severdog

Porter- Yeah, I got last issue's "part I", which is mostly background as to what oils are "synthetic" and what all the terms mean, like JASO, etc. I am looking forward to the Part II bakeoff. My sense is that they're not really going to great lengths to test popularly used cage oils, based on the lineup that they showed in part I.....but I could be wrong. I'd love to get a reprint of the MCN oil article from last winter, as the issue was supposedly addressed there quite well. ....but it was interesting to note how many independent oil "authorities" ran mobil one red cap in their bikes.

Man, now that I've read around this site a little more, I feel like an idiot for posting the question. I'll investigate the RaceTech mods up front, something to do in the garage this winter.

How much did you spend for the whole kit? I am looking at a similar job in the offseason.

My XX feels makes me feel like I'm riding a rocking horse when I hit bumps at speed. The pitching also affects my throttle control. I have read about you guys upgrading the suspension; is this one of the problems that your upgrades solved?

Gas mileage usually varies the most between riders due to throttle control during acceleration. In second place comes the actual characteristics of your bike vs. others. I'm a fairly sedate rider, :smokin: and the technique that I most often use is to let the bike catch up to a certain throttle setting. Inotherwords, say you're shifting to 3rd gear....throttle off....then reapply a set level of throttle and let the bike accelerate up to that setting. When you max out at that throttle setting, grab the next gear and start again. Continuing to twist the throttle back during acceleration is where the mileage is lost. This is also where the fun is at, so figure out what's important to you!

You're chasing the symptom, and not the problem. The battery is now a problem due to being cooked by overvoltage. You should never see anything higher than 14.5V from a properly working regulator. It is the stator's job to provide a high AC voltage (three phase) to the regulator. This is because a higher voltage means a smaller current through those stator wires, which leads to smaller resistive losses (i.e. heat) through the wire. This is the same principle as to why your local power company runs 14,000 volts down your street, but is only stepped down to 220/110 right outside your house on the pole. So you've done the right thing by measuring input/output voltages around the regulator, but the fried battery is a result of the regulator, and not a cause unto itself in this case. The Electrex folks should understand the situation once you've provided the clear facts that you've gathered, and they should <koff koff> rectify the situation for you by providing a new regulator for you. Keep an eye on that battery. It may now be toast.

I am going to be adding Dual Star grip heaters when I change over to Viffer bars next week. I would like a decent SPDT switch to use for this installation, rather than the obtrusive chrome toggle switch that's usually thrown in to these kits. Anyone have a source on a decent weather-resistance SPDT switch? (Other than Electrical Connection....them things are HUGE)

18V on the bus is the classic symptom of regulator failure. It isn't regulating. You'll notice all kinds of things happening, like the battery boiling that you mentioned, as well as little things like bulbs blowing, etc. It typically doesn't affect ignition components. Replace that regulator again, it's defective....unless your connectors are shot.

If you've ever used Gearwrench products before you know how useful these guys are. Think box end wrench.....that rachets. The other end of the tool is a traditional open end wrench. These are quality tools that will last. I just picked up a 7 piece set of Gearwrenches on sale at Sears for $49, sizes 10mm up through 19mm, popular sizes. If you only get one set of wrenches, IMHO these are the ones to get.

It's only a 15A fuse. A lot of things will blow this fuse. Unfortunately, the schematic is typically unreadable, as once you follow the lead to the ignition switch, who knows where it goes after that? I would discount the starter motor as the culprit. There is a direct connection to the battery for that purpose, the 15A fuse doesn't come into play. It's something downstream of there. Does the bike run without that fuse there? It appears that the fuse connects the output of the R/R to the battery to equal the main positive bus. I would unplug the R/R and see if the fuse still blows. When I worked at a TV repair shop, when we had a fuse blowing problem with a set, we'd substitute an equivalent value circuit breaker for the fuse. It allows you to troubleshoot without blowing a fuse each time. Not sure if 12V breakers exist....but worth a look.

Not to 'diss "caps lock", but I wouldn't use a screwdriver for that. Too easy to gouge the pad material. I think you'll find that you can push the pistons back in with your fingers.

Yes, a block of wood under the oil pan works fine. Make sure that it's narrow enough so you don't jack on the header pipes. Since you don't have a centerstand, there's not a whole lot of lateral stability there, even if you do get the back tire down. I'd find a way to stabilize the bike after you jack it up, or a good yank will tip the whole mess over. Also, loosen pinch bolts, axle nut, and any caliper bolts before you jack it up.

I recently did a lot of work on my brakes (wreck restoration) so I had to replace secondary master cylinder and left front caliper...meaning I put a ton of air in the lines. I had to pump up my rear pedal to get action, same as you. I did the bleed tonight....the only thing I didn't do in the procedure is bleed them dry first. I found that when doing the rear, the mityvac didn't pull fluid as fast as when doing the front. There is a LOT of fluid in the rear system. I helped out the mityvac by pumping the pedal, and kept the reservoir filled. That moved a lot of the older crap out of there much faster. After you mityvac all FOUR bleed lines for the rear, the manual recommends that you do a last "pump n' crack" on all four. You'll need a helper for doing the left front unless you're a contortionist. I used my son...."push down on this thing here......" pedal seems tighter now. I can hear the front center pistons puckering the seals when I hit the pedal now. Just be patient and you'll get there. Hope this helps.

I know guys that swear by Lemon Pledge for the very same reasons. I haven't tried it yet, but will after I finish my can of Honda Polish.

I found out about www.swmototires.com through Warchild some time last year and have not been disappointed with either price nor service. This doesn't answer your question specifically about Avon, but it's a good place to start.

Current CB antenna is 48" top loaded fiberglas whip courtesy of rat shack. I may go with a base loaded model with a whip so it provides a lower profile, even though they're not as efficient as top loaded. I'll check out your suggestion for the turn signal L-bracket. I've always thought that BMW's method of hanging a vertical off the nose was kinda cool on their R1150RT's. Don't like the idea of a CB whip banging me in the helmet at 100 mph, though.

I've always found it useful to have communications on my bike. I currently run APRS tracking (www.geocities.com/craig_severson/ham/aprs.html) as well as CB capabilities on my ST. I would like to add these capabilities to the Bird, albeit in a more refined manner than hanging 5/8 wave verticals off the tail like the ST. * Has anyone done any VHF antenna mounting on the front cowl? Maybe a 1/4 wave vertical off of the mirror bracket? * Any low-profile CB antenna installations on the tail cowl area? I can live with limited performance as I do 99% listening here anyway. Rubber ducks are not an option here, performance is nil. any and all suggestions appreciated.

Where is the preferred location on the left side of the bike to locate a BMW socket for a heated vest? Also looking for the best location to install two rocker switches to control vest and grips. Would prefer not to go to the extent of installing a Current Interrupter box on the brake reservoir. Yet.

O2 sensor hole is plugged. I found a bolt with the correct OD, (but incorrect thread) cut it down to the correct length, taper ground the threads at the end, applied some hi-temp gasket seal, and then cross-threaded that fucker in there.....cut it's own threads! Cost about $.45 and will never fail. Sometimes I forget that it's OK to take the gorilla approach.

I gave him the honorable route of returning my money for the damaged goods, and I got a stream of bullshit denial in return. I warned him not to consider selling anything XX-related again on eBay. You guessed it, the dipshit's userid is no longer valid on eBay. Not to defend him, but I think I know why he contended that the rotors weren't warped.....it's really hard to tell given the floating caliper design that Honda used. The damned rotor moves about 1/4" laterally when you watch the tire spin....but the caliper just goes for the ride. I'm sure that I'd eventually feel it at some speed as an annoying vibration, however. ....but it shouldn't take an ME degree to determine whether or not something like this is straight. Swampy, servicehonda only accepts returns in the first 10 days. Wondering if partsfish was wrong, I called servicehonda and asked to cross ref the part number....it came back the same. I don't get it. I think that someone at Honda slapped the wrong part number on a '97 rotor.

I'm now oh for two getting my left front brake rotor replaced. I have a 99 Bird, and it came with the rotors with the uh, "gold" frame in the center. The left front was mashed in a collision. eBay rotors that are "straight" and "have less than 5000 miles on them" are warped and unusable. swing and a miss, strike three. oh for one.... Fuckit. I'll buy a new one and quit wasting time. I research the part number through partsfish.com and order one through servicehonda.com. The rotor they sent has a black inner frame. (what years of bird had rotors with black powdercoat?) My original thought was "screw it, at least it's straight". Now tonight I find out that it will not fit. The center hub opening is too small. I cannot return the part to service honda. Weak bouncer to the pitcher. oh for two. So.... what years had black frames? what years had gold frames? what years had the smaller hub opening? or... anyone want to trade a brand new rotor for a straight one that'll fit a 99? :evil: :mad:

The only thing that I've had similar to this was when I had a bent front fork tube. When I'd brake hard, the bike would lean left. But it wouldn't slap. A tank slap is a low speed undamped oscillation.....but caused by braking? :???:

the cameraman had good technique. He kept his eyes forward and up, and looked left first for traffic behind him. I've seen a lot more pathetic vids, at least these guys had helmets and some gear. They were just riding over their head with target fixation and rear brake problems.

BTDT. Lowe's has a really good selection of metric hardware. I bought a bunch of bolts that I thought might be close....and one of them had the right diameter, but the wrong thread pitch. So I have that fucker jammed in there right now, cross-threaded. Welding rod? Rubber plugs? :twak:

Red- Absolutely correct, I could do that. It's a standard metric diameter, but it's got a fine thread than "standard" for that diameter, so I'd have to run all over the place trying to find that specific bolt/thread pitch. Thought it might be easier just to shove the damned sensor in there and be done. Would you know what the O2 sensor thread pitch is? If I knew this, I could call around to local places. "Um, yeah. I need a bolt. Yeah, just one." I've just got my index finger stuck in there in the meantime, and it's starting to hurt.