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The
Suzuki Cavalcade Newsletter
Issue
#22 ~ May, 2002
Jay
D. Johnson, Editor
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 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. 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.
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
WISCONSIN
CADE RAID
The date for the Wisconsin Cade raid will be the weekend of
July 27th. I think we will meet the same as last year, with Nora
Tavern being the breakfast spot. Everyone is invited, including non-Cade owners.
If you want me to set up a special rate at the motel again, Please let me know.
If All would prefer a different motel, also let me know. Please email me at jerrytennant@gdinet.com
to let me know if interested. The ride this year will go to Blue Mounds WI and
north. I looked at the
Mississippi
run. It would be difficult to accomplish on a weekend run for those coming from
a distance to get here. Not saying that we couldn't ride to the river and back.
Let's have some input on this. ~ Jerry 86LX Wisc.
LIVE CHAT ROOM
SCHEDULE
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CavalcadeUSA
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/Benelux ~
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.
~ CAVALCADE 101
~
IDAHO
CHAPTER DOUBLE SIZE
I finally found a new Cade owner here in
Idaho
. His name is Scott Rogers. He came over tonight and we went for a ride and
burger and then spent a lot of time on the Cade site. His radio doesn't work and
he's leaking from the boot, so I appraised him of the cures needed for those
ailments. Spike, his VIN number is JS1VX71AXG2d102304. It's a GT. Let me know
when it was born and how it fits into the scheme of things on the infamous plug.
Tracy
, he is having the Cade torn apart this week and would like one of your plugs
(do I get a commission?).
It was sure good to ride with someone on another Cade. It
needs repainting and the aluminum cleaned up etc. We probably cured his cruise
control problems by looking on the Cavalcade site. He is one happy camper to
know that all of you guys are out there. And now has a head full of info about
his new ride. He has no computer, so
Tracy
and Spike just email me. ~ Red
P.S. He did not know how to check his secondary oil, so we
did and it was low. I added some and showed him the proper level. And Walter I
made sure to impress upon him the importance of checking dem levels, all of dem!
POSTING THE VIN # LIST
Caders, as you know, a couple weeks ago I accidentally
posted the VIN list to Cavalcade_USA, (doh!) after which I received about 30
posts from those on the VIN list, graciously offering their blessing to my
posting the information to the whole world. It was unanimous with none opposed.
Consequently I came up with a version of the VIN list that will simultaneously
protect everyone's privacy and still provide a useful tool for those wanting to
anticipate and prevent problems. If you want to see the complete version with
owners, their email @s and state, etc send me your VIN. If not, that’s cool
too. It is a microsloth excel file. Do note the bevel plug failures (column N)
and do check dem oil levels. ~ Spike
CHECK DEM LEVELS!
I want to thank all of you who keep talking about checking
your fluid levels. I had changed all the fluids in my 87 LXE when I bought it
about 6 weeks ago. I went for a ride after work today, and went I got back I
parked in the garage. Because of all the e-mails about fluid levels I always
look under my bike before and after I ride. Tonight I noticed a puddle of oil
under the final drive. It appeared to be coming from the drain plug. I got my
socket set out, and since I wasn't sure which size the drain plug was I just
grab one and tried it by hand. It just seemed to spin around the plug. Tried the
next size down, it was too small. The first one was the right size! That’s how
loose the plug was. Obviously when I change the fluid I had not gotten it back
on tight enough. This time I checked with a torque wrench. I opened the fill
plug to add oil and oil started to come out before I added any. So it must have
just come loose on my ride tonight. I don't know if I would have noticed it if
you all had not made me so aware of the need to always check for leaks and fluid
levels. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! ~ Ed
To make sure we are all on the right foot. All oil levels
are checked and added with the bike on the center stand. The oil levels to check
are as follows:
1.
Engine (sight glass on right side engine case this sight glass
shows the proper level for engine and transmission. Should be up to top mark on
outer ring of sight glass.
2.
Secondary gearbox, also referred to as intermediate gearbox bevel
gear box, forward bevel gear box. Should be filled to fill to screw, refer to
owners’ manual for proper screw. With screw removed should be filled at fill
hole until gear oil just starts to come out screw hole. Fill slowly to allow air
to escape the bearings and nooks crannies.
3.
Final drive, sometimes referred to as rear bevel gear box, should,
should be filled at the fill hole, again slowly to allow air to escape, until it
just starts to come out fill hole. Make sure all drain plugs are replaced and
tightened/torqued fill to screw is tight/torqued. Places to look for suspected
intermediate/bevel gearbox plug and rear seal failure. Any failure of these two
parts should show up in the boot area of the left swing arm, also along the left
under side of the bike. Any high or evidence of lots of gear oil should be
checked immediately before any further riding. Even if it's only five miles
home. Until you have permanently fixed this suspected plug it is highly
recommended that these areas be checked on a regular basis even during a nice
Sunday cruise. It only takes a minute. After that soda or burger to run your
hand along this boot or swing arm and check for that oil. Rather a greasy hand
than a broken body. I posted this for some of the newer owners/riders that might
not be familiar with the cavalcade or have a manual/CD to refer to. ~ Walter n
Maryland
HOW’D YOU GET YOUR CADE?
I bought mine (86 LX) at a garage sale last August. I
happened to notice this big motorcycle tail end sticking out the back of this
guy’s garage. It had a sticker with $950 marked on it. Being a country boy I
knew that was a lot of "tail" for $950, even though I had no idea what
tail -- whoops! -- I mean what a Cade was. It needed a battery, windshield and
the left mirror. He said he paid $3,600 for it two years ago? But, he appeared
embarrassed to really tell me what he gave for it. What ever it was, he had
decided that it was too much and was fed up with the Cade. I offered him $650
for it and he took it. Hope I didn't get ripped off! Lets hear your stories on
how you got your first Cade. ~ Virgil
While driving along Interstate 75 I noticed a boat for sale
off in a field to my right. After taking the next exit, I finally found my way
to it. There was a number on the sign that I called, a lady answered and we made
a deal on the boat. She said to hook it up and bring it to the house where she
had the title. With the boat in tow, I followed her directions and drove into
her driveway. ~ She was at the door as I walked up the sidewalk and I entered a
modestly furnished living room. I noticed on the wall a picture of a Cavalcade
with a man sitting on it. As the conversation went, she explained that the man
was her ex-husband who had left her about a month ago for another woman. The
motorcycle was in the garage and was titled in her name as he had financial
problems and didn't want it in his name. He was supposed to pick it up next
week. ~ After a few minutes talking, she said, "If you'll get it out of
here, I'll sign the title over to you. It'll serve the jerk right for treating
me the way he did." ~ So, that's how I got a Cade with only seven miles on
it for nothing. If anyone can tell a taller tale, be my guest. He he. ~ Grandpa
‘86.
I guess I can't top that but I can come close. I had a
friend who owned a Suzuki shop in 1986. He was in financial trouble so I loaned
him $1500, he insisted I hold his Cavalcade until he could pay me back. The bike
only had 1100 miles on it and was free and clear. I told him I didn't need to
but he was persistent so I said okay. He brought it over and left it. About
three weeks passed and he came over, said he was getting a divorce and was
moving to
Kansas
. He signed over the title and said enjoy, he wouldn't need it anymore. ~
ldandy488
I met a guy and got talking to him about bikes and he said
he had an 87 Cade that he couldn't get cranked. He said he had done everything
including jumping it off with his truck. I told him of my love for bikes and
that I had a Wing. He went on to say he had called the local Honda dealer and
told them he would give them the bike if they would come get it out from under
his shed. I said ummmm, I'll be glad to come get it. I got it, ‘87 LXE with
41k on it and the next night guess what, it cranked. The circuit breaker was
popped. Sweetest bike I ever owned. Much superior to the Wing I have been riding
for the past 2 years. LOVE IT! Oh by the way, EVERYTHING works. ~ Rallie D.
"Rooster" Cogburn
I bought my Cade off a "kid" who was rich and
spoiled. His dad bought it for him for a high school graduation present. The kid
had a Kawasaki KE125 and that was the extent of his riding experience. He told
his father he wanted a new bike. Dad said go pick it out and left for a business
trip. The clown picked the Cade. To his credit, he put about 400 miles on it
before he laid it down. That was it for him and the Cade. He sold it to a
locomotive engineer for Conrail who repaired all the damage and put about 3K
miles on it. However fortunate for me, his wife told him they were having
triplets, thus, I became the proud papa of the Team 'Cade. ~ Bob Lilley
Got my LX from my friend who had it for 15 or 20 years and
never thought he would part with it. Gave him 3000. It has 56k on it and it
looks very nice. My wife and I are fairly heavy, and a bike this size is really
nice for two up. He put air shocks on it years ago. He said that the only real
fault is drive train leakage and this was worked on recently. He has become a
BMW addict and was not spending any time on the Cavalcade. The bike will need a
tire and a fork seal before long. I know a guy nearby who has an LXE. I saw the
stator fix info on web site and told his wife to have him look at it. He has
been garaged for quite a while because of stator repair cost from Suzuki. I have
only been on the road a couple times, seems like a pretty decent couch to me. We
also have a DR650, VX800, Intruder 800 ~ Scott in
Kansas
IMPROVING YOUR CADE
Over all the improvements/ accessories you can add, I think
I have benefited most with highway lights, Volt meter, air horns for my own
personal needs. The Barnett clutch springs were a definite improvement with the
clutch, and of course the "cork" took some of the worry out of the
drive train problems. Although as long as I didn't have oil dripping, or in my
swing arm catch tube, I never really worried about that. It really is nice to
look at the voltmeter and know for sure that you got the voltage you need. Just
thought I'd add this for some of the newer owners that want to improve their
ride. Ride Safe ~ Walter n
Maryland
~ MAINTENANCE
& REPAIRS ~
Don: when I removed it I placed the gearbox in a vise and
took a small chisel and angled it in the way I wanted it to come out. I taped it
a couple of times and out she came. To install the new one I got it started over
the splined portion and very gently tapped it into place with a small wooden
block and hammer. Make sure you don't press it too far into its seat. Tap top
bottom left and right on the outer edges at the same time keeping it straight as
possible. If you check the manual it shows it just past the end of the splined
drive and flush with the face of the boss. If you are ordering the
"cork" don't install the rear seal until after you install the cork.
Also inspect the shaft. It is sealing for a worn groove. You might want to
polish this area with real fine cloth or emery paper. Also on the main shaft to
the transmission, check this seal running area also. It might also need dressing
up. Use plenty of grease on the shafts when you put it back together. If you
have never worked with seals there is a small spring in the inner side that must
be kept in place. Its purpose is to keep the seal tight around the shaft. ~
Walter n
Maryland
The original seal in the secondary at the output to the
driveshaft leaked on the very earliest models. They were black in color. The
replacement or interchanged seal that came later was red, or a rust-looking
color, much better. So the infamous plug was not the only leak problem in the
secondary. Walter's suggestion of sight tubes is the only way to go! Any seal
can leak at any time, new design, old design, whatever. AS the boy says, check
dem oil levels. There is no substitution for this. ~ Ccook
If you order a new shaft from Suzuki, they will discover
that it comes up with a new part number so don't look it up yourself. The shaft
was the same; just the U was bigger. I compared them. I put on a new boot this
spring and it had a drain hole. How did you all get around the problem of the
bent washer when installing the "plug"? Would like to avoid that if
possible. ~ Steve 87 in ON
THAT BEVEL PLUG
I can sympathize with any of you that have had the dreaded
gear box failure. I had just got home from Americade a couple of days earlier
and decided to go to the local mall. As I traveled along, I noticed that my bike
acted like someone was trying to hold me back. (Sort of like the brakes
dragging) I pulled in the clutch lever and revved the engine but every thing
seemed to be OK. I continued on to the mall and the same problem occurred again
and I did the same as before, pulled in the clutch and revved the engine. Still
nothing appeared to be wrong. Boy was I ever wrong, the next thing I knew, the
rear wheel was locked up and I was into a 40-mph tire-dragging nightmare. I was
extremely lucky and I was able to keep the bike upright. As I slide to a stop at
the edge of the pavement some nice person stopped to see if I was all right and
to find out what had just happened. He was also nice enough to give me a ride to
my house so I could get a trailer to get my bike home. After I removed the
secondary gearbox and was able to roll the bike into garage, I found out that
the gearbox had failed. It also ruined the output shaft that comes out of the
transmission. After pulling the engine and finding the upper case cracked I
started looking for a used motor. The parts to fix the original one would have
cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $450.00 and that didn't include having the
case repaired. The new/used motor set me back $900.00. I still have the old one
for parts if I need it. By the way, this is a 1986 LX. So any one that has not
looked into replacing the infamous plug should do it immediately. ~ Jeff
After seeing this plug (the original) and it's design, I
truly feel if you or the previous owner have run the gear box low enough on gear
lube to heat the aft splined shaft up, there is a possibility for this plug to
fail. In all years it ain't much and it doesn't take a lot of pressure to push
it out. I know chicken little said the "sky was falling" and it hasn't
yet. As I stated before if you have noticed an increase of oil on the left
underside of your bike. Or an abnormal consumption, of gear oil in the secondary
it's time to check where it's coming from. For those that are losing sleep over
this you can check that plug without removing the gearbox, by removing the
secondary drive bevel gear. Leaving the box it's self on the bike. Referring to
the manual page 4-4, in the 3rd picture down it shows three of the bolts that
need to be removed. The other two that will have to come out are shown as empty
holes. When this bevel gear comes out there are shims and o-rings involved,
which must be put back in the same way, must be put back in the same way. Once
it is removed there will be a cam dog and a large spring that you simply pull
out. If it's still in place you can see the plug. It should be flush with the
face of the shaft it is in. On reinstallation of the bevel gear you will need to
torque the bolts that were removed. Remember this is only to check the plug as
you will not be able to install Tracy’s cork also that big round black disc in
the bevel gear boss is also referred to as a plug that's not the one and don't
mess with it. ~ Walter n
Maryland
On
my ‘86 LX the plug failed around 22000, I have 48000 now and is still running
good. This is my 2nd Cade, 1st one I bought new in ‘87. It was an ‘86 LX
don't have the VIN # for that one, but lost the plug at around 18000 miles. I
broke 7 ribs, broke my shoulder and collapsed both lungs, gave me a VERY CLOSE
experience with God, a helicopter ride and a chance to just lay back and do
nothing for a year. Sold that one with over 100,000 miles on it... Cader's,
check the oil levels.
Well here is a man that believes in getting back on the
horse that throwed him. ~ Larry
EPIPHANY
Guys, I had an epiphany today while out riding the Cade. If
you are changing out your bevel plug, save the old one. If one looks over the
VIN list, it is clear that the bevel plug failures are clustered. I had thought
that the factory might have been installing the plugs backwards, but now I have
a better explanation. The interference fit between the driven bevel and the plug
is a bad design because it is so hard to get the tolerances right.
Tracy
knows all about this problem. A rubber coated metal plug only compounds the
problem, since there is yet another set of tolerances on top of dimensional
tolerances of the plug and the bevel gear hole: the tolerances on the
manufacture of the rubber compound of the plug coating. If you are replacing the
plug anyway put a mic. on the bevel gear hole diameter, then write down and keep
the dimension. Also keep that old plug. Perhaps they used a manufacturing lot
that that was a little too small. Or the rubber coating wasn't quite right on
that lot of plugs. Perhaps that lot was used on bikes 1321 to
Tracy
's 1683. Depending on how you interpret the fate of bike number 1323, you might
say that all the bikes in that 1321 to 1683 interval had plug failures. If those
plug-replacers in that interval were to keep the old plugs and we collect them
at Branson or somewhere, perhaps we can do a dimensional study on them. Or
perhaps we can measure the durometer of the rubber. The other suspicious
interval is between 2877 and 3208. It will be interesting to compare those plugs
with any we get from bikes outside those two intervals.
Tracy
, do you suppose they had exactly two bad batches of bevel plugs? And those lots
consisted of about 400 plugs? ~ Spike
Tracy
Presnell wrote: Spike, won't do any good. You can't mike rubber. It just doesn't
work.
Yes, which is why I didn't suggest miking the rubber. I
have access to an instrument that is specialized for these kinds of
measurements. It works a bit like a bench vise, only it measures a part with one
ounce of pressure, then increases to 2 ounces, measures, then three and so on.
It makes a pressure vs. dimension curve. It is especially made for doing
measurements on elastomers, such as the space shuttle solid's O-rings that
failed right about the same time our Cades were being built.
<<If we had a number of plugs and
knew the conditions under which they failed, such as the number of miles, the
manufacture date, etc, we might be able to see a difference in some of the
plugs. If one looks over the VIN list, it is clear that the bevel plug failures
are clustered.>>
Spike, I really don't believe it has
anything to do with "clustering". I believe it has more to do with
age, heat, fluid changes, rubber compound changes etc. To assume that there will
only be failures of a limited number of bikes because of a manufacturing date is
dangerous speculation. For which I repent. Henceforth I no longer will suggest
to any Cade rider to leave it alone if there is no evidence of leakage. I
recognize that these plugs could fail any time on any bike. Furthermore, I am
one of those that thinks that should the plug get caught in the secondary drive
gears, and do so sideways, it might actually be able to lock the back wheel
itself, totally without forewarning. In most cases it would likely just crush or
chew up the plug, but if it went in just wrong, your fun could come to a
screeching halt.
<<The
interference fit between the driven bevel and the plug is a bad design because
it is so hard to get the tolerances right.>>
Spike,
the hole in the center of the gear is gonna' be pretty well spot on (probably
+/- .0005 or less).
OK. I was thinking perhaps they outsourced some of the
bevels and the machinist didn’t get the final polish on the inner diameter of
the driven bevel just right. Agreed most shade tree mechanics like myself
wouldn’t have equipment sensitive enough to catch this and even if they did,
everyone's micrometers would be
calibrated differently. So scratch that idea.
<<A
rubber coated metal plug only compounds the problem, since there is yet another
set of tolerances on top of dimensional tolerances of the plug and the bevel
gear hole: the tolerances on the manufacture of the rubber compound of the plug
coating.>>
Spike,
I will agree in part with your speculation. I don't believe that the tolerance
is so much of an issue as the expectations of such a design to remain in place
over time...So, in my opinion, the design was less than desirable to begin with.
Ok, so lets collect a few of the old ones and do some
measurements in the elastomer lab. It would be interesting to compare a plug
that has failed recently to one that has never been used, a factory fresh
(but 17 year old) plug.
<<Also
keep that old plug. Perhaps they
used a manufacturing lot that that were a little too small. Or the rubber
coating wasn't quite right on that lot of plugs.>>
Just throw it away. Even if it is bad, who cares?
I cares,
Tracy
. This is interesting. Do we know for sure that some of the plugs are not worse
than others? I agree they are all bad, but some might be worse.
<<We're
not trying to reconstruct a crime.>>
Well, actually that’s exactly what I am trying to do.
Turning riders loose with the stock plug design is about as close to a crime as
I have seen in the motorcycling world. My first priority is to see Cade owners
get the problem fixed. My second priority is to gather enough evidence to get
Suzuki to issue a recall, or failing that, to get NTHSA to issue a warning,
perhaps even to get state governments to send notices to those who have
registered Cades.
To do so on such an old bike would require extraordinary evidence, and even I
recognize the chances are slim that
Suzuki motor company will do anything. But it might be worth a try.
We
just need to get people to check that it's still there and keep track of the
level of gear oil in the box and/or replace the plug with something that will
stay put.
With this I totally agree. If I ever buy a used Cade, the
first thing I would do is take off and repair the secondary case, regardless of
the VIN. This is different from my position a week ago.
<<If
those plug replacers in that interval were to keep the old plugs and we collect
them at Branson or somewhere, perhaps we can do a dimensional study on them. Or
perhaps we can measure the durometer of the rubber.>>
Doesn't
matter. Regardless of the diameter of the plug or the current durometer of the
rubber (it will have changed DRASTICALLY due to the gear oil and heat of
operation)
What if we find the post-service elasticity of the plugs in
those intervals was different from the elasticity of the plugs outside those
intervals? That might help cinch the argument.
<<The
other suspicious interval is between 2877 and 3208. It will be interesting to
compare those plugs with any we get from bikes outside those two
intervals.>>
Spike,
I think you're reaching
.
Well sure. But if we don’t reach, we don’t get there.
If all Cades were equally likely to spit out a bevel plug, then the probability
of seeing a cluster like we see in the March 85 bikes is about 1 in 553441. I
think there is something unusual going on with those bikes. Since a lot of guys
will be replacing the part with a Cade cork (and for what ever you do, guys, DO
NOT order a factory replacement and put that durn thing in there), why not lets
collect up the old ones. What’s the cost to that? I volunteer to gather up the
evidence and do the measurements.
I
don't believe there is much we can learn from plugs that are 14 to 16 years old
without a control reference.
We have a control reference. Well, sort of. We compare the
ones that failed with the ones that were replaced preemptively. Compare the ones
that failed with high mileage to those that failed early. I’m not claiming we
will know all the answers from just this, but what if we get about 50 of these
things? I’m hoping we will get more than that. I would like to see a Cade cork
go into every last one of these bikes that is still in service. But failing
that, we might be able to show some interesting deltas in performance.
Even if you thought that you
might be able to make some conclusion concerning good/bad VIN's for the plug,
would you really want to say that only certain Cades are ever going to have the
problem?
No, I've already given up on that. I was hoping to
exonerate some of these bikes, but now I'm convinced that all of them need to
have the bevel plug replaced. I don’t like being the bearer of bad news.
Please don’t shoot the messenger.
You've
already had to eat some crow concerning that.
I’m doing that right now. Guys, forget what I said
before. Life doesn’t come with a reset button. You know what hasta happen.
Make it so.
Nope. Every batch was bad.
The reason I know that is because the design doesn't allow for a
"good" batch. Ever.
Agreed. Let’s fix em.
Hey
Spiker, isn't this fun?
Tracy
Well,
Tracy
, it *would be* fun, if not for the tragically dire consequences to the blighter
who doesn't do the right thing here. After reading of Mike Cohen and Mr. Krome's
wild ride, and then the other one that posted me off list, it all stops being a
game and becomes a rather grim mission. ~ Spike
Spike and Tracy, You both could be right! The rubberized
plug was a poor solution to a poor design, and Suzuki did make a change to the
plug at one point in production, which indicates to me a problem with the old
plug. Which would explain the cluster of failures prior to a certain date. Too
many to be random I think. Which doesn't eliminate plug failure on later models
due to conditions and or abuse
Tracy
outlined due to poor design. So that’s the "Third Plug Theory". ~
Larry, ’86 LXE,
Dayton
,
Ohio
FYI,
In resealing a number of gear boxes I've noticed two different lengths of plugs
one approx. 3/8" long and the other approx. 5/8" long. The shorter
plug appears to come out of low serial # Cades. ~ Phil
I will try to get my used plug from my dealer mechanic as
well as the new replacement plug he ordered for my bike. I hope to get all the
use parts from this repair. I will post any significant findings. ~ Bruce, 3\85
LX Kansas
COOL, THANKS! But do not let him put that OEM replacement
in there. If you do, all you have accomplished is an expensive sideways leap.
Bruce, ask him to measure the depth of the plug in the seat, and also estimate
the force needed to remove the old plug. Those of you who are doing the plug
replacement yourselves, do try to estimate the removal force, and note the
configuration of the plug when you remove it. Top forward? Aft? For reference,
when I put my plug in there backward, I was able to pop it back out with one
finger. But when I put it in right, top forwards, it took 125 pound force for
about 10 seconds to remove. Also if you want to donate your plug to a little
research project I am doing, note the mileage on your bike, the VIN and anything
else that might be of some use. Note such items as what state you are from (so I
can see if the climate has anything to contribute to early failures) and what
kind of life the bike has seen (daily commute with lots of temperature cycling
stops and starts?) Long trips only?) Send
me information such as that. Thanks! ~ Spike
WISDOM FROM
WALTER (ON THE DREDDED PLUG)
For those interested I removed two plugs one was out of an
‘87 gearbox, a spare I purchased earlier, and one out of my Cade 86 lx with
49,000 miles on it. To be honest the one out of the 87 came out easier than the
86. So where we at now? I reinstalled the one out of the 87 the wrong way and
the right way and could tell no difference in Walter push power to remove it. It
has been in that gearbox for 16 years and the rubber has set. It's now a fixed
diameter NO! I will not leave it in there as the cork is replacing them. Am I
afraid my bevel is going to lock up? NO! I wasn't even with the old one. As I
know how much gear oil is in there, and I know there are no leaks in the boot
area. As for a recall on a 16-year-old bike... I don't think so! Ralph Nader
couldn't get a recall on the Corvair. Chevy just stopped making it. Hell! Suzuki
did that 12 years ago. Is a dealer going to replace it? I don't think so. Hell,
they don't even know what it is, let alone know how to fix it. Like I said
earlier, if you are a jump-on-the-bike rider, never checking it over, never
changing the oil as recommended by the manufacturer. You as an uniformed,
irresponsible owner/bike rider are going to have problems. If you take it to a
dealer who is not familiar with the bike he is going to screw up. As the oil
checkers/changers are just learning to be mechanics. We all know even jiffy lube
forgets to put the drain plug in sometimes. The fact remains it's up to you. Did
I save my plug? Hell no! I got enough junk laying around now. ~ Walter n
Maryland
What could Chevy have done with the Corvair had they
recalled it? Taken the engine outta the trunk and installed it up front?
I see your point though. Even if Suzuki did a recall, all they would do
is reinstall the OEM plug. Thanks but "No." Suzuki will not issue a
recall because they would then assume liability for any unexplained accidents
with the Cade. The grim part of this is that we can do some statistical
extrapolations on just the little bit of data we have and speculate that rear
wheel lockups have caused riders to perish. We have accounted for about 2% of
all the Cades ever built on the VIN list, and of those 163 bikes, 18 have had
bevel plug failures. If we ignore the fact that most of the early failures will
never be heard from (since they may have been totaled). And consider that we
have had 4 known rear wheel lockups at speed, two serious injuries resulting
therefrom. All this from a few percent of the Cades, its a slam dunk that there
are dozens of injuries and maybe deaths. We will never hear of those unless we
somehow manage to get at some accident statistics from some source, such as
NHTSA or something. ~ Spike
SEAL COLOR
Evidently they had some bad ones in the early Cades. I was
wondering when they started putting in the red ones from the factory. Spike that
might be something you would want to know concerning your investigation. ~
Walter
Roger that, which is one reason why I was hoping some of
the plug replacers would save their plugs and perhaps we can collect them and
study differences to try to explain the two clusters and the singleton failures.
I am curious as to why some plugs fall out easily and others come out with some
coaxing. My plug is black. ~ Spike
As some of you have expressed, the color of the new seal
for the rear of the secondary is a reddish-brown color. Generally, in the world
of rubber, that color is going to point to a specific type of rubber compound,
Viton. While there is no absolute guarantee that it is Viton, that color is the
norm for Viton o-rings. ~ Viton is a compromise between rubber and Teflon (the
term Teflon being used to describe a broad array of polymers). Since Teflon is
hard as a rock and won't seal very well, they compounded Teflon and rubber
together (basically) which yields an o-ring with properties of both. In the
secondary drive output seal, the difference is the ability of the seal to
operate at higher temperatures than a more traditional material like
buna-nitrile (the most common oil resistant grade of rubber used for seals and
o-rings). ~ This actually tells a little story that relates to the stock
rubber-coated plug in the secondary output gear. If the stock seal was failing
and the choice was to change to a Viton material, then the first conclusion I
would come to is "heat." I can see that in the instance of that
gearbox heat buildup could be a problem. ~ Unlike the final, which can get vast
amounts of airflow, the secondary is covered over by a metal cover. Also, since
it is bolted to the motor, it can't give up much heat that direction. It
contains a relatively small amount of fluid and is very compact making the heat
concentrate within the box. So, where does the heat go? The most obvious place
is to the driveshaft. And, as it flows that direction what sees a lot of heat?
The driven gear, the plug within the driven gear, the driven gear seal and the
driveshaft u-joint. ~ What are the most common items in the drive train system
that fail on the Cavalcade? How does one deal with a potential heat issue?
Change to synthetic fluid and keep it at the proper level. Always. ~
Tracy
REAR WHEEL
If the wheel is not installed in the way
Tracy
stated and torqued to the required specs, it can cause mushy front brakes. They
will seem OK until you back it up with the front wheel turned. It will allow the
rotors to move side to side in the calipers. I greatly suggest that any one
doing their own work refer to the manual, the CD, and do it the way it is
suggested in them. We can help you, but only in e-mails, in most instances, it
is important for a new mechanic to learn to use a torque wrench. Some of us know
what it takes to wring off a bolt then have had to drill and re-tap our
mistakes. Or to over tighten a bearing and have it run hot or possibly seize up.
The one's that know we'll try our best to help ya but it still ain't like we're
looking over your shoulder, and can see what's wrong. I'm not aiming this at any
one. There is a right way and a wrong way. You surely don't want to go about it
blindly especially if you are hauling the wife or grand kids, or pulling a
trailer. There is a lot of mechanical knowledge passed back and forth here, and
just because we said it was easy and you read our instructions, doesn't mean
that you are a motorcycle mechanic or that it will be easy for you, and can jump
right on it. I for one wouldn't want to take my cavalcade to a Honda mechanic
unless he had a manual, and I knew he was a good mechanic. There might need to
be a Carter key put in that you might have forgotten. We wouldn't know that till
you posted your wheel fell off. ~
Walter n
Maryland
WHILE YOU ARE REPLACING THE PLUG
While you are in there changing the plug and ALL the seals
you can. Change the clutch slave cylinder seal. Mine went and constantly got
worse over a year. It is a lot of work to get at a $4 part. Do it while you are
in there. ~ Steve 87 in ON
Do you have a part number for this seal? I am making a list
of parts to replace when I do my Cade cork. Also, is there just the one seal in
the secondary between the secondary and the engine, or is there one in the
engine side also. Thanks. If anyone wants a list of all the seals to replace
when you tear into the gearbox, just ask me for it, and I will post it. ~ Brian
in IN 87 tt Gray LX
Brian, The box to motor seal is #09283-48012 and the output
seal is #09283-29004). The total cost for these is about $26 from a dealer. You
should also replace the box to motor gasket (#24936-24A01) that should be less
than $3. You will also need a little gasket goop for the threads of a couple of
the bolts that hold the box to the motor. There is only one seal between the box
and motor. The part number for the slave cylinder seal is 23163-05A00.
~
Tracy
Tracy
, There is also one more seal in the clutch slave that you might as well replace
while in there. It is called a cup seal not sure of the part number. ~ Don
’86, LX,
Bham
,
AL
Tracy
, Maybe it would be a good idea for you to once again print us a list all of the
seals and gaskets. We might as well replace as many of them as our level of
expertise will allow. ~ Virgil
Gearbox to motor seal #09283-48012 ~ output seal
#09283-29004 ~ gearbox to motor gasket #24936-24A01 ~ slave cylinder seal
(actually a cup) #23163-05A00 ~
Tracy
You might want to consider these also. 289-0970001 final
wheel side seal ~ 09283-47001 (47002) final driveshaft seal ~ 09283-29004
(29005) secondary drive shaft seal ~ 61372-05a01 driveshaft boot ~ 09159-16003
nut for below ~ 09283-30026 final driveshaft side oil seal ~ Brian in IN, ’87,
tt, Gray, LX
Of all the seals I've seen mentioned there is one still
missing It's the small seal that is installed in the crankcase/transmission
side. It’s the one the clutch rod goes through. On my bike it is reddish
orange bout the size of a half dollar, If you didn't bother to order it, clean
the rust or dirt off the clutch rod and grease it up real good. If this decides
to leak it will be to atmosphere. When you get the gearbox off look at where it
mounts and you will see it, the clutch rod is the 1/4-inch rod sticking out.
This rod may have collected some RUST especially on bikes that have been idle
for a while, and definitely won't hurt to clean it up, and grease it. May as
well do "ALL OF EM" ~ Walter n
Maryland
INSTALLING THE CADE
CORK
Tracy
I just installed the plug, everything went good except the half-inch washer
wants to bend. I would suggest that anyone who installs this use a stack of at
least four half-inch flat washers. Otherwise it will gall the threads on the
puller bolt. ~ Jerry '86 LX Wisc.
Jerry, Once you had the secondary out were you able to
install the cork with out any more disassembling? ~
Frank, Co Sp ’86, LX
Frank, The plug installs WITHOUT tearing down the
secondary. It only needs to be removed from the bike. ~
Tracy
OK, so I get home from work and there is a box on my front
step, It is the Plug from
Tracy
! I couldn't wait to get it installed, so out to the garage I go. It seemed easy
enough. The directions were great. I had the wrenches, but I needed an extra
hand to hold the secondary still. I figured I would use the wife. She wasn't
busy. Well, we got it started and then that darn washer folded in half on me.
The bolt stripped where the nut was. After an hour of wrestling this thing, I
finally disassembled the secondary. I took the part that the plug goes in and
head to the local machine shop to find a hydraulic press. The guy did it for
free and was done in ten seconds. I am not bitching, because
Tracy
told me that it was going to be a tiger getting it in and I know it isn’t
coming out. I say "save yourself some time and get that sucker pressed in
when you get it". Thanks again to
Tracy
. Everything you sent looked great and I will be riding this weekend! Don from
VIRGINIA
My Cade is now repaired with the Cade Cork. The mechanic
said the old plug was still in place but loose. He expected to tap it out with
punch but said it just fell out with the weight of his hand. He did not manage
to save my old parts (surprise) but I am supposed to receive the replacement
plug. He also said the Cade Cork went in very hard (bending the washer) but is
confident it will never fall out. He reported everything else in gearbox and
rear differential (which he resealed) was in fine shape. Haven't gotten the bill
yet but so far am satisfied with their work and speed of repair. They are Clark
Motorsports in Mullinville (and soon to be also in garden city) KS ~ Bruce
DRIVE SHAFT
The shaft we got from the dealer is the same as the
original in the bike. I also compared it to the one in my bike and this was
still the same. So if I order one from "Bike Bandit" I will get one
with a bigger u-joint? ~ Terry 86LX
Skippy, The u-joint is bigger. Could it be that yours had
been changed to the later shaft? I agree that it would seem that there would not
be room for anything more than the later shaft. I say later because the parts
manual on the CD lists the part number for an 88 LX. (I think) ~ Jim
The shaft we got from the dealer is the same as the
original in the bike. I also compared it to the one in my bike and this was
still the same. So if I order one from "Bike Bandit" I will get one
with a bigger u-joint? ~ Terry 86LX
Skippy, the U joint is at least 1/3 bigger than the one I
replaced on my 86lxe. The arms are thicker, as is the swivel part. I measured
the width of my original u-joint at the tongs, 2 an 9/32 inches (sorry I don’t
have metric angle), The bigger, newer version will be wider than that. I hope
this clears this up as to which one you have. I got 36,000 miles out of the
original. But, I sure don't miss that "clunk clunk" of a bad
universal. Its not sloppy like the ones I've replaced out of my pickup just
kinda limp. Where the new one is stiffer. If yours ain’t making a
"clunking " noise on shifting then don't worry about it. ~ Larry
BOOT LEAK
I have oil flying out
somewhere around my driveshaft boot. The clutch acts like it's going out after
the bike runs awhile. I had a spot on the concrete and when I looked to see what
was going on I noticed that the driveshaft boot was really wet. I filled the
trany with new lube and changed the oil and filter hoping this would help with
the clutch, it just blew more oil out and the clutch acted again like it was
out. HELP! ~ Randy, Dec, IL
Randy, You may two problems. The clutch acting like it was
going out is usually related to old fluid in the clutch system. Not always (as
you could have a bad seal in the slave cylinder), but likely. ~ As for the oil
blowing out, you could have a seal failure between the motor and secondary drive
that lets motor (tranny) oil into the secondary drive. It will then overflow the
gearbox and puke out the little vent tube. OR, and this is the most important
part, you may have suffered the dreaded bevel plug failure that has been a hot
topic the last couple of weeks. When the plug falls out, it lets gear oil puke
out the back of the secondary drive and will eventually lead to a super low
level in the gearbox and may eventually lead to bearing failure within the
gearbox and with that a potential rear wheel lockup. ~ You really need to check
the level of lube in the secondary drive and see if it's low or high. If it's
low, you may have lost the plug, if it's high, you may have a seal failure
between the gearbox and the motor. Either way, it needs to be corrected before
you ride the bike again. ~
Tracy
SECONDARY OIL LEVEL
A couple of years ago there was a thread about the oil
level in the secondary being too high. And if I remember right (which doesn't
happen very often) there was some advise as too a certain dimension down from
the filler plughole that the oil level should be at. And that if one fills it to
the check hole on the side, it is too full and will leak. Where does this fit in
with the talk about the plug, etc. Is this still valid? Or if you have a leak -
there is definitely a problem? ~ Denny Potoczky ’86, Cavalcade LXE; 99
Kawasaki
Nomad,
South Bend
,
IN
If you fill it to the fill hole in the side and it leaks,
the plug is gone or you have a bad rear seal. If it leaks profusely, it is most
likely the plug or the seal is REAL bad. ~
Tracy
How many of us check the rear oil in our cars over time
before we drive them? If it were manufactured correctly we would only have to do
periodic maintenance. Now that we know that there is a potential problem we
should check the OIL LEVELS. ~ Clair in PA, Cade 1987
This is a reply to the question posted about early postings
concerning the seal between the secondary gearbox and engine. Failure of this
seal causes engine oil to enter the gearbox. In my opinion, this is a one way
transfer and oil does not go from the box to the engine. When the box is over
filled, it blows out the breather tube, which is normally routed up the frame
towards the steering head. That spreads oil highly concentrated with the gear
oil type all over the left underside of the fairing and engine. This has a very
definite and distinguishing odor. That could also be the source of the oil found
on the under side of the air compressor. Other people have found the tube
miss-routed and others have changed the routing to try to direct the over flow
to the road instead of their bike. I do not think this is a good idea and could
also even create a vacuum at the end of the tube and draw oil out of the box.
Evidently the level is quite fussy and the same mess can be created if the box
is over filled during maintenance. On fellow posted when changing the oil he
fills the box to the level hole and leaves the plug out over night to let any
excess run out just to make sure it is not over the hole when it settles. Either
he or another person did give some dimensions for a dipstick. I will look them
up and post them later when I get time, unless someone beats me to it. Or else
one could do the drain over night idea then insert their choice of dip stick and
mark he full spot that shows up an the stick. So the earlier talk was of
problems from an over filled secondary instead of low levels now being
discussed. Thinking back over the early postings brings back memories of
Gaza
, who said we would hear from him now and then. Has anyone heard from him at
all? His postings were really something to look forward to. ~ ARC
The schematic on the secondary gearbox shows a short
breather hose. It does point down, as it should, not up in the fairing, or up
the frame. There are two different part numbers for the propeller shaft (drive
shaft) there is one for the g/h and one for the j model. I suspect the j model
has the beefier u-joint. I know that a lot of you consider the prices at bike
bandit high and I am not a sales rep for them. But sometimes we have to pay top
dollar to own a Duesenburg. And as parts get scarcer, it gets tougher. Together
we can work out the seemingly small problems Suzuki gave up on. She really is a
good bike. If properly looked after and taken care of, just like the women in
our lives. ~ Walter n
Maryland
SHOCK REPLACEMENT TIME
I was taking my 86 Cade LX apart today to get it ready for
the
Tracy
cork and noticed that the right rear boot was cracked in several places and the
shock was leaking oil. I also noticed oil around the air compressor. I was
wondering if the oil in the compressor area is from the leaking shock? I guess I
will need a set of shocks. Does anyone have a set for sale? If not can anyone
tell me of a replacement shock? ~ Don 86 LX, Bham, Al
Don; try www.mawonline.com
they carry Progressive shocks. You can also look up the shocks you want from
Progressive at http://www.progressivesuspension.com/
the 416 are what I've installed and I'm waiting on my front spring. ~ Frank Co
Sp 86LX
If I remember correctly from earlier posts, you can send
your stock shocks in to be rebuilt, and it is QUITE a bit cheaper then new ones.
Help me out guys, cause I got CRS disease and can’t remember where to send
them. Or do a search in the archives would work too. ~ Brian in IN 87 tt Gray LX
I have a little trick that might help your shocks; it has
worked for me a number of times in different applications. First you remove the
shock from the bike, drain the oil out and remove the rubber boot. Clean the
smooth surface that the seal rides over real well. Then secure the shock upside
down in a vise with wood so you don't scratch it (not the shock body, just the
mounting hole). Then You take a nylon cable tie and you slip the tapered edge
under the edge of the rubber seal lip on your shock body and you take a can of
carb cleaner or brake cleaner with the red squirt tube on it. As you bend back
the lip of the seal with the cable tie in one hand you slide the tip of the
squirt tube under the lip of the seal with the other hand. Now comes the tricky
part. You slide the cable tie and the squirt tube all the way around the shock
tube staying under the lip of the seal while spraying the cleaner. You will be
amazed at the crap that builds up under the seal lip that causes the seal to
lose contact with the metal surface and leak. If you do this slowly and
carefully you will not tear the seal and you may save yourself a bunch of
jingle. When you’re done with the carb or brake cleaner blow all the excess
dry and out from under the seal lip with compressed air. Then put a light coat
of ATF on the shock tube. Reassemble the shock. Add + or - 4oz of ATF to the
shock and your good to go! Make sure to wear eye protection and don't have
anything lying near by that solvents will damage! Also no sources of ignition! I
have saved rebuilding numerous hydraulic and pneumatic applications with this
trick. It doesn't work well in high-pressure applications and I would never use
it if life-threatening injury could result from seal failure (like an automotive
lift) and of course it won't work if the shock tube is scored badly or if the
seal is physically torn or cracked. I did it to my Cavalcade shocks 2 years ago
and they haven't leaked again yet! ~ Myles “propjock”
Where and how do you add the ATF to the shock? ~ Don
I have air shocks on my LXE, On the air shocks you remove
the airline and drain the fluid from that tiny hole by tipping the shocks upside
down and pumping them slowly. I added the new fluid with a plastic syringe with
one of those red squirt tubes stuck into it. I'm not aware if all Cavalcades
have the air shocks or not. If you don't have air shocks I don't know how to add
or remove the fluid. ~ Myles “propjock”
Brain, I tried a set of progressives in my bike last
winter. With the stock progressive spacer in, I too lost a couple inches of
travel. The stock spacer from progressive is 3" -if I remember right- The
one I had was 2 1/'2 cause they were a used set (and was shortened a little to
try to get the ride softer). I was thinking that they needed about 3 1/2 for a
proper pre-load height and travel. I never did try it though - I just went with
the stock Suzuki springs and spacer. I did talk with progressive though and they
confirmed that the spacer sent with the spring set was 3". I suspect that
the progressives will be stiffer and not take road bumps as well as the stock,
but they will keep the front end from bottoming out, and should handle better
than stock. The spacer is just made out of thick walled PVC - so making a longer
one is no problem. ~ Denny Potoczky
BRAKE REBUILD
Hey there fellow Cade people, can I get some tips on where
I can get a rebuild kit for the front master brake cylinder? I put in new pads
and bled the lines but when I pump the lever it doesn't keep the pressure up. No
leaks. ~ Rich, RJ ‘87LX
One thing you need to do is to bring your inners to a
dealer. There are two different inners for the master cylinder. The earlier
Cades used a smaller pump assembly. I found that out the hard way by ordering
the wrong one. ~ Mike C. ‘86 LX
Thanks Mike and Walter, I went to the local Suzuki dealer
and she said they don't have rebuild kits available. So my next question is what
is the "pump"? Is it the inner cup, and did you order yours as
individual part (pieces) from the dealer? Thanks Rich, RJ ‘87LX
FORK REPLACMENT QUESTIONS
On re-assembly of my front wheel after replacing fork seals
and installing progressive springs, there is a ~1/2" gap between fork and
spacer. Facing the bike from the left there is the axle nut head, spacer which
is held by fork cap, spacer with flange to wheel, wheel then speedo gear the
fork then nut. Am I missing a spacer? Or are you supposed to tighten the slop
out, making the forks "bend" inward? I did notice that when I slid the
spacer on the left inward that the head of the axle shaft gets "bit"
or held in the fork cap. Is this the adjustment? ~ parooster
Leave the cap on the right bottom fork (sitting on bike)
loose so that the spacer can slide within the cap. Tighten the axle nut (drawing
everything to the left side and then tighten the 2 nuts on the cap. ~
Tracy
So
Tracy
, the head of the axle nut is slightly larger than the spacer. This will make
the fork cap when tightened a little crooked. The idea sounds correct with the
exception of the different sizes. I actually thought that the forks should
remain neutral, but when I took the wheel off, the forks "sprung' out about
1/2 "". I'll give it a try.
Thanks for your suggestion. Any others welcome. And yes I
know I need to get the manual, and will very soon. ~
Rallie D. "Rooster" Cogburn
Rooster, NO! That is not right. The nut will sit outside
the cap when tightened up. The attached page from the service manual shows 2 -
spacers on the right side (sitting on bike). One has a flange (it kind of
protects the bearing seal) and one is straight. ~ If the fork legs sprung when
you loosened the nut then some dumbass before you has lost a spacer. Please
don't put it back together this way as your brand new fork seal job will be all
for not. (That really makes the bushings inside wear, too). ~ The part numbers
for the spacers are 54740-18410 (that's the flanged one that sits against the
bearing) and 54741-49300 (that's the one that sits inside the cap. If you want
to just make one (the 54741-49300); the dimensions from the parts book are
15X22X35 (.591 ID X .867 OD X 1.379 length). ~ There are no spacers on the left
side, only the speedo drive (lube it if you can while it's off or it'll be the
next thing to replace) and a flat washer. ~
Tracy
Rooster, In the manual (9-15 front wheel) the right hand
(sitting on the bike) outer spacer (#3) has a ledge on it that is not showing in
the picture. That ledge should be to the inside of the fork, leaving space for
the axle nut to set inside of the outer right fork. If you have that spacer
backwards than you would have a 1/2-inch gap. ~ Frank, Co Sp 86 LX
Thanks, the problem was, someone put the axle in from wrong
side. Once I turned it around, it all made sense. Thanks to Tracy who emailed
the page from the manual. Thanks a million! This group is great! ~ Rallie D.
"Rooster" Cogburn
To the northeast (CT area) crew: I have my bike apart (to
repair a melted H4 headlight plug) and I would like to disassemble my bike's
forks. I just cannot accept that my forks were assembled properly when I had the
progressive springs installed (at the dealer). I feel that the Progressive
spacer was installed in addition to the OEM spacer, and here's why: My forks
have only about 2-3 inches of travel, while Chopper's beautifully repainted bike
(and matching trailer!) has a good 4-5 inches -. His feels much more 'natural'
where mine feels stiff & limited. Am I on the wrong track? If anyone feels
up to stopping by & making a day/weekend out of it, I'll supply the beer
& grub (dogs/burgers?) ~ Brian 87LXE in CT
I had the fork springs done two years ago. At first I
thought they were way too tight and not enough travel. Sucked it up and kept
running them. This year they feel just right. They are a stronger spring and
take some getting used to. But they will get to you in time. Hardest thing for
me at first was feeling the road bumps, but that went away in time. I can't say
for positive if the springs got looser or I got used to it. What weight fork oil
did you use? I used 15W. That will make them a bit tight but that tightness goes
away with use. ~ Kenn (Progressive front, 416's back and 2 red antennae) G
I can't say what weight oil was used. The shop did it. I
just really want to open those fork tubes to I can say for sure that there is
only ONE set of spacers in there as opposed to 2. As I said before, Chopper's
Cade has about double the travel as mine, yet moves much easier... Makes me
curious if not doubtful... As for the melted headlight plug, I just went to the
auto parts store & picked up a standard headlight socket (my reference was
an 85 Buick Rivera, as the plug was in my mind the same. Tried it on the new
bulb & couldn't be closer! ~ Brian
SURGING CRUISE CONTROL
Anyone ever have a problem with their cruise control
surging after its set? Thanks Tom
Tom, That is normally a condition of too much slack in the
cruise control cable. There is an adjuster to take up this slack by the carbs. ~
Jerry 86LX Wisc
Yes. It's normally time to clean your speedo cable. It
binds and causes cruise to surge. ~ Ray & Lin LeTourneau raylin@tznet.com
"In The Woods"
Nekoosa
,
WI
Mine surges a little going downhill, but nothing to write
home about. ~ Douglas Fuller
Grandpa, That’s what I was thinking. I did have the carbs
off over the winter. I was not sure if the cruise was controlled by vacuum. I
don’t remember seeing a vacuum hose by the carbs. Where is it? I’ll check
the speedo cable along with all the stuff the manual says too. Thanks for all
the replies. ~ ichaboney
The cruise on the Cade isn't controlled by vacuum, but a
vacuum leak could cause the motor to surge.
~ Brenden
The service manual lists the following for speed changes
(surging) on a flat road (more than +/-3MPH). 1) Loose speedo cable coupler 2)
Broke speedo cable 3) Contaminated reed switch in the speedo 4) Kinked accouter
cable 5) Defective actuator 6) Defective control unit Besides those, I would
suggest (as others in the group have) that you adjust the system in accordance
with the service manual. ~
Tracy
My CadeTrike surges after setting by about five miles. I
ask the guy who owned and triked bike before me about it and he said it had
always done this since he got the bike. ~ Kelly B.
The only times that I had Cruise Control Surging was when
the motor was not running on all four cylinders. It was difficult to tell at
times that it was only running on three cylinders with radio, road noise and
etc. When I got that problem solved, the cruise control surging did not exist
anymore. My experiences on a ‘87 LXE. ~ David Williams,
Evansville
Indiana
BEARING FAILURE
I had the opportunity, in a past job to operate a bucket
truck; the company I worked for did minimal maintenance. I left a job in
southern
Maryland
and was proceeding back to
Annapolis
at a pretty good clip. Luckily for everyone involved, after about 65 miles of
dual highway driving, I turned off on to a secondary road. I then had to stop at
a red light. When I stopped the right front of the truck sort of dropped inch or
so. I noticed some light smoke. Thinking the brake was messed up, when the light
turned green I pulled through the intersection, pulled over to see what was
wrong. Friends when I stopped the next time that front wheel popped off the
truck went 30 feet in the air. It landed in the grass along the road and the hub
was so hot it set the grass on fire. The wheel bearing had run dry, seized the
outer bearing to the spindle, and had literally wrung the nut cotter keyed end
of the spindle/axle, so don't tell a dry bearing don't get hot. That axle looked
like someone had taken a torch to it. Spike: here's a good one >. If your
engine is turning 3500 rpm at 65 mph, how many rpm's is that drive shaft
turning? I'll tell you how fast I think it's turning. A bunch more! Enough to
need a steady supply of gear lube. ~ Walter n
Maryland
It is equally spooky to have the front wheel bearing on
your Cavalcade disintegrate while riding. My right front bearing came apart at
50 mph, no stability and no brakes. ~ Woody
NEED REPLACEMENT BEARING
Well I am working on the rear of the bike now. I’m making
a career of this. When your taking something like this apart for the first time
you never know what to expect or what is going to fall off.
- Got the rear wheel off (after letting the air out of it)
but in doing so a thin piece of rubber came off on the hub of the wheel facing
the final gear. Assume it came off the oil seal (#17). What’s the best way to
replace this seal? Do I need to remove the final gear case (#23) and then remove
the final gear bearing case (I hope not) or can I just pry the seal out and
install while on the bike?
- Next one. Back to the front of the bike. I noticed some
oil seepage, not heavy, below the front cylinder head cover on the left side.
Probably cover gasket is starting to leak. The radiator reservoir sets right on
the top of it. Can I get to these bolts and tighten down with the engine on the
bike. Probably have to follow instructions for removing radiator and reservoir
tank. If I decide to replace these cover gaskets do you need to remove the
engine (Definitely don't want to do this). Appreciate your opinion on this. ~
This job wouldn't take so long if I didn't have to order parts and then wait 4
weeks to get them. ~ Bob
Bob, According to the service manual, section 4 page 20,
that seal is replaced by removing the final bearing case. The photo shows it
being driven out from the wheel side. Looking at the drawing of the final gear
case, it makes sense. Don't know about the valve cover. ~
Tracy
Bob, I think I gave you some bad info. I looked at the
extra final drive I have and it appears that you might be able to get the seal
out without taking the bearing carrier off. Sorry. ~
Tracy
In removing LH bearing 09263-30020 from rear wheel it got
messed up. Bike Bandit shows it discontinued. Will double check with my Suzuki
dealer tomorrow. If I can't get it there what can I do since I don't have a
bearing number or bearing size to cross-reference. I believe it is a needle
bearing. Appreciate your suggestions. ~ Bob
Bob I don't know what area you are in. Here in western
Kansas
we have BRC Bearing and another bearing warehouse that can usually find what we
need. If they don't have it they will try and get it for you. Hope this will
help a little. ~ Tom Yost at tsyost@swko.net
Bob, The needle bearing in my spare wheel is a NTN brand
and has a number of 7B (might be 7E) HK 3020. Armed with those numbers you can
call an industrial or possibly automotive supply and they can cross it over for
you. The ball bearing on the right side is an NTN 6304LU. This should cross to
several brands 6304 size and the LU stands for a rubber seal on one side. It
wouldn't hurt anything to install a bearing sealed on both sides if that's all
you can find. ~
Tracy
DRIVE SHAFT CHANGES?
I have heard that Suzuki increased the size of the drive
shaft and or drive shaft universal joints sometime after the Cade went on the
market. Does anyone know if this change was made and if so what date of
manufacture it occurred? Also, if you have the shaft out of the bike can the
U-joints be greased? Thanks, David Williams
Evansville
Indiana
No they are a sealed bearing. However they should be
checked, for any play. Also check the splines on both ends and the splines
should be lubed lightly. ~ Walter n
Maryland
No, No, No! the drive shaft is identical to the old one. ~
Terry 86LX
Larry, Do you remember the part # of the beefier u-joint?
Thanks ~ Virgil
BIKEBANDIT.COM, This had an original shaft-u-joint in it. I
used bikebandit.com site to look up the part #.
~ Larry, ‘86LXE,
Dayton
Ohio
When this item was discussed a few months back I looked it
up on bike bandit also, there was 2 different part numbers for the driveshaft. I
attributed that to a beefier u joint or else why? The seal I was referring to as
the clutch rod seal is found in the clutch fisch. Also the clutch slave cylinder
and related parts are found there in bike bandit. My bike, like I said before,
has 49,ooo miles on it and the u- joint looks good as new. I'm still waiting for
the driveshaft boot. When it comes I will let you know if the new one has a
drain hole in it. The old one did not, only cracked wrinkles. ~ Walter n
Maryland
The last time we were on this subject I looked up both part
numbers for the drive shaft at Bike Bandit and they both show the same stock
number. I think whichever one you order you get the heavy duty one. ~ Jim
Okay what part of the drive shaft is the "heavy
duty" part? We had ordered one from Suzuki and they are still the same as
the old. ~ Terry 86LX
The shaft I received has part # 27100-24A06 on the package.
I think the parts manual shows it to be for a GDJ model. I have it for a spare
and it looks bigger than the one in my 86 LX ~ Jim
BLEED’N DEM BLEED’N BRAKES
Would anyone know where I can get a pad spreader for
motorcycles? Thanks, Brian 87LXE in CT bogrisek@snet.net
I've been using a C-clamp for years. Just tighten it slowly
until all the fluid is back up into the reservoir. ~ Ray & Lin LeTourneau
Yep! Just take the pads off and use a "C" clamp.
But I would open the bleeder first. Then push in the piston. You shouldn’t
push fluid back through the system. ~ ichaboney
Take off the front wheel, check the reservoir for space at
the top, put your biggest screwdriver between the pads, turn to push the pads
apart. Then the old pads come out easily and the new ones go in easily. No need
to take the caliper apart. But after you have pushed the pads apart like that
and changed them, you will need to bleed the system and replace the brake fluid,
since it pushes old cruddy fluid back into the reservoir. Make sure you have
enough ullage in your reservoir to keep from having it overflow. If you spill
that brake fluid, it will cost you a hundred and three dollars and thirty-seven
cents. ~ Spike
According to the Midas training manual. "Ahem" it
was the only thing around. You open the bleeder or bleeders one at a time. Pump
the brakes; in this case handle, until the reservoir is close to empty. Fill the
reservoir with new fluid and continue to pump until all the old fluid is pumped
through the system. Note! Keep the brake system on the disk until the fluid runs
clean. Another two cents from the old geezer, ~ Grandp86
Checkout www.speedbleeder.com
. I installed on my calipers in the front and worked fine. They replace the
existing bleeder valves. You don't have to close the bleeder valve between
pumps. Have bleeder for the clutch also. When you get done you just tighten the
speed bleeder until it seats. ~ Bob
The best way to bleed any brake is to get a jar and fill it
about a quarter way full of brake fluid. Then attach a hose to the bleeder screw
then make sure that one end of the hose stays in the brake fluid in the jar.
Then add fluid in the reservoir and either move the clutch handle or the brake
peddle, whichever one you are bleeding. Make sure that the reservoir does not
run dry just keep it up until you see clean fluid coming out of the bleeder hose
in the jar. ~ Ron
I did my brakes. I used a large flat screwdriver. Not sure
I was doing it 'right', I forged ahead. Since then, I have acquired a gasket
scraper - much like a flat screwdriver, but with a 1-inch blade. I figure I can
clamp the shaft of that with a vice grip & spread the pistons with that... I
just thought of this LOL ~ Brian 87LXE in CT
CLUTCH PROBLEMS
Question for any and all fellow "Caders". Lately
I've noticed a slight slipping of the clutch on my 87LXE but only in forth or
fifth gear and only under heavy acceleration. My bike has 67,000 of which about
half was towing a queen bunk Combi-camp Trailer. My question is... I've
purchased the Barnett springs and new gaskets but before I tear into it, should
I also replace the clutch discs and if so, do I have to buy all ten individually
or is there a clutch kit available. Thanks, ~ Bud
The clutch plates, unless you have really worked them over
by slipping them excessively, are generally serviceable and don't require
replacement. My only suggestion is that you could sand the surfaces of them
lightly to remove any glaze and wash them well after doing so. ~
Tracy
Bud, My bike has 47,000 miles on it and it had the exact
same problems yours does now. 4 months ago I bought the Barnett springs and tore
into it, and mic'ed all the clutch disc's while I was in there. They were within
the same specs as new one's, according to the service manual. I figured why put
new in when the old ones were the same thickness. Needless to say, I haven’t
noticed ANY clutch slippage at all with just the new Barnett springs. But the
only way to be sure is to do the same to yours. Hope this helps. ~ Brian in IN,
87 tt Gray LX
I parked my bike and all was well. The next time I got on,
the clutch was almost impossible to mash. No leaks. Any ideas? ~ Rooster Cogburn
I’d guess it’s your clutch slave. Mine was seeping and
I did not notice it. ~ Casey
Has the slave cylinder been replaced or rebuilt? Has the
fluid been changed, EVER! Both of those could contribute. ~
Tracy
After riding today, sometimes it is normal (easy) and
sometimes it was very stiff. No fluid has been lost yet.
What do you think? ~ Rallie D. "Rooster" Cogburn
Rooster, Change the clutch fluid (uses brake fluid) first
and see what that does. There has been many a Cade that was cured by this. Be
careful, though, brake fluid eats plastic. ~
Tracy
FUEL FILTER
Frank, I thought there was a section on the site that gave
the alternate part numbers but I couldn't find it. A number of the group has
bought them at the local parts store that is a match. You could always carry
yours in there and match it up with the parts picture book for filters. ~
Tracy
I used a
NAPA
3006 for my replacement. Just be careful to get the flow direction right. This
filter will fit into the stock bracket if you're careful taking it off the stock
filter. ~ KennG
I have used
NAPA
3006 it is not an exact match but does work I got the number off an email
sometime ago. ~
I replaced mine with a Spectra fuel filter, part number
2368. It's basically an inline glass fuel filter with replaceable filter
cartridges. I really like it. I bought it at a local
Murray
's Auto Parts store. ~ Rick
I have a ticking and I understand the valves are
non-adjustable. 87LXE. This is mostly at idle and goes away at cruise speed and
I don't notice any sluggishness. Should I be concerned? 42,000 miles? ~ Rallie
D. "Rooster" Cogburn
Rooster, Could be the oil thickness and or it needs
changing. Too thin of oil will not allow the lifters to remain "pumped
up". If you are using an oil with a 5W in it, it's probably too thin. You
will need at least a 10W40 and possibly a 20W50 if the ticking continues. 42,000
miles is pretty low for these motors. Unless it has been abused, I wouldn't be
concerned. Just change the oil or switch to a slightly thicker grade. It
wouldn't hurt to put about 1/2 can of Shaler's Rislone in during one oil change.
It is notorious for quieting lifters in car engines. You can get it at most
parts stores and I think even at Wal-Mart. ~
Tracy
Thanks, I am currently running Honda 10-40. ~ Rooster
Well, that oil should be fine so you may need to do a
little clean up with the Rislone. I would put it in maybe 200-500 miles before
your next oil change. ~
Tracy
I'd strongly recommend against using any oil additives. The
oil companies spend billions of dollars making sure the oil has the right
package of additives, putting anything else in with it can drastically change
the properties of the oil. This is the most important thing I've learned from my
uncle who for the last 30+ years has been a chemist for Pennzoil. Funny thing
is, I use Castrol...go figure. I'd never tell him! ~ Brenden
Brenden, While I agree that oil companies so spend a lot of
money on oil formulation, I also know that motors with some mileage on them that
may have had the oil run longer than the manufacturers recommendations can get
gunked up inside. Believe me, I have rebuilt enough motors to know that as good
as oil is it ain't perfect.
It's like using a little Marvel Mystery oil in the gas or
some STP fuel treatment every once in awhile. Gas and oil do leave deposits
inside the motor. That's just a fact of life. Shaler's Rislone is the best
product around for quieting lifters and doing a general cleanup inside the
motor. ~ I would never recommend that one use it all of the time. But, if you
have a less that spic-n-span motor (probably due to a less than perfect oil
change record or some other operation condition that produces sludge inside the
motor like short trips that don't allow the motor to come up to temp long enough
to burn off collected moisture), then it ain't gonna hurt. ~ As an aside, years
ago before Pennzoil reformulated their oils, mechanics that rebuilt motors that
used Pennzoil religiously became accustomed to a film of gunk that would stick
to the bottom of the oil pan and had to be scraped off with a putty knife. Must
have been that Z-7 additive or something. I talked to several of them that
recommended against using Pennzoil because of that. That's not a dig to your
uncle or Pennzoil. It is simply information that I was exposed to over the
years. Since Pennzoil went to the new "clear-base" formulation, things
may have changed. I don't know, I generally use anything but Pennzoil. ~ Sorry.
That's just my opinion. ~
Tracy
I agree. Occasional 'cleaning' type additive can be good. I
prefer sea-foam myself. But when I add that type of thing to oil, I always do an
oil change within 100 or so miles. You're original post wasn't very specific in
this respect, I'd hate for somebody to add something to their oil at every
change. ~ Brenden
Absolutely agreed. I just recommended 200-500 miles to
Rooster to give it time to work it's magic. Sea-foam may be as good or even
better than Rislone. ~
Tracy
Art, Pay close attention to the ticking. Mine started
ticking ('86LX) at around the same mileage. The ticking got progressively worse
and at about 48000 miles I had to get a top end rebuilt. Turns out that there
was a run of cams that were not heat treated properly & were too soft which
made them wear out prematurely. ~ Mikey
Sea Foam is my choice also, but I've put over 50k miles on
mine in about 3 years with the ticking and the performance and fuel economy
remains the same. ~ Woody
I have the same ticking noise, cold...I've had the bike
since new and it’s always been like that. It goes away after its warm. When it
was new the Suzuki reps told me I'd be fine. That was 31-K miles ago. Ever try
arguing with your dealer? It still bothers me but the bike runs 110 percent. I
would also like to know the truth of the COLD TICK? ~ Big blue
Ever since my first oil change this season (I just
completed my second) I have been running Mobil1 full synthetic. The slight
ticking I had disappeared as soon as the oil cycles through the motor. Also it
shifts much easier. ~ Brian, ‘87LXE in CT
I've been using Tuf-oil for about 13 years. The product is
unsurpassed. I sent a memo about 3-4 weeks ago about the product. The clutch was
slipping under load, was hard shifting. That’s all gone and it runs very
smooth and QUITE. I live in BC
Canada
. Canadian Tire sold the product for $14.95 Canadian, but stopped selling it.
Probably cause they could no longer get a good price on it. Thanks for the site
info. ~ Crazybadjer
Mine ticks a bit as well. I have a friend that drag races
motorcycles, his attitude is that it's better to have loose ticking valves, than
to have them too tight and bend one! ~ Brenden
Without hydraulic lifters, he would be correct. But there
is also the issue of the valves coming completely closed if they are set too
tight. The ticking isn't a problem unless it's excessive, which can wear out the
ends of the valve stems from the rockers smacking them. A little tick at idle is
probably okay but it should quiet immediately as the oil pressure builds with
engine speed. ~
Tracy
Has anyone wondered if that ticking noise is the water pump
chain and NOT the valves? ~ KennG
SECONDARY LEAK REPAIR
After reading numerous posts in past newsletters regarding
the infamous plug which falls out of the secondary drive gear it became apparent
I too had a problem. I've been leaking oil from the drive boot for the four
years and 20,000 + miles I've owned my '86LX. I had always figured it was just
the shaft seal showing age and continued to add oil as needed. When I realized
my VIN JS1VX71A2G2101678, Mfg. date 3/85 was highly suspect I felt I better take
a closer look. Since pulling the secondary gear case from the engine to fix the
plug was required I thought I would just pull the secondary drive bevel gear
assembly to make sure the plug had indeed come loose. Once the three large and
two small bolts were removed the secondary assembly with shims, cam dog and
spring were removed. There was no plug in the driven gear, it had been chewed up
and pieces of aluminum and rubber lay in the bottom of the case. No damage
existed on the bevel gears and the bearings turned freely with no unusual
noises. I did pick two small pieces of rubber out of the housing where the
gallery pin goes in. At this point I decided there was no need to take the drive
assembly off the bike. I cleaned the inside of the driven gear with acetone,
balled three cotton balls together and pushed them all the way in until they hit
the end of the propeller shaft. This was to keep the J-B Weld I filled the
remainder of the driven gear with from contacting the propeller shaft just in
case I do need to remove it someday. Per the manufacturer's instructions I let
the J-B Weld set up for awhile before using it so it wasn't so runny. Once dried
(I waited a full 24 hours) I rinsed the gear case with a little solvent,
reassembled with new o-rings using the torque in manual and serviced with oil.
After several rides all is dry and I feel there is less chance of the J-B Weld
coming loose than another factory plug. If you've got a leak at the boot you may
want to give this a try. ~ Dave
WHERE’S THE THERMOSTAT AT?
Hi all, can any help locate the T-stat on a '86 LX? I
purchased a new one and tried to install it. I found some documentation on
replacing the T-stat but I was stop by the word COWING? What is a cowing? Where
is it? Please help! ~ BA
The word is "cowling" and the t-stat is just
above the left front (sitting on bike) cylinder's valve cover. ~
Tracy
Brian, the easiest way to get at the thermostat is to take
out the radio box. The thermostat is located on the top front of the engine. I
had my lowers off when I replaced mine, but it was still easier getting it from
the top. Don't forget to check the radiator hose and the smaller ones feeding
the rear cylinder. Change em if they look even remotely bad. You don't want one
to break on a trip. (Don't ask me how I know.) ~ Denny Potoczky
~ ELECTRICAL ~
CONVERTING CORNERING LIGHTS TO DRIVING LIGHTS
I have a question on installing driving lights. The lights
and switch both have ground wires. Do both of them have to go through a relay or
only one? Thanks ~ Wojo
No! The switch gives juice to the relay, the relay turns on
the juice to the lights. The lights can ground through their brackets (assuming
they're metal). The relay may need a ground wire if its case is plastic. Only
the positive goes through the relay. ~
Tracy
Wojo: Evidently you're using a lighted switch. For the lamp
in the switch itself you will need to ground it. It's probably a lighted rocker
switch, plastic encased or maybe a lighted toggle switch same encasement. Just
ground it to the bike frame. ~ Walter n
Maryland
Hi, I have a member of the Cade Club in
England
who is having trouble getting his Cade to fire on more than one cylinder. He
has bought new igniters from Arkport, had the coils checked, replaced spark
plugs and ignition leads from coils. Bike still only fires on number 3 cylinder.
Could it be the generator? When checked with ohmmeter this seemed to be ok. Any
help would be greatly appreciated. ~ Dave, SCCUK
David, does it have fire to the plugs? You know, when they
are out of the cylinders. ~ Red
I have had Ignition coils which will not fire under a load
(under compression) yet show good spark when tested unloaded (on the bench) ~
Phil
Phil: The spark will not be affected by the compression.
Compressed air has slightly less resistance than non-compressed air, including
the gas air mixture. I would guess it's something else, most likely one of two
things: voltage to the coil or the high voltage. The wires are old and won't
carry the voltage any more. There are several other things to check too. But I
would start with a voltmeter on the lead to the coil and an ohmmeter on the
spark plug wires. The spark must be blue in color, not yellow. ~ Grandpa ‘86
I would suspect the R/R. Sounds like the compression is
snuffing out the spark due to low voltage. The coils are fed from the R/R. ~
Micky, "Gray 87 LX"
Dave, Maybe you've tried this already, but, if you have the
plugs out and connected to the coils, if you switch the input leads from the #3
coil to another one, does the spark move with it? If you swap the igniter boxes
with each other, does the spark move with the switch? If either of the above is
true, the problem probably lies in the pickups (under left side engine cover) of
the connections from the sensors to the igniter boxes. ~
Tracy
I switched the igniters when Ronnie and I went to see the
guy and still it was number 3 that lit up. I then assumed that his igniters were
ok. I also checked the resistance of the coils and the generator; they were
within the numbers given in the workshop manual. Dave, there are four in our
small club, had a auto electrician come to have a look and he reckoned that it
was the igniters, I wasn't too sure. Connections have been cleaned. The
schematic of the ignition system doesn't mention the regulator/rectifier and I
never thought of that as I assumed that came into play after the engine had
fired. I must admit that I am no mechanic and at the moment I am at a loss as to
what to do next.
Thank you to all that have replied. ~ Dave, SCCUK
Dave, I just changed mine this
spring, because I had the distinctive "clunck", when shifting, The new
shaft - universal joint is at least a third beefier, Sorry I don’t know if the
bigger one was changed during production or after. I don’t see how you can
grease the universal as it was sealed but I'm backyard mechanic. ~ Larry, ‘86
LXE
Dayton
,
Ohio
UPDATE CUT OUT
Ok guys, I got it home and checked the battery, all was
well and my auxiliary after market lights worked. So I pushed the circuit
breaker by the battery and cranked it right up. After a little running the
headlight and dash lights began to flicker, all along the voltage was 13.5 to
14.2 V THEN I revved it up and POWWWWW out of the exhaust, headlight really
flickers, the rpm needle becomes very erratic and the voltage at the battery is
suddenly 12.2V. I turn the bike off and turn it back on and NOTHING, no lights
no nothing. Is this the regulator and who has one? ~
Rallie D. "Rooster" Cogburn
Unplug the stator leads from the regulator and unplug the regulator and do it
again. Regs are available from Electrex for $126. ~
Tracy
DASH LIGHTS OUT
I have no dash lights on my 87 Cade. The bike is new to me.
Any ideas? The fuses in the right fairing at battery are all good. ~ Rallie D.
"Rooster" Cogburn
I had the same problem, check to see if your taillight is
also out as they are on the same circuit, if so, you will need to wiggle your
fuse in the holder, as it may not be making good connections. I did and
everything came back on. ~ Bud 87LXE
Bud, you are the man! It wasn't the fuse, but the previous
owner goofed when he plugged the fuse panel in. The end contact was bent and not
in connector. I fixed it and both the tail and dash are lit. Thanks a million. ~
Rallie D. "Rooster" Cogburn
BRAKE LIGHT
When using front brake, the brake light will not come on.
Cleaned front brake assembly, still no light. Do I need to use some kind of
grease for electrical parts with the STOP switch assembly? ~ Wojo, 86LX (white)
Kent
,
WA
Wojo- I know that the switch can be 'adjusted' a small
amount. If you loosen the screws & slide the switch assembly closer to &
farther from the center of the handlebars, it just may make a difference... What
you can do to test the switch is to take a small piece of metal or a coin, etc
& touch it to the 2 contacts on this switch (with the ignition on) & see
if the brake lights come on. If not, you will likely have the same problem I had
last year - one of the connectors for the brake switch had come apart under the
fairing. Once I reconnected it, all was well. ~ Brian 87LXE in CT
Just went through the same thing with mine. I found a
broken wire, the wire must of shorted and popped the fuse. So check the fuse,
it’s the first on in the fuse block.... 10 amp. ~ Ichaboney
There is a small "U" shaped copper contact piece
w/spring that fits under the adjustment plate on the front brake handle/br |