These are tips people had told me about or I have read in various magazines over the years, I will be adding tips here for the next fiew weeks so be sure to stop back in. If you have any questions, comments or tech tips to add send them to me
Tip 1. Top pros want the best, most vibration-free ride they can get. One of their secret hot setups is to use a tube of silicone seal to fill the inside of the handlebars.This cuts way down on any vibration getting to your hands through the bars. It also works on any set of hollow aftermarket handlebars.
Tip 2.The Piston
Some unfortunate
guys do more damage replacing the piston than the actual wear
on the piston! Remove the circlips with a small
needle-nose pliers and throw them away. It is a common mistake
to reuse circlips, but the cheap spring-steel wire clips will
fatigue
and break if you install them for a second time.
After removing
the circlips, you have to remove the piston pin. Never use a hammer
and punch to remove the pin. That will
damage the connecting rod and needle bearings. Instead, use one
of the pin-extractor tools available from your local franchised
motorcycle shop. You can also grasp the piston with one hand and
use a 3/8-inch socket extension to push the pin out with your
other hand.
Too many people
replace their pistons too often. The exact service interval for
your bike depends on how hard the bike was run, for
how many hours, the quality of the lubrication, and the amount
of dirt or other debris in the intake air. Bikes that are run
hard
with dirty air filters may wear out pistons in only 6 hours, while
bikes that are ridden easy with clean filters and adequate fuel
octane may last 60 hours.
Measuring the Piston
The best thing
to do is measure the piston with a caliper. Digital calipers cost
about $100 at industrial tool companies such as Enco or Harbor
Freight. A digital caliper is easy to use and gives accurate measurements
on the piston diameter and cylinder bore. Measure the widths of
the piston (front to back) just above the intake cutaway because
this is the widest point of the piston. Check the maximum wear
specs in your service manual. Check the piston for detonation
marks in the crown, cracks in the skirt, or seizure
marks. Look at the underside of the piston crown for a large black
spot. The spot is burnt oil deposits that adhered to the piston
because the piston crown temperature was too hot. This is an indication
that the carbs main jet needs to be richer.
Tip3. Measuring the Ring Gap
The best way to
know if the rings are worn is to measure the ring end gap. Put
the ring in the cylinder and use the piston to push it
down about 1/2 inch from the top evenly spaced. Now use a feeler
gauge to measure the width of the ring gap. Normally, the
maximum gap is 0.0180.025 inch, but check your factory service
manual for the exact wear limits.