|
Corrupt Cypher posted:Is there an easy way to tell if old gas has been left unstabilized in a bike before? I am going to look at a 9 year old bike with 5000km on it and I'm pretty worried this might be the case. And if it is, I'd like to knock him down on it. In a test ride situation you can't take it apart but you can look for some signs. If the pilot jets are clogged, it will idle poorly. If it idles poorly, it can be compensated for by turning up the idle. So if it idles at a high rpm, or if the rpm climbs noticeably while warming up, chances are the idle is set high to compensate. It might also idle rougher as different cylinders might get different amount of charge, but that's hard to tell without knowing the model well. 9 years and 5000 km means garage queen, I suppose I'd ask a subtle question instead of listening to the idle. "So the mileage is great, barely been broken in! How have you stored it?" Someone who cares about bikes would mention the stabilizer quite early in their response.
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 17:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 06:41 |
|
|
Corrupt Cypher posted:Varnishing the carbs isn't a concern? It is but they should be able to be cleaned. I would definitely knock him down for having to drain the gas and clean the carbs, because it's gonna need it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 17:01
|
|
|
Corrupt Cypher posted:Varnishing the carbs isn't a concern? Consider that gasoline varnish is literally dried-out polymerized gasoline...so its primary solvent is also gasoline. If the engine runs, there was little enough varnish that fuel can run through the carb, and that flowing fuel will slowly dissolve any deposits. If the engine *doesn't* run, then you may be looking at something like this  Either way, though, you might have sediment or crumbling o-rings or whatever so you can't really lose by cleaning.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 17:17
|
|
|
AncientTV posted:RE: oil chat This. Two strokes or four, its all you need
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 17:33
|
|
|
Olde Weird Tip posted:This. Two strokes or four, its all you need I just use regular rear end canola oil. Don't listen to them folks that tell you to use that extra virgin poo poo, it's just a ploy to get you to pay more money
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 18:24
|
|
|
Snowdens Secret posted:I'm not sure what you got but if it's not JASO-MA labelled it's going to be bad for your clutch. Which basically limits you to 'motorcycle' oil. The energy-conserving stuff is a separate distinction.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 18:30
|
|
|
Snowdens Secret posted:I'm not sure what you got but if it's not JASO-MA labelled it's going to be bad for your clutch. Which basically limits you to 'motorcycle' oil. The energy-conserving stuff is a separate distinction. Doesn't necessarily need to be JASO-MA, that's a newer standard. Best bet is to match what the manual asks for or better.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 18:38
|
|
|
Thanks guys! I will keep that all in mind, especially the advice to pay attention to the idle from cold start. I'd rather not have to clean the carbs right away as this will be my first bike but I guess I should get used to the frequent maintenance ASAP anyways.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 18:38
|
|
|
My coworker told me today my rear wheel is out of true, it's missing a spoke so I'm really not surprised. I suck at true-ing wheels, any idea how much it's going to run me to have a shop do it for me?
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 18:39
|
|
|
Snowdens Secret posted:I'm not sure what you got but if it's not JASO-MA labelled it's going to be bad for your clutch. Which basically limits you to 'motorcycle' oil. The energy-conserving stuff is a separate distinction. I got a different recommendation from ninja250.org. Not that I'm arguing. Ill be changing it at 2000 miles again then at 3 or 4 ill switch to rotella. If I gently caress up my clutch then I guess you were right and ill get to throw in another clutch.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 01:37
|
|
|
Corrupt Cypher posted:Is there an easy way to tell if old gas has been left unstabilized in a bike before? I am going to look at a 9 year old bike with 5000km on it and I'm pretty worried this might be the case. And if it is, I'd like to knock him down on it. A quick sniff and I can usually tell. Old gas has a varnish type smell to me. You can pull some out with a straw or syringe if you want and and put it in something clear to see. Depending on the bike, I think having to clean the fuel system from old gas is worth trying to knock someone down on price.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 02:15
|
|
|
Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Got a source on this? I'd heard differently, that friction-modifying additives was the only issue. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil#JASO http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html, specifically this bit: quote:The most current S standards are SL and SM. These standards differ from earlier standards like SH by lowering phosphorus to improve catalytic converter life, and increasing molybdenum to lower internal engine friction and improve gas mileage. Phosphorus was originally added to oils to help protect high pressure areas like cam lobes and crankshaft bearings, so lowering phosphorus levels is a compromise of lower pollution, perhaps at the expense of engine life. Molybdenum is added to improve fuel economy due to the federal CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, thereby helping GM and Ford keep selling large V8s to the American public, but can perhaps cause problems in engines with wet clutches. So the two hits are lowered phosphorus and added moly in car oil vs bike (and older car) oil. http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/API.html http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0308_oil/index.html In 2004 (I think, it might have been back to 2001) the API changed the certs for auto oil so that -all- oil contains molybdenum additives. The 'energy-conserving- stuff includes more. It's this stuff that's bad for wet clutches. An older bike's owner's manual isn't going to tell you to stay away from auto oil because older auto oil didn't have moly added, and car oil might have been perfectly fine to use. It's the car oil formulations that changed, 'motorcycle oil' didn't change, and new standards like JASO-MA basically exist to say "Yes, this is the same old stuff as before." Old fudds who have been doing their own oil changes since the '60s putting the same oil in their cars and bikes probably have no idea about this, and anecdotes with older oil are irrelevant. This has nothing to do with viscosity, natural vs synthetic etc. Basically, use modern motorcycle oil, or something specifically labelled "approved for wet clutches". The JASO-MA label seems to be a good indicator of this. It's not some oil baron conspiracy to make you overpay for bike oil. I know my (2012) bike manual states API SH (obsoleted in 2001) AND JASO-MA certification fo replacement oil. Will car oil blow up your clutch in the first 5 miles? I really doubt it. Will it lessen the life of your clutch? Probably. Will your bike last long enough for it to be noticeable? No clue. Is the 'energy conserving' stuff worse? Most likely. Commercial diesel oil? No clue.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 03:28
|
|
|
Motorcyclists should just run Shell Rotella T 15w40 or 5w40 and call it a day. They're inexpensive oils marketed for diesel engines, meet JASO MA standards, and have a huge second market among motorcyclists. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 05:09
|
|
|
XYLOPAGUS posted:I got a different recommendation from ninja250.org. Not that I'm arguing. Ill be changing it at 2000 miles again then at 3 or 4 ill switch to rotella. If I gently caress up my clutch then I guess you were right and ill get to throw in another clutch. Nice bit about rotella is it's jaso-ma. You should have zero trouble with it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 05:10
|
|
|
This is really interesting thanks! I still won't lose any sleep since it's just a few thousand miles until Shell Rotella is going in it (after break-in period). I put 50 miles on it right after the oil change and felt nothing different. EDIT: Wow, I assumed that all rotella products were full synthetic. If I had known that that was not the case, I would have gone for the Rotella T... My main reason was that I had heard conventional / non EC oil was fine and I didn't want to put synthetic in too early as to mess with break-in. XYLOPAGUS fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Apr 21, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 05:14
|
|
|
Yeah, there's both synthetic and non-synthetic Rotella. Don't worry about using regular oil for a while, it's a non-issue.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 05:20
|
|
|
MotoMind posted:Yeah, there's both synthetic and non-synthetic Rotella. Don't worry about using regular oil for a while, it's a non-issue. Yeah, I just feel bad for making GBS threads up this thread with another oil debate. I was excited to turn a wrench on the new toy.  I even meant to post this in the less questions, more chatting thread too. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 16:05
|
|
|
MotoMind posted:Motorcyclists should just run Shell Rotella T 15w40 or 5w40 and call it a day. They're inexpensive oils marketed for diesel engines, meet JASO MA standards, and have a huge second market among motorcyclists.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 17:48
|
|
|
I'm at my wits end here, so if someone can help me with my battery/charging system (?) related problem on my 2006 V-Strom DL1000, I'd be ever so grateful. I recently revived my improperly-stored V-Strom after about 8 months of storage. The battery was, of course, dead. I charged it with my battery tender, gave it a go, and it turned over quickly. I decided to ride with it for a week or two until one day, just as I'm rolling to a stop in my driveway, the engine dies (may have stalled it, though I doubt it). I try to start it, and the bike makes a nasty clicking sound while the console flickers. I figure the battery has gone bad from being discharged for so long, so I buy a new Big Crank AGM battery. I installed it two weekends ago and rode the bike around happily that weekend and the next. After a 3 hour ride yesterday, and three 30 minute rides today, with no cranking problems or electrical issues to note, the bike refuses to start after a ~30 minute stop. And it's D-E-D dead. Luckily, a security guard was able to give me a jump which got me the ~10 miles home. Now I'm worried though - this is a brand new battery, so I doubt it's the problem. But why would the bike run for three weekends without being started on weekdays, and go for a hard 2-3 hour ride yesterday, only to die after a short jaunt today? Lastly, is it important that the terminals seem to be accumulating corrosion at an accelerated rate? Radbot fucked around with this message at 04:06 on Apr 22, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 04:04
|
|
|
Radbot posted:Lastly, is it important that the terminals seem to be accumulating corrosion at an accelerated rate? I don't know specifically about this, but it definitely sounds like something in your charging system is shot. A battery can only store so much energy, and it sounds like yours was storing enough energy for three weekends of riding before it stopped producing sufficient voltage to produce a spark for your spark plugs. That'll happen if it isn't getting charged. I don't know enough about the V-Strom charging system to tell you the likely culprits, unfortunately.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 04:57
|
|
|
Use this flowchart to diagnose the issue. I correctly diagnosed a failing stator with it. Fault Finding Flowchart for Motorcycle Charging Systems
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 05:18
|
|
|
MotoMind posted:Use this flowchart to diagnose the issue. I correctly diagnosed a failing stator with it. This can't be posted or exposed enough. It only fails for 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s Hondas -> Always the stator AND the voltage regulator/rectifier.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 09:41
|
|
|
niethan posted:When I press the starter button it does the clickclickclick sound, I'm not sure if it does any rattling. I'll have to look at it again. Update: this is the sound it makes when I press the starter button... I had remembered it wrong, it's not the regular clicking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtLKxAILuPU
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 18:46
|
|
|
niethan posted:Update: this is the sound it makes when I press the starter button... Try pressing the white connector down a little bit, and tighten up your pos and neg terminals on the battery. Also, your battery may be dead. More info: https://www.google.com/search?q=buzzing+starter+klr
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 19:34
|
|
|
MotoMind posted:Rotella I use it in my bikes and in my car with zero problems whatsoever. And it's cheap!
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2012 19:18
|
|
|
I wouldn't run rotella if it's not the proper weight for your bike.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 05:21
|
|
|
I've used Rotella T6 in several bikes. In the DRZ I change it pretty often ~1200-1500 miles somewhat out of paranoia but the shifting does get a little notchy after a while. It's so cheap I don't really feel bad about it.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 05:26
|
|
|
JP Money posted:I've used Rotella T6 in several bikes. In the DRZ I change it pretty often ~1200-1500 miles somewhat out of paranoia but the shifting does get a little notchy after a while. It's so cheap I don't really feel bad about it. No need to feel bad. Changing the oil more often is only going to be better. I used to get on my gf's case about changing her oil too often (manufacturer recommended 4,500 miles between changes, but she does every 3,000), but there's literally no harm done except a slightly lighter bank account over the years.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 14:44
|
|
|
I am having a problem with my 1999 Honda Shadow 1100; it does not want to start. I went out yesterday morning and it was close to low 40s. It would turn over but not start. I have gas in there, choke was pulled in, kickstand up, in neutral, just wouldn't start. I got out of work yesterday evening and I'd guess high 50s low 60s, and tried again. It started right up. Thinking it was just some weird one off thing, I didn't do any more tinkering. This morning I went out to it (40s weather) and it did the same thing. Turned over plenty and in rhythm, but just wouldn't start. I did notice the neutral dummy light would slightly flicker. Right now, I am thinking battery is the right place to start troubleshooting. I know the battery in there is at least two years old so replacing it probably isn't a bad idea. I haven't had problems with it not starting up in the past. Even in the winter in 20 degree weather, it would fire right up. It was just fine last week when I last drove it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 17:48
|
|
|
So I'm riding a 1981 Suzuki gs650e. I had a charging problem that I fixed with a new stator and regulator/rectifier and so far all is well. This is my first bike in a while and have been wondering about riding higher up in the rpms. Is it ok to ride up past where the bike builds power the most? It seems to stop pulling as hard around 6k. The tach redlined at 9500 and the specs for the bike say 73 horse @9k. Is it ok to ride for lengths of time at higher rpms like 7000 or 7500? Is there a certain rpm that's safe to spike to before shifting? Also when riding after about 65mph you're at under or around 6k and it vibrates like mad, it's a real buzzing on my hands and feet not so much like the tires are vibrating or anything. Is this something to worry about or just something that comes with an old bike?
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 20:50
|
|
|
I hate SUVs because their mirrors are at the perfect height to clip my mirrors. What kind of mirrors are good replacements for this lane-splitting dude?
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2012 04:13
|
|
|
pigspotters, obv.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2012 04:37
|
|
|
kenny powerzzz posted:So I'm riding a 1981 Suzuki gs650e. I had a charging problem that I fixed with a new stator and regulator/rectifier and so far all is well. This is my first bike in a while and have been wondering about riding higher up in the rpms. Is it ok to ride up past where the bike builds power the most? It seems to stop pulling as hard around 6k. The tach redlined at 9500 and the specs for the bike say 73 horse @9k. Is it ok to ride for lengths of time at higher rpms like 7000 or 7500? Is there a certain rpm that's safe to spike to before shifting? Also when riding after about 65mph you're at under or around 6k and it vibrates like mad, it's a real buzzing on my hands and feet not so much like the tires are vibrating or anything. Is this something to worry about or just something that comes with an old bike? Keep it under redline and you should be a-ok. Your carbs might need to be synced to make it pull harder and vibrate less.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2012 06:52
|
|
|
Carb question. Just rebuilt a set of carbs for a 1980 CB900 Custom. One problem. I've bench-synced the set, but where 3 of the 4 throttle plates cover 1/2 of the tiny jet holes they're supposed to (per manual spec), the 4th one doesn't cover it right. It appears that the PO used pliers to yank the throttle plates, scraping the soft aluminum. I guess his genius fix was to file off the burrs from those scratches. Problem is that he rounded off the edge of one. It's not completely rounded off, but it's no longer a sharp edge. It's about as close as I can get, but this one throttle plate doesn't have a sharp cutoff over the hole like it should. The question is this: Will it ever run well enough with a very slightly damaged throttle plate? Is it worth even putting this on the bike and trying to sync, or should I suck it up and spend the $30 for the only throttle plates I can find on Ebay before even bothering? Bike needs a lot more love before it's ready to crank, but I'm going piece by piece. Carbs and tank first, next is valves and rings before I even get to ignition.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2012 20:13
|
|
|
Mr. Eric Praline posted:It's about as close as I can get, but this one throttle plate doesn't have a sharp cutoff over the hole like it should. Well, it should probably work fine as soon as the plate is open, but at idle and just off I'd imagine that cylinder would have problems. No way to tell how bad without running it, though. 30 bucks really isn't that much, considering. I quit keeping track of how much I'm spending on my project and it's a lot more fun that way!
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2012 20:33
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:30 bucks really isn't that much, considering. I quit keeping track of how much I'm spending on my project and it's a lot more fun that way! Yeah, this particular one has been just nickel & diming me to the point that the wife has started to notice the stream of ebay deliveries. I kinda find it more fun to work with what I have rather than buy replacement parts, but I don't think this will be one of those times if it doesn't want to play nice.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2012 21:16
|
|
|
Mr. Eric Praline posted:I kinda find it more fun to work with what I have rather than buy replacement parts Well, I agree with that, which is why I spent like 6 hours electrolyzing and sanding and polishing and clear-coating 72 old spokes instead of just buying a new set off eBay. And why I spent a week dissolving a sheared-off jammed-in bolt out of the side cover with acid instead of hitting up the junkyard. But carburetor parts are usually so precisely machined, and it's such a critical piece of the bike, that you'd be better off just replacing the broken part. Now, if you had a benchtop mill and lathe and you just made a new throttle plate from a chunk of aluminum, then you'd be operating on a whole other level.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2012 21:52
|
|
|
This is a newbie question but, out of pure curiosity...what do you guys do about potholes? My town is full of them yet a sizable amount of people have motorbikes. Is avoiding them the only protection against them?
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2012 00:11
|
|
|
I'd gas it over them at the very least if you didn't see it coming at all. Don't let your front fall into it if you can help it. If you have to hit a gigantic hole there's really nothing much you can do if you're at speed. Try to swerve if you can - if not gas it hard to at least get the weight off the front wheel and onto the back wheel that is (hopefully) wider and can distribute the shock a bit more. No guarantee that you won't bend a rim or something but I'd just avoid as best you can. I live in TX now though so potholes are nonexistent  .
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2012 00:15
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 06:41 |
|
|
Not owning bikes with clip-ons helps, too... drat you, New York.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2012 00:18
|
|
