took my bike for it's first real ride, plugs white?

[donimo]

So I finished my MSC course and passed them/c test with 0 demerits (pause for applause) and today took my bike out for my first ride on it.

It still smokes for a good 1-3 min on startup out the left pipe, it isn't the petcock, and it is bluish, I was thinking valve seals but I have no idea, goes away when warm.

It idles fine though, rides nicely, seems to pull smoothly in all gears, all in all it seems to run perfectly, but keep in mind this is my first bike ever AND I did a bunch to it wothout ever riding it beforehand, so NO frame of reference...

I got home and gave bike a quick lookover, seems oil is not only leaking from somewhere but possibly spraying? It was on the bottom of the bracket that holds the carbs together and all over the starter cover, only thing I touched is the cam cover, no oil leaks there though?

pulled the plugs, VERY clean still (new plugs) ant the top electrode (the bendy one) was clean with a whitish haze on it, so I guess its running lean, but everything is stock except the aftermarket mufflers on it, which seal about as well fully clampled as they do pulled right off, which is to say they leak TONS, is this enough to cause it to run lean? Is it bad enough I shouldnt ride it?

Also it seems the left idle/air screw doesnt do anything, the right one affects the idle like it does on cars I have worked on (tune to best idle) but the left one doesnt do anything noticible? I cleaned them, ne o-rings, passage was clear and clean...

help I HAVE to ride it to work this week so hopefully I can find the source of these issues before it blows up!

[BassCliff]

HI Mr. domino,

Here's a few thoughts from my "half-vast" knowledge...

Did your breather hose come loose? It might be getting oil spray all over the top of the motor. It's supposed to connect the top of the motor to the airbox, to recirculate crankcase emissions back into the intake to be burned.

All the exhaust leaks will make your motor run lean. Less back pressure allows more air flow.

It sounds like one of the mixture screws is non-op. This could be due to schpilkus left in the carb after cleaning. If SeaFoam doesn't work you may have to take the carbs apart again. Keep us informed.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[donimo]

ok, I hope my local auto parts place has this magic "seafoam" you all speak so highly of.

shouldn't the bike idle like crap if the idle mix screw doesnt do anything? it purrs like a kitten, well as much as a twin can I guess.

so should I get the cans welded or search for a new exhaust?

is it safe to ride if I go easy on it? I just got my liscence so I will be anyways.

I will go check the hose now, seems possible as there wasnt this much oil (there is a small leak from the cam tensioner) before and i only rode it about a mile...

argh, my new favourite word...

[ryonker]

Like Basscliff said, check that hose. But if your cam chain tensioner is leaking, you would get some oil down on the starter cover (this is what mine did, it's a very easy fix.


Read this tutorial http://www.bwringer.com/gs/

Were all the plugs whitish?

How far do you have to drive?

My guess is that you are safe on a short commute. Maybe there is a trick to sealing the mufflers until you get new ones.

Good Luck!

Rick

[Big T]

A mile isn't really far enough to make a good judgement on mixture.

Ride it about 10 miles, going thru the rpm's to get a better idea.

If the mixture screw doesn't have any affect, leaks or clogged carb

Good luck finding an exhaust - maybe get one shipped to a member in Bellingham and take a drive

[Bribird]

Hey Donimo,
If the mixture screw isnt making any changes..I agree with BigT, but you might wanna make sure your carbs are synced before you go chasing a clog in the mixture circuit.

good luck and congrats on MSC.

[chef1366]

Check the head range on the threads of the spark plug. If you show color more than 2.5 threads up I would increase main jet and shim the needle with the aftermarket pipes.

[donimo]

Like Basscliff said, check that hose. But if your cam chain tensioner is leaking, you would get some oil down on the starter cover (this is what mine did, it's a very easy fix.


Read this tutorial http://www.bwringer.com/gs/

Were all the plugs whitish?

How far do you have to drive?

My guess is that you are safe on a short commute. Maybe there is a trick to sealing the mufflers until you get new ones.

Good Luck!

Rick

I found that tutorial recently, but thanks, I may tackle it soon, but that leak is very minor, I didn't explain it very well, after this short ride there was a bunch of new oil, way moe than what was caked on the starter cover. I looked and the hose is fine, I actually think it might be from when I lubed the throttle cable, the oil looks different than the golden tint of motor oil, more yellow/green, I think its dripping out of the cable. My bad.

It is about 10km round trip so... 6 miles I think? I tried fiddling with the adapter sleeve things, and muffler cement, but it just leaks every time, I honestly think something is missing, either it needs more of the sleeves, or the muffs are just too big for this bike?

Only have 2 plugs, both were whitish, one was a bit more than the other, and one had black on the top surface of the thread part of the plug. One side smokes on startup though so that is prolly that, and one muffler joint leaks more than the other so maybe thats why one is whiter?

I don't know about it being plugged, I could shoot carb cleaner into the hole and it came out the other side, and I chased the passages with super fine wire. but obviously something is wrong, ecccchhh.

[donimo]

A mile isn't really far enough to make a good judgement on mixture.

Ride it about 10 miles, going thru the rpm's to get a better idea.

If the mixture screw doesn't have any affect, leaks or clogged carb

Good luck finding an exhaust - maybe get one shipped to a member in Bellingham and take a drive

I will check again afer work tommorow.

[donimo]

Check the head range on the threads of the spark plug. If you show color more than 2.5 threads up I would increase main jet and shim the needle with the aftermarket pipes.

sorry to sound dumb but I am not totally sure I know what you mean, I get most of it, but do you mean if it's white 2 threads up? and if it is only white on the tip, then what? thanks!

[chef1366]

Check the color on the actual threads of the spark plug.
This shows heat range. This will show up before color shows on the ceramic part of the plug.

[donimo]

10-4, I will report back in about 16 hours

[twiggy2cents]

also that one screw might not change it because it needs a drastic change because the exhaust leak... it could be so lean that changing the screw wont change it... try turning it in all the way and see if that has any effect

[donimo]

ok, so after riding it home, and I gave it some juice right before home, not tons because I am new at riding and also if it is lean I don't want to kill it...

these are the plugs, the colour in the pics isnt great, it is a kind of grayish-white, one of them MAY be a tiny tiny bit tan. The ring above the threads on both is black to about the first almost 2nd thread:




the one on the left (left on the bike too) has oil on the upper threads, also the difference between plugs isnt as major as the pic makes it...

[donimo]

anybody know how bad/good/whatever thes plugs look? all the guides I have are far more extreme than my plugs look...