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GaryZ

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Everything posted by GaryZ

  1. GaryZ
    Man, you are going to be sore for a while! Camaro . . .
  2. GaryZ
    This looks like a good replacement speaker. I make it a point not to spend big dollars on speakers unless I have had the opportunity to hear them. 90dB sensitivity is pretty good for this type of speaker. The frequency response listed is pure marketing hype. This marketing is hilarious; 4 ohms impedance Conducts power evenly to keep the speaker at an appropriate level.
  3. GaryZ
    My kickstand switch is intermittent and has killed the engine going down the highway. Any experts out there with an easy fix?
  4. GaryZ
    Welcome! The amount of 1st Gen information available on this forum is staggering. My '85 had the bad second gear when I got it for $600 (see photo 1) showing 58,000 miles on the odometer. I used steel wool to clean all of the chrome, de-greased and washed the rest, and rode it without second gear for a little over a year (see photo 2). I fixed the transmission issue when I found an '87 1300cc engine with less miles for $550.
  5. GaryZ
    I have been looking closely at the cassette player and the space under it. The subwoofer will likely exit next the this area, into the space around the steering head.
  6. GaryZ
    OK, the other confusing issue seems to be concern with the VR electrical system. A stereo power amplifier should be connected directly to the battery through a fuse or circuit breaker. The battery delivers the big current hits when needed, not the charging system. The VR system simply re-charges the battery.
  7. GaryZ
    I plan on installing a bigger power amplifier to drive my 4" coaxial loudspeakers. Then I want to try and install another power amp (bridged) and a small subwoofer. The 4" speakers will be operated from 150 - 200Hz and up while the subwoofer pumps out the lows. You see, simply removing the lows from the 4" speakers will clean them up and they will be louder.
  8. GaryZ
    Power . . . Power rating seems to be a big hang-up with most folks. Speakers are extremely poor air pumps. Most of the power applied to a speaker is wasted as heat. The power rating is simply how much heat the speaker can dissipate without failing. The power rating of a small speaker has almost nothing to do with how it sounds. Power rating on speakers is obtained by putting a complex test signal into a huge power amplifier and connecting the test speaker. The test starts with the level very low (low power) and the voice-coil temperature is monitored. When the temperature is stable, the speaker sits and cooks for a while. If no failures occur, the level (power) is increased, wait for stable temperature, sit and cook. This is repeated until the speaker fails. They assign a power rating from the last stable test. Most speakers are rated at higher power ratings than the power amplifiers they are used on. There is no problem driving a small 400W speaker with a 20W amplifier. The speaker simply will not get as loud. A large cone speaker (12", 15", 18") is different. These monsters have a bunch of mass and need a certain amount of power just to get moving. Sensitivity . . . This can also be called efficiency rating. A 1W test signal starts at 20Hz and is swept to 20kHz while a measuring system records the speaker output. The speaker sensitivity is the average level (dB) in the mid-band. Please note that this test is at 1W. Power rating has little to do with efficiency. Generally, a speaker designed to produce extended lows will be less efficient. Put It Together . . . Let's assume there are two different sets of speakers we want to evaluate: Speaker A 4 ohms rated @ 20W continuous power sensitivity is 91dB 1W/1m 2W/1m = 94dB 4W/1m = 97dB 8W/1m = 100dB 16W/1m = 103dB Speaker B 4 ohms rated @200W continuous power sensitivity is 86dB 1W/1m 2W/1m = 89dB 4W/1m = 93dB 8W/1m = 96dB 16W/1m = 99dB 32W/1m = 102dB 64W/1m = 105dB 128W/1m = 108dB 200W/1m = 109dB As you can see, the sensitivity rating dictates how loud these speakers will get if the same power is applied. 8W will produce 100dB on speaker A and a only 96dB on speaker B. Speaker B can be connected to a bigger power amp to produce more loud. Power Amplifiers and Speakers . . . An audio power amplifier delivers power to a load (speaker). When a power amp is turned up to a point where it is exceeding its rating, it hits the poor speaker with a DC voltage that quickly destroys tweeters and will burn up woofers after a bit. Speakers are designed and tested using an audio signal (sorta AC), not DC. A speaker's power rating has little to do with sensitivity. And, power rating has little to do with a speaker's quality of sound.
  9. GaryZ
    I have recently started checking the wheel balance with the tire off, and before removing the weights. Three tire changes now and all three have the weights unchanged when the dot on the tire is aligned with the valve.
  10. GaryZ
    What he said . . . Thanks!
  11. GaryZ
    There are a couple of possibilities as to why you did not get more sound; The Speakers Aftermarket speakers are capable of handling more power vs the stock speakers. However, 80% of speaker failure is from too small of a power amplifier that is driven into horrible distortion. In other words . . . a 10W power amplifier can easily destroy a 200W speaker. Also, those expensive aftermarket speakers usually have lower sensitivity in order to produce more bass. Lower sensitivity equals less sound given the same power. The Amp A "200W" car amplifier is often only capable of 200W into a 2 ohm load when bridged (both channels driving one load). If the amp is configured in stereo, you can only deliver 25W into 4 ohms per channel (about 12.5W into 8 ohms).This is barely more than the original system.
  12. GaryZ
    I put a 90/100 bulb in my Gen 1 headlight and added $20 worth of Wal-Mart driving lights mounted to my engine crash-bars!
  13. GaryZ
    OK, the "total caliper piston area" is the number that you are using, divided by the master cylinder area. This is what I was not seeing . . . Thanks!
  14. GaryZ
    Excellent post! Very good information for those of us that are into swapping parts. OK, the referenced web page recommends 27:1 as his favorite for master-to-cylinder volume ratio. He says that ratios below 20:1 feel "wooden". Your chart does not have this ratio listed. What ratios did you calculate at the bottom? Applying this to the original linked brakes of the Gen 1 they should have a "wooden" feel on the front brake (1140.1/126.7 = 8.9). The rear brake calculates to a 13:1 volume ratio. Better than the front, not close to 20. My experience was exactly that when I first got my '85. The front brake felt like I was squeezing a plum . . . Very little effect. De-linking my brakes has made my front brake "feel" good with a lot better control. The front master-to-cylinder ratio is now around 18 (2280.2/126.7).
  15. GaryZ
    I am pretty sure that float level would not cause a slow return to idle. I have been told this is an indication of a "lean" condition. You may have a vacuum leak . . .
  16. GaryZ
    Progressive Fork Springs 1300 engine with Vmax cams Driving Lights ($20 @ Wal-Mart)
  17. GaryZ

    fork work

    GaryZ replied to darthandy's topic in Watering Hole

    Progressive springs and a plastic spacer suggest to me that you do not have stock set up. Progressive says compress the forks without springs and fill to 5.5" from the top. I use 10wt fork oil and love the ride and handling. I'm 250 lbs and the bike is carrying very little bling. With full bags and a passenger I added about 6 lbs of air to the front.
  18. GaryZ
    I have not had my VR forks apart yet. However, I recently replaced the seals on my ZX11D7 and made a bonehead error. I forgot to remove the clip that holds the seals in place. Needless to say, I damaged the clip. No one in town keeps these things in stock. I ultimately made one out of heavy gauge safety wire. The other thing that may be similar is a bolt that goes in from the bottom of the fork leg. On the ZX11D I used a modified broom handle stuck in from the top and spun the bolt out (and back in) using an 3/8" impact gun. This method was suggested to me by a mechanic at the Kawasaki shop. It worked great and I have done it twice now . . .
  19. GaryZ
    Can the MKII trunk be modified to work on my '85?
  20. GaryZ
    I am 6'2" with a 34" inseam. I did not like looking through the windshield and I cut 4" off. Hated it. The buffeting around my head was terrible. I bought a new one and learned to look through the thing. My problem is lack of air in the summer heat. During my engine replacement I rode the VR without the plastic. The air flow over the instrument cluster acted very similar to my double-bubble on my sport bike. The air hit me about the nose and mouth, but, it was smooth and quiet. This summer I will try cutting my old windshield all the way down to the top of the instrument cluster . . . I will report on my findings.
  21. GaryZ
    $101 . . . and that's my final offer:stickinouttounge:
  22. GaryZ
    Lovely lady and voice. My problem is your lyrics are completely covered up by the guitar and I could not understand a single word . . .
  23. GaryZ
    A heat gun is the best way to remove decals. I used my wife's blow-drier to take the huge "Ninja" decal off of the sides of my first ZX11D.
  24. GaryZ
    I have had to use the vacuum at the car wash and suck the water out of the spark plug wells. I didn't know there were drain holes!
  25. GaryZ
    I'd flip Straycatt for that tire . . .
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