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2007 (September through December) Wednesday, September 12 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Bwire, Friday, September 14 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Frank, Since my crystal ball is in the shop for repair (!), I headed to Google and thought, heck, probably won't get anything. Ha! Here is a Wikipedia page that clearly outlines models and years with the problem (info taken from a Motorcyclist magazine article). According to this, you should stick with 1989 and newer years to avoid starter problems with the XV750. There are added notes on other models as well. Mama Friday, September 14 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Naim, Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Valerie, First, bikes run on three things . . . coffee, chocolate, and luck! Ok, not really! It's fuel, air, and spark. Obviously the battery is still chugging away as it does want to turn over. Do you have a sparkplug wrench? Cheap at any local auto parts store. If you look at this Bike Bandit page, it will show you where those two spark plugs are at. Pull 'em! If you put your noise close you might smell an obvious gas smell. That means the carb is feeding the gas/air mix, but the spark plugs are overwhelmed with gas and can't ignite the mix. Check the plug ends to see if they are wet. See if they are dirty or if there is junk in that gap. Get new ones. Cheap enough. Could be that the plugs haven't been changed for a good long while (should be changed yearly usually). Poor plugs can't ignite that mess! Then I would check the air filter. Pull the cover. That's usually on the right side and is a nice chrome thing with a couple of screws. The filter is underneath. If that's clogged, you could be starving the carb for air and so it's delivering an unbalanced amount of gas vs. air. Usually one can clean an air filter but if it's really bad, replace it! Then, check your exhaust pipe connections to the frame. If they are loose, tighten 'em up good. It could be that the metal gaskets are really worn (given the age of the bike). They sit between the frame and the ends of the pipes. An air leak here can cause problems up the line. Email me with results. Mama Monday, September 24 For Valerie whose Yamaha 650 Silverado won't stay running: Everything VTM said is very good info. I had a very similar problem with my old Yamaha, and have a few things to add: Once it had warmed up, it ran great, but starting it (with a kickstart, no less!) could take half and hour or longer! Two things I found that helped: Replacing the spark plugs: The old plugs didn't look bad, but replacing them with Iridium ones did make a difference. Platinum ones are good, too, so are yttrium: all of them require less voltage to generate a spark. For that matter, make sure it IS sparking! Pull the spark plugs out and watch for the blue spark, or if you can't pull the plugs, just pull the cable off the plug and see if it will spark against the body of the bike. (You can also stick your finger into the spark plug boot to feel if it's sparking--it doesn't hurt much at all.) If you do get it running, pour in a whole bottle of that STP or SuperTech "carbuerator & fuel injector cleaner" and keep it running for a good long while -- as many miles as you can put on that tank at a time, then fill it up with fresh gas (and maybe more carb cleaner) Remember that lower octane gas is easier to start than high octane, and is probably better for most of our bikes anyway, despite what people will tell you. Finally, Engine Starting Fluid can work wonders. Spray it into the air intake, and start it up. It's a mixture of ether and n-heptane, and will make a bike run even if the gas tank is turned off! (not very well, but it'll run.). Hope this helps. Skippii (note from Mama: thanks for sharing more things to try!) Dear VTwin Mama, Well, the bike quit and acted out of gas. I did get it started again but it was hesitant. And I did get it to a gas station within 3 miles for a fill up. It took 3.2 gal - out of a 3.9 tank. Is there a gas gauge for my bike so this doesn't happen in the future? MotoMaMa Dear
MotoMaMa, Hmmm ... the specs on the Yami site are showing that year/model has a 4.2 gallon tank, but let's not quibble about 0.3! Sure, mileage will vary with riding conditions. I've seen my BMW normally get about 140 miles before the reserve light came on, but I've also ridden 170 miles before it lit. So there can be variation like you indicated. I've never heard of anyone adding another visible fuel gauge, as it relies on the same principle and that's where the sensor is imbedded. I don't think you want to drill into the tank! I use my trip odometer, which most bikes have. When I fill up, I set it to zero and can see both those accumulated miles and the reserve light to gauge what immediate action needs to be taken. According to the Yami specifications page, your bike has a trip odometer. If you're still feeling a bit leery of all of this, I would add some carb cleaner to a full tank of gas (in the correct proportion) to wick out any water that might be in the tank or lines or carb. If something still seems off to you, and you bought this new from the dealer, I would make an appointment to have the sensor positioning checked. That's what a warranty is for! Mama Thursday, September 27 For MotoMama who is learning the variances on main/reserve gas capacities: I found your site several years ago and found it to be wonderful. I finally bought my first bike, used, this summer. I had many problems and the bike was to old for replacement parts. So I bought a used 2000 V-Star 650 a few months ago and I ran out of gas 3 times before I was able to figure out what mileage to watch for to refuel. I have a reserve (no sensor light) but I could not tell that the bike was acting any different than usual to switch to reserve. I spoke to a dealership and they said that that was normal and just use the trip guide. The trip guide was great except that the next time I rode it I ran out of gas 6 miles sooner. So now I figure at 175 miles on the trip guide and I start looking for the gas station. Now without any worries of bike problems, I have discovered how much I love to ride. I love this bike and hope that MotoMaMa loves her as much as I love mine. Thank you, Kasha (note from Mama: I'm so glad you're having a great time with your newest motorcycle and visiting the VTM site! I remember on my early bikes, where I switched to reserve manually, I quickly found out how much I could except in miles. Misjudged that a few times as well. Having pushed any number of bikes (!) I now subscribe to the "get gas" theory when the lever is switched to reserve or the light comes on! Want to milk all the gas mileage out when on a road trip ... well, then you could end up pushing a bike loaded with gear! Been there and it's not pretty.) Thursday, September 27 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Chris, So, in my experience, when an aftermarket does all this, it's highly unlikely they are giving you wrong information. That said, if you have changed anything else (i.e. added a hypercharger/big air kit, etc.) then yes, you could need some fine-tuning to the jet size. Because dealer mechanics see so many variations on things, I think they are simply hedging their bet on the answer as most aftermarket pipe changes do in fact require a jet kit. I'll also add that given the age of the motorcycle, there are other issues which may crop up when you change to new pipes ... things like the two carbs aren't synched perfectly any more. New pipes may in fact bring out some performance issues not noticed before. So, I would proceed with the installation and if the bike runs fine, great. If it needs a bit of tweaking, then so be it. I'd budget in the possibility. Mama Thursday, October 4 Dear
VTwin Mama, The bike is a hard starter ... we have to use carb spray just to get her to turn over and sputter ... and then she usually stalls ... not a fun thing when trying to pull her out of a busy parking area. We have replaced the auto fuel enricher (the auto-choke), re-jetted, completely cleaned the fuel lines, etc. I had heard that this is a problem with the 2001 models, but can it be fixed? Mechanics are at their wits end and I am too. Any suggestions ... can she be saved, or is it time to retire her (I am second owner, first was mechanic, and she's only got 2200 miles on her). Thanks! Beginning Bueller Dear
Beginning Bueller, Since it sounds like you've really put a lot of time and effort into the fuel delivery systems, I would turn to the electrical side now. Bikes need good spark or it can't ignite the gas/air mix correctly. Since the bike has so few miles, I'm guessing it sat unridden a lot with the previous owner. I'd double check the battery connections for corrosion or looseness. I'd pull the plugs and check for deposits and correct gapping. Pre-gapped ... don't take it for granted that it's exactly right! I'd check that the right spark plugs for that bike are in ... the wrong heat range can cause problems and sometimes the least fancy types work best while other times those higher price ones do the trick. I'd look at the condition of the spark plug wires and the snugness of the fit onto the plugs. If you're brave, I'd pull a plug cap and hold next to the frame and see if you're getting a good strong arc. I think your bike has a CDI unit (its an ignition system component). If the bike was ever power washed (a no no), water could have gotten into the unit and that's causing problems (lots of letters like yours were solved because the CDI had failed or was starting to fail). So, look over those thoughts and see if there is something there that hasn't been looked at by the mechanic. Retiring a bike with so few miles just doesn't seem right! Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, Harley makes a seat for the touring bike called EASY REACH. However it is "butt ugly"... get it ... Seat/Butt. I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has ever attempted to really dig in to a seat and modify it PERSONALLY? And/or, does anyone have suggestions? I am determined to be a ROAD QUEEN on my classic. Debbie C. Dear
Debbie, Meanwhile, this seat mod page has always been one of my favorites as there are step by step pictures! Mama Wednesday, October 17 For Debbie C. who is working on her Road King Classic seat issues: I've been coming to your site for at least a year now checking out the tidbits, and saw a post I wanted to chime in on. This is in response to Debbie C and her quest for a seat for her Road King Classic. I know she is looking to modify her own seat, which your link on seat mods should help her considerably to accomplish. If she is interested in an after market seat that would help her to loose some of the bulk of the stock seat, but still be comfortable, I recommend the LePera Daytona 2-up. I have it on my Road King Custom and it is much narrower, the edges of the seat are at the edges of the frame, so it is pretty much as narrow as it can be. It is also very comfortable. When I was shopping for a seat, I was able to find a shop that carried this particular one and allowed me to test ride it before buying it, which several shops will. Carol (note from Mama: since this seat works for you, it's possible that Debbie can take a look at the shape and recraft her own similarly.) My husband has a 2000 Harley Davidson Fat Boy and I have a 2003 Anniversary Edition Springer Softail. We both hated the seats that came standard with our bikes. We both saw the new 2007 Fat Boy and tried the seat ... we loved it and so we went out and bought the seat that is on the 2007 Fat Boy. This seat is awesome and fits our bikes great. It is well-padded and comfortable, and installation involved just a few extra screws. I am sure that her local HD store can assist her with this. My husband was able to put them both on our bikes with no assistance from the service dept. Seat comfort is so important! Give it a try! Sandy from Spring Hill, FL (note from Mama: thanks for sharing this!) You don't mention the year of the new bike, but since you mentioned that the seat is an "easy reach," I'm wondering if it is a 2008. My hubby just bought a 2008 Electra Glide and could not stand the seat, it hurt his back (he previously owned a 2003 Electra Glide). Harley has changed their seats this production year. With the bigger bikes going to a 6 gallon gas tank, they are 1 1/2" inches longer then previous years. This makes for a longer reach, thus hurting his back. Problem was solved by buying a 2008 seat for a Road King, yes, your bike. (We shoulda made a deal!) It seems his problem has to do with the extra reach he now has. As I said, we got a different seat and added a back rest and now he's a happy camper. My point of all this, please be sure you know what your problem really is before digging into the seat itself. Maybe you can get your dealer to be patient with you as you try different seats on your bike. I don't know about now, but in August none of the after market seat companies had a seat to fit the new style. Good luck on your modifications! Michele S. (note from Mama: an interesting note you've added on the 2008 models!) Wednesday, October 17 Hey
VTwin Mama, Dear
Anon, If you've done this and it's still acting up when the weather is wet, I'd be looking for tight electric connections and corrosion at connections. If you've ever power washed the bike, or had heavy road spray up into the bike, I'd be checking for a black box CDI unit that's got water in it ... it'll knock the power of the bike right off and eventually quit working. Mama Thursday, November 1 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Sethwoman, Well, eventually it wouldn't start at all because with the choke out, you finally flooded the system, meaning that the spark plugs got wet and just couldn't fire the mixture any more. Normally, if you let the bike sit over night, it will dry itself out. But why would a bike start correctly and then stall a minute later? The answer could be with what else you were doing. For example, if you were putting the bike into first gear to take off, but the kickstand was down, the kickstand safety switch would cause the bike to shut down. Then you popped it back into neutral, started it again just fine, but then tried to go to first with the kickstand still down. With the kickstand down, but into first gear, all the revving in the world isn't going to do much good. That safety switch is doing its job. If that's not it, there are any number of things that could be happening, but email back and tell me if that solved it! Mama Thursday, November 8 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Becca, I'd start by taking a look at the battery connections ... are they tight and is there any corrosion? This may be the only problem. Negative lead (black) off first, then the positive (red). If there is dry powdery stuff, that can be cleaned off the terminals and connection. How do I know this? Because earlier this year I bought a used truck and had the same thing happen ... looking closely I realized that one terminal was really yucky and a bit of cleaning up and I was back up and running! If that's not it, then I'm going to guess it's a standard acid battery and if you haven't looked at it since you bought the bike, therein may lie the problem. The cells of the battery have to have a minimum level of water in each cell. Sometimes you have to pull the battery to see the levels properly. If even one cell goes dry, the whole thing can be kaput. How do I know this? Because many years ago I was out for a ride on the 4th of July and it happened to me and I was hours away from home. Thank goodness a rider and his wife took pity on me and let me stay over until the shops opened the next day. Why ... sometimes you can add water to that dead cell and recharge it, but usually it won't "take." Start with these two things and then email back if it's not solved the problem. Mama Tuesday, November 13 Hi Petra, I passed my MSF in Aug, and now have my license, but have been riding as soon as I received my learners permit in July. Some observations I have had on taking the MSF class are: it is very helpful if you have had experience working a clutch shift previously, as it tunes you in to the concept of the rhythm of clutch, shift and gas. Also I did some concentrated afternoons of practice riding in my local college parking lot, with my very patient hubby. Just 2-3 afternoons, but enough to get my confidence up to go out into the neighborhood and drive back and forth and around a real road. So I wasn't a total bike 'virgin' when I went out on the range for the course. This made an enormous difference for me. The only other woman in my class had never been on a bike except behind her boyfriend, had a really hard time, and did not pass. Before I did all that I bought a bike which really fit me (I'm 5' 7") - she's an '02 Honda Shadow ACE 750. I bought her from a gal about my size, her husband had lowered the seat for her. So it was a very good fit from the start. Which is what I wanted for my first bike. I really didn't want to do a whole lot of fiddling before I could start riding her. All the other models I had looked at felt very uncomfortable either in the handle bar reach, or the way the seat felt, some of the Harley's tanks were so fat it hurt my inner thighs. Any way my question is: The bike came with aftermarket loud pipes, and they also gave me the stock pipes. My husband (he has a V-Star 1100) thought the sound was too loud, and was a bit distracting, so he took them off, and put the stock pipes back on. But since then when I am riding she makes a little backfiring sound, sort of like soft popping from time to time when I am downshifting. At the time I was too uninformed to ask these kind of questions to the seller, but does this relate to changing the pipes? I think I am ready for the loud pipes back on, I can barely hear the stock pipes, and I don't think they will be too distracting for me. Also, I have read all the pros and cons of loud pipes and I think they are a good thing if you have them. Since getting my license, I have conquered my goal of up and over and through the hairpin turn on the Mohawk trail here in Western MA. I am looking to create a woman's riding club in this area. So far it is just me on the rider's map! Any one out there? Thanks for all you do to promote riding for Women. I'm 51 years old, previously only a pillion rider, but you gave me a lot of get up and go to do it, now I'm having such a blast riding and meeting some great new friends. Susan in Deerfield, MA. Dear
Susan, I agree that the pros and cons of louder pipes is important to consider and I'm guessing the downside for your hubby (with the louder aftermarket pipes) were that when one follows such a bike, they get the brunt of the noise! It can be tiring following this, as many friends pointed out to me when I had my third bike, a HD Superglide with straight pipes. Ouch! In changing to the stock pipes, that little bit of backfire you're hearing is caused because the air to gas mix is a bit rich and unspent fuel is entering the exhaust system and pops when it hits those heated pipe chambers. A small adjustment to the mix at the carb should solve this. Usually, when a motorcycle is outfitted with aftermarket pipes, the carb is re-jetted (a slightly larger jet orifice to allow more gas flow), so if you did stick to the stock pipes, you might have to rejet to the original one. I'd also double check the condition of the metal gaskets where the pipes meet the frame. They can lose their sealing ability and new gaskets are called for (your change might have been done with the old gaskets). It could also just be that these connections are not completely tight, letting in a bit of air, a classic sign of popping on the downshift. The VTwin Mama Let's Ride Map is the newest addition to the line-up of getting connected to one another! It's only a few months old at this point, so a new system. To double check, you can go to the old Let's Ride list and see who might be in your area. Of course, this map and list only show those who opt in to the systems, so I would expand my search for women's chapters in your area already formed (if you haven't done so already). Those are listed on my Women's Sites page. And just because "headquarters" aren't exactly near you, doesn't mean that there aren't members near you ... I joined the closest group I could find, which is about 50 miles away ... but that's doable for me! Mama Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Sherri, Monday, December 3 For Sherri who is working on adding wind deflectors for her VStar 1300: I had the same problem with the V-Star 1100, so
Ill share a few thoughts on this one. Second, Memphis
Shades makes lower deflectors you can try. I have them on my V-Star,
and it offers incremental help; Im sure theyd work better with the
Memphis Shades windshield (as they are made to)! They are about $120, I
think. Best regards, Thursday, December 6 Dear
Petra, 1) If we get a
break in the weather is it okay to take my bike out for a ride? Someone
told me road salt will really mess her up. Yes I know the feeling of sitting on the bike in the garage going vroom vroom-with 6" of snow outside. P.S. New Enough is a great site for really good bargains on riding apparel-and the customer service is really helpful about fit questions and returns. Thanks, Susan in Deerfield, MA Dear
Susan, Otherwise, winterizing is fairly easy. Add a proportionate amount of gas stabilizer to the full tank (you can still run the bike at any time!). If you can't' get the tires off the ground (via a center stand) then roll the motorcycle to different sections of the tires every week or so. Remove the battery and store properly or get a battery trickle charger (or that good weather day will pass you by as you realize the battery is a goner), or fire the bike up every week whether you can go out or not. The dust cover is good, just remember to remove it once in awhile to check for any moisture build-up or critter invasion! Mama Dear VTwin Mama, I assume I need a new battery then fill all the fluids. After that what's the best way to start. I don't suppose there is a step by step list that would help? Candy Dear
Candy, 1) drain the gas tank and carb float bowls (if the Magna uses carbs instead of a fuel-injection system). Any gas that turned to turpentine and/or crud needs to come out of the system. If possible, inspect the interior of the tank for flaking. Then refill with fresh gas and a proportionate amount of carb cleaner. 2) change the battery, spark plugs and air filter. Then see if it will start! 3) if it starts, then let it warm up for a bit. Then drain the oil and replace the oil and oil filter. 4) lubricate the clutch lever and throttle cables. If this uses a chain drive, lubricate and check the tension on the chain ... look at those two sprockets to see if the tines are worn down or are still pointy and sharp looking. 5) check the brake pads and bleed out the brake fluid with new fluid. 6) check the tires for not enough thread or uneven wear and replace if needed. Clean 'er up in general and go for a ride and see what you've got! Mama Tuesday, December 11 For Candy who is brining a Honda Magna back to life: The Magnas are known for having a few problems in the early years. I have had mine for more than 10 years and did a lot of research on how to care for her. They had cam problems and stuff. I looked up v45magna and came up with a site that has the words uofwaterloo in it. (go figure). Anywho, the guy who started this site is brilliant about the common problems of the early Magnas if that is what you have. I love my Magna and will never giver her up even tho I just bought my first sport bike 3 weeks a go. A beautiful black 1988 750 GSXR. Anyway, you will love how the Magna feels how she reacts and the fact that she is cruiser with some kick. V45Magna (note from Mama: hmmm ... I couldn't find the site you are referring to, but a Google search brought up plenty of boards and stuff if needed. By the by, uofwaterloo is most likely referring to the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, but that still didn't help me find your Magna guru!) Update 12/12/07: the Honda Magna site is from Robyn Landers for Honda V4s. Monday, December 17 Dear VTwin Mama, We are thinking about getting one though in all the years of having his two Harleys he has never had to use one when he keeps them in the living room (it's heated, 65 degrees usually). We plan to ride them at least once a month or when the weather permits. My bike is a new 2007 Shadow Aero and it's the first winter. Also, is it really necessary to take the battery out? I've known so many people who just take the seat off and leave the battery with the trickle charger in use. Some manuals suggest just unhooking the battery cables if no charger is used. Help! What's the best? Thanks so much for your advice! Tempe from New Jersey Dear
Tempe, So, the rule of thumb is that if you're not going to be riding over a longer period of time (some say 2 weeks, I think a month, but just think about how cold your area really is), either take that battery out and move it to a warmer location in the house (but not near anything that could cause a spark) ... or put a charging system on it that is specifically meant for this purpose (a fully charged battery will not freeze). Now, there is a difference between a standard trickle charger and something like the Battery Tender ... one just charges at a slow rate (which is good) but doesn't stop until you turn it off. Something like the Battery Tender monitors the charge in different phases so that it avoids "gassing" the battery. Now, many people, including me, sometimes advocate that you can just start up your motorcycle every month or so to recharge the battery ... but I need to clarify this statement ... yes, if you run around on the bike for a bunch of miles, the voltage regulator/rectifier can do its job of the recharge, but just running it in the garage or around the block is not enough to recharge that battery. So, the bottom line for you is, given the location and temperature of storage, combined with the thought of a monthly ride, you won't need to pull or charge things up. I would however, just like normal maintenance, check the individual cells of the battery to make sure none of the cells have dropped below their minimum water/acid level. If a cell goes dry, you're usually not able to revive the battery even if you refill that cell ... it's kaput! Now, a word on gel cell batteries: the gel cell is still actually a lead acid battery but the electrolyte is suspended, meaning the electrolyte has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen. They do not sulfate or degrade as rapidly as a standard acid battery, but that doesn't mean you can just ignore them in colder weather! Warning ... don't mistake a sealed battery for a gel cell ... if it's sealed it could either be an acid battery or a gel cell ... they are two different animals and require different trickle chargers and charging rates. My BMW has a sealed, maintenance free gel cell because the battery is located under the tank, which is a pain to get to! I just make sure that I'm running the bike for a good amount of miles at least once a month, and given our temperature down here in Mobile, AL, that's not proving to be too hard of a thing to do! Mama Thursday, December 27 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Anon, Since I don't have a manual to guide me, I'll give you some general steps. A battery is usually held in place with some sort of restraining bar over the top of it and it will fasten on one or both bottom sides. First take a look at the size of the battery and determine if it can slip upwards through the frame of the motorcycle. If not, then it'll come out through either the left or right side, so remove any covers and take a look. From that point one has to disconnect wire harnesses surrounding the battery and undo the restraining bar. Then you'll want to disconnect the negative (black) lead to the battery and then the positive (red). According to some online chat I came across, it may be that there is a box the battery sits in that has a rear bolt holding it in place. That has to be removed in order to get to things. The chat indicated that Dynas don't have the easiest removal and only the service manual got them through the complicated steps. Mama |
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