Kelum Posted November 12, 2010 Posted November 12, 2010 Hi Guys, I got bike checked for the front forks the other day and the mechanic said I will have to replace the CUP SET...that is what they call it in bikes may be the term is wrong..is it the bearing set I dont know..they just use wrong English terms mostly so my not know the technical term. Like I said earlier here there's a Taka Taka hit on the handle when you are on the bumps of the road..perfect on leveled roads. I made the bike upright and held the wheel hard to see if it moves front-backward from steering head...yes there's a very small movement. Mechanic tightened the bolts in steering head but said soon I will have to replace this CUP Set..at this point I wish to get the oil of the front forks changed..for this I think I need both dust seals and oil seals..am I right? Should I keep them ready..dust seals are what you see black outside right..they needs to be replaced..on one fork I see some oil mark which suggests me that I should change oil seals too? I just want to know, how often do you have to clean or change following? Engine oil filter - I think u can clean this with kerosine maybe and reuse it. Air filter - normally garage people get the sponges and squeeze them in petrol..is that the accepted way? Engine oil - what is the indicator that tells me I should change oil, heavy, sticky blackish oil? I filled the reservoir with 40 havoline oil right after I bought the bike..is there an upper limit in oil filling, what if someone overfills the engine with oil? I think more oil gives better lubrication? Does oil filter wear out normally..replacing or cleaning, which is the economical? Oh Paul, Neversaydie and Chris...bike is doing good..I am looking at ebay to buy some parts - oil and dust seals for front forks, oil filter may be and complete gasket set..
neversaydie Posted November 12, 2010 Posted November 12, 2010 Hi Guys, I got bike checked for the front forks the other day and the mechanic said I will have to replace the CUP SET...that is what they call it in bikes may be the term is wrong..is it the bearing set I dont know..they just use wrong English terms mostly so my not know the technical term. Like I said earlier here there's a Taka Taka hit on the handle when you are on the bumps of the road..perfect on leveled roads. I made the bike upright and held the wheel hard to see if it moves front-backward from steering head...yes there's a very small movement. Mechanic tightened the bolts in steering head but said soon I will have to replace this CUP Set..at this point I wish to get the oil of the front forks changed..for this I think I need both dust seals and oil seals..am I right? Should I keep them ready..dust seals are what you see black outside right..they needs to be replaced..on one fork I see some oil mark which suggests me that I should change oil seals too? I just want to know, how often do you have to clean or change following? Engine oil filter - I think u can clean this with kerosine maybe and reuse it. Air filter - normally garage people get the sponges and squeeze them in petrol..is that the accepted way? Engine oil - what is the indicator that tells me I should change oil, heavy, sticky blackish oil? I filled the reservoir with 40 havoline oil right after I bought the bike..is there an upper limit in oil filling, what if someone overfills the engine with oil? I think more oil gives better lubrication? Does oil filter wear out normally..replacing or cleaning, which is the economical? Oh Paul, Neversaydie and Chris...bike is doing good..I am looking at ebay to buy some parts - oil and dust seals for front forks, oil filter may be and complete gasket set.. 1) I think "cup set" may mean the upper and lower bearing on the steering head, but it is adjustbale so you could try that first. 2) If you're going to strip down and replace dust seals and you suspect you have an oil leak, then replaceall of the parts while you have it in bits, there's nothing worse than having to do the job twice and at least you then know the condition of the bike. 3) Don't bother trying to clean the oil filter, it doesn't make economic sense, just fit a new one. 4) Same with the air filter, fit a new one 5) Look very closely at the engine covers, there should be either a small round glass window or a dipstick that unscrews from the top of the engine covers. If its a window, make sure that the bike is standing up level and the oil level should be half way up the window. If theresto much in, drain out until halfway. If not enough then top it up. DO NOT OVERFILL. If you dont know when the oil was last changed, then change it anyway and fit new oil filter. More oil does not give better lubrication and can damage an engine. 6) Havoline 40 doesnt mean anything to me. I have to assume that the clutch operation type is similar to the dragstar 125. In that case engine oil type is critical to performance of the engine and clutch. I use SILKOLENE SUPER 4 10W40, dont use an oil that contains anti friction compounds as it will cause clutch problems. You may have to use a 15W40 perhaps as its a touch warmer where you live. 7) Dont neglect your chain, make sure its not stretched, overtight or slack, clean it and lubricate it it with chain oil, it can affect bike performance and safety. 8) Let me have your email and i'll forward the dragstar 125 manual, you'll then have a better understanding of the parts and layouts.
Paulwhite Posted November 12, 2010 Posted November 12, 2010 right you will need to get the movement in the forks fixed not sure on what its called. but its not good. and replace oil seals and dust caps if the forks leak. engine oil filter:- your better off just buying a new one rather than trying to clean it, there not expensive. and do it after an oil change. air filter:- you could clean it but if it was me id just buy a new one, the way i clean mine is soak it in warm soapy water for 3 hours then rinse with warm water, let it dry out fully (i put mine on the radiator over night) then your meant to soak it in oil something like a general purpose oil (i used wd40) then let it dry over night again. but i suppose you could do it with petrol, but im not sure if this is the correct way to clean an air filter! so probably best just buying a new one. engine oil:- now this is important! drain the bike of all old motor oil by undoing the sump plug (biggish bolt on the bottom of the engine) then fill with new oil. there should be a little glass circle where you can see the oil level on the side of the engine near the back. (normally on the right hand side) there should be a min and max mark on it. when the bike is upright it should be just under the max mark. more oil can cause damage the same as not having enough oil. you will need to drain the old stuff, fill it with good stuff, ride it for a week then drain again and fill with fresh (put new oil filter in), this way you flush the engine of all bad oil. use a good 10w40 oil, and the signs of bad oil is:- black + thin, creamy + white, smoking, but by the time you see the signs its too late and some damage has been caused. if you use your bike every day for long distance then to be on the safe side do it every 6 months. and since you dont know when the last oil change was id suggest you do one
Kelum Posted November 12, 2010 Author Posted November 12, 2010 Yeah guys..I should do all those as quickly as I can..thanx a lot...hey I know where the oil level window is Anyway thanx for the useful tips, I just saved them for reference in a word file.
Paulwhite Posted November 12, 2010 Posted November 12, 2010 lol me and neversaydie must of been writing at the same time but he must of just beat me posting it and just to add .....the xvs 125 dragstar is the son of the xv 125 virago and uses the same engine. so the manual from the xvs dragstar will tell u everything u need to know.
Kelum Posted November 12, 2010 Author Posted November 12, 2010 OK Paul, Ray just mailed me two manuals..will go through them..thank you guys!
Kelum Posted November 12, 2010 Author Posted November 12, 2010 Oh about Havoline Super 4T engine oil... It is 4 stroke motorcycle engine oil SAE 20W-40 for Air and liquid cooled Japanese high performance motor cycles... This is the standard being used here.
Kelum Posted November 13, 2010 Author Posted November 13, 2010 Hi guys, I think I wasnt given correct answer to my oil seal vs dust seal clarification request. I found these from ebay and before ordering I just wanna know if oil seals and dust seals are two different entities and since am going to refill forks would I need to keep both in hand? Can you tell me if these are oil seals or dust seals? How can I find oil seals? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-XV125-XV-125-Virago-1997-2000-Fork-Seals-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem53dfb7ff3aQQitemZ360235663162QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories link says they are oil seals..
neversaydie Posted November 13, 2010 Posted November 13, 2010 Hi guys, I think I wasnt given correct answer to my oil seal vs dust seal clarification request. I found these from ebay and before ordering I just wanna know if oil seals and dust seals are two different entities and since am going to refill forks would I need to keep both in hand? Can you tell me if these are oil seals or dust seals? How can I find oil seals? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-XV125-XV-125-Virago-1997-2000-Fork-Seals-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem53dfb7ff3aQQitemZ360235663162QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories link says they are oil seals.. The seals shown in the link look like dust seals to me. On an oil seal, the inner lip will normally be at an angle. On a dust seal, the inner should be parallel to the outer. The same seller has a fork oil AND dust seal kit avilable for the bike, buy that and make sure that you fit the oil and dust seals the right way around, refer to the manual, and take care not to "nick" the oil seals when fitting. Do as it says on page 6-43 of the manual and use a plastic bag or sellotape to slide the seals on, and place a smear of oil or grease around the inner lip first. Remember, when you fit the oil seals, make sure that you can read the numbers on them when they are in, ie on the outside. Also, note which way round they are when you take parts off. Yes, they are 2 different entities, and if you are changing either, then change both.
Kelum Posted November 14, 2010 Author Posted November 14, 2010 The seals shown in the link look like dust seals to me. On an oil seal, the inner lip will normally be at an angle. On a dust seal, the inner should be parallel to the outer. The same seller has a fork oil AND dust seal kit avilable for the bike, buy that and make sure that you fit the oil and dust seals the right way around, refer to the manual, and take care not to "nick" the oil seals when fitting. Do as it says on page 6-43 of the manual and use a plastic bag or sellotape to slide the seals on, and place a smear of oil or grease around the inner lip first. Remember, when you fit the oil seals, make sure that you can read the numbers on them when they are in, ie on the outside. Also, note which way round they are when you take parts off. Yes, they are 2 different entities, and if you are changing either, then change both. Yeah Ray, thanks, those manuals have bunch of details..I went through the fork disassembly which had two different entities. I wish to buy a complete gasket set too...plus the steering head may be.. Need to change oil and may be oil filter.. Thank u very much!
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