Service
Service
BIKE STORAGE STARTER WOES -> CLUTCH SLIPPAGE LOOSE BELT -> RAIN -> FEEDBACK LOOP
Reader Steve West of New Castle, Delaware, loves his 2009 Concours, but he has to park it outside amongst all the critters. What to do? See our answer on the next page.
GOTCHA COVERED
Q: I have my dream bike now: a 2009 Kawasaki Concours. Problem is, she has to live outside my current humble abode. I have a Nelson-Rigg cover that does a fairly good job, but what other steps can I take to discourage spiders, moths and other “outdoors-types” from taking up residence under the cover?
STEVE WEST NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
A: Placing classic mothballs in a container near items that need to be protected from small creatures is one method, but keep in mind that those chemicals are quite toxic; if there is any possibility of access by children or pets, don’t use them. Mothballs also work much better in an enclosed space, which your open-bottom cover does not provide. Such covers also are unlikely to prevent entry by rodents, which can cause far more damage than insects.
What you need is a fully enclosing cover such as the CycleShell ($325-$425; www.cycleshell.com). This is an aluminumfloor enclosure with a folding frame under a polyester marine fabric cover that completely encloses a bike without ever touching any part of it—besides the bottoms of the tires, obviously.
Another type is available from Classic Car Cocoon (www.classiccarcocoon.com). Priced in the $240-$320 range, they have a polyethylene “floor” and zip up and over the motorcycle. Plus, the material is impregnated with chemical inhibitors that protect the metal parts of the bike from corrosion caused by air, salt and moisture. No matter which type you choose, it’s always best to park on a paved surface as far away from trees and shrubs as possible.
CRANKY CRANKER
Q: I own a 2007 Triumph Speed Triple with 40,000 miles. When cold, it fires right up and performs perfectly. If I turn off the engine when it is fully warm (6-8 bars out of 10 on the temp gauge), it won’t start for 10-40 minutes until apparently it cools down some. Otherwise, the engine turns over very slowly like it has a weak battery and continues to do so until the battery goes dead from cranking. Even if I run the battery all the way down (which I’ve only done a few times when desperate), if I wait long enough, the engine eventually will fire right up like it never had a problem.
The dealer service guy told me it could be caused by anything (big help), and I’ve tried two replacement batteries to no avail. I commute every day on the bike and hate to give it up to the dealer for another twomonth assessment. Any ideas would be appreciated.
MIKE BROWNE ORANCE, CALIFORNIA
A: The problem would seem to be with the starter motor, not the engine, and here is an easy way to check: With the engine fully warmed, ride to the top of a reasonably steep hill, stop and shut off the engine. Put the transmission in second gear, turn the ignition back on, coast down the hill with the clutch disengaged, then gradually let the clutch out to catch the bike in gear. If the engine starts and runs normally, which it probably will, you’ll know that the problem is either with the starter itself and/or the starter solenoid. It is not uncommon for a starter to lose much of its cranking power when it gets hot, and it seems that is what happened to the one on your Speed Triple.
KIND OF A DRAG
Q: Every time I change the oil in my 2004 SV650S, I have a strange issue with the clutch. For 1000 miles or so, it feels like the clutch won’t completely disengage. This usually presents itself when sitting at a light in first gear and the bike wanting to inch forward. After a few weeks, the issue goes away. Any idea why this is happening and if it is hurting my ride?
BOB BIRD CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA
A: Most Japanese motorcycles— including your Suzuki—have wet clutches that function in engine oil. The type and weight of the oil used in a motorcycle engine can have a dramatic effect on clutch performance. When the oil you are using is fresh, it evidently is causing the clutch to drag. Once the oil breaks down a bit, the effect of its viscosity and friction modifiers diminishes just enough to stop negatively affecting the clutch’s behavior.
You should consider changing to a lighter weight or different type of oil as long as it is within the specifications recommended in the SV650 owner’s manual. It also might be time to inspect the entire clutch to determine if the plates are worn where they contact the clutch basket and vice versa, either of which could contribute to clutch drag.
LEAK IN THE FRONT, BELT IN THE BACK
Q: My miles 2009 on it BMW when F800ST I took it had to the 10,140 dealer for new tires. It had never leaked any of its fluids, but when I got home (37 miles later) and parked it in the garage, oil was running down the right fork leg, which was wet about two inches up the tube. I wiped it off, put the bike on the centerstand, climbed aboard and pushed down on the handlebars to compress the front end. When I looked again, the fork was wet. I angrily called the dealer and was told there was nothing they could have done when replacing the front wheel that would have caused the leak—that it was unrelated to their work and just a coincidence.
Secondly, the drive belt had less than a quarter inch of slack before they removed the rear wheel, and now, it has more than half an inch. Again, they said that must be correct because that is how the technician adjusted it. What is the truth here?
MARK WOLFE CORVALLIS, OREGON
A: Unless there is a scratch or ding on the inner fork tube that could be attributed to something a tech did during the R&R of the front wheel, it’s hard to blame the leak on the shop. It’s your word against theirs, and you know who’s going to win that one. Besides, the emergence of the leak at that time really could have been a coincidence.
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.
BMW’s recommendation for tensioning an F800ST drive belt involves a specific procedure requiring either of two special tools. One is a weight that is placed on the belt in a specified location between pulleys and then the deflection of the belt is measured. The other, newer tool is a gauge that attaches to the belt and measures the tension at a fixed point rather than the deflection.
There has, however, been a bit of controversy regarding correct belt adjustment on the F800ST. Many riders, including quite a lot of those on F800 forums, claim that a quarter-inch of play (which is about what results from using the factory-prescribed method) is too tight, leading to rear-wheel bearing failures, and that a half-inch is a better figure. So, perhaps your dealer’s tech altered the adjustment accordingly.
You didn’t state if the dealership in question is a BMW dealer. If it is not, consider taking your F800ST to an authorized BMW dealer to ensure that the belt has been properly adjusted. Even if
your shop is a BMW dealer, you might take it back for a recheck. It’s entirely possible that the belt was too tight when you took it to the shop and they set it correctly, but a second look is warranted.
AFTER THE RAIN
Q: I have a 2004 Yamaha YZF600R with 2K miles. It starts fine, but won’t rev over about 5K rpm, and if the throttle is left open, the engine will stall. When it’s warm, the bike idles lower than usual. Before I start tearing down the carbs,
I was wondering if this condition could be caused by something else, like an electrical problem, as it started after the bike was left in the rain for a few days.
ZAUR GOZALAV BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
A: Because the problem did not exist until after your YZF sat in wet weather for a period of days, the symptoms strongly imply that water got into the fuel system. A relatively easy way to check for water in the fuel is to drain one of the float bowls into a clean container.
If water is present, you’ll see two distinct layers of liquid: The water will settle on the bottom of the container and the fuel will remain on top due to its lower specific gravity. Water also settles at the bottom of the float bowls but gets drawn into the engine, causing the exact symptoms you describe. The engine will idle and run at very small throttle openings because the pilot jet is located much higher in the float bowl than the main jet. Thus, given that the fuel rises to the top and the water sinks to the bottom, the pilot jet gets mostly fuel whereas the main jet gets mostly water.
The solution? Thoroughly drain the entire fuel system (fuel lines, float bowls, fuel pump, fuel filter and fuel tank itself), blow everything dry using compressed air and refill the tank with fresh gas, not with the fuel that you drained.
