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Antallica
5th April 2004, 12:06
Hey dudes, it's time I put the problem out there instead of ignoring it.

For anyone who's ridden the FXR it has the "boost" (and I use that term loosely ;)) at 8.5k right? Well what mine is doing is acting as if it's being starved a bit and the bike jerks (similar to when the bike is running out of gas) and the boost doesn't kick in. It's as if the bike is not warmed up enough but it's hot as anything.

Funny thing is that if I have used the bike all morning and leave it for an hour or so after use and try it again, the bike almost acts sweet as with the boost kicking in.

I've got a new sparkie and the oil is fresh enough, I'm sure the oil isn't doing it. I really want to get an idea on what it might be so I don't put it into a shop and have them charge me a grand for something I could have done myself.

:moon:

Antallica
5th April 2004, 12:10
I've suspected my clutch discs to be slipping or something but it seems fine anywhere under 8.5k. I suspect Clutch or Fuel lines.

My mate seems to be having a similar problem, we are both around the 15,000km mark. Hope it's not something these bikes will become known for.

jrandom
5th April 2004, 14:29
Had exactly the same situation. The power peak just wasn't there some days. Didn't experience any jerky engine response though, that sounds a bit funny.

Does your bike still have the stock Malaysian factory carb jet and settings? The problem went away for me after Colemans rejetted and tuned my FXR and I started running it on Mobil 98 exclusively (the power also smoothed out a little and noticeably increased, with a slightly softer peak arriving around 10K instead of 8.5K). Last service, the nice chappie at the workshop who I can never remember the name of reckoned it'd be making about 28hp at the wheel which is several ponies over stock. I'll definitely put my FXR on the dyno before I flick it, just out of curiosity, like. Couple of times I've pulled away beside other FXRs around town and in spite of me displacing about 1.5 x the average 150 rider my bike always heads off in front with both of us gunning it.

Call the guys at Colemans and have a chat. The FXR is a bike worth twiddling with, it's not going to blow up on you.

Antallica
5th April 2004, 15:08
Well perhaps I'll organise a trip down to Auckland and see them. Dunno what I'll do when they have it though.

jrandom
5th April 2004, 16:51
Well perhaps I'll organise a trip down to Auckland and see them. Dunno what I'll do when they have it though.

er, you don't have your full license yet, do you? If you do, Colemans usually have plenty of loaner bikes going. They don't do restricted-license lenders though.

Otherwise, if you're going to get them to do the work, they'll only need the bike for a few hours. Book in (you'll probably need to wait 2-4 weeks), take the day off, ride down in the morning, turn up at the shop and go for a walk into town or something while they fix it up for ya. No worries.

jrandom
5th April 2004, 16:55
Oh yeah, and I know all the blah blah about not needing higher octane and all that, but I'm pretty sure about that Mobil 98. The power definitely comes on better when I'm running the FXR on it. Start using it after the retune.

madandy
5th April 2004, 17:09
98 makes my bike run heaps smoother than 91! diff. between 98 & 96 (on my bike) is little though.

:rockon:

Eddieb
5th April 2004, 17:43
My bike feels a bit smoother and more responsive on it as well.

Antallica
5th April 2004, 21:37
Yeah I'll probably book it in, will get in touch with them sometime. Gave it another birthday today (oil change), just to make sure that was done right.

Cheers for the advice man :)
I've been running it on BP '96 ever since I got it.

Andrew
5th April 2004, 22:39
Sounds like your bike could be running too rich when you open it up to that rev range.

Antallica
8th April 2004, 08:50
Yeah it sounds like it's getting too much of one or the other. I'll make sure that fuel hose is clear though.

750Y
8th April 2004, 10:49
Sounds like your bike could be running too rich when you open it up to that rev range.

could be the needle is wearing. although I haven't had the pleasure of pulling carbs apart for a few years now(Fuel injection is pretty nice). I'd be thinking about fuel &/or spark as your source of problems. You can test by running a timing light on the lead and revving it through the range and watching to see if the firing pattern scatters at higher revs which lets you know the electricals are working ok or not(the light should just blink faster but not scatter/stutter). probably pay to do it when the bikes hot and also when the bikes just been warmed up to rule out changes in conditions.You won't of course want to do it when the bikes cold and you only need to go through the problem point(8.5-10rpms) and not for a sustained time as there's no load on the engine when it's sitting. My suspicion is tho that the carb/s will need to be serviced.
You could also test to see if it's to do with it being rich(hence the needle wearing comment). if it has a choke(not fast idle) then warm it up to running temp from cold & pull the choke on, then go for a rip round & see if it does it, if it plays up then back off the choke a quarter & check for any change, then another quarter etc. until it's off. If it gets better while you're reducing the choke then it's to do with fuel and being too rich. pick an average weather day to try this & try to keep the temperature down while You're doing that test so that you don't get it hot again and run into the usual problems thereby masking the results of your test.
let us know what happens. & any experts out there feel free to butt in and stop me talking shit.

Antallica
8th April 2004, 11:01
Never pulled one apart, not really keen on doing it yet ;) Afraid I'll bugger something real good.

750Y
8th April 2004, 11:10
don't pull it apart, let someone that knows what they're doing do it.

jrandom
8th April 2004, 11:39
don't pull it apart, let someone that knows what they're doing do it.

With that attitude we'd all go through our lives paying eedjits far too much money to do mind-numbingly simple jobs for us while we sat and watched TV. After all, it's better to Leave It To The Professionals, you know.

In Ant's case, well, since it's his transport appliance and he can't afford to screw it up, fairy nuff, but as a general point your advice sucks, man :Punk:

Antallica
8th April 2004, 11:46
Hehe, well this has really given me the push I needed to sign up for an 18 month cycle mechanics course by correspondence.

Stuff mechanics, I'd rather do it properly myself :)

750Y
8th April 2004, 11:46
In Ant's case, well, since it's his transport appliance and he can't afford to screw it up, fairy nuff, but as a general point your advice sucks, man :Punk:

well the advice WAS meant in ant's case, but perhaps you'd like to add some helpful advice for him besides sending it to the shop. boy i'll try not to be so helpful next time.

jrandom
8th April 2004, 12:12
well the advice WAS meant in ant's case, but perhaps you'd like to add some helpful advice for him besides sending it to the shop. boy i'll try not to be so helpful next time.

no no, don't be silly, I'm just being contrary. :bleh:

750Y
8th April 2004, 16:15
lol, & i'm just jumpy since my mother dropped me on my head as a baby. :apint:

Antallica
8th April 2004, 20:24
Hehe I fell out of a window when I was still a baby. Crawlin' around.

Maybe those floor high windows wern't such a good idea after all ;)

Posh Tourer :P
8th April 2004, 21:53
With that attitude we'd all go through our lives paying eedjits far too much money to do mind-numbingly simple jobs for us while we sat and watched TV. After all, it's better to Leave It To The Professionals, you know.

In Ant's case, well, since it's his transport appliance and he can't afford to screw it up, fairy nuff, but as a general point your advice sucks, man :Punk:

I've pulled apart 3 carb types, the last being the beemer's constant vacuum slide carb. They arent for the faint hearted. Then again, with a little knowledge and a few tools, especially measuring ones and a good manual, its a good exercise....

Firefight
8th April 2004, 21:56
lol, & i'm just jumpy since my mother dropped me on my head as a baby. :apint:



hey 750Y, hows that new bike ??


F/F

750Y
11th April 2004, 20:30
hey 750Y, hows that new bike ??
F/F

all good FF, run in, & ready to cruise 8-). haven't been out much tho.

also ANT: forgot to mention another possibility which dawned on me as we were working on my brother-in-laws quad today, sometimes the coil can play up when it gets warm. If at all possible try & check the easy things & if you know someone with a bike like yours maybe shout them a few beers if they let you swap stuff over to check... like plugs,coil,lead/s etc.(1 at a time) They are really easy to swap over and it's pretty hard to wreck them in testing.(just a thought). any luck yet???

Antallica
11th April 2004, 21:59
Well my mate has the same bike just a year older. His seems to be developing the same problem after giving it a ride yesterday.

Realistically I am sure it's either the card needs tuning or something is really wrong with my cylinder. Mate suggested perhaps it could be a carbon buildup on the exhaust but I don't see that being the case.

What I am certain of now is that the bike seems to be lagging a bit when I apply the gas, so perhaps is IS the carb having a cry. Either way it's getting a service this week, I'm sick of not having power to go up hills & watching the g/f pass me on her scoot.

:brick:

jrandom
11th April 2004, 22:12
Realistically I am sure it's either the card needs tuning or something is really wrong with my cylinder.

99% sure it'll just be your carb settings mate (and it's probably pretty cruddy in there too). Get on with that tune eh?

FROSTY
11th April 2004, 22:54
its pretty hard to screw it up with a single cylinder carbie though.
I'm wondering if a plug chop is in order here Maybee it leans out as it gets hot?

Antallica
1st May 2004, 11:39
Noticed my sparkie is putting out a rather small/weak spark too... I replaced that plug a few weeks ago and it's rather black around the edges, but the middle is sweet.

So it's still carb you all reckon huh, had a fiddle with the fuel (can't remember if it was fuel or not) adjustment on the carb which did absolutely nothing. I did notice that the performance was *slightly* improved when the air filter was removed. But it still sounds to be struggling when it comes near 8.5k.

I took it into the shop yesterday morning and they hadn't even touched it in the afternoon, so I took it home rather angrily.

If I could describe it in any way, I'd have to say it performs like they do when the choke is on when you're going hard.

FROSTY
1st May 2004, 14:23
I'd suggest just pull the carb out and give it a bllody good clean out.After that fit omne size bigger main jet and pilot jet.
You will know right away if you're on the right track cos itll either run heaps better or heaps worse.
Im wondering if they fit lean jets in em from the factory to pass all the emmission laws.

pete376403
1st May 2004, 14:34
I'd suggest just pull the carb out and give it a bllody good clean out.After that fit omne size bigger main jet and pilot jet.
You will know right away if you're on the right track cos itll either run heaps better or heaps worse.
Im wondering if they fit lean jets in em from the factory to pass all the emmission laws.
They sure do - and sometimes put tamperproof plugs in the holes so you can't get at them

FROSTY
1st May 2004, 14:51
They sure do - and sometimes put tamperproof plugs in the holes so you can't get at them
From memory thats a simple case of knocking th plugs off/out

Antallica
4th May 2004, 18:53
Solved!

Hole in diaphram..... *shrugs*
Part coming from somewhere in NZ

Temporarily fixed, and I must say.... it's twice the FXR when I even bought it!
We must compare one day JR!

Cheers Shaw Motorcycles :D

jrandom
4th May 2004, 20:04
Solved!

Hole in diaphram..... *shrugs*
Part coming from somewhere in NZ

Temporarily fixed, and I must say.... it's twice the FXR when I even bought it!
We must compare one day JR!

Cheers Shaw Motorcycles :D

Good man. Glad to hear it, you'll be a happy chappy. See, the FXR ain't so bad really. You'll be popping fat monos in no time.

I need to give *my* poor bike some TLC, I think that last crash rattled its dags a little. I have some exhaust-can-inspecting to do in the morning which might generate a humourous post or two. Stay tuned (or not, as the case may be, depending on jet sizes :p)

And my bloody MT75 rear is squaring off from all the commuting, I need to find some twisties to shape it up on before it goes completely rectangular. A few runs along Scenic Drive called for this week I think.