Finally installed a new right turn blinker. LED. Got these online for 4 for $20. Eventually will replace the front left one so they match but need to find an LED blinker controller that works with my bike before I can replace all four with LED blinkies.
One of the problems with a 30 year old bike is having 30 year old rubber and plastic pieces. These pieces eventually dry out, becoming brittle, and break. Sometimes these parts are small, like the starter button. Note the hole just below the yellow word “START” on the right, to the left of the grip. This is where a black plastic button about the same size as the hole should be. After 30 years it broke one day when I pushed it. So I had a friendly session with the handle & found out a) there’s a reason it is an insulated button, an uninsulated metal button will blow the main fuse, b) you can shock yourself if starting your bike with a key (by inserting it into the hole) while not wearing gloves. Sometimes hard to find part, occasionally can be found on ebay for about $8.
Just happened to notice when leaving the post office that my right front blinker is not only not blinking, it is hanging by the wires as I’m driving down the road. Sigh. This is what can happen when you buy NOS (new old stock) items that are rubberized & have been sitting on a shelf for about 30 years. The rubber dries out from sitting (just like tires do) and once it starts getting bounced around & vibrated from the bike being driven it slowly cracks and then simply breaks one day.
Now I ask myself, “If I were designing something wouldn’t I want to make it easier on myself if I have to use it?” The answer is yes. Now look at this picture. Note where the exhaust pipe ends and where this lines up with the bolt at the end of the axle holding the rear tire on. See anything wrong? Yep. Can’t take the tire off without taking off the exhaust system. Now think about this. This is a bike with an exhaust pipe on each side of the tire. Even if you could take the castle nut in the picture off (you can’t) you still couldn’t pull the axle out. How hard does this make it to change a tire? Well first you have to take off both exhaust systems – all the way up to where they connect to the engine block. Yeah, dirty job that adds time … then you can take the back tire off – provided you have a center stand in the first place …
As I’m learning more about the bike and what is working and what’s not I realize there’s a fuel tank sensor. Apparently it does not work. Why doesn’t it work? Well 1) the wires connecting it to the tachometer gauge are missing, and b) look at the picture, apparently it was leaking gas so a previous decided to simply seal it in order to fix it. One of these days when I have a spare gas tank I might see if i can fix this …
So one of the first things I had to do after purchasing the bike (from craigslist) was to fix some things that sorta needed it. Like the tachometer. These aren’t made to be taken apart and put back together for some reason. Note the silver holding ring on the bottom left – it has to be pried off. Or cut off. Even if pried off there’s no guarantee you’ll get it back on the same way. Once apart though the tach was easy to fix. Mine was missing one of the screws that holds the face to the gear drive behind it so the tach just jumped all over the place. Fortunately I’ve collected a fair number of computer related screws over the years and was able to find a couple that fit. Easy fix. Except putting it back together. After reassembling it properly (except for noted holding ring) I put the holding ring back on & then silver foil taped it in place. This has been working since April 16, 2011.
April 6, 2011
