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Cypher posted:So what's a good idea for a starter bike that's not way too much power but a large enough frame to fit a taller rider comfortably? He's interested in sport bikes but I'll entertain any suggestions. May have been mentioned and I missed it but the Versys is a fairly tall bike.
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Jul 12, 2009 02:16
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Soooooo new problem  . In order to smooth out the fluctuating idle on my new-to-me bike, I poured some carb cleaner and some seafoam into the gas tank, thinking it would clean out the carbs. Now the thing won't start-up anymore. Is it possible to use too much of the stuff in the tank? (The tank was about half-full when I added the cleaner and seafoam). I'm feeling kinda lovely now because my new bike doesn't run.
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Jul 12, 2009 03:08
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Logue posted:Soooooo new problem Wait.... straight carb cleaner?
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Jul 12, 2009 04:37
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Seafoam shouldn't actually stop the thing from running, and carb cleaner is basically acetone/xylene/some other highly combustible poo poo. If anything, maybe it dislodged something that clogged up the jets? I have my own question, so I'll just throw it in here without double posting. MY GIRLFRIEND and I want to take a trip from LA to San Francisco within the next month, over a weekend. We're planning on just taking the car (we've got a car and my EX250), but I'm curious as to how difficult it would be to get a bike for her to ride for the week prior as well as that weekend? As far as "renting" goes, would it be roughly as cost effective to just buy something used and sell it again when we get back? We don't have the space or the finances to fully own two bikes yet, or we would already. I would want her to have at least the week prior to ride around on whatever we get her, as she's not ridden more than about an hour since we both took the MSF in March. She has her M1, just not the experience that I do. I'm fully confident that she would be just fine riding up PCH, she would just need that bit of riding time beforehand to reassure herself. I suppose I should talk to that friend of ours with the parked Virago... sirbeefalot fucked around with this message at 06:10 on Jul 12, 2009 |
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Jul 12, 2009 05:52
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sirbeefalot posted:Seafoam shouldn't actually stop the thing from running, and carb cleaner is basically acetone/xylene/some other highly combustible poo poo. If anything, maybe it dislodged something that clogged up the jets? so it wouldnt stop running from putting too much in? Hmm...so what are my options here. gotta take the thing apart? or should i shoot some starter fluid into the intake and hope it fires up?
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Jul 12, 2009 06:05
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Logue posted:so it wouldnt stop running from putting too much in? Hmm...so what are my options here. gotta take the thing apart? or should i shoot some starter fluid into the intake and hope it fires up? You could try the starter fluid first just for shits and giggles, but when my carbs got clogged with rust silt starter fluid did nothing. Cleaning the carbs isn't really a monumental ordeal, and its a good learning experience if you've never done it before. I cleaned both of mine in about an hour, once they were off the bike. What kind of bike?
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Jul 12, 2009 06:14
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Carb cleaner makes rubber swell like loving crazy. I can't imagine thats good for all the rubber bits that might be in or near the carbs.
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Jul 12, 2009 06:18
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sirbeefalot posted:You could try the starter fluid first just for shits and giggles, but when my carbs got clogged with rust silt starter fluid did nothing. Cleaning the carbs isn't really a monumental ordeal, and its a good learning experience if you've never done it before. I cleaned both of mine in about an hour, once they were off the bike. 1982 Honda CM450 with ~2500 miles 8ender posted:Carb cleaner makes rubber swell like loving crazy. I can't imagine thats good for all the rubber bits that might be in or near the carbs. I heard it was pretty standard practice to put some in your gas tank?
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Jul 12, 2009 06:28
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Logue posted:I heard it was pretty standard practice to put some in your gas tank? Seafoam yes. Carb cleaner? I've never heard of people doing that. v  vTry the starter fluid. If your bike starts, then try draining the gas out and refilling it with new gas. Also, are you sure it's nothing simple like the fuel selector is turned off?
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Jul 12, 2009 06:46
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Doctor Zero posted:Seafoam yes. Carb cleaner? I've never heard of people doing that. v Ya, I made sure the fuel valve was set to on Are there two different types of carb cleaner? This is the same stuff I'd put in my car's tank to clean out the fuel injectors. I hope I didn't kill my new bike 
Logue fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Jul 12, 2009 |
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Jul 12, 2009 06:49
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sirbeefalot posted:As far as "renting" goes, would it be roughly as cost effective to just buy something used and sell it again when we get back? From what I've seen bike rentals are usually in the $100+/day range. Sometimes there is a huge deposit involved. Depending on market conditions you might be better off just buying something.
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Jul 12, 2009 07:05
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Logue posted:Ya, I made sure the fuel valve was set to on I think the carb cleaner we're thinking of is the spray type, used when actually cleaning out the off-the-bike carbs. It comes in an aerosol can and is rather nasty stuff (as I said, its usually a mix of acetone, xylene, and other serious-business solvents). Isn't the additive stuff (what you seem to have used) pretty much the same thing as Seafoam? OrangeFurious posted:From what I've seen bike rentals are usually in the $100+/day range. Sometimes there is a huge deposit involved. Depending on market conditions you might be better off just buying something. I've seen that "tactic" mentioned before, which is why I'm considering it. Doesn't seem so bad, honestly, if we can get it to work out. Basically renting for the cost of the gas. sirbeefalot fucked around with this message at 07:10 on Jul 12, 2009 |
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Jul 12, 2009 07:08
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Logue posted:Ya, I made sure the fuel valve was set to on Could you take a picture of the bottle you used? Right now it sounds like you used two different types of cleaners. Also one thing that is bugging me. How much of each did you put in? Did you dump a entire bottle of both? How much gas was in the tank at the time? I am pretty sure a bike could run entirely off seafoam... well perhaps run and smoking and puttering badly. Last time I ran seafoam through my bike I managed to dislodge crap in the fuel pipe assembly on my carb set, and jam it into a float seat surface causing one carb to poo poo fuel everywhere. Yea it cleans... but if it is large enough where the hell is it going to go?
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Jul 12, 2009 07:21
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dietcokefiend posted:Also one thing that is bugging me. How much of each did you put in? Did you dump a entire bottle of both? How much gas was in the tank at the time? I am pretty sure a bike could run entirely off seafoam... well perhaps run and smoking and puttering badly. I read somewhere that Seafoam has an effective octane rating of 66. Thats some pretty lovely gas.
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Jul 12, 2009 07:28
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sirbeefalot posted:I think the carb cleaner we're thinking of is the spray type, used when actually cleaning out the off-the-bike carbs. It comes in an aerosol can and is rather nasty stuff (as I said, its usually a mix of acetone, xylene, and other serious-business solvents). Isn't the additive stuff (what you seem to have used) pretty much the same thing as Seafoam? Its the fuel additive type, not the spray. Lets call it a carb treatment, not a carb cleaner. Yeah, i figured they pretty much do the same thing, but I couldnt decide which to use. So I put in about 2 capfuls of each (if i used the whole bottle, it would mostly be that stuff in there rather than gas). The tank was about 1/2 full. Maybe if I put in more gas?
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Jul 12, 2009 15:47
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Combining various chemicals without any research isn't ever a good idea. Many people have blown up their sinks and bathtubs that way with cleaning supplies that 'do the same thing'. That much said, the Gumout carb cleaner and Seafoam additives are not harmful to mix up. A few caps of both to a full tank of gas should certainly not prevent the bike from starting. I think you're focusing too much on that. Go back to the simple silly stuff that is often ruled out too fast: Is the bike in neutral with the kickstand up? Is the engine killswitch set to ON? (I have made this mistake... TWICE!) Is the choke full open to help the bike start? Is the gas set to on? (you mentioned you already checked this so - yes, if the tank is less than half full maybe try setting to reserve?) Once all that's checked and if everything there is ok I suggest hooking a jumper up to your battery to give it the best boost possible. My bike usually needs a powered off the wall charger set to 'start/full' and a few minutes of trying to start after the winter. The battery-in-a-box jumpers don't do it... not sure why. If this ends up being what the bike needs to get moving, make sure to let it run for awhile after getting it started to hopefully avoid needing it again.
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Jul 12, 2009 20:28
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sirbeefalot posted:
Oh totally buy a used bike. Let her get used to it before the ride up and then sell it when you get back. And give a holler when you get to SF, we can go ride some twisties!
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Jul 12, 2009 21:32
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So I can't seem to find the title to my bike. Not a big deal since I don't plan to sell it for a while, but is it easy to get another copy? Bike is registered to me and all that. Oof and I gotta start shopping for new insurance quotes.
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Jul 12, 2009 22:17
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BlueBayou posted:So I can't seem to find the title to my bike. Not a big deal since I don't plan to sell it for a while, but is it easy to get another copy? http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg227.pdf Fill out that form and present at your local DMV. They'll mail you a new one. There may be some minor fees associated.
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Jul 12, 2009 22:32
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Spent the entire weekend starting from scratch with the carbs on my 600 and also doing the valves. Since the PO has proved to be a dumbass, I figured all bets were off regarding adjustments. Readjusted idle mixture to 2.5 out, sync'd the carbs by eye using a secret family method, and then test ran the bike to verify exhaust temps on each cylinder. Valves were cutting it close across the board, guessing they were never checked prior. Put all of the to the max of the adjustment range. Clicky=glorious Went from one dead cylinder from a clogged float, one partially operating cylinder running lean and two normals to all pipes within 2-3% of eachother in temp. Valves you can actually hear now, and oh god the throttle response is loving smooth as hell. Before the idle would get jerky and lumpy if you tried to set it below ~1300... now I can idle it in the 400-600 range without killing her. IR temp guns are one of the best gifts for DIY carb tuning on the pilot jets and mixture screws. Besides that one cylinder that wasnt firing from fuel dumping in by the truckload, my hand couldnt tell the difference between 300 and 450 for the partially running cylinder. Bike has never ran better.
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Jul 13, 2009 00:25
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Okay, added more gas to the bike and it fires up now. Next problem, the funky idle. Sometimes it sounds like its missing every 10 seconds, and then it'll stall by itself after a while. Made this video when I had the choke on: (volume warning. turn down speakers) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHyut9YD9Ak leaking vaccuum line?
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Jul 13, 2009 01:14
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Could be a very small air leak. I'd just run the bike around the block a whole bunch and see if having it run doesn't clear any of that up. Air cooled bikes don't have dead smooth idles, anyways.
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Jul 13, 2009 01:30
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I just bought a 2006 EX-250 with 3050 miles on it. It's pretty much amazing, it starts with a little patience and runs great. The problem is it doesn't want to idle when it's warmed up and with choke off. It's been sitting for the last year, but it was 'winterized' i guess you could say. I bought it from my friend, who's dad rode it to my parents house. My buddy and I picked it up in his truck to drive it the 150 miles home. (I didn't think 2 tie-downs would hold it but wow, what a trip) My other friend rode it and said it was fine, just the idling problem. The guy I bought it from only rode 150 miles when he had it, and being just over 3000 probably needs the cards synced or checked or whatever. I've been thinking that it just needs to be run for a bit to get things lovely again, but would there be anything else i might want to check?
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Jul 13, 2009 02:23
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Methusulah posted:I just bought a 2006 EX-250 with 3050 miles on it. It's pretty much amazing, it starts with a little patience and runs great. The problem is it doesn't want to idle when it's warmed up and with choke off. It's been sitting for the last year, but it was 'winterized' i guess you could say. I bought it from my friend, who's dad rode it to my parents house. My buddy and I picked it up in his truck to drive it the 150 miles home. (I didn't think 2 tie-downs would hold it but wow, what a trip) My other friend rode it and said it was fine, just the idling problem. The guy I bought it from only rode 150 miles when he had it, and being just over 3000 probably needs the cards synced or checked or whatever. I've been thinking that it just needs to be run for a bit to get things lovely again, but would there be anything else i might want to check? Have you checked the idle adjustment screw? It may be backed out all the way, perhaps? Its a black plastic knobby thing, found under the carbs on the left side. Clockwise tightens it, increasing the idle speed. It changes the rest position of the throttle. sirbeefalot fucked around with this message at 02:32 on Jul 13, 2009 |
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Jul 13, 2009 02:30
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AI>Cycle Asylum>No, you don't need to sync your damned carbs, it's something else.
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Jul 13, 2009 02:31
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sirbeefalot posted:Have you checked the idle adjustment screw? It may be backed out all the way, perhaps? Its a black plastic knobby thing, found under the carbs on the left side. Clockwise tightens it, increasing the idle speed. yeah, what was weird is that it seemed to die either way we turned it. Maybe it just needs to go really far one way or the other. I'll be riding tomorrow, provided my gear from new-enough arrives on time. I'll be trying to adjust it then. Also, when it's warm and off choke, giving it any throttle kills it. I guess I'm just looking for general advice, as I haven't had time to really get into it and find all the quirks. On a side note, this thing is amazing. I rode it from the front of my building (where we unloaded it from the truck) to the back private parking lot. I weigh 150 lbs, and it just pulled me around like a little bitch. I can't imagine anything bigger. (well I can, but it ends in tears) It's the most mind blowing thing, and I couldn't help but shout and carry on while i was on it for all of 2 minutes. It's the start of a beautiful relationship.  Child-hood dreams coming true itt.simkin posted:AI>Cycle Asylum>No, you don't need to sync your damned carbs, it's something else. LOL dually noted
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Jul 13, 2009 02:35
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Methusulah posted:yeah, what was weird is that it seemed to die either way we turned it. Maybe it just needs to go really far one way or the other. I'll be riding tomorrow, provided my gear from new-enough arrives on time. I'll be trying to adjust it then. Also, when it's warm and off choke, giving it any throttle kills it. I guess I'm just looking for general advice, as I haven't had time to really get into it and find all the quirks. That sounds like it might be something beyond just the adjustment knob, then. The adjustment is basically just holding the throttle open to a point. That sounds like a fuel or air delivery problem. Hey, maybe you'll get to learn how to clean the carbs within the first couple weeks of owning it like I did! While we're at it, bookmark this if you haven't already. Crazy in-depth resource on the littlest Ninja.
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Jul 13, 2009 02:42
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sirbeefalot posted:That sounds like it might be something beyond just the adjustment knob, then. The adjustment is basically just holding the throttle open to a point. That sounds like a fuel or air delivery problem. Hey, maybe you'll get to learn how to clean the carbs within the first couple weeks of owning it like I did! Haha, I've been trying to mentally prepare myself if I have to pull the carbs. My buddies have their own shop and do carb work, so I'm not too worried. Basically all I've done the last 2 months is read ninja250.org It's a great website, but like all things, it doesn't help until I actually have first hand experience. I'm hoping being a watchmaker will help in working on my bike, organizing parts and such. Here's hoping 
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Jul 13, 2009 02:46
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Simkin posted:AI>Cycle Asylum>No, you don't need to sync your damned carbs, it's something else. More like: AI>Cycle Asylum: Your carbs are lean, clean them again, but this time actually clean them.
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Jul 13, 2009 02:47
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Phat_Albert posted:More like: AI>Cycle Asylum: Your carbs are lean, clean them again, but this time actually clean them. On that note, what would be bad to clean carbs with? We've got a massive ultrasonic cleaner at school for clocks, it's got some sort of ammonia-water-not sure what else, mix.
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Jul 13, 2009 02:49
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As long as it wont corrode aluminum or brass, it will be fine. Lots of guys clean carbs with ultrasonic cleaners.
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Jul 13, 2009 02:51
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Phat_Albert posted:As long as it wont corrode aluminum or brass, it will be fine. Lots of guys clean carbs with ultrasonic cleaners. poo poo yeah that's awesome. I'll have to check on the aluminum bit, but that would make things a bit easier.
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Jul 13, 2009 02:54
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Hey guys, I'm sorry if this is a repeated question or one too 'newbish' for this thread, but I thought I could ask and see what you'd say, since everyone here has been so helpful in the past. I've just started riding and have gotten my first bike. A '90 Kawi Zephyr. Rides like a dream except for one thing. This may be me doing the wrong technique, it may be the bike, or it may even be entirely expected but I'm not sure, so here's why I came. When I'm riding at a decent clip, let's say 35-40 mph and I approach an intersection where I'll need to downshift to first I'll put my clutch in entirely at about 100-150 yards ahead of the stop, apply brakes and downshift to first during the same interval. When I hit first, even with the clutch fully applied I get a small whine as the bike slows. A kind of rythmic "werr - werr - werr.." as the bike comes to a stop. I can feel very slight vibrations from the bike, but nothing that seems really crazy at all, just feels like the engine slowing in time to the sounds. Is this normal, is this the clutch not disengaging properly, or something else? It's very minor but something I thought you guys might have some insight on.
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Jul 13, 2009 02:56
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DiscoKid posted:Hey guys, Does the noise occur if you shift into neutral instead of first? Second? Is there anything noticeable if you are at a dead stop when you shift to first?
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Jul 13, 2009 04:09
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OrangeFurious posted:Does the noise occur if you shift into neutral instead of first? Second? Is there anything noticeable if you are at a dead stop when you shift to first? Down-shifting into other gears does not produce the noise and pulling out from a stop into first doesn't produce any unexpected noise. I'm sorry that I'm so new at this but I don't have a way of describing it better. If I'm at speed and apply full clutch to facilitate braking the noise and vibration do not seem present until I tap down into first gear. That isn't to say it isn't present at the intervals between other gears, but mostly I apply clutch and kick down into first in anticipation of either moving or turning through an intersection at low speeds. DiscoKid fucked around with this message at 04:23 on Jul 13, 2009 |
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Jul 13, 2009 04:19
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DiscoKid posted:Down-shifting into other gears does not produce the noise and pulling out from a stop into first doesn't produce any unexpected noise. My 88 ZX600 sounds the same way if I shift into first at anything above 10-15mph or so. Exactly like the werrr werrr werrr type whine.
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Jul 13, 2009 04:32
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dietcokefiend posted:My 88 ZX600 sounds the same way if I shift into first at anything above 10-15mph or so. Exactly like the werrr werrr werrr type whine. Well that's good to hear, I'm glad I'm not alone. Do you think it's bad for the bike in any way?
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Jul 13, 2009 04:45
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DiscoKid posted:Well that's good to hear, I'm glad I'm not alone. Do you think it's bad for the bike in any way? Not sure if its good, I normally dont go into first unless I am basically stopped. It makes a weird enough sound that I just try to avoid it.
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Jul 13, 2009 04:47
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DiscoKid posted:Down-shifting into other gears does not produce the noise and pulling out from a stop into first doesn't produce any unexpected noise. Sup fellow zephyr rider, I am constantly throwing it into first way too soon at stops and this happens on all the kawis I've ridden my 76 kz900, my 85 ninja 600, my 90 zephyr 550 and my girlfriends 82 csr 305. I've always assumed it is normal and due to the fact that even with the clutch engaged the rear wheel is still driving the trans up to the clutch so when you slap it into 1st at high speed the trans has to speed up a shitload. The same thing has happened in manual cars I have driven too. I have no sources or proof just my gut mechanical feeling but I know all my bikes do it. That said work on keeping the bike in the right gear when decelerating so you minimize that speedup shock of slapping into 1st and so you can drop the clutch and speed up in an emergency without trying to shift up or locking the rear wheel.
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Jul 13, 2009 04:47
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Pubic Lair posted:Sup fellow zephyr rider... my 90 zephyr 550. This is exactly what I'm rolling, so thank you. quote:That said work on keeping the bike in the right gear when decelerating so you minimize that speedup shock of slapping into 1st and so you can drop the clutch and speed up in an emergency without trying to shift up or locking the rear wheel. Another newb question, I'm sure, but what should I be aiming for as I down-shift? I usually drop down to first as I come to a stop from any speed. I'm afraid I'll stall it if I leave it in anything other than whatever gear I'm at or first if I slow down to a near stop. Should I be working down as I come to a stop, wait until I stop to fully down-shift, or what?
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Jul 13, 2009 05:05
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