THE THUMPERGARAGE PAGE OF THE FOUR-STROKE SINGLES NATIONAL OWNERS CLUB WEBSITE - visit all the other pages before you head for the house! This site is updated for the world of motorcycling on each Thursday evening, don't miss out, visit us weekly and tell your friends, no password, no secret code word, just come, pull up a chair and see what's happenin'... if you'd enjoy belonging to this national organization, see the membership application page. Thank You and Keep On Thumpin', it's what we do! - #000
P.S. If you are a FSSNOC member and have some input, email us here at the ThumperGarage with your comments. Note that if we have a response to your email, it will be posted here the following Thursday evening during our weekly update, so please note that you will NOT receive a response by email, only here on the glowing rectangle. FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com
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IT WOULD APPEAR THAT:
TRIUMPH HAS "TRIUMPHED" WITH THEIR NEW FOUR-STROKE SINGLE............. (05-02-24) WELCOME TO THE THUMPERGARAGE PAGE! (view other pages on this site before kickstands up!)
Hi Jack and club members...
Just posted this on the Triumph 400 Forum: https://www.triumph400forum.com/threads/four-stroke-singles-national-owners-club-fssnoc.43/post-207
Hope to see you in July with my new Caspian Blue 400.
I have saddle stays and a luggage rack coming from India (the bikes are made in India by Bajaj in the same factory that manufactures KTM 390 series), and a flyscreen from China. My Cortech luggage should fit great.. 🤞🤞
I just got mine 2 weeks ago and have about 130 miles on it. Hoping I can get the 600 mile service done by mid June before the UTAH THUMPERCAFE LUNCH. Cheers, Mike #1614
(REPLY) THANKS, MIKE - GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU! KEEP US POSTED AND SEE YOU IN UTAH IN JULY! - #000
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Triumph Speed 400 ...
328 miles now and a few more thoughts. Speedometer shows 5% fast and odo is 4% long. So, at a true 60, the speedo shows 63 mph. And after traveling a true 100 miles, the odo shows 104 miles. I would say that is about par for the course for most bikes.
I feel the bike is geared too low , especially in first and second. This is trials bike gearing. I intend to re-gear it to 40/16 from a stock 43/15. Might even go 40/17. Been testing these changes and my bike seems to pull this with ease. The hill I use is long and steep. It pulls this easily at the rpm I intend to have in my new top gear. I’m looking to knock 1000 rpm off the 60 mph cruise. This will also make the low gears more useful.
In the newsletter, Thumper News #155, a member mentioned that the bike was sensitive on the throttle at low speeds. This may be due to the gearing being too low. It may amplifie the effect. To me, my bike is much nicer to ride with taller gears. Been getting 72 mph on all my rides. Would hope to do better with higher gearing.
That’s it Jack. Hope it is of interest. Ben, 5462
Forgot to say I have fitted the factory rack with my small GIVI box. Probably about 12 pounds box plus stuff. Bike seems to ride better with this on and was just a touch firm without. I’m 6 feet and 210 lbs dressed to ride. The bike is very comfortable for me and doesn’t feel small. I'm very pleased with it and will work on getting it geared to my liking. Ben, 5462
(REPLY) ... Yes, your comments are always of interest, Ben! Thanks for sharing what you are up to with Triumph's latest Single ... good stuff! - #000.
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Hey Tripple O,
After reading Kerry’s (#4543 AZ.) report on the new Triumph 400, I felt that I needed to comment:
It seems like motorcycle designers/engineers take great joy in making oil filters as inaccessible as they possibly can. If you remember back in the mid 70’s (actually late 1975), Moto Guzzi finally added a spin-on oil filter to their V twin motors. Great, right?
Except ... that they decided to put it INSIDE the oil pan! To get to it you had to remove 16 bolts and drop the oil pan. Very messy and labor intensive to say the least. At least they only recommended changing the oil filter every 9000 miles (every third oil change). With the large amount of oil in a Guzzi motor (approximately 3 1/2 quarts) this didn’t seem to hurt anything. I have a 1976 850T3 that I bought new and have followed this regimen of oil changes at 3000 miles and oil and filter change at 9000 miles. That has been 48 years and 260,500 miles ago and it’s still going strong.
In my fleet, I also have a 1978 Yamaha XS500 twin. To access the oil filter on that one you have to remove the left foot peg, the gear shift lever and then 6 bolts in a cover to get to the oil filter. What were these designers/engineers thinking?? Keeps things interesting I guess.
Sadly I had to let one of my Singles go last week.
I sold my 1986 Yamaha SRX600 Super Single.
If it would have had an electric starter on it, as the later models did, I would have kept it, but??? Very nice low mileage bike with only 9,000 miles on it. It went to a good home so that counts for a lot. I told the new owner about the FSSNOC and gave him the membership application so we’ll see if he joins or not.
Jack, just got my new club hat in Monday’s (29th) mail. VERY NICE hat!! I really like the look of it and the classy buckle to adjust the size. First class stuff.
Ride when you can and cherish your days.
Neil Hemenway. a.k.a. “Maynard” FSSNOC #5208 Wisconsin
(REPLY) Hey, Maynard ... Can't disagree with anything you wrote or say it better.
(A) I put 30,000 on a Moto-Guzzi Hot Rod Griso model. It still had twice as much brake pad material left than any other bike I've ever rode had at zero miles and brand new! They build some tuff stuff! When, upon my purchase, I rode it out the dealer's door, he leaned over and said, "Now, go ride the #@x& out of it...!"
(B) I've had two SRX-6 Yamahas as well - great, great Single, but yeah, a very unique kickstarter system!
(C) My motorcycle career was at a very successful Honda-Yamaha Shop for 30 years, we sold lots of the TX500's...
(D) And lastly, I totally agree with your assessment of our new club cap! In fact, I'm wearing mine as I type ... Jack, FSSNOC #000 ... and ... thank you for your input, please post again!
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TRIUMPH SPEED 400 - 600 MILE SERVICE:
#4543, and Little Speedy (from WEBSITE UPDATE for 04-25-24)
Thu, Apr 25 at 9:25 AM
Well, did the 600-mile first service on the Triumph Speed 400. What a PITB! Definitely could not have done it without the owner's manual.
The oil filter is hidden behind a cover. And that cover has a cover. So, two bolts to get the "cover finisher" off and then 5 bolts (one of which is hidden by the cover finisher) to get the "cover" off. All of that gets you to the oil filter cover. So, 9 bolts before you see the oil filter. Then two drain plugs, each with a screen that needs to be cleaned off. One of the oil drain plugs I wouldn't have noticed without the manual. Bother.
And 10W-50 oil, yet another weight of oil to stock. Supposedly don't need to change the oil again for 10,000 miles! That's not happening. Think I'll stick to 3000 mile intervals.
Also, the dealer doesn't have all the o-rings one is supposed to change out upon doing the oil change. Didn't have filters, either. Luckily, it's the same filter used by the KTM 390. Joys of a first year bike, something I don't usually purchase. Sigh.
But then there's the bike itself. Which I really like. Now that we're past 600 miles, gonna start opening it up. Only been using 6000 rpm, gonna see what that 9500 rpm redline feels like pretty soon! Gotta say, it's really smooth up to 6000 rpm, which is right at 65 mph indicated in 6th.
Interestingly the gas mileage for the first three tanks has been: 54.6 (the dealer may not have completely filled the tank), 67.2 and 80.9! Does require premium gas.
And yes, tubeless tires. The tires on the Speed are Metzeler Sportec M9 RRs. 110/70 R17 front and 150/60 R17 rear.
That's all for now! Kerry #4543, AZ
(REPLY TO KERRY and CLUB MEMBERS)
WOW! NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! THANK YOU, KERRY!!
The conversation here on our club website is meant to go both ways, the club talks to the members, the members talk to the club ... Viola! Great stuff, Kerry! Very helpful, very interesting...
TO PARTICIPATE: E-mail the ThumperGarage at: FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com
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(photo that was on 04-25-24 update)
A FEW THUMPER RIDERS OUT - BRIDGE HOPPIN' ......
Built back in the late 1800s to early 1900s, the bridges are literally "solid as a rock", still usable in 2024! Hand built in an arch, which is self-supporting, of native limestone, they are a thing of beauty to behold and a testament to how things were done in the old days ... built to last the rigors of use and time.
This is one of two that we stopped to check out. We'd just enjoyed lunch in tiny Latham, Kansas and this photo (taken by Ron, #4570 - thank you!) shows a few of the group as we were doing some smiles in the Flint Hills.
Collectively, our group of eight Thumperists rode 1838 miles that day. This group is just a fraction of a local bunch of entertaining riders who participate, usually weekly or so, as their own schedules allow, in a MOTO-COFFEE lunch, you know, ride to eat, eat to ride, right?
Point of order, we do not group ride down the highway to a destination. We gather at the destination, and the more remote, the more off the beaten path, the more fun the we have ... each rider coming from his own start point (home) by his own route to arrive at a predesignated by text dining point ... after our dining is done, we split off in various directions, some on dirt, some on macadam, some headed to the house, some not, and some like me that have to be home by Tuesday, it just doesn't matter what Tuesday...
Each week, to add to the fun, upon each attendee arriving back at the house, we report our collective miles, then we add that number to all the miles we've ridden since April 1, 2024, all to and from these Moto-Coffee lunches ... then we calculate where those miles would take us on a hypothetical "Ride Around the World" journey ... our own version of "Twitchy Coots", eh (grin - it's a joke!)? Last week we were about a days ride short of London, England. Mileage reports are still pending on yesterday's lunch at Latham ... anybody got a spare globe?
Did you ride this week? Did you spot a Thumper and take a photo? Did you attend a Motorcycle Show? Share your hey/your day/your play with other FSSNOC members?
We invite FSSNOC members to E-mail photos and comments to: FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com
NOTE: Any photos and/or comments submitted to FSSNOC, INC. become the property of FSSNOC,INC. and may or may not be utilized in original or edited form in our club newsletter/magazine Thumper News, the club website ThumperGarage, and/or any related material published and/or presented by the club. - #000
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#5449 (below) ... RESERVES A FSSNOC THUMPERCAFE DECAL for Mitchell, South Dakota! Remember, as per the Event Page, only 30 decals available, going to the first 30 members who speak up ... IF they attend ...
List to date: #370 #4543 #3780 #4479 #5418 #5475 #4557 #000 #5420 #1230 #5449
If you are a FSSNOC member and you want a decal and you plan to attend the June 12th gathering (come have your lunch with the club), see the numbers posted above, should your club number NOT be on this list, contact FSSNOC by phone, e-mail, USPS, or ?
Note: Should a FSSNOC member who reserved a decal NOT attend, that decal will be passed on to another attendee ... Ya' gotta be there!
"Going to Mitchell SD ... And I want a sticker!", Dan #5449
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"TOP HAMPER"
... a term coined a number of years ago in an article I read about the possibility of putting too much weight on the luggage rack of a motorcycle ... #000.
Mark, FSSNOC #4625 ...
FYI ... I think I may have been close to the weight limit in my top case on my Kawasaki.
On Monday, I rode to a town about 65 miles away. I was carrying a pile of paper files in the top case as they were too large to fit in the side-cases. On the return trip, I packed those same files into the top case with some additional files as well.
A short distance down the road, I was transversing some rough spots in the pavement and the bike wanted to wander off to the right, catching me off guard.
I did make it home ... but I began to look for other solutions.
I figured out that I can use my old KLR (soft) top case, easily attaching it to the pillion area of the saddle. I can fill this with files and it will still weigh considerably less than a buddy rider so I don't think it should effect the handling of the bike.
This was definitely an eye-opener. You, Jack, had brought up the subject of top hamper numerous times in earlier conversations. My Yamaha and my Kawasaki both have ample room on the passenger seat for the heavy stuff...
(REPLY) I agree, Mark ... I've noted that most motorcycle brand factory luggage racks are factory weight rated for a fraction of what most of us tend to pack atop them ... and loading a motorcycle improperly can definitely have an adverse effect on the handling.
Case in point, I recall the first time I loaded my Royal Enfield Himilayan up for a long ride. Once loaded, I pushed it outside my shed to take a pre-trip photo. I was immediately amazed to find that I could hardly roll it forward without almost dropping it on my driveway. After the photo, I laboriously rolled it back into the shed and totally rearranged my load, even eliminating some items. So, Mark, I can relate...
"Travel light, load it right..." Thank You, Mark! - #000.