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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:Sigh. My valves were all in spec, so my hard starting issue is not caused by them. YOU STUPID MOTORCYCLE, I'VE EXHAUSTED EVERY POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD BE WRONG WITH YOU I'm still not convinced that the engine is getting enough power to turn things over when cold. Maybe the starter solenoid? Try jumping the terminals with a rubber handled tool and seeing it it turns over quickly.
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May 1, 2010 00:08
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niethan posted:I ran these tests ( my results in bold): Did you check the individual stator wires against the engine ground? You could have what I had...good output on all of the stator coils, but when they went under load it shunted to the engine case due to a short on the stator. Check them with it reved, you should see only a few volts of bleed over between the engine ground and the individual wires of the stator. If you get more than ~10 volts, one of your stator winds is grounding to the engine, so when things go under load it's just dumping along the path of least resistance: the engine ground.
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May 1, 2010 00:09
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Z3n posted:I'm still not convinced that the engine is getting enough power to turn things over when cold. Maybe the starter solenoid? Try jumping the terminals with a rubber handled tool and seeing it it turns over quickly. I actually replaced the starter solenoid already, even though it didn't need it. I also push-started the bitch when cold and it still didn't start easily. Maybe I'll make a video of the bike so everybody can see what I mean. FuzzyWuzzyBear fucked around with this message at 00:58 on May 1, 2010 |
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May 1, 2010 00:55
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I guess I pack really light compared to a lot of you guys. The longest trips I've been on were about 1000 miles in a three day weekend on my GS. The only things I brought was my AAA card, AMA card, a multitool, a changeable bit screwdriver, a 1/4 ratchet with 8, 10, 12 and 14mm sockets a few fuses and a small can of chain lube. Small things I don't mind messing with on the side of the road, but I figure if it really shits the bed enough for me to have to do serious work I'd rather have it towed home or to my shop. I'm not hardcore enough to be doing cylinder re sleeves in a campground by firelight.
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May 1, 2010 02:34
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Bugdrvr posted:I guess I pack really light compared to a lot of you guys. The longest trips I've been on were about 1000 miles in a three day weekend on my GS. The only things I brought was my AAA card, AMA card, a multitool, a changeable bit screwdriver, a 1/4 ratchet with 8, 10, 12 and 14mm sockets a few fuses and a small can of chain lube. That's more than I've ever packed for a motorcycle trip. 700 miles, one day, all I brought was my beard.
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May 1, 2010 02:39
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I packed so light on my last motorcycle trip that I left the bike in the garage! 
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May 1, 2010 03:04
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I always bring spare handle bar tassels as they tend to get frayed pretty quickly on longer trips.
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May 1, 2010 03:56
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Next time I'm taking one of those green things. Comes in very handy!
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May 1, 2010 05:27
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Zool posted:I always bring spare handle bar tassels as they tend to get frayed pretty quickly on longer trips. You are completely awesome. I find that I have to bring rain flys for my rain flys. Leaky gear is just so 1999.
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May 1, 2010 05:54
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OrangeFurious posted:That's more than I've ever packed for a motorcycle trip. I mean for one day out and back trips I usually don't bring much of anything, but when I'm going to be gone for 3+ days, I want to make sure the vacation isn't going to be cut short by something stupid.
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May 1, 2010 06:05
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Posted this shot in the show your bike thread but I am almost near the end and need some exhaust advice. The case on one side hands well over the exhaust with only a 2-3" height gap above it. It is skewed to the right so it isnt getting the entire updraft from the tailpipe but pretty darn close. Should I worry about getting some sort of insulating material on the bottom of the plastic? My idea right now is a piece of 1/16" thick steel plate bolted to the bottom with a 1/4" airgap between the plate and plastic.
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May 1, 2010 08:31
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Z3n posted:Did you check the individual stator wires against the engine ground? You could have what I had...good output on all of the stator coils, but when they went under load it shunted to the engine case due to a short on the stator. Check them with it reved, you should see only a few volts of bleed over between the engine ground and the individual wires of the stator. If you get more than ~10 volts, one of your stator winds is grounding to the engine, so when things go under load it's just dumping along the path of least resistance: the engine ground. Is the engine ground a certain wire or can I just put it up against a bolt on the engine?
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May 1, 2010 08:34
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FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:I actually replaced the starter solenoid already, even though it didn't need it. I also push-started the bitch when cold and it still didn't start easily. Maybe I'll make a video of the bike so everybody can see what I mean. Yeah i'm surprised you're having so many issues on the last year of the F2 with like 11k miles? Mines got 18.4k right now and it starts up really easily almost as if it's fuel injected, I just start it on full choke, and let it go at 3-4k rpm for about 15 seconds and I can turn the choke all the way off and it settles into a nice idle. Totally different from my GS which has to be warmed up on full choke for a good 2-3 minutes, then running it at half choke if in stop and go for a while or I can turn it off completely if i'm hitting the highway. It takes a long rear end time for it to warm up properly, i'm thinking of just ordering a new stock can off ebay for like 80 bucks because I wonder if my current exhaust with the baffle removed affects it negatively, it's also loud as gently caress and I kinda feel bad when I start it up in the morning but it does sound pretty awesome.  Still gotta figure out why i'm losing coolant out of my brand new radiator cap, refilling the reservoir every 2 weeks a little bit isn't so bad but I want to figure it out. I wonder if I need to check the thermostat.
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May 1, 2010 08:38
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Weird question, but why can't I be attracted to the girl who asked for a ride on my bike, and told me she has had sex on a "red crotch rocket" while it was being driven? I should just buy a Harley
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May 1, 2010 11:39
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UserNotFound posted:Weird question, but why can't I be attracted to the girl who asked for a ride on my bike, and told me she has had sex on a "red crotch rocket" while it was being driven?
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May 1, 2010 13:17
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How much in price, in terms of %, would you take off a bike that has a few scratches on it? Basically the bike got hit while it was parked, and it toppled over. Two fairings were replaced, and a third was not because it just has some scratches on it. They're definitely noticeable, but not from a distance. The engine casing that pokes out has some scratches on it as well.
anonexpedient fucked around with this message at 16:45 on May 1, 2010 |
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May 1, 2010 14:57
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My bonneville has a little bit of oil that has seemingly seeped out of the crankcase. There isn't enough to have spilled or dripped, it just looks like some dampness around the seem. Is this something to worry about? Do I need to replace the gasket there?
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May 1, 2010 15:12
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anonexpedient posted:How much in price, in terms of %, would you take off a bike that has a few scratches on it? Basically the bike got hit while it was parked, and it toppled over. Two fairings were replaced, and a third was not because it just has some scratches on it. They're definitely noticeable, but not from a distance. The engine casing that pokes out has some scratches on it as well. You can't really define it in terms of a %. It could be 5%, it could be 30%, depending on the bike and overall condition. niethan posted:Is the engine ground a certain wire or can I just put it up against a bolt on the engine? You can ground it anywhere on the engine that's unpainted.
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May 1, 2010 17:08
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I'm looking at some job possibilities in Stuttgart; do we have any goons with knowledge of bike availability and general moto-possibilities in Germany, particularly down in the South? Compared to the US, would that area be more motorbike-friendly, decent selection of bikes available at reasonable price, etc? Are there many cool German bikes we don't often see in the US? For what it's worth, I like Standard/traditional type bikes, and I also like bikes smaller/lighter than most Americans favour, so hoping there's maybe some popular German or French bikes over there in the 350lb, ~500cc, ~40hp range, something nice and easy-handling for city riding and the quieter highways. Any "quality of life" comments about motorcycling while living in Germany would at least get me started.
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May 1, 2010 17:11
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Stupid question time: Can I check compression using the kick start and if the carbs are off the bike?
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May 1, 2010 17:52
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UserNotFound posted:Weird question, but why can't I be attracted to the girl who asked for a ride on my bike, and told me she has had sex on a "red crotch rocket" while it was being driven? Because you don't enjoy a case of scorching herpes? Probably for the best.
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May 1, 2010 20:51
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Crayvex posted:Huh? How is sex on a crotch rocket even possible? Meh, Harley chicks are even worse methinks. No offense but if you bought a motorcycle to get girls and you aren't 16 then you are going to be disapponted. Just my two cents. I don't think it is possible, but I was just making a joke about being gay(thanks, Southpark) for turning down an obvious offer for kinky sex. Also, I couldn't care less what people think of my bike or the fact I ride... and if I did, I'd certainly buy a flashier bike (82 GS550Lol), probably care that my gear doesn't match, and probably have banged the ugly chick anyways. And I'm not being all  eitherI just happen not to be attracted to people who I don't think weigh less than I do. UserNotFound fucked around with this message at 21:05 on May 1, 2010 |
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May 1, 2010 21:01
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infraboy posted:Yeah i'm surprised you're having so many issues on the last year of the F2 with like 11k miles? Tell me about it. Maybe I do still have a fuel issue. It idles like poo poo and will sometimes want to die if I don't help it with throttle, and the revs tend to hang when I blip the throttle. Guess I'll try richening the fuel mixture. Also, DON'T PUT A FUCKTON OF SEAFOAM IN YOUR GAS TANK. My bike stranded me at a streetlight and I couldn't get it started again. Ended up having to drain about 2 gallons of fuel/seafoam out of the tank onto a parking lot, like an rear end in a top hat, and then walk to a gas station and get a 1 gallon container of fuel. Then I had to push start the bike for about 20 minutes to clear the carbs because of course my battery was near-dead from all the cranking I had to do to get the thing started previously. FML And yet I love bikes so much I keep coming back.
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May 2, 2010 05:13
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Well, you're only supposed to use like 1 oz. per gallon of gas or something like that.
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May 2, 2010 05:17
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I know. But I thought that maybe, just maybe, I knew more than the people who made Seafoam and dumped the whole thing in my gas tank. It even drove for about 20 miles before the layers of Seafoam made it into my carbs, so I guess fuel is denser than that poo poo is.
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May 2, 2010 05:24
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:I'm looking at some job possibilities in Stuttgart; do we have any goons with knowledge of bike availability and general moto-possibilities in Germany, particularly down in the South? I had the pleasure of doing a work rotation in Stuttgart. It's a beautiful city and there are motorcyclists everywhere! Keep in mind that the weather doesn't permit year round riding but I do have some pretty funny pictures of motorcycles covered in snow. Then again, that shouldn't be a big deal with the super awesome public transportation system in Stuttgart. I had a U-Bahn stop right outside my flat. I took the trains everywhere. A month long local train pass cost me around 60 euro. It covered the main areas of Stuttgart. I didn't do any riding while I was there, mostly because I was supposed to fix a friend's bike but I spent all my free time exploring Europe on the trains. I will say that the roads down there scared the crap out of this yank. Nothing seemed to make sense. It was weird to see motorcycles on the Autobahn. I'm not sure I want to be out there with the crazies riding 260 KM/H. Unfortunately for me there was bike accident right outside my flat. That pretty much killed any riding after my wife saw it.  How can you ride when you have things like this on the road! 
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May 2, 2010 13:35
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:I'm looking at some job possibilities in Stuttgart; do we have any goons with knowledge of bike availability and general moto-possibilities in Germany, particularly down in the South? I live in Stuttgart. There's only BMW here as far as german bikes are concerned, the rest is japanes mostly and some italian ones. We got more 125cc bikes than you have over there cause you can get a license for them when you're 16. We also got a lot of bike with 27 to 34 hp, cause there's a 2 year period where you're restricted to 34hp after you get your license. You can probably get a GS500 or something like that for 1000 to 2000 euros. Check out mobile.de and motoscout24.de for listings. From Stuttgart you can go on daytours through the black forest, which has pretty awesome twisties. Crayvex posted:
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May 2, 2010 16:26
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Hey guys, I'm currently getting my motorcycle license and I'm fortunate enough to be able to start on my sister's GS500E. This bike has been stowed for about 2 years, and we're looking to do some restoration on it. First, her boyfriend is a long time biker, and has done most of the wrenching needed on his own bike. I read that it's a good idea to drain the fuel after it's been idle as long as this bike has, but he didn't think it would be necessary. What's the verdict? Second, we're going to get a new battery, spark plugs, and maybe a chain / sprocket set. Any recommended items, or stuff to stay away from? Third, the bike is a little low for me, as I'm 6'2" tall and the shifter and foot brake end up being in somewhat uncomfortable positions. Is there any solution apart from riding with a pillow under my rear end or something  Anything else I should be doing while we're working on it? I've read that carb cleaning should probably be done, and maybe valve adjustment. We may just have a shop take care of the last part.
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May 2, 2010 17:10
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Icept posted:First, her boyfriend is a long time biker, and has done most of the wrenching needed on his own bike. I read that it's a good idea to drain the fuel after it's been idle as long as this bike has, but he didn't think it would be necessary. What's the verdict? I would drain the tank. That fuel won't be good anymore and keeping it around is just going to complicate any kind of troubleshooting if the bike doesn't run right. Unless the GS500 has some sort of retarded design it should only take 10 minutes to drain the tank.
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May 2, 2010 17:21
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Icept posted:Hey guys, I'm currently getting my motorcycle license and I'm fortunate enough to be able to start on my sister's GS500E. This bike has been stowed for about 2 years, and we're looking to do some restoration on it. Second the draining the tank. Especially if it hasn't been stabilized properly. You're probably going to have to clean the carbs too. If your sprockets are in good shape (they should be), I'd just replace the chain. As to comfort, you can adjust the position of the shifter, the rear brake, and the levers to make things more comfortable for you. I'd check that the tires aren't dry rotted, if it was stored out of the sun in a temperature controlled garage and the tires were relatively new when they went into storage, you're probably ok. Also, flush all the brake fluid out, after 2 years it's going to look like tea and be fairly contaminated. Also this should go without saying, but just in case: change the oil and filter.
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May 2, 2010 19:55
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niethan posted:I live in Stuttgart. There's only BMW here as far as german bikes are concerned, the rest is japanes mostly and some italian ones. We got more 125cc bikes than you have over there cause you can get a license for them when you're 16. We also got a lot of bike with 27 to 34 hp, cause there's a 2 year period where you're restricted to 34hp after you get your license. You can probably get a GS500 or something like that for 1000 to 2000 euros. Check out mobile.de and motoscout24.de for listings. From Stuttgart you can go on daytours through the black forest, which has pretty awesome twisties. Yeah! I lived above the Backzeit. I miss Stuttgart terribly, especially the Volksfest.
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May 2, 2010 20:46
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Thanks guys, I'll make sure to go over the stuff you mentioned.
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May 2, 2010 21:23
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I headed south yesterday and today and found some nice roads with some sweet twisties. It was mostly awesome, but there's a section of the one road that is a bit rough, and it's absolutely brutal on the bike. I'm spending most of the ride on that section dodging divets in the road because each one bottoms out my back end and puts a hurtin on my rear. I'm assuming this is a shock issue. Is it possible to adjust the rear shocks? If not, what do I need to replace/how much and I looking to spend/how difficult is it? I'd like to take a stab at it myself if it's noob-worthy. Edit: 79 GS750L w/ 14k miles orthod0ks fucked around with this message at 00:57 on May 3, 2010 |
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May 2, 2010 23:45
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orthod0ks posted:I headed south yesterday and today and found some nice roads with some sweet twisties. It was mostly awesome, but there's a section of the one road that is a bit rough, and it's absolutely brutal on the bike. I'm spending most of the ride on that section dodging divets in the road because each one bottoms out my back end and puts a hurtin on my rear. We need to know the bike for specifics-all bikes are somewhat adjustable, but the location and nature of these adjustments varies considerably.
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May 3, 2010 00:07
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Gnomad posted:We need to know the bike for specifics-all bikes are somewhat adjustable, but the location and nature of these adjustments varies considerably. Oh, yea, duh. It's a '79 GS750L with about 14k miles.
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May 3, 2010 00:18
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orthod0ks posted:Oh, yea, duh. It's a '79 GS750L with about 14k miles. These shocks are probably only adjustable for preload then. Look on the rear shocks, you'll see a collar with some scallops, the scallops ride on a pin, it's arranged somewhat like a ramp. Those are the preload adjustments, the farther up the ramp ypu go the more preload you have and the harsher your ride. You can usually tap the ridges in the collar with a punch and hammer to llosen them but tightening them is another matter. The original suspension equipment on the old UJM's were pretty basic even in the old days and haven't aged well. You may want to look into aftermarket sloutions.
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May 3, 2010 02:00
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Gnomad posted:These shocks are probably only adjustable for preload then. Look on the rear shocks, you'll see a collar with some scallops, the scallops ride on a pin, it's arranged somewhat like a ramp. Those are the preload adjustments, the farther up the ramp ypu go the more preload you have and the harsher your ride. You can usually tap the ridges in the collar with a punch and hammer to llosen them but tightening them is another matter. The price range varies an absurd amount. What should I be looking to spend? These adjustable can be had for ~$100 (http://www.jcwhitney.com/adjustable-shocks-and-springs-mc/p2007058.jcwx). From there the price goes up drastically, $300+.
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May 3, 2010 02:49
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The $100 ones give you preload adjustments, while the damping will be better than the old shocks you still won't have the ability to adjust compression and rebound damping. It doesn't seem like much but once you've ridden a bike with better suspension components it will be a revelation. Also, you can change your fork oil. The 30 year old fish oil in there now is likely fairly nasty. A lighter oil will loosen up the forks, heavier will tighten, the idea is that you can do a lot to adjust the forks but the rear shocks are usually sealed units.$300 should get you rear shocks that are matched to your wieght and riding style. These guys- http://www.davequinnmotorcycles.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/HAGON_TWIN_SHOCKS.html Hagons are going to be better than JC Whitney shocks. Gnomad fucked around with this message at 08:41 on May 3, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 08:39
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orthod0ks posted:The price range varies an absurd amount. What should I be looking to spend? These adjustable can be had for ~$100 (http://www.jcwhitney.com/adjustable-shocks-and-springs-mc/p2007058.jcwx). From there the price goes up drastically, $300+. I have these on my '77 KZ650 and they handle great but are back destroyingly stiff over large bumps. I think its because they're designed to fit a wide range of bikes and the springs tend towards the heavier ones. Your bike weighs a good 100 pounds more than mine so you may find them to be just right. I'm a light guy (165lbs) and heavier riders haven't had a problem with harshness riding my bike. That said they were a thousand fold improvement for my bike. I didn't realize how badly the rear end was flopping around until I replaced them.
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May 3, 2010 13:26
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8ender posted:I have these on my '77 KZ650 and they handle great but are back destroyingly stiff over large bumps. I think its because they're designed to fit a wide range of bikes and the springs tend towards the heavier ones. Your bike weighs a good 100 pounds more than mine so you may find them to be just right. I'm a light guy (165lbs) and heavier riders haven't had a problem with harshness riding my bike. I also put these on my GS550L, which weighs about 520lbs? I weight 215ish, and with no pre-load i still find them stiff enough for my liking. The original shocks only had about 8,000 miles one them, and for $100 or so it was the biggest improvement I've made to my bike, other than ditching the crappy L bars 
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May 3, 2010 23:39
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