what kind of protection?

[zamanakhan]

so i just got the thing to work today and i gotta say its really effin scary. i was pretty much ridding on the driveway and some grass and when i stopped and got off to check everything out alot of screws were coming off. i was literally watching them spin off because of the vibrations of the engine. also the i noticed the gas was leaking alot from where the petcock meets the tank right onto the head of the engine and just evaporating away. This also scared the **** out of me, the screw on the exhaust was coming off and there was back oil spurting out of it ( i used a 20-1 mix ratio for a bit and i also put in a cap of oil in the spark plug hole.) the engine went nuts when i pulled in the clutch because the choke was all the way down and vibrated like crazy. The chain tensioner is effed up because it wasn't aligned right and is now stuck so the chain came off the sprocket. neways what iam trying to get at is i feel like the thing is gonna explode or the chain is gonna come off and the bike will get stuck and throw me off. i have a honda cbr and alot of motorcycle gear but i think it would be odd to be on this thing with full or half racing leathers on with a full face helmet, i dont really wanna look like a total tool. what do u guys wear incase of some sort of accident or fall?

 

[oldsalt]

T shirt and tennis shoes and Levis in good weather. Add thermo underwear and jacket in cold weather. The law here has never bothered me about a helmet. I'm not going to fall off.

Take heart. All those glitches in your machine are easy to rectify. Locktite lots of things. I use "Nyloc" nuts were possible. The idler chain tensioner is a problem because it usually can't be clamped tightly enough to the frame tube. I 'tack' welded mine to the frame in the correct position. The leaks can be handled by a smear of "Indian Head" gasket shelac, or some such compound.

 

[motorpsycho]

did you build this bike, or did you buy it already built? loc-tite every nut & bolt. use some sealer that will withstand gasoline around the fuel tank petcock threads.
If you have little / no mechanical experience, you shouldn't have gotten one of these.
These things require alot of tinkering, tuning and modifying.
I don't commute on my bike, i ride it just for fun. I only ride in the summer, and i normally wear shorts and a t-shirt.

 

[srdavo]

Safety Equipment ?

IMHO -- Wear as much or as little as you like. It depends on how much you value your skull & skin.

If you think you are going to fall.... you probably will.

If you think you are NOT going to fall...... you probably WILL.

Remember 'Murphy's Law' ?

 

[cpuaid]

teflon tape wrapped around petcock threads before screwing into tank will take care of your leaking fuel problem. Loctite the heck out of everything that came loose. electrical tape and then rubber innertube strips wrapped around the chainstay then zip tie it down before you install the tensioner clamp will keep it from moving around. Always wear a helmet. it has saved my life a couple of times. mine is a skater helmet with lots of stickers on it so i won't look so dorkish!

 

[arceeguy]

Along with the other tips (thread lock, thread sealer), I use a screw pin to prevent the chain tensioner from landing up in the spokes and locking the rear tire.

 

[augidog]

i'd fix that leak asap, zamanakhan...while i don't have the particulars, another local ocean park member may know more, i hear tell of a HT bike that burned "to the ground" (no lie, that's how i heard it) last month here, and i suspect it was tank/petcock related.

helmets and other gear: well, davo sed it best...wear what you want but don't ignore murphy...someone once told me "a helmet only looks silly until you're on the bike" :helmet:

 

[zamanakhan]

yea already fixed all the leaks, perhaps i'll go pick up some locktite. There were some screws on the sprocket assembly that wouldn't come off during the build, no matter what i did. they got completely stripped i bought some bits that take out stripped screws even those took ages. Finally got them out but i couldnt find the same bolts at my hardware store so i bought some that were very slightly wider in diameter, they seemed to make new threads since they were of good metal and the metal on these machines is really soft who knows what.

Oh also i purchased a kit to learn more about this kinda machinery, i've done some servicing to my honda motorcycle but iam reluctant to do anymore than valve clearances, oil changes and sprocket changes so i figured i'd buy this and in the process i would learn alot about these things as well. Also went down on the motorcycle 2x now going fairly fast and both times i came off completely unscathed besides some bruises and soreness but it was cause i had full gear on, just wondering if anyone else rides these with full gear, i might still wear my knee and shin protection along with the gloves. I might get a new helmet but i dont wanna shell out more $$$ for a beanie helm when i already have 2 very nice full faces.

 

[Porkchop]

Remember what srdavo said about "Murphy's Law". I say do what ever is comfortable to you based on how much you respect your body. Pain will not kill, but blood loss, body and head trauma and punctured vital organs will in a heart beat ! As my signature says, It's better to be a live chicken (or dorky looking) than a dead duck.

 

[GearNut]

For your protection and safety, wear as much armor as you feel comfortable wearing.
There are kevlar reinforced blue jeans out nowadays that look good and protect from road rash.http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Blue-Draggin-Jeans-38x36/dp/B001J1R1YM
Protect your noggin with a bucket of your choice.
Head injuries can last a lifetime! I know this personally...

For your leaky gaskets, I recommend Hylomar sealant. A little goes alooong way. You only need a very thin coating on both sides of the gasket. Harbour Freight sells it in small tubes. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=97824