Zero Knievel

+1 on the jumper cables. I'm amazed how many people don't realize you can safely start a MC from a car battery (12v is 12v) to either overcome a battery allowed to discharge or to test if you have a bad battery or some other problem.

Thankfully, these bearings do not go out overnight, so you should check your forks every time you replace the front tire or do anything that gives you a chance to get the front wheel off the ground. Also keep in mind that you might just need to tighten the bearings down, but I'm not sure what the odds of that are since if they were seated correctly, no slack should develop...ever.

I have stock shocks front and rear. I really don't have a problem with 3 large cases unless I overload the bike...something to consider, but if you have improved your suspension, I guess the handling might show up sooner rather than later. No matter what, you still can't push the bike as you would with no cases (or just a top case).

IIRC, with the front end jacked up, you can wiggle the forks front to back. The only motion your forks should do is let the triple-T turn left and right smoothly.

Where's the entry for the new tire to replace the blown one?

It's that thing under the seat that I've never used. So far, just a headlamp. Everything else has been normal wear and tear.

Well, frankly, stuck in traffic is bad for any bike's battery. If you don't keep the fan running, the bike will overheat. If you run the fan but stay idling in traffic too long, you'll kill the battery. I choose to avoid congestion just on principle when traveling. In commuting, I think the problem would creep up fast since you don't spend a lot of time running the RPMs high enough to get some quality charging to the battery. I took the shoulder to get past a real bad traffic jam in NC because it was a choice of cook slowly in stalled traffic or kill the battery....or both. Motorcycles are not designed to idle for hours in stop and go traffic.

So far, and not just my experience, sportbike cooling systems just don't do the job if you wind up in traffic. The systems are designed for the track/open road, not congested traffic, so overheats are common....sometimes, all it takes is for the heat to creep up and do something and nothing seems to work right since then. I had a Kawasaki. Overheated. I know that the fan was not coming on. I put on a new switch, and that fixed it...then it happened again. With the cost of the sensor switch, I said "screw it" and put a manual switch in....never had a overheat problem ever again. The 'Bird overheated and punched a leak in the radiator on my first cross-country trip. It was hot, and IIRC I was drafting a car in front of me which likely compromised how much airflow was going over my radiator...in high heat, that was bad. I put a bypass switch on the bike after that, and never had a problem again. You do have to remember to know what the on/off positions are and be certain that if you turn off the bike, the fan turns off as well, but other than that, I've never seen a battery drained by an override switch. It may seem inconvenient, but frankly, the "on" setting for the sensor is way too hot for off-track applications.

Odd. After my fan failed to keep my bike from overheating, I put in a bypass switch and find that 1,000X easier than trusting the fan switch to do its job.

BTW, what section of the manual should it be listed under...it's a big book.

I'll look that up when I get home. Thanks.

Eh?

So far as I can tell, the sound is consistent regardless of clutch engagement. It's very noticeable when it's cold. Less so when it warms up. I think it's just my imagination getting the best of me.

For all I can tell, the bike runs fine. Basically, I think all bikes have this....a rhythmic cycle kinda like THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUD. It's bad when the bike first starts but the motor is cold. Once it warms up, it's not that noticeable, but you can feel it through the handlebars if you have a good sense of touch. When it runs, you can sense it, but again, it doesn't sound like anything's broken. I've replaced the plugs this past winter. It sounded better after the new plugs than it did before. I think this is all in my head...imagining a sound to be more than it really is. Does everyone's 'Bird have this "rhythm" when it runs?

It was big. It was heavy. Since the web page said/implied it was a steel sprocket (the aluminum ones were on a separate category and this was supposed to be OEM replacement), I just presumed it was steel. I now know to do the "magnet test" no matter what the package says on the label. I'm just glad nothing really bad happened while I was on my trip. I could have stripped the teeth off of a plain aluminum sprocket given enough miles. BTW, didn't someone already do a post/thread showing that the sprocket kit (OEM Honda) was just about the same price as getting replacements elsewhere? It might have been a couple of years back though.

While that is the conventional "wisdom", it simply doesn't apply the the XX. The OEM rear on the XX is good for at least two chains without compromising chain life. I got 18k out of my first chain and 21k out of my second (I'm horrible about lubing regularly). The rear sprocket still looked new when I wrecked it at ~45k. That's good to hear. Before I got the Pro-Oiler, I went cross-country on a new set of sprockets and chain. The idiots who I ordered from did not disclose that the rear sprocket was aluminum (a major no-no on a 1,000cc or larger bike). By the end of the trip, it was toasted. Between that and the infrequent lubing and cleaning of the chain, the front was ruined too. They sent me replacements...both steel, but I don't know if I'll ever use them or not. I did slap back on the OEM front and the rear that was on the bike when I bought it. I also reused the chain (and bought a Pro-Oiler). That was two years and 15,772 miles ago, and the chain shows no sign of wearing out and the sprockets look great.

Absent some very unusual circumstances...always, always, ALWAYS replace BOTH sprockets when you go to a new chain. If they are in good shape, save a used set for emergency spare parts, but don't put premature wear on a new chain by using worn sprockets. If you really want to get more life out of a new chain/sprocket set, buy a Scotts Pro-Oiler. It pays for itself just in how infrequently you'll need to do chain replacements.

Useless shot in the dark. Did you get your air filter wet? I'd figure it would be dry now, but that could obstruct airflow.

You don't have much of a choice. NGK seems to be phasing out their platinum line and replacing all platinums with iridium. So, whatever you'd get for your 98, they'll make an iridium in that size.

I've always used clamps to close the master link to the same size as the neighboring ones and make sure I get good solid dimples on both rivets. That's usually good enough.

Kerosine and old T-shirts cut into rags. Perfectly safe. Works fast. I store the rags in an old trashed skillet w/lid so there is no fire risk when they are stored. On the road (for long trips), I carry a small container with Kerosine and a jar with a rag you can keep sealed.

Look at the bright side. When I saw the thread title, I thought your bike got towed by "da man."

Any work done should come with an itemized list of what work was performed and how much each item cost.

How snug do the nozzles feel when you try to pull them off the sprocket? They should fit just right. An air gap might let the oil seep out over time. Check your oil feed line for a break. Air in the hose (from above) will facilitate oil leaking out the bottom. What did the people at Pro-Oiler say?

Also make sure the nozzles are snug against the sprocket. If there's a gap, they could be letting what's in the tube slowly ooze out. Also, is it possible you have the oiling set too high and your chain isn't just dripping excess oil?