| Author | Message | ||
     Pkforbes87 |
Normally I wouldn't just start a topic to talk about what I consider to be my mundane daily activities, but after seeing a lot of complaints about the lack of motorcycle topics - here goes. I've been unemployed since the end of October after a 6 year stretch in the Navy, but have been going to school full time since January. The GI Bill benefits are nice, but 3 figures a month won't keep me afloat for long. So.. I've decided to not go ahead and take summer classes and instead.. work on motorcycles! I've had pretty good luck finding odd jobs so far, really without looking. My only advertising has been word of mouth and it has spread quickly over the past few weeks. Just finished up some minor work on a 1976 Honda XL250 last week. Every cable on the bike was bone dry and full of dirt, so was the chain. The throttle cable was broken but a $10 replacement designed for a late model Suzuki worked just fine after some redneck engineering. I made a new air filter using a mat of universal Uni filter foam, super glue, (not too much - wet super glue eats the foam) and K&N filter oil. Didn't even know until last week that those mats of filter foam were available. I think I'll go that route when my DRZ needs its next air filter change - I can probably make 2 filters out of the mat for less $$ than 1 pre-formed filter! Anyway, I got the throttle cable all rigged up, put some fresh gas in the tank, and started kicking. One short spritz of ether and on the 3rd kick, she started right up! Ran like crap, and after about 30 seconds she flooded out and started dumping fuel. I took the carb apart and found that the float was hanging down on one side - part of the cast piece it hooks into had broken. This wasn't the first time - some sort of glue residue was gobbed onto the broken area. I chipped the old glue off, degreased the area with alcohol, and threw some jb weld on it to get everything back in 1 piece. The next day, put her back together and she ran like a top. Ok, maybe not like a top, but she ran as well as I'd expect a 36 year old bike to run after being pulled out of the back of a barn. I'm kind of learning this motorcycle maintenance thing backwards - I can tweak DDFI with ECMSpy, but don't have a lot of experience with carbs. I'm looking forward to getting more experience with the older stuff though! Now that the XL250 is back to it's owner, the project is an '05 KLR. It was supposedly laid down last time it was ridden then put in a shed for the last year. The rear brake is FUBAR - and looks like it's had a few miles put on it since it got that way. When I got my hands on it, the rear was locked up tight. A little inspection shows that the pads were in the caliper all cockeyed, the rotor is bent and has a lot of deep gouges, even the caliper is damaged. I've got a replacement (used) whole rear brake system on the way via eBay - for half the price of only a new caliper. Still need to talk to the owner about replacing his doohickey. I doubt he even knows what it is. He doesn't seem very knowledgeable about the mechanical details of his bikes, or concerned with their consistent upkeep. Oh well, more work for me  I'm really looking forward to this semester of school coming to an end in less than a month. Got some pretty neat bikes lined up to work on. CX500, CB900, XJ750, another XL250, etc. Not really looking forward to tracking down an oil leak on a 1000cc Concours, but the experience will be good. Besides, work is work! Obligatory pictures:   | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
By the way, the CX500 and CB900 are owned by the same guy.. the CX has been somewhat maintained, always garage kept, and is in amazing condition for a bike of its age. The CB, not so much. The owner says it's been in a barn since he got married - 27 years ago! I'll be sure to post pictures of both when I get my hands on them. | ||
| Road_thing |
Which CB900 is it? The Sport or the Custom? rt | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I'm not sure, haven't seen it in person yet, and don't know these bikes well enough to tell from just a picture. The owner says it's a '74, but I don't see any 900 made by Honda that year - it may be a 750 instead. Here's a photo I was sent..  | ||
| Thumper74 |
My heart be still. It looks exactly like my 74 CB750. It's where the '74' came from in my screensaver. Good luck on the endeavers, I'm trying to get a broken accelerator pump screw out of an S&S Super E that I rebuilt on a 76 Shovel I picked up cheap! I think I have a CB750 service manual floating around here. | ||
| 86129squids |
IMHO that looks like an early CB750, what Thumper said... Fun stuff! I do love most any of the early Jap bikes, going back to the 60's... starting in the 90's, things got homogenized and boring, don't care for many modern bikes at all. Been REALLY enjoying my newly acquired '79 GL1000, thanks to Vern and his brother! | ||
| Etennuly |
I had a 1974 CB 750 4 that I bought in 1978. It was my first road bike. It was the gold metal flake color and had stock pipes that rusted off like all of them, at the joint under the pegs. The one in the picture has someone's header muffler on it. Stock was four individual muffler pipes. I also have a 1986 XL250 that I am doing some engine work on. It was not uncommon for them to eat a cam and followers due to not changing the oil often enough. It is amazing what parts are still available.....if you can afford them! Working on older bikes is kinda fun, but it is best to get a deposit that covers the parts before you begin working on them. It is easy to spend a grand on parts for an $800 bike. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Phillip, first of all, THANKS for your tour of service in the Navy. I hope your motorcycle repair business works out well for you and you can make a good living from it. I grew up close to where you live in Mexico Missouri. I was born & raised in Shelbina Missouri, approx 40 miles north of you. When I lived back in Missouri, I always found it very hard to find a good motorcycle mechanic. I use to have to travel to Quincy Illinois to get work done on my bikes so if you can advertise somehow, you ought to be able to find some customers in need of your service. | ||
| Cataract2 |
I'm about to start using my 9/11 GI Bill to attend The Citadel in the hopes of getting picked up for an Active Commission. Anything you might be able to tell me about the GI Bill Pk? Concerns I should be aware of? Housing it offers? | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Don, all the business I've gotten so far, I've heard the same thing about lack of good mechanics/shops. There's one locally in Mexico that is a particularly bad example. I've never used them for anything other than mounting tires, and a handful of parts, but apparently their maintenance practices are inadequate and their prices high. I've done everything short of begging that particular shop to hire me ever since I moved back to the area, and get turned down constantly. At this point, I'm working on the bikes that would have been taken there anyway  Ryan, Do you know for sure what GI Bill you're under? You probably enlisted under the Chapter 30 (Montgomery) and if you're still active duty then you're eligible for Chapter 33 (Post-9/11) as well. You will need to do some paperwork BEFORE leaving active duty to change your benefits package though. There are are a few pros of the old system over the new, but generally the 33 benefits are an improvement over the 30. I can answer more questions once I know what program you're under. | ||
| Davegess |
What is this board coming to? Talking about bikes! Not blaming somebody for something? Not sure I can handle it Nice post, always like these stories. | ||
| Guell |
yo cataract, let me know if you make it to charleston | ||
| Cataract2 |
Guell, I am getting there. No worries on that now. I have my BN CMDR word that he supports me and will sign my 4187 for this. Look out Citadel, here I come!!! Dave, I will agree. I want politics to stay out of this thread. I'm just asking about what my benefits are for serving. PK, I'm currently under the Montgomery GI Bill, but I am in the process of changing it over to the 9/11. Mainly for the BAH, Book Stipend, and monthly paid stipend. I know if ain't much, luckily my wife is an RN so we should be ok with money. (No kids helps.) So, if you have any info I am all ears on how your experiences with it have been. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
9/11 GI Bill will pay for your tuition directly, whereas the Montgomery reimburses you after you pay for it. 9/11 pays a book stipend of up to $1000/year directly to you - I'm unsure of how the Montgomery is set up in this area. It's approximately $42 per credit hour so if you take 12 hours fall and summer, you'll max the annual benefit. A third semester's tuition can be paid for, but you won't get the book stipend. Montgomery doesn't pay any housing stipend, but the 9/11 pays what they call MHA (monthly housing allowance) It's basically BAH, and calculated from the zip code of the school you're attending. No matter what rank and dependent status you are/were in the military, this benefit pays at the E5 w/ dependents rate - but not available at all while you're on active duty or taking less than 6 semester hours. That's about all I can think of. Be sure your school stays on top of their end of the paperwork. There's not a lot you can do on your own, so it takes a lot of nagging to get the school to send the VA the proper paperwork. Of course my experience so far has been with a small community college, a state University may be more easier to deal with. My school initially sent an enrollment verification to the VA that listed all 12 hours of classes, but listed my desired degree wrong, only 5 of the classes I'm taking this semester are credited toward the program on the paperwork the VA received, so the first time I saw a deposit it didn't include MHA, much less of the book stipend than it should have, and I quickly got a bill from my school for the 7 hours that the VA didn't cover. It ended up getting worked out, but just keep in mind that the VA won't pay for random classes - during any given semester, everything you're enrolled in has to count toward the degree you've told them you're pursuing. If you end up having a hard time finding work while attending school, simply being a full time student actively collecting GI Bill benefits qualifies you to work at a local career center in the "work study" program. It's minimum wage, but tax exempt, and you can work up to 25 hours a week as long as the semester lasts. Again - this is an easy program for your school to mess up for you. Since mine told the VA I was only enrolled in 5 degree-pursuant hours of classes, VA denied my application for work study. As I'm sure you're aware of, the military paperwork portion of this whole process takes FOREVER. My experience so far has been that the school messes it up quickly, VA takes their sweet time but gets it right. Oh, forgot to mention.. Montgomery provides 36 months of benefits (a 4 year degree from scratch) and expires 10 years after the day you leave active duty. 9/11 is the same, except it expires in 15 years. Since you're under the Montgomery right now, and also eligible for the 9/11 you can choose to exhaust the 36 months of benefits from the Montgomery, then the VA will send you your $1200 buy-in back, then you apply for the post 9/11 and get 12 months of benefits under that one. This method is only really useful if you plan on pursuing a post grad degree or transferring benefits to a spouse/child. IMO giving up the MHA for the missing 24 months of Post 9/11 doesn't make up for the extra 12 months of tuition. Also forgot, tuning a CV40 carb sucks. (Message edited by pkforbes87 on April 12, 2012) | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
The KLR runs like a boss! One of the rear pads had been installed backwards - the metal backing was directly on the rotor, then at some point came loose and allowed the caliper itself to touch the rotor. I forgot to take some quick photos, but it was ugly. Put a whole new (used) rear brake system on, flushed and filled with new fluid, works great. Getting the carb cleaned was another story.. I've had that thing torn apart and reassembled probably half a dozen times in the past 2 days. Every time I got it together and fired the bike up it never would run with the choke completely off. Finally this afternoon I realized that carb cleaner and compressed air wasn't enough to blast all the crap out of the pilot jet. I threaded some real small wire through it to sort of "floss" it clean, put it all back together again and had the bike running like a top after no more than 15 minutes of adjusting. I threw some new tires on the KLR too. Well I didn't mount them, used a local shop for that, (the aforementioned shop that is less than desirable). That experience makes me want to buy my own tire mounting equipment. Anyway, put Kenda 671s on the KLR. These tires were on my DRZ when I got it and I thought they worked well for street and a little bit of gravel. Not so great in dirt and since that's the whole reason I wanted a DRZ, I swapped them out for a set of Dunlop 606's. Pretty good feeling to finally get that bike running so well I spent about 5 hours total working on the carb for what should have taken probably 45 minutes, but learned a lot in the process. Carbs aren't so bad I guess, but I still prefer bikes that can be tuned with a laptop! | ||
| Gunut75 |
Also forgot, tuning a CV40 carb sucks.  .......................yup! After you do a couple of them, it gets really easy. Wait till you have to work on an I-4 with 4 of them. I still have the vacuum tubes from the mid 70s that my Pops gave to me to synchronize the 4 of them. Sounds like your doing great with the motorcycle repair thing. Thats cool as hell.  | ||
| Teeps |
Pkforbes87 From what I can make out in the photo, that's a CB550; year '74 or later. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
You're exactly right, Teeps. I got to see it tonight, it's a '74 CB550. What visual difference let you know it was a 550 instead of a 750? I'm told these came in either a twin or four cylinder? Well, this one is an inline 4. The tag on it expired in '85 which means it's been sitting longer than I've been alive! It really does not look that bad, considering. The frame and tank are free of rust from what I could see. Rear wheel may be beyond repair, but the front looks okay. Even the chrome on the bike looks like it will shine back up except for a few pits. I'm really looking forward to getting this old girl cleaned up and back on the road | ||
| Teeps |
Pk, Very easy for me, as I was a mechanic back "in the day" of those bikes. And, many a joyous day was spent working on Hondas & Kawasakis of the '60s, '70s & '80s... by me and my friends. The shape of the valve cover set it apart from the SOHC CB750. The clutch cable location on the clutch case determined it was a 550. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Working on an '83 XJ750 Maxim. Everything was going alright until I went to disassemble the carbs.. mixture screws in 3 out of the 4 carbs are not only bottomed, but so tight that I've not been able to get them out with a screwdriver so far. Trying to figure out what the proper next step is to get them out without damaging anything. The amazing part is, this bike ran with 3 mixture screws completely bottomed, not to mention a handful of various jets being clogged up solid. | ||
| Teeps |
What brand of carb? If they are off the bike, invert the carbs and carb cleaner. Let it sit for a while. Then apply heat with soldering iron to the screw. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
This may be of help to you. http://www.carlsalter.com/motorcycle-manuals.asp If you need anything shipping from over here let me know. Best of luck to ya. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Thanks for the link and offer, Grumpy. A friends of mine has 30GB of factory repair manuals on the way right now. Says he's rarely run into a bike early 60's - current that isn't covered in his database of manuals. I'll be sure to use your link to supplement anything I'm missing though! Teeps, I think they're Keien(sp?) but I don't have them right now. I know they're CV carbs, but I don't know the history of carbs very well - I assume that CV carbs are pretty much standard after a certain point? Anyway, I dropped them off with a friend who runs a machine shop. I let those mixture screws sit in penetrating oil for 2 days.. still won't budge. I don't wanna destroy the carbs so I'm gonna let someone with the proper tools take care of it. I talked to the owner, he actually had an extra set of 4 carbs, but they've been sitting exposed for who knows how long and are covered and filled with dirt and rust. I'm using the mixture screws from the extra set of carbs, but will be reusing the original carbs if it's possible at all. Sorry, I meant to have some pictures of what's going on recently but I've got 2 finals and a Chemistry project next week and I've been almost too busy to touch any of the bikes, let alone record progress with pictures. | ||
| Gunut75 |
To free up the mixture screws, use Tri-Flow. Best I have found yet. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Forgot, I do have one photo. Pine Sol WORKS! On Saturday afternoon, I put these parts in a $35 parts washer from Harbor Freight along with about 2 gallons of Pine Sol. (2.8 gallons of bargain brand Pine Sol cost me a total of $7.35 vs. paying $27 + tax for 1 gallon of carb cleaner) Plus the Pine Sol fumes won't kill me, it won't eat rubber so I don't have to worry about putting every single part of a carb in it, and it can be thrown away anywhere. Last week I threw some on the garage floor to clean up some oil stains! Anyway, after soaking for 2.5 days, I wiped everything down, blew some compressed air through the jets, and here are the results:  The slides look dirty, but all the varnish is actually gone. For whatever reason they are just discolored like that. I did find this a bit humorous.. Yamaha saved money by only chrome plating the top of the outside 2 carbs - the middle 2 look like crap  | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Phil, You better get back to playing MW2. I'm catching up. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I've been too busy to play anything for the last couple of months. I get in some MW3 survival mode with friends from time to time. I REALLY fell in love with BF3 when it came out, but it's too easy to sit down and waste hours on end without even realizing it so I haven't even played that lately. Threw together a design for some business cards this morning. Thoughts? Front:  Back:  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
My only critique would be the R in your logo looks too much like a B due to the text over the bottom. I love the quote on the flag though. I also have to praise you use of harbor freight parts washer + pinesol. I will have to try that. I have plenty of glued up carbs here in my own "lab". | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Lesson learned: There are not enough hours in the day as a college student to effectively prepare for finals and still maintain a decent level of productivity in other areas. I'm exhausted, and looking forward to summer "break" so I can start working harder. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Took the day off Saturday to go riding. Some friends already had a trip planned to a local off road conservation area, so I tagged along. We ended up going to Finger Lakes, just north of Columbia, MO on highway 63.  It POURED rain most of the morning on Friday, so the whole area was pretty muddy when we got there. Being my first time doing much of anything in the mud. Dropped the DRZ 4 times I think, all within the first hour. Tell you what, that thing is a pig to pick up over and over. But on the flip side, while everyone else was putting work into kicking their bikes over, it sure was nice to push the little yellow button I think I'm ok with the compromise of having a few extra pounds on the street legal bike with electric start. One of my drops probably would have broken the left radiator. From what I hear, DRZs are known for somewhat fragile radiator placement. Luckily, the PO already had radiator guards installed when I got the bike. I installed a skid plate as soon as I got it, which also got beat up a little bit and served its purpose well.   Towards the end of the day, I ventured over to the motocross track. I think I enjoyed that more than the trails, but that may be just because the track was a lot drier. I did notice a couple issues with the bike. Front end was bottoming way too easily on landings. I'll need to look at the suspension settings. Possibly getting some stiffer springs, but I only weight 135 lbs - shouldn't need anything stiffer than factory. The rear suspension handled everything just fine. Another issue I noticed - also while jumping - more often than not, the bike coughs and sputters while floating through the air, then comes back to life about as soon as it's back on the ground. Is that a common problem? I assume it's caused by fuel in the bowl floating around, but I've never heard of it being an issue before.   Oh well, it was a lot of fun. I feel a lot more comfortable in the dirt now. Can't wait to get back out there and get the DRZ dirty again! Meanwhile my XT is parked for a while. The rear tire suddenly lost pressure while I was riding it on Friday. Pretty good sized hole in the tire, no idea what it's from but that bike will be parked for a while until I can afford new tires. It was just about time for new tires on the XT anyway.  |
