Safety Check Questions

[Chrispy]

Evening all,
It occurred to me this evening as I was ripping through some farmland, that I have been so consumed in getting the engine running properly, that I haven't paid any attention to the running body. It occurred to me simultaneously that if the engine breaks while I'm going 60 through a turn I'll be upset and stranded, but if a wheel comes off I'll be dead so maybe its time to make sure that's all good.
To that end, this is my first older bike, so I am not really sure what to look for. I was hoping you guys could chime in with common things that wear or break or never worked right to begin with, and then I can address them and ride with a little more confidence.
At this juncture the only thing I know for sure is that I need new drum brake shoes for the rear and probably front disk pads. And I've seen several times the swingarm brushing needs to be replaced. Thats about it though.
its a stock 78 running points. And original alternator, which will also break eventually I hear.
Oh and can I also ask where everyone gets these nice sexy rounded street tires? I have these horrible square ass tires that look like if I do anything but ride in a straight line I'm gonna power slide into the treeline.
Its a long way off, but I intend for this to be my daily bike and I just want to make sure I can hot rod around a bit without the bike vibrating its way back into an unassembled form.
Thanks in advance

 

[650Skull]

Ill repost these pics from your first thread so folks can see what your dealing with

 

[grizld1]

You might start by going to https://www.biker.net and downloading the chassis and suspension sections of the shop manual, then come on back with questions if you have them. It will be a lot less confusing than a bunch of guys responding at random.

Tire threads are a lot like oil threads, everybody has an opinion. The good stuff tends to be in metric sizes. You'll want a 90/90/19 front and 110/90/18 rear. Defective tires are rare but every now and then one slips through, and a professional shop will spot the problem and deal with it without a hassle. You could have issues and added expense if you mail order tires. Most shops will not install tires bought elsewhere. Some guys resent that. My take is that I wouldn't try to bring my own food into a restaurant or bring my own tires into a shop for installation.

 

[Chrispy]

dang that is some detective work there Skull and very appreciated. I will update and say I have rolled the bars to a normal position and fixed the rear brake arm alignment

 

[Mailman]

Yeah, it’s good you’re thinking about the bike as a whole.
Tires, brakes, suspension, pretty much all of these old bikes need attention on all three.
Tires on older bikes can look to be in good shape with lots of tread, but if they are really old they can be hard and slippery. Check the date codes. You can buy tires almost anywhere, local bike shops, all the major online motorcycle parts warehouses, cycle gear etc.

The brakes almost always need attention too. Here is a good article to read.

http://www.xs650.com/threads/how-difficult-is-it-to-replace-the-rear-drum-brakes.25632/#post-254693

At a minimum the brakes should be disassembled and cleaned and lubed, scuff up the drums and discs.
Master cylinders, brake lines, and calipers should be cleaned and flushed and re filled with fresh fluid. Check any rubber brake lines for cracks and replace as necessary.

Check the condition of the drive chain, look for excess wear and play. A broken chain can wad up around your front sprocket and ruin your day, even crack your crankcase.

Check for loose or broken spokes.

Check steering head bearings by elevating the front wheel and grabbing the end of the fork legs and pushing and pulling back and forth. Listen for a clunking sound coming from the steering head. Turn the handlebars from side to side and feel for smooth side to side movement. You may be able to tighten the steering head, but most ball bearings races develop indentions over time that will make your steering notchy feeling.

Check the rear swingarm bushings for wear. Put the bike up on the centerstand and try to move the wheel side to side, there should be no play, if you can feel movement or hear clunking your bushings are worn.

Lastly, these bikes are shakers. Go around the bike and check that bolts are snug.

 

[650Skull]

One of the best reads is the maintenance section in your manual...........

 

[Jan_P]

Yes I was to slow again
Normal service or better .Chain / Brakes / Tires / Swing and Suspension
just follow the manual.
But if it comes down to safety .. I do believe one needs to think. About the traffic situation
And keep distance.
Speeding in Town and the old woman steps out ...it does not really matter in what shape the machine.is
I have seen a motorcyclist do that luckily missing the lady but ended horizontally. Honda CB 750
Nor when you hit the gravel spot at the asphalt with a lean angle.
Or the same thing in the wet.
A toddler once walked up in front of my front wheel ..she newer saw me .
She was focused on the ice cream vendor.
A car skipped a stop sign . and so on.
Having said that .. Motorcycling is dangerous and involves a risk taking.
Its part of it all . And at times one drives with more throttle but it can be done at places with lesser
people and cars. Lesser risk.
I Assume you are experienced ..but these bike are not necessarily stable in all situations if you push them hard
Depending on setup. And load .. the frame can flex a bit .. mine does
So a bit caution in the beginning ..
Test it gradually fex in a roundabout with Braking and Accelerating paying attention.
If it wants to shake its head.
You might find it talk back to you. like " Dont do this "
The handling can be a surprise if coming from a modern sports bike
I don't think it will be a problem . But gradually helps and it wont come as a surprise.
Worst case going offroad
Keeping more distance to the edge of the road . ..

 

[grizld1]

Oops--front tire should be 90/90/19--edited.

 

[member28833]

In reality, Isn't almost everybody running a 100/90-19 up front, and a 120/90-18 rear?

I believe so

 

[650Skull]

Here is a small list..........not a lot of things to check but it would be prudent to go around the bike to make sure all the nuts or bolts are tight. after doing the initial check.

First. Bike in center stand.......tap all spokes for a consistent ring and no dull thuds.

Wobble the swing-arm side to side. if there is play then the bushes need replacing..........now twist the wheel to check for a damaged wheel bearing and turn the wheel lightly to see if the bearing is free, listen for grit in the bearing, also any bad damage could be felt through the wheel/tyre while turning and twisting by hand

If in doubt remove the wheel and using your finger roll the bearing back and forth........you will feel if it is good.

Spin the wheel and push on the brake peddle by hand and feel how well it stops...........this is a gauge, should be sudden and no steel to steel sound.........will need a road test for the final test.

That's a start.....post more later

 

[5twins]

Original tire sizes were inch sizes which are hard to find now. Closest metric sizes are a 100 on the front and 110 on the rear. A 120 is wider and will fit the rear, but it will slow down steering and handling. I've tried them both and prefer the 110.

Original swingarm bushings were a plastic or nylon construction, and there's nothing wrong with them if they're not worn out. They work just fine. Problem is many folks never greased them so they are worn out. Personally, I happen to have them on both of mine. They're not worn and kept well greased.

Something that usually does need replacing are the steering head bearings. Again, originals would be fine if not worn but these got serviced even less frequently than the swingarm bushings so most are shot.

 

[5twins]

It's good that you rolled the bars back up. Although a dirt bike thing, this pertains to any bike really - for best fork action, the rise of the bars should line up with the angle of the forks. That way, any force you exert down into the bars, like when you hit a bump, will be transmitted directly straight down into the forks. Have the bars rolled forward or back and that downward force won't be going directly into the forks.