Topic: Poll: What is your biggest pet peeve about your bike?

[HondaMan]

My peeve: not enough time to ride it like I used to! I miss my once-per-week summer rides to the top of Mount Evans at roadrace pace...    I used to get up in the summer, ride to the East Saddle (12,800 feet) and watch the sunrise, make a hot drink on my little propane burner, have some meditation, then go back into Denver to go to work: about 80 miles. Had to be quick, though!

Hmmm...gotta put that new(er) engine from Gammaflat to work next season...

[tbpmusic]

My peeve: not enough time to ride it like I used to! I miss my once-per-week summer rides to the top of Mount Evans at roadrace pace...  :

Wow - I went to college in Denver in the late 60's/early 70's.

The guys from my school used to do something we called "Stump Racing" - don't know what the name meant.
We would meet, maybe a dozen of us, at the old circle that used to be at Broadway and Colfax (don't know if it's even there anymore). Everyone would throw $20 in the pot (a lot of money to poor students in those days), then race to the top of Mt. Evans and all the way back  - winner took the pot.
Due to the significant altitude changes involved, I always did well on my CB450, which are very forgiving of altitude changes. I just had to make sure I had a sizeable lead before hitting the "straight" highways back into town- no way I could keep up with the Honda 750's or the H1's or the RS/RD's on a straight run. The 2-strokers, of course, struggled badly with the altitude.

Ah, memories - I must have been insane.

bill

[Terry in Australia]

Good story Bill, kind of like a US "Rocky Mountain High" version of the UK "Cafe Racer" craze of the same period in motorcycling history.

Well even though I bullshiit you blokes about our magnificent riding weather here in Oz, last weekend I found myself pulling my K1 "Power Kruiser" out of a dusty corner of the garage where it's been sitting for the last 3 months, to ready it for another 9 month riding "season".

Somehow the contacts on the back of the ignition switch have rotted off (weird....) so I replaced that, then I charged up the battery and poured in some fresh 100 octane gas and bugger me if it didn't start right away!

I've had a problem with the right hand side caliper partially sticking since I did the dual disc conversion, so I rebuilt it with a new phenolic piston and new pads, and if it doesn't rain in the next half hour I'm gonna take it for a ride and blow the cobwebs out, should be great fun! Cheers, Terry.

[HondaMan]

Somehow the contacts on the back of the ignition switch have rotted off (weird....)

Mine did that, too, in 2001. 

[Artfrombama]

Dinked with my K2 until everything is fixed, runs fantastic, dependable.

But won't idle cold!
Cam chain (or something) rattles at idle.
Stiff throttle
Front brake squeaks

Love the ol' girl, I'll take the bad with the good.

[Terry in Australia]

Hey Art, can't you just wind up your idle screw when it's cold? The rattle is probably your cam chain and your clutch, synch your carbs and that will (almost) go away.

Well I'm particularly pissed today, I took my (beautiful) Yoshimura Suzuki GS1000 for a ride, and as the fuel gauge doesn't work (and there's no reserve position on the petcock) I swung by the gas station to fill up.

It only took a gallon of gas so that was good, until I noticed a "bulge" in the nice new two pack paint, about the size of a quarter? Fcuk!

The weird thing is, the "bulge" is actually on top of the tank, not down the bottom where you'd assume a hole could form and allow gas to weep into the paint?

Oh well, I'll try to (carefully) clean it out and seal the tank with some POR 15, I've drained all the gas out and with the warmer weather, I'm hoping the residual gas in the tank (and in the bulge) will dry out and I won't do any more damage while I'm trying to fix it.

Oh, and apart from that, it's going great, 140+ MPH with more on tap, woohoo! Cheers, Terry.    

[dpen]

Hey Terry, Is that the one you got the fairing for?

[Artfrombama]

Hey Art, can't you just wind up your idle screw when it's cold?

Sure, that's what I do but this is the first bike I've ever had that I have to adjust the idle so much. Never had a SOHC 4 before either!

The rattle is probably your cam chain and your clutch, synch your carbs and that will (almost) go away.

   

I have synched the carbs and although much better, the noise is still there. Not totally sure I did this correctly. Brought each one up to 20" then brought the idle down.

[HondaMan]

Hey Art, can't you just wind up your idle screw when it's cold?

Sure, that's what I do but this is the first bike I've ever had that I have to adjust the idle so much. Never had a SOHC 4 before either!

The rattle is probably your cam chain and your clutch, synch your carbs and that will (almost) go away.

   

I have synched the carbs and although much better, the noise is still there. Not totally sure I did this correctly. Brought each one up to 20" then brought the idle down.

Art, from the K1 onward, they were cold-blooded, getting worse with later models. It was mostly because the interaction between the idle circuit and low-speed portion of the mainjets makes for a lean spot right about 1100-1500 RPM, right where you're trying to pull away. Adjusting the idle air screw about 1/8 turn rich will help, but can cause dark or even fouled sparkplugs from the richness. Using a #40 idle jet will improve the idle, but also darken the plugs. Using a good electronic ignition will go a long way toward losing the cold-bloodedness, as it makes a stronger spark to 'ride through' the lean spot. (Many have told me, including my own K2, that the Transistorized Ignition makes the cold-bloodedness disappear altogether: mine sure is better, and idles, too!).

Okay, you're a machinist (I'm just a novice version of one), so maybe you can advise me: I'd like to take a front K4 disc I have and cut grooves in it. Actually, I'd like to cut 2mm deep (.07"-.08") grooves, possibly in a 1/4 turn spiral or arc pattern outward with rotation, 4 grooves per side, from the unused center track out to the edge, so it doesn't warp. This would be on both sides, but staggered  between each other so as to not create vibration. This would stop the squeak, let the rain go somewhere harmlessly, and keep the puck faces clean.

Last idea: can you do this, and how much $$ ? 

[PxTx]

My pet peeve is getting bikes where people relocated the ingition switch.  The stocvk location is classey, and the relocation to the handle bars is for lazy people.

[Artfrombama]

Hey Art, can't you just wind up your idle screw when it's cold?

Sure, that's what I do but this is the first bike I've ever had that I have to adjust the idle so much. Never had a SOHC 4 before either!

The rattle is probably your cam chain and your clutch, synch your carbs and that will (almost) go away.

   

I have synched the carbs and although much better, the noise is still there. Not totally sure I did this correctly. Brought each one up to 20" then brought the idle down.

Art, from the K1 onward, they were cold-blooded, getting worse with later models. It was mostly because the interaction between the idle circuit and low-speed portion of the mainjets makes for a lean spot right about 1100-1500 RPM, right where you're trying to pull away. Adjusting the idle air screw about 1/8 turn rich will help, but can cause dark or even fouled sparkplugs from the richness. Using a #40 idle jet will improve the idle, but also darken the plugs

I have 41's already.

. Using a good electronic ignition will go a long way toward losing the cold-bloodedness, as it makes a stronger spark to 'ride through' the lean spot. (Many have told me, including my own K2, that the Transistorized Ignition makes the cold-bloodedness disappear altogether: mine sure is better, and idles, too!).

Once I get on the road it's OK. As you know in warm weather (above 70F) the problem disappears. 

Okay, you're a machinist (I'm just a novice version of one), so maybe you can advise me: I'd like to take a front K4 disc I have and cut grooves in it. Actually, I'd like to cut 2mm deep (.07"-.08")

diameter (width)?

grooves, possibly in a 1/4 turn spiral or arc pattern outward with rotation, 4 grooves per side, from the unused center track out to the edge, so it doesn't warp. This would be on both sides, but staggered  between each other so as to not create vibration. This would stop the squeak, let the rain go somewhere harmlessly, and keep the puck faces clean.

Last idea: can you do this, and how much $$ ? 

Sure, if the material is soft enough to machine. Good indicator is will a file bite into the material. First attempt I would prefer to use a scrap rotor. Send me a drawing of what you have in mind.

[Terry in Australia]

Hey Terry, Is that the one you got the fairing for?

G'Day Dave, yeah mate, but I didn't like the "look" of it on this bike, so it's hanging up in my garage until I find a bike to suit it.

Here's a pic of the finished Soozook. Cheers, Terry.

[HondaMan]

diameter (width)?

grooves, possibly in a 1/4 turn spiral or arc pattern outward with rotation, 4 grooves per side, from the unused center track out to the edge, so it doesn't warp. This would be on both sides, but staggered  between each other so as to not create vibration. This would stop the squeak, let the rain go somewhere harmlessly, and keep the puck faces clean.

Last idea: can you do this, and how much $$ ? 

Sure, if the material is soft enough to machine. Good indicator is will a file bite into the material. First attempt I would prefer to use a scrap rotor. Send me a drawing of what you have in mind.

Files bite poorly, they are stainless (like yours, stock 750). I'm supposing it will take a carbide ball, perhaps .250", so the section is rounded. It will also take a Proto-Trak or Accurite, I'm guessing. This would leave a cut about .125" wide, .06" deep, just enough to break things up and let the water run away.

[ev0lve]

My only complaint is that it is taking so long to put mine  together.

Ding! Second that.