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Messages - Mikep328
16
« on: January 24, 2024, 12:33:24 PM »
I had a poor experience with silicone (DOT 5) fluid a few years back when I tried it in my Ducati 996. The lever felt spongy and no amount of bleeding, etc would eliminate it. Went back to DOT4 and the brake returned to normal. I realize that liquids are not compressible and that DOT 5 is the spec fluid for some brake systems but I couldn't get it to work well for the Ducati. Might have been my own incompetence in some way but as the old saying goes, "Once bitten, twice shy." 
17
« on: January 23, 2024, 08:43:25 PM »
Y'know, if you want/need gut wrenching brakes with ABS, allied to super grippy fat tyres, then why on earth do you want a vintage bike?
Good question!  While I have no need for brakes/tires that can perform stoppies, brakes that won't lock up in the wet is a nice thing to have in an emergency. I use my two vintage bikes as daily riders and, IMO, ABS would be a worthwhile "safety feature" in modern traffic. I'd be fooling myself if I claimed that despite many years of riding (and racing in my younger days), I could modulate the brakes/stop as effectively as ABS can. Of course, what I'd like and what exists are two different things so my vintage bikes will remain ABS-less!
18
« on: January 23, 2024, 12:45:58 PM »
I completely agree
Back when ABS was being introduced on bikes many riders said they could outbrake ABS and on a dry track with a fixed brake point, good riders can (and did) do that. But in the real world on real roads with REAL random and sudden "panic" moments, there's no way!" ABS is a great thing! I wish there was an unobtrusive ABS system that could be fitted to vintage bikes. I'd install one on my 400 (and my Norton Commando) in a heartbeat.
19
« on: January 22, 2024, 11:17:10 PM »
The 1977 Cycle World test showed the CB400 stopped from 60MPH in 135 feet. Interestingly, it is the same stopping distance that Cycle World reported for a 2022 Honda CB1000R. IMO the "common knowledge" that the brakes on a CB400 "were never very good" is not supported by actual road tests. If returned to "like new" condition, they work as well as modern brakes...or at least as good as the brakes on a 2022 Honda CB1000R!
20
« on: January 22, 2024, 04:34:17 PM »
Yes, replace the piston.
FWIW, I overhauled the front brake on my 400 last year. It had been worked on by the shop that sold it to me, which included a new SS piston/aftermarket seal. The brake was ABYSMAL and that's generous; the rear brake generated more stopping power!
I went through the brake, removed the (new) SS piston they had installed and replaced it with a (way more expensive) Honda piston, replaced the (new) aftermarket seals with Honda (way more expensive) seals, and replaced the brake lines. With a new set of pads and some serious attention to breaking them in properly, the front brake was transformed into a very good brake!
21
« on: January 15, 2024, 12:56:28 PM »
They look good! I've been wanting to do this but have been reluctant concerning the uncrimping/recrimping of the rings.
22
« on: December 30, 2023, 06:18:45 PM »
Right, I insist that all my fuel stabilizers be eutectic! Actually, I have no idea what that means!  But it sounds like a good thing. 
23
« on: December 30, 2023, 05:30:24 PM »
FWIW re stabilizer...my understanding is that it is primarily a light oil and its purpose is NOT to mix with the fuel as an additive, per se, but to essentially float to the top of the fuel in the tank, carb float bowls, etc and "insulate it" from the air. With no contact with air, the fuel will essentially remain "as new," at least for quite a long time. Not being a chemist, I certainly can't verify the accuracy of that functional description but I do have a Norton Commando that sat untouched for nearly two years with E10 fuel/stabilizer in the (fiberglass!) tank and the bike started with no trouble. I do know of a guy that claims he uses home heating oil as "stabilizer" and says it works fine. Certainly cheaper...
24
« on: December 25, 2023, 02:54:27 PM »
FWIW, I store 5 motorcycles (2 with carbs) and 3 cars (1 with carbs) for up to 7 months. They sit in garages (in different locations) with the batteries disconnected (no trickle chargers). Before storage I put StaBil in each fuel tank per the StaBil directions and then run them for 10 miles or thereabouts. After the storage period I connect the battery and hit the starter (use choke as normal for carbed engines). They all start as if they had been running yesterday. I've been doing that for nearly 15 years now. I'm sure other brand fuel stabilizers work but StaBil is the only brand I have ever used.
Re my not using trickle/smart battery chargers: the vehicles are unattended during storage with no one living on the premises. Years ago I had a battery explode due to a charger malfunctioning so I don't trust chargers that are unmonitored for months. I've never had an instance of a disconnected/reconnected battery failing to spin the starter normally after the storage period.
25
« on: December 05, 2023, 12:47:09 PM »
Thanks! I had found some images of the TEC unit and ASSumed it would be the same but wanted to be sure. The pics I found of the ND were too low resolution/grainy to see, including those in the service manual.
26
« on: December 05, 2023, 04:04:51 AM »
Does the points cam index mark on an ND advance unit point to the 1-4 or the 2-3 markings? (it can be assembled either way so wondering which is correct.)
27
« on: December 04, 2023, 04:13:12 PM »
DUH!!! In cleaning up the ND advance unit, I didn't think to make note of which way the index on the points cam pointed before I disassembled it. Since it will install either way, does the index mark on the cam point toward the 1-4 or the 2-3 of the ND advance unit?
28
« on: December 02, 2023, 12:21:58 PM »
Actually I haven't really come to terms. The inner Luddite is often dominant.. One of my several projects when I am reunited with my CB400 four in April is to remove the E-ignition the bike came to me with (appears to be the unit DSS sells) and install an original ND points plate and ND advance unit I just acquired. Yeah, I know...removing the E-ignition sounds crazy! But heck, it's no crazier than when I removed all the hex-head screws that a previous owner had installed on the engine and replaced them with OEM JIS screws! Q: Are you replacing the EI because it's causing a problem? A: NOPE, works perfectly/bike runs great. Q: WTF? A: I like like seeing the mechanical-ness of the points opening/closing. Q: But you can't see them under normal conditions, can you? A: No. Q: WTF? A: Some of us are weird! Don't know why. I don't have any more time to discuss this, I'm going to go relax/listen to a tape on my RT707.
29
« on: November 30, 2023, 05:07:22 PM »
This is one of my projects for next year - new gauge faces for my 400!
30
« on: November 25, 2023, 12:45:49 PM »
Hi all! I am in the US for the next few months and want to buy a new wiring harness to install when we go back to the UK in April. I see harnesses that are listed as "aftermarket" harnesses with the prices varying from as low as around 70 USD to 125 USD. They look exactly the same to me. A few of the listings state that their harness is made in Taiwan, others don't mention the origin at all. Does anyone know if there is really any difference in the various harnesses or is it the same harness from Taiwan that everyone is selling at different prices? They all claim to "exactly" match the OEM harness as far as wire color and connectors. I don't have a problem spending more for better quality but I don't want to spend more to get the same thing!
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