Topic: What did you do to your non-SOHC4 motorcycle today?

[Kelly E]

Oh boy, another bike! I seem to remember a certain person mentioned thinning the herd at some point, must have been my imagination:-)))

I remember that certain person saying the same thing. But when you retire you get crazy thoughts in your head.

[Magpie]

Good day working on my Bonneville. Checking the sludge trap.

[MauiK3]

Honda twins in the photo?

[grcamna2]

Honda twins in the photo?

Looks like a CL77 engine.

[Magpie]

Yes, 305 and 150 twins. Good eye!

[Terry in Australia]

Last year when I bought the VMax I bought a “shorty” rear fender from Exactrep in England. It came with 2 round tail lights and looks great. When Spotty and I installed it, we apparently wired it incorrectly so the brake light was constantly on, and the taillights came on when I hit the brakes.🙃

No biggie, except one bulb burned out and melted the lens, and by the time I discovered the problem the other lens was melting too. I ordered new ones, but as they’re coming from England I needed to McGyver another tail light in place so I could continue to ride it. I found a new aftermarket taillight in my garage, and installed it, but once I hooked it up, regardless of which of the two wires I connected, the brake light would come on, but not the taillight. WTF?

I checked the wiring and both the taillight wire and brake light wire were working fine, the brake light switch was working properly, so in the end I disconnected the taillight wire (I don’t expect I’ll need to be riding it in the dark anytime soon) and just connected the brake light wire, so at least the brake light is working. I also tried swapping in two more bulbs, but it made no difference so I assumed that the taillight itself is faulty. That pissed me off..

[Kelly E]

Last year when I bought the VMax I bought a “shorty” rear fender from Exactrep in England. It came with 2 round tail lights and looks great. When Spotty and I installed it, we apparently wired it incorrectly so the brake light was constantly on, and the taillights came on when I hit the brakes.🙃

No biggie, except one bulb burned out and melted the lens, and by the time I discovered the problem the other lens was melting too. I ordered new ones, but as they’re coming from England I needed to McGyver another tail light in place so I could continue to ride it. I found a new aftermarket taillight in my garage, and installed it, but once I hooked it up, regardless of which of the two wires I connected, the brake light would come on, but not the taillight. WTF?

I checked the wiring and both the taillight wire and brake light wire were working fine, the brake light switch was working properly, so in the end I disconnected the taillight wire (I don’t expect I’ll need to be riding it in the dark anytime soon) and just connected the brake light wire, so at least the brake light is working. I also tried swapping in two more bulbs, but it made no difference so I assumed that the taillight itself is faulty. That pissed me off..

I had a hell of a time getting the Chinese color coded Amazon taillight to work on my buddy's positive ground 64' Norton Atlas 750. Once it worked correctly I still wasn't sure what I did to make it work.  I went through a few fuses trying not to burn down the new wiring harness I had just installed.

[MauiK3]

+ground, sounds exciting. I know it's not that different but we sure don't see that very often.

[BenelliSEI]

Last year when I bought the VMax I bought a “shorty” rear fender from Exactrep in England. It came with 2 round tail lights and looks great. When Spotty and I installed it, we apparently wired it incorrectly so the brake light was constantly on, and the taillights came on when I hit the brakes.🙃

No biggie, except one bulb burned out and melted the lens, and by the time I discovered the problem the other lens was melting too. I ordered new ones, but as they’re coming from England I needed to McGyver another tail light in place so I could continue to ride it. I found a new aftermarket taillight in my garage, and installed it, but once I hooked it up, regardless of which of the two wires I connected, the brake light would come on, but not the taillight. WTF?

I checked the wiring and both the taillight wire and brake light wire were working fine, the brake light switch was working properly, so in the end I disconnected the taillight wire (I don’t expect I’ll need to be riding it in the dark anytime soon) and just connected the brake light wire, so at least the brake light is working. I also tried swapping in two more bulbs, but it made no difference so I assumed that the taillight itself is faulty. That pissed me off..

Terry…..  “Both wires turn on the brake light, no tail light”. This drove me crazy on my neighbours newer cruiser. He had most of the back end off the bike before I realized the problem was the BULB. The “bright” filament had failed and dropped down on to the  “dull” filliment and fused in place. Turning on the running lights lit the brake light too!

[Kelly E]

Last year when I bought the VMax I bought a “shorty” rear fender from Exactrep in England. It came with 2 round tail lights and looks great. When Spotty and I installed it, we apparently wired it incorrectly so the brake light was constantly on, and the taillights came on when I hit the brakes.🙃

No biggie, except one bulb burned out and melted the lens, and by the time I discovered the problem the other lens was melting too. I ordered new ones, but as they’re coming from England I needed to McGyver another tail light in place so I could continue to ride it. I found a new aftermarket taillight in my garage, and installed it, but once I hooked it up, regardless of which of the two wires I connected, the brake light would come on, but not the taillight. WTF?

I checked the wiring and both the taillight wire and brake light wire were working fine, the brake light switch was working properly, so in the end I disconnected the taillight wire (I don’t expect I’ll need to be riding it in the dark anytime soon) and just connected the brake light wire, so at least the brake light is working. I also tried swapping in two more bulbs, but it made no difference so I assumed that the taillight itself is faulty. That pissed me off..

Terry…..  “Both wires turn on the brake light, no tail light”. This drove me crazy on my neighbours newer cruiser. He had most of the back end off the bike before I realized the problem was the BULB. The “bright” filament had failed and dropped down on to the  “dull” filliment and fused in place. Turning on the running lights lit the brake light too!

I had the same thing happen to my 72' MG  GT on a club run. All the "experts" swarmed my car but couldn't figure it out. After they were stumped and got out of the way I tried changing the bulb and that fixed it.

[BenelliSEI]

These bulb stories remind me of one of my favourite cartons! How many times have I roared way past the problem?

[grcamna2]

Last year when I bought the VMax I bought a “shorty” rear fender from Exactrep in England. It came with 2 round tail lights and looks great. When Spotty and I installed it, we apparently wired it incorrectly so the brake light was constantly on, and the taillights came on when I hit the brakes.🙃

No biggie, except one bulb burned out and melted the lens, and by the time I discovered the problem the other lens was melting too. I ordered new ones, but as they’re coming from England I needed to McGyver another tail light in place so I could continue to ride it. I found a new aftermarket taillight in my garage, and installed it, but once I hooked it up, regardless of which of the two wires I connected, the brake light would come on, but not the taillight. WTF?

I checked the wiring and both the taillight wire and brake light wire were working fine, the brake light switch was working properly, so in the end I disconnected the taillight wire (I don’t expect I’ll need to be riding it in the dark anytime soon) and just connected the brake light wire, so at least the brake light is working. I also tried swapping in two more bulbs, but it made no difference so I assumed that the taillight itself is faulty. That pissed me off..

Terry…..  “Both wires turn on the brake light, no tail light”. This drove me crazy on my neighbours newer cruiser. He had most of the back end off the bike before I realized the problem was the BULB. The “bright” filament had failed and dropped down on to the  “dull” filliment and fused in place. Turning on the running lights lit the brake light too!

I had the same thing happen to my 72' MG  GT on a club run. All the "experts" swarmed my car but couldn't figure it out. After they were stumped and got out of the way I tried changing the bulb and that fixed it.

Lol   

[PeWe]

Good to know about bad bulbs with rear and brake light.
It must be the common 5W/21W bulb, right?

[Terry in Australia]

Last year I summoned up the courage to get my Kawasaki Z1-B Roadworthy tested, but on the ride home in traffic, it was an absolute pig, so I just parked it in my storage unit and forgot about it. The main issue was the throttle pull was really hard, so I’d either stall it or wheelie it off the lights.

Last weekend I fixed a broken coil wire after it started running on 2 cylinders on a short ride, and of course the throttle pull was horrible. I ordered a new cable and some new fuel hose as one hose was kinked. Yesterday I installed the new cable and hose and took it for a short ride. The difference was magnificent! The throttle pull is much lighter, and it goes like a rocket! I think I better go get another roadworthy certificate!

[Stev-o]

Rode the Z1, no issues and ran great! 



The Marina Park received an update to the entrance including this huge anchor.

[MauiK3]

Nice clear weather in Texas!

[Terry in Australia]

I’ve always liked big singles. I’ve owned a Yamaha XT500, Honda XR500RE, and had a ball on them. Only problem now I’m 66 with a few injuries is I struggle with kick start only bikes. Last week I saw a 2007 Yamaha XT660X factory “Supermoto” going cheap on an online auction, so I bid on it, and after a small bidding war I won it.

I picked it up the next day, but as it’s battery was dead flat had to get the guys at the auction place to start it with a jump pack so I could ride it to my storage unit. I pulled the battery out and charged it overnight then on Sunday installed it, and went for an 80 mile ride. It’s a great bike, but has a few little issues to sort out before I can get it registered. It’s a lovely thing to ride, so once I can get it registered I’ll be riding it a lot. And the best thing is that it has an electric starter!

[spotty]

I’ve always liked big singles. I’ve owned a Yamaha XT500, Honda XR500RE, and had a ball on them. Only problem now I’m 66 with a few injuries is I struggle with kick start only bikes. Last week I saw a 2007 Yamaha XT660X factory “Supermoto” going cheap on an online auction, so I bid on it, and after a small bidding war I won it.

I picked it up the next day, but as it’s battery was dead flat had to get the guys at the auction place to start it with a jump pack so I could ride it to my storage unit. I pulled the battery out and charged it overnight then on Sunday installed it, and went for an 80 mile ride. It’s a great bike, but has a few little issues to sort out before I can get it registered. It’s a lovely thing to ride, so once I can get it registered I’ll be riding it a lot. And the best thing is that it has an electric starter!

and then i get to take a ride on it, yayyyy

[grcamna2]

I’ve always liked big singles. I’ve owned a Yamaha XT500, Honda XR500RE, and had a ball on them. Only problem now I’m 66 with a few injuries is I struggle with kick start only bikes. Last week I saw a 2007 Yamaha XT660X factory “Supermoto” going cheap on an online auction, so I bid on it, and after a small bidding war I won it.

I picked it up the next day, but as it’s battery was dead flat had to get the guys at the auction place to start it with a jump pack so I could ride it to my storage unit. I pulled the battery out and charged it overnight then on Sunday installed it, and went for an 80 mile ride. It’s a great bike, but has a few little issues to sort out before I can get it registered. It’s a lovely thing to ride, so once I can get it registered I’ll be riding it a lot. And the best thing is that it has an electric starter!

Looks to have Plenty of lean angles 

[Terry in Australia]

I’ve always liked big singles. I’ve owned a Yamaha XT500, Honda XR500RE, and had a ball on them. Only problem now I’m 66 with a few injuries is I struggle with kick start only bikes. Last week I saw a 2007 Yamaha XT660X factory “Supermoto” going cheap on an online auction, so I bid on it, and after a small bidding war I won it.

I picked it up the next day, but as it’s battery was dead flat had to get the guys at the auction place to start it with a jump pack so I could ride it to my storage unit. I pulled the battery out and charged it overnight then on Sunday installed it, and went for an 80 mile ride. It’s a great bike, but has a few little issues to sort out before I can get it registered. It’s a lovely thing to ride, so once I can get it registered I’ll be riding it a lot. And the best thing is that it has an electric starter!

and then i get to take a ride on it, yayyyy

Yep, and the good thing is that it won’t be too cramped for your tall frame.

[Terry in Australia]

I’ve always liked big singles. I’ve owned a Yamaha XT500, Honda XR500RE, and had a ball on them. Only problem now I’m 66 with a few injuries is I struggle with kick start only bikes. Last week I saw a 2007 Yamaha XT660X factory “Supermoto” going cheap on an online auction, so I bid on it, and after a small bidding war I won it.

I picked it up the next day, but as it’s battery was dead flat had to get the guys at the auction place to start it with a jump pack so I could ride it to my storage unit. I pulled the battery out and charged it overnight then on Sunday installed it, and went for an 80 mile ride. It’s a great bike, but has a few little issues to sort out before I can get it registered. It’s a lovely thing to ride, so once I can get it registered I’ll be riding it a lot. And the best thing is that it has an electric starter!

Looks to have Plenty of lean angles 

Yeah Bill, and it handles surprisingly well. Yamaha spent some money on these, Paioli forks, Brembo brakes, wide 17 inch spoked rims, etc.

[Terry in Australia]

You gotta love young blokes. Over here in Oz we have "LAMS" (Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme) laws, where learner riders can only have bikes with less than 661cc engines and under 50 BHP, or thereabouts. Because of that, bikes like my newly acquired Yamaha XT660X are popular with new riders. While in very good overall condition, a previous owner has made some modifications........

He's removed the rear fender/number plate bracket and installed a chineseium number plate bracket, that, if installed properly, would have been fine. I looked at it on the weekend, and the whole thing just felt loose. On top of that, he made an indicator bracket out of a very thin piece of tin, and while it did the job, looked disgusting.

CT660X Tuesday 17 March 2026 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I rode the bike over to my place yesterday and re-mounted the alloy number plate bracket and replaced all of the mounting hardware (he'd put 5mm screws where 6mm screws should have been, and mounted the flat bracket base to a curved section of plastic under the seat etc) and made it a nice tight fit, then machined up some 10mm thick alloy "ears" for the new rear indicators that match the OEM Yamaha items. It looks much better now.

CT660X Tuesday 17 March 2026 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

He'd also dropped it once or twice, and apart from a dinged up muffler (I have a new Delkevic exhaust to go on once it passes it's roadworthy inspection) he'd scraped both bar end thingies (not weights, just alloy dress up items) so I replaced the manky old hand grips with nice new ones, and machined up a pair of new bar end thingies.

CT660X Tuesday 17 March 2026 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

It's slowly getting there, I need to do an oil and filter change, install a new iridium spark plug and new air filter, and probably change the coolant, because if he's like most young fella's, he probably hasn't done much in the way of servicing it. I also need to adjust the chain, I didn't look at it until I was back at the storage unit, but it's got a lot of slack in it, and doesn't look like it's ever been adjusted.      

[BenelliSEI]

Terry….. Think back to when you were in your teens. Not sure about you but whenever I do; I cringe a bit…… I once sold a JEEP a that had a very noisy transfer case. Solution: I removed the driveshaft from it to the front axle. The guy I sold it to (dumber than me) often complain the “4 wheel drive didn’t seem to work very well”!

[Terry in Australia]

Terry….. Think back to when you were in your teens. Not sure about you but whenever I do; I cringe a bit…… I once sold a JEEP a that had a very noisy transfer case. Solution: I removed the driveshaft from it to the front axle. The guy I sold it to (dumber than me) often complain the “4 wheel drive didn’t seem to work very well”!

Ha ha, yeah, I was lucky John, I worked after school and on weekends at a gas station that had a fully equipped workshop, so I had access to tools, and when I wasn't pumping gas or cleaning after the mechanics, I watched what they were doing, and learned a lot. The only "bodge" I remember doing to one of my first cars was using muffler putty to seal the broken exhaust flange on my old Ford Falcon because the flange was falling apart and I couldn't afford a new exhaust system. It worked fine until I could afford a new one, but I had to replace the flange gasket and slop more putty in once every couple of months.

I used to drive that car from Sydney (where I was posted at the time) to Melbourne once a month for 2 years. I stopped at a gas station one afternoon to fill up for the trip and it took $20 for 70 litres (wouldn't that be nice now?) and while I was checking the oil, discovered that a welsh plug (freeze plug?) was leaking coolant everywhere. Fcuk. I asked the owner of the shop if he could fix it. He was Italian, and he said, "Nah mate, we're too busy" I asked him how much to fix it, and he said, "20 bucks". I offered him $40 bucks if he could do it right away, and he said, "Yep" and pulled a car off the lift, replaced the plug, and I paid him the $40.

About a mile down the road, I remembered that I had never paid him the $20 for the gas. Oh well.........

[MauiK3]

Oh boy, youthful screw ups, I shudder to remember some of mine. Once, when I was around 10, I took a small lamp apart. I thought all the wires were messy so I connected them all together to tidy up the appearance.
Good thing there was a fuse!!
So that's why they are kept separate!!!!!!