|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
jonpurdy
Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Location: Ulsan
|
 Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 12:59 am Post subject: |
 |
|
Speaking of expressways, I decided to try the expressway from Ulsan to Eonyang today just for fun.
So I went on, went by the tollbooth at about 30 km/hr (where there was no attendant) then practically flew to Eonyang. However, I must've missed the turn off because I ended up going north with no way to get off the road. 20 or so minutes later I got off in Gyeongju.
I pulled up to the exit tollbooth and the lady sorta waved me to stop. I figured that I might as well stop to see what she had to say rather than blowing by. So I stopped, she said not to ride on the expressway, why?, etc. I just mentioned that I wanted to go to Eonyang, made a mistake, etc. So I ended up forking over 18,700원 which she said was because I was a motorcyclist. She was also on the phone with a supervisor or something and they were talking about me. They definitely had a camera or something somewhere on the expressway that was tracking me and just waiting for me to get off. I gave her my phone number and she later asked me for the bike plate number, which I sent to her.
All in all, totally pleasant, though not really worth it for 20,000원 to save a few minutes. Especially since I didn't want to go to Gyeongju, haha. I guess my dreams of buying an R6 and racing to Seoul in 2.5 hours are dashed based on the hassle of exiting the expressway.
Though if you're in Seoul and there are un-tollboothed expressways definitely go for that. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
ATM SPIDERTAO
Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Location: seoul, south korea
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
ok so i bought a bike
i bought a 2004 yamuda hahaha i just didn't wanna shop around and contrary to the advice helpful posters gave me, i couldn't find any other 125cc motorcycles that were in my price range. maybe i shoulda gotten a real motorcycle license to get a comet. anyway i am completely unprepared for the workings of a manual vehicle. like wtf
hardest thing ever to use. STALLING?! why didn't anyone teach you about stalling when you wanna buy a damn motorcycle? i stalled about three times last night practicing in a parking lot, drove outside and some guy cuts me off in his stupid car and i stall... only the bike woudln't start again. i killed the battery so i walk it back home and go upstairs and learn about a rolling start
honestly, that rolling start was the funnest thing i've done so far in my motorcycle.
it said to take it to the top of a hill so i was gonna use the entryway to the building's parkade but the turn was a bit too sharp so i just ran really fast... and unclutched it into second gear, and reved the engine cuz it's not a fuel injected bike... AND IT STARTED!!! awesome
anyone with a dead battery should try this method. i'm a slightly larger guy, 6 foot tall, 200 pounds so i could easily move my feet and push the bike while walking cuz it's not a big bike, a sportsbike... and then i drove it around outside
but man, it's hard to drive in walking speed traffic. anyone wanna give me some pointers??
like... i've read that riding the clutch in that situation isn't too big of a deal and should be done to make slow traffic manageable
also, i stalled when i was still moving a bit and tried to accelerate while in first gear. should i be using second gear to accelerate from a pretty slow speed and only use first gear to get out of a complete stop?
also, it's SUPER easy to get a motorcycle license in korea. i got mine in one day. i don't have a full car license from vancouver so i couldn't get one transferred here. so i took a written test, took a driving test which was actually pretty dang hard, but took like half a minute.. about 50% of the people failed though... and then i was set!
the foreigner excuse doesn't work with me though... i look korean. i got pulled over for not having a helmet an hour after i passed the test. which was pretty lucky. the cop was a hard ass and mighta gotten me in big trouble if i didn't have a license. i didn't even have my canadian license on me lol. this was on my 50cc scooter too btw
anyway
rolling start = funnest thing ever haha
OH, one last thing. what should i do after i stall? should i turn off the engine for a bit and start it back up? i harsh panic when dudes behind me start honking! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 6:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jonpurdy wrote: |
Speaking of expressways, I decided to try the expressway from Ulsan to Eonyang today just for fun.
So I went on, went by the tollbooth at about 30 km/hr (where there was no attendant) then practically flew to Eonyang. However, I must've missed the turn off because I ended up going north with no way to get off the road. 20 or so minutes later I got off in Gyeongju.
I pulled up to the exit tollbooth and the lady sorta waved me to stop. I figured that I might as well stop to see what she had to say rather than blowing by. So I stopped, she said not to ride on the expressway, why?, etc. I just mentioned that I wanted to go to Eonyang, made a mistake, etc. So I ended up forking over 18,700원 which she said was because I was a motorcyclist. She was also on the phone with a supervisor or something and they were talking about me. They definitely had a camera or something somewhere on the expressway that was tracking me and just waiting for me to get off. I gave her my phone number and she later asked me for the bike plate number, which I sent to her.
All in all, totally pleasant, though not really worth it for 20,000원 to save a few minutes. Especially since I didn't want to go to Gyeongju, haha. I guess my dreams of buying an R6 and racing to Seoul in 2.5 hours are dashed based on the hassle of exiting the expressway.
Though if you're in Seoul and there are un-tollboothed expressways definitely go for that. |
I would have never given her my phone number. Remember, most cameras point to the front plate, so they may not know who you are.
My friends that ride the expressways take the ticket when they enter and pay the attendant when they get there. Exact change is easiest especially if they try to stop you. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jonpurdy
Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Location: Ulsan
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 8:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
I would have never given her my phone number. Remember, most cameras point to the front plate, so they may not know who you are.
My friends that ride the expressways take the ticket when they enter and pay the attendant when they get there. Exact change is easiest especially if they try to stop you. |
She was nice enough and I figured there wasn't much they can do. Also, I don't think they got my plate number from a speed camera but possibly from a camera at the actual toll booth. I presume there are both front and back cameras there.
Now that I think about it, I don't think they got my plate number anyway. I think they just saw a bike riding through a toll gate and wondered where it went. She texted me asking for it (and I obliged) and that was that.
Any ideas why bikes still aren't allowed on expressways? Like say, minimum 250cc at least? I know that ajossis will probably try to ride their 50 cc scooters but they can just stop them easily. It's such a waste to have such great motorcycles here and not be able to cruise across the country in a reasonable amount of time.
(Though if I had a 600 cc or litre bike I'd honestly try to make Seoul-Ulsan runs as fast as I can. So maybe they don't want that  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ATM SPIDERTAO
Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Location: seoul, south korea
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
sigh...
so i pretty much have gotten the hang of the clutch, i drove for about 3 hours today in regular traffic with absolutely no problems. merging lanes is still pretty scary though cuz i'm not used to riding with a humongous helmet on and the side mirrors aren't where i'm used to... and it was raining haha
but here's the super lame part
i think my battery is completely destroyed. like my gf called me and i turned off the engine on the side of the road, called her, and then it wouldn't start
like it wouldn't even crank!
it's either the spark plug or the battery. i'm guessing battery. i had to rolling start it to get it to start up again. then i went to the gym, worked out, and AGAIN, it wouldn't start. this time, i couldn't properly rolling start it. some young korean dude like 5 years younger than me actually took my bike and ran on the side of it, did a rolling start, and then held the throttle for me. it also died off cuz i wasn't giving it enough throttle on the hand over. haha what a nice kid. woulda been hilarious if he just rode the bike off into the sunset HAHA. but he was running beside it so no worries i guess. he's like "wtf? you don't speak korean? looks deeply into my slanted chinese eyes and was like huh?" hahahaha
so i guess how much will it cost? the bike was just bought but i know they replaced the battery before i got it. i'm prolly gonna have to buy a new battery. or perhaps spark plug. i think they dont' charge by the hour so how much am i looking at? 50,000won? 100,000?
not too bad to be honest. now my fear isn't stalling it but starting it HAHA |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jonpurdy wrote: |
Any ideas why bikes still aren't allowed on expressways? Like say, minimum 250cc at least? I know that ajossis will probably try to ride their 50 cc scooters but they can just stop them easily. It's such a waste to have such great motorcycles here and not be able to cruise across the country in a reasonable amount of time.
|
The reason I have been told is that motorcycles do not abide by the laws and drive recklessly...but of course taxis and buses are all allowed on the expressway.
The big thing is man power. The police just do not have either the brains or the man power to keep all those 125cc and 50cc bikes off the expressway and I doubt the toll booth attendants could tell the difference between a Harley and a Daelim Daystar.
Hopefully the licensing of 125cc riders and increased demands for bike registration will make it possible for the cams to do the job in the future...time will tell.
Here's a good vid of some Korean riders unhappy with the situation.
http://flvs.daum.net/flvPlayer.swf?vid=JGa3-bPD4sw$
or
http://www.ytn.co.kr/_comm/pop_mov.php?s_mcd=0302&s_hcd=01&key=200704131444418418
or
http://search.ytn.co.kr/ytn/mov.php?s_mcd=0103&key=200704091911015809
And, as Bibbity said, I just pay the toll when I get to it and get off. I never push it, I just say sorry and pay the toll.
Usually I avoid the expressways (tolled sections anyways) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kam1nsk1
Joined: 05 Feb 2010
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 8:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| v88 wrote: |
| kam1nsk1 wrote: |
I honestly don't know, there doesn't actually seem to be anything wrong with it so maybe I should just not worry?
I just kind of meant the sorts of things perhaps a more knowledgeable/experienced bike owner would do themselves on a semi-regular basis. Perhaps, as you say, have the carb cleaned, spark plugs checked. |
First you should be able to give you bike a good inspection on your own.
- Anything loose or rattling should be fixed. The most important things to look at would be the head set and the wheels (especially the rear wheel as it is designed to be moved back and forth to accomodate for chain stretch)
- Is oil leaking from the shocks? If so, you may need to replace the seals
- Is the chain rusty, overly dirty, dry, stretched or are any of the links sticking?. Chains need regular care (i.e regular oil...very regular, especially if it has been raining) and you do not want your chain to fail while riding down the highway. A sure sign that it has worn out is noise. Chains will make noise when they have been stretched too much and should be replaced ASAP. Although some chain stretch is expected and can be remedied by tightening it (pulling the rear wheel back).
- Change the oil, use a reasonable synthetic oil. Examine your oil for 3 things. Take off the oil cap and examine how much oil is in the bike and look for white stuff on the inside of the cap. This is water and might mean a blown gasket somewhere. Next, look at the dip stick, burnt oil on the dip stick means the bike has been running too hot and could mean their is a rad problem (this could be something easily fixed with a rad flush or a new water pump). Last drain the oil and look for metal flecks in the oil. This could be little engine bits or transmission bits...both expensive repairs to be aware of.
- Change the spark plugs. If they are covered in grey powder (carbon) tune or clean the carbs. If they are covered in black oil...you might need to replace the head gasket or rebuild the engine (expensive, so given the age of your bike, try to keep her running as long as possible before you attack this problem - if a mechanic is willing to do a compression test for you you can check to see if the engine is OK or if its just a blown gasket...a blown gasket is a good thing to get done as it will help your bike run longer and isn't as expensive as a complete rebuild)
- Change your rad fluid. The guy who owned my bike before me used water and cost me a blown head gasket during the winter. Rust in you rad fluid might also mean your rad is shizen or your water pump is crapped out. Ask your mechanic to check your water pump regardless, it isn't that expensive and will help your bike live a longer life. A rad flush might also be in order, but I'm not too sure K-mechanics know what the hell this is. I used to do this back home all the time, but it is messy. If you can't get proper rad flush, hot water pumped throught the rad will have to do. Read up on this before you undertake it yourself.
- Check your brake pads, do you have any left? Do not leave this till you are scraping the disks with the pad hangers...not good. You can also ask the mechanic to clean the brake pistons. They can get gunked up and stick. This should also reveal if your piston gaskets are still good.
- Change your brake fluid and check the lines for cracks. If they are cracked, replace them. Make sure your mechanic bleeds the brakes after, if he doesn't you might have an unexpected moment without brakes later on...scary.
- Check your battery, there is a little window on it, Green means good, black means bad. Check battery leads for corrosion. Dirty leads might mean you suddenly can't get her going. Can be easily cleaned with Coke (yep, strips all the nasty stuff right off...imagine what it does to your guts). |
Thanks V88, this is just the kind of stuff I was after and now I have downloaded some manuals etc hopefully I can start to check a lot of this stuff myself and not just rely on the garage.
Once again you show what a top human being you are! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
joesp
Joined: 16 Jan 2008
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
atm spidertaq,
battery or spark plug OR starter. If it makes a clicking sound but doesn't turn over, that'd be the starter. They can test the charge on the battery for you. But, I'm sure you know that.
but, how can you roll and start the bike? you roll and then let the clutch out and give it throttle, or what? you can do that with an 18 wheeler but I forgot that, too.
A lot of people will say I'm crazy (I am) but I also taught myself in less than 3 hours off of youtube (for shifting) and then it was off in traffic. Stalling was also my biggest problem for a long time. I would always try to start off at the light in second gear! Anyways, also like you, after I bought it was when I started to find out everything that I didn't know about bikes. I bought it for 600,000 then put in 400,000 of work over the next 2 months, no joke. I should've negotiated down, but worst of all, is that 6 months later I still have this 10 year old delivery bike piece-of-crap because it still gets me where I need to go and I haven't tried to pass the dang license test ^^
But, I'm still alive after 6 months, or, should I say, after today! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
methdxman
Joined: 14 Sep 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 3:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Does anyone know of any importers of the Honda SH125i/150i scooter or how I can get my hands on one in Seoul? Thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ATM SPIDERTAO
Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Location: seoul, south korea
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 4:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="joesp"]atm spidertaq,
battery or spark plug OR starter. If it makes a clicking sound but doesn't turn over, that'd be the starter. They can test the charge on the battery for you. But, I'm sure you know that.
but, how can you roll and start the bike? you roll and then let the clutch out and give it throttle, or what? you can do that with an 18 wheeler but I forgot that, too.
A lot of people will say I'm crazy (I am) but I also taught myself in less than 3 hours off of youtube (for shifting) and then it was off in traffic. Stalling was also my biggest problem for a long time. I would always try to start off at the light in second gear! Anyways, also like you, after I bought it was when I started to find out everything that I didn't know about bikes. I bought it for 600,000 then put in 400,000 of work over the next 2 months, no joke. I should've negotiated down, but worst of all, is that 6 months later I still have this 10 year old delivery bike piece-of-crap because it still gets me where I need to go and I haven't tried to pass the dang license test ^^
But, I'm still alive after 6 months, or, should I say, after today![/quote]
well i got a new battery... i find that it's either this cold effecting my engine or perhaps my NEW battery sucks too but in the morning, if i let it idle, the engine shuts off. so whenever i stop, i keep the RPM's above 2000. man i wish i bought a 600,000won bike. i bought mine for 1.5 mil and then i had to buy insurance for 380,000 and i also bought a motorcycle jacket cuz i figured i'd need the protection gear. it all ended up costing about 2million won which was pretty much my year's severance pay. now i look online and there's tons of nice 125cc scooters for under a million and with the kickstart, i don't have to worry about killing the battery. i spent all of last year kick starting the battery of my old scooter after the first week.
haha man i'm crazy.. i was off in traffic after 20 minutes of shifting practice with the bike dealer at a school near my house. and then after the practicing, off i went into traffic and stalled at the third traffic light i went to. first 5 hours i'd say were stalled filled. it's still a bit tricky for me to go from going about 10km/h to actually driving when following a super slow car/taxi or something. and i'm scared to change lanes in case i mess up the acceleration and end up cutting in front of the dude in front of me
do you have a regular license? i got pulled over man. for not speaking korean. if i didn't have my under 125cc license, i woulda been deported potentially if the cop decided to go nuts. my principal is considered extremely strict by my teachers at school. at least with a regular car license, you can drive anything. the test was fairly easy. super easy written true/false test and a driving test with only the first gear on a delivery bike. it was hard for me cuz i had only driven a scooter up to that point.
dunno about the over 125cc test. the written isn't true or false, it's prolly multiple choice though. go and take it
the under 125cc test took about 2 hours to complete. depends how early to get in line to take the test. i was dead last and had to wait 45 mins. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ATM SPIDERTAO
Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Location: seoul, south korea
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs997.snc4/77043_10150322277865253_511095252_15655380_3550532_n.jpg
so i bought this ridiculous bike in case anyone i wondering HAHA
and uhhh
i don't wanna have the malboro logo on it cuz that's just kinda weird
would i be able to get a paint job somewhere here in korea? like for under 100,000 won? can i possibly paint it myself? not that i would but man... my elementary school students all know what "malboro" is... i'm pretty sure i didn't know at their age =( |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kam1nsk1
Joined: 05 Feb 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 8:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quick question for the mechanically minded - I cannot see the oil level in the window of my bike. I know it has the right amount as it was only changed yesterday. What gives? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bsrosenfeld
Joined: 25 Jan 2010
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 12:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
| ATM SPIDERTAO wrote: |
lol so here's a question
how exactly does the registration work though? i can't drive my bike to city hall right? i've gotta get the paperwork to city hall, and then go back to the bike shop and then i can ride my bike? lol seems rather tedious
=/ |
If you still need to register your bike it's not done at City Hall, it's done at your local gu office. I live in Ansan in Danwon-gu and had to go here (for some reason the link wasn't working):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=South+Korea+Gyeonggi-do+Ansan-si+Danwon-gu+Seonbu+2(i)-dong+1070-10+&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.092988,69.785156&ie=UTF8&hq=1070-10&hnear=Seonbu+2(i)-dong,+Danwon-gu,+Ansan-si,+Gyeonggi-do+425-142,+South+Korea&ll=37.335139,126.808126&spn=0.004675,0.008519&z=17&iwloc=A
Here's their number in case you need it: 031-401-1776.
You'll need all of the necessary paperwork: title, seller's statement and buyer's statement. I don't know too much about the paperwork because I bought my bike from a Honda dealer and they had it all set up for me.
It would really help if you have a Korean friend/co-teacher go with you to register it because no one there speaks English. It took me about an hour to go window to window to complete the process.
Be forewarned: they will charge you 5% the sales price of the bike when you register. There's one tax for 3% and another for 2%. Plus 6,000 won for the license plate. However, they don't ask to see a sales receipt so you can write down whatever price you want (within reason).
Good luck and be safe out there. These roads are always dangerous and you need to be on top of your game at all times. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
v88
Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Location: here
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
| methdxman wrote: |
| Does anyone know of any importers of the Honda SH125i/150i scooter or how I can get my hands on one in Seoul? Thanks. |
I don't know of a shop bringing them in but trying the Honda dealer direct might work.
You might try the Honda PCX which is a little similar and currently being sold or the Honda Super Cub which is available used.
KYMCO also sells the Peoples 125 which is similar as well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stalin84
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hey guys.
I just got a job in Seoul, it will be the first time I've ever worked there. In the past I've lived in Gyeonggi but never in Seoul.
Anyway, who here rides in Seoul? I do want to get another bike but I'm a bit wary of getting one when I live in Seoul of all places. Cheers. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
