rca29

Thanks. I will try to 'read' the ECU and see if there was any error registered. I will try to keep this updated.

I'm in Europe, and I believe that it might be hard to find any of those two (Seafoam or B-12 Chemtool). But if I understand correctly, we're talking about fuel additives, right? Sometimes it does feel like this is some kind of dirt in the fuel system problem...

Thanks for your reply. I replaced the rectifier earlier this year, and I did all the tests as described in the service manual. I didn’t have any other electrical problems since then (battery related), so it wouldn’t be my first ‘target’, but it doesn’t hurt to check. Thanks.

Hi there! One of these Sundays, I went for a ride and started to notice that the bike was choking at low rpm. In the meantime, I put more gas on the tank, went for a highway and although it was running fine at higher rpm, the FI light came on. I stopped the bike, and the idle was at 800-900 rpm. I turned the ignition off, turned the bike on again, the FI light was off and the idle back at ~1100 rpm. A few miles after that, I stopped for a coffee, and when I started the bike again, I had the FI light on again. I did the same thing (switch off and switch on), and the light went away, although it was choking a little at low rpm (2000 / 2500). I did a few miles after that like I had stolen the bike, and everything went back to normal. Nevertheless, I checked the “loom problem”, and I did have some work to do (I cleaned the contacts with WD40 as they had that ‘green stuff’). I never saw the FI light again and the bike seemed perfect after that, but today I went for a ride with some buddies (70km), but I did the last 10 km behind a new Honda Scooter (125cc and slow as hell). :icon_silenced: By the time I was arriving home, the bike started to choke again at low rpm and with low idle (again 800 rpm). I had a little space to give it some “heat” to around 7000 rpm, and it was fine again (normal iddle, normal response)! I have no FI light warning, but it seems obvious that something is still wrong in an intermittent way. If someone has a clue of what the problem could be, please let me know. Thanks for your help

Thanks a lot for your help. In the meantime, I've read a lot of threads around here, and also did the tests from the manual. I have output from the stator (something like 9 volt at iddle and more than 40 volt when reving, but my battery wasn't fully charged yet). The continuity tests are all as stated in the manual, so I guess it must be a dead rectifier. I really don't understand why Honda still makes s**t like this, because my father's '95 VFR 750 had the same problem around the same mileage (19.000 miles), and this is a well know issue in several Honda bikes. Some recent models still have this issue. I guess that some of Honda's engineers were working too hard and sleeping in working hours.

Hi there! It's been a while since my last visit here, but to be honest I haven't ride the 'Bird for quite a while. Today I went for a ride with my wife, so I left home, stopped 7 miles later and when I tried to start the engine again, the starter was slow and stopped. I then pushed the bike and got it running again and made something like 25 miles, stopped (in a downhill), and when I came back (10 minutes later) the same thing happened. Then I did 25 more miles, stopped for a launch (about 60 minutes) and when I got back, it started perfectly. When I got home (7 miles later), I started the engine again, and the starter was slow again. I measured the voltage with the engine idling, and this was the result: At 4.000 rpm, no big change… Bottom line, it isn’t charging the battery at all. What could it be? (Rectifier? How can I test it?) Cheers

I started to notice that when i brake harder i feel that the bike vibrates a little, and i notice more with two up (something similar to warped rotors on a car). On the other hand, i've checked my head bearings and they ARE bad, so i'm going to have them replaced. My question is, do the bad head bearings can cause this kind of effect, or can i have warped rotors ? :???: I don't abuse on the brakes, but i'm starting to fear for the worse...

I've been reading the service manual, and i've found out that it's the perfect time to paint the fork slider. :cool: Correct me if i'm wrong, but all this amount of work/time is to replace the lower and upper bearings only ? :shock: Just as curiosity, while i'm riding i don't notice anything wrong with the bike (maybe because i bought it used). What are the usual 'symptoms', and is it urgent to replace them ?

After my morning ride, i was cleaning my bike and made a steering test that i was planning to do for a while. So, i lifted the front wheel and confirmed what i was suspecting: - When i turn the handlebars from side to side, i feel like 'stop' on the center position. A few months ago, i asked my honda guy to check the steering for me, but i suspect that he didn't checked anything. Assuming that this isn't the normal behaviour of the steering, My questions are: 1) What does this mean ? 2) How can this be fixed ? Is it a hard thing to do ? Thanks for your help

That's something that mechanics always told NOT to do ! I've been told by more than one mechanic that the oil that comes on the engine from factory has some special additives that help in the run-in period... :headscratch: The service manual says " Recommended Oil: HONDA GN-4 4 stoke oil or equivalent motor oil; API service specification SF or SG; Viscosity 10-40W" and a chart to use other viscosity values depending on the average temperature. I don't have it here with me, but from what i remember, i can almost bet that the Portuguese Honda manual doesn't even talk about Honda Pro Oil. It depends on the year, it was Shell, then Castrol, currently Galp... It may say that on the USA owner's manual, but it doesn't say anything about it on the Portuguese one, and you can see the use of a soft brush to help cleaning the chain on Honda's service manual. What i'm trying to say is that there are things that Honda recommends (but says that it doesn't have to be exactly like that), while there are other things that Honda almost 'warns' you about. Running-in is one of them, and they 'warn' us to avoid rapid acceleration and to keep it below a certain r.p.m. until a certain mileage has been reached. Personally, i find it very hard to believe that any modern engine would break just because it was ridden hard since the first day. I've always heard a few people saying that a hard running-in would give more horse-power...and i'm not saying that it won't. My only concern is the premature wear out of the engine...but i admit that i might have a wrong conception, given by the manufacters owners manuals. That's why i bought a second hand 'XX, so i don't have to worry myself with running-in :wink:

I bought my '99 with 11000 miles, and it always made that noise. When i start my bike from cold, the engine revs up to +-1.500 r.p.m. (it's difficult to hear the noise at this point). After a minute or so, the engine drops the iddle speed to the 900 - 1000 r.p.m. range. At this point, the engine isn't at it's normal operating temperature yet, so the iddle is not "100%" stable (it is slightly irregular), and that's when i start to hear the clutch noise. After it warms up (to the normal operating temperature) the noise goes away. It's strange and a little annoying at first, but a lot of Bird's do the same noise, so...i don't care about it anymore. And i've also found out a way of not earing the noise: when the iddle speed drops, i start ridding it (gently) until the temperature is at it's normal operating range. But i also have my left clutch cover scraped... :sad:

Ok. So i might assume that the engine design and technology has evolved, but the owner's manuals didn't ? :roll: It might be the best break-in method, but not for my engines. I'm one old-fashioned guy, who has the strange ideia that the engineers that develop hi-performance and hi-reliability engines in Honda (and all the other major brands) should know a little bit about the best method for break-in an engine, but...i might be wrong !

Never used it. I only use mineral oil (currently Shell Helix 20w50). Can you feel the smell of burned oil from the upcoming oil flame war ? :twisted:

In Portugal, we only have 95 and 98 octane fuel. :grin: I tried both of them and i never noticed ANY difference... :roll: except for the price of it...

I always lube my chain with the recomended gear 80-90w oil and apply it with a brush (an toothbrush to be more precise). I don't remember where i found someting very similar to this, but... http://motorcycles.about.com/cs/maintenanc...tolubachain.htm

I guess that i'm hearing is the holes of the rotor passing trough the brake pads. I only found it strange because i've never noticed it on my ex-cbr600 (and it also had the holes on the brake rotor). These brake pads have 3800 miles, but that noise was already there when i bought the bike (and had new honda break pads installed). I still can't move the rotor buttons by hand...

When i started to hear the noise, i only made 2500 miles more on it, just because i really hate to hear that noise ! Every Saturday morning i can, i say to my wife "i'm just gonna drink my coffee", and there i go to my nearest favourite twisties road (we have to say something, don't we ?). As the road (and turns) are really tight, i can't always run at high speeds, and the noise becomes a lot more evident. :evil: I've never heard (or read) a cam chain problem caused by the CCT, some of them with a large thousand miles on it, but my honda dealer told me that the noise is from the cam chain scraping, which can lead to a premature wear out of the chain. Besides, cct replacement is a lot less expensive than a cam chain replacement. On my bike, i started to hear a buzz, but a few thousand miles later i could hear a rattling noise also. I just couldn't stand the rattling noise. On the other hand, i keep hearing about Bird's with a lot of miles on it with the noisy CCT, so i guess you don't have to stop riding right away just because of a bad cct

Yes, you're right. :grin: I had to re-drain my coolant out and flush the entire system a few times with distilled water before i pour the Honda pre-mixed coolant (i was using Dex-Cool on it, but then i read about it and got scared). :shock:

From your description, i don't think so. I know that i will be corrected if i'm wrong, but CCT noise is more like a rattling noise that starts at 3500-4500 rpm. On my bike, i first noticed a sound that was more like a whistle and a few hundred miles after, it started to rattle. But it was always above the 3000 rpm range, and it doesn't matter what gear you're riding it. (you can hear it better at low speeds, as you don't have wind noise on your helmet, but the noise is always there).

I bought my 99 'Bird a few months ago, and i hear a "bzzz" sound when i'm breaking at low speeds (30, 40 miles/h) that comes from my front brakes. I had the brake pads replaced when i bought it and it always made that noise. I don't feel any strange vibrations when i brake, so i guess (and hope) i don't have warped rotors. As i never drove a new 'Bird, i don't know if this is something that they all do or if there's any problem. Any ideias ? By the way: In a later post , someone talked about the rotor buttons, that one should be able to turn it with a finger or two. Does it mean that we should be able to rotate the button with one or two fingers ? I can't do that on my bird... :roll: http://www.cbr1100xx.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2304

You don't need a new bird. Mine is four years old, 15.400 miles, 3750 miles on Metzeler MZ4 tyres and i don't have any of that a) I would try to balance the tyres first... It seems a lot like an unbalanced wheel (as it only happens at a certain speed). My second bet would be a brand new set of tyres...

I did it on the centerstand. You only have to remove the left and right lower cowls (don't follow the Honda service manual on this, or you'll end up removing a few more things that you don't really have to...)

Thank you all for your help. The reserve tank works in a different way than in my car, and after i followed the hoses that come in and out from the reserve tank i understood that i couldn't be in any other way. By the way, XX: I did re-use the drain plug washers? (cylinder head and water pump). Thank you

There are two issues that i don't understand, that i noticed before and after changing the coolant: - Is it normal that the coolant in the reserve tank is at a low (cool) temperature even when the fan in working and the temperature really high on the temp gauge ? - I've read that when you're stuck in the traffic and the temperature needle rises, you can rev the engine a little to cool down. I tried that on my garage, and i had to stop the engine as the temp needle rised, instead of dropping. In any case, the fan is working and if i start moving the temperature drops a lot ( it can come to 1/4, 1/3 running around 100 km/h and above) Remember that i'm talking about an '99 Fuel Injected Bird

Today i woke up, checked this thread and... ...removed the right lower fairing to check the radiator bleeding. Again, i didn't noticed any drop in the coolant level, but the fan is working like it should, so i guess it should be ok. Thanks again