I haven't started my bike for a couple of weeks while taking care of some family things. Poking around today, I opened the airbox and lo, and behold, this is what I found:
(http://www.pbase.com/kurtfischer/image/102514699/medium.jpg)
(http://www.pbase.com/kurtfischer/image/102514702/medium.jpg)
Anyone else had this happen? >:( Looked in your airbox lately? ;D
Bike is an '07 S4R Monster with 2,000 miles, bought new in April of '08, always parked in garage between rides. Looking at the nest materials, I kind of doubt that the nest would look like that if air had been pulled through it. So I'm guessing that the mouse or whatever took up residence recently.
So, my question is, if I attached fine screening (like window screen) around the air intake port of the airbox, would that alter the running of the bike? Any other suggestions for keeping the cute little fellers out?
Thanks,
Kurt 8)
hey maybe that's why they put the screens on the [clap] 696
Add a couple of mothballs to the airbox.
No, I am not kidding.
You need a JRT, specialist in rodent extermination ;D
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm143/Tarugo996/nipper.jpg)
Now where's the mouse supposed to live when he's not powering your bike? :P
First car I ever owned was only in the shop once ... 'cuz a squirrel made a nest out of the wiring harness! Thank god for insurance, because replacing the entire harness would have cost me $1500!
the first time i opened up my airbox i found it filled with about a cup of dog food, mouse was stockpiling for the winter i guess. My mechanic uncle says he sees this kind of stuff a lot in cars that sit awhile/over winter. Just be sure to vacuum out the lower box area before you start it. and putting a fine mesh screen won't mess with performance as long as its not too fine and properly secured.
Quote from: Kurt on September 01, 2008, 03:07:09 PM
So, my question is, if I attached fine screening (like window screen) around the air intake port of the airbox, would that alter the running of the bike? Any other suggestions for keeping the cute little fellers out?
How about running with open (chopped) air box lid? The little guy will probably find another place if you take away the roof.
Mousetraps to remove the existing mice from the garage, then plug holes in the walls/ceilings with steel wool. Mice can get through a hole at least the size of a dime.
Had a 1979 VW Rabbit. Mice chewed the cloth vacuum line connectors and nested in the mass air sensor. Sucked to be me in the summer of 1989, I'll tell you.
That's right: I'm old.
Thanks, everybody, I'm really lucky that I just happened to open the airbox before running the bike.
Mousetraps -- for sure! Been meaning to tighten up the garage for a while, ... . I had to go that route in my cabin (shack, really) in Vermont few years back.
Mothballs -- just let them rattle around in the airbox? ??? I've used them to keep skunks and porcupines out of outbuildings, so they work. Would keep me out of enclosed spaces, I know.
I'll check the hardware store for various screening choices -- the port isn't all that big, so maybe window screening would cut down the intake area too much.
Confession time: this happened before in this garage, in the airbox of my '94 Impala SS about 5 years ago. (Car talk: the car died on the road once, but I restarted and drove the two miles home. Poking around under the hood, I found the mouse nest in the airbox. Funny thing is, the airbox and filter on the 350 CID Corvette engine are about the same size as those on the Monster. Anyway, I fashioned a screen for the intake port. Turns out that it wasn't the mouse that brought the car to a halt, 'twas the Opti-spark (distributor) on its way out $$$.)
As to where the evicted mouse/mice might now be, probably in the sausage mufflers of my '69 Triumph 650. Storytime: a Triumph legend I know tells the story of the nesting mouse that entered a Triumph muffler, continued up the header pipe, found the exhaust valve full open, slipped into the combustion chamber and built a fine winter home atop the piston.
Old guy? How old is old? :-X
Kurt 8)
Mouse problem fixed.
And any other rodents.
6.5 kg, leap a 6 ft steel fence, and loves snuggles!!!
(http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll111/madalf71/Image014.jpg)
Alas, my kitties went to Kitty Heaven after 20 years of rodent patrol. :'(
Now the neighborhood cats might just be chasing the mice into the garage. Nights will be getting cooler soon, so critters large and small will be seeking shelter.
At least it wasn't in your exhaust. A local area duc shop had a mouse decide to nest in the udder of a customers S2R. It had hoarded food a nesting materials down there which began to burn and belch smoke when the owner tried to ride home. Luckily he hadn't gotten far or had any real troubles. Now lots of bikes in the bays of that shop can be seen sporting various tennis and racket balls
(http://www.k12.nf.ca/stbons/grassroots/literaturepage/IANWPIC.JPG)
What's Runaway Ralph riding -- Zundapp?
Quote from: Kurt on September 02, 2008, 04:45:54 AM
Mothballs -- just let them rattle around in the airbox? ??? I've used them to keep skunks and porcupines out of outbuildings, so they work. Would keep me out of enclosed spaces, I know.
Yup, just let 'em rattle around in the airbox. Believe me, you'll never hear 'em. Now, don't go fill the airbox up, just one or two.
You can even put 'em in a little mesh bag, like they use for wedding rice.
I've got a little sack'o'mothballs in each one of my vehicles airbox' and I change 'em every fall. I had a rat make a nest in my truck one winter, did over $1500 damage before I found the problem.
Make sure if you get screen, you get metal screen. The fiber stuff won't stop them, you'll just be giving them more material to build with.
Also, most rodents can get into holes as long as their head fits...
Dont forget to check the wiring. Those little teeth chew on everything.
Quote from: scduc on September 02, 2008, 05:54:06 PM
Dont forget to check the wiring. Those little teeth chew on everything.
I work (in service) for a company that manufactures generator sets for RV's. RV's routinely sit, especially in the winter.
I didn't bother quoting the better ideas, but the best advice was traps and plug the holes. I am not convinced mothballs work, but it is a cheap try. Save some old pantyhose from your missus, sister, sig-other, whatever, and wrap the mothballs in that. Solves the rattle around issue and makes retrieval ever so much easier. Actually the vicious little bahstahds can squeeze through a hole the size of your little finger. Any screen small enough to be effective is too restrictive. Although if you opened the airbox, the screen wouldn't take back what you gained, but it is restrictive.
Anyhow, the nest is nothing. The chewed wires (oddly enough, generators have a lot of wires in them) are really bad, example the 94 Impala, but worse, wherever the little darlin's make there home, they also generally construct a restroom. That shit (and pee!) is really caustic!
Trap em, and secure your storage area. Eliminate any food access, do not store pet food in the bag in your garage. I do not have one first hand report of success on mothballs, or dryer sheets, but have "heard" they work. The dryer sheets smell way better though!
Look your wiring harness over really well, take preventive action and GOOD LUCK!
I think the rat terrier idea, or if you prefer, a pretty new Bengal Cat would do the trick. Unlike so many other cats, bengals don't often gift their owners with the rodents they catch... they eat them
Thanks again -- Dave and everybody. I picked up some 1/8" hardware cloth today, will see about screening the box, for one thing, and traps, etc. Just thinking about chewed wiring on the bike sends a cold chill ... no chew signs yet ... but ... . (It's a detached garage, so I won't go the kitty route.)
One NEDOC member reports success with the dryer sheets, FYI:
"Yup, happened to me a few years back. Eric at BCM (formerly) was amazed that the bike ran at all at low rpm's. The air cleaner was maybe 70% covered by mouse-related stuff. A new element smoothed things out considerably. I heard that mice don't like the smell of those dryer fabric softener sheets. So, I put a couple of them into the cut-off legs of panty hose and stuffed them into the air intakes. I drape the legs of the hose over the gas tank to remind to remove the sheets before take off. I know, it sounds a little weird, but it's an easy fix. I've also heard that mice don't like the smell of moth balls, but neither do I, so I went the dryer sheet route. No problems since."
Quote from: Kurt on September 02, 2008, 08:00:37 PM
<snip> I picked up some 1/8" hardware cloth today, will see about screening the box <snip>
1/8 hardware cloth is only about 80% net free area, in other words 20% restricted. Instead of going flat over your airbox, build a hump or bubble top to increase total area by 20% to ensure no restriction.
Quote from: Bigbore4 on September 02, 2008, 08:53:01 PM
1/8 hardware cloth is only about 80% net free area, in other words 20% restricted. Instead of going flat over your airbox, build a hump or bubble top to increase total area by 20% to ensure no restriction.
Thanks again Dave -- that's kinda what I had in mind -- will post pics when done. Meanwhile, setting mousetraps.
-Kurt
If it's cloth, it probably won't do any good. The mice will chew and claw right through that too...
Quote from: NAKID on September 03, 2008, 08:13:36 AM
If it's cloth, it probably won't do any good. The mice will chew and claw right through that too...
"Hardware cloth" is the industry term for steel screen mesh. Should have mentioned that!
[roll]
I'm gonna remember this. I killed an entire nest of mice with my Dad's '87 Suburban. Not sure how I didn't kill the motor too. Sucked the nest into the filter (the old round ones). Heavily damaged the filter, looked like it had been squashed. The thing couldn't run quite right, so I hammered down. It downshifted and slowed down. Took it back to work (worked at a bus/county maintenance shed at the time) and we found it.
JM
Yup, this happened to me too. I had a post on it on the other board. The little guy took my padding from inside of the tank and shoved it in the air box. I'm thinking the little guy came aboard my bike before or at the Dealer. I had it shipped from back East to Cali. Crap and piss all over my air filter. I never saw a sign of a mouse in my garage after that.
It's heart must have stopped beating when the bike was turned on. Out of sheer terror.