New bike-Changing all fluids
 

So I have been practicing here in my complex parking lot as well as in a nearby lot and I have noticed how "squishy" my front end feels esp, during turning! I haven't gone higher than 3rd gear or 30mph:icon_couchhide: Im practicing my turning and up and down shifting as well as smooth braking. Quick question, when going this slow (i.e 20-25-30mph, do you guys get out of 2nd or even 3rd gear right away and get up in a higher gear like 4rth? Or are those lower slow and go speeds better suited for like 2nd or 3rd? I try to feel the rpm/engine speed out and match it with my road speed, but sometimes Im confused on what gear would be more optimal (i.e 2nd/3rd/4rth going 20-30mph)(And I know first gear is useless and to get into 2nd right away) I assume 4rth is too high for 25-30mph.

So I haven't given a sh^$ about the tires on this bike as they are SHOT and I plan on replacing the front rim/tire as well as rear tire this weekend or sometime soon. I have not yet registered the bike so I stay on private property, and to be honest, I'm not ready for the street yet:icon_no: So it finally dawned on me that I haven't checked the tire pressure yet! So I gab my digital pressure reader and head to the gas station for free air (yes gas station ='s public property, but I made it quick:icon_look:) To my delight the front tire registers to a whopping 14.5psi while the rear is at 28psi! I filled the front to 38 and the back to 34. Sound ok? (I know the book says 36r/42f but I wasn't sure if that was max load or recommended riding psi?)

I plan on buying a new front rim this weekend as well as both front and rear pilot road 2's. Whats the recommended psi for front and rear on these for normal street riding? I'm going for "grip" more than anything (a low side may scar me for life at this point):icon_playing:so I was thinking a tad under the normal psi for stickiness

So it dawned on me that with all these little issues, loose bolts/screws and just a general lack of care for the bike, that I should probably change all the fluids, for the well-being of the bike as well as my piece of mind!

Now the oil looks brand new, but I have no idea what brand or viscosity it is!

The bike runs in normal temps (170-185 cruising and up to 210-225 while sitting) so I assume the coolant/cooling system is ok despite the large dent in the radiator. I did notice that the coolant reservoir was empty though.

The brake fluid is on "low" per the plastic bottle level gauge

What am I missing?

I figured I would do these fluid changes.

1. Oil change-Mobile 1 Racing 4T (3.5Qts) - What brand filter?
2. leave coolant as is but add a bottle of water wetter to the reservoir?
3. Bleed brake fluid-replace (OEM brake fluid labeled in users manual?)

Anything else I am missing? :icon_couchhide:Thanks!

Edit: I also notice that sometimes I accidentally flick the gas when pulling the brake due to my wrist placement! Ant pointers?

just go by what the book says with everything and youl be fine.
as for filter, just use your fav brand and itll be fine, leave the coolant, the res isnt supposed to be full and i think i used dot 4 in my brakes, which is what the book said

I run 32/32 on my bike on the street, with Pilot Road 2's.

I think your shifting pretty low in the RPM range. I will normaly shift in town about 6 or 7 when the bike starts to get noisy just to shut it up. Sometimes I'll run it up near the red line.

Puttering around town I'll be in mid/high 2nd around 60-80KMH (40-50MPH) or low 3rd. Second gives me the power to make quick lane changes or get out of the way if something is coming towards me and I don't want to be there anymore. When seconds count, you don't wanna be struggling to downshift and hit the power.

Out pushing the bike, I'll be winding it up near red line or shifting around 10-12. setting speed before the turn in the appropriate gear to keep my RPM's mid-high to power out of the corner into a quick upshift.

Putting a bottle of water wetter in a system will of antifreeze coolant will do absolute nothing. Even so, read the dirrections buddy. For the F4i system, you only need 12 cap fulls of WW for the whole system, not a whole bottle....

At those lower speeds, 4th is probably way too low to be able to accelerate with any effectiveness. You want to find an RPM range that you feel comfortable with that you can both accelerate if needed, but not have a jerky ride with every slight change in how much throttle you're giving it. I usually cruise around at about 3500-4500 rpm. That way I don't get jolts if I have to adjust my grip on the throttle but I still have enough power to accelerate and pass.

Practice in a parking lot is great and I commend you for really taking your time to feel comfortable before hitting the streets. However, it's a little hard to figure out what suits you best when the environment you're practicing in is so much different from what you'll be driving in. Once all the controls and sense of balance start to become second nature (and the bike is registered), take it out for a ride in low traffic volume so you can get a sense of passing power at different rpm.

Oh, and don't forget to check your blinker fluid.

Great,,,,, blinker fluid,I missed that part in the manual, I just went and got a LED flasher relay from e-bay!!