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8ender posted:You may already know this, but someone clued me in to a great way of bleeding bike brakes the other day. Take a long clear tube and run it from the bleeder and up over the handle bars. Then just pump the hell out of the brake with the screw open until the fluid level is at the handle bars. Close the screw, drain the tube, and repeat. This works so drat well I was amazed I didn't think of it before and now I have to tell everyone. Also prudent when bleeding brakes for the first time: Wrap a towel around one of the fittings, and then put some pressure on the lever, and crack the banjo bolt fitting open. Some fluid will spill out, and before the lever goes to the bar, close the fitting. You just want it to the point where it doesn't hiss or spit, it should just quietly push fluid out. If you do that on all of the fittings and bleed at the master cylinder as well, usually you can get some pretty decent pressure straight off the bat. I usually find that it's fastest to just tie the lever down, leave them overnight, and then bleed them one last time in the morning. If you want to make it go faster, you can hold the lever down, crack the bleeder, pull the lever to the bar, close the bleeder, and then let the lever go, so you're just pumping fluid through the system, rather than out of and then back into the system. If you use this system with a vaccum bleeder, it's the easiest way to get air out of the system. Attach the bleeder, pump some vaccum into the lines, and the bleeder helps draw the air out.
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Mar 16, 2009 16:58
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8ender posted:A stupid little one man brake bleeder kit that I'd use after leaving the bleed screw open for a few hours with the brake lever tied closed. Its my first bike that is modern enough to have disc brakes and I went into it thinking I could bleed new brake lines like you would a car. Just use whatever is recommended. There's no gain to switching brake fluids for normal riding, and you can damage seals and internals by swapping fluids to something that it wasn't designed for. Z3n fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Mar 16, 2009 |
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Mar 16, 2009 18:44
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8ender posted:Ahh gently caress, its a little late unfortunately. Would it be horrible if I flushed out the DOT5 with a whole lot of DOT4? That's what I'd do.
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Mar 16, 2009 18:47
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Moved all of my tools and bikes into a storage space...now they're at least in the same city as me. Progress will finally start getting made on the bikes 
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Apr 1, 2009 06:52
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sklnd posted:Went for a short spin, then the bike tried to strand me. Went to start it up, and just got a click before everything died. I ripped the plastics off in the parking lot I was in, and eventually disconnected the computer. It fired right up then. I rode home, and then cleaned the chain. Not sure what's up with the computer, but for now I'm just gonna disconnect it when I'm not riding. The computer?
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Apr 8, 2009 04:58
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sklnd posted:I removed the stock gear cluster and in its stead installed one of these to tell me how fast I'm not going: Ahh, I see. I'd check your charging system just to be on the safe side. You should get 14ish volts at the battery at around 1/3rd of total RPM or 4k, whichever is lower. kcer posted:I picked my bike up from the mechanic after having a new clutch installed, only to find it's still slipping Clutch springs don't really wear out in a typical motorcycle timeframe, so that shouldn't be an issue. Is the clutch cable adjusted correctly?
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Apr 8, 2009 17:06
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sklnd posted:I couldn't check what the battery was putting out when it wouldn't start as I didn't have a multimeter with me, but when I got home the battery was putting out about 12.7V as expected. Hrm, maybe just a short in the vapor wiring then.
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Apr 8, 2009 20:22
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kcer posted:Yep, 1/2 inch of play at the lever. Does it slip cleanly or harshly?
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Apr 8, 2009 22:09
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kcer posted:Old clutch was like an on/off switch, new clutch is a lot smoother. What does the rest of your drivetrain look like? Chain, sprockets? Does it change depending on what gear you're in? As another test, get rolling at around 40 or so mph, kick it into top gear, and hold the throttle open enough to get it reving up to around 2/3rds of overall RPM and drop the clutch. It should just jerk and the RPMs should snap back down to normal for the speed. If it hangs at all, your clutch still isn't engaging correctly. Unless there's something critically wrong with your chain and sprockets (ie, so rounded that they just let go under heavy load) the problem is still with your clutch. I'd double check all of the individual pieces of the clutch and see if it's possible for it to be hanging partially disengaged somewhere, via an incorrectly installed actuator rod or something. What bike are you riding again? Being able to reference a parts diagram would help  Also, what the hell sort of mechanic would change a clutch and then not test ride it? Edit: VVV drat good call VVV Z3n fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Apr 9, 2009 |
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Apr 9, 2009 00:28
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kcer posted:'02 YZF600R What brand/etc of oil is it? If there's oil with energy conserving modifiers in it, it can cause wet clutches to slip. Also, taking it around the block is not an appropriate test for a clutch. Get him to ride the bike, admit that there is something wrong, and fix the god drat thing.
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Apr 9, 2009 01:15
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kcer posted:I don't recall. All I know was he didn't have the brand Yamaha recommend. I'll call him today and find out. Outside temp isn't going to make a huge difference. Seriously, if he just dumped random energy conserving oil in there...who the hell is this mechanic? I mean, it's an honest mistake to make, I've done it before, but someone you're paying to do work on a bike shouldn't pull that poo poo. Edit:  If it says that on it, then it can cause wet clutches to slip. Best solution is to immediately dump the oil and replace it with something that doesn't have the "Energy Conserving" on the bottom of the donut, and hope that it didn't glaze your clutch plates (again).
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Apr 9, 2009 01:28
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kcer posted:Stripped apart the entire clutch from head to toe, drained the oil, pulled the plates, reset the adjuster at the top and the bottom and put it all back together. Glad you got it sorted. I rode my friend's SV that I just finished putting dirtbike bars on from san diego to santa barbara. It was decent.
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Apr 13, 2009 22:05
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Tentacle Party posted:Cut down the snorkel on my SV, and fashioned a plate to block the gap between the frame and airbox to stop it sucking hot air. Tank risers to come next week. Love that induction noise! Did you shim the carbs as well? I had poo poo luck with the bike running well with stock carbs and an aftermarket exhaust when I swapped to a less restrictive airbox.
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Apr 19, 2009 06:29
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Tentacle Party posted:As far as i can tell its not running lean at all, no backfire or popping under engine braking. Also i have an EFI model so im not familiar with this industrial age technology you speak of. Gen 2...  Are you still running the stock exhaust? Most SVs get set up pretty rich from the factory through the midrange, so rejetting/a PC isn't always required. 70 profile on the front is highly recommended, and it's worth noting that when you swap to a GSX-R front end you can lose upwards of 2 inches off the front end. So if you feel like 5mm isnt enough, you can drop them more without too much threat of instability. The bike is set up extremely stable stock, so don't hesitate to drop the forks a bit more to get the feel you're looking for. A trackbike will also have the back end jacked up another inch or so to get the weight on it's nose and get it turning. I think that may be a little too slap happy for street riding, though. Also beware of lost cornering clearence if you're the sort to grind pegs when you start dropping the forks in the triples.
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Apr 19, 2009 17:35
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Today I completed setup on the racebike, it's ready to go for AFM race 2 next weekend (will post a thread in a bit) and started rebuilding the streetbike. Realized I misplaced the small piece of exhaust that goes from the rear cylinder to the main part of the pipe...
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Apr 20, 2009 01:43
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You should be able to find some used replacement parts for a fair bit cheaper than 600$ for the radiator and 300$ for the fan. Hell, I've got a few fans floating around if you feel like doing a little wiring.
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Apr 21, 2009 02:23
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Retarded Pimp posted:Believe me, I'm looking around. I found a set of footpegs and Engine cover fairings for cheap yesterday, if I want a Frankenbike I could get those green cowlings from ebay too. The problem is it's an 08 KLR and there aren't too many parted ones out there yet, if it had been an 07, I bet the whole project wouldn't cost over $400, since most anything from the mid 80's to 07 would fit. The radiator was one of the things they upgraded for 08, smaller, lighter and a different shape. Ahh, I had forgotten that they did a revision in 08. I suppose there's no chance of an earlier radiator having the same mounting points, just a somewhat different shape? I'm fitting a TL radiator on my SV, and it'll require some bracketing and such, but nothing major
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Apr 23, 2009 03:50
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Skreemer posted:Oh yah, yesterday I got my bike to an indicated 135mph... just a hair over the 65mph speed limit... I hit 125 on the test ride on the B12 that I was planning on buying...I think I was in 3rd.  Those bikes are stupid, stupid fast. I don't know why they put parking lights on motorcycles. I don't think I've ever been in a situation to use them.  On my bike today, I went down to the storage unit and started it to make sure that the wiring harness that i'd put in was installed correctly and that the bike wasn't draining current while it was supposed to be off. Fired right up.
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Apr 23, 2009 04:05
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Mechanism Eight posted:It's pretty stupid but a legal requirement in some places, I believe. I guess that's in case you break down on the road? I'm confused. Wouldn't that mean that technically, every car parked on the side of a road at night must have it's parking lights on? Or is that only if you're parked in the road? Weird.
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Apr 23, 2009 20:55
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Simkin posted:It also felt like it had some wierd hesitation while at steady throttle - not sure if that's a looming problem, or just me being unfamiliar with the bike. Some of the 1150 engines had real issues with a lean condition at small throttle openings. My friend's 1150 was like that until he did the whole exhaust/pc/etc upgrades.
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Apr 27, 2009 15:05
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Simkin posted:Z3n: Do you have any links that I could check out for that? I don't mind trying to troubleshoot his bike - well, other than telling him that he needs to replace his squared off tyres. Hrm, I missed this before. IIRC, you can swap the twin spark heads over, and that can help, but according to my friend, the best solution was just to remap/rejet. People are also mentioning on BMW forums that the bikes can start to do that when they need valves and the TB adjusted. Z3n fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Apr 29, 2009 |
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Apr 29, 2009 16:39
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dietcokefiend posted:After rebuilding the forks on my bike I think the coolest thing was going over this section of raised highway where my car usually took one full compression, one rebound and a partial compression of the shocks to absorb. Going over it on my bike the bump was captured in a slight compress and mild rebound and nothing more. Another fun thing was reconnecting the electronic brake circuit valve, which before took the fork to the bumpstops and now it barely goes down an inch under full braking. Don't use the Kawasaki Anti-dive. You want compliance under braking, your forks do no good if they just lock up an inch through their travel. Crank down some more preload or swap to stiffer springs. That system is one of the dumber things ever put on a motorcycle.
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May 2, 2009 18:11
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dietcokefiend posted:Well it is variable, restricting the oil flow in 3 different levels. Perhaps lowering it from max to min? The problem with stiffer springs is all of the ones (well can only find one) are designed for use with the system and making me need to go for something custom based off width, length, and rate which I dont really know what to aim for. That or swapping in different forks and praying they fit. You should be able to disconnect it but leave it intact on maximum flow settings. Then it just becomes what amounts to a massive preload spacer. You should be using roughly 1/2->2/3rds of your travel under hard braking on a smooth surface. Over a rough surface, you should be using the majority of the travel with just a little left over after you hit the biggest bumps. If it's working for you, then by all means, leave it, but from friends who have owned the bike and my experiences with one on a short test ride, the forks just stop working once the system kicks in, and that's a bad thing.
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May 3, 2009 05:41
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Got my street plate back for the streetbike. 
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May 4, 2009 19:57
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Installed the stock exhausts on the g/f's Z1000, got the headlight wired on the SV, took it for a test drive, and took care of some odds and ends.
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May 8, 2009 05:38
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Nice. That thing is going to hit like a monster with the slide stops and the velocity stacks, so be careful.
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May 8, 2009 06:22
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:All the info you need   I wonder if there are any events like that out here...I can't find any info on their website.
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May 14, 2009 23:17
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CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:Z3n, how much do you usually pay for track days? The ones here are $125/$155 and most of them are 'No Sessions.' Just curious to see what other areas charge Depends on the track. The smaller, less well maintained tracks are around 125-155$ (Streets of Willow, Buttonwillow, Big Willow actually runs in the this price range too). The better maintained tracks will range from around 150-300$, with 300 being places like laguna, infineon on weekends, and Thunderhill ranging from 200ish to 250ish.
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May 14, 2009 23:33
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Ponies ate my Bagel posted:That is my main issue. I have done hydraulic brakes on my mountain bike with some rough results. If I can see it done once I will be fine with it. When I have it done I will go watch the service techs do it if nothing else. We're doing a maintenece day soon. Lemme know if you want to do them then. They're super easy.
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May 17, 2009 01:54
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100 Years in Iraq posted:Step 2: Remove cable from lever how? Just yank on the thing until it comes out? It's really jammed in there. Sorry to be so dumb, I just don't want to gently caress anything up and then have an unrideable bike (it's my only source of transportation). The cable just sits in the adjuster. If there's crash damage or it's bent, you may have to pull the cable housing out from the lever to get it to seperate. If you want to make life much, much easier, undo the nuts at the bottom and completely loosen the cable, and then you can remove it from the bottom, get all of the slack on the line, and it should just pop out from the top.
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May 17, 2009 19:46
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100 Years in Iraq posted:The one at the engine-side. It's a lil' c-looking thing with a notch to fit the cable into, then you pull out the slack and the nut at the end holds it in place. I'm afraid to try any sort of prying/leverage for fear of damaging the thing. Maybe, like the 9 year-old altar boys, I should try some lube. You should thread the cable through first and then slide the housing through the gap. You may need to remove the nut from the bottom of the cable housing before you can get it to fit in.
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May 17, 2009 21:56
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Wandering Idiot posted:Last summer I started on a rebuild of my great grandfathers' motorcycle. A lot of private issues later and I finally took a weekend off to tinker. Friday was miscellaneous work, saturday was fooling with the carbs, stopping leaks, more miscellaneous. Yesterday was "oh gently caress, my starter is smoking" day, and subsequent electrical tomfoolery. As of tonight, after finagling a working set of coils, it started. It cranks with the starter, but it prefers the old kick-start ways of getting running. That thing is sweet. I want to find an old kickstarted sub 400cc bike for cruising around town on.
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May 26, 2009 17:00
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Sir J Savile posted:I stripped the entire rear end out of my Bandit twice as the dealer who carried out the service on it 150 miles ago didn't do a very good job. The 650 Bandit requires a very small service at 7500 miles which is basically just changing the oil and looking over the bike for any problems, but apparently even this is too hard. I'd be pissed too, gently caress. I'd go and demand a refund.
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Jun 5, 2009 16:47
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Spiffness posted:^^ raise hell ^^ Bastard, loving cheap rear end sumo track being built right around the corner from you. Sir J Savile posted:I rang them and made them aware of it but for £70 I'm willing to let it go. It's still inside the warranty by a few months and needs to be serviced to keep it all ok so I just pretty much just paid for the stamp in the book which is all the service was anyway had they left the brakes alone. They're an independent garage so I can't really contact Suzuki and say much and they where alright as they did the 5000 mile service but I've found out they've lost 2 mechanics since then. Chances are I won't go back anyway as the warranty runs out in august and I can do the servicing then. Post it, just for entertainment value.
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Jun 5, 2009 19:49
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blugu64 posted:anyone care to post a guide to adjusting valves that use shims rather then tappets? My 250 doesn't have shims so I've no clue. http://www.bluepoof.com/motorcycles/howto/svs_valves/ Pictures and everything. Today, I bled the brakes on my friend's 600RR for him, and I did the SV cam swap as well as changing my chain. It was a good day. Tomorrow I may go pick up my new bike, or I may just finish up the racebike...not sure.
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Jun 7, 2009 03:01
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Bucephalus posted:Checked valve clearances. Everything was okay. Pulled the carbs. (Again.) Swapped out the #120 Keyster main jets for the SC-specific 118's. Popped the caps to see if any of the CV pistons were sticking. Looked everything over with a more discerning eye than I did when I assembled them, and noticed things like this: What would even cause that sort of wear? Weird. Phat_Albert posted:FINALLY got a new chain and sprocket for ye olde Bandit. The parts counter guy warned me that going to a front sprocket without the goofy Suzuki rubber baffle on it might make the chain louder, but I havent noticed anything. You don't even own a dremel with a grinding wheel? For shame! (Everyone makes fun of me because I grind the pins off with a grinding wheel  )
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Jun 10, 2009 19:05
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Ola posted:I think it's because the needle rattles around in the jet when riding. Awesome, love megareports. Wouldn't it rattling around in the jet cause more grooving and less pitting though? It looks like something has taken chunks out of it, not like it's been bashing up against a jet...
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Jun 10, 2009 19:38
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Phy posted:Well, last night - I need to hunt down a metric bit to install the keysert that will fix the threads I hosed drilling out the broken subframe bolt, so I decided I'd do some other work while the bike has its pants off. Namely, do a valve check. That cover is a bit of a bitch to get out and I hope I can reuse the gasket. I had to stop partway through (again) because while my feeler gauge is suitable for sparkplugs, none of the feelers are thin enough for the valve clearances. Get a set of feeler gauges that you can remove from the "handle". It makes life a lot easier.
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Jun 17, 2009 20:52
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Moved it into a new storage unit: Click here for the full 800x600 image. Actually have enough space to work on the bike now. And now it's time to acquire a project of some sort...
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Jun 22, 2009 06:27
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AnnoyBot posted:Installed new timing belts in the Goldwing, then started the bike without replacing the timing mark inspection port. Now the crankcase is covered with fresh oil. Also flushed the radiator. I did that when I swapped the cams on the SV...refilled the bike with oil, forgot about the open oil fill and the funnel in the open hole. Thumb the starter, the funnel goes flying and I spray myself with a nice mix of atomized oil. Phat_Albert posted:It is my dream to work on a bike while sitting on a couch It's the couch of the renter before me. He's gonna come get it at some point. I do have 2 chairs though. 
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Jun 22, 2009 16:49
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