What did you do to your motorcyle today?

[Rob 802]

the 750 and 850 yamahas have the same type petcocks some of the guys have put on off in the fuel lines to solve this the yamahas have 2 petcocks and there was a recall on the 750 ones

[Twisted_Twin]

My Honda CX650E and GL650 had vacuum petcocks but they have an "off" position.

Most guys just pull the spring out and turn them into manual petcocks.

Not sure if that's something that could be done with yours.

Shawn

[trevor]

Put on a 1/4 fairing.

[1000J]

Nice    looks good Trevor, same as the one on my J    I like the Mad Max look 

[trevor]

Nice    looks good Trevor, same as the one on my J    I like the Mad Max look 

Thanks Chris, I've always liked the look of a cafe style fairing on these bikes. It's just a cheap one but if I really like it I might look for a better quality one.

[Aaron!]

Pulled the transmission out of the Norton. It is Ducked.

[Wheels]

Pulled the transmission out of the Norton. It is Ducked.

Aaron,  it is not ducked the bike is just showing its affection to you and wants your hands all over her.  She will love the new gears that you get for her and all will be happy.

[Aaron!]

Pulled the transmission out of the Norton. It is Ducked.

Aaron,  it is not ducked the bike is just showing its affection to you and wants your hands all over her.  She will love the new gears that you get for her and all will be happy.

I could put my hands all over it when I push it in the river..

PS I meant the transmission was Ducked

[754]

Might be able to clean off the shaft and polish up, then just make new bushing....as long as shaft is not undersized, where the bushing piled up.

[jetta90]

If the seat assembly is pressed in and has an o ring check them. I had a 88 zx10 years ago. Bought it in in 96 with 12k ! Ran well for a few tanks and then went on a nasty miss miss blubber blubber. Gas weeping etc. Thought it was stuck floats. It ended up the bike had sat for long periods of time and the orings dried out, cracked and when some fresh gas to them they basically disintegrated. Chased my tail on that one for a while. Carbs came off easy on that as they were downdraft and the airbox hid under the tank. Concourse will be more complicated. Try the easy stuff first. Maybe even nip the high tension back a bit with a new cap?

I'm looking at spending some time with the bike later this week.  I haven't decided whether I'll pull the carbs off it right away, or just go to new plugs first and see how it works out.  Forgive my whining and procrastination, but pulling off and installing the carbs is not all that palatable to me at this point in time.

Spent a little time on the Concours tonight to see how the number 4 plug was fouling.  The end synopsis:  carbs are going to be coming out for clean and look see. 
Had lots of strong spark on all 4 cylinders.......including #4 using the fouled plug. 
Started looking at the # 4 carb - opened up the float bowl drain capturing the float bowl fuel in a clean container.  What came out wasn't all that clean. 
So decided I would remount the fuel tank and put the petcock on prime and once again opened the float bowl drain.  Drained out about 1/4 liter and the fuel was coming out cleaner towards the end of the exercise.
Left the petcock on prime to see if the needle valves/floats would hold the fuel......no go.  Pretty quick I had fuel draining out of the air filter box.  Switched the petcock to another position from prime and flow stopped, as expected.
Here is the kicker.......Kawasaki (thank you EPA) decided to eliminate the carb overflows on this model.  Without overflows and once a valve needle no longer seals in its seat, fuel will flow continuously until the fuel tank is drained.  Where will the fuel go without the existence of overflows on the carbs?  Into the air box and into the cylinders.  Number 4 cylinder had a lot of fuel in it.  This would point the finger in the direction of the needle valve/float mechanism being stuck or worn. 
Guess the carbs are coming out, I'll take a look at what the air filter looks like with all the fuel flowing into the air box, and obviously I'll change out the oil and filter.
This bike is turning out to be a lot of work....

So over the course of the week, carbs came out and have been cleaned out without totally dismantling them.  Not a perfect job, but will have to do for now.  Sediment found in float bowls and some of it seemed to have been there for a while as it was caked into some of the nooks and crannies of the bowl.  All of that chit came out. 
Needle valve tips looked good - these have a rubber coating.  Focused on the needle valve seat itself.  They looked fine but a little on the grungy side as well.  Used some toothpaste / Q-tip / drill method of lightly cleaning and polishing the sealing surface.  Floats were adjusted as well as some were off a little. 
I just loosely installed the carbs back on the bike just now for some testing.  Fuel tank back on with petcock on prime to see if the needles will hold.  I'll leave it alone for an hour or so.
........and yes Martha, getting the carbs back in was just as much of a pain in the  $*%   as I thought it would be.

[Wheels]

FClaudio,  this is not sounding like the most fun thing you have done to your bike in a while.  Probably at this point you should go to a Chinese Buffet and grab a fortune cookie.    It will at least make you feel better for the moment.
Just persevere and you will be rewarded before the first snowfall in Kelowna.

John

[jetta90]

Thanks for the encouraging words, John.  It's getting closer to getting done, and it will be on the road to enjoy some fall riding this year........unless something totally unforeseen surfaces.
Perhaps a little premature, but it looks like the carbs are holding up at this time.  While I have that part of the bike opened up I spent some time with the throttle cables/throttle grip and the throttle return function.  Throttle return was never as smooth as I thought it should be.........it now is.  Correcting small defects will add up to a bike that runs as it was designed. 

[Wheels]

It will be worth the effort when you are all done for sure

[helotech]

Just staring at my beautiful 1981 GS1000.  to ugly out to ride.

[jetta90]

If the seat assembly is pressed in and has an o ring check them. I had a 88 zx10 years ago. Bought it in in 96 with 12k ! Ran well for a few tanks and then went on a nasty miss miss blubber blubber. Gas weeping etc. Thought it was stuck floats. It ended up the bike had sat for long periods of time and the orings dried out, cracked and when some fresh gas to them they basically disintegrated. Chased my tail on that one for a while. Carbs came off easy on that as they were downdraft and the airbox hid under the tank. Concourse will be more complicated. Try the easy stuff first. Maybe even nip the high tension back a bit with a new cap?

I'm looking at spending some time with the bike later this week.  I haven't decided whether I'll pull the carbs off it right away, or just go to new plugs first and see how it works out.  Forgive my whining and procrastination, but pulling off and installing the carbs is not all that palatable to me at this point in time.

Spent a little time on the Concours tonight to see how the number 4 plug was fouling.  The end synopsis:  carbs are going to be coming out for clean and look see.  
Had lots of strong spark on all 4 cylinders.......including #4 using the fouled plug.  
Started looking at the # 4 carb - opened up the float bowl drain capturing the float bowl fuel in a clean container.  What came out wasn't all that clean.  
So decided I would remount the fuel tank and put the petcock on prime and once again opened the float bowl drain.  Drained out about 1/4 liter and the fuel was coming out cleaner towards the end of the exercise.
Left the petcock on prime to see if the needle valves/floats would hold the fuel......no go.  Pretty quick I had fuel draining out of the air filter box.  Switched the petcock to another position from prime and flow stopped, as expected.
Here is the kicker.......Kawasaki (thank you EPA) decided to eliminate the carb overflows on this model.  Without overflows and once a valve needle no longer seals in its seat, fuel will flow continuously until the fuel tank is drained.  Where will the fuel go without the existence of overflows on the carbs?  Into the air box and into the cylinders.  Number 4 cylinder had a lot of fuel in it.  This would point the finger in the direction of the needle valve/float mechanism being stuck or worn.  
Guess the carbs are coming out, I'll take a look at what the air filter looks like with all the fuel flowing into the air box, and obviously I'll change out the oil and filter.
This bike is turning out to be a lot of work....

So over the course of the week, carbs came out and have been cleaned out without totally dismantling them.  Not a perfect job, but will have to do for now.  Sediment found in float bowls and some of it seemed to have been there for a while as it was caked into some of the nooks and crannies of the bowl.  All of that chit came out.  
Needle valve tips looked good - these have a rubber coating.  Focused on the needle valve seat itself.  They looked fine but a little on the grungy side as well.  Used some toothpaste / Q-tip / drill method of lightly cleaning and polishing the sealing surface.  Floats were adjusted as well as some were off a little.  
I just loosely installed the carbs back on the bike just now for some testing.  Fuel tank back on with petcock on prime to see if the needles will hold.  I'll leave it alone for an hour or so.
........and yes Martha, getting the carbs back in was just as much of a pain in the  $*%   as I thought it would be.

Carbs went back on with some persuasion and started buttoning everything up earlier this week at night after work.  Went out for a short spin this morning and it was running quite well.  
Will be taking it for a good long ride of some kind tomorrow.  I'm planning to give it an Italian tune up......... Hank says it'll be good for the bike and rider.  I'll see how it fairs on that test.