What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Sat on a really soft couch, before going out and cleaning and polishing my 81 750 Seca. I rode from Toronto to Lake Placid and back this past weekend. Great ride...many insects died on the front of my bike and helmet.

 

Successfully removed the second (and last) broken intake bolt from the head. Feels good to have that behind me (until the next time).

 

got mine running under its own power finally

 

Just finished fork seals on the Maxim, Installed New Brakes and rebuilt the Master Cylinder.

 

Replaced those horrible clip on apehanger bars with a nice set of superbike bars. Next on the list is tires and a front end rebuild.

 

Since last update...

Tank painted (Duplicolor truckbed liner, and yes, it does resist gas) and mounted, first ride taken care of ..

Last couple of days, mounted the front signals on the stems of the old...not happy with that yet (had to improvise a mount..looking for a better solution). New Mirrors mounted and a longer ride in as well heh.

Now yesterday... tried to loosen the clamp on the clutch lever side so I could rotate it on the bar a bit to allow for better adjustment of the mirror.... snap... bolt broke... noext project, drill out remaining bits.

MAC, We need to hookup and compare sometime soon


Will post pics later today...

 

took her to work this morning. 42 degrees ca ca cold

 

Swapped out the clubman bars for the sport bars, stripped the clutch lever clamp (d'oh), re-relocated the directionals to the headlight bracket, founf metric bolts to mount the bar-end mirrors, resoldered the contact for the left directional, put the fairing back on, received and returned new jacket (too small)... all in all a busy 2 days!

-c

 

Loosened up the forks and the steering head on the 650 to see if I could get it all straightened out. Discovered that the forks were mounted just a little too high, and not by the same amount. Fixed. Also straightened the guages, which added to the illusion of not being straight.

Also discovered that the left grip is a good inch or so longer than the right one. Need to get a shorter one, since it makes my stance all lopsided, which DEFINITELY makes it feel like I'm always turning right.

Started tearing into the 750. Pulled out the piece of junk wiring for the non-existent fog lamps and started testing the lights. Pulled the tank. Hoses are like wood and there's some small amount of liquid that probably used to be gasoline in the tank.

So far, this bike looks like it's made mostly of dirt and neglect. The plan is to get the electrics to the point where an ignition test will be possible. I'll run continuity and resistance tests on the wiring, regulator, diodes, and relays tomorrow and see about CLEANING this silly thing tomorrow. This is going to be a much longer project than the 650...

 

^^^May the Force be with you... Sounds like you're going to need it!

 

Rhys, I have both original factory grips and nice black-and-chrome aftermarket ones...........but you were probably already thinking that, right? :lol:

 

Okay, so moved the controls on the left side on the 650 down so that if, say, I were to purchase a stock left-side grip from chacal, it would still fit. This long one just dangles a little, which is fine. Didn't get a chance to actually RIDE THE THING to test it out, but sitting on it, it feels better.

Spent some time working on the 750. I'll start a new thread for that sucker, since it's going to be a project and a half. Unless I find some horrible flaw in the engine, I think chacal is going to make a bunch of money on this one.

 

Changed the oil and filter (gotta get a spin on kit). Looking around the site, even Rick says "leave the middle gear drain plug right where it is", so I did. Even though the manual says otherwise. Funny how with clean oil a low speed tick-tick-tick has sprung up. Take it this means valve adjustment time.

Riding every day and still finding it tough to make the time to clean her up right. Darn thing works so nice and is so fun to ride, that's all I wanna do. Haven't found a solution to my broken trunk lid.

 

New throttle cable (thanks, Chacal!), replaced a broken rear turn signal and tweaked the pilot mixture screws. Took it for a short ride. Need to do the clunk test. Hope that's the cause of my hanging idle sitchy-ashun.

 

not all today but in the last week,changed oil and filter,new sparkplugs,adjusted float level,gave the carbs a good quick inspection and cleaning plus bench sync,mounted a rear rack,mounted a large windscreen,

still to do, install rear tire,install new tapered bearings on steering stem

 

Finally got a headlight and signals for the Maxim, finished installing them and wired everything up. Will be putting on a new front tire and then getting it inspected next week.

 

Not an XJ, but the title of this thread does say "Yamaha" and not "XJ", soooo...

I fouled a spark plug this morning and wasn't able to ride to work. I think the problem comes from using the electric starter -- not enough juice left for the plugs even though I have new spark plug wires and a new battery. I know I have good spark on the left, because with the Colortune on there, the spark sometimes jumps from the center post to the *outside* of the Colortune! The right side is always the one that fouls out. I suppose I'm going to have to only use the kickstart until I can get a new coil on there. I've set the gap a little smaller than spec in the meantime.

Will platinum plugs help a weak spark issue?

 

Changed the oil and filter on my 550 Seca. This was way early, after only 300 miles, but the oil in the case was the first oil change after a leaky petcock filled the case with gas. Since I took all the sage's advice and left the middle drain bolt alone before, I figured there was probably still a bit of fuel in the case to mix with the fresh oil the last time. Hopefully this change should take care of it.

Just wish my MINI was this easy to change the oil on... :roll:

 

Spent some more time on the 750. Looked longingly at the 650.

Is the low RPM tick-tick-tick always an indicator of a necessary valve adjustment? I ask because I have that sound, and I kinda need to replace the (leaky) valve cover gasket on the 650 anyway...

 

i've been rebuilding a 95 eclipse engine..

i did get to take the bike to town to get some parts! yay.

 

Clunk test. Passed.

Bench synced the carbs.

Adjusted the idle mixture screws about 1/8 turn out (each one the same).

Sync was off. Took me a while to get it where I thought it was good. (Cut up two of my business cards into thin strips for testing).

Took it for a ride to the convenient store a couple miles down the road. It started crapping out as I was pulling into the pumps. I thought I may be fouling a plug or something. Hoped not. So I gassed up and started it. Hesitated, so I used the choke. It started up, racing fairly high. Killed the choke and rode home with no problems. Idled pretty well. Shut it off. Had to go and didn't get to ride again today!

 

Went ahead and bought a new Helmet and got it Inspected today. Right on time with the way Gas prices have gone up!

 

rhys, I do know know if that tick means valve adjusting or not - just started after the new oil. You are right, an exhaust leak would be similar but this one is just that bit more metallic sounding. If you gotta replace the leaky cover gasket it is a good time to look at lash adjustment. What I know about that is, well nothing.

Good luck and here's hoping you solve your tick with a lash (adjustment).

 

nothing

 

Fixed broken front brake lever

Fixed starter relay

Painted Side Coverings

Installed highway pegs

Removed corrosion from bottom of gas cap

Will be painting rear passenger footpeg mounts later this evening

 

Got the Carbs back on the 900.
Added a removable inline fuel filter and plumbing.
Initial tune-up to get it out-the-door for a nice ride.
Running a bit shaky.
I need to Colortune the low-end right.
Right now, she's a little bit hesitant off-idle.
Not too bad.'
But, for a perfectionist ... unacceptable!
I need a degree or two if Richness!

 

Rode 88 miles with ABATE. Nothing like running red lights with a police escort!!

 

Rust bucket
rebuilt and installed carbs,inline fuel filter,new fuel lines.
charging battery now, try to start in morning

black bart
xs 11 special rode 150 miles runs like a champ!

 

replaced rear tire,old one was getting close to the cords trying a GBC Street Shark I've heard good things about them for a cheap tire,I'll see how it works..

 

Stuck some gas in the 650 and ran it for about a half hour. Don't know how far I went, since the spedo (and hence, the odo) are unreliable. Had a great time, though, and proved that when it died on me a couple of weeks ago, it was either out of gas, or suffered fuel line vapor lock. I'm leaning toward "out of gas" at this point, though I still intend to clean out the fuel lines and rebuild the gas cap (or perhaps just replace it).

Also spent some more time on the 750 (see other thread).

Question about the 650s forks: You are supposed to push down on the spring retainer and remove the circlip to free up the innards of the forks. Is this supposed to be a two-man operation? There's a LOT of tension in there. How do you hold the spring down AND get that clip out?

 

Hey rhys, I removed the fork from the bike and put it in a soft jawed vice such that the bottom of the fork was pressed against the floor. Basically the vice just steadies the fork. Then I was able to push down on the retainer using one hand and work the clip out with the other (and a screw driver).

Today I got my new carb intake boots installed. I had broken a couple of old the bolts off in the head. So I had previously drilled those out. But the threads were damaged. So today I used Heli-coil to repair the threads. That stuff is pretty slick. Now the boots are installed and torqued. Next task is sync and colortune.

 

rhys, I used a bar clamp while the forks were still assembled. I hooked one end under the turn signal stantion and pushed the spring retainer bolt down using a socket with the other end. Worked a treat because it let me use both hands to fish out that infernal clip. I actually had to make a special tool to get that out. I could shove the clip down but couldn't get it to come up. I finally took a piece of spring steel from a brake anti-rattle clip and bent a small hook into it to pull the clip past the groove. I think it took longer to get the first clip out than it did to do the rest of the job.

 

Rode the "old girl" to work all week after 14 years in storage!
(43 mpg)
The windscreen plastic mounts died on day two at 65 mph.

So now she has a new NC Plexistar 2 Windscreen.

Added hwy pegs, headlight visor and new tank molding.

Also, installed Russell braided SS front brake lines and banjo clamps!

What a difference, the Yamaha manual says to replace the rubber lines every four (4) years, well I was only late on that by 22 years!

 

14-Years ....

OMG ... You gotta be a candidate for Alumi-oxidation and a Fuse Panel.

Glad to hear it running good.
Congratulations!

 

Got to broken bolt on clutch lever mount fixed....
Next in line new brake lines and flush/clean etc.....

Also, still not happy with my improved signal mounts on the front.
Will be working up new ones this week.
Otherwise all seems well.

 

pulled carbs, cleaned and synched, didn't bench synch first time , ran good but not good enough. she runs out good now!!!

 

I re-covered my nasty looking seat with marine grade vinyl. It's not fancy, but I like it.

 

Hey wfuglaar, not bad!!

I was gonna ask "where" but I assume marine grade vinyl is bought at a boat dealer? Is that stuff slippery or OK for grip? My old seat needs a re-do and that looks like a great solution to sun and rain. What kind of staple and gun did you use? And how much material?

 

You can buy marine grade vinyl at Jo-Ann fabric. I believe it's 54 inches wide. Not sure they sell less than a yard, which would be more than enough for a seat.

 

A yard is just about right... the first half for the first attempt that got totally screwed up and the second half for the final cover.

 

Colortuned the Maxim and then synced the carbs. Took it for a 20 mile run and it ran great .

Now to rebuild the Petcock!

 

Cleaned up the new ride a little bit, and started it just for kicks. That didn't last too long!

 

I rushed out after tuning the 900 and went for a ride.
Hit the street running pretty damn good.
Moved through town heading for the highway while resetting the digital clock.
Got pizzed-off at myself for not remembering to reconnect the fuel sender plug-in.
Hit the highway warmed-up and opened her up 'til she hit the limiter ... saw 90 happen in third.
Started for home.
Started running bad but I had just installed a new, clean inline fuel filter.
Started running real bad getting-off the higway heading for home.
Rolled to a stop less than a hundred yards from the Harley Dealership.
Dead bike.
Switched to reserve but found the lever already in Prime.
Looked in tank.
Nothing.

Here's the good part.
A guy from Harley stops and gives me gas.
Still won't start.
Dead Bike. Long way from home.

Harley Guy drops the tailgate and lays-up the ramp.
Bike now in the back of the pick-up.
Tied-down good.

Free ride home courtesy of a Great Samaritan!
Unload bike at home.
Fresh set of sparklers get thrown-in.
Zoom, zoom, zoom!

But, I'm reworking the Tuning.
It had to be running Rich to foul those plugs after doing 90.

 

Swapped the rear wheel for a 5-spoker off an air-cooled 700/750. I like the look a lot better than the original "semi-disc" wheel.

Also put up a big shelf across the back of the garage for holding various bike parts. And rescued a throw-away bbq so I can modify the frame into a little rolling engine dolly, since I have a motor that's going to get worked on and painted.

Any recommendations for engine paint? I saw some Dupli-Color ones. I'm assuming the 1200* paint would be better for an air-cooled motor than the 500*. I guess I can use the 500* on X though... There was also something called Flame Paint, or something like that. Would that still be useful if I don't set the bike on fire?

Oh yeah... And when I was attending a charity event on Sat night, I ran into a guy who I hadn't seen for a few years but who used to ride a Max 650. Turns out he bought a Vulcan last summer and the Max has been sitting in his garage since. Says he sold it to some guy for $200 but he never picked up. Now he wants it out of the garage... He said if he doesn't hear from the guy that I can have it. Don't know if he meant that I can HAVE it, since it's already paid for, or if I can have it for $200. Either way, I'm gonna be in trouble with the GF when another bike shows up in the garage.... :wink:

 

PSteele

Thanks! It wasn't that tough to do.

I got my fabric at Hancok's. They were very helpful, and showed me to check the back of the fabric to make sure it was labled 'marine'. It was only $10 a yard, and was on sale for 40% off. My consultant/wife checked my measurements, so I only had to buy 2/3 of a yard. And yes, it was 54' wide. So I only spent $4.00 for the material! I also bought a small piece of 'NuFoam' and cut it to the shape of the top of the seat. This was not for extra padding, but to add a little more definition. (My consultant's advice.)

I took the old seat cover off, laid it flat on the new fabric and used it to cut the fabric to size and shape. I left enough extra on the cut to allow the fabric to be folded over for stapling purposes.

I used a regular utility stapler with 1/4' staples. It didn't do a great job., but I used a tack hammer on the staples that didn't go all the way down.

The biggest challenge was getting the 'puckers' out. I just went slow and pulled tight as I went. I had to pull out staples and restaple, but it turned out OK.

I also saved the old cover so I will have it as a pattern if I decide to try again and use two or three pieces of fabric instead of one, both for fit and style. Something like contrasting colors or some kind of center inset.

The seat is not slippery at all, but it is not a sticky as the goo left by the duct tape.

Bill

 

i put her together for the maiden voyage

 

Tested the spare CDI. Ran fine. Tested the CDI from the 750. Ran fine as well (sort of).

Found a way to get a big bar clamp on the spare set of 650 forks so I can get at the spring stop retaining circlip. Got the stop down to where I could see the clip - MUCH RUST! - and then realized that when I remove the circlip and then release the tension in the bar clamp, I don't know where that spring is going to go.

Rather than fire fork parts all over the garage, I left the circlip where it is and just removed the bar. Will think about that some more tomorrow. Too tired to play with it any more.

Oh, the test rides on the 650 to prove the CDIs good was rather enjoyable, even if it's about 50 degrees out with a chill wind. Buttoned up that jacket and it was pleasant! Haven't spent NEARLY enough time on two wheels this past year.

 

Yesterday...

1) Replaced original fuse panel with inline ATO weatherproof holders using solder and heat-shrink tubing.

2) Applied snap-on wire protectors to wire bundles under the seat.

3) Cleaned battery terminals and applied silicone grease.

4) Checked torque on all fasteners 10mm and above.

It seemed to start more readily after the electrical upgrade. Bonus.

 

Did a plug chop. Cylinders 1 and 3 and lean. 2 and 4 are marginal. Tweaked the mixture screws, but will be buying two sets of main jets (next two sizes up) and getting the lean condition corrected before I ride much more.

 

Sunday went for ride, noticed the slight rattle at idle and slow riding has turned into a steady knock that rises with rpm's. Monday i pulled a few covers and the bottom pan and found the telltale metal shavings and notice wear on the main bearings so....tuesday go to the local parts guy and buy a 20k mile XJ750 motor for $150. Hopefully saturday we will pull the old motor and install the new motor. I realize i will have to get an aftermarket tach and will have to replace the ignition pickups and such, but this motor needs the pickups, alternator and starter anyway so no big. Looking forward to a bit morer pep and riding again ( I know its only been a week but I am jonesing already). cruzerjd