Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

Taipan wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 3:33 pm How hard is it to remove or drain the tank? Soon see if there is water in the petrol then. Have you got any strimmer wire? Be good to push that through to check its not blocked.
I'm very grateful for your continued interest, but I suspect you're viewing the problem on my VFR through the lens of similar (but not the same) issues that you've experienced with your SV650.

My problem is that I get a steady drip, drip, drip of petrol through the overflow pipe, but only when I've brimmed the tank or not far off (I don't know exactly at what point the dripping stops but it seems about when the tank is three quarters full). So the problem definitely involves the internal overflow pipe, but it's not that it's blocked (otherwise I wouldn't get the drip, drip, drip) but that there's a small hole or split in the internal pipe that allows fuel in the tank to make its way out of the overflow pipe when the tank is full(ish).

I've siphoned most of the fuel out of the tank and it's off the bike (it's actually sat on a pillow on a chair in the garage in France) as I also need to have a look at the carbs (when I CBA). I've attached a short length of braided fuel hose to the drain spigot underneath the tank and then jammed an M8 cap head bolt in the other end secured by a hose clamp as a temporary measure to stop the bloody thing from dripping.

I'd filled the tank prior to getting on the ferry, so it was dripping when I left it to go to my cabin, and it was still dripping six hours later when I came back to the bike. Some kind soul had organised a bucket so the fuel didn't drip on the deck, and there was probably about a quarter of a litre in the bucket. So off I rode, bike dripping fuel intermittently until the fuel level dropped below where the hole/split was in the internal pipe.

So as I don't wish to cause a major international fire incident I've capped it off in the best way I can and it will become Future Mango's problem.

Or somebody else's problem if I sell the bike (as I'm seriously thinking of doing).
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by Cousin Jack »

Do not give up on the VFR, you will regret it, I certainly do. My CB500 does everything I want, a Sv650 will too, but I really really miss the effortless surge of a VFR at10k.
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by Noggin »

Cousin Jack wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:25 pm Do not give up on the VFR, you will regret it, I certainly do. My CB500 does everything I want, a Sv650 will too, but I really really miss the effortless surge of a VFR at10k.
You could always buy Mango's!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by Cousin Jack »

Noggin wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:27 pm
Cousin Jack wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:25 pm Do not give up on the VFR, you will regret it, I certainly do. My CB500 does everything I want, a Sv650 will too, but I really really miss the effortless surge of a VFR at10k.
You could always buy Mango's!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I will wait a bit, I don't want to buy a shed.
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by Noggin »

Cousin Jack wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:31 pm
Noggin wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:27 pm
Cousin Jack wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:25 pm Do not give up on the VFR, you will regret it, I certainly do. My CB500 does everything I want, a Sv650 will too, but I really really miss the effortless surge of a VFR at10k.
You could always buy Mango's!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I will wait a bit, I don't want to buy a shed.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

Cousin Jack wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:25 pm Do not give up on the VFR, you will regret it, I certainly do. My CB500 does everything I want, a Sv650 will too, but I really really miss the effortless surge of a VFR at10k.
It would be a major wrench for me to part with. For years it's been Mr Dependable when all about was troublesome. But the main problem these days is the weight (the stuff I'm dealing with will get resolved, I know) and that isn't so easily fixed. It's 205kg bone dry, add all fluids and a tank of petrol and it's 230kg and I'm finding that on the edge of manageable when pushing and parking it.

But I would miss the cam gear whine and the effortless way it devours distance (when on its A game...), the 90 degree V4 exhaust note with an aftermarket system and the way it can keep up with nominally much faster bikes.

I dunno. Maybe this 74 y.o. needs to hit the gym...
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by Cousin Jack »

Same reason I sold mine. It was heavy, and with a full 22 litre tank and a big top box, top heavy. I broke my shoulder in dropping it, so it had to go.

But I do miss it. :cry:
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by Taipan »

Do you use eBay? Are there no tanks on there from warmer countries, Spain, Italy, Greece etc?
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

Taipan wrote: Sat Jul 27, 2024 10:06 am Do you use eBay? Are there no tanks on there from warmer countries, Spain, Italy, Greece etc?
VFR tanks in anything approaching reasonable condition are going for silly money. It seems that it's not the climate that's doing the majority of the damage, but ethanol promoting internal rusting. And the EU has been the main driver towards ethanol adoption, so Europe is in the same boat as the UK. I'd forseen this and do have a spare tank back in Blighty, so will give that a good looking at and if it's serviceable will bring it down in the van in September when we return for the autumn round of house-bothering.
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by 636mick »

How about a VFR Crossrunner to replace it? All the benefits but much more upright, easier to move about. Mines a 2011, suits me nowadays after years of big tourers. Just an idea.
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

636mick wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2024 8:50 am How about a VFR Crossrunner to replace it? All the benefits but much more upright, easier to move about. Mines a 2011, suits me nowadays after years of big tourers. Just an idea.
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From what I read on t'interwebs, the VFR800X Crossdresser is a fair bit heavier than my old VFR750 (242kgs wet, if what I read is true). And as my VFR is already too heavy, that's going in the wrong direction for me. I really want something under 200kgs fully wet.

I'm not even going to think about the VFR1200 in that context... <shudder>
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by A_morti »

It's a tricky balancing act. Significantly lighter weight, but comparable comfort and power, and newer (less worn out).
I guess you still want at least a half fairing for those longer trips.
The sv650s might well be the one. Er6f, maybe? A Tracer 700 could work if the budget gets that far.
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

A_morti wrote: Sun Jul 28, 2024 10:19 am It's a tricky balancing act. Significantly lighter weight, but comparable comfort and power, and newer (less worn out).
I guess you still want at least a half fairing for those longer trips.
The sv650s might well be the one
. Er6f, maybe? A Tracer 700 could work if the budget gets that far.
That's the way my thinking is going. A late model 'pointy' (with half fairing) would be just the job I think.
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

I've been skulking around ebay looking at SV650s and reading up about them and the model I'm leaning towards was made up until 2014/2015, so a ten year old low mileage model is liable to be on my radar over the winter. What gives it real plus ponts is the fact that it's a V-twin, and I have plenty of form in that area (six to date).

But back to the present, I managed to drag myself away from the cooling fan long enough to do a bit of VFR-bothering (it's heading towards 36 deg C here today). I took the top cover off the two rear-facing carbs and could see nothing amiss there. I can't undo the float bowls with the carbs still on the bike, and can only access the top of the back two carbs, so it's a quarter of a job at best. When we return in September I'll bring a spare set of carbs with me if it's still acting up.

However I did manage to give the choke lever a few more mm of play, which may (or may not) make a difference, and I also re-routed the chunky speedo cable that was passing through one of the carb inlet air ducts to somewhere well away from the duct. Behind the steering head Honda created a sort of mini plenum chamber that's fed by air being routed into it by the fairing and sundry bodywork. The RH side is open and clear but the LH side has throttle cables passing through and there's no way to avoid that. But the speedo cable has no need to be there and so it's been given its marching orders.

Will it make any difference? I have no idea. And given how hot it is outside I'm in no real hurry to find out...
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by Bustaspoke »

mangocrazy wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 11:32 am I've been skulking around ebay looking at SV650s and reading up about them and the model I'm leaning towards was made up until 2014/2015, so a ten year old low mileage model is liable to be on my radar over the winter. What gives it real plus ponts is the fact that it's a V-twin, and I have plenty of form in that area (six to date).

Will it make any difference? I have no idea. And given how hot it is outside I'm in no real hurry to find out...
Regarding the SV650,if they still made the Gen II 'Pointy',I'd have bought a new one.When I took my new £5000 OTR,GEN III in for it's first service the mechanic ended up going for a 'Test ride' on it,just to make sure everything was correct & when he came back with it he congratulated me on my purchase,told me that he previously had a K7 pointy & reckoned they're a cracking bike.I told him that I also have a K8 pointy & it's been so good that I decided to buy a new one :D
Sorry to hear about the heat,it's lovely over here :thumbup:
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

Bustaspoke wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:15 pm Regarding the SV650,if they still made the Gen II 'Pointy',I'd have bought a new one.When I took my new £5000 OTR,GEN III in for it's first service the mechanic ended up going for a 'Test ride' on it,just to make sure everything was correct & when he came back with it he congratulated me on my purchase,told me that he previously had a K7 pointy & reckoned they're a cracking bike.I told him that I also have a K8 pointy & it's been so good that I decided to buy a new one :D
It doesn't help that folks hoard them, of course... :D :D Nag me at regular intervals to buy one so I don't forget...
Bustaspoke wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2024 12:15 pm Sorry to hear about the heat,it's lovely over here :thumbup:
I will be venturing out in the early evening - it's 'Tapas on the Prom' night tonight :)
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

Today's my last day in France (fly back Friday morning) and so it's case of cleaning up and finishing up. I'd initially decided that I would remove the clutch slave cylinder from the bike and bring it back with me for some interrogation at HQ. So off came the slave cylinder and a substantial amount of fluid dribbled to the floor as I was doing it (clutch hose still firmly connected). This was expected, given the amount of fluid I'd been feeding it.

On a whim I pulled out the clutch pushrod and had a good look at it and about 15-20mm from the slave cylinder end there was a clear groove worn into the pushrod where it passed through the slave cylinder oil seal. Bugger - new push rod time. I did a quick check on the usual parts web sites and not only could I not find a part number, they weren't even listed on the fiches.

My initial thought was to bring the slave cylinder and push rod back with me and get my local engineering shop to make a copy of the push rod while I overhauled the slave cylinder.

Then I thought about how a couple of strange metal objects in my hand luggage would look on the airport scanners... Did you pack your bag yourself, sir? Would sir care to explain what these objects are doing in your luggage? Would sir like to step this way? Would sir like to drop his pants and bend over?

So I decided not to take them back with me. Cowardly, I know, but...

Instead I decided to simply turn the pushrod round and insert the crusty ringed end into the back of the clutch and fit the pristine, unmarked end into the slave cylinder. Hopefully the oil seal will actually seal on the unmarked shaft and harmony and peace will be restored. I'm aware I'll only be able to do this trick once...

Anyway, the clutch is all bled up and has a rubber band over the clutch lever holding it in, and I'll see whether or not I have a pool of fluid under the LH side of the bike when I return in approximately 6 weeks time.

I'm not holding my breath...
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by KungFooBob »

Does the clutch pushrod really seal into the slave?

In my limited experience of hydraulic clutches (Ducati and Suzuki) the slave had a piston, very much like a brake caliper, that pushed the pushrod into the clutch. The pushrods had seals to stop the engine oil getting out.l, but didn't have any slave side seal as it didn't come into contact with any fluid.

Seems an odd system on the Honda.
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

KungFooBob wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2024 4:22 pm Does the clutch pushrod really seal into the slave?

In my limited experience of hydraulic clutches (Ducati and Suzuki) the slave had a piston, very much like a brake caliper, that pushed the pushrod into the clutch. The pushrods had seals to stop the engine oil getting out.l, but didn't have any slave side seal as it didn't come into contact with any fluid.

Seems an odd system on the Honda.
I think it's just Honda - they do things their way. This is an exploded diagram of the slave cylinder. There is definitely an oil seal in the back of the slave cylinder piston. Oil seal is 19, piston is 11 and piston fluid seal is 13. Whether the oil seal is to keep engine oil in or clutch fluid in, I don't know. If I have a puddle of fluid under the bike when I check next, it's probably to keep engine oil in.

I have a spare motor back in Sheffield, so will be getting the slave cylinder off that and having a good look inside.

RC24_clutch_slave_cylinder.JPG
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Re: Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

Post by mangocrazy »

I'm back in Sheffield now and having checked my spare motor, it is an entirely clutch slave cylinder-free motor. I can only assume either I or the previous owner had appropriated it. Also, before leaving France and with the bike having sat overnight it became clear that my ministrations have not fixed the problem - the clutch lever feels 'floppy' for the first half of its stroke and is clearly set to fail again.

So I started looking at the cost of a new complete slave assembly, using the part number (22860ML7010) to search on. This revealed an interesting factoid - Honda use the same part on the ST1100. And while Fowler's price is €165.89 for the part, Webike Japan have it listed at €48.34 and €24.79 shipping from Japan. So less than half price for a part that has been posted halfway around the world. Unsurprisingly, Webike.JP got my business...

Tiny steps...
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