Service
SERVICE
Great on left-handers
Paul Dean
I am new to dual-purpose, chain-driven motorcycles, having owned only shaft-drive bikes for years. I now have a 2000 Honda XR650L with 10K. on the clock, and it seems to have a problem. When I let go of the handlebar, the bike veers portside. I’ve tried to adjust the rear axle using long strings, 8-foot metal 2x4 studs as straightedges and a carpenter’s square, but to get it anywhere near correct, I end up with a difference of seven or eight notches in the cam-type chain adjusters on the swingarm. It doesn’t seem that the factory could manufacture something that is so far off. If I just stand back and eyeball the adjusted aft end, the rear sprocket appears to be waaay off the bike’s centerline. Can the front fork be out of alignment? Is there any way an ignorant can fix it with a two-pound ball-peen hammer and a vise? J. Willman
Tucson, Arizona
Let's see: You say you are “new" to dual-purpose bikes, yet your ride is a 2000 XR650L with 10,000 miles on it. Sounds like you bought it used, yes? If that’s the case, the misalignment may be the result of crash damage. Even if you’ve never dropped the bike, the previous owner may have, especially if it ever was used to fulfill the off-road part of its dual-purpose mission. It doesn’t take an epic off-road crash to twist a swingarm or steering head out of alignment. But whatever the case, something clearly is bent. It s not uncommon for
chain adjusters to be one or two notches off from one another, but seven or eight is outrageous.
Problems of this sort can be very difficult to pinpoint just by eyeballing and taking a few basic measurements. If a misalignment of such magnitude is limited only to one bent component, it should be easy for an experienced mechanic to find. But if a crash has tweaked several of the many components between the rear wheel and the front (rear axle, swingarm, swingarm pivot, several feet of frame tubing, steering head, triple-clamps, fork tubes, front
axle), the exact cause of the misalignment can be very' tough to locate.
If you can’t solve the problem by conventional means, consider having your XL-R checked on a GMD Computrack. That ’s the brand name of a sophisticated machine that uses laser beams to measure critical alignment points on any motorcycle chassis, and does it with extreme accuracy. These machines are expensive pieces of equipment that have not yet come into widespread use, but you can find the Computrack nearest you by either calling 404/297-8464 or logging onto www.computrack.com.
Silence of the cams
About a month ago, I had a 1550 bigbore kit, a set of Crane cams, a 42mm Mikuni carb and a Vance & Hines exhaust installed on my 2001 Harley FXDX Super Glide Sport. The bike is really fast now and runs great except that the valves are noisy. The mechanic who did all the installation work says the noise is normal and I shouldn’t worry about it, but I’m concerned anyway. There was no valve noise at all before the installation, and now there’s a lot of it. Is he correct or just trying to avoid having to go back into the engine? Davey Under
Evansville, Indiana
Without being able to hear the noise for myself, I can’t say j'or sure if it is problematic or symptomatic. Some aftermarket H-D cams, especially those that open and close the valves rather quickly, do tend to cause more valvetrain noise than the stock cams.
When designing a motorcycle to meet federal sound regulations, a manufactur-
er must take into consideration more than just exhaust noise; any mechanical racket made by the engine also adds to the overall decibel level. That ’s a particular challenge for Harley-Davidson, given that its Big Twin and Sportster engines are large-displacement, long-stroke, aircooled Twins-factors that, mechanically, make them inherently noisier than smaller-displacement, shorter-stroke, liquidcooled multis. To combat that drawback, H-D ’s engineers use mild cam profiles, in conjunction with hydraulic tappets, to minimize valvetrain noise.
Conversely, aftermarket cams generally are designed purely for performance, not for EPA compliance, so their lift and duration, as well as their opening and closing ramp profiles, are more radical. The hydraulic tappets have no trouble allowing the valves to open and close at the right time, but they aren’t always able to cushion the noise caused by the accelerated rates of opening and closing.
So, your mechanic may be right. If
you still have doubts, solicit a second opinion from another Harley technician.
Wheeler or dealer?
As the owner of a medium-sized motorcycle dealership, I have taken great exception to some of the sarcastic, insulting comments you’ve often made about dealers in your Service section. Over the past few years, you have referred to dealers as idiots, cheaters and liars, but I don’t recall you ever complimenting one. Do you have an axe to grind with motorcycle dealers or do you just like to hammer them because you have the last word and they can’t hammer back? For obvious reasons, I have not included my name and address or that of my dealership. zeltrg44
Posted on www.cycleworld.com
I harbor no ill will toward motorcycle dealers in general. Matter of fact, I once was one. I got my start in the motorcycle business working at a couple of sizable dealerships and even was a partner in another one. But I do have problems with dealerships that brush off customers by giving them ridiculous explanations for legitimate problems. When dealers tell customers that loud engine noises and excessive oil consumption and erratic performance and hard starting and stiff shifting are “normal," those dealers are either liars, idiots or idiotic liars. When they keep taking money from customers without ever fixing the problems, or create new problems in the course of unsuccessfully remedying the original ones, they re corrupt. You can forgive that kind of behavior if you are so inclined, but I will not, because I am not.
There are many fine, honest, extraordinarily capable dealers all across this country, and you may very well be one of them. But a serious problem facing the motorcycle business today is the inexcusable level of incompetence, indifference and dishonesty in the service offered by so many dealerships. The movers and shakers in the industry know it, and so do I, mainly because of the endless stream of letters I receive from riders who have been cheated and mistreated by dealers. Poor service leads to customer dissatisfaction, which, in turn, leads to many of those customers finding other ways to spend their discretionary income instead of on motorcycles.
Our readers look to us for the truth when they can't find it anyplace else. They look to us for answers when all they get is B.S., hype or the runaround from people who don 't know what they 're talking about, don 't care or are simply interested in separating them from as much of their money as possible. Our goal is not to let our readers down. Not if we can help it.
They also will write
I’m one of those people who really read your magazine, from the contents page all the way back to Slipstream. While reading the March, 2002, issue, I noticed that in your reply to Marty McAllister (“If you billet, they will come”), you claimed that “billet” is a “one-syllable term.” Obviously, that is incorrect.
Elmer E. Edelblute Bucksport, Maine
Obviously. When / wrote the sentence in question, it originally read, “that oneword, two-syllable term....” But in the edit ing/proofreading process, which entails having everyone on the CW staff check for errors and style inconsistencies, the first part of that sentence inadvertently got changed to read, “that one-syllable term," and no one-including yours tru-
ly-caught the error afterward. So, l humbly accept this month’s “bonehead” award. But, just to show you that I’m not the least bit selfish. I’ll be glad to share that honor with my fellow editors.
Saddlebags as blender
I own a 2000 Kawasaki Drifter 800 that came with both a Corbin solo saddle and the original two-up seat. I plan to do some interstate touring this summer and have yet to purchase saddlebags. While gathering information about bags, I found some that mount directly to the hardtail portion of the bike and others that hang from brackets on the two-up seat. Which would be better in the long run? John Cary, Sr.
McNeil, Arkansas
Definitely go for the bags that attach to the seat. The bags that mount to the swingarm (I assume that’s what you mean by “the hardtail portion ”) will dramatically increase the rear end’s unsprung weight, particularly when loaded. That will have a significant negative impact on ride quality. And unless you intend to blend Margaritas while cruising down the road (giving new meaning to my previous use of the word “loaded"), let’s not even mention the effect all the up-and-down jarring of the swingarm will have on the stuff in the bags. I can’t imagine anyone designing saddlebags that attach to the swingarm, but I suppose anything is possible.
What price power?
1 have a ’99 Honda 750 ACE on which I’ve installed a Thunder Air jet kit and Roadhouse pipes. The bike runs fine and accelerates better, but why did the fuel mileage go from a typical 50 mpg to 37 mpg? Right after the installation, the mileage was down around 33 mpg and the engine ran very rich. I consulted with the people at Thunder Air, who told me to drop the new needles one notch, and my mechanic also installed smaller jets. The mileage then went up from 33 to 37 mpg, and a surging that had previously occurred at around 55-60 mph disappeared all without any loss of performance. My mechanic said he expected some drop in fuel mileage, but not 13 mpg!
Could I try lowering the needles one more notch or would I risk having the engine run too lean? The plugs look much better than they did right after the initial installation, but they're still darker than stock. Also, with these particular modifications, is it normal for me to smell some gasoline fumes when idling at an intersection? I do now, but didn’t when the bike was stock. I hope you can offer some advice. Stephen Hafer
Hahira, Georgia
As far as fuel mileage is concerned, there no such thing as a free lunch-a cliché that is especially true when at tempting to boost engine performance. An engine makes power by converting chem ical energy into kinetic energy; to make more kinetic energy, an engine needs more chemical energy-more fuel, in other
words. Hence, your ThunderAir kit~ big ger jets and richer needles. An engine can be made to produce more power with the same amount offuel, or even less, but that invariably requires mod~fications much more sweeping and complex than just a set of pipes and ajet kit. On the other hand, a 13-mpg drop aoes seem a bit excessive, and it also j~g~j~s like your ACE is still running a
bit fat. The fumes at idle are likely the result of an excessively rich idle mixture, which can be cured either by adjusting the pilot air screws or replacing the pilot jets with the next-smaller size. Plus, based on your description of the sparkplug color, lowering the needles at least one more notch might be just the ticket for improved mileage.
If you or your mechanic perform a plug check right after dropping the needles, the color of the plugs will tell you whether or not the mixture is too lean. Just remember that the needles only regulate the mixture at partial throttle openings; the main jets are the controlling jactor at or near full throttle. You need to take plug readings at full throttle and half-throttle, then make any necessary jetting changes to the appropriate metering system. Once you get the jetting right, your ACE’s fuel mileage should improve somewhat, maybe even up into the low 40-mpg range.
An ACE with indegestion
I have a 1999 Honda Shadow ACE 750 with 10,000 miles showing. When enter ing slow city traffic after returning from a 150-mile ride in the local mountains, I felt the rear end hop twice. It was as if the engine hiccupped. The bike then started vibrating, so when I got home, I checked the engine-mounting bolts, replaced the O-ring drive chain and installed new sparkplugs, but the bike still vibrated. It doesn’t seem to have lost any power, and if I pull in the clutch, it rolls smoothly. My local dealer rules out the top end and chassis but has no other explanation, and the workshop manual offers no clues. My question: Will continued riding hurt the bike? Stan Pankauski
Bonita, California
Probably. There is something wrong internally that is causing the vibration, and the problem isn’t going to heal itself. All that continued riding will accomplish is a larger repair bill than the one you now face.
I 'm not sure what is the source of the vibration, but logic dictates that it is located somewhere in the power-producing segment of the engine. The vibration ceases when you pull the clutch in, so that eliminates the wheels, the driveline, the transmission and the inner clutch hub as suspects; all those components continue to rotate at the same speeds when the clutch is disengaged as the bike is moving. What stops rotating at
the same speed are the pistons and crankshaft, as well as everything that’s permanently connected to the crank. So, unless a chunk of the crankshaft has broken off, only the primary> drive mechanism, the alternator rotor and the outer clutch hub have enough mass to cause a noticeable vibration.
I suggest you have a good mechanic rip into the engine ASAP. Something has gone awry in there, and the repairs will be a lot cheaper if that something is removed before it exits on its own.
Old enough to re-tire
I recently purchased a used bike that appears to have been stored for a recent portion of its life. The tires are Avon Super Venoms that look almost new, but their DOT year/week of manufacture indicate that they are about 6 years old. They have no cracks on the sidewalls, with the exception of just a few hairline cracks right on the boundary of some of the small stamped numbers and letters on one tire. Are these tires safe? Even if they looked perfect, should one assume from their age that they need to be replaced? Ed Litzenberger
FEEDBACK LOOP
Your reply to the “Battling the Rattling” question in the February issue was correct: The noise indeed is the camchain tensioner. I’ve been a Honda factory tech for a while now, and since the release of the CBR600F4Í and CBR929RR, I’ve replaced four tensioners on the 600s and two on the 929s. Honda is not saying they are having problems, but they are paying warranty claims. But, then again, Honda never admits a problem!
knobby5Q Posted on America Online
In response to your “Battling the Rattling” posting in February’s Service, I may have an answer. A friend of mine complained of the same problem with his CBR600F4Í, and when I listened around the bike using the old screwdriver-in-the-ear method, the only source seemed to be the shock spring vibrating in its retaining ring. When I held onto the spring, the rattle stopped. Rick Normandie
Wyoming, Rhode Island
Laurel, Maryland
Chances are very good that from a standpoint of safety, the tires are okay. But when it comes to tires, is “okay ” really...okay? Even if the tires were never to fail or go flat, they will not offer as much grip as they did when new. As a tire ages, the compound gets harder and the rubber gradually loses enough of its flexibility to alter the intended characteristics of the tire. So, not only do old tires provide less traction than they did when new, their effect on handling and rider feedback can change over time.
Think of it this way: Everything that a motorcycle does-e\erything-involves an interaction between the motorcycle and the ground. Yet the motorcycle only touches the ground in two very small patches. Don 't you think, then, that those two patches are critically important? Wouldn 't you want those to be the two best patches possible? Don’t be lulled into a false economy; spring for new tires.
Does even even matter?
I am contemplating installing an aftermarket exhaust on my cruiser, a 2001 Suzuki Marauder, and was wondering if the length of the exhaust pipes (assuming it is not a 2-into-l system) will affect the performance and sound of the engine? For instance, some manufacturers sell dual exhausts that end evenly at the rear of the bike, but the overall length of the system is unequal; one pipe must travel from one side of the engine over to the other before heading toward the rear of the bike, while the other pipe runs straight along the same side, all the way to the rear. Yet some exhaust systems that have staggered outlets are built with equal-length tailpipes. What’s the deal?
S.T. Beattie Minneapolis, Minnesota
“The deal" is a little more complicated than can be ascertained visually or by measuring the length of the pipes. In general, V-Twin exhaust systems with unequal-length pipes force some compromise in performance, because the tuning of the exhaust is inconsistent from one cylinder to the other. Sometimes, much of that difference can be mitigated with a crossover pipe, which allows both cylinders to share all the exhaust-system volume, but most aftermarket exhausts don’t use them.
Still, that doesn V necessarily mean that all systems of equal length outperform all those that are unequal. I've seen cases in which a system with unequal-length pipes outperformed several equal-length systems because the former's basic tuning configuration was very good and the latter 's was not.
In the end, the relative performance worth of any exhaust system is proven either on the dyno or in competition. And no one can predict the sound of an exhaust system by just looking at it or measuring it; besides being a very subjective criteria, sound is a mysterious outcome that even the pipe manufacturers themselves rarely can predict until they actually bolt the first one on an engine and fire it up.
Kawi's got the blues
I recently put a full Muzzy exhaust system on my 2000 Kawasaki ZX-7R. I have noticed that the header is turning blue, especially close to the head. When I put the exhaust system on, I also installed a K&N jet kit. A friend told me that the bluing is normal, but someone else told me that it was being caused by a lean fuel mixture. Can you explain the bluing? Gary McClun Posted on www.cycleworld.com
When an engine is running on the ideal air-fuel mixture for optimum perform ance, the temperature of the gases rush ing out of the exhaust port and into the header can exceed 1000 degrees, certainly enough to heat the metal, and any plating on it, to the point of discoloration. This is why so many cruiser exhaust systems are designed with heat shields on the header pipes. They aren ’/ there so much to shield anyone or anything from the heat, hut rather to hide the bluing that quickly occurs on the headers. This also is why, even wav back in the 1960s and '70s, the headers on many Japanese bikes that had exposed exhaust pipes were built with double-wall tubing. The airspace between the inner and outer pipes served as insulation that prevented the chrome plating on the outside from turning blue.
A few exhaust-system manufacturers deal with this problem by coating the outside surfaces of their systems with high-temperature materials that resist bluing. Some of those coatings have a silvery, shiny appearance that is very attractive, but it stops short of the mirrorlike lustre of high-quality chrome plating. Some custom-bike builders and fussy owners even try to prevent pipe bluing by running the engine with excessively rich jetting. That doesn 't allow the engines to run very well, but it usually prevents the pipes from turning blue.
Bottom line: If your ZX-7R runs nicely and a sparkplug reading indicates no lean condition, don’t worry about the bluing. It's normal. □
Got a mechanical or technical problem with your beloved ride? Can’t seem to find reasonable solutions in your area? Maybe we can help. If you think we can, either: 1) Mail your inquiry, along with your full name, address and phone number, to Cycle World Service, 1499 Monrovia Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92663; 2) fax it to Paul Dean at 949/631-0651; 3) e-mail it to CW1Dean@aol.com; or 4) log onto www.cycleworld.com and click on the Feedback button. Please, always include your name, city and state of residence. Don’t write a 10page essay, but do include enough information about the problem to permit a rational diagnosis. And please understand that due to the enormous volume of inquiries we receive, we can’t guarantee a reply to every question.
