DenniSM
Well-Known Member
I had a good time in NYC this weekend. I rode 130 miles each way on the poor RatMAx. The longest single trip its done since I got it last fall. I have put over 5000 miles on it in the winter. I ride it almost every day, just not that far away.
This was its first trip to a big city and its first time in trafiic. A friend and I rode from 48th street to China town where the Rat just dropped dead. It was running real hot and had enough and died. It would not crank and I thought for sure it was done/seized. It was a little after midnight. And I might have had a drink or 2 in me. So I did the only thing I could think of. I took off the plate and walked away with no plans of returning to it. But we ended up singing Karioki in a bar in China town until 4 am right around the corner from the bike. And we were the only non asian people in the bar. It was very crazy. After we wore out our welcome we tried walking back to the hotel but passed the poor Rat. I had to give it a try. Even if I was maybe a little too drunk to ride it. And my friend had no urge to get back on it after the ride down. But the old Rat started and ran fine. So off we road in search of the Hotel. We made it back and the bike was almost as hot when we got to the hotel. But it got us home for the night.
The next day I tried to get to the radiator cover to check the fluids, but I could not with the factory tool kit. No 8mm sock. So I rode to the show and figured I would work it out there. No tools there either. And I had to work. (Side note-Awake now for 24 hours after sleeping 3 hours from the adventure of the night before. Its not VMax related, so I will keep this one to myself. I need to protect the inocent). We will try to find a Sears if it runs hot on the open road once we leave the show.
The weather coming from the West was not nice to say the least. So we left NYC at noon to head straight into the storm headingback to PA. At noon ithe storm was in State College. We firgured we could beat it back. But we came out of the tunnel and it was pouring. Not the big storm, but rain never the less. It rained hard and not stop all the way back to PA. And the RatMax was not happy again. It rain like normal temp wise. I was happy to see the cooling system work semi normally on teh open road again. I felt like I would make it home. And that was a good thing.
But then the rain turned to fog. The temps just over freezing. And the Rat started to miss. It was pouring and missing. At one point it might have been down to one cylinder. I got to the PA toll on 80 and slowed down to use the ezpass and bike stalled. But started right up, but the oil light was on. I assumed it was because fo the quick on off. So I pulled over to wait for a friend who had to pull out cash and checked the bike out. Oil was fine and it was still pouring and the temp was up to 35 degrees. All was ok. I turned the key on and the bike turned on.No starter button. Just came on. That was strange. Sometimes my bike makes a single pop noise when I turn the key on. Like a single fire of a single cylinder. Strange. But this was very weird. My friend came over and I turned off the key. I told him the story and he said I was nuts. He turned the key and again the bike started without the starter button. He was shocked. We tried a thrid time and it was back to normal. The oil light was out and we began to ride the rest of the way.
Now here are my questions.
1- Does anyone else have a max that runs extra shitty in the rain?
2- How does you bike like city trafiic? Flushing and checking my antifreeze this week just in case. Or at least topping it off if its just low.
3-Other then demonic possesion, whats the deal with my VMax self starting?
On a side note. I was never cold on this whole trip. I bought a new suit from http://www.britishmotorcyclegear.com/challenger-jacket.asp . I was never cold and no water got inside. Except for my gloves eventually soaking thru in the forth hour, I was fine. I strongly recommend this jacket. I am a fat guy it it fit perfectly. Loads of adjustments to make it fit almost anyone.
This was its first trip to a big city and its first time in trafiic. A friend and I rode from 48th street to China town where the Rat just dropped dead. It was running real hot and had enough and died. It would not crank and I thought for sure it was done/seized. It was a little after midnight. And I might have had a drink or 2 in me. So I did the only thing I could think of. I took off the plate and walked away with no plans of returning to it. But we ended up singing Karioki in a bar in China town until 4 am right around the corner from the bike. And we were the only non asian people in the bar. It was very crazy. After we wore out our welcome we tried walking back to the hotel but passed the poor Rat. I had to give it a try. Even if I was maybe a little too drunk to ride it. And my friend had no urge to get back on it after the ride down. But the old Rat started and ran fine. So off we road in search of the Hotel. We made it back and the bike was almost as hot when we got to the hotel. But it got us home for the night.
The next day I tried to get to the radiator cover to check the fluids, but I could not with the factory tool kit. No 8mm sock. So I rode to the show and figured I would work it out there. No tools there either. And I had to work. (Side note-Awake now for 24 hours after sleeping 3 hours from the adventure of the night before. Its not VMax related, so I will keep this one to myself. I need to protect the inocent). We will try to find a Sears if it runs hot on the open road once we leave the show.
The weather coming from the West was not nice to say the least. So we left NYC at noon to head straight into the storm headingback to PA. At noon ithe storm was in State College. We firgured we could beat it back. But we came out of the tunnel and it was pouring. Not the big storm, but rain never the less. It rained hard and not stop all the way back to PA. And the RatMax was not happy again. It rain like normal temp wise. I was happy to see the cooling system work semi normally on teh open road again. I felt like I would make it home. And that was a good thing.
But then the rain turned to fog. The temps just over freezing. And the Rat started to miss. It was pouring and missing. At one point it might have been down to one cylinder. I got to the PA toll on 80 and slowed down to use the ezpass and bike stalled. But started right up, but the oil light was on. I assumed it was because fo the quick on off. So I pulled over to wait for a friend who had to pull out cash and checked the bike out. Oil was fine and it was still pouring and the temp was up to 35 degrees. All was ok. I turned the key on and the bike turned on.No starter button. Just came on. That was strange. Sometimes my bike makes a single pop noise when I turn the key on. Like a single fire of a single cylinder. Strange. But this was very weird. My friend came over and I turned off the key. I told him the story and he said I was nuts. He turned the key and again the bike started without the starter button. He was shocked. We tried a thrid time and it was back to normal. The oil light was out and we began to ride the rest of the way.
Now here are my questions.
1- Does anyone else have a max that runs extra shitty in the rain?
2- How does you bike like city trafiic? Flushing and checking my antifreeze this week just in case. Or at least topping it off if its just low.
3-Other then demonic possesion, whats the deal with my VMax self starting?
On a side note. I was never cold on this whole trip. I bought a new suit from http://www.britishmotorcyclegear.com/challenger-jacket.asp . I was never cold and no water got inside. Except for my gloves eventually soaking thru in the forth hour, I was fine. I strongly recommend this jacket. I am a fat guy it it fit perfectly. Loads of adjustments to make it fit almost anyone.
unk:
