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Messages - XavierTico

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Xciting 500 / Re: Rough take off and rough ride
« on: January 22, 2010, 07:44:36 PM »
OK, after waiting four weeks for new rollers we put in a set of 26 gram Dr. Pulleys. The shudder has gone away and the bike is much smoother at low speed. The trade off is the bike is geared noticeably lower at all speeds. I rarely have an opportunity to cruise at greater than about 100 kph in this country, however, so it's not the problem it would be for a U.S. commuter. Typical highway cruising speeds are between 70 and 90 kph, which has the bike between 5000 and 6000 rpm. 100 kph was around 5500 rpm with the factory rollers, but the shudder and vibe at 2500 to 3000 rpm was alarming. The jump from the factory rollers to 26 grams is a big difference. I would have chosen a 28 or 30 gram set if I'd had a choice, but I couldn't find one.

To substitute for the special tool to hold the pully we fashioned a steel ring with two bolts welded to it in the right positions and used a chain vicegrip to hold it still. We probably could have just put the chain around the pulley, but we didn't want to take a chance of bending or banging up the aluminum cooling fins on the pulley. 

Thanks for all the suggestions. If anyone knows a source for 28 or 30 gram Dr. Pulley sliders for the 500 I'd probably buy a set and try them.

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Xciting 500 / Re: Fluid Leaking from Front Fork
« on: January 22, 2010, 07:34:27 PM »
OK, thanks to the excellent advice I received from Shaka I skipped buying the whole fork unit for $119 and bought a seal for $5. The installation was pretty straight forward. Getting the tube out is easy once the front wheel is off, (which is also easy.) It took me a while to realize there was a retaining clip holding the seal and its attendant washers in the tube. Once I got that clip out, however, it still felt like there was something holding everything in the tube. Fortunately I had an experienced mechanic there to ask about it, he told me there was nothing else, just pull it out. He was right. To put it back together took some careful seating of the washers with a light hammer and a makeshift punch made from an old screwdriver blade. Our two different sources for how much oil to put in said 2 - 6 ounces and 6-8, so we decided on 6. It all went back together smoothly and it works great now. No leaks. Total time invested about 4 hours which included a lot of head scratching, a few phone calls to the dealer, and a short hunt for fork oil. Thanks for all the help.

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Xciting 500 / Re: Fluid Leaking from Front Fork
« on: January 03, 2010, 11:37:00 PM »
It makes a good deal of sense, though I'm not crystal clear on how the whole thing fits together. It looks like everything piles in from the top except that one allen bolt and washer. It's not real clear where and when the oil would go in, but I'm hoping I can get some information from the local dealer. I've got the service manual. Getting the unit off the bike looks straight forward. Digging out the old seals and reinstalling the new sounds like the most challenging part and they don't cover it in the service manual. 

I appreciate the instructions. I'm going to see if I can order the parts I need for this project and somehow duck the 100% import duty (I live in Costa Rica).

I'm also not particularly well equipped with tools. I'll have to scrounge about some for large sockets and extensions. But I have so little faith in the local dealer that I really don't have a lot of options.

Thanks again for your input. I'll keep you posted on how this goes.


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Xciting 500 / Re: Fluid Leaking from Front Fork
« on: January 03, 2010, 07:11:10 PM »
Sorry, that link doesn't go to the page with the blow up of the fork assembly. Let's try this one:
http://webservices.motorsportdealers.com/parts/partImages/KYM/4/03/11/0125.Gif

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Xciting 500 / Re: Fluid Leaking from Front Fork
« on: January 03, 2010, 07:06:04 PM »
Thanks for your help. It appears it's leaking where the upper piston goes into the lower painted sleeve, and that it's been this way for at least a little while as the paint is blistered around the top.

 I found a parts diagram here:

http://www.stadiumyamaha.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/73/0/1245/50/default.aspx

I'm going to try to find out if I can buy a recommended list of parts that would constitute a rebuild kit for replacing the seal. My mechanical skills were once pretty good, but that was many years ago. After I remove the fork tube, will the piston be loaded under any very considerable spring pressure? Will I need any special tools to reassemble it or keep it from hitting the ceiling when I take out the containing nut?  And where would I find the specified oil volume and type? Does it have to be bled somehow?

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Xciting 500 / Fluid Leaking from Front Fork
« on: January 03, 2010, 04:18:45 PM »
There is fluid leaking from the top of the left front fork shock tube on my 2006 500X. Does this mean the whole assembly has to be replaced? Can you replace just one side? The parts manual shows it as a unit, and it looks like an expensive unit at that.

7
Xciting 500 / Re: Rough take off and rough ride
« on: December 17, 2009, 03:05:25 PM »
Whether it's a custom tool that I don't have or an impact wrench that I don't have makes little difference. I'm scouring the local hardware stores now looking for something I can use. Good tools are hard to find in this country, and specialty tools damn near impossible.

In looking for the source of my vibration I've also discovered a little smile on the left side of the rear wheel rim. It looks like the careless use of a tire iron bent it out slightly. As a result there is a very small wobble in the rear wheel. I can't feel it at any speed, but watching the rim carefully as it turns makes it pretty obvious. Any ideas about whether such damage can be fixed or am I left with replacing the wheel?

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Xciting 500 / Re: Rough take off and rough ride
« on: December 15, 2009, 10:20:42 PM »
TS1, that is just the technique I've been using to avoid the rough spot.

I put the bike on the stand and ran it up some. There is a notable vibe when the transmission engages, but nothing like when it's got a load on it. Although the bike has no odo reading, I'm much more inclined to think this is an issue that resulted from the bike sitting unused than it is one stemming from heavy wear on some part or another. There are none of the obvious signs of wear that would show on a high mileage machine. Tires, brake pads, seat cover, floor mats, handle bar grips, brake handles, all show almost no signs of wear. The windshield has almost no scratches.

I just ordered a new set of rollers and I plan to examine the clutch when I get the cvt covers off. Unfortunately, the local dealer is little interested in maintenance work, and I have to order what I want in my less than perfect Spanish. He offered me an appointment to get the speedo fixed in early Feburary. I didn't even ask him about diagnosing the vibration problem.  It will take at least two weeks to get the new rollers from the States. Till then, I'm going to try to figure out how I'm going to get the variator and clutch bolts off without an impact wrench.

I appreciate everyone's input on this. I'll keep you posted.

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Xciting 500 / Re: Rough take off and rough ride
« on: December 15, 2009, 02:28:49 AM »
Thanks. I was hoping some expert would tell me not to worry about it, they all vibrate like that. It's extremely smooth otherwise.

I'll get it on the stand soon and try to pinpoint the problem.

As to the ride, I think one of the rear shocks may not be working correctly. There's some oily crud on the innermost chromed cylinder, and some rust on the inside of the spring. It doesn't seem to compress properly when I have someone hop up and down on the back seat.  The tires are Kendas inflated to the pressures recommended in the manual.

Thanks again. I'll post what I find out.

10
Xciting 500 / Rough take off and rough ride
« on: December 14, 2009, 08:57:55 PM »
I'm a new owner of a 2006 500. I don't know how many miles are on it because the speedo and odo don't work. The bike is immaculate, however, and the original tires on it don't look like they have rolled more than 1000 miles.

I've just moved up from a 125cc Honda scooter and I've got questions about two things.

First, when starting slowly from a stop or accelerating from a slow roll the bike gets into a sympathetic vibration with the engine at around 2500 rpm that feels like it's going to shake the machine to pieces. To avoid it I have to rev up quickly, (sometimes more quickly than I want to), or not slow down as much as I'd like to. The vibration is major, shaking the bike till the windshield and cargo box rattle. Any ideas to fix the problem? Different belt weights, perhaps, or a lighter or heavier slider?  I can avoid it completely by accelerating briskly from a stop. In that case the engine revs to above 3000 and feels like I'm slipping the clutch on a regular transmission, then drops into gear with a noticeable thunk and really digs in when the slipping stops. By the time it thunks in solid , the engine is reved above the critical 2500 vibe range, so I avoid the vibration. Is this normal?

The other item is the ride. I live in Costa Rica where many secondary roads and local streets are less than perfectly smooth. One of the reasons I moved up to the 500 was to have a heavier bike with bigger wheels to smooth out the ride. Much to my disappointment, my 125 has a noticeably smoother ride at low to medium speeds than this 500 does. Is there some adjustment I can make to take the jolt out of it? Can I soften the tires a bit without sacrificing handling?

Otherwise, I love the bike. Solid as a drilling platform on smooth four lanes, good power and wind protection, but the rough ride and the engine vibe are annoying a lot of the fun out of my new ride.

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