Spring Lunacy?

Message

Dalemac · #31 Post by **Dalemac** » Tue May 14, 2013 9:54 pm

HisNibbs wrote:A quick update. Yep Hagon shock has transformed the RS. Shame the clutch keeps needing adjusting so that I can get neutral...? The cafe racer has had new front tire, fork seals, fork oil and anti dive springs fitted and the handling feels a whole lot better for it. Also put a second fuel tap, new fuel lines, fuel filters and upped the main jets but still seems that fuel supply is erratic. It was struggling to run and with nearly a full tank cleared when put onto reserve. The new tap I fitted was an old one blown clear so maybe there is a lot of debris in the tank. New filters look clean though.

Erratic running aside on a back road blast it actually felt for a bit like it had potential...

If it has been sat around for a while I would be willing to bet that the carbs need whipping out and giving a good clean.

When i bought the GPZ it had been sat for a year. It ran badly, often dropping onto 1 cylinder and just generally running like a pile of rubbish.

Carbs out, opened, cleaned, floats reset. All was well.

Could also be lots of rust, crud or even water in the tank, but you won't know until you empty and clean it.

HisNibbs · #32 Post by **HisNibbs** » Wed May 15, 2013 12:24 pm

Thanks for the input Dalemac. I had emptied and swished around the tank when I put the new tap on. Certainly there is sign of paint in the float bowls but I couldn't get the carb tops off to look at the diaphragms etc. Possibly tank vent is partially blocked and I will try again to get the carb tops off to have a proper look at the diaphragms and for crud.

Dalemac · #33 Post by **Dalemac** » Wed May 15, 2013 1:14 pm

While you are in there, you may as well get some carb cleaner and give everything a good clean. The carb cleaner gets rid of solidified petrol build up and gunk, which can cause bad running.

Also check that the diaphragm rubber does not have any holes or tears.

Good luck!

Dale

DavShill · #34 Post by **DavShill** » Wed May 15, 2013 3:01 pm

Keep the updates coming Keith - it's a good read.

HisNibbs · #35 Post by **HisNibbs** » Wed May 15, 2013 9:38 pm

Not had chance to do much on the cafe racer except notice that one of the exhaust headers is blowing under the wrapping, probably where the balance pipe used to be.....

The Rs clutch mystery is solved. Not fun riding back from the center of Leicester in the rush hour with no clutch. Fortunately the starter motor is up to starting the bike when in gear....My stall stops nearly went tits up on my gravel drive as I approached the closed garage doors. Front locked and it just kept on going plowing a couple of meter furrow. Didn't do my back any good catching that one. Any way new clutch cable, well 35 year old clutch cable, has I hope saved me from waking up the slumbering Falco in order to get to the Marches meet.

HisNibbs · #36 Post by **HisNibbs** » Sun May 26, 2013 6:10 pm

Out on it today and provided the fuel taps are set to reserve it seems to be fine. So topped up the tank and had a blast. The front end is really good now and feels like its saying "just believe in me..." and it does feel like a proper sports bike, even pulls pretty well and makes a very sporty noise. Pulls through to the red line in top with throttle to spare, which isn't that fast but fast enough if you are caning it, to be fun and possibly to harry a few Falco's and the like around Mallory.

So all good and I was thinking maybe I'll invest in a Hagon shock for this too, until about two miles from home when I start having problems getting the lower gears. Seems like there is no tension in the return spring. lets hope it is rear set adjustment or lubrication rather than a gearbox strip.....

HisNibbs · #37 Post by **HisNibbs** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 4:41 pm

Lubed the rear set linkages etc. and topped up the gearbox oil. Seemed ok on the test ride today. Handling very nicely and pulling pretty crisply to the red line in top. Still too hard at the rear. I'm getting double vision over the bumpy stretches, of which there are many, and having to get my bum off the saddle to see where I'm going. Maybe I'll invest in the rear shock....

Falco is coming back together found some nasty alloy corrosion on the fork stanchions just below the bottom yoke. Just like what happened to the RS's rear shock, the alloy just turning to dust. Painted over it now but what the fk are they putting on the roads these days?

randomsquid · #38 Post by **randomsquid** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 6:18 pm

HisNibbs wrote:what the fk are they putting on the roads these days?

I know that by me they were experimenting with a mixture of salt and molasses a couple of years ago. I experienced greatly accelerated chain balsing. Local dealers said he sold a lot of chains that spring.

HisNibbs · #39 Post by **HisNibbs** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:51 pm

Took the Cafe Racer to work today and as I was chucking it about I picked up a little 'negative' feed back from the back of the bike which I'd not noticed before. I thought maybe as I'm starting to push it a bit the handling is not so good after all. On the way home I thought maybe a puncture.... it was bad enough to make me stop and take a look. Tire seemed firm but as I pushed it I noticed the wheel move. On the mono shock BM the wheel is attached rather like a car and all the wheel bolts were coming loose. Tightened them up finger tight, a process I had to repeat every mile of so until I got to a friends house and could borrow a decent spanner.

So that has been fuel lines, front axle pinch bolts loose and now rear wheel bolts. Whats next I wonder? The guy who built it going turn up with a gun and try to shoot me? Maybe I should get preemptive.

#40 Post by **Kwackerz** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 7:48 pm

Lucky you noticed! Couldve been nasty

Willopotomas · #41 Post by **Willopotomas** » Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:25 pm

I'd be over it now like a rash making sure everything is tight. Worrying stuff.

fatboy · #42 Post by **fatboy** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:18 pm

What Will said !
The previous owner failed to do the rudementary checks and re checks, necessary to ensure work completed.
If i cant finish a job in one, I leave masking tape notes where I finished, or a ring spanner hooked over relative nuts,so I know i need to finish tightening down.
When Ive finished , I do it again, then I know Im done

HisNibbs · #43 Post by **HisNibbs** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:15 pm

Getting there.

I did some repairs my old race exhaust system, fitted it and went for a spin the other day. A little loud but rips through to 7K in top and had to shut it down to about 1/2 throttle to stay there. Definitely more power every where than with those "pretty" high level pipes.

Measured the noise on my Ipad app at around 95DB so even though I may not have matched the test revs and distance, probably ok for the track and the road too, if kept off mega.

I've bought a 100RS differential which is 33/31 rather than 37/31, that I'll fit shortly. I am now confident that in this trim the bike will pull the extra ratio to give a maximum speed of around 110 - 115 MPH and comfortable 75 - 80 MPH cruising around 5000 revs.

I need to see where the adjustment can be made to correct the speedo.

I've also bought a refurbishment kit for the 38mm Dellorto carbs so I can replace the standard 32mm CVs. Not sure yet how to fit these to the 800 heads or whether the 900 heads fit, or to wait until I have a full later 1000cc conversion. I now know that the holes in the cases are larger on the later bikes, so the old 900 barrels will not just swap over.

I'm waiting for the Hagon shock to arrive which will make a big difference to usability on the bumpy roads I have to contend with. Maybe time to check eligibility for the VMCC's BEARs series?

Willopotomas · #44 Post by **Willopotomas** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:26 pm

All sounds like some good progress is being made there mate. I'd hunted for a taller bevel box for the K.. Seems the one I have on it as far as it'll go. I still think they wouldn't benefited from a 1:1 or 0.9:1 top.

HisNibbs · #45 Post by **HisNibbs** » Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:04 pm

Oh yes!

Taller gearing and a proper shock maketh a very loud and now quite quick hooligan. It does pull to the red with the new gearing in top! Handling appears almost fault less and the riding position was encouraging even me to slip off the side a little.

I was actually quite amazed but those last changes have transformed it into a proper, dare I say it racer. (Can we now consider dropping the "Cafe" prefix?)

So if the Falco is not sorted in time for Mallory I think I'd enjoy giving this a go.

Next on the to do list is maybe a new rear tire 'cause the current one is about 8 years old and I'm getting the feeling I'm going to start pushing this a little. Maybe some quieter pipes.

I think the Dellorto cards & 900/1000 conversion will be best done over winter but is tempting, very tempting.

Happy days.