gggGary's latest XS project "madness"

Helluva good ride story!!!......My longest ever started in country familiar to you......Sun Prairie up to Columbus to meet a buddy and breakfast, then down to Springfield, Il. for mile flat-track races and back up to Sun Prarie after the races on a Memorial day weekend. All same day on old US51 long before I39 was built. 738 miles, all same day and on a 1975 CB750F. Those tar strips at every joint of very old concrete really pounded the old spine! I was a lot younger then,about 30, but it took a toll........
 
R&R'd the kill switch nothing jumped out at me in there, snooped around in the headlight bucket, fixed one suspect wire connector. Rode it, same deal voltage starts out good and proper, then drops off. some flickering of turnsignal indicator LEDS about in time with engine burbles. Tomorrow I'm getting serious about grounds, starting with removal and check of the ground strap. Also on the hit list is my rocker ignition switch at rear fender....
 
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Jim said:
Remember when even small towns had a Radio Shack?
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Yeah. We'd bring a lunch bag full of vacuum tubes in to the place, and use their tube tester to find our problem. Today's problem is: nobody (few) builds their own electronics. You just go on the interweb and order something. That's why there's no more Radio Shacks. Cause and effect. Like slot car racing (don't get me started!). :doh:
 
gggGary said:
R&R'd the kill switch nothing jumped out at me in there, snooped around in the headlight bucket, fixed one suspect wire connector. Rode it, same deal voltage starts out good and proper, then drops off. some flickering of turnsignal indicator LEDS about in time with engine burbles. Tomorrow I'm getting serious about grounds, starting with removal and check of the ground strap. Also on the hit list is my rocker ignition switch at rear fender....
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All along I've been thinking; Check the brushes.
Even a had a new set along in the saddle bag for the IB.
Ding, ding ding. Outer brush was at limit. (electrosport?) rotor slight evidence of a bit of wobble on the slip rings but 5.6 ohms. Inner brush was fine, replaced brush, 60 miles to lunch With JRP1 all good. Anything above idle showed a steady 13.4 to 13.7 volts.

Side note; amazing how much difference speed makes, on the IB slog at 70-74 MPH I was hitting reserve ( standard tank) at 130-135 miles, today with 2/3 of the tank miles at 45-60 MPH I didn't switch to reserve til 182 miles. Very tempted to chuck a gallon of gas in the saddle bags and run it dry, prolly 220+ miles...
 
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gggGary said:
Side note; amazing how much difference speed makes, on the IB slog at 70-74 MPH I was hitting reserve ( standard tank) at 130-135 miles, today with 2/3 of the tank miles at 45-60 MPH I didn't switch to reserve til 182 miles. Very tempted to chuck a gallon of gas in the saddle bags and run it dry, prolly 220+ miles...
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ZACKLEY - that has been my experience too. At sub-warp speeds (say....50-55 MPH) my dear Lucille :yikes: gets a steady predictable 55-60 MPG (Imperial) but dial it up to 70-80 MPH, she becomes a slutty drunken lushington and I go on reserve very much sooner and occasionally wind up walking.

DAMHIK.
 
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Before a shitestorm descends, no I didn't sell it :er:
It's a looong story but madness will be in Georgia 'til the vintage rallye, end of September.
I'm going to miss not having it 'round to ride in the height of the short summer season here. Good thing I put a few miles on it recently.
Getting low on running XS', guess I'll have to cruise the Ersatz Indian??
 
OK, I understand about a worn short brush messing with the charging output, but what about all the cut-outs and random dying of the engine?
 
5twins said:
OK, I understand about a worn short brush messing with the charging output, but what about all the cut-outs and random dying of the engine?
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Good point! Wondering if someone would mention it. o_O
Just conjecture and head scratching, bike has Pamco with the separate e-advance module.
My best guess is the worn brush and slight wobble on slip rings was creating a bizarre DC pulsing voltage that messed with the electronics.
The poor running seemed to be most noticeable at 1500 to 2500 RPM, it's possible the pulsed DC in system was causing false spark triggers at certain RPMs. :shrug: :umm: My dashboard digital voltmeter had been throwing hissy fits also. Kind of a side effect of low cost gauges, is the gauge reporting a problem or is the gauge the problem? But with the new brush everything is working as it should. Is it possible there is still at least one unfound issue? Yep, but it needs a couple hundred mile trip to say "for sure". That'll have to be later. Oddly for me, I tried very hard to change only one thing at a time while troubleshooting, then I stopped fixing when the symptoms went away!
 
Yes, the cheap digital meter I recently installed on my '83 momentarily reads zero every time I switch on a turn signal, lol. But that could very well be because of the spot I tapped into for power, the front brake light switch. It's on the same circuit as the turn signals. This is where I tapped in on my '78 and it works well. But on that bike, the front brake switch is one of the first things that branches off the brown power wire coming out of the key switch. The '83 isn't like that. I will probably change that connection point eventually. I'm thinking off the brown right where it comes out of the key, before it goes to anything. That should give me a better reading too, closer to battery voltage. As it is now, the meter is a few tenths lower than the battery.
 
I guess that if you run a temporary "total loss" ignition setup, then you eliminate any potential interference issues. Just a second, good battery in a tank bag or similar, powering the ignition system only. Pretty simple to rig up.
 
Wow has it really been that long since I've posted in this thread? So met Madness at the VYR and rode her til her panties were soaked loaded her on the trailer with WJL, stopped at JRP1s place, then Barber, and on home. Rode her a few more times last fall and a couple times this spring, she was really needing a rear tire, 2800 miles on a Pirelli 130/70/18 bias ply Sport Demon that was aged out AND worn out, used it for the iron butt and VYR, center was bald.
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Really wanted to use a radial cuz the front has been a Michelin 110/70 radial, this will be rear #3 with this front, going strong, just a little cupping. didn't find any 130 70 radials so pulled the trigger on a 140/70R18 B Shinko SR777. This is a reinforced tire for heavy cruisers, with the WM5 rim, 3", the tire's a bit crowded but still in "allowable" rim width. Recommended rim is a 3.75", profile mounted it looks more like a 130/80 but it went on and had plenty of room to the chain.
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after 50 miles of back roads,
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our rough pavement and the amount of deer out at dusk kept me from boy racer antics. I put in about 32 PSI and it thought the ride was quite pleasant seemed more plush than the Sport demon, no wiggles or funny moves. Bike felt good and stable.

Comparo to the Norton with stock rubber.
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Kinda like the look.
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bought on Amazon, kinda of funky ad, description, tire build date is 02/2020 so nice n fresh. $100 to my door.
Keep the sticky side down!
 
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Yeah! I think that looks nice on there. Was that a wrestling match to mount up? Those stiff walled radials can be a bear!
 
Did I mention the ad was kinda fuggled?
the ad SAID SR757 RADIAL
the actual tire is an SR777 bias ply, grr
it wasn't TOO bad to mount, a bit more wrestling than some Shinko's I 've put on, which tend to be pussy cats.
I ran an SR777/180/15B on the venture, that was the tire that survived going flat for 60 miles on the freeway, then lived out a happy normal life span.
 
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