what did you wrench on today??

[gordinho80]

While my bike was running pretty decently since having the carbs rebuilt and rejetted this past winter... I had noticed it bogging a little at higher RPMs. Someone mentioned it possibly needing more air, so I tested running it without a filter and it ran a million times better. This lead me to investigate why it was needing so much air. I opened the DynoJet package and saw that the tech had installed the biggest main jets the kit came with, DJ170s. I decided to finally try my hand at some basic carb work myself and took the rail off. Took off the bowls and replaced the jets with the DJ118s from the kit. Set the mixture screws out to 2.5 turns and put it all back together. What a difference! Its like a whole new bike! Now I just need to get a full sync. Going to be visiting a buddy of mine soon who has the gauges.

[Buffalo Bill]

Cut up a tire and bagged it for the trash

I never seem to remember to recycle my old tires, and I had 3 of them after changing the rear on my 1100G. So I decided to try and cut one into quarters, bag it and dump it in my garbage.
Worked, but it took some special technique. A saws-all don't work because you can't hold the tire still for the blade to cut, it just vibrates with the blade, and the bead has steel wires in it so that is the toughest part.
This is how I did it: first cut the bead through by hand with a fine tooth hacksaw using WD40 to lube the blade. Then I cut the rest of the carcass by hand with a bow saw. A saws-all would work IF you can hold the tire firmly enough, lube with WD40 because the spray is convenient. Cut it into 4 quarters, then nest each section into the other so you have a nice compact stack, bag it and can it.

[earlfor]

After putting new clutch disks in the B12 a week ago, I've put a few miles on the bike and the new clutch (Vesrah) feel is not as good as the old stock one. I pulled the clutch back apart and reinstalled the old disks which are much better and more progressive. Going to have to order Suzuki factory linings I guess and do the job a third time. LOL

[Grimly]

I never seem to remember to recycle my old tires, and I had 3 of them after changing the rear on my 1100G. So I decided to try and cut one into quarters, bag it and dump it in my garbage.
Worked, but it took some special technique. A saws-all don't work because you can't hold the tire still for the blade to cut, it just vibrates with the blade, and the bead has steel wires in it so that is the toughest part.
This is how I did it: first cut the bead through by hand with a fine tooth hacksaw using WD40 to lube the blade. Then I cut the rest of the carcass by hand with a bow saw. A saws-all would work IF you can hold the tire firmly enough, lube with WD40 because the spray is convenient. Cut it into 4 quarters, then nest each section into the other so you have a nice compact stack, bag it and can it.

I cut a 14" tyre into halves to make trailer mudguards (I know, pure hillbilly engineering, but it works and cost nothing), and found the beads cut fine with a 9" angle grinder (with cutting blade), then a Sawzall equivalent held tight against the carcase would slice the rubber nicely.

[BADJACKSON]

Did my 1st oil change (on this bike) & put the old ugly seat back on. Went for another short test ride.

[Jedz123]

More work on the XS... Cleaning, buffing the painted bits, restoring the chrome bits, wire wheeling the rust, lowered the forks, refreshed the brakes (no rebuild necessary looks like the PO did that already)+new pads then painted the calipers, Cleaned and polished the engine, new plugs for the hell of it... Next is painting the diff and changing the oil of the diff... Needs a front tire too and the fuse box is... Well not anymore. Runs like a champ though!



Grimly, IT's really not that big of a bike compared to the C14 or even the FZ1. Weighs in at 520lbs which if memory serves me right is 50ish lbs less then a GS750 and only 10lbs more then my FZ1 which I consider a light bike. I removed a couple of chrome bits. The exhaust looks to be a big weighed item as well... So cutting that down (pipes are rotting from the inside on this one too) will lighten the bike up. Sure the shaft drive is heavy but this thing with it's lower stance seems pretty nimble under me and is no way top heavy. Pick up is pretty decent too, get's into illegal speeds pretty quick. I'd say it's on par with my buddies modified Kawasaki SR650. The claimed 70hp is probably true it picks up no problem. I'll tune it once it meets my daily riding requirements in a few more weeks.

[Grimly]

The weight disappears once it's moving, and the economy is not bad - no matter how I rode it, it returned 48mpg. Like many of its contemporaries, it was jetted lean from the factory, which explained why it was so sensitive to exhaust condition.

[themess]

I never seem to remember to recycle my old tires, and I had 3 of them after changing the rear on my 1100G. So I decided to try and cut one into quarters, bag it and dump it in my garbage.
Worked, but it took some special technique. A saws-all don't work because you can't hold the tire still for the blade to cut, it just vibrates with the blade, and the bead has steel wires in it so that is the toughest part.
This is how I did it: first cut the bead through by hand with a fine tooth hacksaw using WD40 to lube the blade. Then I cut the rest of the carcass by hand with a bow saw. A saws-all would work IF you can hold the tire firmly enough, lube with WD40 because the spray is convenient. Cut it into 4 quarters, then nest each section into the other so you have a nice compact stack, bag it and can it.

Tire factories use band saws to cut tire beads and steel belts. Blades are lubricated by continuous spray of soapy water. That is for special work. To destroy a tire before landfilling it, special equipment is used. Scroungers will weld beads from scrap tires, slap some black goo to cover them, and sell them. When the tire fails in service, the manufacturer gets sued.

Most tire store will handle scrapping tires for about $3. Saves some time.

[Buffalo Bill]

Saves a lot of hard work too. I thought it would be easier.

[chuck hahn]

Cleaned up some wiring on the Goldwing. Had a fairing at one time and the wires had holes from the scotchlocs..so I took shrink tubing and mended all them.

The PO had also installed dual element sockets in the rear signals..which i like for the extra light at the back in the dark. But he ran the wire from the front signal under the left shelter half and then to the back, so I took all that out and wired it up via the hot wire going to the tail light. Shrink tubing and its all now under the seat and out of sight. Much cleaner looking now.

[Joe H]

More work on the XS... Cleaning, buffing the painted bits, restoring the chrome bits, wire wheeling the rust, lowered the forks, refreshed the brakes (no rebuild necessary looks like the PO did that already)+new pads then painted the calipers, Cleaned and polished the engine, new plugs for the hell of it... Next is painting the diff and changing the oil of the diff... Needs a front tire too and the fuse box is... Well not anymore. Runs like a champ though!



Grimly, IT's really not that big of a bike compared to the C14 or even the FZ1. Weighs in at 520lbs which if memory serves me right is 50ish lbs less then a GS750 and only 10lbs more then my FZ1 which I consider a light bike. I removed a couple of chrome bits. The exhaust looks to be a big weighed item as well... So cutting that down (pipes are rotting from the inside on this one too) will lighten the bike up. Sure the shaft drive is heavy but this thing with it's lower stance seems pretty nimble under me and is no way top heavy. Pick up is pretty decent too, get's into illegal speeds pretty quick. I'd say it's on par with my buddies modified Kawasaki SR650. The claimed 70hp is probably true it picks up no problem. I'll tune it once it meets my daily riding requirements in a few more weeks.

Nice looking bike! Looks like a fairly comfy ride too!

Ive been messing with jetting on my Kawi H2 project, WHEW… finicky little thing. Learning a lot about 2 strokes and vm mikunis and timing curves. Getting closer. I now have to remove the clutch cover on it also, I have an intermittent ticking sound, it will give me a chance to inspect a few things and it isn't very hard to do on that bike.

[Grimly]

Ive been messing with jetting on my Kawi H2 project, WHEW… finicky little thing. Learning a lot about 2 strokes and vm mikunis and timing curves. Getting closer. I now have to remove the clutch cover on it also, I have an intermittent ticking sound, it will give me a chance to inspect a few things and it isn't very hard to do on that bike.

The Kwak 2T triples were notorious for seizing the middle pot. Istr the fix was to go up a jet size there.

[Buffalo Bill]

The Kwak 2T triples were notorious for seizing the middle pot. Istr the fix was to go up a jet size there.

Yeah I heard that too, make it a bit more rich for cooling.

[Jedz123]

Made this video for the Connie 14 group I'm apart of... Doing your own tires??? What a concept!!! LOL Anyway you can watch ole' Jedz123 do some shade tree mechanic work.

[Joe H]

Yeah I heard that too, make it a bit more rich for cooling.

Mostly rumor and conjecture, they burn up pistons randomly!!
Most of the triple experts out there will tell you it's mostly false I have the same jets in all three the middle is just a touch warmer 15deg or so. The big thing is carb sync AND carb balance you have to do both and you have to do it VERY accurately or you will get one "pulling" and running hot. If one is running hot there is something wrong, air leak, timing, carb balance or sync. There finicky for sure! Makes tuning my Gs seem easy.