NoToil Filter Oil

I tried NoToil filter oil in 2005.  It’s vegetable based which makes it biodegradable.  They have a very impressive web site  http://www.notoil.com/  

The oil never “dried”.  It kept drooling out the airbox drain.

Puddles of oil on the floor bother me.  I went back to regular filter oil.

Perhaps the oil formulation has changed since 2005.  I'm all for environmental friendliness.  I always line my airbox with Bel Ray Waterproof Grease http://www.belray.com/bel-ray-waterproof-grease  as a dust catcher.  Any grit that hits the grease never gets to the air filter.  Makes the filter last longer between cleanings.  

I also put some grease downstream of the filter.  This grease ought to stay clean and shiny.  If it doesn't the filter is not getting the job done.  Or the filter's base is poorly sealed against the airbox.  Or it's a K&N filter ;-)

NoToil worked fine as far as catching grit.  The intake tract downstream of the filter was clean.  I just didn't like the oil spot under the bike caused by the never-drying NoToil Filter Oil.

K&N Air Filters

K&N advertizes more performance.

However, I note the Dynojet fuel maps are the same for "stock or aftermarket
air filter".  They have a gazillion maps, one fore each kind of
pipe/muffler.  They care about pipe type but not a bit for air filter type.

If it doesn't make enough difference to change the fuel map it isn't making
any real difference.

I think the anecdotal evidence of greater performance with a K&N is just the
change of putting in a new filter.  I've also had a performance increase
with a new paper filter.


I did an experiment.  I put a thin layer of grease downstream of the stock paper air filter on the FZR1000 I used to own.  Then I rode around for a while.  I pulled the filter and inspected the grease.  It was a clean as the day I put it there.

Then I installed a brand new well oiled K&N air filter.  Rode around for a while.  Pulled the filter and inspected the grease.  It was dirty.  All that dirt made it past the K&N.  The dirt was stopped by the stock paper filter.

I threw the K&N away.

Pistons don't like grit rubbing between them and the cylinder.  The grit acts like grinding paste.  It co$ts more to replace a set of pistons these days than to buy a whole low mileage replacement motorcycle.  I want my pistons to last as long as possible.  It's stock paper filters for me from now on.

Dealing with Deer

Sometimes deer run in front of a vehicle because they are running from a predator.  It looks to them like they go from one bad situation to a worse one.  It looks to me like they are mindless meat missiles. 

Regardless, there is actually something a rider can do to prevent a crash.  It is totally counter-intuitive but it works.

If a motorcycle hits a deer in cruise mode or with the front brake applied the front wheel gets knocked sideways and the bike goes down.  If a motorcycle hits a deer while on the gas the front tire has more gyro effect and the back tire is pushing it back into line with acceleration.

If a deer appears, and there is time, the best immediate reaction is to dynamite the brakes.  This applies to standing deer as well as moving, as they sometimes are just stupid and jump right in front of a bike just before it gets to them.

If a collision is unavoidable then GET ON THE GAS HARD.  Punch through the deer.  Knock it aside or shred it.  Either way, hitting a deer on the brakes guarantees a crash while hitting one on the gas usually saves it.  I know three people who have punched through deer at 100mph+.  I have hit two deer myself.  Once on the brakes and I crashed.  Once on the gas and it bounced off.

Carb Cleaner vs. Brake Cleaner

Manufacturers generally want happy customers.  To that end they make products aimed at performing tasks people want to pay for.  To help people get what they want they put labels on their products identifying their intended use.  Solvents makers do this too.

There are a gazillion kinds of gunk to remove.  There are products aimed at removing certain kinds of gunk well which can also do a sorta passable job of removing other kinds of dirt/contamination/gunk.

Brake Fluid, Contact Cleaner and Carb Cleaner are similar products.  However, they are aimed at specific kinds of contamination removal.  Any cleaner will do a better job on the gunk it is designed to remove.

Carb Cleaner (http://berrymanproducts.com/Products/AirCarbandInjectorCleaners.aspx) is aimed at the stuff that accumulates in carbs.  Carbs deal with varnish and gum deposits, so carb cleaners are designed to dissolve varnish and gum.

Contact Cleaner vs. Brake Cleaner

Using Contact Cleaner where Brake Cleaner is called for can create problems.  Most people use these two types of products interchangeably.  They are far from it.  Basically, Contact Cleaner is so 20th Century :-)  Really, Contact Cleaner was devised to deal with a problem that doesn't exist in the 21st century.

That problem being lubricating and preventing corrosion http://www.mcmelectronics.com/browse/Contact-Cleaners/0000000447 of 20th Century contact points type ignitions (http://www.summitracing.com/search/Brand/ACCEL/Product-Line/ACCEL-Points-Ignition-Contact-Assemblies/?autoview=SKU).  21st Century ignitions use non-contacting electronic triggers.  Since nothing touches nothing needs lubricating.

Brake Cleaner http://www.permatex.com/products/industrial/industrial_cleaners/cleaners/Permatex_Electrical_Contact_Cleaner.htm on the other hand, is designed to remove everything and leave nothing behind.

Using Contact Cleaner on brakes will result in lubricant and corrosion inhibitor being applied to the brakes.  Sounds non-optimal to me.  I want my brakes clean and lube free, thank you very much.

Brakes need Brake Cleaner.

Engine parts that are supposed to hold oil also need Brake Cleaner.  Think about it, Contact Cleaner leaves lube behind.  That's not "clean and oil free" like all the manuals say the parts are supposed to be before assembly.

If you want the parts to be clean use Brake Cleaner.

The Electricians - music

There is a new sheriff on Shakedown Street and his name is The Electricians.  These guys play GDead music without being a cover or a tribute band.  Instead of copying the originals they are inspired by them.  Sorta like Rubber Souldiers (http://www.rubbersouldiers.com/) are inspired by The Beatles.  But that's another review for another day.  This one is about The Electricians (http://www.the-electricians.com/).

John Zias, the lead, is a really great player.  The Bass player totally nailed dropping the Bomb for The Other One.  The other guitar player and drummer are also solid players with good jamming skills.  The band opened up their music, which is hard for bands to pull off,  to let David Gans (http://www.dgans.com/) join them for a few numbers.

These guys play Dead music with different notes.  Same song, but definitely lots of different string picking done compared to everyone else, who work to hit the same notes as the Dead.  The Electricians can hit those notes when they want to, of course.  They deviate constantly with great success and originality, though.  

They did a really good Dark Star last night.  Got into a totally new and strange space, came around to coherency again, then grew The Eleven out of it as they continued on with the fine music.  Really good Playin' In The Band, too.

Blair Jackson and I totally agree about The Electricians.  http://hotline.deadnetcentral.com/WebX?13@1022.sI1Ba4gpefE.4@.4aefc5aa/259493

The Electricians get the Roserunner stamp of approval.

Oil Spill Cleanup

Despite my best efforts every couple of years I return to the garage and find a pool of oil growing underneath a bike I'm working on.  Ray Roy (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000484720215) gave me the idea to use kitty litter for cleaning the mess up.  Elegant simplicity at it's best.  The kitty litter soaks the oil up.  Sweeping it up is lots easier than dealing with all the rags/paper towels I formerly used.

There are a gazillion kinds of kitty box material out there.  After a few bags of the stuff I have decided that all I need is straight unscented clay type kitty litter.  My favorite brand is Johnny Cat Unscented (http://www.jonnycat.com/products.php) as it is inexpensive, readily available and effective.