2023 Quarterly StarBike Photo Challenge - Spring! Is Now Open For Entries!

What did you do to your bike today?

550691 Views 6353 Replies 508 Participants Last post by Scuddy, 2 d ago

taboo365

Discussion Starter · Jun 27, 2010 (Edited by Moderator)

I washed and polished her up.
Then took her on nice little 135 mile putt.
Now I'm gonna build a fire outside and sit
and drink some wine. See ya'll,
Ride safe!

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AlanRides

· #6,301 · 2 mo ago

Brad_G said:
...suggest a grease gun (which I have several for different purposes). Come to find out, the bleeder valve is just like a grease zerk in size and it will clamp on (I had to unscrew the gun tip apart to get it to release however). That gave me a good slow controlled push of the pistons. It also required a few C-clamps to control them so one didn't push out and loose all leverage. Unfortunately I wasn't thinking and didn't take any pictures.

Cleaning up the gun grease was not fun but wasn't hard. I soaked it in a bath of Simple Green which I like to clean parts, then a little brake cleaner and compressed air to get it ready for seals. Before I did seals there was internal corrosion so I ran a wheel cylinder hone in it and also used a pick tool to clean the seal grooves.

Nice write up and the caliper externals look really good for being 20 years old, or is that fresh paint?

I've shot pistons around the garage using air before, but those probably weren't all that stuck. The grease gun is a great idea that I hope I never need to remember......

I noticed your Harbor Freight magnetic parts bowl which I bet many of us have in our collection. So, the question is how many does a person have and how many did said person actually pay for and not get as freebies back in the day Harbor Freight used to give stuff away all the time.

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Brad_G

· #6,302 · 2 mo ago

AlanRides said:
Nice write up and the caliper externals look really good for being 20 years old, or is that fresh paint?

I've shot pistons around the garage using air before, but those probably weren't all that stuck. The grease gun is a great idea that I hope I never need to remember......

I noticed your Harbor Freight magnetic parts bowl which I bet many of us have in our collection. So, the question is how many does a person have and how many did said person actually pay for and not get as freebies back in the day Harbor Freight used to give stuff away all the time.

Thanks! Yeah whatever they're coated with from factory is good stuff. That's the original paint/coating.

My workspace is way too cluttered to be launching projectiles around. They'd likely never be seen again.

Most likely you wouldn't need the grease trick unless you never ever change the fluid and the bike sits in a harsh environment for several years.

Yeah they've cut back on the freebies for certain. I think I have 3 of those magnetic trays. The first was a 4" that was free. I think I picked up the 2 6" ones when they had them on sale for something like $2. They are pretty handy to have especially if you're prone to being clumsy and knocking things around.

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AlanRides

· #6,303 · 2 mo ago

Brad_G said:
...Yeah they've cut back on the freebies for certain. I think I have 3 of those magnetic trays. The first was a 4" that was free. I think I picked up the 2 6" ones when they had them on sale for something like $2. They are pretty handy to have especially if you're prone to being clumsy and knocking things around.

Since I asked the question I figured I should do a quick inventory.....and I found 9 of the 4" (three still in the blister packs) and 2 of the 6". The six 4" ones that aren't in blister packs are full of junk that I have no idea why I saved or what it goes back on. I'm pretty sure I gave at least a couple away to the kids and I'm thinking I may have one or two laying around somewhere other than the garage. I'm pretty sure most of them were freebies, but if I did pay for any of them it wouldn't have been over 99¢ as I hoarded coupons when they used to send those out.

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Brad_G

· #6,304 · 2 mo ago

AlanRides said:
Since I asked the question I figured I should do a quick inventory.....and I found 9 of the 4" (three still in the blister packs) and 2 of the 6". The six 4" ones that aren't in blister packs are full of junk that I have no idea why I saved or what it goes back on. I'm pretty sure I gave at least a couple away to the kids and I'm thinking I may have one or two laying around somewhere other than the garage. I'm pretty sure most of them were freebies, but if I did pay for any of them it wouldn't have been over 99¢ as I hoarded coupons when they used to send those out.

....and here I thought I was the only one who had them that collected junk. (of course it didn't seem junk at the time!)

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Brad_G

· #6,305 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

Ok...as for the topic of the thread, I mounted my new Shinko on the front rim a couple nights ago on the "Star Forum deal of the year" bike. Since it's a tube I wanted to let it sit a few days to make sure I didn't pinch it while mounting and have a slow leak. Since it was still holding pressure I went ahead and added my Ride-On balancing goop. I also put the rotors and pies back on and torqued the bolts. The chrome on this bike had been neglected so I've been pretty happy with the way most of this has polished out. The front wheel came out pretty good as well. A little more work to it yet before it gets fired up for the 2023 riding season.

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Jspree

· #6,306 · 2 mo ago

Pictures Brad , don't make come up there (after it gets warmer)

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Pancake81

· #6,307 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

2

Got some new shoes on the gal this week. Michelin commander III’s. my tires were 2007 original, descent tread but too old to trust.

Also did the rear break pad and brake fluid flush on the rear. Again, probably never been done. The bike is mint, bit other than annual oil changes I am not sure a lot of maintenance went on. Which isn’t too bad, it only had about 5,500 miles on it. So the old bugger only drove it about 350 miles a year.

then moved onto the barons oil filter relocation kit. Happy to have that on there. Future changes will be a breeze. And I found in brand new on face book for $180 Canadian. I think the fo for around $450. So great buy.

Lastly the Baron big air kit. Looks great, really digging it.
More photos to come

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Cal90

· #6,308 · 2 mo ago

2

Painting my cylinder head covers today. I had them plasti dipped 5 years ago & they held up well. It was supposed to be temporary but got lazy, peeled the plastidip off & noticed the chrome bubbling in some areas. Perfect time for a paint project, I stripped off all of the chrome plating & painted using VHT High Temperature Plastic Paint. 2 more covers to go. Near factory finish.

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Scuddy

· #6,309 · 2 mo ago

I swapped out the carbs after breaking the first ones because I'm not a smart man (enthusiastic and excitable but not smart), fuel filter and sealed up the tank. Then I promptly poure....spewed gasoline all over the drive way because the float needles were stuck open. After that I got mad/frustrated/really disappointed and had a scotch while researching why gasoline is coming out of places it shouldn't. I'm not new to carbs but I am very new to mikuni's for motorcycles. That's how I found out the very common problem of fuel coming out of the carb breather and the wildly easy fix of said issue. That was last night. This morning, after being roused from blissful, snuggly warm restfull sleep by a horde of potbelly pigs who refuse to learn to learn 5 am means "sleep" not "lets wake the monkey who feeds us, it'll be fun to flip over the night stands", I grabbed a wooden handeled screw driver and whacked the float bowls. Wouldn't you know, when I turned the key and flipped the switch, the fuel pump almost immediatly pressurized. Better yet - no fuel spewed out the breather hose!

I am hoping that after work I can get the bike running again. You know, before I find something else to "adjust to factory settings" thereby breaking something. I'm my worst enemy to progress. Screw that, I'm my worst enemy to things just running! Le sigh

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Whymee

· #6,310 · 2 mo ago

Today I cursed my 2003 Silverado 650. It has not been the first time either. Probably will not be the last. Damn Carbs...

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Scuddy

· #6,311 · 2 mo ago

Well I’ll be a monkeys fairly distant cousin! Smacking things works!

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when I started again today that surrogate gas tank was full! The choke works now! I accidentally fixed something!!!!!
So excited!

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Pancake81

· #6,312 · 2 mo ago

Scuddy said:
Well I’ll be a monkeys fairly distant cousin! Smacking things works! View attachment 125767

when I started again today that surrogate gas tank was full! The choke works now! I accidentally fixed something!!!!!
So excited!

I love when I accidentally fox something. Although it’s usually the other way around. Fox a problem and bugger something else up

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Boog

· #6,313 · 2 mo ago

Brahma got tuned on the dyno today at MRP Motorsports in Pasadena, MD.
This is a stock engine with RamAir and Viking exhaust.
HP 146 and TQ 134.

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Scuddy

· #6,314 · 2 mo ago

2

Poured about $500 of gas on the driveway because I forgot to attach the fuel like to the newly installed tank. Luckily I left the petcock open…

Tire Wheel Fuel tank Automotive fuel system Vehicle

After commenting “It’s ALWAYS fuel with me. You’d think I’d remember one of these years!” I hopped on the bike for a shakedown ride across town.
Now that I know it’s a working ride, with a little clutch adjusting, I’m looking at the weather and trying to prepare for the subarctic temps!

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I just don’t think I’ve got enough heated gear to survive….

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scootersage

· #6,315 · 2 mo ago

Took the Road Star for inspection. Did not get it done last year. Passed no trouble even with the Cobra Long
Shots, nice red sticker.

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AlanRides

· #6,316 · 2 mo ago

scootersage said:
.... nice red sticker.

One of the only "good" things about the annual inspection process in Texas is that when your inspection is completed the information is uploaded to the state database and you don't have a sticker plastered somewhere on your bike. The state computer has to see a valid inspection within 90 days of your annual re-registration being due before allowing you to proceed with getting the license plate sticker for the year. The inspection process is pretty much a joke and it takes longer to ride to a place that does inspections than getting the inspection itself. Just another way to generate $7 for the inspection station and then another $7 added to the registration for good measure, I guess for database management......

scootersage

· #6,317 · 2 mo ago

We don't have that here. You can register it without inspection. There is also no penalty if you drop your bike ins. and you don't have to turn plates back in it you take it off the road. Just throw them away or I like to hang them in the garage. But yeh sticker on the fork and one on the plate.

Brad_G

· #6,318 · 2 mo ago

I've never been a fan of the sticker personally. Iowa used to have those inspections but did away with them nearly 40 years ago. @AlanRides, while it may be a joke, how many licensed vehicles are in Texas? I'm sure someone somewhere REALLY likes that $7 per........

scootersage

· #6,319 · 2 mo ago

I pay 17 dollars a year for registration and 6 a year for inspection. They treat them the same as a utility trailer. Registrations are all due at the same time every year before April 30th.

Pancake81

· #6,320 · 2 mo ago

From Canada this seems overkill, and we are the biggest baby state. As long as you have the registration you can insure any vehicle, new or 70 years old, without showing it to anyone.
The only time an inspection comes into play is if you get pulled over and the officer issues you paper work to have an inspection. Once the inspection is done, you have to rectify all the issues before your insurance is valid.

we don’t see this process for poor brakes or loud pipes, more like a crap box farm truck with a spiderwebbed windshield l, no exhaust and bald tires. Basically when the officer issues it on that vehicle they know it will never be on the road again. Repairs would far exceed the value of the value

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