Sport-Touring.Net - another "new" 40-year-old bike

I've been slacking a bit. I put a new set of tires on her last week (Avon Roadriders). They were $$$, but they're sweet. I went with 90/90 19 on the front (to replace the 3" x 19) and 100/90 18 on the rear (replacing the 3.5" 18 stock tire). As a result, I'm now short on funds. I've got about 200 miles on her now. I've also replaced a bunch of bulbs that were burned out.

Right now I'm dealing with three minor (?) issues:

There seems to be a lot of noise at idle. I'm hoping it's just tappets and other 'normal' noises (this is a loud motor in any case), but I need to verify it's not the cam chain (a known weakness on these bikes - I adjusted it already but the tensioner is crap on these bikes). With ear plugs in it sounds great while riding around, but listening to her at idle is nothing short of scary. Of course my FZ6 also sounds like it's gonna blow up at idle and it's done that since it was new (and it's normal). I joined the Vintage Japanese club when I was in Stockbridge a couple of weeks back, so one of the local gurus will be taking a listen soon. Eventually I plan to do a complete top-end rebuild, but I'd like to get at least another year out of her first.

The headers have both turned a bit yellow, which is normal on a modern bike but not so much on these bikes. I adjusted the carbs a bit, but I have to clean the headers to see if that worked. I'll probably just do a spark plug test and see what's going on and for peace of mind. There's no popping or backfiring since I rebuilt the carbs and the power seems good (with one exception - see below), so I'm thinking it can't too far lean. I might have to check the float levels again too (they were a tiny bit off when I checked them, but I thought they were on the rich side, not too lean). Jetting is now completely stock (OEM parts) and the air filters are new and OEM. I didn't replace the jet needles, but my understanding is that as they wear against the main jet they'll cause an overly rich condition, not the reverse (they can't be adjusted, which is too bad).

Once in a while (like every 50 miles or so), I've had an issue when I shift and then get on the throttle hard - usually in 2nd, and maybe 3rd gear as well. The bike will start to take off, but begin to rev a bit erratically and bog down a bit before taking off. It's not really bogging down in that it it revs, but the bike doesn't move. It doesn't do it consistently and I can't replicate it. I'm not sure if it's the clutch slipping or if the timing advancer plate is getting stuck. I don't think it's an engine problem. I didn't check the advancer when I did the timing, but it's a very common issue on these bikes to have it bind up (it's entirely mechanical and the springs are known to get clogged with goo or wear out). I'll probably ignore it for now since I'm hoping to switch to electronic ignition over the winter. If it persists, I'll focus on the clutch.

I still need to drain the fork oil and start working on the headlight/fork ears. They're cracked and dented up. If I can't repair them, I'm hoping to switch mine out for the earlier model if they'll fit (older ones are much cheaper on E-Bay and look better). The rubber boots also need to be replaced, but I won't be pulling the forks apart until I put her away for the winter.

I got a quote on painting my mismatched side cover to the OEM blue. I'll probably hold off and do everything at once (except the tank - it's just too expensive). None of this is gonna happen soon.

Other winter projects include stripping and polishing a few parts and powder coating some bits.

Topic: another "new" 40-year-old bike (Read 3221 times)