winter service

[yorkie_chris]

Right, the location is easier for you to just follow the cables.

You can guarantee that the front one will be siezed in pretty well, so easier IMO to remove the airbox and carbs, removing the throttle cables and the idle adjuster gives you loads more room to move the carbs about.
An impact driver can be useful here

oh dear, i just went to start up my bike which has been 'running rough'. i had to use a fresh battery to get it going and it was barely ticking over on full choke.... i 'wrestled with it' through quite a few bangs and pops and i gave in, it was not going to run smooth.

bearing in mind the only thing i have done is change the plugs, i was pretty confused.

i checked the oil and was a little worried that the level was low.... but a LOT worried at the amount of Mayo on the cap i added a load of fresh oil and the bike started and ticked over fine!!! DOH

i let it heat through and then emptied all the oil out, the oil came out like water!!!! how did my oil get so much moisture in it?? should i be worried about tthe gaskets??

i changed the oil and filter and it runs fine now... i am a little worried about any damage i may have caused.

SO,
1. how did i get this mayo?
2. what should i now be worried about?
3. will this happen again to my nice fresh oil?

p.s. i havent ridden the bike for 2 months and it has been garaged (but cold)

thanks in advance for any advice.

[yorkie_chris]

The mayo will be from condensation cos you leave it in a cold garage.
As I keep trying to tell dizzy, bikes that get ridden are much happier!
The oil will be like water if its been in there a while, and if it was warm.

Now you should be worried that you are too soft, go buy some thermals if you must. Other than that just wait and see how it goes when its in proper use. If the head gaskets gone then it will show elsewhere; oil in coolant? Bubbles/pressure in coolant?

Your nice fresh oil will be fine so long as you're riding it.

hahaha

thanks alot mate!!!!

OK, after seeing the state of my oil, i figure i should check out the coolant, just to be sure.
i just read the procedure for changine the coolant and it seems remarkabley easy, just let me clarify-

1. undo rad cap and drain bolt.
2. drain.
3. flush out if required
4. fit drain plug.
5. fill coolant (50/50) into rad cap pipe
6. slosh bike around to bleed
7. start engine to further bleed
8. refill until correct level
9. put cap back on

is this all? or are there any bleeding tips??

it makes you wonder how you would know if the SV was overheating with no temp gauge and all... (99)

cheers


ed- also, i thought the snorkel that sticks up near the air filter was part of the coolant system? is it? is that where i am to fill the system from?? cheers

[yorkie_chris]

Theres a temp light on the rev counter, procedure for testing it is in haynes.

The snorkelly thing at the side of the airbox is the top of the expansion tank, after you've done the rest of it you need to check theres some coolant in there.

Only thing I would add to that is FFS don't open the rad cap after you've been for a ride. Let it cool first. (Grandma - sucking eggs - I'll shurrup now)

hah, yeah, i wasnt going to open it up hot!

cheers mate.

ok, i removed the rad cap and snorkel cap and drained the fluid. seemed like it all came out. ran a load of tap water through. replaced drain plug.
poured 800ml of coolant into rad, then added 800ml of water, but couldnt get it all into the rad, so added the rest to snorkel. Snorkel filled up too.... took a look at the level indicator and, i dont know if this is just me, but it isnt see through! how can i check the level using that? no amount of sloshing around would show anything on the level gauge.

i figured i should start the bike to run coolant around and then try to top up more,... but the bloody thing wouldnt start again... just like before i changed the oil!! it just really struggles until the battery dies what is up with my bike!!! the oil level is fine, it ran perfectly last thursday....

any tips on the coolant level appreciated, also any guesses at why my bike is being such a pain....

cheers

[jambo]

Ok,
1) Be absolutly certain you are checking the oil with the bike level, not on a stand.
2) The expansion tank can be a bit tricky to see a level in. The best thing is usually to pre-mix the coolant then pour in to the required level. Shining a torch into the expansion tank can peering in from the top usually tells you how close to the top yuou are.
3) Once the battery is charged up try again to start it

Also as pointed out, your oil will be watery when warm, it's viscocity changes with heat. This is a good thing

thanks, i will charge the battery tomorrow and check the coolant level with a torch.
i guess overfilling it wouldnt be too bad?