BlueSky

Or the stock carbs need synchronizing because the plug up so easily that each one is in a different stage of plugging up and syncing them makes up for some of it. In the higher rpm range, the vacuum diaphragms may not be working the same and there is no way to sync that.

We have a lady member yamagrl who repaired 2nd gear on her bike. She rocks! Haven't seen much of her since she wrecked her 83 though.

No sync would be required with the one carb setup. the 4 intake runners are the same length and volume and there is only one throttle plate. And with one larger carb with larger fuel passages, it wouldn't be prone to plug up after sitting for a couple of weeks. Seems to me an exhaust analyzer would be necessary to make sure the carb is properly metering the fuel in all the rpm ranges and load conditions. Dyno tune would be the way to do that I presume. I'm sure there is a good reason that all factory 4 cyl bikes that I know of have 4 carbs.

Motorcycle Superstore was bought by or merged with JPCycles maybe partly due to their service or maybe just the downturn in interest in motorcycles. Evidently, re-cycles the ebay seller thinks that old Pirelli is okay to sell.

My 85 Kawa ZN700 needs a new tire before inspection next month. I saw this Pirelli Sport Demon 130/90-16 Rear Tire on ebay for $99.95 which is about 2/3 of new price. Looking closely at the photos revealed a 4311 build date. So, I thought I could get it cheap and bid $60. They came back with 94.95 and I bid $30 and they came back with $89.95 which I rejected. Probably way too old,7 1/2 yrs, to be buying anyway. The existing rear tire on my bike was 5 years old when it was delivered from Motorcycle Superstores and it was installed in 2010. So, it is now 14 yrs old. It's a Metzler Lazertec which is a sport bike tire and it has amazing grip but only lasted 4k miles over 9 yrs. The bike is 500lbs with 74hp and I do love to turn up the wick. Grip is the most important aspect of motorcycle tires to me. So, I suppose I'll be looking for a newish tire, maybe a Bridgestone BT45.

I feel your pain. I tried to rebuild the calipers on my 66 GT Mustang way back when. they had two pistons per side. After that I decided not to rebuild any more. But, I think if I was doing it, I would put a plate or thin plywood where the pads were and use air pressure to blow them out. Rebuild one piston at a time. That is the way I plan to do it. But beware, it could be dangerous if a piston goes flying. There are members who have rebuilt them. Maybe they will chime it.

Glad you finally got some payback. Any Gen1 would be totaled I'm sure. They are not worth that much in the books and damage repair is expensive. Lots of Gen 1's still out there though if you get a hankering for another one!

Found an update video

I stumbled onto this video of a single carb swap for a Gen 1.

If the voltage is regularly going to 16 volts, then I don't think the alternator is the problem. You are probably correct that the ECU is the voltage regulator. High voltage might cook the battery as well as other things.

My only suggestion is that if you use fine sandpaper to polish the cylinders, make sure you do it around the cylinder and not back and forth to help prevent seal leaks.

I just googled "rebuid motorcycle caliper video" and got multiple video links. Give it a try.

FYI I was looking at Sam's Club oil for my truck recently because it is really inexpensive and posted a question on the F150online forum. A member Labnerd works in an oil co. lab and this was his response. Sam"s Club "Certified" motor oil in 5w-30 is made by Reliance Technologies out of Niagara Falls. They blend for a lot of off brand motor oil sellers. It should say Dexos 1 compliant on the bottle and is a GF-5 SN oil. Two things about it, one good, one bad. The bad.....the ASTM D5800 testing for high heat is a dismal 14.9%. The absolute max for any API oil is 15%. So it's not going to do well in a worn engine or in a high heat environment. The good....it has roughly 217 ppms boron in the formulation. Boron is an expensive additive that helps carry the load when things get hot. If you change at 3000 miles by habit, this is just an okay oil to use. I wouldn't suggest running it farther or expect sludge and varnish inside the engine. The detergent package is reasonable but weak hence the cheap price. Any Pennzoil motor oil will be better than the Sams Club. The synthetic is the best synthetic out there as of now. But frankly, why spend the bucks when the yellow bottle blend is so good. The 10w-30 is still good at temps down to -25C for cold start up. The ASTM D5800 testing yields an astounding 4.6% and that my friend beats any synthetic available at any price. I'm running it in my 3.7 F150. No drop in gas mileage and no issues with cold start ups. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best motor oil you can put in any street engine. In regards to using a synthetic or a blend. Back in the 70's and 80's when synthetics were becoming popular, the formulators did not include anything for the seals. Dino oils have natural occurring saturated fats that keep the seals supple. The synthetic base oils of the day had a great amount of solvency and therefore would clean any crud around the seals. But because the synthetic oil did nothing for the seals, leaks happened. Since then the formulators include a seal swelling agent to take care of the issue. You can literally swap back and forth all you want. FWIW, Mobil and Castrol had an issue with Castrol claiming the Gp III base oils were a synthetic. The Advertising Council found that because it does not appear in nature, that it is a synthetic base oil. Mobil has since dropped the GP IV base oils and their synthetics are now Gp III. BUT, since oil prices have gone up, there are motor oil makers out there that have stretched the definition to include everything as a synthetic base except for the solvent refined GpI base oil. Buying and paying extra for yesterdays dinos as synthetics is unfortunately more common than you want to know. Buy a name brand oil, don't pay a lot for it, and change according to the auto makers extreme service guide and you can't go wrong. ASTM D5800 testing is a test where the oil is exposed to 302F temps for one hour. The oil is weighed before and after the test. The difference or numbers you see is how much, expressed in percentages, that the oil lost due to the oil cooking off. ILSAC says 15% is max. Most synthetic oils will be around 10%. The yellow bottle 10w-30 at 4.6 is a reflection of the quality of the base oil used to make it.

Ahem, That's a 1st Gen.

Well it's been a year since I got Shingles and I thought I would give an update. My left knee that went almost completely numb is still numb a little in the front but it doesn't affect the strength of the knee that much. I still feel weaker especially in my legs but that may be due to getting out of my exercise routine. I could not exercise for a while and now I'm exercising but haven't been inspired to do as much as before. I've had a little trauma going on in my left knee since 1980 when I was jogging too much but it has never been that much of a bother. So, I think that is why the shingles jumped on that knee. Anyhow, onwards and upwards. I hope to catch up on my riding this year!

Yeah, chosing between those two to me would be mostly a matter of seating position choice. Both are great bikes. Goldwings hold their value much better which tells you something about their popularity. I can't imagine a bike that is more comfortable than an RSV. The two biggest complaints I have with an RSV is the annoying clutch basket whine and the heavy steering at low speed due to the handlebar mounted fairing and the wide front tire to some extent. Lots of RSV owners install a narrower front tire that helps the steering at low speed. If you can, test ride both and decide.

That's why patients go to Costa Rica!

I spoke to my wife about implants. She had 5 implants about 6 or 7 yrs ago. She said they cost $3k for the stud and $1500 for the cap each. She also said she thought they were $1k in Costa Rica. I got my countries mixed up. Her friend went to Costa Rica not Guatemala. Either way it ain't cheap but seems to be much preferable to dentures. I am curious what "Clear Choice" can do them for. They claim they install all the implants at one time which sounds terrifying but I suppose it works out. They also speak of a finance plan to pay for them.

I rented a 40' ladder and repaired my chimney close to the top which felt high up because it's a two story house. My son and his friend helped me manage the ladder. After I finished, my son climbed the ladder just to see what it felt like and decided he didn't want to go to the top. He said it was scarier climbing that ladder than sky diving which he had done several times. Me, I'll pass on the sky diving.....

My wife's friend who went to Guatemala for implants lives in Jacksonville FL. If you like I will find out who the dentist was and his address. There is such a difference in price that it makes the trip worthwhile. But, I do see these "Clear Choice" ads on tv. Perhaps they provide implants for much less than your local dentist.

They are Expensive with a capital E but implants would be best I think. I've been lucky with my teeth so far but my wife has had a couple of implants. The price may be coming down. I see ads on tv all the time about them. Or go to Guatemala. My wife has a friend who went there for implants because they were so much cheaper and the dentist was great. I think he makes most of his money on foreigners.

Speaking of a fair fight, I used to watch a lot of history shows on the history channel on tv. I watched a lot of shows about the old west. The movies might lead you to believe that gunslingers faced each other all the time to see who was the fastest. But I learned that there was only one documented gunfight like that. Wild Bill Hickok faced a guy with 75 yards between them. The other guy drew and shot first and missed. Wild Bill then put a bullet through the guys heart which is an amazing shot at 75 yds with the guns of the day. The other guy had won Wild Bill's watch in a poker game and WB told him he better not see him wearing his watch. The guy wore it and they had the fight. According to the history shows, people usually got shot in the back.

I got stopped one time for no valid reason. I was on my lunch break working in downtown Raleigh. I drove out to the Yamaha dealer to buy some parts. A few blocks from the office I saw these two women with short skirts walking with a thumb out. So, being the gentleman that I am, I stopped and gave them a ride. One of them asked me if I wanted a "date". I of course declined while explaining I was just on my way to the motorcycle dealer. Then the Raleigh police car behind me lit up his lights. He asked me to get out and come to the back of my vehicle. I asked him why did he stop me. No answer but he asked me if I knew what they were. I told him I was getting an idea. He followed me a few miles where I dropped them off at a motel. The guys at work got a good laugh out of it. I didn't care because I was divorced at the time. But I don't think the cop had a valid reason for stopping me.

Today, our local Walmart had Quicksilver synthetic motorcycle oil at closeout prices of $3.99/qt, just 3 qts left. The clerk stocking the shelves said she didn't think they were going to sell it any more. Might want to check your local Walmart if you want this brand. They have lots of marine Quicksilver oil on the shelves.

Having to take a safety course before going helmetless would tick me off for sure. NC didn't have motorcycle licenses until the late 80s or early 90s I think. Anyhow when it was required, I got grandfathered in and didn't have to take the test because I had enough riding experience. NC requires a helmet and that is okay with me. I'm thinking about getting a half shell though. It's almost like not having a helmet with a half shell.