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I've been daily riding an 80's Japanese bike for the last few years/65k miles. Mine is an air cooled Suzuki so it's one of the more bulletproof ones but it still does require tinkering every weekend. All bikes do though which isn't the main issue which is usually catching up on 20 odd years of deferred maintenance. If you don't mind fixing PO fuckery, hunting for obsolete parts and tinkering with stuff always along with having crappy brakes and handling (compared to '90+ year bikes) it's certainly doable.
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Aug 6, 2014 18:37
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epalm posted:There is a widening throttle null-zone, and I'm not sure what I need to adjust. My FZR did this too. Actually it would do the "I don't know how to drive stick" pilot induced oscillation that would get worse until I pulled in the clutch. I finally fixed it by opening up the mixture screws about another turn each. Even though it started and ran perfectly fine it must have been lean as hell. Now it's smooth and I can hold it at small throttle openings/low RPM without it jerking all over the place.
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Aug 16, 2014 04:39
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I think some bikes are just more susceptible to it than others. When I got my Suzuki it had a pilot screw almost falling out on one carb and a blocked pilot jet on another and it still idled and rode fine at low RPM. The Yamaha I rebuilt and synced the carbs and then fine tuned the screws with my IR thermometer. It started and idled beautifully but it still did the jerky low RPM poo poo. It was driving me nuts and I had the carbs off several times trying to get it figured out. I finally thought about the problem and came to the conclusion that it was lean surging and needed the screws out more. After that it's been great.
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Aug 16, 2014 08:14
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MrKatharsis posted:My second replacement speedo cable just broke. It's breaking right at the bottom end where the cable meets the solid metal insert. I'm thinking that it's because when I plug it in, I the cable is bending at a weird angle instead of sticking straight out of the lower plug. Does this sound plausible? Should I be adding grease or something to it before I install? There's a little rubber gasket for the lower end and I don't know if I'm supposed to leave it there either. Basically, please help me. Bike is a 2004 Ninja 250. I don't remember how the speedo drive on the 250 is but on my GS you can move the drive any which way before you tighten the axle. I have to make sure I align it properly before I tightening so I don't have a kink in my cable. If the Ninja is like that you can loosen it up and get the threaded part sticking out in the proper direction so your next cable lasts longer. If it's like my FZR there is a notch in the fork leg that the drive fits into causing the angle is fixed so there's no adjustment.
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Aug 24, 2014 09:18
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I'd just jet for the leaner end for where you are. I've taken many trips above 5,000 feet from my sea level (like three blocks from the beach) shop and have never noticed much of anything different.
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Aug 27, 2014 15:41
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Depending upon the bike you might be better off adding a relay into the headlamp wiring. I went from getting a solid 12.3V at my bulb to the full 13.6V at idle when I added a relay. The light output went from lovely to pretty drat decent even with a stock, million year old H4. I'd check power at the battery at idle and then across the terminals of the bulb (while it's plugged in and on causing a load) and see how much of a difference there is. Anything more than a half a volt or so and I'd wire in a relay. Light output decreases significantly as the operating voltage drops.
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Aug 29, 2014 04:14
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I used to like riding old bikes as only bikes but have pretty much done a 180 on it. They are fun projects and great to learn how things work but if you want to ride then get something newer. It will always need something done to it as the miles go up (chain maintenance, brakes, services, valve adjustment) so you can still learn as you need but it won't need everything all at once just to get out of the driveway. Beside that the brakes and suspension on most bikes built before the mid to late 90's are pretty much total poo poo. The good thing is that KZ is a fairly popular bike and you should be able to get a decent bit of money depending on it's condition. Maybe tinker around with it enough to get it running (as in at least able to start, idle and rev up a bit to show that the motor isn't ready to grenade) and then flip it. You should be able to do that for no more than the cost of a can of carb cleaner and maybe a battery. Beside getting you more money selling a running bike, it will get you familiar with carbs which most beginner bikes will have.
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Aug 31, 2014 00:31
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You drill the holes on the compression damping side only. The rebound damping is changed only by fork oil weight. If it's got crappy rebound damping then the fork oil is probably beat and needs to be changed. I'd try fresh 20w or go thicker and see how that goes. Changing the oil is easy as long as you have a way to support the front of the bike while it's taken apart. There's a chart somewhere (google should find it easily) that shows how the weight of oils is pretty arbitrary and what weights are what. The Belray stuff might be thinner than 20w from the start.
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Sep 11, 2014 14:46
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My super awesome stepfather gave me his '65 Electra Glide but it has a stuck piston. It has never been rebuilt so I figure I should modernize it while the work is being done. Seems like hardened valve seats, high flow oil pump, electronic ignition and a screaming eagle carb are things that are typically done. What else would you guys recommend? Would you do the work yourself (never have been in a Harley engine but have rebuilt air cooled Porsche engines) or farm it out to a shop with a good rep? I'm going to replace the tires, rebuild the forks and replace the rear shocks as well as probably everything else. The last time it was on the road was 1984 so it's been a while. I plan on riding it some but obviously not every day so it needs to be freeway capable. It's still got the original paint so I'm just going to clean it up and focus on mechanical stuff. He replaced the wiring harness when he got it so electrically it's sound.
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Sep 12, 2014 01:59
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If you can, try to poke the pointy end of a pick in between the end of the hose and fitting a few mm and spray some kind of lubricating spray in there then give it a twist. Pretty much anything works to get in between and break the bond (unless it really is melted on to the plastic in which case you're going to have to cut stuff). Basically what Slavvy says except I also give it a spritz of whatever solvent stuff I have on hand. Seems to work really well to get hardened lines off of things. Pro tip for getting coolant/oil hoses off: After you get the clamp off push the hose on further wiggling side to side while pressing. Doing so breaks the bond and gets some lubricant in between. Plus you usually need much less leverage to push on than to lever off. Bugdrvr fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Sep 14, 2014 |
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Sep 14, 2014 23:26
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Nitramster posted:1996 VFR750 Honda carbs seem to love getting stuck floats. I've had it happen on every one I've owned but never on any other bike. Definitely try tapping the bowls before taking anything apart. In the future, If you're going to let it sit, I'd really try to drain the carbs otherwise you'll be unhappy with yourself if you have to remove VFR carbs to clean them out.
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Sep 16, 2014 17:36
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You think you may be paying extra attention since you just did the carbs but really you're just noticing gradual elevation changes? I agree that you should sync your carbs and fine tune the needles but most times if the carbs have problems they are less transient in my experience.
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Sep 22, 2014 16:42
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Every time I've heard people mention tossing ball bearings and poo poo I always try to remind them that there's a really good chance they aren't going to even hit the car they toss them at and are instead going to break some other sods window who just happens to be driving behind the whole stupidity convoy.
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Sep 28, 2014 23:31
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Slavvy posted:Fork seals seems like something you could easily get as a generic aftermarket part that doesn't suck balls; I don't see how ducati would be special in this specific instance. I've never had great luck using cheap fork seals. I've tried cheapo Chinese as well as All Balls and both leaked really quickly. I would have no problem going aftermarket as long as I was getting an OEM however.
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Oct 12, 2014 02:15
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I've been using the z3n method of a drop of oil per link and never cleaning anything. Have gotten nearly 25k out of this chain and have only adjusted it once. The last chain I got about 30k. As for oil... Well, I prefer it in my engine but my Suzuki prefers it on the ground. It doesn't seem to have a preference so I put in whatever I get for free at work which has been 0W-40 Porsche spec Mobil 1 for the past few years. Used to be Rotella synthetic. Both seem to do the same thing (leak). The Yamaha doesn't leak at all thankfully.
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Oct 28, 2014 21:59
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Chichevache posted:It starts, I go. It don't start, I don't go. Pretty much this except I will crank it yell at it until it does go.
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Oct 30, 2014 18:28
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Sometimes it helps if you tip them forward or back instead of trying to pull straight off. If not that then definitely heat. Cold rubber that has been heat cycled a million times is not the most pliable thing out there.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:36
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Did you do a valve adjustment on it recently? Mine had around 17k on it when I checked the valves and 5 intakes had negative clearance. I was unlucky and ended up with three burned valves after the adjustment (and a track day on the already leaky ones) but from what I read most are ok once you get then in spec.
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Dec 4, 2014 05:52
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My commute is 60 miles and depending upon how retarded my fellow commuters are acting 60-95% of that is above 80mph. Add a headwind pushing up valley walls which feels like hitting a brick wall at speed has me squarely in Camp Fairing. For fun rides it doesn't matter, but believe me, it gets annoying pretty quickly when you're half asleep and just want to be to work already/just want to be loving home. Having a decent windshield is a big help in my case. EDIT: I even commuted on the same bike with and without fairing and vastly prefer with. I even rode Seattle to San Diego, San Diego to SF and San Diego to Zion, Utah naked and really didn't mind. It's the pleasure vs. work grind thing again I guess. vvv I always wear ear plugs if I'm going to be going over 50mph. I have too many loud hobbies and try my best to preserve what left of my abused ears. Bugdrvr fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Dec 10, 2014 |
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Dec 10, 2014 03:57
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The only thing I can think is that someone tightened enough that it squished the seal and is now overtorqued metal on metal. I would use whatever method you need and then tighten the next one to spec or possibly a little less. I've hand tightened every spin on filter I've ever installed on cars (17 years as a mechanic) and motorcycles (20something years of riding and fixing) and have never had one come loose. I always find that new mechanics tend to way overtighten poo poo. With basic oil changes going to the low man you tend to see a poo poo load of hulked on filters and stripped plugs. I tell all my apprentices to use a torque wrench until they get a feel for poo poo and then still use the torque wrench if there is any doubt at all.
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Dec 15, 2014 03:15
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My kill switch acts up occasionally where it is off even when it's on. Switching it back and forth a few times gets things normal again.
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Dec 16, 2014 23:09
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n8r posted:You know some people buy working motorcycles that they can just ride when they buy them. You may want to consider doing that in the future. I have every intention of buying one of these 'working motorcycles' but always end up with broken poo poo because it's cheaper and I always seem to forget that I hate projects. One day.
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Dec 21, 2014 21:17
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I like them to, well the idea at least, but I fix cars all day long and that kind of ruins me wanting to do anything mechanical outside of work. Next bike I buy will be fuel injected and no more than 10 years old. I *almost* promise myself.
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Dec 22, 2014 00:33
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I like the Techspec grips a lot. Stomp grips actually hurt my knees through textile riding pants. Also, unless you have something that takes an oddball oil most bikes are really happy with the Rotella 5W-40 Synthetic. It's even JASO certified and is easily the least expensive oil with that certification you'll find. I've run it in everything from my F4i to old rear end singles and they've all been happy. I've been running 0W-40 Euro spec Mobil 1 in all my engines for the past few years and noticed quite a bit more oil consumption than with the Shell. I get it for free so don't mind adding between changes but for having nearly the same weight it's noticable.
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Dec 31, 2014 03:53
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If you've ever primed an oil pump using a power drill it's made very clear. It's spinning away happily until it builds pressure and then the drill is almost yanked out of your hand. I can totally see why variable volume pumps are a thing.
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Jan 1, 2015 20:58
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Which is odd, when you think of it, because bike engines are in a truly ridiculous state of tune compared to car engines. Even relatively relaxed mid-range bike engines are making up to 125bhp/l, and the top-end bikes are rapidly approaching 200, not to mention revving way higher and with much more aggressive cam profiles etc. The biggest reason you don't see all that stuff on bikes is mostly emissions related. As they tighten up you'll see more car tech trickle down to bikes as has been happening with more and more advanced engine controls showing up already.
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Jan 2, 2015 02:11
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Nitramster posted:So I had to move recently and I have no garage, and no cover in the backyard to at least put the bike under. I decided to get one of those clamshell covers and put in in the backyard. Nothing is going to be as good as bringing it indoors but a cover is nice to keep it out of downpours or whatever. I have been street parking my bike for going on 6 years now and while it looks like poo poo it still runs just fine and isn't really all that bad off for a bike that sees tons of commuting/road trip miles and no cleaning. If you're planning on storing it all winter under a cover I'd expect to see some rusted fasteners due to moisture getting trapped under there. I'd try to bum some garage space off of a friend if I wasn't going to be riding it for a few months personally.
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Jan 6, 2015 05:43
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Nitramster posted:Sorry I should have clarified, I'm in Los Angeles county and will be using it daily, but it's also a brand new ZX6R and I do not want to street park it. At the moment I have it parked at my uncles house a bit across town, but that does me no good! The cover will definitely help with the sun killing your paint, just make sure it's pretty clean before you put the cover on it so it doesn't get all scratched from dirty fabric rubbing dirty paint. My boss covers his BMW every day at work and after 4 years it still looks new while I never cover mine and it's faded as hell on one side and ok on the other due to the sun hitting it the same way each day. Other than that get full coverage and try not to worry when it's out of your sight.
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Jan 6, 2015 06:14
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I'm a huge fan of lubing o-rings with a non-drying silicone before installation. I have been using Dow Corning 111 Valve Lubricant or High Vacuum Grease because both are super thick to hold gaskets in place for install and both are resistant to very high heat. Kinda expensive but one tube lasts me about two years at the dealer so should last forever at home.
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Jan 10, 2015 01:13
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Slavvy posted:No. However someone here a while back mentioned a type of cut-to-length rubber seal intended for just such a purpose that would probably do the trick. That was me. I would do that or just go to a parts store and see if they have a big circular O ring that fits in there (usually they have an assortment behind the counter that some of the employees don't even know about). It doesn't need to be molded any special way. Put a few small dabs of grease in the channel to keep it still and fit it into the bowl.
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Jan 11, 2015 01:27
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drat. That's lovely. I'd stick one of those magnets on a bendy stick down the spark plug hole to pick it up. There's a chance it may have escaped already but I'd definitely try and see if it's willing to come out.
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Jan 16, 2015 01:08
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The first time that happened to me was when I was changing a clutch cable. I was wondering where the hell the pile of half and quarter o-rings came from. I'd definitely try a new master if the chain is newer. Got a question. 40k too many miles for an otherwise squeaky clean R6? I am newly into buying an '05 R6 due to it's ugly roundy old school looks coupled with modern underpinnings. There are plenty out there, it's just that most are shagged and/or have a bit of mileage on them.
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Jan 19, 2015 01:23
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Some years of R6s had semi weak dogs on second gear and mad tyte stunting would tear them up a bit faster than other bikes. I didn't even think to ask about service history. I thought I was the only person beside BMW greybeards who kept service records. I haven't had to shop for a bike in forever that wasn't obviously beat to death (what I usually buy). This 'second hand but in nice shape' vehicle shopping is totally new to me. I do recon used Porsches at work so have a sharp eyeball when it comes to paint work or screws and fasteners that have been on and off in places where they shouldn't ever need to be removed unless there's been repairs in that area. VVV: I'll go give it a look and if it seems at all dodgy I'll pass. I plan on doing track days with it so if it's been beat before it's not in for an easier life with me, aside from actually getting regular maintenance. Bugdrvr fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Jan 19, 2015 |
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Jan 19, 2015 03:39
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My GS has an oil pressure light but if it's anything like a car it's a 'you just wrecked your motor' indicator more than anything. My FZR actually has an oil light that comes on if it's about half a liter low which is pretty handy. I just check the oil once a week if in commuter mode or every night when I stop if I'm on a road trip. I've never been close to low enough to cause damage this way though most of my bikes haven't been too fond of eating oil. VVV Knowing Suzuki it's probably the same part number switch in both our bikes and in every other Suzuki for the last 30 years. When I needed new sealing washers for the cam cover I couldn't find any for my bike so just ebay searched the part number and found that they are the same as the current gen GSXR1k. Bugdrvr fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Jan 27, 2015 |
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Jan 27, 2015 04:08
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 07:45 |
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It might not be completely psychosomatic. I noticed that my GS the front wheel will wander all over the road if it gets even 2-3 pounds low. We tend to have uneven, rain grooved concrete on the freeways here which makes all bikes a bit more wandery than black top but this is the only bike I've had that was so bad off. Every other has felt "kinda off but not too terrible" even when the front tire got down to like 15psi. Depending on how your roads are maybe hitting the brakes does make it veer right.
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Jan 29, 2015 18:52
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