What did you do to your bike today?

[Kronk]

-loosly put the seat on the half gutted frame.
-sat down on loose seat.
-lit smoke.
-sighed because she won't be on the road till 2011
-fell off bike as seat was loose.
-threw a wrench.
-said bad words.
-went back into house...

[fredintoon]

Last weekend I swapped in a Standard rear fender and light onto my XS11SG and installed a homebuilt luggage rack that bolts to the grabrail where the rear light used to be and the M6 thread in the new fender where the iggybox used to be.
Today begins the installation of a 1950s style Lycett sprung solo seat on my 1970 BSA 250 to replace the too tall too narrow too hard and too short for two people anyway stock dualseat.
Note to the purists amongst us, I have carefully saved the stock components so that both of these changes can be reversed if needs be.

[SthrnSqrl]

Yesterday, I replaced the Speedo Cable that decided to snap on me just as I was headed out for a nice Sunday afternoon ride. That shut my day down, as this isn't a bike I need to be on without speedo capabilities.

I also removed my Octy, as it began to puke out the side.

Today, I picked up 3 feet of new 1/4" fuel line and two new inline filters, and replumbed the fuel system. While I was in there, I pulled the carbs and broke them down for a good thorough cleaning. I opened the jets up a tiny bit, as I have been having a *popping on decel*. The stock 137.5 jets are now probably closer to a 140-142. This seemed to breathe new life into the old girl, however, she's not hitting the 100mph mark as fast for some reason. I am thinking I need to re-synch tomorrow. Although, the idle is now smoother than it has ever been, and will idle from around 700 to 1k nicely.

Still seems to be fuel starved at WOT.

I still can't see this bike ever pulling the front end off the ground, even though this is one of the stronger bikes I have ever ridden. My XJ700 would walk in the first 3 gears, but it weighed a lot less.

Picked up a windshield and installed it for the Windjammer I put on a couple weeks ago.(Been using a piece of plexi that I had in the shop.) The road is much more enjoyable now, than with that piece of plexi that came to about chin height. Picked up the WJ5, Vetter side cases, Top box, mounting rack, and Vetter Sound with Sony Cassette stereo and speakers already installed from a CL ad for $100. Only had to drive about 50 miles to get it all, and it came with a *spare Parts* box. Spare Box had two extra complete turn signals, internal wiring harness, spars compartment covers, a couple of brackets that don't fit the XS, and a few assorted items...including the original tool kit from a 78.

Had to adjust the clutch tonight. Had a mild slip when accelerating in the first 3 gears.

Mounted my Special mirrors after cleaning all the JB Weld out of the right side mounting hole. Seems someone stripped the hole long before I got the bike. Guess they didn't realize they were working on a Yammy...lol

I still have a low rpw charging problem, and even sometimes at mid range (turn signals don't blink sometimes, and when I hit the brakes, the radio dies as all the lights dim. Gonna pull all the connectors tomorrow, clean them well, and apply di-electric grease before reconnection. I already ran a couple of new ground wires, so I am thinking it may be the plug from the stator. Hoping that is all that is wrong.

I may shop around tomorrow for HID Headlamps and LED turn signal bulbs.

Skwerl

[DiverRay]

Yesterday I pulled the left side switch off the handlebar, as the turn signals didn't want to work correctly. Put about 1.5 oz. of dielectric grease in the switch, put it back on and now have signals that work as they should!
I'm working on the standard so I can try and sell it VERY SOON. Just put down $500 on a "new" commute bike.

[motoman]

Don't keep us in suspense Ray....... Connie....ST.....or?

[cywelchjr]

Don't keep us in suspense Ray....... Connie....ST.....or?

He did in another thread, it's a BMW, I forget which one, but I think it's one of the bagger models.

[XSive Okie]

Installed a new clutch cable and adjuster nut, which decided to break at the same time on the way to work. Luckily, I was only 1 1/2 blocks from the in-laws, so walked to their house, and we tow roped it back to their place, until parts came in. New cable operates very smoothly, and she seems to run better now as well!

[CatatonicBug]

Instaled a new HD radio and new cheapo 4" speakers from Autozone in my fairing. Got the radio for free from a friend, so I decided to upgrade from the 30-y/o AM/FM/Tape player that came with the fairing. When I took the speakers out, I realized that ALL the paper speaker cones were detached! So, I spent the $25 for a new set of speakers. Now I have a digital display, removable face, CD player on my bike! The clock does not display while the key is off, but it does keep the time, so I figure as long as I don't let the bike sit too long without riding (I never do), I should be ok on battery drain.

[fredintoon]

Today I revisited the minor emergency clinic to get the eight stitches taken out of my thumb that they put in last week when Mr. Stupid got careless with my table saw.
All my projects are stalled and I won't be doing nothin' bikewise until I'm all healed up.

[motoman]

Watch out for any pot-holes and such if the CD player is in use...........my fancy Alpine, have to be satisfied with FM for now.........not near as good through the PolkALLWeather speakers.........ouch.

[cywelchjr]

Changed the oil, went to put the filter in that I got from Napa, and it was the wrong filter. Since I changed the filter last change, I checked it and put it back in. Oil still looked pretty good after 2500 miles. I also changed the fuel lines, got 2 feet of new clear stuff from Kragens, cut it in half and hooked each pair to the opposite petcock. Seems to work pretty good, and now I can just turn the tank around for tuning. Tank is pretty much rust free, and the tower filters are in good shape so I'm not running inline filters as I have not had any trouble not running them and the filters would just be another place for a potential leak.

That was yesterday, now today I went to the local fabric store and got some nice vinyl material to recover my seat until I can afford to have it done right. I figure I can't do a worse job than the PO did , and I just might do it better. I think I have enough material to do a basic redneck covering job like the PO did and still be able to actually try to derive a pattern and do a sewn cover that might actually last longer than 1.5 years.

[CatatonicBug]

Watch out for any pot-holes and such if the CD player is in use...........my fancy Alpine, have to be satisfied with FM for now.........not near as good through the PolkALLWeather speakers.........ouch.

I'm not planning on using the CD player much. the old radio had a tape player, but I have no idea if it actually worked, since I never tried it in almost 2 years. I use my phone as an MP3 player for longer rides anyway, so it's generally for FM (especially the HD2 station on my favorite oldies station) around town.

That was yesterday, now today I went to the local fabric store and got some nice vinyl material to recover my seat until I can afford to have it done right. I figure I can't do a worse job than the PO did , and I just might do it better. I think I have enough material to do a basic redneck covering job like the PO did and still be able to actually try to derive a pattern and do a sewn cover that might actually last longer than 1.5 years.

Take some before/after pictures so we can see what kind of job you did!

[Toolmaker Tim]

Venture Tensioner

Got my Venture CCT installed last night. As usual it was a Abbot and Costello routine. Got the old CCT off, cleaned up the oil spill, applied Copper Peramtex to the new tensioner, tightened up the bolts and discovered they were too long. Rushed around the garage looking for shorter bolts, no luck. Rushed around the garage looking for the wrench to put a cutoff wheel in the dremel tool. Used the vise instead. Cut off the bolt, burned my fingers on the hot bolt, poured beer on the bolt to cool it. Repeat process with other bolt minus the burned fingers and wasted beer. Grind burr off on bench grinder, lose one bolt, search the floor on my hands and knees till I find it. Run out to the bike to install the bolts, it's dark now. Run back in and grab the trouble light and tighten the bolts. Pushed the bike back into the garage before I tempted Mr. Murphy anymore. Took it out for a ride today, really quieted down the valve train. Good mod!

[macabreskull]

Frustration and the boneyard

Well today had a few minutes and loaded up the xs1100 to throw some parts at it from the boneyard. Coils, voltage regulator, and ignition unit still absolutely no spark what so ever! really frustrated that on a bike ride pull into the hotel, sleep and come out all packed up ready to go and nothing. No spark since. That was a month ago.

Have even combed the forum to get tips and testing tricks. Have tried all of them that I know of and still no spark. I just wanna ride dammit, especially before it gets to cold.

[Bonz]

Tach wobble fixed

Took off the tach, sprayed a couple squirts of teflon dry lube in the holes in the back of the unit, got rid of my tach wobble. Steady as can be now.