Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

My two moods.

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I've posted mine here a few times over the years. This is from a couple of years ago.

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It's had a lot of new parts over the years but I always like to keep it stock. I couldn't resist the screen though. A poor mans 90s. I also have the RS bars. The screen sits level now, it was a squeeze to get it all in.

Is that a standard fairing ?
Looks good.

No, I got it from Motorworks years ago, tried to fit it, couldn't do it properly, left it in the shed for a long time, tried again, really tried, took my time, finally cracked it!

It took a lot and in the end it's a great customisation, I have the clock and voltmeter in there too. If I had the time again I might just pay for a 90s fairing from a breaker.

It's also very functional and the bike now feels great at 80. I prefer the slightly leaned over stance the RS bars bring too.

I was trying to remember the other guys that used to turn out this sort of fairing apart from Powerbronze - was it Davida ? Was thinking of getting one for my old Zed. It may actually turn into something like a minor player in Mad Max.

Gave my bike a wash after endless comments at work 😂

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Looks great and that’s a lovely colour.

What is to regret, you bike can only go up in value. But you have made it yours

Wash, didn't you get it detailed?

Chain maintenance, bro, it’s a way of life.

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Very satisfying. A split link on the CRF has changed my life in terms of chain maintenance, somehow haven't had one on a bike before.

What's the story with the Regina maintenance free chains which BMW introduced?

Not maintenance free. Far from it.

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/bmws-maintenance-free-m-endurance-chain-put-to-the-test

Took out the Stone Hammer. Proper caveman machine.

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Motorworks still sell the kit, not sure I could recommend it based on the time it took me to get the fit right!

https://www.motorworks.co.uk/s-fairing-kit-faa37791-1.html

There are some nice looking ones available from some of the newer puppy killing sites.

I've been having real problems with my 81 gs550l recently.

It cut out once or twice the last time I rode it and it started to bog down (no power) when revving in the low end.

So we stripped the carbs off, gave them a clean and rebuild. Sorted a new air filter, cleaned the fuel lines etc.

When we put them back on the bike didn't start and had poor sparks in a few plugs. Turns out one lead attaching to a coil pack had broke...so we've replaced both coil packs, spark plug heads and spark plugs and now it fires up first time which is beautiful and very promising!

Went to take it around the block for the first time in months after having thought we have sorted the issues with the above remedies, one little lap and it was running fine, revved nice in the lower end (unlike it used too) and it felt good.

And then all of a sudden it started to splutter, not rev, bangs out the exhaust and just wouldn't rev up at all and sounded horrible....so back to square one..

If anyone here has an idea of what's going on that would be great...please note the work already done to the bike. I'm trying to upload a video of the sound it now makes when you rev it...

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Video

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• VID_20220505_185728269~2.mp4

It sounds like fuel starvation but I am not a mechanic.

Sounds like when I forget to turn the fuel tap on.

Not sure about the specifics of your bike fuelling system. Does it have auto choke, is the fuel tap controlled by vacuum from the carbs?

I usually go through it in this order :-

check timing, set valve clearances.
check carb vacuum levels are even.
check and adjust fuel air mixture.

You have to adjust things at operating temperature. The symptoms you are describing sound a bit like the choke still being on once the engine is warmed up so it maybe fuel mixture.

Float bowls sticking is another possibility. I have some translucent bowls for the BMW to help diagnose those sort of problems.

I would definitely get a vacuum gauge on the carbs, gives you so much information and you can't balance the carbs without one.

Manual choke issue? Stretched cable or shifted cable?

Whip the tank off and try a remote fuel reservoir direct to the carbs ( could be an ineffective vacuum tap ). It does sound like a fuel delivery problem - check your vacuum pipe isn't split/correctly seated.

Everyone, thanks for the advice...I'll check alot of these next week when I get round to doing it.

I have a remote fuel reservoir, so will take the tank of and see if that's helps. Then we know if it's the vacuum tap.

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