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Just Ride.
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Took a ride to Massachusetts today and went up Mount Greylock. Great day for a long ride.
Not seen this problem before Sorry been on the sofa with a cold
Those symptoms is for a weak charging or otherwise weak spark
Since 2 boxes are tested ..it is not them
First thing is to measure charging voltage across battery
If that checks out to + 14 V
I would look at the connectors going to ignition including coil.
If you use battery it is consistent with getting worse over time since the battery drains and at the end stalls
Are you using an electronic regulator or the old mechanical one if so consider go electronic
If this is the wrong thread please move
I spent 7 hours on the bike yesterday and that's the longest I've done since all the surgery a few years ago. No way am I getting on the bike today. Hello couch.
Hi Jan,
The whole electrical system was replaced and rewired by me using brand new stuff including the battery. The only thing not changed was the Reg/Rec which came with the bike. Last time I checked charging was at 14.2V. But will go through again after I get Merlin and now The Brat going again.
Yep I’ve had bum grapes from extended rides myself! Owch!
I took both bikes out to top off the tanks today. RED BIKE needed 2.2 gallon (top off os approximate) after 130 miles. Blue bike was 3 or so gallons after 150. Not important. Coming out of the only station with non ethanol regular I rapped it out kind of hard, on the loud blue bike, right past suddenly noticed constabulary going the other direction. No flashing lights. 
Short grey hair, trimmed mustache and a big smile count for something these days...I took both bikes out to top off the tanks today. RED BIKE needed 2.2 gallon (top off os approximate) after 130 miles. Blue bike was 3 or so gallons after 150. Not important. Coming out of the only station with non ethanol regular I rapped it out kind of hard, on the loud blue bike, right past suddenly noticed constabulary going the other direction. No flashing lights.
Not grapes. They put stints on each side of my groin and riding can irritate them. They needed some pieces out of there to repair my leg. It was a 650 that caused the problem. I was lifting the motor off my workbench to set it on the floor when my grip slipped and I caught it on the inside of my right leg. Had a hell of a bruise but didn't think much of it at the time. A week later I woke up in pain and my foot was looking really bad so off in an ambulance I went. They told me that my foot might have to be amputated if they couldn't get blood flowing to it again. Well after having 3 surgeries and a lots of rehab I can walk but I still have a hard time getting very far. Not about to let it keep me from riding.
I decided to make a trip to Murfreesboro, TN for the extended weekend. I did the adventure on the XS650SH. With the car on the interstate it’s about four hours. Crossing Mississippi on route 4 and going up the Natchez Trace is above 5.5 hours. I did it in nine hours! I departed at noon. Two hours in, scattered thunderstorms began scattering on me. Covering my luggage and rain suit was all rather fiddly. It was too hot the keep the rain suit on when it wasn’t raining.
I stopped at a little grocery in Ripley, MS and filled up with ethanol free gas. Not long after that, that motorcycle failed the idle when I stopped. My screwdriver was buried under drawstrings and rain covers. The Trace isn’t well marked for exits and services. I got off a couple of times to look for fuel and each time I dropped off I was in the middle of nowhere. I ran out of gasoline 15 miles early. Oh, I had no phone signal most of the time. I couldn’t use it to find fuel. So, out of gas on the side of the road.
Some young fellow named Keegan in a red V8 Camaro stopped to check on me. He carried me to a little grocery with a gas pump seven miles away. He filled a 16 oz bottle from the floor of his car with gasoline and brought my back to the bike. He would accept no money from me. So, back to the grocery and filled it up. Idle still at 600 rpm.
Somehow, I missed my exit and rode to the end of the Trace at Nashville. Now getting dark. Gassed up at a Circle K and my idle returned to normal. After several missed turns in the dark I did finally reach my destination a little after 9P. The bike did great. More later.
I stopped at a little grocery in Ripley, MS and filled up with ethanol free gas. Not long after that, that motorcycle failed the idle when I stopped. My screwdriver was buried under drawstrings and rain covers. The Trace isn’t well marked for exits and services. I got off a couple of times to look for fuel and each time I dropped off I was in the middle of nowhere. I ran out of gasoline 15 miles early. Oh, I had no phone signal most of the time. I couldn’t use it to find fuel. So, out of gas on the side of the road.
Some young fellow named Keegan in a red V8 Camaro stopped to check on me. He carried me to a little grocery with a gas pump seven miles away. He filled a 16 oz bottle from the floor of his car with gasoline and brought my back to the bike. He would accept no money from me. So, back to the grocery and filled it up. Idle still at 600 rpm.
Somehow, I missed my exit and rode to the end of the Trace at Nashville. Now getting dark. Gassed up at a Circle K and my idle returned to normal. After several missed turns in the dark I did finally reach my destination a little after 9P. The bike did great. More later.
Certainly an adventure in itself Marty. Nowt worse than an empty tank in the middle of God knows where. Glad you made it back to civilisation.
Marty's currently in classifieds searching for a "standard" gas tank
In what often appears to be dark times I find that now and again something will occur that restores my faith in humanity and makes the future look just a little brighter. I'll count your experience as one of those positive occurrences.
Nice write up and glad you made it safely.
Lacking a proper fuel container, I once found an empty 1 quart oil bottle in the trash at the gas pumps. One more option.
All great so far. I’ll have more when I get home, hopefully with some pictures. I’m hoping for fair weather on Monday.
It helps when you flick the mental switch, this is not hassle and discomfort, this is an adventure. Coz those are the rides, the days even, we remember.
Nine hours you ain't gonna forget.
Nine hours you ain't gonna forget.
When he finds the proper "Chubby" tank I know of a really great painter that is very highly regarded.
I packed cold pizza and a water and took off for a country road ride. I managed to not stop at several garage/yard sales at various rural homes and farms. I had ridden past this old barn skeleton 5 or six weeks ago when my phone was at home. I managed to find it again and got a few pictures. My eldest sister captures pics of old barns and I will send her these.
I continued a meandering route on little used roads and came across this cemetery. There are many such in this part of the state. Remember that WI joined the union in 1948 and is fun to find headstones for folks born in 1801. The earlier dates were barely legible.
Continuing on after 30 or so miles my shift linkage came apart, the jam nuts on the link worked loose. No parts lost and a roadside repair had me up and gone. Another 50 miles of wandering , then stopped in a park for a snack.
During the ride I did notice pinging if I rolled too much throttle at low rims. Never heard that before and I would guess the low octane 87 pure gas I added earlier in the week is the culprit. Makes sense, this is a High compression 750. The Red Bike with stock internals likes the pure 87 just fine.
Continuing on after 30 or so miles my shift linkage came apart, the jam nuts on the link worked loose. No parts lost and a roadside repair had me up and gone. Another 50 miles of wandering , then stopped in a park for a snack.
During the ride I did notice pinging if I rolled too much throttle at low rims. Never heard that before and I would guess the low octane 87 pure gas I added earlier in the week is the culprit. Makes sense, this is a High compression 750. The Red Bike with stock internals likes the pure 87 just fine.
Old hot rodders trick....
keep advancing the timing until the you get pinging when you do a throttle roll on just off idle in high gear. Should stop within a few hundred rpm. Once you get that (like you do), retard the timing a degree or two. Before the days of fancy computers, this is the way.
Being a high compression sort, I'd reset timing to about 35-36° if it were me.
keep advancing the timing until the you get pinging when you do a throttle roll on just off idle in high gear. Should stop within a few hundred rpm. Once you get that (like you do), retard the timing a degree or two. Before the days of fancy computers, this is the way.
Being a high compression sort, I'd reset timing to about 35-36° if it were me.
I retarded the timing when I first started debugging this bike. I am pretty sure it is near 36 degrees. Only pings when I should have down shifted so we have that. Did not ever notice it before I fueled with 87. I will just go 91 from now on. I had a hard on for the pure 87 because I do get 10% better economy in my car for about 3% increased cost $3.19/gal to $3.29/gal. The bike as she sits is worth way more than saving $0.50 or $0.70 / gal that the 91 adds.