The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

[hansvonaxion]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

If we weren't talking about troublesome carburetors that would freak me out. But I'm intrigued. Can I use those MacGuyver-esque supplies to sort things out?

I had an old CB with 4 carbs, I bought an old book on motocycle maintenance and it had a DIY method of balancing carbs using jars and tubes. Basically you just run the pipes from jars (filled with oil) vertically up some wood and then onto each carb. The vacuum pulls the oil up the tubes and you adjust them as required. (I never got around to actually doing it though )

Here, I did a quick search...

http://www.powerchutes.com/manometer.asp



Or you could buy one.

another one

[KaJuN]

One of my repair manuals mentioned something like that. I didn't take much stock in it since that manual was the same one that said to fabricate a tool, showed a photo of it, and then didn't tell you how to make it so I ended up having to take the forks to a shop to have seals replaced. $1.55 sounds a lot better than $99 so I'll give the DIY version a try. Hopefully this will turn my blind guesses into educated ones as to what the hell I'm doing.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by hansvonaxion

I had an old CB with 4 carbs, I bought an old book on motocycle maintenance and it had a DIY method of balancing carbs using jars and tubes. Basically you just run the pipes from jars (filled with oil) vertically up some wood and then onto each carb. The vacuum pulls the oil up the tubes and you adjust them as required. (I never got around to actually doing it though )

Here, I did a quick search...

http://www.powerchutes.com/manometer.asp



Or you could buy one.

another one

you sir get a cookie!



On a side note, can we please just keep different threads for different topics, this forum doesn't need any serious threads resembling the mess that is the offtopic region of this forum. I mean anybody with a llife needs not waste a hour catching up on a 1200 post thread just so they can contribute, its fucking mental.

[Derek]

Just curious.

Poll: Have you ever wiped out?

• Yes
• Almost
• No

[BlaRo]

Like Blind, I've already fallen off a motorcycle before. It was my Rider's Course final examination, and I was feeling pretty confident after practicing all day. I had gotten my hand movements down pretty well, I could navigate the box u-turn without putting my foot on the ground, and I could manage the swerve at speed easily. The stopping part in 2nd gear was laughably easy, so I didn't even have to worry about it.

I was the last to go in my crowd of misfits. I hopped on my trusty steed, the Eliminator 125, and proceeded to navigate the course. Always the perfectionist, I was glad when I went through the Box of Hell flawlessly, staying within the lines and keeping both feet firmly on the pegs. I flew through, turned my hips and blew past the slalom, ready to take on what I thought was the easiest part of the test. Hand on the throttle, fingers on the clutch lever, I was ready to get this damn thing over with. So I fly up to about 30mph, switch gears, looking at the cones, keeping my eye on those cones, and remembering to squeeze all four "paws"...

I remember coming to a lurch, the rest I had missed because I closed my eyes. The next thing I know, my bike was on top of my right leg and my head was ringing from hitting the pavement from my helmet. I was shocked. Embarrassing myself in front of the entire class, at the easiest part of the test! I would have to go home and hang my head in shame, while I waited for a rescheduled test.

Which I did. Which I passed.

At least, the instructor advised, it was better to have fallen here, in a big empty parking lot, under controlled circumstances, with professional instructors and EMTs nearby, than to be fallen in the real world. So there, I'm in the "already fallen off" category. Glad I got that out of the way already.

[Karoug]

Here she is, my latest and greatest toy!! I posted this pic beforecuz the tank hasn't been painted yet..

Had it tuned today by SWT.. it's running fantastic!

[KaJuN]

You're not a real motorcyclist until you've had an unscheduled dismount! I had my first spill back in October (about 2 weeks before I got rear ended in my Disco strangely enough). It was on a twisty back road and there were some wet leaves that I didn't know were wet. Luckily it was a slow corner so I was only going about 15. The bike slid a bit and managed to squeeze itself under a guardrail. A broken turn signal and a slightly scuffed up shin from the rail were the damage.

Onto more pleasant motorbike goodness...I built and tried out the homemade manometer today:



OH. MY. STIG!!!!! It made a huge difference. Maxine feels like a completely different bike now. It feels like a proper motorcycle instead of like the 250cc MSF bikes. I practically have to hold on for dear life if I get a little liberal with the throttle. I can downshift and there's power instead of just noise like before.

hansvonaxion: Just stick 6 imaginary zeros behind that +rep because you deserve every point of it for passing along the info about that tool. I've never given out more worthy reputation points.

[BlaRo]

My CB550 repair manual has a lengthy section on how to build your own manometer. I'm glad KaJun beat me to the chase and was the guinea pig for it, because on his recommendation I'm gonna have to do so myself as well.

$100 for a store-bought manometer? C'mon, where's the spirit in that?

[KaJuN]

At least your manual told you how to do it. My factory manual doesn't mention syncronization and the Haynes book says to take it to the dealer because you probably don't have the special Yamaha tool. It was very easy to make (easier than a cup of coffee...seriously) and cost all of $2. Best of all it worked a lot better than I was expecting it to. I used 10w-40 motor oil for the fluid in mine.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by tigger

The impossible-to-find-parts problem is one reason why I'm getting rid of my enduro.

Hey, speaking of that enduro, what are the parts your having trouble finding? and would you still recommend that bike (as i see your selling it etc) Personally i was going to only get one if i could get a prestine example, and at that i was planning on a DT175 because its supposidly (although slower) a little more controllable and comfortable. If its a bad idea then let me know now before i drop 2k on a collectable dirt-bike

Specifically, what are the parts that you can't find? I plan on fabricating the hell out of everything as is, so maybe this won't be a problem, but i think better safe then sorry. right?

[jetsetter]

Originally Posted by Derek

Just curious.

Poll: Have you ever wiped out?

• Yes
• Almost
• No

Was riding with shorts once and burned my leg pretty good after it tipped a bit. While riding a quad the rear tired caught me and pull off and the quad ran over my leg but no injuries with that one.

That's about it for me.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by Ottobon

Specifically, what are the parts that you can't find? I plan on fabricating the hell out of everything as is, so maybe this won't be a problem, but i think better safe then sorry. right?

Well, it's not really that I can't find parts, it's just that I'm a cheap ass . General stuff isn't a problem. Like brake shoes can still be had from Yamaha for $20, and stuff like sprockets, grips, wheels, batteries etc etc are all pretty interchangeable.

The problem for me is that 1)My bike is a POS and 2)Yamaha hasn't built any 'hard' parts for these in years. For instance, a NOS headlight (the only direct fit I've found so far) for my bike $45. NOS coil is $75. I can't even find a set of points, which I probably need too. None of this is really a problem, if I had more free time (and a more knowledgeable staff at my local Yamaha dealership) I'd have it all rigged up. However, there's a problem with that too. I've got to get this bike to pass the rigorous K.H.P. 'Motor Vehicle Examination'. If anything was obviously modified it will probably fail. Damned highway patrol inspectors are strict here. (And I want to do stuff like convert it to 12 volt, disc brake front end, maybe rear, etc etc. I don't think that would fly.)

Long story short, I love my enduro and I'll probably keep it as a project. But I want a reliable, legal street bike I don't have to worry about.

[BlaRo]

Originally Posted by tigger

Well, it's not really that I can't find parts, it's just that I'm a cheap ass . General stuff isn't a problem. Like brake shoes can still be had from Yamaha for $20, and stuff like sprockets, grips, wheels, batteries etc etc are all pretty interchangeable.

The problem for me is that 1)My bike is a POS and 2)Yamaha hasn't built any 'hard' parts for these in years. For instance, a NOS headlight (the only direct fit I've found so far) for my bike $45. NOS coil is $75. I can't even find a set of points, which I probably need too. None of this is really a problem, if I had more free time (and a more knowledgeable staff at my local Yamaha dealership) I'd have it all rigged up. However, there's a problem with that too. I've got to get this bike to pass the rigorous K.H.P. 'Motor Vehicle Examination'. If anything was obviously modified it will probably fail. Damned highway patrol inspectors are strict here. (And I want to do stuff like convert it to 12 volt, disc brake front end, maybe rear, etc etc. I don't think that would fly.)

Long story short, I love my enduro and I'll probably keep it as a project. But I want a reliable, legal street bike I don't have to worry about.

I'm assuming you've checked the junkyards for parts bikes? Being in Kansas and the Midwest you probably have more wrecking yards than we here in New England - there's only one in a town nearby, and one weekend I went on a scavenger hunt for more. Couldn't find any, they're all in New Hampshire and frankly not worth the gamble of a long drive like that.

Besides, that bike is damn cool. I'd totally rock that on any college campus if I had the chance. Every time you think of throwing it away, just think of the chicks you can pick up with it...and that's what keeps me motivated as well.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by tigger

The problem for me is that 1)My bike is a POS and 2)Yamaha hasn't built any 'hard' parts for these in years. For instance, a NOS headlight (the only direct fit I've found so far) for my bike $45. NOS coil is $75. I can't even find a set of points, which I probably need too. None of this is really a problem, if I had more free time (and a more knowledgeable staff at my local Yamaha dealership) I'd have it all rigged up. However, there's a problem with that too. I've got to get this bike to pass the rigorous K.H.P. 'Motor Vehicle Examination'. If anything was obviously modified it will probably fail. Damned highway patrol inspectors are strict here. (And I want to do stuff like convert it to 12 volt, disc brake front end, maybe rear, etc etc. I don't think that would fly.)

That sounds very very similar to the MR2 i sold. Not so much i couldn't fix it but that their was no-one around to help me figure out how to fix it, and as it was my only real car working on it became a pain in the ass. Interesting enough that a Yamaha powered car and a Yamaha powered bike would seem to cause the same set of headaches.

Personally i was planning on reworking the entire engine to run on cheap home-made 190 proof (legal, because its poisoned) alcohol. Then if i can get a good TIG welder and learn how to use it i also planned on playing with the ports , i already know what i want to do to the exhaust port, but if i run a high compression piston then i need to start thinking about what happens if i need to move the intake port vertically in a attempt to level out dynamic compression.




Are there any single pin 2 cylinder enduros ? that would be a dream.

[hansvonaxion]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

Onto more pleasant motorbike goodness...I built and tried out the homemade manometer today:

OH. MY. STIG!!!!! It made a huge difference. Maxine feels like a completely different bike now. It feels like a proper motorcycle instead of like the 250cc MSF bikes. I practically have to hold on for dear life if I get a little liberal with the throttle. I can downshift and there's power instead of just noise like before.

I'm glad it worked.

But didn't you say you had a 4 carb bike? The pic looks like a twin. I think its easier for a twin carb set-up cos you just need one hose. If you want to do 4 at once you need reservoirs, or you can 2 at once, then the other two, then the middle two and try to get them all matching.

As far as dismounts go, I've had 3 involving cars, 2 of them old people turning in front of me and countless near misses.

[KaJuN]

I thought about rigging up a 4 hose system to do them all at once but I decided just to keep it simple since I didn't know if it would work in the first place. The repair manual said to sync them all to carb #3 so that's what I did. It was a bit tedious but it got the job done.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

Besides, that bike is damn cool. I'd totally rock that on any college campus if I had the chance. Every time you think of throwing it away, just think of the chicks you can pick up with it...and that's what keeps me motivated as well.

When it comes to cars, there are some fantastic wrecking yards out here. There's an ancient one about 50 miles away that you can walk through and pretty much see the progression of the automobile from the thirties to the present. But motorcycle wrecking yards are few and far between. The nearest one that I know of is over 100 miles away. And no one at my local Yamaha knows anything about bikes built before about ... 1995 . I'm keeping the 250 for now, but I really want an older Honda road bike.

Originally Posted by Ottobon

That sounds very very similar to the MR2 i sold. Not so much i couldn't fix it but that their was no-one around to help me figure out how to fix it, and as it was my only real car working on it became a pain in the ass.

... and you've got big plans for it that just don't seem like they'll ever come together? Sounds just like my Yamaha.

Alcohol-powered motorbike? You're nuts man . Offhand I can't think of any 2 cylinder enduros ... maybe a BMW? If there are any out there, they're probably four-strokes.

[starfox07]

I do actually want a bike, and if I did get one, it would be a Honda; more specifically a hawk nt650



I figure its a good starter bike, not too much power, but still fun.

[KaJuN]

Hah someone on a motorcycle forum I visit just got rid of a bike like that because he thought it had the stupidest name ever. Mine's a 650 and it's been a great beginner bike. Powerful enough that I respect it and it's fun but not so powerful that it scares me.

[starfox07]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

Hah someone on a motorcycle forum I visit just got rid of a bike like that because he thought it had the stupidest name ever. Mine's a 650 and it's been a great beginner bike. Powerful enough that I respect it and it's fun but not so powerful that it scares me.

I was merely entertaining the notion of getting a bike, but then I stumbled upon this!

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mcy/658762419.html

Do you guys think that is a good deal? If I could negotiate him to $850 then me and my brother split the cost of the bike, it would only be $425 each! I am assuming it is as cheap as it is because it has no title, but I believe that can be remedied. I've heard they are good bikes, and it would seem like a great beginner bike, anybody have some input?