What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Because the odometer finally rolled over your birthday! You were born on November the 55th of 1966. Leap year? Ok, I don't know.

 

By resetting the trip meter at 11556.6, I set it up so that in 789.0 miles the odo and trip meters will read 12345.6 and 789.0 respectively (11556.6 + 789.0 = 12345.6). Which would look pretty cool. And is a thing you can only do once in the life of a bike with a mechanical speedo.

Alas, 'tis not to be: after I reset the trip meter, it did not record the first tenth. So it appears that I will end up with 12345.6 and 788.9

Dangit. Well, maybe I'll try to get 23456.7 and 890.1 next time. But that won't be anywhere near as cool. I'd shoot for 98765.4 and 321.0, but I think I'll be about 90 years old by the time the bike reaches that mileage!

UPDATE: Now that I think of it, I have seven more chances to get it right, because the XJ's odometer reset isn't a push button; it's a knob. Which means that as I reset the trip meter, it passes through 111.1, 222.2, 333.3, etc. Each of which gives me the opportunity to try again. Next one is at (I think) 11667.7 miles on the odo, when I would reset the trip to 111.1 miles. The last chance will be at 12334.3 miles, when I would reset the trip to 777.7 miles. 11.3 miles later the odo will reat 12345.6 and the trip will read 789.0 (remember to carry the 1)...

About twenty years ago I saw a picture in an Aerostich catalog from a guy who did this on his airhead BMW. I think the Beemer had a push button trip reset, so he had exactly one chance to get it right. I have eight in all, failed the first time, seven left...

 

Smashed a few bugs today after changing the final drive oil. 79F it was a perfect day for a ride.

 

Found some cheap Amazon saddle bags that seem like they should work pretty good on the 900.

This is actually the second pair I tried. First ones (by "Vuudh") had an ill-conceived mounting system that I couldn't imagine would work on any bike I've ever owned.

These ones by Kemimoto are actually workable. They aren't the sturdiest bags I've seen, but they are darn near the cheapest - about $62 including tax. I think they'll be fine for on road use. Easily removable with just 4 buckles. Biggest concern is they aren't waterproof. They came with rain covers, but they are just held on with elastic and I give it about a 99% chance they'll blow off at highway speeds. I'll have to figure out some way of securing them better.

 

For longer journeys could you could use zip ties to add additional security?

 

I was thinking maybe some grommets in the cover and small bungies that go behind the bags so they can't slip off.

 

Yes they are better.

 

I can vouch for Oxford bags. A couple of years ago I lucked into a full set of Oxfords - the panniers, tank bag and tail bag plus an extension for the tank bag, all for 50 quid. Ok, they're red, but I don't five a guck about that.
They've been overloaded so many times to almost bursting during my shopping runs and haven't given the slightest sign of trouble from stitching or zips.
New prices would make your eyes water, but there are thousands of them out there that have only been used for maybe three summer tours, if that.

 

What did I do to my Yamaha today? Ordered a set of the nearly impossible to get Napoleon "Baren" bar-end mirrors from an eBay supplier in Japan.



I wanted these specific mirrors because they have a spring-loaded pivot at the base of the stalk (where it joins the handlebar insert), which allows me to just flip them inward for getting into tight spaces like my garage or between cars (not that I would ever do that, as filtering's not allowed in IL ), and then flip them back out to their original position. I had these on my Buell M2 back in the '00s. Since then they have been damn near impossible to find. Can't even find cheap Chinese knock-offs on Amazon. Finally found a set of the original articles from a supplier in Japan on eBay, and while they were not exactly cheap (though not all that much more expensive than the ones I had on my Buell--especially when you consider I bought them over 20 years ago), they will be worth it. Further reports when they show up, hopefully in a couple weeks.

 

Too bad because MN is set to allow filtering in July. Given the number of brain-dead knuckleheads playing on their phones I'm not sure legal filtering is going to be a good idea.

 

It will be interesting....

If I disappear all of the sudden you might know why.

 

After looking at the splatter pattern I would determine YOU WERE SPEEDING.

 

Squeezed the front Avon off the wheel of my 650 Maxim to clean and reseal the tyre to rim. Managed it without removing the wheel too. Quick spin in the sunshine and maybe an oil change this afternoon...

 

Pleading the fifth...

 

I've been filtering in the UK and Ireland for 50+ years and only once had an off because of it. Even that was at just above walking pace as I was slowly making my way down the outside of a queue of cars and an asshole got fed up waiting, deciding he could scoot across the road into a sidestreet, without checking his mirror.
My lawyer took him to the cleaners.

 

I accidently found my Motion Pro rotor removal tool (essentially am M16 x 1.5 bolt with a nice finish) while looking for some other lost motorcycle part. I had completely forgotten that I had it and had been seeking a similar bolt for weeks. I immediately went to the XJ750 engine that needed it's rotor removed and put the tool to use. I need an inventory of tools and bits and pieces and their location.......

 

There's something in my memory about the GS rear axle bolt fits the rotor extractor hole.
It would be nice if the XJ was the same.

 

I used a bolt out of a nut splitter l had.

 

https://ebay.us/m/unvXus

Jama System.

 

Changed oil and final drive gear oil took for 50 mile test ride just to check for leaks and now at 6.12 pm I am kicking it back with a couple cold ones! Hope you all are enjoying your Saturday evening

 

I would not be surprised if that worked. I had an '82 Honda CB900F that it's axle worked to remove it's rotor. Our XJ's are not that cooperative and I don't have a GS. I was happy to find the tool and frustrated that I forgot I had it and annoyed that it took me 2 weeks of looking for something else to find it. Oh well, first world problems. The agonies of having too much "stuff".

 

I think I would get totally confused if I had two locations to keep that stuff too. Hmmm, was that the winter house or the summer house that I last used that

 

Any cam chain problems on the 900f?

 

@Franz, No cam chain issues on the 900F that I know of. When it came to me it had, I think, 22k miles and had been in the original owner's garage for something over 20 years after the charging system failed. His wife got tired of walking around it and he sold it to me for a pittance. I rehabbed it and made it almost safe as I did not change out the tires and sold it to a fellow who had been searching for one to restore. He went absolutely crazy restoring it to show worthiness.

 

@Fuller56 I liked the CB900f and a friend of mine got one. Six months later l was still riding my Suzuki GT250 and my father bought a local newspaper and there was an advertisement for a Honda CB750 and l thought it was the DOHC machine. It was a SOHC K2 with low miles and it was in a timber shed that had been creosoted. Even today when l smell creosoted timber it reminds me of my immaculate Honda four. Oh and the 900F's cam chain snapped which was terrible, wrecked the valves. He got a Gold Wing after that. Later he got another CB900f and didn't have any problems with it which was great and he still has it.

 

Well this didn't quite turn out as intended. The tyre sealed on the wheel, I took the 650 maxim out for a spin in the country, local roads, nothing exciting. And that was the issue, this 650 is flat as a pancake, up to 8000 rpm, when it takes off like a scalded cat. So I decided to take the tops off the carbs to move the needles up. (Some might remember this bike came to me without carbs, and the only ones I could find were XJ/fj600 mikunis, which I duly fitted, along with the air box).
Anyway, I dropped the needle clip two steps, so the needles were as high as they would go, and off for a spin.
Immediately I could feel the bike too rich at part throttle, even some surging. So, back to the drawing board, dropped them back one step. This time I did a running synch and went through all the mixture screws - which showed I had an issue with no3 carb, not responding... So it will be off with the whole lot to check this out.
In the meantime I looked to see if I had some weaker pilot jets, but no I don't, so I ordered a set one size smaller. The test ride was a big improvement, with the surging gone, replaced by flat response just off idle, but full power available from 4000 up - it really goes like stink.
Interesting thing about the xj600 mikunis, No2 carb has a different needle, and not by a small amount, it's clearly a lot thinner...
Anyway, fingers crossed the new jets help, if not I will have to resort to machining needles in the lathe - but damn, what are they made from - anyone know?