Issues getting up to speed

[anotheruser]

Hi all,
On my ride this morning, the trail seemed to be struggling to get up to speed. Anything above 35 felt like I was forcing the bike.
To give you some insight, I did drop the bike twice when I first got it but that was summer last year. I rode it after then with no issues. After that, it sat for a few months. More recently, I’ve started riding more consistently, all surface streets. I refilled the gas for the first time last week. This is my first bike ever so I don’t know much in terms of mechanics. Is there anything I can check myself or should I take it to a shop to get checked out?

 

[m in sc]

just ride it a bit more. it needs to relearn due to the (probable) temp changes and adjust the fuel injection.

as an fyi, my wifes supercub hasnt been ridden since last.. nov? she had a pinched nerve that finally is all sorted out, and i took it out yesterday to shake it down . tooka bit to be 'ok', smooth, but after about 10 mins or so seemed back up to par.

 

[dmonkey]

Sounds like storage quirks. Gas from last summer in the tank may have gone bad, if that were the case and it's now diluted in the tank, it should improve once you burn through more gas and fill it up again.
As some regular pre-ride inspections you may want to check your chain tension and oil level, unlikely to be out of spec (unless the bike was delivered with them out of spec) at such low mileage, but still something you can check yourself. The owner's manual has instructions on how to check them. If you haven't already checked your tire pressure, that's another big one to check after the bike has been sitting for any amount of time. The recommended pressures for stock tires are 25 psi in front and 33 psi in the rear tire.

 

[anotheruser]

just ride it a bit more. it needs to relearn due to the (probable) temp changes and adjust the fuel injection.

as an fyi, my wifes supercub hasnt been ridden since last.. nov? she had a pinched nerve that finally is all sorted out, and i took it out yesterday to shake it down . tooka bit to be 'ok', smooth, but after about 10 mins or so seemed back up to par.

The only thing is I started riding it consistently about two weeks ago and it’s not until today that I experienced the issue.

Sounds like storage quirks. Gas from last summer in the tank may have gone bad, if that were the case and it's now diluted in the tank, it should improve once you burn through more gas and fill it up again.
As some regular pre-ride inspections you may want to check your chain tension and oil level, unlikely to be out of spec (unless the bike was delivered with them out of spec) at such low mileage, but still something you can check yourself. The owner's manual has instructions on how to check them. If you haven't already checked your tire pressure, that's another big one to check after the bike has been sitting for any amount of time. The recommended pressures for stock tires are 25 psi in front and 33 psi in the rear tire.

thank you! I’ll check the oil and the tire pressure. I did check the chain tension recently and that seems good.

 

[TRF90]

All good thoughts. I might add that properly lubricating the chain helps quite a bit too. Put the bike on the center stand and, using a motorcycle chain lube, spray the left row of plates right at the gap as you turn the rear wheel one full rotation. Then do the same with the right. The goal is to get lubricant between the side plates down into the pins that hold the chain together. Then let it sit for several minutes before riding. A dry drive chain really is a drag on power for a little bike. For road riding, repeat every 200 miles. If you ride off-road, sometimes you'll need to go over the chain with a stiff wire brush and some kerosene. Lube the chain whenever it looks dry in off-road use.

 

[m in sc]

.. gain a bunch of holiday weight by chance?

 

[anotheruser]

All good thoughts. I might add that properly lubricating the chain helps quite a bit too. Put the bike on the center stand and, using a motorcycle chain lube, spray the left row of plates right at the gap as you turn the rear wheel one full rotation. Then do the same with the right. The goal is to get lubricant between the side plates down into the pins that hold the chain together. Then let it sit for several minutes before riding. A dry drive chain really is a drag on power for a little bike. For road riding, repeat every 200 miles. If you ride off-road, sometimes you'll need to go over the chain with a stiff wire brush and some kerosene. Lube the chain whenever it looks dry in off-road use.

I’ll have to buy some lubricant, thanks!

 

[anotheruser]

.. gain a bunch of holiday weight by chance?

Hahaha thankfully, no.
I checked the air pressure and definitely needed air in both tires so I filled them up. I’ll report back after tomorrows ride.
I also checked the oil, pic below. It seems kind of low?

 

[dmonkey]

Assuming that's checked engine warm, bike on the center stand on level ground, and the dipstick inserted but not threaded in - that is perfectly within spec. The cross hatch area is a range, upper and lower limits. Some folks like to target just below the upper limit, others try to target the middle of the range to account for variations in oil level especially since it's a wet clutch bike where you've got oil sloshing around in the crankcase as the bike leans and undergoes heavy braking. It's quick and convenient enough that I usually check the oil level on my Trail with each fuel up, doing so lets you keep an eye on the level so you could hopefully catch it becoming low before it gets too low.

 

[Kritou]

Anyone know the volume difference between the top and bottom marks?

 

[dmonkey]

I don't, but you could rig up a siphon experiment to find the answer. Use something like a (clean) hand soap dispenser pump if you don't have a proper siphon on hand. Fill to the upper limit, then use the pump to remove oil from the dipstick hole into a recovery container until it's at the lower limit and measure the volume of oil removed. Prime the pump with oil first if you want to account for the tiny volume of oil that will remain in it and not transfer to the recovery container.

 

[anotheruser]

Assuming that's checked engine warm, bike on the center stand on level ground, and the dipstick inserted but not threaded in - that is perfectly within spec. The cross hatch area is a range, upper and lower limits. Some folks like to target just below the upper limit, others try to target the middle of the range to account for variations in oil level especially since it's a wet clutch bike where you've got oil sloshing around in the crankcase as the bike leans and undergoes heavy braking. It's quick and convenient enough that I usually check the oil level on my Trail with each fuel up, doing so lets you keep an eye on the level so you could hopefully catch it becoming low before it gets too low.

Your assumptions would be correct. My morning ride definitely seemed better with properly inflated tires. Unfortunately, it still seems like it’s not running correctly when trying to get over 35/40. Thinking I should take it to the dealer while it’s still under warranty.

 

[Cpd419]

Maybe some sea foam thru a tank of gas in case you have something clogged a little

 

[oldskool]

Sounds like bad fuel is a possibility. Sat for a while but ran fine, you fueled up and shortly after a loss of power. I would siphon the fuel out and put in fresh fuel. If that brings no joy I would let the dealer sort it out. It's still under warranty, you paid good money for the machine, let them fix it.

 

[anotheruser]

My mechanic took it for a test ride this morning and he said everything checks out. It most likely was due to the bad fuel as he got it up to ~51mph. He also mentioned I should be revving it up higher before changing gears. I tried his advice on the drive home and it definitely felt better. Guess it was probably a mix of both the fuel and me being a new rider and not knowing exactly how much resistance is normal.