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5bikes

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  1. 5bikes
    Says it all ! Plus I've fixed and ridden 50+ more.... ! ! V
  2. 5bikes
    No I haven't had to add oil between changes. But if you had to... Or were out on the road. Or just regular changes. This is the only bike out of 24 I've had that the filler hole was not accessible. Also the cross bar is in the way requiring a long funnel. I carry a paper funnel ($.25 for 3 at Harbor Freight). Yes it will have to be capped. Over a 100k miles these covers will have to come off at least 33 times, then loosing screws, breaking tabs, stressing the plastic causing cracks... Looking for options, ideas, to make this easier. Think positive!! Wouldn't a good idea posted here helping others be nice?
  3. 5bikes
    It's kind of a pain to add oil by removing the 2 covers and then the oil cap to add oil. I'm thinking of eliminating the cap (or drilling a hole in it) and running a funneled hose outside the covers. But it has to look decent. Has anyone done something like this? Maybe I should change to nickname to Mr. Mod?
  4. 5bikes

    horn

    5bikes replied to a topic in Poor Man Tips and Fixes

    Take the horns off, then take the chrome back off of the horn. Loosen the small nut and screw. Temporarily reconnect the horns and turn the screw. (Use ear protection?). Adjust to loudest sound. Tighten nut and reinstall horns. Venture horns are louder than most older bike horns. Dan are pics necessary?
  5. 5bikes
    Altimeter. This is West Texas! We have several mountain chains within 150 miles, some in southern New Mexico. (long days ride). Can ride to one at 12k ft. Several passes over 6k ft. We are at 3850 ft in town. This is the reason we are not 120's all summer like PHX. Mounting gauges. Oil Pressure 1/4" refrigerated copper line holds it in place. The Amp meter and oil temp I used the fairing screws on top by the mirrors/windshield. The Vac gauge is mounted off the oil temp. Altimeter uses velcro so I can service the clutch reservoir. The temp gauge uses velcro, but reads way too high if in the sun. (300 days a year here, bragging again) I do try "not" to add any heavy accessories. These things are too heavy already. Most are hidden mods so pics do not help. This is the easiest bike I ever had to make changes.
  6. 5bikes
    Gauges, the one above the speedo is the thermometer, left handlebar is the altimeter, around the gauges are the Oil Temp, Vac., Amp meter, and oil pressure. The Oil is tapped off the plug on the right side of the engine between the water pump and clutch covers down low. Large allen socket.
  7. 5bikes
    So far I've made 125 of these... 1st Generation mostly, but some apply to all models: Replace bolts on muffler clamps & use anti-seize compound before they freeze up Do the starter internal ground, another post. May not need heavier battery cables. Add a ground wire directly from the starter to the negative battery terminal or main ground wire Add gauges if unsure of reliability, most on Ebay are Oil pressure, oil temp, Amp meter, indicator LED lights to remind if accessories are on/off An external oil plug is on the engine right side with large socket allen screw/plug between water pump and clutch covers down low center engine. Shorten the throw on clutch lever by making a shorter push rod Shorten the brake lever throw by removing the return spring (remove 10mm bolt to see) Clean battery and grounds regularly Super glue any plastic cracks, also stops further cracking. Do not over tighten any screws on plastic Install foot guards for rain & cold air (MK1's) Always put bolts/screws back in with grease/oil on threads to prevent corrusion Put a guard around the mirrors in case you drop the bike Replace any frequently removed nut/bolts/screws with all the same kind to reduce tools and time servicing. Use a socket screwdriver rather than a wrench/rachet, it is faster & you don't over tighten. Put a mud guard around the rectifier/regulator, but leave it open to air Eliminate both/either fairing pockets (Std models) this adds 50% more room. Use insulation to fill in holes. Rubber around mirrors to protect them Make sure the air filter is tight (not rattling) in housing The weather stripping on the bottom goes bad with age Further explanations are available via PM's. Happy fixes!!!
  8. 5bikes
    And I used to live in Chicago, way too close to Michigan. Preheat a bike? Wash out the garage? Shovel snow? Cut grass? Take the battery out for 6 months a year? Not ride year around? Put up with humidity all summer? Cabin fever? Freezing temps? Oh ya I miss it that.... Outside in a T-shirt again.
  9. 5bikes
    Ignore it or do it. Change the filter first. It is under the left side cover, under the tank, slightly back of the fuel pump on the left side, above the swing arm and not to easy to get to or see. Go to your local auto supply and get one as close as possible. Mine was very rusty sitting empty for 4 years and 24 years old. To take the tank off requires the entire rear sub frame assembly come off. 2 hour job. I used 2 gallons of solvents, lots of heavy nuts and bolts to shack rattle and roll the loose stuff out. The TRICK is the keep the tank full of gas. Fill it up "after" every ride, before putting it away. This keeps condensation, dust and rust to a minimum.
  10. 5bikes
    If it is carbureated, has needles, with and without slides (plastic or metal), lowering the needles will lean them out and you will get better gas mileage. Opposite is sometimes true. In my opinion a leaner mixture is a hotter mixture therefore more power. (Up to too lean) Also is a cleaner mixture. But as Gearhead (Jeremy) said make sure it is tuned up first, everything else is working correctly first. I've done this on at least 10 bikes. It works. My 102k mile Suzuki runs better now than it did when I bought it 15 years ago. Gets 50 mpg and is very throttle responsive. Venture is also. Hesitation under 2k rpm is pilot screws (the ones under the cap) Hesitation above 2.5k rpm is more likely needles. No power over 5k is usually too rich mixture. Do not mess with changing the jets. Check spark plugs often after doing any changes. Even newer formulated gasoline will cause plugs to be black if the mixture is too rich, white if too lean. Gray, tan or clean is about right. This is only a 1-2 hour job the first time, 1/2 hour the next.
  11. 5bikes
    I've done a lot of tuning on dirt bikes, cruisers, tourers and sport bikes. Harley's too! Basically they are all the same. Lower the needles and screw in the pilot jets the carb runs leaner. Do the opposite to richen the mixture. The hardest were bikes that sat for a long time and had aftermarket pipes (that always richen, not lean out the air to fuel ratio). Many hours of experimenting and reading. My 2 Suzuki 1100's 46-52 mpg at 60+ degrees and 65 mph steady cruise. DRZ400 65 city-85 dirt. 1200 Venture 46 avg, 1100 Virago 48+ avg (mostly city). Look for "Improving Gas Mileage" posts. Averages must be taken over many tank fulls. Consistancy is important in filling up to the same level in the tank, using the same gas pump, holding your throttle hand steady. Cold weather, high speeds, city driving, heavy acceleration, rough roads, inconsistant speeds, different gas pumps, and more reduce gas mileage. I don't always drive steady now that my 3 tickets are thru the courts but while I was "holding it back" it was another excuse to experiment and get back at the gas companies. My 2 friends 1st Gen 1300's, now get mid to low 40's but were mid 30's before we retuned them. Send me a PM if you need help.
  12. 5bikes
    Drive/start it often!!! Carbs, batteries, brakes and seals do not like sitting without use. When I was in the frozen north (hated it) I started mine at least every other week. Let it warm up and run it threw the gears on the center stand and press the brake levers.
  13. 5bikes

    Gauges...

    5bikes replied to 5bikes's topic in General Tech Talk

    Got oil temp gauge installed today. Left to right: Altimeter, oil temp, vacuum, on dash thermometer, compass on windshield, then amp meter and oil pressure. On the dash, 6 LEDs for radio on (orange), aux. lights on (green), head lights on (blue), manual fan switch (red) and 2 spares. And switches for the brake lights to flash the tailgators, and to turn on the voltage sensing relay for the radio and aux lights Preflight: Ignore all until they are hot, charged up, back to normal, under the clouds, read right to left, bottom to top, not at night, or at idle. Roger, A O K for takeoff!!
  14. 5bikes

    Motorcycle oil

    5bikes replied to Reed's topic in Watering Hole

    I've got a 102,000 mile 91 Suzuki GSX 1100 G that I've used only the cheapest oil and filters I can buy (with correct viscosity). Does not leak or burn any oil between 3500 mile changes. Done this to several prior cars and bikes. I guess for all those that don't change their oil often enough (and that's the majority of motorcycles) ya use the expensive stuff. There was a study of NYC taxi cabs years ago. Cheap oil even at 8k miles the oil was still good, in heavy city traffic!
  15. 5bikes
    Shorten the throw so you don't have pull the lever as far. Remove the clutch lever by removing the 10mm nut and bolt. Inside is a rod from the lever to the master cylinder. It is partially hidened behind a black soft rubber gasket. Make a slightly shorter rod (less than 1/8" less?) rounded at both ends like the original. I used a old allen wrench of about the same diameter. Do not make it so short that the clutch does not fully disengage. Hard shifting, banging gears and hard to get into nuetral are indications of this. The shorter throw makes it easier on my arthritic fingers. You could try replacing the spring inside the master cylinder with a softer one too. Much harder to do. If you try anything down at the engine it may not transfer power sufficiently.
  16. 5bikes
    I extended the handlebar with risers and still had/have pain. I finally decided to only fix was upper back support. I can modify just about anything. A Walmart tall Igloo cooler was the correct distance between the passenger backrest and my back. I cut some foam rubber. wedge shaped to about 1'' at top and 3" at the bottom. My wife covered it and added straps to hold it on. I attach to cooler with spongee cords to the trunk handle and the passenger hand rails. Pain almost gone. Full back support. For less than $30. And much more storage space. I use it on 3 different bikes.
  17. 5bikes
    I've added a AMP meter, Oil Pressure, vacuum gauge, compass, altimeter and will be adding a oil temp gauge soon. Has anyone added a Oil Pressure Gauge? Mine reads: At startup about 2k rpm, over 60 psi. (Could be over 70 but no graduations over 60) Bypass seems to be working. At 3000 RPM hot 20 psi At 4000 RPM hot 30 psi At Idle hot 5-8 psi Does anyone have a feel if these are about right? Yamaha Service Manual does not specify. (I soon will need a a preflight checklist to drive my Venture)
  18. 5bikes
    You want bad I've done it! Over the Ohio river between Ky and Il was a narrow 2 mile open grate bridge, 2 up and wet! Felt like 2 flat tires. Almost no control. Then there's the most crooked street in the USA. Very steep down, foggy and misty, wet smooth cobblestone and 2 up on narrow 70's tires. I put it in nuetral and coasted as slow as possible using both brakes very smoothly. Did that 4 times in one day. Then there's a 20 mile dirt road in CO with very large sharp rocks 2 up, I wasn't a christian yet but praying sure helped.
  19. 5bikes
    After about 2 miles it came down. Any ideas how to make quieter?
  20. 5bikes
    '84 Venture for 2 up and lazy riding alone, easy on the back and butt. Just did 2nd gear fix and ready for many more miles, 20k now. 47 mpg. '91 Suzuki GSX1100 shaft, 102k miles, sport tourer, fast, reliable, smooth, unique, semi-comfortable. 49 mpg. '92 Suzuki GSX1100, 34k miles, very fast and replacement for '91 if it ever wears out? 45 mpg. '98 Virago 1100 , Cruiser, lots of chrome, great handling, torquey, not nearly as good on highway or as comfortable as 3 above, fun in town. 50+mpg. Wife drives this one too. '00 Suzuki DRZ400S, dual sport, for the hundreds of square miles of open desert, dirt roads, and mountains. 24k miles and never let me down. My parts picker upper too. 70-85 mpg! Got it all covered and ride all bikes year around. Rarely rains here (10"/yr.) but the winds, watch out!
  21. 5bikes
    All of my internals were in great shape at 19k miles on my 84. I did it as a preventative measure trying to avoid ruining other parts/costs. You can see the thrust washers under the middle gear cover but can't get them out without removing the engine and splitting the cases. 50 hours work, 2 weeks ordering parts, much reading of manuals/posts/articles, asking questions, emails, phone calls. Not for the faint of heart. Need lots time, tools, space, $ and experience.
  22. 5bikes
    Thanks to this website and many great mechanics within I did mine in about 50 hours. 3 days taking it apart and 4-5 days putting it back together. I was prepared, read the several posts/articles and got lots of help via emails, phone calls. This is not for an inexperienced person without a lot of metric tools and time. I had to make the clutch basket tool and a homemade press. It takes longer to put back together due to preping parts, calls, remembering the correct reassembly procedure. I had help from another experienced local biker/mechanic friend too. My internals were in remarkably great shape, no wear at all at 19k miles. I had ordered $180 worth of parts 2 weeks ahead. Only missing a few o-rings and one retainer not critical. But to do the thrust washer replacement without taking that shaft out would required a very special press $$$, special drill press $$ and machining $ far beyond 99% of home mechanics. What is the kicker is that the washers can be seen by removing just the middle gear cover! Glad it's done, won't do it again!
  23. 5bikes
    Just pulling in on the brake lever to get the brake lights to come on still applies a small amount of presssure to the pads. The switch is more for tailgators. I can flash them at any rate I want without slowing down. I can hold the throttle steady and push the switch with my thumb (switch is located under the starter switch) easier than applying the brake and holding the throttle. My wife's suggestion of turning around and looking at them and flashing the brake light has gotten even better results. Then again some jerks never get the message even with my 8" x 10" "DO NOT TAIL-GATE" sign on the back of the trunk. Even my friends say I get more tailgators than any one they know.
  24. 5bikes
    1. If your horns are not loud, take them off, remove the back cover, loosen the adjusting screw and nut and readjust for the loudest noise. Cover your ears! 2. Grease the hand and foot levers often, You'll be surprised how much easier they will operate and last. Do this often in wet climates. 3. Drop the carb needle jets to get better gas mileage. 4. On Std. models the area under the trunk under a black plastic cover is empty. I easily converted it to tool storage. 5. On Std models remove the fairing pockets/trays/compartments and cut it out . This will double your storage space. Fill in gaps with pink insulation? Carry light items only. 6. Cup holder: Walmart bicycle cup holder, $5, mount to handlebar. Use a metal insulated covered cup from $1 stores. 7. Wire tie the 2 side panel blackstraps to the frame so you don't loose them. $10 each from Yamaha! 8. The removeable rear trunks on MK1's have an adjustment on the underside brackets to tighten them up so they don't rattle as much. 9. My Venture leaned over too far on the side stand I easily extended it by adding a wood block under the foot. 1/2" thick. 10. I added a electrical brake light switch to the right handlebar to flash tailgators and when slowing down slowly. 11. If the trunk opens too far, hitting the driver in the back. Add a 2 piece lever that pivots in the center so the top lid only opens just over center. 12. The wires were too tight under the handlebar covers so I added a longer screw and spacer to give then more room. 13. On the rear fender the black extension gets dirty and muddy. I put silicone glue on the inner underside between to painted fender and black extension to keep it clean. 14. 2nd brake light $7 Ebay 24 LEDs mount on license bracket. 15. The blue high beam indicator is hard to see if it is "on" in the daylight (I drive with my brights on ALL the time, maybe why I'm still alive?) drill a very small hole in the center so you can see white light and recover with clear tape. 16. Footpegs vibrate? Put a small rubber insulator (inner tube?) between metal parts on the fold down stops. 17. Lots of slop on gear shift and foot brake lever? Put some thin teflon inside the pivots. 18. Aluminum screening on the radiator behind the grill will keep bugs and stones from going thru or plugging the radiator. 19. MK1's: drain the front air box drain hose back to the crankcase ventilation hose with a "T". 20. Loosely packed course steel wool will keep oil from entering the air cleaner in the crankcase vent hose line. (Or keep oil level at 1/2 way mark, scarely to me on long trips) 21. Glue the YICS box seam/joint before it starts leaking. 22. Glue the 4 air box intake rubbers in place so they don't leak or turn. See the tab on under side for positioning. 23. I took a good looking leather bag and converted it into a tank bag (don't laugh it's a purse with lots of pockets). Be Careful when doing tight turns. 24. There is a battery box drain hole (left rear) that just needs a hose attached to it so if you get a leaking battery it won't drain onto the engine, electronics, & solenoid, etc. 25. Use silicone (dielectric) grease on the intake boots, carb diaphrams, & all rubber to keep them soft. DON"T DO THIS!
  25. 5bikes
    Go the the "Help" section at any good auto store and get the speedometer cable kit, like $10. Cut to the same length as the old one and use a vise to install the square cable end. Don't use a hammer as they suggest on the supplied tool. Easy to do.
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