28 Sep 2011 | More from Motorcycle Trader magazine's Mr Fixit
SOAPBOX The mail recently has had a couple of nice letters from people who help or comment rather than seek advice. One, from Graham Glazebrook, responded to a request I made for photos of a 1958 DKW 350. Graham checked his photo album and came up with a couple of a DKW he bought new when he was just 20 years old. It cost £300. The on-road costs were an extra £40 but the dealer paid these in a deal that saw Graham hand over his 200cc Francis Barnett. Graham took the photos with a Brownie 127 camera and said that it didn’t matter that the pictures were black and white because so was the bike! I wonder where it is now? I had note as well from Bruce Roberts, who appreciated the test we did on the Sachs 150, but questioned my claim that a Honda CD250U had a top speed of around 130km/h. "That only applies downhill with a tailwind. Uphill speed is 90km/h and 100km/h on a level road with a headwind." Bruce should know – he owns two. He also had a whinge about the cost of new bikes and sent me some ads for new cars and utes that were in the $12,000 to $13,000 range. There are now some great bikes available for less, but Bruce’s secret desire is a Triumph Bonneville. Pedro from the NT had a red hot go at people who say "First to see will buy", but I’ll save that for the next issue… LETTERS RATTLE AND HUM I recently bought a 1983 Suzuki GSX750EF for $1000. It came with three months registration and 70,000km on the clock. Only minor cosmetics require attention, but I’ll be replacing the front tyre and deciding to either re-attach the small fairing or go naked. I notice there’s a rattle when the bike is idling and I’ve been told it’s the clutch basket. If I hold the clutch lever in, the noise goes away. Any fixes? Would putting an additive like Nulon in the oil keep the engine alive longer? Timbo Duke, donelikeadogsdinner@msn.com Clutch basket rattle on older Suzukis is common, Timbo. If it’s not deafening and you’re not expecting too much in the way of clutch performance, I’d learn to live with it. The fix is a new basket with new springs, but that won’t last forever either. The metal the basket is made from is weaker than the shaft onto which the basket fits, so time will loosen the fit, even if the retaining bolt is at the manufacturer’s specifications. Nulon is the LAST product you’d put in a GSX750EF engine, as the engine and gearbox share the same oil, meaning you’ll friction-modify the clutch plates and lose drive. Given that you’ve paid the princely sum of $1000 for the bike, I’d be getting the most from what I have rather than aiming at perfection – tension the existing clutch springs to Suzuki’s recommendations, use Castrol Activ4T oil and put your fingers in your ears when the clutch is disengaged. Oh, wait a minute… AXLE DIRECTION A friend of mine has a late model Harley-Davidson that is still under warranty. The rear tyre will have to be replaced shortly and when we looked to see what tools would be required to remove the rear wheel, we noticed that the exhaust mufflers would need to be removed so the rear axle can be withdrawn from the right hand side of the bike. Can the axle be inserted from the opposite side of the bike and fastened so that in future the exhaust mufflers won’t have to be removed during wheel removal and tyre changes? Could this void the warranty? Brad Hatherall, brad.hatherall@defence.gov.au The axle retaining bolt is on the other side of the drive mechanisms and is probably there because there is less flexing and movement, and less chance of the bolt undoing itself. H-D would take a dim view of any warranty claim that was the result of damage caused by changing the axle around. It is a clumsy design, though. PAY AND PLAY My mate, who is a B-double acid tanker driver in outback Queensland, has the misfortune of owning a 2001 BMW R1150 RT. It has already had the diff collapse, and now the ABS command module is on the blink. He’s been quoted literally thousands of dollars to replace it. He bought it new, paid the premium price of over $22,000, but feels a bit cheated. Any ideas? Paul, paul_baster@bigpond.com If you were going to pick an enemy, it wouldn’t be a B-double acid tanker driver. The diff problem was probably the collapse of the big bearing on the crown wheel, which, compared with the ABS situation, isn’t such an expensive deal. Towing anything doesn’t help here and BMW still says you shouldn’t tow with its bikes. Regarding the ABS, the command module has a fault-finder memory in it which can be decoded by a proper BMW workshop. Some faults can be fixed without having to replace the whole system, which, as you correctly point out, is hideously expensive. If your mate hasn’t had a proper diagnosis from an authorised BMW dealer, he should. Also, visit the Motohansa website for information on a diagnostic unit you can buy yourself. Fingers crossed... MAKING ENDS MEET I’m doing up an old bike and due to a new battery box, the rear brake activation arm that goes from just behind the engine to the lever on the hub won’t fit. I want to convert it to a cable, similar to the front brake type in the pre-hydraulic era, and wondered if this is allowable. Where would be the best place to get a cable and fittings? Michael Harvey, mjharv@exemail.com.au Everything is allowable, Michael. You haven’t mentioned the vintage of the bike you’re
playing with, but wreckers have hundreds of cable-operated drums for sale, and it’s not
difficult engineering. The rear drum cable on Suzuki T/GT500s is slim, unobtrusive and could be easily adapted to a variety of mounting positions. The brake won’t work really well (most cable-operated rear drums don’t), but the inspectors will appreciate your effort. CHEAP AND CHEERFUL I have located a Suzuki T500 for a bargain price. I’m thinking of using it a few times a week for short runs to keep in contact with motorcycling. I have been riding for 30 years but some recent family commitments (yes, the birth of a child – I’m a late starter) have forced the sale of my BMW R1150 R. In your opinion, is it possible for a novice to keep this bike on the road? Younger salespeople tell me the bike will just be in the garage while I wait for parts (quote: "You’re not a collector, so just buy a scooter"). Older riders tell me to buy it and enjoy it. I’m unsure whether parts like bearings and piston kits could be sourced new. I keep getting extremes of advice on this. What do you think? John Boich, gianzz10@hotmail.com You’re setting a good example for other fathers and mothers, John. Sometimes it’s necessary to sell your expensive bike to finance family life, but many make the mistake of abandoning riding in the process. It’s hard to convince the family accountant 10 years down the track you need a bike again if you’ve managed without one all that time. The secret is to ALWAYS have a bike, no matter how humble. Is the T500 complete and running? Apart from the normal stuff that happens to two-strokes if they’re not tuned correctly (holes in the pistons!), three things go wrong with T500s: the crankshaft seals leak, the seal between the gearbox and crankcases leaks (sucking gearbox oil into the engine) and the hardening wears off the gears you use most (fourth and fifth), resulting in an unpleasant grinding noise as you ride along. Any sign of any of these complaints? If the T500 is good to start with, you can keep it that way by using proper gearbox oil instead of the Suzuki-recommended engine oil, running it at least weekly to keep the seals lubricated and making sure the timing and carb tune are always spot-on. The result will be a bike that will surprise you with its performance (160km/h and a great rush between 4500 and 6500rpm) and reliability. Owning and running an older bike certainly requires you to engage more with service and maintenance but that’s okay in your case because, with the new baby, you won’t have enough money to go out anyway. TIMELY COMPARISON I’m now only a couple of months away from shedding my P plates and although my VTR250 was great to learn on, I am keen to upgrade. Some years ago you made me fall in love with the Triumph Speed Triple, and while I have never really strayed from my dream machine, my closest Triumph dealer also flogs BMWs – and the beautiful R 1200 R is demanding my attention. A bit of research reveals you’ve had a go on this beast and you really got me thinking when you finished the article with the following: "Another thing we’ll probably do, just because we won’t be able to stop ourselves, is wait for a full moon and go out hunting Monsters and Speed Triples. Being cleaned up on their home turf by a "cooking" BMW – there’s something they won’t be expecting…" It’s been 20 months since you suggested this comparison and, to my amazement, I can’t find a direct road test that includes these models anywhere. Perhaps you could include a few of the Japanese nakeds to keep the Europeans honest (SV1000, FZ1N, Z1000 etc). So how about it? Rodrigo Pedraza, Rodrigo_pedraza75@yahoo.com.au Nobody takes any notice of me here, Rodrigo. A prophet is never recognised in his own land. Speed Triples are immediately attractive because you can’t kill them with a big stick, they’re cheap and they look great. These
nakeds are about more than technology and performance – they’re about looks, street cred and attitude. There are other players on the block now and your suggestion of a giant comparo is worthy, but it would have a big cast. In your case, you will in no way be
disappointed by the Speed Triple, but if you see the more expensive BMW R 1200 R, keep your cool but show the appropriate respect. THE TRICK WITH TRICKLE I have two bikes that I ride for 100km or so every two or three weeks, plus an annual 2000km tour. One is a 2003 Honda Transalp XL650V; the other is a 1998 BMW R1100 S. Both bikes are stock and the BM has had a new battery in the last two years. After three weeks of non-use the Honda has not lost any battery power and takes only seconds to go off trickle charge. The BMW will take three hours of trickle charging to get it up to full strength. Why would there be such a difference between the bikes? Is it normal for a BMW to lose battery charge? Could this indicate that the bike is not charging properly when I ride it, or is there a fault in the BM’s electrics? Phil Whiteman, suephilw@bigpond.net.au There was a short piece in MT issue #212 recently on using a voltmeter to check your charging rate, Phil, and it’s worth reading. I’ll try to get it up on the MT website. Voltmeters are cheap these days and very useful. You could start by checking the charging rate for the BM. It should be around 14.5v at 3000rpm or so. All good? Now check the
battery condition. Charge it as fully as possible and use the voltmeter for a condition reading. It should be around 12.5 to 13v. If it’s below this figure, it means for any number of reasons the battery condition has deteriorated. It’s
usually as a result of a buildup of lead
sulphate crystals on the plates, and this is
encouraged if the battery isn’t regularly
recharged after discharging. The charging system might work just fine but the battery won’t store the electricity. The BM will take longer to trickle charge because it is a bigger battery than the one fitted to the Transalp. Capacity is measured in amp-hours (the number of amps the battery can deliver for an hour). Capacities vary a bit with BMs but even at the lower end they tend to be at least 20 amp-hour units. People who use their bikes on a daily basis regularly get better battery life – up to five years. Irregular use will shorten this to between two and three years. If the battery in the R1100 S is currently okay, Phil, I’d invest in something like a BatteryDoc, which I’d leave attached permanently while the bike wasn’t being used. It trickle charges when necessary but turns itself off when the battery is at a full state of charge. HEART TRANSPLANT Will a TDM900 engine fit into a ’96 TRX850? I’m doing the sums on rebuilding or replacing the engine. On another note, you published a letter recently from an old mate who was losing drive chain link clips. I had the same problem until I realized I’d been squashing the joining link and 0-rings too tight and the clip was left floating in the groove and not tight against the joining link. Kerry Maguire, Kerry_350@hotmail.com I know a TRX engine will fit in a TDM frame because I’ve seen one, so I suspect the reverse is true. Yamaha played with 360 and 270-
degree cranks, so keep that in mind depending on your preference. Has anyone out there had experience of this particular engine swap? Kerry and I would both like to hear from you. MORE BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT I have a problem with my 2000 model Honda XR650R. I disconnected the indicators after losing my licence for a year and only used the bike off-road. Now I want to register the bike again and I’ve refitted the lights to discover the front and rear indicators flash in opposite direction, and the regulator/rectifier heats up terribly. I’ve cleaned the switchblock, checked all earths, replaced the flasher relay, checked the wiring harness and resoldered all dodgy factory connections, replaced the regulator/rectifier and checked the magneto for moisture. Could it be the CDI, because the bike runs without fault otherwise? Stephen, Margaret.biship1@bigpond.com The most likely cause of the right indicator flashing at the front and left indicator flashing at the rear is incorrect connections for the rear indicators. You’ll have two sets of wires coming from the front of the bike and a set coming from each indicator. Disregard the colour coding of the wires and just swap them around. It’s not uncommon for regulators to run a little hot normally, but this will be exaggerated if there’s nowhere to send the electricity it’s supposed to be regulating. If the headlight, for example, is supposed to be on all the time, disconnecting it will have the effect of making the regulator run hotter. Trying to constantly charge a battery that will no longer hold a full charge is equally stressful. Your starting point should probably be a new battery. From here you can test all the bike’s electrical functions and determine if the new regulator-rectifier is functioning as it should be.
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