It's freaking freezing.

I put the bikes(the wing and bleubells) on the charger for a little while the other day. It was way to cold to start them though. We are suppose to have warmer weather this weekend, so I'll try and run them then.

Time to start surfing the net for parts again. I've decided to rebuild the '78.

Time to Winterize

I've had the bikes in the garage for several weeks now. The weather has been fair up until the past couple of weeks and now it is pretty cold. A guy could still ride if he bundled up, but I'm not that guy. I need to go out and put some Sea Foam in the tanks and run a little through the carbs so they won't gel up over the winter. I know that a lot of people like to drain them all the way down but I try to start the bikes a few time during the winter just to keep things wet and batteries fresh.

I've taken the battery out over the winter before and brought it in the house to keep it from freezing but I've found that they still die. I would like to get a battery Tender and then just switch it from one bike to the other every couple of weeks. It would make them easier to start and help keep the batteries fresh.

This winter might be a good time to start the '78. I am heavily considering stripping it and making a naked wing out of it. I can see a lot of potential in that pile of dust.

LAS VEGAS

I don't have a lot of pictures from the Vegas trip but plenty of memories.

On the way down we took the highway through Marysville and across Bear Valley for two reasons. First to avoid the smoke from the Tushar Mtn fire and second because a huge storm was blowing in and they almost always follow that side of the mountain. The head wind was so strong going south that I had to switch to reserve crossing Bear Valley and ran out of gas on I-15 just before Summit. I had put a gallon can in the side compartment and that got us on to Cedar City. Just as I get done posting about great gas mileage I find out that a head wind, 70 mph, a passenger and a trailer drasticly cut into that.

We stopped about every 50 miles after that leg of the trip. I didn't use as much fuel but the head wind was still pretty bad. I found that my hands were going numb after about 25 miles. I think it was because I couldn't rest them. I was honestly fighting that wind the entire way down. I would have loved a throttle rocker or cramp buster but I couldn't find one anywhere to include Las Vegas.

The bike did fine while we were down there. The helmets worked really well. The Nolan n-com devices are great for being able to talk and pass time. The turn on and find each other in less then 10 seconds. It was really nice to have an extra set of eyes while driving in downtown Las Vegas traffic especially at night.

One interesting thing about 30 year old plastic is that it becomes very brittle. On the return trip we got only 30-40 miles from Vegas and the bike started puking antifreeze all over both of us. It was coming from the right side of the bike and after stopping in Mesquite I could tell that the return tube to the overflow reservoir had broken off the cap. I poured some water in the reservoir put the tube in place. I even contemplated buying some glue to glue it in but thought it would make it. The extra water probably wasn't a good idea as it likely over filled the system and it wasn't long until we were both getting a shower of sticky water.

We made it to Cedar where Brant, my brother and bike mechanic, lives. He helped me get it together and we glued the tube in place until I can find a replacement. It held well the way back, 120 miles, and the bike ran a lot cooler.

I was glad to get off after that trip(600 highway miles and plenty more around Vegas) but I look forward to going for another ride before the snow hits. A fellow Goldwinger told me that 300 miles a day is plenty and he is absolutely right.

Trailer Lights

Tonight I wired the Goldwing with trailer lights. The last time we took it out I didn't have them and it was a bit terrifying to say the least. I used the wiring diagram from Goldwingdocs.com to chase down the signals, brake and clearance lights. The wiring harness was a generic 4 prong from walmart and was labeled very well. Right and Left turn, clearance, brake and ground.

If you are attempting to do this on your own be advised that the bike puts out a lot more power when running then the battery will alone. After I first got everything plugged in I found that the clearance lights where quite bright but the signals and brake lights were really faint. I contemplated not connecting the clearance lights at all and just have signal and brakes.

After talking to my mechanically gifted brother, he told me to try running the bike as the alternator would likely put out more juice then the battery (and charger, as I had the bike on the trickle charge so I would not drain it playing with the lights). As always he was right and all the lights lit up quite nicely while the bike was running.

I am still considering replacing the bulbs with the LED bulbs. It would use a lot less power and probably never burn out. I'll let you know if I decide to cough up the money for them.

Another 50 miles

We were able to go on a little trip around the valley again this weekend. With Brant here and Trev with his own bike now we with Ben (on Dad's nighthawk) took a loop to Salina and back on the highways. The overall trip was around 50 miles. Just enough to warm the bikes up. Each time I take the Wing out it seems to run a little better. The brakes still squeal but they stop so I'm not going to worry much about them. It was a fun weekend and a fun little ride.

Rachel and I wore the Nolan helmets and the n-coms worked quite well. Towards the end of the ride Rachel's battery started to get weak and the signal was a little staticy. We left the helmets on over night to kill the batteries and I'll charge them both tonight. I hope that get the full battery life (14 hours) out of them like Nolan suggest we should.

Cable Oiling

I noticed the other day that I was getting a whine in either the speedometer or odometer cable. Today I took a minute and put the bike on the center stand. I disconnected both cables and started the bike. I slowly dripped a multi-purpose oil down the odometer cable while the engine spun it. As I was waiting for the oil to go down, I would put a few drops at a time in the speedometer cable as well. It is connected to the front wheel so it was not spinning but the oil drains down that cable quite well.

After several minutes of this I decided that would hold it over until spring when I'll oil them again. I know that without using a cable oilier that it is close to impossible to get the oil to the bottom of the cable, but if I oil them often, I'm convinced that it will help. Insendently the cable stopped making the whining noise.

N-com Success

The Basic kits came this week and were surprisingly easy to install. The author of the instillation page made it sound more difficult then it was. It might have taken me 20 minutes to take the helmets apart, install the headsets and battery then reassemble them. The helmets linked right up to each other and we were talking immediately.

I then added the bluetooth link to my phone. That is a cool feature. I can dial using voice commands and take or end calls by touching the button on the side of the helmet. The first call that I made was in the house to my 2 year old daughter so it was difficult to say how well the system worked. Shortly after my brother called me on while I was wearing the helmet. I took the call and we gave the N-com a road test.

Brant reported that the call quality was really clear and aside from starting the bike he was not able to hear the bike during the call. I rode with my visor open and even stood above the windshield with no wind noise. I haven't tried yet to ride above the windshield with the face completely open. I suspect that even with the wind sock on the microphone there would be noticeable noise.

I made two more calls through the helmet today and both reported the same good call quality and no bike noise.

Rachel and I rode across town with them linked up and had plenty of volume and good clarity helmet to helmet. After the ride we walked to see how far away we could be before loosing the link. At about 30 ft(line of sight) we got static on the line and lost signal at about 50ft. It may be close enough to have communications from one bike to the next.



I really like how the helmet looked finished. Because the N-com is a factory part for Nolan helmets everything fits really well. All the polystyrene is formed to take the N-com components. Everything is self contained and looks as if the helmet was purchased that way from Nolan. If not for the microphone and the battery charging cable one would never know the difference between a N-com equipped helmet and one that was not.

Two big thumbs up for Nolan and the N-Com.

Nolan N-Com Bluetooth

We received the first half of our N-coms this week. The bluetooth and control kit came. With these we can talk from helmet to helmet without wires. It also allows us to make and receive phone calls through the helmet as well as listen to music. The voice and music will cut out when you take a phone call. The basic kit should be here soon. It has the headphones . I'll have to gut the helmets to install the N-com but Rachel found a good step by step that someone did.

http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/review-nolan-n103-motorcycle-helmet-with-n-com.htm

I am excited to try these out.

How's your gas mileage? Prius? Volt?

To heck with these battery operated piles-o-trash. I just filled the Wing today and was pleasantly surprised. I pumped 4.066 gallons of premium Chevron fuel. I had rode 230.7 miles since my last fill up in Lyman.

"Oh gee Mr. Wizard! What kind of gas mileage are you getting then?"

"Well it's simple Timmy. We want to find out how many miles per gallon the bike uses. Right?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Then lets divide the number of miles by the number of gallons like this."

(scratching on a black board)

230.7 / 4.066 = 56.738

"Geepers Mister! Does that mean that the bike got almost 57 miles/gallon?!"

"That's right Timmy. One more reason that all boys should ride motorcycles."

(spoken in a calm fatherly voice and smiling at the camera)

Well you heard it here folks, the Goldwing averaged 56.7 mpg with a mix of highway and city driving. Join us next time when we disclose how cheap it is to insure one of these beauties.

Highway Boards are Great.

So the highway boards that I originally bought fit the first case guard fine but were too small for the new case guard. Well, I went to my go to guy(Dad)for anything metal and the next day he brings me back a finished product. He took them to the school where Hart and one of the students bored them out to fit. I bolted them on the bike the other night but only got to ride with them today.

It doesn't seem like a 4 inch square board would offer much more comfort then a peg until you ride with one. It is night and day different. I rest my feet there now with out gripping the tank or burning my calves on the valve covers. Glorious.

Road Trip with Trailer

Yesterday, Rachel and I took off for the night. We loaded the trailer with camping gear(despite not having trailer lights) and took off for Bicknell. You must be wondering what in the world would take us to Bicknell so I'll tell you. We went over to see the BIFF, Bicknell International Film Festival. It was a little like weird ville USA. We saw a movie called "The Claw" that we highly recommend.

The trailer pulled fine and follows well. Paving crews had chip sealed the dugway so we had to take it easy going up it. I would really like to get the trailer light connected however because it blocks the bike lights all together. One good discovery however is that the cooling fan does indeed work. I had never heard it kick on and worried that the sensor or thermostat or something was bad, but once we pulled into Bicknell I could hear it running. When we stopped at the campground to drop the trailer I turned off the motor but left the key on auxiliary so the fan would continue to run. After about a minute or so it shut off on its own.

We stayed in a campground just outside of town. It just so happened to be the same camp ground that all the crazy's were also staying in. Surprisingly it was pretty quiet. I locked the trailer to one of the picnic table legs with the safety chains and locked the hitch. We left it there while we went to the movie.

On the way back we decided to take a different route so we circled through Koosharem and over to Otter Creek. We stopped there for a few minutes to stretch our legs.


The bike averaged about 40 mpg which I didn't think was too bad considering we were riding 2 up and pulling a trailer with total weight of about 200lbs. The bike still held 70 mph comfortably while bucking a head wind once we got out of Marysville canyon. 190 miles total and the bike did fine. It is a far cry from a new bike but it still has some life left in it.

Trailer Hitch

So tonight I took on the project of switching the trailer hitch from the 78 to the 79. First off the hitch is a home made contraption that I have yet to prove worthy of actually pulling a trailer. Second, I had to take most of the rear end apart on both bikes. Once I got all the tupperware off of the 78 I caught the naked bike vision again. I really think it would make a nice cruiser. The biggest fight was getting the bracket to line back up on the 79. With a lot of persuasion I mostly got it. I will however have to make some small changes in the rear floorboard mounts and get longer bolts for the boards.

Word to the wise

Use lock tight on any and all bolts that hold aftermarket foot controls in place. I lost the toe pedal off of the aftermarket heel toe shifter that I just put on. The vibrations must have worked the nuts loose. I replaced all the bolts on the controls today with locking washers and Red lock tight. It is suppose to harden so tight that it requires heat to remove them. Sounds good to me. I really don't want them coming off again.

Brake Bleeding

I have been playing with the front brakes again and still not having a lot of success so I turned, like always, to the source of all knowledge. Google. This is what I found at
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Motorcycle-Repair-837/1994-Gold-Wing-SE.htm


Brake/Clutch Bleeding 101
By Mark Shively

Use high quality DOT 4 brake fluid (or preferred type) from a sealed container. Remove the old fluid from the master cylinder reservoir. Use a cooking type squeeze bulb baster to remove the bulk of the fluid. Use a paper towel to remove any remaining fluid. Top off the empty reservoir. Top them off periodically during this procedure. Do not spill any fluid on your bike because it may damage the paint. The front brake reservoir tends to spit fluid out the top during this process so make sure you place a bunch of rags, old blankets, or towels over the fuel tank.

You can make a bleeder drain container fairly easily by taking a plastic container with a screw on lid. Put a hole in the container lid just large enough to get the hose through. Put a short section of hose on the bleed valve on the brake caliper. Put the drain container on the other end to catch the runoff. You'll need to move the hose and container around to each caliper as you work, or use more than one container.

Use a wrench to open the bleed valve while simultaneously squeezing the lever (or pedal). About 2/3 of a turn on the wrench will do it. Fluid should run out of the hose at this time. When you squeeze to within 3/4 of your full lever pull, use the wrench to close the bleeder valve. It is important that you close the valve before hitting full travel on the lever. Release the lever and repeat the process (squeeze lever, open valve, close valve, release lever) until the fluid runs with no bubbles and the lever is firm. You'll be amazed how firm you can get your system.
While this way will work and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, it is a big misconception that you have to shut the bleeder valve between every pump/squeeze of the lever. People do this on their cars, too. Pump, Open/Close; Pump, Open/Close…. You really don't need to do this. As long as you've got fluid flowing through the bleeder tube, you can just keep pumping/squeezing the lever until fresh brake fluids runs through the system. The end result is a flushed and bled system. Just make sure the reservoir stays topped off. If you bleed it dry, you'll have to start all over again. This how pro motorcycle mechanics flush a hydraulic brake system.

I'll have to give it a shot. So much for DOT 3.

Found: 1 Front Brake Switch

So I was talking to Dennis Jorgensen today at the gym after he offered me to take a ride on his new Kawasaki bullet bike, and decided that I'd see how much they would charge me for the parts. I went into the store this afternoon and started talking to the parts guy. He was able to get me the switch for under 20 bucks with tax. I went with it because that was the best price I could find online as well.

He looked up the rebuild kit for the master cylinder and it was 50 something. I told him that I was waiting for an after market one for $20. He then said that he could sell it for $40 and if I changed my mind about waiting for the after market parts he would still honor that price. Not bad, but I'm holding out for partsnmore. I'll likely order new clutch plates at the same time.

Parts Hunt

I found the front stop switch online for about 20 bucks plus shipping. The master cylinder rebuild kit is anywhere from 20 to 80 dollars. I'm going to check with the Honda shop here and see what they can get it for. I'm not expecting it to be less but it is worth a try. Otherwise I wait for partsnmore to get it in stock.

MSF Basic Riders Course

Here are the Dixie College dates for the rest of the year. I'm going to go on Oct 14-15 I think. I like the two day course better then the 3 short days.

September 3-5 BRC 01

September 10-12 BRC 02

September 17-19 BRC 03

September 24-26 BRC 04

October 2-3 BRC 05

October 9-10 BRC 06

October 14 ERC 01

October 14-15 BRC 07 Thursday/Friday class

October 16-17 BRC 08

October 23-24 BRC 09

October 30-31 BRC 10

November 6-7 BRC 11

November 13-14 BRC 12

November 20-21 BRC 13

December 4-5 BRC 14

December 11-12 BRC 15

December 18-19 BRC 16

December 21-22 BRC 17

Vicki Baldwin
Community Education Secretary
652-7664

Backordered?

How many people can there be that are ordering master cylinder rebuild kits? My favorite busted old bike vendor is sold out of them. It is clear that I need to rebuild the cylinder. After cleaning the calipers and greasing them up it took a ridiculously long time to pump them back up and once they are the won't hold pressure. It makes for a scary ride pumping the brakes every time you need to stop. Forget about stopping fast. It just isn't safe to ride until I get it changed. I can't even salvage from the other bike because Mother Honda changed the control from 78 to 79. Guess it will be a while longer before we take it out again.

Brakes

I started asking around on forums about squeaking brakes and the best advice I received was to rebuild the calipers. So, they are off the bike and mostly in pieces. The pistons are stuck in the caliper. Likely the cause of the squealing. I'll need to use an air chuck to push them out then brush them up with some emery cloth to clean them up. Lube them up a little and put it all back together. With any luck I'll have a winner. While I'm at it I'm going to drain all the synthetic DOT 3 and use the traditional DOT 3. I bought the synthetic on mistake and didn't realize it until I started pouring it in. It seems really slick and I don't think that the master cylinder pumps it as well.

Sell or not to sell?

Recently I have deliberated fixing both bikes up just enough to sell them and the trailer and put the money towards a good bike. I'm a little tired of fixing things only to have it not work or something else go bad. I've seen a myriad of bikes on the road as of late and I am very envious.

Part of me still would like to make a naked wing with drag bars and pipes. A lot of work but it would be a sweet bike.

Hummm. Decisions, decisions.

From One Problem to The Next

I started off the day with the goal of replacing the master brake cylinder reservoir and finding out why the front calipers were squeaking. The brake fluid in the bike was pretty skunky and it had a lot of black residue in it. I used a medicine dropper to suck the old oil out of the reservoir. (worked like a champ) With a little force I was able to get the old reservoir off and began cleaning the inside. I bled the lines completely out on both sides. As I went to add the new brake fluid I notice that it is DOT 3 synthetic. I didn't realize that is what I had bought and hoped that it would work.

In the process of pumping the brake lines back up I started to think that this synthetic brake fluid wasn't going to work. I think it may be too thin for the cylinder. At long last, and with help from my brother, the line did pressurize. Mostly. We both took it out for a ride and it stops the bike still but feels soft. Maybe that is just an attribute of synthetic. My hope is that it will work its way in with a little riding and I wont have anymore troubles. Ya right.

In the course of doing this I decided to change the grips and adjust the position of the clutch. The grips came off will a little effort and I used a little hairspray on the bar ends to slide the new grips on. I reconnected the throttle lock then decided to adjust the position of the clutch handle. I loosened right up, I tipped it down were I wanted it and then started to tighten it back up when it stripped loose. I pulled the bolt out and could see that it had only bit about 3 threads. I borrow Dad's tap and chase the treads then off to get a longer bolt. 43 cents later and I'm back in business.

On a happier note. I finally opened and used my motorcycle lift. It works like a champ. It easily lifted the bike and was really quite stable considering the ground that I was using it on. In the picture it is only lifted to the first safety latch. There is probably 5-6 inches more travel in the jack. That was 40 bucks well spent.

Vacation is over

I mean that in every sense of the word. I've decided that there is major problems with my front brake calipers. I took the bike out again the other night and they were squeeking the entire time. I have also noticed brake fluid spots on the front tire. I can't tell where it is coming from yet but this weekend I'll have some time to look into it. I'm leery about taking any long trips with the brakes like that.

On a positive note. The bike started right up after sitting for two weeks. It's idle has smoothed out and it seem to be running rather well. As soon as I get the brake issue resolved I'll put a few more miles on it.

Eggs?

So yesterday I found out that I can carry eggs in the trunk of the Goldwing. My Dad and brothers and I are making dinner tonight for our Mother and wives and set off for the grocery store on the motorcycles. Part of that shopping list was 2 dozen eggs which I am happy to say made it hope safe and sound. I learn something new everyday.

Friday night Rachel and I went out to dinner on the bike. Hoovers Cafe is about 25 miles from our house. We took the old highway for the scenic view. The ride down was nice as we had the wind to our backs. Coming back however was much more windy. On the ride back we took a detour up towards Monrovian Park. I'd like to take the girls on a picnic there some evening.

Riding Courses

I called down to St. George today to get the schedule for the classes. The next one that I could go to is May 28-30th.
The June dates are: 18-20th and 25-27th.

As you can see this is a three day class.

Friday 6pm-9pm
Sat 8am-5pm
Sun 8am-noon

lunch is not provided.

The cost is 125.00 per person and includes a 250 cc bike and helmet. You can bring your own if it is licensed and insured and the helmet has to be DOT approved. I would surely bring my own. Classes won't be held again until fall.

They actually offer a advanced rider course that I would rather take, but they require that you have passed the basic course as a pre-req. Just another way to suck money out of you I think. The advanced course is taught at Miller Speedway on the track and sounds cool.

Rain or Shine

Either way I'm going for a ride this Saturday. Maybe Friday evening if it is warm enough I can take Rachel to Hoover's for a burger. Irregardless it is time to get out and ride.

Motorcycle Insurance

I took the bike out Monday because the weather was so nice and I knew that the weather was going to turn sour. I rode down to the insurance company to see how much it would be to cover the bike. As she starts figuring out my premium she stops and asks,

"Now, do you have health insurance?

"Yes" I respond thinking that she is going to start a conversation about health care reform.

"Oh good" she says, "Because motorcycle insurance doesn't cover the rider."

Well okay. Now I'm thinking, why would I insure the bike then? What am I out if I wreak it? Even if the bike was totaled I wouldn't be surprised. If I can see that a wreak is going to happen, I am going to sacrifice the bike. Ditch that sucker and save yourself.

Really, It seems kind of silly to insure a bike after hearing that. Maybe if I had a really expensive bike I'd feel differently.



May as well.

Floor board pic

As you can see the new case guard really frees up the driver foot space. I'm really pleased how well they turned out.

At long last

So last Tuesday I spent the full day mounting the driver floor boards. Yes, ALL day. As it turns out the person who designed the floor boards has no intention of actually installing them. Everything mostly fit, mostly.

One trip to the College to drill out one of the bolt holes.

One hour to decide that it is impossible to shorten the amount of travel in the rear brake despite what the instructions say.

One trip to Ace Hardware to get extra washers, rubber grommets, and a nut.

One tired dude.

And one good looking bike.

In the end they turned out really nice. I had to remove the case guard and replace it with the one that was on the '78. In turn I temporally lost my highway boards, but I no longer bang my shins on them. There is much more room for the driver however the controls are still back in the original spots. The rocker shifter is a little weird. I've been out a few times now and I am getting better with it. I'm afraid that in a bind I would resort to reflex and that rocker could get me in trouble.

Not too shabby

I got the chance to take the bike out for a little ride this evening. I played with the clutch adjustment for just a minute on the center stand. It seemed okay there. As the bike warmed up a little it would clunk just a bit going into first gear. But, it shifts right into neutral and all the other gears fine. The handle pulls much easier now as well. Just a little fine tuning and I should have it.

The whole bike seems to be a little smoother now. I found as I was emptying my use oil pan that the spring that keeps the oil filter tight had fallen in the pan. So now I'll have to drain the bike down one more time so I can pull the filter and put the spring back in. It's not like me to only do things once.

The highway boards are an excellent addition to the bike. For my short frame they are perfect. I only wished that the shift lever and brake controls were up there as well. Rachel says that the passenger floor boards were a good buy.

Next I'll look to the brake cylinder.

Christmas Morning

Two reasons that I called it Christmas morning. One, I woke up to snow. Two, FedEx delivers early. That's right. All the parts came together. I had some chores around the house to finish before the boss would let me get to work on the bike but this afternoon was great.

The highway boards mounted right up and look and feel really good. I obviously need to ride to see if they are just right. The passenger boards were a simple one bolt switch. I did however add a rubber spacer to the hinge bolt just to take up some space. It is a little sloppy and I thought the rubber would reduce vibration noise. They look really good on the bike and I had Rachel custom adjust them for her comfort.

I drained the SeaFoam oil and pulled the filter. The oil was a little bit milky towards the end and I assume that is from the Seafoam and not leaky head gaskets. That is what I'm telling myself anyways. Otherwise the color wasn't too bad. The filter that I replaced was a K&N. I felt bad taking it out because I know that they are expensive but, irregardless I did change it. Everything went back together really well. I ended up using Mobil 10w30 red cap. I have read that a lot of Wingers like it. I didn't go synthetic because it was twice as expensive. I might try it in the future but not now.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to replace the clutch cable. The most difficult part is removing all the tupperware and the clutch adjustment cover. I fished a length of parachute cord through with the old cable and was able to pull the new cable though quite easily with the help of a beautiful blonde. I ran out of time before I could make the final adjustments to the clutch but I am very optimistic that it will adjust better now. The pull on the new cable is much smoother and lighter.

I still need to replace the brake cylinder and mount the driver boards and rocker pedal. One post on the forum said that it took him about an hour and a half to mount his. I'll be glad if I do it in a day and a half. The instructions are on a single sheet of paper, front and back. Could prove to be interesting. Trev has already offered to help which I will gladly accept.

Total garage time today: 3hrs 30 min.

New Parts

I posted a question on the Steve Saunders Goldwing Forum about who people liked as aftermarket parts dealers. I was pleased to find the responses. Two that I am quite impressed with are Partsnmore.com and good ol' JC Whitney. I was looking at clutch cables and plates, oil filters, and just some bolt on accessories. This is what I ended up getting.

Parts:
Clutch Cable (Pro Motion the same brand as the new throttle cable)
Master Brake Cylinder rebuild kit
Oil filters ($3.00)

Accessories:

Driver Floor Boards (includes rocker shift lever and at 1/2 the price of everywhere else I looked)
Passenger Floor Boards (folding, matching and also 1/2 the price)
Highway Boards (10 bucks more then the highway pegs, also folding and matching)

I scored free shipping from JC Whitney and Partsnmore is $5.00 shipping on all orders. Now I just have to find ways to stay occupied until the parts get here. I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas.

The Clutch Saga Continues

I did get a chance to take the bike out again on Saturday. I played with the clutch for about 30 minutes before going for a ride and this is what I figured out.

1. Which ever way you think the clutch should be adjusted is wrong. Start just the opposite.

2. After you have adjusted it a little bit try the clutch only to find out that it makes no difference which way you adjust it, the clutch engages exactly how it did before. 

I put the bike on the center stand and started the motor. Made several adjustments. Engaged the clutch and shifted into first gear. If I took the adjustment too far in then it was hard to get it to shift into first gear. If I took it to far the other direction then it would only engage when the handle as all the way released. So I found what I thought was a happy medium only to find out that it engaged exactly as before.

Back to the drawing board I guess.

Snow Day

We had another snowy day here. According to the weather channel we are in store for a lot more rainy/snowy days. Tomorrow may be the only chance I have to go for a ride until after Easter. That's the pits.

Motley Crew

I wished that I had taken a picture of our motley crew yesterday. Dad, Brant, Trev and I all saddled up the bikes and went for a ride. Thanks is largely Brant's for bringing his bike up and also for putting Dad's back together. Trev rode my BlueBells, Honda CM400T. Round trip was right about 40 miles covering the back highways. I thought the ride was a lot of fun and would like to do it again. Thanks everyone for going.

I was able to do some adjusting of the clutch before we left with Brant's help. It still engages on the very end of the handle. However I can now shift into neutral once the bike is stopped. I would like to put just a few more miles on it while the Sea Foam is in the case before changing the oil. The forums that I have read say around a hundred miles before changing it. I may go to a synthetic as well. 

The Wing definitely needs a set of highway pegs. The riders feet are too far underneath to ride very long. Part of the problem is the width of the engine. I am very impressed with both the speed and power of the 4 cylinder. It is quite sporty but also pulls a grade very well.

Before and After

Taking advantage of the nice weather this afternoon I decided to wash the Wing. The project started as, "I'll just wash the frame and get some of the dust off of it." Well it started looking good so I continued to the panels and then the saddle bags, seat and... well... all of it. So here are some pictures to document that I actually did something today.

 I had to take it for a ride since it was looking so good. As I started down our street towards main I could see that the left side was still smoking a little bit. I turned on to main and drove up the north end of town and quickly noticed that as the bike warmed up the smoke increased. By the time I passed Lin's, the bike was producing a smoke screen that would make James Bond proud. I circled around and picked up my brother and the two of us rode a few more miles together. Little by little the smoke quit. The only thing that I can figure is that because I had the bike on the side stand while I added the Sea Foam that it flowed heavy into the carbs on that side. It must have taken some time to burn it all out. I guess I'll know if it smokes again next time I take it out.

I took it on the freeway for the first time as well. It holds 75 mph comfortably at about 4,000 rpms. I didn't push it any harder then that because of strong cross winds from the incoming storm. I think that I'll do the clutch adjustment this weekend.

Sea Foam

We finally had some nice weather today and so this afternoon I decided to take the bike for a ride to the local Auto Zone. I found the Sea Foam which turned out to be a little more expensive then I had first thought. Ten dollars later I rode home to start my experiment with a warm bike.

Sea Foam can be added to fuel, oil, vacuum lines and probably every other part of the bike. I read the recommended quantities for each and then got started. I first poured a 3 or 4 ounces into the gas tank. I think it is a 5 gallon tank and I was a little over half full. Again I am guessing as to how many ounces I used based off a 16 oz bottle. I then added about the same amount to the oil by pouring it directly into the the oil fill. This puts me at roughly half the bottle.

Next I removed the air cleaner cover and started the bike. The Sea Foam website recommends pouring Sea Foam directly into the intake until the motor stalls. Well I didn't stall the engine but I poured slowly and little at at a time.  The website also shows a car smoking like mad as it burns the Sea Foam and true to form so did the bike.

I rode the bike around just a little bit after adding the Sea Foam. It smoked the whole time. Interestingly enough only from the left tailpipe. I don't know if one of those cylinders has bad rings or what is causing the extra smoke. I did notice how ever that the valve noise was almost immediately reduced. I'll have to ride a few more miles before I can give an honest assessment but so far so good.

Blasted Snow!

I'm sure having a hard time working the bugs out of this bike with this snowy weather. Friday was so nice and then Saturday the sky turned gray and rain. Sunday... SNOW! and LOTS of it. The only upside is that it is melting fast. I'll have to get out on Tuesday and fire it up again. I want to wait to add the seafoam until I can ride it a little and get the oil moving.

Shanghai Odometer

So I used one of the free widget sites to get a page counter widget which I called the odometer. (clever eh?) Well the jerk face site high jacked the widget and turned it into a link to a rip of cell phone site. Bunch of dirty good for nothings anyways. 

To make things worse it keeps snowing here. Today wasn't bad and tomorrow should be quite nice, but the weather shows heavy snow for the weekend.

Common Spring!!

 

Here is a picture from yesterdays ride. The bike doesn't look like much right now. As you can see I have all the covers and side compartments off for ease of working on it. 

I checked the forum and found out several things. 

The bike doesn't have a flywheel to engage. There are a series of 3 sprockets that can get fouled up with old oil if the bike has sat very long. They can also get damaged but writers on the forum say to try and clean them up first. They recommend using Sea Foam or Marvel Mystery Oil in the crank case. Both of these are cleaning products that will de-gum the old think oil deposits. They are also said to work well with the fuel system on carbs and injectors. I'm going to try the Sea Foam first in both the oil and the fuel. 

I also found a great step by step way to adjust the clutch. I'll tackle that project on the first free day I get. (That may be a while)

The weather is still pretty cold but maybe I'll take the bike across town today just to keep the oil moving.

First attempt to work the bugs out

After that first ride I felt like maybe the clutch was slipping a little bit. For what ever reason the it is really difficult to shift when the bike is not moving and it still feels like the clutch is partly engaged even after I let it out. I tried to make some adjustments on the handle side of the clutch cable but it is in as tight as it will go now. I might need to adjust the cable in the center.

I am almost convinced that the flywheel is missing teeth. The only other thing I can think of is that there is a clutch plate(or gearbox neutral selector) switch or sensor that isn't working properly. The starter will spin but won't engage the flywheel but very rarely. I plan to post a question of Steve Saunders Goldwing forum. They are my favorite source for answers.

As far as the helmet goes. Love It. It is pretty chilly today, high 40's, and I had no problems with fogging. The flip down sun visor is nice too. It looks brown in color however it actually has a blue tint to it. Good for anyone with seasonal depression.

One thing that has to change is the case guards. They hit me right in the shin. For a touring bike the foot pegs are right under the driver. I'll have to get some highway pegs or boards.

The Maiden Voyage (of sorts)

As you know the '79 is back together and running so it is only reasonable that I took it for a little ride. The first road test is just that. A test. This was my first chance to see all the quirky things this bike has to offer.

Here is a break down of my findings:

The first observation that I had is that it is equally hard to get the bike off the show stand as it was to put it on. Goldwings are very heavy bikes.

Being a heavy bike also means that it is difficult to back up, especially in snow. I had to stand off of the bike and push in down the driveway, one hand on the seat bar and the other on the handle bar. This is a very precarious action on snow and is not advisable.

For whatever reason the bike won't start in gear even with the clutch pulled in. It won't start in neutral sometimes either. It sounds like there is broken teeth in the flywheel. I also wonder if the clutch isn't engaging all the way. I'm going to have to play with the adjustment a little.

The neutral light stays on in all the gears. It is also very difficult to change gears while the bike is stationary. Down shifting is okay but it gets stuck in 1st when idling and it is very hard to get it back to neutral.

The clutch catches at the very end of the handle (almost all the way out) and feels like it slips just a little bit when the rpms are high.

The bike balances really well. When riding it doesn't feel much heavier then my 400cc Honda. The speedometer or tachometer cable (can't tell which one but probably both) whines while driving. They will need oiling before I break one of them too.

I would like to sync the carbs. The left side runs a little hotter then the right. As for accelerating it is smooth and responsive. Not zippy  like the little bike but equally as fast.

As for the coolant leak. I'm not so sure that it wasn't just a cold seal that was leaking. It steamed just a little when I first started the bike but after riding it around a few blocks and warming us the motor really good it stopped. I will surely keep an eye one it.

Next project, tune up and work out some of these little quirks.

Throttle Cable Replacement Part 2

So the throttle cable came yesterday. It is a Motion Pro brand. I've read posts on forums from some serious Wingers who will only use Honda OEM parts. I couldn't care less who makes them as long as they are good. This cable seems great. I oiled it with a small motor oil and got read to install it.

Before I removed the old cable I tied a length of parachute cord (complements of my Uncle Sam) to the throttle body end. I then pulled the cable through the frame leaving the cord in the same path. Everything I've read about replacing cables says the they need to be routed right to avoid problems. Next tied the cord to the new cable and fished it back through the bike. This was not as easy as getting the old cable out. By reaching up under the faring and pushing and pulling for several minutes the cable finally emerged in the space left by removing the air cleaner.

Hooking the cable back to the throttle body is another semi daunting challenge. The first conflict is that the cable comes down the left side of the bike but installs on the right. There is a small U shaped washer that rests on the top side of where the cable is tightened down and gravity insures that the washer falls down by the nut. Small hands would be very handy when doing this type of project I've decided. My hands aren't particularly large but the space that I have to work with is very small. In the end I only cut one knuckle, which I just noticed while typing this. At long last, I got the cable tightened down and adjusted the length to take out the slack in the throttle handle. I remounted the throttle grip and brake lever and set things mostly in place.

A mostly pleasant surprise came when as I started to replace the air cleaner housing. I will say that removing it was much more difficult then getting it back in. It took a little finesse to get the breather tubes back down the frame but with a long screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers I was able to get them back in place and clamped up. The housing didn't quite mount up straight the first time I placed it on the intake. On further inspection I find that the cable, that I just replaced, needed to be raised up about a half an inch to allow the housing to fit. Again with the help of the long screwdriver I was able to press it up from the underside.

With everything back together, I set to starting the bike so I could make any other adjustments. After a several minutes of cranking I gave it a little shot of ether and it started right up. I had to adjust the idle just a little but nothing otherwise.

Start to finish the project took just about 2 hours.

For my Motorcycle Stud!

Happy Valentine's Day Ryan!
(Hope I ordered the right 'starter wire'.) Here's the link so you can check out part of your Valentine's Day present. Can't wait to get this thing up and running so we can go for a ride!
click here to see your starter wire

New Helmets

 

This is Rachel and I sporting our new helmets. These were Rachel's Christmas present to me this year. As you can see from the picture they are Nolan N103's. They are really nice helmets that have the option to add the N-Com device that will allow us to talk to each other while riding. I am quite anxious to give them a test ride. I have installed the anti-fog visor and it works like champ. I honestly can't breathe hard enough to fog it. The flip down sun visor is really cool too.

Throttle Cable Replacement Part 1

I have had the 79's front tire remounted and it holds air like a champ. Sometime I'll post the rest of that story but for now the throttle cable. (or as my wife Rachel calls it, The Starter Wire.)

We had pretty descent weather last Saturday considering that it was still January and I decided that my goal for that day would be to take the 79 for a ride. Anyone who has worked on a Goldwing can attest that a task like changing a throttle cable is never as simple as it sounds. The first hurdle that I ran into was that one of the screw heads on the bottom of the throttle assembly had been stripped out from someone previously. I quickly found out that my EXTREMELY cheap drill bits were no match for the hardened screw. So I make a trip to my tool man, Dad. After getting some good bits I was easily able to back out the old screw with an easy out.

Throttle assemble now disassembled, I start to remove the cable. However I find that the air intake is clearly in the way. Removing the air filter couldn't be a simpler task but the entire intake housing was somewhat daunting. There is a small fuse box in between the frame and the intake that is placed just right to be perfectly in the way of removing the intake. The second challenge of removing it is the breather tubes that come out of it. It is virtually impossible to remove them from the housing while on the bike. So I disconnected them from the bike, one from the engine casing and the other from the condensation drain that I actually removed and drained.

 

Yes that is a Harley Davidson hat. So what?

Now I am almost positive that the bike frame was built around the intake because it is really a process to remove it from the bike. Especially with the fuse box where it is. But alas the intake is out and the cable can now be unbolted from the throttle body.

In the Begining

So a little introduction to this blog. I recently had a patient from our Physical Therapy clinic who rode motorcycles, specifically Honda Goldwings. To keep the story short he had a blow out on a front tire of one of the bikes and layed it down. Being almost 70 years old and wise enough to listen to his wife, he decided that he could give up riding. One day in the clinic he announces this to me and says that he is going to sell his Wings. Knowing that I had a motorcycle already and was an avid rider he then tells me that I can have them both with the trailer for $1500.00. After seeing the bikes it was hard to say no. They are both in fine shape cosmetically and would only need minor mechanical work (or so I thought).

So here are the stats:

1979 GL1000, Black, Full Dressed, 56,000 miles, Blown out front tire (actually just off the bead)

1978 GL1000, Black, Full Dressed, 53,000 miles, After market ignition coil needs to be replaced

1994 Clam Shell Trailer, Black, Baby Moon hubcap, Excellent condition

Both bikes start.

The '78 wont stay running because the coils seem to make the bike run really hot. The front rotors need to be turned badly and the rear suspension has a leak in the air line.

The '79 did run until the throttle cable (pull) broke, at least I wasn't riding at the time, and has recently developed a coolant leak somewhere on the left side of the bike.

To date that is all the problems that I have found. Seems simple enough. Right?