xrated

Looking For the blushing smiley.

If you only knew! Every morning when I get up for work (3:30AM), I'm about 93 y.o. Then, after a cup of coffee and a shower I'm about 75. One more cup of coffee on the way to work at 6:00AM and I'm back to being 59.90 y.o. I go through this every morning.

Oh, I understand completely.....I don't have that kind of money either......but it's still impressive how much better they get year after year. As far as track bike go, I'm pretty happy with my 600RR and the only time I really miss having more is when I'm on some of the larger tracks that have longer straights.....but I'm OK with it at my age (60 in a few weeks)

Get yourself a test ride on a BMW S1000RR....or if you are a Ducati guy, throw a leg over the 1199 Panigale. If those two don't make you think the 999 is missing on one cylinder, nothing will, except maybe a KTM RC8 or some others that I haven't listed.

I would try to add something useful to this, but I think Rich and Randy pretty much covered it. Glad you had a good time...Tally is a fun track.....we go there for 2 track day weekends a year with STT. The really fast guys will be under a minute around the track....58s and 59s.

A one word summation will do quite nicely............Fucktard!

They all fail sooner or later. I just put a new alternator in Peggy's 2008 V6 Mustang on Tuesday.....93,XXX miles on it. One of the diodes failed, the voltage spiked and smoked the less than three year old battery, which was of course just a few months past the free replacement time.

I too am getting on the regulator bandwagon.

Lay the bike down and pile XXBird Slapper UNDER it. Its goin NOWHERE..............Fixed that for ya.

That is a great price. I paid $199/each when I bought mine in 2007.

I wouldn't haul a bike in a Baxley without the rearend being strapped down and pulled forward, at least not on purpose, but it would probably stay just where I put it.....they are that good. I've got two of them in the trailer obviously, as I haul two track bikes, one is mine the other is my wife's bike.

Buy yourself a Baxley wheel chock, not a cheap knock-off. Roll the bike into the Baxley and flip the lock arm and pin it. Next, use two tie down straps and attach them to the passenger pegs and pull down and forward with them. Done! I've hauled both track bikes this way for the last 7 years and have NEVER had an issue. I know the Bird is heavier than my 600RR's but I've also hauled my ST1300 this same way and it outweighs the Bird by a couple hundred pounds.

And so it begins!

As a matter of fact, no I don't. Most of my tires wear out on the sides long before the middle, so I never really paid much attention to it. What is it?

OK, thanks for the pics Superhawk. Yes, those are the normal lines where the two different compounds of rubber come together. The Michelin Pilot Power III has a medium compound 50% of the tire, then on the last 25% of the tire (on both sides of course) is the softer compound of rubber. That would account for the defined lines at the location that you are pointing to with your fingers. Another thing that Michelin does with this tire is to run the harder (medium compound) all the way across the tire....from edge to edge....kind of a "base" material. Then, that softer compound is made/used over the top of the harder compound base. This method of manufacturing gives the Power III a stiffer tire in the corners (to cut down on flex or tire movement), all the while utilizing a much softer compound in that area for very good corner grip. Here are the pics that he sent to me, and I'm posting them with his permission. Then there is a link to sportbiketireservice.com that shows the layout of the tire. [url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/vlklwood/media/Verns%20Pics/PilotPowerIII-1_zps0e31e4b1.jpg.html][/ URL] http://www.sportbiketireservice.com/Michelin-Pilot-Power-3-Rear.html

send them to my email address.......I'm PM it to you.

seriously, send me a picture or two and I'll look at it for you. I've got a Pilot Power III on the rear of my FZ09.

I'm thinking that the tire may be mounted backwards on the wheel.....but the biggest problem is that your rear tire is rolling forward!

A couple of good close up pics would help

I'm at the track all weekend, Instructing with Sportbike Track Time, so I'm not ignoring this thread, just don't really have time to pursue, contribute.

EVLXX wrote: It's OK.......I deserve it! I was so intent on stating what I know that I thought YOU were wrong. Problem is......I just didn't know enough! Could have used my ex-wife for this conversation.........she knows everything!

OK, I will be the first to admit when I'm wrong, and I apparently didn't know as much (little) as I thought I did about automotive/motorcycle electrics. I've been a maint. Electrician since 1980 and have never really dealt with automotive type electrical very much and simply wasn't aware that there was something called a shunt regulator. I still would like to know though, how do you know that it's a shunt regulator....as I've not been able to find any info in that regard concerning the XX. Obviously, having sold my Bird in 2005, I don't have a service manual on it anymore.

So now you have an understanding....basically, of what is going on...right? Most of the time, the term generator is associated with a device that produces A/C or alternating current...such as a back up generator that you may have out in your garage. But, there are also DC generators...or Direct Current generators. I've seen hundreds of them in my years in the steel mill. Some are so large that they wouldn't fit in a typical two car garage...and believe, there are bigger ones out there. Alternators are always going to produce....alternating voltage. The manufacturer will then equip it with a rectifier package if D.C. is needed, in order to convert the voltage to a direct voltage..which will be able to used to power a device that requires direct current. I kind of use the words voltage and current interchangeably because, the whole purpose of producing the voltage is to make it produce current flow for whatever you are trying to accomplish....charging a battery...operating the headlights...etc.

However... you Motorcycle does Not have an Alternator.... It has a Generator, that Yes, Is always producing power... and all the excess power, gets burnt up in the form of Heat energy by the Regulator Rectifier. So... the more electrical power usage you save with LED lights etc., the harder you make the Reg/Rectifier work. I will say one thing about you Eric.....you are consistent.....WRONG AGAIN! Motorcycles have alternators....NOT Generators. And furthermore, the regulator/rectifier controls the voltage output from the alternator.....not the current. The alternator will only produce enough power for what the needs of the bike is....up to its maximum wattage rating. There is NO excessive power made in either a generator OR an alternator...to be dissipated.

Thanks Krypt......That was the way it was explained to me back in the 70's when I was going through my apprenticeship for Electrician. There has to be current flow in order for there to be "power". Voltage alone does absolutely nothing.....unless there is a path for the voltage to make current flow.