hi guys, thanks for letting me join your group

[TopCatGr58]

Reposting the photos so folks won't have to follow the link.

Hey there Andy,

I see that you figured out the photo posting process with your gas tank drawing. I've reposted the other photos from your album so folks can see them without having to leave the thread!













Okay, I can see the TCI/Black box just above and forward of the battery. You can follow the battery cable from the (+) terminal and you'll find the solenoid, I think it's been relocated just below the TCI inside the frame above the starter. If it's been starting, then you have a solenoid. Now as for the fuseblock.....it may have been eliminated , but hopefully it's just been relocated as well???

The handlebars are the buckhorns...and you may find that they are not very comfortable...puts your wrists in an awkward position...most special owners have swapped them for more ergonomic ones.

As for the tires...you'll want to check their born on date....if more than 6 years old...replace...that front one looks like a pathetic cheap old bias style!

Lots of parts can be found used vs. new to save $$$. Those micro turn signals are a WASTE....too close together and too damn small....no body can see them....take a look at the MISC forum... the Yes, we are invisible thread, and you'll rethink the size and spacing of your brake/running and turn signals!!

There's more, but dinner's ready!

T.C.

[andylawcc]

If you get a little creative you can hook up Tee fittings so you can have both reserve and prime. Only trouble is the tight space to run the hoses. It's a PITA to keep the hoses from getting kinked, especially once you add inline fuel filters, which pretty much necessary. It would be best to bend up some hard tubing in areas that will become kinked. I've been thinking of doing that to my bike. Currently, I have a fuel light, so I just use the prime.

oh yeah, i can see how it the Tee-fittings will work; but i also feel the need of adding fuel filters too, since the tank seems to be getting rusty.

[andylawcc]

thanks for reposting the pics Top Cat.

the tires are old Cheng Shin, and both front and rear just hit the 6 year mark. The bike is not mine, and the owner is a starving student without a car (art major too; no offense, but you get the point). I too would have swapped those tires out, but he simply don't have the money, yet.

and yes, those turn signals are worthless, and the handlebar is awful (and with the tall front wheel, i have a very hard time steering it in slow speed maneuvers).

enjoy your dinner East Coaster , i am enjoying my afternoon snack...

[TopCatGr58]

Hey again,

I'm back. Okay, forgot that it wasn't your bike. Hey Dogg, he doesn't have the Octy, so he doesn't need prime. The special's petcocks flow by just turning them on....so he gets prime affect with just ON or Reserve. He does have an OFF, and we would suggest getting the owner to get into the habit of turning them OFF when stopped/parked for a while to help take the stress off of the float valves, especially the earlier style carbs that are prone to leaking due to the metal to metal float valve/needle seal and getting gunk in the fuel....due to lack of inline fuel filters. If they leak, they often leak up/forward into the intake and past an open valve into the cylinder, and contaminate the oil....if not noticed will burn up the crank/bearings..fried engine! Would be good to pull the hoses from the petcocks and test them to ensure that they actually do NOT flow when in the OFF position....if they do leak, then they need to be rebuilt...kits available.

As for the carbs vent T's, you do NOT want to connect a hose onto both of them together like the gastank....that will result in NO VENTING, and the carbs will flood.

The hard steering can be also dried grease or overtightness of the nuts for the triple tree steering head bearings! Wider spaced bars will help make low speed steering easier because they give you a better length lever, but the Owner may want them positioned lower if they are vertically challenged! The front brake master cylinder is for a Standard as are the front forks/calipers. But using the Special bars requires them to be positioned HIGH to get the MC chamber FLAT/Level. The Special MC is actually slanted to allow the grip ends to be positioned much lower and still have a level Reservoir..so that's another reason why they seem awkwardly high!

Other style of bars like from an early Goldwing or Honda 750 have similar width spacing and pull back, but the wrist angles are better, YMMV!

Back to the carbs/filters. Those look like the generic cheap EMGO style, they are KNOWN to have a prominent mounting lip on the inside that can interfere with the airflow, can cause overly rich as well as stalling of rpm near the 5-6k point. See the tech tips for info regarding modifications to use the cheap filters, or replace with quality XS brand larger OVAL filters that are like K&N but much cheaper $$ wise!

I think I read where you said one of the pilot screws from the front top of the carbs was broken off? Yes, closer better photos will help us help you.

The Shocks adjustability is just the PRELOAD tension, to keep them from sagging as much with a heavier load/rider, the dampening is not adjustable on those shocks. The PO set them at the lowest setting to help the rear end sag/sit as low as possible....for looks or lack of inseam length!

Forgot, hard starting is probably due to clogged starter jets that are down in the float bowls themselves....they feed the enrichener circuit, see the carbs 101 cleaning tech tip!

T.C.

[andylawcc]

The hard steering can be also dried grease or overtightness of the nuts for the triple tree steering head bearings!

actually, my feeling is, since it got such a big wheel up front, the steering has a propensity to turn left or right as long as I am not going straight, and the effect is more pronounced in slow speed, as I have to fight that propensity in order to maintain balance. The odd-shape bar may have contributed to it, but as you predicted, the owner is vertically-challenged ;p
and also, the owner didn't complain about this aspect of bike, so, if he likes it, i won't "fix" it.

I think I read where you said one of the pilot screws from the front top of the carbs was broken off? Yes, closer better photos will help us help you.

it was the idle mixture screw. I turned it too far in and left the tip in. Looked everywhere for it and looks like only GeorgeFix has it. Mikesxs doesn't have it at this moment, but he is looking into it.

[TopCatGr58]

actually, my feeling is, since it got such a big wheel up front, the steering has a propensity to turn left or right as long as I am not going straight, and the effect is more pronounced in slow speed, as I have to fight that propensity in order to maintain balance. The odd-shape bar may have contributed to it, but as you predicted, the owner is vertically-challenged ;p
and also, the owner didn't complain about this aspect of bike, so, if he likes it, i won't "fix" it.


it was the idle mixture screw. I turned it too far in and left the tip in. Looked everywhere for it and looks like only GeorgeFix has it. Mikesxs doesn't have it at this moment, but he is looking into it.

Some folks have said that these bikes are top heavy? With the heavy engine and drivetrain, I would feel that they actually have a decent center of gravity. Maintaining balance at low speed could still be stiff steering head bearings......you can take the top TT off, slip the lower assembly down and have access to the upper bearings...will be loose, the lower ones may be pressed onto the lower TT, but can still be accessed, cleaned and regreased, as well as checking the races for notches while there.

The pilot screw....folks have put them on a homemade lathe and turned the tip down with a file or such to make the point again, will just screw down a little more before making contact "GENTLY" ! IF you can't find or get a replacement economically. I believe Zenterprises ?sp? in Canada sells them as parts of a complete carb kit. Have fun! Hope we haven't dug your hole too much deeper!

T.C.

[andylawcc]

The hole was already dug deep , just don't want it to be even deeper if parts start to fail (the petcock should need a rebuild, the tank might be rusting, tires need achangin', valve need adjustin', drive shaft splines need greasing)

and about the pilot screw, my other friend has a lathe, and since the needle is messed up anyway, i have nothing to lose

[BA80]

Maybe I'm wrong but it looks to me by the illustration that the PRIME outlets are run together.

[Yard Dogg]

I see the bike has standard forks but I'm wondering about the top triple tree bracket. Is that what comes on a standard?

[andylawcc]

okay, some more pictures that may answers some questions here (I may have missed a few)

pic of the top of the triple tree (is there supposed to be a black plastic turning knob above the fork?)


the fuse box...

... is tucked inside the green circle


top view, gas tank removed

[DGXSER]

Wow, it has been gutted electronically speaking. What I find interesting, as in what were they thinking, is that they kept the stock fuse box instead of upgrading. Another interesting decision is that they removed the tip over switch, but left the RLU.

[andylawcc]

tip over switch? like, a sensor thing that kills the engine should the bike fall?

RLU = reserve light unit? that's the plug that connects to another plug from the fuel tank? well, it's kinda pointless cuz there is no tach/odom/dash.

[DGXSER]

Yes, the bike was equipped from the factory with a switch to kill the engine if it is leaned more than about 60-70 degrees. A safety feature. It was mounted on that tang you see directly above the coils just behind the steering neck.

The black box by the regulator/rectifier is the RLU or Reserve Lighting Unit. It basically monitors if your low beam goes out and automatically switches over to high beam and lights a light on the dash....if you had one. which is why I found it interesting they removed the safety feature but left this convenience feature.

[andylawcc]

i.... haven't even tested if it has a high beam, haha..


oh, one more thing, i tested the petcock:
in On/Reserve position: the rear-facing outlet will spill fuel (no vacuum needed)
in Prime: the front-facing one will spill.

[andylawcc]

do you recommend i upgrade the fuel box? or it should be okay as is?