CCT - Safe to ride?

[TownsendsFJR1300]

That rear sprocket appears to be in very good shape, a little bit of wear on the front sprocket...

Unfortunatly, you know as well as I do, sprockets don't break in and straighten out "any runout". That inner cushion bearing has to be the culprit and is worn allowing the sprocket to wobble.

For what they charged you, you'd think they'd find it, especially if you can LITERALLY SEE the run out, even with the new sprocket.

I don't know what kind of tools (if any) or how mechanically inclined you are, but you could have done the job, with buying the tools, (chain breaker/riviter,etc) AND PARTS, easily for 1/3 of what you paid... And know that it was done right.

IMHO, I'd just purchase that bearing and change it out yourself. If you can get the rear wheel off, you can change out that bearing...

Look at your inbox, I'll send you a PM...

 

[FinalImpact]

They LOOK LIKE NEW!!!

Can you find something real flat and place the rear sprocket on it? Check for light out the other side.

FWIW: I find little in my home that I would call "flat". Glass for the most part is not so look elsewhere.

Did it cure the noise?

 

[Criminal Pilot]

I couldn't find anything perfectly flat, but the closest thing I got shows the sprocket is about as flat as it gets. When I bring my bike back, I'll be interested to speak with the "mechanic" (yes those quote's are intentional) that worked on it to find out what the heck he was thinking.

At this point, I'll be bringing the bike back to them just for the sake of getting it done right and so I can get my money's worth (I won't be paying for the next visit, I'll tell you that much for sure). That is to say if this magical 200km drive to let the parts "wear into place" doesn't fix it

I'm not very good with doing things like this myself, but it's worth the headache and troubles to save a grand on a bike that's worth three times that on a good day. Definitely buying tools and doing it myself next time.
Thanks fellas!

 

[Criminal Pilot]

So for my final update here. I took it back to the shop with 240km shaved from the new chain and sprocket life. Still makes the same sound. Shop owner took it for a ride and said he didn't notice any abnormal sounds. When I put it on the center stand for him to hear, he said any bike will make noise because without rider weight, the chain will be loose and able to slap the sprockets. When I pointed out the noticeable "wobble" on the rear sprocket, he says again, without weight on it, the cush drive will have some movement to it, especially because the bike vibrates even on the center stand while running and shakes the bike. He says this is the nature of a cush drive.

I told him if that is his final answer, I would like it in writing that my bike was fully inspected, has NOTHING wrong with it, and will not take severe damage due to the chain, sprockets, wheels, bearings, or any parts directly related to those, nor will they take any excess or unnatural wear within the next 6000km. If the bike does for some reason fail because of any of those things, they'll be doing all the repairs pro-bono.

He said he can't do that, so I said I can't pay him. I've put a request for return payment through my credit card company and will follow through as far as it needs to go to get at least half my money back for them wasting it on sprockets and chain and inspections that didn't solve anything.

I'm taking it to a different shop for a quick inspection to see if they have anything else to say. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. I appreciate your attention to detail here. :rockon:
My only resolve is in knowing that it has been awful weather this past few weeks so even if it was in good condition, I wouldn't be able to ride it anyway. Now it is sunny out, and at least I have my bike back.. regardless of what condition it is in.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

So for my final update here. I took it back to the shop with 240km shaved from the new chain and sprocket life. Still makes the same sound. Shop owner took it for a ride and said he didn't notice any abnormal sounds. When I put it on the center stand for him to hear, he said any bike will make noise because without rider weight, the chain will be loose and able to slap the sprockets. When I pointed out the noticeable "wobble" on the rear sprocket, he says again, without weight on it, the cush drive will have some movement to it, especially because the bike vibrates even on the center stand while running and shakes the bike. He says this is the nature of a cush drive.

I told him if that is his final answer, I would like it in writing that my bike was fully inspected, has NOTHING wrong with it, and will not take severe damage due to the chain, sprockets, wheels, bearings, or any parts directly related to those, nor will they take any excess or unnatural wear within the next 6000km. If the bike does for some reason fail because of any of those things, they'll be doing all the repairs pro-bono.

He said he can't do that, so I said I can't pay him. I've put a request for return payment through my credit card company and will follow through as far as it needs to go to get at least half my money back for them wasting it on sprockets and chain and inspections that didn't solve anything.

I'm taking it to a different shop for a quick inspection to see if they have anything else to say. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. I appreciate your attention to detail here. :rockon:
My only resolve is in knowing that it has been awful weather this past few weeks so even if it was in good condition, I wouldn't be able to ride it anyway. Now it is sunny out, and at least I have my bike back.. regardless of what condition it is in.

Thanks for the update.

I guess he doesn't realize (I didn't say he was full of ship..) that the cush itself drive is supported by that bearing. The rubbers just take up the acceleration/deceleration from the engine chain to the wheel. You could pull those rubber cushions out and it (with a good bearing) will still turn true...

Please post what you come up at the other shop.

If you have basic tools, its really not hard to talk you thru swapping that bearing yourself. The main thing is on the new bearing, when installing it, do NOT smack the middle of it, just the outside edge of it setting it into the hub flush..

I find it amazing a business would loose a customer over a $20.00 bearing and maybe .5 hours time (which you were willing to pay) to get you out the door.

Anyways, good luck...

Short story, when I bought my last KLR 250 new (2005), it all of a sudden got very, very hard to kick over. It was under warranty, not 2 months old. Having put 73,000 miles on my old 1989 KLR 250, been thru the engine twice, I knew it did). Heck its imprinted in the head (KACR) !

They had the bike for a couple of days, called and said the bike was ready. Go to pick it up and was told the force was normal, and that it didn't even have a compression release. Even put it on paper, bike has "NO compression release."

Get the bike back home and pull the valve cover. The compression release is the round steel piece (pic#1), on the right side of the exhaust came with the two weights on it that fling out once running. The little spring for the compression release (see below pic's) had fallen off and was just sitting next to the cam, UNDAMAGED. The spring holds the weights in which crack open the exhaust valves when starting. Slipped it back on, worked fine.. I was so pissed, should of just took it apart myself..

 

[Criminal Pilot]

Wow, bad luck on that spring. I wish I was capable enough to investigate that sort of thing, especially when it is so easy for a shop to 'ignore' the problem or just not know/care enough. Negligence is bliss for a shop, easy money. :spank:

So for my final update:
Problem is fixed! I removed my rear wheel and replaced the bearing and oil seal in the cush drive, and the rattling of the chain has subsided by about 75% or more, to my untrained ear. I believe the remainder of the noise is regular chain noise produced from the non-OEM front sprocket (doesn't have the rubber/plastic bit on it that reduces noise). The alignment is perfect now and there is no visible runout that I can see. Transmission whine has significantly reduced as well. Happy with that!

Another very surprising bit of news:
I also ended up selling the bike because I found an amazing deal on my future bike that I couldn't pass up. I won't say what it is yet because I want to be able to post pictures when I pick it up. I am very happy though. I purchased the FZ6 in 2011 and just sold it two days ago for more than I paid (if you'll believe it! Made some money back from the repairs!). I also parted out all the mods I had on it and will be selling them locally as well as on this forum, all of which will help fund mods for the new ride!

Thanks for all the help with maintaining this one and getting it back up to snuff. I did manage to put another 400 happy km on it before I sold it and it brought a tear to my eye (literally) when the new owner trailered it home.
The new owner was very happy and impressed with my work (full disclosure; I told him about the rattling and how I fixed it, and showed him the maintenance records from the shop that did the rest of the inspection -- he didn't mind!).

So thus ends my headache with noise problems, and begins a new era of motorcycle travel for me! Keep an eye out for my new purchase before the end of the week!

Thanks again to everyone involved in this thread for the help! I won't be leaving this forum any time soon.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Glad to hear you got it straightened out and got it sold too (if that's what you wanted!).

That bearing/seal wasn't too bad replacing was it? Too bad the shop couldn't acknowledge the problem / fix it or do what you did, you just out wrenched the "mechanic", good for you!!!!

Can't wait to see the new ride!!! Congrates!!!

 

[Criminal Pilot]

It is a huge ego boost to have accomplished this considering the shop had it for over a week (collectively) and couldn't do the same thing I did on a sidewalk with limited space primitive tools!

I didn't *want* to sell it... yet... but a friend of mine wanted to get a motorcycle so I went shopping with him and ended up getting a great deal on one I had there. Sold my FZ6 within 24 hours of posting it on Kijiji (surprising considering I did not expect to get my asking price). Happy camper here, and I'm sure the new owner will be happy with my FZ6 after all the wrenching I did on it.

:cheer: