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Mat Oxley 1986 IOM TT


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Messages - RDryan

#1
General Chatter / Re: Eye Candy
February 23, 2024, 07:13:18 PM
Now there's some eye candy for sure.:nana:  The Honda is my favorite. Any good story behind them? Are they for sale?
#2
Yep that's a beast of a bike for sure. I came real close to buying one of those about 28 years ago. It was a 91 model year and in really quite nice shape for $2500 bucks. Put a $200 dollar deposit on it. It was at a bike shop and no one could start the bike that day. The one guy that knew the technique had the day off and on that basis alone I probably had no business buying it. Well upon leaving the shop about 10 miles down the road my old 1985 Dodge D150 truck decided to die on me. Turned out it was a bad fuel pump. Just so happens I had about 3k to my name and I was bumming over the truck, had to leave it for a few days at a Dodge dealership and find my way home a good 80 miles away. Had some time to think about that purchase and decided to back out on the deal since I was more concerned with the truck. That truck probably saved my life :undecided: 
#3
Just outta curiosity I keep wondering if the r5 was ever used in a Hollywood movie?...I keep thinking of this movie I saw many many years ago it was a sort of biography of Bruce Lee and I swear I thought he was riding one or maybe it was at least a 70's era Yamaha.
#4
Quote from: SoCal250 on January 27, 2024, 08:27:25 PMKawasaki did not use the same number for frame and engine in that era.

That's right they didn't which makes it being a pretty ironically cool thing that it's only one digit off from being the same. At least that's what I thought when I looked at the pics pointing it out and then I read it in the seller's description so yeah the seller wanted to capitalize on that. FWIW though that bike is a way better deal than that Mecum H2 selling for 55k and still too much money for me to spend on a bike. Heck that Ebay seller outta rethink his ad and cancel it so he can sign up with a Mecum auction for the big bucks!
#5
Quote from: SoCal250 on January 27, 2024, 03:06:28 PMThe craziness continues. Some people have more money than sense

This 72 H2 just went for $55K! :eek:
https://www.mecum.com/lots/1104928/1972-kawasaki-h2-750/

Wow that is crazy money. It looks immaculate but not even 100% all there/original and even a novice admirer like myself can see that. As far as the big money RZ350's go it's funny how I viewed a few recently on FB Marketplace just a month or so ago that were in great shape for far more resonable prices 6k to 8k I guess based on Mecum values I should've just scoffed em up...but whats up with Mecum prices anyways? Whose driving that market?...more money than sense. You got that right :thumbs:

Your buddies private collection is better than those in my opinion. Hey I did notice a 72 H2 750 on Ebay earlier today with a "buy it now" or 17,500$.It's got original paint but the most interesting thing about it is a nearly 100% matching numbers bike. Engine and Frame numbers are only one digit off, thought that was kinda cool.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325980702481?hash=item4be5f6c711:g:bJMAAOSwMZJlrrHl
#6
Looks and sounds good. :thumbs:

Oh yeah is that the bike you considered selling this past August?...I have to say I like the R5 better than the RD's. Just the styling, aesthetics of the meters,tank,cases, gas cap. I wouldn't know the difference in gears or performance. They're all pretty rare where I live which is a bummer for me. I wish I had more like minded folks locally. Then I'd probably have a small fleet of RD's myself. 
#7
Turning Wrenches / Re: Suzuki TS 400
January 27, 2024, 07:11:02 PM
Isn't there some kinda liquid paste on the threads alternative to teflon tape?...or maybe some of that Yamabond gasket sealer applied to the threads?  :umm:
#8
General Chatter / Re: Amazing collection
January 23, 2024, 07:08:55 PM
Oh my that is just too awesome  :humpty:
#9
Haus of Projects / Re: KX500 resto
January 20, 2024, 04:55:47 PM
Wow what a monster of a bike. Looks pretty factory original with those graphics and plastics. How did you bring the shine back to the plastics? I've seen a few approaches to this(use of a heat gun, wet sanding with 2000 grit paper and or some kinda polish) so that's why I ask. Of course one can always just buy new parts. :whistle:
#10
Turning Wrenches / Re: blown main fuse
January 14, 2024, 07:32:31 PM
Quote from: SoCal250 on January 14, 2024, 07:03:03 PMNice! :clap: Good news that you got it figured out and you're back to operational again. Congrats

Yeah for sure, I am just amazed at how a teeny little chafing of wire can create so much mystery. But electricity is a total rocket science for me no matter how basic.

Well it did all start out with the bad flasher relay but I do recall at that point I took the headlight off to look for some bad connection in the rat's nest of wires behind it. Probably created shorts trying to fix a short LOL. :smiley:

 So this morning while reinstalling the headlight I not only did my best to keep the wires out of the way I think I managed a better feel for it and paid better intention to not mashing wires. :thumbs:  Same with the stator,drive side cover. I think just having a better understanding of how it all fits, well I guess that comes from experiences like this. The more you take it apart the better you get at putting it back together :eek:

 Enjoying the wealth of knowledge searching the site. Super,super helpful.  :like:
#11
Turning Wrenches / Re: blown main fuse
January 14, 2024, 07:16:58 PM
Quote from: m in sc on January 14, 2024, 06:51:03 PMI have killed a regulator in the past, so, def not a bad thing to have. it was my own fault but it was also a gen 1 version, and prob 10 years old. they were more delicate back then. (seriously).

glad you got it sorted!  :whoop:  :olaf:  :metal:  :cheers:  :toot:

Yes and thank you :thumbs: Not only am I glad I spoke up over here but more importantly glad you all listened. This forum rocks, a totally essential thing especially where I live, just nobody around locally with this kinda knowledge. I came close to entertaining the idea...of course as a last resort to take my bike to a fairly reputable bike shop. I know they would have fixed it but for way more money than I would spend ordering parts online. Not to mention my time dropping it off and picking it up on their schedule.

This is actually a pretty good learning experience for me too. I had a good time sorting out the wiring. Electricity is pretty daunting for me but a little less so now.

I really enjoyed putting the wire harness on a diet. Removed all the wiring associated with the regulator and really neatened it all up under the seat.

Oh btw I think I noticed a good pro tip Chuck Q put out a while back regarding the homemade spark plug stop. A way to lockup the engine and keep it from turning when tightening the bolt holding the Vape rotor. I think that's what I was thinking of as my only other alternative would be to pull the clutch cover off to lockup the engine.

#12
Turning Wrenches / Re: blown main fuse
January 14, 2024, 05:33:34 PM
Found my Vape rotor pulling tool, just where I left it many moons ago. So upon that I had some more pretty productive time sorting out the wiring on my bike and also did something lame but learned a great deal from it!

When I went to plug in the regulator I wound up connecting positive to negative and vice versa with the battery already connected :omg: ...I know dum dum me :busey: So what happens?...well just what's been happening. :boom: I blew another fuse. So that got my wheels grinding and I was gonna do more to the bike before I tried starting it but I couldn't help myself and just decided to see if the bike would run and so I went ahead putting the tank on and various other bits off of it. Also fixed my dyslexic wiring mistake of course.

She fired right up and I took a reading at the battery before and after she was running and got readings of 12.1 volts not running and between 12.9 to 13.7 volts running. That's telling me that even after more than a few short circuits that the fuse is doing its job and either that or the Vape regulator is made to handle it well. Maybe even better than Vape would give it credit for.

Feel kinda bad jumping the gun and ordering a replacement but I dunno maybe it's a good spare part to have?   
#13
Turning Wrenches / Re: blown main fuse
January 13, 2024, 12:56:12 PM
OK I will try that. Gonna go look for that tool now, I know I got it somewhere. :thumbs:
#14
Turning Wrenches / Re: blown main fuse
January 13, 2024, 12:00:18 PM
Quote from: rodneya on January 13, 2024, 10:57:35 AMThe wires from the stator where they run under the Vape back plate can rub through and short from vibration

OK I don't doubt it. In fact I think I am going to take it apart for inspection as I feel I have been lucky with it thus far. There's just so little room in there for the wiring and honestly when I installed that magneto at the time I really took for granted that it was a proven plug and play set up. I think to a degree it is but after seeing pics on the Power Dynamo site of mashed and destroyed wires and having my experience I wouldn't be surprised if there's something there I don't wanna see.

Also makes sense to evaluate it as the installation of the Vape Ignition for me has been a learning process. I already moved the coil pack to a better spot than I had it as well as the relay. So again I just wouldn't be surprised to see improvement with installation of the stator.

I will say though and maybe you can help me with this one...I have no easy way to get the rotor off. I do believe I have the Vape rotor puller tool but I don't have a good way of holding it. I am aware that a screwdriver in the hole is a no no as well as a ratchet strap. The only way I can think to do it is too pull the clutch cover off so I can lock up the crank. Lots of parts to take off to get to that point. Unless there's a tool I can get to hold that rotor properly.

 Also I may as well pull the carbs off so I can look at the magneto wiring exiting the engine. Well that's to be expected and it gives me a good reason to give the carbs a cleaning.
#15
Turning Wrenches / Re: blown main fuse
January 13, 2024, 11:42:09 AM
Quote from: m in sc on January 13, 2024, 09:39:14 AMyup. that melted red wire is a symptom.

jus to be sure, the red/white wire in the harness, that's disconnected from everything, correct? w the vape it has no purpose. just fyi.

Yes the red/white wire is indeed disconnected to everything, just there for the ride...a remnant of the old regulator/rectifier connections. :rant-1: I think I definitely wanna get rid of that and all the associated wires to those old components. Gotta clean it up, rats nest of wires under my seat.

Fwiw the black wire running from  the Vape relay is spliced to the red/black wire of the harness running to the kill switch. I believe this to be correct and aside from the blue wire connected to the relay it's the only live connection for the coils to the ignition.

OK so I think I got good news...I found the culprit! In the headlight bucket it was brown wire with a bullet connector and about 3/8" of clear insulator over the brown where it's crimped to the bullet connector was missing and there was some slight burning there. Looked like it got mashed into the side of the bucket under the rest of the wiring. I covered that with shrinkwrap and reconnected it. I believe it was leading to the neutral indicator lamp as that lit up upon reconnect. One by one I reconnected the headlight, tailight, turnsignals, break light indicators, horn and flasher relay. All seems to work and no burning fuse. :smiley:

It seemed like a nothing thing but it was there with a tell tale sign of grounding. Kinda makes sense because the other day when I went to start the bike with everything buttoned up. It was working ok and with a few revs just died out. Pulled the head light off to find some charred wire evidence and it just was just too hard to see at the time. Also I pulled the left side cover off to look at the magneto wires and that's were I thought I found one of the white wires mashed in between the sidecover/upper locating dowel on engine case. I probably did that awhile back not being careful, I can't tell you how many times I've had that cover off just fiddling with the clutch cable.

Anyways after repairing that wire with some solder and shrinkwrap (which btw Vape highly discourages soldering wires to repair.I guess the heat can damage sensitive electrical components)...I got the bike running good till I put the headlight back on and I imagine that exposed connection must've found it's way to shorting out again.

So the lesson for me that I can see here is that I have to be more careful with the side case as well as the headlight bucket installation. So little room for the wiring and easy to destroy it.