950 Supermoto Chronicles

[corndog67]

Originally Posted by snowhawk jockey

"flows more cause it filters less"
Them's 's the facts Jack!

The K&N is a perfect example of this.

I used to work for an AMA Superbike Tuner of the Year, Multiple time winner, and he swore that K&N were junk, just very good marketing. As for HP gains, he would say, "Show me the Dyno chart", but they don't have any, at least with just a filter change.

[wiseblood]

Spectacular weather in the Northeast today:

[karviet]

Very Nice !!!!

Originally Posted by wiseblood

Spectacular weather in the Northeast today:

[snowhawk jockey]

That is one clean lookin machine, Mr WiseBlood! And a pretty picture too.

We have had the first fall rain storm and it really flattened the dust and sand into nearly ridable surfaces. The only catch is the slippy slime that floated to the top during the torrents, collecting in depressions or puddles, and the banana-peel to highside effect it has on front tires... DAMHIK Cost me a my folding KTM mirror, ta boot!

[wpbarlow]

Got it out a couple days this week. Been beautiful in NJ/eastern Pa. the past few days.

Today's tag picture-- just an orange kinda day



and a couple others

[wiseblood]

Originally Posted by snowhawk jockey

"flows more cause it filters less"
Them's 's the facts Jack!

The K&N is a perfect example of this.

How is it that the K&N oil filter is $8, and the KTM OEM filter is $20? I'm tortured.

Somebody, give me an excuse to save 60% of my money. Just tell me to buy the K&N, and everything will be OK.

[daveknievel]

Buy it. I always use the k+n filters. I hear the factory ones are made by hiflo filtro.

[snowhawk jockey]

Originally Posted by daveknievel

Buy it. I always use the k+n filters. I hear the factory ones are made by hiflo filtro.

The K&N filter I refer to is the air filters. They are cotton gauze and not paper, like the factory one.

Oilfilters, on the other hand, I only use the hiflo ones.
Don't need the orange box to give me confidence. I have seen plenty of RFS motors get rebuilt with both filters and there didn't appear to be any long term difference in journal wear between the different filtered motors. Oil change frequency showed the biggest difference in wear.

[doctor_big]

Originally Posted by snowhawk jockey

How are those lights mounted?

Jason

[wiseblood]

Originally Posted by snowhawk jockey

The K&N filter I refer to is the air filters. They are cotton gauze and not paper, like the factory one.

Oilfilters, on the other hand, I only use the hiflo ones.
Don't need the orange box to give me confidence. I have seen plenty of RFS motors get rebuilt with both filters and there didn't appear to be any long term difference in journal wear between the different filtered motors. Oil change frequency showed the biggest difference in wear.

What interval do you use for oil changes?

[EastSideSM]

Originally Posted by wiseblood

How is it that the K&N oil filter is $8, and the KTM OEM filter is $20? I'm tortured.

Somebody, give me an excuse to save 60% of my money. Just tell me to buy the K&N, and everything will be OK.

Everything will be ok. I have used both and have not noticed any difference.

[snowhawk jockey]

Originally Posted by doctor_big

How are those lights mounted?

Jason

The mounting is actually very easy using the switched ACC plug in the light bucket. I got the wiring harness from a Piaa kit for the switch and relay. The Piaa light bodies themselves had been compromised, so I bought a pair of $19 look a-likes from Walmart and put the Piaa bulbs into them. They have a pivoting mount bracket that is bent at 90* to the light body, so I could line it up parallel with the light face by hanging it upside down. The bracket has two holes and I mount through the outside holes.

When bolted to the front of the tank, I used longer screws for the middle mounting screw on the front shrouds. The lights cant inward slightly because of the angle of the tank. This gives a cross lighting effect, meaning right light hits the ground on the left side on the forks and visa versa. I have bent the brackets slightly, after mounting, to align the light beams to my taste.

The results are:
When I lean the bike over into a left turn, the right light has an optimum angle to light the ground through the curve.
When I break a lens or light body, I can replace it for cheap in any Wally Parking lot, and roll away with a spare.

[snowhawk jockey]

Just to let you guys know, Powercell, fellow LC8 inmate here, has developed and accessory tank for our bikes. The tank is a bolt on for the SM model, but was developed with the SE in mind. That means the fellas with SM/R bikes, can now get a large capacity tank to adapt to their bike, using a standard SM seat. The tanks will take IMS style filler neck/caps. They will be made to order, in 10 weeks, and are available in colors and translucent. I will be ordering a translucent, since I can't go a year without running myself out of gas once or twice. Hopefully, I will see the fuel level, or lack there of, at a time when I can change it, since the low fuel light hasn't been attached to my bike for several years. The other advantage I am looking forward to, is the narrower girth in front of the knees. Since I am angling the bike often with my knee in the side of the tank, I could use a little more space to slide forward in that area. It looks like the custom tank will do that, too.

The thread is in Vendors:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=820139
Here is a pic:



Edit to add details

[preppypyro]

I think Im going to buy one of those tanks as well.

Only thing I can see, is in a couple pictures he has posted up, it doesnt look like the mount on the back end of the tank will fit on our supermotos. I could be mistaken, but it looks like the bolt hole in the back of the tank is offset to one side, where on my SM tank the bolt hole is right in the middle.

Someone correct me if Im wrong please! His tanks are fairly priced, I think they would be awesome on our SM's!

[corndog67]

So I call Leo Vince about some pipes, since at least 3 dealers told me they couldn't sell me any pipes for the 950 SM. Leo says that the dealers are overreacting, and that it only affects 2013 and up bikes.

Anyhoo, the next day, a nice lady from Leo Vince calls me, and says they found a set of used pipes for my bike off a dyno bike. At a really screaming price. So I call back 3 days later, and the pipes are nowhere to be found. Well, the lady no longer works there (she told me that was her last week, last week), but the guy that answered the phone cut me a screaming, I mean a smokin', screaming deal on a set of slipons. It seems that Leo Vince is having a warehouse blowout sale this week. About 75% off. I got them today. Easy install. Perfect fit. It's loud. But it sounds bitchin'.

I can't recommend those guys at Leo Vince highly enough. I think you can get a really good deal on non-current bikes right at the moment.

It's a bit lean, hunting and surging a bit, but I have a Factory Pro jet kit waiting to go in this weekend, should fix it right up.

I'll post my results after the weekend, I have little doubt that it will run great, it already does, just a little more icing on the cake. Next up, a new set of skins, not sure what, but something real sticky.

Later guys. Have a safe weekend.

Quick question. Those 690 windshields that fit the 950 SMs, are they effective at knocking a bit of the wind blast down?