Question Thread: Apply throttle directly to forehead

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Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Reposting my question on carb related shenanigans, since apparently nobody's reading the carb repair thread anymore.

quote:

1)On one side I can't get at the slide, as two of the screws stripped in the process (looks like a previous cleaning attempt had pretty much managed to kill them anyhow). Should I be okay just mucking around on the float bowl side of things? I managed to get the other slide off no problem, and it didn't have any varnish buildup on it.

2)Who the hell though that recessing a flathead fastener that deep into a hole was a bright idea? pilot jet None of my regular screwdrivers that were of the proper size for the slot would actually fit into the hole that the pilot jet was hiding in, forcing me to modify a lovely old relic screwdriver. Again, one side came off with only mild swearing, but the side I'm working on now, the pilot jet let go with a much greater snap that is usual for a stuck fastener - turns out I managed to nearly shear it in half, but it still came out. It should have enough strength to survive going back in, but I'm not in any immediate need of the bike. Should I be okay to reuse it (and just not crank it in so hard that it will completely disintegrate next time it's removed), or should I source a replacement? If so, how much do they usually run?

3)Bizarro OP modifications There's a pass-thru between the two carbs that is a fuel line, and the two tee off into one fuel line that looks like it should be an overflow. Except.... This line isn't long enough to direct the petrol away from anything that wouldn't cause a major conflagration. Oh, did I mention that it was plugged with a drywall insert and machine screw? Should I just replumb this so that it dumps onto the road, or?

4)The pilot screws (the one that's outside of the float bowl is the pilot screw, right?) required a differing number of turns to bottom out on each side. Is this normal, or should I have them set at the exact same number of rotations? One was 1.5 turns, the other was 1.75, so it wasn't much, but I'm new to this whole carb cleaning thing, and am a little

# ¿ Feb 4, 2009 08:36

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 21:42

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Nerobro"&"Z2n posted:

Thanks guys. I guess I should have realized that the carb thread wasn't a diagnose/repair thread as well as just a general info one.

The slide on the side that I can't get off does slide up and down without any problem, and judging by the one that I did manage to take off, it should be in really quite good condition. I'll see if anyone in town has a pilot jet to fit my needs, and reset the pilot screws so that they're at the same number of turns. Also, I'll see if I can't get some photos to clarify exactly what the weird hose setup issue is.

This teardown also gives me the chance to bin the goddamn inline filter that some asshat decided was necessary, replacing the whole mess with just a straight 5/16" line from the tank to the carbs, and replacing the old, lovely vacuum lines with something a little newer and more supple.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2009 20:04

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Datsun Honeybee posted:

Anyone have suggestions on a good way to remove old exhaust gaskets from the manifold on the head?

These were what held up my re-mounting of the exhaust, I had no idea thwy were even there, squished flat against the head and practically welded in place. I didn't want to scratch anything so I just put the headers back on without getting those out for new ones.

The exhaust gaskets are probably paper/copper crush gaskets - one time use only, or so I'm led to believe. I found the easiest way to actually remove them involved a flathead screwdriver. Once you got under one side, the whole mess would pry out from its little hidey hole. Since they're sunk into holes, and are expected to see expansion anyhow, any little scratches from a screwdriver shouldn't be a problem at all.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2009 07:21

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

I had the chain on my bike get a light coating of surface rust after the loving city decided that salt was the answer to all of life's problems. :ughh:

Half an hour with some 0000 steel wool, a bottle of 75w90 gear oil (the stuff I use to normally oil my chain), and a fair amount of elbow grease, and it was good as new. Deeper rust, though, I'm not so sure this method would have worked - immersion in kero might work, or a long oil bath.

# ¿ Feb 14, 2009 11:04

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Center stands are awesome and there's no goddamn reason every bike shouldn't have one, unless it's a race bike. :crossarms:

# ¿ Feb 14, 2009 23:33

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Also, if bike companies could all follow BMW's example and have their bikes balance on the center stand such that you can just ride off (without having to roll if off the stand first), that would be great. tia

# ¿ Feb 15, 2009 04:53

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

dietcokefiend posted:

Wouldnt that mean it wouldnt be locked as securely back on the stand? I kind of like how my 600 goes up and back and locks down on the center stand. Puts my mind at ease with it sitting next to my car in the garage.

No, it's locked pretty firmly on the stand, but the weight is on the back wheel, rather than the front, so you can just fire the bike up, and drive away. It does involve a little bit of feathering the clutch, as you have to give the bike some impetus to get up and over the stand, which seems to imply that it's not going anywhere on its own.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2009 06:01

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

I wonder why BMW bikes have the center stand set up that way, then. Every other bike I've seen/ridden has balanced on the center stand and front wheel, except for my dad's R1150GS. I'd assume it's the same for most BMW bikes.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2009 08:57

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

^^ As has been said many times before, that's an awesome looking bike.

Hmm. That may actually be the case - it's been a while since I've been on his bike, but it could just be that much easier to rock backwards on the center stand. Mine takes a good deal of persuasion, if I want (for whatever reason) to have the front wheel off the ground.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2009 18:40

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Jack the Smack posted:

:worms:

This man speaks the truth. :downs:

I've never had anyone nearly run into me at stop lights, it's usually just some inattentive asshat trying to merge into me. Your bike has a horn for a reason, kids. As long as you practice proper lane position, have good spatial awareness, and have a functioning horn, the risk posed by traffic can be mitigated.

# ¿ Feb 19, 2009 08:54

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Phat_Albert posted:

So lets say you're sitting at an intersection and someones barreling down on you, not paying attention.

Assuming you notice beforeband in your mirrors or something, your proposed solution is to honk your horn at a car coming up behind you?

I meant for every situation but being rear ended, which is why I do leave my bike in gear at lights, with the clutch in, and keep an eagle eye on my mirrors, at least until there are a few cars stopped behind me.

Yes.

# ¿ Feb 19, 2009 19:33

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Using the kill switch means I don't have to take my hands off the bars to turn the bike off, though, which is useful when I want to nonchalantly coast into my driveway. Sure, I could reach my hand into the middle to turn the key, but I usually turn my bike off while I'm turning, so...

# ¿ Feb 20, 2009 23:17

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Phat_Albert posted:

...so one hand it

Killswitch/ignition now officially ranks with oil discussion and GT- :argh:

in the pantheon of topics that constitute a :godwin:

in AI

I'll just take up no-handing it instead. That way I have both hands free to prop myself up when I run into my parked car.

# ¿ Feb 20, 2009 23:56

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Christoff posted:

What's the best chain lube and where to get? How often should I lube it up? Just when it visibly might need some?

I've taken Z3n's advice and now lube my chain with 90w gear oil. It's so goddamn cheap compared to the spray on poo poo, it's not even funny. I usually oil once every 2-300km (pretty much every time I fill up on petrol), with a proper cleaning of the chain every 2-3 tanks.

I used to just run a rag along the chain while the bike idled in neutral, as there was just enough force to spin the wheel. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS. A week ago, my bike decided that since it was cold, it would transmit a bit more power than normal through the oil, and as a result, I got my thumb caught between the sprocket and chain. 7 hours spend waiting in the emergency ward for some x-rays and stitches later, I've come to the conclusion that I should just spin the goddamn wheel by hand. :smith:

# ¿ Feb 24, 2009 20:13

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

^^ Yes, chain maintenance ranks right up there with oil selection and GT- :argh:

discussion, in terms of how it polarizes people.

dietcokefiend posted:

I only lube my chain from rear since it prevents any sort of accident.

Yeah, it certainly wasn't one of my brighter moments. Turning the bike off with one hand wedged in place was kind of interesting as well. Thankfully, adrenaline does wonderful things for allowing you to ignore any discomfort.

The gear oil I use isn't a straight 90w, it's 75w90 semi-synth from Crappy Tire :canada:

When I have occasion to do any more than just wipe off excess oil (or wipe it clean before applying fresh oil), I use kerosene, a stiff nylon brush, something to keep the kero off of any important bits (usually a chunk of cardboard), and a fair old whack of patience. A full cleaning, if the chain's really dirty, usually takes about an hour or so, more if I'm anal, less if I just want to get the gritty bits out.

I find that with the gear oil, I do get a bit more fling-off than using motorcycle specific chain lube, but then again, it doesn't turn into some gummy, abrasive poo poo that just grinds the everloving gently caress out of everything. No matter how good you wipe your chain down after applying fresh oil, you will get some small amount of fling off, and you'll likely develop a waterproof patch on your driveway.

Even if the oil didn't make such good lube, I'd probably still stick with it, because it's just so bloody cheap in comparison to anything. Seriously, a 1L bottle of the stuff was ~CAD$8.00, and has lasted me at least 6 months - that's including using it on several motorcycles and bikes (oh yeah, it's also good for pedal bikes). With the spray on stuff, the cheapest that I could usually find was ~$6.00, I'd be lucky if that lasted a month, and it was always a pain in the rear end to clean afterwards.

vv It'll say in your manual, but usually it's not needed until you have to either replace the sprockets, or the chain has stretched to the point that the chain tensioner no longer does as its intended.

Simkin fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Feb 25, 2009

# ¿ Feb 25, 2009 00:46

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

The little amount of weight you could probably save by ditching stuff like signals, fenders, and exhaust guard, probably wouldn't amount to enought to make any difference at all, really.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2009 04:35

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Where would I find a manual for a 1988 Honda CB450S. The closest I've come to finding one is a pdf of a Portugese one, that may have to suffice. It wasn't sold to the States, so of course there's pretty much fuckall available on ebay.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2009 04:57

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Z3n posted:

The only part that I really need to figure out is the brake drum assembly/disassembly. It functions, but will occasionally stick. This can be remedied with a prod on the rear brake pedal, and a bit of rocking back and forth.

Any ideas what I should be looking for when I open it up? I don't think that the problem stems from the pedal itself, and I have exactly zero experience poking around the internals of a drum brake, soooo....

# ¿ Feb 26, 2009 08:39

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Z3n posted:

E-mailed, but...it didn't seem to work?

paybara [at] gmail [dot] com

Too cold to do work on the bike today. WHY THE CHRIST DID IT SNOW AGAIN? :confused:

# ¿ Feb 27, 2009 04:48

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

MrZig posted:

So what's the verdict, is rubber better than the plastic stuff?

A clear line is nice to check that fuel is coming out of the tank, but you really don't want clear plastic anywhere near a heat source. :supaburn:

# ¿ Feb 28, 2009 01:26

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

MrZig posted:

Okay good advice - rubber it is. I'm also having a hell of a time trying to find some spring hose clamps heh.

Don't bother. They're way more trouble than they're worth. Just find some regular old screw adjustable hose clamps - they're less than a buck at Crappy Tire - and replace ever clamp you take off with them.

# ¿ Feb 28, 2009 01:46

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

So put it in neutral, pull the clutch in, start the bike, and then walk away. How is this difficult? :iiam:

# ¿ Mar 11, 2009 09:42

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Christoff posted:

I'd like to skip that part. I usually leave it in neutral as I park the rear tire against a curb. Or it's in the garage.

Just echoing what Z3n was saying. There's safety systems on bikes for a reason. Next you're going to be looking to defeat the kickstand killswitch, or something equally dubious. :smith:

# ¿ Mar 11, 2009 18:27

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

I think Z3n and Dubs have valid points. The V-Strom has the same 'need clutch in even in neutral to start' thing that you're mentioning, and I was absolutely flummoxed by it, coming from my bike, where it doesn't care at all one way or the other. I had to pull the manual out for that one. :downs:

# ¿ Mar 12, 2009 03:33

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

My Kawi ZR-7S doesn't care two shits whether the clutch is in or not, as long as I'm in neutral. Then again, I think there's a Kawasaki specific system to prevent false neutrals.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2009 04:22

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

You don't need to even have it in gear - as long as the bike's cold, there will be enough force going through the clutch to spin the back wheel in neutral.

Ask me how I know... :smith:

The mechanical/sizzling sound is roughly what a nicely oiled/cleaned chain should sound like. Just make sure it's adjusted properly, and you'll be fine.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2009 04:49

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

It would mean that the clutch wasn't engaging fully, and the clacking into gear is resulting from that. You're likely to notice that clunking more often when your bike is cold, before the oil's had a chance to warm up.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2009 23:53

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

^^ Oh sure, make me look like an rear end. :argh:

Ratzinc posted:

Rotary + motorcycle = ??

Suzuki's got ya covered.

loving Resident Evil 5, loving up the GIS search for motorcycles. :argh:

# ¿ Mar 14, 2009 08:11

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Getting hot while riding doesn't sound like a battery problem, that seems like it would fall more into the realm of a charging problem.

# ¿ Mar 16, 2009 00:07

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Cmdr. Shepard posted:

This looks way beyond my budding mechanical side and I'm debating either taking it to a repair shop / kawasaki dealer (can't find any near me, suburban chicago area), or just neglecting it altogether but I know that's not the smart thing to do. Basically, I'm asking if I really DO need to lubricate the swing arm. I haven't felt or had any reason to believe there's anything wrong with the suspension system and there is no squeaking or friction I know of.

Reasons why I will strive to never own a bike without grease nipples...

It's a service interval for a reason. Sure, ignoring it until you pass the bike on to someone else might not cause any problems, or it could seize up on you, making your suspension unable to react like normal. From the provided walkthrough, there's absolutely nothing complicated about that. Just make sure you have everything well supported, have the right tools and material on hand, and take your time. I don't see it taking any more than about an hour, start to finish. Well, maybe more, if you've never removed a wheel before.

# ¿ Mar 16, 2009 07:01

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

If you really, really have to fidget, for the sake of all involved, don't do it at low speeds. At higher speeds, the bike is more stable, so you shuffling a little bit to get comfortable won't make much of an impact, but at low speeds, you'll actually be able to influence the bike to a noticeable extent.

# ¿ Mar 16, 2009 21:42

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

^^ Use your center stand, or, in absence of one, you can just do a section at a time, and then roll it forward. Sure, it takes longer, but what else are you going to do if you have nothing to hold the wheel up?

Son of Thunderbeast posted:

It's hilarious for everyone watching, putting it on over any armoured jacket, but otherwise it's fine.

Fixed for ya. :v:

# ¿ Mar 17, 2009 05:11

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Yeah, that walkthrough's a pretty good explanation. After a while, it just becomes a nice, fluid movement.

Then, when you've mastered popping your bike up onto its ceter stand, you can try learning to pirouette it on the side stand. :black101:

# ¿ Mar 17, 2009 06:48

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Well, they'll get you yelled at by most of the people in here, if you somehow count that as an advantage.

Seriously, don't even bother, you've already got at least two filters already on your bike before any potential crap even touches your engine. Supplementing that is unnecessary.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2009 08:16

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Welp. There's one way of getting rid of chicken strips.

I had an RD400, with a hackjob chainguard that would do that to the left side of the rear. It was an old, scary bike, though, so I never, ever had the chance to get close to leaning over far enough to see if that had seriously compromised the tyre.

# ¿ Mar 18, 2009 23:35

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Not sure if it's some sort of endemic problem with the GS500, but I definitely had the same experience with mine. The 'roll it a short ways forward or back while trying to engage first' technique always cured it of its stubborn resolve to shift.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2009 23:19

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

dietcokefiend posted:

can the rotor be removed and doused with brake cleaner to make good again?

Yes. Also, don't get that poo poo on your paint (or skin). :cry:

# ¿ Mar 22, 2009 22:54

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Well, we could just petition sigtrap to rename this the dietcokefiend question megathread. :v:

# ¿ Mar 24, 2009 00:40

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Nerobro, when will you realize that us :canada:

are made of sterner stuff, and just don't need any sleep?

# ¿ Mar 29, 2009 09:29

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# ¿ May 15, 2024 21:42

Simkin: May 18, 2007; "He says he's going to be number one!"

Trolling the forums keeps me awake while I fitfully work on my thesis. :toot:

Is there any sense in buying new/custom length clutch and choke cables for an old bike? The ones that are on there are about 5cm too short - the throttle cable is long enough, so that grip is all the way out to the end of the handlebar, but on the clutch side, but not so on the clutch side. Could I get away with just going to the motorcycle wrecker and finding suitable length cables?

# ¿ Mar 29, 2009 10:14

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