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$50 modification thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter jfsebastian
  • Start date Start date
i use techron for my pathfinder that now has 206,000 + miles on it. I'll try some in the 850. i always wonder if some of these products could be too harsh on the bike stuff.
 
Got this on E-Bay for $46.00. Can't wait to install it.
Picture102.jpg
 
Old Colt said:
Hey BW,
How do you route the wire on the throttle side? I question long term reliability of the cable dangling under the twisty.

The heaters I use are a copper tube that slides inside the handlebars. All my bikes have them. But I now have a bike with solid alloy clipons, I need to get heaters on it.
Click to expand...


You have to leave a loop of wire routed so that the rotation of the throttle doesn't cause any pulling, and use zip ties to secure the wire at both ends (under the grip and where it's attached to the bike). On my bikes, the wire exits the throttle at about straight down at the inner flange, and is zip-tied to the wire bundle exiting the switch pod, leaving about a two inch radius loop.

On a dirtbike, I suppose this loop of wire could snag on something (or maybe you have to route it differently), but it's not an issue on a streetbike. There are lots of BMWs running around with threadbare heated grips just like this that still work perfectly after 20 years.
 
not a biker said:
get a bottle of techron from the chevron gas station. add about 1/4 bottle to a fill up . it will keep the carbs clean and also clean up the intake track and valves. been using this stuff for 24 years. i used to be a isuzu tech and the factory recomended it by name. i am sure their are other guality spin off products out their also.
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I try to only use Chevron gas. I've seen motors with and w/out. The techron motors are always much cleaner.
 
This is exactly why I started this thread. Lots of good tips and tricks.
JF
 
what about a sealed headlight replacement instead of just the bulbs? can it be done? i have 2 round silverstars laying around
 
Battery Corrision 1 cent remedy

Battery Corrision 1 cent remedy

Apply a dab of RTV to a shiney new penny and place the penny on top of the battery halfway between the battery's "+" and "-" terminal to reduce corrision. The penny will act as a sacrifical anode and will corrode first.

It works even better on larger car & truck batteries . . .
 
I read on here that you can swap a 850 top end onto a 750. Does anyone have experience with this
 
Gimpdiggity said:
Good post!!!

A good way to make a bike better is to make a rider better.
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Excellent idea. In Indiana, the BRC is $75. However, that includes a $25 membership to ABATE. If you fill out a form saying you don't want to be in ABATE, they'll send you the $25 back.

So the BRC is $50. Wotta deal!
 
Just thought of a few more:

If you have one of the 8 valve engines, RealGasket silicone valve cover and breather gaskets will run you around $40 shipped, and will last a lifetime if you treat them right. http://realgaskets.com/files/motorcycle.htm
(They don't work as well on some 16V engines.)


A set of stainless steel case bolts will run about $30 or so shipped from http://Z1enterprises.com and will make your bike much easier to work on and look great.


New wheel bearings and valve stems should total around $30 - $40, and will give you valuable peace of mind. If you don't know how old these parts are, or if they're looking a little haggard, change 'em out during your next tire change.
 
Can't hurt to have this when you ride. For less than $50.00 to fix your flat tires, the local wally world string ones are less than $6.00 but why chance it on a long ride?

1000-08.jpg
 
GQROD said:
Can't hurt to have this when you ride. For less than $50.00 to fix your flat tires, the local wally world string ones are less than $6.00 but why chance it on a long ride?

1000-08.jpg
Click to expand...

The problem is that Stop-n-Go plugs do not work in motorcycle tires. Been there, done that. Repeatedly. And I had the expensive kit with the little gun device. Every single one of these I placed in a motorcycle tire failed. They do work OK in car tires.

Believe it or not, the sticky string-style plugs actually do work very, very well in motorcycle tires. Ream the hole, slather the string with rubber cement, insert, and trim. Done. Never had a failure.

Yeah, I know... every party needs a pooper... :(



But on a related note, a small 12V air compressor costs anywhere from $10 - $30 and will save your bacon when you catch that nail out where the kids are all crosseyed. The "Slime" brand compressor is available just about everywhere, and is a very nice, compact package.
 
use the self vulcanizing ones us big riggers use pull what popped the tire, lube the reamer, ream it out, lube the plug fill and good to go

plus they are 6 inches long or so just trim em up and go on your way.

safety seal brand you can find em for just under $50 and you can get replacement plugs at any big truck shop

f030_1.JPG





http://www.safetyseal.com/

they make ATV kits and car kits for a bit less as well
 
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I also give a large "thumbs up" to the string type of tire repair. I had a brand new Conti Blitz (approx. 500 miles) on an 81 GS750L when I was in college. I picked up a nail in the rear tire and was not happy. I figured that I'd fix the hole temporarily, so that I could still ride to class. Anyway, I kind of forgot about the repair until a riding buddy asked me about it.... 3 years later!! I had ridden over 15,000 miles without incident. That sold me. Fortunately, I haven't had to complete another repair in over 15 years. (...Knocking sound on computer desk!!!)
 
bwringer said:
The problem is that Stop-n-Go plugs do not work in motorcycle tires. Been there, done that. Repeatedly. And I had the expensive kit with the little gun device. Every single one of these I placed in a motorcycle tire failed. They do work OK in car tires.

Believe it or not, the sticky string-style plugs actually do work very, very well in motorcycle tires. Ream the hole, slather the string with rubber cement, insert, and trim. Done. Never had a failure.

Yeah, I know... every party needs a pooper... :(



But on a related note, a small 12V air compressor costs anywhere from $10 - $30 and will save your bacon when you catch that nail out where the kids are all crosseyed. The "Slime" brand compressor is available just about everywhere, and is a very nice, compact package.
Click to expand...

Good advice from experience is never a pooper!

I thought this would work better at sealing the punctures but you learn something new every day. Could the stop and go plugs have failed because there was no adhesive to properly seal around it?

Found this link to explain the problem with the mushroom plugs but even so the idea is to get you home so you can get a new tire on the bike and not to ride 1500 miles or more as was stated in the pdf link.

Having a couple of different options is always good sense though.

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/letters/06LettersB.pdf

Thanks for the warning!
 
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I think the Stop-n-Go mushroom plugs fail in motorcycle tires because they are simply very soft rubber, and the cords and belts in the tire cut right through them. You aren't supposed to use them with adhesive. I just found the mushroom heads inside the tire, with little to nothing left of the stems.

A motorcycle tire is much thinner and flexes more than a car tire, so I think that accounts for the difference.

A string plug forms a ball inside the tire -- it ends up looking like a wad of chewing gum stuck tight to the inside of the tire. The string is very tough and cannot be cut by the belts. The weakness of these is that you have to replace the tube of rubber cement every so often -- the rubber cement is essential to a strong repair, but the tubes of cement usually dry out after a year or so. The fragile foil tubes are also rather vulnerable. I also prefer to replace the strings every year so they remain nice and sticky.

Fortunately, these kits are very cheap -- once you have the reamer/inserter tools, $2 will fetch the year's supply of fresh strings and cement, and they're available in nearly every truck stop, grocery store, and convenience mart in the land.


Here's a tire repair string that does not require glue, and I've heard very good things about these Nealey repairs:
http://www.tirerepairkit.com/whichkit.htm
Only $11.95 for the mini kit, which seems a lot more compact and reasonably priced than the Safety Seal kit. There's a simple technique to using these that basically ties a knot inside the tire and ensures they stay in place. I'll probably order a kit this spring, in hopes that it will not be needed.
 
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I also heard good things about the nealy plugs, thanks for the info it really is good to know from someones experience how the mushrooms perform that advice alone is priceless!
 
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