LIST OF THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU POST

alright...

so upon logging in today i noticed some 29 new threads... yaaa.... thats quite a bit. and probably 60% of those are all about restoring carbs in a newly aquired bike... not hating or anything because i was there once but its my opinion (hate it if you will) that we should create some kind of list of things that you should do before you post a new thread as to keep the place from getting too cluttered with threads about nothing... and i don't mean to offend anyone or anything it just seems like it could be a time saver on a ton of levels (that of people trying to get help and those wonderful souls giving it)

this isn't an actual list but i do say that someone who would know everything to put in here... (ex: Rick, MiCarl, Gamaru... ahhh you all know who you are) puts up some kind of list of things people ought to do before they make a post... here are my few thoughts and i'm sure there are alot more that could be added to it..

first things first:

1) make a signature with the year, model, miles, and modifications of your bike(s) it is vital information to know if any specifics are needed in your question

2) register your location on the XJbikes map

MECHANICAL

1) read the bible of carb cleaning http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1961.html
do as it says and clean your carbs.

if that doesn't suit your fancy try this one!
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2908.html

2) after you've put them back together and your bike still won't start without starter fluid read the enrichment circuit bible... http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8918.html

3)Many other problems you may be experiencing are solved somewhere within this page.... go to it!
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8588.html


ELECTRICAL

1) Replace your stinkin fuse-box! link found here. http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2210.html

2) if your bike does not start then follow these instructions and locate the problem! http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=7828.html

3) great reference for just about all of the electrical system!
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Spee ... html#alter
LASTLY

1) get down on your knees and thank RickCoMatic and Gamaru for all there most excellent FAQ's and HOW-TO's by using them and not posting useless threads without having at least read and tried what they say!

 

07 - I share many of your frustrations.

My 2 cents:

My number 1 biggest frustration is when someone new shows up asking for help and we go through the same usual routine of what, where etc. Perhaps Sno could make year, model, displacement a requirement when registering.

It's time to graduate the XJ FAQ SUGGESTIONS and move many of those great articles to the empty XJ FAQ section. I think if I showed up for the first time and saw FAQ empty I would also just start posting.

There is a lot of stuff ending up in the wrong sections. We've got tech stuff in the General lounge, general stuff in the XJ Chat section - for sale, wanted and regional stuff all over the place. Perhaps the moderators could better enforce putting things where they belong.

I really don't fault new people for just diving in with their carb questions etc. I understand what it's like to have a new bike and be focused on getting it going rather than searching through a zillion posts to find a particular situation.

 

Gentlemen, I agree with you about the clutter. Folks keep posting in the wrong forums and, well, I have not been as attentive as I ought to be. This said, I will bring up the moderator issue with the moderators and Sno and see if we can't come up with a plan. Perhaps some more folks brought aboard as moderators, it is a bit of a task to drop in regularly. I know for myself that this is becoming increasingly difficult, life has placed more demands upon my time. And I know I am not alone. I'll shoot the question and we will see what happens.

 

more moderators... oooooh who gets the honors!? dibs that gamaru should... he's always here...

 

Ok folks, I posted the question. Now we sit back and wait.

 

IMHO, 07's post starting this thread makes great sense... worthy of sticky status?

 

Might well be Gcrick, might well be. The great and powerful Sno will speak to us (hopefully sooner than later, pay no mind to the man behind the curtain...).

 

added another link to the electrical section... its super in-depth for just about all the electrical stuff on an XJ...

 

just my 2 cents as useless as it is, We newbies lookin for technical advice and panic striken answers arent considerate enough to read 2 weeks worth of searching in our spare time to find the answers that may be of assistance. I personally have gone through much of the things that 07spacker has posted about but not until i was DIRECTED there by a friendly helpful and absolutely LUCKY chance upon another thread. MAYBE suggesting the gamuru THREADS OF the 8588.html REQUIRED reading would help eliminate the repetitions fo the (WE) mindless that figured this would be a great adventure and tackle it head on. i personally have been researching for over amonth before i found this stuff.
And many of the technical guys have been quite patiently answering my idiotic questions and i thank them for it. But much like a tired father(of one i am) we all lose our minds some days. i completely understand this,but a friendly point int he right direction would of course alleviate much of the harrassing repetitous monotonous questions.
just a thought from the other side o the coin. And i CAN appreciate all the views,from the newbie to the Techy. thanks for everything from all you guys that respond consistently and aptiently with us.

 

I havnt been around here as long as 07spacker and many others but I certainly agree with what he says about the same `ole problems over and over, thats just how it is considering the age of these bikes and what maintenance probably hasnt been done.Without even getting into mod`s. Ditto for the empty FAQ section. Maybe its a matter of how the site is set up, 07spacker`s first 2 points are a good idea and when someone joins the site perhaps a list of the common problems/ questions attached to how to links is the first thing that comes up. Not that I could actually help with doing that, being such a computer klutz. Hope I havnt stepped on any toes, just another 2 cents worth. And as it says in my sig` thanks for all the willing help here!!

 

Best thing to do is ignore posts you don't want to answer.

I belong to another forum where the forum "Mr. Know it ALL" posted links to every newbies question with a icon saying USE SEARCH.

I can tell you that there and here, the SEARCH feature pretty much sucks.

BTW the forum got more irritated with "Mr. Search" than the newbies and he's now banned from the forum.

It's simple, don't want to post to something DON'T. Don't make things harder than they are.

JMOOC

 

I'm pretty new to this site, in June I bought a 85 XJ700 Maxim X, love the bike, and of course I have carb problems, I can't tell if it's getting too much or not enough fuel, at full thottle between 4 and 7 grand runs like crap then it takes off like a bat out of hell... I understand the frustration you long timers have with people.. I've been trying to learn the site and where to find the info that I'm sure is posted somewhere. This my first post because I don't want to be a pain. Hopefully the other newbies read this post...

 

Welcome Billt1969, its not about being a pain. I would suggest you introduce yourself in the general lounge and raise your question in xj chat where it will probably get more attention. I am not knowledgeable enough to answer your specific question, you could try searching the forums for something by Rickomatic or Robert. But back to the point I raised earlier these things arent Kenworth 22? wheelers, theres only so many problems to find and they have been. Enjoy your bike.

 

I like 07spacker's idea. When I first got here I didn't know much about forums or bikes (ok, so I still don't know much, but more than before).

A very obvious place to to look up FAQs could save a lot of repeats. Kind of like a tutorial since I suspect that most of the newbies are new both to this forum, if not forums in general, but are new to XJ bikes. It takes at least a bit of knowledge just to ask smart questions.

 

Coming here, I've actually been surprised at how little this kind of problem is regulated.

I'm very new here, but have been on technical forums like this for a long time. The most successful, legitimate and helpful of these forums have management that is very serious about stopping this kind of clutter. No one who puts time into this forum wants to spend time on the little obvious stuff, and it is much more fun to come and read about some of the more intricate things people are doing.

This way, everyone learns more and has more fun. You know, I've even seen forums that don't allow you to post in any of the technical sections until you have a certain amount of posts in a "newbie" forum. Everyone does their time in there, and then gets to move in with the big boys. In that specially designated forum section, there would be lots of carb questions, oil change questions, and it would be rather unlimited with what you could post, plus there would be all the best stickies, write ups and knowledge from the best guys at the top. It would force all the new owners to read exactly what they need to be reading, and still have a place to talk to somebody.

Then, the rest of the forum areas would be less cluttered, and the guys who really like talking about more serious matters and more intricate projects wouldn't miss out on stuff because it gets lost in the mix.

I would very much support a system like this. I know it's some serious reworking of the system, but it would make EVERYONE happy.

 

The pain is whats inside my head and eyeballs lookin for this stuff...........hahaha. these tech DIY's and tips really need a central location,like say AN EMPTY FAQ search,or maybe create a new one JUST for NEWBIES to make the whole process easier on both,the newbies AND the tech writers who are so sick o the same questions over and over and over and over and over and over.........................yea u get the idea.
Having difficulty with the Motorcycle end o the mechanical stuff is my SPECIFIC problem, and trying to find all this information scattered out is as much of a P>I>T>A 4 me as it is for the frustrated support gurus.
Just my 2 cents worth!

 

8O

 

It's an easy matter to avoid threads you don't want to participate in. A forum is for discussion, even if its of subjects you personally have already discussed.

 

To quote Wade Garrett in Roadhouse, "EGGZACKLY RIGHT".

 

I empathize and am an offender. Um, maybe not everyone realizes it, but this place is Deep with quality content. Should also add that it's tough to find more generous and helpful people as a group anywhere.

I know and feel your pain for other interests and in other places on the interwebs--it's hard to keep spending (precious) time when you see the same stuff repeated.

If nothing else, hats off to 07spacker for the threads listed in the first post.

I know everything I haven't even thought yet is here...I'm just still getting to it all. Thanks again to everyone for the patience.

ps so far, 900 miles since August and my face still hurts from smiling

 

I don't want to speak for anyone... BUT... I think that the problem that the wizards and more senior members (time served not age!!) are trying to address here isn't the amount of posts but the lack of time required to help all the people who need it, this makes multiple posts of the same problem harder to give the required attention that our generous guru's believe all should have access too, otherwise they wouldn't spend so much time here. by picking and choosing the threads we participate in less people will get that attention and the forum will become so much less than it is right now.

I don't think anyone wants to be missed due to a lack of time and your problems are just as important as everyone elses so if we streamline the proccess a little then maybe we can share the knowledge a little better without having to "avoid threads" and leave people out, with almost 6000 members and climbing daily some simple changes could help to maintian the integrity and usefullness of this comunity. I would consider any of you my friend just for being on this site and helping so many people so selflessly and that is something that I have never seen on another forum the only question here is how do we continue to help 6000 or even 10,000 people without losing what people like sno, rick, chacal, wiz, Bill(RIP) and all the unmentioned (sorry guys) people here have invested so much time creating??

but then I guess thats just my opinion!

Shaun

 

Here's a start!



Revelations: JOURNALISM AT ITS FINEST!:

Graven Images Which Tell a Thousand Words:


Hitachi carb pictures and rebuild instructions, a big celebratory wheelie goes out to contributor Alive:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=3649.html



And a high-side Ole'! to Da'Schmuck for his exceptional Hitachi carb rebuild write-up:

http://mok.fileave.com/HitachiCarbBreakdown.pdf



Mikuni owners should also remember Alive in their nightly prayers:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=3690.html



Big Fitz gets medieval with his Valve Clearances, and shows how easy and important it is to actually get this task done on all air-head model engines:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html


and 85MaximXX takes you water-head owners by the hand, and leads you into the promised land of Valve Pad Replacement on those models:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=16298.html




And the Fishmaster has a nice video of a vacuum diaphragm passing the CLUNK TEST with flying (or rather, "falling") colors:

http://xjmadness.myphotoalbum.com/view_ ... clunk_test


And the reason you want your vacuum pistons to operate as closely as possible to no frictional resistance is because they must be able to do the following constantly, and if not, tuning and performance become troublesome or impossible:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR63vrfh ... re=related



Gamuru shows you how to clean that starter jet properly:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8918.html



And not to be outdone, Gamuru also shows how-to bench-synch a set of carbs using the easy, painless method:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=6366.html



Definitely not Academy Award quality, but these two video presentations show a Colortune Plug in action:

http://www.gadgetjq.com/Vulcan_1500_Idl ... e_Test.wmv

and

http://www.gadgetjq.com/Vulcan_1500_Mixture_Test.wmv

and here's a few more:

going from orange (rich) to blue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hFUvQ4g ... re=related


showing the blue to orange to blue changes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpZ5EW_K ... re=related


showing a colortune being hooked up incorrectly (arcing):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ_mZJYI ... re=related


Please remember, though, that a Colortune is NOT used to set your carbs at anything other than idle rpm's!!




And here's a great tutorial on using the Carbtune Synch Gauges:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYgN2-96 ... re=related

 

ok added em all to the favorites list for a fast reference . thanks len.

 

Like, whoaa.

 

I think we should stickey that post, with some more additions to it, I know theres a how to on rebuilding forks.. and inline fuel filters

 

A couple more..........


MASTER CYLINDER SERVICE:


An pictorial overview of the master cylinder rebuild process can be observed at:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=154712.html


And when rebuilding the master cylinder, make sure that this tiny relief passage is free and clear! Failure to clean this passage fully is one of the major over-looked "gotch-ya!" situations that arise when rebuilding your master cylinder.


A good picture of this relief port on the conventional (handlebar-mounted) master cylinders can be seen at:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=12529.html

while XJ750 Seca owners will have to look here:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14836.html





FORK REBUILDING:


The following discussion has some very good pointers, tips, and photographs that detail the fork rebuild process on a 1981 XJ650 Maxim model (one of the "simple" fork systems), and is a good point of reference to help you decide whether the task is something that you wish to attempt yourself or leave to a qualified shop. Many thanks to owner Gamuru for his excellent efforts in providing this material:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8355.html


Regular contributor Alive also has two great image-documentaries in regards to the more "complicated" fork systems. This first one shows the XJ900 (without the anti-dive system) fork rebuild process, although these images can also be used as a guide for any model front forking system that use the lower bushing on the chrome fork tubes:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4067.html


while this photo-journal details the secret, inner workings of the "anti-dive" units found on XJ750 Seca and XJ900RK Seca models:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1860.html


and finally, for all you XJ750 Seca owners, here's the secrets to that funny and unique "oil lock valve assembly" used only on these models, and the proper orientation of all of those special washers:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=159288.html

 

I just wanna say that schooter is a great guy.

 

xjdaver is an awesome guy