How long?..

[joedrum]

todays gas is like poison to Oldwing the carbs are not as good as or responsive as the 900....i know what you mean i had 82 750 four and it was a rocket that got 50 mpg no problem and i was going to keep it forever but it was no touring bike.....but it got rip off when i was out of state working....it always run like a top and had no problem with the gas of today.....i miss it.... but unlike you i like the way my wing actaly handles compared to the 750f which was very top heavy

the idle and just off idle on the oldwing is its weakess point....oldwing is very cold natured and need good warm up in the morning....ive done some things to my wing to combat this finicky nature....

i run about 8oz of atf mixed in the gas per tank this cleans the carbs as you ride...lubes the valves ...and runs better...the only draw back is when its warming up or after warming up mine will stumble and miss a little till i run it pretty strong to clean out motor from warming up....then it runs great....

i also over gap the plugs and use hotter plugs and going to try some irridiume plugs next .....the plugs ive got now have at least 20,000 miles on them and still doing fine this was never the case before

i also opened up the air box around the filter to increase air this made a huge differense in consistent running on my bike

im not sure how all this would apply to an 83 1100...mines a 79 1000...carbs are different...ignition is different ...but the motors are basicly the same

ive done many long haul trips with my bike and thats wear it realy shines you can sit in the saddle on a wing at 70mph till the tank is empty easy mine is smooth with no vibration at all compare to other bikes ive had ....i never give it a thought to go couple thousand miles on my 79 1000 and do it all the time

i have herd some deep motor noise on a wing before that wasnt the primary chain but i also know the chain makes alot of noise on a bike bike thats not idleing good and sluggish on take off because of uneveness and poor gas and such at low rpm

you always know when you get your bike running right when you get that chain to shut up...seems like it took me forever to get mine running right but it dose now and if i want to get it to run crappy all i got to do is run strait gas in it for a couple tank fulls and just wait for my chain to start slapping while the carbs clog themselfs

if i were you id just run ATF fluid in the gas at about 8oz per tank ...it may run crappy a bit and smoke a little bit and then run good a bit that only lets you know its doing something and over the long haul it cleans everything up and the running gets better and better.

good luck on oldwing and hopefully the knock your hearing is not a deep engine knock and just a chain

 

[Joep]

uhhh Joe that is on your 1050!!! and on your over gapping of the plugs and heat range.. whatis your setting and what number plug?? just for general info purposes...

and Ol' Hack... try leaning onto the right leg???? Just kidding however I do put my right down more then the left after stopping.. (left knee is not as strong.. volleyball accident ((got kicked when coming down from blocking)) ..)

 

[joedrum]

joe i cant beleave your wife would let you play such a dangerous game :smilie_happy: :mrgreen: :help: :smilie_happy:

i think i gap them at 40 ...the plugs are just the hotter of the two plugs listed for my bike....i also shaved the electrode to a point in the center of the plug .....i also tigthen the plugs to wear the open face of the plugs is faceing the intake valve this is not always doable but it is nice when it work out that way.... irealy have know way of knowing but i think this helps the idling ....i thiught for sure that this was going to wear my plugs out fast but run better but they seem to be lasting a long time ....my 1050 :smilie_happy: has the dyna ignition and coils which can produce a hotter spark....and ido want to go hotter on the plugs but finding the right plug is always a hassle at the parts store when you want something different than what the computer shows :laptop: :head bang:

 

[oldhack62]

...i also over gap the plugs and use hotter plugs and going to try some irridiume plugs next ...

Joe, the iridium plugs -- which OldWing has in it -- actually are cooler, because the smaller central electrode absorbs less heat. Additionally, the only way to overgap them would be to bend out the ground electrode, since the iridium point breaks pretty easily, it's so small. They generally come pre-gapped, with advice not to re-gap them. (By the way, the pre-set gaps tend to be a little wider than ordinary plugs, too.)
I like them so far, and the low-rev rattle seems to be somewhat diminished (I suspect some fuel pre-detonation, reduced by the somewhat cooler plugs, is/was part of that problem). Of course, I'm also getting better at coordinating the throttle and clutch, which helps most of all.
As for fuel, I'm lucky to have 2 or 3 local providers of no-ethanol gasoline, which I use in all my vehicles unless I'm just not near home when the tank gets low. It may still be "today's gas", but at least it IS all gas.

 

[joedrum]

i wish i had that choice not here in indiana

 

[oldhack62]

I guess I should backtrack here, and state that I couldn't find ANY NGK plugs other than the '9' rating hereabouts (NGK, for some reason, uses the opposite numerical system from other spark plug manufacturers, and gives a lower number to hotter plugs/higher to cooler ones). Since that's what I was looking for anyway, it was okay by me to find '9's. Joe, you may have different luck where you're at.

 

[joedrum]

thats what i meant about grinding to a point was the ground electrode right in the center of the electrode

im not sure that that preignition is what going on on these wings ...i tend to beleave that the opposite is happening late igniton and no ignition and bad atomizsation when cold and even bad atomization at operating temp down low in the throttle zone ....but these are just thoughts and i have no proof but this is why i want hotter plugs....i will either be right or wrong but i wont know till i try it.... i dont mind being wrong on something it just makes you closer to the answer so im the type of guy that trys a lot of stuff....