| Author | Message | ||
     Uly_dude |
Well I just took the big boy out for it's inaugeral spring test ride, see how all the new farkles and the two time-serts I installed hold up. The upper mounting bolt of the palmer bracket rattles against the back of the bikes dash board on the right, and the bike runs like crap. I attribute the bad behavior to needing a TPS reset(I hope!) cause I installed the factory heated grips and was messing with the throttle cables quite a bit. But the big issue I discovered as I was pushing it backwards into the garage. I heard a rubbing sound below and noticed the belt was trying to come off the tension pully! Yikes. This never happened before I said to myself. Pushing forward, it seems ok, but backwards, it wants to derail. This indicates to me that the pully isn't in alignment with the whole belt assembly. I did install the 2010 wheel also at the same time, but that shouldn't affect alignment. No, there's something not right with the new Free Spirits Tensioner I bought. The instructions didn't say to build it out with washers or anything, just bolt it right on. I'll be taking it off tonight or tomorrow to compare it to the stock pully assembly. Has anyone else with the free spirits farkle ever encountered this issue? If so, what did you discover? I'm hesitant to ride the bike at all until this pully is perfect. I don't feel like buying another new belt. Oh, and yes, this is a brand new belt just installed. Thanks. | ||
| Desert_bird |
Wouldn't be too concerned. It's normal for Uly belts when pushing the bike backward to will wiggle around a bit, sometimes enough to rub on a guard. Should right itself right away when you go forward a meter or so. If you got the wheel on without hassle then all should be well. | ||
| Froggy |
All XB and 1125s will have the belt slightly start to come off when it rolls backwards. | ||
| Uly_dude |
Really? I never noticed that before yesterday. That makes me feel alittle better. Though this thing was really comin off, like rubbin up against the footpeg mount that hangs next to it. But I was backing it up more than normal. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
One thing to remember is that the rear pulley doesn't have an outer rim. Move the bike backwards again and then look at the rear pulley. Perhaps it is "coned" on purpose to encourage it to steer in towards the one side that has a rim? I'll do the same when I get home. Perhaps they all do that? Perhaps not your fancy springy thing's fault at all. | ||
| Nipsey |
I don't recall the belt doing that on mine and I have had a Free Spirits springy thingy for a few years. I seem to remember that there was mention in the instructions re possibly needing washers to keep the front, idle, and rear pullies in alignment. I vaguely remember there being washers in the kit for that purpose - but I did not need them. Make sure you blast the thing with lube (they suggested WD40 when I emailed them) as the device will bind up do to road grime (I have done it once in 3 years) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Well I pulled my bike back several feet and my belt was right where it should be against the wheel side of the rear pulley. Do you still have the original non-sprung tensioner? Sounds like it's time for a little experiment. | ||
| Uly_man |
I, know nothing, have run a FST for 10k with none of that. The belt does not track either way, does not touch anything and thats either side of the pully rims as well. The FST kit comes with shims/washers to line it up to the middle of the belt. Or at least mine did and is very much needed. | ||
| Eulysses |
Just keep it out of reverse...simple fix here. | ||
| Leoallafila |
I prefer not to know these things  | ||
| Uly_dude |
update; I removed the FST and compared it to the original. The only difference I could find is the mounting base on the FST is 1mm thinner than the original. This would cause the pully to be .5mm off center of the belt. I found a couple of the thinnest washers I could(1.3mm), sandwiched them in there and what do you know, the thing works perfect now. Who would've thunk that little bit? Too bad cause some of the teeth on the belt, outside edge got nicked. Oh, and note to all the dumb sh*ts like me out there, when you stuff a rag in the carburator throat to block stuff from falling in when you have things all apart, be sure to take the rag out before putting the air filter on and going for a test ride! | ||
| Eulysses |
Uly-dude, I love those confessions...saves the mental harranging after a project to remember others having dementia too. Now...be honest...was beer involved?  | ||
| Druelly |
My high school friend had a mid 80's Ninja 600. He kept a ball cap under his seat, and his bike kept bogging out. He brought it to the dealer...can't find anything wrong. Then an indie, nothing they could find. Back to dealer "New Tech" caught him before he even left the building. "Nice Hat, your bike's ready. Love that story more and more as I get further and further away from that time in life... Opps, punchline just in case you didn't already know from the onset, the hat was over his air intake was under his seat and the hat was covering it. | ||
| Uly_dude |
between the time I stuffed the rag in there, which was weeks ago, and I figured it out, there were quite a few beers consumed! Just glad I caught it before I brought it over for a TPS reset. Man that would've really messed things up. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
You think that's bad? I read about a vintage racing class that starts by running and jumping on the bikes. Picture an old two-stroke with an open intake horn that has a rag stuck in it. The article said that the rage managed to get as far as the tranfer port in the engine! Needless to say, bike didn't start and the racer didn't win. I think it was a Kevin Cameron article. | ||
| Ronmold |
Oh man Greg, that would have been funny if you'd brought it over for a TPS reset, I'm sure I would have soiled myself! My best synapses-taking-a-detour was when I had the boat in the garage for a little work before an outing. I backed the van, got the boat hitched up, checked the lights and proceeded to get the people & all the stuff needed for a day on the lake loaded. When all was accounted for I put it in gear, hit the garage door opener, and headed out. Boat was still inside the garage, well, some of it was.  |
