Four Wheel Forum

I just rode it! It needs a good bit of work still to make it street legal and there were some issues with the clutch and transmission which I think might be related (clutch slips AND sticks and I couldn't get it out of first gear for a while) but it runs like a champ. No smoke, no strange noises, nothing! It isn't fast but I think it will be fast enough. I'm 6'8" tall and I was really worried about it being uncomfortable but it wasn't. The suspension feels strange compared to a modern bike but not unsafe by any means. I can't wait to get the rest of the work done and get it registered. It really doesn't get a whole lot cooler than the little Benly.

*EDIT* I also need to get the rear brake linkage sorted out and there is a bit of an issue with the headlight circuit (it blows a fuse every time I try to turn the stupid thing on) but the point is that I rode it and I can't stop grinning. I'm going to swing by the local Parts Plus and buy a can of Seafoam (a little in the oil and a little in the tank) and a can of 30w Valvoline VR1 (I bought 40w the first time around because I didn't remember what it took) tomorrow. I found a light bulb that works for the gauges but I can't remember what size it is. I'll post it when I am around the packaging.

Done.

I did go to 12v but it's popping 30amp fuses too. Definitely a wiring problem.

Rode it again today. The clutch is still sticking when it gets hot, making it difficult to shift out of first. Also, I'm having a hell of a time locating the screws for the taillight lens. (3x60 .6, correct?) If I had known it would be so difficult, I would have ordered a complete assembly instead of just the lens. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

Buckets, PM me your address and I'll send you the screws . I've got about 30 of them from a parts buy last year

For future reference, you can buy Sylvania 53 12v bulbs at the auto parts store that work well for the speedo/neutral/high beam lights.

Done.

The short was in the headlight bucket. The insulation on the old wiring harness had cracked and my brother fixed it with some heat shrink tubing for me while I was at work. He's really a great guy. I got the plate, registration and insurance for it today and I'm going to zip tie the taillight on until Kartgreen's screws get here and ride it this weekend, providing the Seafoam I have in the crank case frees the sticky clutch. Otherwise, I have to wait for the gasket set I ordered from Thailand to arrive. :/

Done.

The clutch doesn't stick until it gets hot. Then, it is next to impossible to shift out of first. Until the stupid thing gets hot, it is pretty much perfect. I'll warm it up tomorrow and try what you've suggested. If we can get the clutch sorted out, we're taking it up Mt. Lemmon on Sunday while everyone else is in church. My brother wants to swap bikes half way up but the Benly is all mine this trip. He can stick with his boring 94HP Goldwing.

Aside from the clutch issue, I feel really lucky with this bike. It didn't take a whole lot to have a bike that is basically 2335 miles old mechanically. It still needs a lot of work in the cosmetic department but I've only seen one motorcycle in a metropolitan area of over 1,000,000 people that I thought was cooler than mine since I bought it. That said, I'd hate to buy parts for a late '60s Ducati.

I would like to suggest a couple of ideas regarding the clutch stick and bad shifting when the engine is hot.

1. When your having trouble shifting out of 1st gear when hot..pull in the clutch and tap the shifter down and then try to go into 2nd gear.

2. With the same senario as above, tap down, lift up and tap down before trying to shift into 2nd gear. If the above works....it might be a shifter arm that could be worn or sludged up

3. With the exception of above, it's possible that the prior owner put an automotive oil stop leak additive in the oil and the residue gets tacky when hot. I would suggest changing the oil several times in short order, like 5 miles, change the oil, ride again for 5 miles, change the oil...maybe 3 times in a row (buy less expensive oil for this) after 3 changes and a fresh fill take a ride and see if this helps.

Thanks for the suggestions. I just happen to have a few quarts of cheap stuff sitting around that I was going to put into my wife's Hyundai. I'll try it out tomorrow.

The clutch was free today when I rode it (maybe a little TOO free as it's slipping when the bike tries to get into its powerband) and I had a few fun little rides. I'm still having issues. Some are minor (the H4 bulb I bought draws too much voltage so I need to replace it with another one) while others are major (once the bike gets good and hot, I lose spark and have to let it cool down until it will start again. I suspect the coil.)

EIther way, I got a good amount of stuff done. I changed the oil again (the Seafoam worked quite a bit of crap loose but i wasn't terribly bad) and rode it around a lot.

Done.

The coil LOOKS fine but that doesn't mean that there isn't a cracked wire inside that stops making contact after it gets hot. The plug wires and boots are brand new and I'm almost certain that there isn't a short in the harness, although to be honest I didn't pull the whole thing out when I was working on the bike. I'm going to start by replacing the condenser because that costs a lot less than a coil. If that doesn't take care of the problem, I found a universal coil on JC Whitney that I think will work.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/ignition-coils ... c51031u0j3

The bulb I got was a 80/100W offroad bulb. I thought it would be really cool to have the head light be REALLY bright but that is a lot of amperage to be pulling off of such a small charging system. I'm thinking about ordering an LED H4 instead. They aren't very expensive and they definitely wouldn't overload the system.