what did you wrench on today??

[gtem]

An update on the 650G, well I sorted out the rear brake and rolled out for a quick ride (wearing boots! and a helmet!). Something is definitely off about how it's running. Can't tell if one of the cylinders isn't full contributing, just seems to fall on its face under load. It sounds fine idling and revving up tho so it's not a super obvious rough running condition. Suspected cylinder 3 as it didn't seem to cause any audible RPM drop at idle when I pulled the plug, but checking for spark on Blogs it's definitely there and healthy, then I threw on the Gunson colortune and it's definitely getting combustion in there (tho it looks lean, which is concerning). I'm left suspecting my carburetors I guess. Will be checking the other three cylinders with the Colortune to see how they compare, and will probably hook up my carb sync gauges as well to look for clues. One thing of note is that the plug boots have been replaced with NGKs, and cyl #4's basically twisted off in my hand when I barely touched it (screwed it back in). Might be a clue(?) though I do still suspect the carbs I just cleaned.

[Burque73]

The GS is in pretty good shape so it was time to show the FJR some love. Just tear down, clean and lube. Yamaha is just a skimpy on the lube as Suzuki. Some critical spots didn't have a smidge of grease! All better now though...

20220723_182237 by Roger, on Flickr

[alke46]

An update on the 650G, well I sorted out the rear brake and rolled out for a quick ride (wearing boots! and a helmet!). Something is definitely off about how it's running. Can't tell if one of the cylinders isn't full contributing, just seems to fall on its face under load. It sounds fine idling and revving up tho so it's not a super obvious rough running condition. Suspected cylinder 3 as it didn't seem to cause any audible RPM drop at idle when I pulled the plug, but checking for spark on Blogs it's definitely there and healthy, then I threw on the Gunson colortune and it's definitely getting combustion in there (tho it looks lean, which is concerning). I'm left suspecting my carburetors I guess. Will be checking the other three cylinders with the Colortune to see how they compare, and will probably hook up my carb sync gauges as well to look for clues. One thing of note is that the plug boots have been replaced with NGKs, and cyl #4's basically twisted off in my hand when I barely touched it (screwed it back in). Might be a clue(?) though I do still suspect the carbs I just cleaned.

Did you trim a bit off the plug wires to get to some better, cleaner wire to screw the plug cap back onto? That's a common practice to improve spark.

[gtem]

Did you trim a bit off the plug wires to get to some better, cleaner wire to screw the plug cap back onto? That's a common practice to improve spark.

Not yet for the moment I screwed it right back on. I'm convinced it's some kind of lean carb condition, though a dodgy spark plug wire that starts acting up under load(?) could perhaps give the same symptoms. Blogs not contributing at idle seems to be the most obvious thing to go off of at the moment, I'll be using the ColorTune to at least see how the other three compare and confirm whether Blogs is indeed doing something odd/different. Currently at idle I can pull Blogs and how the bike runs doesn't change at at all. When I pull one of the others there is a noticeable drop in rpm/rougher running.

[markn]

Drained the carbs and cleaned the chain.

[1978GS750E]

Changed the oil and spark plugs in the Tracer today!

Sure make me appreciate the simplicity of the 3 GS's in the garage!

[Baatfam]

Changed the oil and spark plugs in the Tracer today!

Sure make me appreciate the simplicity of the 3 GS's in the garage!

Really? How many miles do you already have on that bike, Ron?

[1978GS750E]

11,815 miles right now. I've put 10K on it in 12 months.

I had to get the 12K service done before heading to Farmington next Tuesday! Missouri sweepers await!

[Baatfam]

11,815 miles right now. I've put 10K on it in 12 months.

I had to get the 12K service done before heading to Farmington next Tuesday! Missouri sweepers await!

Cool! Good miles on the new bike...Enjoy Farmington...

[Grimly]

Darkside MkII tyre in place, a 155r15 Michelin X.
This will restore some of the lost speed, as the 135r15 was simply too small - it fitted perfectly but the engine was working too hard, effectively topping out at 90mph. That wasn't good for peace of mind or mechanical longevity.



IMGP0053.jpg

[Redman]

Wrenching...... removed battery box again today..... that was the "wrenching".
But the multimeter was the more significant tool.

Prior story:
SHortly after riding GK home from Brown County (where replaced stator in motel parking lot), had more charging problems.
Then I checked stator open circuit voltage, good 70VAC or more on all three(dont recall specifics at the moment), and good phase-phase ohm on all three, something like 0.5 ohm (dont recall specifics at the moment), so I condemned the R/R. Besides, the r/r was about an old Dunnage/Honda r/r from about 10-12 years ago. And I had a new SH775 (and triumph connector/harness) on hand that I havent installed for a couple years.
So, I went about replacing the R/R with the SH775 (was a lot easier after Steve suggested how to remove the battery box).
And . . . still marginal to no charging. . . .
Suspect might be the wiring, but if I cant properly understand and wire up an r/r, I might as well retire from doing anything. But I checked things over.

Bye then was getting to be summer, hot humid in garage . . . and working on bike was interfering with other important stuff, you know, going out for morning pier walk, going out for coffee, going for ride, evening photo expeditions (you know, retired life, .. and have other bike) . . . so the GK sat, ignored.
Remainder of June, july, August and into September. Even past when can use the excuse of garage being hot-humid.

So, today, I changed my habit, (didnt go for ride, didnt go for pier walk, didnt go for coffee) went out to garage first thing in morning. Removed the battery box again

I know cant really do an ohm check or diode check on the sh775, but I could do some sort of bench test thru the harness/connector and then remove the connectors, and do the same test on the sh775 itself. Maybe was problem with the triumph harness/connector on the sh775. Nope checked out the same.
Was frustrating.
Sat and pondered.
And somehow it occurred to me: I have done the open circuit voltage test on the stator, and the phase to phase ohm check, but maybe I didnt do the phase to ground ohm check.
Doah: something like 1.2, 1.2, 0.6 ohm, when suppose to be open (infinite resistance).

Okay, so instead of being annoyed that could not figure out the problem. Now I know what to do next: get another stator, and then do some more wrenching. I'll try to not be annoyed about what killed new stator in a matter of days and a few hundred miles.

>>later note: In photo it may appear that the ring terminal is on the brown wire (inner, positive). It is not, the ring terminal is on the black (ground), outer wire.

[Brendan W]

Putting the KZ400B back on the road.
It's my son's bike. He's in BC now riding a RE Continental GT up from his previous TUX. Last time he had the 400 out it dumped a tank of petrol into the sump.
The tap was leaking on Run but not Res.
The backing plate on the air side of the diaphragm had broken.
Still doesn't explain how it got past the floats and nothing was coming out the vac line spigot at the tap.
It's holding up for now but I will get a new diaphragm assy.
Despite it's only having 5000 miles there was in my mind an issue with the first thread for the sump plug.
I turned it over and had a good long look and then a half hour carefully cleaning and thread filing and very gentle chasing with an undersize tap of the same thread pitch.
Eventually the plug walked in past the first thread.
Had the bike not been so easy to upend this could have gone bad.
I shoehorned an old YB14 battery from the 850 in there. Not rideable in that condition.
After removing all sorts of grit in various parts of the fuel system she started on the third kick and is charging.
I'm, we're really looking forward to this on the road. I sold the 850. It was getting to the point that too many things needed doing and I had decided I neither want nor need 70hp and the 260kg wet that goes with it.

[KiwiAlfa156]

Replaced the snapped clutch cable on my GS650G Katana. Did an oil and filter change as the same time. Ready to ride again.

[chuck hahn]

IM shocked this threads 12 years old!!!!!

[Brendan W]

IM shocked this threads 12 years old!!!!!

Some things take longer to fix that you first thought?