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2ndclasscitizen posted:Question about Seafoam (prompted by this thread): How do people use it on their bikes? Just dump a bunch into the fuel tank and oil? Is it possibly to suck it into the engine using vacuum like the how-to video shows on a bike? I don't think my bike's got any engine vacuum hoses (doesn't need any emissions gear). When I was prepping it for sale, I got it started and was warming it up for a little (last) ride around the neighborhood. I was sitting on the bike in the garage, expecting some typical oil smoke, when I started wondering where the hell ALL THIS WHITE SMOKE was coming from... It took me about 20 seconds (which seems like an eternity...) before remembering the Seafoam I'd put in as a stabilizer...  On the up side, I could (and did) tell the buyer that the bike had been freshly seafoamed. 
Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Apr 5, 2010 |
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Apr 4, 2010 20:32
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I seafoamed a BMW K75 using the vacuum port method, you should have seen the cloud of smoke that resulted-but clearly it needed the treatment. The bike smoothed out very nicely and the throttle response improved. Before it had a sort of "step" effect, like twisting the throttle would belike switching from one level to the next, afterwards, I had a linear throttle. OTOH, I had a Suzuki Sidekick that was starting to show signs of carbon buildup and seafoam did nothing at all except raise an even more impressive cloud of smoke. It's worth doing a good seafoaming if for no other reason than to impress the neighbors, and maybe the fire department if you really do it right!
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Apr 4, 2010 21:25
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I have a '78 Yamaha XS750 Special and I have a couple questions, if anyone has some ideas. I should clarify that this is my first real bike and I don't have much knowledge when it comes to bike, just trying to learn as I go. First question: When I push the bike forward or back, there is a squeaking sound from one of the wheels (I haven't been able to determine which one it comes from). Any clues what is making that sound? Second question: My bike had red iron cross decals on the side panels that I just removed. There is some residue left on the bike with an outline of the crosses. Is there anyway (short of paint remover) to get rid of that?
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Apr 5, 2010 01:34
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#1-you should figure out which wheel is squeaking. Could be something minor or it could be the beginnings of bad wheel bearings, which is not minor at all. #2-GooGone, WD40, tar remover.
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Apr 5, 2010 04:00
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I bought a 1996 YZF600R last season, and am overall very happy with it. However, I started having a problem with first gear popping back into neutral towards the end, right before I parked the bike for the winter, and now that I've gotten it out, and ready to ride again, the problem has persisted. I did a little bit of research, and it looks like that's a common issue for second gear on these bikes, but all the other gears are fine. Unfortunately, since I've done the oil and clutch this spring, and the problem hasn't gone away, it looks like a transmission rebuild is in my future. Am I right in my assessment, and how serious of a problem is this? As long as the other gears continue to be fine, could I get away with pushing the repair till the next off-season?
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Apr 5, 2010 05:04
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First gear is going into neutral or second gear?
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Apr 5, 2010 05:57
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Okay, people on the Valkyrie boards claim that if you polish the inside of the carb intakes, then you get better mileage and power due to ... I dunno .. reduced turbulence or some poo poo. http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/intakes.htm Does this seem fishy? It wouldn't hurt anything to do would it? I have to replace some O-Rings on mine anyway, so I figure as long as I have them off I might as well do it.
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Apr 5, 2010 15:55
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It might work, but the increase in mileage you would get would not at all be worth the work it would take to polish the venturis. Feel free to do it if you feel like polishing something, but I'd be willing to bet you wont notice much of a change.
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Apr 5, 2010 16:29
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Z3n posted:First gear is going into neutral or second gear? First. Second and up have no problems.
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Apr 5, 2010 16:32
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The Fool posted:First. Second and up have no problems. That's really weird, are you slamming downshifts into first or something? Usually it's second that goes out. Are you sure you're not accidentally putting pressure on the shifter before you're ready to shift? Clutch is adjusted properly?
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Apr 5, 2010 16:47
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Z3n posted:That's really weird, are you slamming downshifts into first or something? Usually it's second that goes out. Are you sure you're not accidentally putting pressure on the shifter before you're ready to shift? Clutch is adjusted properly? I'm pretty sure I'm not doing either of the first two. I believe the clutch is good, but I'll double check that. If it helps, for the entire time I've owned the bike (which has been about a year now), it was sometimes difficult to get it into first when cold.
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Apr 5, 2010 16:58
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That can be a sign of a misadjusted clutch, and if you forced it in long enough, it could have damaged first gear. The reason that I'm a little mystified is because first gear almost never goes out, it just doesn't see enough abuse under normal riding conditions to damage the engagement dogs.
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Apr 5, 2010 17:15
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Doctor Zero posted:Okay, people on the Valkyrie boards claim that if you polish the inside of the carb intakes, then you get better mileage and power due to ... I dunno .. reduced turbulence or some poo poo. Meh, I call bullshit on this one. Better midrange power? Based on what? One thing I've learned from the Dodge Challenger boards is that people's "butt dyno" doesn't mean poo poo. Unless it was put on a dyno with evidence it's probably bull crap. Also, how was the MPG calculated? Exact same riding conditions? Same air temperature?
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Apr 5, 2010 17:22
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Quick question, just got my bike cleaned up and running again after being stored for two years. (Someone hit it when it was parked on the street, bent my handlebars, brake lever, foot pegs on the right came off) Also the DOHC emblem/cover/sticker came off: See picture http://sa.plinkey.com/pic.jpg (before it was hit). Now there is a bolt there that the emblem was covering and you can see moving (spinning) when the engine is running...what is that? Stator cover? Or something else? How can I fix this on the cheaps?
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Apr 5, 2010 17:33
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The Fool posted:I bought a 1996 YZF600R last season, and am overall very happy with it. However, I started having a problem with first gear popping back into neutral towards the end, right before I parked the bike for the winter, and now that I've gotten it out, and ready to ride again, the problem has persisted. I did a little bit of research, and it looks like that's a common issue for second gear on these bikes, but all the other gears are fine. Unfortunately, since I've done the oil and clutch this spring, and the problem hasn't gone away, it looks like a transmission rebuild is in my future. Am I right in my assessment, and how serious of a problem is this? As long as the other gears continue to be fine, could I get away with pushing the repair till the next off-season? I had a 76 kz900 and one day the clutch snapped and I had a friend who insisted he could just force it w/o the clutch and get it home for me. Long story short it started falling out of gear into neutral. What happened is one of the shifter forks had gotten bent and was not properly engaging and as soon as I applied throttle it would pop back out. In my bike there were 3 different forks and they each effect different gears so depending on which fork gets bent the gear that's not working may change.
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Apr 5, 2010 17:40
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Plinkey posted:Quick question, just got my bike cleaned up and running again after being stored for two years. (Someone hit it when it was parked on the street, bent my handlebars, brake lever, foot pegs on the right came off) Also the DOHC emblem/cover/sticker came off: It should be covering the cdi/points. I would get a cover from a swap or ebay but I imagine if just the sticker is missing you could epoxy another peice of metal to the existing cover.
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Apr 5, 2010 17:45
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Crayvex posted:Meh, I call bullshit on this one. Better midrange power? Based on what? One thing I've learned from the Dodge Challenger boards is that people's "butt dyno" doesn't mean poo poo. Unless it was put on a dyno with evidence it's probably bull crap.  I figured it was pretty much just observer bias, but I also figured it wouldn't hurt to ask the experts.
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Apr 5, 2010 18:00
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Doctor Zero posted:
Yeah, you spend hours polishing the venturi, of course you're going to have improved it! But seriously, you want some degree of turbulence in the combustion chamber. Sometimes polishing the intake is good, sometimes it's not. Just depends on the situation. I wouldn't bother unless you know exactly why you're doing it and how it's going to affect the flow of air into the carbs and how that's going to improve your engine's operation.
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Apr 5, 2010 18:27
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To get moderate gains in my Dodge Challenger I had to replace nearly five feet of stock air box crap with a three foot nearly straight cold air intake. I don't see how polishing such a small area is going to do anything. Than again, the placebo effect may translate to motorcycles as well.
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Apr 5, 2010 19:59
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Crayvex posted:To get moderate gains in my Dodge Challenger I had to replace nearly five feet of stock air box crap with a three foot nearly straight cold air intake. I don't see how polishing such a small area is going to do anything. When you are one with the machine, the placebo effect is one of the most powerful forces.
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Apr 5, 2010 21:44
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Pubic Lair posted:It should be covering the cdi/points. I would get a cover from a swap or ebay but I imagine if just the sticker is missing you could epoxy another peice of metal to the existing cover. Like this? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1980...sQ5fAccessories
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Apr 5, 2010 23:28
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I plan on doing a valve adjustment this weekend. Do I need to purchase a new head gasket as well? I have the tool and the shims, not sure what else I might need.
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Apr 5, 2010 23:33
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ari.gato posted:I plan on doing a valve adjustment this weekend. Do I need to purchase a new head gasket as well? I have the tool and the shims, not sure what else I might need. You should be able to reuse the valve cover gasket.
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Apr 5, 2010 23:36
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Plinkey posted:Like this? If that looks right and is for your year/model it should work fine. But it looks like there is metal under where the emblem should be on the ebay item so that would mean your emblem and part of the cover cracked off which would require it to hit pretty hard. I would look closely for any damage inside when you take the cover off to be on the safe side.
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Apr 6, 2010 04:01
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Will do, I found the metal decal/cover thing in the street after the douche bag hit my bike and it was just a pieces of metal that fit in that space with some epoxy under it. It was too bent up/messed up to salvage though.
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Apr 6, 2010 04:08
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Z3n posted:That can be a sign of a misadjusted clutch, and if you forced it in long enough, it could have damaged first gear. The reason that I'm a little mystified is because first gear almost never goes out, it just doesn't see enough abuse under normal riding conditions to damage the engagement dogs. I checked out the free play on the clutch when I got home from work today and ended up tightening it up a little bit, and that seems to have helped a lot. Thanks for the advice.
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Apr 6, 2010 04:19
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I don't really feel comfortable doing the valves on my bike and I tried once and failed to get my forks apart to fix the seals, so I asked a mechanic on craigslist and a dealership what the rate would be to get a valve adjustment and fork seals done. They gave me a number I wasn't really content with, and to be honest I'd rather pay one of you goons in Socal/LA if someone was willing.  Would anyone be interested in helping me out with those? I'd make it worth your time of course.
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Apr 6, 2010 21:08
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BotchedLobotomy posted:I don't really feel comfortable doing the valves on my bike and I tried once and failed to get my forks apart to fix the seals, so I asked a mechanic on craigslist and a dealership what the rate would be to get a valve adjustment and fork seals done. They gave me a number I wasn't really content with, and to be honest I'd rather pay one of you goons in Socal/LA if someone was willing. I'm in LA. What kind of bike is it?
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Apr 6, 2010 21:25
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ari.gato posted:I'm in LA. What kind of bike is it? GS500, it's super easy, screw and nut type adjuster. I'd help out but I'm gonna be busy as poo poo for a couple of weeks traveling and stuff...if it can wait until then I can help out.
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Apr 6, 2010 21:29
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Yeah as Z3n said, its a GS500E. I'm not in any rush, the bike runs fine currently but I bet those things haven't been checked in a million years and my seals are definitely leaking so it just needs to be done at some point. But yeah if someone in the area is cool with helping me out I could ride to your place and we could knock it out and I'd rather support a CA goon rather than some craigslist guy and a dealership thats not very friendly and doesn even sell my bike. (u buy GSXR or Busa tia)
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Apr 6, 2010 22:18
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BotchedLobotomy posted:Yeah as Z3n said, its a GS500E. I'd be happy to help, but I've not done a valve adjustment solo yet. I've watched one done awhile back, and I was prepping to do one on my xj600 before some lady backed over it last night, but once I get her back from the shop I take her to for repairs, I'd be happy to help out if I can.
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Apr 6, 2010 22:27
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Anyone know anything about the fuel pumps on Honda Magnas? If so, help me out: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3289388 I posted that in AI since fuel pumps on carbed bikes are a rarity, plus I want feedback on whether or not I can use an automotive pump as a replacement.
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Apr 7, 2010 03:18
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I just impulse bought a full V&H system for my GS700 on Ebay for $50 (good deal I think). Any idea on where to start as far as messing with jets goes? I've never rejetted a bike for an exhaust so really have no idea where to start. I've emailed the seller asking him what he was running so maybe that will be a good start point. Also, where do you buy jets? Do I have to buy a Dynojet kit or could I get them separately somewhere?
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Apr 7, 2010 04:54
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Instead of a car pump, I've wondered if a vacuum operated snowmobile fuel pump would work for those few carbed bikes fitted with pumps. They are quiet, use no electricity and flow enough fuel to feed a 800cc triple at full anger.
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Apr 7, 2010 05:08
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Phat_Albert posted:Anyone know anything about the fuel pumps on Honda Magnas? If so, help me out: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3289388 99-02 Yamaha R6's have carbs and use a fuel pump. Can you use on of those? /edit There's a throttle position sensor on Yamaha's that might complicate things. Crayvex fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Apr 7, 2010 |
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Apr 7, 2010 13:24
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Bugdrvr posted:I just impulse bought a full V&H system for my GS700 on Ebay for $50 (good deal I think). Any idea on where to start as far as messing with jets goes? I've never rejetted a bike for an exhaust so really have no idea where to start. I've emailed the seller asking him what he was running so maybe that will be a good start point. I'd start with the fuel screws. If I'm not mistaken, you'll probably need to go a little bit richer with the new pipes. Also, look into a high-flo air filter. To get the most out of that pipe, you'll need more air in the carbs. I had to adjust the float height for my bike to get it to work properly with my bigger pipe as well. The specs are outside of the manual's recommendation, and I couldn't find any online, so I just adjusted the float height up to lower the fuel level in 1mm increments. After that, if you really feel like tweaking it more, get a jet kit. Factory Pro makes a great kit for my bike, I'm not sure about the GS700. If there's no kit, look into getting bigger pilot jets, main jets, and possibly (but not necessarily) needles. Here's a whole guide to Carb Tuning provided by factory pro. If you have any questions, there are a LOT of carb ninja's on CA.
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Apr 8, 2010 00:31
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Bugdrvr posted:I just impulse bought a full V&H system for my GS700 on Ebay for $50 (good deal I think). Any idea on where to start as far as messing with jets goes? I've never rejetted a bike for an exhaust so really have no idea where to start. I've emailed the seller asking him what he was running so maybe that will be a good start point. I'd get a jet kit for it, or you're going to rob power all through the rev range. It may feel/sound faster, but that's just because the new, bigger lean spot means it hits harder.
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Apr 8, 2010 00:40
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I'm getting around 30-35mpg on my 79 GS750L. That seems low to me. Is there something I should check on or is this normal? Also, I'm getting some serious vibration at 65+mph. I've read carb sync a few times, but this was done in the shop last season. I've cleaned/lubed the chain and checked the length... all seems well. It hadn't been an issue before, but I rode about 45 miles of highway (each way) on Sunday, and my feet were going numb from the vibration.
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Apr 8, 2010 04:36
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orthod0ks posted:I'm getting around 30-35mpg on my 79 GS750L. That seems low to me. Is there something I should check on or is this normal? Does it happen at a set speed, regardless of rpm/gear? If so it's probably wheel balance. As for your mileage, does the exhaust smell of gas? Take out a few spark plugs and see how they look. Chocolate brown = good.
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Apr 8, 2010 08:07
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orthod0ks posted:I'm getting around 30-35mpg on my 79 GS750L. That seems low to me. Is there something I should check on or is this normal? Usual suspects: Tires, wheel balance, swing arm bushings, fork bearings. Or a combination.
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Apr 8, 2010 11:27
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