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Welcome to Xplorers Philippines

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:45:06 +0800

You have reached the official website of the Xplorers Philippines Motorcycle Club!

First off, I would like to apologize to the current state of the site. Were currently in the process of upgrading our website software and transfering articles from the original site. Still, please feel free to register and let let us know if you have ideas concerning this new site. Better yet, add to the repository of information regarding the Motorstar Z200 and Z250 by submitting articles on your experiences, tip, tricks, mods and everything about the motorcycle by clicking on the Contribute menu button at the top of this page.

Ride Safe!

How To Lube Your Motorcycle Chain

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:44:51 +0800

As a rule of thumb, you should lube or apply lubrication to your motorcycle chains whenever you clean it. Unfortunately, most people would do this the wrong way. First off, buy a proper motorcycle lube. Don't just use grease or other alternatives (like used engine oil) because at high speed, these materials will just be thrown off the chain and dry off or in the case of grease, attract more dirt than whats good for the bike. So please, buy a proper motorcycle lube. These lubricants are designed to stick to your chain, not dry off and not be a dirt and grime magnet.

So how do you apply motorycle lube? Follow these steps:

Put your bike on its center stand or find a way to lift your rear tire with it perpendicular to the ground. There are a lot of techniques to do this and I usually use a car jack and a few blocks of wood for bikes without center stands. The key point here is that the rear tire is freewheeling and must be 90 degrees from the ground.
Attach the small tube to the mouth of the lube spray. I have seen a lot of riders wasting lube oil by spraying their chains directly without using the tube attachment.
Now, spray on the side of the sprocket by the bottom. Let the lube push the dirt out and gravity do its work by dripping and spreading into the chain joints.

Just a few additional notes. There are actually 3 major types of motorcycle chains.

X-Ring Chains - the best chain for motorcycles
O-Ring Chains - the most mis-understood chain in the market
Standard Chains - Dont hesitate to use these if you don't have money for X-Ring chains

So why am I listing these? You see, all motorcycles , including the liter bikes can be serviced by Standard Chains with a tencil strength of 8,000 to 9,500 lbs. Regardless of brand or model, a standard chain with a listed tencil strenght can be used on any motorcycle of any displacement (ok, that would look wierd on small bikes but don't knit pick). Now if you have money to buy an X-Ring chain ... good for you! But for us normal road warrior ... we normally settle on O-Ring chain.

So before you buy an O-Ring chain, you'll notice that they are quite expensive. But if you take a look at the tencil strength ... they would normally be only at 7,000 lbs tencil strength ... way below the specs. So what is the advantage of an O-Ring over a standard chain? Its "self-oiling" because of the seal in between the joints. Unfortunately, the seal is round and gets flattened over time. So it looses its effectivity and then you have to lube it again regularly like a standard chain.

So whats my point? If you're meticulous enough to at lube your standard chain every month or whenever it needs it, a standard chain (which is stronger) will outlast even the most expensive O-Ring type chain. Just keep that in mind when buying a new motorcycle chain.

Ride Safe!

Tips to Prevent Dehydration During Rides

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:36:18 +0800

Motorcycle riding can be dehydrating to our body due to our constant exposure to the sun. Our body loses water through sweating and urinating. Even on cool days we lose body water through evaporation brought about by the wind. If we don't replenish what we lose, then our body becomes dehydrated.

Symptoms of dehydration includes dryness of mouth and tongue, muscle cramps, lack of energy, lack of concern, and decreased concentration and alertness. If left untreated, it can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. These symptoms include: fatigue, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, headache, rapid shallow breathing, high temperatures, rapid heart beat, and/or complete loss of consciousness.

To prevent dehydration, we should rehydrate often by drinking fluids to replenish the water lost. Here are some tips to prevent dehydration during motorcyle riding:

Normally, it is recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of fluids a day. But when you're outdoors on a hot and humid day, take more than 10 glasses.
I recommend sport drinks, since this drinks replaces not only fluids but also the important electrolytes our body loses during sweating.
If you plan to drink water only, add a little salt or choose some salty foods to go with your water to replace the salts you also lost.
Avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and cola. They contain substances that flushes your body fluids through the bladder and will only increase the effects of dehydration.
Avoid heavy drinks (such as milks and chocolates) and carbonated drinks. They may cause bloating or feeling of fullness, thus preventing adequate consumption of fluids.
Do not use thirst as your indicator to rehydrated. Thirst is a very late sign of dehydration. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
On a hot summer day, schedule your rest stops at least every one hour of ride or two hours the most, to rest and rehydrate.
Check your urine, it should be clear or light in color and you should urinate frequently. If not, you need to drink more.

Being awarea and prepared helps prevent dehydration. So the next time you experience the above symptoms, pull-over and stop. Rest in a cool area, then drink fluids to replenish the water lost.

Ride safe.

Food for Motorcycle Rides

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:50:11 +0800

Do you feel tired after a short ride? Do you feel hungry and exhausted again two hours after your meal? Do you experience loss of concentration and alertness during your ride?

If you answer "Yes" to these questions, then your body quickly loses the energy it needs.

This are the symptoms of physical exhaustion. You are risking your safety because your concentration and alertness had declined because of exhaustion. Your brain cannot think fast since its being deprived of much needed nutrients to function sanely.

Here are some nutritional tips that may help maintain your energy levels during a long ride:

Eat slow-burning energy foods

When you talk of energy foods, you'll be thinking of foods rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provides the body with fuel for energy production and brain activity. But not all carbohydrates have the same fuel efficiency. There are two types of carbohydarates, the refined carbs or the simple sugars and the "slow carbs" or the starchy carbohydrates.

Refined carbs (simple sugars) or the short-term energy foods are quickly absorbed into the blood stream and can only give you a burst of energy for a moment and followed by extremely low energy, leaving you exhausted in the long run. Example of these foods are: regular pasta, white bread, snack foods, baked goods, sweets, biscuits, caffeine and chocolate.

Starchy carbohydrates are the most efficient. They take some time to be broken down in the digestive system and are more steadily absorbed by the body. Keeping blood sugar stable and are better source of energy. Example of these foods are: rice, cereals, beans, whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, crackers, potatoes with their skin, beans, legumes, brown rice and oats. Typically, these foods are "whole foods", they contain fibers and minerals.

Eat your breakfast

Before you ride in the morning, eat your breakfast to refuel your body, so that your energy will not fade rapidly during the morning. A good breakfast cereal with milk and slices of fresh fruits, such as bananas and oranges, or a boiled egg, bacon sandwich on a whole wheat bread and fresh fruit juice provides you with plenty of slow burn starchy carbohydrates, proteins and minerals to start your day.

Light lunch is recommended

Ideally lunch should be the largest meal of the day, but this is too impractical if you're riding. You'll feel full and bloated especially when riding in the forward-leaning position. A light lunch should help you stay alert and content and not feel sluggish or sleepy during the day. Ideal lunch item are soup based but keep away from creamy soups. Soups with protein-rich food such as chicken or lean meat will help fill you up without the heavy feeling. You can also take eggs, tofu or oily fish such as tuna, mackerel and sardines. Include fresh fruits for dessert, not cakes or pastries.

Always rest after eating. The body's natural reaction after meal is the urge to sleep while digesting what you have ingested.

Snacking

Go for these snacks as they are low in fat and have slower burning energy and are full of natural sugars: fresh fruits, dried fruits, raw vegetables, nuts and seeds. These can give you the same energy boost as chocolate but over a longer period.

Avoid crisps, fatty and sugary snacks. They can be dehydrating and can only give you a short burst of energy that will not last. These are biscuits, cakes, ice cream and chocolate. Stay away from chewing gums. Chewing makes your brain believe you’re eating so it diverts blood to the stomach which can cause lack of concentration and the feeling of being hungry due to an over active stomach.

Drink lots of liquids to prevent dehydration

Dehydration causes loss of concentration, dipping energy levels, muscle pains and headaches.

Drink water, fruit juices (not concentrates) or sport drinks to rehydrate your body. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages, tea, alcohol and cola, as this contains substances that will cause dehydration. Avoid also carbonated beverages, milk-based and high sugar drinks, as this may cause bloating and feeling of fullness and prevent adequate consumption of fluids.

Choose your food well. A slow burning energy food will maintain your energy levels to keep you focused and alert at all times. Giving you a good, pleasurable and safe ride.

Reviving An Old Battery

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:25:34 +0800

Motorcycle batteries as we all know have a normal lifespan of 1 year, then after that the battery begins to degrade. Maintaining your batery regularly will extend the life of your battery. (I'm referring to non-maintenance free batterries).

Recently, buddies of ours from Xplorers Philippines - Cagayan De Oro have extended their batteries life span thrice the normall lifespan and here's how they did it with their old batteries:

Drain the old battery of its acid.
Refill the battery with water.
shake the battery then drain the water.
Repeat 2 & 3 until the water drained is clear and clean from sediments.
Refill the battery with a new battery solution (acid) to the required level, then
Recharge the battery.

If you don't have a battery charger, you can connect it to your motorcycle (with a kick start) and use your kick start to start your engine and charge the battery.

As per Noel, the battery is again good as new.

If the life of your old battery can still be extended, this is a cheaper alternative than buying a new battery.

Ang Mahal kong Z200

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 19:52:30 +0800

Oh z200 kung nilalangit,
Sa wari ko'y ang dami sayong nagagalit,
Dahil ba sa ika'y gawa lamang ng mqa intsik?
Na sa pag-unawa ng iba ay walang kwenta at laging titirik.

Ngunit sa aking pagmuni-muniy' aking napagtanto,
Na ang kanilang pagbibintang ay sadyang di totoo,
Sapagkat ang nalalaman nila'y galing lang sa mga taong tsismoso,
Na walang magawa kundi siraan at apihin ang mahal na z200 ko.

Kung sa pabilisan man ako ay laging napapag-iwanan,
Ng aking mga kasamang big bike o mapa-underbone man,
Sa aki'y walang kwenta at di importante yan,
Dahil alam kong sa puso ng mamamayan ako ang laging namber wan

Ngunit, subalit, datapwat ako'y nagpapasalamat,
Sa mga ganitong nilalang na laging sumusukat,
Sa tibay ng mahal kong z200 at sa budget kong swak na swak,
Kaya naman ang z200 ngayon sa bansa ay sikat na sikat,
At sa explorer philippines na lalong lumalawak

...

Ang tangi kong panawagan sa makakasilay ng aking tula,
Wag sanang magagalit o kaya'y wag sanang mabibigla,
Kung kayo may' tinamaan ng aking munting katha,
Sapagkat ako'y naboboring lamang at walang magawa

Ngunit kung ang puso nyo'y di mapigilan,
Kung nagpupuyos ang dibdib nyo dahil kayo'y tinamaan,
Bakit di natin idaan sa maboteng usapan,
O kaya'y daanin na lang sa masayang tulaan.

I, tenk yu... bow..