Search found 98 matches

by FloridaMike
Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:22 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: Flat Battery mystery
Replies: 33
Views: 33698

Re: Flat Battery mystery

Typical causes of flat battery include normal sitting discharge of a non-used battery. Keeping the battery topped off with a trickle charger or on a battery maintainer will help. Cold temperatures are not kind to batteries either. One thing you might want to be sure of is that the terminals and the ...
by FloridaMike
Thu Jun 27, 2013 4:01 am
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: "Livin' in the USA..."
Replies: 10
Views: 10710

Re: "Livin' in the USA..."

>>There was always the idea that a non-compliant motorcycle could be registered if it was SOLD as a used motorcycle.No, non-compliant is non-compliant, new or used makes no difference.>>For years, there were states (Alabama, for one) where Clear Title could be "purchased" and many a Myster...
by FloridaMike
Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:49 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: "Livin' in the USA..."
Replies: 10
Views: 10710

Re: "Livin' in the USA..."

Well heck, I'd be glad to see you, even if the DOT, EPA, NTSB, Customs and Border Protection, and about a bazillion other federal alphabet agencies would be less than amused . . . (gotta keep 'em busy, right?)We're sure getting a great quantity of government here, although I'd be happier if the qual...
by FloridaMike
Wed Jun 26, 2013 9:29 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: "Livin' in the USA..."
Replies: 10
Views: 10710

Re: "Livin' in the USA..."

Going to be very, very few.The difficulty arises in getting them in. Starting in 1968, various federal safety regs started to apply to imported cars, and as the years went by, the regs got stiffer and stiffer. There are also emissions regs which are more awkward yet.I brought in a 1968 Eurospec 280S...
by FloridaMike
Fri May 03, 2013 12:37 am
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Bike Insurance
Replies: 24
Views: 25747

Re: Bike Insurance

Urgh . . . insurance.The game plan is to collect premium dollars and then NOT pay claims. (Who would have guessed?)But did you know that insurance companies believe in God? Just read the policy - "blah blah blah no cover for Acts of God blah blah blah."I'm sure there's a lesson in there so...
by FloridaMike
Mon Apr 08, 2013 6:00 pm
Forum: for sale and wanted
Topic: BEWARE OF FELLOW ROTARY OWNERS
Replies: 11
Views: 15878

Re: BEWARE OF FELLOW ROTARY OWNERS

What's the item we should be looking for?Best,Mike
by FloridaMike
Mon Apr 01, 2013 2:20 am
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: One for the very clever people
Replies: 11
Views: 9132

Re: One for the very clever people

Yep, bad and intermittent ground through the head bearings will do this! And yes, you really DO want a ground wire from the forks and heat sink to the chassis.Suggest you hold off on the Maplins diode conversion simply because you want to check/change one thing at a time. If you make a bunch of chan...
by FloridaMike
Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:46 am
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: One for the very clever people
Replies: 11
Views: 9132

Re: One for the very clever people

Just saw that the battery is new - disregard that part.Best,Mike
by FloridaMike
Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:42 am
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: One for the very clever people
Replies: 11
Views: 9132

Re: One for the very clever people

You're going to get an unstable reading with a digital meter even if everything is OK, their response time is almost immediate.If the battery is good (how old is it?) it should "damp" or stabilize the reading somewhat. I'd check all the connections, make sure nothing is loose or corroded. ...
by FloridaMike
Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:29 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Extended Warranty
Replies: 8
Views: 9614

Re: Extended Warranty

We see payday loans here, too. The gub-mint is trying to quash these loans since they do, as you correctly point out, tend to keep the poor in poverty forever.Here's what's interesting (no pun intended) - the payday lenders base themselves on Indian reservations, where many federal and state laws do...
by FloridaMike
Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:52 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Extended Warranty
Replies: 8
Views: 9614

Re: Extended Warranty

Manufacturer's extended warranties: "You're telling me that your cars are such piles of crap that I need to buy an extended warranty?" usually shuts them up. As well it should. It is reasonable to expect that ANY item you pay for will outlive the warranty period, by a lot!Aftermarket exten...
by FloridaMike
Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:22 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: Starter Solenoid
Replies: 8
Views: 7634

Re: Starter Solenoid

Mick,Greek to English translator ;-)Positive ground - the electricity doesn't care which way it flows, observe polarity on zener, rectifier, battery (or capacitor) and coils and you will be fine. You may have to think about it because everything is backwards from what we are used to.Zener - this is ...
by FloridaMike
Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:35 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: How well are Nortons doing
Replies: 4
Views: 6004

Re: How well are Nortons doing

Interesting site . . . as well as some interesting dynamics at work here.I sense a disturbance in the Force - some animosity between two people - which I don't know anything at all about and am not qualified to comment on, so I won't (Of course if someone wants to tell me what's going on, I'll certa...
by FloridaMike
Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:37 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: KoKusan VRs,
Replies: 21
Views: 21538

Re: KoKusan VRs,

P.S. - I was at the Cape and watched one of the Saturn 5 launches back when you could still get close to things there. We were about three miles from the pad - the damn thing was so loud it actually broke car windows! The AIR shook - people felt their internal organs moving, vibrating . . . unreal!Y...
by FloridaMike
Thu Nov 01, 2012 3:32 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: KoKusan VRs,
Replies: 21
Views: 21538

Re: KoKusan VRs,

Yes, you are absolutely correct - they are TOO quiet for public roads to the point of being dangerous.I rode two different electric bikes around in the pits (one had the rake angle wrong and kept trying to fall over, and the other had a throttle which was on/off and very difficult to control, these ...
by FloridaMike
Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:44 am
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: KoKusan VRs,
Replies: 21
Views: 21538

Re: KoKusan VRs,

Size of the wire is by measurement of the copper core, not the size of the insulation. Over the years, insulation has gotten thinner and thinner as well as more and more durable. Modern automotive insulation is PVC (Poly-vinyl-chloride), oil proof and completely waterproof. (PVC will melt and burn, ...
by FloridaMike
Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:59 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: IP2 worn out options
Replies: 4
Views: 5094

Re: IP2 worn out options

Rotor bearing surface on the eccentric shaft is not a major problem. Standard aircraft repair (also used in cars, but not so much any more), spray weld the shaft to slightly larger than original diameter, machine back to size, polish, harden. The rotor shaft bearing area is round, so any smart, comp...
by FloridaMike
Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:35 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: Digital voltmeter
Replies: 10
Views: 10784

Re: Digital voltmeter

It isn't the voltage that's the problem in running the pump for your companion, it is the amperes. How many amps does the pump draw and does this change as the pressure at the destination increases (man, that's kinky . . . )?While a cig lighter socket will handle quite a few amps, it is only for a s...
by FloridaMike
Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:49 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: W2000 brakesystem
Replies: 4
Views: 4400

Re: W2000 brakesystem

The various flavors of DOT# brake fluids are not 100% compatible and some of them will definitely give the rubber parts in the system indigestion. Check the old-time owner's manual for the W2000, it probably specifies DOT 3. DOT 4 may swell the seals (bingo!), DOT 5 (silicone) won't mix with 3 or 4,...
by FloridaMike
Wed Jul 11, 2012 2:28 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Sachs KM37
Replies: 12
Views: 15237

Re: Sachs KM37

Can I get on the list for a copy of the manual as well? I don't have a KM37, but I think the manual would be an important addition to my reference library. Please PM me for mailing information, and I'd be more than glad to pay copying costs and postage!Best Regards,FloridaMike
by FloridaMike
Wed Jul 11, 2012 2:26 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: Tech/Ref;
Replies: 6
Views: 6757

Re: Tech/Ref;

Another candidate for the "other" section of the "Tech Reference" category: Right now there's a thread involving the KM37 drone engine, someone has a manual he's kindly offered to copy and post to someone in the NL. This kind of thing is a perfect item to put into and have in the...
by FloridaMike
Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:05 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: Tech/Ref;
Replies: 6
Views: 6757

Re: Tech/Ref;

Its because I'm lazy . . . I'm seeing the same questions and requests on a fairly regular basis - "Who has a wiring diagram for X?" and "What are the settings/clearances for Y?"So why are we reinventing the wheel every time someone needs something?Howzabout (technical term) we se...
by FloridaMike
Thu Jun 28, 2012 2:54 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: Classic Virgin
Replies: 11
Views: 8896

Re: Classic Virgin

Charge the battery before you buy a new starter solenoid. Sometimes just cycling the solenoid a few times will knock off any corrosion on the contacts and it will be fine. The starting current arcs across the contacts when you activate the solenoid, this blasts clean the contact surfaces (yeah, I kn...
by FloridaMike
Thu Jun 28, 2012 2:35 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: regulater/ rectifier wires
Replies: 10
Views: 7981

Re: regulater/ rectifier wires

Wiring diagrams - perhaps a quality scan and put them on the site somewhere? Maybe a "Technical Reference" section with all the "standard" questions, wiring diagrams, tire (tyre?) pressures, weight/dimensions, common torque settings and so forth?(And same for my W2000, please!)Be...
by FloridaMike
Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:36 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: Classic Virgin
Replies: 11
Views: 8896

Re: Classic Virgin

Congratulations on your find! We can't get these at all on this side of the pond because they don't meet all kinds of nonsense "safety" requirements.You're 100% correct about the battery not charging, and your test of "rev the engine and see if the headlight gets brighter" indica...
by FloridaMike
Tue Jun 26, 2012 8:27 pm
Forum: technical interest and new ideas
Topic: regulater/ rectifier wires
Replies: 10
Views: 7981

Re: regulater/ rectifier wires

Electrical problems, yummy!Do you have a schematic (wiring diagram) of the bike? Beg, borrow, purloin if necessary, that's step one.Regulator and ballast getting too hot to hold tells me they need to be mounted on a heat sink of some sort - bolt them to something metal which is large and flat which ...
by FloridaMike
Wed May 30, 2012 5:41 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Electrical question
Replies: 16
Views: 14644

Re: Electrical question

I didn't see that part.If it is electronic, the rate can be changed by swapping a few inexpensive components (usually capacitors). There may even be a rate adjustment on or in it.If you can get a schematic, I can say "change this to this" etc.If it is mechanical, there may be another way t...
by FloridaMike
Wed May 30, 2012 2:31 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Electrical question
Replies: 16
Views: 14644

Re: Electrical question

Russ,That's *perfect*.Just what you need and easy to install as well.If you can find one that is dead, I'd like to dissect it and copy the circuit diagram. I could use something similar here.Best,Mike
by FloridaMike
Wed May 30, 2012 1:55 am
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Electrical question
Replies: 16
Views: 14644

Re: Electrical question

Russ,"Whelen" was the name I was looking for. They make all kinds of flashers and alert systems, including the little black box that flashes the beacon on my airplane.If you have the diagram or part number, I'll be happy to look up if this is what you need and how to hook it up.(I was pull...
by FloridaMike
Tue May 29, 2012 11:10 pm
Forum: General discussion (eveything else)
Topic: Electrical question
Replies: 16
Views: 14644

Re: Electrical question

You're not doing anything wrong, it is just that I don't think the flasher relay will give you what you want here.I don't know of any way to wire two three-wire flashers so one is on and the other is off and they alternate. It isn't very hard to do this with a few electronic components (wired as a m...