KungFu954

Hey my 954 comrads,
I know this has nothing to do with wheelies but since we all ride the same machine i figured this is one of those "I took one for the team" speeches. Please read it and don't be pissed I might save you some money and trouble.

Engine Ice

about 3000 miles ago I did some engine work and in the process I replaced my coolant. The stuff I put in was called Engine Ice, and came highly recomended. Well as I said 3000 miles and 2 months later and I couldn't be more upset. First of all the company claims that your engine will run 10 degrees cooler, well that is some serious B.S. my motor ran actually a little bit hotter than normal. Plus at the end of each ride you can hear the coolant boiling and sometimes even purging. Again,,,not happy. Last night I started to go out for an evening ride, thank God I checked my temp gauge cause it suddenly jumped from 230 degrees to 250!! (on the plus side the temp gauge blinks rapidly after 250 degrees,,,kinda neat) At that point the bike began to act up, I shut her down right away and pushed it home. After inspecting everything I found the thermostat was gummed shut from this "Engine Ice" crap. If I hadn't caught it I would have been buying a motor this morning.
However I am kinda pissed not only cause it's fooking beautiful outside today but I just did a ****** fuggin oil change and there is no way that oil is any good after that temp. Even silkolene, so there's another 50 bucks.
So a good word to the wise, run factory coolant because this aftermaket stuff is aweful. You'll comprimise your cooling system if you use it.

My

bladerunner

Hey thanks for the tip...was about time I do a coolant and oil change myself. Looks like I'll take a ride over to Honda and put in the factory coolant. Hope your bike is ok.

bladerunner

Hey guys...just an update on clutching up second gear wheelies (for me anyway). I was out at the spot the other day for 2 hours of pounding my fork seals and I was amazed at how much smoother my throttle control is now. My second gear clutch ups prior to that session were choppy at best. I found out what I was doing wrong thru trial and error. I found it to come up much smoother if I hold the throttle open in the same spot (and keep it there) when I dump my clutch. Before I use to be in the process of rolling on when I'd dump it and it would come up quick and then sometimes fall right back down. On occasion I'd ride one out for a couple hundred feet or so, but one out of 5 wasn't exactly what I was looking for. After about 150 wheelies in two hours at the spot...I found out what the hell all these guys have been saying for the last 5000 posts. SMOOTH throttle = smooth wheelie. I guess I read alot of the posts on here and go out practicing, but some things just don't sink in right away. Now I'm seeing 200 yard wheelies at the spot and I set them down when I run out of road. I laugh now when I read posts like "how high??" That was MY front tire last fall...after a little video, a little practice, and a little more *****...it's finally starting to come together. Just thought I'd share...keep practicing all you 954 riders and post up!

FHL

Thanks for the tip, you might have answered my question I asked about how to bring it up smoother.

I was also rolling on the throttle after clutching it and it would scare me.


So I should take it to around 15mph and then just hold it at 10k and drop the clutch smoothly?

bladerunner

So I should take it to around 15mph and then just hold it at 10k and drop the clutch smoothly?[/QUOTE]

Take it to 10k...??? Are you nutz? I'm talking about 2nd gear wheelies on a 954...see the thread topic. If you rev a 954 to 10k and drop the clutch at 15 mph you are going to become the product of a human fly swatter. SPLAT!!! Please don't read or take any advice for the 954 and apply it to a 600 and vice versa...I'd hate to see you get seriously hurt. If you read the other 75 replies to this thread, you'll see that we all own the same bike. Not trying to be a dick...again, just don't want you to hurt yourself. For your 600....then yes, maybe 10k is ok. But if I rev mine to 10K (I'd better be wearing my gear) Just my Try asking the same question to a 600 owner, because I honestly don't know what advice to give you. And I refuse to give advice on something I don't know. Good luck with your riding...be safe. It takes time to learn.

KungFu954

Awesome Bladerunner!!! Sounds like you've got it. I hope you still check in on the "kids table" or i.e. us cause I definatly still need the help.
Know what though, what you said really makes a ton of sense. I started thinking of all the successes I've had with the proverbial wheelie and each time I think I was working the throttle like you said not rolling it at the same time. I think you made a light bulb come on. Great post. and congradulations.

Ya, the verdict is not out yet on my bike. Last night I pulled the thermstat (what a royle pain in the ****, fun though) my new hermostat should be in tomorrow. Tonight I might pull the water pump just to check it I seriously doubt it's the pump, we'll see though. With some luck from the part gods I may be in business by Friday night or Saturday morning. If not then I gotta suck it up till next week. incidently by means of murphy's law, my car burst a radiator yesterday. Un-fricken-real huh.

BostonBadBoy

you can't get the 954 at all??? When i had stock gearing last summer on my zx6r first street bike I could bounce 2nd gear up or clutch it....I am just wondering not tryin to make fun.....are you hesitant or seriously tryin cause that bike should come up third gear clutch bouncing

bladerunner

I think if you read a few posts (and a few practice days later) that MD954 has been bringing them up in second quite successfully now. I used to wheelie the hell out of my 600 years ago...lot more throttle to play with. After looping my 954 doing a power wheelie I decided to learn the clutch method. It has taken some time to get the timing and smoothness down...but myself, as well as some of the other 954 riders are still just getting the feel for this bike. I'm not a pro by any means...a slow learner in fact. I learn slow because I don't like pain...and I'd rather not trash my bike.
So you are correct in your assumption...I have been hesitant to jump right on the throttle and bring it up to BP. That fear of looping at 55 mph is still in the back of my head. (4 months in a cast will do that to ya...and I'm not getting any younger!) Glad to hear you can wheelie the hell out of your bike, I'll keep practicing and maybe I too will join the ranks of the group. Cheers

slim

I just added a power commander 3 to the bike and tuned it. I can pull up 2nd gear with no problem. I am doing power/bounce I have not been able to do a clutch yet in 2nd. I just started learning to clutch the bike up. It does come up smoother. I been taking the rpms to around 6k and then letting the clutch out smoothly while sitting back and pulling up. I have not got it more than 2 feet off the ground but like blade said baby steps is the key. I dont want to trash out the bike or be in a cast for 4 months either. I have learned that throttle is the key to a successful wheelie. Practice Practice Practice

KungFu954

well badboy,

ya the 954 will come up very easy, it's just a matter or either shooting it out from under me or being able to catch it.

I used to have a Buell X1 (like a really heavy and torquey 600) and I could ride wheelies at 10 to 60mph all day long. These are a pain in the **** cause of the amount of throttle control you need. I always thought I had good throttle control,,,turns out I was a ham fisted knuckle dragger.
I'll have it up soon though.

bladerunner

throttle control,,,turns out I was a ham fisted knuckle dragger.
.[/QUOTE]

KungFu954

right on bladerunner!

Hey so I was kinda wrong about my diagnosis. Check this out. I was right about the engine Ice coolant but it wasn't the thermostat it screwed up it was the radiator cap and the water pump that it gummed up (could barely turn it until I cleaned it). So with the water pump kinda gummed up adding stress to the oil pump combined I'm sure with clutching wheelies all the time the chain on the oil pump broke and stopped ALL cooling to the engine, Thank God I shut it off when I did otherwise I would have been buying an engine today. Ordered all my parts and they should be in on friday so with a little luck I could be up and running by Saturday.
So word to the wise if you notice your temp raising past 240 or 250 shut it off ASAP. the next time your working on the clutch check that oil pump chain!!!! and the bolt holding it on.
On the plus side I had a little fun this weekend I wheelied my **** off on a buddies dirt bike. That was a blast, rode one out for a good 3 blocks. Soon I'll be able to do that with this damn liter bike assuming I ever get to ride it.

KungFu954

where are the homies??

you guyz better be riding damnit

bladerunner

Riding is right. We finally got some nice sunny weather for the last 7 days...been out 3 hours a day. No wheelies though...I've given up on stunting the 954. Now I just ride around real slow in the parking lots of industrial buildings at like 15mph... Just playin KungFu...been out wheelie'n the **** out of her. I actually have scallops out of my new front tire from setting them down in 2nd at 65. I love the sound of the chirp it makes catching back up with the rear wheel. My spot is starting to look like I stunt there now....hundreds of tiny football shaped marks at both ends of the road where I set em down Hope you've been out riding --Bladerunner

toby954

sorry i havent posted in a while fellas... ( even since i started this post).. but been a lil busy with the new job and getting my bike ready...ive been down for 3 weeks...putting my tire on... staqbalizer to come in.. and chillin at kevin marinos(starboy) house last friday... then stuntfest all last weekend... finaly got my bike back up runnin... and its raining...sob... put the GPR stabalizer on it .. and it is AMAZING...hugr difference.. money well spent i must say... well now that the bike is up and runnin and i got the gpr ill be practicing alot more.. after the rain goes away.. have fun fellas and be safe... peace

KungFu954

Right on Guyz,

Well my parts are in so I'll be puting her back together this weekend and I'll probably have some time left over to practice. Well I've always said it, I like wrenching almost as much as riding. So regardless I'm gonna have some fun this weekend.
Oh, by the way when I pulled my clutch I noticed the clutch center is getting pretty notched up so I checked out the price of one, they run about 250.00 So that ain't to bad. I have about 16000 miles and never replaced the clutch center and (obviously I ride hard) so you guys might want to check that out on your bikes the next time you put a new clutch in. AND CHECK THAT OIL PUMP CHAIN!!!!!

Have fun fellas keep me updated on progress.

dsj2

What's up guys,

The way I learned 2nd gear standups was on my 929 but the '54 is the same. Just imagine after you've bounced it that on it's way up you are going to let the tank settle in between your knees...kinda like trying to set your ***** on the triple or top of the tank. It worked for me. Once your comfortable there, just start leaning further back and cover the rear brake. I'm still working on clutching. Good luck guys.

rrmike

I love this thread!! And the site in general. I'm a new 954 owner myself. Bought it in March and started trying to stunt it a couple weeks later. I read the wheelie 101 at another site (here: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/fo...threadid=34092 ) and it suggests power wheelies in first to start since you have less to think about than trying to clutch and back brake is unnecessary with all the engine braking in 1st. Learning to use the rear is high on my priority list though as I now mostly do 2nd gear standups.

I've never clutched my bike up succesfully. I find the opposite of the general consesus here to be true. I think simply opening the throttle and rolling off as it comes up is more predictable personally. I know all the cool guys clutch it up and I intend to learn to but right now I'm more concerned with learning to ride bp wheelies than how I get them up. I don't have any problem with that. I started with 1st and then bounced 2nd gear sit downs and now I bounce 2nd or 3rd gear standups. I've read on this site that 3rd gear wheelies are not cool as mucho injury will result so I've abandoned them for now. For me it's really easy to bounce a 2nd gear standup. Sitdown's are way harder because you can't use your legs to help pre-load. I just run it up to 3.5k min. and whack it open about 75% to get weight off the forks and chop it to compress as I'm pushing down with my legs and arms and when it bottoms out I whack it open again and give a light tug to transfer my weight back and up it comes. I have had a few that took a long time (by my standards) to rev up and I set them down because I felt like I had an internal clock or something ticking and I'd been at it too long but I was only at 8 or 9k when I set it down They are still inconsistent though and many are not that good. It's all about throttle control.

About the back brake: Have any of you guys adjusted yours down? On mine it looks like it only has a little bit of room to adjust down and I need to badly. I can't ride with the arch of my foot on the peg or I end up applying back brake as it comes up and it will stop it from coming all the way up. Because of this I've gotten in the (bad) habit of riding them on the ***** of my feet and I can't cover the back brake

I don't like the look of wheelies with one foot on the rear pegs and whenever I try them it comes up crooked. Probably because I bounce instead of clutch so I'm pushing down more on one side of the bike than the other due to the differing foot position??

Anyway sorry for the long post but I'm glad I found some fellow learning 954 buddies to share horror stories with

snigg

working on 2nd gear stand ups, and have been for a couple months. they are getting better but no-where near where they should be. im taking it slow because liability ins keeps me in check. if i wad up my baby im ****ed...anyway im hoping to get some pics soon but **** always falls through...

bladerunner

Welcome to the thread rrMike...good to hear from a new 954 rider. After reading your post I just had a few points that I wanted to share with you. I used to agree with the whole power wheelie thing...being smooth and predictable. Then I looped my bike at 55 mph and spent a whole summer/fall in a cast (4 months). After reading 4000 or so posts about covering the rear brake and clutch method (I told you I had some time to kill, right?) I figured that I'd better learn a new way to do wheelies. Yes it's different. It seemed near impossible for me to clutch that thing up until about my 500th wheelie...then the magic happened. I rolled on nice and smooth in second to about 35 mph and slipped in the cluch, rev'd her to about 8 or 9k and dropped it. Up she came nice and smooth and I stayed about 1/4 to 1/3 throttle right up to BP. Then I **** myself and set it down...smashing my fork seals all to hell. After checking to see if I had any fluid running down my forks (nope! gotta love Honda!) I did another 200 wheelies in three hours at the spot and had my best day stunting ever. Now all I do is clutch em up...and cover the rear brake of course. They ALL come up...everytime. I used to like power wheelies too, but I'd get em up about 60% of the time...and when I did, I'd be doing in excess of 80mph by the time they were up high enough to ride out. So if you can take time to practice clutching them to BP at SLOWER speeds...key word here, then give it a go. I think you'll like the feeling after you nail it down. Why start the wheelie at 50 and balance at 80mph when you don't have to? Start em at 35 and float at 50 or so...it hurts less if and when you crash someday. Post up and keep us informed of your stand-up progress. later Bladrunner