Airhead "Tips and Tricks"

[xrmattaz]

What season? Can't I just ride the damn thing year round?

[Mugwest]

I can kick in one that i have not seen ref'd before:

clutch adjust at the back of the airhead trans has always been sketchy and frustrating and required multiple trials n' errors before i could get an adjustment that i really liked. The reason is the close quarters between the thin 13mm locknut and the even-thinner 10mm adjust screw-- trying to use normal thickness wrenches here was aways dodgy, usually requiring several attempts to get it right with no clutch slip or drag.

Being an old-skool cyclist as well as moto-rider i'd had an idea in the back of my mind for a while: a thin shop-grade Park bicycle hub 13mm cone wrench. Well recently i finally followed through:

http://www.parktool.com/products/det...&item=SCW%2D13


$10 got me the shop-quality 13mm wrench, and i was even able to buy it locally (Bikes Plus), a double-yay!

This was the ticket-- this thing is thin enough to hold the locknut while any standard 10mm turns the adjust screw. Then a slight turn on the Park wrench and it's set. Perfect.

No more trial-and-error. The Park's even small enough to slip in place in the tool roll or stow in the tray or whereever.

It's the best $10 i've spent recently!

[Bazza]

Solder circular connectors to your spare brushes. Then you don't need to carry a small soldering gun to replace failed brushes. Just attach the leads to the two nuts on the top end of the commentator. Don't forget to disconnect the battery when removing the front cover!

Bazza
1978 R100S
Plano Texas

[dragoon]

9 times out of 10 it's a cracked coil

[elmoreman]

Right on, guys!!

I've already printed out a few things for my file...

[hetkind]

[quote=Bazza]Solder circular connectors to your spare brushes. Then you don't need to carry a small soldering gun to replace failed brushes. Just attach the leads to the two nuts on the top end of the commentator. ]

Or you could inspect your brushes every five years or so...there has been a spare set in my parts bin for the last five years, at least.

Been riding airheads 20 years and all I carry as spares is a bulb kit and tire plug kit, and my BMW MOA Anon book, never had to use the book however.

If you keep up your maintenance at home, on road issues are pretty scarce, though I did have my oil pressure sender fail earlier this week, and a headlight relay earlier this season, turn signal relay end of last season.

Do your maintenance and ride with a light heart

Howard

[kbasa]

Gen light on halfway means the diode board is pooched. When you replace it, replace the mounts (which probably failed and caused the diode board to croak) with solid ones.

If you've got an airhead with the black coated cam chain cover, disconnect the batter, pull the front cover and scrape the black coating off that's under the diode board's grounding bolt. You might as well replace the diode board mounts while you're in there. The upper left one is a bitch. Don't drop the nut off the back into the cam chain!

Lube the final drive/rear wheel interface every time you change a tire. Do the shaft/final drive one every year. Clean all the old spooge off and use Honda Moly 60.

Be sure to check the little rubber nipple where the speedo cable comes out of the trans. If that gets cracked, it'll let water into your transmission.

[rnr]

(three stooges voice:) oh, a wise guy, eh?

Once a year. I ride year-round too. But once a year i competely drain, clean and dry the tank.

you'll be amazed how much watery gunk accumulates in there, even on an oft-used ride.

[Xorba]

There's a good list of airhead tips, tricks, and explanations that are organized online at:

http://www.slash5.net/htmlorg.html

[STUFF2C]

Originally Posted by zilla

Wouldn't have a part number handy, would you?

I'll look...but they only have one size lawn tractor battery. You do need to get the one with the post on the correct side.

[STUFF2C]

Originally Posted by RatBob

Is there a real advantage to one of those? I've been very favorably impressed with sealed/AGM batteries on my other bikes. Lazy old pharte that I am, I really don't like to check/add water several times a season, so I'll spend a couple of bux not to have to.

$100 vs $22...I'll check the water once in a while.

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by tvrla

I've had the Westco batteries that went dead in a year. At twice the cost they weren't a good deal, especially when the Panasonics last me forever.

This is especially gauling when you discover the Westco battery is simply a Panasonic battery.... with a Westco sticker on it.

Dat's da troof.

fwiw,
Lorenzo

[Lornce]

Post '84 dual outlet Bosche coils will all eventually crack and fail. They're expensive to replace. Really expensive.

Stock HD/Buell dual output coils can be found on e-bay for about $1.oo. They're take offs from folks who've bought into the HD "dual fire ignition" myth. Good on them, I say.

I've had one on my '92 GS/PD for 30k kms now without issue....

fwiw,
Lornce

[Wirespokes]

Originally Posted by Lornce

This is especially gauling when you discover the Westco battery is simply a Panasonic battery.... with a Westco sticker on it.

Dat's da troof.

fwiw,
Lorenzo

Where did you get that data? The terminals are different. Westco may be using the Panasonics now, but the ones I had four years ago were different.

[Lornce]

[QUOTE=hetkind]

Originally Posted by Bazza

Solder circular connectors to your spare brushes. Then you don't need to carry a small soldering gun to replace failed brushes. Just attach the leads to the two nuts on the top end of the commentator. ]

Or you could inspect your brushes every five years or so...there has been a spare set in my parts bin for the last five years, at least.

Been riding airheads 20 years and all I carry as spares is a bulb kit and tire plug kit, and my BMW MOA Anon book, never had to use the book however.

If you keep up your maintenance at home, on road issues are pretty scarce, though I did have my oil pressure sender fail earlier this week, and a headlight relay earlier this season, turn signal relay end of last season.

Do your maintenance and ride with a light heart

Howard

Hey Howard, what it is?

Should we invite these guys over to Airheads-Chat? You think they're ready? Or would it just tip the balance of "The Revolution"?

Not as tech-useful as the straight up Airheads list, of course, but maybe a lot more "entertaining".... http://www.airheads.org/content/view/21/46/

ciao,
Lorenzo