A Motorcycle Thread About Absolutely Nothing!

Does your bike have a carburetor ?
 
Stein I like your bike. The flat black is nice all my helmets have been flat black and my bike was metallic black.

Thought about you earlier today hope you and your family are holding up ok. When my dad died part of me died with him that I'll never get back it's rough. Been over 18 years and it doesn't get any easier. I'm sorry for your loss.
 
Saavik said:
Sure thing, but take note, I play Ingress on motorcycle a lot, so I make lots of stops..lol


Yes, two of them I think?
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Ok, your idle is rough because you need to clean the carbs. You might even need to adjust the idle jet needles using a mannometer.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0qf11BOx6o]How to sync carbs on a motorcycle - YouTube[/ame]

^not captioned, but will give you an idea what a mannometer does.


here is a good video on how to clean the carbs using seafoam:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FonLaCVFMcU]Seafoam Motorcycle Carburetors "The Right Way" - Motorcycle Carburetor Cleaning - YouTube[/ame]

If i get some time this week - I will make a how-to video in ASL for you.
 
ncff07 said:
Stein I like your bike. The flat black is nice all my helmets have been flat black and my bike was metallic black.

Thought about you earlier today hope you and your family are holding up ok. When my dad died part of me died with him that I'll never get back it's rough. Been over 18 years and it doesn't get any easier. I'm sorry for your loss.
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Thank you. My father lost his dad when he was 7. He has been reaching out to me during this.

He was the best :(

We knew him as "Jack". He was 93. I saw him just this past Saturday and the grieving comes and goes. Sunday it was just utter shock.

I was his grandson by "choice". He was my grandpa in law but that was just a technicality. We were family.

His name is John and here is an article about him

http://www.mywabashvalley.com/story/d/story/tech-talk-silver-surfers/49640/VM2M1BqDBEWuTEo0wVvUVw

To be honest with you .. I was the one that helped him buy that computer and set it up. I spent many hours just chatting with him in his office - and that was what I was doing this past Saturday.
 
Steinhauer said:
Ok, your idle is rough because you need to clean the carbs. You might even need to adjust the idle jet needles using a mannometer.

How to sync carbs on a motorcycle - YouTube

^not captioned, but will give you an idea what a mannometer does.


here is a good video on how to clean the carbs using seafoam:

Seafoam Motorcycle Carburetors "The Right Way" - Motorcycle Carburetor Cleaning - YouTube

If i get some time this week - I will make a how-to video in ASL for you.
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When I had a fuel line give out last year, I thought it was a carb issue and opened it up not knowing what I was looking for and messed up the sync. I had someone tweak it without equipment, just by how the bike acted and I'm not sure how often carbs should be cleaned, but I do have plenty of carb cleaner left. Also my clutch cable seems to keep coming loose and won't stay tightened. But I'd love to get this bike running smoothly once again, rather than fear breaking down somewhere all the time.

I really do fear breaking down and being unable to have my bike picked up since I don't know anyone that has a trailer or a truck to haul my bike home or to the shop here and don't have service on my phone, I just use it on wifi connections. If I can get the bike here, I can have my instructor take a look at it since he too is a biker, but being he's my auto mechanics instructor, he would be the best person I know to look over it for me.
 
Don't use carb cleaner for a motorcycle. Use Seafoam deep creep. Any auto store should have it. Make sure your bike is warmed up and take out a vacuum screw ( not the needles ) and spray deep creep in it while the bike is running and is hot. A lot of smoke will come out the exhaust and you don't want to flood the carbs, so use a little at a time.

But it definitely sounds like the carbs need to be synced. I would also have to see a picture of what your clutch handle is doing. It may be as simple as adding a washer to keep the adjusting screw from loosening.
 
Steinhauer said:
Don't use carb cleaner for a motorcycle. Use Seafoam deep creep. Any auto store should have it. Make sure your bike is warmed up and take out a vacuum screw ( not the needles ) and spray deep creep in it while the bike is running and is hot. A lot of smoke will come out the exhaust and you don't want to flood the carbs, so use a little at a time.

But it definitely sounds like the carbs need to be synced. I would also have to see a picture of what your clutch handle is doing. It may be as simple as adding a washer to keep the adjusting screw from loosening.
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No idea what the vacuum screw is, show me what it looks like or where it should be, I never remember parts of things. All the years I was in the Army, I never remembered most of the part names in the M16/ M4 platform, but I could break it down and clean it with ease.

Last page I had a picture of the handle bars/ gauge cluster, but here it is again to save you from going back a page. :) If that picture isn't good enough, I'll get another tomorrow or Saturday.

2014_05_04_11_08_38.jpg
 
I also just remembered several lights behind the gauges are burned out, so night riding I can't see my speed if traveling under about 45 and if I were to hit the opposite side, it's burned out too, but I'm not worried about the higher speeds, just need to see the lower speeds and the tachometer is partially burned out too. Oh and my license plate light, the previous owner decided to go LED and it doesn't work and will turn on if you hold it just right, but let go and it cuts out, not to mention is WAY too big for the housing where it touches the clear plastic covering and isn't very bright if I do hold it to stay on.

Does my model bike have rocker arms or whatever it's called that require adjustment? Brakes are only 6 months old and still good, no idea about the fluid, but the oil and filter are fresh as in about 1-2 weeks old and I cleaned and lubed the chain before riding it anywhere once I got back to Virginia.

Oh and the throttle is a bit sticky to the point I can let go and the bike remains at the same speed without slowing or slowing much.

Is the front brake supposed to have a slight, but noticeable vibration when you use it to slow down? I should change the fork oil, but I haven't a clue and I'm likely forgetting about a great many things that should be done to make sure my bike is in tip top shape, but my skills are still quite limited right now. Oh and wheel bearings I guess and I think oil is leaking onto the engine as the engine looks damp and oily.
 
follow your clutch cable from the handle to the engine. There should be a way to adjust it/tighten it at the engine side.

About the oil issue - have you ever parked your bike with a cardboard box under your engine? Were there any leaks? If so, where were the leaks coming from?

Also, check your fuses for your instrument cluster before ruling it a burned out bulb.

and a sticky throttle is cool - you have cruise control ;)

J/K - spray some lubricant around your throttle handle where the throttle cables (there should be two) connect. I would even take them off and spray down inside the whole cable while moving the metal while back and forth - but don't do this unless you know what you are doing and how to reconnect everything.
 
Steinhauer said:
follow your clutch cable from the handle to the engine. There should be a way to adjust it/tighten it at the engine side.

About the oil issue - have you ever parked your bike with a cardboard box under your engine? Were there any leaks? If so, where were the leaks coming from?

Also, check your fuses for your instrument cluster before ruling it a burned out bulb.

and a sticky throttle is cool - you have cruise control ;)

J/K - spray some lubricant around your throttle handle where the throttle cables (there should be two) connect. I would even take them off and spray down inside the whole cable while moving the metal while back and forth - but don't do this unless you know what you are doing and how to reconnect everything.
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I used WD-40 and works great for throttle handle.
 
I'm going to ride it back here 177 miles north of where it currently is being stored, I just fear it breaking down and having no way to get it back to my parent's place or up here for my instructor to check out.

Either way, I need to get it here so he can show me how to work on it.
 
Saavik I strongly suggest you take your bike to a certified motorcycle repair shop to be fixed. If you don't know what your doing or how to fix something chances are you'll make it worse and end up having to pay more to have a shop fix it right. We can give you tips or tell you how to do something but can't show you how to actually do something on your bike or be there to correct a problem if something gets messed up. Take it to a shop to fix a little at a time until its all done.

By the way don't be going 110 anywhere unless its a closed track or controlled environment you got more common sense than that. I've seen guys killed and had to be scooped up off the pavement with a pooper scooper they weren't immortal and neither are you. We all like to wind it out sometimes sure but 110 your either crazy or have a death wish.
 
Saavik said:
I'm going to ride it back here 177 miles north of where it currently is being stored, I just fear it breaking down and having no way to get it back to my parent's place or up here for my instructor to check out.

Either way, I need to get it here so he can show me how to work on it.
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Let it sit where its safe till you can trailer it to get it back or take it to a shop near where its stored. That would be better than it breaking down halfway out and leaving it on the side of the road to be stolen or hit by another vehicle and you'd be without a bike.

Or have that instructor go with out to where the bike is now one.
 
Saavik said:
I'm going to ride it back here 177 miles north of where it currently is being stored, I just fear it breaking down and having no way to get it back to my parent's place or up here for my instructor to check out.

Either way, I need to get it here so he can show me how to work on it.
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I'd offer to do it for you if you could afford the gas I would need to get there and back home ... but it cost me $120 one way to North Carolina in my truck.
 
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