Does the klaxon not get clouted by the front mudguard/fender on lock, when the forks compress?
I love the sight of the traditional, tall, - am I allowed to say British? - single cylinder engine. One person has suggested that the exhaust is 'wrong'. Don't know and I can't answer Willbrunei's question about the mudguard stay.
The only aspects of the bike's appearance I am less happy with are the handlebar switches and the colour of the saddle. It was a pale tan, so have obtained leather dye and isopropyl alcohol and having a go at changing to a much more mellow chestnut.
Thank you for the klaxon idea but I'll give that a miss.
You guys have certainly got me thinking. Had already heard that the starter, uhm, system is a bit unreliable which is why I've been kicking instead. Now wondering if I should go ahead and remove. Following Bilgemaster's link, I see one suggestion is to remove the sprag clutch and simply leave the motor in situ. Or as ddavidv suggests, buy the blanking plug from Hitchcocks and remove the motor too. I suppose if one ain't going to use it, might as well save the weight . . .
Was wondering on the electrics side. Been having a look around the bike and it would seem that a lot of wiring could be saved. My Bullet has been fitted with a Boyer Power Box which as I understand it replaces the rectifier and regulator. But it looks as though a lot of wiring might have been duplicated. Also, removing the engine cutout would save a whole bunch. And I don't need a clutch cutout - don't actually know what it's there for yet. So maybe I should spend some time this Winter and take out the starter motor, associated wiring and some of the other non-essential cables?
AzCal Retred asked about manuals - have been shopping and bought a couple, then the seller gave me another. Photo attached. Will donate one to anybody who needs a manual.
Because I'm not too sure what model I have, not too sure which wiring diagram applies. A very helpful gentleman on the XS650.com forum gave me this one for a 2004 and it seems to match the bike better than any in the workshop manual. Except that the wiring has been changed by PO's anyway.
First and foremost, as a quick search of this Forum section's Archive of the term "sprag" should quickly reveal, you would do well to NEVER use that electric start. I mean, don't even look at it! Learn to kickstart it only, and both you and she will be MUCH happier in the long run.
My own "sprag fragging" is described here: https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php?topic=26991.0;all
Nope.
On the the electric start equipped Iron barrel engine would it be safer to turn on the de-compressor, press the electric start switch which would spin the engine over freely, release the de-compressor and let go of the electric start switch once the engine fires up? Objective being that it would be similar as doing a roll start in second gear and popping the clutch?
On the the electric start equipped Iron barrel engine would it be safer to turn on the de-compressor, press the electric start switch which would spin the engine over freely, release the de-compressor and let go of the electric start switch once the engine fires up? Objective being that it would be similar as doing a roll start in second gear and popping the clutch?
The front brake switch is superfluous as is the clutch switch. The rear brake is applied when coming to a stop anyway.
I see. I'm not too clear on the functionality but that might not matter if I dispense with the whole lot.
Attached show scene in the garage a wee while ago.
This morning, tough combination of plastic sleeve and layers of insulating tape puts up valiant resistance:
Yes, Cyrus, the cylinder head is painted black with relieved edges to the fins. I thought it had come out of the factory like that? If not, then I guess that suggests the head has been taken off at some time.Whoops, I see Boyer and automatically think ignition. Its great you still have the original points. I converted mine to VW/Mercedes one piece units right after I bought the bike. My motto " I must be able to do this drunk in the dark". So now its one screw and one spade connector. Funny thing is, I'm still running the first set. 10k still fine. Grease on the rubbing block and a little oil on the advance unit is the key.
Hardly any saddle time yet but I get what you mean by time machine. Hoping mine will fill the rôle of Gentleman's motorcycle and let me potter around on local country roads in mid-twentieth century fashion.
The bike has a Boyer Power box but so far as I have seen so far the standard ignition system with old-fashioned points. Which this gentleman rider will need to learn how to set correctly.
Thank you Adrian - I usually go to these people:
https://www.vehiclewiringproducts.co.uk/
They supply thin tracer wire in a huge range of colours, Japanese-style 3.9 mm bullet connectors - ought to be ideal? - and loads of electrical parts for cars and bikes.
The wiring on the bike seems to be generally in good condition. Reflects that hopefully the bike has had very light use and a lot of care. Some changes from standard wiring, such as the Boyer Power box. And I don't know which wiring diagram would be correct. The one I was given, mentioned at post #12, seems to be close. Plus it's in colour!
And thank you Cyrus B, you are very kind. The bike has recorded just short of 10,000 KM which would be about 6,200 miles. Of course, it's an eighteen-year old bike . . . but I do have a pile of MOT certificates back to 2009 and they seem to verify that figure.
No idea at the moment whether the head has ever been off.
You can then use something like this for the horn/dip indicator switch, which isn't much wider than the old Wipac Ducon switch (copies of which are also still available).
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324849234095?hash=item4ba285f0af:g:RlwAAOSwvsxhduZK
A.
Thank you for the replies. Tooseevee, can so relate to your remarks about fiddling -
Which does away with the decompressor so also bought this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370956698653
Hope links work. Fitting that lever plus the switch block might pose problems but hey sometimes you just gotta see what will work?
Hitchcocks' were actually playing with a prototype crank-mounted TCI and Electra-type alternator conversion in place of points, but they didn't go ahead with it and sold off the prototype in their used parts section.
Wear in the traditional set-up for the iron barrel Bullets can be in the ATD itself, or the drive gears and their bushings, or a combination of both. If the engine is in good condition with minimal wear than can still be a bit of slop/ backlash in the drive train, cumulatively it can add up to about 10° variance! However it is possible to compensate for this by winding on the "distributor" or magneto pinion anti-clockwise when setting the ignition timing fully advanced so that all the slop is taken up with the crank at 32°. Not perfect but good enough for these old things.
A.
Now that is interesting, Richard. Referring to your diagram, I take it that 9 is the reluctor and 10 is the pickup coil on its bracket? Makes me wonder whether any other parts would need to be changed and indeed if the parts are available.
Not saying I would go down that route but it does seem to avoid the problems of erratic spark timing.
Richard, thank you for that very kind offer. But I will decline - over the winter, I will go over the Bullet and check as much as I can think of. Come the better weather next year, I will be able to start using the bike and I will find out then what further things need to be done. There might be things that need to be fixed and in the longer term there will be upgrades and improvements.
So for now, will continue to figure out the electrics and see if I can use the switchgear I have bought. Cheers, Raymond
There's Red and Yellow/Red to a little black box under the seat which might be the AC regulator, so the headlamp perhaps still on a separate system.
I'm kinda hoping PO has fixed it so everything is DC - will be easier for me to understand 'coz I've never come across a bike with an AC/DC system before. But then again, I'm hoping to leave the lights wiring in place rather than going berserk and ripping everything out.
The TCI ignition does need DC to power it, similar to points, but apparently it only needs 7 volts.
That sounds like an awful lot of work! Any idea what the advantage is? I haven’t yet found any problem with the ‘standard’ TCI system. I’m quite happy with the output of the AC headlight, too.
What is this polishing of which you speak? ???
Is that a 5 speed E/S Electra in a Thunderbird frame?
A.
You could just disconnect the starter motor and leave everything in place for now. No doubt you will eventually want to check and adjust the primary drive chain so the outer casing will have to be removed…it’s only one step further to get at the sprag drive.
Thanks. I will just buy a coil with the correct connector, as I hate splicing wires. Is the UCE one the same? I’m not sure.
All the other parts in the charging system are already in my spares cabinet. The 12 winding stator and rotor seem far less commonly available, but I found one of each online and they didn’t cost much, actually considerably less than the later types. Since I snapped them up they haven’t been re advertised so maybe I was lucky to get them when I did. The later 18 winding type are widely advertised but I wasn’t sure if the associated rotor on the crankshaft, or the regulator, were compatible. As I was buying my parts direct from India I wanted to be sure I had the right parts straight away; sending them back would be impractical.
TBH, I have found the standard charging system more than adequate; as it never had an electric start it has the smaller battery and probably doesn’t need any more capacity. I seldom ride this bike at night but when I have done I’ve found the headlight quite adequate.
My bike has the right side gear change/left side rear brake so it retains the cases without the apertures for the cross over shaft and it doesn’t have the electric start inner case. I converted a 5 speed gearbox to right side to suit it. The 26mm Concentric carb I’ve fitted works very well.
I see you have the later, gear type oil pumps. Was this a modification you have done?
It's just a bit of an oversimplification to say "it's only one step further". You have to call removing the whole primary drive & clutch & the inner primary at least a few steps. And there are also a couple special tools (pullers) required. But you're correct in that it's all pretty straight forward work if you have at least a little bit of experience with bikes.
And there are dozens of YooToob videos on every aspect of these bikes.
Hardly rocket science, though.
Thank you again - you have given me a lot to think about.
However, some of those changes are not things I would think about, in the short term at any rate. For now, my main internal debate is whether & how far to go in removing the starter and associated wiring.
Today, the cheap alloy handlebar switches have turned up - photo attached. To my surprise, the r/h switch does have provision for throttle cable - this was neither mentioned in the seller's description nor visible in the ebay photos.
But don't hold your breath to see them fitted. I need to plot out the present wiring and fink about what I'll change or remove before I'll get around to fitting.
Looks like the throttle cable outer sleeve needs to be threaded into RH switch housing, would it require a different throttle cable?
Not too sure. I might be able to source a threaded ferrule that will accept the end of the existing cable? Or it might do just sitting in the threaded opening?
Anyhoo, I might need to modify the nylon part of the throttle or the new switch housing - it doesn't appear to give enough rotation to open the slide fully now. And I'll probably need to modify the decompressor cable, or find a more suitable one, or order a one-off.
As soon as you step away from bog standard, you open a can of worms. But, there is always a solution. Guess I'm preaching to the converted, I expect all of you have met and dealt with the problems that ensue when you modify?
I’d have a close look at the MOT Testers manual about lighting before you commit yourself. I think an AC brake light might fall foul because it has to show a steady light.
Probably the first idea I had was to go all DC. As Adrian says, this would mean routing full alternator output through the Boyer Power box. This might even have been done by PO - all four alt wires connect to the Power box, but there is still the AC regulator. And obviously I'm not familiar with the circuitry of the Power box, so I really don't fully know what's going on. With hindsight, should have checked where there was AC and DC before ripping the wiring apart. My excuse is I was unaware of this issue at the time - where fools rush in . . .
In the harness, there are a few brass crimps, joining sets of wires into backbones along the frame. One of these is a yellow wire and it looks as if it connects to the alt, the AC regulator - which is still hooked up - and one of the purple cables headed towards the Power box. Before heading off forwards to the R/h h/bar. Likewise, I think the orange alt wire links to the other purple as well as the AC reg, before heading off towards the front end.
Tomorrow, I will check that these statements are true and offer up a diagram or a photo. Having a Boyer Power box and the AC reg has now left me in some doubt and I'm not sure what functions the Boyer is being employed to perform.
The battery, main fuse & (-) return leg wiring needs make an appearance also.
In for a penny, in for a pound. Pulled the chaincase off, took the stator off, checked the rotor's magnetic properties - see attached.
If it holds a fairly heavy Whitworth spanner, must be good?
Next is to call Burton Bike Bits and order new stator . . .
. . . I don't quite understand why a presumably fully-functional bike’s being wholly rewired . . .
You tried a Whitworth spanner? But your bike is metric….. ;)
You tried a Whitworth spanner? But your bike is metric….. ;)
But it was heavy - perhaps you haven't understood the gravity of the situation….. ;)
Ho reliable is the PM function on this forum? Couple of days ago, received PM with some helpful suggestions about the electrics, so naturally, I replied to say Thank You. Today, have received a mailbox error message - from Germany - telling me my mail could not be delivered and this is a permanent error. Can only think it relates to my PM.
They should not have sent you a mangled copper washer, complain to the supplier, or instead order some plain copper crush washers of the appropriate diameter off ebay. As the decomp valve vents into the exhaust system you want to avoid air leaks to stop it popping and banging on overrun.
Ref the kill switch, what sort is the one in your new right-hand switch cluster? Does it work by 1. earthing the current to the ignition through the handlebars (one wire), OR, 2. by by interrupting it as an additional switch between the main ignition switch and the coil, (2 wires)?
The OEM Kill Switch cuts power to the points, the main switch grounds tham so the machine doesn't continue to run when you switch off, carried electrically by the alternator output.
@ #153: Thanks for the back up! :)
I recently removed the throttle housing assembly and swapped it for a quick pull style one that did not have the kill switch in it . My thoughts were that I would just unplug the switch and that would be it , I had to wire a loop in to close the circuit to get it to run , I didn't investigate what system it was but it was opposite to what I was expecting. Normally unplugging the kill switch eliminates it as a fault but the bike will run , always fun tinkering
"B" is the one you want. :)
Think of the wire as a pipe, with the ignition switch as the main stopcock and the kill switch as an emergency shut-off valve.
A.
One reason for cleanly isolating the battery from the charging circuit components is to avoid the possibility of low rate "back leakage" through the charging circuitry, slowly draining the battery. If in practice this isn't a problem for you, it's all good. An open hard contact is a "clean" break, a diode bridge less so.
If the charging & battery are both upstream of the key switch, OFF removes all power, no more spark, engine has to stop.
I take it that the little lever marked choke is off when up? Pushing the lever down lifts a plunger on the carb body, which I believe to be a mixture enrichener?
The engine keeps running when the ignition key is turned off - everything else seems to be off, but the engine runs on. Stopped it easily enough with the decompressor but obviously there is a logical error in the wiring.
Be cautious when reassembling the clutch, looking at the photos the bearing washer that's supposed to be placed at the tip of the clutch rod seems to be missing. Just go through the clutch parts and make sure it there, it could be stuck on the front clutch plate.
Raymond - I truly feel your pain!! I find most Bullet-related tasks are way easier about the 3rd or 4th trip in...
Greetings and welcome to club, l must say that a nice looking machine and very clean, l was aware the starter clutches and such like could be an issue on the older models but after getting mine they are easy to kick over, so you got rid of some unnecessary expense.
Raymond,
the centre stand off the Electra-X might help, that model has longer rear shock absorbers than the standard Bullet, so it might allow you to re-deploy that plank of wood for a more exciting purpose.
Part number 801456 from the usual source. Just be aware changing the springs is a bit of a b*gger. ::)
A.
My Thunderbird is only having one center stand spring in place because I have not been successful in getting the second one on and on the last attempt it nearly killed me. ;D
Ah, now Gentlemen, if you are having problems fitting stand springs then might I suggest you watch this short video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1iLaCHKiRQ
I have used this marvellous Allen Millyard tip a few times and can testify that it works a treat - you just need a few penny washers.
I'll have a go later on. It will be pretty basic! ;)
A.
...are useful to have with you if having to fix a puncture out on the road.
Today, I'll put the carb back on the bike and have another go. But I'm in the dark whether the problem is electrical - quite likely as I've just re-wired - or is it the carb.
Suggestions welcome of course!
Could be your float bowl is not filling at a fast enough rate? Riding with throttle for a distance empties it beyond the intake's ability to suck any more. Then while it's not running as you pull over & stop, it fills enough to restart?
Just a wild-ass guess :)(http://)
You'll find it - doesn't sound electric. Seems more fuel to me.
:-[ :-[ :-[
Nonfiction, Adrian, you are both correct. The ferrule at the handlebar had come out - must have been when I took the carb on/off. Hence slide held up, hence high revs . . .
First thing I did this morning was follow up on your suggestion and check. Have kicked the engine over and it's back to the familiar slow chuff, chuff. Will reset the throttle stop and try another test ride later - busy with other fish to fry this morning so to speak.
Thank you.
Have you now found the bike you hoped you were buying? ;D
Nice when they do what they say on the packet, eh?
Each ride an opportunity to practice getting the gear change right. Changing up is usually fine but sometimes changing down I find myself lost in false neutrals. Seems to work best if I place my boot under the pedal and pre-load it then de-clutch and make a deliberate change. But if that fails, there's the neutral finder.
Nice Fettling! ;D ;D ;D
Been trying to fix a few issues. For example, the seat mounting hardware was awful. I thought the seat was mounted on two double-thread studs - M8x1 in the frame and M8x1.25 for the nuts securing the saddle. But both were badly chewed. It was only when I bought M8x1 bolts, with the intention of cutting the heads off to make new studs, that I discovered the two sides are different. On the left, the coarser thread is used both for the nuts and the screwing into the frame. Oh, well.
Now that's sorted with stainless bolts, M8x1 one side and M8x1.25 t'other, went out for a short run today. Only about seven or eight miles, but gave me a chance to reflect on the Bullet and the work I've done. Came to the conclusion, this is not a bike you bend to your will. Rather, you have to learn to live with the foibles. Quite happy to have reached that conclusion.
Parked in the back yard and one of those foibles manifested. After a few minutes, noticed a large oily patch under the bike. Looked like an egg cupful but was probably not quite that much. Couldn't see where it was coming from. Put the Bullet on the centre stand and only one or two more drips came. Seemed to be originating right at the back of the engine/gearbox area.
I think the engine breather tube must be the culprit. Do these bikes occasionally have a burp from the breather? Bike is sitting in the garage just now and there's no more oil under it.
One plan is to run a fused (+) jumper directly to the coil and take it out for a spin - this eliminates all the intermediate BS. If the coil/condenser is getting hot & dying intermittently that may help find it. If the solid "hotwired" system runs flawlessly for 30-45 minutes or so, maybe the issue is in the intermediate wiring.
. . . I know you rewired, but of course the OEM ignition switches are not the very best quality. . .
Not necessarily! Depends what deals were on eBay that day..'
Now is a good time, while the primary cases are off, to check the otherwise less accessible nuts on the engine mounting studs (the M8 through stud at the front of the rear engine plates as well as the 1/2" cycle thread stud under the gearbox) and make sure they're all still done up nice and tight.
Mine spat out the M8 stud the other day (fortunately in front of the garage), but a quick check revealed it had also shaken off BOTH 1/2" nuts.
Three holes now tapped, cleaned up and studs fitted with a drop of loctite:
So glad that part is over - too much potential for it to go wrong.
A little garlic, some salt and just a touch of oregano and they'll be quite tasty!
What did you decide on so far a chain tension?
I got the little bolt with the rubber tip but haven't installed it yet because I'm unsure.
I guessed at the stock setup but it might be too tight & I don't want to mess up the bearing.
The steering head is a little bit loose - just a slight 'click' felt through the bars on braking to a stop.Yesterday, tried to adjust, guided by Pete Snidal's book.
Tried to adjust the big nut on top of the steering head but it were so tight, could neither tighten nor loosen it. 30mm 1/2" drive socket. That was with front wheel gripped between knees.
Did you gave the Allen nut a short knock with a hammer after unscrew to break the wedge lose?
Remove the jack, push bike to-and-fro with front brake held.The clunk is still there.
Conclusion - the steering head is fine, the clunk is coming from the brake. Overall, I'm happy. Counting it as a win on points.
Slightly odd problem.
T'other day, the indicators - turn signals in US speak? - weren't flashing. Select right and both r/h bulbs came on constant, similar for the left.
Thought about it, obviously not a blown bulb which makes the flash rate of the good bulb speed up anyway. Decided that since the problem affected both sides, it must be a faulty flasher unit. So I tested the flasher unit by taking it off, fitting a live feed to the input side, fitting a test wire with a bulb to the output side grounded to a frame bolt. The bulb flashed regularly as it should. So the flasher unit is good. Hmmm, possibly a dodgy connection, but why would the indicators light up at all?
Re-fitted the flasher unit, seat back on, go for a run and think about it later.
Except, the indicators are now working as they should.
I'm curious if you've looked into your "clunk" any further . . . I'm trying to figure out what in the front brake could make a clunk with the shoes clamped against the drum.
Sounds like the flasher unit fault. The contacts inside the flasher unit could be getting stuck closed. To rule out any possibility of a short circuit some where, unplug the flasher unit the next time, it happens and turn the indicators on, if the indicators turn on then is there is a power feed going into the output terminal of the flasher unit socket.
Or if you wanted to go the unscientific way, use the handle of a screwdriver and tap the flasher unit when the indicators stay constantly lit. :D
The brake plate is prevented from rotating by an external lug. This engages on the lower fork leg. If there’s any play the plate can make a clunk, especially if the brake is held on and the bike rocked backwards and forwards. Have you ruled that out?
The brake plate is prevented from rotating by an external lug.
While we're talking about that area, that cone nut that secures the brake plate keeps coming loose on Dad's bike. (about 1/2 turn)Ah, that's one for me to check - thanks Yinzer!
How do you prevent that?...Blue Loctite?
My front brake backing plate has a small amount of play where it seats in the fork leg to stop it turning.Thank you, Geoff, mine seems to be the same.
This presented to me as free play in the steering head, but on further investigation this is what I found.
Geoff.
I'm now worried that the beam might fail and there's nowt to be done about it . . .
But I'm not happy with trying to establish tdc using the tool
(https://i.postimg.cc/jSDxs8LR/PICT0400.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
The scale is too small for me to read it, plus the engine won't sit at tdc - bike in gear, turning the rear wheel, I can nudge in small increments till I think that's just about the top, then the engine rolls forward too far.
Seems like a lot of work just to set the timing. Am I making a meal out of this?
Thank you, tooseevee. Have saved meself the trouble of pulling the head. With the primary cover off, it was a lot easier to turn and hold the engine with a 1" socket on the crankshaft. With a lot of squinting at the tdc tool and fiddling to-and-fro, decided I have Top Dead Centre close enough. Marked the rotor and stator with blobs of white paint:
+1 to that.
Last time I had that problem on my old Electra-X it was due to a mid-cable adjuster snagging on something. Assuming a correctly fitted slide, make sure the it goes allthe way down to its stop, if you wind the throttle open then let go, the return spring should cause it to snap shut with an audible "clack". Also check the outer cable is seated properly in both the carb top adjuster and the twistgrip assembly, and there's not a damaged outer somewhere along the cable length which is causing it to rub against the inner and bind.
A.
Hi All! Just wanted to introduce myself. I am from West Michigan and now own a 2006 RE 500. ;D
Further update. When I re-routed the throttle cable, it seemed free and closing the throttle you could hear the slide bottoming.
But today, took a look:
(https://i.postimg.cc/2ykpfKKs/PICT0407.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
and as you can see, cable has jumped out of the adjuster at top of carb. There should be a rubber cap, but on my bike was a perished vestige which did nowt.
Course of action - tank off, re-route the cable again, consider jury rig with plastic tube and insulating tape. But I have been thinking about buying a saddle from H's so I'll add the rubber cap to that order.
You are missing the 45 degree metal tube that should be on the top of that carb with the cable housing fitting into it. The way that inner cable bends going into the top is NOT good. It will be a constant problem that won't be fixed by the rubber dirt/water cap.
The tubes (straight, 45 & 90) are available from various places (Hitchcocks, SUDCO).
That is interesting and makes a lot of sense but I cannot find this tube on the Hitchcocks parts book. When I take a look at the carb, I'll see if I have anything in my odds-n-sods box that might be pressed into service.
I routed the cable below the frame tube to avoid pinching by the tank, but that brings it to the carb at a low angle. Might route it above the frame tube for a better approach.
Further update. When I re-routed the throttle cable, it seemed free and closing the throttle you could hear the slide bottoming.
But today, took a look:
(https://i.postimg.cc/2ykpfKKs/PICT0407.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
and as you can see, cable has jumped out of the adjuster at top of carb. There should be a rubber cap, but on my bike was a perished vestige which did nowt.
Course of action - tank off, re-route the cable again, consider jury rig with plastic tube and insulating tape. But I have been thinking about buying a saddle from H's so I'll add the rubber cap to that order.
I’d consider tie wrapping a short length of 6mm i.d. rubber fuel tubing over the adjuster in the carb top and the end of the cable. It will allow the cable to bend but will prevent the cable jumping out of the adjuster.
By the way - you didn't accidentally push the absurd kill switch toggle button to "OFF", did you. That'll make a difference...don't ask... ::)
Try some ether/starting fluid. If it pops & runs, it's still the carb pilot circuit. If still "no workee", the spark is AWOL.
By the way - you didn't accidentally push the absurd kill switch toggle button to "OFF", did you. That'll make a difference...don't ask... ::)
But Raymond got it to fire up on carb cleaner….so there’s a spark.
Been for a test run around the village. The bike runs, but not well. Bogs down when a little throttle is applied, which make it difficult to pull away from junctions - needs lots of revs and clutch slippage. Not happy with that behaviour and not very safe.
I think everything is standard?
Carb is VM28 slide
pilot 25
main 117.5
needle middle notch of five
mixture screw 1½ turns out
I think this plug has only been in for a little while, though I have done some plug swapping to-and-fro while trying to sort the bike.
I have perhaps bowed to the inevitable. Could have said bit the Bullet(Sorry!) and splurged for H's Mikuni VM32 kit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZqTBNY6T/mikuni-32mm.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Might even be here tomorrow.
Have fitted the new carb, but the thing I seem to struggle with is throttle cable routing. Very difficult to get the tank on and not find the cable is trapped somewhere. Is there a preferred routing? Diagram?
You mean a ferrule? Could be different in US terminology? I think the one shown is for the throttle twist grip end, not the carb top. Another 90° ferrule with the outer cable shortened to suit and fitted at the carb end would do the job nicely.
A.
Current state of play - new carb fitted, bike starts fairly readily, sounds good but won't take any throttle and after a few seconds it spits and stops. Must have started it, ooh, maybe 60 times yesterday? Longest it ran perhaps half a minute. Plug is black, wet even, smells of petrol.
But the way it stops seems more like a misfire than a mixture problem? I dunno.
The pilot jet, air screw and slide cutaway are the starting circuit variables.
There is a bad hesitation if the throttle is opened a tiny amount but if I boldly turn it to maybe 1/4 throttle, the bike revs.