|
The
Suzuki Cavalcade Newsletter
Issue
#20 ~ March, 2002
Jay
D. Johnson, Editor
Emailed to you at No Charge.
Available by snail-mail for $36.00 a year ($3 per month).
To unsubscribe, reply to this email with “unsubscribe” in the
Subject field.
CADE
RAID ~ 2002
The
International Rally for Cavalcades
CADE RAID 2002 is set for September 16-18, 2002 at the Honeysuckle Inn
Resort in Branson,
Missouri
. You can visit their web site at www.honeysucklebranson.com.
Plans include exhibits and displays by suppliers; classes and workshops;
rides through the scenic Ozarks; evening entertainment packages; an awards
dinner and other surprises. Our goal is to gather at least 100 Cavalcades in one
location.
You should get your reservation in early. You must identify yourself as
attending the Suzuki Cavalcade Owner’s Group meeting (“CADE RAID 2002”) to
get our group room rate. The
Inn
is giving us a rate of $55.00 per night. We suggest you book NOW to hold your
room. ~ The room rate includes free continental breakfast, or you can opt for a
full breakfast with a discount coupon instead. You can also book extra days at
the same rate if you wish to arrive early or stay longer. The toll-free phone
number for reservations is 1-800-942-3553. Those who wait until the last minute
may have a difficult time finding lodging.
A
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS & REGISTRATION FORM ARE AT THE END OF THIS NEWSLETTER
European
Cade Raid 2002
June
1st to June 8th. at:
Campingsite-Café in
den
HOF
Sleepingspot the Hayloft.
(
Holland
near border to
Germany
and
Belgium
)
Contacts email addresses: B. J. Linbeman lindeman5@zonnet.nl
for
Holland
/
Belgium
Tommy
Karlsen tomboy@enitel.no
for Norway/Sweden and
Finland
David
Hebblethwaite david.hebblethwaite@btinternet.com
for
United Kingdom
and rest of
Europe
AMERICADE
2002
Lake George
,
New York
~ June 3-8th
Cavalcade Riders
will meet Friday,
9:00 a.m.
at the "OLD" Dairy Queen. It was a batting cage last year. It's right
next to the road going up
Prospect
Mountain
. You can start signing up for Americade on line at Tourexpo.com now. We hope to
see a lot of you up there. It is one of the highlights of our summer. Good
company.... beautiful scenery and lake and great riding. Get your hotel or
camping reservations in now... each year this is getting bigger and bigger.
For details contact
Nancy
at this E-mail address: motherwind@aol.com
WEST
COAST
CADE RAID
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
~
JULY 21, 2002
West Coast Caders
will gather for a day of riding and admiring each other’s Cavalcades. Everyone
should plan to arrive at Tahoe on Saturday evening July 20th. We will have a
breakfast meeting from
8
to
10 o’clock
on Sunday, July 21st at Mulligan’s restaurant. From
10:00 a.m.
to
5:00 p.m.
, we will take a scenic ride. Spies are in the Tahoe area now who are planning
the ride’s route. Everyone will be provided a map just so no one gets lost. We
will have a social hour from
6:00
to
7:00
and then dinner. Next morning (Monday) we will head for home.
There is NO cost
for this gathering other than the normal cost of gas, lodging and meals. We have
a group rate for the breakfast and dinner on Sunday at Mulligan’s restaurant.
If you think you will come to the West Coast Cade Raid at
South Lake Tahoe
, please send me an email (jay@treefarmtapes.com)
and give your name(s) and your location. If you want, I’ll see if I can match
up riders so you can share the road together. This information will also help me
judge how many people we will need to feed at these two meals and how many bikes
we will need to plan for the ride.
Riders from
Western
Washington
State
and
British Columbia
will meet at
10:00 a.m.
on Friday at the McDonald’s in
Fife
,
Washington
. (Take Exit #137 off I-5).
Email: jay@treefarmtapes.com
TEXAS
CADE RAID
Here are the dates
for the Texas Cade Raid; the weekend of May 4th if that’s rained out then May
18th. Locations are still pending and I'm still open for any suggestions. ~
Roy
in TX
~
CAVALCADE 101 ~
VIN
LIST
After reviewing the
new VIN list, I thought I’d put together a few interesting facts from it. Of
course this is determined by the figures on the VIN list.
Lowest miles on a
Cade...Richard Gray...3290 miles
Most miles on a
Cade...Wolf...116000 miles
Most miles put on a
Cade by single owner...Ray LeTourneau...96825
Least miles put on
by owner...Don Dorion...0 miles
# of 86 Cades
made...6863
# of 87 Cades
made...1136
# of 88 Cades
made...416
State with most
Cades...3 way tie with
California
,
Washington
, and good ole
Indiana
all having 6
Oh heck...just saw
Spike's from Taxifornia, which puts them in the lead at 7
Most common
problems with the Cade...radio buttons, secondary seals, secondary plug, and
speedo cable. ~ Brian in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
CAVALCADE
CD-ROM UPDATE
Due to the kindness
and unending patience of Virgil Flaherty, there is yet another publication that
has been added to the Cavalcade CD-ROM. ~ It is a Technical Seminar Manual. And
is about 40 pages of info that appears to have been the training guide for
mechanics/sales persons when the Cav first came out. While it doesn't contain
any earth shattering surprises, it does have some interesting info on the
differences between the Madura and Cav engines. It has general information about
the creature comfort accessories that where new with the Cav. ~ As always, I am
putting the new file on my download page (it's about 3.9 megs) and you are
welcome to download it at http://www.billydump.com/cav/download.htm.
~ It will be added to all new CD orders and the new current CD date will now be
March of 2002 (last update was January 2002). For those of you that ordered a CD
in the last week, yours will be current with the new file. ~ I want to thank
Virgil and all of the Cade owners for their continued support of the CD-ROM
project as the most complete resource of information for the Cavalcade. ~
Tracy
MEMBER’S
WEB SITE
In case anyone is
interested, I have just started updating my site again. Of particular note is
the Cavalcade Section... Simply go to www.ogrisek.com ~ Brian ‘87LXE in CT
THE
CENTER STAND OLYMPICS
I just can't seem
to do it! I am no lightweight but I cannot seem to get my Cade on the center
stand without help. I know I am missing some trick. There has got to be a way
for one man to get that baby on that stand. Anybody have an idea? ~
I had the same
problem. I got a piece of 2x6 about a foot long and cut one end at about a 30
degree angle, then put it in front of the rear tire and while sitting on the
bike pushed it up onto the 2x6. Once on the 2x6 I get off the bike while holding
it up (don't put the bike down the side stand) and then I can easily put it on
the center stand. ~ Phil ‘86 LX
I put my left hand
on the left grip facing slightly rearward. I then grab the bar just under the
back seat where the trigger is that lowers the back step. And then put my right
foot on the center stand's pedal. I give it a little push off the kick stand and
pull the bar up and push my right foot down real hard and most of the time it
jumps right up on the center stand---I push hard and pull hard up ~ Richie
I weigh about 180
and I've always put mine on the center stand, even with a loaded trailer
attached. Granted it takes an effort but can be accomplished. I first pull the
center stand down with my foot and feel (by rocking the bike from side to side a
little bit) to make sure that both spurs on the stand are on the ground. Then as
someone stated before, I pull on the arm rest bar and push on the stand with my
foot. A bit like spreading it apart. Have confidence when attempting. ~ Clair,
Cade 1987
Two by four about
six inches long cut the end at a sixty-degree angle and keep it in the trunk.
Place it in front of the back wheel or front wheel drive up on it and bingo it's
a snap to engage the center stand. Heard about this from one of the gang. ~
Grandpa86
Keep trying guys, I
had the same problem but now I'm an expert! Make sure both feet of the center
stand are in the ground, stand on the leg and give one, two and three! Also make
sure your front tire is straight or a little to the opposite side of where
you’re standing. Make sense? ~ Tony in LA LXE ‘86
Maybe there is a
difference between the early 86's and the rest of the bikes. There's a doctor in
Naples
and I can put his up with little trouble. It's an ‘87. Mine, an early ‘86,
needs a bit of help. It could be the extra weight of the add-ons and the hitch,
(solid steel plate). It could also be that the center stand is maybe a half or
quarter inch longer. Facing up hill it's a bit easier. I'm six-foot and 195. So
I should be able to lift this monster without creating a hernia the size of
Grand Canyon
. Mine weighs in at a bit over 819, so it's a bit over stock weight. ~ So how do
the smaller guys get it up so easy. Now, don't say it's just because I'm an old
geezer and old geezers can't get it up anyway. ~
Granpa86
I had the same
problem to pick my bike up. The trick I was giving was to make shore the center
stand is on flat ground and to have stand sitting on the two legs. I though I
would loose the bike because you have to tip it to the right side to sit on the
two legs of the stand. Standing on left of bike, tilt to right until it sits by
itself. Right hand on saddlebag bar and left hand on handle bar. As you pull up
with the right hand, pull back with left hand. It may take a couple of try, but
it worked for me. ~ Don in
Mass.
D.R.S.
OK here is my
experience with the center stand. The first time I managed to get the bike on
the stand it took several attempts. When my right elbow and shoulder were well
enough for another try I had no problem. I thought I had really built up some
strength with the first try. Then someone suggested the 2X6 under the wheel. Got
me to thinking.... My theory is that if I had been riding solo the shocks had no
air in them ... if however I had been riding 2 up the shocks held the bike up a
lot higher, thus making it "easy"
~ Jim Robe
It's not the
Cavalcade that's hard to get up on the center stand. It's the 500 pounds of gear
in the trunk and saddlebags plus the 700 pounds of chrome, extra lights and
teddy bear hanging on the back end. ~ Jay
For those of you
having trouble getting your Cades on the center stand, remember one thing. If
you have little or no air in your shocks your bike rides lower so your angle of
attack from your center stand is too high making it harder to get the stand
underneath the bike. I am 5'9" 195. I get my bike on center every time, and
it is usually loaded with junk and accessories. I will admit that sometimes it
is harder than other times. ~ Dick Carter,
Bay City
,
Texas
Dear Group, It was
the air in the shocks. The sensor was dirty and the pump never came on. Over
time the shocks must have lowered a lot as I can easily put the thing on the
center stand now. All it took was a bit of a wash job on the lower parts of the
bike. Now the bike is so high my girl friend has a hard time climbing up. Gotta
get a taller girl friend. Thanks to everyone for the help. ~ Grandpa86
CHAT
ROOM
Hi Everyone, I just
took a peek at our membership roster. As of today we are 530 members strong.
That is a lot of people! I’m guessing only about 5-10% of us are actually
talking back and forth in our e-mail exchange and in our weekly live chat room.
That’s OK because not everyone feels like contributing all the time but most
may enjoy reading what the rest of us are chatting about. Even so, I have an
idea which might give those of you who are the silent readers a chance to speak
up a little bit. So here is a suggestion I’d like to toss to the group and
I’d like everyone who reads this to reply with a response, even if it’s just
to say “Yay” or “Nay.”
My suggestion is to
schedule times in the live chat room for the various regions of
North America
to get together. Currently we have set
8:00 p.m.
Mondays (Eastern USA Time) for our chat time. Because of the four time zones
across the continent, it’s not always easy for those of us in the West to jump
into the chat room at
5:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time) Mondays. But if we establish set times for various regions to
chat it would give more people an opportunity to interact. Here is a sample
schedule I dreamed up.
LIVE CHAT ROOM
SCHEDULE
MONDAY
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(
Eastern USA
Time) World-Wide Chat
TUESDAY
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time) Southeastern States
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Central Time)
Texas
& the Southwest
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time)
California
WEDNESDAY
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time) Canadian (In French)
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time) Eastern
Canada
(In English)
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time)
Western Canada
(In English)
THURSDAY
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
(Eastern Time)
New England
and
East Coast
States
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Central Time) Mountain & Midwest States
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Pacific Time) Northwest States
EUROPEAN CHAT: From
18:00
to
20:00 GMT
MONDAY: English
~ TUESDAY: Dutch
~ WEDNESDAY: Norwegian
& Swedish
Of course, everyone
is welcome to go into the chat room at any time. But the established times
should encourage members from specific regions to get together and chat.
HOW
LOW CAN YOU GO?
I’m just
wondering who has the lowest miles on their Cade? Mine is only 9,000 on it,
I’ve had her since March 2001, and it had 7,000 then. ~ Tony in LA LXE 86
Well, from the VIN
list, Richie from
Mississippi
only has 3,290 miles on his. ~ Spike
~ MAINTENANCE
& REPAIRS ~
DRIVE
SHAFT SPLINE ALIGNMENT
Hi folks, What am I
missing with regard to the fella who was having trouble with the secondary
seals/driveshaft splines after he went in to have a rear tire replaced? I've
replaced my rear tire four times (pull it myself and take the wheel to the
dealer for mounting). How would removing the rear wheel dislodge the drive shaft
splines? Are we talking about the final pinion gear that mate to the rear wheel
pulling out of the shaft? Just wanted to understand this fully. Thanks, Bob L.
Howdy Bob L, The
answer to your question is that the drive shaft only comes completely out when
you pull it out toward the front of the bike. But it will pull out of the
gearbox far enough to come out of the splines and then you have to carefully put
it back in while holding the boot back. Obviously someone wasn't very gentle
with mine and seal damage did occur. Hope this helps. (I know clear as mud) ~
Frank in Indy
I just finished
replacing the seals on my secondary drive unit and I wished that someone had
told me how to line up the universal unit on the drive line to get it back into
the drive unit. It took me over an hour just to realize that I was doing it all
wrong. I finally tried this and it worked for me. Stick two fingers between the
boot and the back of the secondary unit. Line up the tip of the spline into the
hole where it goes. Then go to the rear of the bike and stick the differential
into the back spline and push it up into place while turning the drive gear.
What this does is get the driveline in a parallel position with the housing and
allows you to push the spline into place. I hope I described this accurately
enough. I worked for me when everything else failed. By the way I also bought
the Suzuki sealer as described in the manual. It was $18 a tube but I think it
was almost worth it. The stuff is actually a silicone gasket maker and the
petroleum lubricants don't effect it. I hope this suggestion helps others. I
wished someone had told me. ~ Dick Carter,
Bay City
,
TX
.
LOOSE
HANDLING
Group, I've just
owned my Cade for one year and haven't gotten to ride near as much as I like.
Most of my bike experience was years ago on dirt bikes. This is my first Big
Bike! I've noticed that the bike has a tendency to wander slightly from side to
side on the open road at highway speeds. I don't believe it's caused by the tire
tread since it's a herring bone pattern. The bike does not have a super brace,
and I was wondering if that might help the issue. The wandering is not serious
and doesn't present a problem riding. I just don't know if this is expected of
this size bike. Any comments appreciated. ~ Dwayne 86LX
Under-inflated
tires will have a huge effect on the Cade's stability. Make sure you have 32psi
in the front and 40 in the back. I don’t have a Superbrace and don’t have
any problems like you mention. Hope this helps. ~ Brian in IN 87 tt Gray LX
You
need to check the tightness/condition of the steering head bearings. If you
tighten them and they get a "notchy" feel to them, they should be
replaced. Also check the tightness of all front-end bolts and for any free-play
in the front wheel bearings. A Superbrace can help and sometimes the
stock wimpy-gimpy brace will crack making it fairly useless. Tire pressures
(both) will also have an affect. ~
Tracy
Dwayne, If the air
pressure is OK and the tires are one of the approved kind with not too many
miles on them, the alignment is correct and everything is tight on front end,
the bike should ride without wondering. The brace helps, but will not cure the
problem, in fact it may just hide it. Read some of the monthly newsletters and
search for tires. There is a lot of info about that problem. It has many cures.
~ I had a similar problem and changed to the Dunlop tires. It went away. I'll
probably order the brace later for more stability in turns as soon as I get the
funds. ~ Grandpa86
I do not have a
Super Brace on my ‘87 LXE; however it wandered until I put Dunlop Elete II's
on it and it has not wandered since. Tires and tire pressure are important. ~
David Williams
Evansville
,
Indiana
87 LXE
The wandering
problem could be due to dented races in the steering crown bearings. The
previous owner could have caused that if the front wheel tapped something at
about walking speed (or slightly higher). That could dent the races without
destroying the forks. Center-stand, then hoist the front wheel and see if there
are any catches as you turn left and right. ~ Spike
REBUILD
OR REPLACE?
I would like to
know some opinions on another problem.... I have an '86 GT bought it about a
year or so ago mileage unknown.... It has run pretty good after carb rebuild and
boots replaced.... Also the stator and r/r recently...am now having some valve
or lifter noise and smoke on the down rev..... My question is that it sounds
like a valve job is in order? What about pistons and rings? The next question:
parts availability? And....is this something I can reasonably do myself? I love
this bike and hate to lay her to rest but I don't want to be bent over by a
shop.... I haven’t done a compression check yet.... Does anybody have
suggestions or advice it would be greatly appreciated...hate like hell to go buy
a HD.... thanks, ~ Nick
Well, as far as
doing it yourself.... Most of it you can with a reasonable amount of mechanical
experience.
But, you most
likely will be sending out cylinders for boring and heads for valve replacement.
In theory if the valves are in decent shape you may be able to lap them
yourself...but that may not be the best way to go. OTOH: boring cylinders and
valve jobs are not usually very expensive...if parts are available.
If it were me, I'd
tear down the top end of the motor and inspect it. Perhaps take the heads in and
have a pro checkout the valves if you don't know what to look for. As far as
pistons and cylinder, you may not have the proper tools for checking the bore.
So you might wanna take that in to. Least of all you can invest some personal
sweat equity and get an estimate on the things you can't or do not want to do. ~
Brenden
Nick, Couple of
things you might try before you haul off and so something rash. Try changing to
a little heavier oil like, a 20-50. That might help quiet down the lifters as
they are hydraulic. Also, try a little Marvel Mystery oil in the gas for awhile.
It doesn't work magic, but it might help lubricate the top-end and keep the
rings and valve stems sealed up a little better to cut down on the smoking.
Since it smokes on the down rev, it's probably valve stems. I would also check
the crankcase breather hose to make sure it isn't plugged or kinked. Pressure
buildup in the crankcase could force oil past the rings and valve stems. ~
Tracy
How much Mystery
oil are you guys using to a tank of gas? ~ Virgil
The amount
specified in the directions on the bottle. I drop a couple ounces in about every
third gas fill up. I also put a couple ounces in the crankcase with an oil
change. ~ Brian
Try
a quart of Lucas Oil Stabilizer with your next oil change. The stuff is thick as
molasses but works wonders on engines that have "loosened up" over the
years, particularly with suspect maintenance. It also swells valve seals, which
may be how the oil is getting into the cylinders. If the bike smokes fairly
excessively right after starting and tends to taper off after it hits normal
operating temp, I'd replace the valve seals only. If the smoke is pretty steady,
more than likely a bad cylinder. Of course, your compression test would find
that. Good luck, ~ Bob L
UPGRADING
MIRRORS FOR AN ’86 LX
I ordered the later
model mirrors for my 86 LX (dressed out as LXE) Cade. The mirrors did not come
with the two bolts to bolt into the Cade. The dealer had the top bolts but not
the bottom bolts. This is #14 on the drawing of handlebars. (Another thanks to
Tracy
) Part # 07110-06205 I had to purchase longer bolts. These bolts should be
shorter than #13 on the drawing. Therefore I am going to have to cut the two
bolts to the correct length. Question -- Does anyone know the length of the
bolt? I ask this because I am not good at eyeballing sizes. I cannot look at a
nut or bolt and guess the correct size. Anyone's help would be appreciated. ~
Harlan Speidel 86 LX Gold
Wharton
,
TX
Harlan, There are 2
spacers that the bolts must pass through. The longer spacer appears to be on the
top and the shorter spacer appears to be on the bottom. Slip the new TOP bolts
through the mirror and the TOP spacer, slip the too-long bottom bolts through
the bottom hole and the BOTTOM spacer, make the bottom bolts stick out the same
amount as the top bolts. Or, call the dealer and simply ASK HIM what the length
of a #07110-06203 bolt is. Hey, here's something even easier. Measure the length
of the new TOP bolts (from under the head to the end of the thread). If they are
just about 1 3/8" then the bottom bolts need to be about 13/16" in
length. How does he know all this shit? Well...look at the part number...the
digits after the dash. 06 = 6 mm, 20 = 20 mm length, 3 = head style. I think
that's right.
Tracy
Another
old Indian trick is to put a nut on the bolt before you cut it. Then after the
cut, backing the nut off will straighten out any threads you might have damaged
in the cut and grind-smooth process. ~ Spike
On my bike, it does
hit something after the hole. The bolt has to be cut. Thanks for the info and
about the nuts. Been thinking about putting hex head instead of the Phillips
head... This one is a hex cap and no room for a socket. Again, thanks for the
information.
WATER PUMP
CHAIN
OK yall' I got my
new water pump chain and measured it to give us something to compare to when we
are checking the ones on our bikes to see if they need replaced. I measured from
inside pin to inside pin to get all the "slope" out, (at maximum
stretch) and then added the width of one pin to come up with a center to center
measurement to compare to the limit listed in the manual. The new chain measured
2.416" plus the width of a pin, .088" = 2.504". The limit is
2.540" before it HAS to be replaced, meaning the chain can stretch
.036" in 10 links before it needs replaced. The chain that was on my bike
when I got it measured the same as the new one. I'm not for sure if it is the
original or not, but the bike has 47,000 miles on it. So if anyone needs a water
pump chain, I have one that is like new. Save this message for future reference,
because the manual wasn’t much help for me, but this message says it all. ~
Brian in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
FRONT
FORKS
I know there was
some debate on re-finishing the front forks. Mine was in desperate need of
re-finishing, so I decided to see what I could do. And I am quite satisfied with
the results. I started by taking the front wheel, fender, brace, and calipers
off. Took about 1/2 hour. I then sprayed on some paint remover, let sit for 5-10
mins. Then cleaned it off. That took off the clear coat and took about 20 mins.
I then used 320 grit sandpaper and sanded pitted areas till the pits were gone,
followed by wet sanding with 600 grit to remove scratches made by 320 grit.
Total time sanding was about 15-20 mins. for 1 fork. I then used polishing
compound and a polishing pad in my cordless drill on high speed to polish the
sanded area back to a "stainless steel" shine. This took about 10 mins.
I will then put on a clear coat to protect it for another 15 years I hope. If
you follow these steps, you will be amazed at the difference it makes. So in a
day’s time, you can have front forks that look like brand new. I was surprised
at how little sanding it took, and how quick I was able to do it all. Hope you
find this informative. Oh, BTW, Now would be a good time to lube the speedo
cable to assure it don’t break on ya too. ~ Brian in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
Great job Brian! I
had to take mine off to have them rebuild. To take off the remaining clear coat
I used a fine de-burring wheel mounted on pedestal grinder. Then I installed on
that grinder a 5" buffing wheel and buffed them out. It took me about an
hour to do both of them. I am pretty sure your use of fine grit sandpapers
helped to polish them out quicker, and give you much nicer shine. Let me tell
you, after that ugly, pitting surface I was very happy with my results too!
Thanks for sharing your experience. ~
Wojo
,
Kent
WA
The clear coat,
what is it? Is it just lacquer? ~ Grandpa86
Brian, Good update
on the fork polishing. I think I will do the same thing. Only I have never
before removed the front wheel. I did my stator a few years ago and this group
and
Eugene
got me through that. I want to change my break pads, lube the speedo cable and
clean and polish every thing. I'm afraid of screwing up my front wheel causing
it to come off while riding it, YIKES! ~ Michael
Michael, The front
wheel is not difficult to remove and put back on... As I stated, it took me
about a half an hour to remove wheel, brakes, fender, and brace. With all that
out of the way, it's a piece of cake doing the rest. Don’t under estimate
yourself, especially with the power of this group on your side. Besides, if you
want to do all the things you say, you’re almost there anyway. ~ Brian in IN
87 tt Gray LX
I completed
refinishing the forks. I believe they turned out fantastic. We used a urethane
clear coat like that used on today’s cars. I believe they should be good for
another 15 years. If you want to do this to yours, remember that the surface
needs to be extremely clean of oxidation, dirt, oils, polish, etc. for the clear
coat to stay stuck to the forks. For a photo via e-mail contact Brian at shermanp@netnitco.net
REMOVING
THE FRONT WHEEL
Hey Brian Good
up-date on the fork polishing. I think I will do the same thing. Only I have
never removed the front wheel. I did my stator a few years ago and this group
and
Eugene
got me through that. I want to change my break pads, lube the speedo cable and
clean and polish everything. But, I'm afraid of screwing up my front wheel
causing it to come off while riding it, YIKES! Michael
I want to try some
of the tasks discussed regarding front wheel removal, polishing and speedo parts
check and lube, etc. I think I need some way to raise the front wheel to remove
it. I don't own any jacks. Perhaps there are some ideas out there for getting
the front wheel off without spending a lot of money for a jack? Michael (
La Mesa
)
Michael, A jack
will be the easiest way. That’s what I did anyhow. You might want to check
your vehicles; they sometimes have a scissors jack or screw jack that will
work.... Or you can buy a bottle jack for little money. The best place I found
to put it is under the engine by the drain plug. ~ Brian in IN ‘87 tt Gray LX
When I pull my
front wheel, I use a small bottle jack, and block of wood, placed centered of
the front crash bars. Jack it up just enough to allow the front fork struts to
fully extend. If you gauge this right you can pull the axle shaft and almost
roll the front wheel forward out of the struts. The bike is on its center stand.
Remember this as you could possibly force it off if not careful. If you don't
have a bottle jack, place the bike on its center stand and pick the front wheel
up while an assistant places blocks under crash bar. You might have to pick up
slightly to remove and reinsert the axle shaft. Follow your manual directions on
removal of calipers, fender, and any accessories you might have on the front
forks. Once you have the calipers off, hanging in a wire (to take weight off
brake hoses). Do not squeeze the front brake lever, unless you plan on
rebuilding them. You can do all the work you mentioned earlier, and replace the
pads without completely removing the calipers, and having to completely re bleed
the front brakes. ~ Walter n
Maryland
Center stand the
bike. Tip it over a little on the right side; slide a 2 by 4 under the left
center stand leg. Tip it back to the center; put a 2 by 4 under the left leg of
the center stand. Put something heavy in the trunk. Now she'll pivot back onto
the back wheel and the front wheel is about 4 inches off the floor. If that
isn’t high enough, repeat the trick with a couple of 4 by 4s. I’m an expert
at finding cheapy-assed ways of getting things done. ~ Spike
Don't
"pick" the bike up. Just have one sit in the passenger seat and the
other put the blocks under the front of the bike, much easier. ~ Skippy
Alright guys and
girls... I am about to try my hand at changing the rear tire on my 86 Cade LX. I
got the Suzuki CD and I think I know what to do. But is there anything
maintenance wise you experienced hands can advise me to do while I have the
wheel off. Someone last week was talking about greasing a needle bearing or
something! Did not find it on the CD. Also I am pretty good at electrical
troubleshooting and soldering and such. I ordered new switches for my radio that
refuses to switch between AM and FM and stays on 102.5 FM all time. Anyone have
any suggestions before I start this? My cassette does not work either but I was
thinking it might be because the radio switches will not change. The CD is
great! If you do not have one you ought to get it. The beveled 2x6 for the center stand
works great. I am working on plans for an economical Cade Lift that will support
lifting it by the underside of the frame. Will publish as soon as I complete and
perfect it. ~ Joe in
Central Texas
What difference
does it make? They go into thru-holes. The bolt can be any length it wants,
within reason of course. Something you might wanna consider is swapping out
those Phillips screws for socket head cap screws. Makes them a lot easier to get
back out if you ever have to do that. I have been systematically replacing
Phillips screws with socket head cap screws pretty much anywhere they are
applicable. ~ Spike
MOTORCYCLE LIFT
FYI... I was
walking through the local Sear tool dept today and noticed the new Craftsman
motorcycle lift. It features swivel locking casters and T - bar to move it and
it can lift 1500 lbs. up to 17 inches with safety stops at 11 3/4, 14 3/4 &
16 1/2. The best part was the special price of $ 99.00 and there is a 10 % off
sale, which makes it $89.00. I sure this will make spring cleaning (especially
the rear wheel) a bit easier.
All of the
motorcycle lifts that I have seen currently on the market would have to be
modified to lift the Cade, as the exhaust system is lower than the frame, would
need some sort of flip-up device added. I purchased one at a garage close out
sale and ran into this problem, and haven't modified it yet, when I do I will
post modification. ~ Walter
N Maryland
Bought a new motorcycle lift.
With no surprise the pipes are lower than the frame. Does anyone have a
suggestion or comments on how to make a bracket or something to properly lift my
Cavalcade? ~
I used blocks of
wood screwed together, a 2x6 for the base then a 1x2 at the rear then a 2x2 on
top of the 1x. Hey, it was quick, handy and it works for me. ~
Roy
in TX
BARNETT
SPRINGS
Bad thing about
shimming up springs is that you don't really get an increase in the available
load on the discs, only a little higher pre-load. The Barnett springs are wound
with a slightly thicker wire and/or a higher tensile strength wire that actually
increases the available load to improve engagement. You also have to be careful
about bottoming the springs out if you get too thick a shim. Also, springs lose
tension over time and they probably needed to be replaced anyway. For the price
of Barnett springs, it was probably well worth it. ~
Tracy
Your right Tracy,
for the price of $10 it's better to replace the springs. The Barnett springs
were the same thickness, so I assume they have more strength than stock as they
had one less winding than stock and were a little taller. I had taken the used
and the new stock springs to a machine shop to test for strength, they measured
the same. That’s why I ordered the Barnett springs. By the way, there's only
25,000 miles on the clutch plates, they measured out to be the same as the new
ones I bought, thetas on automotive 10 W 40 oil. $200 for clutch discs when all
I needed were $10 springs. Well, at least I have an extra set of discs. ~ Clair
Cade 1987
Yes,
I purchased the bike new. We had gone riding on day and came to an intersection
where we had to stop, I mentioned to my wife that someone must have lost oil
somewhere because I could smell it. After we pulled out and stopped at the next
red light I smelled it again, "Gee, that must be us." Luckily it had
only leaked enough to get into the driveshaft boot and slightly drip on the
exhaust. (Thank goodness it dripped on the exhaust that we could smell it).
Drove it about 40 miles to home. This all happened before I found the Cavalcade
group so figured all it needed was gaskets. When we asked the Suzuki dealer
about it they said it would cost about $500 or $600 and never said anything
about a recall. Well, I had a shop manual and figured I could try to do it
myself. Purchased oil seals and gaskets, cost $40. After taking everything apart
I started to put the secondary gear box back in and this rubber/metal plug fell
out, it had been stuck fast to the bottom of the case with the gear lube. Under
close inspection the plug had 3 or 4 teeth marks that matched the bevel gears,
it must have come out, hit the gears once and fell to bottom of the
case, luckily for
me. Well, after making another trip to the Suzuki dealer and purchasing a new
plug for $7.75 I just pressed it back in. Know that I know better, I should have
put some sort of sealer on it. It has worked OK ever since. The total cost was
under $50, that sure beats $500. Was sure worth all the work and time it took.
Suzuki has NEVER contacted me as to ANY recalls or fixes except shortly after
purchase the sent me a letter regarding the battery going dead after a short
storage and suggested turning off CB Memory and trickle charging the battery. ~
Clair Cade 1987
Clair, Well, that
missing winding is a big part of it. When you take out a winding you spread the
deflection over fewer windings which stiffens up the spring. The down side to
that is that the steel is being stressed to a higher level and the type and
temper of the metal can get pretty critical if you want them to last. That's why
a $10 set of Barnett springs also buys a whole slew of R&D. A nice bargain.
As for the plates not wearing, I would say that most of the Caders have
experienced very little physical wear in the clutch plates and the real culprit
is glazing due to too soft of springs and a heavy-ass bike. Almost all the
clutch plates will glaze to some degree and many can be brought back to like by
just sanding them a little. If you've seen new fiber clutch discs, then you know
that they aren't smooth but have some "tooth" to the surface. Over
time that tooth gets worn off and sanding with some medium to course paper can
revive the plates. Downside to that is that you will eventually have to do it
again unless you replace the springs with ones that probably should have been in
the motor to begin with (AKA: Barnetts). The clutch engages more positively,
there is less if any slippage at speed (or getting to speed) which helps stave
off glazing. Now, if we could get those Suzuki engineers in a headlock and
convince them to. ~
Tracy
SPEEDOMETER
MAINTENANCE
Hey Guys, I sure
feel bad about bothering ya for things like this, but I just can’t seem to
find this on the CD. Probably not looking in the right place. I have the speedo
gear box off and was planning on checking it over, but can't figure out how it
comes apart or if it needs to for some preventive maintenance. Thought I would
clean the gears and give it some fresh lube, but just can't find a break down on
the CD. Can someone steer me in the right direction or tell me what I need to do
to make sure the gearbox doesn’t wear out prematurely. I sure do appreciate
having 500 Cade owners/mechanics at my disposal. ~ Brian in IN ‘87 tt Gray LX
Hello Brian, I just
took mine apart and discovered after the snap ring and the "C" clip on
the back I couldn't get it down any further to lube it or even to inspect the
gears. It had the appearance of a rubber sealed bearing. It wasn't all that
smooth inside of its movement so I took my grease gun and attempted to force
some grease down in the cable hole...no luck. I brought out my compressor hose
and forced some grease down inside it. The real discovery was the condition of
the two "dogs" that engage the wheel to rotate the gears. They were
about shot so I straightened them out a little and insured they mated up with
the wheel OK and with the new wheel bearings installed (another matter for some
gnashing of teeth) I gave it a trial. GREAT! In my opinion the speedo gear box
is a piece of (work) and if in doubt, get a replacement while you still
can...(there exclusive to the Cade'). The job was an all-day sucker for an
arthritic old fart but perfectly do-able if your ol' L---- (whoops)
"Bride" is able to help with some of the "hand-me's" and
"just push a little harder's". ~ Bill the Fish Guy
Bill, Well I found
out the same thing that you did as far as trying to take it apart. My
"dogs" where in good shape thou. So did you fill the cable hole with
grease, then follow with compressed air to get it into the gears? Did that seem
to work? Does the air escape around the seal? Mine seem a little stiff, but
seems to rotate smoothly. Thanks for you input. ~ Brian in IN 87 tt Gray LX
REPLACING CLUTCH
SPRINGS
Some time ago
someone posted the procedure for replacing the clutch springs. I couldn't find
it in the archives, so could you re-post them for me? Phil
Take off the right
side engine cover. Take one bolt out of the clutch hub. Replace the spring on
that bolt. Reinstall that bolt and tighten. Repeat 3 more times. Bolt the side
cover back on. That's it. Oh, you should probably have a new gasket for the side
cover Part #11482-05A01. You may want to drain the oil first or at least tilt
the bike to the left on the side stand. ~
Tracy
Both of these are
pretty important... my gasket was brittle and had to be replaced... the oil for
some reason likes to come out when the side covers removed too... but I thought
ahead and drain mine first.... You might want to check some other things while
your in there, water pump seal and chain, clutch plates... but then you have to
take all 4 clutch spring bolts out, but that's no problem... I just did it, no
need for any special tools or skills... It’s a pretty easy job. ~ Brian
The Barnett number
is MT-9-4. www.accwhse.com has them
for $11.95 a set. www.bikebandit.com
has EBC replacement springs (#2001-EBC spring kit) for $9.99. They say they are
10% stiffer than stock. www.motodepot.com
has Premier Braking Limited replacement springs for $9.99 (#328-0026). www.barnettclutches.com
has a dealer locator that can find you a dealer. ~
Tracy
The Barnett springs
were the right choice. I had 24,000 miles on my ‘87 and it began to slip when
on a full throttle, low speed and in high gear. I ordered new springs and
clutches from Suzuki and measured the new springs. They measured the same as the
old ones. Took them to a machine shop and had them tested and the spring tension
measured the same. That's when I ordered Barnett springs, they are taller and
had one less winding. I'm sure the length will keep a little more pressure on
the clutches when lever is released. I thought about placing thin washers under
original springs to increase length, but why do that when a new set of Barnett
springs cost only $10.00. Measured the clutch plates they also measured the same
as old ones (now that was money I could have saved). The moral of the story is,
If your clutch is slipping just try replacing the springs before ordering clutch
discs. ~ Clair in PA, Cade1987
Here is a tip for
anyone who wants it. I changed the clutch springs in my Cavalcade today. It's an
‘87 with 48k miles. When I was tightening the bolts, I had the torque wrench
set to 9 ft. lbs. and the first one torqued down fine. The second one felt a
little mushy like it didn't want to tighten down and just as I was ready to stop
to see what was wrong, it snapped off just below the washer. Luckily I was able
to spin it out of the hole with a dental pick until I could grab it with a pair
of needle nose vice grips and get it out. The last two did the same thing, but I
stopped before they snapped. When I took the one out it was already cracked so
it was close to breaking too. My advice is to be very careful when putting them
back in and if they don't tighten to spec as soon as you feel them getting
tight, just stop right there and get a new one or save yourself some grief and
just go buy four more. I matched them up at my local hardware store and they
were 50¢ a piece. I'm not sure whether the heat just got to them or what, but I
just wanted to advise anyone who might be changing them. ~ Rick
I looked at the
service manual and I believe it is wrong in the section that describes the
clutch install. If you look to section 10 and the tightening torque of a 6 mm
bolt, it should only be 3-5 ft/lb. for low grade (which I believe is what is in
the clutch) and 6-8.5 lb./ft for high grade bolts. ~
Tracy
OIL
LEAK
I have a small oil
leak that seems to be coming from a hose that comes down the right front frame
rail. It is tie wrapped there with what I believe to be the battery over flow
hose. Can anyone tell me where this hose comes from and why I am seeing oil leak
from it? ~ Bob Morse '86 LX
One
of those hoses is the air cleaner drain hose. Some blowback into the air cleaner
box could be producing a little oil there, but it should be an itsy bitsy
amount. The only reason there should be any more than that would be if you
accidentally poured some oil into the air cleaner box or it could be draining
moisture from a recent washing or rain storm ride. ~ That's not to say that the
oil is coming from somewhere else (like a valve cover) and following the hose
down. ~
Tracy
It may also be
coming from the primary or secondary coolant bottle...mine looked like a head
gasket leak till I checked it out. ~ Dan in TX
BLEEDING
THE FRONT BRAKE
I have rebuilt my
front calipers. I bled the brakes but there’s no stopping power. Since only
one bleeder is provided on the front calipers, how does the air get out on the
side without the bleeder? Does anyone have a bleed method? ~ Mud
Mud, Are you sure
there isn’t a bleeder on the other caliper? Maybe its snapped off even with
the caliper and only looks like it don’t have one. I just looked at mine and I
have a bleeder on each caliper. ~ Ichaboney
Bleeding bike
brakes is a major pain in the ass. And, there is only one bleeder on each
caliper. The two sides are tied together at the
high point
. Some find it easier to pump the fluid in from the bottom by using a turkey
baster or other suitable pump since air wants to naturally gravitate to the top
anyway. You have to be real careful in doing this since you can overflow the
reservoir and the fluid will destroy any plastic or paint that it comes in
contact with. Sometimes, it just takes pumping a lot of fluid through the system
to get all the air out. ~
Tracy
Someone suggested a
small pump oil can that you can attach a hose to be able to pump fluid in
reverse, too. I tried it and was quite happy.... less mess, too. I think it also
pushed something back out the way it came in (via the reservoir) ~ HeyJerr
FRONT
BRAKE SWITCH
I know this is a
simple thing and probably a stupid question. But, before I take it apart I
wanted to check. My front brake switch is sticking. I can’t remember if there
are any tiny springs or bearings that could fall out when I take it loose. Also
should I lubricate it with anything or just clean it real good? ~
Roy
in TX
Spring. If you lube
it, do it with something that conducts. ~
Tracy
Roy
: Yes, there is a small sliding contact that can/will fall out. I am on my
second switch, less than $20 from dealer. I replaced the switch ass’y, lubed
it lightly in the contacts with dielectric grease, no more problems (for now). I
am still trying to figure out how to adapt the brake switch like I did the
clutch switch with a micro-switch, but there is more room on the clutch lever to
play with. ~ Brian, ‘87LXE in CT
You'll find
both...a tiny spring and a ball. I put a flat case size pop box under mine
before I took it apart and it saved me having to crawl around on the floor
looking for parts. Cleaned mine with a pencil eraser. Put a little dab of grease
on the ball to hold it in place. It's working fine again. ~ KennG
SUPERBRACE
INSTALLATION
The brace went on
with a little nudge and the front end is noticeably tighter. Took out almost all
the wobble. ~ Bosbiker
I've been out of
town for 5 days and got back today. My new tires and brace were waiting for me.
I'm installing the brace tomorrow. I hope to put the tires on in the next few
years. Not really, will start that tomorrow afternoon. Question, can anyone tell
me how much torque to put on the 4 Allen head bolts that hold the Superbrace on?
~ Richie
The service manual
doesn't give the torque value for those specific bolts, however, they are 8mm
and the general torque rules are 7-11.5 ft/lb. for mid strength bolts and 13-20
ft/lb. for high strength bolts. The thing one needs to consider is that the
limiting factor might be the quality of the aluminum that the forks are made
from. I would start at the low numbers and see how that feels. You wouldn't want
to strip anything out. Since the Superbrace is designed to fit very well around
the forks, it shouldn't take overly tight bolts to make it work properly. A
little blue Locktite might make you feel better. ~
Tracy
On my stock brace
its 2 1/16 from center to center of mounting hole, the super brace for 86--87
vin 103765 up is 1 7/8 from centers. My Cade is a 1988 VIN 5j2100029. The people
at super brace are trying to figure this out. ~ Richie
Editor’s Note:
Several Cavalcade Owners measured the bolt spacing on their bikes and sent the
results to
Tracy
.
Well. Okay then,
it's official. Suzuki made a change to the bolt spacing for the front fork brace
after frame #5882 (March '86) and at or before frame #0029 (Jan '88). Al's bike
(#0097 and also Jan '88) also has the larger (2 1/8") spacing. I will call
SuperBrace tomorrow. ~
Tracy
I called them and
told of my problem with the brace. I sent my brace back for a refund. They told
me that they were trying to figure this one out and are trying to find the info
on the ‘88 Cade. ~ Richie
You know, I've been
thinking that maybe Suzuki stopped making new parts after 87 and the 88's were
made from all the leftovers. ~ Brian
in IN, ‘87 tt Gray LX
Brian, Well, you
might be right. However, that still doesn't explain why the spacing on the '88s
is wider (and possibly some '87s depending on when they changed it). If they
were trying to use up parts, it still should have been the same. ~
Tracy
Okay folks, here's
the skinny on the Superbrace fit issue. ~ According to the parts book
(Cavalcade), Suzuki changed the forks for the GCG, GCH and GCJ (I believe that
stands for '87, '88 and '89). So, even though Superbrace makes 2 models for
early and late frame numbers, that only applies to GTG and GDG models ('85 and
'86 I believe). So, if you have an '87 or later, you need wider spacing for the
brace to fit. ~ I spoke with
Chad
at Superbrace today and he assures me that they are on the project and are
making the molds to fix the issue. I gave him the dimensions that David provided
but, ideally, they would really like a bike to measure. ~ So, if anyone out
there has a GCG, GCH or GCJ and you live near
Huntington Beach
,
CA
, the boys at Superbrace will be happy to treat you right as rain if you are
willing to drag your sorry ass (and your bike) over there. ~ You can contact
them at 800-322-4783 or 714-379-9661 and ask
for
Chad
or Scott. ~
Tracy
SHOT
SHOCKS
I've had inflation
problems with my air shocks. After much scraping, not all of it being the
floorboards, a mechanic got the compressor working but it's now just a very
expensive tire inflater as it still doesn't pump up the shocks. Attempts to
bypass the system by jumping the green wire with the white tracer have also
proven unsuccessful. So it comes to this, I'm either gonna bypass the onboard
system completely and find a way to inflate them from an external source or I'll
replace them with Progressives. Has anyone had Cavalcade experience with the
Progressive 412 gas shocks? I know that Progressive also makes an air shock but
I think I'd prefer a coil over. If I go that route, I also appreciate someone
giving me a shock length measurement, which I don't want to get from my sagging
machine. ~
Roy
from MD
Roy
, Have you checked and/or cleaned the position sensor mounted on the swingarm?
If the sensor doesn't send the right signal, the compressor won't inflate the
shocks it will just pump up the bladders and/or external hose (if attached). I
assume that the shocks aren't leaking as fast as they are filled. If they were,
there would be a bunch of oil running out of them as well. ~
Tracy
Roy
, I went to Progressive rear shocks about 6 years ago when my stock ones
wouldn't pump up anymore. They're still working fine. Cost me about $160 back
then. ~ Michael
Roy
, You need to find out if it’s the shocks, the compressor, or just plugged
lines. I would take an air line off, like at the shock and hit the button and
see if you have air coming out. If not, then you need to try some up at the
compressor. You might want to refer to my previous message # 21753 in the
archives at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cavalcade_usa/messages
just type the number in the search box. My shocks were taking a loooong time to
pump up and found plugged lines were the problem. If you have air coming out of
the line, then the shocks must be bad. ~ Brian in IN ‘87 tt Gray LX
I replaced my stock
shocks with Progressive air shocks had to by an adapter kit to make up the
airline connections. I had them rebuilt one time before by Progressive due to an
air leak in one of them. They are currently in the shop at progressive again for
rebuild due to oil leaking out of one of them. When I pulled it off the bike
found that the shaft on one of them came unscrewed from the inside of the shock,
my local wrench says he has never seen anything like it before. I sent a little
note to Progressive with the shocks to see if they can explain this problem. ~
John in
La.
'86 LXE
I went the 412
route last year and I'm not sorry. The only set back is making the adjustments
for a stiffer ride. You pretty much have to remove the saddlebags to do it. Mine
are adjusted one step below half way and work well one up, two up and two up
with the trailer. I don't think you'll be sorry. One thing about the compressor,
check the banjo fittings on the top hoses. Mine were plugged. Cleaned them out
and opened the hole in the fitting and the pressure is back. ~ KennG
I, too, have the
Progressive 412's on my Cade. Gave up the air suspension but they were the best
choice due to the, er, generous size of myself & wife. I cannot say I regret
it, very nice ride - I can only imagine that that is how a 'normal-sized' guy
feels on a stock Cade. ~ Brian ‘87LXE in CT
Brian, Tracey &
John thanks for your input on my shock problem. I have some line checking to do
over the weekend. To make the problem a little clearer, When I press the
auto-level button - the light works but the compressor does not engage - even
with a passenger on - its like the bike is sensing that it is properly inflated.
Maybe I answered my own question as I know that there is a level sensing device
somewhere that triggers the compressor to inflate or deflate the air shocks. ~
Roy
from MD
Roy
, also check that your side-stand is not down. It will not fill with it down.
The light will come on while you are pressing it. But will go off when you
release it. If that's not the case then it sounds like the height sensor to me.
~
Denny Potoczky
Also check the
center stand switch. They quite often get filled with water and dirt causing
compressor not to engage. ~ Phil R
I have also had
some problems with the auto level system on my bike. I simply put a Schrader
valve in the line just above the left shock and pump it up with external air
supply. Also ran a hose to the coin holder compartment on the left side dash and
installed gauge so I can monitor the shock air pressure and not over-inflate the
air bladders. Generally run about fifty to sixty pounds of air for two-up riding
and trailer towing. Just received my shocks back from progressive today repairs
covered under warranty must be lifetime as shocks are four years old, $25.00
shipping and handling charges. ~ John in
La.
'86 LXE
Before you go and
spend the money on new shocks make sure that the are lines from the compressor
are not corroded shut. My shocks would not pump up even though the air
compressor was working. I removed the seat and disconnected the air lines from
the shocks, then I placed an air pump and gauge to the shocks and pumped them
up, and they held the air. The problem was that the banjo fittings and air line
had corroded shut due to moisture in the lines. Sure was happy not to spend the
big bucks for new shocks. ~ Clair, Cade1987
I installed
Progressive air shocks last year. I've had no problems. Make sure you order the
adapter kit for the Cade. ~ Brenden
Gentleman for the
first time I noticed fine black lines on my front forks (no oil yet), I'm
assuming the seals are starting to breakdown. Am I on the right track? Is there
a special tool needed to take them apart in order to repair the seals? When
should the inner springs be replaced if ever? Are Garters still available to
protect the front forks during long trips? ~ Larry ‘86 LXE, 38,000 miles
Larry, I don't
think that the appearance of fine lines on the upper tubes necessarily indicates
impending seal failure, because those lines are probably coming from the wipers
that sit over the actual oil/air seals. It may be that you have some dirt
collecting in the wipers and they need to be lifted up and cleaned. A little
rubber lubricant on them will help then slide better. ~ As for replacing the
seals, the only "special" item needed is something to hold the inner
tube while you take out the socket-head bolt in the bottom. It is usually
nothing more than a length of tubing or rod with a metric (or
US
quasi-equivalent) welded onto one end. That nut fits into a female recess in
the inner tube ad allows you to keep it from turning whilst you remove the bolt.
~ Other than that, it's a bang-bang, wash-em-up, install new seals, measure out
and put in some new fluid (Dexron tranny fluid is as good as anything) hang-'em-back
and ride. ~ If you feel the springs are too soft for your weight or riding
style, that's when they should be replaced with better springs like
Progressives. Be careful, though, some of the members have received the wrong
springs from Progressive. ~
Tracy
AIR CLEANER BOX
My air cleaner box
is some what out of shape making it difficult to assemble the two halves while
in place. Has anyone had any luck making a seal on a difficult air cleaner box?
Has anyone made any type of strap or hold down brace to hold the two halves of
the air cleaner together instead of relying on the false tank cover? I would
like to thank all the people who respond to my questions. I may be able to get
this Cade on the road one of these days. ~ Mud
There should be two
threaded studs that protrude through the top half on which you thread two wings
nuts. If you ain't got no studs, maybe that's your problem. ~
Tracy
LIQUID
COVER GASKET
Changed my clutch
springs over the weekend. I didn't find a right side cover gasket. So I went to
AutoZone and bought VersaChem, Super Blue II, Type 777. Scraped off old gasket
pieces, cleaned both surfaces, wiped with alcohol, applied blue stuff per
directions. Assembled everything and let it set for a day (24 hrs +) Put oil
back in last night and ran for a little. No drips, no runs, no errors. I'm
happy. Thought I would let you know the blue stuff works. ~ KennG
Kenn, What about
the pull of the new springs?
You can definitely
tell you're grabbing on to more. It's not an overwhelming pull, but a bit
stronger than the stock springs. I think I'm gonna be real happy with the new
springs. Thanks to all of you who have made the swap before and shared the info
with us. ~ KennG
WHEEL
LOCK-UP
Last Sun. my group
& I were riding on the I-540 Interstate (AR). We were doing 70 or 75mi. When
my ‘86 Cade back wheel locked up. I left a black mark for 78 long yards. I
kept both wheels on the road. But, What A Wild Ride! Any ideas what made the
back wheel lock up? After the bike was off the road we started it up & it
fired. We put it on the center stand & put it in gear back wheel turned for
a little. But it locked up. ~ Dennis
Khrom, Don't tell
me, let me guess. Your bike was built in either March or April of 1985 and the
last 4 digits of your VIN are somewhere between 0500 and 3100. Likely the bevel
plug came out of your secondary and wedged itself in the bevel gears. Pull off
the secondary case and I'll buy you a tall cold beer if you don’t find a
chewed up oil plug in there. And I will even if you do, just for holding it
rubber-side down through that experience. ~ Spike
Could be one of the
following (or maybe something else)
1)
Needle bearing in rear wheel (recall for that)
2) U-joint at front
of driveshaft (was too small on early units)
3) Loss of lube in
secondary box due to faulty plug issue (was also a common issue)
~
Tracy
I am unaware of the
"faulty plug" issue in the secondary box. How does one check for a
potential problem with this? ~
Alan-Daytona
Beach
Alan, It probably
only applies if your date of manufacture is between March and about May of
‘85. After that we think they fixed the problem. Check your date on your VIN
tag. If it is in that window, that is if your VIN last 4 digits is between 0500
and about 3200 and your bike is an ‘86, then get back here and lets talk. You
might have a little job ahead of ya. ~ Spike
Oops, never mind
Alan you already sent me your VIN. The bevel plug problem doesn’t apply to
you. Now, since you live in
Florida
, go out, get on your bike, ride your brains out, have a great time. ~ Spike
Alan, Usually,
there will be a tell-tale sign like the appearance of hypoid lube in the
driveshaft tube. This will show up at the front rubber flex joint and will make
a general mess of the left rear of the bike. BUT, in some cases, the lube simply
drains into the driveshaft tube and never really lets you know that it's there
unless you check for it by removing one end of the rubber boot. Walter in
Maryland
had a similar leakage problem and to prevent it from happening again he
constructed this complex array of tubes and warning buzzers to let him know that
there was fluid in the driveshaft tube. If you can get past the ultra-technical
maze of clear plastic tubing and all of the connecting wiring (I think there is
somewhere about 2 miles of additional tubing and wiring that Walter has attached
to the left rear of his Cade), it's really not that obtrusive. And the main
thing is that it WORKS! Walter, please don't hate me...I was only joking because
I respect you. :-) Actually, you can find the plans for Walter’s very simple
and effective device at www.suzukicavalvade.com. ~
Tracy
Alan, Well, if you
really want to be on the safe side, you will check those things that cause
rear-wheel lockup. It's a pain to do since you have to take the back wheel off,
but the needle bearing was a known problem. The problem is, you don't know if
someone has gone in there and grease it properly. Or, if they did, when it was
done. The u-joint will usually start making a clank noise on takeoff and during
throttle off throttle on. It may be a little hard to hear but you may be able to
feel it. If it's only in one gear, it's probably just the lash in that gear set
in the tranny. But if it's in all gears, it could very well be the u-joint. This
was another known problem that was fixed sometime during production of the bike.
The keeper of the stats (Spiker) may have the info on the VIN number when it was
fixed. As for the grease in the secondary drive, Spike is right, there is a hole
in the driveshaft tube that you can check for signs of leakage. However if the
pervious owner has kept the bike really clean, any leakage at that hole could
have been cleaned off regularly and you wouldn't know what the level is unless
you check it. Also, there are seals in the secondary that eventually start to
leak, beyond the problem of the infamous plug. Anyway, checking and/or replacing
the lube in the secondary is easy. Hope some of this helps. ~
Tracy
As for loosing the
ground to the rectifier, you need to check the double plug just below the
battery. There are two wires. A black one and a black/white striped one that
come off the ground terminal at the battery. Follow them down from the battery
check that plug if any battery acid has gotten into it it's building up
resistance in the ground to the rectifier, your readings were the same as mine
when I had the same problem. Cut that plug out and either solder those wires
together or put in new butt connectors, cover the repair with shrink tube. I was
looking at my manual as to the needle bearings in the rear wheel. I see
three/between the drive break down and the rear wheel breakdown. It looks like
the drive ones should be in hypoid, however it looks like the one in the rear
wheel hub needs grease. As to the plug failure, it's anyone’s guess, I have my
theories on that. I lean more to the bevel gear box locking up, due to lube
loss, through the plug or rear seal at the drive shaft.
Tracy
, the catch tubes do work and it isn’t really miles of tubing, and bells and
whistles. I figured if Spike could use 18 feet of tubing to bleed his front
brake and clutch. A little tubing wouldn't hurt to fore warn me of a major
catastrophe. I know you are kidding. Like you said the bevel gear box could lose
all of it's oil into the driveshaft/left swing arm and not even show up on the
bike. ~ Walter
Ever
since I've owned my Cade (my first drive shaft bike) I have placed it on the
center stand periodically to spun the rear wheel and listen for any unusual
noises. I placed the bike in gear (not running) and rocked the wheel back and
forth to see how much slack/play was in the drive system. I know it's not a
measured inspection, but it gives you an idea as to just what is there. And you
might just be able to hear any slack. Then I start the bike up, and gently go
through all the gears, again listening for any grundling, grinding, whining, and
zinging. I generally take it up to about 40 miles per hour, gently applying the
brakes now and then. Sort of like a DRY RIDE, (know what mean?) FOR this test I
make sure the bike can't come off the center stand. It's an easy way to let you
know whatzzzup in the drive line area. Last summer after some long riding in the
rain TO LAKE GERORE. I left the morning coffee stop and noticed the bike wanted
to slow down seemed as though the rear brake was binding up, I pulled the lever
back up with my toe and sure enough it was. It seems as though my riding habits
applied just enough pressure on the rear brake to bring the pad in contact with
the rotor. As I rode, the heat expanded the pads/rotor and fluid to keep
applying the brakes, until I manually returned the brake lever to allow the
fluid to reenter the master cylinder. FOUND RUST IN PIVOT of brake lever. LUBE
my friends is the answer. ~ Walter n
Maryland
MORE
ON WHEEL LOCK-UP
Alan, Save yourself
some grief and check the VIN # on your registration or title against Spike's
list, "last four digits between 0500 an 3100" seems to have the
problem. When Spike et. al. started this VIN # research, "I thought why
bother!" just to see who’s Cade was oldest? But now I ride a little more
confidently knowing mine is 4768. THANKS
SPIKE, a slam dunk idea ~ Larry in
Dayton
Ok, now that most
everyone, including me is paranoid after reading these rear wheel lockup
messages, I need some clarification. Supposedly the bad ones were in early model
Cavalcades with the last four digits 0500 to 3100. By early model, is this only
the 1986 models? The last four digits of my VIN are 0888, but it's an '87. I
don't see any signs of leakage, but should I be doing some work on my bike
anyway? Thanks to anyone who knows the answer to this. ~ Rick
Larry, I just got
my Cade. I know what you mean about feeling better about having a bike out of
the range on spikes list. Mine is 4884, pretty close to yours. It only has
18,000 on her, so would hate to be taking a "wild" ride all of a
sudden. I agree with everyone...THANKS Spike! ~ Maury, in
Auburn
,
WA
Okay Spike,
interesting concept... I have mine apart and by looking down the secondary
output shaft (where the drive shaft connects) I see a metal disc that would look
like the "bottom" of a bottle cap. I also looked on the CD and found
the section that tells you to install the "plug" but this does not
show you what it looks like or if there is any different way to install it
(section 4 page 15). In fact, I don't see any mention on how to install the new
one once it has been removed. As with most of the CD it tells you, that you need
special tools to do most of the work but none for this "plug". ~ Terry
‘86LX frame #5882
Terry, I don't
think that what you are seeing is the "plug". If you look on page 4-2
and then on page 4-1, the plug is at the driven-gear end of the arrangement that
sits inside the gearbox. From what members have described that have replaced it,
it is a rubber-metal composite that presses into the inside of the gear. I
assume that since it doesn't state which direction it is installed, and that it
doesn't require a special tool, then it is obvious as to how it goes in and that
a big plate or punch is all that's required to install it. ~
Tracy
Yep, I've seen the
plug that is shown on those pages. What I don't understand is that what is it
that I see when I look up the end of the shaft. Is this the fix that Suzuki made
so that we don't have to fill with epoxy to seal this off? I don't need to take
mine completely apart to find this out. Have you or anyone taken this drive
apart to see exactly what this is? Is the there a hole completely through to the
shaft if the plug is removed on the early ones? ~ Terry 86LX
Terry, Yes the
shaft has a hole through it. It's the way it was machined. And to close that
hole they added a plug. When you look into it from the drive shaft end you are
seeing the back (inside) of the plug. It isn't covered with rubber/plastic on
the back. I did all this research, on a spare gear box I purchased just in case.
~ Walter n
Maryland
What year was the
unit you are using from? When I look down mine it is metal and is hard, don't
see any rubber from the shaft end. ~ Terry 86LX
Mine is one of the
early ones. It has a hole through the center of the driven bevel. The plug can
go in two ways but seems to have a directional preference, i.e. if it is
oriented top forward, it goes in easy and comes out hard. What I am hoping is
that someone with an early bird will decide to take the secondary case off to
see which way the plug is oriented as built. I couldn't tell you as mine had
already fallen out when I took it apart. Since so many Cades were built in
spring of 85, it is possible that they had more than one parallel assembly line,
in which case we could have a mixed bag: some could have plugs top forward and
some with plugs top aft. ~ Spike
I can't see us
getting paranoid over the plug. There can be many scenarios that could cause
plug failure. I have an 86 Cade with 48.000 miles on it. I know for a fact the
seals between the engine and bevel gear box are transferring oil into the gear
box from the engine. I also know the rear seal has just started to leak into the
drive shaft (left swing arm) as my catch tubes signify. I also have an extra
bevel gear box from an 87 Cade and the flat (top) of the bottle cap is facing
the inner portion of the bevel gear. This I can see if I look into the splined
(driveshaft end) of the gear box. I truly don't feel as though that little non
ferrous plastic/rubber covered plug is going to lock a rear wheel up with the
rpm's those gears are turning and the weight of the bike. It'll grind it up or
either it will fall harmlessly into the bottom of the gear box. However if
you're the "start and ride" rider, your gear box has become low on oil
and you ride it this way long enough for the gear that has the plug to become
hot enough, the plug will fall out. And also the gear bearings will start to
seize. I also don't think that the needle bearings in the rear wheel would cause
this without some prior noise. Let me shed a little light. Remember the guy that
was selling parts on e-bay "Sealskinner"? I ask quite a few questions
before I bought any parts. He stated that the parts bike had suffered a rear
wheel lock up. Due to that, the bevel gear box needed bearings. Also the rear
tire had a flat spot. For anyone that purchased rear drive parts from him
consider this. It is imperative with these things are now known that you take
the time to look for any oil leaks, in the drive section of your bike,
before>diring and after a trip. And to remember to keep those areas clean of
road dirt so you can see any change in the collection of oily residue. I hope
the fellow that suffered this harrowing experience posts his findings on the web
site. I haven't gotten around to replacing the seals in mine yet, when I do I
will post it here. ~ Walter n
Maryland
Rick, yours is
likely OK. I think after May of 85 they realized there was a problem and
straightened it out. We haven’t heard of any bevel plug failures on any bikes
made after May of 85. Anyone with a later bike care to comment? Your 0888 H
model was made after they made the suspicious recall notice. I'm sorry to scare
you Rick. If you have a low mileage early Cade, then we need to get your
attention. ~ Spike
As I stated before
I have an extra complete bevel (intermediate) gear box, by complete I mean the
large spring and cam dog that actually drives the bevel gears. With the spring
in place there is no way the plug can fall out of the end of the bevel gear. It
can come loose but the spring keeps it from falling down. However when the gear
box is removed and the spring is removed it will allow it to fall into the gear
area. If it should become dislodged it will or could dance around on that area
until it wore thin enough to pass by the spring? The cavalcade's rear drive is
driven by the cam dog, which is splined directly off the main shaft from the
transmission, and held into its position by the large spring. For the non
mechanically inclined this may be confusing. If you want to see the spring and
cam dog it's page 4-4 in the manual. This spring goes into the bevel gear box
and pushes the cam dog into outer bevel gear, which transfers the rotation
motion to the aft bevel gear. Further checking I found the plug to be a ferrous
metal, which still doesn't change my way of thinking, as to grinding it up, I
know this isn't good either but I’m really not worried about this plug locking
up the rear wheel. It has to be a more severe problem as low gear oil locking up
the bevel gear. I feel that if we are careful and conscious of this problem and
keep a normal look out for oil leaks in the drive area, every thing will be ok.
The plug isn't hard at all to remove. I pushed it out with very little force,
one might also say if you were to grease the drive shaft splines and push it
quickly into the rear splines of the bevel there may be enough compression for
the plug to become dislodged. When I do repair mine I will fill the rear gear
with about 2" of epoxy or rubber curing agent. As has been stated before it
is possible for the rear swing arm to fill with gear oil and there be no signs
on the bike, if the drain hole in the driveshaft has become plugged, or rotated.
~ Walter n
Maryland
I just finished
replacing all of the seals (clutch included) in my secondary drive unit. The one
thing I did notice was that the new plug was deeper than the original unit. The
old one was about 3/8" deep while the new one was about 1/2" deep. ~
Dick Carter,
Bay City
Tex.
86 lx #1669
NEEDLE
BEARINGS IN REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY
Tracy
: re: sect 4 page 18 items 13 and 21; you are right. However item 21 is a needle
bearing also for the driveshaft splines. These two in relation to their seals
appear to be running in hypoid gear oil to me. However if you go to section 9
page 68, it shows a needle bearing (item 10) in the rear wheel on the inner
side. I think with the wheel removed one could possibly grease this one and
possibly see item 10 needle bearing as well as maybe item 13 by looking into the
axle shaft hole. You might possibly grease this one as well. Anyway, there are
two needle bearings. One is located just inside the inner rear wheel axle hole
and one is just inside the axle hole of the drive itself. Before installing the
rear wheel I think I would look for these bearings and if at all possible place
my finger in the axle hole and see if I could distinguish a needle bearing if so
make sure it has plenty grease. Make sure the axle itself is clean before
reinserting it into the wheel on assembly. These references as to section page
and item were taken from the manual. ~ Walter
Good call Walter, I
hadn't looked at the rear wheel assembly (I found it on page 53 of Section 9)
but that is probably the bearing that needs to be greased since it clearly does
NOT run in hypoid. I believe that the only bearing that can be greased is item
10 on page 53 of section 9 (or page 68 as the case may be). After looking back
at item 13 on page 18 of section 4, that needle bearing clearly carries the
outboard end of the ring gear carrier and does in fact run in hypoid. ~
Tracy
You are right!
Section 4, pg18, item 13 is a needle bearing, as is item 21. And with their
relation to the seals and hypoid oil section of the rear drive I see them as
running in hypoid rear oil. However in section 9 pg63 there is also a needle
bearing located in the wheel. It would probably need to be greased as it appears
to be isolated from the gear oil section of the drive it's self. If you look at
sect 9, pg. 56, fig#1, you will see the installation process for this bearing.
Which also states to apply grease. I feel this is the bearing. They are
referring to. You might possibly see the other needle bearing if you looked into
the axle shaft hole of the drive. You will definitely see the needle bearing on
the inside of the wheel once it is removed. These references were made from the
manual, as I haven't purchased the CD as of yet. When I install the rear wheel I
would place grease in the axle shaft hole in both the inner wheel bearing and
the drive. These are the only ones you can get to with just the wheel off. And
make sure the shaft is clean before reinserting it into the wheel. ~ Walter n
Maryland
RUNNING TOO HOT
Would some of
y’all help double check my trouble-shooting here? I've only had this beast
about a year (about 9,000 miles). She's got 72,000 on her. Last summer with
temps 90 to 100 (
Texas
) the temp gauge showed a little to the left of straight up. Now, with temps of
70 to 80, I'm running a good bit to the right of straight up and almost to the
point of hot if I sit and idle (even a short time). Noticed this afternoon at 80
mph she cooled off. Thought.. “Air flow, dummy." But slowed to 60 and she
heated up. Shifted to 4th and she cooled. Went to 45 and 3rd. Stayed cool. Is my
water pump not moving enough water except at higher rpm? Or, am I missing
something obvious? ~ Mark
Mark, You didn't
mention when, or if, the fan was coming on. The fan should be coming on when
you're running slowly (and when you're running fast if the temp gets up). That
would the first thing I would check. If the fan's not coming on, there's a fuse
in the circuit and the thermostatic switch in the radiator. Both of these will
need to be checked (starting with the most obvious). Fluid level is also an
issue. If you've changed the coolant, you may not have gotten all of the air
out, as it is a pain to do so. Check the fluid level and make sure the lower
tank is up to level. There was also another post that mentioned the gauge
sending unit and corroded connections leading to a false reading at the gauge. I
would check that too. The water pump generally doesn't fail in a manner that
would prevent it from pumping sufficient water. The common failure is either the
bearing or seal but generally not the impeller. Could it happen? Probably has
and probably will again but is unlikely the cause of your problem. I would check
the other things first. ~
Tracy
Yes, the fan is
running. It seems to start at the same point on the temp gauge as last summer.
Don't believe it's a flaky indication either, it feels hot too. Air might be the
problem. I've cracked the radiator cap and filled from the top tank. Did get
some air through the cap before fluid arrived. Is there some other trick to
purging the system? I've been through all the normal kind of troubleshooting and
can't solve it. That's why I'm grasping for the not-so-obvious.
Tracy
, I bought your CD when I first got the ol' gal and it has been a wonderful
resource. Thanks. Lurking in this group has also been a great learning
experience. It's funny to see how much we all love these beasts. How come most
of us seem to be old and gray though? Again, thanks to all, ~ Mark
Probably the
secondary coolant bottle is leaking since it's right over top of the engine. I
wish I knew how to get to the blasted thing. I tore all the plastic off mine 3
weeks ago to check it out but seemed to be encased in a ton of stuff. ~ Dan in
D/FW TX. March 85 VIN #0234 with 47k
Something else to
check Sometimes the ground wire for the temp gauge thermal sensor gets corroded
and gives false readings. It grounds on the bolt that holds the carb boot on the
number-two cylinder. (Front left sitting on the bike) This can be the cause of
erratic readings of the temp gauge if the rest of the cooling system checks out
OK. ~ Phil
CARB JET REMOVAL
Hello folks, I have
pulled the carbs on my 1987 LXE because it has sat for a little while and will
not start. I got into them okay, and there is some build-up in there. I am also
working without the benefit of a manual for a few days. I have removed what I
believe to be the main jet and the pilot jet (main jet is 8mm hex, pilot jet is
smallest jet and has screwdriver slot). My question is: "How does one
remove the third jet from the carburetor body?" There does not seem to be a
way for a tool to affect the jet. Or perhaps I should just clear it as best I
can with a can of carb cleaner. Also, I welcome any additional advice on
cleaning this thing up. Thanks in advance, Alan
SUZUKI
RECALL INFORMATION
I found these
recalls listed for the Cavalcade at www.nhtsa.com
:
Year: 1986 Make:
SUZUKI Model: GV1400 Recall Date:
06/25/1985
Type of Report:
Vehicle Potential Number of Units Affected: 2757 Manufactured: 01/1985 - 05/1985
Defect Summary:
REAR WHEEL BEARING MAY FAIL DUE TO INSUFFICIENT APPLICATION OF GREASE TO REAR
WHEEL NEEDLE BEARING. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: WHEEL BEARING SEIZURE COULD CAUSE
THE REAR WHEEL TO LOCK UP RESULTING IN INTERFERENCE WITH OPERATOR CONTROL, AND
MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Consequence
Summary: SORRY, CONSEQUENCE SUMMARY IS NOT AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER.
Corrective Summary:
APPLY A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF GREASE AND/OR REPLACE RELATED PARTS.
Spike, In the rear
wheel there is a large needle bearing on the left side of the wheel hub that
contains the splines for the drive connection to the differential. The right
side of the wheel has a ball bearing. With the wheel off the bike, lay it on the
brake disk with the splines facing up. Stick your finger in the axle hole and
pull the needle bearing race out of the oil seal and wheel. Clean the bearing
and apply new bearing grease to the rollers and apply new grease to the ball
bearing on the other side of the wheel. You can see the ball bearing from the
needle bearing side. I used a long needle attachment on my pneumatic grease gun
to reach across the wheel hub to apply the grease to the ball bearing. This is
something I did every time the wheel was off the bike and I never had a problem
with the wheel bearings in 80K of riding. Hope this sheds some light on the
subject. Enjoy Those Cades! ~ David Thomas
=================================================================
Year: 1986 Make:
SUZUKI Model: GV1400GD Recall Date:
06/25/1985
Type of Report:
Vehicle Potential Number of Units Affected: 2757 Manufactured: 01/1985 - 05/1985
Defect Summary: THE
HEADLAMP SWITCH MAY FAIL DURING OPERATION WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO DISLOCATION OF
THE CIRCUITRY CONTACT PIECE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: A SUDDEN LOSS OF HEADLIGHT
ILLUMINATION AT NIGHT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Consequence
Summary: SORRY, CONSEQUENCE SUMMARY IS NOT AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER.
Corrective Summary:
INSTALL AN "L" SHAPED SUPPORT PIECE INTO THE SWITCH BOX TO PREVENT THE
DIMMER SWITCH CONTACT PIECE FROM DISLOCATING The head lamp switch also
references the GV1400GT.
~ ELECTRICAL ~
TO
CHARGE OR NOT?
I read in my shop
manual NEVER charge the battery when attached to the bike, it will burn out the
rectifier. Does this also apply to putting the battery on a trickle charger? ~
zukicade
Hope
not, mine has been charging via trickle charger with no problems all winter. ~
Brenden
I have trickle
charged a battery many times attached to the bike, and I’m still on all my
original electrics after 17 years and 30k. I think the shop manual was being a
bit anal retentive there. I don’t see how the rectifier would know there was a
charger on the battery anyway, as long as the ignition switch is off. Perhaps
Tracy
knows. ~ Spike
I added a battery
isolator switch a couple years ago. But before that I used to keep trickle
chargers attached to two different bikes with the cords connected to an outlet I
screwed into the light socket on the garage door opener, the one that comes on
for about 5 minutes whenever the garage door is opened. So that would send a
short trickle charge to the battery at least twice a day. This was a better
invention than my homemade EZ Leaker. ~ Spike
Mine too! But for
14 years on & off. I even store the bike with the battery hooked up and on a
battery tender, I check periodically to see if water levels are OK but otherwise
no problems. 1 reg./rectifier in 97,000 miles. ~ Ray & Lin LeTourneau, raylin@tznet.com
Nekoosa, WI
I just tried to
order a regulator/rectifier from bikebandit.com. This is an Elextrex product but
they e-mailed me back and said that part is no longer available. Anybody have
any suggestions on whom to try next? ~ Kirby, ‘86 LX
Kirby, I have a
brand new one that I bought for $165 (from Suzuki) about 6 years ago. Try Suzuki
and see what they want (probably both of your wahoonies). Or is "Bikebandit"
a reference to our favorite marque? ~ Mikey
Order it directly
from Electrex. www.electrexusa.com . ~
Tracy
Well, I checked
with Electrex
USA
and it would be at least 3 weeks before they get any regulator/rectifiers in
and they suggested Rick's Motorcycle. I think I read in the archives that a
couple of people had bad luck with those. Local Suzuki dealer said they could
get one for $217.81. Hate to spend that much money right now with floorboard
money coming due soon. Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks. ~ Kirby, 86 LX
I just bought this
Cavalcade. I believe it needs a battery and a rectifier/regulator. I can't seem
to find where the rectifier is, could anyone guide me to this part. The bike is
a ‘87 Two tone brown, with 42,000 miles. ~ Raymond
Raymond, Since I
just tore my down with the help of
Tracy
's CD. You remove wind screen, meter cover, and most of the right fairing. The
regulator is above the headlight with several yellow wires coming off the side
of it. Good luck in finding one through mail order unless you want to wait about
a month. I just ordered one from local Suzuki dealer for $217.81 and will be
here in 5 days. I think you can download some of these directions from the
SuzukiCavalcade.com site.
Tracy
has provided these. ~ Kirby, ‘86 LX
Try Dennis Kirk.
They have them listed for $125 in their electrical part of the catalog.
The guy I bought my
Cade from told me that one day the last day he rode it, that he had a bad
battery to begin with and rode it on a trip. On the way back his L.E.D went out
and the battery light came on, he continued to ride it until he got to his
house, upon turning into his driveway the bike stalled and when he went to start
it all he got was a clicking noise. Is this a sign of a burnt rectifier or what?
Any idea's? I'm replacing the battery first, then the rectifier if need be, is
there anything else that could of burnt out. ~ Raymond
The clicking sound
is the starter relay. When the battery is dead (or near dead) the relay will
click but there isn’t enough juice to turn the thing over. If the display went
blank, that could (I said COULD) mean that the reg./rec. or the stator (or both)
is fried. The thing to do is put a good battery in it, start it and check the
stator/reg./rec. output by connecting a voltmeter to the battery and watching to
see that after it starts that the voltage comes up to around 13 to 14 volts. You
may have to rev the motor a little (and hold it there) for the reading to come
up that high. If the battery voltage stays below that, then there is a
possibility that the stator or reg.-rec. or both is bad. Disconnect 3 yellow
stator wires from the reg./rec. Start the bike and check that there is AC
voltage across any combination of the stator wires. If you rev up the motor, it
should be around 70 volts AC between any pair of yellow stator wires. If the
stator is putting out and yet the battery voltage is less than indicated above.
Then it is the connections of the stator wires to the reg./rec. (notorious for
corroding). Or it is the ground of the reg./rec. to the frame/battery. Or the
reg./rec. is bad. For a more detailed method of testing the charging system, go
to www.electrexusa.com . ~
Tracy
SYSTEM
WON’T CHARGE
Well here's what
happened. My charging system wasn't working. I checked and found that I had 11.8
VDC across the battery at all rpms. So before cleaning the connections, checking
the outputs of the stator and rectifier/regulator(R/R) I decided to first look
for a fuse. Sure enough there is a 10 amp power source fuse and it was blown.
Simple enough! I changed out the fuse, started up the trusty Cade and put the
meter across the battery, same thing. About then I noticed a mushroom shaped
white cloud (luckily non-nuclear as I found out later) coming up from around the
headlight/windshield area. I couldn't remember seeing anything in the service
manual that led me to think this was normal so I quickly shut her down. Note:
the newly replaced fuse didn't blow again its still good. Lucky me! I've checked
the stator and it's putting out 110 VAC at 5,000 rpm on all 3 legs so I didn't
melt it. I don't see any sign of burned wiring in the area of the now
dissipating mushroom cloud. The R/R was very hot to the touch.
1.
I'm pretty sure the R/R shorted out and I don't think anything
else contributed to the problem. What do you guys think?
2. Does anyone have
an extra spare R/R they would part with? Or know of a good source. ~ Virgil
Virgil, I would
check that the RR is grounded well. Sometimes, it simply can't dissipate the
extra energy because of a bad ground. Secondly, the fuse was blown for a reason.
Probably not because of the RR but another short somewhere else in the system.
If the RR is seeing a direct short, it will get pretty hot pretty fast. Also,
the time that it takes to blow a 10 amp fuse could be long enough to heat up the
RR. Maybe! Anyway, Electrex is about the best source for replacement RR and the
same one used on the Cav also fits at least one other Suzuki. The last I heard,
they were out of the right one but they may not be that far out for delivery. ~
Tracy
BY-PASSING
THE
BATTERY
SENSOR
I’ve seen a lot
of questions on the battery sensor and display asking how to bypass it. Its very
simple cut the sensor off install an inline fuse and connect the other end to
the positive side of the battery. The sensor sits in the acid giving it a
positive charge when the acid is low or the sensor is not working the display
comes on. ~ Smith
STATOR
COVER QUESTIONS
I need the
group’s help on some observations and problems I have run into. I finally got
a chrome set of covers for my GT. The aluminum ones I had were losing their
coating and started to look like they had a disease. I bought a set of used
covers that had bad chrome and sent them off to a place called Paul's Chrome
Plating in
Evans City
,
PA.
They turned out BEAUTIFUL!! The bike hasn't been run, or even turned over, for
about 2 months. Last Thursday, I dropped the oil pan plug and let the engine
drain until Saturday. When I took the stator cover loose Saturday, I got about
another cup of additional oil out of that cover. Here is where my questions come
in: 1) The stator and all the components inside the cover seemed to be dry (no
oil). I assume that these parts are running in an oil bath when the machine is
running? Perhaps the reason they were so dry is that the bike has been sitting
for an extended period? 2) There are 4 little plastic parts that have a magnetic
"stub" in the center and 2 wires coming from each of them that are
placed around the outer portion of the housing and are attached with 2 Phillips
head screws. 1st of all, what are these? Are they pick- ups? Secondly, they all
seemed to have a little smear of silver (looked like "never-seize") on
the top, when looking down into the cover (the part that would face the engine).
Is this something special or could it be that the magnets inside just pulled
some very, very fine "metal dust" from the oil (the same stuff that
accumulates on the magnet of the drain plug)? Also, would it be safe to clean
these with some "brake parts and electric motor cleaner" before
re-assembly? 3) Those 8 little screws now have names (although I cannot mention
them, due to rules of Yahoo)! I had to use an impact screw driver on all but 1
of them. They were incredibly tight (probably the reaction between the aluminum
case metal and steel bolts). There was even 1 that I had to use a Craftsman
"Drill Out" to remove (excellent tool, by the way! 1st time I used it
and had to go to the restroom afterwards, due to the excitement!). My last
question is this...does anyone see a problem with replacing the original style
screws with hex head bolts? I picked some up and they fit fine. Even with a
washer, they don't stick out much passed what the original screws did (maybe
1/32" farther) and there seems to be plenty of clearance inside. My concern
is that Suzuki used chrome plated screws and manufacturers normally don't use
chrome where standard metal can be used. I was going to use the hex head bolts
with a little blue Locktite on them. Think this is OK or should I go to the
dealer and buy the screws? 4) In my excitement of finally getting to put my new
covers on, I forgot to disconnect the battery until I was almost done
disassembling the components inside the stator cover. There were no sparks or
anything to indicated the presence of electrical current. Should I worry about
other damage I may have done (the key wasn't in the ignition so everything was
off)? Lastly, I replaced the original clutch spring w/ Barnett ones while I was
into the clutch cover. They were a little longer than the ones I removed. My
guess is that they were probably the same length when new. I tried the clutch
lever just before and immediately after the swap. There is a noticeable
difference but nothing at all that makes it too hard to squeeze, or hold, the
clutch lever in. I actually prefer the new feel. I think it will allow the
clutch to operate more smoothly and it "feels right" now. Before, it
felt kinda sluggish. Unfortunately, I cannot tell just yet how the clutch does.
I was having the slippage in the higher gears, especially at lower RPMs. I'll
post a message when I finally get her back on the road. Thanks group. I
appreciate the help! ~ Mark, ‘86 Grey-On-Grey GT
This morning I went
out to start the bike, turned the key heard a faint clicking. I saw the tach
jump up but it doesn't turn over... I had the charger on the battery and the
battery was low and it did run prior to charging it...any ideas? Thanks, ~ Dan
Sounds like a
classic example of dirty terminals to me. Check the ground side at both the
battery and the frame. ~ KennG
Don't forget to
check all of the fuses as well. ~
Tracy
Pull the battery
check the fluid level. There's a good chance that at least one cell is low. ~
Spike
~ SOUND SYSTEM
~
WHAT’S
THE PLURAL OF “ANTENNA”
I just fixed the
switches in the radio, not too bad of a project. Now have to find my antenna. I
took the antenna off and laid some place where I could find it easily. Still
haven't found it. Not too long ago I was read on some site about antennas for
CB/radio. They stated that on the back one side was the CB and the other was
radio. I have forgotten which. Can any one help out? ~ phenry67 '86 XL, br/br
Rear left radio,
rear right CB. ~
Tracy
On mine the right
side is the CB and the left is the radio. You should be able to easily identify
the CB antenna as it has a center load (in the center of the antenna there is a
section that is fatter). ~ Brenden
I would say that
there are many of the Cav riders that trickle charge their bikes every year
without a problem. ~
Tracy
My Cade has just
one antenna for both the radio and CB. There's an impedance matching device
(made by Honda) that allows the use of a single antenna. ~ Virgil
I just replaced my
antenna with one of the newer style short rubber ones. Cost me $3.00 at a local
auto parts store. Bike bandit wanted $65.00 dollars for the OEM antenna setup ~
Phil
REAR
CONTROLS
Tracy
, Do you also have the switches for the rear radio/CB controls? My rear volume
switch (rotary) is kaput. Only works at full blast. Kind of irritates the wife
when she rides and wants to tune me out and listen to the radio. ~ Scott Daily,
Carrollton
,
TX
‘86 LXE
Scott, Sorry, I
don't. But, I have been told that a suitable replacement can be had at Radio
shack. Just remove the old one and take it in for a match (or near match). The
important thing is the ohms rating (I think it's 10K). ~
Tracy
Check the owner's
manual for the setting for that. It's a feature built in and controllable. ~
KennG
The Cavalcade has a
feature especially designed for riders with a strained relationship with their
passengers. It is a radio volume compensator knob. When there is a great deal of
ambient noise, the radio compensates by getting louder. The sensitivity of this
compensator is adjustable. A guy with a particularly strained relationship with
his significant other tends to set the knob to greatest sensitivity, so that
when she begins to complain, the radio increases in volume and her voice is
drowned. If she raises her voice to compensate, the radio raises its voice. When
she finally gives up and quiets down, the radio resumes playing at a comfortable
level. Suzuki thought of everything. ~ Spike
Scott: Radio Shack
does not carry that small of a potentiometer. The replacement can be found from
Clarostat. It is the model 580, 10k, flattened shaft, and single pole. What you
need to do is modify the shaft. It comes too long. I am also enclosing the spec.
sheet on it. Their site gives you dealers. ~ Mike C. ‘86LX
RADIO
CONFIGURATION
Hello All, I have
always had to turn the balance on the stereo all the way to one side or the
other to hear the voice part of the music when listening through the speakers.
Listening through the head set the balance seemed to work fine. I just read
through the tech seminar file and noticed in the radio section that there is a
DX/LO button listed on the radio. I went to check mine and this button says
LO/SE instead of DX/LO. I tried pushing on the LO side of the button and the
letters LO show on the radio display but no change in sound. When I pushed on
the SE side of the button the sound got fuller through the speakers. I moved the
balance knob to the middle position and now this thing rocks! I was given
another radio when I bought this bike and was told that the original was
replaced because the buttons didn't work any more. I checked the old radio and
the DX/LO button was there. I checked the model number on the two units and they
are different. Does anyone know what the LO/SE button is and what the
differences are between these two models? I can get the model numbers if that
will help. ~ Bob Morse 86LX
Of course you
already know that DX/LO means distant and local. Possibly, the LO/SE means
approximately the same but it could also be a mono/stereo switch but I kinda
doubt that. The local/distant has to do with the antenna attenuation or some
crap that helps pick up distant stations and also clears up local stations. ~
Tracy
With my experience
in radios & the Clarion in particular, a DX/LO switch is solely for the
radio, not tape. DX means Distant, LO means Local (as in radio stations)
sometimes if a radio station is close to you & you have it set on DX the
station may overpower your radio - then switch to LO. As for the LO/SE switch,
each side of this switch is it's own on/off switch - the LO side turns the Local
setting on & off, while the SE side stands for Stereo Expansion - creating a
fuller, richer sound. Press SE to turn it on, press again to turn it off. Think
of it as 2 switches with one button... I am guessing that the earlier models had
the DX/LO switch while the later models had the LO/SE. Mine is an 87LXE w/
orange knob labels and I have a LO/SE switch. Hope this helps, ~ Brian 87LXE in
CT
Perhaps that radio
was meant for the European market. Maybe SE is short for some foreign word
meaning "distance". I did find out by accident that by holding one of
the buttons down, forget which one, and powering up the radio, the tuning steps
switched to the European standard. 9khz steps on AM and 88.0 - 107.8, even Mhz
spacing on FM. Repeating the same step switches it back to North American
standard tuning. I did replace only the one switch that was broken on my radio
this winter and it is back working as it should. Still have a spare switch in
case another one craps out. ~ Mike
Talk of the radio
button with "SE and LO" on it thought I might be able to figure it
out. I have 2 radios one from an 87 LXE and one from an 88 LX - both show SE
& LO. The original manual indicates 2 different functions - not really
related it seems. The LO side of the button when pressed when on determines
sensitivity when using the automatic tuning. If pressed down for Low Sensitivity
"LO" shows in the window with the frequency and when the automatic
tuning is used on the handlebar or passenger controls, only the strongest
stations will be accessed.
The "SE"
side of the button (SE stands for Sound Field Expansion Button) and is used to
select either
Normal
or Expanded sound when listening to a stereo sound. It has no effect on a
non-stereo sound. ~ Al from Mass
PS: The gremlins
Nancy
is always talking about stuck my ‘88's radio. The ‘88 LX parts bike had a
working radio when I bought it last year and In 2000 I had the buttons replaced
in my ‘87 so pulled the ‘87 and have been using the ‘88. When checking for
this email LO and BEHOLD buttons on the ‘88 have now stuck.
You can send the
radio to Sierra electronics and they will fix the tape deck, clean the whole
thing and put new radio switches on for you. Their specialty is motorcycle sound
systems...just go to www.sierraelectroniics.com. It will list phone numbers and
email addresses. Hope this helps. ~
Nancy
in
Ohio
HELMET
HOOKUP
What’s the
cheapest way to get the (in helmet) equipment and the cords to hook up the
stereo and intercom features? All that came with mine is one curly cord. ~ Marty
in
Tennessee
'86 LX
Marty, If you have
the 5-pin din connectors on your headset, just plug it in. All the connections
to the CB and intercom are internal. On my 86 LX, and I believe all others, the
stereo and intercom are controlled by the radio controls and the CB is
controlled from the controls on the left handle bar. In saying this, I'm
assuming that when you said yours came with a curly cord, you meant your
headset. Still looking for good weather, ~ Red 86 LX
FM
IS DEAD
My radio works fine
on IS and Tape, but is virtually a no go (sound and reception) on the FM band.
Any suggestions? ~ Mikey
SWITCHING
THE SWITCHES
I got my radio
switches yesterday and replaced them last night. Now my radio is working again.
I've never done any electronics soldering, but you guys made it sound so simple
I gave it a try after printing the instructions from suzukicavalcade.com. One
tip is to keep track of where all the different screws come from. There is a lot
to remove and it will be a lot easier to put your radio back together if you
separate and mark where they all go. Now my radio’s working again but it’s
still too cold up here in NH to ride. Soon! Thanks everyone! ~ Phil
WIRING
UP THE SOUND SYSTEM
Hi Folks I am new
to this group, I have an 86 XL and love it. My question is after I removed the
Tank cover to replace the air filter. I found this bunch of wires that I assume
is for an intercom system. Is this correct? Where would I look for a mike and
headset? Thanks ~ Rick Weiss
~ BODY WORK ~
SEAT
BLADDERS
Can the individual
bladders be replaced? When I bought the bike, the rear seat bladders worked
fine, but the drivers seat bladders don't inflate at all.
~ PARTS AND ACCESSORIES ~
THE
CAVALCADE CD-ROM
I have had the
question numerous times lately, "what's on the Cavalcade CD-ROM?" So,
here we go.
1) The entire
Factory Service Manual as of 1990. This is the same manual that Suzuki
distributed to the shops for the mechanics to use. It is 400 pages in length and
covers the bike from tip to tail.
2) Technical
Seminar Manual - This is a 40 page manual that appears to be what was
distributed to the mechanics when the bike first came out. Not a lot of service
info, but a wealth of interesting tech-head stuff.
3) 23 Factory
Accessory Installation guides - These cover all (or at least the vast majority)
of accessories offered by Suzuki such as extra lights, chrome trim, covers,
rails etc. There are also 2 guides for after market items. One is for the
Markland backrest and one for the Posa cruiser bar. There are about 50-60 pages
in all.
4) 14 Magazine
Articles - Most of these are from major bike magazines of the day and include
articles specific to the Cavalcade and some comparison articles to the other
luxury cruisers. There is also a couple of steering articles and one on
trailering. About 104 pages in all.
5) Manuals for the
CB - This includes two installation guides (a Clarion and a Suzuki), a service
manual, and guide for the headset wiring and junction wiring guides. About 70
pages worth.
6) Sound
Troubleshooting Guide - 40 pages of block diagram troubleshooting for the entire
sound system.
7) Brochure and
Magazine Ads - the brochure and 3 magazine ads of the day.
8) The Entire
Owners Manual - the 68 page owners manual that came with each bike.
9) Parts Book - The
entire parts microfiche. 80 pages x 2 images per page.
10) Clarion Radio
Service Manual - the 32 page Clarion radio service manual.
11) Misc. - The
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (all of the files open in Acrobat), a
couple of pictures and letters.
All in all, there
are over 900 pages contained on the CD. Most of which applies directly to the
Cavalcade. It is the culmination from various sources including several
extra-kind Cav members that were trusting enough to send me materials for
inclusion and wait forever for me to return them. ~ Thanks,
Tracy
PIPES!
Are there any after-market
exhaust systems for cavalcades out there? My bike is just too quiet. I'd like to
give it a little noise. ~ Phil
JC-Whitney has a reasonably priced setup, some have found it to be too
loud, but I figure I can still hear the HD on the other side of the freeway at
70mph... so it's not really that bad. You should be able to search the message
archives and find detailed information, I think I posted some pictures too.
JC Whitney...
online catalog. Under... motorcycle... mufflers. 1zx7036w for the 27" ...
1zx7037w for the 32" ... and don’t forget the 01zx1105n 3" clamps to
hold them on. I used the 27" and only had to make up a shot bracket to go
from the stock mounting hole to the 3" clamp. Mufflers come with the
muffler clamp. Makes a little bit of noise but sounds AOK (to me). Will have to
put the quit ones on when the S.O. rides with me but they're gonna be great when
alone and cruising. ~ KennG
BACKREST
Anyone tried to
install the backrest (through seat) from Utopia? I've ordered one and I hope I
don't wreck my newly reupholstered saddle. Ordered parts from MAWonline. They
were great and had everything I needed. My dealer couldn't get half the stuff
from Parts Canada for 3 months. These will be here in 7 days, to my door. Heaven
~ Steve in
Canada
with an ‘87
I put the Utopia
back rest on my Cavalcade 3 years ago. Actually, I live about 40 miles from the
guy who makes them so I took the seat off one February day and drove to his
house (he was making them at home at that time) and had him install it in my
seat. I was just a little nervous about making the cut in the seat cover to
install the unit so I let him do it (just in case!). After watching him, I
wouldn't hesitate to put one in myself! All that is required is drilling 2(?)
holes in the bottom of the seat pan, making a slit in the seat (on the
horizontal portion just behind the drivers position) and putting nuts on the
studs that go through the 2 holes you drilled. The whole procedure took only 10
minutes! I opted for the removable model, as I wasn't sure how I'd like having
the back rest. Now, I can't ride without it! They did some clever engineering on
the brackets so you have both a height adjustment & a forward/aft
adjustment. The cost for mine at the time was around $150.00 w/ the option to be
removable. Their web address is www.utpr.com And don't worry about the slit you
have to make getting any bigger - they supply a grommet with adhesive that goes
around it and that portion of the seat doesn't stretch when you sit on the bike.
It actually gathers! Great product and nice match to the original upholstery and
custom made for your particular bike. If anyone wants, I can post a photo of
mine. Good luck! ~ Mark Musial - 86 Grey-on-Grey GT in
Ohio
Mark, does your
Cade have the air bladder seat? Are the Utopia back rests useable on those that
do? I thought that the bladder went all the way through the seat, front to back.
I'm in the market for a back rest and I know I would much rather having the
Utopia style than the Markland, but didn't think I could. ~ Red 86LX
All the bladders in
the seat are individual. On the LXE there are three in the driver's seat alone.
One each on each side of the seat itself and a lumbar one in the back portion.
The rest can be installed without hitting the lumbar bladder. Just use care. I'm
NOT going to just plunge the knife right into it. I'm gonna make the slit and
gently cut and probe till I get to the bottom of it. ~ KennG
Physically
replacing them is not a big problem and can be done. Where to find a replacement
is the problem. Testing them is fun. Try using a squeeze bulb pump, for pumping
up footballs, basketballs etc, to test individual bladders. They can be picked
up at Wal-Mart for about $5 and the valve stem from an auto tire with the rubber
coating stripped off and the valve removed will finish the task. Don't over look
the tubing. Automotive tubing for the windshield washer works just fine. ~ KennG
CAN
I GET HOSED?
Does anyone know
where I can get the hose to inflate the tires from the compressor? ~ Scott
Daily,
Carrollton
,
TX
dailysr@attbi.com
Scott, I bought
mine from JC Whitney, but you can also use the one sold by Honda dealers for the
GW's. ~ Al from Mass
Last fall while
washing the Cade I dropped the sponge, thought I had cleaned it good but a few
deep scratches later I realized I hadn't. OK need a windshield. Didn't really
want to try & make one so went to a Suzuki shop (Bedford Suzuki) in
Bedford
,
PA.
J C Whitney had the on sale for $86.95 Bedford Suzuki got me mine for $80.00
the exact same thing that was on my Cade. Also the speedometer gear is making a
lot of noise so I ordered one of those... $60.00 and also got an air filter
while I was there. They said if someone needs anything give them a call. Bedford
Suzuki-Yamaha, Inc. 8762 Lincoln Highway Bedford, Pa 115522 toll free
1-877-441-0890 The Suzuki dealer near here kept telling us they couldn't get
anything as is was discontinued. Oh well, he lost a customer. ~
Gary
‘87 LXE in PA
SCREW
CAPS
Hello All, I am in
need of the plastic chromed screw covers for the screws that hold on chrome
strip over the wind shield screws. I have looked on
Tracy
's CD and this part doesn't seem to be listed. Does anyone know where I can find
these? ~ Bob Morse 86LX
Bob,
Try the Parts book on Pg. 60, fig 79, index #30. Pn 94457-24A10. I think those
might be the ones you are seeking. ~ Virgil
If you can't find
any from the group I would try the local hardware store. They have chrome caps
that should fit, if not they may have a larger selection in the black plastic
caps that wouldn’t look to bad. ~
Roy
in TX
Lar and I have used
the black plastic caps from the Hardware store. The cost was 29 cents apiece and
they look great. ~
Nancy
in
Ohio
‘86LXE
Bob, On the CD in
the parts book file page 59, figure 78 item 32 part #94457-24A00 ~ Tracy
I don't know where
you can find those caps but a suitable substitute is the cover used for license
plate screws, a couple faucet washers, and some longer screws. Run the longer
screws through the cover base, through one (or two) faucet washers (for height
adjustment), into the bike, and tighten. When it's all done, snap the chrome
covers in place and no one will be the wiser. ~ Kenn
If I remember
correctly these are special cap covers with two ears on them which hook around a
clip that is held down by the screw. There is also a round piece of hard foam,
which is inserted under the cap to keep pressure on the cap against the clip.
The cap has two small slits on the outer edge, they are there so the special
tool which came with the Cavalcade (should have been on the key chain) when new,
could be inserted and turned to remove. Many people don't know that the caps
have to be turned to be removed. They just pry them out, breaking off the ears
on the cap. ~ Ccasclair
I wonder if this is
the correct part and they just showed it in the wrong spot. On my Cade there is
no plug in this location as the Cavalcade emblem covers it. The plug should show
over the screw marked # 14. What do you all think? ~ Bob Morse 86LX
Bought mine through
the dealer 2 years ago. Very reasonable (maybe $1 - $2 ea.). ~
Bob, http://www.BikeBandit.com
CAP FR COVER Bike Bandit part # 519385-001, $4.98 ea. ~ Dwayne 86LX
Bob, Any hardware
store has hole covers or plugs. Check in the bin section where specialty items
are kept. Black or chromed. ~ Larry
SIDE
BAG PLASTIC
Anybody have the
black plastic parts that cover the front of the right side bag on the chrome
piece on the bottom of the bag? Mine fell of last summer. Or any ideas what to
do with the chrome corner with the holes still there to make look better.
Thanks. ~ Kirby, ‘86 LX
Those end caps for
the side bumpers were available through Bike Bandit, They're around 15.00 each
for the caps ONLY no hardware with a little ingenuity you won't need the
hardware. ~ Walter n
Maryland
RUSSELL CUSTOM SADDLE
I am going to have
these guys do the seat on my Cade and thought I would pass the info on to you
guys. In the past there has been mention of the Russell seats. Well management
has changed hands but the craftsman ship is the same. They have moved from Fall
River Mills to
Shasta
Lake
just outside
Redding
CA
. The shop is right off I-5 so you can stop in when in the area and see what
they do. The web site is www.day-long.com. ~ Pappy
PARTS FOR
SALE
CLARION
RADIO SWITCHES
Hey folks. If you
need the replacement switches for the Clarion radio, I have them on my secure
server now.
The reason I am
offering them is because if you order just 16 switches from Digikey, you pay
$.38 each plus a $5 handling fee plus shipping. That makes 'em about $13 or $14
for a set of 16. I offer a set of 16 for $5.80, which includes postage. And, if
you order them at the same time you order a Cavalcade CD-ROM, I'll even knock
off another $1 since I can put them in the same envelope as the CD. ~ I will
also be offering billet aluminum front-brake and clutch master cylinder covers
in a few days. I will send pics to the group when they are ready. Just go to https://www.web-guardian.com/billydum/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi
and click the CD link in the upper left-hand corner. ~
Tracy
BRAKE
AND CLUTCH MASTER CAPS
Okay folks. They're
done. I am now making available CNC milled, billet aluminum front brake and
clutch master cylinder caps for the Cavalcade. There are two styles, one with
the Suzuki "S" and another with the Cavalcade "Rider" on his
horse. ~ The "S" and the rider are filled with black paint and the
caps are polished to a mirror finish. They also include polished stainless steel
button-head cap screws that replace the stock screws. They completely cover the
stock caps and take just a minute to install. ~ They are $37 a pair (that price
includes postage). You can order them as a matched set of either style or one of
each. You can buy them on-line at https://www.web-guardian.com/billydum/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi.
Click on the CD-ROM link at the top left corner of that page. It will take you
to the secure order form for credit card purchase. You can also order them by
phone at 620-241-1515 or you can send a check or money order to the address
below. Lead time will generally be less than a week so I should be able to ship
within a few days of receiving an order. ~ Tracy
Presnell, 1980 Palomino Trail,
McPherson
,
KS
67460
USA
. Telephone: 620-241-1515
MORE: Due to the
request of a Cader that ordered a set of "rider" MC covers, a set of
the "rider" type will be a "mirrored" pair. In other words,
the riders will be facing each other or facing away from each other when
installed.
It will take a few
days to get them programmed that way so please be patient if you have submitted
an order already. ~ For those that want a mixed pair (one S and one rider), you
will have the choice of which direction you want the rider to face (left or
right). Thanks, ~
Tracy
PARTS
WANTED
FOOT
RESTS
I am looking for
driver’s foot rests both sides. I also need the shifter lever and rod. ~ Tom: tomsauto@netnitco.net
FARING
PARTS
I just got my Cade
back from the mechanic and found damage to the upper shell on the right side.
I'll be looking for anyone parting out an 87 Cade that still has the upper right
shell. Drop me a line if anyone has the part.
Thanks, ~ Micky
"Gray 87 LX"
SPEEDO
PARTS
Group, I 'm looking
for a box assembly speedometer gear # 54600-24A00. The new parts are too much
money. Maybe someone has an extra to sell me for less money. Let me know at khrompaint@yahoo.com
~ Dennis R.
ANTENNA CABLE
Does anyone have an
antenna cable they would like to sell? ~ "zukicade" philipmcgrail@hotmail.com
FRONT
RIM
I am looking for a
front rim for my Cade. My 86lx rim has become a sieve and is loosing air through
the metal. The original ones were made of a soft material. If anyone has one for
sale, let me know. My tires are fine. ~ Mike C., 86LX mcohen@caci.com
TRAILER
HITCH
We now have a
trailer ready for the road but no trailer hitch. Have been on the web but can't
find one for a Cade anywhere. Anyone have any idea where to purchase one? Ride
safe ~
Gary
in Pa 87 LXE mollybngary2@yahoo.com
Go to www.zyworld.com/Suzuki_CavalcadeClub_UK/Home.htm.
Click on links and then look for trailer hitch. This should take you to the
Australian wed site that sells them. ~ Dave SCCUK
~ CAVALCADES FOR
SALE
~
ARKANSAS
Hey Jay, Steve Rice
here in
Arkansas
. Well, it looks like I am going to have to sell the 'ol Cade this spring. I
just need the money for other things for the house right now. It’s an ‘87
LXE. I have matching brand new helmets with intercoms ant the bike in burgundy
and gray with a new battery, new whitewall front tire. Driver floorboards like
you've never seen before, dash mat, new windshield and windshield side
extenders, custom stainless steal polished trim here and there, a carpeted
trunk, caliper covers on the front wheel, and a freshly died seat. It’s all
there and runs great. It has something like 41,000 miles on her. If you would,
could you please get the word out to the club for me. I really don't know what
to ask for her. I gave $3,900 1.5 years ago and have done a lot to her but not
ridden it very much. I even took the license plate reflector off and did the 'ol
third tail light trick with it. It’s a very nice bike and I will miss it. I
know when I can afford another big bike, I probably won't be able to find
another one like this one. It also has a driver's backrest with a pouch on the
back. I was thinking with helmets and all that I would like to get at least
$3,800. I would like to get $4,200 but I need to sell her kind of quick. Thanks
very, very much!! Steve Rice,
Fort Smith
,
Arkansas
PUYALLUP
WASHINGTON
(
SEATTLE
AREA )
Too many Bikes in
the garage and I must sell. One owner Excellent Condition. All offers
considered. Contact me at Bfargusson@aol.com,or
Cell 253 229-9265
BURLINGTON
,
IOWA
1986 Cavalcade GT.
It has 22380 miles always stored inside, never been wrecked or damaged. It is
very much like when it came from the factory except for a lot of extra lights
and chrome. It was bought new by my brother in ‘86 and he passed away the next
year and it came to me. I don't have the time to ride it and my wife feels that
its time to go. I want $5000 cash. I don't think there is a better one out
there. I can be contacted at 319-752-0942 or rmeismer1@aol.com
. I do have some pictures. ~ Rolland Meismer
SAFETY HARBOR
,
FLORIDA
1987 Cavalcade,
LXE, Black & Grey, 64,184 miles. One owner purchased new in October 1987.
Adult, Police Officer, driven, garage kept. It has heel & toe shifter,
Markland driver's backrest, Markland trailer hitch. Hitch install & trailer
wiring done by dealer. Reaminder of bike is "stock" and all in sound
working order. Bike has never been down in either accident or tip over. Matching
Grey HJC helmets with intercom headsets/mic's installed (Med & XL). Bike has
all stock options except CB radio. Pictures can be e-mailed on request. Asking
$4,000. Contact Jim at JimRuthBurgess@hotmail.com
or (727)723-2822. Reason for sale: Wife can no longer ride and have therefore
lost interest in touring.
FLORIDA
PARTS BIKE
!986 GV1400Gt
....very good condition externally....probably needs valve job possible complete
rebuild and a clutch.....selling due to lack of and cost of parts...refuse to
pay high labor.....will part out as last resort....whole bike $1500 OBO...
anybody got any better ideas I'd damn sure listen....Thanks, One Grumpy Cuz My
Bikey Broke A---you know the rest! ~ domwoppp@aol.com
WICHITA FALLS
,
TEXAS
For sale in
Texas
, 1986 Cavalcade LX, Garage kept, excellent condition, extra clean, 53,000
miles, asking $ 3,700. Phone (940) 564-5449. This was seen advertised in the
Wichita Falls
paper. This Gentleman is the third owner I think, If so I was the second and I
purchased this beautiful machine in 1988. I sold it in 1999 simply because I had
two Cades. ~ Fitz in
Texas
~ CUSTOMIZED CADE
PROJECTS ~
SHIRTS
AND HATS
HELLO GANG CHOPPER
HERE I just thought I’d drop you all a line since I don’t get too chat vary
often. I've been vary busy and not a lot of time on my hands. I have started a
custom hat and tee shirt business and doing well with this I can print custom
logos on hats, shirts, mouse pads and even photos on whatever. Turn around time
is quick and I’ll give special prices to any of the members of this group.
Having said that, I will be riding solo this year. My lovely wife and I are
expecting our first child we are very excited. But due to Beth’s health her
doctor does not want her to ride so. “Ya Hoo!” I’ll be making appearances
by my self just shorter ones. I would like to make some hats and shirts for the
group but I'd like some input on what (as a group) we would like on them. Do we
have an official logo? For the people going to Americade, would you folks like
to put some shirts together? I could send them with Brian let me know. I have
new equipment ready to print. So help me out with some ideas ~
I think it's about
time to come up with group T-shirt. One if the group members have a printing
business. So it will be easy to have them made. I would like to have on it nice
Eagle and Stars and Stripes with Cavalcade picture and sign Cavalcade
USA
. For me this would have to be printed on a black shirt, but I am sure I could
have a white one too. Chopper had an idea to have Cade picture on the back of
the shirt with sign "touring classic" and the years it was made... I
don't know about you people, but I NEED a cavalcade T-shirt! Let's come up with
some good ideas, and turn it in to reality. Ride On ~
Wojo
,
Kent
WA
Well, it's not a
T-shirt (haven't gotten to that yet) but, is there any interest in ball caps? I
already had the design made up and a local embroidery shop is quoting it. I have
attached a picture of the layout (please ignore the colors) the entire design
will be in a gold thread. I would like to offer them in colors that
approximately match the different base colors of the Cade. If there is enough
interest, I will proceed with having them made. It will take about 4 weeks to
get them but then I should have a supply on hand for additional requests. This
design is the right size for the left breast of a sweatshirt or even a
polo-shirt and if there is interest in them, I can also make them available. Let
me know if there is any interest. ~ Tracy E-mail: adnet@mpks.net
Hi, We have a black
cap with the horse and Cavalcade underneath as on the emblems. These cost £8
each, that's about $14. ~ Dave, SCCUK, e-mail: david.hebblethwaite@btinternet.com
~ TRIPS &
TOURS
~
BARB’S
RIDING LESSON
Wednesday,
we went about a block from our house to a big parking lot at a church for Barb
to ride her bike. She did great but was too tense. I was getting ready to call
her over and tell her to go over on the grass and let the cycle fall and go
ahead and get it over. About that time she drove up with a big grin and looked
back at me and turned her handlebars to the left and went over. She did not hurt
herself --- thank goodness. She got right back on and rode again ------ a lot
more relaxed and even drove the bike off the lot back to the house. Today,
Sunday, she said she wanted to ride. (Weather prediction was 80% chance of rain)
I figured ok. We talked about going to a road about 500 yards from the house
that is about 1/2 mile long so she could practice or if we did not turn, we
could go straight out this county road with 3 curves. We hooked up our cell
phones with hands free connections and vox. When we got to the road I asked if
she wanted me to turn or go straight. She said, "Go straight, I am
ready!" We left about
noon
and got back about
6:30pm
.
We drove over 100 miles. We drove through town to a drive in grocery and ate
lunch. Crossed the
Colorado
River
twice. Did an overpass. We even did a highway for about 3 miles. She is really
proud of herself and I am very proud of her. We had stopped to take a break here
in town and a local policeman drove up on his bike and we took off again
for another ride for about 30 something miles. We really had a blast today! Barb
will always remember her 55th birthday. (She said a couple weeks ago that she
wanted to do something special on her birthday...never dreamed this would be
it.) Glad I bought straps for both bikes. Looks like we will need them. It never
did rain but there were some puddles of water on the roads sometimes. ~
THE
BASIC RIDER COURSE
Just finished up a
weekend going through the Basic Rider course offered by the Mid Tenn. Motorcycle
Education Center and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. I can't say enough about
the experience. I would recommend that everyone make an effort to attend one of
the available courses in their area. Even the old timers might be able to
benefit from the experience. We had 12 in this class with the ages running from
14 to 61 years young. The 61 year old had been riding all of his life. Several
were there because they had recently been involved in an accident and learned
almost to late that there's got to be a better way. It's an excellent
opportunity to refresh or learn the basics. There's also an advanced course for
experienced riders. Here in
Tenn.
after completing the basic course the written and riding portions are waived
for the motorcycle endorsement to our license. For more info check out the
Motorcycle Safety Foundation or your local dealers. ~ Virgil
I agree with
Virgil. I went through the course about a year ago and after having ridden bikes
on and off for over 30 years, learned more than enough to make the course worth
while. For those of you who may live in
Texas
, taking an approved course can also substitute for the riding portion of the
driver's license exam. The instructors are great and work well with all levels
of riders.
Texas
also has an advanced course that you take on your own bike and I'm going to
take that one too when I get a little more proficient on the Cade. ~ Scott
Daily,
Carrollton
,
TX
CADE RAID 2002
SCHEDULE
OF EVENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday,
9/15/02
Arrival
and Check-in at the Honeysuckle
Inn
Resort http://www.honeysucklebranson.com/
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Exhibitor Set-up
(Exhibitors Only)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday,
9/16/02
8:00
am – 10:00 am Exhibitor
Set-Up
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Registration Open
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Self-Guided Tour of Branson http://branson.com/dbba/
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Exhibits Open
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Classes or Workshops
4:30 pm – 5:45 pm
Reception in the Cardinal Room
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Welcome
Dinner and Imax Theater Show http://bransonimax.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday,
9/17/02
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Registration Open
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Exhibits Open
9:00 am – 12:00 am
Classes or Workshops
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Ride the Ducks to Lunch: http://www.ridetheducks.com
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Group Rides
Evening
(
7:30 – 10:30 pm
) “Country Tonite” Live Music & Comedy Show http://www.countrytonite.com/branson/index.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday,
9/18/02
9:00
am –
12:00
noon
Registration Open
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Exhibits Open
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Classes or Workshops
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Group Rides
Evening
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Awards Dinner ~ Prizes and Awards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday,
9/19/02
(Optional Day)
Spend the day at Silver Dollar City Theme Park http://www.silverdollarcity.com
and enjoy an evening dinner cruise and a show aboard the Showboat Branson
Bell
Cruise http://showboat.silverdollarcity.com/default.asp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday,
9/20/02
(Optional Day)
Enjoy a
second day free at the Silver Dollar City Theme Park. OR, ride to
Lake of the Ozarks
or another area that provides us a day’s ride through the Ozarks before
heading home. http://www.funlake.com/
http://www.odd.net/ Over-night stay at a
local resort or motel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CADE RAID 2002 ~ REGISTRATION FORM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAME:
______________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:
__________________________________________________________________
CITY,
STATE, ZIP: ___________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE:
_________________________________
FAX: ________________________
E-MAIL:
_____________________________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REGISTRATION FEES
Shirts are
included with pre-registrations received by August 1, 2002
All fees go to
the expenses for Cade Raid 2002.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_____ CADE OWNER: $25.00 _____
PASSENGER: $15 _____ EXTRA
SHIRTS @ $15.00
Shirt Sizes:
_____ Small _____
Large _____ X-Large
_____XX-Large
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE
MARK OPTIONAL CHOICES BELOW. Registration Fees Do Not Include Lodging or the
following Optional Events. Complete this Form by Marking the Following and
Calculating Your Total Payment Below.
____
Monday Evening Dinner & IMAX Theater @ $20.00 per Person: $ _______
____
Tuesday
Noon
, “Ride The
Ducks” Lunch @ $21.00 per Person: $ _______
____
Tuesday Evening Show “County Tonite” @ $22.00 per Person: $ _______
____
Wednesday Evening Awards Dinner @ $20.00 per Person: $ _______
____
Thursday & Friday Optional Days at Silver Dollar City Theme Park with
Dinner Cruise and a Live Show aboard the Showboat Branson Bell
@ $75.00 per Person: $ _______
PAYMENT:
TOTAL OF ALL ABOVE FEES: ___________
___
Check # _________ (Payable to Tree Farm Communications, Inc.)
___
To Charge to your Credit Card Please Include Visa, MasterCard, Discover or
American Express Card Number:
Card
#: ___________________________ Expires: ____________
Signature
_____________________________________________
Return Completed Form To:
Cade Raid 2002
PHONE:
425-868-0464
23703 NE 4th Street
FAX:
425-868-2495
Sammamish
,
WA
98074-3612
USA
|