Winter Project: Getting my motorcycle operational again

[Rob]

A buddy of mine helped me out with that unconnected hose coming off the Carb mentioned earlier.  He found me a PDF of the service Manual which will pay dividends down stream as well.

Looks like it is the Vacuum chamber air vent hose.  I think it is supposed to plug into the air filter, but I assume that is likely "optional"

[luvmystang67]

Couple of things...

Vacuum hoses CAN be very critical.  Some carbs on old cars wont run well at all without a vacuum line installed, leak free.  If you've got an old carbed car, and it runs like crap, check for leaks in the vacuum lines.

That said, I've never seen one on a motorcycle.  I would assume that in this case it is like to ensure clean air gets in on the back side of a vacuum assisted carb function.  If it runs well without it, I wouldn't really sweat it much, but if you're going to spend a lot of time on dirt roads, it might not be back to route it back to the air box, where it presumably ingests filtered air.  I assume worst case scenario, some dirt gums up your carb a little, but its not like that is the main air source for the engine.
 

[hunter399]

Most true vacuum lines on a motor cycle carb.
Will lead back to the air box or air filter box.
That's how it ensures it's not sucking up dirt.

That's what I've seen on other bikes.

Mainly a 2stroke kid growing up ,and just dirt bikes.
But I've seen it both ways .
Sometimes on 4 stroke you can plug it off and get better performance.
Or it will ideal crappy and die without the vacuum,or it will run like a champ without it.
You never know till you mess with it while it's running.

[Rob]

It's a street bike so hopefully I won't be sucking in dirt much.

Sounds like a phase 2 project. 
-Get some time on it as is
-Find a hose to make the connection
-Connect it and see if it runs better or worse.

[Rob]

Spent some more time on the bike today.

I pulled the tank and replaced the Fuel Meter Sending Unit.  The light no longer blinks empty however the fuel level still shows E even though the tank is full.  I seem to recall it took a while for the fuel level to show full after refueling so this will be something I look at in more detail in the spring.

I also figured out the issue where the driving lights were blowing the fuse.  It occurred to me that the driving light on the left was a little loose at the mount.  I pulled the light off the mount and found a wire where the sheath was worn thru.  It had been rubbing on a knife edge piece of metal when the light had loosened  :twocents:from the mount.  I patched and heat shrunk the wire, beveled the sharp edge and reassembled.  Lights work now!

Going to see if I can find a Yamaha dealer in Sandpoint next week to have the tires replaced and the brakes looked over.

[HntnFsh]

Awesome! Your gaining!

I renewed my Drivers license yesterday. Dropped my MC endorsement that Ive had since I was 16. Almost 50 years. Took my test on a 250 Enduro and qualified for anything on the road at the time. Dont think Ive been on a bike in over 40 years. Was still a tough decision to drop it. Got my CDL a few years later . Didnt have to take a driving test and was legal to drive any truck on the road with it. There were no special endorsements. Dropped it several years later when I worked for the railroad. Didnt see myself driving any type of commercial vehicle in the rest of my liofetime. 17 years later changed careers and had to get my CDL. Had to take the driving test and qualify for tanker etc. Now its even more convoluted than that. Hope I dont decide to get a MC endorsement again!

[Rob]

I was faced with a similar challenge when I moved to ID.  I went in to get my DL, and I had to decide if I wanted to move my MC endorsement over at the same time.  To do so required taking the written MC test.  It had been 15ish years since I had last ridden and I did not know what the laws were in ID for Motorcycles.  The lady behind the counter said that if I did not take and pass the test the same time I did my standard DL written, I would have to start fresh and retake the driving portion of the Motorcycle test.  They closed in an hour so I sat down with the MC education manual for a half hour and speed read it.  Passed it with a little bit of room to spare

Curious why you would let the endorsement lapse?  I can't recall if they charge more to keep the endorsement on the license or not...

[luvmystang67]

Glad to see you're making progress.  You're seeing a bunch of typical symptoms and underlying issues.  Your experience so far is about the kind of thing you can expect on any project.

Honestly, setting brakes is not difficult either.  You should certainly do your car brakes, spending a ton for mechanics is kinda dumb.  The only hard part is getting corroded parts to move.

Good tires are important though, so its probably good to have those replaced/looked at.

I'm enjoying your updates and success.  Thanks for sharing and for jumping into something unknown.

[Rob]

Yeah, I keep hitting blockers that I think I will need significant help to get past (No power to the bike, Driving lights blowing the fuse, Throttle not returning, re-routing wires in tight spaces, etc).  But I find that if I let it sit for a day or so, I come up with an idea or two to resolve the block.  So far that has worked! 

Helps to get ideas on this board as well.

[Rob]

Dropped her off for new shoes today.

Should have it back in a week.

[Rob]

Well, Picked her up last night with new tires and a brake check.  Today I started her up and did a circle in the driveway - first time in probably 15 years it has moved under it's own power.  I am very happy!

Not counting tires, brake check and associated labor for that work, I am out a bit over $300 in parts and fluids - half of that was the battery.

Got the title transferred over to ID from WA yesterday and a 2 year license tab for 100 bucks total - should be 30ish per year going forward.  Adding it onto insurance today and I hope to go for a short ride between now and Sunday as all the snow has melted off my driveway (of course new tires and sand on the paved roads will make that a little bit exciting).

I cannot thank folks enough for the advice and motivation on this project!

[HntnFsh]

Thats awesome!

[Rob]

I agree!

Interestingly enough, I tried to insure it thru USAA (who it was insured with before) but they don't insure MC's in Idaho.  They referred me to Progressive.  106 per year liability, 154 for full coverage.

Wondering if that is because Idaho does not have a helmet law.

[luvmystang67]

Ride down to CdA sometime and hit me up, I'll meet you for a drink in town.  I live in town, easy jaunt over.

[Rob]

That sounds like a plan.  As soon as the weather improves a little I will ping you. Looks like some more snow in the forecast over the next 10 days so that will close down my driveway for MC travel.

I was able to get it out on 95 for a short 10 min ride yesterday around Lake Cocolalla.  The back road was downright treacherous with all the sand in the road, but Hwy 95 was clear so I was able to open it up.  Good to be riding again! Even better was that most of my 15 year old MC protective gear still fits!  (kinda)