Hello World.

[BrianM]

For the first morning of my life, I awoke as a Concours (C10) owner...  and it was good.   

I picked up a 1999 in "Barney Purple" yesterday off Craigslist.  Non-runner right now thanks to leaky petcock and fuel needles, though it was apparently running fine last fall.  The seller got the bike from his father when the father passed away and had other bikes he preferred to ride.  Anyway, for the $1000 cost, even not knowing if it was a runner, seemed like a no-brainer. 



Hardly been ridden for a 1999:



And that lovely color





Anyway, I've been riding since 1991, spent 3 years roadracing in the late 90's, went to MMI in 2000 and came out with a Load less money and certificates from HD, Yamaha and Suzuki (I ran out of patience to deal with the school and money).  That whole experience pretty much killed my enthusiasm and I've been struggling to regain some ever since.  Stumbling onto the Ninja 250 back in 2004 helped the most (originally bought for my GF, now wife, but I ride it most).  Bought the C10 because I've never had a 2-up bike and my wife says she's interested in taking MC trips.  Well, and I'm a sucker for a deal....  I have a habit of fix and flipping bikes if they can be bought cheaply enough.

It's off to the shop with me now, I have a bike to disassemble, fully service (gotta love it when you buy a bike and it comes with the factory service manual, saves me a week of waiting for it to arrive in the mail), and get it up to snuff/ready to ride. 

Cheers,


Brian

[snarf]

Congrats on the find.  A warning though...DO NOT THUMB THE STARTER UNTIL YOU FIX THE PETCOCK AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO FUEL IN ANY OF THE CYLINDERS. It would really suck to go from an easy fix to a bent rod (if it doesnt already have one )
Check out this thread http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=276.0

[okxd45]

Welcome and nice wolf in the background......lol.

[BrianM]

Yup, I'm no stranger to bikes that have a tendency to hydrolock...  bought a Bandit 400 that did the same thing. 

So, as expected, petcock wouldn't hold a vacuum in RES or ON, disassembled, cleaned, lubed, reassembled and now it is.  So, I get to decide between doing nothing till I have a problem again, buying a Rebuild kit and using it (or holding it 'just in case') and buying a new.  I'm leaning towards at least Buying the rebuild kit.

And, as expected.... 

I can honestly say that I have never seen that before.  I've replaced a few over the years because the tips were worn/not sealing/cracked/etc...  but these were pulling up and away and fell off at the slightest touch. 

Found something else to replace too...



Both dang sides.


But the carbs are cleaned, 35 pilots and 125 mains (I'll need to look and see if 122 or 120 might be a better option), a couple 2.5mm washers under each needle.  Funny thing about the air/fuel mix screws....  one was set full tight, assuming at the factory as the anti-tamper plugs were in place.  That's something Else I've never seen before.  Gas/oil mix is drained, choke and throttle cables lubed (I thought the dang thing had a throttle-lock engaged because it wouldn't snap back), and I'm going to dig into the valves next.  Then it's fluids, brakes, clutch, final drive, coolant...  and I'll probably run out of hours today before I run out of things to do.  Tonight will be getting an order going through Murphs. 

Whee, is it sad that I enjoy This part more than riding? 



Oh, and that be Darla in the background....  my Husky, Chow, GSD, rescue mutt:

[Conrad]

Good lookin dog.

Welcome!

[okxd45]

Fine looking animal indeed!  She looked a wee bit more intimidating in the first pic! (must have been the glowing eyes ) Sounds like you've got the wrenching under control!  I wish I had half the knowledge, know how and time.

[Leo]

Nice looking bike.  You did good on the price.  The saddle bags and body work alone is worth more than you paid. It sounds like you are doing good on the repairs.  One place to look at is the lug on the head stock where the fairing mount frame attaches.  The bolt there is famous for coming loose and the stress makes other thing break.   Glad you are around.

[BrianM]

One place to look at is the lug on the head stock where the fairing mount frame attaches.  The bolt there is famous for coming loose and the stress makes other thing break.   Glad you are around.

Ohh...  good to know. 

I've been fighting the valves...  got into that "too tight, adjust, cycle, too loose" endless parade on a couple of them.  Doesn't help that they were ALL tighter than .0015in.  Cylinder 1 was full of gas..  props to my Pela top-side oil changer for making quick work of sucking that out.  Looking at 180, 180, 150, 190 for compression readings on the cold cylinders...  sucks to have a low cylinder like that, but I'm not going to do anything about it.  It was kinda funny to find that the #3 cylinder spark plug boot wasn't even pushed onto the plug.  I bet this bike ran like crap. 

And my dang valve cover gasket is about 5mm too big, took me Forever to get that thing seated again.  Seriously, what should have taken me 1 hour ended up taking 3...  Not like it matters, I'm sure it'll take 4~5 days to get the carb stuff and air filter.  Gotta shop for tires too....  always been an Avon fan, looks like the Venoms ought to be a nice choice for extending tire change intervals. 

Time for a beer, and to make dinner for my wife (she works so I can play...   I know, I have it rough.    )

[Conrad]

Ohh...  good to know. 

I've been fighting the valves...  got into that "too tight, adjust, cycle, too loose" endless parade on a couple of them.  Doesn't help that they were ALL tighter than .0015in.  Cylinder 1 was full of gas..  props to my Pela top-side oil changer for making quick work of sucking that out.  Looking at 180, 180, 150, 190 for compression readings on the cold cylinders...  sucks to have a low cylinder like that, but I'm not going to do anything about it.  It was kinda funny to find that the #3 cylinder spark plug boot wasn't even pushed onto the plug.  I bet this bike ran like crap. 

And my dang valve cover gasket is about 5mm too big, took me Forever to get that thing seated again.  Seriously, what should have taken me 1 hour ended up taking 3...  Not like it matters, I'm sure it'll take 4~5 days to get the carb stuff and air filter.  Gotta shop for tires too....  always been an Avon fan, looks like the Venoms ought to be a nice choice for extending tire change intervals. 

Time for a beer, and to make dinner for my wife (she works so I can play...   I know, I have it rough.    )

You've been doing ALL that without beer?     

[Leo]

To get a better check on the valves, use two feeler gauges at each cylinder.  That takes any rocking out of the forked rocker that will give you false readings.  That low jug might be a sightly bent connecting rod.   Bring the engine to top dead center on a good jug, and measure with a stick.  Bring the low jug to TDC, check the piston height.  Luckily, if you want to get that deep, that rod can be changed without splitting the case.   On the other hand, there are a lot of bikes are running around with one slightly low jug.  Good Luck

[Ron Dawg]

Maybe it's just my imagination, but that air filter looks like you may be the first one to confirm the gender of a C-10.

[gPink]

Maybe it's just my imagination, but that air filter looks like you may be the first one to confirm the gender of a C-10.
[/quote
 

[Conrad]

Maybe it's just my imagination, but that air filter looks like you may be the first one to confirm the gender of a C-10.

I thought the same thing when I saw those two pics! I didn't want to say anything cuz that's just the way my mind works most of the time. 

[Leo]

Someone needs a cold shower!

[BrianM]

To get a better check on the valves, use two feeler gauges at each cylinder.


That low jug might be a sightly bent connecting rod.   Bring the engine to top dead center on a good jug, and measure with a stick.  Bring the low jug to TDC, check the piston height.

Yup, knew the 2-feeler gauge trick from my..  er, I think it was an 86 Honda VF500f where I first learned the trick.  But thanks, if I hadn't known, that's valuable info. 


And, take this personally, you're a bastard.  Of Course I have to barge my way through the door from blissfully ignorant to knowing that I have at Least 2 bent con-rods.  Checked 2 and 3 against each other, and 3 was a good 2mm deeper than 2.  Checked 1 and 4 too, and there was another discrepancy (maybe 1 mm, enough to make me double-check and enough to know that 4 sits lower than 1).

Anyway, today I finished installing everything on the top end...  that smog stuff is a PITA.  Yea, I saw the block-off plates...  maybe next time I go in there.  Drained the coolant....  it's not supposed to be murkey rust-brown color, is it?  Flushed the system till it ran clear, I need to run out for coolant.  Drained the final-drive and refilled with Mobil 1 75w-140 (it's in the 90's here in GA, and the bike is going to be primarily a 2-up machine).  At first glance, I thought the old looked good, but it turned kinda milky/white right at the very end.  At least I had nothing sparkling at me in my drain pain.  Bled the brakes and clutch system too, based on the fact that the original 'made of chocolate' master cylinder screws were in perfect shape, I'd have to guess it was original fluid.  Lots of air in the different systems too...   feels good just knowing that it's "right" now.

I've got the last of the easy stuff this afternoon...  oil filter, oil, coolant.  I'll need to read up on the final drive and swingarm service, so that'll likely have to wait till tomorrow.  But it Might be that my Murphs order arrives here tomorrow....  kinda depends on when the package makes it into the system, otherwise it should be Monday.

I might have the bike running and on the road in another day.  Then I'll be a Connie Rider, and not just an Owner.   

[Leo]

Brian, have you had a chance to enjoy a little road time yet?   

[BrianM]

Started it up today (USPS delivered a box from Murphs at noon), managed about 10 miles before I noticed I forgot to tighten a hose clamp on one of the coolant lines. 


My God, the wind noise is almost unbelievable... and I stayed 55 and below.  Hits me square at eye level (I'm 6'4") when I sit normally, gets REALLY loud if I sit up (moves to the bottom of the helmet) and I have to stand up to get Any quiet.  I can kinda scrunch down and it hits the top of the helmet....  all of that's unacceptable.  I need to find a solution for the noise...  and the complete lack of airflow (was HOT in my 'Stich).  I haven't looked yet, but does anyone run completely without the windshield?  I saw the "cut down" thread that's been active lately, but I just don't think that's going to be enough to get the turbulance into my chest.

Anyway, past that I didn't notice any oddness with the engine running, it fired straight away, and I didn't notice any of the "Connie buzz" I'd been reading so much about.  That was even before I synced the carbs (though they were pretty close before I tuned them).  The steering was Really heavy, but that might be from the massively cupped and worn front tire.  lol..  I found that I was in 4th doing 55mph (my primary street bike is a Ninja 250) ~ not used to big bikes with lots of torque. 

Just need to clean it up now.  I've no more money to spend till next month, then tire and fork oil (plus lubing the steering bearings).  Guess I ought to go start a tire thread..   

[Two Skies]

Hey Brian!

Good to see you have your bike up and running, after going through the carbs, petcock and such.

A couple of thoughts for ya:

1) I've been hearing from a lot of fellow riders lately that ethanol blended gasoline can cause several issues with bikes.  One of those is erosion/corrosion of rubber parts and such, and as you noted that the previous owner wasn't riding it a lot, it might be a good possibility that this is why your float needles and petcock were having issues/falling apart.  You've obviously resolved the issues since the bike is running again, but if you let it sit for any extended length of time, it's probably a good idea to drain the carbs, seeing that ethanol blends are now mandated in many parts of the country.


2) Before you go too crazy with experimenting with different jets, check out Shoodaben Engineering's jet kits.  These are the bees knees as far as Connies are concerned.  Steve In Sunny Florida has been perfecting these over the years, and his latest kits have MANY happy Connie owners with ear to ear grins.
http://sites.google.com/site/shoodabenengineering/


3) The stock windscreen is noted for excessive noise, especially if you are a taller rider.  Thankfully, there are several aftermarket solutions that work much better. 

I use a Cee Bailey myself, with the NACA vent. 
http://www.ceebaileys.com/kawasaki/concoursws.html.
  Judging from your height, you may want the tallest one they make, if you choose to go this route.


Others use Rifle windscreens, and other brands.  There used to be some tech pages linked from the old forum, but I'm not seeing the link on the new forum.  I'm sure someone will jump in with the appropriate link shortly.

The other option is to go with a shorty, if you aren't a fan of tall windscreens.  Again, I'm sure someone will jump in with the appropriate link.


A quick note.  A lot of us order a lot of our Connie stuff through Murphs Kits.
http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/
Murph is a fellow Connie rider, and has been good to us over the years.

Again, enjoy your new ride!

[SteveJ.]

Hi Brian.

The "2 minute mod" jet kit really helps carburetion, no doubt. What helps more is the re drilled exhaust cam sprocket he came up with. What helps even more than that is the camshaft regrinds he has come up with, along with a modified 2 minute mod jet kit. There's dyno sheets on this stuff. What also helps is a Bafflectomy, provable gains on HP and torque.

BTW, Steve has gone fishing for about the next week and a half, pretty much out of touch from the real world.

Maybe we'll see ya around, like maybe here:

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=1924.0

or maybe at The smackdown at The Shack down in St George.

COG membership not required at any of the functions, COG sponsored or not. Come meet some of us and look over how different folks have customized there bikes.

Later.

[BrianM]

I'm not one to modify bikes...  I did that on an '87 VFR (that I took to 119k) and sold it because it was no longer the bike I had loved.  And I'm Absolutely not one to modify for more power, that's just pointless to my mind.  My little 250 has enough power to do the ton, I'll never see redline with the Connie, why bother?  Plus, it's a $1000 bike.  I don't mind spending money on maintenance items, but if it ain't broke, I'm not spending a dime.  If I find that I like the bike AND find issue with it that can be resolved by mods, I'll consider/do them.  But for now, I just need seat time to see if I like the bike enough to keep it.  It's kinda like buying a house and living in it for a year before setting out on a massive remodel.  How do you know what needs to be done before you live with it?  You might find that the kitchen/bath only needs a cosmetic change instead of a functional change. 

I *know*, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I have to do something about the abundant noise/lack of airflow (yes I wear a full face Arai and 32db earplugs).  Going to look at running completely without a screen tomorrow and use cardboard mock-ups to build from there if that doesn't work for me.  Going bigger is the Last option, and I will most likely sell the bike if that's what it looks like it comes down to.  Perhaps a naked Bandit, Suzuki GSX1100g, or CB1000 would work, or go older with the GS/CB/KZ/XJ UJMs.  [rant]One piece, non-stepped seat and NO FAIRING... damn things are nothing but trouble. [/rant]  Thank a long trip on a Honda PC800 for instilling a deep seated Hate for motorcycles with fairings/windscreens...  woulda been a nice bike if it had been either completely naked up front, or had a fairing no larger than your average sportbike. 

Anyway,  can't do Barber, going to be in Ireland on a LONG planned vacation the first 2 weeks of October.  I hope to make it up there for my first time in the next month or so though.  I'll keep my eyes open for other stuff in the area, but we have an odd schedule.  Weekends are rarely when I can get away (read, I can almost never go for a ride on the weekends).