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Gearhead

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Everything posted by Gearhead

  1. Gearhead
    Even though water cooled, heat does have to go somewhere, coming off radiator. Remember that 86's and up came with the closable vents from the factory, so there must be ventilation space. Some heat comes out the side openings at the front, right behind the rad and in front of the lower fairing. I think some heat flows back between the engine and the plastic heat shields to exit in front of the rear wheel. Some finds its way out below the side covers onto the calves, no matter what you do! Since a bunch of heat flows just inside the side covers, they get real hot too. I glued automotive underhood insulation, the stuff with the foil on one side, inside the cover so the outside surface wouldn't get quite as hot, and have pieces of the stuff that I duct-tape behind the closed vents in the summer. It's soooo worth it. Those vents, when open in the winter, provide a nice little flow of warm air onto cold legs. Hence, in the summer in Tucson, it's darn unpleasant to have any air coming out of them! Jeremy
  2. Gearhead
    Yeah, what Freebird and Brad said! Jeremy
  3. Gearhead
    I got the low-end J&M, 8154 or something, for about 60 bucks per set. You can spend a lot more, but these sound pretty good. Some here say they've had both the low-end and high-end and don't notice much difference. Jeremy
  4. Gearhead
    Emulsion tube is also called a needle jet. It is the tube with holes in the side that drops in from the carb throat and the main jet screws into it from the bottom. The needle rides inside it. That is odd behavior, the airbox thing. When everything is correct it is opposite - screams with airbox on, dogs with it off. Very sensitive to having the airbox in place. Significant mods to the airbox, or individual filters or whatever, must require significant rejetting. Regarding airbox mods, I originally thought that drilling (4) 1/2" holes in my lid bumped my mileage up from about 35 to about 38. I have several tanks worth of data that show this, so something bumped my mileage, but now I can't get over 33-34 and I have tried taping over the holes and leaving them open with no change. Still haven't figured that out. BOTTOM LINE: don't mod the airbox to fix your problem. This bike will run well stock - get it that way. THEN - if you have the modifying itch that I can't seem to escape - you can play around with that kind of stuff. Jeremy
  5. Gearhead
    "You may want to pull your airbox cover and observe whether your sliders are working or not. You may have developed a pinhole in one of your diaphrams..." You won't detect a pinhole by watching the slides dance. 3 out of 4 of mine were seriously cracked through, much more than a pinhole, yet the slides all appeared to dance about the same as far as I could tell by looking. Remove a carb top cover and take a slide out to look at the diaphragm instead - not very hard to do. Jeremy
  6. Gearhead
    "Running my '85 when the temp is @ 100+ will take the temp gauge to redline after about three hours of riding (might even have to stop to let it cool). My calfs start to burn from the heat pouring out from it. A very uncomfortable ride." Giga, Assuming your fan comes on at the usual 3/4 point, your bike under these conditions continues to get hotter even with the fan running. Therefore, putting on a lower temp switch might slow the warming process, but won't solve it such that you can run continuously out of the red. When my wife and I ran across the desert at 107 F, my 87 ran just under the red as Condor described - a needle's width or two. I wonder if your gage is just more sensitive? I know what you mean about the heat pouring out, though. The Baker Air Wings helped a lot, but not way down at the calf level. The passenger's calves are even more in the heat path. At one point my wife's calves were splotchy red because I put my feet on the hiway pegs which blocked her fresh (if you can call 107 fresh) airflow to blow away some of that heat. Your '85 has the triangular open areas in the side panels with no way to close it off, right? My 87 has the vents installed there, and they make a BIG difference, open vs. closed. In the summer, I put a piece of auto hood insulation inside the vents to completely stop airflow. Maybe you could make some plates that fit in there for hot weather. Or, do your panels have the mounting points for the vents? They are available from Yammy - for about 80 bucks each : ( Jeremy
  7. Gearhead
    I have great luck with Zanotti, https://www.zanottimotor.com/shopping/partLookUp.html Also try RonAyers.com and Flatoutmotorcycles.com Jeremy
  8. Gearhead
    Squeeze is right. You need a service manual, conviently located electronically on this site. Also, for carb sync, I almost forgot - some guys make their own for about 2 bucks. It consists of several feet of clear tubing with gear oil in it, looped down and up on a board. I'm sure there are posts here with pictures. You connect one end to carb#2, which is the baseline carb. Then connect the other end to #1 and adjust 'til the oil is not trying to move one way or the other. Repeat for 4 and 3 in that order, I think. Jeremy
  9. Gearhead
    I dunno, but both are easy and I bet for the price you pay the stealer you could buy both tools. I think a halfway decent comp gage can be bought for $25, and a mercury stick set for under $40. Then you can do all the compression and carbs you want! Float levels? Also easy to check, and all you need is a piece of clear vinyl tubing 1/4" diamter, about a foot long. Jeremy
  10. Gearhead
    "also, "oil of wintergreen" is an excellent penetrent as well. Getting hard to find because of how toxic it is in pure form, but it works wonders and smells good." Is that what's in Marvel Mystery Oil that makes it smell like it does? I also wonder how they created identical, standardized test conditions for each penetrant. Jeremy
  11. Gearhead
    "75 in 5th is about all she can do" Yeah, something's wrong. I had my 87 up to 115 after slide replacement, others report going faster. Which brings up a point - slides / diaphragms. I don't remember what was posted earlier - have you removed all the slides to inspect the diaphragms for cracks? 3 of my 4 were bad, and the fourth had been replaced at some point (the new ones look slightly different from the originals). Replacing them did help my top end, but not my mileage as I had hoped. But back to basics here. Compression test. Carbs synced. Strong spark at all 4. Float levels. Are you sure the stock airbox is all hooked up correctly (vents and such)? Did you put on the individual air filters, or was it like that when you bought it? If so, they may have changed the jetting in the carbs to really rich. When you pull the slides to inspect, remove a needle and see if it is stock and seated correctly. Somebody may have shimmed them way up. Jeremy
  12. Gearhead
    "Oh, and the only real difference between DOT3 and DOT4 fluid is the boiling point. They are both silicone formulas and will cause contact dermititus to those who are suceptable (like me)." From HowStuffWorks: DOT3 and DOT4 are glycol-based fluids, and DOT5 is silicon-based. The main difference is that DOT3 and DOT4 absorb water, while DOT5 doesn't. One of the important characteristics of brake fluid is its boiling point. Hydraulic systems rely on an incompressible fluid to transmit force. Liquids are generally incompressible while gases are compressible. If the brake fluid boils (becomes a gas), it will lose most of its ability to transmit force. This may partially or completely disable the brakes. To make matters worse, the only time you are likely to boil your brake fluid is during a period of prolonged braking, such a drive down a mountain -- certainly not the best time for brake failure! As a DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid absorbs water, its boiling point decreases. It can absorb water from the air, which is why you should avoid opening your car's brake fluid reservoir. For the same reason, you should always keep containers of brake fluid tightly sealed. DOT5 fluid does not absorb water. This means the boiling point will remain relatively stable, but it also means that any water that does get into your brake system will tend to form pure water pockets, which could cause brake corrosion. Two other important things about brake fluid: DOT3 and DOT4 eat paint, so don't spill it on your car. Also, none of the different types of brake fluid should be mixed. They can react badly with each other and corrode your brake system. Regarding the last line, I too am under the impression that DOT3 and DOT4 mix OK. Jeremy
  13. Gearhead
    Do you think that the improved handling (as opposed to the ride quality) came as a result of the front end being lower, reducing the rake angle? Do you have a stock rear shock? If so, you are almost definitely sitting low in the rear, even at full pressure. A Progressive spring or shock assembly helps get the rear up which has a similar effect on the rake angle. Thanks for your input. I like the Progressive fronts better than stock (mush), but I too find it just a bit harsh with factory oil quantity and just over an inch of preload. Jeremy
  14. Gearhead
    What are your driving habits and what is your daily ride like? I agree 24 is unacceptable, but I have gotten as low as that 2-up, 80+ on Interstate on a VERY hot day (107 F). Jeremy
  15. Gearhead
    Good luck, Randy. So what's this damper you guys are referring to? Thanks, Jeremy
  16. Gearhead
    Well, I bought it. Got it for $90 shipped, which is probably too much for a machined hunk of aluminum, and a used one at that, but what the heck. A new one is over $130. Bad time to ask this, but are these things really worth it? Do they have any noticable effect? I've noticed a flex in the forks if I whip the bars back and forth quickly (not moving of course) which I think manifests itself in a little wobble in slow u-turns and possibly in exacerbating the 35-mph-front-end-wobble. I have hopes that this thing will help with that. Opinions? Jeremy
  17. Gearhead
    "Where does one go to have the carbs synched?" For $40 you can buy a mercury stick carb sync gage and do it yourself in an hour or two. Jeremy
  18. Gearhead
    Clutch switch is a double-pole number. One side ties into the engine start interlocks, so you can't start the engine in gear unless the clutch is pulled in. Solution to having this ineffective - don't start the engine in gear with the clutch out! Seriously, this function is defunt on my Virago and the few times I've hit the button in gear the bike jerks forward and I stop. I don't start the bike unless I'm sitting on it, generally. The other set of poles does in fact tie to the cruise, so your cruise thinks the clutch is always pulled in. I've worked that one over, but my cruise randomly shuts off while riding so I need to take a look at the brake switches. Jeremy
  19. Gearhead
    "Pull the air filter and check it for dirt and while you have it off start the bike and while blipping the throttle look into each carb and see if the sliders move. I they don't, they need work or replacement, " Remember that dealers aren't always reliable. I found that my slides seemed to do the same dance when viewed in the fashion mentioned above, but I still found major cracking in 3 out of 4 diaphragms. I believe that ALL slides this ages need replacing, unless of course it has already been done. I got them for $55 each and it's an easy job. Total carb rebuilding is not hard either, but getting them off isn't the easiest thing in the world. Jeremy
  20. Gearhead
    "However Metric O-rings are not going to be easy to find at the local hardware store !! " True, although many times American size o-rings will be close enough to work. Another concern with hardware-store o-rings is material. They are made for plumbing - faucets and stuff. They are usually oil-resistant and should be OK in the forks, but I've found they don't do well in heat and should be avoided for engine stuff. There is no seal where the axle goes thru. The axle hole does not open up to the inside of the fork. Others have told you the possibilities. I read a great suggestion on finding an oil leak source. Clean it all up, then ride it a little, but stop before it gets messy. Sometimes the oil is too clean to follow the trail, so sprinkle talcom powder around and it will stick to the oil. Jeremy
  21. Gearhead
    "I went to the dealer, thinking that I might have gotten a fairer shake. But I am of the mind that I just might have gotten a much better deal had I bought from a private owner. " Yeah, used stuff is always a risk but I think private owners are a better bet. You can talk to them and get a feel, and hope for the best, while dealers tend to be professional liars. However, as others have said, don't give up. I agree with the batt cable idea. Upgrades are nice, but just start by checking your connections at the battery and at the other ends (engine for ground, solenoid for hot). Clean them, tighten them, put some vaseline on them to slow future corrosion. Jeremy
  22. Gearhead
    Squeeze, please, you know too much to keep quiet! We can handle the interpretation of your Ger-glish! I'm honored that you guys make the effort to communicate in our language. Jeremy
  23. Gearhead
    Will that fit a 1300? Jeremy
  24. Gearhead
    I understand, and I've seen that about the rpm range and carb circuits before, but I don't think it's totally correct. In your case, I find it very likely that pilot ciruits are your problem. Jeremy
  25. Gearhead
    JB Weld and sheet metal backing works good for small cracks. For larger areas that could be unweildy. On my trunk the adjustable backrest was just about broken off the trunk lid where it mounts and was making an awful racket. I have epoxy in a gallon can (well, two cans) that I bought for my boat. I made two large alum plates, one for the inside and one outside, and epoxied and screwed them on either side of the front wall of the trunk lid, sandwiching the plastic. The screws running thru are not necessary, they just held it together during cure. I then remounted the backrest mechanism to the plates and it is very sturdy. Spreading the load is a great idea. I don't like how the rack mounts with these little 1/2" feet, so I plan on gluing plates on the underside as a preventive measure. If you do some sort of resin and fiberglass thing, do use epoxy, not polyester resin. My friend tried this and it doesn't adhere well. Jeremy
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