Topic: Bucket Products (this time for a 1984 XR500R mud guard) trashes into what works.

[scottly]

It has to be a CDI or Pulse Generator.

I'm guessing you still have crap in the tank/carbs. Can you fit an in-line filter?

Regarding riding dirty, one time Henry's dad needed to borrow his pickup, so Henry wired the license plate from his DOHC 750 to his fairly new '82 XR500, loaded it up and drove from Rosamond, CA (current home of APE) to our home town of Santa Maria, CA, (about 200 miles) with the intent of returning to Rosamond taking mostly back-roads and secondary highways as much as possible. There was, however, a stretch of I-5 between hwy 166 and 158 that he had to navigate that climbed from the southern end of the Central Valley over the Tejon Pass, AKA the Grapevine, as mentioned in the song "Hot rod Lincoln".
The trouble started when Henry decided to merge onto the interstate at the end of 166 on the dirt shoulder of the on-ramp, trailing a rooster tail of dust and dirt behind him while doing a balance wheelie at 65 MPH. This evidently pissed off the truck driver behind him, who tried to run over him. With the stock gearing, the XR maxed out about 75 MPH, and they were still on flat ground, and the semi was beginning to gain on him. He managed to stay ahead until they hit the grade, but he was probably WFO for 2 or more miles, and even with the threat behind him he still had to keep up with traffic while going up the pass, so the motor was working pretty hard. Almost at the summit, he started feeling a slight hesitation, kind of like the brake was being applied. Hmm, felt that before on a two-stroke, what was it? Oh yeah! The motor is seizing!!! He pulled in the clutch and the motor stopped *right now*. It's hotter than a two dollar pistol, and the end of the dipstick is dry. He had about 1/2 quart of oil bungied onto the rear fender, which was enough to wet the end of the stick, and was frantically fanning the motor while looking for the angry truck driver who was sure to catch up. Luckily, the motor was only "soft seized", and cooled off enough to restart before that happened, and he was able to nurse the bike 40 or 50 miles back home once on hwy 138.
After the "soft seize", it was time for improvements, and being a single young man at the time, Henry threw the White Bros catalog at it: Wisco 10.5:1 piston, WB cam, Supertrap exhaust, and Mikuni 36mm carb. The cam and the carb are now thumping again today on my FT. 

[Redline it]

it's 35 minutes past the 4th of July. Scottly and Terry top of the year to you both!
Scotty I had the filter in my hand then set it down and I'm looking for it. The sand is strange? The tank, and carbs are more strange with very little signs of ethyl stuff. Clean. My last post I don't know if I mentioned I recorded the jet sizes. I'm only in california not 1000 or 3000 ft below sea level but the main jet is 142 and the slow jet is way fat also. I've run them for years and they do the job. maybe something about racing desert the thing was to over jet them? I'm going to put the inline filter in.

Scottly that is a bad ass story, we might of crossed paths, or at least you know some that I do. Trying to dissect the story there's to many coincidences to think otherwise. I grew up in Palmdale. In the days of my friends Ronnie Nelson, Steve McQueen, Terry Clark(my next door neighbor), Ronnie Wright (my best friend) Mitch Mayes, bob "hurricane" hannah" and the late Kurt Casseli, Al Baker, all very close.

Who is Henry? If not you.

[scottly]

I lived in Apple Valley from '82 to '93, so we may have crossed paths. I bought my FT from a friend in Palmdale.
Henry was a dear friend and riding partner:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,112709.0.html

[Terry in Australia]

I understand the XR500R 84' has the go ahead or option to convert to street legal in CA, adding brake lights and turn signals. And not to short cut any safety resources but in a pinch at a DMV visual inspection when things aren't working as planned and time is pressing to get it licensed..from experience, usually an elderly lady will come out to verify the safety features, if you have to, a toggle swith on the bars activating a  D or Double A Battery flashlight bulb AKA brake, or turn light works great, the say "ok, hit the brakes." And just toggle the on button when your pressing the brakes, "are they on?"  "Yes, they're looking good!"

Ha ha, that reminds me of when I bought a very rough K1 from an old school mate back in 1980. He was a farm kid, and saved up all his money from his spring "Hay carting" job to buy the K1 when he was only 15 or 16. I remember staring at this shiny red bike with 4 pipes poking out the back and thinking that it was the most amazing machine I'd ever seen.

Anyway, fast forward 5 years and my mate Malcolm had thrashed this thing to a dented rusty shadow of it's former greatness, so one night in the pub we agreed on 200 bucks for it, and another 100 for a crashed, but mostly complete, K0 for parts. I was in the army by then, and posted to Sydney, so I gave the K0 away to another mate, and put the K1 on the train to Sydney. Over 6 months or so, I "restored" it, and got it to the stage where I could take it to the DMV to get it registered.

Only problem was I'd installed new, but very loud, 4 into 2 "drag pipes". These were the kind that finished just under the engine (I still use them for testing old CB750's) with "baffles" in the ends, which are largely ineffective. To quieten them down, I shoved steel wool up each pipe, and to hold that in, I cut two discs out of a couple of army ration tins, punched in some holes with a hammer and nail, then used a couple of self tapping screws to hold them in.

The bike was now very quiet indeed. I rode it around to the DMV and noticed that it was considerably down on power. I pulled into the car park, and waited for the DMV inspector to come check it out. He was actually pretty decent, the test involved a noise test, which it passed with flying colours, but when it came to the "braking test" whereby I had to accellerate hard then jam on the brakes, the engine would just conk out, due to the blocked exhaust system.

After a couple of failed attempts, the DMV guy passed it anyway, giving it the "benefit of doubt", based on the fact that it looked so clean and shiny after all the work I'd put into it. As soon as I attached my new number plate, I quickly removed the self tapping screws that held the "baffle plates" in, fired the bike up, and blew clouds of burning steel wool out of the drag pipes, and roared off into the sunset! Oh to be 21 again......... Cheers, Terry.
   

[Redline it]

Terry! From the impression I get, I'll bet you got some bad ass past projects you put into life! I have a few detailed endeavors that defied probability and logic, on the garage floor and the front room coffee table,(it's why I'm single most of the time!!) I'll roll them out a little at time. Like your bike, that is nice,  and the plans for record attempt for fastest bicycle...the projects not too many can put a reason into doing it! I looked at your profile or page, pretty complex!

The xr500r (is still giving strange problems, but improving in ways that might be ruling out ignition doubts,) came with stock silencer exhaust "and" a strait uncorked (megaphone) that opens er up real nice. Strange though I checked the jet sizes the last time I took the bowls off, the main is 142 (fat) and the slow jet is also up I think around 10 higher than recommended. Switching pipes or elevations I never have changed jets, the bike always has sounded fine. But why would someone (my ex father in law) raise the jet size? We raced in mostly 2000 to 4000 ft above sea level, that'd be going leaner in jet sizes. So now the bike starts first kick with choke on, I can now turn the choke off as long as the throttle is open a little. Almost idles now, but when it dies warm, can't start it again!! I might just ride it hard close by and get the wind running through it. Before internet and even some now problems, can go on for years with my "trying to find out what is the solution" before the answer just one day appears more clear than anything.

Strange simple problems that have a mind of their own.  Gday out there mate! That's a bad ass muffler story!!

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, thanks mate, I wish I still had that K1, My friend Dobbo and I rebuilt the engine in 1983 after a top end seizure, and with just second oversize pistons and a new Andrews street cam, it was a sweet ride. I sold it when I bought my first Goldwing (which turned out to be a dud) and I didn't buy another CB750 until the early 90's.

Now your bike is a 1984 model and mine's a 1983, I presume you've still got the twin carbs on yours? I haven't pulled mine apart as yet (apart from dropping the float bowl plugs and cleaning the main jets) but from memory, mine runs a 138 main in the left (gear shifter) side carb, and a 108 in the right carb? The right carb doesn't have a pilot jet either, it is basically just a second throat for mid to high RPM's. Or are you saying that you're running 142's in BOTH carbs?

I would have thought that was way too rich? I've been admiring megaphones for XR's, but they're all way too expensive here (upwards of 300 bucks) and my OEM muffler is pretty loud anyway, so unless one of my US colleagues knows where I can get one for a bargain price, mine will have to stay stock. Cheers, Terry.

[Redline it]

No, THANK YOU Terry! lol. I'll be you do wish you still had it! I think in the late 80s 3 cb750s were mine from where I can't remember nor do I know what model they were, one was cafe'd out with dual disc, and was supposed to have been horsepower modified (I didn't ride that one,) the one I rode was the usual oil out of the head leaker. Smooth though, sold them all as one.

The jets are: primary carb on the 84 xr500 Main-142 Slo jet is 55?(that's a number I found on it.) Secondary carb Main=115
I'm wondering why? I've put a couple thousand miles on it easy. I know that once it's started, the idle would be raised with the manual adjust, to keep from stalling in certain terrain type stuff.

I had an 81 xr500, it had a broken kickstarter shaft right at the case. It was so easy to start I never fixed it. Put it in second gear and pull the compression release and push the bike a little let go of the C.R. and it purred. 5 speed and had so much more hp than the 84. The 84 is like an over grown 200. Nice but not a show stopper in thumper power.

Decided to maybe untarp an old cb400f 76. To restore poor mans version, instead of cherry, it'll be prune, I won't be able to restore to new, the frame will be wet sanded and high temp acrylic gloss black will be ok, the work should at least move it from the bone yard to a garage spot.   Its motor is in the other running 400f, and after having this big as a parts bike for over 30 yrs I'm starting realize it doesn't have hardly any riding wear or miles on it. Whoever had it before, every thing they touched they changed by adding different bolts, square headed gate bolts sae standard threaded bolts in metric nuts. Double nutted valve stems. Tubes are still good!! Front disc has no wear on it. I think they rode it without the front brake working. I have it stripped to frame now. Kick stand is bent, a left rear peg is bent. Scratched alt cover. Here's the awesome part, fake simulated llama fur seat spray pained bright light baby blue. You should've seen the plumbers tape battery box/electronic device mount combo they had, no air box. The battery cable was a length of heavy insulated copper wire stripped doubled back onto itself (to form a clean loop for battery connection,) twisted with an crimped eye on the solenoid connection, which also is in the modified farm version of connection mounts!! I kind of like the battery wire.

I still haven't decided if I am going to take the 500 carbs out again to check the cut off diaphragm. The plug isn't dark or black. Valves are adjusted, Compression release is adjusted by eye. The freeplay can only be seen by moving the lever by hand back wards. In the picture and from what I remember before the lever would stop from something, and there was visible space on both sides of both cable ends (within the decompression lever,) now for some reason the lever's spring tension will let the lever rest on the tightest cable stop. I looked in the valve cap, it all looks good.

The megaphone pipe sounds sweet. It gives a little more top end speed. The one cool thing about it is there are some foot hills I stay at the base them from time to time like now. Riding from here up into the hills, everyone in the neighborhood hears the incentive in your head as you're roosting a trench up the rocky trails. That sound travels far. From the seat, it's not that much louder, only it adds range of decibels the stock one just can't get too!

Beautiful day to you Terry!

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, beautiful work mate, don't you just love some PO's "fixes"? The front discs on the old SOHC4's were diamond hard, (try drilling one...........) so even a high mileage bike's front disc won't usually show any wear, I've got a CB750K0 front disc that came off a race bike, and it has absolutely no wear on it, it's amazing when you compare them to modern discs that actually wear out.

If your 84 XR500 feels underpowered compared to your 81, there's gotta be something wrong with it, unless the '81 was "worked"? The 83/84 XR500R's had something like 5 more BHP than the earlier (non RFVC) models? I was thinking about your jetting and it doesn't seem too extreme, I haven't looked at my pilot jet but 55 sounds about right, so I'm thinking that someone's gone up one size on each of the mains, probably to match the megaphone pipe, or perhaps a freer breathing air filter, or both?

I'm really pissed off that the weather here is so cold and wet at the moment, on Thursday I'm going to brave the cold and take my old Yamaha FJ1200 over to the bike shop and get some new tyres put on it. (Pirelli Sport Demons, my current favourite) I'm so used to riding it on the old worn out Dunlops(?) that I won't know myself with pin sharp cornering and good adhesion just for a change. With luck I might even get a few miles up before I freeze my nuts off........... Cheers, Terry.    

[Redline it]

Good to hear! I know today's metal has taken a dive in quality. Welding, now I have every excuse for crappy appearances, the material is why is what I say!!

Terry, I don't know why but that 81 was an animal! I do think the 84 was normal in power, it kind of was a Cadillac, slider, smooth, but spread out a little.

Your seasons must be opposite of ours here. Right now it's over 100', days are long, clear blue skies, supper dry desert breeze, sun light that would charge anything. Blistering hot. I love it. I want to sleep all winter and wait for spring. Around October 31, is when a cold major change occurs. Right now it's nice.

So I picked up some Rustoleum engine enamel, and primer. Sanded the rusty spots on a swing arm, washed in Acetone, gonna wash in soap and water and do a primer and then a top coat of gloss black!! BAM. Friday!   

[Terry in Australia]

Sounds fantastic mate, I wish I could sleep thru winter too, although the sun's out at the moment so I might take the FJ1200 out today and give the new Pirelli Sport Demon's a workout.

Our seasons are the opposite of yours, by September is officially spring, by October it's starting to warm up, December thru to February is hot, and it starts to fall away again by March, and June - August (inclusive) is miserable.

I'm in the second coldest state in Oz though, the further north (towards the equator) you go, the warmer it gets, but I'm at the southern-most tip of Oz, and only Tasmania (across Bass Strait) is colder still, because the next landmass in that direction is Antarctica. It's funny, go 2500 miles south and you freeze to death, go 2500 miles north and you seat your balls off. I think I'd rather sweat my balls off while drinking ice cold beer, ha ha!

Anyway, it looks like I'm gonna have to go back and work for a living again next week, so I better stop daydreaming and get some stuff done. That Rustoleum paint is good stuff, I found some here last year and painted the old S&W Street Stroker shocks I put on Mikes Cafe Racer last year. I love that you can paint with the can at any angle too, I'm not used to that! Cheers, Terry.

[MoMo]

It is good that a Rustoleum spray can can paint upside down(sure you need that "down under")

[Terry in Australia]

Ow! I think I just split my sides laughing Larry............