In memory of Jim Adams - an R60/5 build diary

[backdrifter]

Thanks again, gents.

georgesgiralt, where in France are you? A few years ago I got to visit Nice and Monaco during a European tour. I would love to go back and see more of your beautiful country. Hopefully one day soon!

Well, I haven't fixed the front brake yet, but I've determined that the rear brake is actually working pretty darn well. I decided to go for another ride around the neighborhood today, but first I wanted to check the valves. In my haste and excitement when the bike magically started last weekend, I totally forgot to start it up, kill it, and then check to ensure the valves had received oil. I figured they had to have - as I had ridden it a decent amount and there were no signs of any problems, but I wanted to check to be sure. So, today I did, and all is well:





It didn't start as easily this time, but it is roughly 30 degrees cooler, so maybe that's why. None-the-less, she started and off I went. The stutter in the middle of the rev range was more pronounced today too, but it still ran pretty damn well. I probably put 2 or 3 miles on it just running around the neighborhood, and I have a long straight frontage road where I was able to get up to about 60 mph a couple of times. Everything feels pretty good. The front left fork is weeping a bit, I'll have to take a closer look at that.

When I got back, there were some funny smells, but I didn't see anything leaking or any causes for concern. I seem to remember noticing that last time I rebuilt a bike, in that case a 550cc KTM two stroke. Is that just the gaskets breaking in?

[Bill Harris]

It didn't start as easily this time, but it is roughly 30 degrees cooler...

Ah, there is a Starting Drill:

Depress the tickler until fuel dribbles out the overflow tube in the bottom of the float bowl. Pump the throttle seven times. No more. No less. Seven shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be seven. Eight shalt thou not count, nor either count thou six, excepting that thou then proceed to seven. Ten is right out. Once the number seven, being the seventh number, be reached, then crack the throttle by one-in-eight and hit the starter button. And the engine will start, and the people will feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals and fruit bats and large chu--

Skip a bit, Brother.

After 20-30 seconds, if the engine starteth to bog, hiteth the Tickler again...

--Bill

[SRanger331]

Originally Posted by Bill Harris

Ah, there is a Starting Drill:

--Bill

Yeah, I read that when you first posted it, it really works.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by Bill Harris

Ah, there is a Starting Drill:


--Bill

Thanks Bill, I'll give that a try next time. Do you have any Grail related witchcraft that will make this damn thing idle?

[SRanger331]

Your going to have to do a good 15-20 mile ride to be able to tune the carbs. Just trying to get anything set going once around the block isn't going to get you very far.

Oh, and before you get that far, there should be some boots that go on the end of the throttle cables at the carbs. I didn't see them in your pictures. You wouldn't want to tune it, then realize you have to take the slide out of the carb, then the cable out of the slide, just to get the boot on. Then you have to go back and re-tune the carbs.

Unless your just going to leave them off.

[backdrifter]

At this point, I think I'll just leave them off since I have no idea where they are!

Well, I tried the starting ritual and it worked very well - though it is about 60 degrees out today - the same as it was the first time I got her running and it fired right up. I'll have to try again on a cold day.

According to the speedo, I've put 8 miles on her so far. More to come, for sure. I've got to leave for a bit, but I'll try pulling the plugs soon to check if I'm on the rich or lean side of things. My guess is it's running rich, which is much better than too lean.

More soon....

[georgesgiralt]

Hello !
I live, normally, in south of France, in Toulouse. Near Lourdes, the Pyrenees and the castle city of Carcassonne.
Now, back to business ....
It may be normal for the motor to do funny things with today fuel. Remember, the fuel they used when she left the factory have nothing to compare of today mixture. No more lead, added ethanol, different octane numbers... you name it.
Add to this the carbs jets and needle had worn out so the status is not on the perfection end of the scale.
I think you should overhaul the carburetors, replace needle and needle jet, clean everything, change everything rubber and set it to factory specs. The bike should run with these settings. Synchronize both carbs with the bike just started, go for a ride, remember the front brake, do you ? Then when back at home, check idle speed, idle synchronization, idle mixture, and lock the throttle at around 2000 RPM and redo the carb synchronization again.
You should notice a huge improvement in handling.
Of course, you will have to adjust the jets for modern fuels but this could wait 'till you had ridden her for some time and determined where the problems are, if they exist.
Remember that adjusting carbs and fuel mixture tinkering is what comes last. First the engine should be mechanically sound, valves with proper clearance, ignition timing perfectly set, and spark plugs with correct thermal value and equal gap on both cylinders.. Otherwise you'll become silly troubleshooting problems.
As to the smell, remember the solvents, oils, paste, .... you used to clean the engine ? Well they smell when hot.And evaporate so it won't last. Try not to breathe them as they are mostly petroleum based. Especially if you suffer from some kind of allergy. "Work in a well ventilated area..." they keep writing on the boxes and can.

[Bill Harris]

Oh, and before you get that far, there should be some boots that go on the end of the throttle cables at the carbs...

...At this point, I think I'll just leave them off since I have no idea where they are!

But don't go too long without those throttle boots. Nor the O-rings on the carb tops. There are a couple of openings in the bottom of the slide (where the cable fits and where the needle passes thru) and there is a vacuum on the bottom side of the slide. Those boots and O-rings are there to prevent a vacuum leak at mid-throttle operation. Nothing really major, so don't freak.

--Bill