Service
SERVICE
Paul Dean
Alignment by Ma Bell
Ordinarily, I would not presume to give you advice in matters of repair. But this time, I'm going to do so. I have, on numerous occasions, repaired the “bent frames” of bikes that had suffered front-end damage such as that sustained by Kevin Kelley’s Sportster (“Buick 1, Sporty 0,” March, 1995 issue). The way I usually go about it is to pull the beast up alongside the nearest telephone pole and, depending on which way the handlebars are misaligned, whack the opposite side of the front tire against the pole. This either straightens the frame or scares the hell out of the bike because it always seems to work. It sometimes takes two or three good whacks to get it perfect, but that’s the way it is when you’re using complicated machinery like telephone poles.
C.W. “Bud” Lindsay Lake Havasu City, Arizona
/ think I've seen your shop; it's called "Hud's Precision Repairs," isn '1 it? Seriously, that technique actually works rather well, but not for straightening bent frames. It's a quick and easy way to realign fork tubes that have gotten slightly twisted within the triple-clamps, either as the result of a
not-too-severe fall or simply because the front-end hardware (the axle, the fork-stem nut and any pinch bolts on the triple-clamps and fork sliders) is not tight enough to hold everything in alignment. But if the frame, the fork tubes or the triple-clamps are bent, this method won t do anything but chew up telephone poles and knock the front wheel out of true.
Trumpet lube
I just bought a new Triumph Sprint 900 and I'm confused about which type of motor oil to put in it. The owners manual states that I should use nothing hut synthetic oil, but my Tri umph dealer says it's okay to use min eral oil. I've already done something that I never dreamed I'd do by spend ing more than S 10,000 on a motorcy cle, so I'm not eager to do anything that might harm the engine. Can you shed ally light on this contradiction? John Shepherd West Palm Beach, Florida
Your dealer is right. Triumph's U.S. service department acknowledges that the owner's manuals (which are the same for all current models) are not clear when it comes to oil recommendations. The company does strongly advise the exclusive use of synthetic motor oil, but only on the Daytona 900 Super III and Daytona 1200. Triumph feels that of its entire, 10-bike line, these two models will probably be subjected to the highest levels of engine stress and heat-the Super III because it's a high-performance hot-rod, and the 1200 because it’s 295cc bigger than the 900 and in a higher state of tune than the other 1200 model, the Trophy. The engineers believe that a synthetic will offer greater resistance to oil breakdown in those two engines, particularly in light of the company's recommended 6000-mile oil-change intervals.
On all other models. Triumph recommends the use of high-quality mineral-based oils (most of which have a high synthetic content anyway). Owners who would rather use the moreexpensive synthetics have the option of doing so, but the company doesn 7 feel this is necessary unless the engine is raced or subjected to other extremely stressful conditions.
Triumph is emphatic, though, that only mineral oil, not synthetic, be used in a brand-new engine. On the Super III and Daytona 1200, the change from mineral to synthetic should take place after the first 500 miles; on all other models, the switch should not be made until the entire 6000-mile breakin period is complete.
Shiftless in Spencer
I own a 1981 Yamaha Maxim 650 that has a shifting problem. When I shift gears, the lever doesn’t seem to catch whatever it has to catch so I can shift into the next gear. This happens no matter if I am shifting up or down. I’m still able to ride the bike, but this problem makes for some embarrassing situations when 1 have to keep fooling around with the shift lever just to click into the next gear. I’ve thought this could have something to do with the shifting forks, but any professional input will be greatly appreciated. Also, if you know the cure for this problem, could you include a price for the cost of the parts? Mathew Herholz Spencer. Massachusetts
The symptoms you describe indicate one of two problems: a weak shift-return spring, which is a fairly common occurrence on older or high-mileage motorcycles : or a bent shifter shaft, the result of a left-side crash or tipover. Either condition could prevent the shifting mechanism from fully returning to its center position after each shift: when that happens, the mechanism cannot engage a pin on the end of the shift drum that causes the drum to be rotated into the next gear when you move the shift lever.
To repair the condition, first grab the shift lever with your hand anil determine if it a) has a lot of slop in its center position, and b) moves through its entire arc freely. If it moves easily but has a lot of freep lay, the shaft is not bent but the spring is fatigued: if there is no excessive freeplay but the lever moves stiffly, the shaft is likely bent.
Repairing either condition is a fairly easy task. First remove the shift lever, then take off the left-side engine cover. Once the cover is off, you 'II clearly be able to see the shift shaft and the big hairpin spring that encircles it. Full the shaft out of the crankcase. If it is bent, replace both it and the spring, as well as the oil seal on the shift-shaft hole that fiasses through the engine cover If only the sf iring is at fault, replace just the spring and the seal.
If you do the repairs yourself , the total cost of the parts should not exceed $50. even if you have to replace the shaft, the spring, the seal and the side-cover gasket. If you pay to have the work done, figure in about an hour of labor charges. E3
