Motorcycle-Related Thoughts

Occasionally, a thought enters my head.  It's scary when it happens because I'm not used to it.  Usually I just wait until the thought leaves but this time I wanted to try something different.  This time, I'm going to write down my thoughts, at least the motorcycle-related ones, and share them with the Internet.

Okay, let's get this thinking over with:

BMW R1200GS Tom Luthi Limited Edition.

This bike is mostly an all-black paint job thrown on BMW's hugely successful GS1200.  There are only 100 units being produced and they will only be sold in Switzerland because that's where Tom Luthi is from.  Who's Tom Luthi, you ask?  Well, apparently he's a Moto2 rider who races on an Aprilia.  I know this because like you, I had no idea who Tom Luthi was and looked him up on Wikipedia.

Aprilia Caponord 1200

For some reason, I have a thing for big trailies.  I thinks it's due to me being too short to get on one so I'm lusting over something I can't have, like Shirley Manson.  Anyway, the bike looks like butt but it's Italian, which is a plus, and it has lots of power, which is another plus.

Oberdon Bezzi

Oberdon Bezzi is an Italian design firm and I think they've wormed their way into my brain and are stealing my thoughts.  Well, some of my thoughts.  I see concept after concept from them and I want each one.  Great work.

Motorcycle Classics Magazine

I have a subscription to this magazine and it's worse than porn.  Seriously, it is.  This month's mag features a bevel-drive Ducati 900SS, a Wes Cooley special edition Suzuki GS1000S, an MV Agusta 125 Sport, a Brough Superior SS100, and a Hercules W-2000.  Add in great pictures and good writing and you have the best American motorcycle mag.  I love it and hope it stays in production forever.

Custom Bikes

I normally don't like custom bikes.  Most builders take a bike and then cut it up and make it useless.  I don't like that.  I like modifications that make a bike faster or have better handling.  I know most bike builders consider themselves artists and all but none of that washes away the awful taste left in my mouth after looking at some bike ruined in the pursuit of art.  And don't even get me started on exhaust wrap or those ridiculous Firestone balloon tires that are so in vogue right now.

Is is Spring yet?

Well, is it?  I'm tired of cold weather.

Small Bore Bikes

Motorcycle engines keep getting bigger, year after year.  Ducati's V-Twin in the Panigale is bigger, the Triumph Explorer has a new, bigger triple and cruiser engines keep expanding faster than American waistlines.  Yet, I myself attracted to smaller bikes.  While big engines add power, they also add weight and that is bad.  I like the idea of a small, lightweight bike that revs to the Moon and back.  And that's why I like the Kawasaki 250 Ninja and wish the Aprilia RS125 was street-legal here in the U.S.  I'd also like an Aprilia RS4 and a Cagiva Mito.  These bikes are no only light, they're also agile, fun and cheap.  One really has to start asking questions when bikes are more expensive than new cars and almost weigh as much.

Whew, I'm glad that thinking stuff is over.  My brain hurts.  I think I'll remedy the ache by watching Top Gear or some other nonsense.     

Triumph Maintenance

I know I've gone on before about motorcycle maintenance building mechanical harmony and all that.  This post is another one of those.

After a few rides last year, I began to notice a unique smell wafting from my Triumph.  I did quick scan of the bike and the inevitable happened: my cam cover gasket was leaking.  It wasn't a big leak but enough to smell.  And it's a British bike so an oil leak should be natural.  Since the bike was nearing its 12,000 valve check, I could use a cliche and kill two birds with one stone.  

Alright, here goes:

The first step is to get the bike up on the jack.  If you have a centerstand, you can feel smug and skip this step.

Make sure to strap the bike down.  That is, unless you feel like picking it up off the garage floor.  I didn't feel like it so I strapped my bike down.

 

Next pop the seat and the gas tank off.  Be careful not to drop the tank or your life will suck.  Make sure you inhale the gas fumes because...um...you just should, man.

With all that stuff out of the way, you can now pop the cam cover off.  Grab a 6mm hex socket and set to the four bolts.  Loosen them and then finish unscrewing them by hand.

With the cam cover off, you should see a nice, clean top end like mine.  Be sure to wipe the oil off the gasket surface before proceeding, just so you don't forget later, which you will and it will be too late.  Now you can move along to checking the valves.

The first step is to take the spark plugs out.  This makes turning the engine over easier because you're not fighting compression.  The manual recommends removing the alternator cover and turning the big nut to rotate the engine.  I forgot to order an alternator cover gasket so I had to rotate the engine another way.  I shifted the bike into third gear and muscled the tire around until the cam lobes were in the right position.  This way felt more manly and was therefore, the correct way.

 I started with the exhaust side because...that's the side I started with.  Rotate the back tire (or the big nut) until the cam lobes face directly away from the lifter.  Specs for the exhaust valve clearance are between 0.25 and 0.30 mm.  My valves were dead in the middle of the two values, which is good.  Now onto the intake side...

Same thing: grab the back wheel and rotate the intake cam lobes into the correct position.  Specs for the intake valve clearance are between 0.15 and 0.20 mm.  Again, my intake valves were in between the two specs, which is good.  Repeat for the other side.

Now that the clearance check is done, it's time to move on to replacing the gasket.  Pry the old one off with a small screwdriver.  The old gasket was surprisingly stiff for being rubber and only four years old.  I hope the new gasket lasts longer.

Fit the new gasket on the cam cover.  It looks like the gasket would stay in place since it sits in a groove but it won't.  It kept popping out and I kept getting angry.  To remedy this annoying turn of events, I put a dab of RTV on every corner to hold the gasket in place.  It worked and prevented an embarrassing temper tantrum from me.

This is also a good time to replace the rubber seals that go around the cam cover bolts.  Dig the seals out with the same small screwdriver used to remove the gasket from the cover.  You'll have to dig a bit and most of the rubber will stay on the cover.  Be warned: the new seals are much smaller than the ones you'll remove.  The seals crush as you tighten the bolts and fill out the space so don't have a panic attack.  Before installing the gasket, it's best to put some RTV on the cylinder head's sealing surface.  You don't have to go crazy with the stuff; use a bead a few millimeters thick.

With the RTV in place, plop the cam cover back on, put the seals in their holes and start tightening the bolts.  There's a torque spec in the manual for the cam cover bolts but I don't know what it is.  I tightened the bolts until they felt tight to me.  Now you'll have to clean off the RTV that squirted out.  Don't be a dummy like me and use gray RTV on a black engine.  I ran around like a fool trying to clean the excess off before it dried.  Next time I'll use the black RTV. 

Now only the simple things remain.  Put the gas tank and the seat on, unstrap the bike, and then let it down off the jack.  Let the RTV set for a time before you tear off toward the horizon.  The RTV on my bike will get plenty of time to set because the temps are in the thirties and my skinny ass is not going riding in those temps.

And so there you have it.  Mechanical harmony was created, the gods were pleased, and I got my motorcycle fix for February.