Jump to content

5bikes

Expired Membership
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    257

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by 5bikes

  1. 5bikes
    I have about the same but opposite problem. My starter gears and starter clutch make a lot of noise cold but as the engine/oil warm up it quiets down. My bike starts instantly even after sitting 2-3 weeks. My noise started after I put in a new stator. I've been mixing 20W-50 with 10W-40 (same brand and type) to get as close the the 15W-40 Yamaha says we should use. I'm going to try straight 10w-40, results posted here later. Thinner oil may fix my bike too. Also just found 15W-40 at Pepboys, their "Proline" brand.
  2. 5bikes
    I have the dipstick but forget to use it.
  3. 5bikes
    This is not a beginner's job. Front is a bear. But it must be done OR park it OR sell it. If you don't do it right it will leak worse. And have the valve clearances checked at same time (cheaper now).
  4. 5bikes
    Reason is: Us ELECTRICAL GURUs need a lot more info. Has this happened before? What else did you get into? Did it do this after the first set of lights were put in? Did you pinch any wires? Are the 2nd set of lights installed LEDs or incandescents? Did you check all connections? Did you reverse the polarity? Positive to negative and/or vice versa? In other words give us more hints so we can help you.... Electrical problems are the hardest to figure out especially not being there.
  5. 5bikes
    So what it leaks, squeeks, doesn't run perfect, makes funny noises, gets great gas mileage on Wed but not Sat., is 26 years old (but less than 1/2 of it's owner) handles better on dirt than grooved pavement? Almost every defect, misalignment, poor quality aspect, & over discussed point has been "opinionated" several times. It's the 2nd generations time to have fun!!! Yep there's are getting older too. Got tired of working/writing about my 84, I just want to ride it now.
  6. 5bikes

    Back Brace

    5bikes replied to Larry M's topic in Watering Hole

    I bought a $10 Ebay back brace (that includes shipping!). Only to remind me that I've got to sit up straight so my back doesn't hurt. I've got upper and lower back pain from arthritis. I made a full length backrest from a Wal-Mart cooler and covered tapered foam for more support. It sits on the passenger seat, strapped down. Pain is finally going away. Also getting off muscle relaxers, anti-inflammitories, and Advil doing this. But when wife rides with me, I'm back in some pain and meds. I'd rather she go.
  7. 5bikes
    Try something different. I thought I had a bad #1 carb on one of my Suzukis. Turns out it was #2. I thought I had a lean condition just off idle so I kept richening up the pilot screws. Ended up all 4 were way too rich, now at 1 1/4 turns out (normal is 2+ turns). Thought I had a dirty carb, actually was a bad spark plug, that one took me 10 hours to figure out. Got a old GS1000 Suzuki smoking like a misquito fogger. Thought it was bad rings or valve guides. Turned out it was way too lean and out of synch. Had a hard starter, turned out it was corroded plug wires. One of my suzuki had 12.6v at the battery but 11v every where else. Finally found a main connector under the headlight that was clean & shiny but actually corroded inside. Expect the unusual on older vehicles, especially one's that sat more than a few months or driven in humid/rainy climates. I've rebuilt/cleaned the same carbs 3 times before I got all the bugs out, then it takes 10-20 hours to tune them right. And I know what I'm doing... most of the time.
  8. 5bikes
    Mine clunked bad until I added an additional 1 ounce over spec. in each leg. Also run fork air pressure about 15 psi. No clunks now.
  9. 5bikes
    Had 24 bikes, hated LT. Top heavy BAD, felt like driving a big bubble in front of me, totally unreliable, everything broke including their infamous rear final drive went out, hard to work on, very time consuming, expensive parts, no dealers within 275 miles, fell over due to poor kick stand design, poor headlights, rear seat uncomfortable for wife (way cramped), knees hit fairing, legs too far apart causing many cramps. Could not mount forward pegs. Electrical and air cleaner was 3 layers down under fairing, gas tank & 100 screws and 25 parts. 3-5 hour job. Throttle cable broke, BMW wants $150!!!! BS. OK good points.... got same gas mileage as my 84, hummmm. Next owner wanted me to buy it back! Ya right!!! DON"T BUY BMW My Yamaha 84 Std. is totally the opposite...
  10. 5bikes
    Like spark plug release (or grease) makes rubber soft and last much longer. Available better auto stores. Use it on your car's weatherstripping to renew it too. A small dab spreads out to a thin coat. A tube lasts me years.
  11. 5bikes
    I don't need. PM me if you need/want it. I paid $20 on Ebay
  12. 5bikes
    1. Just leave the old fork seals in and put new ones on top of the old ones and super glue new ones in around the outside edges. Super glue the dust seal to the new seal. 2. Add 1/2 to 1 ounce extra 10 wt. fork oil. to stop the bottoming out after draining the old. 3. Run 12-15#'s air in front forks. 4. Cheaper, easier & faster to install, lasts longer...
  13. 5bikes
    Remove the fairing lowers and chin. Empty coolant. Remove the hoses and anything to get access to the starter. Disconnect battery. Disconnect wires to starter motor. Remove starter. Disassemble starter motor. Clean inside with electric cleaner or brake cleaner and compressed air. Check brushes. Clean commutator with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Run another short ground wire from the brush plate to the inside of the cover. Clean the engine to the starter motor mountings and external starter. Reassemble. Run another heavy wire from one of the motor mounting bolts to the engine battery ground just to the right front of the engine. Clean both ends of the battery negative and positive wires, remove the shrink tubing and soak terminals in baking soda. Recoat in grease. Recover with shrink tubing or good tape. I guarantee it will start better if your battery is good.
  14. 5bikes
    They have some styling, are more aerodynamic, are smaller so I don't have to haul the wife's kitchen sink, are removable, and rattle so I know they are still on the bike!
  15. 5bikes
    on anything except head bolts and I never strip out or over tighten nuts, bolts. I hate gorillas that think everything has to be overtightened. Use the smallest wrench available and just tighten using your fingers, not hand. Of course the bigger the nut/bolt the tighter it has to be. Also grease every nut and bolt before reinstalling, so it comes off easier next time. 40+ years doing this. The only loose nuts/bolts I've ever had is forgetting to tighten something to begin with.
  16. 5bikes
    I got some lock washers from a "cheapo" 12-16 drawer plastic cabinet for $10? Harbor Freight? I just used two pliers to flatten them out or use a hammer on the floor. Type not important. Getting the combination of the correct thickness of about 1/2 the thickness of the white spacer is all that is important. Star washers, flat washers, lock washers, shim stock, or a piece of aluminum cut to fit in the slide cavity of about .050" will work. Try Ace, Lowes, Home Depot, local hardware stores, what ya got laying around?
  17. 5bikes
    My present carb settings on my 84: 1. Back to white spacer under circle clip on needles, but my gas mileage has suffered. Low to mid 40's. Used to be high 40's, low 50's at 65 mph. (Once got 55 mpg at 55 mph!-retired and why rush home?) My Venture is used almost exclusively 2 up. (We're not light weight people) Checked plugs in early spring they were very white (lean). But never got any knock. Still white now but less white than before. Thinking of going back to a few thousands less than stock white spacer (.010-.020 less?) 2. Pilot AIR jet #2 under carb diaphram. Filled in with 24 hr JB weld and redrilled out with a #53 drill bit. Was a guess and worked. It does have minor throttle response improvement. 3. Pilot screws: 1.75 turns out 4. Carbs synched several times. 5. Used to have a bad hesitation just off idle accelerating, now completely gone, with above settings, starts in warm weather with no choke. 6. Original carb diaphrams coated with dielectric (silicone) grease. If done every year or 2 they will never get holes!!! Do this on any rubber. 7. 3 Friends with 1300's. All are in low 40's on mpg. Dropped needles about .030-.050" depending on their preferences. 8. Why haven't you done my carb needle spacer change out? Better MPG, more HP (hotter spark), reduced operating cost and a "greener" (less carbon footprint) machine?
  18. 5bikes
    The air jet under the diaphram was filled in with JB Weld (24 hr stuff) and then redrilled out with a #53 drill bit. Was a guess. And yes I do have slightly better throttle response. Had a hesitation just off idle, now gone. Was a "Squeeze" idea I modified.
  19. 5bikes
    I thought I had a fuel starvation problem but ended up being a bad spark plug with only 2.5k miles. Never happened to me in 1,000,000+ miles of driving before. Plugs are cheap, try that. Disconnect 1 plug at a time to isolate which cylinder is bad. If it runs better (but less power) you found where, now check by using another plug grounded outside for good spark and another new plug installed. Check fuel float level next. Drain all bowls they should have the same amount. Still a problem? Remove carbs and clean all ports, jets, needles, with carb cleaner and compressed air.
  20. 5bikes
    Recent findings 1. They will make noise at low rpm and high electrical loads. Lights, radio, aux's "On" 2. Stators may appear to be ok visably but still bad. 3. If they are black on 1/3 to 2/3rds of the coils they are probably burnt out or going out. 4. The ohm reading (2.4) maybe OK as stated in the service manual but they still will not generated electricity. 5. The regulator/rectifier is probably more reliable than the stator. It has cooling fins and is in cooling air. 6. Make sure you reinstall the starter gears correctly, watch how they came out. 7. Have an extra stator cover gasket in case yours gets torn. Silicone RTV is not needed. 8. Make sure the gear selector arm is in the up position behind the cover before reinstalling. Use both washers, don't loose the circle clip. 9. You must remove the middle gear cover to get the stator cover off. 10. Look for leaks at the gear selector electrical switch, the clutch push rod and gear selector shaft seal while your in there. 11. Make sure all wires are covered, taped and will not get pinched when either cover is reinstalled. 12.At idle the voltmeter should not drop down to 12.0 volts unless the fan is on. It does have high current draw. Yes I've done it all wrong and had remove the stator cover 6-8 times now!!
  21. 5bikes
    It helps a little. Front end still has flex. More importantly is better to remove both front and rear suspensions, regrease everything and adjust all bearings to spec or so they are not loose or too tight. My stopped wandering after these and new tires were installed. 1st Gen frames and suspensions are weak, check newer bikes to see how much they are improved.
  22. 5bikes
    As I described in "Improving Gas Mileage". Only the pilot screws are adjustable, set them to about 2 turns out. Don't change any jets.
  23. 5bikes
    Older Wings are TOO HOT, TOO HEAVY, TOO SLOW, too hard to work on, not as comfortable, not as good looking, but maybe more reliable.
  24. 5bikes
    Too Hot, Too Heavy, Too Slow, Too hard to work on, enough said... Been there done that..
  25. 5bikes
    But mine are the same way, somewhat white. If it does not ping or knock leave it like it is or add 1 washer to slightly richen it up. If your getting any surging at steady cruise it is lean. If not I leave it alone. I still get 42-48 mpg depending on speed, headwinds, ambient temp's, city driving and 2 up. Water cooled engines are not as sensitive to lean/rich as 2 strokes or air cooled engines are.
×
×
  • Create New...