New rider with some beginner questions.

Well, the stock headlights aren't LED so you'll have to elaborate. If it's one of those cheesy LED halogen replacement bulbs, I wouldn't be surprised if it's just broken. The stock bulb is an H4 halogen and replacements are quite inexpensive.
 
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I got a new one, you are right, they are POS. It said it lasted for 30,000 hours an the bulb was broken. They aren't cheap either. They are replacements for the halogen to convert them into LED lights. I love LED lights. Usually the bulbs last forever. This was just a quality issue.

I had a blast out riding. I started practicing some high RPM shifting. I am teaching myself right, so sometime when I shift, I will take too long about it. Not when I am going fast or in a hurry, but I noticed if I don't give it enough throttle and let the RPMS get too low it jerks as the clutch reengages. Yesterday I was pretending I was fast and letting first rev to 7000 and then quick let go of the throttle, pull in the clutch and flick my foot and if I do it just right and super fast it's seamless. It doesn't skip a beat and the whole process takes less than a second, or about a second.

I'm also trying to decide whether to change the oil. The supplies were almost $60 and I know it was done in the middle of January. I'm looking at the oil through the peephole and it doesn't look bad. Maybe I''m being cheap.
 
So what LED bulbs are you running exactly? I would be interested to see what the previous owner stuck in.

Most of the LED drop-in bulbs are neither as bright as they claim or optically suitable for a halogen projector. LED bulbs that are actually designed to emulate a halogen bulb and light up the road correctly are rather expensive indeed. Any experience I've had with your typical LED drop-in has been negative; beyond them looking snazzy and blinding you when you stare at them, they don't actually light up the road properly.

Regarding the oil change, head to your local Walmart and pick up a gallon of Shell Rotella T6 for $20

34384919-bde7-45ff-8f64-d3624d8c30cf._CB334775122__SR300,300_.jpg


They also stock suitable oil filters:
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/FilterXRef.html said:
Recommended filters.
All have superior
filtering.

About 2.5 inches long.
Purolator Pure One PL14612, about $6.
Mobil M1-108, about $12.
Made by Champion.
Bosch 3300, about $6.
Made by Champion.
Wal-Mart SuperTech ST6607
Made by Champion.

About 3.25 inches long.
Purolator Pure One PL14610, about $6.
Mobil 1 M1-110, about $10.
Made by Champion.
Bosch 3323, about $6.
Made By Champion.
WalMart SuperTech ST7317,
about $2. Made by Champion.
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If you trust the previous owner and it was really done in January, I wouldn't be too bothered either.
 
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I really like this bike more and more each day. It's such a good size. I sat on a KTM 390 RC today and it felt so small. I like the feeling of the bigger bike.

My red oil light came on for 5 seconds while riding today, is that any cause for concern?
 
The oil light is an oil level light. If you start the bike when cold, the oil is thick and gets flung up into the engine where it is needed and the level drops. Sometimes while the oil is thick it takes a while to drain back down before it warms up and thins out. This can cause the light to come on, especially when you lean the bike over in a corner with cold oil/engine. Some people (myself included) fill the oil up to the top (the max line in the sight glass) and the issue is resolved.
 
Area57 said:
.thanks. That's what it was. I didn't warm up as much as usual before riding.
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Just a tip: The best way to warm up the bike is just to get on and ride it as soon as possible after starting. Just ride it gently for a few blocks and keep revs low.

Idling an engine is actually not great for it and 10 seconds is typically enough before setting off. You'll reduce engine wear & tear and warm the engine up far more quickly than just idling.

More info for you: How to warm up a motorcycle engine - Motorbike Writer
 
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Once you run the engine the revs are high by default and you can't do much of it to keep them low. After about 20-30 seconds they are lowering.

I always start the engine first and then put my helmet and gloves on. It's about 1-2 minutes when the motorbike is stationary before I kick the first gear.
 
Dustin said:
Just a tip: The best way to warm up the bike is just to get on and ride it as soon as possible after starting. Just ride it gently for a few blocks and keep revs low.

Idling an engine is actually not great for it and 10 seconds is typically enough before setting off. You'll reduce engine wear & tear and warm the engine up far more quickly than just idling.

More info for you: How to warm up a motorcycle engine - Motorbike Writer
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This is what I do.
 
Well, things have been going really good, I've been having a great time and the weather is getting nice.

Remember how I changed my back tire and took the wheel off and then pretensioned the chain? Well, I have no idea how it looked before or how it is supposed to look, but the chain in the from, before it disappears from view, maybe 6 inches behind the front sprocket. It is laying on this plastic piece. Is that normal? My chain is tight. If it were any tighter it would be too tight, so it isn't slopping around on there, it's just contacting it.

Is rides fine, I don't smell it burning through the plastic piece so I think maybe when I am moving it raises off of that, otherwise that huge chain going so fast would tear that plastic piece to bits in one ride, at least I would think.

Is this ok?
 
Glad to hear you're enjoying the bike!

I linked you to a site with a wealth of information on your bike, everything you could ever want to know. It's also in your owners manual. Here's all you need to know for your bike's chain maintenance: http://www.angelfire.com/ia/z/FZ1chain.htm

The plastic thing your chain is sitting on is the chain guide and it's typical for your chain to rest on the top guide when the bike is unladen as the chain tension increases and decreases while the suspension moves through its range. Every bike is different and some will and some won't.
 
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Thanks! That is a great site.

One more thing I noticed. My front shock feels good, but I noticed a black scuff on the chrome part about two inches above where it come out of the tube. I could wipe it away with my finger but I had to scrub with some force.

Is my shock having problems? Is something scratching when it goes into the tube?
 
Area57 said:
Thanks! That is a great site.

One more thing I noticed. My front shock feels good, but I noticed a black scuff on the chrome part about two inches above where it come out of the tube. I could wipe it away with my finger but I had to scrub with some force.

Is my shock having problems? Is something scratching when it goes into the tube?
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snap a picture of what you are referring to, as that would make the diagnosis easier. Also when it comes to fork tubes or shock shafts (the chromed bit) be very careful with what you are using to "scrub" it with and how you do it. Scratches can nick the seal and cause them to leak.
 
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Dicko said:
The oil light is an oil level light. If you start the bike when cold, the oil is thick and gets flung up into the engine where it is needed and the level drops. Sometimes while the oil is thick it takes a while to drain back down before it warms up and thins out. This can cause the light to come on, especially when you lean the bike over in a corner with cold oil/engine. Some people (myself included) fill the oil up to the top (the max line in the sight glass) and the issue is resolved.
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In a bike (any gas engine really), too much oil is just as bad as not enough. With too much oil, the crankshaft will mix air into the oil at high rpm and the oil pump won't be able to keep the oil pressure up, which is just as bad for the engine as not enough oil.

There is a reason for the min and max lines and you should make sure the oil level stays between those. Refer to the manual if you are not sure how to check it (bike on the center stand, engine turned off for at least 5 minutes). There is nothing wrong in trying to adjust it to the max line, particularly if your bike uses some oil between oil changes, just don't go above.
 
Ok. I did an oil change yesterday. With new filter it uses three quarts right? The manual says liters but they are the same aren't they? I used three bottles of Mobil synthetic
 
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