AllanB

A long trip, on a cheapo Chinese bike during the year of utter madness...a nice story I thought.

Stuck in Portugal myself and the roads are empty here, but my wife is with me, this guy had to run the gauntlet to see his.

Great news for those like me who love British bikes.

Here's the deal.....If Brexit works out they may be cheaper in the UK, if so may get one next year while things are still working and before the C19 bogeyman gets us all. Portugal is a great biking country, with Spain/Gib close by and I have 3 years before I need an MOT. Bought a black leather jacket and black helmet a couple of days ago, so good to go.

Haven'r got to ride since I tried to change the oil. Was looking on youtube as to which of the "two" drain holes to use, which are identical. The first thing to come up is if you use the wrong one a bunch of bits fall out and you cannot easily select neutral and guess what, I bought the bike with a neutral selection problem.

When I removed the wrong one there was only a spring and no pin, soreally  good news and probably why he couldn't sell the bike for full money. Seems the best/cheapest place to buy the pin is actually in Thailand and may I have to wait, but I now wished I had asked my stepson to post one to me.

I did ride it with MrsB down to the local town, rides very different to the Vespa, as you would expect but feels like fun, though I was overtaken by a couple of pedestrians. There are a lot of soft, sandy, winding, hilly tracks around here so will do a bit of exploring before winter arrives.

Low C of G and low seat should be good.

vanvan.webpHi Y'all. Need to chase away the blues of this lockdown <deleted>, so bought a new toy. Looks like we will be stuck in Portugal for the winter and don't want to risk the pristine Vespa on these roads, plus with mates coming to visit they will have seomthing to ride on their car licence.

Bikes are expensive here so this one (13 years old) was around the new price in Thailand, but it is what it is and can't wait to try it out on the beach.

We have a big piece of Land here so great for that, but it's basically for "dicking about" as the yanks so aptly put it.

Anyone else have one?

vanvan.webp

vanvan2.webp

Finally got the bike finished, took MrsB out and after setting the tyre pressures, yeh not a bad ride. 

Built my own airbox from blue PVC water pipe and a sponge sleeve and the backfiring on decel has pretty much gone. So a good bit of guess work, as I made the filter area about 20% larger than original, the original airfilter would no longer fit due to moving the CDIs and expansion bottle.

The clutch was a bit sticky for a while, with it stalling twice while engaging 1st, but that got better and it still aint pretty and haven't got that sound that Glen Miller was looking for, but it works...fingers crossed.

The carbs are not bad now, float chambers set correctly, will get the plugs out after a run and tappets all good. 

The new Bonny style seat is really comforatble for two, the tank wrap is done, but needs a proper paint job. Next year, maybe a different style.

So now the shed is tidy too after so many months.

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Should do the trick, for a few years anyway.

 

The relay is probably replaceable in the event it fails anyway.

You are a gentleman Crossy and there aren't many of us left.

8 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Control the coil with your time switch. Put both contacts in parallel in the live to the pump and it should last forever.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ac-240v-25a-2-reed-ac-contactor-2p-closed-domestic-35-mm-din-rail-i561536650-s1029996482.html

 

 

 

Thanks Crossy, Since I have to buy a new timeswitch, will this do the job? 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/30amp-weekly-programmable-digital-time-switch-relay-control-timer-220v-din-rail-mount-tm616-i342546277-s665562275.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.19.38e2143fHOnpNg&search=1

I built a swimming pool 8 years ago and wired a 550w (3/4hp) pump to start on a 13amp timeswitch. Now the pump starting current I think is around 12 amps, anyway my 3rd timeswitch has just packed up. So my guess I need some sort of starter contactor, any advice what exactly I need, that hopefully I can order on Lazada?

Thanks

My stepson bought an Nmax 155 thinking it would be a step up from the Filano (new model) we bought a few years back, not so. It is pretty uncomfortable and the engine doesn't sound as smooth. I have riden a few bikes and scooters and nothing comes close to the B51,000 Filano. We did the Mae Hong Song Loop 2 up with luggage, easy peasy and real comforatble. Bought (and modified it to actally fit) a Lazada screen and a few stickers to make it look a bit better, but it is pretty much a faultless, easy to ride comfortable scoot. around 120mpg (imperial).

Downside.... they are everywhere and need a bit of cooling up.

Oh I forgot my mate has a Forza, couple of years old......REALLY dreadful.

My first Mae Hang Song Loop trip on a Filano I got MrsB to take over, that lasted about 1km on a dead straight road. A mate of mine who is over 100kg rides pillion behind his GF, because he is to scared to ride, how does that work?

I hate riding pillion and love a pair of This Is Thailand's in my back.

Plan on changing the colour of my tank and really like this. http://www.bonnefication.com/macco-motors-saint/

Thought first of wrapping, but the local company don't seem to interested in small jobs, they are busy on wrapping trucks. Looking at a spray job, I remember a local company who did a real orange peel job on a tank on a mate's bike and while I know it can be cut back, if they were worth their salt they would have done it.

So first of all does anyone know a decent company in Khon Kaen, failing that can anyone suggest a decnt brand of spray paint. I have an airconditioned shed so can maintain a good temperature and no dust.

Or does anyone know of another wrapping company in KK other than EAK Stickers. I was told the wrap material is okay with petrol, any comments there?

Or I guess I could ship it??

Cheers

Had decel backfire ever since I bought the bike and found this video. 

I ordered two straight pipes to replace the tatty and poor sounding old rear box, but due to the virus the plating shop is holding things up. Once the new pipes arrive and are fitted I will go ahead and try to tune the bike. Funny I have been looking for such a video for years and it arrived by accident (or however Youtube works) this morning. Furthermore the bike is a VT model, similar to mine, although bigger and newer.

Maybe useful to others.

On 4/13/2020 at 12:02 PM, AllanB said:

Called the NV400, a Japanese home market import there were a few here. As you can ss it was identical to the VT Shadow series quite popular in the USA.

 

This morning made up an air filter "pack" made up of the original mesh and some oiled sponge... and just stuffed it in. There isn't any room to do much else since the original air box now houses the CDIs/brackets, HT cables and coollant expansion bottle. That seemed to have stopped the popping on over run, will check the plugs after a while.

 

So, work to be done, twin pipes, but the company is closed for a month, new fork gaiters and some sort of luggage rack..oh and the seat. Then a lot of tidying up, including a rethink on the airfilter.

 

But the engine is strong and torquey, gearbox 100% and shaft drive too, just wish I had a bit of artistic flair to make it look amazing.

Update on the Shadow.......

After going over the entire fuel system with new hoses and clips, carbs set up anf bench tested, what's next?

I hope I have solved another problem, the bike was never that comfortable for me, or the missus. Built for the Jap home market, well I am 6ft and all legs, so time to redesign the seat, laidback slouching never did my old back any favours, time to turn the riding position into a Bonneville style and keep my back straighter, legs less squashed too. Did this using a mixure of hard and medium foam, with conveluted top to allow underbutt airflow and finshed in a groovy crocodile skin.

A bit more room for the piilon and I think it suits the bike, all for B750.

See above and below for the difference.

2 minutes ago, AllanB said:

You would think so, this pair have always been trouble. I got the bike back from being rewired and while he was at it he "did" the carbs, however, yesterday I was about the do a trial run, turned on the fuel, went inside to helmet up and my wife said she could smell petrol. As I entered the shed saw petrol pouring out of the carbs.????

 

So today had the carbs off, removed the needles and seats and blew a ton of <deleted> out, he had taken the tank off and left the petrol hose exposed for about 4 months. Great! Anyway at least I found the fault. So stripped it down and blew everything out.

 

These are very shallow bowls so the settings are important, anyway I will try 7mm if I don't get conf my the morning. That is the figure for many of the VT series with the same carb.

 

Cheers

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Your sort it, it's not rocket science carbs are simple. ????

You would think so, this pair have always been trouble. I got the bike back from being rewired and while he was at it he "did" the carbs, however, yesterday I was about the do a trial run, turned on the fuel, went inside to helmet up and my wife said she could smell petrol. As I entered the shed saw petrol pouring out of the carbs.????

So today had the carbs off, removed the needles and seats and blew a ton of <deleted> out, he had taken the tank off and left the petrol hose exposed for about 4 months. Great! Anyway at least I found the fault. So stripped it down and blew everything out.

These are very shallow bowls so the settings are important, anyway I will try 7mm if I don't get conf my the morning.

Cheers

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Well if it's too high it will overflow or leak and too low you'll run lean or dwindle to a stop. ????

Thankyou.????

16 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

The float valve sets the level on my carbs don't know what you have.

Float bowl chamber height of fuel level this may help. 

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk03dqot8VRw7JNHF6XPM0k5Jkjt8mw:1588309696927&q=how+to+know+the+float+bowl+level+in+a+carburettor&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjg9Jza8pHpAhWfyDgGHWsxAdoQBSgAegQICBAn&biw=1215&bih=567&dpr=1.13#kpvalbx=_x66rXsSYN7qX4-EP9fGI6A425

I know how to set it Kawa and I know what the setting is for the US spec VT500, it is 6.8mm, just wondered if the figure was the same for the Steed used here. Trouble is it is such a shallow bowl, with all the fuel at the top, the setting its crucial.

Cheers

Just wondered if someone out there has a worksop manual for their Steed 400? If so could you tell me what the float height setting should be, for various years, if they differ?

Tried downloading one, but couldn't make it work. Just need that number is all.

Thanks

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

This is why I put cone airfilters to replaced the ugliest restricted piece of Honda airbox design that slows the bike. ????

 

That's given me an idea, thanks.