Afan
... and this is my real name.
Maybe I should’ve start new thread, but it is kinda part of this one…
So, at the end of last year I changed my rear tire and the dealer who performed it said that my final drive is kaput. Toast. Next couple moths (it’s Winter, I didn’t rush myself) I was trying to figure out am I going to fix the bike or sell what’s left of it and buy other one. I decided to fix it and then trying to find used, but still usable, parts. I couldn’t find anything and couldn’t wait anymore so bought new final drive, and flange, and… Anyway, in spring I had coolant leak again. And after I “fixed” it - there was gas leak. And, shortly after - both leaks again, at the same time. Later found clutch slave cinder is leaking too… But, since I decided to fix it…
My bike is friend’s shop for almost two months. He’s car mechanic, by profession, really good one. And really busy one. He promised me to help me to fix it but when he has time. Mostly late afternoon, after my work. But couple not-expected things happened to him and couple to me, so the “quick” fix took, as I said, almost two months. And the bike is still in his shop.
Coolant leak: first it was a hose (19504-MT3-000) and I replaced it with new one (and replaced, of course, the other one too, 19506-MT3-000). After we put the carburetor back - coolant leak again: the o-ring on right water joint was bad. Ok, bought new o-rings, for both water joints (19523-MT3-000), replaced and then - leak again. This time we found that left water joint has a crack. New water joints ordered. Wonder what’s next?
Gas leak: removed carbs, changed float bowl o-rings, drain screw rings, main jet and pilot jet rings. And (short) drain hoses. But gas leaked again. Then we found that (at least) one of the o-rings on FUEL JOINTs (16027-MT3-610 and 16027-MT3-750) were bad. All 8 o-rings replaced. After who-knows-how-many-times we put and take off the gas tank and the carburetors, gas finally stoped leaking. God knows for how long…
In meantime, the group that was riding to California, decided to leave a bit earlier, last Friday in May, in a month. Now I’m getting paranoid. I have almost-fixed bike and not-so-much-time-left to test it once it’s really fixed.
This trip means a lot to me. So, as a “solution”, or a backup, or… I was thinking to buy my 2nd bike a bit earlier then I was originally planed. So in case my ST is still not fixed, or not well tested, or… I can always jump on my backup. But!!!!!!! The 2nd bike should be safe too, right? If I buy brand new bike I still have to break it in and bring it to the dealer after about 500-800 miles for first checkup, valves… right? So, buy and hop on and go do 5K miles is no-go. And, if I buy slightly used bike I don’t need to break it in but I can’t trust the owner and blindly, immediately go and do 5K miles, right?
So, at the end of last year I changed my rear tire and the dealer who performed it said that my final drive is kaput. Toast. Next couple moths (it’s Winter, I didn’t rush myself) I was trying to figure out am I going to fix the bike or sell what’s left of it and buy other one. I decided to fix it and then trying to find used, but still usable, parts. I couldn’t find anything and couldn’t wait anymore so bought new final drive, and flange, and… Anyway, in spring I had coolant leak again. And after I “fixed” it - there was gas leak. And, shortly after - both leaks again, at the same time. Later found clutch slave cinder is leaking too… But, since I decided to fix it…
My bike is friend’s shop for almost two months. He’s car mechanic, by profession, really good one. And really busy one. He promised me to help me to fix it but when he has time. Mostly late afternoon, after my work. But couple not-expected things happened to him and couple to me, so the “quick” fix took, as I said, almost two months. And the bike is still in his shop.
Coolant leak: first it was a hose (19504-MT3-000) and I replaced it with new one (and replaced, of course, the other one too, 19506-MT3-000). After we put the carburetor back - coolant leak again: the o-ring on right water joint was bad. Ok, bought new o-rings, for both water joints (19523-MT3-000), replaced and then - leak again. This time we found that left water joint has a crack. New water joints ordered. Wonder what’s next?
Gas leak: removed carbs, changed float bowl o-rings, drain screw rings, main jet and pilot jet rings. And (short) drain hoses. But gas leaked again. Then we found that (at least) one of the o-rings on FUEL JOINTs (16027-MT3-610 and 16027-MT3-750) were bad. All 8 o-rings replaced. After who-knows-how-many-times we put and take off the gas tank and the carburetors, gas finally stoped leaking. God knows for how long…
In meantime, the group that was riding to California, decided to leave a bit earlier, last Friday in May, in a month. Now I’m getting paranoid. I have almost-fixed bike and not-so-much-time-left to test it once it’s really fixed.
This trip means a lot to me. So, as a “solution”, or a backup, or… I was thinking to buy my 2nd bike a bit earlier then I was originally planed. So in case my ST is still not fixed, or not well tested, or… I can always jump on my backup. But!!!!!!! The 2nd bike should be safe too, right? If I buy brand new bike I still have to break it in and bring it to the dealer after about 500-800 miles for first checkup, valves… right? So, buy and hop on and go do 5K miles is no-go. And, if I buy slightly used bike I don’t need to break it in but I can’t trust the owner and blindly, immediately go and do 5K miles, right?