Honda VTX 1300 / VTX 1800 Motorcycles Forum banner

Tech Session

5K views 26 replies 6 participants last post by  Vinish 
#1 ·
Any plans for a session any time soon. I really need to get Vavles done and learn from someone so i can do them regularly. Wouldnt mind sticking in my Alls Balls bearings as well
 
#2 ·
I'm sure there are no tech sessions planned until spring in Canada and the northern part of the USA since for most of us riding season is over. There will be a few riders still with knees in the breeze up here but not enough to populate a tech session. Where are you located? Your personal info only says, "Trenton". It does not include a state. You should consider adding your state abbreviation after your city name.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#4 ·
ChefJustin, have I got a deal for you :) I am spending three months this winter (Jan-Mar) in central Florida at the Villages. I would be happy to help you with both your valves and your steering bearings. I have done numerous of both of these and have the special tools for both. These special tools are small so I can bring them. What I won't have is a jack and stand. The jack, at least, is necessary to do the steering bearings. Would you be able to bring your bike down to the Villages some weekend on a trailer along with a jack and stand and some common tools? If so, I would be happy to work on it with you. If you don't have a trailer, I suppose I could get up to Gainsville sometime just as easily.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#5 ·
Ethier way. I leave about 30-45min form th villages. I have a 20X30 shop and all if you came up. The jack, trailer and tools is no problem. Hopefully i'll still be riding then if the weather stays over 30. I could do the bearings but someone with experince would make it much better. Now i tried the valve job and week ago and stop very quickly as i realized i was over my head. Made with a good teacher i can do them next time.

You let me know what is good for you
 
#6 ·
actually more like a hour and a half from the villages. Sorry was think about ocala area
 
#7 ·
If you want to do it at my place I can have everything prepped and removed before you got there to save time. But I am fine with anything. Just grateful for the help
 
#8 ·
Please post here or PM me after Jan 1st. I will be down there then and will know how much space I have and what tools I have. One way or the other, we will git'er done this winter. We can easily wait for a warm spell to do the work but not so warm that you are missing good riding weather. Have you already ordered the new steering bearings? Do you need to change your fork oil or change to progressive springs while we have the front end off the bike? I see that you have a fairing. Have you removed this fairing before? It will need to come off to do the steering bearings. It's funny. I was visiting a friend in the Villages in late October this year and had another Cafe member, Vince from FL, come up from Tampa and we did steering bearings, fork oil change, and progressive spring change in my friends garage. Too bad you couldn't have joined us at this October very mini tech session. Oh well, we'll have another very mini tech session. Removing the world's wobbles, one bike at a time :)

G'day,

Vinish
 
#10 ·
Yep. That is one of the reasons he would have to trailer it to my place if that is where this occurs. If done at his place, that would obviously not be a problem.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#11 ·
I seen the thread when you were planning the last mini session. I almost asked to join then. Yes I have the bearings and the fairing is easy. I do all the work on this bike and have rebuilt it from a bad wreck the beginning of this year. So I have had it apart a bunch. Progressives are done and fork oil about 6 months ago. I think I am going to change the oil anyway. Cheap and we are already there.
 
#12 ·
Excellent. All I have to do is supply the easy stuff - a couple of special tools, some "heavy lifting", and a wee bit of knowledge. Sounds pretty easy to me. I'm looking forward to it. I do hope that you plan to ply me with craft beer :) A mind this old will not run well without proper lubrication.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#16 ·
Bill G, I'm sure you would also be welcome but remember that the bike has to be completely cold - as in sitting overnight - in order to do the valves. Go ahead and order your steering bearings now if you want those done. We'll get them done one way or another. ChefJustin, maybe this will turn into a slightly larger than "mini" tech session.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#18 ·
Vinish
Checking on a few things to be sure i have everything and then some.
For the valves i have the 10mm offset, 4mm igniton wrench, bent feeler gauges (but not trimmed or customized) and a motion pro tappet wrench. anything mising here
For the bearing i have the all balls. I know i need grease but what kind do you perfer. Should i get some chisles, mallets and wood blocks. Anything you need. Also this bike had the 1800 bearing put in by the previous owner years ago.

I will also pick up fork fluid.
Thanks
 
#20 ·
Please pardon my confusion. You say that you already have the all balls 1800 bearings and grease to put them in but later in your note you state that the 1800 bearings were already in place?

I have all the tools neede for the valve job including the wrenches and feeler gauges tied to strings I also have the exotic/home-made tools for the steering bearing work Bring along standard and metric tools as these wll be needed to get access to the engine area for the valves and to work on the front forks/triple trees. Bearing grease can be very cheap stuff - like $4 for a small tub. The fork fluid can be any brand of 10 wt fork oi. Try to buy this in two ~15 or 16 oz bottles.

Drop me a PM or post in this thread after Dec. 30 and we can schedule this. I arrive in Florida at the Villages the evening of Sunday, Dec. 29th.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#21 ·
The OEM 1800 bearings were put on this 1300R in 2007 when my dad first bought it. But i think there is some issues as i have a lot of movement in the stearing head at slow speed. So i was going to just be sure everything is good and put in the ALL BALLS to fix it up
 
#22 ·
Ahhh, ok. Sounds good.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#23 ·
Bill G, I sent you a PM but in case you don't see it. Here is notice to check it. I am going to Chef Justin's home on Jan 11th at noon to help with his bearings and valves. He lives in Trenton, FL which is west of Gainesville. We should have all the tools necessary to do the fork springs and bearings you wanted to have done. You are welcome to join us. If any others in FL need some work done, post here or PM me or Chef Justin to discuss it.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#24 ·
Vinish
Thank you very much. There is a noticable diffrence in the New bearings. Smoother and feels much more sold in the front end a low speeds on bumps . Had a nice ride this moring to work at 36 degrees.
Thanks again
Chef
 
#25 ·
Chefjustin,

Awesome news. Glad it is better for you. For others reading this, Chefjustin's VTX 1300 steering bearings had been done at some point in the past but the previously installed replacement bearings were the ones used on the VTX1800. I don't know if these were exactly the same as the All Balls bearings but they look identical. In any case, with the 1800 bearings, he was having what sounded like pretty normal steering wobble. We replaced the 1800 bearings with All Balls and he reports a marked improvement. Either the VTX 1800 bearings were bad which is something I've not heard of before or there was a problem with their installation. Perhaps the races were not set correctly or maybe the torque on the stem castle nut was not adequate. The castle nut was just barely past finger tight so it could have been that. Whatever the cause, a new set of All Balls were installed. The races were set correctly and the torque on the stem castle nut was set to 25 ft-lbs. We also did the valves. I think that 5 of the six were loose - some by quite a bit and the front cylinder exhaust valve did not need adjustment. He is good to go now.

Chefjustin, we were talking about the sewing machine type noise that properly adjusted valves make. Are you able to hear this now? Get your ear down near the engine and try to "tune out" the loud exhaust noises and see if you can hear a secondary sort of background noise. It is kind of a "wooshing" sound with a notable beat embedded in it. it sounds much like an old sewing machine.

G'day,

Vinish
 
#26 ·
Chefjustin, we were talking about the sewing machine type noise that properly adjusted valves make. Are you able to hear this now? Get your ear down near the engine and try to "tune out" the loud exhaust noises and see if you can hear a secondary sort of background noise. It is kind of a "wooshing" sound with a notable beat embedded in it. it sounds much like an old sewing machine.
Absolutely now that I know what they should sound like. The sounds I was hearing however are gone so I think them being so lose may have been that sound. But it is a very smooth sound if you are very close to the jug and just listen a minute
 
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