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Dear VTwin Mama, Now, on to my question. I'm a new rider having received my motorcycle endorsement back in July. I've enjoyed riding my 2001 Vulcan this summer and fall but recently she has developed a loud knocking from the rear piston. I've changed out the spark plugs and the noise sounds like more than just a gas issue, so I'm going to have a mechanic check her out to make sure I don't do, or have, any serious engine damage. Since I'm leery of riding my bike to the mechanic, I'd like to get a tow. Unfortunately, I've heard horror stories about towing companies damaging motorcycles so I'm looking for a knowledgeable firm in the Lakewood, CO area. One of the firms I've found on the Internet is Motorcycle Towing Services, LC. Have you or any of your readers heard of this company and are they worth the cost of membership? In addition I'm looking for a reputable mechanic to service a 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan 800. I'd rather pay for service from a local shop instead of a dealer shop as I've heard dealers tend to be on the expensive side. If any of your readers can recommend a knowledgeable mechanic in the Lakewood\Wheatridge, CO area, I'd appreciate that as well. Again, thanks for help and this wonderful website. Stazzi Dear
Stazzi, However, as this can be a hit/miss situation on the VTM site, I'd like to suggest (if you haven't done so already) that you contact local chapters of women's riding organizations . . . I'm thinking as you're on the outskirts of Denver, there must be at least one! Here you'll find women who have been riding in the area who would most likely have opinions. Also, there is a VTM sister in Denver listed on my Let's Ride page who might have valuable knowledge . . . why not email her?! Good luck on the bike fix and I'm hoping that it's something simple. Mama Friday, January 6 For Stazzi who is looking to get her bike worked on: One useful tip is to simply call each shop and ask how much they charge per hour for labor. Keep in mind that parts are normally cheaper at the dealers, non dealers pay the same price you and I do and often stick a couple of dollars on top of that because they had to pick the part up or have it couriered or mailed to them! Kevin (note from Mama: hmmm . . . good point on the parts cost . . . of course if the hourly labor cost is significantly different, and the look-see/fix process is perceived as lengthy, an independent shop could prove less expensive. I'll add that another consideration is how long it will take the dealer or independent shop to actually get to looking at the bike. One should ask current "get-to-it" time while checking out other costs.) Friday, January 13 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
DF, Hello
VTwin Mama, Dear
Alex, Thursday, January 19 From Alex whose hydraulic clutch system stopped working and he found the problem: Thank you for your quick reply. I had already seen this page from Dans website. It was helpful when rebuilding the master and slave cylinders of the clutch system. That didnt however solve the problem. Last
night me and a buddy worked on the bike again. We actually had to take the
whole clutch basket apart. I think that the person who owned the bike
before me (I just bought it) had not used it for a long time and/or put
wrong type of oil in the engine. Since this has a wet clutch, the oil had
seeped into the plates of the clutch basket and had all the plates stuck
together. We took it apart, cleaned it thoroughly. That, in combination
with rebuilding the dirty slave cylinder, flushing the system and
rebuilding the master cylinder made it work. What a pain! We put a total
of 18 hours x 2 people in this
job . . . they say though that if you
dont build it you dont own it . . . I feel like an expert now! In any
case, thanks for your help and if you have any people with the same
problem, Ill be happy to help out with advice. Wednesday, January 25 Dear
VTwin
Mama, Dear
John, If you don't have any ties to LA (i.e., wife, kids, and such), either work your butt off to save the money necessary to relocate and afford the course in AZ, FL, PA or other places . . . or, go to those sites you found (I'm guessing MMI) and check into financial aid packages and sharing living quarters . . . you're not the only one out there doing this, so I'm thinking they may have ways to get you set up and going. Ask! If you need to remain in LA, I did find that the LA Trade-Tech College offers four courses for motorcycle repair mechanic. Scroll down this page and click on the Motorcycle Repair Mechanic link to see the Spring 2006 schedule. This might be a good place to start. At a very minimum, the instructor is the same for all the classes . . . why not call and see if you can email this instructor for their advice (beyond the courses offered here). My other LA-centric suggestion is this: what would be your "dream" motorcycle mechanic job? Only Harleys? BMW specialist? Metric sport bikes? What are you riding now? Do you take your bike into a particular dealer's shop or independent mechanic? Where do you get the parts you need for your bike? Ask yourself if you could survive on minimum wages for a chance of a lifetime. Why not visit the shops you know (and then extend that to the ones you don't) and ask to talk with the service manager. Bring a notebook and pen. Bring along a printed page with your name/address/number and list of bikes you've worked on yourself (during the course of riding). Tell him/her what you're looking to do. Ask them what they look for when they are hiring and recommendations on getting started. Jot down the shop/name/notes. Do they need an apprentice? Would they let you work at their shop as a helper after your own normal job hours (evenings and weekends, or days depending on what you're doing now) as an unpaid intern? This takes courage, but dreams are worth it. Given the size of LA, I'm hoping that somewhere, someone will give you a chance. Don't stop until you get where you want to be. Mama Wednesday, January 25 Dear
VTwin
Mama, About batteries - if your battery isn't that old and it keeps going flat, your regulator is probably fried. The regulators fitted as standard on the Viragos aren't that good. I replaced mine with a beefier aftermarket one. On the XV1100 the regulator is attached to the back of the left hand rear footpeg bracket. Grounding can be an issue in this area, and one thing to try is to put a grounding strap between the case of the regulator and the chassis of the bike. I ran mine to the -ve terminal of the battery with some 8 gauge wire. If you want to replace the regulator with an aftermarket one you will have to get inventive with connectors and mounting, so it might be better to get a mechanic to do it if you're not mechanically inclined. Tony Kerr in Melbourne, Australia Dear
Tony, Thursday, January 26 Dear
VTwin
Mama, Dear
Mike, Tuesday, January 31 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
MBassoli, "Life is confusing, motorcycles can be confounding, but remember every single thing about them must obey physical laws. In this case it's pretty simple - fuel and air must always be mixed in the proper ratio which is roughly 15 lbs of air to every 1 lb of fuel. Whenever something on the bike is changed to affect that ratio the jetting needs to be adjusted. When a low restriction exhaust is installed, more air flows through the engine so we need to compensate by adding more fuel, so we install richer jets, bearing in mind of course that not all aftermarket pipes actually flow more air, some are just louder. If we later install a less restrictive air filter we'll flow even more air, and have to re-jet yet again. The extreme example would be in racing where a simple change in atmospheric pressure or temperature may force you to re-jet. When I was racing my Bultaco Astro it was common to run one set of jet's during the afternoon practice session when it was very hot and dry, then lean it out slightly for the evening race when it would be cooler and damp. Hope this helps." Mark So, there you have it! It's my understanding that when new pipes are bought for a specific model bike, that manufacturer understands the change to a stock bike and will include the re-jet you need. You would be wise to understand which jet will be changed out (there can be several depending on the bike's carbs) and to what size, and note that when you make your hypercharger kit purchase (as the bike will no longer be stock). Mama Tuesday, January 31 Dear VTwin Mama, I ran down the check list- spark, fuel, air. Changed the plugs, cleared the lines, ran new gas/carb cleaner through it, etc. After several days of tinkering, it started. It ran very poorly, but it ran. It was flooding badly so I pulled the carbs for a thorough cleaning and to check the floats. Someone had done the job before it came into my care and botched it, badly. The clue was the broken jet that turned out to be way off-spec when I went to replace it. They apparently changed the diaphragm, too. Putting it back together, everything seemed fine until I put the top back on the Dia. Assembly. No movement. Pulled the assembly back out, cleaned it again, checked the spring - everything was fine. Replaced the top again - no movement. It just stayed wherever it was set when I put the top back on. What had happened was that there was a metal cup in the bottom of the (apparently aftermarket) assembly that was keeping the air holes sealed. No air-flow, no movement. Depending on where the needle was set on installation, it could cause it to run either extremely rich or extremely lean. I removed the cups, decided they had no real purpose on this set of carbs (other than screwing things up) and they worked fine. No Name's choke problem could be related. He mentioned changing the diaphragms and made me think of my problem/solution. If the assembly for the front carb is working right and the back carb is stuck too lean, then running with it choked to get the rear levels right might flood out the front and cause backfiring. Beware of aftermarket diaphragm assemblies! That's my shade-tree hypothesis, anyway. Hope this helps. If not- well, I still got to brag a little. Jilly Bean Dear
Jilly Bean, Wednesday, February 1 Hi VTwin Mama, Anyway, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! WOW, 5 years! I have been checking your site out and there is a lot of good information here. Thanks for putting things in prospective for us. My question for you is about windshields and refurbishing them. Do you know of any product that will take out the scratches so that I do not have to replace it? Sherlock Dear
Sherlock, I did some research on your windshield issue, and the name Novus Plastic Polish kept coming up, so check that out! Still, if you do a search for "plastic polish" you'll find lots of sources and this leads me to believe that if you popped by your local auto parts store, you would probably find something pretty easily. Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Dottie, For Dottie who wants a little bit more sound from her Virago 250 exhaust pipes: I too have a Virago, and have found it a bit difficult to find accessories at the more commonly used vendors for my little bike. After spending way too much time with Google, I discovered that the 250 Virago is very popular in Europe and Australia and that it's Yamaha designation is XV250. I've looked at many European web sites in my own searches. I find the manufacturer posted on some English web site and then try to find an American importer of that same manufacturer. One of the importers that I like the best is a company in Miami called Accessories International. If you don't see what you're looking for on their web site, call them. Their toll free number is posted and they are really good about answering questions. The Virago is a great bike. Good luck on the accessories hunt. Lisa (note from Mama: thank you for sharing a company that is open to noodling out solutions!) Thursday, February 23 To Lisa who offered suggestions for finding Virago 250 aftermarket stuff: Thank you so much for the information on the Virago! I too have spent waaaay too much time looking on the web! I really do like my 250 and it is the perfect size for me, I am not as intimidated by it as I was the 750 Honda that my husband initially bought for me to ride! I wanted to actually ride with the girls, not practice on the wide open parking lots and that is what I was doing with the 750. I thought a 300 lb bike would be much better for a 98 lb beginner to learn on than 600 lb one! I am going to check out the new resource you gave me right now! Thanks again and thanks Mama for the informative website! Dottie (note from Mama: glad we're able to point the way. Many women report that although the mid-range bikes are what they really want to ride, starting out on a smaller cc bike for initial practice and acclimation to roads and traffic is the way to go!) Tuesday, February 28 Hi Mama, Has anyone on your site tried the Homolongated slash-cut pipes on the Virago and how do they work and sound? Also is rejetting necessary? I also have a welder (friend, owner, rider himself) who is familiar with bikes and their exhaust system who has said that he would look at my bike and see if there was something he could do to the stock pipes to make them sound better. Which approach would be better and less expensive or complicated? Thank you, Dottie Dear
Dottie, The re-jet question is simple . . . the vendor offering pipes should be able to answer the question and even more to the point, should package the re-jet kit with the pipe (if necessary). So, before ordering, call and see what they have to say. Modifying existing pipes is cheaper but carries with it the warning that once the modification is started, you usually cannot undo the change (baffle hole drilling or removal). If you don't like it, you are stuck. One suggestion has been to find a used set of pipes that can be put on the bike, the mods made, and then you're not working on your own set. Just another thought. Mama Wednesday, March 1 Dear
VTwin Mama, I used the Clymer's manual (Vulcan 750) and read over the oil change instructions, and then went out to the bike. I found the bolt for the drain plug and started unscrewing it. However, it turned, but wouldn't come out or get looser. I re-read the manual but I finally gave up on that as it wasn't acting like it should. I went to the dealer and asked them about it and it turns out it was actually an engine mount bolt. You need a wrench on the other side to keep the other side from rotating as well. The real drain plug is about 6 inches away and rather hidden by the frame, but it looks exactly I like. Oops. However, that done, I managed to drain the oil (into a kitchen pot) fix a leaky O ring, and next I'll be replacing the regulator and fixing the petcock. Hopefully I won't make any more blunders like the frame bolt in the future! Ben Dear
Ben, Thursday, March 2 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Tanya, Molybdenum is used to protect the engine from metal-to-metal wear. In one online article I read, it is suggested that unless you are riding a high-performance race bike in a racing situation, you do not need to concern yourself with metal-to-metal wear. There is evidence that "moly" can affect the operation of a wet clutch (which most bikes have) over time. The Pro Honda oil without "moly" is HP4, a semi-synthetic oil. Therefore, you can use HP4 in all three of your bikes. Note: there is HP4M, which is the version with "moly." Of course, these oils are at a premium price, so I'm going to point you to this oil article by a chemist on getting perfectly good motorcycle oil from your local auto parts store at a less expensive price. Just some food for thought. Mama Friday, March 3 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
BC, Since a bike needs spark, fuel, and compression, that leaves a compression problem for last. It's possible that something in the top end of the cylinder head has finally worn. Such as a valve that has tightened over time, a valve spring that has no more spring, etc. A compression test is simple enough, in that you again remove the spark plug and screw in a compression gauge and compare against factory specs. From Dan's Motorcycle Repair Web Page: "If you don't have a compression gauge handy, all is not lost. A down and dirty way to do it is to simply press your thumb over the spark plug hole and hold it there tight. Now have someone kick the engine over. No matter how hard you push your thumb, the compression pressure should blow it off the hole smartly. If it won't, you don't have enough compression to start the engine." I hope these steps help you try some more things. And no, I'm not a technical genius . . . I use the Internet to research the subject and also turn to The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance by Mark Zimmerman, which covers maintenance but provides an excellent overview of how a bike works that's easy to read (because he injects humor into the mix!). Good luck! Mama Friday, March 3 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Branden, Thursday, March 9 Dear
VTwin Mama, I just turned my drag bike GSX1100EFE into a road bike. My mate came and helped me, but whilst jump starting the bike, the positive lead hit the frame. Since then, all the electrics have worked except for the fact that the main fuse (15amp) and the lights fuse (10 amp) keep blowing. I also noticed a smoking wire but can't find which one it is. Can you help? Also, on my XJ 600, I started it, then the engine cut out and now there is no power . . . the clock lights work and the horn, but nothing else. Could this be the relay?? Frustrated Biker Chick Dear
Frustrated Biker Chick, The fuses on the GSX keep blowing because something is damaged and they are simply doing their job. I'd start by removing the battery and checking those leads. Then, with the battery removed, and noting you can smell a smoking wire, you can identify the general area . . . then it's a matter of removing whatever needs to pulled off to get to the wires underneath and look for wire melts, bubbles, wires fused together, or discolored. These wires are damaged and need to be replaced as they can no longer hold the load or are touching ground in some way. Sorry, but there is no short cut, but again, if you had the schematics, you could trace which wires lead from the fuses that are blowing and have a slightly faster chance at tracing the mess. As to the XJ, well, that could be a number of things. If the clock light and horn work, it may be that the battery is holding just enough charge to power those two items, but not enough to start the bike again. If you hold the horn button in, does it bleat and then lose it's loudness level? Then, I'd start with recharging the battery (and remember to check the electrolyte level; if a cell ran dry, you may not be able to save the battery, or it may have sulfated). Otherwise, you need to check the battery leads for correct contact and corrosion. Since the bike ran briefly and then died, it's possible you're having a regulator/rectifier problem, in that this unit regulates the current flow to the battery. Or your bike may have an alternator/regulator/rectifier combination that is no longer doing its job. Without the electrical schematic, I cannot tell you if there are relays in these circuits, so we're back to square one . . . get the service manual. Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, We decided on a brand new '05 S40/Savage. She can touch on her toes, so we are going to shave the seat and go from there. She has taken it for a few rides up our little road at the house, not much traffic, but I know if she had another inch or so lower where she could touch better she would have more confidence. One question I would like to ask is where are all the aftermarket parts for this bike?!?!? I have found a few sites with parts but not many, and no seats to be found!! As for anyone wondering about if this little "thumper" would have enough power . . . it hauled me down the road at 80 on the interstate and had plenty left in it!! Thanks again for all the posts about possibilities for the "vertically challenged" and information/reviews!! VTX Predator NC Dear
VTX Predator NC, Wednesday, March 15 For VTX Predator NC searching for Suzuki S40 accessories: Sometime earlier I sent you the URL for the S-40/Savage, a site that has a very active forum. Also there is a Yahoo group that is fairly active. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of aftermarket parts specifically listed for the S-40/Savage, but I think what is needed can be found. I think some people have even lowered the MC. Good Luck. Kevin (note from Mama: gadzooks . . . you're right . . . my Help by Make/Model page has the link you noted, and I've now added the Be Savage site. Thanks for pointing this out again . . . sometimes I forget all that I have on my own site!) Try looking into the Intruder Alert website. I think you will find a great source of information for your wife's new bike. Also, a site called Marauder Intruder Group. Also try looking at Corbin's solo seats that are forward to push the rider closer to the handlebars. Dorathy Biddinger (note from Mama: and again, the Intruder Alert forum is on that Help page. I looked at the Corbin site, and they currently are not offering anything specific for the S40, but a call could be made to see what's coming up in their line-up!) Wednesday, March 15 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Robin, If the problem is more pronounced at deceleration, check that your exhaust pipes are bolted in tight and whether you need a new gasket at this juncture (air can enter here and produce the pop as well). You might need to adjust the carb mix slightly, especially if you pull the plugs after a popping event and have a heavy gas smell and/or wet plug, but there you would need the service manual to understand how to do this properly as there could be a number of adjustment screws. This are the things I would check first. Mama Wednesday, March 15 Hi Mama, As for the GSX, the largest problem I have is that the whole bike was rewired for the drag strip and all the wires were used for other sources such as shift lights, nitros, regulation, etc. Would you therefore recommend a complete strip down again and rewire of the bike and loom??? Frustrated Biker Chick Dear
Frustrated, As to the GSX, I'm not an expert on bike wiring, but as they handle electrical load, I'm thinking that the wire gauge may play a role in the problems. Still, the bike ran at one point, and it was the accidental grounding of the battery's positive lead that caused problems, so I'd still be tracing from the battery down the wires looking for obvious melts and burn marks, etc. The fuses blow because something is grounded or shorted out. Mama Friday, March 17 Dear
VTwin Mama, Also, what weight synthetic oil should I run in it for our PA summer climate? I was told 20W/50, another told me that was too thick and said to go with a 10W/40 Thank You. Russ Sonnen Dear
Russ, I'm guessing the reason for your possible choice of a different spec tire is that you would like more "tire contact area" on the front end. Everything I've read on the Internet and in my "Bible" (The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance) sends up warning flags, with notes that a "one size up" wider tread width may affect handling (although many noted, hey, not really noticeable). The more significant shift is in the aspect ratio (second number, tread height at the sidewall) which in your case would be a difference of 0.5" (9mm). Note: The two numbers don't quite correspond, but read on. From the WebBikeWorld: "The problem arises when the tire sidewall heights are dramatically different than stock -- they can start to affect the stock suspension or chassis setup. This issue can be mitigated somewhat by raising the fork tubes in the head clamps (or triple-tree). This lowers the front end a bit, and to a certain extent, can restore the bike to somewhere near factory specs. The catch in all this is that the numbers are sort of theoretical. We'll see that even though a tire claims to be a 100 or 110 or whatever, the manufacturers may be stretching the truth a bit. Which means that, yes, in theory, a 100/90 has a 90 mm high sidewall. But in real life, it depends upon the design, construction and other factors in the tire." So, again, in reading many things, it appears your new tire choice would fit and clear, and hopping onto the Dunlap tire site, they indicate that a 100/90 would fit (I just checked one of their models). But what are your reasons to change from the recommended tire specifications? I'd be double checking with the dealer's service department as to any minuses they have learned of in their experience. As to motor oil weight, from the AMSOIL Synthetic Motorcycle Oil site, "In general, Japanese motorcycles use 10W-40 (AMF) while US and European motorcycles use 20W-50 (AMV). Check your owner's manual." In addition, your owner's or service manual will call out particular specifications, like SJ, SH, SG, SF, etc. These all mean something, and it's best to follow directions. You may wish to avail yourself of the expertise of several excellent Virago sites, one which has a Tech email guy. You'll find these on my Help by Make/Model page. Mama Friday, March 17 Dear
VTwin Mama, The tip: somewhere I read to use high temp black paint to reduce the discolor. Of course this must be done when new and applied to the inside of pipes. I did and 2k later still shinny and new looking, no discolor. Guess the paint turns the heat so it's disbursed farther down the pipe. Probable take longer to tell if the chrome is any better. Guy Dear
Guy, Thursday, March 23 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Cecilia, Has anything happened or changed recently? For instance, if the bike was accidentally dropped on its left side, it's possible that the shift arm is slightly bent. Have you noticed a shift in the engage/disengage point of the clutch (i.e. the point in the clutch lever travel where it happens) . . . it could be an adjustment is necessary. Have you changed the oil and used something different (weight or type)? If you bought it from a dealer, I'd bring it in for a check under the warranty. Note whether it's a problem in both up and down shifting and insist they ride the bike to see if they find the same problem. If they don't, and you still are having problems, keep after them to check into it. There could be a problem developing in the clutch basket or systems beyond (the engine power is transferred to the clutch basket which then transfers the power to the drive plates, which transfers power to the clutch hub and then on to the transmission). Be honest about work you've done on the bike or if something has happened out of the ordinary. It will help them diagnose things. Mama Friday, March 24 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Terreasa, Readers with VStar 650s who have done this, now is the time to chime in! Mama |
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