Cagiva Planet

[terry]

Originally posted by bktan@Apr 16 2004, 02:54 PM

 

mm..terry what brake pads u using btw? i'm thinking of checking out ferrodo, we shld be using cermaic types right? or in ferrodo's case its the platinium one

mine's from minvera. original pads for planet. when i took over the bike, the previous owner just changed, so it is still there. very good stopping power.

 

as for ferrodo, from what i know, it's best to use sinstered pads rather than ceramic ones. and it seems ferodo dun have sinstered pads. i'm not sure, cos i could find the part no for planet for sinstered pads.

 

IL4 did quite a bit of discussion on the differences in the forum before.

 

i'm going to try carbon lorraine after these pads are done. yours and mine are the same model. SBK3. saw them in motoworld. EBC HH is a bit of an overkill at $70++ a pair.

[terry]

Originally posted by Gauntlet@Apr 16 2004, 04:21 PM

but the valve checking sound is getting mi to worry.. first sound is okie. second sound is so weak... almost like a echo fading away.

 

ok, 1st, the bike starts ok? meaning no more problem like the last time where you have to crank a few times and no starter sound?

 

how to check if the valve is working. rem the pics i posted on cleaning the valves? ok, you take out the valve cover, the rubber thing that has a CTS wording on the outside. then turn the switch to . note the turning of the pulley. there are 2 arrows on the pulley if you look closely.

 

after the bike is switched to , the pulley will move from the 1st arrow to the second arrow and back. meaning the pulley will rotate forward 1st (the 1st sound of the valve checking), then the pulley will rotate backwards (2nd sound of the valve checking)

 

when the sound is weaker on the 2nd sound, it could mean the valve has difficulty closing. which means

 

1) valve is dirty, pls clean

2) check valve pulley cables are aligned properly, from the bottom, trace all the way to the valve starter motor near the carbs on the left hand side.

3) valve motor could be failing (expensive, but not likely)

 

so what you need to do is to observe the pulley movement and keep me posted. when was the last time you cleaned your valves?

[Gauntlet]

The valve thing. i will check tomolo when there is more light. will get back asap.

 

okie.. todae same thing, press the power button , no crank sound. unplug and plug back all my connection, and it led to this bugger (attached) wire i guess abit loose because as soon as i removed the wire and reinserted it.. can start..

so wats this thing anyway. got a "tiak" "tiak" sound , and wat does it do.

 

just realised i have no spare fuses..! so wat type do we use? i am currently using a yellow one rated 20 (dun knoe wat unit. watts?) and where to get them. but most imptly.. is it the correct one ?!

 

wah.. sianz.... 1/2 already.. the problem so intermittent.

[terry]

Originally posted by Gauntlet@Apr 18 2004, 01:43 AM

okie.. todae same thing, press the power button , no crank sound. unplug and plug back all my connection, and it led to this bugger (attached) wire i guess abit loose because as soon as i removed the wire and reinserted it.. can start..

can you confirm it is jus a loose connection issue? if so, jus trace your connections and get them tight.

 

we'll solve the problem in steps. if it is simply loose connections, jus make the connections good then.

 

after you have done the connections, check if the problem occurs again. if you notice, it seems your problem occurs after riding. when the vibrations set in, connections become loose.

 

i'm not sure which fuse you are tallking about. the ones under the seat? they go by amps. those are 15amps fuses.

[Gauntlet]

Originally posted by terry@Apr 18 2004, 10:16 PM

can you confirm it is jus a loose connection issue? if so, jus trace your connections and get them tight.

 

we'll solve the problem in steps. if it is simply loose connections, jus make the connections good then.

 

after you have done the connections, check if the problem occurs again. if you notice, it seems your problem occurs after riding. when the vibrations set in, connections become loose.

 

i'm not sure which fuse you are tallking about. the ones under the seat? they go by amps. those are 15amps fuses.

okie.. update on situation,

1) valve issue. the 2 wire that control the valve pulley, apprently the second one which retracts the valve back to its orginal position has abit of slack in it. i adjusted the extra slack so and the sound is back to normal. lucky small issue.

 

2) darned, i am all along using 20Amp fuses. and i even bought a sprare 20A ones already. looks like i have to change them tml . any ill effects using the 20A ones? using them for ard coming 2 years already.

 

3) i think it shld be a loose connection of the switch starter. will continue to monitor the problem..

[terry]

Originally posted by Gauntlet@Apr 18 2004, 11:39 PM

okie.. update on situation,

1) valve issue.

 

2) any ill effects using the 20A ones? using them for ard coming 2 years already.

 

3) i think it shld be a loose connection of the switch starter. will continue to monitor the problem..

1) i would suggest some lithium grease on the pulley and the cables. we all need lubrication to gets things going yah.

 

2) next, stock fuses suggest 15amp. effect you should know. some electrical parts could be burnt due to the extra 5amp current allowed to go thru before the fuse is activated. are we talking about the fuse in the same place? the one underneath the seat where there are 2 connected and 2 spares on the side?

 

3) could consider getting new connectors and replacing them. get some heat-shrink tubing too. very useful when it comes to wiring. SIm LIM tower aplenty. i have change most of the connectors on my bike. used to have erratic electrical problems before. not anymore.

 

in your pic, the thing is called a solenoid starter. the connecting wiring must not be loose. clean it with contact cleaner for god's sake. the problem WILL go away.

[bktan]

hey terry, sorry a bit off topic but for new brake pads do u apply copper grease on the back of the pad (metal plate part)?

 

where can u find copper grease?

 

i've just changed mine and i'm having lots of clicking noises from the caliper

[terry]

Originally posted by bktan@Apr 19 2004, 01:12 AM

hey terry, sorry a bit off topic but for new brake pads do u apply copper grease on the back of the pad (metal plate part)?

 

where can u find copper grease?

 

i've just changed mine and i'm having lots of clicking noises from the caliper

nope, i did not apply any copper grease or grease of any sort. when you installed the rear brake pads, did the mech clear away the brake dust with an compressed air?

 

for grease of any sort, i used lithium grease, avaliable at hardware shops. water-resistant, high temp resistant. good stuff

 

if you can, jack up the rear, spin the wheel and press the rear brake. trace the source of the clicking sound. it might be just the central peg wasn't clip back properly. you might want to disassemble and reassemble the pads again. pretty easy job. just dun apply the brake when the pads are out.

[Gauntlet]

2) next, stock fuses suggest 15amp. effect you should know. some electrical parts could be burnt due to the extra 5amp current allowed to go thru before the fuse is activated. are we talking about the fuse in the same place? the one underneath the seat where there are 2 connected and 2 spares on the side?

 

yes.. confrm.. same fuse.

somethin i dun understand though..

a few days ago.. i checked the charging of the bike.. without turning on the lights.. and moderate to redlining.. i can acheive 14-14.2 this is with the 20A fuses. both in good condition.

 

sat night , i could not start my bike ,while checking, i inserted a broken fuse into the fuse box by accident (i didnt check) and push started and rode from east coast to jurong. (one working fuse, one blown out fuse) then ard jurong, i realised my lights and signal stuff.. everyting getting dimmer and dimmer till total blackout.. but the engines still running..

went to a nearby petrol kisok.. check thru everything again and found out i insert a blown out one.. fixed a correct one back and everythin is okie again. (now 2 working 20A fuse) no more light blackout epsiode.

 

sunday afternoon , went down to check charging again. i can hardly reach 13.5 without lights on reving from moderate to readlining. very puzzled. test and test still same result..

 

did i fry somethin on sat nite from east coast to jurong trip?

will be replacing the whole set with 15A with spares tml morning immediatly..

:giddy: :giddy:

[StingRhea]

bro~ hope u can solve ur probs~!

[bktan]

Originally posted by terry@Apr 19 2004, 01:25 AM

nope, i did not apply any copper grease or grease of any sort. when you installed the rear brake pads, did the mech clear away the brake dust with an compressed air?

 

for grease of any sort, i used lithium grease, avaliable at hardware shops. water-resistant, high temp resistant. good stuff

 

if you can, jack up the rear, spin the wheel and press the rear brake. trace the source of the clicking sound. it might be just the central peg wasn't clip back properly. you might want to disassemble and reassemble the pads again. pretty easy job. just dun apply the brake when the pads are out.

alright thanks dude!

[Gauntlet]

afixed 15A fuse. still showed same results the the charging. hurmpp..

[StingRhea]

hmmz~ maybe its ur mag coil~ try to see any loose wiring or wad~

[terry]

Originally posted by Gauntlet@Apr 19 2004, 06:21 PM

afixed 15A fuse. still showed same results the the charging. hurmpp..

ok brudder, i want you to check the connection of the rectifier. it is a hex shaped thing in the pic below.

 

1)unplug it slowly. there are 2 clips at each end holding it in. press the 2 ends and pull out slowly.

 

2)clean the contacts throughly (got your contact cleaner already?)

and fix it back. try again measuring the voltage.

[StingRhea]

can loosen the bolts too~

[terry]

Originally posted by StingRhea@Apr 20 2004, 03:19 AM

can loosen the bolts too~

loosen the bolts for?

[terry]

jus to share some experiences with fellow planeteers

 

i had a problem with bike the past few weeks. the bike idles fine, but once the bike shifts to 1st gear with clutch in, the bike slowly dies. what i did

 

1) adjusted the clutch cable => no improvement

2) changed to motul transoil expert (gear oil) => slight improvement but no cure

 

so i suspected a clutch plate problem based on advice of other bikers. but at the same time, there was a black fluid leaking somewhere near the header. so i tot my gasket glue on the header didn't hold. hence i made a trip to Excel to seek advice of my mech (xiao boon)

 

i told my problem and asked him if

1) worn clutch plates could result in the bike dying in when gears are engaged?

2) the gasket glue didn't hold, hence leaking from the header again

 

his answer was, the bike could not be having worn clutch plates as the symptoms do not reflect that, and my header wasn't leaking. he suspecting an oil seal was busted in the starter flywheel.

 

what he did was to took out the carb, made adjustments, put it back and test rode the bike (he did it for 6 times, yes, plug in carb, ride, plug out again and again)

it did not solve the problem. he came to a conclusion that the problem lies in the piston. compression ratio is lost. cos besides the bike being unable to idle, there was a sluggish throttle response.

 

he opened up the block and sure enuff, piston ring gap was much wider (he showed me a mito piston and we compared the difference). But here comes the problem. Planet uses double piston rings. mito uses single. and planet piston rings have not been into the shores of singapore for a very long time. they now come in a set, with the piston. AND they dun have stock for the double piston rings or pistons. what a bummer!

 

He gave me a couple of solutions

1) put the bike there, wait for the double ring piston to come. ($280)

2) change to mito piston ($380)

3) use RS 250 piston ring ($100+)

 

i didn't want to wait, so option one is out, and RS piston ring might not hold for full throttle. so i went with the expensive option. change to mito piston.

 

BUT problem came up. the block cover of the planet will not fit a Mito piston. hence i need to change the block cover. the only difference between the block cover is the depth of the indent on the cover. the crown of the Mito piston is flat, planet's piston is rounded. so once again, additional cost of the block cover. they had 2nd hand ones at a price, so it was fine.

 

then came the whole top end rebuilt :

1) change of new piston, from planet double ring to single ring mito piston

2) change of coolant

3) change of all gaskets involved

4) cleaning of CTS valve

5) change of block cover from planet to mito

6) jetting was changed

 

everything was done within 2-3 hours (fast hands my mech has!). a good price was given for the work done. very reasonable for me. Hey, i'm a reasonable client!

 

then the leaking oil problem was pin-pointed to a busted oil seal in the starter flywheel, which the mech was once again correct. so a new oil seal was changed.

 

the bike sounds so different now. throttle response is very good. i had trouble refraining myself from going up the speedo cos i was still running in the bike. all in all, i'm very pleased with the work done.

 

on a side note, the next time, i can get a piston ring changed instead of a whole piston cos they have plenty single ring. which in the long run, will justify the difference between a planet piston ($280) and a mito piston ($380). plus the compression ratio is different now. i'll post my findings after i have run in the bike.

[hangten]

emm... is xiao boon and ah lim is the same guy?

[terry]

Originally posted by hangten@Apr 26 2004, 12:39 PM

emm... is xiao boon and ah lim is the same guy?

whose ah lim?

 

Excel only has 2 mech. Ah boon and xiao boon.

[Gauntlet]

sad to hear about your problem terry, but now.. whoa... yur now running a mito engine on planet's 6 gears? sounds coolz! more top speed?

 

my recent problems, nah.. i dun knoe wats wrong, but since my bike ain giving mi startup problems.. i think its still okie.

recently just diy changed the whole coolant box, include draining of coolant and 2T,

removing a few hoses and screws, very straight forward and simple,

areas that need to be removed are

 

1) 2T input tube

2) coolant input tube

3) coolant output tube

4) unscrewing of some electronic devices (2 of them infact on the left and right of the coolant box)

5) ignition area (4 allen keys screws area, 2 parts )

 

and finding somethin to hold your fuel tank up. quite a breeze but messy work.

[hangten]

Originally posted by terry@Apr 26 2004, 12:44 PM

whose ah lim?

 

Excel only has 2 mech. Ah boon and xiao boon.

i m also not sure, the previous owner of my bike -->halfclutch, recommended ah lim, as he was his usually mechanics. i m going down to excel for servicing next week, so just wanna to make sure i wont make stupid joke of getting wrong person lor.

[Gauntlet]

Originally posted by hangten@Apr 26 2004, 12:56 PM

i m also not sure, the previous owner of my bike -->halfclutch, recommended ah lim, as he was his usually mechanics. i m going down to excel for servicing next week, so just wanna to make sure i wont make stupid joke of getting wrong person lor.

when u going?.. i might also wanna go to ask a few questions about my bike.

[hangten]

Originally posted by Gauntlet@Apr 26 2004, 01:05 PM

when u going?.. i might also wanna go to ask a few questions about my bike.

not sure yet, i will call u. anyway, if u wish to, u can list down ur Q and i will try to get the A for u on behalf loh.

[terry]

Originally posted by Gauntlet@Apr 26 2004, 01:05 PM

when u going?.. i might also wanna go to ask a few questions about my bike.

the name if the mech is xiao boon, not ah boon. ah boon is different person. just say terry recommend you there. dun tell them too much about our DIY leh. conflict of interest.

[Seraphim]

Sounds similar to my piston/block replacement at minerva as well. Had fuel/oil leaking from the block.

 

Well, at least I can take comfort in the fact that i'm running on a new Nov 2003 top end... woot! =)