what did you wrench on today??

[Runningdog]

A fruitfull day....cleaned up the wiring in the headlight bucket, and replaced the mounting bolts and screws for the headlight, torqued all the bolts I had been messing with when I rebuilt the forks, and installed a lower bar....then I had lunch.

After lunch, I removed the swing arm, gave it a good clean, as well as whatever I could get at on the back of the engine and frame, replaced the drive shaft boot, re-greased the swing arm bearings, and put it back on the bike. I'll chase all the torque requirements as I put the brakes and wheel back on later.

Still waiting for the head and cylinder from the head shop, but I have all the gaskets and rings I need to finish up.

Bike should be really nice in the spring, can't wait. If there is still some winter left when I get the 850 completed, maybe I'll make some rear-sets for the XS400.

[JungleJustice]

Happy to have this baby home now again; working on all types of sorting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UbctynddOs

Bikes are all running good (and it is cold and wet out), so they are just sitting a bit for now!

The sun poked out today, so I took a ride to go and find one of the kick-starters that I just realized fell off of the full-race 2-stroke about a week or so ago on the I-5 freeway...! Cruised real slow along the side of the shoulder (at a point where I recalling feeling something hitting my foot - what I thought was road debris at the time) and sure enough; THERE IT WAS!

Lucky bastard!

[7981GS]

Started on stripping the '83 GS1100E today.
Started with this...



After a couple of hours...



I have an '80 GS1000G that I have had running well enough to put a couple of hundred miles on and knew that the steering
needed some attention as is seemed to want to fall into turns.
I was at least going to check if it needed grease and a tightening.
Apparently, in the past 72,000 miles, none of the previous owners cared to check it.



The rest of it looks just as good...



Tomorrow, it gets the exhaust and front end from the '83 1100...




Daniel

[pete]

Got my valves installed thanks to the excellent technique and video of our very own Steve.

I am so glad this is not a 16 valve head, I think I would go even further insane if it was... fiddly enough as it was with just the four thanks!

[Hoosier Daddy]

No more rotation than the neck bearing gets, that is UNREAL!!!

[Mindless]

The rest of it looks just as good...

Oh crap.

How did that thing handle on the street I wonder?

[themess]

... Anyone have ideas for cleaning oil and dirt out of the front fins besides using q-tips?...

Two ideas that I haven't tried, yet.

1) Spray with Simple Green, let it soak for a few minutes. Then spray with cheap, home-duty, 1000 psi power washer.

2) Wire brush. From McMaster-Carr, I bought some wire brushes about the size and shape of test tube brushes. Sometime I'll try to use them to clean the crud off, probably after dousing with Simple Green. I might chuck them in an electric drill. The handles are small enough that they might fit in a pneumatic die grinder, which would be run at low air pressure to keep speed down.

[cowboyup3371]

Two ideas that I haven't tried, yet.

1) Spray with Simple Green, let it soak for a few minutes. Then spray with cheap, home-duty, 1000 psi power washer.

2) Wire brush. From McMaster-Carr, I bought some wire brushes about the size and shape of test tube brushes. Sometime I'll try to use them to clean the crud off, probably after dousing with Simple Green. I might chuck them in an electric drill. The handles are small enough that they might fit in a pneumatic die grinder, which would be run at low air pressure to keep speed down.

Thanks Tom. I'll try that out.

[jhillier449]

I removed the rear wheel from my 1000G to clean it up and grease the rear spline gear with moly 60. I gotta replace the rubber bushings in my MDI shocks, the ones that came with them did not hold up well.

[Dogma]

I removed the rear wheel from my 1000G to clean it up and grease the rear spline gear with moly 60. I gotta replace the rubber bushings in my MDI shocks, the ones that came with them did not hold up well.

If you still have the old stock shocks, you can use the steel sleeves out of them. It's a job to get them out though.

[mike-s]

Got my valves installed thanks to the excellent technique and video of our very own Steve.

Having a how-to is a massive help, especially when you aren't that sure yourself.

I am so glad this is not a 16 valve head, I think I would go even further insane if it was... fiddly enough as it was with just the four thanks!

As much of a butt-pain as it is on a 450 with 4 valves, think of the fun i had with an 8 valve 250!

Oh and just came inside from getting the 250 running, abeit poorly. I need to rule out bad fuel as although it started easily it doesn't seem to want to go over 4k once warmed up. I know that engines need very little throttle to get very high rotational speeds with no load, and in neutral with minimal throttle the bike will not go faster than that,

These are new carbs that i cleaned myself, the brass bits got an ultrasonic bath and everything else appears healthy on it with no leaks or blocks where they ought not be. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that is associated with the crappy fuel in the tank which has been sitting there since mid August , if not longer!

[pete]

Having a how-to is a massive help, especially when you aren't that sure yourself.As much of a butt-pain as it is on a 450 with 4 valves, think of the fun i had with an 8 valve 250!

Oh and just came inside from getting the 250 running, abeit poorly. I need to rule out bad fuel as although it started easily it doesn't seem to want to go over 4k once warmed up. I know that engines need very little throttle to get very high rotational speeds with no load, and in neutral with minimal throttle the bike will not go faster than that,

These are new carbs that i cleaned myself, the brass bits got an ultrasonic bath and everything else appears healthy on it with no leaks or blocks where they ought not be. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that is associated with the crappy fuel in the tank which has been sitting there since mid August , if not longer!

Definitely a huge help for sure!!! Couldn't have done it without that I don't think... and yes I feel your pain with 8 valves!

I would definitely say fuel if it's been there that long, and it's probably clogging up your fuel tap also. You don't want that in your freshly cleaned up carbs...

[mike-s]

Well new fuel means it goes over 4k, will have a crack at tuning her tomorrow as she sounds well out of tune, but at least runs.

[GS ace]

Smokin'

The GT750's fuel system is now rehabbed and it now runs! As soon as the fuel hit the carbs, it fired up with that wonderful sound and filled the shop up with smoke. I had to rob the battery out of the '77 GS, but since that GS is my jewel, it'll get a new one. All that needs to be done is the master cylinder kit, clean out the exhaust, finish cleaning it up, and polish the aluminum.

[chuck hahn]

gotta change out a leaking radiator on the 90 ranger.