The Service Dept
THE SERVICE DEPTZZ
BY JODY NICHOLAS
I STAND CORRECTED
Re your answer to Arnold Betkeze, Service column, July ’72, the following parts of the 1970 and ’71 Honda SL are different: Head, 12200-287-080 (’70); 1 2 2 0 0 - 3 1 2 - 000 (’71); cam, 14101-286-050 (’70); 14101-312-030 (’71); cam follower, 14432-286-010 (’70); 14432-312-010 (’71) cam case, 12211-286-070 (’70); 12211-312-000 (’71).
John Julian Honda Specialty London, Ont., Canada
At the time Service for the July, 1972 issue was written, I got in touch with personnel at American Honda Motor Co. to verify the differences between the 1970 Honda SL350 and the 1971 Honda SL350 K1 machines. The reply I got from American Honda was the one printed in the July issue of CYCLE WORLD. I stand corrected.
NOTHING RUNS FOREVER!
My bike is a 1969 BMW R50-US with 33,000 miles on it. Lately it has been pinging severely at 3/4 throttle in 3rd and 4th gears when the ignition timing is set as per BMW specs. If the magneto is adjusted to retard the spark as far as it will go it helps, but the pinging doesn’t disappear entirely.
The bike has always run well on the same brand of regular gas without pinging before now. The points are new and properly adjusted. Dunstall megaphones have been installed and the carbs jetted up two sizes. Larger jets do not help, nor does changing the needle setting. Plug checks after full throttle uphill runs show a tan color.
The heads on this bike have never been pulled. Could this problem be caused by carbon deposits?
Adam Rosenblatt R ox bury, Mass.
I’d wager that your problem is excessive carbon deposits. After 33,000 miles on any motorcycle, even a BMW, I’d be inclined to take the cylinder heads off and have a look, just to see why it kept running so long!
BIKE TRANSPORT
I’ve been reading the ads and articles in search of a small trailer or some device to carry or transport a bike like a Yamaha 200 or 250. I’ve heard abouta rig that anchors to the bumper and permits one wheel to tag along behind a car. Can you help me locate it?
Of course, a bike in this weight class is too heavy to carry in a bumper bracket set, the maximum carrying ability of which is about 200 lb. Besides, so many of the newer cars have wraparound bumpers upon which a carrier can’t be installed.
Any suggestions? I’d like to take my bike along on 200-500-mile trips where riding it all the way isn’t feasible.
Wm. H. Hull Minneapolis, Minn.
One rig that anchors to the rear bumper of a car to carry a motorcycle is called Trail-A-Bike, manufactured by Trail-A-Bikes, Inc., 221 S. 19th Ave., Yakima, WN 98902. It has the advan-, tages of being relatively inexpensive" ($32.95 for a model to carry one motorcycle), is easy to install, and doesn’t place an extreme amount of weight on the rear of the car.
However, there are several things to remember when considering the purchase and installation of a device such as the Trail-A-Bike. First, you are limited to trailer speed limits, which are generally 10 mph slower than the automobile speed limits. Next, there is the problem of increased wear on the motorcycle’s rear tire and, more importantly, the rear chain.
If the trips you plan to take pulling your Yamaha are not too long, you don’t mind driving at the speed limit for trailers, and you remove the rear chain from the motorcycle before the trip, it’s the least expensive way to haul a motorcycle. |§1
