Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125859
ASKE.C. ~ ( Got a technical probl em tha t need s ex pert ad vice? Send queries to "ASK E.C. " c/o Cycle News , Bo x 49 8 , Lon g Beach , Ca.9080 l. Your repl y will ap pear in th e paper within a Few week s. . Honda? I j ust received my copy of Cycle News and was quite happy t o see tha t y o u are an . added plus to th is publication. I would appreciat e any ad vice yo u might off er regarding a Ho nda XI. 175 (brand new) which I'm preparing f or th e ISDT qua lifiers. My probl em s are .mainl y tha t th is is a new ma chine and, as y et, no accessory equipm en t is available in t he R en o area. The engine . and susp en sion ne eds modification. Engine-wise. I would lik e to rep lace th e cam , piston and ex haus t (wit h a high silenced p ip e) t hat are co m patible. but retain th e carburetor (26m m). Do you have an y suggest io ns as to w hat I sh ould get? Th is is my firs t fo ur-st roke and J a m at a lass. In th e sus pensio n d epart men t. I want to use Bet ors at th e rear and get stro nger springs fo r th e front forks (b ut can 't find an y ). Can y ou suggest a sp ring weight f or rear and fron t? I w eigh 150 lbs. M y cho ice of tires is rear: 4. 00X 18 Cheng Sh in and front. 3. 00 X 2 1 Cheng Sh in, bu t t he clearan ce was so narrow bet ween t he f ork tubes that when th e wh eel go t slig h t ly out of rou nd it rubbed th e f ork tubes. Ed Curran 113 20 R o ck y Mtn. R eno, NV. 89 506 Ed, wh at's a Honda ? Is th a t t he re on e of them e ngi nes th at o n ly w o rk s e very f o urt htime? I'm lo st too , so a ll you fo ur -stro ke ride rs a u t t here an d m anufac tu re rs o f trick go o d ies pass o n to Ed th e word s of wisdo m tha t he ne eds. Flat rate explained I took my Honda 500 Fo ur in to a lo cal de a le r s service department be cause it need ed a valve jo b and I d on 't have t he specia l tools to do it myself The Service Manager said it wo uld take six hours to do t he valve job, at SI O p er hour plu s parts. I've talked to' Ho nda m echa nics and so me said it takes longer, so me say it can be done faster. My quest io n is, h ow does th e Ser vice Manager estimate the time it will take to do a j ob like this? . William Warn er Herm osa Beach, Calif. All shop service w ork is fig u red o n a " fla t rat e:' Flat ra te m ean s th e tim e it takes a skille d m ech an ic to d o t he job . T he flat rate hour is usu all y bro ken d ow n into tenth s o f an ho ur. Eac h repair op eration on a b ike is lis ted in the (n a t rat e boo k. Fo r exam p le, o n yo u r Ho n d a val ve job, a fa c to ry m ech an ic is time d d oi ng th e [ob fro m start to fin ish with the best o f t ool s and under idea l workin g condi tions . A n ew b o ok co mes ou t each year, wi th the ti mes refigured to re flec t new techn ique s o r service ite m s. T he sc rvi c.:e wri fer u se s the flat ra te book li ke a b ib le. If the mec han ic can do the-jo b rast er, he's m o ney ahead . If it take; h im longer, a n d if'hc's on co m m issio n , he lo se s money, be cause [he c usto m e r p a ys only w hat it sho u ld cost. IIAELLi Motorc yc le T i res The everyday tires that are us ed as professional ra ci ng ti res . West Coa st Distr ibutor Dealer Inq uiries Invited M oto'l.cycLe 360 QUALI T Y A CCESS OR [ES from BULTAC O INTERN A TIONAL, LTO. 15406 Cah r ito Rd ., Va n Nuys , Calif. 21 3 ·780 ·1 5 2 5 ~ MAICO ~~ gGOp.a P.O.Bo x 62 5 4 7. Virg in ia , " 'HELBY FERReD DISTRIBUTING COMPANY , INC. EXCLUSIV A TOMOTIVE, MARINE' CYCLE E U IDISTRIBUTOR FOR RAJA Y TURBOCHARGERS Special en gineering assista nce provided fo r s t reet o r ra ce tu rbo applications and tu rbo kit dev e lopment. For inform at ion contact Shetby-Spe arco, 2054 Broadwa y, Sa nta Mon ica , Ca lif. 904 04 . (21 3) 8 29· 1577 . aeae n. VA 2 34 6 2 ~:=,&;~ stroke carbs, Also conversions for alcohol & nitro fuels. 27