KIC

Thanks...man I appreciate the night off.....had a banana split to celebrate...

I'm looking for any pictures of naked 1st Gens that are riders. Have a friend that has an 84 that the tupperware is pretty sun dried etc. Was thinking that instead of parting it out, maybe trying to strip it down and make a back up rider out of it. They look terrible plain naked, so I'm wondering how anybody dressed them up to make em look prettier than a 2nd Gen... dang...did I type that last part out loud ..?

Smaller in reality is still bigger than in fantasy.. Just a thought.... Kinda like a 2nd Gen thinking they are faster than a 1st Gen...

Welcome Howard. I have an 89, and if i ever get it back together will enjoy it again one day... You will enjoy it here until you make a mistake and they pounce on you like rabbit in a snare. But they are mainly the slower 2nd Genners who do it out of jealousy, so we over look that, and give a lot of grace and forgiveness. So welcome !

I hereby give everybody permission, that if I knowingly use/install/brag/or even smile about using a Harley part on ANY of my bikes, you may shoot/electrocute/slice/stab/discombobulate me in any way shape or form. Exclusion: This does not apply should Big Tom ride his snow sled over and install anything in the dead of night.

I smell an opportunity to make a little ...:mo money:

I always listen to you Big Tom ! Then I know the opposite is what I should do....

I had bookmarked the Watering hole and 1st Gen Tech forum when I first joined. Today I wandered into the read only 1st Gen tech library forum and found a wealth of information.... Guess I need to spend some more time cruisin' through this place....

Love that color ...Congrats ...

Well...wouldn't be the first time I was used as a test monkey.... we will see ! Hope I don't have to post another " you told me and I didn't listen" thread....

...and how much money have you found in yours... makes mine worth at least 2-bits more than a 2nd Gen.... or a Goldwing...lol

So here is the result of the pyramid vs. OEM seals... Looks like the overall height is the same from bottom to lip top, but the top it definitely different as they don't allow for the washer and lock ring.... The forks went together easier with the correct seals...imagine that...

Before and after the washer. It all went together well.

Don't forget the stun gun.... a little writhing on the floor makes for good entertainment.. After you tell him where to go, so will we.... Happy Birthday... Sainthood is next...

Guess the 64 thousand dollar question is.... what is a thick washer vs. a thin washer...? Everything seemed to tighten snugly. Didn't hear any " cracks" when tightening.. also although the bolts were tight, there didn't seem to be much pressure on the rubber. looked like 6 +/- of the rubbers were lightly seeping/leaking. It's done know.. guess it will be a wait and see.... maybe i should start looking for some new valve covers.... GaryZ.. the BEST investment you can make if you do anything with those bolts is a ratchet box end... best $10.00 bucks I have spent...

Geez..does that mean we hijack this thread and start a whole discussion on what we would get if they mated a Snaggletooth with a Dingy.....

So I'm in the process of removing the 16 valve cover bolts and adding washers to stop my couple of small leaks. I'm also replacing the spark plugs as I work in each area... I pop off the spark plug cap to replace the front left plug and I see what looks like a big washer behind it... When I removed it, it was a 1984 quarter. How the heck did a quarter get in that tight area behind the cap...? That just hits me as weird... the plugs looked like they were in for a long time... but it's a 1989...

Go ahead and rub it in...... I did get to ride my KLR650 today... rode it to church, Best Buy and AutoZone .. did hit a little milestone on the odometer ...

Great day on the bike. Finished all 16 valve cover bolts ,4 new plugs AND got the forks put back together with the new OEM fork seals . Feeling good about the bike today .

Hi guys... I am in the process of adding the washers to the valve covers and changing the plugs at the same time. Wanted to know what the best plug gap is for my 89. I tried the search function, but couldn't find a thread with the gap. The manual states .31 - .35. It also calls for DPR8EA-9. I have DPR7EA-9 that I bought from reading a prior thread. The OP stated that he used the hotter plug for short trips etc. The plugs in the bike are the 8EA's. Should I stick to 8's or are the 7' OK to run ? OK... I know the best gap is the distance the 2nd Gen is behind my 1st Gen, :rotf:but i am talking about the spark plug gap here... Thanks..

Gary, I think your comments are good. As I stated, the core of this was sent to me. I made some modifications from my experience and left other stuff in that I wasn't too sure about. I want as much input on this so somebody in the future can get a clear idea as to what to do, or not do. If everybody tweaks it a little then we should get the best finished product. I like the pictures of the different tools. I was kinda hoping that once we got this tweak enough, we could start a fresh thread with this information and the pictures of all the tool options ( homemade ones) and maybe lock it for future use.

What a prime example of an severe understatement ever uttered !!

Looks great ! The trunk repositioning for a backrest was interesting engineering and looks like it should be comfortable on long trips. Good Luck on your riding !

Brian, I just posted this in my thread, but thought I would add it to yours... A little bathroom reading as you decide.... Required OEM Part Numbers 2 YA26H-23144-00-00 SEAL DUST 2 YA1NL-23145-00-00 OIL SEAL FORK 2 YA26H-2319L-00-00 WASHER FORK 1 EACH SIDE 4 YA26H-2319M-00-00 SPRING WASHER AKA WAVE WASHER 2 YA3JJ-23125-00-00 METAL SLIDE FORK BUSHING 2 YA3JJ-23171-00-00 PISTON, BUSHING You will need to have the following tools: Wrenches 10mm, 11mm, 12 mm and 19mm wrenches Sockets 6 point 10mm, 11mm, 12 mm (I use a 3/8" SAE drive) Socket 12 point 11/8" ½' drive Socket Hex 5mm, 10mm and 17mm (½" drive) ½" drive extension 8" in length ½" drive t-handle Dead blow hammer (preferable rubber faced) #2 Phillips screwdriver Gasket pick Curved jaw vise grip pliers Small brass drift pin Small tack hammer (preferably with a square shaped head) Hand impact driver with Phillips bit Small hand sledge (or a heavy framing hammer) Sharp point punch Air compressor and air wrench come in handy I recommend you have on hand some blue Permatex thread locker and a tube of Race Tech's Ultra Slick Seal grease. Shop rags or other absorbent materials. Pinch bar Extendible magnetic head pick up tool Electrical tape White grease or Petroleum Jelly New fork oil. You can also make a handy and cheap tool that will assist in the removal and re-installation of you fork parts by getting a 22-24-inch piece of ½=inch PVC. A 1/2 –inch PVC “T” and a 2-inch 5/8 bolt and a 5/8 nut that fits the bolt. Glue the “T” on one end of the pipe. Screw the nut to the top of the bolt. Place epoxy in the PVS pipe and on the bolt threads and screw the bolt all the way up to the nut. Then lightly, but firmly , back the nut against the PVS pipe end as you would using a locking nut. Let the epoxy cure. You now have a nice tool that will make it easy in disassembly and reassembly. NOTE: It is firmly recommended that you use OEM seals as replacements. Some aftermarket seals are up to 1/16th taller than OEM seals and this will cause heartache and hassle when you want to reassemble. Start by putting the bike on the center stand and then cribbing/bracing the frame so the bike won't fall over on its side. Ensure you raise the front tire at least 2" off the ground. Put the key in the accessory position and reduce the air pressure to the front forks to 0 psi. If you forget this step, I guarantee you will be wearing fork oil. Remove the key from the ignition and put it in a safe place. If you feel comfortable that you can get to the top of the fork tubes without removing the handlebars, so be it, however; I prefer to remove mine. Read all the following steps then start the work. Remove the plastic hoods from the left and right fairings. The Hazard flasher is found on the right hood. Tuck it into the coolant overflow compartment to hold it out of the way. Remove the Handlebar/Ignition switch cover. Remove the cover bracket (11/8" socket) and loosen the handlebars. Don't move them yet, use the Hand Sledge and the sharp point punch to mark where the slit sits on each so you put them back where you found them. Remove the rubber fork caps (if you still have them) Turn the wheel to one side. The manual suggests loosening the fork tube pinch bolts, DON'T. Using the 17mm hex socket loosen the fork cap bolt. The cap bolt may need to be persuaded with the dead blow hammer but it will loosen. Keep downward pressure as this keeps the spring compressed and stops parts from flying loose. Loosen it completely to remove residue air pressure from that fork tube and then tighten it back in place. Repeat the last step on the other tube. Remove fork brace, front fender and any fender accessories. Label any wiring as you disconnect it, believe me it'll save time later. Remove the brake calipers (and any chrome covers). I zip-tied them to the frame to hold them out of the way. Using the curved jaw vise grips remove the speedometer cable from the lower left side. Be careful the inner cable may slide loose. If so a piece of electrical tape will hold it in place. Put it up by the left caliper. Loosen and remove the pinch bolt on the lower right fork. Loosen and remove the axle and remove the front wheel. Use the hand impact to loosen the drain screws (one fork at a time). Remove the screw and drain the fork oil, I used an old coffee can as a drain container for this step.. At this time use a 5mm hex socket to remove the EAND unit on the fork. Careful as oil may spray out if you didn't follow step 5. Tie the EAND up to frame next to the caliper for that side. Be careful to not lose the two rubber washers. Repeat for the other fork. Using the air wrench with a 10mm hex socket through the bottom of the fork hold the fork tightly and loosen/remove the Allen head bolt. Repeat for other side. Inspect the brass washers, if worn replace them. They can and have been reused. I replaced mine. Use the gasket pick or a small blade straight screwdriver to genteelly raise the rubber dust cover. Then remove the retaining clip and put somewhere you won't misplace it. Try really, really, hard not to scratch the fork tube while doing this step. Go back to the top of the forks and remove the fork cap bolt and remove the inner parts. Remember they are still under pressure. Make note of which part goes where in case you don't have a manual to show their respective places. If you have Progressive Springs like mine remove the preload spacer and then the spring. Most of the oil should have drained but Shop Rags help catch any residual fluids. Place the spring somewhere they won't roll around and get dirty. Repeat for the other fork. Put the pinch bar through the axle hole in the bottom of the fork and using the dead blow hammer, pull down on the bar while striking it with the hammer. The lower fork tube should separate after a few blows. Repeat for the other side. You can also use the slide hammer method, but just BE VERY CAREFUL not to ”slam” the lower tubes up, or down, if you have the whole tube assembly off. There are ( on each side) 3 little washers The stealership wanted $9.++ each for them, and 2 small aluminum type “oil locks” that are around $53.00 each, that can be damaged. Carefull separation will save you headaches and $$$. I had mine off and had a friend hold them up shoulder height, while I did the slide hammer method. Some models ( like my 1989) have a UFO looking washer cup that sits in the very bottom of the tubes. Your oil lock will slide into this, if you have one. You will see the inner fork damper rod (complete cylinder) hanging out of the bottom of the top tube. If the oil lock piece and three special washers are still on it, consider yourself good. Otherwise use the magnetic pickup tool to remove them from the lower tube. Be sure you have all four pieces. Check the oil lock piece for wear, if its worn, replace it (OEM price $50.++ US each). This piece must work or your EAND air suspension won't!! Important Fork Seal Replacement for Dummies tip!! Do only one side at a time. It may take a few minutes longer but you'll have a sample of how it should look for reassembly purposes. Use the gasket pick to gently spread open the guide bushing and remove it. Catch the seal spacer as it drops off. Remove the slide bushing in the same manner as the guide bushing, catching the top seal spacer. Remove the dust cover. You can skip this step if you wish but it will help prolong the life of the seals and make installation easier. Pack the space in the bottom of the rubber seals and the dust caps with the Race Tech Ultra Slick Seal grease. Also, wrap some scotch tape around the lip/drove on the upper forks to assist in the sliding up, and prevent seal damage. Don’t forget to remove the tape. Put the replacement parts on this side reusing the seal spacers as you do so. Put on the dust cover, top seal spacer, oil seal, lower seal spacer. Slide these pieces most of the way up the tube and then use a piece of electrical tap wrapped around the tube to hold them in place. Now slide on the slide bushing (the smaller one) and then the guide bushing (the larger one) that should snap into the milled groove at the bottom of the tube. Repeat for the other fork. Put the fork spring and associated inner parts back into the forks and tighten the fork caps enough to hold everything securely. Use a glob of white grease or petroleum jelly and smear it around the damper rod (complete cylinder) where the smaller section is. Put one new wave washer, a flat washer, and a second wave washer on to this part. Next slide the oil lock piece onto the complete cylinder. IMPORTANT!!! The wider end goes down! If this is reversed you will lock the damper rod in the lower position, cancel out your air suspension, blow a new seal, have a rough riding bike and possibly wreck your ride. Place the outer fork tube over the inner tube, careful not to dislodge the washers and oil lock piece. Hold the outer tube securely and using the air wrench and 10mm hex drive socket, tighten the Allen head bolts. Now the hardest part of the whole procedure. Use some of the Race Tech Ultra Slick Seal grease around the space between the top of the outer tube and the inner tube where the seal bushing will go. Then with the small brass drift pin and small hammer, tap the seal into place. Be careful to NOT scratch the inner fork tube during this step. I used the side of the hammer head to strike the drift pin which I move alternately around the tube. When the seal is flush with the top of the outer fork tube, you are good to go. Remove the electrical tape from the inner tube and slide the lower seal spacer and oil spacer down enough to replace the tape to hold the upper seal spacer out of the way. Use more Race Tech Ultra Slick Seal grease and fill the space above the lower seal spacer where the oil seal will fit. Slide the oil seal down and gently tap the seal into place. Remove the electrical tape letting the upper seal spacer slide down into place. Replace the retaining clip. Fill the space around the clip with Race Tech Ultra Slick Seal grease and then slide the dust cover down and tap it into place to seal the outer tube. Repeat for the other fork tube. Replace the oil drain screw and use the hand impact to tighten the drain screws (one fork at a time). Use a 5mm hex socket to replace the EAND units on the forks. Torque these bolts to 5 ft-lbs or your wrist clicks. You don't want to over tighten these bolts. Replace the fork brace, front fender and any fender accessories. Reconnect your wiring. Reinstall wheel and axle. Replace and tighten axle pinch bolt. Replace speedometer cable. Now is a good time to clean and re-grease this cable. Replace brake calipers and any covers. Take off the fork cap bolts carefully the parts are under pressure. Remove whatever parts are needed to add the recommended amount of NEW fork oil. Replace parts. Replace the cap bolts and tighten. Replace the rubber cap covers. Replace the Handlebars and tighten their pinch bolts. Now is a good time to adjust them if they needed any to fit you instead of the previous owner. Replace the cover bracket and tighten the 11/8" nuts. Replace the Handlebar/Ignition switch cover. Tighten the two screws. Take the bike off the cribbing, clean up your work area and tools and wipe the grin off your face as you go for a test ride.