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ChiTownEddie posted:I just discovered after my longish ride on sunday that my bike is definitely not charging the battery. I ordered a Clymer manual for it, but does anyone have any insight as to whether this fix is going to be over my newbie head? Probably not. In terms of commonality, your potential failures are: Dead battery, failed R/R, wiring harness shorting/failed, and bad stator. The first 2 are simple swaps, the 3rd requires a multimeter, and the stator going means that you have to replace it. What bike is it?
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Aug 9, 2010 18:32
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83 Nighthawk 550 (CB550SC). I am pretty sure the battery is fine though*. edit: *I didn't install it, but the PO had a receipt from taking the bike into the shop at the end of May and one of the things was new battery. Plus the battery took a charge just fine from my trickle charger and held it... ChiTownEddie fucked around with this message at 18:40 on Aug 9, 2010 |
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Aug 9, 2010 18:37
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ChiTownEddie posted:I just discovered after my longish ride on sunday that my bike is definitely not charging the battery. I ordered a Clymer manual for it, but does anyone have any insight as to whether this fix is going to be over my newbie head? No it's just about the simplest faults to fix on a bike, aside from busted light bulbs. You need a volt meter capable of measuring AC and DC voltage, which would be just about any multimeter out there. With that handy you go through THIS GUIDE. That will tell you which part you need to change. But do all the tests in the guide. For example a bad battery could in worst case fry the regulator, and the regulator could in worst case fry the stator. I changed both stator and regulator in under two hours on my bike. Including a trip to the hardware store to buy connectors.
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Aug 9, 2010 19:01
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ChiTownEddie posted:83 Nighthawk 550 (CB550SC). I am pretty sure the battery is fine though*. There is an order of diagnostics and replacement to these components that should be followed. If not, they can and will fry each other and you'll be replacing them multiple times. This can get expensive--figure roughly $100 each for repro, so there's an incentive to get it right. There's a cottage industry of people who re-manufacture these parts, and they're usually superior to OEM. If it comes to that, let me know and I'll refer you to some of the better ones. What you have to remember is that it was the dawn of the kickerless age and the technology just wasn't there yet. Theories abound as to why the design is flawed, most of them having to do a lack of heat dissipation for the rotor/stator assembly. (errr, makka setan sort of beat me to the buzzer)
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Aug 9, 2010 19:11
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SlightlyMadman posted:I've never really done any mechanical work, so I'd be a bit nervous about it, and I don't even have a garage or driveway or anything. If any of that is super beginner level though, I might be able to give it a shot, especially if I can convince a friend to let me borrow their garage. You don't need a garage or mechanical experience. I started on bikes with zero experience two years ago and from them to now I've tored up and remounted a whole engine in the porch of the small apartment i was staying at in the beach with minimal tools, opened and cleaned carbs in the side of the road with just a few hand tools, and a lot of other field repairs i don't even dare to talk about (always keep some silver tape on you, it can fix anything). Get the service manuals, a set of milimetric hex wrenches, a monkey wrench, some pliers and two or three screwdrivers and you can fix a lot more stuff in your bike than you will initially be willing to do.
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Aug 9, 2010 20:14
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Cool, I just ordered the clymer service manual for my bike, and "The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance" by Mark Zimmerman, and will try to see what I can handle on my own. Unfortunately, my temporary registration is up in about two weeks, so anything that isn't totally trivial I'd rather just have a shop take care of because I don't really have more than a couple hours free time before then. Once it's past inspection though, I'll definitely be trying to fix anything I can myself, if only because it seems like all the shops around here are run by charlatans.
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Aug 9, 2010 21:06
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Bottom Liner posted:A klr is going to be one of your cheapest options, and they are indeed made for long trips such as this. A comofortab,e cruiser would also be a good choice, provided you're going to be on roads the whole time as mentioned above. Used Klrs can be had for around 3k, and make sure if you get one get a 2008 or newer, they had a major redesign that year with some nice changes and upgrades. KLRs do fine touring, but I wouldn't go with the new model unless you can be sure its not one of the ones that consumes oil. I'd also wager that if you're looking to go cheap, the newer models don't really buy you much for the extra cost (better front brake, a little bigger forks, better looking plastics, a fair bit heavier). The redesign isn't really that major once you discount cosmetics and the front brake. Front brake is easily fixed with an oversized rotor.
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Aug 10, 2010 05:36
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GaiaFag posted:Is there anything imperative I should know before I begin doing anymore planning? Any guidance is welcome. When I was younger, I spent some time traveling the world and studied under some tibetan monks high in the Himalayas. While there one my instructors told me that life was too short to live with only one cylinder. True Story.
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Aug 10, 2010 05:52
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GaiaFag posted:I'm sorry if this seems stupid, but I know little to nothing about motorcycles and I need some guidance. A buddy of mine and I are planning a trip from Las Vegas, NV to Grove City, PA and I've begun to look at bikes. My dad seems to know about motorcycles and swears that the best fit for the trip is going to be a Kawasaki KLR650 dual sport, or something similar and absolutely a 650. Like I said, I'm a know nothing about this. Is this bike really going to get me across country with little incidence? Also, are there any other better choices and maybe anything cheaper? Is there anything imperative I should know before I begin doing anymore planning? Any guidance is welcome. You , uh... know how to ride, right?
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Aug 10, 2010 15:13
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blugu64 posted:When I was younger, I spent some time traveling the world and studied under some tibetan monks high in the Himalayas. While there one my instructors told me that life was too short to live with only one cylinder. True Story. Your instructor was a hack: 
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Aug 10, 2010 16:59
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I just had my first ride with my first pair of real motorcycle boots, a pair of Joe Rocket Sonic boots. OMG, I feel like I have to relearn how to ride. I guess I'm used to my super thin Doc Martin tanker boots. I had a hell of time jamming my foot under the shifter and it took longer than I expected to get a feel for the rear brake. Mind you I have huge feet (size 12). They are brand new, so I'm guessing they'll get better when they are more broken in right...right? Or will I have to bite the bullet and figure out how to adjust the shifter on my R6?
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Aug 10, 2010 17:42
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Crayvex posted:I just had my first ride with my first pair of real motorcycle boots, a pair of Joe Rocket Sonic boots. OMG, I feel like I have to relearn how to ride. I guess I'm used to my super thin Doc Martin tanker boots. I had a hell of time jamming my foot under the shifter and it took longer than I expected to get a feel for the rear brake. Mind you I have huge feet (size 12). Your Sonics look like tall versions of my Orbits. If so, then mine have never really "broken in", at least not on the outside. You'll probably end up adjusting the shifter.
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Aug 10, 2010 18:00
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Doctor Zero posted:Your Sonics look like tall versions of my Orbits. If so, then mine have never really "broken in", at least not on the outside. You'll probably end up adjusting the shifter. Looks like it isn't that hard to adjust. I have a shift linkage and stuff, but I should probably just adjust it at where the pinch bolt/splines thingy is.
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Aug 10, 2010 18:18
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I've worn an older set of Sidi Vertigos for the last 1200 miles or so, and at first I hated them. They're bulky and cumbersome, and I had a hard time adjusting to the feel for the rear brake and shifter. This was coming from just wearing hiking boots or sneakers before. I didn't realize how much I got used to them until I took a quick spin around the block the other day to warm the chain up before I oiled it, and felt totally naked on my feet without them. I'd guess that you'll get used to them relatively quickly and won't want to ride without them after that.
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Aug 10, 2010 18:28
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Z3n posted:Your instructor was a hack: Fixed
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Aug 10, 2010 20:05
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Hot Buttered posted:I've worn an older set of Sidi Vertigos for the last 1200 miles or so, and at first I hated them. They're bulky and cumbersome, and I had a hard time adjusting to the feel for the rear brake and shifter. This was coming from just wearing hiking boots or sneakers before. I didn't realize how much I got used to them until I took a quick spin around the block the other day to warm the chain up before I oiled it, and felt totally naked on my feet without them. I'd guess that you'll get used to them relatively quickly and won't want to ride without them after that. Yeah, you aren't kidding about adapting fast. The ride home from work was much easier and I don't think I'll need to adjust anything. I'm still not as comfortable as I was with my old boots but I just went from awwww this fuckin sucks to hey this isn't so bad!!
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Aug 10, 2010 22:33
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Crayvex posted:I just had my first ride with my first pair of real motorcycle boots, a pair of Joe Rocket Sonic boots. OMG, I feel like I have to relearn how to ride. I guess I'm used to my super thin Doc Martin tanker boots. I had a hell of time jamming my foot under the shifter and it took longer than I expected to get a feel for the rear brake. Mind you I have huge feet (size 12). Substitute Joe Rocket Sonic for A* SMX+ and size 12 for crazy Euro size 46 and this was me a couple months ago. Know the funny thing? I never consciously realized the point I got comfortable in them. Had to move the bike wearing regular shoes not too long ago, and the direct feel of the rear brake lever was foreign to me.
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Aug 11, 2010 01:46
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Endless Mike posted:forget belts! Fixed!  Don't forget: fully enclosed chains.  
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Aug 11, 2010 20:07
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I'm poking around the forums and the internet but not having much luck finding threads about GPS devices for motorcycles. I'll hopefully be doing a trip from Seattle to Wyoming (Yellowstone) in a couple months and I'd like a decent system to help guide me there. What I have on my bike is a camera mount on the handlebars. The kind of camera mount with a bolt sticking up and a twirl nut to tighten the camera from the bottom. Any idea on where to go for suggestions? Any personal anecdotes?
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Aug 11, 2010 20:08
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A bit of a silly question I suppose but I googled and had no luck. Bike is an 82 Yamaha Seca 650 and I'm replacing the brake pads which is extremely easy except I need to remove a screw that is holding it in place on the inside of the caliper. Problem is, it's a phillips head and I can't get a screwdriver in there properly. It's angled because of the opposite caliper being in the way and as such it's stripping the head. What to do?
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Aug 11, 2010 22:11
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Mcqueen posted:I'm poking around the forums and the internet but not having much luck finding threads about GPS devices for motorcycles. I'll hopefully be doing a trip from Seattle to Wyoming (Yellowstone) in a couple months and I'd like a decent system to help guide me there. http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=354&Category=1&Lid=4 Not sure what needs to be added!
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Aug 11, 2010 22:12
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Xenoid posted:A bit of a silly question I suppose but I googled and had no luck. Bike is an 82 Yamaha Seca 650 and I'm replacing the brake pads which is extremely easy except I need to remove a screw that is holding it in place on the inside of the caliper. Problem is, it's a phillips head and I can't get a screwdriver in there properly. It's angled because of the opposite caliper being in the way and as such it's stripping the head. What to do? You have a picture? That doesn't sound right unless someone's done a botch job on your calipers in the past.
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Aug 11, 2010 22:23
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 Click here for the full 2048x1536 image. No botch job, just seemingly impossible to remove without taking the wheel off which I know to be unnecessary. Almost everything on the bike is original so it's kinda scary in a way. I opened the flaps to look at the wear and I couldn't see past the spiderwebs(?). Xenoid fucked around with this message at 23:07 on Aug 11, 2010 |
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Aug 11, 2010 23:01
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Why don't you pull the caliper off? Just undo the 2 bolts that secure it to the fork leg.
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Aug 11, 2010 23:21
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I tried that it doesn't move unless that screw comes off (unless it's incredibly stuck and all my yanking did nothing). The manual says that it must be removed to remove it as well.
Xenoid fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Aug 11, 2010 |
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Aug 11, 2010 23:43
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Xenoid posted:I tried that it doesn't move unless that screw comes off (unless it's incredibly stuck and all my yanking did nothing). The manual says that it must be removed to remove it as well. It's hard to see in the picture, but I mean remove the caliper so that you can have a better angle to attack the screw at. There shouldn't be any way that that screw can hold the caliper to the fork leg. Besides that, I'd just pull the front wheel. Especially when it comes to awkward angles on stuck screws, it's best to remove whatever you need to get ideal access to the part, otherwise you waste a lot of time and energy when it would have taken you a fraction of that to just remove the parts in your way.
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Aug 12, 2010 00:17
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Well I removed both the bolts holding it to the frame and pulling it did nothing but I guess I'll try again, it's just hot out and I'm doing this in the street so it has to be fast. I guess I can try removing the wheel but jesus that's a lot more work than this is supposed to be.
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Aug 12, 2010 00:35
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Xenoid posted:Well I removed both the bolts holding it to the frame and pulling it did nothing but I guess I'll try again, it's just hot out and I'm doing this in the street so it has to be fast. I guess I can try removing the wheel but jesus that's a lot more work than this is supposed to be. You don't have the brake lever pulled when you're trying to remove it are you?  Could be it's just stuck. Try hitting it lightly with a rubber mallet, or just yanking really hard. Could be 1 more bolt you're missing too. That screw definitely shouldn't be holding it to the bike.
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Aug 12, 2010 01:28
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I looked at a craigslist listing recently and realized I was able to read about half of the description. I don't really need an indepth explanation of everything but what do these mods end up doing? - Desnorkeled air filter - 152.5 main jets - 17.5 pilot jets - 2-1/2 turns A/F screw - 2 shims on the needle - drilled slide hole - Fox Twin clicker shock - SVS clipons and top triple - Racetech Emulators - .85kg Sonic Springs - powdercoating The guy says that most of his modifications were done for the track so I'm assuming they aren't that great for someone who wants to stick to the street? Would these cause a higher need for maintenance, loss of MPG, etc? punch drunk fucked around with this message at 08:55 on Aug 12, 2010 |
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Aug 12, 2010 08:04
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Jaros posted:I looked at a craigslist listing recently and realized I was able to read about half of the description. I don't really need an indepth explanation of everything but what do these mods end up doing? Desnorkled air filter: This is a common SV mod, allows better airflow (more noise, more powah!) the next 4 are carb jet settings that probably mean a lot to someone who knows about SV tuning. I doubt he'll come along though, he doesn't post here much... Drilled slide hole, again SV tuning specific thinga-ma-jig. Fox shock: aftermarket rear shock (good, stock blows) SVS clipons and top triple: more aggressive SV-S style clipons, aka down and tucked rather than upright and wide. Less comfort, more sport. Racetech emulators & springs: Means the forks have been modified to not completely suck rear end like they do stock, more aggressive, better all around. Powerdercoating: Means the frame? Or some other misc parts have been torn out of the bike, cleaned, painted another coat using electricity and then put back on the bike. Hard to tell from the small pics, but maybe the frame will be prettier in person than it would otherwise be.
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Aug 12, 2010 08:31
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Spiffness posted:Desnorkled air filter: This is a common SV mod, allows better airflow (more noise, more powah!) Thanks for all this!
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Aug 12, 2010 09:06
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MrZig posted:You don't have the brake lever pulled when you're trying to remove it are you? Exactly - this makes no sense. Remove caliper mounting bolts, get a drift and whack the caliper away from the disc. The caliper is probably stuck on - get new seals and rebuild it.
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Aug 12, 2010 09:08
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Spiffness posted:the next 4 are carb jet settings that probably mean a lot to someone who knows about SV tuning. I doubt he'll come along though, he doesn't post here much... No sir, you're lucky you caught me on a day I check the forums. That's basically just saying that the carbs have been modified to correctly match that M4 exhaust on there...which is, by the way, one of the best exhausts available for the SV (if it's a full system). He powdercoated the rearsets and the upper triple tree, that's just cosmetic stuff. That's a very nicely set up SV. I'd see if he still has the N model bars and triple trees because I much prefer the naked stuff and it's like getting 2 bikes in one if you do, just swap the triples and install the handlebars and you have a much more comfortable, upright riding position. I say buy it, see if you can talk him down a few hundred, but even at 2800$ that bike has just about every mod you could ever want done to an SV minus a GSX-R front end.
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Aug 12, 2010 16:29
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Anyone have any information about motor swap compatibility between 1997 and 2000 model engines for the Ducati Monster 750? I've spun a bearing on my 2000my and found a beauty of an engine for sale out of a 1997my, but am having trouble coming up with any information regarding changes made over the years.
UserNotFound fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Aug 12, 2010 |
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Aug 12, 2010 20:59
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UserNotFound posted:Anyone have any information about motor swap compatibility between 1997 and 2000 model engines for the Ducati Monster? I've spun a bearing on my 2000my and found a beauty of an engine for sale out of a 1997my, but am having trouble coming up with any information regarding changes made over the years. Unless your 2000 is the Monster 900 they should be identical.
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Aug 12, 2010 21:20
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Blaster of Justice posted:Unless your 2000 is the Monster 900 they should be identical. Edited my original post to reflect that it's a 750. From the images, at least the right side cover and oil pressure sensor connectors are different/placed different, but hopefully it's nothing too bad.
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Aug 12, 2010 21:22
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UserNotFound posted:Edited my original post to reflect that it's a 750. From the images, at least the right side cover and oil pressure sensor connectors are different/placed different, but hopefully it's nothing too bad. I'm pretty sure that all changes are REALLY minor. Engine should bolt right up, but there might be a few wire connectors and such that'll need a bit of fiddling.
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Aug 12, 2010 21:34
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Adjust float levels or carb sync first?
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Aug 14, 2010 04:46
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ari.gato posted:Adjust float levels or carb sync first? To adjust float levels you need open float bowls. Do this first. Then assemble everything. When everything is assembled bench synchronize. Then mount carburetors and do a vacuum synchronization at idle.
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Aug 14, 2010 07:16
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I just bought a 2009 Bonneville with 1200 miles on it, and I noticed from the service log that the PO never got the 500 mile maintenance stamp. I know I could probably do it all myself pretty easily (it's really just changing the oil, lubing the drive chain, and checking a bunch of stuff), but I'd be worried about not having service logs affecting the resale value if I ever decide to get a different bike. Do people care about that as much with motorcycles as they do with cars? The shop I go to wants $250 for it, which is kind of ridiculous.
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Aug 14, 2010 21:26
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