Maiden voyage

[briggs]

Well, after alot of tinkering I got to put my 81 standard through it's paces today. I didn't even make it out of my garage without discovering 1st gear is shot....Bummer. I knew the bike needed tlc...I am just disappointed the PO wasn't honest,I still would have bought it-just not at his "firm" price.The rest of the trip was very good though-runs like a champ. Although 1st gear is the only "problem one"-it seems to have a noise like something is rattling around in there all the time. I know you guys must get bored with the tranny questions- but I searched the forum and just want to confirm my guesses. 1st slips in and out of gear, horrible clunking sounds. Is the traditional tranny fix(dremel) my answer or is this a different problem? Also speedo is inop. any guesses or insights to that would be helpful. Thanks

[TopCatGr58]

Briggs,

IF the PO abused the bike....most likely , then you may need a little more than just the dremmel fix! May also need to replace the shift fork for the 1st gear. As for diagnosing noises, rather difficult to do on the forum!

But since the tranny/gear problems come in twos due to the paired gears...1st and 4th, and since 1st already gone, more stress will have been put on 2nd sooner, and so it is also probably close to going....that's how mine went a few months after 1st went! So...while you're in there, just do the undercutting on all four gears so you won't have to make a trip back in soon!

As for the speedo, several things, from broken cable, misaligned drive gear at wheel, prongs on wheel bent/broken so not engaging drive properly, damaged drive gear, and even a broken SPEEDO! Recent threads have been posted about this, techniques to troubleshoot, like remove cable from wheel and speedo to check that both ends spin, are not worn round, and then put back into speedo, chuck other end in drill and spin to see if speedo moves, etc.!!

Hopefully you've checked out the trans fix tech tips scrolling down from the MAIN FORUM PAGE, not just the left column links, because many of the new tips are NOT linked from there!
T.C.

[Crazcnuk]

I find the XS is a 'rattly' sounding engine at the best of times. There are little rattles all over, at various speeds.

At idle or cold you can here the valves, the vacuum adv mechanism sometimes rattles. There are noises that sound like exhaust leaks, even though I can't find any...

Sometimes at idle, when cold the engine will sound like something is stalling' internally, but I think it is a slight miss, when one of the cylinders doesn't fire exactly right.

After riding a Shadow 1100 for 14 years, I just find the inline 4s are noisier...

[esw1104]

Wow !! i feel better now knowing they all make them noises lol !!!

[Crazcnuk]

I assume that you can tell which bikes rattle the most as the owners take the mufflers off so they can't hear the rattles!

[egsols]

My latest 79 has a ratlle in it which bothered me for awhile until I realized it was the same noise I heard on my old one, some 15 years ago! I quess if they both make the same noise its nothing to be concerned about (or isssssssss it?)

One solution to eliminating rattles is the yellow stuff that comes in the little clear plastic jars. You gently roll it between your thumb and forefinger shaping it into a small cone and then insert in each ear. Voila, no more rattling sound.

[skids]

HAH! That was a good one.

Originally posted by egsols

One solution to eliminating rattles is the yellow stuff that comes in the little clear plastic jars. You gently roll it between your thumb and forefinger shaping it into a small cone and then insert in each ear. Voila, no more rattling sound.

[Crazcnuk]

I found a lot of my rattles were my keychain!

So I got the 2 piece kind so most my keys go in my pocket...