what did you wrench on today??

[Guest]

While I have 32GB of storage on the video camera, I fear a 3 hour charge won't cut it for this Sunday's combined GSR/Kat forum run, so long/overnight working hours this week gave me enough spare time Tuesday to move my cigarette lighter/aux power socket.

I was able to use the same bracket I made for under the seat and just bolted it under one of the handlebar clamp bolts instead, but I retained the separate weather proof on/off switch under the electrics plate so I can still have it on independently of the ignition.

Switched on and all is good, gave it a test run on the way into work again last night and home again early hours of this morning.

Only thing I had to do was a run of velcro around the USB power adaptor as the vibrations let it start to work its way out of the socket and turn the camera off.

 

[Guest]

Today I applied the wrenches to the horns on my '82 GS1100E. Both horns did work, but they were always weak, not anything like the strong sounding ones on my GS1000E. But they're horns, not a show stopper which is what I always thought. I kept thinking I'll pick up a set on E-bay someday. But yesterday when I tired to get my friends attention to let him know I was running low on gas, they got completely drowned out by my engine and his Harley with straight pipes. So, I decided to investigate further, first I checked and cleaned connections, then adjusted those tone screws, took the front cover off and cleaned, then lubed eveything with WD-40. Nothing I was doing was improving them. As I continued playing with them, I squeezed the front cover on one side of one horn, bingo! So I took off the cover again seeing there were two washers underneath. OK I thought, what would it do with only one washer? So I left out one washer and the horn worked great. Now for the other one. Same thing, left out one washer and now I have a set of great sounding horns. Guess I don't have to search for a set on E-bay after all.

 

[GSScoobie]

Today I applied the wrenches to the horns on my '82 GS1100E. Both horns did work, but they were always weak, not anything like the strong sounding ones on my GS1000E. But they're horns, not a show stopper which is what I always thought. I kept thinking I'll pick up a set on E-bay someday. But yesterday when I tired to get my friends attention to let him know I was running low on gas, they got completely drowned out by my engine and his Harley with straight pipes. So, I decided to investigate further, first I checked and cleaned connections, then adjusted those tone screws, took the front cover off and cleaned, then lubed eveything with WD-40. Nothing I was doing was improving them. As I continued playing with them, I squeezed the front cover on one side of one horn, bingo! So I took off the cover again seeing there were two washers underneath. OK I thought, what would it do with only one washer? So I left out one washer and the horn worked great. Now for the other one. Same thing, left out one washer and now I have a set of great sounding horns. Guess I don't have to search for a set on E-bay after all.

Any pictures showing how to do it/what you did?

 

[Guest]

Any pictures showing how to do it/what you did?

I know, it didn't happen because I didn't take pictures. But.............
I can show you the picture of the finished product! and the two washers I removed. Never thought about pictures, I basically disconnected the two wires that supplied the voltage, unbolted the horn from the bike, unscrewed the tone adjustment screw out completely, took the acorn nut and associated washers off which held the cover (for lack of a better word) and took off the cover. The two washers were underneath that bolt which held on the cover. Sprayed and cleaned the electrical connections and shot some WD-40 in all the orifaces, put it back together the same way except I left out one of the washers that went underneath the cover. Maybe with that extra washer in there the cover was too far out from the horn to work properly, as it's done by electromagnet. Regardless of why, it works great now!

 

[GSScoobie]

I didn't realize that they came apart. Thanks for the explanation. I will give it a try.

 

[Doby]

Not a GS but still fun

Not a GS but still fun

Chagnged the oil and tightened everything up. Just swapped a $1500 Pathfinder for this. It has 27k miles and probably $5,000 in go-faster and handling upgrades. Upgraded Progressive suspension, 17 inch wheels (with a 190 rear tire), R-1 brakes, carbon fiber/titanium exhaust, switchable V-Boost, etc. What fun. When I have the V-Boost activated from idle it is almost hard to keep the front end down. :knary:
1996 V-Max 1200

 

[Guest]

I didn't realize that they came apart. Thanks for the explanation. I will give it a try.

In my case I didn't have anything to lose, so I could haphazardly do what I wanted since I didn't expect to gain any good result from anything I tried. That center bolt which holds on the cover is attached to a closed rubber diaphragm. There were two washers between the cover and the diaphragm. On one side the washers were the same size, on the other
I had a large and a small one. I figured the smaller one changed the pitch so I left it in there, but it didn't work too well with that so I changed it back to the bigger one. Also, those pitch adjusting screws killed them if they were screwed in to deep. So I backed them out for a good tone once I got them working. Don't know about yours, but I think those two (extra) washers I found in mine were not supposed to be in there.

 

[steve murdoch]

You sir, are a thief!
It won't be such a bargain when you have to keep replacing the rear tire. lol.
I love the sound of those brutes with performance pipes.

Chagnged the oil and tightened everything up. Just swapped a $1500 Pathfinder for this. It has 27k miles and probably $5,000 in go-faster and handling upgrades. Upgraded Progressive suspension, 17 inch wheels (with a 190 rear tire), R-1 brakes, carbon fiber/titanium exhaust, switchable V-Boost, etc. What fun. When I have the V-Boost activated from idle it is almost hard to keep the front end down. :knary:
1996 V-Max 1200

 

[Doby]

You sir, are a thief!
It won't be such a bargain when you have to keep replacing the rear tire. lol.
I love the sound of those brutes with performance pipes.

Yep, I can see a new rear tire in my future every 3,000 miles or so. LOL, looking forward to it.

 

[tomo]

As a change from the GS, decided to get my XV750 back on the road. She has been sat in the garage over a year now because of carb problems, had a bad misfire on the front pot. Took the carbs off, stripped and cleaned them then put them back on, after a struggle. Not the easiest arrangement to work on with both carbs being sat between the cylinders !. To cut a long story short all wasted work, still missing on front pot. It was definitely fuel as I used prime on the petcock to fill the bowls, she started up and ran great for a few minutes before missing again. Suspected its a problem in the vacuum lines but anyway, got p....d off with it so the bike was put away. I`ve decided now to bin the standard carbs and do a single carb conversion using an SU from my old Morris Minor. Read up on a few forums about it, so this afternoon started on a temporary manifold. The SU is a very simple carb, so if it works out ok it will be a doddle to tune up and be a lot more accessible too. If nothing else it will be an interesting little project.

 

[GSScoobie]

Tomo, please start a build thread in the other projects section when you can.
I am certain that I am not the only one interested in your progress on it.

 

[steve murdoch]

Spent some quality time cleaning the '78.

 

[Guest]

bike looks great, and so does the weather. Beats our grey overcast wet windy day here. Hey don't you Easterners have foot pegs and gear shifters??

 

[steve murdoch]

Always one wise guy in the group...now if i could just remember where those footpegs went?
10c and sunny today. Put about 150kms on the Honda.

 

[wally]

Nothing much...family weekend.

Did manage to get the replacement forks painted and gaitors back on.

Ran out of oxygen (not me - the oxy-acetalyne set ) and got a refill today. Hope to finish up final welds this week and get the frame ready for powder coating.

 

[vmaxman]

Chagnged the oil and tightened everything up. Just swapped a $1500 Pathfinder for this. It has 27k miles and probably $5,000 in go-faster and handling upgrades. Upgraded Progressive suspension, 17 inch wheels (with a 190 rear tire), R-1 brakes, carbon fiber/titanium exhaust, switchable V-Boost, etc. What fun. When I have the V-Boost activated from idle it is almost hard to keep the front end down. :knary:
1996 V-Max 1200

Very Nice! I've got one of those myself. Looks like it came with some decent mods too. Adding 17" wheels is not a cheap proposition. The $1500 vehicle you traded would not pay for a set of those wheels new.

Congrats! If you need any information or help with the bike stop by at http://www.vmaxforum.net/index.php Lots of good information over there.

I've got an '06 with a few mods.

 

[rustybronco]

Not GS related...

Not GS related...

But the alternator started setting the battery light off and the alt belt started squealing on my 1999 300M, so I ripped the alternator apart and me being the 'frugal' type fudged in a set of brushes instead of buying a complete brush holder for it.

I cut the old brushes off, drilled a small hole the tab to feed the new wire through, wound the wire around the tab twisted and soldered the new brush in place then re-soldered the new brush back on the old brush holder.

Bought a NOS front bearing off Ebay for the price of $13.29 including shipping and when get it all reassembled and back on the car I should have a working alternator for under $14.

 

[Guest]

But the alternator started setting the battery light off and the alt belt started squealing on my 1999 300M, so I ripped the alternator apart and me being the 'frugal' type fudged in a set of brushes instead of buying a complete brush holder for it....

My first car was a 1962 Ford Galaxy. After only 80,000 miles, the generator bearings were so shot that the brushes wore out after about 5,000 miles. Not knowing how to change the bearings then, I changed brushed so often that I could get the job done in about 20 minutes, from hood open to hood closed. Ah, the days of lots of space around the engine!

 

[oldrookie]

Put a front seal in my master cylinder...twelve times. Oh sure, most of you can do it in less time, but where's the fun in that?

bwringer got my front brakes working correctly on Sunday. Took him about an hour. I'd worked on it since March. See how much more fun I got to have?

Discovered that I had a leak in the master cylinder, so I tore it apart and finally got it fixed.

 

[Toasty]

I haven't had much time to do any wrenching (that'll change this weekend) but I picked up a legit set of rearsets.

$50 plus shipping . I wasn't able to find much info but what I've gathered is they're quite solid and only in Japan. They're like $250+ new too They wouldn't bolt onto his Supermoto and I need custom mounts anyway so I got a good deal. I should get them sometime next week.


Now I just have to sell my extra set of complete 2012 R6 rearsets (with MC and rear brake). Maybe I can use the R6 master cylinder with thes... hmmm