Thought that this would be a good way to remember what all I have done to this bike, what I still have left to do, and share with others what some of the mods look like when they are done. I bought this one last summer. The guy I bought it from stated it was in perfect condition. Not quite the case but so be it. He had done a pretty good job of covering up some issues. She only had 10,200 on her and was in fairly good condition. Perfect for what I wanted the final outcome to be. So, here is how she looked when I brought her home.
Started by stripping down the whole bike. All normal problems were there such as charging system problems and cooling system problems. I started from the rear of the bike and serviced everything on the entire bike. During the process there were a lot of little items I replaced such as clips and things leaving nothing to chance. Here is where I completely serviced the rear suspension. New seals installed in the entire swingarm assembly and bearings inspected and lubed.
Here is the new battery, stator, R/R, wiring harness modifications, and voltmeter. She now runs constant 14.9 volts driving down the road. I also performed the orange ground block mod at the same time. The entire wiring harness was inspected from head to toe and re-taped where needed. All terminals cleaned and checked. A few zip ties were used to keep the harness all tidy and out of the way so now electrical problems should be out of the way.
Next on the list was cooling system. All new radiator hoses. O-rings replaced at the coolant necks. Thermostat and radiator cap replaced. Flushed with distilled water and Prestone installed. Averaging about 85 degrees here in Oklahoma right now. When I leave for work she runs around 172 degrees. On the way home about 178 degrees. When stopped for a few minutes after a long ride she comes up to about 212, the fan kicks in and she drops right back down to about 200. We still have not seen our normal temps here in Oklahoma for the summer but I am pretty sure that I will have no overheating problems.
Next up, head bearings. This thing rode great, very nimble and turn in was great. Because of this I thought there should be no problems with the steering bearings. I was wrong. From straight ahead, a slight turn to either side she would try to bind and then turn. So, new All Balls tapered steering stem bearings installed. Pretty easy if you follow the information on this forum. A new Pilot Road 2 on the front and now she is like riding on rails. I do think that she steers easier with the tapered bearings than with the OE ball bearings. Maybe because the OE were going bad. All I know is I really like riding her now.
I did turn the triangles and dropped the front 3/4" to match the rear. No problems with bottoming out and it fits me perfect now. I'm 5'6" and I can flat foot with knees bent the way she sits now. Very comfortable. Tank bra installed. Powerlet installed. Throttle lock installed. Starter valve synch performed. Fuel tank vent and drain tubes replaced. Misc vaccuum hoses replaced. Brake and clutch fluids changed. Pair valve mod done with Dan's block off plates. There are more things I want to do but a least most of the mechanical stuff is out of the way. Here is my list to finish. Let me know if you guys think I missed something.
Re-build front forks and install 929 rear shock. (This should finish all the mechanical needs)
The rest is cosmetic and bling stuff.
Repair/replace a few fairing pieces.
Replace condom mirrors.
Sergeant seat.
A big thanks to all of the forum members that have posted information on how to do this stuff. All of it is fairly easy with the FSM and this forum. Thanks to HS for providing and maintaining this great site. Hope to see some of you on the road this summer.
Thanks Anik. Your information on the starter valve synch made it pretty easy to do. Mine were way off when I performed this service. The Carbtune is a great tool. She idles and runs perfect now.
Thanks Anik. Your information on the starter valve synch made it pretty easy to do. Mine were way off when I performed this service. The Carbtune is a great tool. She idles and runs perfect now.
You are welcome sir - glad my two cents were of some use to some one :). The rear section is looking brand new and too clean ...
Wow. A complete refresh. That is really showing some love.
I guess it is. I love the body on the 4th Gen the best. I like the way my 6th Gen feels to me the best. But the smoothness of the engine and the gear whine on the 5th Gen just does something for me. Would be a shame to let this old girl go by the wayside. Produced in 11/97 SN# 0218, so almost 15 years old and one of the first few produced. Now I know she should have another 15 years left in her.
Thanks Anik. Your information on the starter valve synch made it pretty easy to do. Mine were way off when I performed this service. The Carbtune is a great tool. She idles and runs perfect now.
You are welcome sir - glad my two cents were of some use to some one :). The rear section is looking brand new and too clean ...
Not too clean now. A few short trips around last week just to make sure there were no leaks or any problems. Started riding to work this week and have almost 700 miles on her since all the work was done. I figure I will put more than half the miles she had on her just in this summer alone.
End of thread · 13 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 24 May 2012