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Got back last night from my annual ride to Denver. (Tacoma- sea level, Denver-mile high city)
First point: I usually foul a set of plugs by the time I get there. I attribute this to the lower pressure (thinner air) at the higher altitudes, thus making the bike run in an extremly rich condition. I was surprized that this trip, they hardly fouled at all. The only difference between this year and last year.... is that this time it rained and was much cooler. Colder, dense air... more like here at sea level. Any one else encounter this?
Second point: I always lose my rear brakes somewhere along the last hundred miles or so, but they return on the trip back. Theory: Lower outside pressure at higher elevations forces the air molecules that are naturally in the brake fluid to "boil" out, where they form bubbles in the line and calipers. As the front brake lines run verticle, these bubbles, aided by the vibrations of the bike, quickly travel up to the master cylinder and pass through the relief port into the reservoir. This doesn't work for the rear brake system, as it runs horizontally and whatever air molecules are present form together into bubbles, having no place to go. Thus, classic... air in the lines syndrome. As I return to lower elevations, the bubbles in the rear system are absorbed back into the fluid, and the front system equalizes itself by sucking back air through the vent channel in the cap of the master cylinder. Am I right... or just an idiot who has nothing better to think about?
Lastly: Because of the increased fuel consumption brought on by the tremendous speeds at which I travel, (I'll spare you the story about the Oregon State trooper), I tend to pass the time on the road doing fuel/mileage computations in my bulbous head. "No problem... I should hit the next gas station on reserve, with two quarts of fuel to spare." (Late at night, the desert can be such a lovely place for a moonlight walk.) T'was only a mile from the exit ramp, too! Did the ol' "Stick the flashlight in the gas tank" routine. (I had sealed my tank with that KREME stuff last winter) There must have been air trapped in it, bubbles of some sort, and at the higher elevation they expanded, pulling the coating away from the wall of the tank. This huge air filled blister displaced the fuel that I thought I had left, leaving me feeling empty inside.
Ok, I've wasted enough of your time. Any similar experiences?
First point: I usually foul a set of plugs by the time I get there. I attribute this to the lower pressure (thinner air) at the higher altitudes, thus making the bike run in an extremly rich condition. I was surprized that this trip, they hardly fouled at all. The only difference between this year and last year.... is that this time it rained and was much cooler. Colder, dense air... more like here at sea level. Any one else encounter this?
Second point: I always lose my rear brakes somewhere along the last hundred miles or so, but they return on the trip back. Theory: Lower outside pressure at higher elevations forces the air molecules that are naturally in the brake fluid to "boil" out, where they form bubbles in the line and calipers. As the front brake lines run verticle, these bubbles, aided by the vibrations of the bike, quickly travel up to the master cylinder and pass through the relief port into the reservoir. This doesn't work for the rear brake system, as it runs horizontally and whatever air molecules are present form together into bubbles, having no place to go. Thus, classic... air in the lines syndrome. As I return to lower elevations, the bubbles in the rear system are absorbed back into the fluid, and the front system equalizes itself by sucking back air through the vent channel in the cap of the master cylinder. Am I right... or just an idiot who has nothing better to think about?
Lastly: Because of the increased fuel consumption brought on by the tremendous speeds at which I travel, (I'll spare you the story about the Oregon State trooper), I tend to pass the time on the road doing fuel/mileage computations in my bulbous head. "No problem... I should hit the next gas station on reserve, with two quarts of fuel to spare." (Late at night, the desert can be such a lovely place for a moonlight walk.) T'was only a mile from the exit ramp, too! Did the ol' "Stick the flashlight in the gas tank" routine. (I had sealed my tank with that KREME stuff last winter) There must have been air trapped in it, bubbles of some sort, and at the higher elevation they expanded, pulling the coating away from the wall of the tank. This huge air filled blister displaced the fuel that I thought I had left, leaving me feeling empty inside.
Ok, I've wasted enough of your time. Any similar experiences?
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