The Bagger Project

[Radioguylogs]

Toys are Good!

Scott:

I can't believe what you got for $300.

I spent $350 my Fluke 80 voltmeter just 20 years ago! (Although I only paid $20 for that 'scope).

P.S. You are not hijacking my thread when I'm learning.

[3Phase]

Thanks!

This means I'll be able to do cool stuff like read almost the entire charging system or pick whatever I want for an external trigger and put all four cylinders on two 'scopes with one pick-up coil or one of the ignition coil primaries on its own scope too.

I still don't know what to do with the digital ports but I'll think of something!


Edit: It's only 7 external ports, not 9 so it's 5 analog, 2 digital and one internal.

[Radioguylogs]

Finishing Touches

After I repaired the cracks in the bags and side cover, the last job was to mount the bags. I noticed the bolt holes in the brackets didn't line-up with the holes in the bags:





That probably exacerbated the cracking of the bags. I just slotted the holes in the bracket with a rat-tail file.

So, that completes the project for now. I just need to accumulate as many shakedown miles as possible before XSSE. I rode about 50 miles today. The Bagger is not as quick as the SF, but it idles better and shifts better. It rides like an old Cadillac.

I had been concerned about oil consumption. When I park in the original spot, I find there is no measurable oil consumption so far in a few hundred miles.

New Tachometer is great. No twitching at all. Now I read 5k RPM at 70 MPH.

Louann (my wife) suggested to have the Bagger painted professionally as my Christmas present. I think the original paint has value and patina as long as it is in 'reasonable' shape. I think it is OK for now. I'll take a survey at XSSE.

Bikes always look better in the pictures than in real life, but here how is the Bagger looks today:

[Schming]

Looks Great !!!

Hi Mike,

Nice work !!! Bike looks amazing !!!

JAT - you may have already thought of this but when I mounted my Hard bags on my '80G I sandwiched the bag in between two rubber washers, one on each side, and then fender washers and finally a stop nut on the 1/4 x 20 SS bolt just tight enough to start smashing the rubber washers so as not to put too much stress on the bag. Also the bag sits on a 3/8" dense foam pad to help take the shock of the weight in the bag over bumps. HTH

[madmax-im]

Hey Mike...The Bagger looks sweet!...

[Radioguylogs]

Thanks

Ben and John:

Thanks for the compliments.

John: I had the same idea about the rubber washer and fender washer sandwich, so I did that. The lock nut is an idea I don't think about - good idea.

The idea of foam on the bracket underneath the bags is another really good idea. The PO had black tape on the bracket underneath the bags, but it wouldn't provide much cushion. I wondered if he was trying to stop a rattle.

[kboehringer]

Bike Looks GREAT - Plastic Mend Product....

I ordered this plastic repair kit las noght from Plasti-Mend:
http://plasti-mend.com/cart/index.ph...tegory&path=59

Mike,
Your bike looks fabulous in person!

You reported this product worked very well for the cracks in your bags. My left bag developed a crack at/near the lock indentation that must be repaired. I had used my plastic welding rig to repair all the cracks in my plastic saddle bags but that process will be extremely difficult in the area of the locking mechanism. It's very tight corners will make application impossible.

Do you feel this product would be easy to apply to the contours of the inside of the lid at/about the lock mechanism? I suppose the reinforcing screen they provide could be cut into very small pieces?

I don't need much so I'm looking at the regular repair kit for about $40.

KURT

[donebysunday]

Valve shims

did you find the right valve shims ? I've a few, we could see if swapping would help.
Don

Pulled the carbs. The outside is gunky and badly stained with leaked gas, but they look really good inside, just a little dirt in the fuel bowls:





The engine underneath the carbs is stained by the dripping gas over the past four years:



Moved on to check the valve shim clearances:

Intake 0.076 / 0/127 / 0.127 / 0.127 Spec is 0.16-0.20mm
Exhaust 0.178 / 0.178 / 0.152 / 0.178 Spec is 0.21-0.24mm

I measure with English feeler gages, not metric, hence the unusual "not-rounded" values.

Mostly good news, everything is basically one size tight, except #1 Intake is two sizes tight. I pulled the shims, and unfortunately I can only swap two of the eight, therefore I have find six more, none of which are in my collection.

So......I recognized the valves in troublesome #2 cylinder seem remarkably consistent with the others- I was thinking there was no chance of a dirt under the valve, or the valve sticking...etc.

So I remembered how the plug threads seems unusual when I was taking stuff apart. I went back and looked the spark plug thread on #2, and found that the hole was never completely threaded from the factory! There is a sliver at the bottom of the hole about 1/3 of the circumference of the hole that is not threaded. This sliver is about 3/32" thick:



I remembered that I used a fitting on my compression gage that was the same thread length as the plugs themselves. I tried it again with a shorter fitting and measured140 PSI !!!

There is no welding, no helicoil, no sleeve, and no discontinuity in the surrounding aluminum. I think it has been that way since was built.

Now....this is where you guys come in....how to tap it without leaving shavings in the cylinder? Some preliminary ideas:
(1) Put a magnet on the tap.
(2) Close the valves, put a small magnet in the cylinder
(3) Open both valves and connect a vacuum to the exhaust pipe.
(4) Open the intake valve and blow compressed air into it.

...or some combination of the above. Unfortunately, I already put some oil in the cylinder, so I made it a little sticky inside.

Suggestions would be helpful.

So glad the problem is relatively simple if we figure how to contain the metal chips.

More later....

[skids]

If a valve is sticking due to a bent stem, you will find very high shim to cam lobe measurements.

[Radioguylogs]

Mike,
Your bike looks fabulous in person!

You reported this product worked very well for the cracks in your bags. My left bag developed a crack at/near the lock indentation that must be repaired. I had used my plastic welding rig to repair all the cracks in my plastic saddle bags but that process will be extremely difficult in the area of the locking mechanism. It's very tight corners will make application impossible.

Do you feel this product would be easy to apply to the contours of the inside of the lid at/about the lock mechanism? I suppose the reinforcing screen they provide could be cut into very small pieces?

I don't need much so I'm looking at the regular repair kit for about $40.

KURT

Kurt:

I had a crack in one of my side covers and I repaired it with this product. I had to keep that area thin because it is where the grommet interfaces. It also had a tight radius curves. The product worked very well in that situation, although I used only one application instead of the normal 3 layers to keep it thin. I did sand it afterward with 80 or 100 grit sandpaper to get just the right shape. It seems as strong as the original substrate.

In your case, you will probably choose cut the screen with slits to go around the radii. FYI: That screen is same fiberglass screen used for windows, so you can and try as much as you like a almost no cost.

The $40 pint will be more than you need. You'll find yourself using it for other non-motorcycle repairs also, but that can is still plenty.

I try to post a picture tomorrow if I have chance.

[Radioguylogs]

If a valve is sticking due to a bent stem, you will find very high shim to cam lobe measurements.

Skids:

I had one valve that tighter than the others, but they are very happy after the re-shimming and compression is quite good.

No evidence of a bend valve, but thanks for looking out for me.

[Radioguylogs]

did you find the right valve shims ? I've a few, we could see if swapping would help.
Don

Don:

Yes, I bought the shims I need a few months ago.

I've put 1500 miles on it already.

Thanks for the offer to help me.

-Mike