My Speedo doesn't work!

[loosebruce]

Thank you for your offer, at the moment we're not really sure what the problem is, I think the only free time I have this weekend will be on Sunday Afternoon. Do you live out west? Anyway I'll give you a buzz on Sunday if I get home early enough (Heading out to Riverhead for a BBQ)

Sunday afternoon will be sweet, kinda west, Waterveiw to be precise, peice of piss to find. If not sunday i can generaly find time during the week, just means i have to get up early. I start work round 5pm on sunday FYI, and now looks like i might go riding on Sat. If the TL holds together this time otherwise i might have to take the ZXR out again, as fun as it was, i couldn't bloody walk properly for 2 days after.

[placidfemme]

you know that big 'hole' behind the front wheel? there will be a funny looking thing with a grill on it, this is the radiator, feel around it WHEN ITS COLD!!! (it will hurt otherwise) for leaks, the headers are the 4 black pipes that you see behind them, look at them and see if there are any big noticible holes..


The coolant containor (where you put the coolant mixture and water) is behind the right rear fairing, you can see it just when you take the rear seat off, make sure it has enought coolant in it, if you missed the previous bit the headers are the 4 big tubes (black ones) behind the front wheel...

I'll have a look at the radiator this afternoon when I get home and have a feel around when it's cold for any leaks, from memory my four pipes look kind dry and rusty (but not too bad... any recommendations regarding what to use to stop rusting near here) and I'll check for holes in them.

Ok I know where the coolant container is... seen it but wasn't too sure what it was... if it's kinda empty what kind of liquid do I put in there? Just water?

Thanks again

[loosebruce]

Good ole bruce what a legend

that offer goes to anyone as well, some shits beyond me, but i've broken enough bikes in my time to know a fair bit and had enough shit go wrong with them to match, er as well as more than a few crashes and............... (thousands of freakin dollars).

But yeah if anyone needs a hand or has a question, like i said i'll help when i can.

Bruce

[John]

I'll have a look at the radiator this afternoon when I get home and have a feel around when it's cold for any leaks, from memory my four pipes look kind dry and rusty (but not too bad... any recommendations regarding what to use to stop rusting near here) and I'll check for holes in them.

Ok I know where the coolant container is... seen it but wasn't too sure what it was... if it's kinda empty what kind of liquid do I put in there? Just water?

Thanks again

Ah that rusting is a real hard one to stop, you really have to paint it to stop rust, and if chromed or stainless you have to keep it spotless - as for the coolant if its not empty I wouldn’t worry You should top it up with a mixture of a coolant (preferably the same as is already in there!) and water, but topping it up with water isn’t a bad thing as a temporary measure.

I will do a coolant change when I come down to install the alarm, or loosebruce might do it for you, either way its always good for it to do it frequently. (Every 6months etc) loosebruce might be able to show you how-to connect the alarm to, as he built his zxr ( ? ) but no pressure, just ask him nicely if you cant wait for me to get down )

Has the manual arrived yet?..

[placidfemme]

The ZXR Manual? I havn't recieved anything as of yet... might be in todays post.

I'm in no hurry to get the alarm done, as I mentioned in my PM to you that I'm pretty much flat tack with family/work until next weekend... and then next weekend I'm only free on Saturday afternoon because I'll be at that Ride Safe Ride Right thingy all day Sunday...

Yeah I was looking at those pipes the other day when I was using AutoSol polish on anything shiney on my bike (lol) and I was wondering wether to try polish those pipes to reduce rust but wasn't sure so I just left them...

[crashe]

Well all I can hope is that you sort out the 'smokin' problem soon...

Yep having no speedo is a wee worry. That happened to me recently on the motorway.. but mine wasnt broken/snapped. Mine had come undone up at the top by where you read the speed. My bike doesnt have a rev counter either.

[Two Smoker]

From what i have read, it is eaither something leaking onto your header pipes (the 4 pipes coming out of the engine) OR it is something leaking from your caliper (highly unlikely)....

Go see Bruce on Sunday, AND DONT LET HIM RIDE YOUR BIKE!!! Im the only one stupid enough to let him do that...

[Pixie]

Could be wrong but I was always told to look for the simple things first. A crack in the speedo cable could let water into the bearing in the speedo drive housing. This would eventually cause partial seizure and overheating. Would also explain drop of liquid you saw. Wouldn't expain cable breaking higher up though. Next time you go for a ride check if the housing's warm. Hope that's all it is.
-------------------------------
I just got lost in thought and it wasn't familiar territory

Feel the speedo drive at the wheelhub to see if it gets hot .
I've see speedo drives that show evidence of getting hot (cooked grease)
They tend to be overlooked by mechanics during services.

[loosebruce]

Go see Bruce on Sunday, AND DONT LET HIM RIDE YOUR BIKE!!! Im the only one stupid enough to let him do that...

Why the hell not aye, what bike of your's have i ridden anyway, as i recall you toasted the GSXR before i got a go on it, you didn't need much help with the RG either, the ZXR well........
Name one bike that wasn't MINE that i broke/fucked, huh just one, the ZZR in the garage don't count BTW. and sudeeps bloody GSXR doesn't count either cause that was mine when i crashed that.

[FEINT]

Why the hell not aye, what bike of your's have i ridden anyway, as i recall you toasted the GSXR before i got a go on it, you didn't need much help with the RG either, the ZXR well........
Name one bike that wasn't MINE that i broke/fucked, huh just one, the ZZR in the garage don't count BTW. and sudeeps bloody GSXR doesn't count either cause that was mine when i crashed that.

Bruce is a good fella, he changed my brake pads on my old CBR... and he took that for a spin, it came back in one piece! He even rode it with one hand in a cast!!!

[Ixion]

Bruce is a good fella, he changed my brake pads on my old CBR... and he took that for a spin, it came back in one piece! He even rode it with one hand in a cast!!!

Uh, was the hand in a cast when he started ?

[FROSTY:Me]

sorry PF I've been puterless basicly
I thought you were a shore girl
I'll be at work on lake road all weekend if ya wanna swing by and I'll check her out for you. Im thinking your rocker cover gasket might be slightly leaking
The smell etc sorta points that way.--Especially as it only started after the bike was serviced.

[Two Smoker]

Why the hell not aye, what bike of your's have i ridden anyway, as i recall you toasted the GSXR before i got a go on it, you didn't need much help with the RG either, the ZXR well........
Name one bike that wasn't MINE that i broke/fucked, huh just one, the ZZR in the garage don't count BTW. and sudeeps bloody GSXR doesn't count either cause that was mine when i crashed that.

LMAO... well i offered you a ride on it, and the offer still stands... it will be fixed soon

Yes the ZXR is the only bike of mine that i havent crashed (yet).....

Hhhhmmmm Other peoples bikes ive wasted...

-Speedmedics TL1000R (I rode it too easy)
-kutulu's RGV250 (that was done it style, but i rode it too easy)

I think thats all.... other than that everyone elses bike that i have thrashed have come back in one piece... Maybe its telling me that when i get on someone elses bike i should thrash it??? Hey Bruce... wheres the Gixxer thou

[placidfemme]

Just a small update... I havn't noticed any smoke coming from my front end since my speedo cable was replaced...

My ZXR was great riding home on Friday, then to work on Saturday and then to Howick and back on Saturday afternoon, then to Riverhead and back on Sunday and then to work again this morning... no smoke...

Hopefully the smoke was somehow connected to the speedo cable... if I see the smoke again I'll post about it again and take on some of the offers to look at the bike to see if they can find the problem...

Thanks for all your help

Ride safe

[Motu]

Hard to believe a speedo cable was smoking,they don't exactly get hot in normal use,maybe if you cruised at 300kph - but I have seen them get hot and burn up when used as an earth for the headlamp say...perhaps a look at the broken cable to see if the strands are black and very brittle.