What did you do to your bike today?

[xs11jack]

JeffH, where in heavens name did you find that thing??? I am with Fred, I didn't get the chicken wire thing until I saw the picture. Are you going to post a pic saying that you always wanted a RAT bike?? OK I'll give it a rest.
Ole Jack

[jetmechmarty]

[JeffH]

betcha you could park that bike anywhere at all and nobody'd dare to steal it.

Fred:
For sure, no thief is interested or gives it a second look. Yes, not very attractive YET, but as jetmech says: "looks Rat, but goes like Stink". I do get quite a few laughs from the XSives though!! Spent 2012 messing around replacing mechanical parts and doing maintenance. Did ride it to the SE Rally and have gone 2,000 miles on it so far. PO was going to paint the bike rather than fix all the rusted mechanical parts. PO had started sanding the hard bags which is why they are pink. Wierd to sand & paint when bike would not run and rotors were dragging on the calipers and valve adjust messed up.

Bike had 2+ quarts of gas in the oil, serious rusted calipers, messed up carbs, axles on wrong, dry grease on all bearings etc. etc. etc. The usual PO neglect these machines endure. Got it as a Rescue project. BTW, I think it is funny to ride a crap looking (sleeper) bike that most people cannot keep up with ....... Will finally try and install the Pacifico fairing and jockey on the Bag Lids after I test ride the most recent work: new steering bearings and new ACCT.

JeffH, where in heavens name did you find that thing??? I am with Fred, I didn't get the chicken wire thing until I saw the picture. Are you going to post a pic saying that you always wanted a RAT bike??
Ole Jack

Jack:
Got this in Louisville KY. This is the $450 No Title bike that Old_Skool found & posted for us last Feb 2012. I called the guy in KY and made a deal. jetmech & I drove up from Atlanta to Louisville to get it 11 months ago. With clean DMV check in Kentucky I was able to get Georgia Registration & Plates since GA Laws are much more user friendly and not as crazy as in some (most) states. Bike really isn't that Rat anymore, but the headlight really is pretty funny as are the Rain Catcher no lid hard bags. Police just smile & wave since lights work per the law. To test my work and to legally ride the bike I did need to have a working headlight. The law didn't specify how the required headlight should be affixed to the vehicle. This is my "Temporary Fix" till I get the all the mechanical things in perfect working order for long distance touring. Fairing will be on soon! When it comes to rat, I have to admit I rarely every wash my bikes. I'd rather be riding and could care less if the chrome is shiny. Then again, it is pretty funny to be riding a crap rat looking machine as you zoom past an expensive fancy machine and wave at the rider.

This has been a fun effort and I got lucky that the bike had been just sitting neglected and not abused and mechanically busted up by somebody with no mechanical aptitude. Just needed some TLC and some $$$ for new parts. I am glad to have gotten this bike since by now it likely may have been in a junkyard or dump since it was parked outside on the dirt and the PO was getting no offers at all. Planning (I hope) to ride it to either XS North or the July Calif Ride on it + of course XS SE. Help & Expertise from this site has made it pretty simple.

Jeff

[Petersg_99]

Failed Emissions for hydrocarbons...

I finished putting the bike together this morning and figured I'd try and get it past emissions. Of course it failed for hydrocarbons. The handy little pamphlet they give out said it was most likely something to do with ignition system.

When I got home I pulled the timing cover off and started poking around. As it turns out, the vacuum advance was stuck so the bike always had about 20deg advance. I checked the vacuum valve and it was OK, but the pivot was sticky, so I sprayed the unit down with silicone lubricant and exercised a bit until it moved smoothly.

After putting everything back together the timing read right on the T, so I gather from reading here that that's 0deg advance.

I figured no problem, I'll just adjust the timing and then I came across the "security" bolts on the timing adjustment .



I drilled out the bolts and adjusted the timing to "F" and that's pretty much where I stopped for the night.

The bike's not idling quite right, but I suppose that's because the carbs were all adjusted for 20deg.

Tomorrow I'll adjust the carbs, change the plugs out (they looked OK, but I don't want to chance it), and see if I can get it through emissions.

If I don't get through emissions, I may have to ask for more ideas tomorrow evening...

[BA80]

I wouldn't mess with the timing if I was you. Your problem with idle and emissions is going to be in the carbs.

WTF are they bothering you about emissions on a 32 year old bike anyway? That bike was built before emissions were so stringent. I bet if you check the law it's exempt to that crap.

[Petersg_99]

actually in Arizona you have to emission test everything newer than 1969 if I remember correctly.

The standards for emissions are looser for older vehicles since they don't have the same emission controls but Arizona does the testing because the Feds will not give the state highway funds if they don't do the emission testing.

Just one more reason Arizona's usually at odds with the Feds...

[BA80]

I don't believe even California is that tough on vehicles 20 years old or older. You should be able to tag it as an antique or classic vehicle at 32 years.

[crazy steve]

actually in Arizona you have to emission test everything newer than 1969 if I remember correctly.

It's just in the greater Phoenix area isn't it? We have testing here in Washington state, but only in certain counties that have air quality issues. The rest of the state they don't care....

[Petersg_99]

The Phoenix area, and I think Tucson too.

The state was thinking of doing away with emission testing on all motorcycles, but for some reason it keeps getting put off.

I don't know of anyone who likes the situation, but as long as the EPA dangles highway dollars as a carrot, then the state will dance to their tune.

On the positive side of the coin, they actually did what they were supposed to do, and detected a bad vacuum advance, so paying $20 to find out there was something wrong with the bike isn't so bad (and one retest is free). I should have checked when I was going through the bike, but I was anxious to get it on the road and skipped that part.

I'm usually upset when I fail emissions and have to fix stuff, but I suppose I should be happy they're actually helping me keep my vehicles in good repair

[Phoenix Rider]

Nice shirt Marty. Summer seems so long ago now.

Wayne

[BA80]

That's Jeff, Wayne........

[Phoenix Rider]

That's Jeff, Wayne........

Sorry. My mistake. I met Jeff this summer for the first time.

Wayne

[JeffH]

EPA Mandated?

actually in Arizona you have to emission test everything newer than 1969 if I remember correctly.

Arizona does the testing because the Feds will not give the state highway funds if they don't do the emission testing.

...

Got to be more to the story on the reason for Arizona (Phoenix?) motorcycle emissions testing! I live in Metro Atlanta which the EPA has mandated as non-attainment for CO, Particulates, Ozone and NOx. We certainly have our smog alert Air Quality (restrict travel) problems especially in the summer. And the lovely EPA mandate blended clean fuels to deal with. However, ALL Motorcycles are exempt and are NOT Emissions Tested in Georgia as well as in Metro Atlanta. Cars/Trucks from 1989 to 2010 are required to be tested. Older than 1988 and newer than 2010 are not required to be tested. Bikes not.

Atlanta sure gets its share of Federal $$$$ and we are in one of the EPA mandated Super City dirty zones but we don't test motorcycles. Gotta be more to the story why AZ tests bikes and bikes within EPA dirty zone (Atlanta) does not, and we are both getting federal highway $$ and other federal funding. I've done a bit of research and have not found a quick answer to this compliance difference. Gets quickly into mega legal mumbo-jumbo and cross-references after a sentence or two (like most stuff from DC).

Maybe somebody here has a simple answer to educate us!

Jeff

[crazy steve]

I've done a bit of research and have not found a quick answer to this compliance difference.

There is no 'quick' answer....

The feds allow each state to come up with it's own testing guidelines within a set of EPA parameters. You'll also find variation if the number of 'bad' days an area has goes over a certain amount. Depending on weather patterns, some places don't have air quality problems all year round, but Phoenix and California do so they have a bit stiffer standard they need to meet. If you live somewhere that gets rain regularly, that cleans the air.

I'm sure revenue stream enters into it someplace too. California tests cars all the way back to 1963 models; locally here, after 30 years they become exempt (although there's been talk of dropping the 'rolling' exemption). Large gas-powered trucks and motorhomes get tested too, but no motorcycles. Different areas look for different things too; in California, if all factory-installed emission equipment isn't present (or it's equal as decided by the state), it's an automatic fail. Here, they don't even look under the hood so if you can tune around missing bits, you can still pass.

[motoman]

I don't believe even California is that tough on vehicles 20 years old or older. You should be able to tag it as an antique or classic vehicle at 32 years.

IIRC, 77 and newer in Cantafordya for cages.............as for Petersg's issue, Freeing up the the mechanical advance was a good catch......changing the factory timing.....not so much, specially at the elev. your at there. Can't associate timing changes with the automotive world on these scoots. IMO, that factory setting should be left alone, making sure voltages are good for a correct hot spark at idle. I imagine the testing is done at idle, and voltage output notoriously drops on these bikes at idle with the stock regulator, so a bit weak spark at idle is likely gonna be it's downfall at idle for emmission testing not igniting fuel/air mixture completely. Has nothing to do with the timing. BTW, make one change at a time with one thing and test before making another change somewhere else. Will save you and us here alot of tail chasing when questions come up.