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Beach cruiser build
- Thread starter WideAWAKE
- Start date
One of my ideas is very similar.
Ok so I fired it up today.
Chokes on hit the starter and off to the races. Sounds real good and solid.
Turn the chokes off and it doesn’t want to stay running (even with the throttle open)
My brain says carbs are clogged - they are brand new VM34s and I did take em apart and clean em before install a few months ago and cleaned em again today with no change to the ability to stay running.
Ignition is a Boyer and just set to the factory preset dot - I havnt got the timing light out yet to verify it’s dead on the money but it should be good enough to idle (as it does just fine with the chokes on)
Jetting in the carbs
180 main (I’m sure it’s probably a bit too big but that shouldn’t keep it from idling, at least I don’t think it should???)
6f9 needle
20 pilot
2.5 slide
159 p6 needle jet
Battery is is solid at 13v
Anyone got any ideas?
Something I’m missing?
Not an expert with these VMs on the xs and the jetting is what was in the carbs and seems to jive with general baseline settings I’ve seen for these bikes.
Chokes on hit the starter and off to the races. Sounds real good and solid.
Turn the chokes off and it doesn’t want to stay running (even with the throttle open)
My brain says carbs are clogged - they are brand new VM34s and I did take em apart and clean em before install a few months ago and cleaned em again today with no change to the ability to stay running.
Ignition is a Boyer and just set to the factory preset dot - I havnt got the timing light out yet to verify it’s dead on the money but it should be good enough to idle (as it does just fine with the chokes on)
Jetting in the carbs
180 main (I’m sure it’s probably a bit too big but that shouldn’t keep it from idling, at least I don’t think it should???)
6f9 needle
20 pilot
2.5 slide
159 p6 needle jet
Battery is is solid at 13v
Anyone got any ideas?
Something I’m missing?
Not an expert with these VMs on the xs and the jetting is what was in the carbs and seems to jive with general baseline settings I’ve seen for these bikes.
Tell us more about how it stops when you turn the chokes off. Are you able to keep it running for a few seconds while you juggle with the throttle or does it stop straight away?
Float height? Low petrol in tank?
Sorry for including that last one, but many's the time I've had a cantankerous engine - reluctant to start or starts but won't keep running - on a new to me bike and a factor that does not help is wondering how much fuel is in there, does it need to go on reserve? So I slosh enough in to remove that variable.
Float height? Low petrol in tank?
Sorry for including that last one, but many's the time I've had a cantankerous engine - reluctant to start or starts but won't keep running - on a new to me bike and a factor that does not help is wondering how much fuel is in there, does it need to go on reserve? So I slosh enough in to remove that variable.
Don't forget the idle adjustment screws and sync!
Worked at a shop long enough as a kid to always check the gas level first haha. At least once a month we had someone come in with a bike that didn’t run because it didn’t have gas.
Carbs are synched and float levels are good.
Originally I would turn the choke off and within a few seconds it would die. Kinda cough cough pffff like too much air.
I went a turn in on my air screw and it seemed to help but not a cure. It’s at a half turn now. And I can keep it alive raving it for a bit but as soon as it drops to idle and you open the throw it’s cough cough pfff.
BBK - with big open exhaust (does have torque inserts and a cheap baffle)- I think it’s thirsty?
I’m gonna bump up my idle jet and see if that helps. That’s all I can come up with at the moment so any and all help is appreciated. Even if it’s just a confirmation.
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Get a strobelight on it soon. The Boyer may be out by quite a bit if you rely on the paint spots. My paint spots needed to be just out of view in those holes on the PCB. A report from Peanut several years back found the spots to be bang on, but you will need to check for sure. I too would check the idle jet in case its too small.
Have fun.
Have fun.
I’m sure you did this correctly, but I’ll throw it out there just in case. You know the static timing on the Boyer has to be set on the full advance mark. Not the fire position. ( Note this photo indicates the retarded timing I run on my XS2)
Yes - that I understand.
But maybe like Paul started their ballpark paint dot is a bit too far off.
I think I’ll pop in a bigger idle jet, see if that gets me anywhere and then stick a strobe on it to see where I’m at.
Again, appreciate all the brain power shared!
I only had a 30 idle jet so I skipped that for the moment.
Stuck a strobe on it and we’ll it was quite retarded at the factory dot.
I had to advance my Boyer unit all the way and it fires right on the F mark but only advances to say 32/33ish degrees.
My factory line on the rotor is slightly to the right of my oil drain slot at full advance. And I did confirm when I put the motor together that the T mark and rotor was dead on at top dead center.
It starts - runs and idles quite nicely now without the chokes on.
Stuck a strobe on it and we’ll it was quite retarded at the factory dot.
I had to advance my Boyer unit all the way and it fires right on the F mark but only advances to say 32/33ish degrees.
My factory line on the rotor is slightly to the right of my oil drain slot at full advance. And I did confirm when I put the motor together that the T mark and rotor was dead on at top dead center.
It starts - runs and idles quite nicely now without the chokes on.
If you ever run out of adjustment for the Boyer PCB at the left side of the camshaft you just need to loosen the magnetic rotor nut and turn the rotor a little. Then retighten. Setting the rotor in the optimum position requires 3 hands...
If you ever run out of adjustment for the Boyer PCB at the left side of the camshaft you just need to loosen the magnetic rotor nut and turn the rotor a little. Then retighten. Setting the rotor in the optimum position requires 3 hands...
Yup! I figured I may have to come back to adjust it while I was putting it together. Not exactly “precision” haha. Kinda feels like a hand full of stuff from the hardware store to be honest. But it seems to run real strong.
Starts first kick or just a blip from the starter button.
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That length of M8 stud that Boyer use is rough and ready from the hardware store...
But it works and keeps the price down.
But it works and keeps the price down.
Why pretend that it’s not second fiddle…
“knockoff” felt like a fitting name for the bike haha.
Shot the tank with a few coats of satin clear. I actually kinda like it! It’s really flat in the shade but the flakes still sparkle in the sun.
I’ll give it a few days and make a decision if I shoot it with a gloss or not.
I’m sure everyone can tell by now that I don’t really stick to any hard-fast plans.
Kinda hard to get clean pictures without the decals flashing and whiting out. Good thing I don’t get paid to take pictures haha.
“knockoff” felt like a fitting name for the bike haha.
Shot the tank with a few coats of satin clear. I actually kinda like it! It’s really flat in the shade but the flakes still sparkle in the sun.
I’ll give it a few days and make a decision if I shoot it with a gloss or not.
I’m sure everyone can tell by now that I don’t really stick to any hard-fast plans.
Kinda hard to get clean pictures without the decals flashing and whiting out. Good thing I don’t get paid to take pictures haha.
@WideAWAKE
Very sharp looking bike.
Lots and lots of cool features.
Great selection of colors and their placement on parts that create a cohesive and complementary
scheme. Well designed. Kudos.
Very sharp looking bike.
Lots and lots of cool features.
Great selection of colors and their placement on parts that create a cohesive and complementary
scheme. Well designed. Kudos.
Thanks for the kind words.
Hopefully have it finished up here and on the beach pretty soon.
Definitely gloss
5 coats of clear.
Left it sit for a week and then do a final cut and polish.
5 coats of clear.
Left it sit for a week and then do a final cut and polish.
Agree.
Almost got this thing ready to hit the beach.
Just need to finish dialing in the side cover attachments a smidge and change out a little bit of hardware here and there and it’ll be ready to go.
Meanwhile I’ve another distraction haha
Was not in the market but too cheap not to load up and only because it’s a first year K0. It’ll go back to stock candy blue.
Just need to finish dialing in the side cover attachments a smidge and change out a little bit of hardware here and there and it’ll be ready to go.
Meanwhile I’ve another distraction haha
Was not in the market but too cheap not to load up and only because it’s a first year K0. It’ll go back to stock candy blue.
Took the bike for a quick lap around the back field and when pushing the bike back into the shed I could hear the back brake plate rubbing on the wheel hub.
Investigation shows I got sent the incorrect rear bearing on the drive side.
Look at that gap!
I didn’t measure it prior to install. I put them in the hubs and built my wheels which didn’t show any problems because the balancer uses cones in the bearings so it was centered on lace up.
Must have sat with the wheel in between my legs, stuck the dust cover on (which held the axel from flopping around) and put my wheel on not looking at the axel in the wheel without the dust cover on.
No damage done but gotta get a new bearing a seal.
I can’t remember where I ordered them from to begin with but note to self, double check.
Investigation shows I got sent the incorrect rear bearing on the drive side.
Look at that gap!
I didn’t measure it prior to install. I put them in the hubs and built my wheels which didn’t show any problems because the balancer uses cones in the bearings so it was centered on lace up.
Must have sat with the wheel in between my legs, stuck the dust cover on (which held the axel from flopping around) and put my wheel on not looking at the axel in the wheel without the dust cover on.
No damage done but gotta get a new bearing a seal.
I can’t remember where I ordered them from to begin with but note to self, double check.
