Improvisation

Greetings all, I have not been on much this summer, between riding and fixing, not much time left.

The spring started with a work trip to Milwaukee. The bike was running for crap, and I kept allowing the auto-tune fuel module to auto-tune, and it tuned itself down to a rough riding 30mpg bike. The module said it was fine, so something else was going on. I found the trouble, exhaust! The 2 in one system I installed uses a bracket that mounts on the back of the engine to support the muffler. This bracket looks like bent 16 gauge steel. It had a sharp 90 degree bend in it, and the bracket broke at the bend. This put all the weight of the system on the exhaust ports. I repaired the bracket, tightened the studs on the exhaust, and proceeded to the next job, in El Paso, TX.

The auto tune module was working better now, but not great, and I could still hear the exhaust leaking. Figuring the gaskets may be damaged, I stopped at Barnett HD in El Paso to pick up new ones. I also picked up a couple of studs, just in case.

BTW, Texas is damned hot, had a bit of heat exhaustion myself, though drinking a lot of water, I was not drinking as fast as the heat was taking. When it is 115 in the shade, and there is no shade on the roads, well, it was frigging hot!

Anyway, after the job there I had another in Mexico City (no, did not ride there, I may be crazy, but not that crazy!). I had one day off in between, so went to tear into the exhaust in the hotel parking lot (still hot). When I took it apart, I discovered that the studs on the rear cylinder were indeed damaged. I also discovered the damage was inside the head, so the studs just would not come out. Back to Barnett.

Les Pierce, service supervisor at Barnett, was good to work with. Since I was to be gone for the week, and he could not promise that the heads could be back from the machine shop in time, we decided the best approach would be to order a new head. Unfortunately, when I returned from Mex City, the arts received where the wrong ones.

so, now the company is calling for me to head to Kalamazoo MI. What to do? Well, I went to Home Depot, lot a bunch of large hose clamps (screw type) and proceeded to clamp the rear exhaust in place around the rear cylinder. Did not improve the looks, but it worked! Hose clamps rank up there with duct tape and wire ties!

Made it to K-zoo, did the job, and headed home. Suddenly the bike started sounding funny again. I stopped, looked at my handiwork, and that was fine. Looked a bit further, and discovered the wipes had broken at the point where the 2 become 1. Took the muffler off, and continued home with straight pipes (loud).

So, still stuck with damaged studs, I put the stock exhaust back on, with hose clamps. You do not realize what a performance difference exhaust can make till you go back.

I figured out the solution to the problem a while later. The exhaust mounts with two studs in opposing corners. I ground those smooth, and pun two new studs in the opposite corners. A bit harder to reach, but it worked. I received a new 2 in 1 system from JPCycles, mounted that up, and the bike is back!

Hose clamps, good to have handy!

BTW, also discovered that when the batteries are fading on the wireless keyboard, it puts in wrong letters, and missing some. I noticed a bunch after posting. :witsend: