griennehornette
XS650 Enthusiast
This forum is an amazing resource. I daresay that without it, my poor bike would suffer.
After a fair amount of bumbling on my part, and guidance from the forum, I cleaned the carbs and got them synced. I got the right air filters for CV carbs. I learned that I was, in fact, loosening the cam chain tensioner, rather than tightening it. And I seem to have gotten the timing at least into the ballpark, if not spot on.
Yet the Hornette continued to sputter when I first got going. Discouraged, I started running searches on everything I could think of. It really didn't take long. I stumbled across the fact that all spark plugs are not the same. And I don't mean name brands.
Seems like new technology ain't all good for 40 year old bikes. I had no idea - until I found it on this forum - that spark plugs and caps have in more recent years, been fitted with resistors. Well, let's be honest... it's no big surprise that I didn't know that. My mechanical knowledge is tiny at best.
Anyhoo, ordered me some non-resistor caps and non-resistor plugs ('cause it seems like NGK BP7ES plugs are not off-the-shelf items in Canada.) While waiting for delivery, I did pick up some Autolite 63 plugs, which improved matters; but as far as I can tell, are still resistor plugs. Are there any non-resistor plugs besides the NGK BP7ESs?
Happy to report that with the NGK plugs and non-resistor caps, the bike doesn't sputter at all on start up. Smooth takeoff. Idles nicely at stops without stalling.
Spark plugs seemed like too simple a solution to me. I suppose the other things I did all helped too. But it's almost disappointing to think that just swapping plugs and caps - something even I can do in under 10 minutes - makes such a difference.
Almost. 'Scuse me, I'm going out for another ride ;-)
After a fair amount of bumbling on my part, and guidance from the forum, I cleaned the carbs and got them synced. I got the right air filters for CV carbs. I learned that I was, in fact, loosening the cam chain tensioner, rather than tightening it. And I seem to have gotten the timing at least into the ballpark, if not spot on.
Yet the Hornette continued to sputter when I first got going. Discouraged, I started running searches on everything I could think of. It really didn't take long. I stumbled across the fact that all spark plugs are not the same. And I don't mean name brands.
Seems like new technology ain't all good for 40 year old bikes. I had no idea - until I found it on this forum - that spark plugs and caps have in more recent years, been fitted with resistors. Well, let's be honest... it's no big surprise that I didn't know that. My mechanical knowledge is tiny at best.
Anyhoo, ordered me some non-resistor caps and non-resistor plugs ('cause it seems like NGK BP7ES plugs are not off-the-shelf items in Canada.) While waiting for delivery, I did pick up some Autolite 63 plugs, which improved matters; but as far as I can tell, are still resistor plugs. Are there any non-resistor plugs besides the NGK BP7ESs?
Happy to report that with the NGK plugs and non-resistor caps, the bike doesn't sputter at all on start up. Smooth takeoff. Idles nicely at stops without stalling.
Spark plugs seemed like too simple a solution to me. I suppose the other things I did all helped too. But it's almost disappointing to think that just swapping plugs and caps - something even I can do in under 10 minutes - makes such a difference.
Almost. 'Scuse me, I'm going out for another ride ;-)