- Thread starter
- #861
- Jul 5, 2019
Finally got around to doing the winter maintenance:
Oil and filter change, drained the cooling system and replaced it with anti-freeze, replaced the original air filter, and checked the spark plugs. Normally I do this around the end of October after I'm finished with track days, but the weather has been so unusually warm this winter (we haven't had any snow at all yet, it's crazy) I haven't had a need to get anti-freeze back in the bike so I've been putting this off.
Air filter after 9k and some odd miles:
Plugs:
The gaps are all good and the electrodes aren't in bad shape, but I think the plugs look like they've been running somewhat hot. The corona is totally normal, but there's a lot more gray than dull brown on the electrodes and insulators, especially for the middle two cylinders. I put them back in, but because I put over 1300 miles on the track this year and will likely spend just as many if not more miles at the rev limiter on track next year, I think I will replace them before summer. I welcome any other thoughts on this.
And then I rode it to work the next day and it overheated on the way there. It was only 38F in the morning so I made it most of the way to work before the temp light was blinking at me, but on the way back home it's almost 60F and traffic is heavy so I had to stop three times before I get to my house. I swear, it doesn't matter how many times I burp the engine, there's always some air that refuses to work its way out until after I get the fairings back on. Every. Freaking. Time. So I get the right fairing back off and fire it up, give it some revs while rocking it side to side until just after the fans come on, let it cool and then repeat one more time before some air bubbles finally break loose and come up through the radiator. Topped it off and spent most of my day off yesterday riding it and enjoying the unusually warm weather.
I am always thinking about what my next bike should be, but every time I ride my 650 I really do enjoy it. Sporty, but not uncomfortable, easy to work on, parts are dirt cheap, super reliable, and fun to wind out. No single aspect about it really stands out as exceptional, but it really is a great 'do it all' sport bike.
Oil and filter change, drained the cooling system and replaced it with anti-freeze, replaced the original air filter, and checked the spark plugs. Normally I do this around the end of October after I'm finished with track days, but the weather has been so unusually warm this winter (we haven't had any snow at all yet, it's crazy) I haven't had a need to get anti-freeze back in the bike so I've been putting this off.
Air filter after 9k and some odd miles:
Plugs:
The gaps are all good and the electrodes aren't in bad shape, but I think the plugs look like they've been running somewhat hot. The corona is totally normal, but there's a lot more gray than dull brown on the electrodes and insulators, especially for the middle two cylinders. I put them back in, but because I put over 1300 miles on the track this year and will likely spend just as many if not more miles at the rev limiter on track next year, I think I will replace them before summer. I welcome any other thoughts on this.
And then I rode it to work the next day and it overheated on the way there. It was only 38F in the morning so I made it most of the way to work before the temp light was blinking at me, but on the way back home it's almost 60F and traffic is heavy so I had to stop three times before I get to my house. I swear, it doesn't matter how many times I burp the engine, there's always some air that refuses to work its way out until after I get the fairings back on. Every. Freaking. Time. So I get the right fairing back off and fire it up, give it some revs while rocking it side to side until just after the fans come on, let it cool and then repeat one more time before some air bubbles finally break loose and come up through the radiator. Topped it off and spent most of my day off yesterday riding it and enjoying the unusually warm weather.
I am always thinking about what my next bike should be, but every time I ride my 650 I really do enjoy it. Sporty, but not uncomfortable, easy to work on, parts are dirt cheap, super reliable, and fun to wind out. No single aspect about it really stands out as exceptional, but it really is a great 'do it all' sport bike.
