Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => The Bike - C10 => Topic started by: ZG RIDER on April 21, 2012, 01:52:17 AM
-
'97 Concours with 70k. All periodic services performed over the years. Runs great no mod's. I rode one other street bike for several years from '83 to'88. It was a '82 Yamaha XJ 550 Seca and I rode it till it died! I don't recall how many miles I put on it but it was my only mode of transportation at the time so, yea , i rode it alot. I've just been riding dirt bikes with the kids for about the last 15 years so i haven't been on the highway in a while. I feel quite comfortable on the Concours and am taking my time getting re acclimated with a road bike and the road. I'm just hoping for some good sound advice from some well seasoned Concours riders cuz this aint nothin like the old Yamie! Anything come to mind?
Thank you in advance to all that care to comment! 8)
-
Wait for something to break.
-
Become one with Connie, grasshopper, and travel far. Cover vasts amount of asphalt to meet with other Concours warriors,
converse with one another on journeys taken, and one's to yet be traveled. And consume large quantities of brew with these
nomads. And always keep an eagle eye out for the ever elusive cager, for they will swoop down and attempt to destroy your
destined path of travel, it is at those moments when your descision will... aw hell, just ride the damn bike!
-
Yea, just ride the bike for a while. You will start to get the itch to do things. I think my first purchase was a fork brace. After that a new wind screen. After that...it just goes on and on and on.
-
Take a MSF RiderCourse.
-
Welcome ZG RIDER
While the Conk is a gracefull beast up to speed it's a pig at parking lot speeds a read through the CDA section will let you know what to watch for.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?board=9.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?board=9.0)
Secondly the forum has it's own Wiki=FAQ section lot's of Great info there.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?board=18.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?board=18.0)
Ride safe, Keep sharp.
Tj
-
Long list, but most of it's really easy. Just the first is really important to check right away. I tend to check it often, not at every oil change, but any time I'm mucking about with it more than a little.
Open the #1 fuel bowl drain (hose on the nipple, dumping into a gas can - duh!) with the petcock to ON or Run, then Reserve. Make sure the gas stops after a little. If it keeps running, the petcock needs rebuilt or replacement. Making sure the petcock is good, along with the float needle valves, are imperative.
Check the engine mount bolts for 1) they're there and 2) they're tightened to spec and 3) there's no gap between the frame and engine at the spec'd torque. If there is, pull the upper left bolt and shim the gap. Search again ;)
Make sure you at least check the level and condition of all fluids. Brakes, coolant, rear drive, engine and forks. OH, the shock too - ok, it's not intended to be checked or changed but it can be done. Use the search.
Look for leaks while you're doin' the above.
Be on the lookout for missing or deteriorated rubber bits (grommets, spacers, TIRES). Except for tires, they're not very expensive if you get them online (I like Ron Ayers) and if you get several of 'em the shipping isn't killer.
Air filter - check it. Look to make sure the carb boots are seated both in the air box and around the carb inlets. Look at the lower front of the air box to see if it's starting to come apart. I gotta use the Search for that one :(
-
Take a MSF Rider Course and enjoy. ;)
-
My infamous Connie review:
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=574.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=574.0)
Most of your questions might be answered there. If not you have but to ask specifically. It's a little long winded so grab a brew and settle back.
-
'97 Concours with 70k. All periodic services performed over the years. Runs great no mod's. I rode one other street bike for several years from '83 to'88. It was a '82 Yamaha XJ 550 Seca and I rode it till it died! I don't recall how many miles I put on it but it was my only mode of transportation at the time so, yea , i rode it alot. I've just been riding dirt bikes with the kids for about the last 15 years so i haven't been on the highway in a while. I feel quite comfortable on the Concours and am taking my time getting re acclimated with a road bike and the road. I'm just hoping for some good sound advice from some well seasoned Concours riders cuz this aint nothin like the old Yamie! Anything come to mind?
Thank you in advance to all that care to comment! 8)
Just get on it and ride!
-
Take a MSF Rider Course and enjoy. ;)
DONE! Thanks for the advice! I did however find that the air box is coming apart on the front lower side where the filter access panel is. Are there any threads on the best method to repair that? After playing with the gas pet cock I foolishly left it in the prime position all night :-\ and lost some gas. After I cleaned up the mess the next morning and returned the control to on the bike wouldn't turn over like the starter lockout was engaged! eventual, it started and functioned normally. Any thoughts?
Thanks to all for your replies and this great forum!!!
-
Install carb bowl overflow tubes. This is one place where an ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure.
-
I Hate this word "Hydrolock" i'm not sure i understood but is the bike starting now? if not then you might have damaged the engine, when you left the petcock to prime it filled the cylinders with gas then backed up into the airbox where it leaked out, when you hit the start button it locked the engine. you probably have gas in the oil now to so change the oil and filter.
-
If you didn't damage your engine you got very lucky!!!!! You have at the very least a float needle leaking in 1 or more of the carbs. Float bowls over fill and you get raw gas in the cyls. It's called "HYDROLOCK" and can destroy an engine due to a bent rod! Chances are you won't get lucky again. Go to search and type "hydrolock".
-
If you didn't damage your engine you got very lucky!!!!! You have at the very least a float needle leaking in 1 or more of the carbs. Float bowls over fill and you get raw gas in the cyls. It's called "HYDROLOCK" and can destroy an engine due to a bent rod! Chances are you won't get lucky again. Go to search and type "hydrolock".
Jet and Mettler,
Ok now I'm freaking out!!!! What you describe is exactly what happened!! However, I never drove the bike with the pet cock in the "prime" position it was left that way over night. I found the bike with gas all over the ground and dripping from the air box. I re positioned the pet cock to "on" and the gas immediately stopped flowing. I took off the side panels, cleaned up all the gas, removed the air filter and dried it, wiped out the air box, put it all back together and tried to start it. The first three tries,as I said, it wouldn't start, wouldn't crank over at all. I could hear the starter engage but it WOULDN'T turn the engine. I spent about fifteen minutes looking for other problems, tried again and it turned over and started. It wasn't running rough and didn't backfire. There were no loud clunks and the motor DIDN'T lock while it was running. Is it possible to bend a rod without the motor running? I let it idle and warm up for a good 5 minutes took it for a short, slow spin around the block and parked it. Everything felt normal. PLEASE TELL ME I'M OK and what I should do next! Obviously I'll be changing the oil and filter and looking into installing overflow tubes :-[ :banghead:
-
You just may be one of the lucky ones, my advice would be to go to this link witch is a sticky link on this forum and read up, it tells you how to check if you bent a rod... i would not start it up again til you change the oil and filter.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=276.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=276.0)
-
Check to see if your petcock is working properly, remove the fuel hose from the petcock.
in the "On or Reserve position" there should be no gas coming out unless the bike is running, in the Prime position gas should flow with engine on or off. since you forgot and left it on prime overnight and you also had a stuck needle/float that's what caused the lockup.
if the petcock is leaking in the on or reserve position then you need to fix it or replace it. i chose to replace mine.
-
If you didn't hear a bang you may be ok. The way to be sure is pull all the plugs and measure each piston at top dead center. Go to the "sticky" how to check for hydrolock by SiSF. It is at the top of this page.
I understand what happened but the float needles should have prevented it. At least one float needle leaking. Time for a good carb cleaning and maybe new float needles.
http://sites.google.com/site/shoodabenengineering/intake-and-exhaust (http://sites.google.com/site/shoodabenengineering/intake-and-exhaust)
Go here to get it done right.
Also use the "search" feature for more info. And don't take it to a dealer as a lot of them don't do it right and charge you a LOT of $$$.
Sounds like you petcock is working right in the "run" position but if that fails your in the same position as "prime".
-
Jet and Mettler,
... tried to start it. The first three tries,as I said, it wouldn't start, wouldn't crank over at all. I could hear the starter engage but it WOULDN'T turn the engine. I spent about fifteen minutes looking for other problems, tried again and it turned over and started. It wasn't running rough and didn't backfire. There were no loud clunks and the motor DIDN'T lock while it was running. Is it possible to bend a rod without the motor running?
It sounds like a cylinder was completely locked with fuel. If the engine wouldn't turn ANY - ZERO ROTATION - then the rod wouldn't bend. It also won't bend while running; it'll only bend when the engine has turned enough to get some inertia and then the piston suddenly stops. The fact that it sat for 15 minutes then started means the fuel bled past the rings into the crankcase. You need to change the oil NOW and do a hydrolock rod test... unless you just don't want to know 8) Steve
-
It sounds like a cylinder was completely locked with fuel. If the engine wouldn't turn ANY - ZERO ROTATION - then the rod wouldn't bend. It also won't bend while running; it'll only bend when the engine has turned enough to get some inertia and then the piston suddenly stops. The fact that it sat for 15 minutes then started means the fuel bled past the rings into the crankcase. You need to change the oil NOW and do a hydrolock rod test... unless you just don't want to know 8) Steve
Whew, Tragedy narrowly averted! :o
Thank you to ALL who helped with my education on hydrolock. If I never utter that word again it would be too soon!! Ill be performing all the recommended procedures to ensure it never happens again! As for now I'll have to wait since I just blew my budget on the bike, Insurance, registration, transfer fee's, a new helmet, not to mention two teen's attending school here in California. I'm tapped for the next few months! I'm going to cringe now every time I press the starter button until I can get the carb work and the tube kit!! I'll just have to keep a close watch on the petcock, making sure it functions properly, until then.
Steve, I'm also interested In the two minute mod and the exhaust cam kit. It looks like you've made some great innovations and come Highly recommended in the forum!
Well, gotta scrape up some change and go buy some epoxy to repair the loose seam on the air box front bottom corner. Then, short of any other parking lot operator errors, I gotta go RIDE! 8)
Thanks Again!
-
Well, besides investing in overflow tubes or some other measure to deal with the dreaded hydrolock (harbinger of death for Connies), I'd suggest looking seriously at tipover bars.
I put off getting them for my bike, and thanks to a bad day, and in an unrelated incident, a drunk person knocking my bike over and falling on top of it, as well as some other minor incidents I have some significant damage to the plastics and pegs. Not to mention needing to repair the sidebag brackets as well. Oh, and of course the mirrors. If you want your bike to stay pretty and avoid the potential for some somewhat costly repairs if she ever goes over, invest in tipover bars. These won't be 100% foolproof, but will give you peace of mind r.e. minor incidents.
http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=127 (http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=127)
-
+1 for the tip-over bars.
Cheaper than new plastics, and I think they look cool too. (just IMO)
And most importantly, buy good tires!
I'm not just talking about ones with tread either. Unlike men, not all rubber is created equal, and when I went from the Bridgestones that were on her when I bought her to the Avons I ride now, it was like night and day. Maybe they wear out sooner being softer, but when the chips are down there is no better insurance than good traction! :thumbs:
Oh, and practice, practice, practice. I get cone patterns here (http://www.policemotorunits.com/id279.html) Go cut some tennis balls in half to mark the course and don't forget to have some fun!
-
FONDLE! Then Fondle some more.
Ride, then Fondle.
Fondle in the privacy of your own garage.
Fondle, fondle, fondle! :loco: :nuts: :deadhorse: :banghead:
My personal standout fondles were;
Fondled Jerrys bike in a motel car park in Klamath Falls. Gene was a fellow fondler and much beer was drunk.
Pic of Jerry and me is here http://gtr1000.com/graphics/boomerpics/Boomer_Fixin_Jerrys_ride.jpg (http://gtr1000.com/graphics/boomerpics/Boomer_Fixin_Jerrys_ride.jpg)
Fondled Hans-Oves bike in Denmark @ first GCE Rally.
Fondled Walters bike in Altenmarkt, Austria after he binned it in 2003.