Katz’s building, said he was full of energy and loved his motorcycle.

"He always seemed excited to get up in the morning and just live life," Debden said.

Del Vidaurri, who works for building landlord Metropolitan Property Group, said Katz just bought his motorcycle about a month ago and “was really excited about it.”

"He was a great guy," Vidaurri said.

Katz attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School from 2001 to 2006 and received three degrees: a bachelor of science in economics and a bachelor of science in engineering, both magna cum laude, and a master of science in engineering, according to the school.

In 2005, Katz won a Legacy Prize from the Creativity Foundation, which honors extraordinary students "who show great promise, creativity, and dedication in their fields," according to the foundation's website.

Katz’s sister, Tamar Katz, is a well-known figure skater who has won the Israeli national championship three times.
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what a waste of life.... but this story is too fishy. This reeks of "drug deal gone bad". I believe the girl was not a driver. She must be covering for her drug dealer/buyer boyfriend because I seriously doubt an unlicensed driver.... as in... inexperienced and untrained driver can drive from Bronx to downtown. It's not possible. I know these roads and there's no way a newbie can do it. It's extremely nerve-wrecking.
 
Jiro said:
I heard that yesterday - the 27 years old rider got killed by a driver making illegal left turn in NYC... just a few blocks from my work. It's the same route I take everyday to go home from work. The driver was unlicensed 25 years old girl who left the scene of accident and later turned herself in 3 hours later.

what a waste of life.... but this story is too fishy. This reeks of "drug deal gone bad". I believe the girl was not a driver. She must be covering for her drug dealer/buyer boyfriend because I seriously doubt an unlicensed driver.... as in... inexperienced and untrained driver can drive from Bronx to downtown. It's not possible. I know these roads and there's no way a newbie can do it. It's extremely nerve-wrecking.
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Wow, that is really sad. :(

I've read many times that bike riders are hit by cars making illegal left turns.

What makes you think the accident had to do with a drug deal? Is there another story? Maybe she was inexperienced driving so that's exactly why she did have the accident.

Also, there are various reasons why a driver might not have a license.
 
Reba said:
More details, update, and photos:

Brooklyn Mom Naisha Sutton Arraigned in Hit-And-Run Death of Wall Streeter - DNAinfo.com
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Reba said:
"Mr. Simmons said his client got out of her car, spoke to onlookers who said they would call an ambulance and then left in a panicked state."

So, there were witnesses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/nyregion/21hitrun.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
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:ty: for a more thorough detective work. That pretty much shot down my drug theory.

Left Hanger... always a killer. For the past few weeks - we lost over 5 riders to illegal left turner and distracted driver. The number of my motorcycle forum members just got smaller. :mad2:
 
Jiro said:
:ty: for a more thorough detective work. That pretty much shot down my drug theory.

Left Hanger... always a killer. For the past few weeks - we lost over 5 riders to illegal left turner and distracted driver. The number of my motorcycle forum members just got smaller. :mad2:
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Intersections are not kind to bikers. :(
 
I do not know if I could take the test because I just told my brother about it. He was so pissing off and yelling at me that do not take the test, plus I am very idiot. :shock: & :Ohno:
 
Phillips said:
I do not know if I could take the test because I just told my brother about it. He was so pissing off and yelling at me that do not take the test, plus I am very idiot. :shock: & :Ohno:
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not nice of him :(

I don't do this to people even if I fear for their safety. That angry approach isn't effective. My friends come to me for advice to learn how to ride. First thing I lecture about the accidents and cost. Then I tell them all wonderful stories about riding. I mean... that approach is exactly same as sex education, don't ya think? No matter what - you can't prevent kids from having sex but the best you can do is educating them about safe sex, STD, and teen pregnancy.
 
Reba said:
Intersections are not kind to bikers. :(
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I just crossed that intersection on the way to work. I'm bit confused because I was wondering about the part where she made "improper" left turn to Canal Street. It has traffic light to allow you to turn to left onto Canal Street from West Street when signaled.

2 possible things -
1. she ignored the "Left-Turn" red light???? but I don't see how cuz of incoming cars but then... maybe she caught a break to turn??
2. the rider was riding too fast and tried to race the light. Ducati. 27 years old. According to his mother - "He was a tall, dashing hedge fund executive with a taste for mountain bikes and flashy motorcycles." Sounds like a risk-taker.

notice the red circle I made in 2nd picture. I don't know anymore. This story's still fishy. :dunno: I would like to see the pictures of damage on car but I wouldn't be surprised if the case gets quickly and quietly closed.

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Is it left turn on arrow only? Or can drivers also turn left on green light IF the way is clear?
 
Reba said:
Is it left turn on arrow only? Or can drivers also turn left on green light IF the way is clear?
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The traffic light on opposite direction is red light... and then the LEFT-ONLY light changes to green. So we don't know if the driver ignored the RED left-only light or if the rider was speeding thru :dunno:

But it's very very very common here for riders & drivers to speed thru just a second after light turns red. That happens to me sometime but it's because I did not have enough time to stop and it's just safer to go thru (depending on situation) than to panic-stop it which can the vehicle to turn uncontrollably (again - depending on situation). Sometimes I'm behind a very large truck like double-decker bus that blocks my view for some traffic lights that are not high enough or sometimes some traffic lights abruptly change color or sometimes I wasn't paying attention :Oops:
 
Alot of cages just ignore bikes and simply just dont pay attention. Some hate bikes and will intentionally try to do something if they think they can get away with it even if its getting in front of the bike going down the road and using their wipers spraying washer fluid to get the biker wet.
 
ncff07 said:
Alot of cages just ignore bikes and simply just dont pay attention. Some hate bikes and will intentionally try to do something if they think they can get away with it even if its getting in front of the bike going down the road and using their wipers spraying washer fluid to get the biker wet.
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I dunno why but I lol'ed at the last sentence even though that's just plain damn mean.
 
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