Spring Clean...with a twist (project done)***4/13/2010***

[skudman]

Hello everyone,
Although i may not be a large poster i am a frequent visitor of the forum, i very much enjoy seeing the modification and great fabrication that goes into these custom machines.   This is my second winter with the GS, and with spring rapidly approaching, i feel it is time to give "Shela" a good once over. I have not done anything to her mechanically of physically since i bought her. well except for jet kit/yosh pipe/ and lunchbox. so it is time to clean it up a bit. I bought her with a few things missing and she wasn't very polished but the maintenance was spot on (got all the paper work) i figured with my tax return this year i would bring back a little life to my aging beauty. my plans are mostly cosmetic but here is a list:

paint fairings
paint wheels
Paint header
Paint forks
Fix cracked Plastic
R&R Front turns
shave emblems
R&R Tires
R&R Chain
R&R Sprockets (front and rear)
R&R bar ends
there are some odds and ends that I have been coming across as i pull her apart they go here  

as she was:


As it sits now:
1)

2)Cracked Fairing which i shall fix

3)all my parts

4)front sprocket area

5) Head gasket leaking?


BTW i didn't crash or drop the bike, i work a a restaurant and one morning after i had arrived, one of the employees was taking out the trash, well the motorcycle parking is next to the trash, one way or another he tipped the bike, denting my new yosh pipe, cracking the fairing, scratching the plastics, bending the handlebars, tearing off the handlebar end smashing the crank cover. and the worst part is neither he nor the owner of the restaurant were liable. i just had to eat it i never parked their again, i also no longer work there  

If you haven't already guessed i am changing the color scheme, it will no longer be Black and silver, it will be.....a surprise

Cheers
Ryan

[bassmechanicsz]

That sucks what happened to your bike but atleast it is a good reason to customize it. 

Something similar happened to a friend of mine when we were working at a restaurant.  Except that a delivery truck backed his truck to where it was on top of the hood of his car and dented and scratched the hell out of it and neither the delivery company or restaurant took responsibility for it and he was forced to get it fixed out of his pocket.

[ohgood]

soooo, if they destroy your car, truck, van, bike or whatever, they just don't pay ? color me confused.

[skudman]

soooo, if they destroy your car, truck, van, bike or whatever, they just don't pay ? color me confused.

So technically it was on public property, but also technically on the landlords property, their walks the fine line....

[badguy]

soooo, if they destroy your car, truck, van, bike or whatever, they just don't pay ? color me confused.

So technically it was on public property, but also technically on the landlords property, their walks the fine line....

I don't know all the details, but it seems to me (in other words I have no clue, haha) that it shouldn't matter whose property the bike was on when it was knocked over - whoever damaged it should pay.  If the person admitted to knocking it over, I don't see how they could get out of paying unless you personally told them not to worry about it.  Either way, it sucks but I'm glad you can fix it.

Good luck with the painting 

[scottpA_GS]

 Yea.. Uuu??

If they admit to knocking it over they pay.. PERIOD. It doesnt matter where it happend.

First thing FILE A POLICE REPORT NOW!!! Dont wait!

Then Contact the local distric justice office/whatever local court system you have there... All you should need to do is file the paperwork in small claims court. I wouldnt just give up on it.

[gregvhen]

leaking head gsaket- can you put some silicone in there to help that? or should it just be replaced?

[DoD#i]

4)front sprocket area

Put some grease on the countershaft when you put in a new sprocket.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=43130.msg484400#msg484400

[badguy]

Put some grease on the countershaft when you put in a new sprocket.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=43130.msg484400#msg484400

Good advice!  Glad I saw this...I thought it was just surface rust flaking off.  Thanks (and thanks to Sledge for the explanation)

[The Buddha]

Go back there one day and bust their cars open.
Cool.
Buddha.

[mister]

Go back there one day and bust their cars open.
Cool.
Buddha.

A pair of side cutters. Snip off TWO valves. If the truck carries two spares, then do three tires.

Paint stripper is easy to carry in a small bottle. Make sure you do a few panels for maximum effect.

Harsh?

Maybe. But dude. *I* don't care Where it happened, they Damaged Your Property and are Guilty of that.

Guy at work parked his Harley. Came back to find someone had hit it and damaged a mudguard. He went into the office and the security footage was reviewed. Saw how the Accountant had walked passed the bike, reversed out, hit it, went forward, reversed and hit it again & drove off. Account Said he'd pay once an insurance quote was given. Upon presentation of quote Accountant started blabbering on about the bike not authorized to be there, blah blah blah. Dude, stands up (picture, number 1 blade and tats on arms, hands, neck) pounds the desk and says, "I liked my bike and did not ask for it to be damaged. It was YOUR Incompetent Driving that damaged it, so YOU pay up" and stands there towering over the guy. Guy cuts him a check there and then.

No it ain't your boss' fault. It's ALWAYS the fault of the person who did the damage.

Because they have weaseled out of this I am assuming your bike was NOT insured. Cause I cannot see how your insurance co would not go after a guilty party whether they had insurance or not.

So.... is your bike insured?

Why have you not pursued this to be reimbursed for the damaged They did to your property?

Michael

[skudman]

Go back there one day and bust their cars open.
Cool.
Buddha.

A pair of side cutters. Snip off TWO valves. If the truck carries two spares, then do three tires.

Paint stripper is easy to carry in a small bottle. Make sure you do a few panels for maximum effect.

Harsh?

Maybe. But dude. *I* don't care Where it happened, they Damaged Your Property and are Guilty of that.

Guy at work parked his Harley. Came back to find someone had hit it and damaged a mudguard. He went into the office and the security footage was reviewed. Saw how the Accountant had walked passed the bike, reversed out, hit it, went forward, reversed and hit it again & drove off. Account Said he'd pay once an insurance quote was given. Upon presentation of quote Accountant started blabbering on about the bike not authorized to be there, blah blah blah. Dude, stands up (picture, number 1 blade and tats on arms, hands, neck) pounds the desk and says, "I liked my bike and did not ask for it to be damaged. It was YOUR Incompetent Driving that damaged it, so YOU pay up" and stands there towering over the guy. Guy cuts him a check there and then.

No it ain't your boss' fault. It's ALWAYS the fault of the person who did the damage.

Because they have weaseled out of this I am assuming your bike was NOT insured. Cause I cannot see how your insurance co would not go after a guilty party whether they had insurance or not.

So.... is your bike insured?

Why have you not pursued this to be reimbursed for the damaged They did to your property?

Michael

Yes i am insured, and was insured at the time, I discussed this with my agent, he says since my last accident(only accident) just got removed from my record my insurance would penalize me cause they would be the payees. The employee was on the clock, and because of this brings a whole twist to who was at fault. yes he admitted to tipping the bike, but since he was on the clock he holds no responsibility for what happened, e.g. you break a chair while on the clock, it doesn't come out of you paycheck the owner pays for it. same thing applies here. I discussed it with the owner of the restaurant a few days after the accident, he says since it is not on his property he is not responsible for the bike(it is just like a public parking lot) and even though Sam (the guy that caused the damage) was on the clock since he was off the property he was no longer under the "chair" rule. Sam is a totaly worthless person, he has nothing and i mean nothing of value. he is in his 50's and lives with his mom, doesn't own a car, nothing. i would not have been able to get anything out of him, even if i was a huge HD rider with tats and 250+ pounds. This was about 4 months ago, and it was a good bartending job, i made really good money and i wasn't about to lose that job over something like this. at the time it seemed more worthwhile to just move on, after all it is just a bike. It was a very messed up situation, yes i think Sam should have payed for it, but since he doesn't have a dollar to his name, it wouldn't have taken me anywhere.

Ryan

[BeerGarage]

Hi

I would say not head gasket leak but rather valve cover leak.  Seems to be oil and dirt accumulation above head gasket and below valve cover.  Remember to clean gasket and use sealant each time closing the valve cover? 

Also, front sprocket area looks very dry.  Did you oil your chain regularly?  Maybe you used some kind of dry wax that I have not head of?  Also good idea to change both sprockets and chain at same time.

How do you plan to fix the cracked fairing? 

Cheers

[mister]

Go back there one day and bust their cars open.
Cool.
Buddha.

A pair of side cutters. Snip off TWO valves. If the truck carries two spares, then do three tires.

Paint stripper is easy to carry in a small bottle. Make sure you do a few panels for maximum effect.

Harsh?

Maybe. But dude. *I* don't care Where it happened, they Damaged Your Property and are Guilty of that.

Guy at work parked his Harley. Came back to find someone had hit it and damaged a mudguard. He went into the office and the security footage was reviewed. Saw how the Accountant had walked passed the bike, reversed out, hit it, went forward, reversed and hit it again & drove off. Account Said he'd pay once an insurance quote was given. Upon presentation of quote Accountant started blabbering on about the bike not authorized to be there, blah blah blah. Dude, stands up (picture, number 1 blade and tats on arms, hands, neck) pounds the desk and says, "I liked my bike and did not ask for it to be damaged. It was YOUR Incompetent Driving that damaged it, so YOU pay up" and stands there towering over the guy. Guy cuts him a check there and then.

No it ain't your boss' fault. It's ALWAYS the fault of the person who did the damage.

Because they have weaseled out of this I am assuming your bike was NOT insured. Cause I cannot see how your insurance co would not go after a guilty party whether they had insurance or not.

So.... is your bike insured?

Why have you not pursued this to be reimbursed for the damaged They did to your property?

Michael

Yes i am insured, and was insured at the time, I discussed this with my agent, he says since my last accident(only accident) just got removed from my record my insurance would penalize me cause they would be the payees. The employee was on the clock, and because of this brings a whole twist to who was at fault. yes he admitted to tipping the bike, but since he was on the clock he holds no responsibility for what happened, e.g. you break a chair while on the clock, it doesn't come out of you paycheck the owner pays for it. same thing applies here. I discussed it with the owner of the restaurant a few days after the accident, he says since it is not on his property he is not responsible for the bike(it is just like a public parking lot) and even though Sam (the guy that caused the damage) was on the clock since he was off the property he was no longer under the "chair" rule. Sam is a totaly worthless person, he has nothing and i mean nothing of value. he is in his 50's and lives with his mom, doesn't own a car, nothing. i would not have been able to get anything out of him, even if i was a huge HD rider with tats and 250+ pounds. This was about 4 months ago, and it was a good bartending job, i made really good money and i wasn't about to lose that job over something like this. at the time it seemed more worthwhile to just move on, after all it is just a bike. It was a very messed up situation, yes i think Sam should have payed for it, but since he doesn't have a dollar to his name, it wouldn't have taken me anywhere.

Ryan

Ah... that's why the insurance agent said what he did. THEY would have been left holding the baby then without any recourse. Result = same as if you came back and found it damaged and claimed without a third party to chase = you are screwed by them.

Cool. Fair enough. 

Michael

[skudman]

Hi

I would say not head gasket leak but rather valve cover leak.  Seems to be oil and dirt accumulation above head gasket and below valve cover.  Remember to clean gasket and use sealant each time closing the valve cover? 

Also, front sprocket area looks very dry.  Did you oil your chain regularly?  Maybe you used some kind of dry wax that I have not head of?  Also good idea to change both sprockets and chain at same time.

How do you plan to fix the cracked fairing? 

Cheers

valve cover gasket?? yea i have never taken an engine apart, i do lots of mechanical things and am good with my hands but the furthest i have gone is taking apart the carbs. Also brake roters are a new one for me, which i planned on taking of for my wheel spray but, i read somewhere that they should be balanced? I need to do more research before i take those puppies off.

Ya, i went on super long road trips and during the iffy season, got caught in the rain quite a few times and always forgot to lube the chain. But you live and learn right. and yea i bought both front and rear sprockets  (JT) with a new Xring chain (bikemaster) i am unsure about bikemaster chains i have always used DID, but i figured i would try something new.

I actually fixed it yesterday, i plastic welded it, i really is a breeze for those you you who are inexperienced welders (such as i) and it is super cheap. Basically you identify what kind of plastic you have (it is molded right into the plastic "ABS") go to you local home depot or harbor freight, pick of plastic welding rods (5.99 for like 50) and a soldering iron (14.68). Sand your old paint down to the plastic, V out your crack, little wax tar and grease remover to make sure you damaged area is clean, then V'ed the front so i supported the back with a small painters stick, and some Electricians tape, I scraped the rod with the needle of the iron, turns the ABS into a liquid like paste that molds right into the V. Drys in moments, then sand with 300 grit and gradually move to finer grades till it is smooth to the touch. when you are done you should see a thin line in the old crack (where you "V'ed") that is filled with you new plastic. I have to say it feels darn sturdy too!!!

[skudman]

Go back there one day and bust their cars open.
Cool.
Buddha.

I have thought about it.....

[skudman]

4)front sprocket area

Put some grease on the countershaft when you put in a new sprocket.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=43130.msg484400#msg484400

where can i get Coppaslip or equivalent? 

[DoD#i]

I rather suspect that's a copper-flake anti-seize from Sledge's side of the ocean. As such, a copper-flake anti-seize (may make claims regarding working with oxygen sensors) would be equivalent. But plain old heavy grease will do fine - you'll note that Sledge mentioned heavy grease first and "Coppaslip" as a second choice.

You should get some anti-seize if you don't have a can/jar of that. Any time you're putting steel screws into aluminum parts you definitely want a bit of it on the thing so you can get it apart later. I also use it for steel into steel on vehicles of any sort unless the location calls for something else that will keep water out, such as loc-tite. I hate having things rusted / corroded together so that bolts don't work.

[johnny ro]

auto parts stores all sell graphite based antisieze. A few will have copper bsed. There are other metals they emulsify, for applciation to specific metals as grease, but not found at common  auto parts stores.

[BeerGarage]

valve cover gasket?? yea i have never taken an engine apart, i do lots of mechanical things and am good with my hands but the furthest i have gone is taking apart the carbs. Also brake roters are a new one for me, which i planned on taking of for my wheel spray but, i read somewhere that they should be balanced? I need to do more research before i take those puppies off.

Valve cover is no more difficult than carbs.  Link if interested.  http://beergarage.com/GSHeadOff.aspx
Fun too. 

I actually fixed it yesterday, i plastic welded it, i really is a breeze for those you you who are inexperienced welders (such as i) and it is super cheap. Basically you identify what kind of plastic you have (it is molded right into the plastic "ABS") go to you local home depot or harbor freight, pick of plastic welding rods (5.99 for like 50) and a soldering iron (14.68). Sand your old paint down to the plastic, V out your crack, little wax tar and grease remover to make sure you damaged area is clean, then V'ed the front so i supported the back with a small painters stick, and some Electricians tape, I scraped the rod with the needle of the iron, turns the ABS into a liquid like paste that molds right into the V. Drys in moments, then sand with 300 grit and gradually move to finer grades till it is smooth to the touch. when you are done you should see a thin line in the old crack (where you "V'ed") that is filled with you new plastic. I have to say it feels darn sturdy too!!!

Thank you.  I should look into this.