Ain't no such thing as kid's street gear in the USA.
Bought two pairs of moto riding pants for the kids from www.motorcyclecloseouts.com.
This provides some padding and abrasion resistance, and was cheaper than ordering from Europe.
The shipped immediately and we received it in like 2 days.
The kids were thrilled.
They can't wait to go for a ride.
Now we have to figure how to get them jackets. We're thinking ladies XS jackets with some minor modifications.
Ordered Carb Gaskets
I paid Mother Honda $140 for four sets of carb gaskets and o-rings. The dealer said I should have them by Yuesday next.
Riding the Wing in the meantime.
Had a grey-haired gent stop me in the parking lot. He had just dismounted from his ancient Wing, and sauntered over to me, about to mount up on mine.
"Nice bike," he said.
"Thanks, you too."
"What year?" he asked.
"82"
"Mine too", he said.
Pause.
"Looks like yours has been well cared for" he said.
"Pretty much," I said. "I bought it last June. The previous owner had had it restored after sitting for a number of years..."
"Oh," he said.
"These things'll run forever," I said.
"Yep" he said.
Riding the Wing in the meantime.
Had a grey-haired gent stop me in the parking lot. He had just dismounted from his ancient Wing, and sauntered over to me, about to mount up on mine.
"Nice bike," he said.
"Thanks, you too."
"What year?" he asked.
"82"
"Mine too", he said.
Pause.
"Looks like yours has been well cared for" he said.
"Pretty much," I said. "I bought it last June. The previous owner had had it restored after sitting for a number of years..."
"Oh," he said.
"These things'll run forever," I said.
"Yep" he said.
Back On The Wing
My Magna is running lean, I've parked it while I figure out how I'll get the carbs cleaned.
Meanwhile, I'm back on the Wing. I rode yesterday and today (100% chance of rain in the forecast) but managed so far not to get wet.
The local Honda dealer wanted $400 to clean and adjust the carbs.
There's a respective Honda V4 specialist that will do them for $350 ... but he's 700 miles away. (Road trip?!?!)
At least I have two bikes for the time being. Although I'm wishing I'd pulled the fairing off the Wing last winter.
Meanwhile, I'm back on the Wing. I rode yesterday and today (100% chance of rain in the forecast) but managed so far not to get wet.
The local Honda dealer wanted $400 to clean and adjust the carbs.
There's a respective Honda V4 specialist that will do them for $350 ... but he's 700 miles away. (Road trip?!?!)
At least I have two bikes for the time being. Although I'm wishing I'd pulled the fairing off the Wing last winter.
A little better
I rode the Magna to work Monday through Wednesday. I ran a tank with Techron through it, and a tank with Seafoam through it. It is running better, but still needs carb work. It still backfires a little when cold. It idles up and down varying by 500 rpm at idle when it's hot. Don't know why.
I don't know whether to keep trying the seafoam or whether I should pull it apart and clean the carbs. I'm worried about it running hot because it's running lean and ruining my chrome exhaust.
I'm thinking I may ride my Wing for a while while I clean up the carbs on the Magna.
I don't know whether to keep trying the seafoam or whether I should pull it apart and clean the carbs. I'm worried about it running hot because it's running lean and ruining my chrome exhaust.
I'm thinking I may ride my Wing for a while while I clean up the carbs on the Magna.
Acetone As An Additive
Friend of mine at work heard about my dirty carbs (94 VF750C, see other threads ad nauseum) and suggested that I try acetone. Says he has been using it in his cages for years. Says it's the main ingredient in a lot of fuel additives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone#Use_as_an_automotive_fuel_additive
Just figuring the price of Sea Foam or Techron versus a gallon of acetone, it seemed like a very maggot-priced alternative.
Thoughts? Experiences?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone#Use_as_an_automotive_fuel_additive
Just figuring the price of Sea Foam or Techron versus a gallon of acetone, it seemed like a very maggot-priced alternative.
Thoughts? Experiences?
First Ride, First Impressions
bought my VF750C during a snowstorm in February, and it has sat forelorn in the garage since then. Until today.
It took a while to start it up, but I finally begged it into starting up. Once it would run and take any throttle, I cut the choke and kept the revs up to keep it running. It was doing its backfiring thing again. And it would die at idle. After a few minutes of coaxing, it would idle without dying.
Sure is a lot easier to move around and back up than the Wing.
Compared to the GL1100's square-cut "tractor transmission", it slides into gear like butter. I did find myself tapping the left footpeg as though it was the shifter. The Wing's pegs are further back than the Magna, to clear that big wide F4 engine . The Magna's controls are farther forward than my legs are trained to expect, but that retraining will come soon enough.
This bike is more fun using the first 2 gears than the GL1100 is using all 5. Silky smooth motor from lugging all the way to redline. The GL1100 is not particularly rough, but does chatter and complain when being lugged, and does seem to complain when you whack the throttle. The V4, by comparison, begs you to whack it.
I can roll it on in 2nd gear and have to hold on tight to keep from sliding off the back. I am grinning ear to ear and I haven't left my subdivision.
Off to Pep Boys for a bottle of techron. I'm gonna try the recommended "Italian Tune-up". The longer it runs and warmer it gets, and the more techron it swallows, the less it backfires. I don't know if that means I cleared the fouled plugs, or if it's running lean which gets better as it warms up. I'm betting its the jets not the plugs. I'll know when I start it again tomorrow. Once it starts again from cold, will the backfires return? Or, will they stay away? If they stay away, I'm lucky. But I expect to be cleaning my carbs the next rainy Saturday.
Anyway, it's rideable. And the ocassional backfire scares the small children and the puke-faced little yippy dogs in my neighborhood. So that's a plus.
This bike handles like a dream. It's 250 lbs lighter than the Wing, it feels like a feather by comparison. It flops right over in a turn, it doesn't mind leaning at all. I'd have been scraping hard parts if I'd flopped the Wing over like that. I did not scrape any of the shiny parts on the Magna tonight. I'm gonna get a feel for it first.
Sand and salt still covered the roadway, swept into piles in some spots. I shot the rear wheel out when I unexpectedly hit a patch of sand in a turn. Yee-haw! It'll be better after the weekend rains wash the winter sand and salt away.
But the bike did what I asked it to, what I needed it to do. It took all the accumulated stress since Dec 28 (my last ride before the snow fell) and blew it out that chrome 4-into-4 exhaust. This is what I've been missing. This is the only cure for PMS.
It took a while to start it up, but I finally begged it into starting up. Once it would run and take any throttle, I cut the choke and kept the revs up to keep it running. It was doing its backfiring thing again. And it would die at idle. After a few minutes of coaxing, it would idle without dying.
Sure is a lot easier to move around and back up than the Wing.
Compared to the GL1100's square-cut "tractor transmission", it slides into gear like butter. I did find myself tapping the left footpeg as though it was the shifter. The Wing's pegs are further back than the Magna, to clear that big wide F4 engine . The Magna's controls are farther forward than my legs are trained to expect, but that retraining will come soon enough.
This bike is more fun using the first 2 gears than the GL1100 is using all 5. Silky smooth motor from lugging all the way to redline. The GL1100 is not particularly rough, but does chatter and complain when being lugged, and does seem to complain when you whack the throttle. The V4, by comparison, begs you to whack it.
I can roll it on in 2nd gear and have to hold on tight to keep from sliding off the back. I am grinning ear to ear and I haven't left my subdivision.
Off to Pep Boys for a bottle of techron. I'm gonna try the recommended "Italian Tune-up". The longer it runs and warmer it gets, and the more techron it swallows, the less it backfires. I don't know if that means I cleared the fouled plugs, or if it's running lean which gets better as it warms up. I'm betting its the jets not the plugs. I'll know when I start it again tomorrow. Once it starts again from cold, will the backfires return? Or, will they stay away? If they stay away, I'm lucky. But I expect to be cleaning my carbs the next rainy Saturday.
Anyway, it's rideable. And the ocassional backfire scares the small children and the puke-faced little yippy dogs in my neighborhood. So that's a plus.
This bike handles like a dream. It's 250 lbs lighter than the Wing, it feels like a feather by comparison. It flops right over in a turn, it doesn't mind leaning at all. I'd have been scraping hard parts if I'd flopped the Wing over like that. I did not scrape any of the shiny parts on the Magna tonight. I'm gonna get a feel for it first.
Sand and salt still covered the roadway, swept into piles in some spots. I shot the rear wheel out when I unexpectedly hit a patch of sand in a turn. Yee-haw! It'll be better after the weekend rains wash the winter sand and salt away.
But the bike did what I asked it to, what I needed it to do. It took all the accumulated stress since Dec 28 (my last ride before the snow fell) and blew it out that chrome 4-into-4 exhaust. This is what I've been missing. This is the only cure for PMS.
Fouled Plugs
My plugs show no sign of burning, pre-ignition, mechanical damage, etc. They are just black and oily.
Seems like I've fouled my new set of plugs.
Can I clean and reuse 'em?
Also, no kidding, does somebody have the torque specifications for 3rd Gen Magna spark plugs? I'm not sure I got my last set seated to spec.
Seems like I've fouled my new set of plugs.
Can I clean and reuse 'em?
Also, no kidding, does somebody have the torque specifications for 3rd Gen Magna spark plugs? I'm not sure I got my last set seated to spec.
Backfiring
Tonight when I started the bike, it kept backfiring. I was playing around a little with the throttle -- not too much, just a little throttle to drive the revs up to maybe 3000 once it had idled for a few minutes. Whenever I let off the throttle, it'd backfire really bad and shoot black smoke out the left rear cylinder's exhaust pipe. None of my other bikes have ever exhibited this behavior.
I've been researching backfiring on deceleration online, and haven't gotten a definitive answer. I did read that worse-when-cold backfires are too lean and worse-when-hot backfires are too rich. There are instructions for adjusting the richness of the carbs -- but it looks like I have to pull the carbs to do this?
This was the bike that I couldn't get started recently until I drained the carbs and changed the plugs.
Any thoughts on backfiring?
I've been researching backfiring on deceleration online, and haven't gotten a definitive answer. I did read that worse-when-cold backfires are too lean and worse-when-hot backfires are too rich. There are instructions for adjusting the richness of the carbs -- but it looks like I have to pull the carbs to do this?
This was the bike that I couldn't get started recently until I drained the carbs and changed the plugs.
Any thoughts on backfiring?
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