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Welcome
Welcome to Spannerman, where all your mechanical woes are solved, advice given on what to buy and... well, just about anything along those lines.
If you'd like some help, write to:
Spannerman
c/o Motorcycle Trader
Locked Bag 12
Oakleigh Vic 3166
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Spannerman's Soapbox
Recent developments in the front numberplate debate include the acceptance of the draft report by the NSW roads people. Between them, the bureaucrats in Victoria and NSW will be an influential team. The argument is a long way from won, though. When public consultation occurs, there will be many dissenting voices, mine among them.
It's emerging clearly that the police want front identification on motorcycles and so do toll-road operators. The job of the police would actually be easier if we were all microchipped but, in a democracy, the desires of the police have to be tempered by the rights of citizens to privacy.
The East Link toll road that recently opened in Melbourne has a provision already for tolling motorcycles without them having to have a front identifier. Front identifiers are not considered necessary in the rest of the civilised world so I can't see why they'd be necessary here. When you finish reading MT, go out to your bike, stare at it face-on and decide where you're going to drill the holes to carry the identifier. Sobering, isn't it?
(Spannerman can be reached via amt@traderclassifieds.com.au)
SNATCH TROUBLES
I have a 2007 Yamaha TDM900 and I have been having trouble with the electronic fuel-injection - it has a snatchy throttle and a tendency to hunt on a trailing throttle between 2500 - 3000rpm.
I have put Staintunes on, which makes it more noticeable. Yamaha Australia just said that these are characteristics of the TDM and I should just put up with it or get a Power Commander or similar. I have been looking into TFI units at Power Commander.
A Yamaha dealer said a Power Commander will still need to be dyno tuned even with the TDM mapping installed from the factory. All this adds up to about $900.
Do you know if the TFI unit would have to be tuned on a dyno or just installed and dialled in? I have a pretty good understanding of tuning carbs but have never played with EFI before, so any advice would be great.
Steve Jones, lockdoorservices@hotmail.com
Spannerman: The snatchy throttle is certainly one of the TDM's less endearing features, Steve, but it's as much to do with the engine design as it is with the EFI. If you want an engine capable of 200km/h-plus, you have to accept that it won't plonk along happily at low revs in high gears.
The hunting, on the other hand, is certainly EFI-related and overall performance would be improved with a more sophisticated set-up.
TFI (Techlusion Fuel Injection) is a competitor with Power Commander and is, generally, considerably cheaper. Settings for the TDM are available but some fine tuning would be required to get the best from it. The end result of good carb tuning and EFI tuning is the same, so if you have a feel for carbs, you should be able to transfer it to fuel-injection.
So, 'plan A' might be to buy a TFI system off the internet, install it yourself and see how you go with the fine tuning, but a dyno session will take away all the guess work.
Power Commander units are well established in Australia and authorized agents will always carry a lot of product knowledge. It's pricier, but it's the safest way of getting what you want.
GLEAM DREAM
I really enjoyed the restoration guide in the January issue. You mentioned bead blasting and 'Vaquablasting' engine blocks and barrels.
My on-going project is an '84 Suzuki GSX550. It has had most parts repaired or replaced but the engine looks a bit scruffy.
Once out of the frame, what would I have to remove and what effect would the process have on gaskets and polished alloy? Can I get it done in Melbourne and what would it cost?
Karen Murray, Bonbeach, Vic
Spannerman: To get the best results from any kind of blasting treatment, Karen, it's best to have the engine dismantled. This means head, barrels and engine cases as separate units. Water blasting (acqua or vacqua blasting) a complete engine will see the blasting medium (water and glass) get past most oil seals with the potential to damage the inside of the engine.
You could expect to pay around $90 an hour for this and the head, barrels and engine cases would take about two hours. Talk to Phil Pilgrim at Union Jack Motorcycles or Greg Wood at Hydroblast.
Water blasting is the least abrasive way of getting a like-new appearance on alloy surfaces, and the treated engine parts will look good for longer. If you're now thinking, "But I don't want to pull the engine apart," you could consider bead blasting the complete engine.
This would involve removing it from the bike, removing the carbs and sealing all the holes to prevent the blasting material getting into the engine. Some popular tactics include cutting out blanks from a thin sheet of aluminium and using the existing studs to bolt the blanks to the exhaust ports and inlet ports. Put rubber O-rings between the blanks and the engine to be extra safe. Blu-tac is useful for plugging things like the tacho-drive. The blast-master won't take any responsibility for blasting material getting into the engine but I've seen many results from this procedure, all without any dreaded internal engine damage afterwards.
Your engine will look great when done but is harder to keep that way than an engine which has been water-blasted. Straight bead blasting is a bit cheaper than water blasting (around $120). In Melbourne, call Bob at Airport West on (03) 9330 0744, although there are a number of reputable businesses you could use.
NO-GO ZONE
A friend of mine (yeah - I really have one) has a Hyosung GT250, which she's owned since new (about 14 months). It has a problem. It's a great bike and it goes well, but it cuts out.
Riding around town is fine but on a trip out of town the engine stops as if it's starved of fuel. Whilst riding with a group of old, disgraceful people of vast experience and differing bikes, the consensus was that it was a fuel problem and the tank breather was blocked. The solution on that day was to crack open the fuel filler cap and leave it open. This fixed things for the next 160km.
The local dealer cleaned the breather hole/tube, cleaned the tank and said it was fine, but the problem continued. The dealer had a few more goes at it and then contacted Hyosung who replaced the tank with no questions asked. The problem hasn't gone away and the dealer now says it's electrical.
Has anyone else had this problem? What else could it be? My friend is about to take the bike back, tell the dealer and Hyosung to place the bike where the sun don't shine and contact Consumer Affairs.
Please don't print my email address as this is a small town with only two dealers. When we go riding, the nearest coffee stop is 90km away!
Deadly Dave
Spannerman: The problem is almost certainly the sidestand switch, Dave. When it vibrates enough, it tells the engine that the sidestand is down and the engine stops. It doesn't happen as often around town because you're riding slowly, but it is more likely to happen at highway speeds.
A simple fix is to just bypass the switch but it's there in the first place to prevent you from riding off with the sidestand down, a well-known killer of inexperienced motorcyclists.
Courtesy of Hyosung's very good warranty program, your local dealer will fit a recently revised switch and it will not only solve the problem, it won't cost anything. Your (one) friend will now be able to set off for the 90km-away roadhouse with confidence that she will actually arrive.
CHINA SYNDROME
My last bike was a Honda CX500, which was sold some 20 years ago, but for many years I've been investigating small, commuter bikes.
I only have to travel four to five kilometers to work, so I don't need anything big. I have discovered a Sachs KN150. With insurance and on-road costs, the total is about $2400.
Have there been any tests on them? Is there any information about their reliability and parts back-up? They certainly look good!
Bob Thomas, rthomas@stmarks.wa.edu.au
Spannerman: Poor old Sachs. It was one of the world's first motorcycle companies and it has a proud history. Things went pear-shaped for it around the turn of the century, not because of problems with motorcycles but poor financial planning in other areas of the company's operations (bicycles, from memory).
Bikes built in China aren't innately bad: Honda has a scooter factory there but it makes sure the products which carry the Honda badge meet the company's high production standards. How much input does Sachs have with the KN150?
As far as I'm aware, Sachs has only recently started designing again from Germany. The KN150 may be all-Chinese in design and execution, meaning it may look like the real deal, but won't have the engineering integrity and sophistication evident in, say, Japanese bikes. China will undoubtedly become a powerhouse of motorcycle production but the evidence I've seen so far suggests you shouldn't be an early adopter in this area.
Having said this, in what you save in bus, taxi and car fuel expenses, it wouldn't take long to get your $2400 back.
What you've prompted us to do with your letter, Bob, is to collect a few of the new Chinese bikes that have Australian compliance (ie can be registered) and subject them to some proper road testing. With an RRP of less than $2000, the KN150 will be on the list.
TESTING TIMES
I'd love to see the Kawasaki ZRX1200 on test. I reckon it has got to be the most comfy in its class. Love to hear your opinion on it.
Gaz, gaz33_00@bigpond.com
Spannerman: Among the range of retro-big bore bikes, the ZRX1200 is, indeed, a high ranker in the comfort stakes.
Guy Allen and I compared it a few years ago with the Suzuki GSX1400 and both of us liked it better. However, neither of us could be described as, err, petite, and comfort will always be partly determined by the size and shape of the rider.
SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
I'm looking for an old-school style two-stroke road bike from the '70-'80s' period. What were the standouts in terms of reliability, performance, value for money and ease of operation? I am looking for something under $3000. What goes wrong with these bikes?
Brett Morris, brett985@hotmail.com
Spannerman: All the old-timers reading this will have their ears pricked up, Brett, and probably all will have a different answer based on their own experience.
My pick for reliability, performance and value-for-money is the Suzuki T500 - GT500 series, which ran from about '68 to '77. We've just given one away so you're a bit late for that, but good examples are still around for the price you're considering.
A close second and a sportier option would be Yamaha's RD400. It was a little softer than the RD350s it replaced, but had more torque and was easier to ride.
As for eye candy, I've always really liked the look of the Suzuki T250s.
Regarding problems, you've probably already noticed that four-strokes convincingly won the debate which raged in the '60s and '70s as to which engine design was better. Relative to four-strokes, two-strokes wear out faster, but they're cheaper to freshen up.
You'll get maximum life if you use good quality two-stroke oil (find a product suitable for air-cooled two-strokes and avoid the water-cooled alternatives); keep the ignition timing set accurately and, importantly, make sure the slides in the carbs are adjusted so that they re-enter the bores from full throttle at exactly the same time. While I'm thinking about it, make sure the air filter is serviced and there are no leaks in the connecting rubbers.
If you have to make a mistake with engine tuning, the engine should run a bit rich rather than a bit lean. Use the recommended heat range for the plugs, too.
Oh, one other thing: avoid triples unless you're really confident with your tuning ability.
OUT OF LEFT FIELD
My problem is a ticklish one. My Bimota Mantra has a cracked seat base and it doesn't have any identifying marks on it to give me a hint of its manufacturer. I'd like to buy a new base and then have a custom seat made (at the request of my numb-bum pillion).
I could make a fiberglass cast and create a new base (old surfboard repairs experience), but that means time off the road - a ghastly prospect indeed.
Bimota Bill, Morrison_gaye@hotmail.com
Spannerman: Geez, Bill, what drugs were the Bimota blokes on when they designed the Mantra? My guess is that Bimota made the seat itself, so your best bet would be to fire up the old computer and start searching through Bimota spares and Bimota wrecking sites.
There are quite a few in England. A Bimota spares enquiry service can be found at http://www.bimota.it/default_eng.htm
RADIALLY MOUNTED
Could you please explain why a radially-mounted front brake should work better than a standard version? All the bike journos seem to think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, but how could they have a greater advantage than the normal, fork-mounted brake at the same radius from the axle?
I can see that it would be impossible to mount the brake caliper onto the upside-down fork slider, but the larger diameter casting of a conventional fork might have even greater resistance to bending than the USD slider section (and that is where the bending moment is ultimately transferred).
Once the mounting bolts for a conventional fork have been pushed to the limits of any play in the mounting holes, then only the shearing of the mounting bolts would result in any 'give' of the calipers. What am I missing?
J Hannes, hannesjurmann@aapt.net.au
Spannerman: Conventional caliper mount points are on the trailing end of the caliper. This has the effect of privileging pad pressure at the leading edge which has the potential to misalign the caliper in relation to the rotor, resulting in reduced braking effect and uneven wear in the pads.
Radial mounting has a mount at both the leading and trailing end of the caliper, allowing for more consistent alignment with the rotor.
I'm not sure if this was anticipated at the time radial-mounted calipers were introduced, but with some models it has led to a welcome reduction in the diameter of the rotors which, in turn, reduces steering effort. Radial mounting makes a lot of sense to me.
TALL IN THE SADDLE
In your most recent column, Gavin Michael commented on the seat height of the Yamaha MT-01. Your reply was spot-on, but I'd like to add my own little bit.
I've ridden an MT-01 and though I'm not exactly tall (about 5ft 10in in the old money), I found it easy to reach the ground. As you mentioned, the width is relatively narrow and the bike is well balanced.
The figures on paper don't always tell the whole story.
David Johnson, Loch, Vic
Spannerman: Too right, David: the figures on paper can actually be misleading. Seat height is one of those things which always appears in bike specifications but doesn't tell you what you really want to know: will I be able to balance the bike comfortably when it's stationary?
The Suzuki SV650S featured in this issue not only has a low seat height, but the seat is shaped at the front to make it easier to keep your legs together when you're standing up, taking advantage of what height you have.
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