What did you do in your garage today..? | Page 15 | GTAMotorcycle.com

What did you do in your garage today..?

Is the headlight switch on? It should be on the headlight shroud on the right hand side? It probably doesn't have brake light.

Sent from my Chesterfield using my thumbs

The switch is on, I put a new LED bulb and that works, switch of turns the headlight off too.

It has a rear tail light, and is street legal, so I assume would need a brake light working to pass a safety?
 
The switch is on, I put a new LED bulb and that works, switch of turns the headlight off too.

It has a rear tail light, and is street legal, so I assume would need a brake light working to pass a safety?
It would be unlikely that both switches stopped working. Look either to the light itself or wiring from the switches to the light. It is possible that both switches are out of adjustment but testing them should be easy.
 
The switch is on, I put a new LED bulb and that works, switch of turns the headlight off too.

It has a rear tail light, and is street legal, so I assume would need a brake light working to pass a safety?
Factory street legal or converted. Does it have switches and wires from the brake lever?

Sent from my Chesterfield using my thumbs
 
Previous owner had a blue plate on it?

If so, you scored. I didn't think that 250 XCF-W was street-legal from the factory, at least not when I bought mine.
My 300 2t has a blue plate but was not made to be street legal and has no switches for the brake lights or turn signals. You can buy pressure switches that go in the line if you want a brake light but I would bet the tail light lonely has 2 wires hooked up.

Sent from my Chesterfield using my thumbs
 
My 300 2t has a blue plate but was not made to be street legal and has no switches for the brake lights or turn signals.

IIRC, there was a certain date at which it got very difficult to blue-plate a bike that wasn't street-legal from the factory. If you happened to switch from green to blue before that date, you're golden, but right now, it's next to impossible.

Sounds like the previous owner did the paperwork, which is invaluable.
 
IIRC, there was a certain date at which it got very difficult to blue-plate a bike that wasn't street-legal from the factory. If you happened to switch from green to blue before that date, you're golden, but right now, it's next to impossible.

Sounds like the previous owner did the paperwork, which is invaluable.
Mine is way newer than the cut off but it can be done still just needs the right sleight of hand.

Sent from my Chesterfield using my thumbs
 
It would be unlikely that both switches stopped working. Look either to the light itself or wiring from the switches to the light. It is possible that both switches are out of adjustment but testing them should be easy.
Will do when I get some time this week, thanks
Factory street legal or converted. Does it have switches and wires from the brake lever?

Sent from my Chesterfield using my thumbs
Factory street legal from what I can tell from the wiring diagrams. It does have switches from the levers. It does look like an LED tail tidy with flush signals was installed at some point, and there are a few connectors that don't plug into anything under the seat. i will go through and check it all.

Only annoying thing is, I have to start the bike to check if it's working, making lots of noise in the neighbourhood. No key on the bike either

Previous owner had a blue plate on it?

If so, you scored. I didn't think that 250 XCF-W was street-legal from the factory, at least not when I bought mine.

yup, got green ownership papers. Only reason I got the bike tbh, given its age and hours. Still have to go service Ontario at some-point after doing the safety. I got insurance sorted already
 
Will do when I get some time this week, thanks

Factory street legal from what I can tell from the wiring diagrams. It does have switches from the levers. It does look like an LED tail tidy with flush signals was installed at some point, and there are a few connectors that don't plug into anything under the seat. i will go through and check it all.

Only annoying thing is, I have to start the bike to check if it's working, making lots of noise in the neighbourhood. No key on the bike either



yup, got green ownership papers. Only reason I got the bike tbh, given its age and hours. Still have to go service Ontario at some-point after doing the safety. I got insurance sorted already
Since it is an LED, keep in mind, they may have the wiring backwards and that's why it doesn't work. I don't know if the switches are supposed to be connecting ground or connecting hot to the light. If the wiring for the tail tidy made the wrong assumption, the LED's won't work (but a bulb might).
 
Will do when I get some time this week, thanks

Factory street legal from what I can tell from the wiring diagrams. It does have switches from the levers. It does look like an LED tail tidy with flush signals was installed at some point, and there are a few connectors that don't plug into anything under the seat. i will go through and check it all.

Only annoying thing is, I have to start the bike to check if it's working, making lots of noise in the neighbourhood. No key on the bike either



yup, got green ownership papers. Only reason I got the bike tbh, given its age and hours. Still have to go service Ontario at some-point after doing the safety. I got insurance sorted already
If it doesn't have a key it wasn't factory street legal. A factory street legal bike also will not have a off switch for the headlight.

Sent from my Chesterfield using my thumbs
 
Since it is an LED, keep in mind, they may have the wiring backwards and that's why it doesn't work. I don't know if the switches are supposed to be connecting ground or connecting hot to the light. If the wiring for the tail tidy made the wrong assumption, the LED's won't work (but a bulb might).
Will have a look and see what I find

If it doesn't have a key it wasn't factory street legal. A factory street legal bike also will not have a off switch for the headlight.

Sent from my Chesterfield using my thumbs
Ah, i didn't know that, thanks! Explains why the wiring (although done well with connectors and all), does look odd, different colours matching, some connectors left with nothing etc...
 
Explains why the wiring (although done well with connectors and all), does look odd, different colours matching, some connectors left with nothing etc...

What you are describing sounds exactly like an old Ducati OEM wiring harness.

I head stories back then that when the factory ran out of a certain colour of wire, they just used any colour wire that was available at the time. Made chasing down an electrical problem a very aggravating task.
 
What you are describing sounds exactly like an old Ducati OEM wiring harness.

I head stories back then that when the factory ran out of a certain colour of wire, they just used any colour wire that was available at the time. Made chasing down an electrical problem a very aggravating task.

Yup, thats what's going on under the seat here. Blue to red, and black to blue, blue to blue etc... Come winter time, and if the bike runs goods all summer making me keep it, I'll redo the wiring all properly and label things. Its irritating my OCD
 
Well, last week a rock popped up and punched a hole in my crossover pipe on the '83 CM250C. To be fair, there wasn't a lot of metal left in it. I sprayed the studs with penetrant for a couple of days and then on Sunday I got underneath it and pulled the exhaust off. Didn't break a single stud. Considering the bike's 38 years old, I figured that's a win. Now I need to fix it.

One guy said I could just cut the crossover out, and weld a washer on in place and seal it up. There might be enough metal left to do that, but if there is, I might as well get a new crossover pipe welded in. Anybody know how critical the crossover pipe is in a small twin?

Other alternatives include trying to find a replacement, or getting a new full or partial system made. With that in mind, does anybody have a fabrication shop they can recommend? Preferably in the east end, as I'm down Kingston way.
 
Well, last week a rock popped up and punched a hole in my crossover pipe on the '83 CM250C. To be fair, there wasn't a lot of metal left in it. I sprayed the studs with penetrant for a couple of days and then on Sunday I got underneath it and pulled the exhaust off. Didn't break a single stud. Considering the bike's 38 years old, I figured that's a win. Now I need to fix it.

One guy said I could just cut the crossover out, and weld a washer on in place and seal it up. There might be enough metal left to do that, but if there is, I might as well get a new crossover pipe welded in. Anybody know how critical the crossover pipe is in a small twin?

Other alternatives include trying to find a replacement, or getting a new full or partial system made. With that in mind, does anybody have a fabrication shop they can recommend? Preferably in the east end, as I'm down Kingston way.
I thought the crossover was important in a twin. I would try to keep it if possible. How much room do you have to work with? As a quick and dirty repair, something like a piece of stainless over the hole held on with pipe clamps and dope or packing on the back for a seal may quiet it down. If you want really quick and dirty a cut up beer can may work for a short time.
 
I thought the crossover was important in a twin. I would try to keep it if possible. How much room do you have to work with? As a quick and dirty repair, something like a piece of stainless over the hole held on with pipe clamps and dope or packing on the back for a seal may quiet it down. If you want really quick and dirty a cut up beer can may work for a short time.
Yeah, I've been contemplating buying a piece of steel from the guys at the local Speedy; they've been good to me in the past and I've known them for years. My concern is if there's enough steel where the crossover connects to the main pipes. Will I just be transferring the problem further along. Is there a JB weld version I could put under the patch to give a better seal?
 
Yeah, I've been contemplating buying a piece of steel from the guys at the local Speedy; they've been good to me in the past and I've known them for years. My concern is if there's enough steel where the crossover connects to the main pipes. Will I just be transferring the problem further along. Is there a JB weld version I could put under the patch to give a better seal?
I would assume you are on borrowed time with any repair. the whole crossover probably doesn't have much metal left. I would tap around with a hammer and I suspect you will find that the whole section should be replaced. At that point, either find or get one made but the repair gives you some time to organize the permanent fix.
 
I would assume you are on borrowed time with any repair. the whole crossover probably doesn't have much metal left. I would tap around with a hammer and I suspect you will find that the whole section should be replaced. At that point, either find or get one made but the repair gives you some time to organize the permanent fix.
Yes, most of the crossover is pretty thin. If the first half inch or so from the main pipes is good, I could probably do a fairly solid patch, and do a full rework/replacement next winter. I just don't know anyone here in Kingston capable of such job.
 
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Changed the oil, oil filter and air filter on both enduros.

Hopefully a post in this thread will lead to a post in this thread: 2021 Day Trips!

Ready to hit the trails tomorrow!!!
 
Yeah, I've been contemplating buying a piece of steel from the guys at the local Speedy; they've been good to me in the past and I've known them for years. My concern is if there's enough steel where the crossover connects to the main pipes. Will I just be transferring the problem further along. Is there a JB weld version I could put under the patch to give a better seal?

Take the pipes off, cut them clean apart and weld in a new crossover. Probably a good idea to get it done at a muffler shop if you can. I welded the pipes on my CM250c after a hole blew out around the manifold. Then I wrapped them with fibreglass header wrap. I was going to buy replacement pipes, but they're $550 on eBay plus $150 shipping. For a bike worth about $1000 it wasn't worth it. Sold the bike this spring.

The crossover is important for reducing back pressure. The CM250 fires alternately so each cylinder exhausts through two mufflers instead of one. Remove the crossover and you'll really kill performance.
 

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