goddamnedtwisto posted:

goddamnedtwisto posted:

goddamnedtwisto posted:

Martytoof posted:

Literally same bike here, '18 Ninja 650 and I'm about to pull the trigger on a YTZ10S Yuasa. I figure if I have to replace it in 3 years it's still fine. Prices all over the place is the only catch so I just need to take fifteen minutes after work to hunt for the cheapest genuine Yuasa YTZ10S in Canada, within reason and not spending like weeks bargain hunting.

gileadexile posted:

Storage for a second bike would be problematic at the moment. The carbs worry me in an esoteric sort of way, like ye olde maps that state "Here Be Dragons" at the very edge of unexplored seas.

I don't know if any PO's have sprayed starter fluid or carb cleaner down the intake and damaged the diaphragms. I don't know if somebody rejetted after cutting off the stock mufflers, which on these bikes is apparently not required unless you also get rid of the collector.

So many unanswered questions.

I've decided a few things. Just going to do bits that I'm comfortable with. That mainly includes following along with my shop manual and diagnosing the issues I see. And testing, testing and more multimeter testing.

I have a new set of 4 spark plugs ordered, already have a new air filter in hand. Going to use my multimeter to test the coils and I think I can test my wires that way too. Battery is a cheapish "Fill the cells on your own, peasant" unit I bought last year, but it seems the tender did its job over the coldest parts of the winter so far, as it cranked over ok the other day while I was fiddling.

The things that concern me most are the wiring and a few of the black boxes of magic. I want to use the correct terms here.

Spark units. And pulse generators. Spark units are two little boxes that fit under the seat. Pulse generators are two separate units that reside under the clutch side cover, illustrated here.



Also pictured are the spark units.

Now, peep this poo poo..


[url]Spark https://imgur.com/a/jDf2CBA[/url]

Now, I know the plug is hosed. That's why I'm not making any assumptions yet. I used the best looking one I had out of the pile I have from the big box of extras that came with it and what came out of the bike, both after I did my first post purchase tune up in 2020 and not only were they mismatched by brands, they were gapped by a hamfist.

None of the parts stores have anything in stock that isn't also a resistor type plug, which isn't what this calls for, so that's why I'm waiting on proper NGKs to be shipped via Amazon.

Added an extra onto my order, so I'll always have a clean plug on hand to do testing with or if I need it. Whatever, it's a few bucks.

That spark is repeated over every single cylinder I tested. Means nothing since it's a compromised plug. But, if a new, properly gapped plug still shows a weak spark, that does seem to indicate a wider issue.

I replaced the right side coil last year, and it ran really well that day. That could be down to me making sure all the connections were tight. Hell, it could be butt dyno, but I rode a route I've taken at least two dozen times before, and it rode like a bike possessed. Sounded good and it surprised me and I had to relearn how to ride it on the hilly route.

It was that different of a bike.

I feel..close. The carbs may well indeed be off somehow, but the issue doesn't feel mechanical, if that makes any sense. It's intermittent. And the tach going nutso sometimes, that seems to indicate an electrical issue too. I think.

I can't vouch too much for my first season of riding. I was learning more than just the machine, I was learning how to ride on the road, so I can't look back on any issues I had then because I was concentrating so much on everything else. I don't think I ever cracked it wide open for more than a few seconds at a time, but it never struck me as what I would call a "Big Bike".

I know a 750 isn't huge for a cruiser, but for somone coming over from single cylinder off road stuff, I was always a bit underwhelmed.

This is turning into an effortpost, I just want to try and leave nothing out.

I guess I'm either searching for a validation that I'm right for wanting to disregard the carbs right now or that I'm not just grasping at straws chasing down electrical issues because that's something I'm more familiar with. Does that make any sense?

I took alot more photos and videos, but all the videos show the same weak spark from all cylinders with that same janky plug.

Photos are boring stuff, like suspected leaks in the cooling hoses and air intake stuff before and after I removed pieces that I took to make sure I could put everything back the way it was after I was done. If any of that stuff would help or if anybody is interested in what anything looks like I can make another post with them.

goddamnedtwisto posted:

That's this thread and the Tell me what bike to buy thread that I've managed to coin a title for, if I get a third one what do I win?

Jim Silly-Balls posted:

Yes, keeping the wind off your hands helps immensely. You can actually wear relatively thin gloves if you just keep a pocket of still air around your hands.

Also, hand guards do not look dorky at all compared to bar mitts.

Martytoof posted:

I was trying to figure out why I could do good decently long rides before chilling out on the DRZ vs the Ninja in roughly the same gear, and I ended up boiling it down to the fact that my hands get cold first and it spreads to the rest of my body. The DRZ has handguards and the Ninja doesn’t and I think that’s ultimately what made the most difference. This year I’m going to get a pair of those bar mitts for the DRZ.

I think they’d look out of place on the Ninja but I’m thinking of getting a clip-on pair at least for when it gets really lovely. I’d rather have the option than have to fight through it, and honestly the bar mitts might be a better option that I can just throw into a backpack. If there was a smaller thing I could toss under the seat that would be even better because these might be a little too bulky.

Need to get a tail bag system going.

Strife posted:

Eventually I have to trace down why the bike is killing batteries. I looked at my post history and I replaced the original battery in June of last year. I guess I could have gotten two duds in a row, but that seems statistically unlikely.

GriszledMelkaba posted:

The $17 tusk mitts are the least expensive QoL upgrades for riding a dirtbike in PNW winter. They work great until you flip the bike into a stream of running water and they fill up.
https://streamable.com/uj8rp2

Russian Bear posted:

my hands were freezing along with the rest of me

gileadexile posted:

Thanks for the offer! I'm trying to take advantage of every day that has temperatures above 50 out, but yesterday was gusting winds past 50mph and raining sideways and today was cold, so I've been stuck inside.

I'm reading just over 11 volts at the coils with ignition on. Going to check pulse generators next warm day. If they pass, it looks like it may be down to the spark boxes.

A few users on a V4 specific board have been helping me diagnose and troubleshoot along the way. Still waiting on my Amazon parts. I never would have thought it would be such a pain in the rear end to get non resistor plugs, but here we are.

I ordered yet another baffle for my left side pipe. They keep falling out. I'm eventually going to try go find a pair of stock mufflers, these are Screaming Eagles off of a Harley of some type. Didn't even have baffles when I got it.

Going to need to do a good detailing soon too, maybe touch up the paint on a few places. For me, that just means getting down to bare metal, treating it, then throwing some primer and a tough paint over the worst places. It doesn't need to be perfect, I just don't want it to get any worse.

I should probably get a matching pair of grips too. It has a comfortable foam grip on the left and I threw an old waffle style grip I've had since my Honda ATC days on the right, but it needs something a bit classier. I may get something retro looking.

I forgot to take a pic, but I pried up the right side shock dust cover and yeah, gonna be addressing the leak. May as well fix them both and put on the shock boots I bought. Tubes feel fairly smooth, so I'm hoping it was just a seal letting go.

But I get to get new pads since they got drenched in fork fluid. Good excuse to use the rebuild kits I've had sitting on the shelf for a year. And then I might as well rebuild the master cylinders for the brakes and clutch, because the glass is milky. Unless that seems overboard.

pimpbot posted:

Some stuff got in the way but i had time to check the f2 coils today and they are 3ohm's

T Zero posted:

Anyone have a rec for an app for tracking fuel mileage? It's the one thing I'm not quantifying well at the moment.

gileadexile posted:

Thanks! Mine are reading ok, along with the plug wires. Surprised, considering how old they are! Did some poking around and found the coils weren't secured to their little plate, so I threw some nuts at them, but still nothing new.

So then I made sure their grounds were clean and reattached. Still no joy.


Tested my pulse generators and got readings of 470 on one side and 472 on the other. Supposed to be 480. I guess this is either ok or well within the margin of error for my tester, so it looks like I'll be buying some new spark boxes from the V4 vendor after all. Hoping to be near the end here!

Slavvy posted:

Did you ever do what I said and try to isolate the fault, or are you just bent on throwing parts at the problem?

Slavvy posted:

Ok, just don't order expensive modules until you absolutely have to. It would be pretty not-great to spend hundreds on something that isn't the problem, and you can easily follow the same procedure to test those modules anyway, if both of them were faulty the bike wouldn't even run so you must have at least one good one you can swap around.

Slavvy posted:

Are you looking for the answer to an intangible question only you have sufficient information to guess at, or are you looking for assurance that you won't gently caress it up and everything will be fine?

Either way, can't help you

Slavvy posted:

Maybe this is a good time, while the bike runs ok-ish, to cut your losses and sell it in favour of something much smaller, much newer, and much less 80's V4 honda?