DIY servicing - bikes

bj96 · 23rd February 2009, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregory

all the carb bikes have this AIR SCREW & Idle speed adjustment screw ?

Correct*

The first one, usually the smaller screw (needs a driver to work on) is used to control the ratio of fuel-air mixture when idling. If you turn clockwise (in Bullets 350 using VM24 carb) it richens the mixture (more fuel, black spark-plug, lower RPM etc etc) while reverse leans it (less fuel, more air, faster RPM).

Second one, usually the larger screw (can be turned by hand in VM24) is a throttle stop, used to control the idling by regulating the x-section of venturi in the carb. Turning it clockwise raises the throttle stop and increases the rate of fuel-air intake, thus, increasing the idling RPM. Anti-clockwise twist of this screw has a revesre effect.

HowStuffWorks "Inside a Carburetor"

A successful and sweet idling is a fine balance of both these screws.

Cheers,
-BJ

* at least it is like this on the carbs that I have seen and fiddled with (Bullet Electra, Yamaha RXZ, Kinetic Style)

rahulsingh007 · 24th March 2009, 18:59

Hi ,
It will be great if you can tell me the Apache RTR's standard carb setting ,that is, how many anti-clockwise rotations from fully closed position in factory setting.

I have screwed my carb setting.
Please Help!

jsmonu · 25th March 2009, 11:41

Just pondered on this thread.. great stuff guys!
neat mentions of different articles too.
Was wondering if there's a detailed article/tut on Mikuni carbs too.. especially for ones like in Suzuki bikes?

Cheers,
J.

amohit · 25th March 2009, 12:57

Even I am the victim of pathetic servicing by the Bajaj service center. So off late
I have just been changing the engine oil every 2k kms.
I do clean the chain using kerosene once every 1k kms and oil it every 500kms.
I clean the air filter once every 2k kms. Wash it with water. Let it dry and then put a few drops of same oil that I use for lubricating the chain.

My last service was about 7k kms ago.
My bike still starts in 1 kick...has been giving me a consistent mileage of 43. ( I know its less but I have been getting this mileage since last 4 years).

Now my question is...is this self semi-servicing of P150 enough or am I doing something wrong which one day will lead to a disaster?

Regards,

Gregory · 25th March 2009, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by amohit

Even I am the victim of pathetic servicing by the Bajaj service center. So off late
I have just been changing the engine oil every 2k kms.
I do clean the chain using kerosene once every 1k kms and oil it every 500kms.
I clean the air filter once every 2k kms. Wash it with water. Let it dry and then put a few drops of same oil that I use for lubricating the chain.

My last service was about 7k kms ago.
My bike still starts in 1 kick...has been giving me a consistent mileage of 43. ( I know its less but I have been getting this mileage since last 4 years).

Now my question is...is this self semi-servicing of P150 enough or am I doing something wrong which one day will lead to a disaster?

Regards,

What kind of Engine oil do you use?

So far so good

You can clean your spark plug every 2k KM.

As for the airfilter, what kind of air filter do you have? some Airfilters need to be immersed in 2T oil and then put back.

what you are doing is good enough but every 10k KM or sot might need a tappet adjusment, tighten the chain,

Sankar · 25th March 2009, 14:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregory

As for the airfilter, what kind of air filter do you have? some Airfilters need to be immersed in 2T oil and then put back.

Don't immerse the airfilter in oil, the engine will not run and if it does it won't for long.

Foam airfilters need to be oiled lightly and excess oil should be squeezed out.

Do nothing with paper aitfilters.

amohit · 25th March 2009, 15:30

cccddd dfdsf

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregory

What kind of Engine oil do you use?

I use Castrol or Shell. Dont remember the exact sub-brand though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregory

So far so good

You can clean your spark plug every 2k KM.

Havent done that because opening it is kind of tough. Also was under the impression that as long as bike starts in 1 kick spark plug is in good condition. Is it not so?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregory

As for the airfilter, what kind of air filter do you have? some Airfilters need to be immersed in 2T oil and then put back.

I have the stock foam type airfilter. I have seen these service guys put just a dab of used oil on it after washing it with water and petrol. So I also started doing the same thing. Only diff, I use clean oil (90W or something..the thick gear box oil)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gregory

what you are doing is good enough but every 10k KM or sot might need a tappet adjusment, tighten the chain,

what is this tappet? How does it reflect on the bike's working? I mean what are the symptoms that the tappet is not adjusted properly? Can't I do it myself?

Regards,

Raccoon · 25th March 2009, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by amohit

cccddd dfdsf

Quote:

I use Castrol or Shell. Dont remember the exact sub-brand though.

That wont do dude! You gotta know exactly what you are using! I suggest you check and tell us the grade at least.

Quote:

Havent done that because opening it is kind of tough. Also was under the impression that as long as bike starts in 1 kick spark plug is in good condition. Is it not so

?

Hmm... no. You should open it once a while and check the gap and the wear. Clean if necessary. Once every 2,000 km should be ok.

Quote:

I have the stock foam type airfilter. I have seen these service guys put just a dab of used oil on it after washing it with water and petrol. So I also started doing the same thing. Only diff, I use clean oil (90W or something..the thick gear box oil)

I don't think you should use water AND petrol for any foam type filter. You can clean with petrol and then let it dry completely. Clean such that the carb facing side remains as clean as possible! I dont think SAE 90 oil should be used for oiling it! Its just too thick!! I'd suggest you buy a small pouch of 2t oil for the purpose. Just let it absorb on the filter and squeeze it carefully, like Sankar said. This will also ensure that the oil is uniformly absorbed. Thats what I do for my Shogun.

Quote:

what is this tappet? How does it reflect on the bike's working? I mean what are the symptoms that the tappet is not adjusted properly? Can't I do it myself?

Symptoms are noise or loss of compression (read power). You can do it yourself but you will need tools and esp. the correct gauges. Its not very easy to do, and things can go wrong. Its also more difficult if you dont have a ramp, etc. But its definitely within the realm of possibility... lol. But since you seem to be a total newbie, I suggest you try and get someone to do it in front of you and show you. I could not get anybody for that so I learnt from books. If you are confident enough you can do the same... at your own risk! Lol!!

Regards,

Besides these things, dont forget to lube the chain, check the battery electrolyte level, etc.

amohit · 25th March 2009, 21:29

^ Last oil change, I had put Castrol Active SAE 20W40.

Tappet adjustment, I guess I will leave it for the pro's for now. I hope its ok to get it done once every 10k kms. Yesterday, I read on xbhp forum that it needs to be adjusted every 5k kms, hence was worried.

For spark plug, I guess this weekend I'll go and get some tools to make my job easy.

Regards,

Raccoon · 26th March 2009, 01:17

Which bike you got? If its P150, 20W40 is good... but other Pulsars need 20W50. And there is better stuff than Castrol out there... anyway, thats your personal choice.

Tappet adjustment duration... cant say. Some bikes require earlier, some later. AFAIK, at the service centre they ascertian the need for it thru the sound it makes. This is what was told to me by 2 different supervisors. One guy I know who has a Unicorn told me hes not adjusted his since the day he bought his bike. His odo reading was around 30 k km, if I recall correctly. Also, this could depend on how well the person did the setting, and not just on the make of the bike.

As for the spark plug, I belive all/most bikes come with the spanner in their tool kit.

revtech · 26th March 2009, 01:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Which bike you got? If its P150, 20W40 is good... but other Pulsars need 20W50. And there is better stuff than Castrol out there... anyway, thats your personal choice.

which oils are there that are 20W50 besides castrol ? Im really interested because i need it for my 180.

rev

Raccoon · 26th March 2009, 01:34

In 20W50, there are limited choices. Cant recall all of them right now... there is BPCL's MAK, Valvoline, etc. Veedol also has that grade, if I recall correct.

revtech · 26th March 2009, 01:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raccoon

In 20W50, there are limited choices. Cant recall all of them right now... there is BPCL's MAK, Valvoline, etc. Veedol also has that grade, if I recall correct.

yeah i heard Valvoline has that grade but couldnt manage to find it anywhere in south bombay.
didnt know MAK had 20W50,havent heard of Veedol.

rev

jerry can · 26th March 2009, 01:50

Castrol Active Extra is 20W50, but it's a little hard to find easily (at least, i haven't been able to get it anywhere here in Delhi. Valvoline Premium 20W50 is a bit easier to locate.

amohit · 26th March 2009, 06:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Which bike you got? If its P150, 20W40 is good... but other Pulsars need 20W50. And there is better stuff than Castrol out there... anyway, thats your personal choice.

I have P150 and the service book also recommends 20W40.

And by the way, more than personal choice its ignorance.
Could you please suggest which other oil of 20W40 grade will give better & smoother performance?

Regards,

24th March 2009, 18:59	#32
rahulsingh007 BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Amritsar Posts: 163 Thanked: 44 Times	Standard Carb setting Hi , It will be great if you can tell me the Apache RTR's standard carb setting ,that is, how many anti-clockwise rotations from fully closed position in factory setting. I have screwed my carb setting. Please Help!
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 11:41	#33
jsmonu BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 112 Thanked: 0 Times	Just pondered on this thread.. great stuff guys! neat mentions of different articles too. Was wondering if there's a detailed article/tut on Mikuni carbs too.. especially for ones like in Suzuki bikes? Cheers, J.
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 12:57	#34
amohit BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 456 Thanked: 56 Times	Even I am the victim of pathetic servicing by the Bajaj service center. So off late I have just been changing the engine oil every 2k kms. I do clean the chain using kerosene once every 1k kms and oil it every 500kms. I clean the air filter once every 2k kms. Wash it with water. Let it dry and then put a few drops of same oil that I use for lubricating the chain. My last service was about 7k kms ago. My bike still starts in 1 kick...has been giving me a consistent mileage of 43. ( I know its less but I have been getting this mileage since last 4 years). Now my question is...is this self semi-servicing of P150 enough or am I doing something wrong which one day will lead to a disaster? Regards,
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 21:29	#39
amohit BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 456 Thanked: 56 Times	^ Last oil change, I had put Castrol Active SAE 20W40. Tappet adjustment, I guess I will leave it for the pro's for now. I hope its ok to get it done once every 10k kms. Yesterday, I read on xbhp forum that it needs to be adjusted every 5k kms, hence was worried. For spark plug, I guess this weekend I'll go and get some tools to make my job easy. Regards,
	() Thanks

26th March 2009, 01:17	#40
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	Which bike you got? If its P150, 20W40 is good... but other Pulsars need 20W50. And there is better stuff than Castrol out there... anyway, thats your personal choice. Tappet adjustment duration... cant say. Some bikes require earlier, some later. AFAIK, at the service centre they ascertian the need for it thru the sound it makes. This is what was told to me by 2 different supervisors. One guy I know who has a Unicorn told me hes not adjusted his since the day he bought his bike. His odo reading was around 30 k km, if I recall correctly. Also, this could depend on how well the person did the setting, and not just on the make of the bike. As for the spark plug, I belive all/most bikes come with the spanner in their tool kit. Last edited by Raccoon : 26th March 2009 at 01:31.
	() Thanks

26th March 2009, 01:34	#42
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	In 20W50, there are limited choices. Cant recall all of them right now... there is BPCL's MAK, Valvoline, etc. Veedol also has that grade, if I recall correct.
	() Thanks

26th March 2009, 01:50	#44
jerry can BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 103 Thanked: 69 Times	Castrol Active Extra is 20W50, but it's a little hard to find easily (at least, i haven't been able to get it anywhere here in Delhi. Valvoline Premium 20W50 is a bit easier to locate.
	() Thanks