Weldangrind's New TW200 Billy Goat

[TurboT]

Originally Posted by MICRider

Yay Turbo! Long time no see!

Hey Stew.

Me? Flatfooting? I always have trouble holding the bikes up..

[Weldangrind]

I decided to investigate why the cam chain makes so much noise, so I ordered the two springs (for the manual chain adjuster) from Bike Bandit and tore into it. This is what the adjuster looks like from the outside; it has a plastic protective cap over the actual adjuster and a large jam nut.



This is the adjuster underneath the plastic protector.



Once you remove the jam nut and unscrew the adjuster, this is the stem with springs that is within.



Withdraw it from the engine, and this is what you'll find.



The stem looks to be a little scored, but it doesn't concern me.



Here's why it was so noisy; the old spring is noticeably shorter than the new one, so it won't have the same compressive force on the stem.



I assembled the new springs onto the stem, squirted the whole assembly with oil, popped it in the engine and tightened the adjuster until it was flush with the stem, per the manual.



I then held the adjuster in place while tightening the jam nut, then I put the plastic cap back on. I haven't ridden in a couple of weeks, so I'm looking forward to taking it out tomorrow to see (and hear) how it is. It's also got fresh oil and a new filter, along with a new countershaft sprocket that is one tooth larger.

[SpudRider]

My goodness! 8O I'm sure the cam chain tension will work better now, Weld.

Spud

[FastDoc]

Wow that spring was past it. I expect that that will fix the noise and your engine will thank you!

Good thinking on your part, as usual, Weld.

[Weldangrind]

Thanks, guys. We'll see if my efforts pay off when I get a chance to ride it.

[Weldangrind]

My new speedometer finally arrived, so I mocked it up with the new speedo cable and went for a ride. I mounted my GPS to the bars for confirmation, and discovered that, like any China speedometer, it is about 10% optimistic. Bummer.

The good news is that the engine makes virtually no valvetrain noise at idle; the new cam chain tensioner springs resolved that much. There is still some valvetrain noise when the engine is under load, so I'll re-check the tensioner adjustment at my next opportunity. A little research on a TW forum indicates that it might be a worn cam bushing; the popular remedy is to install a 6005 bearing in place of the bushing. Maybe I'll do that.

The bad news is that the new front sprocket (which is one tooth larger) is just tall enough to reveal a slipping clutch. I can coax the bike above 60mph (real, not indicated), but I have to do it slowly. Today, I ordered new clutch discs and springs from Motorcycle Superstore.

Here's the mock-up of the new speedometer.



I'll build a new dash that will accomodate the new speedo and the existing indicator lights, and I'll install the new fork boots and steering stem bearings at the same time. Sounds like fun.

[FastDoc]

60+ MPH is great.

Nothing wrong with a consistant 10% error. Easy to work with and harmless. :wink:

It's not just CB's though. My KLX is 10% high. The Gold Wing 5% and they are both electronic digital.

Interestingly Little Sweetie's 40 year old analog speedometer is accurate. :wink:

[SpudRider]

The speedometer looks very nice, Weld! Ten percent optimism is normal for a motorcycle speedometer. As FastDoc replied, even the digital speedometers are set optimistic from the factory.

Spud

[Weldangrind]

That implies that (per the above pic) I actually rode 20km, not 22.

[davidsonsgccc]

nice looking speedo. thats something im partial to is round speedos.

[MICRider]

Lol, speaking of speedo errors... When my KLR cable broke I was using my GPS for a speedo, I think my KLR speedo is 5 or so kmh out. One of my coworkers that often passes me said that he knew when I got my speedo fixed because I was going 5kmh slower... :roll:

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by davidsonsgccc

nice looking speedo. thats something im partial to is round speedos.

Thanks. The reference at the bottom of the speedo display is what dictates the suitability for a specific tire size. A little math told me this was as close as I'd get, so I gave it a try. I'm happy with the size and shape, but it's likely to get rusty soon. I see black paint in its future.

[SpudRider]

As some of you might remember, I switched from an 18-inch, front wheel to a 21-inch, front wheel. I don't how this happened, but my speedometer is now pretty accurate, but my odometer is pessimistic. :? My odometer now records 1.0 miles for every 1.1 miles I ride. :roll:

Spud

[FastDoc]

So that means your bike has 10% MORE mileage! :P

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

So that means your bike has 10% MORE mileage! :P

I switched front wheels around 20,000 miles on the odometer. The stock, 18-inch front wheel made the odometer about 10 percent optimistic. I have been riding about 26,000 miles with the 21-inch, front wheel, which makes makes the odometer about 10 percent pessimistic. Therefore, I have probably ridden about 500 mile more than my odometer has recorded.

Spud