Bike suddenly faster? Also stupid headlight question

[default]

I know this is going to sound like I went full tard, but tonight I noticed the bike felt like it accelerated significantly faster than it has since I got it. No, I didn't accidentally find "S" mode (it's never left "S" save for a hand full of times in really bad wet). Tonight, I was leaving a bike night of sorts I blipped throttle as I normally do (standing on the pegs in 1rst gear) and for the first time since I had it, the front tire lifted. Ive tried to get it to do that before to no avail (didnt try too hard), so it caught me off guard as I didnt do anything different. Im thinking of running some seafoam thru it just for gits and shiggles to see if it helps at all.



Stupid headlight question: Hi beams suck. Ive never had anything with headlights like these, and all my hi beams seem to do is make the street signs glare, no real help in front, sides or vertical. Thoughts?

 

[Don in Lodi]

Yep, the high beams are actually just the low beam's bulb allowed to shine further down the street when a shutter jumps up out of the way. The key is to have the 'low beam' adjusted low enough that when the high beam shutter activates it's not just lighting up overpasses.
How many miles on the bike? They've been known to get better with age, but not usually over a few hours. ::26::

 

[default]

about 30k. It just feels a bit more sprightly suddenly. Unless for some reason the front brake was dragging since I bought it and suddenly came loose when I performed a brake check.....

 

[Bryn]

about 30k. It just feels a bit more sprightly suddenly. Unless for some reason the front brake was dragging since I bought it and suddenly came loose when I performed a brake check.....

If you managed 30k out of the pads with them dragging you've done well )

 

[2daMax]

Did u loose weight? J/k

 

[squarebore]

Was the traction control off? Won't normally lift a wheel much with the TC on.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I've taken two gen 1 Teneres from 0 miles to well over 30K. Can't say I've noticed any change after 20K miles on either one of them. The Tenere definitely gets better with age, but the most notable changes happen up through about 5K miles. More subtle after that.

Unintended wheelies are almost unheard of on the Tenere. TCS 1 shuts them down fast. TCS2 not much better, still on the ground very quickly. TCS off, still a pretty good intentional effort to get it up in the air.

Sounds like you have some surprise bonus. If you're lucky, maybe it will stay. >

 

[default]

yeah, it was weird. the only thing i can think of that was different was the situation, usually im upright on pavement but i was leaned a bit over on a big traffic circle on brick, so im thinking the bigger outer knobs on the tkc80s caught the brick edges and hooked up before the bike could react. I know it lifted because my front tire was suddenly about a foot more to the left....


anywho, i love the bike. I didnt own it this whole time so i cant claim I put all those miles on it. but i dont own a car and shes my baby so im always worrying. So many funny noises on this bike...

 

[carrot]

ok i don't even want to say this because it sounds crazy but each time before i start my bike i turn the key to on and twist the throttle grip to full throttle and let it snap back closed three times before i start it for some reason when i do that the bike seem to accelerates a great deal better and i don't know why but it does..

 

[default]

sounds like how i used to have to start the cb. i didnt even have a key for it, just a toggle switch in plain view. i figured if anyone could figure out the combo of throttle and kicks they could have it. ::025::

 

[shrekonwheels]

ok i don't even want to say this because it sounds crazy but each time before i start my bike i turn the key to on and twist the throttle grip to full throttle and let it snap back closed three times before i start it for some reason when i do that the bike seem to accelerates a great deal better and i don't know why but it does..

You are, nothing happens with the throttle until you fire the bike up.

 

[carrot]

You are, nothing happens with the throttle until you fire the bike up.

I believe you'r wrong because it does make a significant difference with my bike anyways

 

[shrekonwheels]

I believe you'r wrong because it does make a significant difference with my bike anyways

"Twin downdraft throttle body fuel injection with YCC-T® (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) delivers optimum throttle control and acceleration"

 

[Don in Lodi]

Maybe it's some factory 'backdoor' in the ecm, resets some parameter or 'nother.

 

[Dogdaze]

yeah, it was weird. the only thing i can think of that was different was the situation, usually im upright on pavement but i was leaned a bit over on a big traffic circle on brick, so im thinking the bigger outer knobs on the tkc80s caught the brick edges and hooked up before the bike could react. I know it lifted because my front tire was suddenly about a foot more to the left....


anywho, i love the bike. I didnt own it this whole time so i cant claim I put all those miles on it. but i dont own a car and shes my baby so im always worrying. So many funny noises on this bike...

Ok now I can relate to that! I pulled out left from a T-junction, hit the throttle hard and noticed the TCS light flashing at the same moment front wheel off the ground, felt like at least 2 feet (more than likely 4" ::26:, only happened the once, I would be inclined to say a perfect storm scenario rather than more power being unleashed by the ECU demons......

 

[Checkswrecks]

yeah, it was weird. the only thing i can think of that was different was the situation, usually im upright on pavement but i was leaned a bit over on a big traffic circle on brick, so im thinking the bigger outer knobs on the tkc80s caught the brick edges and hooked up before the bike could react. I know it lifted because my front tire was suddenly about a foot more to the left....

The front wheel is always easier to lift when the bike is leaned due to the physics. You simply wheeled before the TCS could respond, which is one reason that the newest traction control systems incorporate a bank angle sensor.


When fully upright, the force of gravity is met equally by the reaction of the ground. In the diagram below, N=mass times gravity, shown as "mg." When the ground (N) wasn't there, the apple fell on Newton's head.

As you lean over, the height of your CG is reduced as more of what keeps you from falling is a your mass in a horizontal reaction of your movement's kinetic energy at the tire. In the diagram, the "v" is being applied where it'd previously all been "g." This means that the amount of engine torque required to wheelie (overcome gravity shown as "g") is reduced.

 

[Don in Lodi]

::010:: ::012::

 

[Tyke]

Aaah the 'old' twist the throttle before riding claim.......I've heard of it before, but never tried it myself, TBH I can't see how it could make a difference, but every day is a school day :

 

[Anwar Namtut]

The front wheel is always easier to lift when the bike is leaned due to the physics. You simply wheeled before the TCS could respond, which is one reason that the newest traction control systems incorporate a bank angle sensor.


When fully upright, the force of gravity is met equally by the reaction of the ground. In the diagram below, N=mass times gravity, shown as "mg." When the ground (N) wasn't there, the apple fell on Newton's head.

As you lean over, the height of your CG is reduced as more of what keeps you from falling is a your mass in a horizontal reaction of your movement's kinetic energy at the tire. In the diagram, the "v" is being applied where it'd previously all been "g." This means that the amount of engine torque required to wheelie (overcome gravity shown as "g") is reduced.

No one said there would be maths.

 

[Nev..]

Aaah the 'old' twist the throttle before riding claim.......I've heard of it before, but never tried it myself, TBH I can't see how it could make a difference, but every day is a school day :

It could make a difference, because once the key is in the on position, the computer should be able to get readings from all sensors, including the Throttle position sensor. Quite often the manufacturers program the ECU to react to a series of inputs to perform a reset of some kind. But whether that actually does perform any kind of ecu or system reset on our bikes is another matter.