What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Took offf the fork tubes cleaned them and reinstalled with fresh oil

tomarrow i will take out the plugs and see how they are looking

 

I ceramic coated my pipes. Here's how they started out:



After Shotblasting:



Then the Ceramic:

 

What did it cost you to do that?????

 

The shot blasting I did in my shop for free. The ceramic cost me $80 and a case (12) of beer, which in Canada costs about $30. So $110 less the 4 beers I drank out of the case. So an even $100.

I called a lot of places and if you bring them in cleaned up you can expect $100 to 125

Add another $75 for sandblasting.

You can get the ceramic done in a chrome finish as well.

I just liked the satin black for what I'm doing.

I also powder coated my frame. That cost me $150 and a few more beers.

Take a look:

 

Ordered a bunch of replacement bolts from Fastenal.

 

Dove into the X; replaced the bits on the petcock, and surgically extracted the carbs to redo the float levels.

Now, about that fuel injection kit someone was working on...

 

A light blue frame could get you arrested in some former Soviet countries.

 

Was cleaning up the garage and decided to start up the 650, just to make sure she still would. Took a long time to start and ran rough. Has a lope that I don't like and that doesn't stay the same. Runs even, then rough, then even, then rough.

Likely: time to pull the carbs. :/

 

It's actually Green. The picture is a little washed out. Green with a cream flake in it.

 

Do you have a list of all the bolts needed? Or am I gonna have to do it the hard way too?

 

(Sunday)

Changed the oil (not filter) and rode twice around the parking lot. Oil in sight glass too black to see already (#%**!! P.O.)

Local bike shop closed on Mondays so no filter.

Also drained the final drive and refilled with Red Line MT-90 (it's what I use in my VW's and they shift like the case is full of melted butter).

And, put in new plugs. Suddenly it idles right (although high) and the front wheel will come off the ground in 1st (oops). It was only firing on 3 before.

The guy I bought it from found it in a barn where it had sat for 8 months minimum (probably MUCH longer). He rebuilt the carbs and changed the oil/filter ONCE in the 1000 miles he drove it after getting it started. Said he could never get it to idle right and suspected fuel tank crud causing starvation at low rpm. He never checked the plugs <sigh>.

(Tuesday) Other work intervened. Made it to parts house in the afternoon and bought filter and oil and a sprocket/lock ring for my 3-wheeler that I need to sell. Never looked in the bag, back to office and dropped it on the counter.

Went to change oil/filter Tuesday night --- wrong filter. Counterman transposed last 2 digits of part number and sold me a 28410 instead of 28401.

(Wednesday) Back to parts house. Traded the 10-28410 for *2* 10-28401 filters and a $2 refund. They only had EMGO filters. Plan to use these two in the next 1000 miles to flush the system with clean oil then put in a K&N.

Wednesday night (cooler to work) changed oil and filter. Fired it up to check the level. Luckily I had a helper and HE fired it up while I watched. 2+ quarts of oil on the ground in under a minute.

I went to buy kitty litter and more oil while he checked the filter. It seems that when he tightened it up the first time the spring "caught" on something so it didn't tighten all the way down even though he reached about 12 ft/lbs on the nut. The vibration of the running engine snapped the spring out and loosened the cover plate.

2 hours of cleanup later. 2 quarts of fresh oil added to what was left from the spill -- fired it up and took it around the parking lot a couple of times again. Looks OK this time.

The bike also started to give me trouble starting. Seemed to be a bad battery connection as tapping around there would get it to start after a couple of tries.

(Thursday)

Received my new (old) replacement turn signal switch assembly to replace the one that had busted wires and enough stripped/seized screws to prevent me repairing it.

Went out after dark and installed it.

Bike wouldn't start again and no amount of wiggling/tapping around the battery would make it go. Since I had the headlight bucket open I checked wires in there and discovered the starter wire is QUITE warm. So, I broke out the screwdriver. Crossed the solenoid posts and it fired right up. I either need a new starter switch, new wiring (or wiring cleanup) from the switch to the solenoid, or a new solenoid. I'll probably replace the solenoid and clean up the wiring as I can get the parts quickly, locally. Replacing the switch assembly will be a "whim of the EBay gods" thing.

Got the bike idling. Good headlight. Good horn. No freakin' TURN SIGNALS!!!

So, I have to take the new (old) switch apart and find out why not. The air is heavy with potential rain. Too muggy to work out there tonight. Will go out and suffer in the sun during the day Friday (my arthritic knees will thank me anyway).

Need to dig up a part number for that solenoid and for a generic *NEW* turn signal/headlight/horn switch assembly in case the one I bought is beyond repair.

Life goes on.

G2

 

put the clutch covor back on and went 2 start the bike nerly lit it on fire lmao damn fuel tank lol

 

I should probably make a list at some point, but no, I don't have a comprehensive list.

I'm ordering the bolts that secure the grab bar for a second time (M8-1.25-35mm, if I recall). I got hex cap screws last time when I should have gotten socket set cap screws. Also got replacement hex cap screws for the gauge mounts. M6-1.0-55mm, partial thread.

Tried to get generic replacement bolts for the forks, but the bolt that holds the damper rod in place (also a socket set cap screw) is a fairly rare spec: M10-1.0-25mm. It's that 1.0mm pitch that is odd. M10s are normally 1.5mm pitch. Probably going to have to order those from BikeBandit.

I usually get stainless steel, if it's available, or plain finish. I've never seen any advantage to zinc. (If there is any advantage, I'll bet you'll see a reply to this post soon.)

 

Walked past it on the way out the door to work this morning. Poor thing looks like some sort of eviscerated animal. Made my wife promise not to sell it in the garage sale today.

 

(Friday)

Bought new starter solenoid/relay. $37 for a $7 part because it has the word "motorcycle" in the description.

Replaced solenoid. Starts first push every time now.

Took the new (old) turn signal switch apart. I'm pissed off now. $27 for a part that was broken in the SAME WAY as the one I am replacing. The 3 wires for the turn signals broken loose at their solder points.

PLUS, someone filled the damn switch casing with bearing grease. Nasty clean up before I could even get a good look.

At least this one didn't have stripped screws preventing me from taking it apart (which was the main problem with my old one) so I dismantled it and re-soldered the wires.

I now have turn signals, headlight, and horn again.

Now I need an endorsement.

 

Finished cleaning up the carbs. Put in new parts and getting ready to adjust the floats.

 

Growled and cursed at it a bit
Working on a better front turn signal stay, still not happy......

Also noticed some brake fluid has seeped out around the cap/gasket, guess I need to work on that before it becomes an issue

 

Made a bike-cam mounting bracket out of an M5 x 0.8 screw and nut, a random chunk of spare metal drilled, heated, bent, and ground, and a 1/4"-20 bolt and nut. The little screw goes where the reflector threads on, and the bigger bolt fits the tripod mount for a camera:




Turned out ok. I was afraid the spot-welded nut that the reflector threads into would snap off the first bump I went over, but the 'Yamaha' sheet metal badge has some give to it for shock and vibration absorption. It also means the video ends up being a little wiggly but not too bad (you can just barely see my fender shaking at the bottom right of the video). Skip ahead to 15 seconds in, the first bit is really boring:

Clicky: http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=21j3y4z&s=3

I don't have a really cool video yet, unfortunately... just this proof of concept.

 

Sat on my Maxim 400, looked at my Maxim 400, daydreamed...and then thought about the fact I'm one week away from my motorcycle safety course, and two weeks away from the bike being insured. Made doubly hard by the purchase of additional gear yesterday. Until then, stuck on the Honday Ruckus for two weeks.

 

Nothing today. I looked at its nice new tires, contemplated a ride. Then left it sitting in the garage and rode my 2000 Venture 470 miles round trip to my nephew's high school graduation. It was a long HOT ride there and back, but it was the least I could do. My brother named him after me.

Before I left, both of my nephews were talking about getting motocycles.
What can I say...I'm an influential uncle. Ha!