Advice: Technical Q & A

SOAPBOX
Recently we talked a little about Penrite oils and how the old favourite, HPR30, was no longer recommended for bikes with wet clutches as friction modifiers had been introduced to the formula.

I know I should get out more but it wasn’t until I contacted Penrite that I found out John Dymond had died after a battle with cancer in 2006. Penrite Oil Company started in Australia in 1926 but John was the one who turned it into an international success when he acquired it in 1979.

His view was that most branded, packaged oils were compromises largely unsuitable for Australian operating conditions.

He was particularly scathing of light base-weight oils (5W) which, he claimed, were formulated for snow-covered Europe and not the outback. He also thought claims made that lighter oils increased an engine’s horsepower output were misleading.

While he agreed there was less drag, he pointed to the substantially reduced protection that lighter oils offered in normal operating conditions. His cause was helped considerably in the early ’80s when Shell’s XMO was introduced. Many riders who used it noted increased oil consumption and wear, leading to increased demand for heavier base-weight products like HPR30.

John had a keen interest in motorcycle lubrication and I trusted his advice. Penrite still makes oils suitable for motorcycles but its marketing focus has changed over the years. Enduro 25W-70 is a good motorcycle oil for older bikes (pre-’90 H-Ds and large-capacity, air-cooled Europeans).

It also has a specialist H-D oil. For more modern bikes, it recommends HPR Gas (20W-60) or HPR Gas 10 (10W-50) but there’s an understandable reluctance among riders to use an oil that seems to have been formulated specifically for engines running on gas.

Come on, Penrite – how about a competitor to Castrol Activ4T?

FRESH BLOOD
I am in the market to replace my old BMW 1100 R that I recently sold to do a lap around the country.

This has been a year where I didn’t do a day’s hard labour – and it was great fun.

So what will be the next set of wheels for the next few years? I tend to do around 400km a week in the city (mainly on Melbourne’s ring road).

I have been in love with the Triumph Daytona T595 since it first came out in 1997. Are there any major problems or pitfalls with this stunning-looking bike?

I owned a Yamaha triple once and, thankfully, sold it before it blew up for the second time – it sounded like a helicopter taking off. I’m presuming this triple will be better.
Lucky Edwards, kerryandphillipedwards@gmail.com

Otherwise, you’ll love the sound of the triple and the performance it offers.

WHERE DID THE PARK GO?
I’m wondering if you can give me some insight into solving a glitch I’m having with my 2001 Honda VFR750. It’s leaving me on the roadside with a discharged battery.

He mentioned there were some simple and cheap fixes to this problem and I’m wondering if you can enlighten me.
Tom Vernham,
tkvernham@bigpond.com

BLINK, DAMN YOU!
The left-turn signals on my 1991 Harley-Davidson FXR Super Glide do not flash. The front and rear lamps light up but don’t blink. On the other side, the signals operate normally.

I’ve followed the trouble-shooting advice in the H-D manual (replace bulbs, clean sockets, apply grease to bulb contacts, check for broken wires, clean up ground wires where connected to frame) and managed to get the left-hand side to work normally, but it only happens with the ignition switch on and the engine not running. If the engine is running, they won’t flash.

Sometimes while riding, they do work properly for three or four flashes, then the bulbs will remain lit.

The rear turn signals are aftermarket items and were on the bike when I bought it. Any suggestions?

Also, I have a question on fork trail. Is it correct to say the more fork trail a bike has the more stable it will be at high speed? The other side of the coin is that it’s more of a handful to manoeuvre at slow speeds – correct?
James Haberman, Kingswood, NSW

VALUE FOR MONEY
I am about to take ownership of a BMW K 75 S (’92 model). The bike is in immaculate condition and has 50,000km clocked up. Does this model have any known weaknesses or faults? Why is the value of K-series BMWs so low?

Also, on my previous bike, a Moto Guzzi, I used to use a product called ‘Molybond’ in the engine, gearbox and diff/drive box. I was particularly impressed by how the Molybond transformed the gearbox from a clunky, agricultural-like operation into something virtually faultless.

Missed shifts became a thing of the past as did the clunk and crunch when trying to change into first gear. The engine also seemed smoother and more responsive.

What do you think of the product and what effect do you think it might have on bikes with wet clutches?
Doc Coleman,
Tannum Sands, Qld

The manual says I should do a valve clearance check every 400km – this seems a bit often. The handbook is also light on ‘how-to’ information.

The distributor says oil changes should be at 500, 2500 and 3000km, but the manual says 2000km. The manual also says the first oil change should be at 1000km, twice the distance recommended by the distributor.

I was told by the salesman that this newer model had improved shocks but I can’t see where to adjust the preload. The chain doesn’t seem to be of the O-ring type, which is probably why the manual recommends I immerse it in solvent to clean it. I’d like to avoid this if possible.

Do I really have to clean the air filter every 800km? What’s 175kPa and 225kPa for tyre pressures in the old money?

Overall, I think the Sachs is pretty well finished and it’s obviously great value. I think the red on the seat will need some care to stop it fading. I tried a QJ as well but I didn’t like the rocker gear change.
Aaron Yeoman, Wollongong, NSW

PLANNING FOR PLAGUE
Having spent a holiday in April where we drove from South Australia to Mildura (Vic), we experienced millions of locusts. I had taken steps to protect our car with a flyscreen and made many stops to wash the windscreen. I’ve enclosed a packet of deceased locusts for you so you can see the ‘size’ of the problem. Imagine those hitting motorcycles and the mess they’d make!?!

How can motorcyclists take similar precautions? How do you protect leathers, boots and helmets? More importantly, what about cylinders and brakes? Would there be warranty implications?

We are now being made aware that locusts are hatching and are to be sprayed but the affected areas are huge – most of SA, NSW and Victoria. Any thoughts?
Brian Harrison,
Goolwa, SA

OLD BIKES IN BRISBANE
In your column every now and again I read about other motorcycle enthusiasts having problems finding a workshop to work on their older bikes. I’ve been using a place in Brisbane for the past 19 years and can thoroughly recommend it: www.ekkesworkshop.com.au/
Meinhard Ludwig, mludwig9@hotmail.com
Thanks for this, Meinhard – Ekkes has been added to the master-list of workshops happy to deal with older models.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE
I wonder if you could offer some advice to a bloke I met recently. He was riding an old BMW boxer twin that was a bit of a mongrel: frame, engine and wheels from different bikes.

The parentage was the problem, though – the beast ran well, but wouldn’t start easily from cold.

We met at a rally near Tamworth and it took several energetic blokes numerous runs to try to bump-start it, interspersed with tries on the electric start, which soon depleted the battery. The bike made many encouraging detonation-like noises but wouldn’t catch and run.

Once we got it going (on the electric foot, as it happened) it ran and promised to do so all day – just as well as he was headed for Melbourne.

What could my new friend do to improve this situation? Where should he look first? Electrics? Carburation? Choke? Battery? Bigger/faster friends to push?
John Reid,
jrei5942@bigpond.net.au

Click here to check out the latest issue of Motorcycle Trader.