Backrest Replacement - by Ross Dovey
Many people want to have a backrest to stop the passenger from doing a backwards flip off the bike on launches...but don't want to have it on for solo trips. Changing the whole system back and forth with the stock grab bar is a pain in the @$$. Here is an alternative...
Find a short back rail, or small sissy bar if you so wish to call it from a Virago. Now, here is the trick to removing and installing without having to disassemble everything each time. Remove the four screws that hold the backrest or sissy on. Get a length of threaded rod that will slip through the holes that the screws came out of. The rod has to be long enough to pass from one side to the other. The backrest will lift up enough so that you can slip the rod through the two exposed holes on the top of the backrest, put a nut and washer on one end for a stop. Push the rod through and put a washer and nut on the other end. Now, all you have to do is tighten the threaded rod until it pulls out. Then you compress the sissy or backrest to slip in. I've been doing this for a couple years now, works for me.
Fuel Pump won't prime by itself - TH
Bike sat in storage for a while and now the fuel pump won't work...try manually priming it. Disconnect the fuel line at the filter, pop on a small funnel and pour in an ounce or so of clean gas. Remove the funnel and blow lightly on the hose to fill both the inlet and outlet chambers of the pump. Reconnect the hose to the filter and hit the key...you should hear the pump take hold.
No Spark (non-digital ignitor unit) - TH
Bike turning over fine but no spark. Before you replace the ignitor box try disconnecting the B/W grounding wire from the sidestand relay. The relay is located underneath the ignitor box. If it is stuck closed it will deliver an unwanted ground to the box regardless of the side stand position - hence no spark.
Exhaust Pipes Bluing - TH
Worried abut the new aftermarket chrome exhaust system turning blue after a couple hours of hard riding? Paint the inside of the head pipes with header paint like VHT, etc. The heat is reflected off the coating and out of the exhaust system. Heat does not get absorbed as quickly through the pipe wall.
Airbox Heat - TH
Lining the bottom of your airbox with a heat reflecting material will keep engine heat out so that you have cooler denser air. Cooler denser air = more power on tap...
MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWS has detailed accounts of motorcyclists that encountered severe problems with mainly their water pumps if they were using antifreeze (coolants) that were designed for automobiles. "Our first findings were that the vast majority (98.7%) of pump failures occurred on bikes that had had their cooling systems flushed, or drained and refilled, within the past year. Secondly, of the bikes with failed pumps, 99% had been filled with automotive-type coolants, such as Prestone, Zerex or a house brand from some parts chain like Pep Boys. Less than 1% of the bikes with failed pumps had used pre-mixed Hondaline coolant or another motorcycle-specific anti-freeze." They went on to say that if you currently have automotive silicate-bearing coolant in your bike now, get it out as soon as possible and replace it with a non silicate specific coolant like Hondaline Pro Honda HP Coolant or Toyota Longlife.
Clutch Slave cylinder rebuild - TH
If the clutch slave cylinder is giving you fits by either sticking and or leaking, before you trash it and head to the dealer for a new one, try cleaning the piston and housing with a very fine rubbing compound. If the housing is not corroded too much you can get it back to a decent finish which will reseal. And if the dust seal has gone south on your earlier model Max don't sweat that the dealer's microfiche lists only a complete assembly including piston and housing. Just order a seal kit off of a new model. It comes with a piston seal that you won't need but the dust seal snaps right on.
Removing Seized Pilot Srews - TH
The most important point is to ensure an exact screwdriver fit in the screw slot. File the screwdriver blade if you have to. A bit of slop and slip and you're done for... to get some extra grip, dip the tip of the screwdriver in some "screw grit" or valve-grinding compound. The grit "bites" into the metal when you try to remove the screw. This trick also works well for those #&%ing Phillip screw heads on the carb covers.
If you want to be able to crank your Max without
spark (e.g. to pump your oil or check compression):
1. For the early ignition machines, half tap the black/white wire
coming out of the ignitor box to an on-off switch (eg toggle or
rocker), connect the other side of the switch to a ground. You
can use the sidestand relay connections - which terminates the
black/white and a black wire ground. The relay is located just in
front/below of box. Click your switch on (close circuit) =
no spark.
2. For the digital machines, half tap the blue/yellow wire coming out of the ignitor box to an on-off switch (eg toggle or rocker), connect the other side of the switch to a ground. Click the switch on (closed circuit) = no spark.
I would still recommend cranking with the spark plugs removed and an open throttle. Do not crank longer than 8 seconds at a time. Do not let your starter get hot...
Wiring in an MSD shift light - Patrick Ahearn / Tyler Pennock
On rear right coil Splice MSD green to coil negative (or gray tach wire under left scoop), splice MSD red to MAX red/white. Black MSD goes to ground. Remember that the shift light is not waterproof so seal the lense and case with some clear silicone.
Or to get the electronic out of the weather, Tyler...disassembled the shift light, cut the LED panel off, found a small black plastic tube, used a panel light lens,screwed lens into one end, found a Honda(bike) instrument bulb and socket,pushed it in the other end, wired it to MSD elec. board,mounted board under left scoop. Using 3m sidemolding tape mounted new light between Speedo and mount, it's small and waterproof and unless your looking for it ,you don't know it's there. NOTE be careful on your choice of lamps that you might want to try for different brightness. The MSD is rated for only 120ma, use only the following bulbs: #1816, #181, #1898.
Removing Steering head races - Paul Sayegh
In regards to removing pressed in races......The best way I have found to remove them in blind holes like the steering head or car wheel bearings etc. is to use a welder (arc or mig), . If you weld (low amps!) a small bead directly on the center of the race all the way around or even spot weld 4 or 5 spots in the center, when it cools, the race shrinks because of the weld and it will fall out. We do it all the time here at work and it works perfect!
Reworking the stock seat - Roy Richards
Reworked my stock seat today. Although I enjoyed the comfort of Mr Furburs sportmax seat (I got to use Paul's all of bike week) it was just too low in the saddle for me. I like being up on top of the bike rather than in it as some seem to enjoy.
I wanted a compromise so I took an electric Kitchen knife and following the lines of the bike I carved about an inch off of the top of the factory foam. This left a wide flat area for me to sit on that no longer gave me a wedgie. I think I only dropped my riding position about 1/2" as the other 1/2" I carved off was just stuffed up my butcrack anyway. I rounded off the hard edges where I had made the cut and covered the stock seat completely with headliner material (an old sweatshirt you can cut up will work if you dont have any) in order to hide any imperfections.
I put the stock vinyl back on, pulled the center down first to keep my new "scooped" design tight in the middle, pulled the rest tight and stapled it all down and surprise! I didnt even have to rework the factory cover. It pulled down so nice and tight it looks as good as new, just a different shape.
A nice long ride today confirmed a big increase in the comfort factor. Even seems to ride better as bumps are no longer rammed straight up your spine. I now sit on my whole but rather than just the center, and I am still up on top of the bike.
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