Project Linkins 3LN6 - The Pink Lady

I'm just imagining my tyres stuck rolling around on a conveyor belt system in the delivery service black hole known as Chullora

 

About time!

Tyres on, wheels balanced, tyre valves replaced, wheels cleaned, tyres treated with liquid buff (makes them sticky from the get go) and set to 30 psi front and rear to start with.

Already ridden it, instantly much more nimble with the correct size tyres, and composed with upgrades suspension. Blew out the cobwebs and now idling away until the thermofan completes one cycle.

Now officially ready for rego!

 

Looky what I found... looks like I would need four sets to get four of those plastic needle retainer screws

 

Might have found the solution.

Needle set for Virago 250, part number 3DM-1490J-00

 

About $40AUD each within Australia. The slide has to have a thread that matches. Many other Yamaha models use the Zeal style or variations of it.

 

I believe the 2KR carbs (Mikuni BDS26) are the same that are used on the Virago 250, but configured differently of course. When I pulled apart @risky 's 2KR carbs they had a similar style retention mechanism for the needle when compared to the 3LN6/7. Hopefully Yamaha have been smart and used the same plastic screw cap across different models (why would they change tooling when not necessary?). Biggest gripe with Yamaha at the moment is that they only sell needle sets, or complete slide with needle assembly and many are discontinued.

With the Bandit 250 you can buy the individual parts down to the diaphragms. Which is why I have opted to try something.

Part number 13382-42A00-000 x4, in stock at Bikebiz. $8 each. So I've ordered 4 and see how they go. Better than dodgy pushpins I hope! I will refit the spring & plastic piece that is part of the 3LN6 setup too.

 

Bath time

 

It certainly is, Sydney traffic is mental these days and the little FZR250 is small and narrow enough to filter through nearly everything.

I took it out for about 2hrs today just to get her hot and get a few heat cycles in. Goes well at full tilt as they always do, but low down it's a pig. Not as bad as the worst examples though.

It desperately needs those inlet manifolds and balance done. It also seems to flood or partially hydrolock when cold started. I must still have a leaky float needle... I ordered 4 but they only had 3... I will see which port is full of fuel when I remove the carbs again.

I need to sort out the needle retention too.

Once those are done it will be a daily.

Desperately needs a pipe too, I want to hear it scream

 

Those Suzuki bits arrived so I got stuck in after work today. Adjustable preload fork caps, too. Caps fit, but add more preload already due to the inner extension when compared to the standard caps. Bugger. Fitted for now, but will need to test. Will probably need to cut the spacers again. I did raise the forks 10mm so I will see how that goes.

For the Suzuki needle retainers/spacers, they were a slight press fit into the threaded section into the original cap, but any pressure on the needle would result on them popping out. So I have epoxied them in, let them set, and it's all good. Slides lift fully, less initial resistance from the springs.

I also balanced up the carbs while I was in there, just so it starts and idles a bit more nicely, even though the manifolds are shot.

Also adjusted mixture screws to 2 turns out for now.

Ordered new aftermarket manifolds 2 weeks ago, not shipped yet

 

Gave up on aftermarket manifolds, weeks and weeks after ordering 2 sets, no shipments or tracking after payment.

Ordered OEM's off impex. $300 for the set.

 

Well I got myself a little care package from Wemoto, including front and rear caliper seal kits. Also some little odds and ends, speedo cable guide, footpeg rubbers, gear/brake lever rubbers, battery strap, bleed nipple caps etc.

Also got some exhaust header gaskets from bikebiz.

It's all coming together.

 

This was after a balance job (with current old leaky manifolds) and fixing the exhaust leak.




These are the preload adjusters. They are wound all the way out, even then compared to standard caps they already add additional preload. I am going to have to cut the spacer tubes down further.



I raised the forks 10mm through the clamps, it helps with restoring some of the agility but may need another 5mm. I will cut down the preload spacers first which should give the forks some more sag which will help. May add yet more preload on the rear too.




And today I took her out for her maiden voyage, reliving the past - commuting from the south side of Sydney into Crows Nest for an appointment, cutting up traffic and turning heads doing 10,000rpm in 1st at 50km/h. Really really needs a good pipe, as just the sound of this bike approaching is like Moses parting the red sea when it comes to filtering traffic

The trip wasn't without fault, like many an FZR it is a pig down low, mainly due to leaky manifolds, lack of fine tuning etc. I also lost rear brake pressure, so maybe I was cooking it or my foot was resting on the lever slightly. After I stopped, I pumped it a few times and it started to come back. Disc doesn't look any worse for wear.

The front pads are not making full contact with the disc, evident by the pattern visible on the discs. I also have the tell tale sign of pad contamination by oil/brake fluid - that creaking/groaning you get when you're holding just enough pressure on the brakes so that the wheel starts turning. And the feel. New pads in the future.

Very glad I ordered seal kits for the calipers, I will need to find some master cylinder repair kits also. At the same time I will use the Venhill kit at work to make up some braided lines and turf the old rubber ones.

I also have no brake lights or tail light. And the rear seat is locked, with a different key to the tank and ignition, and I need to get under the pillion seat to replace the globes / check out what's going on.

Steering head bearings are definitely on the way out too, feels like someone knew they were notchy so loosened them off. You still feel the notch but it's not dangerous, but when braking over a large bump or pothole you can feel the movement in the steering stem through the forks and handlebars.