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Visioné Café Racer update

Started by turbosteve84, January 24, 2015, 08:09:12 PM

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Walt_M.

Sure hope you didn't redcoat that tank. If you did, stay away from ethanol fuel. It can seriously f-up the carburetors. Good looking bike.
Whale oil beef hooked!

b_racuda

Nice looking speedo! Just to be curious, where the speedo is reading the rpms? I mean where did you connect the wire?

turbosteve84

Yes! It's Red Koted. Highly recommended by Kevin Dunworth of Loaded Gun Customs. Can says to stay away from certain fuel additives. Forgot which ones.

RPM pickup is attached to the front cylinder spark plug lead. I slit the insulator cover and slipped in the pickup. Some fine tuning, ahem, will be required. I have a lot of programming to do on the motogadget. But first I need to take care of that oil leak. It's leaking toward the back of the cover, not where the stator wires are grouped.

Steve
Steve
saddlebums.tumblr.com

Walt_M.

I guess it did take about 8 years for the ethanol gas to dissolve the redkote and screw up the carburetors but it did happen.
Whale oil beef hooked!

Rikugun

In fairness, Red Kote may not be aware of the long tern effects of their product in the presence of ethanol blende fuels.

There is also the possibility they do know but feel confident you'll have a different bike in 8 years.
It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is then to persist in delusion, however satisfying or reassuring.  Carl Sagan

turbosteve84

Oops! The back of the cover, of course, IS where the wires exit. So that's where the leak is. Replaced the gasket this afternoon. Will start it up tomorrow to check for leaks.

I'll check with Kevin Dunworth about the effects of ethanol fuel on Red Kote. Fuels change and so do fuel tank coatings. Hard to believe the makers of Red Kote are using the same formula they used eight years ago.

Steve
Steve
saddlebums.tumblr.com

turbosteve84

Did some research on Red Kote. Here's what they say...

http://www.damonq.com/techsheets/red-kote.pdf

And about ethanol specifically...

Ethanol. Red-Kote works fine with E10 to E50 mixtures (10% to 50% ethanol). Red-Kote generally has performed well in long- term E85 testing. E85 can be anywhere from 51% to 85% ethanol depending on the manufacturer, county and time of year. Long- term testing with E95 shows some deterioration of the Red-Kote. We don't recommend higher than E85 mixtures or E100, 100% ethanol.

Steve
Steve
saddlebums.tumblr.com

QBS

Wonder how a Red Coated tank would do if coated over with POR 15?

Rikugun

Does it indicate how long "long term" testing is?

I remember the same was said of Kreem when ethanol fuels came on the market. They eventually reformulated their coating but I never followed up with how successful it was.
It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is then to persist in delusion, however satisfying or reassuring.  Carl Sagan

turbosteve84

I've finally posted a video on my Vision Café Racer build, including fabrication details and some road test footage...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r2BZMTnIZk

Yesterday the Visioné as I call it, took the third place award at the Bikes and Breakfast meet up season finale at the 9W Market in Palisades, NY. Most reactions have been positive. I'm still "tuning" the carbs, but I guess that will be an ongoing endeavor.

It's been fun riding this thing around the Hudson Valley. Lots of torque, great sound, but maybe not my first choice for tackling the NJ Turnpike. The lightness of the steering is uncanny. Low weight and a trailing-axle fork get the credit no doubt, but I'll probably go to a more modern fork and brakes from some 600cc sport bike sometime in the future.

Right now I'm just enjoying riding the bike as long as autumn holds out.

Steve
Steve
saddlebums.tumblr.com

Walt_M.

That is a great looking bike. Sorry to hear of your carburetion troubles but you didn't show much carb stuff on your build. The stock carbs have always been more than a little finicky. They can be made to work well but everything has to be just SO. One thing you do need for the stock carbs is the stock airbox with the vacuum flapper. What setup are you using?
Whale oil beef hooked!

Rikugun

#71
Having subscribed to the channel, I happened to see the video last night - very cool. Thanks for creating the vid, it's an interesting build and fun to see what went into it.

I'm not sure what the carb issue is but in my (limited) XZ experience, once they're thoroughly cleaned and de-bugged they're good to go. Just don't let the bike sit with gas in the bowls.

On the brake issue, I did a limited mod on my Silver '82 that has helped. It is supposed to be stage 1 of a more involved setup like my first XZ but it hasn't got there yet. Anywho, it involves swapping the master only with an 11 mm unit which made a noticeable difference. I've been meaning to post a picture and my findings so maybe soon.
It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is then to persist in delusion, however satisfying or reassuring.  Carl Sagan

turbosteve84

Thank for the replies.

The carb issue is the typical stumble when the engine is hot. I've dialed most of it out by lengthening the accelerator pump rod, but it's not totally gone. And the idle can vary between approx. 1500 and just below 1000 rpm. Both are not big problems -- I can live with them. I haven't done a dynamic carb balance yet, so that might help. Yes, I have the upgraded airbox with vacuum flapper.

The front brake just feels wooden. Like I wrote, I'm planning on doing an entire front end swap in the future, so I'm not concerned with it. Just riding it and enjoying the puzzled look on the faces of other riders I meet. Some guy with "YAMAHA" emblazoned across his leather jacket, wearing a Yamaha T-shirt under it, and riding an R1 asked me what kind of bike it was. When I told him it was a Vision he said he never heard of it.

Steve
Steve
saddlebums.tumblr.com

The Prophet of Doom

Very nice, and a well deserved win

Dean

WOW! Very Nice...

The video is a nice touch for the finished product.
You do not need a therapist if you own a motorcycle, any kind of motorcycle! Dan Aykroyd

cvincer


A great result (I envy you your talents & perseverance) ........ the video was quite something, especially liked the 'promo' shots

of the bike particularly (if memory serves) where the back ground had the Michelangelo (?) fresco of God & Moses (?) touching

fingers, sort of symbolizing the birth of the    "Visione 550 Cinque Cinquanta".

turbosteve84

Thanks for all the compliments.

Believe it or not, that mural was right here in my New Jersey home town. Not many people see it because the wall faces south and traffic on the road only runs south. I enhanced the colors on the wall a little -- it's fading and will probably be almost gone in about five years. It worked out nice since I'm jokingly trying to pass this off as an Italian motorcycle. Looking for a Ferrari radiator cap now. Found one on eBay, but I'm not sure it's going to fit. I like the "APRIRE LENTAMENTE" inscribed on top ("OPEN SLOWLY").

Steve
Steve
saddlebums.tumblr.com