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rick
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Hey from down 'ere

#1 Post by rick » Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:49 am

Hi all

Hope you're all well and enjoying the summer on your Falcos! Down here its getting colder... but living the North of the North Island means no snow and only a few frost mornings per year... although heading to the ski fields tomorrow :)

Anyhoo a little advice please!

Falco going as strong as ever, but have a few niggles I wouldnt mind clearing up over a few days I have off next week. Most of it is regular maintenance... usual stuff, light bulbs, bleeding hydraulics etc. etc. (and I'm going to take her for a tune)... but I would like to sort out this annoying problem Im having with the starter switch. Symptoms:

1. Full choke, lights off, press starter switch
2. usually she fires (99%) but sometimes the engine turns and then stops
3. I let go, and re-apply and she starts fine
4. I notice it more on a cold engine, but it does happen on both cold and warm

Battery is new (last 6 months or so) and she is on an optimate most nights, ridden daily.

I'm thinking I need to open the switchgear and give everything a bloody good clean... its nothing more sinister is it?!

Please don't whisper first signs of a sprag clutch!
"There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one..." - Joey Dunlop. Isle of Man TT Champion.

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rick
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#2 Post by rick » Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:51 am

oh yeah, something else I've noticed is puffs of black smoke when revving hard(ish) when she is idling in the garage... assuming unburnt fuel... maybe the tune up will help a little?
"There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one..." - Joey Dunlop. Isle of Man TT Champion.

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#3 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Fri Jun 29, 2012 5:22 am

clean and look at the sensor in the right hand air intake -

yes to checking, cleaning etc the switches

no idea why, but once i have the ignition on, i always roll the throttle fully a couple of times.... then press the starter switch


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


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#4 Post by rick » Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:16 am

thats the air temp sensor right? a green plastic thread in the snorkel?

will clean at the weekend... also sourcing a scottoiler... I've given up manually oiling despite some of my older posts!
"There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one..." - Joey Dunlop. Isle of Man TT Champion.

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#5 Post by flatlander » Fri Jun 29, 2012 8:00 am

Because on carb bikes it cleans the carbs ?
For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of my wife, not everything I may say here will be absolutely true I may on ocassion embellish a little for effect.
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#6 Post by rick » Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:10 am

hmmm... had a reply from a local dyno guy... typical kiwi can't be arsed at the moment... but I'm puzzled by his reply? I asked whats involved with dyno tuning, costs etc. and told him the bike and the fact it had a fp chip etc:

its a time consuming job; reason being every change we do takes 20-30mins considering we generally do tens to possibly hundreds of changes when tuning you can see the time mounts up... best to buy a pc and tune that

he's having a larf right?!
"There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one..." - Joey Dunlop. Isle of Man TT Champion.

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#7 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Sat Jun 30, 2012 4:22 pm

He is full of kiwi shite

My rather none standard falco is due for its very own
MAp soon

The tech due reckoned on no more than two hours labour....

(I have a power commander 3 btw)


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


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#8 Post by rick » Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:22 am

yeah... lets see what other places say

took apart starter switch today - badly crapped up and burnt... all clean and she's now starting real sweet

scottoiler bought and fitted also... put it under the seat against the rectifier thingy... and used the vacuum tube coming from the rear throttle body. I did toy with the idea of putting the feed on the front sprocket but I'd rather see it working/not working so I used one of the metal pieces attached to the read paddock stand bobbin.

I also removed, cleaned and re-oiled the foam filter.

Next week's jobs are oil and filter change, head bulb change and a bloody good clean!

Thanks again peeps
"There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one..." - Joey Dunlop. Isle of Man TT Champion.

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#9 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:39 am

fit an HID bulb to the dip beam and do the always on light mod for the dip beam

then ignore your high beam - i have not used mine for a few years...


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


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#10 Post by rick » Wed Jul 04, 2012 6:36 pm

when you say light always on... you mean literally when you turn ignition on its always on?

Or have you wired them so that the beam and diips are on all the time?

Or (!) do you mean when the beam is on the dip stays on - mod?

I'm keen to do the last one... quite keen for HID (fitted one to my bandit years ago) but expense may be the issue down here!
"There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one..." - Joey Dunlop. Isle of Man TT Champion.

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#11 Post by D-Rider » Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:57 pm

Hopefully he means the last one
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#12 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Thu Jul 05, 2012 5:52 am

yes - so the dip is always on

HIDs take a moment to fire up so being always on is a very good idea


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


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#13 Post by D-Rider » Thu Jul 05, 2012 9:55 am

Aladinsaneuk wrote:yes - so the dip is always on

HIDs take a moment to fire up so being always on is a very good idea
No ..... I think you mean so that the dip is on whenever you have either high or low beam on.

Not on all the time unless you have one of the handful of Falcos that was made without the facility to turn the lights off .... and if I did, I'd fit a switch so that I could turn them off !
“Scientists investigate that which already is. Engineers create that which has never been.”
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#14 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Thu Jul 05, 2012 1:41 pm

funnily enough the hobbit's new mille has later switches....

he did not notice as the step ladder was on the right of the bike when he went to view it


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


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#15 Post by Kwackerz » Thu Jul 05, 2012 5:17 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:funnily enough the hobbit's new mille has later switches....

he did not notice as the step ladder was on the right of the bike when he went to view it

Wasn't really looking.. but yes mine has a distinct lack of off switch for the dip.. :smt016 cleaner, simpler, lazier controls. works for me..
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