- Warp12's 1989 V-Max Adventure -

[wildweasel_pt]

Do us all a favor and weigh everything you can and open up a thread on the tech section called parts weight. From time to time theres someone asking how much this and that weigh and if everyone can contribute to that thread it will help those requesting that info... Thanks

 

[Warp12]

More stuff weighed:

Right side exhaust hanger: 13.5 oz

Left side rider footpeg bracket: 14.8 oz

 

[CrackerRican]

Do us all a favor and weigh everything you can and open up a thread on the tech section called parts weight. From time to time theres someone asking how much this and that weigh and if everyone can contribute to that thread it will help those requesting that info... Thanks

That's a great idea

 

[Warp12]

Do us all a favor and weigh everything you can and open up a thread on the tech section called parts weight. From time to time theres someone asking how much this and that weigh and if everyone can contribute to that thread it will help those requesting that info... Thanks

I am trying to keep most of my documentation efforts with this bike contained here, for now. I like to weigh items strictly on my scales for comparison purposes, for consistency. You would be surprised how much scales can vary, especially if using an item like a bathroom scale.


I have a shipping scale for larger parts (even weighing engines):

And I use a small food scale for objects up to around 10 lbs:

I have weighed hundreds of parts with these two scales.


So far:

Right side exhaust hanger: 13.5 oz
Left side rider footpeg bracket: 14.8 oz
Rider footrest: 8.6 oz
Passenger footrest: 9.6 oz
Turn signal: 9.4 oz
Airbox with K&N filter: 3 lbs 14.7 oz
Rear seat section: 1lb 15.9 oz
Rear shock: 5lbs 10.6 oz
Left Scoop with hardware: 1 lb 6.9 oz
Right Scoop with hardware: 1 lb 5.9 oz
"Faux" cover with hardware: 3 lbs 4.8 oz
Battery: 11.5 lbs
Toolkit: 2 lbs 4.2 oz

For now I will keep a running tally here, this way the comparison results will be accurate, since all of the parts are weighed on the same two scales.

 

[Warp12]

I am sure that some of you guys remember this test from Cycle World, back in 1985:

Well, I sure do! There is a local cruise spot where I sometimes see Cobras. I think I am going to make it a point to get a picture of my V-Max with a Cobra, just for fun. I think that would be kind of neat (and nostalgic!).

 

[Warp12]

I'm working on the intake manifolds this afternoon. I am knocking down the casting flash with a dremel tool with a mini sanding drum. I took a little material off of what I would call the "short turn" area of the manifolds. It had a pronounced casting ridge there:

I am being very careful just to take a tiny bit of aluminum. I just want to clean them up, not hog them out and port them! Once I get done with the dremel work, I will clean those little areas up with a quick bit of sandpaper. Then I will open up the mounting holes with a 17/64" drill bit, and that will give me a little bit of wiggle room when lining the ports up. It sounds like a lot of work, but it is really only about 15 minutes to do everything, total, for all 4 manifolds.

I am not sure that it will make any hp difference at all, but since it is apart, why not try? It's just one more little detail.

 

[KJShover]

I am sure that some of you guys remember this test from Cycle World, back in 1985:

Well, I sure do! There is a local cruise spot where I sometimes see Cobras. I think I am going to make it a point to get a picture of my V-Max with a Cobra, just for fun. I think that would be kind of neat (and nostalgic!).

I did just that a few years back

 

[Warp12]

I did just that a few years back

Very nice!! :coolgleamA:

 

[Warp12]

Weighed some more parts I had laying around:

Swingarm: 8.6 lbs
Rear drive unit, with shaft: 18.6 lbs
Rear fender: 1lb 3.4 oz
Front fender: 12 oz
Metal under fender /tail light: 2lbs 12.2 oz
Mufflers Assembly: 24.3 lbs
Front cylinders head pipe section: 9.9 lbs


The interesting thing is how relatively light the swingarm is, even with the final drive. On a chain drive bike, the swingarm is about 12-14 lbs, the drive chain maybe 5-6 lbs, and a couple of pounds for a sprocket too. I have heard of claims of 60 lbs of weight loss from switching to a chain drive, but I don't see how that is possible? I am thinking maybe 1/2 of that, at most.

 

[Warp12]

I scored a pretty good deal on Ebay this morning!:

$99.99...shipped! The tire looks to be in good shape too. I was always more fond of the 1985 front wheel. This one has the same front tire model that is currently on my bike. I will be able to nearly perfectly weigh the difference between the wheels, without removing the tires like I normally do. Maybe later I will upgrade to lightweight wheels with radials, but there is no money in the budget for that right now. I might also dig up a 1985 rear wheel.

 

[Warp12]

I NEED SOME HELP!

I have the manifolds installed. But I can't remember which way the crankcase vent hose goes in, and I have a question about a restrictor I found in the hose:

Is this restrictor from the Stage 7 kit? I couldn't find the little hose on the oem microfiche to check. If it is from the Stage 7, I expect that I need to remove it unless I am going to install the auxillary crankcase venting that comes with that kit?

I think the restrictor was down on the engine side, based on crusty oil residue there, but I am not 100% sure. Any help would be great!

 

[Warp12]

Well, I used the tried and true method of "Google". Yes, that restrictor is part of the Stage 7 kit, and yes it appear that it goes into the hose, on the engine side. So yes, unless I augment the crankcase venting, I need to remove it.

Here is a link to the Dynojet page where you can download their jet kit installation instructions, in case you have lost yours:

http://www.dynojet.com/jetkits/motorcycle/yamaha.aspx

 

[Warp12]

Gannon, aka "88VMX12" was kind of enough to replace my damaged (coil-on-plug) coil wire. I also ordered 4 extras for spares. Thank you, Gannon!

There is rain forecast all the way through the weekend, so I might not get it back on the dyno just yet. We'll see...

I still want to get a good baseline with it running on all 4 cylinders! Then I can start messing with the exhaust and jetting. :biglaugh:

 

[Warp12]

When I last worked on the bike, I was faced with a crankcase venting dilemma. The Stage 7 restrictor was in the primary crankcase vent, and I would need to remove it or make up something to fit the stock air box (off of the Stage 7 vent). I decide to do the latter. Since the V-Max obviously makes a lot of crankcase pressure, some additional venting seems prudent. So I decided to feed my Stage 7 venting system back into the stock airbox. Later I may change my intake arrangement, but I need something that works with the stock airbox.

So I made a trip out to Sears and picked up some large bits to cut a hole in the airbox. Next it was Autozone to try to find some fittings, grommets and hose. I was able to get a fitting and some hose there, but finally had to go to the Napa store in order to get a suitable grommet.

Grommet and fitting:

Drilling the hole in the stock airbox:

Grommet and fitting installed:

I had checked the fitment out with an old airbox and I knew it would be a tight squeeze between the coolant overflow bottle and the vent hose. First I removed the overflow bottle for room to work. Then I put the airbox in place with the lid screwed down to keep it from flexing. I also attached the new vent hose and routed it at the same time. Then I reinstalled the overflow bottle:

Here you can see the vent hose attached to the vent fitting that came with the Stage 7 kit:

So I think that is almost it. I have some heat-proof insulation around here somewhere and I will slide it over the lower side of the vent hose, near the exhaust pipe. Then just a hose clamp or two, and I am done. Of course I will have to test it. But I think it should be fine since most modern high-hp sportbikes also vent directly to the airbox. The difference with this setup and stock is that it doesn't pump the oil straight down into the velocity stacks! I will update the thead with my test results once I get it back on the road.

 

[fltinstructor]

So what did you do where the original crankcase vent comes up off the back of engine block? The one that connects to the bottom of the air box on the nipple in front of where you cut the hole.

 

[Warp12]

So what did you do where the original crankcase vent comes up off the back of engine block? The one that connects to the bottom of the air box on the nipple in front of where you cut the hole.

That one is still there. It has the Stage 7 restrictor in it, so it should not be able to pump much air/oil at all. Most of the venting should come from the fitting where the oil cap was. That seems to be the way it works with the Stage 7 setup, and this venting arrangement is similar, but with the stock airbox.

 

[Warp12]

SUCCESS!! (Except I ran out of gas on the side of the road)

I took the bike out to test the venting setup. I figured I would twist it a good bit and try out the v-boost and see how it was running at high rpm. So, after blasting around the backroads for a bit, I ran out of gas! I found that strange, since the bike was not on reserve. But it was bone dry. Perhaps I ran it on reserve accidentally, and forgot that I switched it back? Anyway, luckily, after sitting for 5 minutes someone gave me a ride to the gas station. :biglaugh:

Then I proceeded to ride like a hooligan again. I got some daylight under the wheel in 1st gear about 5 times, got to see the oil light come on under hard acceleration too. I remember back in '85 that my dad's would do that. At that time nobody really knew that it was "normal"...so we had to search through the service manual and see where the pick up and sending unit were.

When I got back I pulled the airbox lid to inspect for excess oil:

Nothing! That was nice to see, because it will throw a lot out of the oil cap area if you don't have it attached to anything, lol. So, just as I thought, the vapors are escaping and the liquid oil mostly precipitating in the long vent hose.

When I filled the bike up, a gentleman stopped at the pump and said, "That bike of yours, it sure sounds good. I just turned 70, so I think I will leave them alone." Apparently you meet the nicest people on a V-Max, too.

 

[wildweasel_pt]

I was planning on doing something like that... Let me know how it works...

 

[wildweasel_pt]

You are missing a T shaped plastic part that covers that hole.

 

[Warp12]

You are missing a T shaped plastic part that covers that hole.

I have one in my spare airbox, thanks.