Tell-On-Yourself Thread

Actually, my kill switch sort of fell appart and I ended up hooking the wires together as a temnporary fix. Then I found a low profile normally closed pushbutton switch. Now I know which way is kill. (Pressed). I was confused with the old one till the first time it started. Anyway, sometimes when I have my hand over the throttle trying to adjust the idling? Guess what? My palm pushes the kill switch and engine starts to die, untill I realize my stupidity.

Oh, and another time when I was trying ti get the timing somewhere close, as the static timing marks were way off compared to where it wpuld start and run.... It backfired and blew one of those black plugs out. Went to the Honda dealer to order a new plug. He couldnt find a part number. Meanwhile I got it to run, but only on one cylinder. At least the timing ws close! Anyway the clanking noise on the left cylinder left me wondering so I pulled the top off and found that the rod holding the tappet blew out through the hole with the rubber plug, AND I couldn't find either for two days! Then I came in and found the short metal shaft right in my tool box. I later found the rubber plug rioght under the bike!
 
I too have tried to start the bike with the kill switch off.

The other night I parked my Beemer K1100rs in front of my house without locking the steering. It was gone the next morning. Cops found it 1/2 mile away in the weeds with the wiring ripped out!

Consider yourself fortunate ... June 15, 2007 I did the same thing on my 1991 HD Sportster 1200 ... my brother woke me up to inform me it was stolen ... never seen again:mad:. ... that's about the biggest "stupid me" motorcycle moment one could have.

A more recent example was that I found that I've had my XS400 since 22-Aug-2014 and only two days ago I realized the vacuum line from the left carb-boot to the fuel petcock vacuum diaphragm was not hooked up (petcock diaphragm doesn't work, constantly lets fuel through so I just rigged up another valve). I've had the tank on and off several times for various reasons, I even replaced the motor as the kick starter boss in the body of the motor case was busted but even then, hooking up the carbs, I totally didn't think to plug the massive vacuum leak.:doh: When I went to balance my carbs Monday night, I saw the disconnected tube, kicked myself, plugged the hole and HOOOOOWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEE DID THAT EVER PEP UP MY BIKE. Idle is smooth as glass, acceleration is glorious, and she starts soooo easily now ... I fell in love all over again.:bike:

Life goes on

- J
 
Just sharing this weeks frustration (Venting):banghead:
I started the week out, trying to identify a leak near the drive sprocket. So I get the cover off, and various parts later, my wife comes out, and sees everything laid out, and says the magic words. "Don't loose anything." :poke: It was just a statement, and everyone knows what I says? "I wont loose anything" :rolleyes: The next day when I figure out my first leak was the neutral cover o-ring. :boxing:(strongly suspected, since it fell out with a complete break, and a secondary partial break in the o-ring.) (Still suspecting the clutch rod seal)

So sure enough I lost the Clutch cap, for the line, that goes on top of the case. Oops. So you know I heard the "I told you so's." :shootme:

So now I have found that device, that part of the bike is put together, and now onto the Pickup device. I put it in a paper towel for safekeeping, then it was the only thing in it, so I had to dig though all the paper towels. Good thing garbage day was a day earlier.

I stopped driving the bike early this year, when the engine noise made me feel uneasy about driving it further, Since I was in the middle of college, the bike priority went way down on the list of things to worry about. :doh:
 
:banghead:Well It happened to me today. Been driving my bike on short hops around the hood & to town. Still having a good time when it suddenly starts to die. Looking all over for the reason Electrical is ok since lights are bright Air filters are where they belong Fuel line looked full. Head scratching & for spits & wiggles I turned the valve to reserve. There it go's Gas flowing again what I saw was an empty yellow fuel line. Oh stupid me!!! Once again discovering You Gotta put gas in these things to make them go!!!!:banghead::banghead::shrug:
 
We are never immune.
Changed the oil today with my homemade drain-pan with the rectangular opening. Didn't think to run the long end front to back, so when the plug was removed, the horizontal blast of hot oil overshot the opening :yikes:
Moved it forward only to have the opening not cover the hole once the oil was dripping out vertically :wtf:
2 oil stains are better than one, I guess :shrug:
 
got my friends 77 Honda CB550 up and running with the help of our other friend who came by on his 81 Kawasaki KZ550... was so excited to finally go for a cruise with all three of our bikes actually running at the same time i failed to notice how low on fuel i was..

10 miles in, pulling away from a light and the XS it starts running on one cylinder and stalls. I turn around and start limping it home and i get the idea to switch it to reserve, and boom it runs fine.

Get to a gas station and top it off w nearly 4 gallons and we were off. I must have been riding rather hard, the trip meter just ticked over 100mi.. 10 miles later my buddy on his KZ ran out of gas...:doh: good thing its NJ and there are gas stations at every corner...
 

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On the way home, something odd happened though. I was winding through the gears, I took second almost to the redline, wanting to push the bike a little, when everything went dead. Imagine, flying down a dark road and everything shuts down! Coasted to the side, thinking I blew the main fuse. I found the key switch in the off position? Turned it back, started back up and drove home.


Ok, this happened to me again today, revved up high, key turns off. Happens around 8000 rpm. This thing has to have a limiter of some sort.
 
Sound like the switch is worn inside. It should lock into the on position and only turn back with the force of your hand moving it.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by smurfy71 View Post

On the way home, something odd happened though. I was winding through the gears, I took second almost to the redline, wanting to push the bike a little, when everything went dead. Imagine, flying down a dark road and everything shuts down! Coasted to the side, thinking I blew the main fuse. I found the key switch in the off position? Turned it back, started back up and drove home.

Ok, this happened to me again today, revved up high, key turns off. Happens around 8000 rpm. This thing has to have a limiter of some sort.

I had this happen, except it WAS the main fuse. Twice in 5 minutes... Luckily the first burn out was as I was pulling into the local hardware store, so I just picked up a bunch of 20a fuses and rolled on. Currently not sure of the cause, but it only happens at about 7500 revs or higher.
 
This is a true Jap bike, it is suppose to be high RPM's. 9,000 Rev Per Minute may see like a lot, but that is just the beginning of the Red line :)

Says the guy, who is about to tear into the Case for the 3rd time since 2010.
 
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