X-NEWS: cerritos.edu rec.motorcycles: 79667 Relay-Version: VMS News - V6.1B1 12/08/92 VAX/VMS V5.5-2; site cerritos.edu Path: cerritos.edu!nic.csu.net!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!engr.uark.edu!mbox.ualr.edu!chaos!dave.williams Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles Subject: rec.motorcycles FAQ of 93.02.01 (Part 5 of 6) Message-ID: <35129.89.uupcb@chaos.lrk.ar.us> From: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) Date: 30 Jan 93 20:19:00 GMT Reply-To: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) Distribution: world Organization: The Courts of Chaos * 501-985-0059 * Public Access Usenet Lines: 152 ===================== Q: Is there anything that will clean a face-shield and also remove abrasions so that one can see through it better? A: blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com (Blaine Gardner) replies: What you want are Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Plastic Polish and Plastic Cleaner. They are very mild abrasives meant to remove scratches from plastic. For fine scratches just use the Polish, for bigger ones start with the Cleaner and finish with the Polish. The stuff is $5-8 bucks per bottle at most auto or motorcycle parts stores. Don't choke over the price too much, since both bottles will probably last you 10 years. The stuff works great on plastic watch "crystals" and compact discs too. ===================== Q: What kind of abrasion resistance can I expect from various protective gear? A: blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com (Blaine Gardner) replies: In the Sept. 1988 issue of Cycle they "road tested" several grades of leather, nylon and Kevlar. The two tests were dragging the material at 50 mph until it failed, and running a sample on an abrasion tester until failure. At 50 mph the results were: "Natural Armor" 3 oz leather 86' 0" "Strong Synthetics" Kevlar 22' 1" Codura Nylon 18' 3" "The Rest" 1.75 oz leather 4' 4" 2.25 oz suede 4' 3" Denim, 2 year old 4' 0.5" Denim, new 3' 10" Ballistic Nylon 3' 10" The results were a bit different on an abrasion tester, but the overall ranking was 3 oz leather, then the synthetics, and far behind those were denim and thin leather. Note that the best synthetics are 1/4 as effective as HEAVY leather, while light weight leather is considerably worse than the synthetics, and far worse that heavy leather. Of course multiple layers of any material is better than a single layer. Another point not covered by the table is that a material with a hard, slick finish is important because it resists snagging and tearing. The reason that Cordura nylon did so much better than the thicker Ballistic nylon is that the coarse weave of the Ballistic caught on a flaw in the road, and tore. The suede finish leather suffered a similar fate on the road. On the other hand, Ballistic nylon did much better on the abrasion tester where snagging was not an issue. [note from the Keeper: even the most abrasion-resistant clothing won't help if you're rapidly decelerated by a cage or a tree. A set of leathers won't make you proof against getting squashed, so be careful out there] ===================== *** Tires: Q: I'm having new tires put on my bike. Is there anything I should watch for? A: YES! Make sure the yoyos mounting the tire don't lay the wheel flat on the floor or let it fall over. This is a good way to bend a $200 brake rotor. Good dealers also use plastic rim protectors under the tire irons. This keeps from scarring your expensive polished or painted wheels. Some motorcycle tires are directional; that is, they are only supposed to rotate in one direction. Such tires are marked with an arrow. If your tire has an arrow, make sure it points the right way when you put the wheel back on. ===================== *** Law: Q: I'll be vacationing in [some foreign country] and would like to rent a motorcycle there. Is my [home country] license OK? A: In normal circumstances, as long as you are legal in your home country/province/state, you'll be legal elsewhere. There's also an International Driver's License - check your local licensing or motor vehicle authority for details. ===================== *** Other: Q: I am interested in/just bought a 19xx Yamahondasakiuki CNGSZxxxx and I was wondering how good it is and what I should watch out for? A: loki@frodo.Physics.McGill.CA (Loki Jorgenson) replies: You can do one of two things - 1) Check the anonymous FTP site ftp.physics.mcgill.ca (132.206.9.13) under ~ftp/pub/DoD for reviews for various bikes, as contributed by rec.moto members. If you don't have ftp access, you can send a request for a specific bike or the list of available reviews to rm-reviews@physics.mcgill.ca 2) If your bike hasn't already been reviewed, ask rec.motocycles, collect the responses, summarize them and forward them to rm-reviews@physics.mcgill.ca. Also, please feel free to submit your own review of any bike that you have already ridden. There is a TEMPLATE file available at the ftp site to serve as a guide for the information structure. ===================== Q: I'd like to get a bike cover. Where can I get one? A: Look in the magazine ads. Here are some points to consider before buying a cover: Plusses: keeps the sun, bird crap, and dust off your bike keeps feebos from sitting on it and covering it with drool and fingerprints may protect the bike from gratuitous vandalism Minuses: cover acts as a giant sail; makes it easier for the wind to tip the bike over dew and rain seep-through will collect under the cover, causing the bike to rust faster covers seem to be popular with thieves, who will sometimes destroy them trying to get them off you have to have some place to put the cover when you take it off. I use a $8 K-Mart plastic tarp. Two ends are tied to concrete blocks, the other two ends to chunks of 2x4. When I leave I simply flip the tarp off; when I get back I flip it back. It keeps the sun off while allowing plenty of air circulation. (end of part 5)