The (not so) Great Gixxer Rebuild

[Degsy]

Jim this is fucking terrible. Have I taught you nothing?

1. This is not a rebuild. This thread should be titled 'maintenance'.
2. Derek did all the work for you. He should be charging your ass labor fees.
3. Your pictures are poorly taken and NOWHERE near high enough resolution.

LOL, you guys kill me.

I'm making Jim do everything so he learns for next time.

I took the steering stem and lower triple to my local engineering shop today. They cut a groove in the lower race and slammed it with a screwdriver and hammer and it fractured and fell off.

With hindsight, heat was a mistake. We probably made it tighter.

On the Hondas I have changed steering head bearings before and had no problem tapping them off with a screwdriver and plastic hammer. The Honda manual says to CHISEL them off. Wow!

[Pleasegivesoap]

I hate to interrupt yall's game of flame, but I have a real question - what tells you when to replace the steering head bearings? Is it something to do given the age/mileage of the bike, or can you feel when they need replacing?

Thanks

btw, Jim, why do people give you so much shit on this site??

Also, where are you headed on your long ride in two weeks?

[union]

LOL, you guys kill me.

I'm making Jim do everything so he learns for next time.

I took the steering stem and lower triple to my local engineering shop today. They cut a groove in the lower race and slammed it with a screwdriver and hammer and it fractured and fell off.

With hindsight, heat was a mistake. We probably made it tighter.

On the Hondas I have changed steering head bearings before and had no problem tapping them off with a screwdriver and plastic hammer. The Honda manual says to CHISEL them off. Wow!

Well... A press to hold the steering stem and an air chisel works wonders for getting the lower race off. Pretty much no effort involved.

[Degsy]

I hate to interrupt yall's game of flame, but I have a real question - what tells you when to replace the steering head bearings? Is it something to do given the age/mileage of the bike, or can you feel when they need replacing?

Thanks

btw, Jim, why do people give you so much shit on this site??

Jim's bike has a little shudder on braking.

If the steering feels "notchy" when you turn the bars side to side or the bike tips into corners way too fast or in an unstable manner, you might need to adjust or replace your steering head bearings. The real way to check is to get the bike raised at the front end (without supporting the forks or triples on a stand) and shake the front wheel back and forth. If there is play, there are bearing problems.

[Degsy]

Well... A press to hold the steering stem and an air chisel works wonders for getting the lower race off. Pretty much no effort involved.

Yep, and if I had a press or an air chisel I would have used them :-)

Local machine shop charged me $10 (like they always do) and I paid them $20 (like I always do). What the hell, it's only Jim's money.

Jim suggested an air chisel might work, but I have a few air tools, but no air chisel.

[Pleasegivesoap]

Ah, gotcha.
So Derek, I was thinking, how bout an even trade, your Gixxer 750 for my F4i? I figure the sentimental value of an F4i for you must compensate for the price difference am I right?

You said yourself F4is have character right?? haha think about it!

[Degsy]

The worst thing about working on Jim's bike is the wires EVERYWHERE for LEDs. They are ziptied to the forks, fairings, subframe, frame, everything.

See my new poll.

Derek

[union]

The worst thing about working on Jim's bike is the wires EVERYWHERE for LEDs. They are ziptied to the forks, fairings, subframe, frame, everything.

See my new poll.

Derek

I know something worse. Try measuring a Buell or a Harley.

[Jim]

This is not a joking matter, Noel

Chris the title of the thread was because of your re-build thread.

Jim, please refer to my garage and bike build threads for proper technique on:

your lack of common sense and intelligence now seems more explainable because of your comment and the fact that you own a Yamahahaha

• Creating long build threads

long posts wont jack up your post count

• Multi-quoting like a champion

ok, so how do you multi-quote mister wise garage man

• Building low-ceiling garages

sorry i'm not vertically challenged like you are

• Taking and posting high-resolution pictures

oh i'm saving one for you buddy. i'm waiting to take it tonight

• Owning and maintaining a bike that isn't a chromed-out garage queen piece of junk

you REALLY need new jokes.

Have a nice day and fuck you very much.

i appreciate the offer, but i'm not into dudes. maybe you should talk to Denno.

[Jim]

LOL, you guys kill me.

I'm making Jim do everything so he learns for next time.

thanks Degs
you're like a miniature buddah, covered in hair

I hate to interrupt yall's game of flame, but I have a real question - what tells you when to replace the steering head bearings? Is it something to do given the age/mileage of the bike, or can you feel when they need replacing?

Thanks

btw, Jim, why do people give you so much shit on this site??

Also, where are you headed on your long ride in two weeks?

Eli, i had vibration in the front, which made me ask Derek what was wrong with the bike.

People give me shit on here....well...you've ridden with me. it's a shiny loud gixxah. 90% of them are just ball busters and I know them. the rest get added to the ignore list.

the ride in 2 weeks is with a huge group, mostly harleys. it's an annual thing at work, and i beleive there's around 50+ bikes going again. we all got hotel rooms up there and start the ride in Meredith, NH and end up in VT.

Yep, and if I had a press or an air chisel I would have used them :-)

Local machine shop charged me $10 (like they always do) and I paid them $20 (like I always do). What the hell, it's only Jim's money.

Jim suggested an air chisel might work, but I have a few air tools, but no air chisel.

I have an air chisel at home, but even if we had it....it was way too late last night to be using air tools. glad it finally got removed though. cant wait to get this bike back together tonight and drink more captains

[seth399]

I was waiting for the pic that explained why you really needed new plugs...was thinking I'd see a closed gap or some broken shit

[Jim]

seth, i was told by TLRman that you should always replace plugs before doing any mapping. since i bought the bike last june and have done 10k+ miles on it, i had no idea how old the plugs on there were.

if you see the one to the right, it's really bad. i'm not starting this bike up till it gets the custom map done, since i dont want to gum up the new plugs

[Nate Dawg]

I was there to witness the madness of Jims LED wires. They were everywhere. Also, Jim was working on his own bike while Derek and I were working on some Captain and coke.

Nice work Jim, what time did you get out of there last night?

[BMFR6]

seth, i was told by TLRman that you should always replace plugs before doing any mapping. since i bought the bike last june and have done 10k+ miles on it, i had no idea how old the plugs on there were.

if you see the one to the right, it's really bad. i'm not starting this bike up till it gets the custom map done, since i dont want to gum up the new plugs

+1 on the new plugs before a map.

i noticed the color difference between the plugs, bad coils or something??



and because throwing shots at you seems like the thing to do and i never have..... are you going to chrome those plugs??

[Jim]

Nice work Jim, what time did you get out of there last night?

i left a little after 1am last night. going back there tonight at 9:30. and since i wont have to wake up at 6am for work, there will be more captain & coke consumed than the last 2 nights

+1 on the new plugs before a map.

i noticed the color difference between the plugs, bad coils or something??



and because throwing shots at you seems like the thing to do and i never have..... are you going to chrome those plugs??

honestly i have no clue why the plugs looked so ugly. that one really bad one came off the 2nd or 3rd cylinder. i'm hoping it's just a combination of the pipe and air filter with no power commander on it. i bought one for the bike, but there wasnt one on there originally.

and i was hoping for stainless brake lines with LEDs that lit up when you engaged the brake levers, but no such thing exists yet. so i just settled and got chrome brake fluid

[BMFR6]

i left a little after 1am last night. going back there tonight at 9:30. and since i wont have to wake up at 6am for work, there will be more captain & coke consumed than the last 2 nights


honestly i have no clue why the plugs looked so ugly. that one really bad one came off the 2nd or 3rd cylinder. i'm hoping it's just a combination of the pipe and air filter with no power commander on it. i bought one for the bike, but there wasnt one on there originally.

and i was hoping for stainless brake lines with LEDs that lit up when you engaged the brake levers, but no such thing exists yet. so i just settled and got chrome brake fluid

have you done a sync on it at all?? maybe that is a factor.

easy fix for the led's..... pressure banjo bolt but instead of wiring it to your brake light, wire it to some led's.

(although this would be ghey)

[Jim]

have you done a sync on it at all?? maybe that is a factor.

sync? as in carb? mine's EFI

[seth399]

wait how many LEDs do you have? I would have assumed there were only a few wires but they really are everywhere? I hate wires as it is...so I figure I'll never be good for gettin LEDs

[CEO]

sync? as in carb? mine's EFI

No as in sync the throttle bodies.

I have the tool if you need to use it.

[Jim]

No as in sync the throttle bodies.

I have the tool if you need to use it.

I'll ask tonight when i put the bike back together. thanks for the tips.

wait how many LEDs do you have? I would have assumed there were only a few wires but they really are everywhere? I hate wires as it is...so I figure I'll never be good for gettin LEDs

one in the air duct, one at the bottom of the fork, two in the fairing, one in the swing arm, and one center LED near the rear shock

[BMFR6]

No as in sync the throttle bodies.

I have the tool if you need to use it.

bingo.
you can (and should) sync your throttle bodies. the process and results are very similar to syncing carbs and the tool is the same.

[seth399]

one in the air duct, one at the bottom of the fork, two in the fairing, one in the swing arm, and one center LED near the rear shock

o damn, ya that must be alot of wires for sure!

[Jim]

just got home from day 3 of the bike work. thanks for all your help derek!

pictures will go up tomorrow after I drop the bike off at RJ's and visit Mr & Mrs GixerChic

[Jim]

o damn, ya that must be alot of wires for sure!

just for you buddy

[Jim]

Day 3:
Derek brought the lower triple w/ stem to a place to get the p;d racer broken off, since we couldnt get it to budge the night before.

Time to start working


Here's the lower triple w/ stem with the new racer


Lower triple installed


forks set back in


put the axle in to adjust the forks to exact height


installed the nose and Degsy wanted to practice for the proper Newbury Street stance


installed the front fender and wheel. it's starting to look like a bike again


left fairing installed


right fairing installed & it looks like a bike again


damper installed and the bike is done (for tonight)


left his house at 2:00am and went home with the bike in the back of the truck. Woke up at 9:30am to bring it to RJ's for my custom PCIII map. Getting the bike back on Monday or Tuesday, which I'll post up the dyno sheets.