My checklist, anything I'm missing?

[snowbeard]

sweet!! glad to hear it, but I have to admit it's less genius and more experience. both my bikes have shucked their diaphrams.

the ebayer I've used is siriusconinc ,sounds bad, but he was quick and cheap. unfortunately he doesn't have any listed for a 450, but sounds like you've got it covered.

Like zach said, you can still make the ride without it, just clamp it and use prime. just remember... but hopefully you'll have it by then!

[Steve]

I don't actually know how the cylinders are numbered? The 450 is a twin and its the one on the left side of the bike...

Many people don't realize just how easy it is to remember how the cylinders are numbered on a bike.

On a transverse engine like those in our Suzukis, #1 is always under your clutch hand. The last cylinder, whether it's #2, #4, or #6 (Benelli Sei, Honda CBX, Kaw KZ1300), will be under your brake hand. If the engine is mounted longitudinally, the cylinders are numbered from front to back, based on the position of the connecting rod on the crank. V-shaped engines make this numbering system look interesting, but they are still numbered left-to-right or front-to back.


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[maparker]

Seems logical as most of us read and count from left to right. The question would be which side of the bike is which? I think of the left from when I'm sitting on it. Your "clutch side" works well too at least on modern bikes...gets a little funky the older you get. My brother had an OLD Harley with the levers reversed...weren't some British bikes that way too?

[maparker]

Got my petcock rebuild kit from Z1 last night and pulled the petcock. Not only was there a hole in the diaphragm, but the little metal backing was broken into 5 pieces! No wonder it leaked. Put it all back together and put in new spark plugs and ran it for about 10 minutes...thought I had another worse problem 'til I realized I'd just run out of gas (I can't wait to get a bike with a gas gauge!).

I just replaced the rusted out stock exhaust with one that came off of an "L" I had to fab up some hangers and the new mufflers hang much, much lower in the back. I scrape them going through corners all the time even if I'm not being that aggressive. It looks like my pipes bent up significantly more where the muffler welds on than these do. Any suggestions as to how I can bend them up without them just crushing? I don't want to just stick them in a vise and heave as I'm afraid they'll just crumple. Any advice would be appreciated!

[snowbeard]

awesome!!! I found much the same in mine, the metal had all broken, etc. must be a lot of in 'n out with the vacuum...

as for the pipes, are they fully seated in the engine? can they be lifted up gently when they are loosened? you might be able to get them slightly higher if you put just a little tension on them and shorten the brackets. but I'd have to see it to tell for sure... you don't want to pull it so hard you open the exhaust ports or break the clamp at the front.

did someone maybe straighten them? I thought all our exhausts went really high? you might be able to cut and weld them higher... or maybe tighter in to the bike?

got any pics?

[maparker]

Rode the bike ~25 miles to work this morning. Unbelievable, it actually idles, doesn't cough and spit or buck! Carbs probably need sync'ed better as its a little buzzy, but if anything I think it may even be running a little lean. Amazing what not having fuel pour straight into one carb will do. Thanks for the advice. I'm going to tackle "adjusting" the exhaust this week end...wish me luck!

Parker