Mekanix

I honestly don't know how the adjusters could have moved if the bolts were tightened down. They are a physical barrier that, by their nature, would not allow the adjusters to move forward. Now I am confused... If I remember correctly I would torque them suckers down to about 25-30 lbs after locking down the nut. The bolts would have to sink into the swingarm for the adjusters to move forward. PS. I would also search ebay or bikebandit.com and get a new axle shaft if it was stripped. Too much power to be dealing with marginal parts. http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycl...151392#sch97126 shows a new axle for $65. also http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycl...51392#sch101123 shows the swingarm exploded view. You can see if the adjuster bolt is torqued down the adjuster can't possibly move forward. Once the axle is torqued down, tighten those bolts good and tight (~30lb-ft). Should have no other issues. Good luck!

I don't know if this will help or not but, whenever I made chain adjustments, I snugged down the adjusters after I locked down the axle. I read somewhere that it was cheap insurance to make sure the wheel could not move forward. Given the power the XX makes, I figured it made sense. I never had the adjustment change on me.

On my truck, if you replace the rack and pinion there is a need to cycle the steering (if I remember, full movement left and right off the ground at a certain rpm like 2000). If this is not done, air is trapped in the system and it will eventually gas out and leave you with a low power steering fluid level. If your rack was recently replaced and it needed to get the bubbles out, you may just need to refill and carry on.

I would humbly suggest marksdailyapple.com as a guide for your future path. Essentially, it's Atkins with a twist. Grains bad, meat, fat and plants good. Most dieticians unknowingly prescribe the same diet but then throw in "whole grains are good for you so you need a bunch of that shit". Your mileage my vary. I hate to say it but in every time I lost weight and kept it off, I was always hungry. That seems to be the theme with me. I have come to use it as my indicator that I am doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing. I know for a fact that simply counting calories using any of the internet and phone based calorie counters is the most simple and effective way to monitor calorie intake. It's not what you burn, it's what you take in. You will be amazed what simply tracking your intake will do for you. Best of luck.

+1 It might be neater and easier if you have trouble getting under a vehicle or working on the floor, but letting it have a good drain time from the bottom of the oil pan is always better. Shops resort to pumps because it allows them to get a vehicle in and out faster so they can do more customers, but they sacrifice quality in the process...and avoid incidents where they forget to put the drain plug back in. Just to clear things up, I mentioned in the original post that I am working on a sump tank (a dry sump). It's for my BMW KS. Since it is a dry sump, there is almost none of the total engine oil inside the engine. Even by draining, there is still roughly a cup of oil that doesn't drain out because the bottom of the sight tube is below where it would drain, leaving a little oil in the tank if you use the drain method. By using a vacuum drain, it literally sucks the bottom of the sump like a straw sucking the last bit of a milkshake out of the bottom of a cup. In reading about users using the drain method, they claimed 3.75 quarts to refill. Using the suction system, I had to use a full 4 quarts to refill. By that bit of knowledge alone, I am assured that the suction method, at least for my situation, is more complete. The process of changing oil involves draining the dry sump tank, pulling the plug from the bottom of the crankcase and changing the filter. Everything is easy to reach and no panels have to be taken off. It really is a well designed system. I do let the oil, what little there is, drain from the engine plug like normal. One final, final point. There is no drain plug at the bottom of the dry sump.

KaziXX - That looks a LOT like the one I saw but it has a chuck and a trigger to let compressed air draw it out. blackhawkxx - Well, since it was the dry sump and there is no plug in the bottom, I guess we got all we could out. If one doesn't use a vacuum pump, the standard instructions are to fish the sight tube down the frame with a plug over the hole, pull the plug and let it dangle under the bike for an hour, then fish it back up and reconnect it. There is also a plug in the block that drains about 1/2 a quart there. I've also looked at the mighty vac, but heard a lot of people complain about the tube collapsing. I think this is what I am going to settle on. http://www.zorotools.com/g/00044176/k-G131...CFWIaQgodsWcA2g It looks like what I had in mind, unless anyone else has any suggestions? Gonna order it tomorrow.

So, I had the oil changed by a local garage and they used a cool vacuum pump that ran off compressed air to drain the sump tank. Since I do all that stuff at home anyway, I was wondering if someone else has purchased that particular type of equipment and what they thought of the particular brand they used. Suggestions? Thanks!

FWIW, WD-40 is a water displacement, not an oil or a solvent or anything else. That it has some properties like them, doesn't make it a lubricant. Use graphite or a light oil of some type. Anything that floats your boat. Hell, I use break free from my gun kit on almost everything that I don't want a lot of residue or dirt attraction on.

That thing gives me serious wood. If I had that kind of scratch, I would be on it! Not that kind of cash on hand at the moment though and I am looking at buying a new house. Fucking house...

Mine was a 99. From my experience, 99-00 share similar problems with wiring harness dummy plugs crapping out. I spent a lot of time chasing foggy grounds and having my FI light wink at me from time to time. I did spend a lot of time riding in a lot of rain, so that probably contributed to it. Other than that, no issues other than a R/R at ~45K.

Good man on the drinks. I still patch my own but it would kill me today to work like I used to.

I, personally, wouldn't trust a plug with my life. IMHO, a bike has only two tires on it. I would plug it and get a new tire as soon as I could. I have done it before. Just plug it. HD aren't known for performance. Get a new tire asap, because I like to stay alive and not in a hospital. Sorry to hear your tire has damage.

54K miles before I killed mine. Bike was "running great!" If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Continue to drive until smile fades from face, then take it in to make smile return. (I killed mine by crashing.. it was fine until parts were scattered across a mountainside."

A hint. If you are joining two parts in what is essentially a butt joint... get some window screen to act as a binding agent and then JB weld to your heart's content. The mesh acts much like the mesh under concrete. If you don't know that that is, just trust me. It acts as a reinforcement to keep everything together. It might not be perfect, but it will last for a while. (dumbing down... cut some door screen to about 2" bigger than the fix and then jb weld the mesh into the back of the joint. This will help flexibility and breakdown and will keep your bike looking good for a while. Apply the screen reinforcement over the joint with generous coverage. JB weld to join the mesh to the crack.)

I've never noticed problems with old tires in a straight line, but twisties can be harrowing. Maybe balance as well. I have noticed air pressure had a big difference on new tires, but I can't verify old tires. Wish I was more help.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/06/02...goodbye-pyramid So, what I get out of it is the same thing I have been whining about for a long time. Maybe the government is actually onto something. They talk about it saying the diet increases fruits and vegetables and calls meat protein now. The reality is grains has gone from a staple of the diet to a small portion, about 20%. Not going to get on a soap box about it but other than keeping the masses alive with calories, grains are still bad for you IMHO. Especially wheat. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/ Just something to think about...

If it's a 99-00 bird, you may have the tell-tale wire loom fix problem. Search here and google and it will tell you what to do. I had a problem with erratic blinking and sometimes my FI light would glow faintly as the blinkers cycled. Easy fix, but it will take a mini torch to get that much solder to stay liquid enough to do the splices.

I have built a pressure pot for every vehicle I have. Basically, it's a 10 psi feed into a cap for whatever I am bleeding. I fill the reservoir, turn on the air and open the bleed. Then I watch the reservoir and release pressure and fill until I get clear fluid. I have a flat plate with a silicone film on it that I clamp on motorcycle or odd type reservoirs. I have a lot of free time on my hands...

I also have another thing fighting me on this whole weight loss thing. Since my crash, I developed a sleep eating disorder. First it was just weird because I would wake up and find evidence of cooking when I was clearly sure I had cleaned up before going to bed. It was just funny and a little concerning and I was putting on the pounds until I left the vacuum in the hall and tripped over it in my sleep on the way to the kitchen. Split my forehead open on the ceramic tile floor. Apparently no treatment or cure, nothing to take for it. What I find controls the impulse in a huge way is to eat just before sleeping. I found that eating a piece of meat with some fat (chunk of boneless beef rib wrapped in a slice of cheese is my favorite) was enough to pretty much put that behavior to a stop. Mostly now I am just finding a way to slowly make changes without triggering the sleep eating thing again. FML, but at least I am still here as opposed to the alternative.

Lots of other good articles there... http://www.westonaprice.org/abcs-of-nutrit...o-nutrient-land I've been playing with the idea of seriously bumping up my fat intake and dropping carbs even farther. All data I can find from non-mainstream sources point to the fact that a high fat diet and seriously restricted carbs are the way to go. My biggest hurdle? I really like my bourbon.

I read this when you first posted it. I agree 100% with that he says. I have a problem with the discipline, but I am working on it. Biggest thing that struck me (it often does) was that we, as an exercise training rabbit, spend all our times burning empty calories on light weight high rep exercises only to follow a diet that puts those same calories (carbs) back in to burn (or store as fat once we get an insulin spike) again. I realized a long time ago that carbs are more empty than fat calories. At least fat has nutrients in it, carbs are less nutritious than green plants any day of the week. Fat is also satisfying. I can sit and eat half a box of whole grain cereal and go back for more in half an hour. I eat bacon and eggs scrambled with broccoli bits and I am good till dinner. I still get the urge to jump on the stair climber, but I like it. I turn a 180 and head to the squat rack when I feel that way and practice taking a shit in the woods for 30 minutes instead. I really like doing squats

Thanks for the tip! I like their website. You may like Mark's Daily Apple http://www.marksdailyapple.com/. I bought his book.

Changes in my diet based on paleo platform tell me eggs are very safe. Serum cholesterol (the stuff your body makes and puts in your blood) is more affected by sugar than dietary cholesterol. I eat 4 whole eggs for breakfast when the mood hits me, about 3-4 times a week and have been doing so for years. Last blood test a year ago is still as normal as ever and I am 41 years old. Basics of paleo platform... Eat meat and plants Avoid grain like the plague Eat food as close to natural as you can Stay hungry sometimes (no sugar, no wheat) I have occasional oats and rice, but no wheat if I can help it. My favorite refined food is still beer and bourbon though

Ahh, vitamin D I also believe in. I live in a state with 360 days of sun a year and I work outside a lot so I get a lot. If I didn't, I probably would take that too.

About the farthest I would ever go with detox is lots of vitamin C and a daily dose of milk thistle for about 3 days. Any more than that and I can't leave the house, or the bathroom. Unless you are physically ill, don't do it. If you are physically ill, go to a doctor. There is no real reason to do that to your body if it is working correctly and if it isn't, you really need to see a health professional. Working out (sweat) good sleep (rest) and a well rounded diet is the best thing you can do for your body. FWIW, I used to believe in all that supplement and vitamin crap. Aside from vitamin C, I don't take anything else anymore and have never felt better.