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2006 (October through December) Monday, October 9 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Joanne, 1) change the oil and filter For many, the off-season is a time to delve into other
things they love doing, but many report an onset of PMS (Parked Motorcycle
Syndrome). Visit my Education
Center page and explore the many excellent books available . . . I
especially love the "rider stories" books as a way to read about
riding and let the stories revive memories of things I've done but have
not thought about for awhile. Of course there are a number of educational
books as well if you're in the mood to learn more about something! –
Mama Tuesday, October 17 Dear VTwin Mama, My original problem was the bike was sputtering when I shifted into first gear from neutral. I took the gas tank off and checked the petcock, and it looked ok. The gas looked ok also. I put some dry gas (Iso Heet) and that seemed to get rid of most of the sputtering, but it still does so at low speeds/low gears (1st and 2nd). I also put some SeaFoam in the gas tank, but that didn't help much. I also noticed the bike was idling high (around 1500, sometimes as high as 2000 rpm). By the way, the bike is kept outside. A couple of months later, I took the carbs out and checked them because the bike was still sputtering at low speeds/low gears. I placed the carbs back in the bike, and after a few attempts, I was able to get the throttle cables back on. Now, the throttle doesn't spring back to the neutral position normally. It will return, but very slowly. So I assume that the cables need adjusting, because there is too much slack. Another issue is with the air intake tubes to the carbs. I'm not impressed with the fix that the mechanic did a year or so ago, where one of the intake tubes has sealant on it. I guess it was to cover the slight gap between the tube and the air box due to age of the air tube, I guess. This is starting to come undone. My questions are: 1. What else could be causing the sputtering at low speeds? The bike
may simply need some general maintenance/tune up. My main concern is getting the throttle cables correctly adjusted, so that I can ride the bike to a shop if I can't resolve the other issues. Thank you so very much for your time, – Adrienne Dear Adrienne, Sputtering could also be spark plugs that need to be replaced and/or making sure the right ones are installed, and while you checked the petcock, there may be another fuel filter you are missing that could be clogged. Of course you should double-check that the air filter is clean and in good shape . . . otherwise it could be introducing dirt and other crap or be so clogged as to alter the air/gas mix to the carbs. Another thing to check is the tight connection of your exhaust pipes. Worn gaskets or a loose connection can introduce air into the system which is altering performance. Unfortunately, if this bike was recently power-washed, it's possible that an electronic component was drenched and can't dry out. This usually boils down to the CDI black box. The motorcycle could be idling high because it was "artificially" increased to overcome another problem, but by cleaning out the system partially with additives, it's running high now. Idle speed is a set-point and while an idle speed may creep up as mileage is added to a bike, I'm assuming there are many miles on this '83. I'd try a small idle screw adjustment to see if it easily brings down the idle speed. If it doesn't, you've got something else happening in the system. If everything mentioned earlier has been double-checked you could be looking at a carb synch problem, the need to rebuild the carbs, or other timing adjustment. I'm unclear about the air tube sealant situation you mention. Clearly a mechanic had concerns and made a fix. That the fix is coming undone raises questions. What was happening with the bike at that time that led the mechanic to do something there? It could explain the erratic idle speed you're experiencing now. Throttle adjustment is about free-play. There should be manufacturer's specifications in the service manual. Most systems employ a push-pull throttle system where the pull cable opens the throttle and the push cable closes it. So you would need to loosen the locknut near the throttle control, use the adjuster to decrease free-play and then tighten the locknut again. Because of the age of your bike, it's possible that you have a slide carburetor vs. the newer CV carbs. In a slide carb, the throttle cable is directly connected to the slide in the carb. It's unclear what you did when you say you checked the carbs and perhaps the slide is no longer moving freely. Slide carbs were popular through the early 80s, and I just don't have the source material to know what it is your bike has. I realize in all of this I'm fumbling around a bit, but my best advice is to check and double-check the basics first. It's not clear whether you just got this bike and the previous owner had it sitting around, which can open up a can of worms. If you've been running this bike just fine for awhile, outdoor storage could be introducing condensation-related problems, especially in an area where day/night temperatures shift widely. There is a discussion
thread going on at BikeZ for the 1981 CB650 which may prove useful. –
Mama Hi Mama, I have a 2005 HD XL883 Custom. Purchased new, now with 1,800 proud miles on it. I finally ran out of gas yesterday (intentionally) and dipped into reserve for the last quarter mile. I did this because we are going to be taking more long rides, and I wanted to know how far I could go between stops safely. Now, the web sites say this should get 58/47 mpg's. Mine? 35 mpg. That's right. I went 158 miles on a 4.5 gallon tank (although I did not drain the reserve . . . how much gas is in there anyway?). The only extras I have on my bike are Screamin Eagle II pipes, a windshield, and a tall sissy bar. Any thoughts before I go screaming to my dealer? Thanks, – Jojo Dear Jojo, The main and reserve are actually the same tank. There are two gas line feeds in to it. The reserve line opening is lower than the main line opening. So motorcycles are either switched manually with the petcock or have a sensor that switches or simply signals the low gas light. Tanks vary on reserve levels and many riders will carry spare gas or have someone follow with spare gas to see what's really up in terms of how many more average miles one can expect. It's truly a useful number to know! With your tank size, I'm going to estimate that you would get about another 50 miles. That would push your number to 46 miles/gallon, but that's estimated. So, I'm thinking you did not calculate the mpg correctly. Fill the tank. Zero the trip counter or note the odometer mileage. Ride again to drain most of the gas (oh geez, no fun at all!). Get to a gas station. Note the number of miles and gallons needed to fill the tank again. Then divide that mileage with the gas pump reading. There is no doubt that the addition of a windshield can shift the mpg a bit as it does add drag to the motorcycle, which affects gas mileage. Of course, a good windy day can do the same thing, as well as how you ride (quick off the line all the time, etc.). I'm betting that it's about your estimated calculation . . . in a 25 gallon car, 50 miles wouldn't throw off the mpg that much, but on a motorcycle, it makes a difference. – Mama More from Jojo who is questioning her gas mileage vs. the stated specifications: I'll do the recalculations and send you the info. After some further reading, I find that the type of traffic may be a factor too, is that correct? Most of my non-casual riding is to work and back. It usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours to make this 20 mile trip. Should I expect big mileage differences between this type of riding and just open highway, with not much stop and go traffic? – Jojo (note from Mama: yikes, that's dedication to riding! Because stop/go traffic riding can alter mpg so much, I would definitely do my test on true highway riding on a no/low wind day to see how the motorcycle is performing. Then I would repeat the test with your ride to work realities. So, if the highway test is close to the stated mpg, I'd take it as a sign that the bike is running "true." The only way to remove the windshield "factor" is to, well, remove it and repeat the tests. Sounds like fun to me!) Saturday, October 21 Hi Mama, Any way to my question, I just found your site and was reading yesterday's mail. I was wondering if you can send me the information you found on putting reverse on some makes/models? I need help pushing my bike back and this will make me more independent. I thank you and Pas thanks you. Pas is my bike. By the way, Pas means Peace in Spanish, not pain and suffering. – Luz Fernandez Temple Dear Luz, I found a couple of reverse gear sites, including Hank's Chop Shop, The Cycle Station, and CR's Trike Shop. Although none of them note '07 models, it's worth a call to talk it out some more! Everything else I saw was about complete trike conversion kits that included the reverse gear, but it didn't look like they offered just the reverse portion in a kit. – Mama Monday, October 23 For Jojo who is checking her miles per gallon against the sales specs: Hi Jojo . . . manufacturers figure fuel mileage at a specific speed, example 55 mph. They don't tell highway or city traffic mpg. I wouldn't look good on the spec.sheet. So, you would have to match their test speed. Then you would see the difference in the mpg since your modifications. Just think of the miles you can get on your bike, in the name of science. Happy riding, – JenniferWV (note from Mama: yes, the parameters and testing methods are very specific and controlled when they test and then state their numbers. Still, I agree that Jojo will have fun finding out as best she can what her bike is doing under real conditions.) Tuesday, October 24 Dear VTwin Mama, The problem is that the bike will not rev over 5000 . Do you have any ideas on what may be going wrong and why it wont rev properly. Hope you can help – Martin Dear Martin, From the MPS site: "On a motorcycle if you have the throttle wide open and miss a shift, the same thing happens: a rapid increase in rpm's, possibly destroying parts. A rev limiter is placed in the electronic circuitry that prevents the engine from over-revving. At a pre-set rpm - say 7,000 rpm - the rev limiter engages. Once the engine reaches 7,000 rpm, it interrupts the signal to the coil, alternating on/off, slowing the firing sequence, and preventing the engine from rapidly shooting up in rpms. Factory rev-limiters are generally set at low rpm levels. If you have modified your engine you may not notice any performance gains due to the stock rev limiter's low rpm limit, which is why you would use a MSD Rev Limiter. With our units you can set the point, where you want the rev limiter to limit the engine's rpm." You may also want to read this posting at the Dirt Riders International forum. It talks about determining if your DT125R has a rev limiter. At this forum you may also find answers to your float and mix settings, which I haven't got a clue on. – Mama Friday, October 27 Hey Petra, I do have a really silly question though, but since this is the place where no question is silly, here goes. I bought some Harley mirrors for the Suzuki, and now I want to make sure I get the correct metric adapters. Are all the mirror adapters the same? Biketoberfest was a blast. Amazing what a year of riding will do. Last year I couldn't imagine riding in that mess of bikes. This year, the traffic wouldn't have bothered me, but now I couldn't imagine PARKING in that mess of bikes and not worrying about my baby! I may have to buy a second scruffy looking bike just to use for events! Have a great day, – Kat Dear Kat, Glad to hear that Biketoberfest took on a different feel for
you this year. Yes, parking can be a real art form at rallies (!) but
honestly, I think you have little to fear. My biggest note is it's always wise
to use one's locking options and never park too far from the main area, as
these can be targeted by thieves, who come in with a truck and lift many bikes
in a matter of minutes. –
Mama Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Dave, Or not. Your uncle's motorcycle has a complicated history, so I'll do my best to give you some background. First, anything with the AMF designation has to do with that period in history when HD was about to go under . . . it was the American Machine & Foundry company that bailed them out in 1969 and that lasted until 1981 when Harley management bought the company back. Smaller, lightweight bikes from the mid-60s to late 70s did carry the HD name, but were in fact not made by HD. Smaller cc bikes from Britain and Japan were flooding the American market in the late 50s and into the 60s. Harley, looking to counter the challenge despite that this was not their main market, worked with the Italian company Aermacchi, and brought their bikes over under the Harley name. As far as I can tell, that SX is actually classified as an off-road motorcycle, in the cross/motocross category. At least that was the intent. Indications are that they simply did not have the reliability of the Japanese bikes. Harley began bringing over bikes and in 1968 came out the Rapido 125 and then in 1970 came out with the Baja 100. The Rapido morphed to the TX125 and in 1974 they came in with a 175cc version and in 1975 the 250 version. The designations of SX, SS, and SXT seemed to have little meaning. 11,000 of the 250 version were sold in 1975 but the momentum never really carried forward from there. HD's dealers "saw the two-strokers merely as a sideline." So HD severed the tie with Aermacchi and sold the plant in Varese. All of this information was gathered from a number of books on Harley and general motorcycle history that I have on my shelves. The majority was gathered from Harley-Davidson: The Making Of A Cult by Peter Henshaw (1995). So, now you have a snapshot glimpse into the history of
the SX 250. If HD can't directly help or point you to someone who knows
about these bikes, you may find assistance at this Aermacchi
discussion forum. There is no shortage of people looking for parts to
restore these. You may end up needing to go oversees for parts and/or
seeing what eBay will cough up. I typed in "restoring a Harley SX 250"
in Google and found a number of listings of bikes for sale and a few more
message boards. –
Mama Tuesday, November 7 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Dan, Tuesday, November 14 Hi Mama, The city opened a new toll road, and it has cut 13 lights off of my commute!!! Awesome! Riding to work was becoming a chore, since it took 1.5 hours to ride 20 miles (just no good way to get from my house to the office). Now it takes half the time. I know it makes the ride shorter, but it more quality time now! I also want to give you a wrenching report. That's right, Three of my closest friends and I decided to install saddlebag brackets on my friend's Sporty. We were very insecure about taking the shocks off the bike, but with 4 girls, the right tools (Harleys use those Torx wrenches) and a small hydraulic lift, we got them on, and the bike back together!! Whoo Hoo!! Peace on the road, – Jojo Dear Jojo, I just loved the wrenching report and could see all four of you huddled around, working through the steps, sharing thoughts, and getting it done. How very smart! Victories of any kind help us see that we CAN do it, whatever "it" entails! – Mama Dear VTwin Mama, All of the sudden, late last week, my jeans are starting to get scorched from the pipes, which are covered with tape that is supposed to act as somewhat of a heat shield (although it was added by the previous owner for looks). The tape is starting to melt in one area too. Yesterday, I rode less than ten miles and my jeans are not just scorched but a little chunk of them burned up. Is this a sign that I should add more tape to the spot that is melting away or could there be a problem that is causing the pipes to heat up more than normal? – Jody from Kansas Dear Jody, "I'm assuming the previous owner wrapped the pipes with "heat tape" to make them look like they came off a top fuel drag bike. If that's the case pull it off ASAP. It's function is to make the pipes run hotter, not to act as a heat shield. If the bike exhibits no other signs of over heating your problem is solved. If it does, investigate the usual things- lean mixtures, particularly in the pilot or needle circuit, the wrong heat range spark plugs, a tight valve, etc. My guess is that pulling the tape off the pipes will solve the problem." Mark then went on to explain heat tape: "Heat tape is used in some racing applications to raise the exhaust gas temperature. The hotter exhaust is the quicker it flows out of the pipe and so on. On a street bike it's just an affection and doesn't do much except make the bike run hot. It also absorbs water and rusts the pipes. It's effectiveness as a tuning device is debatable but it looks trick. BTW, I've got a 25 ft roll of the stuff I was going to use on one of my race bikes. I never even opened the package." So, there we have it. In looking at one description of an exhaust wrap product, it says "Exhaust wrap helps to retain heat in your exhaust system, which increases horsepower while reducing radiant heat damage. By wrapping the exhaust system it maintains hotter exhaust gases, decreases the density, and allows the exhaust gas to exit the system faster! Greater exhaust scavenging is produced and lowers intake temperatures: that equals more horsepower." So here we note they are talking more about performance. The question remains however whether this tape deteriorates over time as in other product descriptions for exhaust insulating wraps, they included the note that it should protect you from dangerous pipe burns (along with the performance boost). Bottom line . . . you are scorching clothing and the tape is melting in a section . . . I'd follow the KISS principle . . . and get it off and see how the bike performs then. – Mama Monday, November 27 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Big O., Add more air to the air/fuel mix (which is what the hypercharger does) and the fuel injection system is going to attempt to rebalance itself. If you want Kuryakyn's input on installation realities for EFI systems, call toll-free at 877.370.3604 and make sure you have the exact part # you ordered. I'm guessing they can get you to someone on staff to noodle things out with you. Of course there is no lack of HD-specific forums where questions like yours are posted and answered. A few of these can be found on my Help by Mfg/Model page. – Mama Wednesday, December 20 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Suzette, I learned by pouring over a complete maintenance/service manual for each of my bikes (online sources for these can be found on my Education Center page) and I have found the book, The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance to be an excellent source of not only maintenance, but the inner workings of a motorcycle. Readers, any other thoughts? – Mama |
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