Motorcycle Consumer News / Motorcycle Consumer News / Technical Issues

Average tire life

vstarserenityspace — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:14:57 GMT

How many miles could you expect to safely get out of a set of tires? Over the road, mid-sized cruiser. No undue wear apparent.

Thank you.

Charlie

Goldwing Died

Skimax — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:05:36 GMT

1990Goldwing GL-1500

Parked bike after ride two weeks ago, since then I've replaced all tail/turn lights with new ones and all work.

Went to start bike and nothing happens. THere is no neutral/oil lights, no head light or anything else. I can hear relays clicking. I have checked battery and connections, fuses and contacts for power, I have checked relays and connections and have power accross the board. I have one relay I'm not sure of continuity because I have no guidelines...Any advice would be recieved gratefully.

My oil cap came off while i was riding

shaner19r — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:45:25 GMT

I have a 2005 Yamaha V Star 650 Silverado. On my way to work this morning my oil cap came off. When i arrived at work I had oil on every part of my bike. There was no performance changes to prompt me to pull over. I bought a new cap and filled it back to level with oil. I then washed it off with a mild degreaser. Everything appeared to be okay when i took it for a test drive. When I got home i noticed oil was coming out of the top of the case. I didnt notice any cracks or anything. Could the oil just be missed oil from the cleaning. I also noticed when i arrived at home i had a tough time putting the bike in nuetral. The bottom line is, should i be worried?

Surging R1100R

VT500FT — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 12:07:17 GMT

In 1998 I bought a used very low mileage 1996 R1100R which now has 15,000 miles on it. Unfortunately it is not completely free of the dreaded surging. The surging is, I guess you could say mild, but why should tolerate it on an otherwise great bike?
There is a device called "Techlusion R259" which was reviewed in the February 2003 issue of MCN. My question is, has anyone out there installed this on an R1100R to cure a surging problem and what was the result?

Trans winding?

Trentor — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:17:01 GMT

Gotta Bandit 600S...typical 4-cyl bike: The transmission always sounds as if it is 'winding up,' like if it was in 1st while coasting with the clutch pulled in, but in all gears. I think it stops when moving along in neutral. I think it is making the engine vibrate more.

I had a tech guy look at it and he said it was OK, but I am not so sure.

Anyone have a clue? Thanx.

PS: I ride pretty conservatively...redline is at 12k but I never really go above 7-8k. Is there some tranny synchronizer stuck or something?

Yamaha Road Star Fuel Filters

hallowedcontactpatch — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:52:29 GMT

Hey People - I come forth seeking the advice/knowledge of the MCN posters on a technical matter that has me a little baffled. A good friend of mine (Jim) has asked me to help him with the 16,000 mile maintenance items for his 2004 1700 cc Yamaha Road Star or XV17AS for the geeks like me who want to know the exact model number. One of the maintenance items is "Replace the fuel filters". To be honest - the filters do not need to be replaced until 20,000 miles, but we might as well do it while he's here at my place since he lives 400 miles away. The first thing that threw me for a loop was the plural connotation for "filters" - I've never dealt with more than one filter on a fuel system (cars or bikes). Now, his bike does indeed have the standard plastic cartridge style fuel filter located just prior to the fuel pump which is what I would normally expect. However, there is also a small in-line filter (Yamaha Name for Part: NET FILTER and Yamaha Part #3XV-14994-00-00) located on the inlet to the carburetor. As I interpret the schematic diagrams of the carburetor - it looks as though the filter fits inside the rubber fuel line where it is clamped to the carburetor. We are ordering all of the parts we need from bikebandit.com and according to them this tiny little filter is not currently available at any of the North American warehouses. I told Jim to go to his local Yamaha dealer to verify this is indeed the case in the event the dealer can actually get us the part quickly. The Service Manager basically told him that we're better off either leaving the filter alone since there is the possibility of a fuel leak if we're not careful about properly reattaching the hose to the carb. Or, we can simply clean and inspect the filter and then reuse it.

My question: has anyone out there dealt with a similar situation and are we okay with cleaning and reusing it or should we just wait for the new one to show up and replace it? Or, should we just leave it alone since it is a secondary filter? I assume Yamaha has engineered this NET FILTER into the fuel system as a back-up to the main filter in the event of it failing. Or, maybe to protect the carb if the fuel pump begins to disintegrate?

Thanks for any help here - Frank

tank/pillion bag rain bonnets?

ibafran — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 16:31:48 GMT

the clear plastic rain bonnets for my tank bag and pillion bag (oxford lifetime luggage) have split from the rigors of winter riding.

anyone got a cheap replacement idea?

no. the trashcan liner is not exactly what i had in mind. the showercap was too small. those things that cover the polished silver might work if i could find a source and seal the seams.

nobody rides half as well as they know how.

DEAD ROADSTAR 1700 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Bobm — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:39:31 GMT

I was out riding my new (8500) miles roadstar 1700, stop at a service station to get gas. Turn bike off, fueled it, then turned it on..
Nothing, no lights not horn, no gauges. Had a friend come get me
and take me and the bike home. tried it again .. nothing.
took seat off, battery post nice and clean, battery cables tight, also have an attached battery tender plug in. A little loose. tighten and tried starting bike. Nothing. remove side panel and check the five fuses , all were fine. ( did not try to start bike at this point)
replaced fuses. Then removed the Main Fuse, it was fine, replaced it
and tried starting the bike.. THE BIKE STARTED. Don't know why
it started. NOW i am uncomfortable to take a ride out in the mountains because they are out in the middle of no where. Does anyone have an idea of what could be up. Any place I could start looking. I didnt really do anything, any ideas. thanks bob

Vento V-Thunder Cold Start Problem

Nutt151 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:24:12 GMT

2006 Vento V-Thunder does not like to start if its cold, Can anyone one tell me why and what i can do to fix it? Also it starts right up when its warm out BUT, I have to let it idle a minute or two before I touch the throttle or it stalls, How can I fix that??

Thanks to anyone that can help

Headlight bulb recommendations

ibafran — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:54:23 GMT

My 95 trident takes a H4 55/60w bulb as stock. About every 6mos. the low beam gives up. Its a Wagner. As long as I was replacing bulbs I upgraded.

I now run a Wagner 1210/H4 halogen 100/80w. Its supposed to be an off-road-only bulb. It too burns out the low beam about every 6 mos. The off-road rating sure doesnt mean that it is a tougher bulb.

The bulbs cost about $10 a crack.

Anybody using similar halogen bulbs that last a dang long time? Is sylvania any better?

Brake Pad Materials

ibafran — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:54:31 GMT

This is the kind of question that I luv to drop on my local bike shop gurus.

I needed brake pads on my dual front discs like 'right now'! Unfortunately, I had not been rich enough lately to stock my favored pads in my garage. I like EBC organic pads as they dont rough up the discs like sintered pads do. My bike shop only had one pair of organic pads for my bike.

My bike requires a 'left' and a 'right' set of pads on the front. So I ask, "Can I run organic one one side and sintered on the other?" The shop guy says that he would be worried that the uneven drag might twist/tweek the fork. And that would be undesirable. So. I can see that and agreed to the possibility.

Then I say, "It is possible to mix the pads so that I have a sintered and an organic in each caliper. That would eliminate any possibility of fork twist. What do you think?"

I had played it as dead serious as I could. The guy bought the entire routine. The series of reactions on the guy's face should have been recorded for posterity. There was an initial 'deer in the headlights' brainlock. Then, a recovery phase while the problem was considered. After that, there was a struggle to word the response as best as possible. I sorta felt a little sorry for what I had just done to him. But its not like he didnt know me.

I am pretty sure my question made the shop's collection of all-time, great, whacko customer quiries list.

So. Thats the question. Can dissimilar brake pad materials be mixed?

GL 1800 Heating Problem

caseysanta — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:24:21 GMT

It seems that my Wing heats up when in stop and go traffic. Has anyone else had this problem?
Once I'm on the road again and getting air across the bike the temp goes down. I was told that the GL 1800 had this problem.
Any input ??

caseysanta

STALLS when idle and randomly, requires open CLUTCH to get power, CARB recently cleaned; YAMAHA xt125X

lkp1v07 — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:10:38 GMT

Just bought this bike 2 days ago, apparently sitting there for months.

2006 model, 1200miles.

When I bought it I put fuel in it and the fuel spewed out of the carburator.

I then had the carb cleaned by a "mechanic". Worked for short period of time (less than 1 day), then the bike required HIGH REVS to prevent stalling.

the CHOKE had to be open so the bike will stall less.

The exhaust pipe was SMOKING hot, melted the motor oil holder.

Please advise, GOD BLESS ALL!

Cheers

Stalling, Low RPM stuttering SuperHawk

cmlaclair — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:04:56 GMT

I have a 1998 SuperHawk with 65,000 miles on it.

The symptoms: The engine wants to die when I try to start moving forward and I usually have to rev the engine and slip the clutch to get going. It will also frequently kind of hiccup when idling and usually die. I have no problems starting it and it usually runs fine in the first couple of miles. It also accelerates, cruises just fine. This started a couple of months ago as an occasional thing when pulling from a stop. It has progressed to almost always and to the stalling when idling.

What I've done: I took it to a Honda dealer (when I first starting having trouble pulling from a stop) and they just opened the slow jets a couple of turns, assuming it wasn't getting enough fuel. They suggested that if that doesn't fix the problem it might be bad gas. Otherwise, they would have to spend more time (money) to find out what was wrong.

That made no difference, so over a period of the past several weeks I have done the following myself: Drained the tank and carbs (and returned the slow jets to their original settings); replaced the air filter (needed to be done) and spark plugs (looked okay, but worn - SuperHawk goes through them quickly); taken the carbs off and inspected/cleaned them; checked the vacuum lines and found the petcock faulty (but in a way that it always let fuel through); replaced petcock.

There are only two things I can think of that might be causing the problem: something to do with the slow jet and/or the float level (which isn't adjustable).

Any advice on those two things before I take the bike a part again? I am not sure what to look for besides taking them out and cleaning the passages. etc. Also, any ideas as to what else may be ailing my bike?

A little history, I've owned the bike for 6 years and bought it with 10,000 miles on it. The only change I've made to the engine is rejetting it with Titanium Factory Pro jets about 30,000 miles ago. Everything else is stock. I have had very little in the way of problems with it, and most have been due to wear and tear.

Thanks!

Bad gas...who cares?

jerseyjim — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:31:40 GMT

Some 3 weeks ago, a nice day...sunny....40 degrees, bundled up, took a ride....near the end, stopped at a Valero station, got gas. Premium.

3 days ago, VERY nice day....sunny and 70, couldn't resist...took a ride. Around 1800 RPM...a metal-metal kind of clatter. I thought one of the exhaust pipe heat shields got loose. Nope. Checked the whole front end out....everything is tight.

Off again...the same clatter at the time point. THEN...i thought...."gas"?

Went home, waited for the bike to cool...and dumped the tank. (Will now use the gas for the lawnmower...it don't care what's in it.......)

Got my other gas can, went to EXXON, right down the road, and got 4 gallons. Put it in....went for a ride...within a few miles the clatter stopped. Hadda be.

Went back to the Valero station. Ha! No one speaks English byond "fi-daala" or "fillup"? E-mail Valero: "thank you...but prove it" was the jist of the answer.

Wouldn't be so bad except I just spent the better part of 20 bucks (2 tanks)...for what used to cost 4. (1 tank)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

1980 goldwing rear axle

jeff63 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:04:51 GMT

I took the rear axle out off of my 80 goldwing and cannot figure out where the spacer/washer should be positioned for the caliper bracket. Any help would be appreciated.

Low Tech Fix?

drummer — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:18:57 GMT

As always, the hook & loop stuff is no longer hooking on some of my gear. Safety pins are not the best option in case of a spill nor are grommets. So what are others doing? Buying new gear, having some one replace the hook & loops, or something else?

I know it isn't the most gripping topic, but I am hoping some one has come up with a cheap and easy solution.

please help -- battery charging problem.........

dixit — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:33:55 GMT

i have an apache 150 and i recently attached hid to it.......

but i'm facing a problem...........

actually my eariler halogen was not on battery........ it was direct and used to glow bright when i increased the rpm.........

but to install hid i have to give it the connection from battery......

so at night time my battery got discharged in 2 min......

so i installed an additional rectifire in the wire which was earlier used to glow halogen and attached it to the positive terminal of battey...........

my hid now glew for 20 min........ but thats not enough...... so someone adviced me to attach diodes......... but i dont know what are they and what to do PLZZZZZZZ help........ i'm in serious trouble......... please give me any solution so that my battery charging increase......

1988 Suzuki VS750 GLP Possible Clutch and Carb Issues.

Marquardt253 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:18:02 GMT

I just recently bought a 88 VS 750 intruder, It has 15km on it, gorgeous bike great lines on it, I just got done with my first Maint on it, oil change, spark plugs, new Battery so on so forth. I recently went on a ride with my dad and I had a few issues with the performance of the Bike. Firstly, It has a "sucking" sound when Idleing under 4000 rpms, that is my first question, is it possible that my carbs are out of "sync" if so How much round abouts does it cost to get that checked out?. Secondly, while riding, about 70MPH or so I thottled up fairly quickly and it just revved the engine, I brought it back down to regular throttle and eased into the throttle and it went. Is that an issue?? Sorry its so Long, I just havent found a damned thing anywhere else to help me out. If someone could shed so light on these I would appriciate it.

1988 Suzuki VS750 GLP Possible Clutch and Carb Issues.

Marquardt253 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:18:45 GMT

Tire rotation

mchogfozzie — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:41:45 GMT

Hey all;

MOTORCYCLE CHARGING SYSTEMS

joe — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:36:25 GMT

I have a 2002 VZ800 Suzuki Marauder. It is not charging. I tried to check the rectifier with the Suzuki VZ800 service manual and the diode test does not work on the yellow wires( the ones that carry the 75 or more ac volts from the generator at 5000 rpm). I used two different meters and a bench meter. I tested a brand new rectifier with the same results. I am suppose to get 1.4 to 1.5 volts and all it reads is (1). Is there any test that works? I went through two new rectifiers and they worked until I restarted the bike. I checked the stator windings for continuity and for short to ground with meters. All three phases put out 75 vac, or more at 5000 rpm. I checked for voltage leak to ground between the battery cables. I am wondering if the rotor is intermittently grounding while the bike is running. My wiring looks good and the original and new battery's pass a load test.(automobile load tester:the kind that heats up)

What else can I try?

K&N air filters

kuayers — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:40:01 GMT

Have a honda vtx 1300 and am thinking of using K&N air filters to replace stock ones.. have heard they increase horsepower and last a life time.. any thoughts?

cb radio communication

theron34 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:38:11 GMT

I ride a 2006 flhtcui hd and when I use a hand held mic it over modulates to other bikes. I have tryed other mics and the hand held just won't work. I can use my helment mic supplied with bike & it works perfect. Does anyone have any suggestion?

Clutch problems

svrider — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:12:00 GMT

I ride an 03' Sv650 that won't go into neutral when stopped. I have 27k miles on it and in the past adjusting the cluth had fixed this problem. Now I am out of adjustment at the lever and at the bottom end of the cable. Is this because the cable is overstretched or because the cluth is worn out. The clutch was not slipping.

Oxidized Finish restore

drummer — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:34:03 GMT

Has anyone tried one of the oxidized finish restorer products such as Maguiar's #2 Fine Cut Cleaner? If so, which one do you find works the best for both plastic and metal.

fz1 07

osmaks — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:03:12 GMT

need help to enter the "secret" way to enter the powermanagement system on my ride. it is a fz 1 07 mod

Wet vs Dry Clutch

LILTWN — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:00:02 GMT

Can someone give me a brief rundown on the relative advantages/disadvantages of a wet clutch as opposed to a dry clutch? Ala BMW vs Harley.

TIA

Single Cylinder Vs Twin, Pros and Cons?

sinsinbad — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:21:39 GMT

Sorry, I am not that mechanical minded. I will be looking for a new bike in a few months, and I was wondering whether to buy a single or twin cyclinder. I am not sure what differences there are other than another cyclinder.

What are the pros and cons of each? At first glance, it would seem that one cyclinder would be easier/cheaper on maintenance than two.

Two of the bikes that I was considering are the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 (a twin) and the Suzuki S40 (a single). What is surprising to me, is that the S40, which is about 655 cc, has a more cc, weighs about 87 lbs less, and cost about $650 less. In this case, the single is bigger, less weight, and costs less. The choice seems like a no brainer, but then I don't know what the pros are for having a twin.

While the merits of the Kawasaki vs Suzuki is probably interesting. I am really looking for a discussion on one cyclinder vs two.

Thanks,

Dan

Filters and Synth Oil?

drummer — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 04:47:20 GMT

This is not a bike question so much as a need to know about synth oil, filter life, and time between changes. However, it could be applicable to bikes.

One of the reasons I switched to synth oil is for the longer distance between oil changes. As in the case of my car, the oil manufacturer states I can go up to 15K miles between changes. There is no way I would do that unless I knew that they would pay for all motor maintenance “should” something go wrong (yeah, right). But I will change the oil in my car between 7K and 10K instead of the 2500 to 3000 normally. That said, my question revolves around the filter. I can understand how an oil would last longer but a filter still fills just as fast right? Ok, granted there is less wear with synth oil so in theory the particles that the filter would screen are fewer, but the equation does not make sense. I mean that if you cut the particle generation by fifty percent, you should only get twice the distance from your filter and oil. Therefore, it seems to me that the filter becomes the weakest part of the chain.

What am I missing here? Does the oil filter now determine the time between oil changes more so than the synth oil itself? Or have I been led down the “ignorant path” through advertising hype and I should change my oil just as often?

Centering the front axle in the pinch bolts

ArTravlR — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:54:44 GMT

Recently, on another board, I read where someone questioned how to center his front wheel axle. The advice given was to place the front wheel against a wall and bounce the front suspension up and down. The explanation was this would center the wheel axle in the forks and align the wheel with the forks thus improving tire mileage and handling.

I have also heard to elevate the front wheel, lightly tighten the axle bolt, spin the wheel and touch the brake. This would center the wheel axle and then tighten the pinch bolts tp spec.

I thought the wheel against the wall technique was to align the front forks after reinstallation.

Is any of this correct at all?

Robert Bashaw
www.RideHSTA.Com
LoweST Arkansas
CBR1000F
ST1100A2 STovokor
VFR800A5 Interprize

When to replace the rubber hoses on a bike

frankgqueen — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:00:11 GMT

I am wondering about routine replacement of hoses on my 2000 VFR 800. The manual suggests replacing hoses at five years. I can see the coolant hoses - but what about the other rubber hoses around the engine? I see vacuum lines, fuel lines, brake lines right off the bat. Would you replace those on a schedule or wait and do them "on condition" as the airplane guys say?

H-D Speedometers

alnelson — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:56:26 GMT

Has anyone noticed that H-D speedometers do not seem to be accrete these days. I purchased a 2007 Ultra and at 65 MPH is is almost 5 mph off. It is slow. I've noticed this on several group rides when I've asked the leader what speed he was doing vs what my GPS was saying. I had an '01 Ultra and the speedo was right-on.

Has anyone else noticed this and is there any way to fix it? My dealer says he can swap out the speedo but the new one will probably do the same.... bummer!

Battery additives to help output and life

dlsmith — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 19:19:44 GMT

What is your comments on chemicals which are added to the battery acid and states it will help batteries output and life

over filled oil??

thesketchman — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 02:35:26 GMT

i just got my first bike about 2months ago, i needed oil changed so i got my friend who said he could to do it for me on Saturday, later that night at 4am after getting out of work i went to drive home. i stopped at a set of traffic lights to find there was a lot of steam or smoke coming from the bike, i pushed the bike to the side of the road and found oil running down the side of the tank. i had to push my bike to a near by friends house and leave it there.

had he overfilled the oil tank?

what damage has been done?

will it be expensive to fix?

its a 1995 Kawasaki zzr400

Bike-to-bike Communication Problems

Judy — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:26:16 GMT

Hi!

My boyfriend and I are trying to get a bike-to-bike communication system working. We are fashioning the system after a review in MCN from a couple of years.

We bought a Funk-Freisprechsetthe (IMC-HS300-OF) intercom system and hooked them to Midland GXT-325 radios. The system works fine at low speed (less than 30 mph), but as the speed increases, the white noise seems to over-ride the system and nothing transmits.

We are using the headsets in full-face helmets.

Does anyone have any experience with a system like this?

Judy

High Torque Starter Motors

STG4HARRY — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:11:02 GMT

I am looking for a high torque starter motor for my 2003 Stage 4 Yamaha Warrior.

Thanks STG4Harry

Gas Quality

drummer — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:23:34 GMT

I get about 5 miles less a gallon once the fall comes and it will go back up in spring. Does anyone else see a significant drop in mileage as the fall/winter comes on? This is the third year in a row that I have noticed this for both the bike and the cages. I know they reformulate the gas to produce more heating oil, but is that the reason the mileage goes down?

Thoughts?

Front brake mastercylinder rebuild headache

Bwana — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:05:43 GMT

Anyone got a trick for getting the piston in the cylinder without damaging the rubber cups?

Or do I need to get a machine shop to fabricate a sleeve that is small enough to fit into the recess between me and the cylinder?

Thanks in advance.

Terminal Velocity

HAWGIRL78 — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:01:41 GMT

Does anyone have FIRST HAND experience using terminal velocity ? If so,,what is your impression of it? Is it worht the money?? Did it make any difference in the way your bike ran? gas mileage? Any other pluses or negatives?