I rode my bike to work. And as long as everything goes well, I'll ride it home! It likes to be ridden!   

A fresh coat of paint for a tired '98 GS:

http://i573.photobucket.com/albums/ss177/trebor69er/GS500E/gs500e.jpg

sold my 89

see you later guys, im out

beat it for 90 miles, it screamed.

Bought paint for all the painted parts.

Once it is painted, pics will follow.

Went to the MRA blanket run, good fun, good charity. Our "club" won the biggest club prize (get the club name on the shield). Ulysses, HOG, and many others showed up, but when we arrived at the pre ride meeting point it was obvious that they wouldn't bother with a head count. Last year they (I wasn't a member then) tied with Ulysses.

Pity we didn't get police escort for it, I would of loved to have them block off roads and let us run red lights.

Edit: Just watched the news, about a three minute article on it.

You know what I did to my bike today, I rolled its sorry arse into the back of my box trailer. The f%$king back tyre has once again picked up another random piece of metal from the roads around here. Its driving me insane.

On Wednesday its going in for a new hard compound back tyre. Maybe then it will stop doing this.

Quote from: Shaddow on May 15, 2011, 04:47:51 AM
You know what I did to my bike today, I rolled its sorry arse into the back of my box trailer. The f%$king back tyre has once again picked up another random piece of metal from the roads around here. Its driving me insane.

On Wednesday its going in for a new hard compound back tyre. Maybe then it will stop doing this.

Again??? You sure the ones you have now ain't magnetic?

Cleaned the chain and sprocket, tensioned and lubed the chain and then waxed the bike with Meguiars.

I installed a Heli-Coil repair, repairing the fubbared bolt hole in the head for the header tube.....Super tight area to work in, but got it done.

So, the exhaust is on for the final time during this final assembly phase, no way was that engine coming out to make the repair.

Onto getting the headlights and directionals mounted and wired.

Today i fixed my bike by setting the float height (i think i fixed it).

Skip the rest if ya want, i felt like typing....

Bike was losing power on highway, whenever i wanted to accelerate from about 65mph.  (has done this since i got it last year)
Seemed the longer i cruised at highway speeds the worse it got.
Cracking the throttle a bit would cause the bike to considerably lose power.
This was at throttle position: wherever it is that keeps me going 65mph or so, and then give it just a crack of throttle.  
Going from cruise to full throttle the bike acted like i had shut off the ignition.

I figured it was a fuel issue.  I checked the tank vent (which turned out be i was checking the overflow drain, which was clogged badly).  I checked the hoses and the petcock(s), the gas was comming out kinda purple, so i figured maybe it was bad gas... but this has happened with dozens of tanks of gas (is the new 'ethanol' fuel kinda purple looking?).  So i kept digging, i really did not want to pull the carbs (i know from quads and dirtbikes and old cars that carbs are no fun.  So of course i figured i would pull the carbs.
 
So i went to home depot and got a riding lawn mower fuel filter (my tank has just a touch of rust in it).
Pulled the carbs and pulled them apart to check them out.  They were pretty clean.  Some of the cleanest carbs i had ever seen.  So i just quickly made sure the jets were open, they were.

Only thing left was float levels.  So i used the 'search' function here.
Set the floats to 13mm.  (they were at about 5mm, both. edit: they were both more like 21mm; i didn't actually check it, and i think i was thinking backwards when i typed that... but regardless: the needles were both closing after just barely moving the floats from open [i was checking with carb right side up, as... imo... it doesn't work right to do it upside down, since there is that play in the needle retainer](i'm sure it was lacking fuel in the carb bowls)/end edit.)
Figured i had found the problem.

Reassembled and put back in bike.  Clear tube method (luckily i fly model airplanes so i had some hose[i have a lot of hobbies]) showed the right carb maybe 1mm higher than gasket; left carb just about right.  (i wish i had checked with clear tube before i pulled the carbs).

Had the choke cable, and air filter-to-carb screws left to put on, and air filter 'drain', all left to be put on, then the rain/thunder/lightning started.  Oh and i still need to put the fuel filter in (i bought it, i may as well use it).  Threw the tank and seat on and am waiting for weather to clear to take it for a spin and see if it improved (i think it has to have improved).

Thanks to gstwins i reckon my bike will be running the best it ever has in my position.  It started up and idled without needing the choke, but figured the choke would improve cold idle (i didn't have time to put on choke cable since it was raining, so i covered the air intake with a piece of cardboard to choke it for maybe a minute, i usually had to choke it for about 5 minutes to keep it running).

complete barnett clutch kit upgrade.....friction disks,steel plates,springs and new oil..now it wont start but what would a GS be without its recurring problems

Quote from: Twisted on May 15, 2011, 05:09:41 AM

Quote from: Shaddow on May 15, 2011, 04:47:51 AM
You know what I did to my bike today, I rolled its sorry arse into the back of my box trailer. The f%$king back tyre has once again picked up another random piece of metal from the roads around here. Its driving me insane.

On Wednesday its going in for a new hard compound back tyre. Maybe then it will stop doing this.

Again??? You sure the ones you have now ain't magnetic?

I am beginning to wonder. I'm half think of putting a dual purpose (adventure style) tyre on it to get around this problem. I'll try the dual compound tyre from Dunlop (suppose to be a hard for economy and durability centre. Can't think of the name of the tyre at the moment) first but if it keeps going its getting a cross over tyre on it.

Sprayed the painted parts with primer.  I have a few runs so I'll have to sand before color.

At Saturday's GS500 West Seattle Club work session.
Trey got new front .85 springs. With old springs, we lifted him up over 6" and the front wheel was still on the ground!
Also got new/used chain (last week) from a 2009F with 240 miles (thank  god for those box-o-bolts from the bike breakers - the new chain was a surprise!)
Trey and Junior had the header pipes polished with stove polish. Looking good!
Junior bot a restrictor for a Jardine put into his V&H so it is less obnoxious.
Zuki got new SS brake line, new fluid, and quickly found and fixed a short after all got put back together (Patrick loves to play with electricity!)
Bluesmudge got new clutch lever and clutch adjusted as well as fairings washed while they were off. Also polished the pipes with stove polish.

Beer, Chocolate covered Macadamia nuts and hot dogs - and it was sunny in Seattle ! A fun day.

Quote from: Shaddow on May 15, 2011, 06:34:22 PM

Quote from: Twisted on May 15, 2011, 05:09:41 AM

Quote from: Shaddow on May 15, 2011, 04:47:51 AM
You know what I did to my bike today, I rolled its sorry arse into the back of my box trailer. The f%$king back tyre has once again picked up another random piece of metal from the roads around here. Its driving me insane.

On Wednesday its going in for a new hard compound back tyre. Maybe then it will stop doing this.

Again??? You sure the ones you have now ain't magnetic?

I am beginning to wonder. I'm half think of putting a dual purpose (adventure style) tyre on it to get around this problem. I'll try the dual compound tyre from Dunlop (suppose to be a hard for economy and durability centre. Can't think of the name of the tyre at the moment) first but if it keeps going its getting a cross over tyre on it.

Have you thought of that anti-puncture gunk? The idea is, you put it in through the valve opening. Put a new valve stem in, roll it around a bit to let it coat the inside and you'll never get a puncture again. I think Supercheap sells it  I'm pretty sure most bike shops sell it too.

Michael

reupholstered my seat with allsport marine vinyl. coool

installed my HEL ss brake lines and filled the lines with synthetic rake fluid.

Quote from: mister on May 16, 2011, 02:33:48 AM

Quote from: Shaddow on May 15, 2011, 06:34:22 PM

Quote from: Twisted on May 15, 2011, 05:09:41 AM

Quote from: Shaddow on May 15, 2011, 04:47:51 AM
You know what I did to my bike today, I rolled its sorry arse into the back of my box trailer. The f%$king back tyre has once again picked up another random piece of metal from the roads around here. Its driving me insane.

On Wednesday its going in for a new hard compound back tyre. Maybe then it will stop doing this.

Again??? You sure the ones you have now ain't magnetic?

I am beginning to wonder. I'm half think of putting a dual purpose (adventure style) tyre on it to get around this problem. I'll try the dual compound tyre from Dunlop (suppose to be a hard for economy and durability centre. Can't think of the name of the tyre at the moment) first but if it keeps going its getting a cross over tyre on it.

Have you thought of that anti-puncture gunk? The idea is, you put it in through the valve opening. Put a new valve stem in, roll it around a bit to let it coat the inside and you'll never get a puncture again. I think Supercheap sells it  I'm pretty sure most bike shops sell it too.

Michael

Hadn't thought about that. I'll see if the bike shop has some when I drop the bike in this afternoon. At the moment its in a box trailer behind the disco. It came to work with me so I can make it to the shop in time after work. Sad really.

Since installing the V&H exhaust, I have also had Scoots jetted and the oil changed...

Best part about the jetting was the loaner I got for the weekend, Triumph Speedmaster!!

Installed LSL adjustable brake and clutch levers on Trey. Now waiting for more to do the other bikes. These are stock. No modifications required. Just not available in the USA so I got them direct from LSL in Germany.