What did you do to your bike today?

[3Phase]

I heard a chirp, and shortly later another, and then it turned into a sqeal...

Well... that's not good. There are quite a few things that could do that and too many of them are lubrication failures.

You should start a new thread about the problem. Don't run the engine but try to remember if the chirps and squeal came from the engine or the transmission and, if possible, from which side of the bike.

[motoman]

flipped a coin

and the toss lead me to resolve the coolant leak on the ST instead of the maze in MikuniLand. Fortunately, the two hoses going to each head are in good shape still as they are a PITA to get to on the head end. Found that the overflow tube to recovery had a split at the thermostat housing. Cut that back and reinstalled. Radiator cap's top rubber seal had several splits. Imagine those issues were causing the gradual coolant loss over the past few years..........coolant leaving by way of the split line, and only air pulled back in. Bought a new cap for 92-96 Honda Accord as the stealer's cap goes for 5 times as much, and is the same. Only actual repair I've had to make to the almost 20yr. old scoot.......no complaints there. Got the vacuum can for the Venturer that Diver Ray had sent me today after finishing the ST, so looks like I'll be pullin' carb bank again and removing slides to remove emulsion tubes and see if that's part of the pilot circuit issue under 4000rpm. May be losing some zap at the coils with the 6yr.old Interstate battery showing 12.3V and 11.59V if the bike sets for a couple weeks. Think that may be a warning sulfation may be setting in......again, no complaint if that be the case as that battery has served the bike well with no electrical issues....up to this point. Tear or not in the headlite of the Venturer, tomorrow is out......goin ridin'........and Sat. don't look much better........

[TopCatGr58]

Well,

I had posted in the float post repair thread about my recent problems with my carbs in preparing my bike for the Iron Horse Rally. My CRS was acting up also and I set my floats heights using the wrong part of the float body...the distance portion of the float vs. the part that is connected to the metal hinge part. SO..they got set too "HIGH"=Lean, and it's amazing how 1 or 2 mm's of difference can make to the low speed idle circuit throttle response!

I found that out trying to run the bike to load it on the trailer for my trip from Va. down to southern Alabama to visit my 84 y/o mom before going to the Fall Rally the following weekend. I'm expecting to put another brass nameplate(MINE) on the Curt Marsh "Harley" Award plaque this year!!

So....today I field stripped the carbs from the bike...less than 5 minute job with POD filters and pulled the bowls, reset the floats to the PROPER position using the right part of the float, put it all back together, and Godzilla roared back to life with the low rpm throttle response that it had prior to the carb cleaning/float post repair!!!

Looking forward to scraping some more paint off of my muffler this coming weekend!

T.C.

[cywelchjr]

Not today, but this weekend, I recovered my seat. Being that it's not a stock seat (stock seat pan, but the it's a custom job up top and really comfy) I can't just order a new cover for it, and since the bike is my primary transportation I can't wait while a local shop spends two weeks doing the job for me.

So, I went down to the local fabric shop and got some quality vinyl upholstery material, about 3 times as much as I figured I'd need (which turned out to be a good thing) and picked up some upholstery adhesive as well. Turns out these custom touring style seats like mine are harder to cover than they tell you, especially at the back. And that glue will grab an anything, including itself, so I messed up the first try, and ended up having to start over a second time.

It came out ok, except for the back which is a bit ugly, but it's all functional. Now the search starts for an inexpensive stock seat that I can get recovered in stock form and put on while I get this one redone. But I can take my time, I think this cover material will last a couple of years at least if not longer, I made a better choice of material this time (I hope).

[planedick]

New tire

I put another Michelin tire on the rear today. I'm mildly impressed with the mileage. Those Dunlops would only give me 3000 miles at best and this Michelin gave me 7150 miles and it could have gone a little more. Also put some wheel bearing grease on the splines where the shaft goes in and on those where the wheel goes. The oil in the final is looking kind of bad so I'm thinking I'm headed down the same trail as 3-phase. Probably be putting the stock one back on soon. I'm gonna change the oil in it and check it often....

[Brent]

fixed no start issue

Today when I went to ride my XS1100sg to store, No start, no click, nothing.
I checked & fully charged battery.
I cleaned connections in starter switch and looked for a long time for that little screw I dropped, before I found it with a magnet,
While I was there I lubed throttle cable
I cleaned ground wire connection
I cleaned battery terminal connections.
I jumped terminals on solenoid ...er,er, er put put
I cleaned connections on solenoid
I banged on solenoid with pliers Starter switch worked - sometimes
I carefully opened solenoid and was lucky not to rip it in two, thereby sparing damage to those two tiny wires inside.
I sprayed electric cleaner & WD 40 in solenoid checked that plunger moved freely. Reassembled, reconnected etc.
still no start
Then I found the problem. Plastic square plug connector on two small wires from solenoid, about 4 inches away. Dirty corroded inside. Not rust, just a white film covering male spade connectors. Scraped till shiney with knife, used electric cleaner. Wiggled & reconnected. Start consistently

Then I rode to the store & went shopping.

[motoman]

Planedick, what is your Michelin of choice?

[planedick]

It says

Pilot Activ on the sidewall...

[motoman]

Thanks planedick.

[planedick]

Final

Put some new oil in the final. Old oil was black and lots of black goo on the magnet. dI'm beginning to think the 750 final may not be the best mod after all. It looks like it's wearing out fast.... just like I ride....

[cywelchjr]

Put some new oil in the final. Old oil was black and lots of black goo on the magnet. dI'm beginning to think the 750 final may not be the best mod after all. It looks like it's wearing out fast.... just like I ride....

Check which one you have. If you have the one without the support ring around the axle rod then it probably won't hold up well. A better choice would be an 850 FD which is a good bit tougher, closer to an 1100 FD than a 750 FD in many ways.

[3Phase]

Planedick, if you're not busy I can ride over and take a look this weekend.

I took the XJ final drive off my bike today and started prepping another XS850 drive. It should done tomorrow and you know I'll be forced to go for a ride just to make absolutely sure it's working!

[planedick]

Final

Scott, I'm not busy, but I can't take the wheel off here. My breathing has got so bad I can only do that whth the hoist at Scott's shop which I did to put on the new tire. Lifting the bike straight up makes it really easy to take off the rear tire. No messing with the luggage rack or fender etc.

I figured I would run it 'till it got real bad and then put the stock one back on.

[3Phase]

I figured I would run it 'till it got real bad and then put the stock one back on.

That should work for a while but be careful. Neither one of the baked drives I've had on Columbo made any noise until I took them apart and cleaned the heavy oil out of the bearings.

From what I've found I think the large carrier bearing started to wear out first. With the right-hand bearing slowly going away the output shaft/ring gear went for longer and longer wobbly, off-axis, walks until it thrashed the rest of the drive and burned up the oil.

[3Phase]

Lunch Break

A splined spacer has been MIG welded to the existing upper driveshaft u-joint for the XS750 final drive modification for the XS1100. This lengthens the yoke and gives full engagement with all of the yoke and driveshaft splines.

The spacer was cut from another u-joint that had broken bearings/retainer straps, then it was was drilled and pinned in place with some broken 1/8" drill bit shanks. The pinned yoke and spacer lasted for over 40,000 miles but it was time to make the modification permanent.






The 1980G right sidecover lower mount pin is cut and threaded for a wingnut and rubber washers.

I got tired of always checking the sidecover to make sure it was fully seated in the rubber retaining grommet so it wouldn't fall off and get lost.

The emblem mounting pins have been rebuilt and the press-on clips replaced with nuts and washers, too.