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DavidEasum

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Everything posted by DavidEasum

  1. Hi Moses, Indeed, mine is global spec. No restriction in the carb manifold and the pieces removed from the airbox. The exhaust tip is the fatter one and it makes a good healthy roar. Right now I think I've got a 172 main in it. I did have a 175 when I was living in Nigeria (sea level), but back to Burundi I've leaned it out a bit for the altitude. It's not the easiest bike to start, but like you, I usually start it with one kick given the right procedure. If someone else rides it though I usually have to start it for them. 😉 Hot start is achieved with a little throttle - or not. David
  2. Hi Moses, Your cam looks just like mine - but mine's got a ton more mileage on it. 😉 I wish I had taken photos of mine when it was out. We'd then have a better comparison. But it's all back together now and for that matter, I'm in France and the bike is in Burundi. Whatever the case, the pin that you're looking at is not the pin I'm talking about. If you look at the third image of the first page of the manual that I attached in my previous message above, you'll see where I've written "PIN." Unless it's a bad drawing, it looks to me like there's a dowel sticking out of the shaft on a perpendicular axis. Since neither you nor I have taken our cams apart I guess I can't be sure if I'm right, but I think this is a fixed locator pin/dowel that fits into a notch in the decompressor cam and keeps it from turning. I believe this (and the notch in the decompressor cam) is the wear point. Like I said before, there's no part number for this pin and none for the decompressor cam either - hence, not replaceable. From recollection, my decompressor had a "flat" on it like yours where it runs up against one of the followers. I don't recall any particular wear marks. For what it's worth, the pin that you mention (called "stopper pin" in the drawing above) is replaceable. It looks exactly like mine with a rounded top. There are actually some other pins - more like rollers - that fit into the one-way anti kick-back clutch (like 3 or 4 of them). Like the dowel I'm concerned about, they are not visible unless you take everything apart. On the other hand, they are replaceable. I'm still on schedule to be in the US - as of the 24th of October for about 3 weeks. David
  3. I was just thinking - To take the decompressor and anti-kickback mechanism apart you need a puller to get it off the shaft and a press to put it back on. If you really feel like doing all of that, you could check for wear on the locator pin / dowel that is mounted in the shaft itself - as well as inspect the slot in the decompressor cam to which the pin marries. Since this pin is not replaceable I think that's why Honda doesn't list a part number for the decompressor cam that mates to the pin. If they did, people would risk replacing a worn decompressor cam without any concern for wear on the pin - thereby making for a high wear/early failure scenario - which in the end would besmirch Honda's rep for reliability. Sort of like re-sleeving an engine without bothering to replace rings and piston. Other than pulling the assembly from the shaft, I don't think there's an easy way to be sure about the auto-decompressor short of installing it in an engine and living with it. See the images below to get an idea of what I mean. That said, I didn't see what it looks like when it's in pieces on the bench, so take what I say with a large grain of salt. Personally, I'm willing to take the chance that your cam assembly is good. The auto-decomp is afterall not something that's known as a glaring weakness on the XRR - and cam removal/reinstallation is only an afternoon's work.
  4. Hi Moses, Thanks for your always thorough and detailed explanation! If you wanted to make your wife happy by letting go of the old stock cam from your XRR, just let me know! I may be in the US in early November so I could pick it up if shipped to VT or NJ. Think about it 😉 Having the original avoids me having to figure out how to close the oil passage - and I am not at all unhappy with the performace (except for that I'm having to replace it...) David
  5. Forgot to mention - if you're replacing the rear cam slider rail, be careful of the M6x25 bolt holding it in place (it threads into right-side engine case - you access after removing the two right side engine/clutch covers). Mine was put in with hard thread sealer (I didn't know this and it doesn't say anything in the shop manual about it). So in removal, I managed to break it. That meant I had to remove the clutch basket to get drill access. Then I of course proceeded to break the easy-out in the hole. Grrrr... (I know better than to do that!!). What a nightmare. The rest of the bolt and the broken off easy-out eventually came out and I put in an insert so all is good now - but don't make the same mistake!
  6. Here we go - talking about that auto-decompressor again! After several years and many kilometers of faithful service since the last top-end re-do on my XR650R, there is a noise developing in the motor (actually, it's been there for about a year, so I really need to do something about it now). It comes on randomly at low RPM - sounds a bit like a strong rapping on the cylinder head. But it's not always there. What it really sounds like is an "on-steroids" version of the click you get from the auto-decomp when the engine turns over slowly on the kick-starter. But I wasn't quite sure of the cause. So started with the most typical (and easy to deal with) culprits. That means I replaced the tensioner, the rear camchain slider rail and the little spring-loaded pin that goes in the head under the decomp mechanism. I checked the cam, put it all back together, set the valves and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, this did not do the trick. The thing still runs great, but the tick is still there. While the cam was out, I did look at the auto-decomp mechanism. It didn't feel like a slick Honda part, but then again, I don't know what it's supposed to feel like. On the other hand, the anti-kickback one-way clutch (or whatever it's called) part of it seemed to be in tip-top shape. Whatever the case, I did not take it apart - for four reasons: 1. I don't have easy access to a press to put the decompressor back together on the shaft once it's apart; 2. I was hoping that the tensioner and slider rail would do the trick; 3. The part on the shaft related to the decompressor that looks like it might be the wear item is not available without ordering a whole new camshaft assembly (no part number listed). 4. The decompressor seems to work just fine despite the noise. So after doing a little more research, I found this video which looks and sounds exactly like mine did. One of the commenters said the thing is shot - but no idea if one can trust a YouTube comment on what could end up being a $400+ job. So.... What to do? Pretty sure my next step is to pull the cam again, remove all the parts from the decompressor, put the now "naked" cam back in the head and just leave it at that. This is assuming that the noise is gone!! The cam is still good and I'm happy with the performance as-is. The only thing I don't know about is which hole in the head I need to plug in order to maintain oil pressure when the decompressor parts have been removed. And furthermore, what to I plug it with? It'll maybe take me a little while since I'm nursing a broken rib or two sustained in a fall on my new R1200GS. Got into some mud, slid a bit but then the undercarriage hit a big rock that bounced the bike completely sideways and promptly highsided me. More to come....
  7. Hi Moses, As you might remember, I put the T63s on my XR650R. I got an 80/90 front, and a 120/80 rear. I was quite happy with them on pavement and hardpack, but where I am now is almost nearly all sand, and so I have decided they're too small. I've since changed the rear to a 130, and I look forward to wearing out the front so I can put a 90/90 on it. In these conditions the 80/90 front goes hunting all the time and has landed me on my butt more times than I'd care to count. The main problem (compounded by my lack of skill) is in the deep sand ruts from trucks (when you're riding in/along them). I run with as low a pressure as I dare (about 7.5 psi front), which helps, but the bike is just too heavy for good sand work with an 80 cross-section on it. My $0.02 worth.
  8. When I got my 2002 XR650R, it happened to come along with the Acerbis long-range fuel tank (20 liter Sahara model I think). The tank had been crashed up pretty good, bondo-ed and repainted (more than once apparently) with car paint (!), which was bubbling and flaking all over the place. The stock tank was on the bike though, and after one look at the bulbous monstrosity from Acerbis, I almost didn't even carry it away with me. My rides so far are not all that long, and a gas station has usually been within reach, so I haven't really felt the use for a big tank. But I kept it all the same.Now, after several years of the tank sitting in the sun, rain and dirt before I got it, and several more years of the same after I got it, I have decided that I'm going to take a long trip (at least that's the plan). The trip is to be from Lagos, Nigeria (where I am now) to Bujumbura, Burundi (where I'm moving back to - I lived there for a few years a while back). Expected distance to be covered is almost 5,000km through some daunting places (if I take the most direct route). So the Acerbis is gonna come in handy after all. Maybe. If it's still any good. I've drained it and washed it out (luckily it was pretty clean inside) and started to remove a lot of the paint - that was mostly just flaking off anyway. After getting most of the bondo off, I see it's got some pretty deep gouges in it, but fortunately it's intact underneath. I've removed the petcocks and rebuilt them (apparently they're of pretty good quality, because despite being fully seized with dirt and oxidation, the rubber parts are still usable and all I had to do is clean them up and reassemble with some vaseline). My only fear is that since the plastic is pretty hard and dry, one more good crash on the left side and the thing is gonna split open like a coconut. Since I never fall (NOT! ), I think I'll risk it. Thinking back to the good advice on this forum from when I rebuilt the top end of the motor, I decided to check back in before actually installing the tank. Lo and behold, Moses has a how-to video posted just waiting for me! (Thanks Moses!). From the video, I can see that the tank uses some hardware (lower stabilizer brackets and fasteners/spacers) which I don't have. They look like they'd be pretty easy to make, but since I'm gonna be in the US in July, I figured I try to get them there. I've sent an email to Just Gas Tanks, so let's see what they have to say. I hope they'll be able to sell these pieces separately. If not, maybe someone (Moses?) could send me pictures or even dimensions of these things so that I can try to make them myself. David
  9. Hey Moses, Just to update about the turn signals (though I know this is a really old thread) I ended up getting the factory flasher and redoing the harness. At about L40 sterling (if I remember correctly), it was shockingly expensive, but I wanted it. So there. Don't tell my wife. But I've more than made up the cost of the flasher with the fantastic $5 turn signals from Bajaj (not Baja, as mentioned above ). I've crashed about a gazillion times, and these things are still hanging on and looking good! The factory ones wouldn't even survive a parking lot tip-over. D.
  10. Hi Costa, Good that you've found Moses and this site! My revamping of a trashed 2002 XR a couple of years ago would have been much more difficult without. I still have the bike and it's still going strong. These days, I don't often get the chance to ride it, but I'll make an effort to do more. As Moses says, these bikes are pretty fun despite not being the latest tech. To comment on some of the questions you had - GO WITH WHAT MOSES SAYS. He's da man! I had mine set up for riding at between 1,000-2,000 meters in Burundi (Goggle it and/or look for a YouTube channel called Birds View Burundi to get an idea of what it's like). So I was running uncorked, 170 main and 65S pilot (at least I think it was a 65S...) and the clip in the standard position. It ran great. Really great... after I figured out how to get the valve lash set that is. With stock cam it's a real PITA (and does a serious number on your knuckles. But that's a whole 'nuther story). But now I'm in Nigeria - at sea level. So I've gone back to the original 175 main and 68S (again, I think it's a 68S...). No other changes. Given the sea level altitude, I had expected a little boost in power, but whether I had just forgotten the kick this bike has or what; the ooomph it now has is really amazing! To get this bike's motor back into shape, I pretty much followed Moses's video on the top end rebuild to the letter - except for the cam. My piston and head looked way worse than yours, but my stock cam and rockers were fine. Valve job with new valves, new seals and new intake guides took care of the head, and a resleeve (by LA Sleeve) with new piston sorted the rest. The cause of the problems with my motor was running with no air filter (yep!) at all for an untold amount of time before I got my hands on it. I had to do a lot of other work, but nothing out of the ordinary for a bike that had been abused and messed with by countless hamfisted shade-tree mechanics who knew very little about mechanics. The only thing remaining that's on the list is the suspension. It's probably pretty worn, but I'm not that great a rider so I probably wouldn't benefit a whole huge amount. Yes, the engine makes some mechanical noise compared to some of the other stuff I've ridden. Seems like the noise comes from lower down in the engine. If I pay attention, it sounds like farm equipment, and makes me wonder. It's not getting worse, but whether there were a problem or not, I'm not in the mood to take this thing apart again - and much less the bottom end! Since I'm always using earplugs I don't let it bother me. The air filter thing is a problem. I've never seen the stock one, but the aftermarket I have can't be much different. It may not fit perfectly at some of the edges, but I figure it's good enough if I keep it oiled & clean. There is surely something better than the stock one out there. As for oil and changing it goes, the manual you posted the link for is the best set of instructions. There are 3 filters - the main paper one and 2 screens. I don't think I've checked my bottom screen, but the one time I checked it, the one in the frame drop tube was seriously dirty with metal in it. I'll definitely look at it again on the next oil change. Since the rebuild, my bike doesn't seem to use any oil. Good luck with yours! David
  11. Hi Moses...My decompressor is erratic. That's probably why I had such a tough time to get the valves adjusted correctly. So when I start, I usually look for TDC and then press slightly through with the manual level actuated. Then I kick. If it doesn't start, I sometimes go back to the lever, but often not. Whatever the case, the engine doesn't often kick back, and a slow prod through the travel of the kick starter will meet with only slight resistance on the compression stroke. But when it does get full compression, the feeling through the lever is pretty intense. I suppose I'm not unhappy having it - I'm used to it. I just need to take it into account for valve adjustment. After my rebuild, the bike started right away and idled just fine, but the next day when I took it out for a shake-down run, it started to run poorly and refused to idle - almost as if it was running out of gas. I went through the carburetor about 4 times (even with a magnifying glass) trying to figure out what was wrong. It was extremely frustrating since every time I put it back together, it would run fine for a short while (once it was almost a day), and then stop. Being that I didn't know what to do next, I checked the valves (although I really didn't suspect I could have done something wrong). The first time, I found one of the exhaust adjusters was very high in relation to the other one. (see photo) This was because of the autodecompressor. I reset that valve, and the bike ran great again. But then it stopped. So I checked the clearances again. And once more, I found the valves were out of adjustment - this time it was the intakes. Somehow I must have been using a top dead center from an alternate universe. Once I corrected them, all was good and the bike has been running great ever since. Now it's due for a clearance check and changing out the break-in oil. If I find anything out of the ordinary, I'll post. http://mydomain.invisionzone.com/uploads/monthly_12_2014/post-290-0-13114900-1417600016_thumb.jpg D
  12. Hi Arnado, Moses gives good advice above - as he always does. In PR I guess you have access to proper products like carb cleaner, I had to make do with gasoline and a borrowed air compressor. Whatever the case, water and lemon juice can't hurt (I may have to try it one day since I have a lemon tree in my garden that supplies us with more than we need for the kitchen!). While the condition of the carburetor and jets will of course have an impact on how the bike runs, I would still be suspicious of the valve clearances (based on my experience). After my rebuild, the bike started right away and idled just fine, but the next day when I took it out for a shake-down run, it started to run poorly and refused to idle - almost as if it was running out of gas. I went through the carburetor about 4 times (even with a magnifying glass) trying to figure out what was wrong. It was extremely frustrating since every time I put it back together, it would run fine for a short while (once it was almost a day), and then stop. Being that I didn't know what to do next, I checked the valves (although I really didn't suspect I could have done something wrong). The first time, I found one of the exhaust adjusters was very high in relation to the other one. (see photo) This was because of the autodecompressor. I reset that valve, and the bike ran great again. But then it stopped. So I checked the clearances again. And once more, I found the valves were out of adjustment - this time it was the intakes. Somehow I must have been using a top dead center from an alternate universe. Once I corrected them, all was good and the bike has been running great ever since. Now it's due for a clearance check and changing out the break-in oil. If I find anything out of the ordinary, I'll post. A last thought is if you're going to open the carb again, follow this how-to from the web: http://www.xr650r.co.uk/service/carb/carb.shtml
  13. Hi Moses, No specific tips that you don't know already, but the one major difference to how I would have normally approached this type of riding is to stand up. Knees bent, elbows bent, pegs under your arches. To turn, push the bike under you (in the direction of the turn), counterbalance it with weight on the opposite peg, look where you want to go. Sometimes you squeeze the tank with your knees, other times you don't. Get off the throttle when you can, so that you have revs left for when you need to lighten the front end. Let the bike move under you and keep your arms relaxed. It's good if you have a strong back and abdomen! (which I don't!). On the street, the more contact your body has with the bike, the better. Adventure riding is somewhat different. The key to keeping the big bike moving in the sand is speed and revs! Also, you gotta be smooooooth. D.
  14. Good footage is also available on www.vimeo.com/113280934 (Sorry about the soundtrack...) I don't see me in there, but I was definitely there! Not sure why it says Nov 14 - it was Nov 28 & 29... The guy who was filming is a former F16 pilot from the Belgian air force, now flying A380s for Emirates.
  15. Hi Moses, I just got back from Dubai after a weekend participating in the Touratech Advanced Off-Road training course. It's a long story as to how that happened (I went there for other reasons) but it was a pleasant surprise to be able to take part. I borrowed a friend's F800 GS to do it and unfortunately I left it a little worse for wear - cosmetically at least. See the first three photos attached - I look like a rank novice . But the culmination of the training was going out into the sand dunes to put into practice all the tricks and tips learned over the two days. To my amazement, even on such a heavy bike, I was able to ride like a real Paris-Dakar wannabe! No falls, no scary moments, just huge rooster tails of sand, occasional air, and lots of "Yeeeeehaw!" in the helmet! The last photos are not me, but they're a good indication of what the sand riding was all about. I'm looking forward to the next outing on the XR (still running like a champ) to practice some more! I was really wishing I had it with me on the trip. It would not have fared as well as the Beemer on the long stretches of paved roads at 70-80 mph that we did to get to the venue (with luggage and gear for 2 people), but once there, it would have been quite the star. David PS. hope I'm not violating any copyright by re-posting these photos...
  16. Hi Arnaldo. You may have already found the solution to your problem, but I would suggest that you go back and very carefully check the valve clearances - especially the exhaust valves. I recently rebuilt my engine (bike was new to me) and I had a world of trouble to adjust the valves correctly. I went though all the different possibilities about ten times before realizing that the valves were simply NOT adjusted correctly. Before I got the clearances correct, the engine was exhibiting behavior similar to yours. I'm not a mechanic by trade, but I'm somewhat adept, so I'm surprised a valve adjustment should have been so difficult. The culprit is the autodecompressor system that sometime seems to stay engaged no matter how much you turn the engine over. The best way to turn over the engine is from the crankshaft (remove the left side engine cover) with a long bar attached to a 14mm (I think - or maybe 17) socket. It will give you very good control so that crankshaft engine doesn't reverse rotate. One indicator that the autodecompressor is released is a loud "click" on each rotation. Good luck with it! David Escribí en Inglés porque soy perezoso - sino también en beneficio de otros que podrían no leer español!
  17. Hi Moses, You're right, the venue is a moto paradise. But most bikes around here are not much to dream about! They are usually in the same shape that mine was when I got it - meaning touched by too many unskilled hands and cheesetools. Our core group however does have a collection of pretty good ones. A couple of Yam 450s (one pretty recent and in super shape), a couple of late model 680 Teneres (a bit too big and heavy - but good for the long distances), And of course, there's my rejuvenated XR! Next time we'll have to take at least a patch kit and a bicycle pump. Better yet, a can of fixaflat (but I don't know if that exists here). Local shade-tree mechanics are capable for fixing flats (without even removing the wheel), but don't always have supplies.. Foot peg bolts are up to date. In the beginning I didn't know about that - and apparently neither did any of the previous owners, since when I picked up the bike for the first time, the right footpeg fell clean off! A helicoil, the superseded bolt from Honda and some Loctite did the trick. No problems since. But nearly every common problem affecting XRs has exhibited itself on mine! But no more But now having messed with the rear wheel (what with the flat and all), I notice that it isn't even close to being round. I don't think I'll bother to do anything about it for now though. The spoke heads are all rusted, and some of the spoke holes in the rim are seriously damaged from previous hamfisted attempts to true it. Next trip abroad will involve bringing a good used one back. And maybe a speedo drive. D.
  18. Hi Moses, I've been traveling a bit (on airplanes - not bikes, unfortunately), so have been away from the site. Just to update, the XR is working great. Went out a couple of weekends ago on a different kind of ride - this time it ranged from street (to get out of town), dirt roads that were of variable quality, and then down to single track. It was really great, but I ended up getting a flat rear tire. I had seen the nail in a board that someone had placed over a wash-out in the track. I thought I avoided it, but I guess not. We had a chase vehicle, a Yamaha Rhino (sort of a quad-like thing), but we didn't have tools (yeah, I know... 100 miles from home and unprepared!). I couldn't leave my bike there, so I had to ride it back on the flat for about 15 kilometers to a gas station where I abandoned it and got a ride home in the Rhino (terrible - too slow!). I had to catch a plane that evening so it was the only solution. In the process, the bike was getting pretty hot, so it was a trade-off between speeding up and risking the tire (or a fall), or slowing down and having it boil over. I guess I got it right since yesterday I pulled the tire (still good - even the tube!!), and then opened the radiator (still nearly full!). While in the UK last week I got a used radiator to replace my banged-up one, and a couple of used footpegs (no more bashing my shin when kick starting!). I also bought a new MT63 Michelin rear just in case. This time it's a 130 (rather than the 120 - I'm following your advice after all). I'll put it on when this one is done. But what a blast of a ride though! I was much more able to keep up with our local fastboys - especially on the hardpack. Some of it was wet and just rolled with a vibrating roller, so it was really slippery. Back to the road riding skills! The bike does pretty well in the rutted stuff, too. Now that this BRP is sorted, the only problem so far outside of the flat (and crash induced breakage of the clutch lever) has been that my rigged speedo drive has given up. I'll have a look at it later, but this may well be the end of it. Cheers! David
  19. Hi Moses, I have the schematic, but it's not particularly detailed about the inner working of the flasher. I should be able to figure it out by looking at each contact's destination (where the other end of each wire is going and what it's connected to). But basically, what you're saying is that whether my bike has a battery or not, a classical flasher "should" work. Of course, it will depend on the draw of the bulbs as to whether it works properly with a regular flash rate. Haven't had the chance to do much on the bike lately...
  20. Hi Moses, Indeed mine runs solely off the stator. There is a rectifier though (but I suppose that's common to all of them). I'll look into a standard automotive one if I can get it cheaply. Otherwise, I expect to travel to London in the near future and I'll try to buy a suitable one there. Point of trivia: The most popular motorcycle in Burundi is a Bajaj (not Baja). It's also called a TVS. They are 125cc singles (4 stroke) and carry everything from whole families to goats, huge bundles of bananas, bushels of tea leaves, etc. Spare parts for those are pretty cheap and readily available (the turn signals (new) cost me about $5 each - and they're of good quality!). D.
  21. Hi Moses, I have a question about the dual-sport lighting conversion that was done on your Honda XR650R. I'm wondering what type of flasher relay was used for the turn signals. I'm trying to (re)install the turn signals on mine and, being ignorant about things electric, I am concerned that a bike with no battery may need a flasher that is different from bikes (or cars) that have batteries. The original flasher (OEM for this world-market ED/DK model) was cut out of the harness and thrown away at some point (can't figure out why though...). I went out today to find a replacement - thinking that any 12V moto flasher would do - but was only able to find 2-wire flashers, while the Honda harness provides for 3 wires. Furthermore, I was not able to find any flashers for bikes that don't have batteries. I'll look at car flashers next, but obviously none of those will have a non-battery electric system. Even if I had a source for Honda parts here, I'm not sure if the OEM flasher is available anymore - I went on the site selling international market Honda parts, and while the flasher is shown in the diagram, it is not in the price list. Are my concerns unfounded? Is a flasher just a flasher - and I only need to find one with the right amount of terminals? I know that some are designed to be impacted by the voltage draw (depending on the bulbs used), so I may end up with a fast or a slow flash, but it'd be great to at least have some kind of signal working for when I ride on the street. I can tune the flash later by changing bulbs (assuming I can find variants). Feedback welcome! David
  22. Hi Moses, The drone belongs to one of the guys. It's very cool, and he seems to be quite proficient at flying it. GoPro is the camera. I don't know which one, but there's a new one out and he wants it bad! He was trying to get some shots from the front, but that meant flying backwards with no way to know if there was a tree coming! Yikes! David
  23. This is the "Plaine de l'Imbo". There I am front & center in the opening seconds. The Honda XR650R is in the background. I'm still a little dazed from the beast having bucked me off... We are starting to worry however about our ecological impact on the plain, so we might have to constrain ourselves to a more limited part of it. The black Yamaha Tenere you see in the video makes so much noise you could probably hear it in Nevada! But this is not the only riding venue we have - and this is not typical of most of the rest of the country. Here's another link that will give you an idea of more typical scenery. There are single and two-track trails of all sorts going from hill to hill. We basically live in a moto playground - just stay off the roads as Burundian traffic is dangerous for bikers! David
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