“New” ‘86 - Multiple Issues (carbs, Vboost, oil leaks

[desert_max]

I'd be happy to have it scanned here, Sean. I am literally on the verge of putting this one on the road.

But I would be careful about taking one of the scanned codes as gospel as there is a beautiful but subtle metal flaking in the original paint. Not sure the scanners can pick up on that or duplicate it.

I’ll see if I can make that happen this weekend. (Uh Oh, more promises…)

 

[one2dmax]

LOL. No problem. I THINK that's the same original color as what is on the nine's bike I am restoring.

 

[desert_max]

It looks like the worst is behind me. The bike is off the operating table and the maiden voyage has been taken. The motorcycle is running well if fishtailing down the street is any indicator. I was relieved to find a very solid second gear. I’m still burning oil off some nooks and crannies. I thought I had cleaned it all up, and I hope it’s still just residual from the two massively leaking valve covers it had. Compression was 150+ or -5 and all four holes, so I’m relatively confident that I’m not looking at head gasket issues here. But this oil continuing to burn off is making me nervous. I guess I need to run it more to see if it persists.

But it’s good to be out on a Max again. This thing ***** and gets.

 

[desert_max]

This was this morning, by the way...

 

[Fire-medic]

Poor running at idle, necessitating pilot jets cleaning?

 

[desert_max]

It was running horribly. 3 of 4 pilot jets were plugged, one of the idle mixture screws was jammed all the way down in the bore and stripped needing to be extracted. Two out of four washers were missing under the large screw in the jet blocks. Not sure if that’s critical, but I came up with suitable replacements. And all four floats were completely out of whack.

When I first fired it up, it was still running like crap until I realized that I had left the vacuum line off the front left carb. Whew.

 

[one2dmax]

Don't forget to hook me up with a good color code lol.

 

[desert_max]

Sean, I am sorry. I will do that - I promise (and the other thing). Life has turned upside down in the last couple of months.

Here's hoping everybody is getting through it all with health and humor.

 

[Fire-medic]

Yeah, on a VMax anymore, if it hasn't been run in a few months, or if there is any corrosion visible in the gas tank, they gotta come-off to be ultrasonically-cleaned, and the pilot jets examined/cleaned, to-where you can see daylight through them. Who was the musician on-here who used-to say which string on a guitar could be used to poke-out any debris in the pilot jets? Was it a 'g' string, or am I just projecting dirty-thoughts? A pin vise and the correct gauge wire will poke-through those plugged pilot jets.

And don't forget to clean the gas tank, and to replace the gas filter, and to flush-out the gas lines, before hooking-up the gas hose to the carburetor bank before re-installing the carbs, because the rust will plug the pilot jets, again, if you don't.

 

[desert_max]

Of course, the fuel filter was one of the first things to go. Autopsied the old one - surprisingly clean. Tank is clean. (This is Arizona). Fuel delivery is optimized. My spare pump had a bit more capacity, so I used it. I suspect the original was fine, but I opted for the one with slightly more capacity.

And I am thrilled to report that the residual oil that was burning off was just that - residual. I replaced valve covers and grommets and after a one hour thrashing today, the smoke has stopped, but I can still smell it. This thing must have been leaking for years. How could somebody live with that? And the original owner at that?

So, do I regret selling my '94? Heck yeah it had all the goodies - but after five "Max-less" years, this old girl will serve quite nicely. One thing I have noticed, the OEM exhaust is louder than I remember them being. Guess that's a result of 34 years and 23k miles of usage.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

 

[CaptainKyle]

Are you either willing to loan me your front fender or take it somewhere with an optical scanner to get a good color code for it? I think that's the correct color for the nines bike I have here.

I thought the 9s bike was the 85 Amethyst John Sent me the fender years ago & that is what it looked like to me under the fork brace. The guy I had in Florida could not match it properly though. I am having another one sent to me now so I can try my guy here.

 

[desert_max]

I thought the 9s bike was the 85 Amethyst John Sent me the fender years ago & that is what it looked like to me under the fork brace. The guy I had in Florida could not match it properly though. I am having another one sent to me now so I can try my guy here.

Ok. I give. What the heck is this nines bike? I'm guessing it's one that famously dipped into the 9s? Surely, there has been more than one?

 

[Fire-medic]

"Taking it to the 9's" a magazine article from the Gen 1's heyday. I'm not where my magazines are, too-lazy to look it up. I think an Eliminator got a turbo, and melted a piston, a GSXR got a monster Vance & Hines engine, and the VMax, a jet kit, a different wheel set, and the prototype Kerker 4/1 exhaust, wheelie bars, and a racing slick on the spoked 18" rear wheel.

OK, I hadda look it up:
http://v4musclebike.com/articles/DMAN999/takinto9s/CycleWorldMarch1987.pdf

You may recognize the poster of the link above. That's his name. There and here.

Edit: the bike with the turbo spun a rod bearing (Eliminator). Don't think bikes of that era can't build power, the GSXR engine was built to Hyabusa-level power, 12 years before the Hyabusa came-to market.

One of us may have a connection to some of the same parts as were on the VMax, a certain member bought a set of wire wheels for a VMax down here in south Florida, I'll let him address it if he chooses.

Nine-point-sixty-nine; one-hundred thirty-five-point-seventy-four, at sea level. Not-bad for a pair of wheels/tires, a jet kit, an exhaust, and wheelie bars. I bet going to a chain drive would get that bike to nine-forty, or better. That's on a stock engine, with bolt-ons, and wheels/tires/bars.

 

[desert_max]

Yep. Remember the article well. I have had two ZL900 Eliminators, too - including the first one sold (supposedly) in Central Florida. My buddy got a Vmax. They were pretty closely matched in the first 1/8 mile or so mainly due to the Eliminator getting off the line easier. My most recent ZL was destroyed when I was rearended some years back.

I do still have a CBX in the stable though...

(For the record, I am keenly aware of what the bikes of "that era" can do. I was there, doing it.)

 

[desert_max]

Makes me mad just thinking about it. Did all the things to this one I always wanted to do to the first.

September 2012


I prefer to remember it the way it was...

 

[one2dmax]

John did put an Amthesyst set on the bike but it doesn't look as black as the article. What do you guys think?

 

[CaptainKyle]

John did put an Amthesyst set on the bike but it doesn't look as black as the article. What do you guys think?

Does not look as dark but them article pictures are pretty grainy so hard to really tell. To Bad Jay is not around to ask

 

[desert_max]

I think Sean is right. I believe the color on my 86 is the same as what’s on that bike in the article. Now I got to get a chunk off this thing and get it color matched. Going to look into the best place around to get that done. That is to say, the one most likely to get it right. Only thing is, I still am concerned that they won’t be able to get the metal flake texture right. But now I am on a mission.

I reread the article for the first time in quite a number of years. Remember it well. But I still take exception to the comment in there about Eliminator being more show and than go. In the real world, I did not find that to be the case. It might not have been on top of the mountain, but it was right there.

I had a buddy who had an 84 GPz Ninja at the time. Same motor, chain Drive, different exhaust. It was a couple of ticks quicker, but it was still darn close. The ZL spanked many other contemporary machines. And it would surprise the Vmax if the Max pilot wasn’t on top of his game. I struggled mightily, but never did get my original ZL even into the tens. I had lots of 11.teens, but that was as good as it got. Never ran my last one at the track. Sniff.

 

[desert_max]

Can’t seem to get the synch dialed in perfectly but it’s close. I’ll mess with it again after I’ve ridden it a bit.

Hope this link works...
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=...B36B08!128&parId=4A3CE5E0C8B36B08!103&o=OneUp

 

[one2dmax]

Let me know what you come up with on the paint. I could also "borrow" it if you had some downtime lol.