[Editing in progress]
Here are a few tips on adjusting the Chain on the New Model Suzuki GSX-S750 'Naked' Sportbike while on its sidestand.

This is for the updated version GSX-S750 bike. I believe it came out in 2017 or 2018 in USA ? and is being sold in USA up to 2021 Model Year. The Socket/Nut Sizes may differ than the previous older version, fyi.

Warning: Be careful working on any motorcycle while it is on its Sidestand. The Sidestand on this particular motorcycle does not lock open! If you push a motorcycle forward while on its Sidestand, the Sidestand may shut and the bike will fall over causing damage to the bike--and/or or bodily harm to you or others! Keep others away from a motorcycle when working on it. Safety is up to you! I (nor anyone else) is liable for damage caused by you, your negligence, or your lack of understanding. If you are unsure about this or any other task, please consult your motorcycle mechanic first.

That's right--you don't need a rear stand to adjust the chain on this particular bike. Regardless of what all the wannabe racists say you need to be fast and smoke every (unassuming) exotic grocery-getter... pun intended, ha.
...though it should make it easier. I have yet to buy a rear stand. I do plan to buy one within the next month as it'll make chain cleaning much easier, for sure.

Note: It'd be nice if all Standard bikes came with a Centerstand for tasks such as this... BUT the GSX-S750 leans more on the sporty side so i forgive Suzuki...Continue Reading

Note: This is still being edited.

Here is some info on OS FS-61 four stroke glow engines:

The FS-61 is the second .60-size Four Stroke in OS's lineup. It makes more power than the original RC Nitro Four Stroke, the OS FS-60 (which had open rockers, btw).
It came before the 'Surpass' line of engines. It may tag the nickname of 'Pre-Surpass' (though this is not necessary as OS didn't create other .61 Four Strokes).

The FS-61 may not have modern hp/weight numbers but is still very useful. It has nice details in engineering that new engines may be missing--like Bronze Valve Cups and Brass Bushings on the Conrod. This may provide longer life as well as allow possible repair options not doable on plain aluminum surfaces.

The FS-61 is designed to work without exhaust back pressure. Though it does come with the option (see 'Exhausts'). I think it sounds great with just a pipe, my preference btw.

Be sure not to lose the Woodruff Key with its Propeller Drive Washer. I either place my key in a parts bag with the engine or snug the slim Prop Washer/Nut to help prevent the Drive Washer from backing off.

Storage
After the engine is run out of fuel, it is is stored with oil throughout. I prefer 3-in1 oil. It is placed in a plastic bag, then in a box, and within an airtight container to prevent rust, water, and storm damage.

Be careful to prevent condensation on parts if taking out of cold storage spaces, such as a basement or a garage in northern climates.
You can do this by...Continue Reading

[Update: Tuesday February 16, additional Winter Storm Arriving during Evening. Ice, Mixed Precip, & Wind incoming. See bottom of article for details]

(2-15-21) Texas is bad right now, in NE towns near Dallas. Wind chill causing negative temps.

Everybody is calling off work and stores are closing after we got an additional snow session for literally the entire night. It already snowed once the day before--wasn't that bad really. Drive to work was fine, still had traction in snow. Maybe an inch or two of snow then, at most. Likely less.

But now it is easier to get stuck or be unable to drive up mild slopes...

We Texans just are not set up for the snow/ice and 15mph wind! It sounds sad but i think it has been like 10 yrs since i seen it this bad.

I drove a FWD 2WD passenger car home early morning today. It was super sketchy! I got stuck once trying to go uphill; i had to carve a path, with my foot, so my tires could get traction on pavement. It was a mild hill too...
A friend in his passenger car got stuck twice. Terrain, hills, wind, and ice under snow are all factors.

We both made it home, but i wouldn't do it again without the roads being treated or the snow/ice dissipating.

Another issue is that folks will drive up on you--i had to pull over twice. They get too close and cause me to have to get out my snow groove, which may be necessary for a lowly passenger car.
Then they slide around a bit or get stuck themselves. Too many foolish drivers here.
You gotta slow...Continue Reading

Today i'll feature the Saito FA-62B nitro model rc aero engine.

(I had fun taking a gander inside the little Saito FA-40A i recently bought. It looks to be a little gem! So i figured i'd write up another article, maybe it'll make me look smart & i'll win a free ride in a Pitts S-2 or something 8:-)

This Saito arrived to me as nib, likely never seen fuel. Pre-owned of course, and sold by another modeler here. The seller suggested it may have been mounted at most.

the Production Run is 'B' atop
right side of case mount

These 'B' engines are currently in production. But do not confuse the Production Run Letter(s), atop the right engine mount lug, for the model designation. They are separate designators. Saito replaced the 'A' version FA-62, which had a round Cam Basket cover with this more squared-off verson. Both engines are great--i would be happy to own both.
So, the Production Run Letter(s) on this engine just so-happens to be 'B' and has nothing to do with the model name of 'FA-62B.' The Production Run Letter(s) are used for dating and servicing the engine on Saito's side of business.

...Continue Reading

I recently acquired a nib (pre-owned) Saito FA-40A


Glancing at its outside, it looks to be in fine shape. It has no rust.
The only imperfection i see is a tad bit discoloring (or scratch) on a screw. This is quite minor & no bother.

(One of my previous FA-40A's had acquired minor rust on its threaded end of crank & also its Hi-Speed Needle's knurled thumb-adjuster. This was likely due to being stored in a humid environment without oil. Despite that, it was a lovely engine.)

Folks should not mind a minor imperfection or two when buying used. Yet when i receive an engine that looks this good, it is a joy...

Here is where i am mostly curious. I once received an FA-62(A) as new, old stock, circa 2019. So i then opened it up to inspect it. Lo and behold, it still had grease on Conrod! I always thought that was cool...

So again, here i am 2021, bored and curious with a different 'new' engine. Will this FA-40A still have its original grease on its Conrod?

Sure enough! The 'wetness' is 3-in-1 Oil that i used liberally (to help preserve the engine for storage). But that gray/black goop is grease! Grease is a sign it may have never seen fuel. It is applied by the factory & allows a safe first start (as well as helps lubricate & preserve parts)

And check this out. It even has grease on the backplate lol
...Continue Reading

Being a novice rider, this bike stole my heart. It beat the Suzuki SV650 as my all-time favorite bike. Unlike many price-conscious bikes (such as the Ninja 400, Rebel 500, and Shadow 750) the Honda Stateline was designed with gobs of passion. The Stateline and Fury are some of the gems of the bike world.
I'll be writing this from a beginning rider's perspective, as a 2010 Stateline in Dark Candy Red was my first motorcycle. I earned my 'M License' 13 years ago but Lo! No bike to call mine 'til now. It had been so long that i had given up until.... well read on then

Where the SV650 fell into a Gladius-shaped pit and the Honda Shadow RS was forgotten in favor of the bland 'Phantom,' the previous generation VTX1300 had evolved into art. I can see hints of Rune in the tank style and bodywork of my bike! Cool, man

Just don't say that out loud, about the passion. You might miss out on a lot of fun smaller bikes or pee off those who are way-speedier racers than you (I'm talking to you, Bunny).

Notice clean & low look featuring stretched,
flowing, exaggerated bodywork reminiscent of
the late Honda Rune

The Stateline unfairly gained a 1-up, being an evolution of the late VTX1300 line and is part of the chopperesque Fury 'VT1300' lineup. It initially had a $13,000+ usd price tag for the ABS model. This was later reduced to ~$10k, which i feel is fair considering its...Continue Reading

Here are my favorite bikes that i am considering (as my 1st bike). I've have not ridden them, but have sat on many. I passed the MSF Ridercourse (years ago) and am licensed to ride.

Winner: Honda Stateline

Honda Fury (VT1300 line) - just look at it. Gorgeous. Art. Has a bit more plastic than Harley but it does still have metal parts in the controls. A bit heavy and especially stretched out for a first bike at ~660 lbs wet tho' (unless maybe you're a big gal or guy. I'm short). The very low CofG/seat height makes it feel real nice even for us short folks... real nice. But it is a tad stretched out for me. Great for anyone maybe 5' 6" and up.
I think i could make it work as my first bike, but there is a good chance i may drop it in the beginning. The bars and pegs are a reach so i may have to change them. The rake feels really cool and different, like it has some presence in front of you. Which it does. The tank and front headlight feel 'out there' which is what i want. Being a bit older, i want the bike to have presence--i want to feel like there is some bike in front of me instead of like i am on a dirtbike--for my main streetbike ride.
At the same time, the rake feels a tad uneasy and seems a bit challenging for me--this as a first bike seems a bit too much. If i had some more experience i doubt the rake would offend me. It is nice to try something different. It is nice for a bike to have its own personality.
The VT1300 engines are 'single crankpin' and sound...Continue Reading

I noticed three Saito FA-30 owners mention thier engine had no Cam Cover Gasket nor a rear case gasket!

I think this is interesting and want to see if any other Saito FA-30 (or FA-30S) owners out there noticed this about thier engine.

It's not necessarily a bad thing and seems the engine may have been designed to omit the particular gaskets. So it may or may not be 'missing' but rather designed that way.
Perhaps, being so small, it doesn't need them...

Feel free to post your response below as well as any random thoughts
Anyhoo, good day y'all

Damage to intake valve seal on an FA-50 'type ii head' as i call it. Using OS F plug.
Both valves somehow hit piston. Dunno why, am not original owner. Not the engine's fault.

Brand new Saito valves, it's the head seal. A new glow plug seemed to help a lot. But it would not idle low without dying. I would start at half-throttle or a tad more. Difficult to start when warmed up well--a lot of priming and wasted fuel (as it drips out of carb) from too many tries yet no fire.

If you never get a fire, or pop, even when cold, check glow ignitor battery.
Compression feels low; comes up a bit when primed but low overall. Sometimes erratic power at mid or lower throttle--especially with old plug.

I ran it pretty good at mid to high throttle using a 13x4 Xoar. No improvement. I want to take another look at that head seal. Not sure if its brass insert or just the newer (cheaper) plated aluminum head.

The head on mine is 'kinda rare' too as it's a 'newer FA-56(A) style.' Now, some of the early FA-56's had the original-style FA-50 head
The rest of the engine is similar to Saito's small 4-strokes. It would make a good parts engine for FA-50 thru FA-62(A). The .56 and .62 use a wider piston but otherwise are similar.

I think i'll keep this engine for parts, afterall.

All great powerful thumpers. i say that with experience bench-running them. I easily get 10,050 rpm on my other classic FA-50 with Xoar 12x6 wood propeller (on the bench). Excellent transition, control, and idle.

I believe the same-weight FA-62 can get over 9,000 rpm using a 13x6! These small Saitos are some of my favorite engines (adding to the fact they can be used in small affordable .40-size air frames).

Saito FA-62a The First Run (4 min 21 sec)

10,000+ rpm holy !

I sat on a Sportster 48, 72, and Iron 883. If you are up to doing your own maintenance, the Sportster is a go-ahead. Otherwise get a Metric.

That's it.

Still curious eh.... Pros:
Self-canceling turn signals, belt Final Drive, auto-adjust hydraulic valves, simply air-cooled, lean, low, and thin classic style, great for around town or backroad cruising, torquey V-Twin, great sound, short length, not too heavy, tachometer, gear shift indicator, cool looking oil reservior/cap action, lots of metal, many mods to choose, FI

-If you like mechanics, you may 'get' Harley's Hot Rod sound & style. They have a lot of torque low-down which is fun & is very useful on the streets
Harley 48
Cons:
Old style means many different types of Standard screws, air-cooled means they can overheat in 100F weather during stopped traffic, chain primary drive requires extra maintenance, slower than modern liquid-cooled bikes, rough suspension, price can get ridiculous (the Sportster 48 is $11,299! What the ), seat probably sucks >1hr, FI means you cannot just 'fix the carb' if the computer dies, probably a bit less precision in some areas than a Honda or BMW.

-You may like mechanics, but many wonder what Harley engineers were thinking during some system designs. You see, the Harley design is also a 'style' which hearkens back to the 50's (and in some cases all the way back to 1903, BC i think). The Sportster is outdated by modern standards
.....but that is not the point. The point is...Continue Reading

I took a closer look at interior of my Saito FA-115 this morning. It was sold to me as 'Low time' -- & it looks it

I oiled the Piston, Valves, Crankpin, and put oil down the Guide Rod Covers

It was missing intake washer but came with another (in a 115 Gasket Set). I replaced that and now it is whole. Ready to tear up the skies!...Continue Reading

I got me a fine Saito FA-115
Special Thanks to Davezagwyn for patiently selling this beauty to me.

These have been discontinued but i have been fond of them since they use the same size case as the FA-91S

1.25 inch bore
.94 stroke

Geez! This is my largest thumper so far. When i looked in the glow plug hole it seemed like the piston went on for ages. I may take the head off to check out that fat piston & see if it has any run time

I put some oil thru the glow plug hole.
-need to add oil to Rockers
-need to add oil down guide rod tubes for Cam

It looks low time if not new... but i need to pull the Head off to tell. I do not smell fuel. Too hard to judge piston usage thru glow plug hole.

I picked up a Spektrum SPM4648 'FPV Racing Serial Reciever' for my Oxy3 Qube helicopter.
It looks to basically be a 'Satellite Rx' as some pilots call them. It fits into my Ikon V1 right out the package.

It is full range if your Rx or FBL is full range, afaik.

The SPM4648 has 11ms frame rate, auto bind, and a Diversity antennae. The antennae wires can be replaced if ripped. (I believe my DX6i has a 22ms frame rate but am planning on getting a DX8 later which would connect to the faster 11ms rate)

This is designed for racing quads using carbon fiber frames. The antennaes recieve signal near the end of thier length so can be set away from carbon fiber frames for reliability. Sweet!

I was planning to get a normal Sat Rx (serial reciever) but this is all the LHS had--and i got it free as a gift from my dad. If the antenaes sticking out are a problem, i could save it for my Logo 480 project later

I think it will work, but remember it has auto bind. If one powers the model or Rx on before thier radio, it goes into bind mode. I do not think this will be a problem for seasoned pilots.

I hope to get my Oxy3 Qube flying next month.

I am also rebuilding my Saito FA-72 4-stroke and should have it ready to run soon. I would have finished it last night but didn't want to awake the family while banging the main bearing into its case

I got a new (to me) Mikado Logo 480 Xxtreme! Previous owner assembled it, stated it has about 12 test flights to check the fbl etc. It looks new!

The gorgeous 480 canopy is immaculate. Carbon fiber frame, simple belt system. And a 1090mm disc--that's a 3.5 foot diameter collective-pitch propeller to us plank guys!

I wanted a larger Heli to fly at the field. Now, this Logo 480 is an on-hold project until i get more stick time flying my Blade Trio 180 CFX & Lynx Oxy3 Qube...

The Logo 480 needs an FBL, battery, 2 satellite Rx's, & of course setup. I also plan to upgrade my radio. Thinking about a DX8 or V-Control radio. Either Icon2 or V-Bar fbl.
The DX8 would be best for all my rc models while the V-control radio would make an exceptional heli control system

This Logo 480 is the new Ferrari of my rc model fleet. It is fully 3D yet i read it can handle fairly low head speeds. My other 'Ferarri' is my Oxy3 Qube (that just needs a Sat Rx)

I have been practicing my Heli pilot skills on Heli-X demo via PC. My pogress has been impressive enough that i maidened my Blade 180 CFX today.

I really like the Heli-X Demo, am thinking of buying it. It has my Logo 480 and Oxy3 Qube in it. May also have the 180 CFX too, which is cool. Heli-X additionally features Align & Logo 550 helis (i may step up to a 550 later).
I do like Realflight 8 HH Edition, but it is 2x to 3x the price! I believe Heli-X is around $55. Realflight 8 HH has some newer stuff and more planes... but i like Heli-X's vast assortment of popular Helis

The funny thing, both Heli-X and Logo are German makes & my Logo 480 came with an upgraded Lynx Swash

Good day and God Bless

So i mailed an item to Alaska in an envelope. It must have gotten ripped open during USPS handling and sorting. So it has been lost or stolen by USPS (it sounded like lost).

My customer only got the envelope... nothing in it. Wow

I have never had a problem with envelopes. In hindsight a box may have been better (especially going long distances) because the item(s) was not flat like paper.



Now i am waiting on PayPal so i can refund the customer's money. It may take a few days to even refund the money because i cannot use my bank card for refunds via Paypal and must take another step. Gr8 m8....

Well, i am thankful my customer has been cool about this so far. I really have never had any problems with USPS but this incident and...
...recently i had an order incoming (to me) via USPS that was 4 days late! It finally arrived today--but i was sure worried after seeing it travel backwards between nearby distribution centers ...and today hearing about my Alaska shipping incident.

It looks like Ground shipping does not get the same treatment as Priority, far as i can tell. Both of these were Ground or basic shipments

Good day y'all

I finally got the bearings out my FA-72A "#2" (i sold the first one)

Usually... i use blocks of wood to set case upon. Then a ratchet extension and rubber mallet to knock bearings out (after applying heat and oil)

Well, the rubber mallet was not enough. Lots of heat and oil, but the front bearing was stuck!
So I switched to a small hammer instead of rubber mallet, to strike the ratchet extension. I was careful too, no need to crack the aluminum case with excessive hammer blows... and it worked! Easy peazy


I finally cleaned my FA-72A '#2'
tonight

The FA-72A has a new metal back plate, pretty sure i have proper metal screws to mount the carb...
Only thing missing is set of bearings and a the 'A' version cam case gasket. The gasket set i ordered is for the 'B' (i can make a gasket)

The cherry, Saito's gasket set came with new head-intake O-ring!
This is great, will likely eliminate any head-intake leaks i was having. The intake leaks were due to excessive vibration caused by (the original) plastic backplate, methinks.

I have a nice brass pipe, that Gary Cee made me, to test on video. So i am eager to get this engine going. I have run this FA-72 with his pipe before it lost compression--and it sounded great!

Balsa Plane:
I own a GP Easy Sport 40 ARF (MKI) model airplane. It is my entry into balsa/ glow flying. I have decided to go with my FA-56 or FA-72. Either would fly it well

I have enough rc experience ...ground-running Saito thumpers and flying...Continue Reading

I have a few UMX foam model airplanes i really like. Being fragile to handle, they could use a few touch-ups. I am in the spirit of flying (and could use something to get my mind off of Holiday Stress) so i decided to have a look at them

1) UMX Carbon Cub SS: This is like my old UM Sport Cub S on steriods. Popular, expensive, sought after, and discontinued.
It has a BL motor, runs on 2S LiPo, and has a few 'large model features' such as Flaps and lights. It is very stable in zero wind and crawls along like magic then.
It does have good speed for a little Cub and can handle very light wind. But it likes to cruise at medium power on calm days.

Stock wheels had been set aside for larger DuBro lightweight wheels. They ended up being too thin with too large a hole--they were sloppy on this model.
So, i replaced the DuBro's with stock. Before replacement, i colored the stock rims black. Now they match the plane better

I also replaced the gray plastic 'LG side plates.' I had broke them off in a hard crash after msjudging windy loops. I had to use clear tape to hold them on (but do not mind). It looks complete now, & i won't notice the tape during flight.
There is a little chunk missing from atop the cowl, but coming down on the LG obviously helped prevent other obvious damage.

This plane has been crashed again into my wife. It looks rather nice despite having survived a few wrecks.
I have seen gnarly results from other pilots... one pilot nearly totaled his (plane not...Continue Reading

Hey guys and gals, just thought i would remind y'all to give your buyers and sellers iTrader ratings

I noticed 3 people in my inbox i did business with, who I had not yet given ratings to so i fixed that

Good day and Merry Christmas!

Saito FA-40A - 1st Tank (clip) (1 min 34 sec)

First run, very rich break in run, of my nib 40A. This is a short clip of the run. The day's temperature was likely around 72F, iirc.

Engine was running quite cool. I did run it a bit harder near end of tank.
With Hi-Speed at about ~5.5 turns out, and my limiting throttle teavel, it likely never went past 7k rpm per instryction manual.

i bought this engine off E-bay a while back. Finally made a mount for it

This is a nice engine. It is unbelievably small for the power it makes:
-Running Xoar 11x6 wood prop
-10% Powermaster
-New OS F plug (came with Saito SS)
-Engine is make 'C' btw

I noticed a new ignitor battery really helped with starting it.

Kawasaki Z900RS classic style

I got the go-ahead from the family to get a street bike. I explained that if i feel the road is too dangerous i may trade it for a dirtbike

I have decided my SV650 dream is a bit too expensive, heavy, & fancy for my wallet. If i win the lottery however... to me the SV650 is motorcycle art!


2016 Honda CB500F (click pic for HD)

But I can't afford anything 'artistic.' The Honda CB500F or Yamaha SR400 are the best i can do. Honestly, i think they look sweet These are $6000 bikes not including fees.

$6000 bikes are supposed to be utilitarian, according to the US Motorcycle bible. That is considered cheap to modern motorcyclists. For me, it's about all i'd ever like to spend. The used market affords more promise, but i am hoping to get a new bike

(Every motorcycle magazine has dug up a piece of this 'bible.' And I'm pretty sure it was written by men....wanting to sell $18,000 VMAXes and mid-life crisis supersport bikes)

...Continue Reading