Service
Service
RAY NIERLICH
MISSING THERMOSTAT?
Q: I bought a 2015 Kawasaki Versys 1000 as a leftover, and I have a conundrum about the thermostat. I was told (by the dealer service manager) that this bike has a 180-degree thermostat, but while riding it rarely gets above 150. The first long trip I took it on it was 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside and after 100 miles on the highway the engine was at 135. It fluctuated between 128 and 135 the whole trip. When I brought it in forthe first service it
was a cold morning, and when I got to the dealer it was at 140. After the first service I had taken the wife for a 50mile ride while it was a temperate 65 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and while idling through a busy town the bike hit 200, but after we got moving again it went back down to 145 to 165.
I thought a thermostat meant the engine would reach that preset temp and wouldn’t go much below that number after that. The dealerclaims this is normal and proved this theory by letting the bike idle in their parking lot until it passed 180. Is this normal, or do you think someone forgot to put a thermostat in this bike? I have a 2008 Yamaha FZG that hits 160 within 2 or3 miles and never goes below158 afterthat.
BRUCE C RAVEL BROOKFIELD, MA
A You have just described the exact symptoms of a stuck (open) or missing thermostat. If your bike is fitted with a 180-degree thermostat, the engine itself, once fully warmed up, will not run below that temperature. I’d recommend pulling the thermostat out yourself (if there is one). If it is stuck open at all, you have your problem. Check it in a pan on the stove to verify if it works correctly. It should open fairly quickly beginning at the value (180 degrees Fahrenheit in this case) and be fully open by approximately 185 degrees Fahrenheit. It is rare to have a “bad” new thermostat, but I always check new ones before I install because I’m a paranoid kinda guy.
WET MONSTER
QMy * having 1998 issues Ducati starting. Monster The 750 bike is ■ recently endured its first two weeks of life outdoors during the wettest two weeks in the history of Arlington, Virginia. The first dry day I got I pulled the cover to make sure everything was dry and tried to turn over the bike but no luck. The lights turned on with the key, and the starter tried to turn the engine, then everything went dead. When the key is in the on position there is a sound from the rear of the bike similar to a hiss or sizzle. No tire punctures were found, so I pulled the seat and tracked the sound
to the rear fuse panel. After pulling all of the fuses and other electronics in the same area I am at a loss. Everything but the bottom of the cover was dry, so I assume no water got to the wiring.
LUKE HENDRIX50N ARLINCTON, VA
A was That the sizzling frying noise of some you conheard ■ nection in the starting circuit. While it was happening was your best chance of finding the problem with certainty. Now that it has dried out and is no longer exhibiting symptoms, you must be methodical in your methods to narrow down the culprit. In Ray’s order of statistical probability:
1) Starter relay (under the seat). Known high failure rates, easy and cheap to replace. Sizzling noises quite common, when about medium-well done.
2) Hot post on the starter. This gets water and crap slung at it and must pass high current when cranking. Be gentle, or you will need a new starter, as it is easy to twist the stud when attempting to get the nut off the eyelet.
3) (or maybe this is #1?) Connections on the battery posts. Just because they look fine doesn’t mean they are fine. Pull them, clean, and tighten.
4) Grounds (also perhaps #1) (see #3 if you feel I’m repeating myself). Just because they look fine doesn’t mean they are fine. Pull them, clean, and tighten.
NO SEA
NO SEAT CARVING
Gentlemen, I recently purchased 1 my first Harley, a 2015 Road King. 1 The bike is very comfortable, and the riding position is great! I only have one issue. Being of the "challenged inseam" crowd, I have to lower the bike a little (approximately 1 to 1-1/2 inches) to get solidly flat-footed at stops. After asking around, I’m hearing two schools of thought on the issue. One school says to just lower the rear; the other says to lower front and rear. I want to do what’s best for the bike to maintain the handling and ride comfort. I really don’t want to mess with the seat padding because it is very comfortable the way it is.
MARK PERRIN LAS VEGAS, NV
AI and would rear. lower If you the lower whole the bike, rear front ■ only, it will make the steering feel lighter and slower. Harley sells just what you need. The front fork cartridge kit is part #45500157 and the rear kit is part #54000091. These will yield about an inch of lowering.
GOING SANS THERMOSTAT
I own a 1983 Gold Wing I’ve I ® had for 15 years. I am 68 years ■ old and still do my own repair work. I moved to Catalina, Arizona, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, two years ago. I recently had to replace the water pump. While I had the radiator and the front of the bike open I removed the thermostat. I drilled a 1/4-inch hole in it and put it back. It gets hotter out here so I figured this was a good idea. It has worked fine running just right of center now. It did run almost to the red on slow or stop-and-go riding. Do you feel this is a good idea?
RANCE EASSADY, CATALINA, AZ
A ously, If it’s not Honda broken, spends don’t time fix it. and Seri■ money designing bikes that work. What exactly were you attempting to fix here? I’m sure you haven’t hurt anything (much) by drilling the extra hole in the thermostat. Your engine will take slightly longer to warm up. If you ever ride in cooler climes, say at altitude, the engine might cool off below the value of the thermostat. With enough cool running, moisture and acids will build up in the crankcase, and also spark plug fouling could become a problem. (Don’t ask me how I know this.) If you are at all unsure about a thermostat, replace it. They are very reliable, but 33 years is good service.
CARB SEARCH
VT800 have a and 1988 am Honda looking Shadow for the piston vacuum part #i6m-MR6-67i as they have stopped making it. Is there another carburetor I can put on my bike? MR. MILLERS CYCLEWORLD.COM
The a tight Keihin fit and carbs only on used your that bike one are year, so finding other carbs to work will be a losing proposition. If you are careful, you could glue the tear in the diaphragm. Some dolts on YouTube use silicone. Don’t do this. Silicone won’t last long around fuel. But Loctite makes a roofing urethane that sticks well to rubber and is impervious to fuel. Good stuff. The other alternative is to find aftermarket diaphragms. I’d first check with Twin Power (twinpower-usa.com). Maybe its Keihin diaphragm can be made to work for you.
BLIPPING OFF
In your June issue, letter writer M. Chimene comments on his Victory Cross Country engine stalling after "blipping the throttle to ease a shift." Is he talking about matching revs for a downshift? I've been rev matching for years on motorcycles and sports cars and now on my first fuel-injected bike (2014 Bolt) as well with no stalling or cutting out. Do I need to stop "blipping" or are we talking about two different issues?
W. KELSEY SAN MATEO, CA
Keep on blipping! You have a Yamaha whereas M. Chimene has a Victory. I have to assume he has been blipping the throttle on downshifts, but maybe he just likes the sound of the engine. If your bike doesn’t exhibit any stalling symptoms, your engine management reacts quickly enough that blipping is a nonissue.
NO FROZEN JUICES HERE
I live in New York City and ride I ® year-round. My commuter is a ■ 1200 Bandit and my other bike is an FZi. My question is: At what temp should the battery be out of the cold or on a tender? My Bandit lives on the street and the Yamaha is in a building, covered and stored. I take the battery out of the Bandit usually around 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Glad that is over for another year...
CARYMOORE
NYC, NY
A by Sounds your like Bandit, you as are best doing you right can. ■ Whenever temperatures dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, battery life will be shortened. The longer the duration of the cold spell and the lower the temperature, the more quickly comes the end. If there is any way to keep a tender on, do so. Keep your battery fully charged, and it should give acceptable service life even if you leave it in your bike down to around zero degrees Fahrenheit. After that, I’d say move!
LOST IN OIL
I have a 2016 Honda PCX150 that I ® calls for iow-30 mb oil, which I ■ am having a hard time finding. My local shop sold me AmsOil iow-40 ma/ma2 oil—will that work? Since this is a dry clutch, will Mobil 1 full synthetic for cars work? I think I should stay with iow-30, but online search has way too many different options. North Carolina weather is mild most of the season, but I ride all year long.
PAUL STANLEY CYCLEWORLD.COM
A perfectly The iow-40 in AmsOil any temperatures will work ■ you may encounter. Modern oils are so much better that almost any will work perfectly fine, even auto oils. Motorcycle-specific oils are still best.
Not only are they designed for wet clutches but also with better shear properties for engines that share the oil with transmission gears.
GOT A MECHANICAL OR TECHNICAL PROBLEM WITH YOUR BELOVED RIDE? Perhaps we can help. Contact us at cwservice@ cycleworld.com with your questions. We cannot guarantee a reply to every inquiry.
