I would appreciate any suggestions for the cause of a “problem” I have just discovered on my Spada. I have not been able to ride my bike for the last four weeks following an operation (still two weeks away from being riding fit) & so for the last two weeks once or twice a week I have been starting the bike in the garage, letting it tick over & revving it up to around 2K to keep it warm & hopefully dry, my garage is a bit damp.Today I did this everything seemed fine until I noticed that the right header pipe was glowing red hot, the left header was fine. I stopped the bike let it cool for a few minutes & started it again with the same result, red hot right header pipe. Now I was of the opinion that these symptoms are generally indicative of a lean mixture or a timing problem but the bike was running sweetly four weeks ago with no issues. I cleaned/rebuilt the carbs last winter & the bike is fitted with Lucas Rita electronic ignition, so I’m a little concerned/confused.Could the pipe glowing red have been caused by running & revving the bike at a stand still & if this is the case why is only the right pipe behaving this was? Obviously I don’t want to ride the bike in this condition in case it leads to a meltdown/mechanical disaster! Any suggestions & advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
pooh thats drastic hot
got to be a fault on fuel system to do that either lean or neat fuel burning in header etc
hope you find the cause
If everything else was fine I think I’d start by looking at the timing first, sounds like the right side is retarded for some strange reason. Won’t hurt to check valve clearances next and then carbs.
Thanks for that . I wonder if fuel could have collected in the header piper while running standing on choke? When I’m back on my feet I’m tempted to adjust the right carb mixture a little rich & take it for a short ride & see what happens.
Thanks, all good advice. I don’t understand how the rhs timing could have altered, its Lucas Rita, no moving parts etc. The valve clearances were set in the summer, they may have gone out but again I don’t see how.
Have you got a mouse up yer pipe? Or some other type of blockage preventing exhaust gasses from exiting freely?Damp garage = corroded connections?Good luck
Thanks. No there are no blockages in the pipe, gases are exiting freely from the silencer & at the same pressure as before. And there is no sign of rodent infestation .
Check timing and check the valve clearance too as exhaust valve can be loose …Listen if you hear any slight “chuffing” the exhaust valves sometimes break a small bit off .guzzibear2012-11-22 12:05:16
He has Lucas Rita, if the timing were off it would affect both pots equally.
I don’t understand how the timing can go off either, like you say, there are no moving parts and both sides should be affected, but, something is causing this to happen and it’s only a five minute job to check it before you start throwing spanners around.
Exhaust valve sounds favourite.
We all need to know.
Do a leak down test.
Thanks for all the suggestions all much appreciated.I had a quick tinker with the bike this morning; I checked the compression on the right cylinder, which was fine. Checked the bolts on the carb manifold & exhaust clamp, all ok. I then pulled the spark plugs (a little dark around the edges probably from repeated ticking over on choke in the last couple of weeks) but also slightly pale around the electrode on the right plug, as they had been in situ for 12 months + I replaced them. I then checked the rhs card mixture screw & was surprised to find it was only one turn out, as I mentioned I cleaned/rebuilt the carbs last winter & could have sworn it was set at around one & a half turns, I’ve encountered screws & bolts of all kinds loosening but never tightening, so I guess I may have messed up when I set the carbs; I re-adjusted the mixture screw to one & a half turns out. I also noticed that the fuel line feeding the right carb had a slight kink in it so while I was there I removed the kink.Started the bike let it warm up & what do you know problem solved. I ended up with the mixture screw set at about one & three quartre turns out, the bike now running happily with not a hint of glowing header pipe. Checked the plugs & they were fine. I’m unable to ride at the minute but soon as I can I will take it out & give it a good shake out & see if any of the symptoms return, fingers crossed they don’t.The bike before this week was running well until I started running it at stand still in the garage I guess the problem was exgerated by the heat generated doing this & so the weak mixture showed up. All a little weird though.My only problem now is that the stainless header is now an alarming shade of blue or rather a more alarming shade than it was previously. Thanks once again for all the suggestions & help.
Luxexterior2012-11-22 15:51:49
Thanks for that.
I like blued ss pipes but then I am me.
Don’t mind the blueing so much but now its an unsightly mottled blue/gold look. Maybe a good blat down the road will sort it!
There is a (EXPENSIVE but good) solution to blue St/St pipes : this
Thanks for that. No its not cheap but would be worth it if it works.
It is always the thing to do if you have done ANY work, or had it done, NO matter how much YOU believe it was all done spot on. If something is amiss it will usually be something you missed or did.
Working on Annies bike last year , put it back together and turned on the 'gnition and BANG fuse blown…Quick head scratch, loooong look and guess what? a trapped wire behind a part… quick replacement jobbie and all goooooood…
At least you got a result, AND maybe someone reading this suffering summat similar will save some time.
Aluminium foil plus vinegar will help remove the blue.
You are absolutely right Mr Bear. Work methodically, check everything & still mess up! S**S law.I can’t believe that I didn’t adjust the mixture screw properly but somehow I did. That said I got off lightly it could have been much worse.
Thanks, I’ve heard this before but never tried it. A lot cheaper than Blue Away so worth a go. With B A as plan b.