Funny smell after spill

[Beemerphile]

You don't have to remove the cowl to fill the coolant reserve tank.

That is the problem with "working from memory" at my age. My lower cowl went into the take-off box several years ago when I installed Dale's very fine bash plate.

(I think my take-off box probably contains more OEM parts than the running motorcycle does! I've been giving them away for years and still have plenty.)

 

[Brillot2000]

Shift lever and sidestand tab bent back into place easily. I added (not sure what they are called) some weather protecting rubber pieces to the cowl shortly after purchasing the bike. There is a bottom part on the left held into place by a single bolt and some double sided adhesive tape. When I installed it, I noted it wasn't the most aggressive of tape and indeed, it peeled off in the accident. I suspect good thick double sided tape in the right width will be hard to find but I'll visit a couple of stores.

View attachment 27706

What you need is "Molding Tape" to put that piece back on the bike.

You should be able to find it at AutoZone, NAPA or other automotive retailers. It's available in a wide range of widths.

 

[yticolev]

I haven't had time to shop for it, but that looks like just what I need. Honda no doubts specs some metric width but looking at it again there is no harm in having it a little wider.

I took a quick look in passing this morning for the coolant tank and spotted it. Easy to see how I missed it just looking at the intake and outtake hoses from the radiator and hidden behind the cowl. My quick glance showed it will be hard to see the level line but it is clearly doable, especially with TCRider's flashlight tip.

 

[TCRider]

I haven't had time to shop for it, but that looks like just what I need. Honda no doubts specs some metric width but looking at it again there is no harm in having it a little wider.

I took a quick look in passing this morning for the coolant tank and spotted it. Easy to see how I missed it just looking at the intake and outtake hoses from the radiator and hidden behind the cowl. My quick glance showed it will be hard to see the level line but it is clearly doable, especially with TCRider's flashlight tip.

Glad it helped!

 

[yticolev]

I fixed all the small issues today and took a ride around the block (against surgeon's advice - he is worried about another fall, as am I). So now I really need some advice as I found a larger issue.

The bike fell on the left side, including the bars. The entire triple crown is rotated clockwise as viewed from the top about 15/20 degrees. Handling is normal, and rides straight no hands. Easy fix? Pretty sure I'm going to need professional help to straighten everything out.

 

[670cc]

If the forks are not bent, you should be able to support the front of the bike, loosen up the upper and lower triple clamps and get it all straight. If you support the bike via the oil pan, remove the front wheel, then loosen the tripletree clamps, each fork tube should slide up through the clamps easily, demonstrating good alignment. If your bike has a few miles on it, that would also be a good time to change the fork oil.

 

[L.B.S.]

I fixed all the small issues today and took a ride around the block (against surgeon's advice - he is worried about another fall, as am I). So now I really need some advice as I found a larger issue.

The bike fell on the left side, including the bars. The entire triple crown is rotated clockwise as viewed from the top about 15/20 degrees. Handling is normal, and rides straight no hands. Easy fix? Pretty sure I'm going to need professional help to straighten everything out.

Great to hear you're back on the horse, so to speak

If it were me, I would just slightly loosen the fork upper and lower triple clamp bolts, stick the front wheel between my knees (or a buddy's knees/a slot in a fence/two posts/whatever) and twist the bars back to straight even. Alternatively, bump the left side of the tire against a wall while sitting on the bike, and push forward on the right side handle bar, until it's lined back up. It's a pretty common thing and has always been an easy remedy.

Now, having said that, since everybody isn't me, I don't know the comfort level or mechanical wherewithal to do with the average person, so if at all in doubt or for a feeling of safety and confidence, it's probably for the best to have a dealer or qualified repair shop check it out just in case there is more than meets the eye.

 

[yticolev]

If the forks are not bent, you should be able to support the front of the bike, loosen up the upper and lower triple clamps and get it all straight. If you support the bike via the oil pan, remove the front wheel, then loosen the tripletree clamps, each fork tube should slide up through the clamps easily, demonstrating good alignment. If your bike has a few miles on it, that would also be a good time to change the fork oil.

It doesn't require alignment devices to get it right?

I'm not sure I'm up for this and it would seem to need two people. I do have a centerstand but that probably is not secure enough. It would seem to me that even with the triple tree misaligned, with the wheel off, the tubes should slide easily anyway. I'm a bit surprised that the bike handles normally, but no way do I want to damage the tubes by a long ride.

The bike is still not up to the 8,000 mile service yet. I work out of town a lot.

 

[yticolev]

Great to hear you're back on the horse, so to speak

If it were me, I would just slightly loosen the fork upper and lower triple clamp bolts, stick the front wheel between my knees (or a buddy's knees/a slot in a fence/two posts/whatever) and twist the bars back to straight even. Alternatively, bump the left side of the tire against a wall while sitting on the bike, and push forward on the right side handle bar, until it's lined back up. It's a pretty common thing and has always been an easy remedy.

Now, having said that, since everybody isn't me, I don't know the comfort level or mechanical wherewithal to do with the average person, so if at all in doubt or for a feeling of safety and confidence, it's probably for the best to have a dealer or qualified repair shop check it out just in case there is more than meets the eye.

That sounds like good advice. If it was summer (mostly hovering around freezing here), and I didn't have this freshly repaired collarbone, I'd try it myself. So alignment doesn't have to be that close? What I'd like to do actually is advertise on Craigslist for a mechanic and then I might get it fixed at home for a lot less money if no shop tools are required here. Your description sounds like a half hour of work at most.

 

[L.B.S.]

That sounds like good advice. If it was summer (mostly hovering around freezing here), and I didn't have this freshly repaired collarbone, I'd try it myself. So alignment doesn't have to be that close? What I'd like to do actually is advertise on Craigslist for a mechanic and then I might get it fixed at home for a lot less money if no shop tools are required here. Your description sounds like a half hour of work at most.

Like I say, take my advice with a grain of salt; it can be tough to gauge another's skill and how "by the book" they want their machines to be worked on and set back to straight and true. You can measure the distance from tire center line back to the ends of the bars and get it pretty darned exact (as long as the bars themselves aren't tweaked of course) as far as I've ever tried, and can honestly say my own work leaves me with much more confidence than an unknown guy in a shop, at a dealer, or wherever. Once I get to know a good trustworthy mechanic it can be different story, but after all these years of results and observation, I am loathe to let anyone touch my bike for an oil change, let alone a repair.

 

[yticolev]

Generally I enjoy doing my own work up to a point, although I like working on bicycles a lot more than motor vehicles (I've built bicycle frames and associated machining from scratch). Watching and helping someone else to do this sounds pretty ideal right now. Dropping off at a dealership and coming back to find a $200 bill for something relatively unskilled and simple is not so appealing.

 

[Beemerphile]

I was going to say something smart-aleky like "throw it down on the other side" but I will resist. Actually, I have often been able to re-align them without issue unless the forks are bent. If it is the bars that are bent, I can go back to the bottomless take-off box again for you. Some pictures showing the misalignment would be helpful. I can't see how 15-20 degrees would be drivable.

 

[670cc]

It doesn't require alignment devices to get it right?

I'm not sure I'm up for this and it would seem to need two people. I do have a centerstand but that probably is not secure enough. It would seem to me that even with the triple tree misaligned, with the wheel off, the tubes should slide easily anyway. I'm a bit surprised that the bike handles normally, but no way do I want to damage the tubes by a long ride.

The bike is still not up to the 8,000 mile service yet. I work out of town a lot.

If you were sliding the fork tubes up through misaligned triple clamps, there would be resistance. When the triple clamps are aligned one above the other, the fork tubes will slide through smoothly. Also, you'll want to be able to slide your front axle through the lower forks easily as well. That's really all there is to it. When everything falls into place, tighten her up. No jig or alignment tool needed.

Again, all this assumes the fork tubes are not bent. You can confirm this by rotating them when they're loose, and observing that there is no deflection.

 

[Brillot2000]

I've have the front wheel come out of alignment after a pretty good crash. At the time, I would simply place the front wheel between my legs and twist the handlebars to bring everything back to near normal. However that was on much smaller bikes, I would not recommend that on bigger bikes. I would support and left the front wheel off the ground and then lightly loosen the triple tree clamps and then place the front wheel between my legs or against an immobile object. Then I would twist the bars until the front wheel is squared up with the steering head and then tighten the triple tree clamps to recommended torque specs.

In most of these cases, it is usually the fender mounting bracket that gets tweaked out of shape. To verify, you may want to remove the front fender completely first.

If it is not it, you could also have tweaked the handlebars and finally the fork tubes. If the fork tubes were messed up, you see it immediately or the bike would not feel right when you sit on it.

 

[Beemerphile]

670cc gave you some good advice. You might also consider removing the top caps and springs so that you can move the suspension throughout its travel and feel for any binding as it moves. If the wheel is too heavy to deal with, you can remove it and install and clamp the axle at the specified width.

 

[yticolev]

The first picture is the view from the top of the twisted triple crown, on center stand, with front wheel straight. As conjectured earlier, the fender is indeed tweaked (darn). The handlebar appears to be completely symmetrical - not tweaked. Surprisingly, the fork slides up and down smoothly - tested by pushing with front brakes on. Any further thoughts are most welcome.

 

[L.B.S.]

Given the broken fender, I think I am more with 670cc's observation- I would remove the wheel and forks, inspect for trueness, then reinstall everything rather than simply loosening bolts and tweaking back to straight. Make sure to check the headstock bearings for any noticeable play while things are apart.

More of a hassle, but that's what I would recommend.

 

[Beemerphile]

I agree with L.B.S. on this. I would remove the fork tubes for a good inspection of the tubes. Pull the springs and check the slider action for stiction. Check the upper and lower tree and test the headstock bearings for play or roughness. I'd also take a close look for damage at the axle and axle clamps. This is a significant tweak of the front end.

 

[yticolev]

Well, maybe I should spring for the dealer, or find out if there is a viable independent shop nearby.

Update: I did a bit of searching and found a full time guy working out of his house, referred by a shop mechanic who used to work with him. Twenty miles away. As far as I can tell, it should be safe to ride there. Bike tracks straight, brakes don't grab, fork slides freely. Tentatively scheduled for Friday when the weather forecast is for a balmy high of 57 degrees. I'll stay there for the repair.

Anything else I should consider?

 

[yticolev]

Thought I would bump this thread. Rather than posting, I edited my last post yesterday. So I'm going to a mechanic tomorrow. Everything covered that he should look at? I don't know that I should get too proactive, I'm working under the assumption that he is competent. He mentioned for example that on inspection that he may find a bent triple crown (which would be bad for me).