|
Z3n posted:Try bleeding the banjo bolts too. if i understand what you're saying, i changed the banjo bolt when I swapped the caliper so maybe that was one of my problems. also, i was opening and closing the bleed valve without a wrench (just hand tight). i didn't see any bubbles so I figured that was good enough. i'm guessing now it wasn't. i'm gonna go google all this stuff now, thanks guys
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 01:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 28, 2024 13:44 |
|
|
What I'm saying there is that just like you do when you open and close the bleeder while depressing the lever...you can do the same on the banjo bolts. Wrap a rag around it below the fitting to catch the brake fluid, hold down the lever, crack the banjo bolt loose, and if it hisses and spits or you see bubbles in the fluid that comes out, then you still have air in the lines. It's super important that you don't let the lever go before you tighten it back down. Ideally you want to apply force to the lever, loosen the banjo bolt, and before the lever hits the bar tighten the banjo bolt back up. That way you always have fluid being forced out of the banjo bolt and no air can get sucked back in. Having a friend helps if you've never done it before. Also, you should be watching the hose you have attached to the bleeder for bubbles. Keep bleeding it until the bubbles go away. Edit: If your brake pads are worn and your caliper pistons are mostly pushed out of the caliper, you can clean them up nicely and force them back in to reverse bleed the system, sometimes that'll force out stuck air as well. I've done it before and had a drat near immediate transformation of a spongy braking system. Watch that the other pistons don't get forced out while you're pushing one or two in. Ideally, push them back with an old brake pad in the caliper, it'll help you push them in evenly and will avoid damage to the pistons. Z3n fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Apr 20, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 01:23
|
|
|
Z3n posted:helpful poo poo thanks for the succinct explanation. i can now visualize the concepts as well as the physical technique. i don't know how to make all those smileys, but pretend this is one showing sincere gratitude: !^&
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 01:52
|
|
|
I just recently bought a 1989 GS500e as a second bike (upgraded from a reliable honda rebel to learn how to wrench) and I have a question about the proper way to do something. I rode it back from the guy I bought it from and I encountered no problems. When I got home and took off my gear, I noticed a small amount of oil my right leg. The next morning, I was inspecting the bike to see whats wrong and what kind of other crap I need to fix on a 22 year old motorcycle. First I inspected the cause of the oil leak and found out it was a stripped cam cap over the exhaust valve. for those not familiar with the setup of this engine, the valve cover is held in place by six bolts, four of these are screwed into the cam caps. One of these cam caps has the threads stripped out which in turn causes the valve cover bolt to slip out and squirt oil on my fancy leather pants. So I was researching how to fix this and still use the same bolt and learned about helicoils. Is this a good solution to this problem considering the other alternative is to find another cam cap for this engine? Also, does anyone have experience with the process and could provide me with some valuable tips? I'm scared that I might screw myself by loving up the tap. Other than that one issue the motorcycle runs strong, sounds nice and looks gorgeous. I appreciate any useful info you guys could share.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 02:53
|
|
|
sixdeadpandas posted:thanks for the succinct explanation. i can now visualize the concepts as well as the physical technique. Make sure you come back and report how it worked out as I am still having the same problem. Bled all the banjo bolts, the caliper over my head, moved the piston around. I ordered ss lines just because they aren't that expensive, and even when the bike was working properly the brakes sucked. I tryed a master cylinder from my parts bike and it was way worse. I couldn't even get it to build any pressure. The one common part out of everything is the operator, but I figured I would be able to bleed brakes. My driveway is covered in little greasy spots from where I failed at getting the air out.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 06:50
|
|
|
All I can say is that yes, you pretty much have to helicoil it if the PO has hosed up the threads that badly. I tend to avoid doing it myself on anything mission-critical, so I can't give you any particular tips for getting it right that you haven't already read on the internet. Ogilvie posted:I just recently bought a 1989 GS500e as a second bike (upgraded from a reliable honda rebel to learn how to wrench) and I have a question about the proper way to do something.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 09:19
|
|
|
I have a 2005 Honda Hornet / CB600F. It's carbureted. After cleaning the carbs last spring, I noticed that there is a much bigger "jump" between idle / no throttle and the teensiest bit of throttle I can apply. No matter how gently I crack the throttle, there's kind of a surge of power. When I remember it, I can modulate it with the clutch, but I'd like to get in there and fix it. The problem is, I have no idea what to fix! Where would I look, and what would I look for?
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 15:28
|
|
|
Pagan posted:I have a 2005 Honda Hornet / CB600F. It's carbureted. After cleaning the carbs last spring, I noticed that there is a much bigger "jump" between idle / no throttle and the teensiest bit of throttle I can apply. No matter how gently I crack the throttle, there's kind of a surge of power. When I remember it, I can modulate it with the clutch, but I'd like to get in there and fix it. Apologies if I'm being dumb, but is this maybe what you need? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NGz3Fw9s0g&feature=player_embedded e: if you're in the UK, want to buy a nice 2007 new-type Hornet? I'm trading down to a cheap hack... 
Saga fucked around with this message at 15:51 on Apr 20, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 15:48
|
|
|
Should I go to a tailor who specifically works with leather, or can my local dry-cleaner who does alterations handle putting the matching zipper from my pants to my jacket?
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 15:54
|
|
|
Saga posted:Apologies if I'm being dumb, but is this maybe what you need? I'm in the New England, not the Old one. I don't think it's the cable adjustment, but I will experiment with that. Heck, I could probably stand to just replace the entire cable; it's still the original part.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 15:56
|
|
|
Pagan posted:I'm in the New England, not the Old one. Sorry, slightly confused because you said Hornet not "599", which I thought is what American Honda called them. If there's slack in the cable it probably isn't the problem. But just try the adjuster and see if it helps I guess. If it doesn't do anything and the throttle's returning freely, it's probably not worth changing the cable though. Sorry if that was telling you to suck eggs!  chryst, I would either find a specialist bike gear repairer (remember custom leather manufacturers may take on that sort of work) or if there's nothing near you and you won't ship your stuff, call a saddler or a leather specialist (bonus comedy option, S&M bondage gear manufacturer). If anything has to go into leather, a tailor, seamstress or random dry cleaner is going to give you huge amounts of crap about it, do a bad job or refuse (or all three in succession). I know because I've tried it in the past. Assuming your gear is decent, it's going to involve at least 1.2 to 1.4mm drum-dried cowhide. That's not fashion-grade leather, let alone fabric, and a dry cleaner probably isn't equipped to deal with it. Basically, it's going to be like the Monitor v. the Merrimac all over again.  Even if it's just a liner-to-liner thing, your dry cleaner may not put in an appropriate stitch, and it's your rear end on the line if you have to put it to the test. A specialist will know how to do it right. Again, if it involves leather, a saddler may well be able to do a good job - they work with some seriously heavy duty hide.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 16:13
|
|
|
Saga posted:chryst, I would either find a specialist bike gear repairer (remember custom leather manufacturers may take on that sort of work) or if there's nothing near you and you won't ship your stuff, call a saddler or a leather specialist (bonus comedy option, S&M bondage gear manufacturer).
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 16:22
|
|
|
Pagan posted:I'm in the New England, not the Old one. No reason to replace a 6 year old cable, but getting the freeplay taken out is the proper first step.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2011 17:04
|
|
|
i rebled the brakes, this time i started with cleaning the pistons and raising the caliper then pushing the cylinders in. i also used a wrench when tightening and loosening the bleeder valve rather than my hand. i also bled out the banjo bolt as suggested. brakes are awesome now, i'm not sure which of the many adjustments made the difference, but i do know something worked. thanks zen and ola! you guys are awesome
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 02:24
|
|
|
Pagan posted:I have a 2005 Honda Hornet / CB600F. It's carbureted. After cleaning the carbs last spring, I noticed that there is a much bigger "jump" between idle / no throttle and the teensiest bit of throttle I can apply. No matter how gently I crack the throttle, there's kind of a surge of power. When I remember it, I can modulate it with the clutch, but I'd like to get in there and fix it. I've heard of this problem on all kinds of bikes, but rarely ones with such low torque as a 600-4, and never as a new symptom after a carb cleaning. If the cables are adjusted right, who did the cleaning and how? Were the idle mixture screws messed with?
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 03:01
|
|
|
Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:I've heard of this problem on all kinds of bikes, but rarely ones with such low torque as a 600-4, and never as a new symptom after a carb cleaning. If the cables are adjusted right, who did the cleaning and how? Were the idle mixture screws messed with? I did the cleaning. I thought the carbs were dirty after the bike sat for a while, so I took them off. I disassembled the first one, but it was spotless. I left the other three alone, and put everything back together.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 03:36
|
|
|
Anyone have any input on homemade chain rivet tools? Not a chance am I paying 100++ for one. Anyone used something like this harbor freight dealie to expand out the rivet? http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-chain-breaker-66488.html EDIT - Nevermind, found a youtube video detailing the use of this as a rivet tool. Go harbor freight! Baller Witness Bro fucked around with this message at 05:00 on Apr 21, 2011 |
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 04:14
|
|
|
So I am perusing eBay and craigslist and various other classifieds for a used bike. I'm seeing a LOT of bikes from as far back as '07 that are being sold with a stupidly low number of miles on them. There's an 08 being sold by a local used bike retailer that has 848 miles on it. I'm uber paranoid about being scammed. What would account for bikes having really low mileage after a few years of ownership? Especially when I see them listed with "tons of aftermarket stuff" or "5k in add-ons"
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 05:25
|
|
|
Post some ads up and we'll go through them for you so you can learn to spot the scammers.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 05:30
|
|
|
JP Money posted:Anyone have any input on homemade chain rivet tools? Not a chance am I paying 100++ for one. I paid $30-40 for a chain rivet tool from Sprocket Center. It worked perfectly when I installed my master link this spring. I don't see the need for a chain breaker tool, I just used a dremel to cut the head off one of the rivets in the OEM chain.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 05:32
|
|
|
The harbor freight is all 3 tools actually - all for like 12 bucks. Perfect for something I will use once in the next year. As for chain breaking, I've never used anything other than a dremel / cutoff wheel. I can't imagine that chain tool makes that particular job that much easier, but for pressing on the rivet I'm willing to pay for it.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 05:36
|
|
|
Z3n posted:Post some ads up and we'll go through them for you so you can learn to spot the scammers. I'm not thinking this is any kind of scam, but how the hell does someone buy a $18000 bike and not even put 1000 miles on it before getting rid of it for 5k less? http://www.dreammachinesofaustin.com/vehicle/3179009/2008-Harley-Davidson-Night-Rod-Special-VRSCDX-Round-Rock-Texas-78664
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 05:44
|
|
|
Heres another one with less than 1000 miles. http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/2007-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-NIGHT-ROD-SPECIAL-VRSCDX--98413972
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 05:50
|
|
|
Because in America bikes are toys, not so much modes of transportation.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 06:04
|
|
|
CombatMedic posted:I'm not thinking this is any kind of scam, but how the hell does someone buy a $18000 bike and not even put 1000 miles on it before getting rid of it for 5k less?[/url]
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 07:09
|
|
|
Yeah both of those ads look legit. People buy bikes without realizing what they're getting into and you end up with bikes that get ridden until they scare the poo poo out of themselves. Sometimes it happens at 15 miles, sometimes 800, but it always happens.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 14:45
|
|
|
Z3n posted:Yeah both of those ads look legit. People buy bikes without realizing what they're getting into and you end up with bikes that get ridden until they scare the poo poo out of themselves. Sometimes it happens at 15 miles, sometimes 800, but it always happens.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 14:50
|
|
|
My chain conspired with the little retainer plate of the chain tensioner (on the chain side) to sing a little diddy called 'gently caress this, I'm out'. I have a feeling that I am to blame for this spectacle, but I have no idea why. In what way did I fail basic motor maintenance? I got new rubber and set the tension of the chain to about an inch. The left tensioner was a lot easier to put tension on than the right one, but the right one's still truckin'. Both set to the same depth. The chain was lubed, although now come to think of it I did not check for tight spots. .. ohh gently caress, I might have set the chains when the rear was still in the air. Erm, could that be it? Anyway, off to buy some new chain + sprockets.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 14:58
|
|
|
What bike is this? An inch of chain slack is on the very very tight side...for sportbikes and bikes with ~4 inchs of suspension travel, you typically want about 1.25-1.75 inches of travel, for dirtbikes/sumos/long travel suspension you want more.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 15:00
|
|
|
TDM 850, so a roadbike. I just looked up the specs, and it says.... 40 ~ 50 millimeter. Yeah.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 15:09
|
|
|
chryst posted:The really annoying thing about this is that when I was trying to sell my perfect-condition Gladius, every potential buyer was concerned about a bike with such high mileage. The thing only had 11k on it. Russian Bear nailed it - For the majority of people in the US bikes are simply for entertainment, status symbols and/or showing that slutty biker bitch tarted up in pirate regalia just how enormous your  is by sounding off your straight pipes revving your freedom loving Big Twin American Freedom Machine. Freedom. Free.  Really though, most bikes don't get ridden much. People go out of their way to tell you you're nuts if you ride in any kind of inclement weather or temps below 60. The "fair weather" mentality of a lot of "riders" is what keeps them from putting miles on. If it's not a completely perfect day the bike stays at home. Because of this people get the idea that bikes are fragile and the drat thing HAS to be worn out at 10k miles, because damnit that's a ton of riding!  When I got my first modern bike (that incidentally turned out to be a MASSIVE pile of poo poo ) No real nasty weather but temps were definitely on the decline. It's always fun to explain to some random person at the gas station that yes, you did mean to ride in 'this kind of weather' and no, it's not terribly uncomfortable. I put a modest 3600mi on the first month I owned it, during the tail end of an Iowan fall. Friends/family were SHOCKED I logged those miles in that amount of time. I was pissed I didn't have time to ride more.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 15:17
|
|
|
So, I finally put the obligatory "listen to my exhaust!" video on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aosor9LheEo Any tips on the idle? I aired it on IRC and we discussed choke settings and if the idle was set too high. I went out and disabled the choke completely (pulled the arm off the carbs) and re-checked that the idle was at 1200rpm like the manual says, it made no difference. Do I just need to balance the carbs or could it be something else? Exhaust leak, misfire? Any suggestions are welcome, including ones to "stop worrying, that's a perfectly normal idle for that bike".
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 15:23
|
|
|
KozmoNaut posted:So, I finally put the obligatory "listen to my exhaust!" video on youtube. Carb sync is step one in smoothing out the idle. Sounds lumpy and usually that's cleaned up by a carb sync. It returns to idle cleanly so your fueling is likely fine, it's just a matter of the minor adjustments on the carbs themselves until it smooths out. If you rode it as is, it wouldn't hurt anything. It sounds ok to me, but youtube videos aren't great for diagnoses because of the low sound quality and the mic will sometimes pick up poo poo that isn't really there. KARMA! posted:TDM 850, so a roadbike. Yeah, too tight chain will cause issues. You're probably going to notice a bit more driveline lash after you loosen it to the appropriate amount. Most of the time I ballpark my chain by checking that it can just barely tap the swingarm if you push up hard on it...that's typically around the 45mm range. Too tight is a problem because not only will it lock up your suspension once the chain doesn't have any more slack to take up, it'll put a huge amount of strain on the output shaft of the transmission, occasionally leading to the output shaft sheering off or damaging the bearings after extended use.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 17:14
|
|
|
KozmoNaut posted:So, I finally put the obligatory "listen to my exhaust!" video on youtube. Doesn't sound like carburetor synchronization is really needed, but hard to tell with that aftermarket exhaust. In any case it's certainly not much out of sync. I would start by double checking your boots and and choke actuator gasket for slight leaks. Spay them with start spray and see if the idle change. In any case it doesn't sound like anything severe is wrong.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 17:46
|
|
|
Well, I'll be the first to admit that I'm one hell of a worrywart. I'll give it a go with some starter spray and see if I can borrow a carb sync tool off someone, thanks 
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 18:51
|
|
|
Z3n posted:Yeah, too tight chain will cause issues. You're probably going to notice a bit more driveline lash after you loosen it to the appropriate amount. Most of the time I ballpark my chain by checking that it can just barely tap the swingarm if you push up hard on it...that's typically around the 45mm range. Too tight is a problem because not only will it lock up your suspension once the chain doesn't have any more slack to take up, it'll put a huge amount of strain on the output shaft of the transmission, occasionally leading to the output shaft sheering off or damaging the bearings after extended use. I like how you called having your chain adjuster exploded an 'issue'. :P not a lot of damage though, a nick on the wheel and the chainguard's bracket bent a bit. Haven't seen the front sprocket area, but I don't believe there's much to worry about since the chain came out pretty clean. karms fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Apr 21, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 20:43
|
|
|
So I got a woman who is interested in buying my motorcycle and want to make sure I have my bases covered for the sale. I bought it from a dealer so I don't have any experience with a private sale. The deal should be cash only and if she wants to test ride it have it in my hand and make sure she has a license, and I'll check with my insurance to see if there's any problems with that. Have the title with me and print off a bill of sale form for more records. Gonna meet her at a mall and bring someone else with me and double check the cash. Am I missing anything? She is coming from 3 hours away to see the bike so I'm pretty sure she's very interested in it, and will probably buy it for my asking price.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 21:03
|
|
|
^^^^ Nope, you sound pretty much golden. Make it very clear that if ANYTHING happens to the bike on the test ride, she just bought it. Test ride should be the last step in the process, just before signing over the title. KARMA! posted:I like how you called having your chain adjuster exploded an 'issue'. :P not a lot of damage though, a nick on the wheel and the chainguard's bracket bent a bit. Haven't seen the front sprocket area, but I don't believe there's much to worry about since the chain came out pretty clean. Better your chain adjuster than your transmission output shaft. But, yeah, I didn't realize it had exploded. I thought you had a rubber guide, like on dirtbikes, and you'd worn through that. Check that the rollers haven't been damaged on the chain, that level of abuse is definitely going to shorten chain life.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 21:03
|
|
|
Good idea! I'll get right on it. From which end should I start checking?
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 22:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 28, 2024 13:44 |
|
|
KARMA! posted:Good idea! I'll get right on it. From which end should I start checking? Whelp. I hope it didn't take anything out when it went?
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2011 22:26
|
|