What Did You Do to Your Bike Today ?

[canthai55]

28/20 and 48/20

[soi3eddie]

4 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

28/20 and 48/20

 

 

How do you like those tyres? Grippy? Better handling?

 

 

 

 

[mike787]

Sold it!  BEST decision I made since moving to THAILAND....I just increased my chances of survival here by 10,000% 

[canthai55]

33 minutes ago, mike787 said:

Sold it!  BEST decision I made since moving to THAILAND....I just increased my chances of survival here by 10,000% 

Seeing as you no longer ride I guess this is your last post ...

[canthai55]

42 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

How do you like those tyres? Grippy? Better handling?

Only got about 60KM on them so far.

First impressions - coming from a worn out set of Metzeler radials - are good.

Will have to do a trip on them to really tell. Most likely end of the week. 2 or 3 days up in the mountains between the 118 and the 1089 most likely

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

How do you like those tyres? Grippy? Better handling. 

Whow !!  hang on let him scrub em in first. ????

[Kwasaki]

On Papa's advised price put my bike up for sale at 690,000 baht. ????

[mike787]

2 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Seeing as you no longer ride I guess this is your last post ...

Oh yeah????????????????

[soi3eddie]

4 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Whow !!  hang on let him scrub em in first. ????

 

I did think about that. Thank goodness it's not the rainy season. My tyres still have the rubber knoblies on after 1000+kms. Guess I'm not riding hard enougth 555

[Kwasaki]

3 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

 

I did think about that. Thank goodness it's not the rainy season. My tyres still have the rubber knoblies on after 1000+kms. Guess I'm not riding hard enougth 555

You ride how you wanna ride, coarse glass paper to the chicken strip don't worry about the knoblies. ????

[teacherclaire]

On 1/29/2021 at 3:21 PM, Kwasaki said:

I don't really think road users are trying kill me they just don't see you or not care about the bright light that's hurling towards them.

I said to my son I find my inline 4 into one exhaust loud but nice noisy and my son reminded me " that's good they can hear you ". ????

I rode almost 180 to find out what the plugs looked like. Then I figured out that I was a bit lean and turned the pilot screw on the rear 1/2 out, on the fron 1/4. Still testing. The pron=blem is that in the city, it's a lovely color.

 

Even having Gunson doesn't prevent the engine from overheating if you don't do it right. You can look at five different images what spark plugs should look like and you have ten different opinions what's considered too lean, or too rich.

 

        I'm not in the mood to pull the carbs, it was riding lovely, but too white of the ceramic isn't good. 

 

            

[canthai55]

In the days of leaded fuel spark plug reading was easy.

Now - with unleaded - much more difficult.

I use a lighted magnifier to see up inside the porcelain and it is still hard.

Look for small shiny specs - that is piston crown material melted and swirling around the combustion chamber.

And fuel ratio is controlled by the main jet from 3/4 to WOT

EGT much more accurate and reliable.

Following is for Mikuni but other carb makes and models similar

http://www.iwt.com.au/mikunicarb.htm

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, teacherclaire said:

I rode almost 180 to find out what the plugs looked like. Then I figured out that I was a bit lean and turned the pilot screw on the rear 1/2 out, on the fron 1/4. Still testing. The pron=blem is that in the city, it's a lovely color.

 

Even having Gunson doesn't prevent the engine from overheating if you don't do it right. You can look at five different images what spark plugs should look like and you have ten different opinions what's considered too lean, or too rich.

 

        I'm not in the mood to pull the carbs, it was riding lovely, but too white of the ceramic isn't good. 

Yeah is not good being lean,  rich does less harm so I lean towards rich no pun intended. ????

Hard to describe when I check plugs and my 4 carbs after overhaul are set closely the same but there's  slight differences of pilot screw position after workshop manual takco  adjusting procedure.  

It runs well, ticks smoothly and my new rad works great and temp steady without thermostat.

I am happy to check plugs visually as I have always done. 

Haven't checked yet but rule of thumb is a straw bage kinda colour. 

[Kwasaki]

26 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

In the days of leaded fuel spark plug reading was easy.

Now - with unleaded - much more difficult.

I use a lighted magnifier to see up inside the porcelain and it is still hard.

Look for small shiny specs - that is piston crown material melted and swirling around the combustion chamber.

And fuel ratio is controlled by the main jet from 3/4 to WOT

EGT much more accurate and reliable.

Following is for Mikuni but other carb makes and models similar

http://www.iwt.com.au/mikunicarb.htm

Emissions readings are a good guide that's what help me see that I was close to a perfect settings if at all possible with carbs. 

Petrol Carb engines are not that very efficient. 

Variation from tick-over, mid range revs and higher full throttle position are all over the place,  you have to find a medium, not the hold hands kind. ????

[teacherclaire]

4 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah is not good being lean,  rich does less harm so I lean towards rich no pun intended. ????

Hard to describe when I check plugs and my 4 carbs after overhaul are set closely the same but there's  slight differences of pilot screw position after workshop manual takco  adjusting procedure.  

It runs well, ticks smoothly and my new rad works great and temp steady without thermostat.

I am happy to check plugs visually as I have always done. 

Haven't checked yet but rule of thumb is a straw bage kinda colour. 

Thanks. Here's the difference. Please consider that it was high speed riding, in the city they get a bit more tan, but not black. The first photo shows one that was too lean. The second one is how I want it. Both have the same color and that's often not easy to achieve. 

[teacherclaire]

4 hours ago, canthai55 said:

In the days of leaded fuel spark plug reading was easy.

Now - with unleaded - much more difficult.

I use a lighted magnifier to see up inside the porcelain and it is still hard.

Look for small shiny specs - that is piston crown material melted and swirling around the combustion chamber.

And fuel ratio is controlled by the main jet from 3/4 to WOT

EGT much more accurate and reliable.

Following is for Mikuni but other carb makes and models similar

http://www.iwt.com.au/mikunicarb.htm

Thanks, I've got two Mikuni 38 with a TPS. These old Hitachis were a pain in the ar_e and the reason why so many (idio_s) went for one only. One is way too difficult to tune, cylinders wear out differently. 

 

I had them pulled twice. The first time, i didn't see the pinched diaphragms and there's a so called Emulsion Tube where Yamaha might have thought these two o-rings never die. (Please see attached photo.)

 

   It's in no manual, and not mentioned for mechanics to learn. You've got to know it. The same goes how to check if the slides of a CV carb work, or not. Here's a great movie, also something mechanics all around the world do not learn.

 

   Even the air from your lungs should be enough to open the sides of a CV carb fully. 

 

   That's perhaps the reason why so many carb professionals have no idea what's going on inside. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXNxMV-B6qo

[Kwasaki]

14 hours ago, teacherclaire said:

Please consider that it was high speed riding, in the city they get a bit more tan, but not black. The first photo shows one that was too lean. The second one is how I want it. Both have the same color and that's often not easy to achieve. 

You quoted before -  "The pron=blem is that in the city, it's a lovely color." -  so if both plugs are as second pix and the city riding is your normal, your good to go.

There's bound to be a slight differences at full throttle speeds with carb engines.

 

I would ask which plug is lean at high speed.

Do you have one air-filter for both carbs or one per carb.

After 1/2 turn on rear carb and 1/4 turn on forward carb was that good for your normal riding.

Have you ever over-hauled or serviced the carbs. 

 

Will read your post to canthai didn't see it. ????

 

[teacherclaire]

8 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

You quoted before -  "The pron=blem is that in the city, it's a lovely color." -  so if both plugs are as second pix and the city riding is your normal, your good to go.

There's bound to be a slight differences at full throttle speeds with carb engines.

 

I would ask which plug is lean at high speed.

Do you have one air-filter for both carbs or one per carb.

After 1/2 turn on rear carb and 1/4 turn on forward carb was that good for your normal riding.

Have you ever over-hauled or serviced the carbs. 

 

Will read your post to canthai didn't see it. ????

 

I've overhauled them twice. Unfortunately, did i not see the first time that the diaphragms were pinched, you had to hold them to the sun and stretch them to figure that out.

 

       These bikes have a Emulsion tube, where the slides with the diaphragms are running in. These O-rings do not like ethanol and most carb problems on thes ebikres are somehow related to these two o-rings. 

 

The bike runs too rich and plugs are always black. But Yamaha didn't think that they'd ever wear out, that's why they're never mentioned in any books, manuals, even mechanics usually have no idea that there are two important o-rings tha tneed to be changed.

 

 I've got one, the OEM air filter, the only change were the Cobras. After working on them for so long and having a very reliable forum for these bikes, I'm now able to give tips to other Virago riders who encounter problems.

 

   The front was leaner, that's why I only gave it a fourth turen out, the rear got 1/2 and both have the same color now. And that's when riding high speed ( could do 180 again) and riding in the city.

 

        Too many of Virago owners give up when they do not understand what their problem is and go for one carb. That gives you more torque at lower speed, but you can't beat two good tuned carbs ( Mikunis).

 

    I've not only overhauled the carbs twice, I had to renew all fuel lines, clean both tanks and and and.

 

     After a while it's like putting on a shirt, you get used to it. An oil change that took 2 hours before is now done in 20 minutes, for example. Adjusting valves might be an hour. 

 

            But I have to admit that I wouldn't be where i am now without a guy who knows these machines from A to Z.

 

   I'd never let a Thai mechanic do anything at my bike, not even an oil change. When I bought it, I had to find out that the oil filter was put in wrongly, basically almost no oilflow.

 

      Keep riding safe...

 

        

 

      

 

[Kwasaki]

10 minutes ago, teacherclaire said:

I've overhauled them twice. Unfortunately, did i not see the first time that the diaphragms were pinched, you had to hold them to the sun and stretch them to figure that out.

 

       These bikes have a Emulsion tube, where the slides with the diaphragms are running in. These O-rings do not like ethanol and most carb problems on thes ebikres are somehow related to these two o-rings. 

 

The bike runs too rich and plugs are always black. But Yamaha didn't think that they'd ever wear out, that's why they're never mentioned in any books, manuals, even mechanics usually have no idea that there are two important o-rings tha tneed to be changed.

 

 I've got one, the OEM air filter, the only change were the Cobras. After working on them for so long and having a very reliable forum for these bikes, I'm now able to give tips to other Virago riders who encounter problems.

 

   The front was leaner, that's why I only gave it a fourth turen out, the rear got 1/2 and both have the same color now. And that's when riding high speed ( could do 180 again) and riding in the city.

 

        Too many of Virago owners give up when they do not understand what their problem is and go for one carb. That gives you more torque at lower speed, but you can't beat two good tuned carbs ( Mikunis).

 

    I've not only overhauled the carbs twice, I had to renew all fuel lines, clean both tanks and and and.

 

     After a while it's like putting on a shirt, you get used to it. An oil change that took 2 hours before is now done in 20 minutes, for example. Adjusting valves might be an hour. 

 

            But I have to admit that I wouldn't be where i am now without a guy who knows these machines from A to Z.

 

   I'd never let a Thai mechanic do anything at my bike, not even an oil change. When I bought it, I had to find out that the oil filter was put in wrongly, basically almost no oilflow.

 

      Keep riding safe...

That's cool glad you've got sorted, remember Virago were a pain in UK they regularly were coming into the shop.

I'm a Keihin fan a straight forward CV carb.

Mine have been Dynojet kit sorted.

[teacherclaire]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

That's cool glad you've got sorted, remember Virago were a pain in UK they regularly were coming into the shop.

I'm a Keihin fan a straight forward CV carb.

Mine have been Dynojet kit sorted.

I'm glad to hear that you had your stuff sortet. The problem with these carbs is similar to electric.electronic which most mechanics have an issue, or two, with.

 

     The two o-rings that are not entione din any owner's manuals, not even in very detailed repair handbooks can kame such a crab overhaul ro something where you give up, or you burn the fuc_er. 

 

   Here's an easy test to check out if CV ( Constant velocity) carbs' diaphragms are pinched or not seated well.

 

   I needed to seat the new slides with diaphragms five times that they worked, using the easy trick to blow air into the breathers. Because they were new from Australia, they were pretty much out of shape. 

 

Some people believe they can just pull the old diaphragm rubbers out and replace them with some cheap Chinese ones. That doesn't work, because the needed vacuum is gone. 

 

Here's an example of cheap Chinese copies that are a) upside down, b) they don't have the needed nose that goes into the carb's groove.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-Diaphragm-Carburetor-membrane-fit-for-Yamaha-XV-750-XV-1100-Virago-Gussrad/324475291072?hash=item4b8c3c05c0:g:jVMAAOSwg9xf9HEh

 

And the most annoying part is that they are way tooo small. If anybody wants to do his carbs alone, stay away from Chinese shi_e. 

 

      Another problem that comes with such old carbs is that Japanese manufacturers put ends on the breathers that after so many years rot and become tiny little pieces/particles that get into the carbs, then cause serious the problems in the carbs and messes them even more up. 

 

   I threw mine ( plastic breathers) out and replaced them with 1/4  sintered ones, please see photo. Works well and no worries about dirt in your carbs. 

 

        Even with Colortune, you can easily adjust your carbs too lean after some changes. Many people believe once it shows blue in the combustion chamber, it's fine.

 

   That's not really true, it only works well when you're too rich, then turn the pilot screw in a bit until the color gets blue. Not more.

 

     Ride safe, it's a jungle out there. 180 km/h scared the shi_e out of me the last days, and i still don't know my high speed. 

 

For those who ride an oldtimer with Hitachi carbs. Try to get a set of Mikunis, they are mich better, easier to work with and you still get parts for them. 

 

   But does that even matter on a cruiser/ 

 

 

[Kwasaki]

12 hours ago, teacherclaire said:

The two o-rings that are not entione din any owner's manuals, not even in very detailed repair handbooks 

 

   I needed to seat the new slides with diaphragms five times that they worked, using the easy trick to blow air into the breathers. Because they were new from Australia, they were pretty much out of shape. 

 

Some people believe they can just pull the old diaphragm rubbers out and replace them with some cheap Chinese ones. That doesn't work, because the needed vacuum is gone. 

 

  Another problem that comes with such old carbs is that Japanese manufacturers put ends on the breathers that after so many years rot and become tiny little pieces/particles that get into the carbs, then cause serious the problems in the carbs and messes them even more up. 

 

   I threw mine ( plastic breathers) out and replaced them with 1/4  sintered ones, please see photo. Works well and no worries about dirt in your carbs. 

 

        Even with Colortune, you can easily adjust your carbs too lean after some changes. Many people believe once it shows blue in the combustion chamber, it's fine.

 

   That's not really true, it only works well when you're too rich, then turn the pilot screw in a bit until the color gets blue. Not more.

 

     Ride safe, it's a jungle out there. 180 km/h scared the shi_e out of me the last days, and i still don't know my high speed. 

 

For those who ride an oldtimer with Hitachi carbs. Try to get a set of Mikunis, they are mich better, easier to work with and you still get parts for them. 

 

   But does that even matter on a cruiser/ 

 

A full Yam workshop manual should show those 'O'rings in a exploded diagram they do in Honda w/s manuals.

 

Yeah CV checks are easy and as for new diaphragms gently finger massage them with engine oil before fitting. 

One of main problem with Chinese parts is finding a supplier that copies correctly or was the Chinese company that supplied them in the first place. 

 

As for parts causing problems by breaking down that's where maintenance comes in on schedules or on workshop examination.

Mods like you did are sometimes a good thing, I've thrown out loads of stuff on my bike. 

 

As for colortune is highly rated for old Carb tuning especially with multi carbs. 

I can't use colortune  on my bike without a load stripping down, even checking the plugs I have to remove the fuel tank. 

 

I always like to think I ride safe and I think a sign of that is I get tired easier at my age with the consintration that's needed. 

 

I like and don't mind high speed especially acceleration but like to chug along at 120/130, will go much higher on a clear highway parts, a sportsbike fairings enables that. 

We have nice clear smooth roads and highways near me which aren't to bad for speed tests. 

Not topped my bike out yet need to do the GPS thingy which I don't know how to do without help. 

My speedometer is cable and seems  unusually near the mark at 120 don't know about at 255 and above that the most I been so far. 

 

Again it's good to alter things on old bikes and a Carb change is popular. 

On Superbikes they usually come with the best stuff to begin with hence price I guess. 

[canthai55]

https://www.rideapart.com/news/246199/a-collection-of-100-motorcycles-crushed-in-philippines/

[teacherclaire]

I fixed two things. The tachometer started to keep hanging at 500 RPMs from time to time and when I took it apart, it was impossible to get it back together.

 

   Then I got one from a friend, but the plastic tower was gone. I added a piece of plastic where the cover attaches and it's supported by a bolt inside, and two component glue. 

 

I changed the reflector of my headlight. I thought that these bikes' lights wouldn't be great and didn't realize that a good part of the reflecting foil in the upper area was missing.

 

    Then i found one on -e-bay got 26 bucks, shipping an additional 25. Great seems to be that they're all the same. From the 250 to the 400, up to the 535m 700, 750, 920, 1000 and 1100 cc. 

 

      Can't believe what a difference it makes. 

[canthai55]

On 2/2/2021 at 1:37 PM, soi3eddie said:

How do you like those tyres? Grippy? Better handling?

Did almost 200 Km today. Up the mountain, down again, up a different route, down again.

Only 30-40 Km of flat road.

Like them, good grip leaned over, handle the broken/old asphalt well, as well as the ancient concrete.

Wet weather performance will have to wait until after Songkran

 

[Kwasaki]

On 2/6/2021 at 4:51 PM, teacherclaire said:

I fixed two things. The tachometer started to keep hanging at 500 RPMs from time to time and when I took it apart, it was impossible to get it back together.

 

   Then I got one from a friend, but the plastic tower was gone. I added a piece of plastic where the cover attaches and it's supported by a bolt inside, and two component glue. 

 

I changed the reflector of my headlight. I thought that these bikes' lights wouldn't be great and didn't realize that a good part of the reflecting foil in the upper area was missing.

 

    Then i found one on -e-bay got 26 bucks, shipping an additional 25. Great seems to be that they're all the same. From the 250 to the 400, up to the 535m 700, 750, 920, 1000 and 1100 cc. 

 

      Can't believe what a difference it makes. 

Everything looks easy to get to, so never mind good work. ????

[Neilly]

Stripped out the swing arm and linkage to give it some TLC...been quite awhile since I did it last

 

 

[Kwasaki]

12 minutes ago, Neilly said:

Stripped out the swing arm and linkage to give it some TLC...been quite awhile since I did it last

 

Good stuff nothing like a thorough clean and grease up.  ????

[revgreen]

Radiator side rods

[revgreen]

New levers from the excellent BIKERS shop

[Kwasaki]

15 hours ago, revgreen said:

New levers from the excellent BIKERS shop

Is it an online shop, best bike shops I've been to were in CM. 

 

On 2/11/2021 at 2:16 PM, revgreen said:

Radiator side rods

What they for?