Misery....

[outwest007]

So, until recently i havent had a car... pretty much since march of last year. No big deal, Ive been a daily rider. You know.. school, work, etc. Love it. Great stuff. Recently, my Dad gave me an old el camino ('80), and i got her runnin about a month ago.
So, ive gotten to enjoy things like heat, wipers, and a stereo. Ive also experienced traffic, $40 fill-ups (for 3 days), and burning oil. Saturday (last week), the clutch blew up in the damn thing. No worries, back to riding. I figure it was nice given the SV a vacation after all ive put her thru the past year. Oh,... back to MISERY...........
There was today:mad:
Left the house around 7 am... light sprinkle, got to class ( yeah, i have a saturday am class- for 5 hrs)... got to class relatively dry :) Life is good.
Get out of class:eek: Torrential downpour!!! Try and wait it out. no such luck. after waiting a half hour, I gear up, and mentally map my way home- which way will have the least amount of traffic ( so that the cars in front of me dont shoot all of the roads grime in my face)? Begin route. Rain gets worse. Then worser... then worserer... After riding for what seems like an eternity, bike dies on me a cpl times (damn, i gotta get out of this!!!). i "overpass hop" then finally the sv cant take anymore, and i limp her (translation- push her ) to a gas station, where i continue to hide. Have coffee. Stare at bike in pity.
Half hour later, she fires right up. continue on home.... puttering right along.
So, to end my rant (aka-novel)- i honestly dont think i could have been any wetter. Gear-soaked. Hemet- soaked ( couldnt see out of it-at ALL- so, had to have visor up a bit. Gloves- can wring themselves out. Boots-got puddles in themHad thermals on under jeans (with kneepads)=supersoaked. No point in mentioning the jeans. Oops- too late. So, i know fully understand the state of mind known as MISERY. Made it home alive (2x, when the bike died around 55mph, rear wheel locked up on me:eek: )
Now im showered, had some tea, gear is drying, clothes are laundered... but im still smiling:D
I made it, and better yet- so did my SV!!!

[LowSpdWobble]

Glad u made it home safe sir. I've read in our forums before about rain causing sv's to not run well...something about water and front spark plug bla bla. I'll find the link for if u want the reading...

Ne who...man that sucks. I'd sell you my car, but the only reason i keep it is for days like this. haha...

Ne ways, be safe out there buddy...we gotta ride again soon!


PS. Misery= NOT being able to ride for 4+ months when all you want in life at that point is to ride. :p keep ur chin up and the rubber side down!

[JaJaBinx]

that sucked royally

[outwest007]

Thanks Kyle, i found the thread. i was reading up on it earlier... some peeps have had this problem, others havent. i wonder if it has to do with exactly how hard its raining. Puddles are one thing, but torrential downpour is another.. Someone said the were looking into dielectric grease,... but as little this is an issue.. who knows.. and does this grease actually help? If it exists:dream: But riding an SV 325 was fun!! and haaang on when that cylinder DID kick back in!!! Woo-hoooo!!
(Insert Chewbacca howl and imagine Falcon going Hyperspace!!!)

[Darth Lefty]

Is that the same El Camino that supaPhatty J set on fire?

[outwest007]

Originally posted by Darth Lefty
Is that the same El Camino that supaPhatty J set on fire?

...its about to be.

[racinteach]

don't blame the camino..and riding with three cyliders is bad...try to avoid...I am working on a shield to try to keep water out Ill see how it works...happy to hear you made it home in one piece...take care and come by and visit sometime

[Ikazuchi]

I had that happen to me once... We were launching our new website at work so we were all there until 2am. Around midnight the skies opened up and it starts pouring... didn't stop by the time I had to leave.

Bike never crapped out (hooray full fairing, top pluged I4s :D)... but I was driving 40mph on the freeway and still hydroplaning. Luckily there was nobody else around at that time (unless I crashed... then that would've been bad).

Originally posted by racinteach
..and riding with three cyliders is bad...

What's wrong with triples? And what's that have to do with his bike? :p

[Savage]

sorry to hear that, what make/model is your SV?

I actually was at school yesterday (saturday) for about 5 hours too and didn't realize it was pouring til I stepped outside.

03' SVS didn't have any problems with the rain.

Just being soaked and basically taking every corner home super slow...well the entire ride I was driving like an asian grandma.

[NukleoN]

Been there done that, and yes it royally sucks...mix that with uber cold temps..so cold you don't feel an electric vest and coffee stops are a must *just for warmth*. heh. Yeah..being wet sucks...especially when you can no longer see out of your visor...that is the worst.

[smokescreen]

Well I just got home from SB. Rained all the way from T.O to S.B. yesterday, and from S.B. to T.O. today. But I got to and from with minimal mess. My hands were soaked and cold. But the rest of me was just cold. Even my boots kept dry inside. Which makes me wonder about the supposed vents in the sides of the boots. But whatever, they stay plenty cool the few times I've worn them in the heat. Amazingly, the bike never cut out.

I'm just glad I wore my touring gear... I'd fully intended to wear my leathers, and at the last minute got a call from Marck saying it was spinkling in S.B., so I switched. GOOD THING!!

[outwest007]

Originally posted by Savage
sorry to hear that, what make/model is your SV?



<------ See writing next to "Bike" :D

Originally posted by Savage


I actually was at school yesterday (saturday) for about 5 hours too and didn't realize it was pouring til I stepped outside.

03' SVS didn't have any problems with the rain.

Just being soaked and basically taking every corner home super slow...well the entire ride I was driving like an asian grandma.


i am envious... im up here in Ventura, and i believe the only reason that i had these problems was that
A)- i have a 30 mile commute (1 way)
B)- All the water from the cars in front of me on the freeway contributed to said problem, and
C)- it was F@***IN' pouring!!! :mad:



Originally posted by NukleoN
Been there done that, and yes it royally sucks...mix that with uber cold temps..so cold you don't feel an electric vest and coffee stops are a must *just for warmth*. heh. Yeah..being wet sucks...especially when you can no longer see out of your visor...that is the worst.

yeah, coffee was a definite. Does RainX work on visors
:D

Heres to hopin were done with the rain!!!

[EIREANN]

I rode from San Diego to Camarillo once when it started raining... at about 30 min into the ride it was a torrental downpour... I couldn't see any of the lane markers, and had to follow tail lights. I also had a textile jacket :( . By the end of it I was completely soaked through, and had an inch of water in each boot (from water running down my legs!) It took a loooooong time for me to warm up after that one. Both bike and chatterbox worked great tho :)

With all the cold I have been wimping out lately in favor of a heater and car radio :P

[outwest007]

Apparently, i either have a slightly faulty SV for blippin out on me in the rain ;) ,
or my version of "torrential downpour" should be reclassified as "monsoon":D
Either way, i still love her. :love:
She was prolly just showin me who wears the pants in our relationship:o

Funny thing is, this never happened before, and ive ridden in some bad rain; ironically, this happens just after the previosly mentioned vacation i gave her ( prolly pissed at me because i chose the car over her for a few weeks!!)

[smokescreen]

naw mang, once on the way to SF bike front piston started crapping out in the rain. It wasn't even raining that hard. But we were not going that fast, and I think the water just finally got through that boot on the front plug...

[Buellba Fett]

Originally posted by smokescreen
naw mang, once on the way to SF bike front piston started crapping out in the rain. It wasn't even raining that hard. But we were not going that fast, and I think the water just finally got through that boot on the front plug...

And we almost died...

[smokescreen]

Originally posted by Buellba Fett
And we almost died...

I think I mighta ben skeerder than you and Julia.

[Darth Lefty]

Originally posted by Buellba Fett
And we almost died...
Originally posted by smokescreen
I think I mighta ben skeerder than you and Julia.
Were you all three on the same bike?

[smokescreen]

Yeah.. and it was a little bike... A very little bike. Like a Yamaha Zuma.

[SilverRider]

You need to get one of these to stop the water from coming off of the front tire and into the head of the front cyclinder (spark plug). Most people in the UK have them because it rains so much. I have rode my sv in bad down pours and lost front cyclinder many times. I then drive my bike down the bicycle lane to get home.
Front fender extender (http://www.holeshot.com/pyramid/sv650_front_fender_extender.html)

[outwest007]

Hey Silver,.. that little extender seemed to have solved the problem for you?

[agirls]

Originally posted by outwest007
or my version of "torrential downpour" should be reclassified as "monsoon":D

Monsoon in Ventura on Sunday? Huh. It wasn't monsoony here in Santa Paula. It was a light rain all day. Even went horseback riding in it because I promised someone I would go riding with them. I guess 10 miles makes a difference. Or you're a wimp! ;)


And William, you drove past my house w/o stopping by? And you wonder why I won't have dinner with you.... :p

[smokescreen]

When was this April!? Don't hate! When did we go by your house? We'd totally have stopped!

[agirls]

See post #11

[smokescreen]

:-> yeah...... about that.... that was me alone.. and I was having a rough day..... I mean, had I thought about it, I prolly coulda scooted by and eatin some of you food. Instead I wen home and ate very little, but drank a little more for the next couple days......

[agirls]

Ahhh, were you missing your girl?

I was just kidding anyways!

And for the record, you can come over and have liquid meals here anytime. :D

[Buellba Fett]

Originally posted by agirls
Ahhh, were you missing your girl?

I was just kidding anyways!

And for the record, you can come over and have liquid meals here anytime. :D

Is that an open invite?!?! :D

[EIREANN]

Originally posted by outwest007
Apparently, i either have a slightly faulty SV for blippin out on me in the rain ;) ,
or my version of "torrential downpour" should be reclassified as "monsoon":D
Either way, i still love her. :love:
She was prolly just showin me who wears the pants in our relationship:o

Funny thing is, this never happened before, and ive ridden in some bad rain; ironically, this happens just after the previosly mentioned vacation i gave her ( prolly pissed at me because i chose the car over her for a few weeks!!)

It could be the vacation... I didn't ride my SV for about 3 weeks due to wimping out and blaming it on the cold... when I started riding again it kept stalling out on me and didn't want to start again... Bill clean her out, and now no problems :)

[agirls]

3 weeks and it was stalling? What kinda gas you using?

[smokescreen]

how well stocked is your bar? I'm learning a few new recipes.

[agirls]

You tell me what you require, and it will be here.

[smokescreen]

I guess there's only one way to solve this...... A drink off!!! We'll see who can get least plastered on the most alcohol!

[SilverRider]

Originally posted by outwest007
Hey Silver,.. that little extender seemed to have solved the problem for you?
I have not tried it myself. I don't ride in the rain. This was when I used to commute a long way and sometimes I would have to ride home in the pouring down rain when it was unexpected. I have read from people in the UK that it keeps the water from shooting up on the head of the front cyclinder. The stock fender lets the water shoot right up there and when it gets filled with water the plug doesn't fire leaving you with only one. This is why I would hop on the bike path for a slow ride home.

[EIREANN]

Originally posted by agirls
3 weeks and it was stalling? What kinda gas you using?

premium.... it was all gunked up ... but it prolly needed a good cleaning anyways

[newbe]

My 05 has a flap that covers the front cly from the rain. I did ride it a few times in the rain and had no problems. But the ride was within 5-6 miles each way.

Alex

[SilverRider]

Originally posted by newbe
My 05 has a flap that covers the front cly from the rain. I did ride it a few times in the rain and had no problems. But the ride was within 5-6 miles each way.

Alex
Yeah they all have a flap. If you hit a lot of water for a while it will fill up. Mine usually took about 15-20 miles.

[outwest007]

I guess ima try and not ride in the rain anymore:D At least
no more than a few miles.

When this happened,
I was riding the 118 back from Moorpark, so the roads had mucho puddle action. Apparently enough to fill that plug; As far as monsoon- prolly a cross between puddles + shit from cars in front of me (even though i tried to stay back) + couldnt see anything outta my visor= *feels like Monsoon;)
I just hopin that the brunt of the rain may be finished with for this season. Saying as how i dont own a car- anyone gotta nice SUV they wanna sell a starving college student for around $3K?? :D



For the record- Im a Bartender- any recipes needed- be more than happy to provide any info needed for said Drink-Off to materialize:D
i make a mean Mojito too:cool:

[LowSpdWobble]

Originally posted by outwest007
For the record- Im a Bartender- any recipes needed- be more than happy to provide any info needed for said Drink-Off to materialize:D
i make a mean Mojito too:cool:


Mental note taken. :D have a good weekend...and ride safe.

btw i think we are done with rain for a while...so im actually gonna go get on my bike right now and be happy.

[agirls]

Originally posted by outwest007
For the record- Im a Bartender- any recipes needed- be more than happy to provide any info needed for said Drink-Off to materialize:D
i make a mean Mojito too:cool:

Ha Ha, were you reading our conversation in the cb yesterday?




So, Oxnard... do you ever make it to bike night in Ventura?

[smokescreen]

Now that I don't use simple syrup in my Mojitos, they are much better...

I use triple sec instead.
just talked to a bar tender patient this morning who uses Malibu Mango in Mojitos.... Might try that some time...

[outwest007]

Originally posted by LowSpdWobble


btw i think we are done with rain for a while...so im actually gonna go get on my bike right now and be happy.

Yeah.... didnt see ur bike on campus Wednesday:D

Ride safe, brudda!!!




Originally posted by agirls




So, Oxnard... do you ever make it to bike night in Ventura?

Sadly ...no. i havent... when is it?...
i work in Westlake... actually
Never seem to go 10 min that way
(toward Ventura):confused:
Always seem to go 30 min the OTHER way.
when/where is it? I should go and check it out.






Originally posted by smokescreen

just talked to a bar tender patient this morning who uses Malibu Mango in Mojitos.... Might try that some time...

i highly recommend Bacardi Limon- makes 'em smooth and tasty w/o the harsh Bacardi bite. And throw in just a hint of the simple syrup- tends to tie it all together. But you dont need much- a lil goes a long way. And throw about 1 oz. of Chambord or a raspberry liquor for a great Rasp. Mojito:D

[smokescreen]

Originally posted by outwest007
i highly recommend Bacardi Limon- makes 'em smooth and tasty w/o the harsh Bacardi bite. And throw in just a hint of the simple syrup- tends to tie it all together. But you dont need much- a lil goes a long way. And throw about 1 oz. of Chambord or a raspberry liquor for a great Rasp. Mojito:D

That's funny, I was just thinking yesterday that I would like to try Limon just to see what it woud do to the flavor.

If I put in a hint of Chambord, would that be onn top so it would float? If it were stirred it would change the presentation?

[agirls]

I have Bacardi Limon by the way. :D And I had a pineapple mojito last night with dinner. It was pretty good! Could have done without the mint leaves though, lol. They would clog my straw!

Ventura Bike Night-

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf parking lot
1780 S Victoria Ventura CA 93003
Thursdays about 8pm

I have to say though, it is not very exciting though. During the winter, not too many people show up and even fewer bikes. Summertime though, people come out, but it is certainly not the valley bike night! But it is a good place to meet other guys if your looking for some riding buddies. If you are new, you will have to introduce yourself because everyone knows eachother so you might be ignored. But they are friendly if you jump on in!

http://www.vcbikenites.com/index33.html

[smokescreen]

I made Julia a Mojito with a shot of Chambord tonight, and she seemed to like that.

[newbie]

Ouch...rode in a downpour of rain one time on the way home from work. I knew it was coming and tried to leave early from work to beat most of it out, but was too late. I had to suck it up for 30 miles going 40 MPH in the freezing cold.

By the time I got home I was soaked head to toe and lots of water in my boots. After a hot shower and some warm, dry clothes I was fine.

Didn't have any issues with the SV misfiring or dying on me. Last time I changed the spark plugs on it I put dielectric grease on the plug tip and petroleum jelly around the boot to keep the water out. I had heard about these issues and didn't want to risk it if I ever got caught in the rain.

[outwest007]

So sorry... worked late the last few nites and havent checked the thread.

Smoke- obviously you noticed what the chambord did :D glad she (julia) liked it!

Believe it or not- u know how us bartenders (or the good ones, anyways) always use that metal tin to shake drinks b4 we serve 'em?
it really does alter teh taste- makes em taste better. try it- esp. w/the chambord- sorta seems to diffuse it thru the drink- so its not like drinking "layers" of alcohol- which it does, due to specific gravity, and stuff :D

Agirls, gotta work the next few thurs nites, but will try and make it- maybe see some of ya there.

newbie- didnt it suck? haha.
well, im carless for a while - shooting to get a "new to me" car towards the summer- i know ill be riding daily for a bit, and maybe i should look into that grease. i want to save and get a decent car- im goin to school for nursing, and when i start the nursing program, i cant work - hafta live off of student loans, so i need a dependable car i wont have to worry about for a cpl yrs (at least till im makin $$$ again!)

Shootin for an Audi 1.8T- love those cars- they run forever (at least im MY experience!)

Oh--- TWC (the weather channel) is callin for rain this Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon- so GEAR UP PEOPLE!!! KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN, AND WATCH THE PUDDLES N' PLUGS!!!