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Maintenance time 3, now 4, continuous years in

I can hear the "blip" in the audio, but I'm not sure I know where the sound originated on the bike. Can you explain more what you mean by blip? Is this a pop through the exhaust, the carb, or something else entirely? I've seen you use the term elsewhere and just want to make sure I understand.

It started out as just a slight, single misfire which is why I called it a "blip", barely noticeable and rideable right through it. Later that day on our way to Chris' house and then Bike Night it got worse, misfiring a few times in a row but still rode right through it all the way up to redline. Figured it was just a slightly fouled plug, I know it's still running a tad rich and thought it was just exacerbated due to the higher altitude I was in at the time. Last week I put a lightly-used set of plugs in it, known good ones taken out right before the trip, and it's just the same. And the longer I ride it the worse it gets, to the point of it popping badly out the exhaust of one cylinder though with the pipes that close together underneath I can't tell which side. Won't rev out anymore, runs so poorly on that one cylinder it's unrideable though it revs out normally when not under load. Time to go through all the ignition parts, pretty confident it isn't the battery but of course I'll check that too. Been busy with life (battling diverticulitis, working on wife's greenhouse off and on, and other distractions) so I'll get to it as soon as I can. Weather has been weird here for the last few weeks, colder than you'd want to ride for a few days, then warms up and rains, then back to a cold front again.
 
Time to go through all the ignition parts, pretty confident it isn't the battery but of course I'll check that too. Been busy with life (battling diverticulitis, working on wife's greenhouse off and on, and other distractions) so I'll get to it as soon as I can.

I hope the diverticulitis clears up quickly. I guess this is the slow part of the year for riding, so there's no harm in taking your time to get well before digging into the diagnosis on the ignition. The weather here in the Midwest has been equally mixed lately, often around 30F in the AM and then high 50s in the afternoon. Hopefully, whatever the problem is, it will become apparent when you have a good look at things.
 
I hope the diverticulitis clears up quickly. I guess this is the slow part of the year for riding, so there's no harm in taking your time to get well before digging into the diagnosis on the ignition. The weather here in the Midwest has been equally mixed lately, often around 30F in the AM and then high 50s in the afternoon. Hopefully, whatever the problem is, it will become apparent when you have a good look at things.

The truth is the diverticulitis isn't going away, once you have it you have it for the rest of your life unless you get lucky enough that the affected section can be removed. My father had it so bad (and being so old school, played tough guy and ignored it as long as he could) that eventually one of the pockets burst and he had an abdomen full of waste. He had to have emergency surgery in his late 60s and essentially lost a year of his life to it, had a colostomy for 6 months while healing and then back into surgery to get reconnected with more recovery time. My situation is far from dire but it started a couple of years ago and once properly diagnosed, was manageable until it flared up recently. I've been "troubleshooting" trying to find a proper combination of diet for the last couple weeks (without giving up too many of the things I love) and taking plenty of fiber, been drinking large quantities of water (close to a gallon a day) for a few years now anyway and that helps too. Things are pretty stable now, hoping to stay on a roll with the plan I have in place currently. I'd rather avoid surgery if possible, and I'm damn sure not going to end up where my Dad did, he was just plain stubborn about his health. He once told me in his early 80s that if he'd realized how long he'd live he would have taken better care of himself. I suppose when you grow up in an era where medicine was still coming out of the dark ages (blood-letting was still being done as a curative up to the late 19th century) and you see so many go into a hospital and never come out, you have trust issues with doctors. Right up to his passing in 2016, he still believed if you left something alone you'd be better off than taking prescribed meds (and in some cases doctors do over-medicate as we know).
 
I didn't know much about this condition until reading your explanation and what happened with your father is horrible. I hope your current regimen is successful in keeping the symptoms largely at bay.
 
Just stumbled on this resurrected thread. I am a purist at heart, but do have room for weaknesses.

That is one helluva mean 450. Congrats on a great job - whenever it was done. (Then again, are we ever 'finished'?:undecided:
 
Just stumbled on this resurrected thread. I am a purist at heart, but do have room for weaknesses.

That is one helluva mean 450. Congrats on a great job - whenever it was done. (Then again, are we ever 'finished'?:undecided:

Thanks very much, it was a labor of love and far more money than it should have been, but it was worth it.

No, our vintage bikes are never really finished, there's always something to do to them even if only the more-often maintenance. The synopsized original build is here, and if you want to go the long way home the original (and painful at times) build is here at that other forum
 
I didn't know much about this condition until reading your explanation and what happened with your father is horrible. I hope your current regimen is successful in keeping the symptoms largely at bay.

Yeah, it was pretty brutal on him. Of course, my mother told him repeatedly along the way that it needed to be dealt with but one time they went to the ER when he had a stubborn low-grade fever and the doctors there misdiagnosed him anyway despite them being aware of his history with diverticulitis being mentioned, told him they thought his bladder was overfull. It was probably only a week or so later he was in surgery, with drain tubes from both sides of his abdomen for a few days spent in recovery afterward. Just another reason why my father didn't trust doctors... I fully plan to stay on top of it, especially knowing what can happen from his experience. Hell, I'm almost the same age he was when it happened. From doing a physical body work job most of his life, he was in great shape for a guy almost 70 at the time, I wouldn't have messed with him. He never got back to the level of strength he previously had after that, one of the reasons he never did any paint work after that due to lost arm strength.
 
Having your body and your bike go balky at the same time is no fun at all. I'm really interested in what's going on with the 450. When you feel up to it keep posting.
 
Having your body and your bike go balky at the same time is no fun at all. I'm really interested in what's going on with the 450. When you feel up to it keep posting.

The last few days have been better and it seems I've found a good combination of stuff, so hopefully that continues.

I actually did look into the 450 issue this afternoon and started with checking the battery again. It's been sitting since I rode it a few days ago (very short ride because it was running the worst since returning from the trip) and the battery is holding 13.3v so I'm good there. So I pulled the right air cleaner to get a look at the coil and condenser connections, maybe test them and... right after I snipped the zip tie gathering them together and reach for the connectors for the points wires where they join with the condenser wires, the condenser plugs both basically fell out of the duplex female connectors on the coils. Points wires were tight. So I gave the open female connectors a squeeze and plugged the condenser wires back in, zip tied them again and proceeded to check the oil and lube the chain so I can take it out sometime tomorrow to see if that was it. Kinda makes sense, since we rode a lot while in SC and I haven't looked at or touched that wiring since the bike went back together in the summer of 2018 before Barber and the way it was running did kinda act like a bad condenser. Already swapped in a known good set of used plugs so that's not likely it, and though it's possible one of the coils is going bad it's not all that likely considering they only have about 2200-2300 miles on them since new and they're nowhere near the heat they'd be exposed to if under the tank in the original location. And I went over the entire tune-up before the trip as well (points, timing, etc)

So I'll find out tomorrow.
 
That would be a very nice early Christmas present! Glad you're feeling better, too. Can the doctors do stuff to help you with robotic surgery? That works great and you're done in a day or two.
 
Can the doctors do stuff to help you with robotic surgery? That works great and you're done in a day or two.

I haven't asked and my new GI doctor didn't suggest that it needed to be done (and he did my most recent colonoscopy). I'd rather avoid it I could, but we'll see how it goes. After finding out about it a couple years ago I've had long stretches of normal punctuated by the occasional stretch of struggles to get back on track. Fortunately I had no issues with it while we were away in SC or that would have sucked. The wife of my longest standing friend (I'd say oldest, but I'm actually older than him, LOL) has similar problems to what I have and she tried to schedule elective surgery to get it repaired so she could live without flare-ups, but her doctor told her she couldn't (though it could have been about insurance coverage too, because it was her idea and not recommended by her doctor).
 
Those intermittent misses are the worst! I would have guessed the coil dielectric was breaking down but if it was a simple loose connection, that’s best and easily fixed!

Wish our aging bodies were this easily fixed….
 
Those intermittent misses are the worst! I would have guessed the coil dielectric was breaking down but if it was a simple loose connection, that’s best and easily fixed!

Wish our aging bodies were this easily fixed….

Ain't that the truth!
 
Well, I'll take an early Christmas present of an easy fix. I took the bike out for a short blast a few minutes ago and all is cured, the loose condenser connections was the problem. Yeehaw.

However, I've noticed an odd, somewhat deep vibration off and on during low rpm activity, seemingly no specific pattern to it. I can feel it at low revs while warming up and as I pull away but not after getting going, even in first or second gear. A cursory check of motor mount bolts didn't reveal anything obvious so I'm wondering if my nearly 50 year old crankshaft is developing a bad main bearing, though there's no noise associated with it. Time will tell I suppose and I do have 2 spare engines, one with apparently low miles.
 
Good your feeling better. And the bike too. Hopefully the crank bearings will hold up for a good while. Also I do know how nice it is to have spare motors.
 
That's good news. Fingers crossed for the crank bearing.

Yeah, it's a funny vibe right now but no noise whatsoever, and the vibe isn't continuous either, it seems to vary in and out based on engine speed at lower rpm. The way I usually thrash it whenever I ride it, I'm sure it will show itself eventually if it's serious (but I hope not!)
 
Well it turns out the vibe wasn't anything critical at all. I never came back to clarify, but it turned out to be a broken exhaust pipe hanger bracket under the bike and since it sits low I didn't notice it until I put it on the lift a couple months ago. Obviously I didn't want to ride it that way since the header sealing flange can crack trying to hold the weight of the pipe shaking around unsupported, so I fabbed up another bracket and it's good to go.

However, dummy me got distracted in the garage a month or so ago while turning the petcock on briefly to refill the carbs since it sits a lot during the hot, rainy and steamy summers here... and of course, I forgot it. Needless to say, I didn't want to chance there only being a little fuel in the oil despite the level not being much higher, so it went back on the lift to do an oil change. Afterward, it fired up quickly but once again only ran on one cylinder. Ugh. Must have gummed up one of the pilot jets again from sitting. I've been using non-ethanol premium more lately since in the last year or so we have a station with it about 10 miles from me, but the bike sat for about 6 weeks between runs.

Figured out it was the right cylinder, tried a clean(er) plug in it, still no go, so I pulled the carb and went through it again. With the seat and tank off I took a look at the little 4 ah lithium ion battery, and it was down to 1 of 3 status LEDs so I put the voltmeter on it. 12.1 volts, probably the real problem. And since that little battery is now almost 6 years old I wondered if it was on the way out. Since I didn't buy a lithium ion-specific charger I've been very cautious about charging it with my 2 amp/.035 amp combo charger, and since trickle doesn't do enough I had to try giving it short blasts of 2 amps while watching it so it didn't get hot and cause trouble. Eventually it came back to full charge after about a half hour on 2 amps, reads 13.3 volts and has maintained it now for 4 days.

3z3ClED.jpg


In the meantime I had been looking for a new one and of course, now that we're in the midst of ongoing supply chain issues, there are no more like it and no one knows if or when they'll be back in stock (and naturally the price is about 25% higher if it was available). So, I found out there is an AGM of the exact same size sold by the same brand name I had in my V65 (Chrome Battery) for the ridiculously low price of $18 so I ordered one as a backup for this year's trip to SC. Yes, it's heavier but only 2 lbs heavier than the lithium ion version and I believe my sheet metal-fabbed battery box can handle the extra weight if needed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LO6EJA?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
 
It's still on the lift so I haven't run it yet, but I'm confident in both aspects at this point since the battery was obviously low enough to be an issue and that right pilot jet had already gotten gummed up once. And frankly, I didn't go to the lengths to clean the carb last time that I did this time, spraying carb cleaner through the passages and compressed air through them afterward while it was apart yesterday. Got things almost back together and got ahead of myself, put the slide in and carb top back on and realized I'd forgotten the carb support behind them... and then it was suppertime, and I can't be late to what my marvelous wife puts on the table. :)

And, though I have no pictures (too narrow a shot to get with the camera), I also drained the little chrome tank so I could use some Evaporust to get rid of the small spots of rust on the bottom of the left side caused by me leaving ethanol fuel in it sitting still in the garage too long the summer before. Didn't want it to get out of control and cause me to have to line this tank or try to find another one, since Tanaka Trading doesn't have them in stock anymore at Webike in Japan. So the tank was cleaned, flushed and some MMO in it while it waits for me to put the bike back together.

I also used my inspection camera to see that the original petcock is, in fact, still together. And during draining the tank I found that the petcock does work properly in both positions, which now makes me wonder just what really happened when Chris and I rode to Ozello Trail in April this year and I somehow ran out of fuel despite it never asking to go on reserve. So I'll be paying closer attention to my tripmeter this October in SC, though I do plan to fill and take my 2 liter gas can for the tank bag as well.
 
The non-ethanol gas is definitely worth the extra effort finding it. I have to travel about 40 minutes one way to buy it, but it saves me time clearing jets when one of my bikes sits for a little while.

Hopefully the petcock issue won't repeat itself this time around.
 
With a custom bike as with a vintage bike - or a custom vintage bike - there's always something. Today's episode is about the seat mount, but prior to that the rear tank mount had to be revised. When I took the tank off I discovered the original rubber grommet in the tab on the rear mount had gotten squashed and was cut in the middle from the slight angle difference between the frame backbone and the tank mount tab.

fAseIgG.jpg


Fortunately my father collected lots of little pieces along the way during his body work days and I can almost always find something that will work. Found a larger grommet, sliced off the end and cut it in half, then found a new larger sleeve for the inside of it and a combo of larger washers to make it more durable this time. The tank sits too low for the fuel line and petcock spigot so it has to be propped up a little bit and this combo gives a tad more clearance underneath than the previous version, and the rubber is a little firmer too so the tank will wiggle a little less.

ilBh0bO.jpg


So then the seat goes on, and I knew it was inevitable that one day the threads in the thinner-than-typical 6mm nuts I had Mike weld to the back of each rear bracket might strip because the fender is right there behind the brackets and keeps the bolts from going through all of the threads. Today was the day for the left side, so I had to drill a hole in the fender to allow the bolt to go all the way through. Worked out fine, though not the prettiest picture. Hard to replicate the factory's reliable designs when making significant modifications, but it will do. And fortunately even the 5" wide fender I chose for the rear is still more than wide enough for the rear tire, it won't be even close to the bolt end. Also fortunate that no one will be hunkering down to look up under there. :rolleyes:

xJsSX5b.jpg


XVOH4b5.jpg


Maybe now I can actually start it up before the afternoon rain begins again.
 
I just got back from putting about 5 miles on it and it runs great. I also dropped the main jet from 220 to 210 as it had been running just a tad rich all along, and that would only be exacerbated by the altitude in SC once we get there though it ran well enough last year. I'll run a plug chop on it the next ride, rain was coming when I was out there a few minutes ago. It might actually be spot-on now, it easily pulled 10,500 in 4th gear in a blast on the way back from the Withlacoochee forest driveway which is just south of me in the next county.

I also changed the clutch and front brake cable adjusters to a new set of chrome ones I've had since the gold "anodized" adjusters that came with the perches had started to fade and rust a little. Gotta look good for the trip!
 
No, I was as proactive as possible and stocked up on B8ES before they became scarce around me, I probably have about 2 dozen. The new plug caps I bought almost 6 years ago are not the ones that can be modified, but at some point I'll spring for the expensive non-resistor caps from Europe or New Zealand or wherever Jim found them. I just want the OEM style 120° caps, don't want to settle for 90° caps even though they're more readily available. I'd like to go to the BR8EIX iridium plugs but again, need the non-resistor caps.
 
I'm down to a pair of unused B8ES, but I never really stocked up. I think I bought a box of 10 at one point. I recently bought a box of ND W24ESU and I'm currently running them in my dohc 450 with no issues so far.

Earlier, I neglected to mention that 10,500 RPM in fourth gear is moving.
 
Earlier, I neglected to mention that 10,500 RPM in fourth gear is moving.

Yeah, Gearing Commander puts it at about 101 if their measurement of the 100/90-18 rear tire is accurate and of course, if the tach is as well. I'll eventually take the time to measure it myself, not something I typically think about when I'm in the garage lately though I did measure the drag bike rear wheel/tire since it's from the CB650C (I can't recall what it was now).

GC1.jpg GC2.jpg

Glad you found some W24ESU to work with. Back in the day we scoffed at ND plugs but apparently they are either better than they used to be or we're smarter now.
 
Your bike had been sitting most of the summer, right? How low was the pressure in your tubes? My 450 tubes have always lost pressure fairly rapidly (30psi today might be 26psi a week later) and I'm wondering if that is normal. Are there lower and higher quality valves?
 
I haven't actually checked the tire pressure yet since spring when Chris was here and the bike has only been ridden about 4 times since then. I always give them the squeeze test at least before riding but they'll definitely get checked before the trip. I haven't had any significant loss in pressure though, last year (2021) it lost about 10 to 12 lbs total between about April and early September. I don't know if there are better valves out there, never thought about it or looked.
 
Your bike had been sitting most of the summer, right? How low was the pressure in your tubes? My 450 tubes have always lost pressure fairly rapidly (30psi today might be 26psi a week later) and I'm wondering if that is normal. Are there lower and higher quality valves?

That’s about the rate my front tire loses, rear a little less, everything is new


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
And avoid them I did, I've only ridden the bike very short distances since the work was finished but this morning the bugs weren't out (hopefully they're gone now) so I got in around 20 miles to check out the tires, shift mechanism and overall running condition. I get a little blip now and then in lower rpm range while slowly accelerating - literally only a couple of times in 20 miles - so I'm going to put a new set of plugs in it and I might just drop the main jet about 5 or 10 since it's still a tad rich (pipes are always really dark) and considering it will be running at higher altitudes in less than 2 weeks that will help there as well. The shift mechanism feels like new, finally after all 2100 miles on the bike while putting up with the occasional 2nd and 3rd gear drop-outs and double-clicks at times to get to 3rd. Tires feel great, far more confidence-inspiring than the K70s. Almost ready to go!


Nice looking bike. Where did you ever find the chrome gas tank, must have been expensive!$$$$:)
 
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Nice looking bike. Where did you ever find the chrome gas tank, must have been expensive!$$$$:)

Thanks! Not as much as you might think, but unfortunately there aren't any more available or I'd buy another one to have a spare. I found it for $100 shipped in late 2016 during the early part of my build at Webike in Japan. It was sold by Tanaka Trading and is a replica Ape 100 monkey bike tank. The chrome versions are gone now but they still sell painted and primer versions. I wanted something small for the hot rod look, it's 1.8 gallons with a 0.4 reserve. If you want to see the synopsis of the build (it was done originally at the old forum we were at then) it's here.
 
Well it's almost that time again, not nearly as much to do for this year's trip to SC as last year. Went over the usual small stuff, did the oil change mentioned above already along with the timing at full advance. All that's left is air up the tires and lube the chain a little and it's ready for another round of mountain riding.

And while digging around in the garage I discovered a nice clean set of Honda toolkit pliers, look to be barely used.

ZFIfndH.jpg


Too bad the bike doesn't have a toolbox on it... :rolleyes:
 
I just spent a couple hours reading this whole thread and ogling Gort's nether parts. What a sweet bike you built.
 
I just spent a couple hours reading this whole thread and ogling Gort's nether parts. What a sweet bike you built.

Thanks brother. Because it's as different as it is, it's not a real popular build so it's always nice when someone appreciates the results of my effort.
 
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