radman
R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
I'm an *****. Complete and utterly. Pride goeth before the fall and all that. Lemme explain.
All this year, Frank has had a baffling vibration. Would not TBS out. Seemed to run good, good power (but then 150 horsies will mask problems, believe me), but he would be smooth, then suddenly develop the vibe approaching 4000 rpm and beyond, intrusive, unmistakable, irritating. Sometimes minor, sometimes so bad 25 miles could be a chore. Some may recall I had had the injectors matched and flowed-suspected a problem there, put Frank on a 5 gas analyzer, and #4 was way outta spec, high HC and low CO2, which indicated poor combustion, due to being "too lean, too rich, or an ignition misfire, or any combination of the above". Well, that narrowed it down. Pulled #4 spark plug, which had been installed over winter, and had about 9000 miles on it, covered in carbon. Looked like Frank was running on anthracite. Fresh plugs, HC down, CO2 up, but still not as good as the other cylinders. Having extra injectors on hand, replaced #4 and everything better-for a time. Next day, secure in the knowledge that I am the master of my domain, got on the freeway, buzzed him up a bit, running perfect, settled down, and WHAMMO, vibration, power down noticeably, ****. Get home, check vacumn (sometimes when you wack the throttle, the throttle linkage mechanisms can tweak a bit), tiny adjustments, but no change. Notice a miss on the right side, a little popping at idle, definite misfire at 3000 rpm. Hmmmmm. Well, maybe the injector I put in is dirty, or has a bad pattern, but hell, I'm grasping at straws here, so I pop the rail, and put in yet another one, after cleaning it as best I can without having any way to actuate it. Put it in, and last night, Frank was perfect, smooth as silk throughout the full range of rpm's, an absolute joy, and I was again exited about how sweet this bike can be. Was riding rural, turned onto a county highway, and opened him up, nothing wild, shifted at 7 thou or so, and in 4th gear, just as he hit 6k, and WHAMMO, vibes etc et, missing on the right side. Again. Big time. I'm just about to the point where Frank develops a major fuel leak. Back home, buzzing all the way. Oh, and to help things along, Garmin decides he's not gonna play any more either-he shuts off, I restart, he shuts off again. More on that later.
Well, now I'm really befuddled-everything is as perfect as I can make it, yet this problem keeps plagueing me. Today I decide thats it, I'm getting to the bottom if I'm on it all week-I'm better than this, I should be able to figure this out. I pull the fuel rail, install yet another injector that has soaked all night in a cleaning solution. The plug is new, I know that can't be it, all back together, and not only does Frank run like ****, I now have a check engine light to boot. My, but this is fun. Code 11, Cyl ID sensor. Careful examination shows a wire for the sensor has found it's way under the left hand screw that fastens the fuel rail in place. It is well mangled, and is right at the harness plug on the left side of the motor-mashed flat with all it's innards a showin. Christ. I repair it, and the ohm meter shows continuity between it and the ECM, but when I turn the key on,the check engine light remains nice and bright. So now I think the sensor has fried. My love for Frank deepens. U Motors can have it Wed, me by Friday. ASAP I tell them, and reconcile my self to a weeks wait for the next round of joy. With time on my hands, I pull the T-Bar, #4 plug wire, and then the sensor (patience, it's coming), though the manual doesn't give ohm readings for diag-wait a minute! The manuals diagnostics says to measure output voltage while engine is running. This things a generator! Further research shows it is exactly the same part as the speed sensor. No way could the wire being grounded have hurt it, nor the ECM (my biggest fear). Yet more research shows that for the check engine light to shut off, the engine needs to sense a signal from the sensor!!! I quickly start reassembling things, the sensors in, I grab #4 plug wire to re-insert it and [SIZE=18pt]THE CAP FALLS OFF THE WIRE AND ONTO THE FLOOR!!!![/SIZE] My jaw drops. All my work and the problem was about the simplest ******* thing one could imagine. A quick snip off the end, and push and a screw and the wire is remanufactured. Being a little excited now, I quickly install the tank etc, put the key in, mutter a quick prayer to St. Don (Garlits), and hit the start button. Light blinks off, Franks runs smooth as silk. Ha, been here before I continue muttering, and off I go. Slow speed, redline, cold, hot, Frank doesn't skip a beat. Smooth as silk, the way things should be. Come home, hot soak. Restart, idles perfect at 1000 rpm. Buzz up to 4k on the stand, smooth as a newborns ***.
Next time I give any advise, keep this tale in mind, and temper anything I say with a unh huh and move on.
Oh, and the Garmin? A screw had come loose inside and, rolling around, caused an intermittent short. I think. Could be if I just alter the programming a tad here........
All this year, Frank has had a baffling vibration. Would not TBS out. Seemed to run good, good power (but then 150 horsies will mask problems, believe me), but he would be smooth, then suddenly develop the vibe approaching 4000 rpm and beyond, intrusive, unmistakable, irritating. Sometimes minor, sometimes so bad 25 miles could be a chore. Some may recall I had had the injectors matched and flowed-suspected a problem there, put Frank on a 5 gas analyzer, and #4 was way outta spec, high HC and low CO2, which indicated poor combustion, due to being "too lean, too rich, or an ignition misfire, or any combination of the above". Well, that narrowed it down. Pulled #4 spark plug, which had been installed over winter, and had about 9000 miles on it, covered in carbon. Looked like Frank was running on anthracite. Fresh plugs, HC down, CO2 up, but still not as good as the other cylinders. Having extra injectors on hand, replaced #4 and everything better-for a time. Next day, secure in the knowledge that I am the master of my domain, got on the freeway, buzzed him up a bit, running perfect, settled down, and WHAMMO, vibration, power down noticeably, ****. Get home, check vacumn (sometimes when you wack the throttle, the throttle linkage mechanisms can tweak a bit), tiny adjustments, but no change. Notice a miss on the right side, a little popping at idle, definite misfire at 3000 rpm. Hmmmmm. Well, maybe the injector I put in is dirty, or has a bad pattern, but hell, I'm grasping at straws here, so I pop the rail, and put in yet another one, after cleaning it as best I can without having any way to actuate it. Put it in, and last night, Frank was perfect, smooth as silk throughout the full range of rpm's, an absolute joy, and I was again exited about how sweet this bike can be. Was riding rural, turned onto a county highway, and opened him up, nothing wild, shifted at 7 thou or so, and in 4th gear, just as he hit 6k, and WHAMMO, vibes etc et, missing on the right side. Again. Big time. I'm just about to the point where Frank develops a major fuel leak. Back home, buzzing all the way. Oh, and to help things along, Garmin decides he's not gonna play any more either-he shuts off, I restart, he shuts off again. More on that later.
Well, now I'm really befuddled-everything is as perfect as I can make it, yet this problem keeps plagueing me. Today I decide thats it, I'm getting to the bottom if I'm on it all week-I'm better than this, I should be able to figure this out. I pull the fuel rail, install yet another injector that has soaked all night in a cleaning solution. The plug is new, I know that can't be it, all back together, and not only does Frank run like ****, I now have a check engine light to boot. My, but this is fun. Code 11, Cyl ID sensor. Careful examination shows a wire for the sensor has found it's way under the left hand screw that fastens the fuel rail in place. It is well mangled, and is right at the harness plug on the left side of the motor-mashed flat with all it's innards a showin. Christ. I repair it, and the ohm meter shows continuity between it and the ECM, but when I turn the key on,the check engine light remains nice and bright. So now I think the sensor has fried. My love for Frank deepens. U Motors can have it Wed, me by Friday. ASAP I tell them, and reconcile my self to a weeks wait for the next round of joy. With time on my hands, I pull the T-Bar, #4 plug wire, and then the sensor (patience, it's coming), though the manual doesn't give ohm readings for diag-wait a minute! The manuals diagnostics says to measure output voltage while engine is running. This things a generator! Further research shows it is exactly the same part as the speed sensor. No way could the wire being grounded have hurt it, nor the ECM (my biggest fear). Yet more research shows that for the check engine light to shut off, the engine needs to sense a signal from the sensor!!! I quickly start reassembling things, the sensors in, I grab #4 plug wire to re-insert it and [SIZE=18pt]THE CAP FALLS OFF THE WIRE AND ONTO THE FLOOR!!!![/SIZE] My jaw drops. All my work and the problem was about the simplest ******* thing one could imagine. A quick snip off the end, and push and a screw and the wire is remanufactured. Being a little excited now, I quickly install the tank etc, put the key in, mutter a quick prayer to St. Don (Garlits), and hit the start button. Light blinks off, Franks runs smooth as silk. Ha, been here before I continue muttering, and off I go. Slow speed, redline, cold, hot, Frank doesn't skip a beat. Smooth as silk, the way things should be. Come home, hot soak. Restart, idles perfect at 1000 rpm. Buzz up to 4k on the stand, smooth as a newborns ***.
Next time I give any advise, keep this tale in mind, and temper anything I say with a unh huh and move on.
Oh, and the Garmin? A screw had come loose inside and, rolling around, caused an intermittent short. I think. Could be if I just alter the programming a tad here........
