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relaxzguy posted:I have a battery charger, I tried to start it with a fully charged, room temperature battery. No dice. I can't push start it either, which I used to be able to do before without a problem.*snip* There are multiple circuits in a bike carburator. it's entirely possable that your bike is rich on the needles and or top end, and the pilot circuits could be wildly lean. Clean your mixture screws and pilot jets.
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Nov 24, 2008 02:59
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Thanks a lot for your help. I've got a bucket of parts dip, but I'd have to take everything apart pretty thoroughly for that. After that I guess I would have to sync them and adjust the mixture screws? Is that worth the thorough cleaning? I asked the previous owner if they'd ever been cleaned and he said that they probably hadn't. If I clean everything out and put it back together, then take it to a shop to get them synced and tuned, does anyone have an idea how much that would cost for a 4 carb bike? Or should I just use the spray cleaner and hope for the best?
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Nov 24, 2008 03:25
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relaxzguy posted:Thanks a lot for your help. I've got a bucket of parts dip, but I'd have to take everything apart pretty thoroughly for that. After that I guess I would have to sync them and adjust the mixture screws? Is that worth the thorough cleaning? I asked the previous owner if they'd ever been cleaned and he said that they probably hadn't. If I clean everything out and put it back together, then take it to a shop to get them synced and tuned, does anyone have an idea how much that would cost for a 4 carb bike? That does not mean you can't throughly clean the carbs. It's not like a holly hwere there's a million hidden passages that just will never get clean. Actually, you know what? This has come up three times in the last day. I'll post an article tomorrow on how to clean motorcycle carburators. Do not dip them. You will regret it. The spray cleaner is very, very good at this. But you can't just "aim and pray" you need to clean the parts that need cleaning. If you have the dip, that can be useful, just don't dip the carb bodies. The needles, main jet, needle jet, pilot screw, pilot jet... those can all be tossed in the basket and let soak. I'll make the tutorial tomorrow. :-)
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Nov 24, 2008 05:03
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Thanks for that, I'm looking to do a carb cleaning on that cb450 that I picked up a little while back. Hopefully that'll sort out any weird issues it's having, and if not, well...
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Nov 24, 2008 06:21
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I made promises, here's that thread. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3017242 It will be edited in the future to add a few more useful pictures.
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Nov 24, 2008 16:36
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A friend of mine bought a Kawasake Ninja EX500 2002 from a tow truck company for $650 after haggling from $1500. Right now mostly everything can be fixed easily, but there is a problem with the mirrors: Obviously it has none, but on a normal ninja there are places to mount the mirrors that stick way above the handle bars. On this they're missing. Are those sold separately or did the original owners hack parts of the frame off?
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Nov 25, 2008 07:02
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Looks like they had some bar-end mirrors which they decided to keep for themselves?
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Nov 25, 2008 07:39
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How do I know if I need to adjust my valves? The PO (2nd) didn't have the slightest clue if it had been done. When cold the engine a lot what I assume is valve noise. Quiets down once it's warm. 93 kawasaki ex-500 with 5.5k miles now
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Nov 25, 2008 08:42
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My Vulcan 500's manual says every 6,000 miles.
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Nov 25, 2008 14:19
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I have a 79 CB750, and I've acquired an old Tracy fairing and mounting kit for it. I was wondering if anyone's found an easy way to make a fixed fairing for a normally naked bike. I was thinking of grabbing the fairing bracket from a later model (mid-eighties) Sabre, since the bike looks similar (though I've never seen one in person that wasn't in a junkyard). Does this sound like a good idea, or should I just give up and let the fairing be headlight-mounted like it was intended to be? EDIT: The fairing looks like this:  ...minus the headlight protector thing, and in flat black.
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Nov 26, 2008 04:22
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I'm storing my bike outside for the winter under a heavy duty waterproof cover. Before I "stored" it, I waxed the chain, filled the tank, topped it off with fuel stabilizer, ran it through the engine a bit to get to the carbs, then closed off the fuel valve and ran it until it died to clear the fuel out. I then removed the battery and it will sit on a trickle charger inside all winter. Am I doing any great harm by not having entirely emptied the carbs by opening them up?
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Nov 26, 2008 04:55
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If the stabilizer made it to the carbs you should be ok. It's always a good idea to empty the bowls though. That way you know you aren't going to have four pools of varnish to deal with in the spring. I would also shove something in the tail pipes and the airbox intake so mice don't make a nice home over the winter.
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Nov 26, 2008 05:15
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What is the opinion on installing a hid kit on a motorcycle? These days they cost like 100 bucks or so for 2, and I figure I will use one on the bike and one as a car/moto powered worklight. Headlight power at night seems to be lacking on the zx600, can barely light up my lawn from my driveway 
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Nov 26, 2008 05:16
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dietcokefiend posted:What is the opinion on installing a hid kit on a motorcycle? It's a wildly bad idea. most "HID" kits are just bright looking, they are not actually bight. Here's what you need to do. Go buy some high power H4 builbs. They are "normally" 50/55w or 50/60w. You can get 65/100w bulbs. That's what I do. And.. old bulbs are dimmer. You can also install a headlight relay, which runs power directly from the battery to the lights, instead of going through the handlebar controls.
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Nov 26, 2008 06:27
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Nerobro posted:It's a wildly bad idea. most "HID" kits are just bright looking, they are not actually bight. Here's what you need to do. Go buy some high power H4 builbs. They are "normally" 50/55w or 50/60w. You can get 65/100w bulbs. That's what I do. Well I am looking at 4300k lights, yellow/white not the 6-9k blue/purple crap. So the lumen level would be higher. I was thinking about the higher wattage bulbs, but I am not sure the housing could handle the higher heat output, and I wouldnt mind the much lower power draw of the HID system.
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Nov 26, 2008 06:36
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The answer is still no. I've never seen a housing that can't handle the 100w bulbs. Any HID kit that fits in the existing housing won't have the same light pattern. They only end up making you anoying to other drivers. It's safer to be invisable, than to piss off people.
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Nov 26, 2008 06:45
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They just had a writeup on this in this months Motorcyclist. They said it was just as Neroboro described. It got a 1 star rating and they took it back out. Tons of light, just scattered from the road all the way to the trees.
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Nov 26, 2008 07:47
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Try just replacing the bulbs first. A light just burnt out on my 04 Focus, and I bought the high power H4's for it. The high power bulbs vs the 4 year old factory bulbs was night and day. The old bulbs had gotten pretty yellow as they aged, and the new ones throw out so much more light. Plus they're in the factory enclosures (which were designed for H4's), so all that light is very focused where it should be.
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Nov 26, 2008 15:56
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dietcokefiend posted:HID kit Get the Philips X-Treme +80 bulbs from Powerbulbs.uk. I installed them on my Sprint and they made a huge difference. Here are my results but keep in mind the fact that the headlights were not aimed correctly at this point. before  after 
bung fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Nov 26, 2008 |
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Nov 26, 2008 19:02
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The thing about HID lights though is even for the colder ones, they are still very very bright. I was driving on the freeway and all the reflectors with HIDs were just glaring like crazy for a huge distance and I can spot people or animals in the road from a much greater distance. I don't think anything compares to HIDs, but if you plan to get them installed be warned about how much they cost for also the labor. It's not just a bulb, but a ballast which has to be mounted in a way in which it wont move. Luckily I had a friend do it for me and get the HIDs at cost. It was his 4th time putting HIDs on a motorcycle and it took him almost 1.5 hours.
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Nov 26, 2008 21:07
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The thing about HID lights is that they are irritating, lovely, and look unnatural at any color temperature. They are abominations to drivers/riders and so are the dickheads that put them on things that weren't fitted for them in the first place.
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Nov 26, 2008 21:40
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Jack the Smack posted:The thing about HID lights though is even for the colder ones, they are still very very bright. I was driving on the freeway and all the reflectors with HIDs were just glaring like crazy for a huge distance and I can spot people or animals in the road from a much greater distance. Why am I not surprised you are the only person recommending HIDs? Please don't get HIDs unless you like the added danger of the people around you being blind instead of just inattentive.
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Nov 26, 2008 22:57
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Got my replacement license plate today. I looked for the other one for a while but never found it. Either way, getting a replacement was pretty easy. It took about 10 minutes and $10. There was no line at the courthouse like normal and I just had to give her my receipt for the original and sign the police statement saying that it was lost or stolen after she filled it out. Oh and they gave me a metal plate this time instead of a plastic one. I thought that was kind of odd, but whatever. I bought some nylon fasteners at Walmart since my bolts were also gone. I got some threadlocker too, but dunno if I'll use it. I didn't notice till I got home that it's only recommended for metal parts. Got some zip ties as well. I really don't want to lose another plate.
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Nov 26, 2008 23:21
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Here's what HIDs in an improper housing look like: (I stole this from Dr. Hoga in an old thread.)
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Nov 26, 2008 23:33
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Hmm I think I am still going to keep HIDs on the table, but try to find a projector housing that I can work with for the mounting. No problem really fabbing up something to take the place of the current housing. Perhaps 2 projector foglights mounted to the old housing with some flat fiberglass to hold them? I was so spoiled by HIDs on my GTI
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Nov 28, 2008 00:15
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So, I don't know if I am going to get a lot of flak for this post but here it goes: I am considering buying a motorcycle in the very near future, so I have been doing quite a bit of research on the internet and talking to my dad who has owned a motorcycle since the 80's but had to stop riding due to a compressed disk in his back. I have been looking around at bikes that I can afford in the near future and I have come up with a few that I like (mainly the 70's Honda CB's and the newer Nighthawk, or an 80's Kawasaki LTD.) Everywhere that I look online tells me that I should start out on a 250 and then work my way up from there, but after I told my father this proposition, he said that I would get bored of it easily and suggested a 450 or a 550. Now here, after be frightened by all of you goons and your horror stories, I have been leaning towards a 450. And I would like to know what Cycle Asylum thinks about this. I'm hoping you won't just jump on my rear end and say that's too much bike to begin with and I should buy a brand new Nighthawk 250 if I like them ect. I would like to hear your reasons if you don't think I should do this, because everything I've read is people talking about NOT getting a 600cc super sport, but nothing about a mid-sized bike.
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Nov 29, 2008 08:53
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Slimy Hog posted:So, I don't know if I am going to get a lot of flak for this post but here it goes: 70s / 80s UJM cruisers, 450, 550, 650, all should be fine for a first bike.
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Nov 29, 2008 10:13
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You're focusing to much on displacement. The honda 250's are pretty weak. The kawasaki EX250 makes more than 30hp. If you manage to find a 2 stroke 250, you're talking anything from 40-60hp. Displacement lies. Your first bike should be something between 30 and 70hp. There's lots of motorcycles in that range. I'm not so fond of the honda 250 twins. They're only about 16 horsepower. There's a lot of fun to be had on one, but it's not enough for a first bike. If you need another way of looking at it, you need a bike that will easily do 90mph. If a bike's top speed is more than 120mph, it's time to think about choosing a different bike. The CB450 is a fair choice. I wasn't that fond of the one I rode, but there's a lot of reasons behind that. :-)
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Nov 29, 2008 10:30
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Nerobro posted:You're focusing to much on displacement. The honda 250's are pretty weak. The kawasaki EX250 makes more than 30hp. If you manage to find a 2 stroke 250, you're talking anything from 40-60hp. Displacement lies. Thanks, I will try to get a hold of the top speed info on the bikes I'm looking at. It's really hard for me to look for bikes to buy since I'm not looking with anyone at my side telling me what is good and bad, so I've been relying on displacement as my guideline
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Nov 29, 2008 10:34
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Slimy Hog posted:Thanks, I will try to get a hold of the top speed info on the bikes I'm looking at. You can always run your options by us if you are unsure. Since the early 70's, just about anything that's available is a useful bike. What have you found lately? What's your budget? If you have $2-3k, you more or less have your pick of bikes.
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Nov 29, 2008 10:47
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Can someone explain to me what an "air switch" is? I'm thinking it's the same as a PCV on a car, which takes excess crankcase pressure and vents it to the intake. But a PCV is a reed valve and this is a vacuum activated valve. The shop manual says to test: blow through tube, it should flow easily apply vacuum, try again, it should not flow I don't have a vacuum pump so I'm sucking on the vacuum hose while a friend blows through the tube. I can't suck hard enough to get it to lock. Or it's broken. Which one is it? Going to auto zone tomorrow to try and find a hand vacuum... Slimy Hog, I started with a ninja 500, which has about 60 HP and just about right for me - 185 5'11"
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Nov 29, 2008 10:55
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Nerobro posted:It's better to look at horsepower numbers. And it's information that's much easier to find. It's looking like my budget is around $1000-$1500, and I've been able to find some (very few) 72-73 Honda CB 350's and 450's and I found a Kawasaki 550 LTD that I fell in love with for $1200, but I don't have the money just yet (school is taking a lot of my time away from working) What I'm secretly hoping is that my dad will match whatever I save up for it like he did my first car.... But I know that isn't going to happen. A guy can hope right? EDIT: Cat=/=car EDIT2: I should probably proof read my posts because I can't seem to type right. Slimy Hog fucked around with this message at 11:27 on Nov 29, 2008 |
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Nov 29, 2008 10:58
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I have a 2005 Monster 620. I went on a longish ride in the cold for the first time on the bike and everything was just fine until near the end of the trip. It was about 250 miles round trip, if that is relevant. The problem I'm having is that I hear a squeaking sound when I accelerate. It is not present when I'm slowly moving and slipping the clutch, but only when the clutch is fully engaged and I'm giving it gas. When I'm maintaining speed, it disappears. It is not there when I engine-break either. Its tough to tell you exactly where its coming from since it only happens when I'm starting to move pretty fast. It sounds an awful lot like the squeaks my brakes sometimes make. My initial reaction was that is was wheel/brake related, but the fact that it only happens when I'm accelerating makes me wonder. Any ideas? Edit: I should mention that I don't feel any performance issues at all at this point. It feels fine, just sounds strange.
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Nov 29, 2008 17:34
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When was the last time you lubed your chain?
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Nov 29, 2008 21:16
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Honda CM250C, 1982. I find that the bike has a very high idle speed, and that when it starts to move the throttle seems to act as if it's already a bit open, so much so that I can get the bike going from a stop and putt around in 1st or 2nd without ever touching the throttle. Does idle speed (and the idle speed screw thing) affect how open the throttle is when nothing is touching it even when the bike is moving? I know I have to clean the carbs because the bike's been sitting for a while and it will only run on full choke (I'm guessing the jets are clogged). Is this a carb issue or something related to the throttle cable? Last thing: the kill switch on my bike is broken and missing the cover. How necessary is this? Seems to me that pulling the clutch is just as effective as turning the engine off... FuzzyWuzzyBear fucked around with this message at 21:19 on Nov 29, 2008 |
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Nov 29, 2008 21:17
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Your carbs need to be cleaned. Likely the previous owner turned up the idle speed to cover the carb issue. Otherwise you have an intake leak. Neither is difficult to fix. It is NOT your throttle cable. REplacing your kill switch will cost you $30. I recomend doing so. It's not vital, but if your throttle cable does get stuck. Or something else prevents your butterflys from closing, you will be having an exceedingly bad day without a kill switch. Yes the clutch will disengage the motor, no, it doesn't stop the motor. If the throttle is stuck open, and you use the clutch to stop the bike, you motor will over rev and either break some valves, or break other major components.
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Nov 29, 2008 21:21
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:Last thing: the kill switch on my bike is broken and missing the cover. How necessary is this? Seems to me that pulling the clutch is just as effective as turning the engine off... It's not when you're laying on the ground beside your bike. I dumped mine a couple weeks ago on wet leaves, and my back tire was merrily spinning away; in fact my bike started to accelerate, maybe because gas was pouring into the carbs. Hitting the killswitch was a hell of a lot easier than trying to fumble for the key and turn the bike off.
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Nov 29, 2008 21:25
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Let's say hypothetically it is an intake leak, how do I go about fixing it?
FuzzyWuzzyBear fucked around with this message at 21:52 on Nov 29, 2008 |
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Nov 29, 2008 21:31
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you said high idle, not "doens't idle well" so an intake leak is quite unlikely. However, to fix one, you find out where it is (by spraying something flammable after the carb, but before the head..) and see which side causes the rpms to go up. the flamable material causes the mixture to become more correct, so the rpms go up. Once you've determined which side the leak is from, you replace the parts that are leaking. You said it won't run without choke. I still bet it's a clogged pilot circuit. Cleaning the carbs is free. Buying new intake boots and clamps is a $30-70 dollar procedure. Even if I'm wrong, cleaning the carbs is a good idea.
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Nov 29, 2008 22:34
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Nerobro posted:When was the last time you lubed your chain? I'm actually overdue by about 100 miles. That sounds like a possibility. I will lube it up and see if that makes a difference. Thanks!
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Nov 30, 2008 01:37
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