Smile of the day - What is yours?

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by admin

After my GoTD yesterday I should explain why I was in Stroud. After 3 years of hassle and cancellations my wife finally got her balloon ride that I bought for her 60th. There aren't many companies that offer wheelchair flights so choice was limited.
Having said all that the flight yesterday was very enjoyable as we flew from the car park (really) at Frome bridge Mill and landed near Furze Wood. The landing was rough due to the wind picking up.
Would I book a balloon flight again. Probably not as the uncertainty of when the flight would happen is frustrating.

Yeah had a few hot air flights, up at the crack of midnight to catch the still wind periods at around 4am, they let a small helium balloon go and watch its upward journey and if it is not to their satisfaction they tell you all to go home and wait for another likely day. The conditions they can launch and safely land a hot air balloon are so tightly controlled, and we all know what British weather is like, but some countries have more stable conditions than we do.


The alternative in UK is the still period at dusk when the wind also drops.... not good news for wind farms because dusk is probably peak demand for electrickery and 'solar has already left the building'

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by SV650rules

...but does not 'blip the revs' on downshift

From the Suzuki GSX-8S website.

"When decelerating the system automatically opens the throttle valves just enough to increase rpm and match engine speed to the next-lower gear ratio without manually blipping the throttle or using the clutch".

I suppose does "automatically opening the throttle valves" count as a blip or not? I don't use the quickshifter on my GSX-8S on a regular basis. I've tried it and it works "up" but on a downshift (I learned later) you are supposed to have closed the throttle and I didn't.
It just seems "wrong" to push down on the gearlever without grabbing the clutch.

I wonder what the life expectancy of a quickshifter gearbox is compared to a regular one.

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by Seeker

From the Suzuki GSX-8S website.

"When decelerating the system automatically opens the throttle valves just enough to increase rpm and match engine speed to the next-lower gear ratio without manually blipping the throttle or using the clutch".

.

Seems that most Suzuki bikes after 2015 had the 'throttle assist' feature where when the clutch was operated to pull away from a standstill the revs increased automatically, maybe Suzuki is just using that pathway to open the throttle body a bit, according to the article below the quickshifter can only work properly and adjust the revs on down changes if it can entirely take over a 'throttle by wire' system, that does not have a mechanical cable operating the throttle.



I suppose all it is doing is trying to make sure you don't change down with a fully closed throttle which would cause maximum engine braking as soon as the lower gear engages and would not be good for the rider or the gearbox... so it opens the inlet up a bit to 'soften the blow'. As far as I know it is only the pretty expensive quickshifters that actually blip throttle to properly match speeds.


Here is an interesting read https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocia...-safe-how-work

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[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by Seeker

Is yours the DE model and, if so, did they do the rear tyre recall at the same time?

No, I can't touch the ground on the DE, I don't need a 21in front and I prefer cast to spoked wheels. So I have rhe RE. Thankfully they have different tyres so I'm not impacted by the recall. Looked like there were several sets of tyres in the corner at the dealers on Friday, so I'm guessing they're getting caught up.

I've tried the downshift on fully closed throttle but it still feels clunky. Either I'm doing things at suboptimal revs or it's not for me. I'm not bothered about manually clutching down but the assisted upshifts are very smooth and rather nice.

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

I've tried the downshift on fully closed throttle but it still feels clunky. Either I'm doing things at suboptimal revs or it's not for me. I'm not bothered about manually clutching down but the assisted upshifts are very smooth and rather nice.

I have got so used to doing clutchless upshifts on my SV ( no quickshift ) that is is second nature now. Just ease off the revs to take pressure off the gears and it snicks into gear no problem. I quite enjoy two fingered braking ( if required ) and blipping the throttle on downshifts anyway, so no hardship to me.


I have read many reviews on Suzuki 800cc 270 deg parallel twin, never seen a bad word, but my SV does not get as much use as it should these days, so no good getting another bike.


I had a DRZ400-SM for about 5 years ( supermoto style with smaller wheels and road tyres ) and could not reach the floor on both sides, luckily the bike was only about 140kg but not being able to touch floor properly is very unsettling, I sold it to get the SV in 2016 when AL7 appeared and much happier with seat height ( and the extra power ).

[R1ffR4ff]

Just got a new Bridgestone Battlax 120/60/17 front tyre for my 99. It seems to have been made in ,"December" of this year

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by R1ffR4ff

Just got a new Bridgestone Battlax 120/60/17 front tyre for my 99. It seems to have been made in ,"December" of this year

LOL, WEEK 12 2024 ( march 18 to 24 ) not month 12 2024

[R1ffR4ff]

Originally Posted by SV650rules

LOL, WEEK 12 2024 ( march 18 to 24 ) not month 12 2024

I thought there was something funky. All other tyres I've ever had mark like 02-24 e.g Feb 24

[Sir Trev]

Pretty sure most tyres are week-year. The Michelins on my car certainly are as were the Bridgestones on my T100.

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

Pretty sure most tyres are week-year. The Michelins on my car certainly are as were the Bridgestones on my T100.

I think the clue is that the first number can go past 12, I have 35-21 on one of my tyres.



How do you read a tyre date code?

The first two numbers of the 4-digit DOT date code (which, again, appears at the very end of the string of letters and numbers that start with DOT) indicate the week that the tyre was manufactured. The last two numbers of the date code tell you the year of manufacture. In the example below, the date code is 0517, which means that the tyre was made in the 5th week of 2017. If the date code has only three digits, it means that your tyre was manufactured before the year 2000, when a different system was used.