[slumlord]

Well,ii finally happened. Not a single bike I have is on the road. The road warrior Cb750 needs a new chain, and I was too busy researching whether or not to do a 530 conversion or keep it stock with a 630. Websites are pretty hard to find a decently priced rear sprocket, and it really should be changed with the chain. The CB 360 gave up electrical connections at a six plug connector going to the fuse box. One of the pins is 90% corroded away with a 10 volt voltage drop. Now waiting for parts. I probably could clean the carb on the 450 Nighthawk and ride it, but that bike is not stored at home. The Cb550 is waiting for a voltage regulator-rectifier and new control switches as well as assembling and tuning the carb bank. Pretty happy about this bike because it took me forever to figure out that the voltage regulator was causing a dead short that kept blowing fuses. The 175 project rat bike is down waiting for the paint to harden and still needs additional paint anyway.

The guest Magna is now on expired plates[March 31],and the owner forgot to get them renewed. Probably be four days until the sticker arrives.

It was a perfect 70 degrees today with no wind.........Arggggggh!

 

[MONI]

Now that's just not right Slum!! Better start showing Shredder's Stable to the kids and telling them that is how they should be acting.

 

[cmonSTART]

Good grief, man. Sounds like my place!

I ended up staying with a 630 chain on my CB750. It's really expensive stuff though, and a bit hard to find. 530 is probably the smarter way to go.

 

[hawkaholic37]

I can't think of anything worse than what you're going through. Half a dozen bikes and nothing to ride! Time to get your ducks in a row

 

[slumlord]

It does not matter anyway. I smashed my toe and cannot shift a bike. It turned purple,but I do not think it is broken.

Gonna use this as an opportunity to wrench more and make the shop a better organized place to work.

 

[seagullplayer]

Sometimes it makes you envy people with only one bike to worry about, sometimes...

My first bike was a 450 nighthawk, bought new in 1985. Wish I still had it, some of the happiest 40K miles I ever spent.

Sorry about your toe, everything hurts when your toe hurts. Bad part about toes, the smaller the toe the bigger the pain.

 

[Oz]

... I smashed my toe and cannot shift a bike...

Sounds like you need to add a scooter to your stable.

Good luck getting all those bikes back on the road and getting all your toes back to a single color. :biggrin:

 

[Aphrodite]

I know I am happiest now with one bike. And one Scoot.

 

[slumlord]

Sometimes it makes you envy people with only one bike to worry about, sometimes...

My first bike was a 450 nighthawk, bought new in 1985. Wish I still had it, some of the happiest 40K miles I ever spent.

Sorry about your toe, everything hurts when your toe hurts. Bad part about toes, the smaller the toe the bigger the pain.

Consider this an invitation to ride my cb450sc then. It is a blue one,1985. Darke county right next to IN

 

[slumlord]

Waiting game

I finally got my new sprockets on order. I tried to do it online with one vendor and there was just not enough information. Bike bandit is easier, but I had one question and the online chat got disconnected.

So i called an actual human being at BB and it was much faster as well as about 10 percent cheaper than their online ordering system. Our little secret.

Now I will be using a 530 chain instead of a 630, and even with new sprockets,it is about the same money as just a 630 chain. On the road in just a few days...

 

[hogcowboy]

So i called an actual human being at BB and it was much faster as well as about 10 percent cheaper than their online ordering system. Our little secret.

Yeah, that is something that not too many know. I just saved about 50 bucks talking to a human instead of ordering online. Once the secret gets out they'll change the rules again though. I quit ordering from Amazon for that very reason. Semper Gumby

 

[slumlord]

Gahhhhh!

BBandit sent a 60 series sprocket for the front and a 530 for the back for the CB750.
Judging from the time of delivery,and two company sourcing, it appears that BB has stuff shipped to them that they then ship out. The E-bay guys are faster. I had gaskets from clear across the country here in 3 days and at an outstanding price.
At least the Magna is back on the road. Waiting for some old style connectors to get back in stock for two other bikes. Painting the frame of the old 175.Ordered a special bolt to pull the starter over-running clutch on the 360. So four bikes down just waiting for parts and time. Two others that are on the wait list.

It sort of drives one nuts when you are ordering four related items for electrical and you start finalizing the order and ONE is out of stock. Happened with two vendors and makes me wonder if it all gets sold to the vendors by the same outfit that is out of stock.

At least I have a nice shop with wood floors, good lighting and bike lifts.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Me too.

Well almost.
The XS400, the cheapest smallest bike is running fine.The cheap chain is going around. It stretched a bit initially. Will adjust soon.
Around this time of year I switch the plate to the Suzuki. It needs the valve adjustment checked, but will run fine. Been busy working on my boat, and spent any spare money. Suzuki costs more for plate and opposition insurance.
The XS11 is insured all year, and is supposed to be running all year. So that is the unit I planned to ride to the mainland on Wednesday.
So yesterday I put the key in and Yami was reluctant to start. A couple of awsome back fires, and a bunch of cranking and he fired. But when I tried to run him later, no go. Click then no click. Checked battery, okay, tried another battery anyway. No go, nothing except lights on dash.
Went to spare bike and removed the starter, connected pos to battery, and shorted ground. Big spark and whirr. Removed starter form Yami and did the same. Whirr. So I think the problem is in the relay between the battery and the starter, and I do not have a spare.
Will also check the start button.

Unkle Crusty*

 

[soupy1957]

Oh-oh! A Buckeye without a Bike!! That's like a Bostonian without Peanuts!!!

-Soupy

 

[Christine]

"Bikeless in Ohio". Is Meg Ryan in it?

 

[slumlord]

dealing with BikeBandit

Waited 20 minutes for a customer service person and she knew nothing about the 630 to 530 chain conversion. It took quite a conversation to explain how it works and that BikeBandit sales staff assisted me over the phone. THAT is what made the mistake their responsibility

Actually,it is difficult to use online information on their site. It is sort of a leap of faith that you enter your motorcycle in to the system and the proper parts appear. In my case, that would be the 630 chain. 530 chain and sprockets are an available option,but once you order all you see is a part number and no specifications. That is why I used a sales rep to order so he could check and make sure that both sprockets would fit the bike and convert to 530 chain.

Rear sprocket that they sent was fine to fit a 530 chain,,but the front sprocket was 630.

All I can do is hope that somehow I get the correct sprocket. No paperwork exists to prove the order was changed. No e-mails confirming or anything. I had to ask for a shipping label to return the part at their expense and had to argue about that as well. Also had the argument about the original packaging which was a repackaging from Rocky Tucker and whether it was opened or installed on the bike. How would I know if it fits or not unless I place it on the spline?

For now,I guess that I won the argument,but there is some doubt that the correct part will show up. No way to track it. No paperwork to back it up as they are doing a straight trade. The only think i have is a return shipping label for the incorrect sprocket. I might have to have an online session and see if they can produce an E-mail or something I can use to document what is happening.

It would probably been worth it to go to a brick and mortar store and order from a good counter salesman.

 

[seagullplayer]

I would love to ride a nighthawk 450 again! Mine was also blue. I really loved that bike, it was very reliable and almost maint. free.

I was very lucky with spring start-up this year.

I did a LOT of work on my Goldwing (1984 Interstate) last year, mechanical and electrical. I had it down in my barn all winter, changed the battery and it started right up! Checked things over, everything was a go, and sold it to my BIL the same hour.
I will/do miss that bike.

But I sold it because I bought its replacement a 2005 Honda VTX 1300 over the winter. It came with a trickle charger and I used it over the winter. In truth I started it a few times over the winter and got to ride it at least once every month. So it was no big surprise when it fired right up. We have put about 500 miles on it in the last four weeks or so.

My 20 year old HD 883 sat all winter in the garage (unheated), I assumed I would at least have to charge up the battery. But last week I tried it and it started right up without issue. I rode it to meet a couple folks for breakfast, man she sure runs great!

I would be a one motorcycle guy, but I have myself in a pickle of sorts. My wife and I love to ride together, but the sporty is not practical for long distance comfort for the both of us. We have "out grown" it over the last two decades, I am not talking about engine displacement, if you get my drift.
We find the VTX very comfortable. But we bought the 883 new, our family seems very attached to the bike. Its "dad's bike". I put pictures on FB of the Goldwing when we bought it four years ago my youngest son called my wife from Iraq to ask what I had done with his Harley. So I guess that means it goes in the will.

If he ever decides to learns to ride I will gift it to him. But he is a new husband and is on his second deployment, he has bigger fish to fry at the moment...

To the OP, I hope all your parts get in soon. I did away with some of the connectors in the wing and wired direct. I also come to like spade connectors.

 

[slumlord]

Things are getting back to normal. The Magna is licensed, and the old CB750 is back on the road with fresh chain and sprockets. What a difference!

I have [probably] all of the parts I need for the 360 and probably the 550 as well. The shop is decently clean and organized, but I now have to do some construction work to put food on the table. The smashed toe and some back trouble had me hanging around home for a while, but at least the shop looks better and makes it more fun to work on the bikes.

 

[soupy1957]

Must be nice to have a lot of bikes to choose from?! I only have ONE!!

-Soupy

 

[seagullplayer]

May there be more riding and less wrenching in your near future.

Stop bumping that toe on everything in sight!