new owner questions

steve59

Nitrous
Joined
Jun 26, 2013
Messages
1,045
Location
carol stream il
Ride
2016 KTM 1290 SDR SE. 2012 K1600 GTL Schwinn S-30
It finally stopped raining yesterday and I got to play with my "new to me"06'rocket. Wow, unbelievable ride. I have a few questions tho'. whrrr, rocket sounds like it's supercharged is that normal? Should I just start in 2nd gear since 1st is such a pain to engage? and last after some spirited riding yesterday I noticed a small stain under my bike upon closer inspection i see a rubber hose sticking out bottom of bike. Oh yea, salesman says manual is under seat so how do I take off the seat? it's triumph low acc. Thanks
 
It finally stopped raining yesterday and I got to play with my "new to me"06'rocket. Wow, unbelievable ride. I have a few questions tho'. whrrr, rocket sounds like it's supercharged is that normal? Should I just start in 2nd gear since 1st is such a pain to engage? and last after some spirited riding yesterday I noticed a small stain under my bike upon closer inspection i see a rubber hose sticking out bottom of bike. Oh yea, salesman says manual is under seat so how do I take off the seat? it's triumph low acc. Thanks

Hmm I'm quite a novice myself but I'll take a crack at these:

It's normal for the rocket to make some higher pitched (almost like whistling) noises. One of the more knowledgeable members can probably tell you exactly what's making the sound but I assure you it is normal. With the stock exhaust it was actually more noticeable than the noise coming out of the pipes.

1st gear can be a pain. If you push with your feet and roll just a bit you shouldn't have any problem popping into gear, but if you want there's no reason you can't start up in second too. I've gone from a dead stop in 5th and other than lugging for a few seconds, the bike was fine.

I BELIEVE the rubber hose sticking out the bottom of the bike is either the fuel tank overflow spout or the tank intake (so you don't get suction in the fuel tank), but it would be wise to wait for a better educated answer before going far with my info.

If your bike is like my 2012, there is a place to insert your key on the midsection body panel below your right leg (when seated on the bike, of course). You can put in your ignition key and give it a turn... seat should pop right up. Your manuals will be with your toolkit.
 
It finally stopped raining yesterday and I got to play with my "new to me"06'rocket. Wow, unbelievable ride. I have a few questions tho'. whrrr, rocket sounds like it's supercharged is that normal? Should I just start in 2nd gear since 1st is such a pain to engage? and last after some spirited riding yesterday I noticed a small stain under my bike upon closer inspection i see a rubber hose sticking out bottom of bike. Oh yea, salesman says manual is under seat so how do I take off the seat? it's triumph low acc. Thanks

Depends on what type of seat you have if its the dual touring the you push down on the center of the seat while turning the key then after the key is turned you reack over on tthe left side and grab the release wring for the back and pull it to release.

Dual seat like in this picture
 
The whining noise is normal. The R3 has straight cut transmission gears which are a bit noisy. As for the seat, Norseman was almost right, but there is one more step. On the left side of the seat next to the passenger seating area there should be a metal ring sticking out. At the same time you turn the key you must also pull the ring. Not sure why it needs a redundant latch. As for the puddle on the ground, is it gas ? I believe the overflow line for the coolant recovery bottle also sticks out of that area. If someone overfilled the bottle, it might just be peeing out the excess.
 
The key is on the right hand side panel, mine I have to push down on the seat and pull the cable release on the other side midway on the seat.
 
Thanks for the quick replys the puddle seemed more like coolant than gas and my storm also had a similar whistle to it maybe it'll scare the deer off.knock on wood. happy day in chicago today blackhawk parade you know.sounds like a good excuse for a ride.later
 
Try blipping the revs. When it settles down, pull the clutch in twice before engaging first. if that doesn't work, maybe your clutch needs adjustment or is broken.
 
Should I just start in 2nd gear since 1st is such a pain to engage?

How many klms on the bike?
Mine took 15-20000klms for it to settle down from new and for the operator to become adept at manipulating rpms and foot sensitivity.
Its a big gearbox and most owners need some time to get use to it.;)

The ring pull on my 1st dual seat was tucked up underneath and my sausage fingers could not get inside the ring pull.
I tied a cut down shoe lace to it.
2nd seat with the back rest had a more generous ring pull length:cool:
 
Yup like others have said. I read here somewhere to make sure you are all the way in first gear, is to let the clutch out at idle in neutral, then pull in clutch, and it will "clunk" into first. If you don't get the "clunk" it might not be all the way in.;) The whine is from all the chain running around inside the engine. Some people think it has a turbo or something, when they hear it. I believe my 2013 Roadster has 3 rubber hoses exiting the bottom of the engine. Vents/breathers for gas tank and?:confused:
 
Congrats on the ride.

The fluid may be coolant IF the overflow bottle is full. It shouldn't be full.

If 1st gear is hard to select then the clutch may not be correctly adjusted. It needs to be exactly right, with 2mm of free play at the clutch lever.
 
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