Advice: experienced gearhead w/ new'Shee on build/troubleshoot

[SSminnowNaz]

Hello all.. 

   Im new to Bansheehq.com and to having a Shee as my main squeeze.  Heres a bit of background on me.. I'm 36 and have been riding since I was 14.  Started w/ a mojave and moved up to an 88' trx250r a couple years later.  Since then ive owned quite a few 250r trikes, quadracers, a coule Shee's, trx450r, blaster, so forth and so on.  Usually I pick up a bike cause its dirt cheap, tear it down and do a quick frame up on it so its pretty, and flip it.  I really enjoy bringing life back to abused bikes for some reason.  Anyhow, This is the first banshee Ive had as MY main ride.  That being said, I'm new to the ins and outs of these bikes and would appreciate some input from you experinced guys out there.  Im not a retarded douche like a lot of these new poster's i have read on here thus far.  I have the tools/experience required to understand as well as complete any tasks recommended.  I shouldnt say newbies are retarded but you know what i mean.  Also, I have spent HOURS searching through past posts for info as to not waste anyones times w simple, already answered questions. . . I think.  I apologize ahead of time for being long winded but I prefer to be overly thorough because I expect reply's to be thorough and equally well thought out..  I figure its better to waste my time typing possibly too much info, rather than wasting everyone elses..  That being said... here we go.

 

So, I picked up a 2003 a couple years ago.  Guy was supposed to squash the lein w/ my payment and get me the title but failed.  Therefore I bought another bike a few months ago that had a clear title, etc. 

 

2003 from couple years back:  No title (not Hot), douglas beadlocks F&R, New rears, t5's, boost bottle, k&n, prm F&R bumper/grab, full skids, Virgin motor, paddles on rims, Misc bling.. bike runs very strong but looks quite neglected maintenance wise. 

 

New bike.. 2001:  paid $1700.. Desert tank, cut plastics, tusk bars, twist, tors delete, UNI-pods, fresh top end, Paul Turner mids w fat boy 2s, Vforce2's, +2 a-arms, Elks stage 1's, trailtech lights,  parking block off, braided lines, smoothies & paddles on polishes rims, brand new 22x8x10 shredders up front, 1.5 gal R50, and appears to be maintained very well.. super clean, reciepts for mods, etc.  However, guy i purchased it from took it as debt payment so he had no first hand personal knowledge about jack shit but has a huge beautiful house w/ shop that you could eat off of.  Guy seemed stand-up.. bout 55 yrs old.  Bike ran like shit when i test rode it but it seemed like jetting and I saw enough good parts that it was worth it even if the motor was junk because the motor in my 03 was good so i bought it.  And he gave me a couple weeks to come up w the cash so I couldnt pass it up.

 

I live in AZ at 2800 ft elevation, i weigh 215, and ride aggresively compared to others my age around here it seems.. But maybe IM a total bitch compared to everyone on here.. who knows?

 

So, 01' at home:  Runs like piss.  Open up the carbs and find a 250 main, 25 pilots and aftermarket needle.. and 30 pilots in the air filter side of the carbs intake (whatever tha jet is) .  I open up the carbs off the 03 and find 280 mains, 25 pilots and aftermarket needles.. with factory airfilter side of carbs intake jets.. 2.4 or 1.6 or something like that. 

 

I put the 280s, 30s, and factory spec'd jets that are in the intake throat of the carb all in the 01 and find improvement.  Ordered 27.5s, 290s, 300s, 310s, 330s, carb gaskets, filter oil, etc..  While waiting for delivery I checked a few other things.  I checked the "static"? i think is the term.. compression by warming up, yanking both plugs, hook up snap-on comp tester, hold wide open, and kick kick kick kick kick... 182ish on the right and 178ish oin the left.  Few hours research on this sight followed.  Autozone trip (no race gas avail around here) to buy VP octane boost stuff.  $20 a can, 1 can to 5 gal raises from 91 to 104-5 i believe it was.  Oh, running r50 @ 40:1.  wow, that helped ALOT!  We're getting closer.  Mailman drops off new jets..

 

Eventually found 300s w 27.5s worked best but still left a lot to be desired.  Bike seemed to fall off fast and just burn through the gears really quickly.  MPH seemed decent enough but it just FELT flat.  New plugs.. nothing.  reduced gap to .18-.20 from .26ish i think it was in case of weak ignition .. this seemed to help slightly.  I checked for air leaks w can of carb cleaner and seemed to have one @ the reed block.  Ordered new gaskets.  Pulled vforce2s.  I found that when i held a very bright flashlight up to the reeds, In only 3 of the 8 i could see light through them.  However, it seemd to me that this was a natural effect from the weaving in production of the carbon fiber.  Im talking about pinhole if not smaller sections of light.  Maybe 4-8 "pixels" on each of the 3 reeds that allowed any light at all to pass through.  I cleaned the reeds, flipped them, lightly buffed the edges with #0000 steel wool to polish any inperfections off that might keep the reed from seating properly against the cage.  I used blue locktite upon re -assembly.  Also, Some assfuck used some shit that was a nightmare to get off when installing the vforce2 cages.  I COMPLETELY cleaned off the cages, boots, cylinders.. re-installed using light grease to tack the gaskets up and torqued to whatever it was this site said was correct (cant recall).  I also cleaned and oiled the UNi-filters, put in 310s, and needle clipped at 2nd from the bottom (out of 6 postitons, so fat fat).  Terrible results.  Checked for air leaks and found nothing.  Put in 330s, changed clip to 3rd from top (2 clips leaner), and put in 30 pilots.  WAYYYYY better.  WWAAYY better.  On pavement just putting in third or even fourth, blip it and the front comes up.  It took some serious effort to get the front end up prior.  It still feels flat on the top 35% of the curve.  Yanked the choke and it gets worse.  Fat maybe?  It just doesnt FEEL fat though.  I didnt want to ride it very long in case of there being a lean condition.  After 10-12 min of dicking around w 1 or 2 tops actual pinned banging gear trials ( letting out a second or two into 6th, clutch, kill, coast, check...)  i didnt chop the plug but i thought this might be better than not checking at all.  Strap changed color almost at weld but not quite.. closer to the top of gthe bend.  Color looked good. Base ring looked as if it was a new plug.  No oil or anything on the plug anywhere.  One side of the strap was colored dif though, lighter just on the one edge. 

 

DId some more reading on this site.  Found the orange and black coil wires were backwards as many are.. corrected.  Too late at this point to check for improvement.  Im getting closer but it still feels like im a good ways off from how it should be.  I checked the cylinders when i removed the reed blocks and found they are unported.  Ive basically took anything worth a shit off of the 03' and put it on the 01': beadlocks, bumper, grab, skids, tires, billet bling, etc. 

 

I noticed that the 01' has a vibration near idle.  rev and when rpms fall and approach idle the motor vibes enough to shake the whole bike.  Once its back at idle it ceases to vibe.  Im wondering if this is normal or if maybe ive got a weak bottom end.  I honestly dont recall the 03 doing that but i only rode it once.  My gut tells me its not good ( the vibe). 

 

My plan was to part out the 03' in order to recoup funds put out on the 01'.  If the 01' has A flawed motor, maybe i should keep the 03 motor?  Or should i just ebay it and take the G i get for it and hope its enough to address any issues i might run into with this motor?  The 01' seems to require more effort than it should when shifting.  You have to really focus on pulling the lever completely up with deliberate force, otherwise it stays in whatever gear its in.  Im not sure if this is cluth or trans issue. 

 

The suspension on this thing blows goats.  I get a weird weight transfer feedback loop kinda thing that ends up w the bike bouncing front ot back in a way whenever theres any kind of rapid suspension work to be done.  Doesnt seem right either.  If im rolling down the way and quickley compress and the neg load the bike, the front wheels come off the ground.  Increase rebound or rebuild?  I increased the rebound and it seems beytter but still fuct to be honest.  Im thining just doing the stage 3 elka kit when i can.. next 6 months maybe. 

 

next/mods:  chain/sprockets..13/41 im thinkning, climer manual and check electrical specs, Try some 32.5 pilots, order some 320, 340, 360 mains and play with those, replace anything electrical that seems not to function according to spec, timing plate, reeds?  does it sound like they need replaced ( they were set on high setting), port cylinders.. If my crank is factory doesn 180 seem high on the comp?  should i worry about that?  maybe weld crank before port so i dont break shit?  Oh yeah, Id like to get a leakdown tester/kit  but just dont have the time to build one myself.  Id prefer to build one but just have too much other shit mentally going on.  If someone has a used one, wants to build one, etc, I i am open to bartering all kinds of stuff from banshee parts, quality car audio, american (snapon, mac, matco, proto, sk, etc) tools, sbc perf parts, other powersports misc parts ( i have an ebay business) .. I have lots of quality guy stuff. Im a stand up honest man of my word kinda guy and expect the same with anyoine who wants to do business/barter..  

 

Basically im looking for some logical advice from anyone whos learned the hard way so that i dont have to.  I dont want to half ass anything or risk damage.  I prefer to be safe rather than sorry and if i have to pull shit apart, i might as well put it back together with better shit since im already there, or at least thoroughly inspect, check, do anything required for peace of mind.  However, i dont have cash to waste on doing shit that isnt required.  Id rather spend some $ on preliminary things required for a reliable motor prior to modding it.. (makinf sure i have no air leaks, elec is working proper, jetted right, reeds r good, yada yada).  You know what i mean.  Any input or advice on repairing, improving, or preventing failure of any part of my bike is greatly appreciated. 

 

I thank you for taking the time to read this and will take all valuable relevant input seriously and perform advised procedures accordingly, not forgetting to respond with results either.  Thanks guys.  Much appreciated!!

[tfaith08]

I don't see a need for 32.5 pilots.  Chances are that 27.5 is going to get it the first time.

With the airbox lid at 2800' ASL, I'd try some 280 mains and work down.  Without the lid, I'd try some 310 mains and work down. 

Factory suspension blows big time.  Upgrade whenever possible (those Elkas are nice, especially for the price).

 

Don't continue to use any flamable fluids to test for air leaks.  Buy/build a leak tester.  They're generally under $40.

Before you plug chop, clean the carbs, leak test, set the floats per the manual, sync, get the pilot right, then needle.  The very last step is to plug chop to the mains. 

Clean the clutch cable thoroughly and adjust as per the manual.  If that doesn't clear it up, report back and we'll dig deeper.

[87sheerips]

Longest post of the year award welcome..

 

Keep it simple man.

 

I suggest sending motor to redline or fast. It's well worth the investment and piece of mind.... If u build yourself spend money on the best internal parts. We offer hot rods cracks/wiseco pistons at competitive prices Etc.

 

Keep it pump gas... Around 150 cranking psi..

 

Keihin carbs... We sell the 33PWK for a good deal.

 

Poke around our website we can help you in many ways. Holler with any questions. Use "save5" promo code when u check out

 

www.jdscustoms.com

[SSminnowNaz]

Tfaight08- thanks for the input:

 

Airbox has been removed.. thus the UNI-pods

 

Suspension isnt factory.  I have +2 arms and stage 1 elkas

 

I have completely gone throught the carbs, set floats, synced, I believe the pilots are correct at 30s, and im quite close on the needle

 

So, Youre saying I should clean the cluthch cable then.. right?  Will do tomorrow.  thank you.

 

87sheerips-   Longest post of the year.. I agree.  Funny thing is even with all that info, there seems to be some sort of hang up with processing it.  The first reply gave me a list of things that have already been done to check.  I mean dont get me wrong, i appreciate the input.  I was overly verbose in my post in hopes to deminish unrelavant typing for everyone.  I think you may be correct in the whole keep it simple.  Maybe I should have just said.. hey my new racing quad  isnt fast enough to beat my neighbors ninja, how do i do that?!  ..wtf? 

 

I agree.  I stated I prefer to do things right the first time w quality shit.  I cant keep it on pump gas because it already seems to require 100+ octane to run properly w the stated 180 psi already existing.  My questions was where to go from here.  So youre saying i should take whatever action is required in order to lower the comp so it runs on pump gas?  Please clarify.

 

Im not trying to be a dick.  I specifically included a fuckload of info to prevent these kinds of replys. 

[SSminnowNaz]

Im probably barking up the wrong tree in order to actually benefit from this site seeing your the "commander in Chief" but what's a guy to do..

 

After spending multiple tens of hours on your site searching for existing posts that are relevant to my questions I have learned a few things for certain.  1)Members are constantly telling newbies to do a search because thats already been addressed.  Well, Ive done that over and again.  2) Be sure to articulate yourself properly if suitable reply is to be expected..  As you said, longest post of the year, certainly I couldnt have been too unclear.  3) Nothing worse then taking the time to respond to a question only to have the posting party give to fucks about what your said or tell you how whatever your advice was does not apply... right?? 

 

So, I research the shit out of this forum so i dont waste anyones precious time.. Then i actually use that previously given info to actually turn wrenches on my bike rather than just hoping its fixed when i wake up..  After i have felt ive exhausted my options without posting anything I search some more to make sure Im not the retarded fuck stick who cant figure anything out let alone a search bar.. only after that do i make an initial post.  In that post I address all of the things I have done thus far for a couple of reasons.. 1) to show ive actively researched the shit and tried a number of things, 2) in hopes to represent some sort of work ethic in that I am thorough and take this seriously, Not just posting shit to waste peoples times.  You would think anyone with some sort of attention to detail and appreciation of a persons willingness to figure shit out themselves and not be a lazy fuck who is just looking for some easy fix might find value in someone who has taken the advice given here all the fucking time... search for existing posts and actually try the given advice.  Yeah, done that.  That should have been made abundantly clear in the novel i wrote a few hours ago for fuck sake.  You do realize that the majority of your response specifically addressed nothing regarding my bike or any of the things i stated.  Basically what I saw was a loose attempt for a little advertising.  If you read, comprehended, and then contemplated any of the info i gave you might have recalled the portion where I said cash flow isnt flooding right now.  So, do you have an address where i can send my shit off for someone else to fix??? Thanks for being counterproductive and contradictive.. Profoundly helpful..

[SSminnowNaz]

I did forget to say that I almost exclusively desert ride.  Im sure If i would have included that tid bit of info then the 33pwk advice would have beem omitted surely.  I mean Im just a talkative newbie who overcomplicates things but still understands fuel mileage is important for desert riding.. which 33mm carbs might deminish.  From the searching ive done, the guys on here who seem to actually know wtf theyre talking about seem to agree that stock carbs are perfectly fine if not prefered for a bike my the mods mine has.  Possibly increasing cfm on the carbs might add horsepower but not enough to warrant the cost, decreased mileage, and ..how do i say it.. rideability/reliablity/usefullness over the whole rpm range.  Im not drag racing.  If I only would have included that info into my already lengthy encyclopedia of my entire banshee existence.. right..  

 

PLEASE ONLY REPLY IF WHAT YOU POST IS ACTUALLY RELEVANT AND YOU HAVE ACTUALLY READ MY SHORT STORY!  I SPENT TIME DETAILING INFO SO THAT POSSIBLY THE RECIPRICATED INFO IS DETAILED AS WELL AND NOT SOME BLANKET RESPONSE FOR JOE RETARD TWO HOUSES OVER.  IF FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU FEEL THE NEED TO TALK SHIT OR MAKE SOME SORT OF WEAK ATTEMPT TO PUT ME IN MY PLACE WITH SOME EPIC 1 LINER.. BY ALL MEANS, HAVE AT IT.  HOWEVER, IM LOOKING FOR A GROWN UP WHO DOESNT MIND TAKING A MINUTE TO IMPART A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ON SOMEONE WHO WILL ACTUALLY USE IT AND PASS IT ON.   ANYONE OTHER THAN THAT GUY... YES YOURE COOLER THAN ME, SMARTER THAN ME, AND I KNOW YOUR DAD IS TOUGHER THAN MINE.  YOU WIN.. NOW FUCK OFF.

[tfaith08]

(In just as polite a way as possible) the most beneficial thing you an do at this point is consolidate the posts.

 

Most of your experienced members use taptalk so they can be active on the forum while on the go. Some will see a 5 paragraph post and just skip right on by because they don't have time to stop and read it all.

 

A1 is for fags.

[SSminnowNaz]

10-4.. Will do tomorrow.  Thank you. 

 

I'm not a bone smuggler so I dont want whatever A1 is.. lol  Whats A1?  Please dont say steak sauce.

[SSminnowNaz]

Clutch cable.. Clean both exposed ends with solvent and then apply lubricant and work cable back and forth?  Never, cleaned a clutch cable...

[tfaith08]

A vacuum/pressure brake bleeder pushing a mild cleaning agent through the cable will clean a lot of gunk out. Then a good bit of lube will do some good.

 

The issue that I've had is that if you use something to REALLY clean the hell out of them, it will break down either the lube or the Teflon.

 

At some level of frustration, you'll be better off to buy another but that generally doesn't come until you get fed up and say fuck it.

 

Proper adjustment will most likely get you where you need to be.

 

What are your immediate and long term budgets with this thing? What are your goals with it?

 

Concerning all intents and purposes, the topic of A1 steak sauce effectively shut BHQ down for a solid week. No advice was given, no builds neared completion, there was only an A1 steak sauce debate for that period of time.

 

 

A1 is for fags.

[Larry's Shee]

Wow, just wow !!

You put Windy city John to shame !!

 

Do you write speaches for politicians ??

 

Might be best to try the Cliff notes/short form version.

 

EXAMPLE :

I have

Xxx main

Xx pilot

Needle x clip

Make and size of carbs

 

My mods are:

Air filter setup ( lid/no lid, type of filter, I know you have pods)

Type or reeds

Type of porting (if any)

Name of exhaust you have

 

Now list riding conditions :

Elevation is xxxx feet above sea level

Average temperature is XX

Type of riding ( dunes, trails, drag, etc.)

 

Now list your specific problem. EXAMPLE: I have a bog (or miss) at full throttle.

 

I think I detected abit of sarcasm. When you are new, you just have to suck it up buttercup and grow some thicker skin. And sponsors like JD /Shee rips do that, let you know what they offer. Might pay to check out his web site. Offers parts and services you'll find no where else.

 

As to your compression, see what size domes you have (cc) get larger to lower comp.

 

For leakdown tester I use a Harbor freight and two PVC caps that fit carb boots. Drill hole in one to force thread adapter into it. Turn compressor down to about 10lbs, use tester regulator to bring up to 6-7 lbs.

 

Not sure on description of plug chop if you are doing it right. Read up on it, always use new plugs for each test whether you cut them or read them.

 

As to jetting, we can only suggest a range, YOU have to test and tune.

 

 

What was your question again ?? LOL

[Larry's Shee]

Fuck, took so long to type my shit there were three more posts.

[tfaith08]

Wow, just wow !!

...

What was your question again ?? LOL

 

Long post about why not to make a post too long.  Nice.

[sheerider11]

Jfc. I didn't read any of these.

[trickedcarbine]

To be clear we are referring to the bike you said has Paul Turner exhaust, pod filters, and V force reeds correct? If it is making 180 pounds of compression when kicking, there has been some sort of head work. It's doubtful that it's actually been Rechambered, but it has definitely been milled if it is indeed a stock appearing head from the out side.

 

Jets in that bike should definitely be around 27.5 pilot, 280-290 main, and find OEM needles to fine tune.

 

Compression can easily be fixed in your situation but will require another head. Find a good used one that's been untouched and install it with a new gasket. Or, find a nice cool head and inquire about having quality domes custom made for your needs. Something in the 21-22cc domes should put you where you wanna be to run the available fuel.

 

 

On another note: Shorter more direct posts get quicker responses with more valid info as people don't have to cherry pick which part to respond to. It'll only draw folks out to ruffle feathers and in the end it'll be you accusing people of being idiots and not being able to read, and no one posting any helpful info. There is tons of knowledge here, just need to find a way to ask the right question without adding inneeded details.