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Darth_Firebolt's Maintenance Extravaganza

2K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  Darth_Firebolt 
#1 ·
Got all kinds of maintenance goodies on the way for my 919.

valve shim kit (I just bought a kit because it can also be used on my CB500X :D)
valve cover gasket (53,000 miles I figure if it's been off 3 times (this should be #4), it's time to change it and I'll keep the old one as a spare.)
coolant
two thermostats to check fitment of a non oem 195F replacement
brake fluid
front stainless lines
brake pads front and rear
delrin, aluminum, and bolts to replace my OES frame sliders and get them on the frame where they belong
NGK stock replacement spark plugs
spark plug wrench (didn't get one with the bike grrr)
rear shock
clutch cable
OEM tank protector piece from an ST100 or 1300, whichever one crosses over for the 919 in Europe
rear swingarm bobbins

I'll probably fab something up to mount my garage door opener to the top of the brake fluid reservoir while I'm messing around in that area. I've been carrying it in my jacket's chest pocket but that is getting pretty old looking like I have one C cup breast at the bottom of my rib cage.

Anything else I should do while I have the bike on the lift for a few days? I was considering spark plug wires and ignition coils, but I'm not sure if that's a common failure point for these bikes, and mine appears to have been garage kept it's whole life and otherwise well maintained. I'll check them when I have them off to do the valve check/ adjustment.
 
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#3 ·
That's a pretty good list! Hope all goes well.

I had a small garage door opener mounted on the frame of my 919, just in front to the tank, until one time I got caught in the rain and it got wet. I figured it would be OK once it dried out, until it started randomly opening the garage door in the middle of the night one night.:surprise:
 
#12 ·
Well, I'm almost afraid to check my email now.

The tank protector was out of stock (and obviously Honda aren't making more) or ridiculously priced
The valve cover gasket is on backorder for a few months, if it's coming back at all

Just waiting to see who else emails me and says "Oh, sorry our website says we have that in stock, but we don't."
I expect this to some extent with a bike that's 13 years old, but come on. Inventory accuracy isn't super difficult.

I've found another source for the valve cover gasket, but it's $30 more expensive. I'll see how mine looks before I pull the trigger. I was able to get the bolt grommets, and my gasket isn't leaking, so I'm not really that worried about it.
 
#14 ·
Another option is tech spec tank grips.
They have several different size center pads:
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...WSpC8xuTpyA-u37nRFAZOF6JhHr2jseMaAlyyEALw_wcB

Doesn’t look quite as good as the Honda protector though.

They also have the bike specific tank pads (for the sides of the tank):
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...vJLZgEsI2OK0Qja5mf7UV6rTvZeFHgcUaAiWhEALw_wcB

I put them on my 919 and have them on my current bike.
They really help you grip/hold onto the tank with your legs when cornering and braking.
And if you ride with a passenger they help a lot holding both of your weight in place when braking, so you don’t smash your groin into the tank when the passenger weight is shifting forward.
 

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#17 ·
Well, I got back from vacation and started tearing into the bike. Got the back wheel off, popped the old bearings out (both had significant wiggle in them, and the rear wheel could be rocked side to side about 2-3mm) and after I put the new OEM Honda bearings in they wouldn't turn at all. They spun just fine individually in my hand, but with the distance collar perfectly aligned and both bearings seated fully in the hub, I couldn't get them to turn. I pulled the non drive side bearing and measured the length of the distance collar and the dimensions of the hub, and discovered that the distance collar was 0.57mm too long. I popped it in my lathe and took 0.53mm off it and it all went back together with no slop and the bearings spun just like they did out of the hub, but they spun together. The previous owner mentioned that he had changed them, so the fact that it was at least on it's second set of bearings and needing replacement again within 53,000 miles makes me think that the distance collar has been too long since the bike was new, and had caused shorter wheel bearing life because of it. I feel a lot better about the rear wheel bearings now.

Last week before we left for our camping trip, I had taken all three brake calipers off the bike and cleaned and lubed the pistons. It made a huge difference in rear brake pedal feel, and the front pistons were pretty nasty, too.

I think spark plugs, valve check, and coolant flush / thermostat testing will be my next day's worth of work. Probably in a week or so. Got a lot of house stuff going on now.
 
#18 ·
I noticed something odd when I recently put in new rear bearings.
I pulled out the original stock sprocket carrier bearing and it had a different width than the new OEM bearing. A millimeter or two. One was like 17mm the other was 15mm.
Don't know if this means much.
 
#19 ·
The bearings I pulled out and the bearings I put in were all NSK and the ones I put in came in Honda bags, so I'm assuming the old ones were also stock Honda bearings. The previous owner had purchased the bike from a friend that either managed or owned the local Honda dealership, so I'm willing to bet he got the parts from his friend as well.


In other news, my new YSS rear shock came in this morning and I got it installed in about 30 minutes this afternoon. Had to remove both plastic side covers, the tire hugger, and the shifter side foot peg bracket, but otherwise it was a very simple process with the factory center stand temporarily reinstalled for the task. While I had the side cover off I performed the flapper mod and bolted everything back together. It's raining so I haven't been able to test ride it with the new shock yet. I took it around the block last night to make sure the new wheel bearings worked (that's what I told my wife, anyway) and everything seemed fine.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Got my spark plug tool, cam shim set, synthetic brake fluid, Permatex Ultra Black for the valve cover gasket, and 3/4 of the correct spark plugs in the mail today. For some reason Amazon sent a NGK PLFR5A-11 (that has a sticker on it claiming to be a CR8EH-9) and 3 actual CR8EH-9's in my package. Got it figured out and the remaining plug should be here June 2.

The new shock feels great and together with the new rear wheel bearings, the back end feels very... sturdy now. Couldn't really notice any difference from the flapper mod.
 
#26 ·
Found it on ebay. I got the part number for the 919 from the YSS website and their ebay page had one for a lot less. It's obviously not the nicest shock on the planet, but it's better than the blown OEM one and I don't have plans to take this bike to the track, so it should work just fine for my intended use.
 
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