Evening all, it has been too long since I posted on here, so I thought it best to start off a thread about the new toy I picked up late last year but haven't really done much with since then (and with not doing much with it, I haven't really posted much about it on here or FB either).
Disclaimer: 99.9% of this bike was created by one of its previous owners, it was just too good a price to ignore, although I thought it may not be 100% perfect, but that was OK with me and it was too hard to resist at the time.
It's a K2, originally blue and white (I think). It's now a sort of dark red/burgundy colour with a nice red metal flake in it that really pops in the sun, but is a bugger to photograph and show off the metal flake. Here's the shots used in the for sale post that tempted me :)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618041855-6131971.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618041853-6082409.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618041858-614962.jpeg)
I might miss a few of the tweaks but the list of cosmetic type mods includes:
Various powdercoated bits
Paint work
Fork sliders and fork brace
Hel oil cooler
GSG engine cases
aftermarket seat cover
braced swingarm
renthal bars
wavy discs (possibly Galfer?)
braided oil cooler lines
PAIRS removed
breather cover
reconditioned calipers all round in black
Then there's the really tempting bits (go faster stuff)
Engine rebuild (not sure why but lots of engine seals/bolts/studs/bearings etc. changed)
1507cc big bore (Wiseco piston kit)
Cylinder head ported and flowed
Kent cams
Will post more in different posts to tell the small story so far
After picking it up and riding it back down home, on a steady throttle it would surge a fair bit and when you cracked the throttle open hard it would stutter a bit then suddenly pull hard.
First job was to have a look at the fuel filters, not something I've done before on a 14 despite the other silver one I have being quite high mileage.
It was a bit gunged up in there.
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043044-6151097.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043203-6161546.jpeg)
but after a full can of carb cleaner through both filters, things were looking a little bit better
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043233-617753.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043236-618186.jpeg)
on the first flush on the high pressure filter, the cleaner ran back out black, about as dark as used engine oil :lol:
next was to do a couple of minor tweaks that were a bit niggly for me, removing the fly screen that was on there
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043906-6192376.jpeg)
getting rid of the temporary duct tape tank pad (the new one will get swapped again probably, it was just a stop gap thing)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043953-6211770.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618044030-6231344.jpeg)
and swapping out the huge aftermarket risers back to a standard set that I had in the garage lying about the place
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043907-6191404.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618043952-6211193.jpeg)
nice bike fella liking the photos so far keep em coming
Del :onya:
Very nice bike you have there Paul :onya:
After the fuel filter cleaning, it still didn't feel 100% right.......when winding on the throttle it felt like it was holding back, a bit lethargic, especially at lower revs, so I booked it in for a dyno run at RTR in Bingham, ran by bike racer Dan Haggerty who shortly after my visit was tragically killed at the Macau GP :( First time I had met the guy but he came highly recommended and seems like a really sound guy.
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618044448-6291979.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618044529-6302138.jpeg)
He noticed straight away, even on idle that something wasn't quite right, but he stuck it on the dyno to see what the score was. The conclusion was that it wasn't just a mapping problem, and at the time he didn't want to try and tweak the map and just end up masking another issue. The dyno chart is this 14 against one he had previously done with just cans and a PCIII fitted.
Given the work this one has had done, it should be a good chunk more than the 130bhp on the chart
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-290618044428-6282271.jpeg)
You can also see on the chart that the fuelling is going a fair bit out at the top end, running rich, and at idle you could really smell the unburnt fuel from the can :)
No further pics just yet, but on Saturday I was up to see an engine guru I know (up near Scunny) through photographing the top speed events at Elvington and the straightliners events. The plan was to try and get to the bottom of the issue.
We went to the dyno guy he uses, a bloke called Rick Stubbins, who is a pretty good drag racer himself.
After about an hour on the dyno, tweaking the map and trying things, although the fuelling looked absolutely spot on at idle & 5% throttle, you could still smell unburnt fuel at idle and if you blipped the throttle, it would stutter and cough a bit.
Decided to check the plugs (they'd been in for about 400 miles after I changed them in September). Cylinders 1 & 2 were a bit black and sooty, 3 was about average but perhaps a bit cleaner than expected and number 4 was sparkling white, as clean as when it was brand new.
The diagnosis was that it could well be blocked injectors, given the state of the fuel filters....something may have got through and it would naturally get pushed down the fuel rail towards No. 4 before finding its way into the injectors.
At home I Swapped two from my ancient black 14 that has been sitting for about 10 years untouched and it was immediately smoother and more happy to have the throttle blipped from tickover.
Final update is that I sent both sets of injectors off for cleaning, and they are due back tomorrow. According to the guy doing it, the ones marked up from cylinders 3 & 4 were flowing just about right, but the spray pattern was all over the shop and it would have caused issues atomising the fuel correctly.
Fingers crossed that's the cause of the running issues, and that it releases more ponies from the stable eventually too :D
Let's hope so...
keep the info and pics coming... You have been holding back from us ;)
pmsl, I have been holding back, mainly because I was being so fucking slow getting my arse into gear and getting it looked at lol.
I'm away all weekend, but the plan is to drop the clean injectors in, go for a ride and see how it is, then arrange to get it booked in again for a full remap. It looks like the original map was done to try and work around the issue as the guy on Saturday said there were some very strange numbers in the table lol
Sounds like a plan :onya:
And... I know tinkering takes its time. Cant rush quality is my excuse :popcorn:
@CBG nice bike, which (it sems) was loved by previous owners. :onya:
Hope you figure and solve those issues!
Quote from: Del on Friday, 29 June 2018, 04:44 AM
nice bike fella liking the photos so far keep em coming
Del :onya:
Cheers Del, I'll get some extra pics and dyno vid soon with any luck
Quote from: seth on Friday, 29 June 2018, 04:48 AM
Very nice bike you have there Paul :onya:
Cheers Seth. Looking forward to releasing it's full potential.
Planning some other tweak ideas atm too ;)
@northern It has definitely had some money spent on it in the past. It is looking promising with the injectors
Love the colour :) of course not as fast as a BLUE and WHITE 14
It might be blue and white under it's new paint as I bet it's deffinatly very fast .
:wheelie:
Well, as it was originally blue and white, hopefully even with the colour change, the engine work will bring it back to its original speed ;)
That power without it being set up fully once it's running sweet it'll make big power .
:onya:
Well that's a different colour.
Should at least get into the mid to high 140s with any luck :)
Nice looking 14 (or should that be 15? LOL) - what have you done with your old primer, still have it?
Cheers Barmy :) i still have the primer. Once I get this one sorted, the plan is to do a 'Project primer' rebuild that I have been meaning to do for the last 2-3 winters lol
Look forward to the "project" photos - you'lol be spoilt for choice after that then Paul!
Jeez CBG that is a great looking bike and sounds like you'll have it back to POWWWWEEEEEERRRRRRRRR !!!!! before too long.
Nothing better than buying a bike where someone else has taken the financial hit for all the good gear. Nice pick up.
Thanks for the info/pics and yep keep it coming ! :)
Quote from: Notty on Friday, 29 June 2018, 06:35 AM
Love the colour :) of course not as fast as a BLUE and WHITE 14
Orange and black are even faster :imrgreen:
I know it's my Bandit 1200, but I think the GSX14 would wear it well too :cool:
I won't say what I paid for it as that would be like bragging, but one good thing is that all the engine work was done by someone who is known to the guy i have had the help from. They actually used to use the guy themselves for engine work on their top speed and drag bikes, which is a good sign :)
I'd loose the washing machine window on the clutch as I hate them.
tbh if the other covers hadn't been also swapped out I might have considered a swap, but as the others have been done I personally think it would look out of place with a standard cover on there. With the covers for me it's an all or nothing job (not that I'd personally pay for all of them as a set lol)
:popcorn:
Watches as CBG gets snowed under with offers if swops
:whistling: :stir:
haha, nah, I'm keeping them as is I'm afraid :P
Just considering changing a couple of bits over from the primer ready for when this one is up and running fully and the main 14 in the garage ;)
Update:
Cleaned injectors turned up yesterday but had to collect them from the local royal mail place this morning due to them being send special delivery and I was at work. Pleased with the turnaround speed. Here's one of the cleaned sets:
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-300618200622-6311321.jpeg)
tried to get a couple of shots that show the red flake in the paint while I was outside, excuse the phone pics not really doing it justice:
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-300618200703-6331439.jpeg)
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/gallery/0/904-300618200740-6341450.jpeg)
the paint does need a little bit of TLC as there's a few marks and swirls in the lacquer, but a proper detail shold sort more of them out :)
here's hopefully a vid of the first start up with the cleaned injectors in. before I couldn't blip the throttle like that especially when cold without it really struggling and coughing/missing. Feels much better now. Still needs a proper map sorting but fingers crossed I'm getting somewhere :)
@Hooli - Excuse the view of the washing machine cover ;) haha
At least you don't need a tumble dryer too in this weather!
Fucks sake Skinny hurry up!!!! :rofl2:
@Big Geordi I can't help it. I'm a primer owner and therefore used to a more sedate pace ;)
@CBG For getting rid of those swirls, look at Menzerna 3 in 1 Polish
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Menzerna-3-in-1-One-Step-Polish-250ml/152701266219?epid=24014777654&hash=item238db4692b:g:lY0AAOSwL4BZuBH2
However if the paint has a clear coat finish then you may need this instead
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Menzerna-Super-Finish-SF4000-Polish-250ml-P0-85-RE5-Perfect-for-Finishing/171668243904?epid=706169547&hash=item27f83985c0:g:UyQAAOSwQPlV8tdn
This stuff is great, it is a degrading cutting compound that leaves the surface swirl and streak free. Apply using make-up remover pads and buff off with a nice soft cloth. I've got rid of countless swirl marks using Menzerna products
Just thought I'd chuck a quick update on here.....
Nothing much has happened with this machine recently, mainly because of a big walking challenge I was doing up in Scotlandshire a couple of weeks ago, and I've been waiting to get booked in with the dyno guy who has been a bit busy with it being in the middle of race season too.
Last weekend I went out to give it a good test with the cleaned injectors etc. and did about 260 miles over the two days, just bimbling gently as there's a chance that it's running too lean atm and I didn't want to rag it and break something. Seems to be running much nicer, although still not 100% due to the map, but it picks up cleanly on the throttle without coughing and spluttering so much so things are looking good.
Got it booked in for a dyno session on Wednesday afternoon, so hopefully it will be just about sorted then.
I have also spent £30 on some can hangers that were on evilbay to replace the standard ones as It may end up just a single seat ride (depending on how things go with it) :)
and... where are the rear flashing lights? Did you remove them? Thanks!
Nacho
They're there, just mini aftermarket ones. Can see it just next to the number plate :)