Son finally motivated to ride

[SprintPoser]

My son is going over everything this afternoon. I may drive over to his home and take a look because he's also got his sister/my daughter cleaning her storage items out of his garage to make room for the Bonneville and working on bikes. His garage is big enough for two cars but the door my dad put on it is only 3/4 of a car wide (he & his fiancé had bought my parents' home after they passed.) The building never even got a curb cut when they paved the road in front of it around 1968-69, just before my parents bought it in 1970.

It'll be a really nice bike garage once everyone else's crap is out. All he's got is two long extension ladders, a snowblower and now...a Kawasaki KZ550 LTD.

[SprintPoser]

Well it appears we may indeed have an ignition fault with the Kawasaki afterall.

He drained and removed the tank, everything looked somewhat normal. No critters in the airbox. There is one small diameter vacuum hose coming up from under the carbs and we couldn't see where it's connected at that end, but it went nowhere. Both lines going to the fuel tank were fine. When he pulled off the small side covers he found a mess. Someone has cut into the wiring harness and there's some poorly executed crimp-on connectors. I sense a short somewhere.

This could explain why the loss of power and seeming misfire is intermittent. Fuel supply related problems usually occur more consistently. He pulled the spark plugs and found two of the four were wet, and he did describe a backfire. That all points to ignition problems. He's trying to find a wiring diagram and perhaps photos of what the original wiring loom should look like.

[PhilB]

Well it appears we may indeed have an ignition fault with the Kawasaki afterall.

He drained and removed the tank, everything looked somewhat normal. No critters in the airbox. There is one small diameter vacuum hose coming up from under the carbs and we couldn't see where it's connected at that end, but it went nowhere. Both lines going to the fuel tank were fine. When he pulled off the small side covers he found a mess. Someone has cut into the wiring harness and there's some poorly executed crimp-on connectors. I sense a short somewhere.

This could explain why the loss of power and seeming misfire is intermittent. Fuel supply related problems usually occur more consistently. He pulled the spark plugs and found two of the four were wet, and he did describe a backfire. That all points to ignition problems. He's trying to find a wiring diagram and perhaps photos of what the original wiring loom should look like.

Learning is good. These are skills that will serve him well. I started with garage-sale Honda 350s, and learned a lot on those.

PhilB

[SprintPoser]

Learning is good. These are skills that will serve him well. I started with garage-sale Honda 350s, and learned a lot on those.

PhilB

He's always been one to tinker. As a child he liked to take things apart to see how they were built.

I'm still putting some of that stuff back together....or throwing it out.

[zombie]

I might have a manual for this thing Ken
ill take a look

[SprintPoser]

I might have a manual for this thing Ken
ill take a look

Thanks Mick!

[SprintPoser]

Two months to the day from my first post in this thread. My son passed the Basic Rider Course with Rider Skills of New England (Sturbridge MA) today and now has the "M" endorsement on his license. Now he can ride to work in Hudson NH, hit the Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret CT, and attend the Bennington Triumph Bash with me....legally!

We're both very happy!

[Kenn157]

Got any extra room ken?

[SprintPoser]

Got any extra room ken?

I'm not sure Kenn, but won't know until a couple days before. My son & I are sharing a two double bed "premier" room and a long-time friend from southern CT may be coming to take a cot in our room.

As far as I know the reserved block of rooms at the Paradise Inn is expired but there's still some remaining available. I'd love to see you at the BTB, and if you've never ridden with Dan B you'd be in for a treat. He knows those roads so well! Chances are I'll ride with him, my son will look for a more sedate group. Next year he'll be more experienced.

[Kenn157]

Alright thanks Ken. So you expect your buddy from CT to join you. When would you know if he can't make it, a few days before or you have no idea right?
I'll call Paradise later today.

[SprintPoser]

A few days before is the best he can do because he runs a business of repairing professional (musicians') audio equipment and he never knows when a rush job might hit the shop.

[Kenn157]

Thats fine Ken. I booked a room at the Bennington Motor Inn. Its right next ti the Paradise at the foot of the driveway.

[loudbeard]

FWIW, Molly Stark State Park is an *excellent* campground in the area. Really awesome. I had some friends rent the whole facility for their wedding back in 2011 and I've gone back for a weekend almost every year since.

[csmutty]

If you venture down to the Vanilla Bean give me a shout. I'm 5 minutes from there.

[SprintPoser]

If you venture down to the Vanilla Bean give me a shout. I'm 5 minutes from there.

Will do! I'm not sure when, but probably Saturday or Sunday morning. Thanks! It would be good to meet you. (If we haven't already met.)

[zombie]

if ya go saturday
I might join ya

[SprintPoser]

Hey Mick, that would be terrific. Unfortunately it won't be this weekend or next. He's got wedding related activities the next two Saturdays, so it'll have to be 5/6/17 instead.