Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project (52X)

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#121 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Thu Nov 29, 2018 11:11 pm

Service M02 – Shift Lever...

Thanks goes out to forum member WVWR500N for supplying a decent spare part making this repair possible.

This is what I started out with when I purchased the bike. The pivot was pretty worn which allowed the lever to rattle around quite a bit. It just didn’t instill crisp shifts.

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Here is the old and new(er) assemblies side-by-side. The one from WVWRZ500N cleaned up nicely and the pivot fit was much tighter, probably very close to original.

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Here are the shifter bits I bought from YAMABITS. US$3.84 each for the boots and $2.56 for the rubber. I probably could have sourced them locally, but I was already buying the fuel valve repair kit from them, so I figured I would tack them onto the order.

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I found that something to keep the rubber from getting snagged while trying to get it off can help a lot. Kind of reminds me of a shoe-horn to help get your foot in a shoe.

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And here are the results.

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M02 Total Cost: US$85.24 (shift lever and peg assembly, new boots and rubber)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#122 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:33 am

Service E06/E07 – Brake and Tail Light, plus Wiring...

This is the way I purchased the bike. I never really liked the way the bodywork fits with the silencers, but there’s not a whole lot I can do about that without a bunch of work, so I will live with it. I can, however, upgrade the tail light pretty easily to improve things back here.

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The 4 small LED modules provided the tail light function and they are being removed.

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I’m not sure who drilled these holes, but use of a measuring device or new eye glasses may have helped matters. LOL

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This is the new GT-16 LED tail light assembly that was selected. I paid US$10 from Ebay. It is labeled as a brake light and it has 3 leads, so I was hoping it would get brighter for the brake light function when the 3rd wire was powered up. But unfortunately, the 2 power leads don’t seem to do anything different. So I guess I will just use it as a tail light only.

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I cut out the aluminum bracket to accept the new tail light.

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Then I wired the tail and brake light with a 4-pin connector. Cost of the connector set was negligible as I bought them in high quantity (less than a dollar per set)

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I also updated the rear wiring to match the new connector and wrapped all bare wiring with black loom to tidy it up. There is actually one redundant connector that could be eliminated to tidy it up even more, but I will leave it for now.

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Here it is mounted in place and I think it fits rather nicely. I wish the sides of the light were concave to match the silencer profile, but you can’t have everything!

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I realized I didn’t have the bar-style brake light mounted below the tail light in those last two pictures… please forgive me. You will see the brake light when I show pictures of the rear turn signals in a future thread post.

Go to Picture of Finished Tail Light

E06/E07 Total Cost: US$10.00 (New tail light; Wiring supplies from stock)
Last edited by TwoStrokeNut on Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#123 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:49 am

Service E04 – Lube turn signal switch...

The previous owner said there was a problem with the turn signals at high engine RPM, but when I hooked it all up now temporarily without the bodywork on, the system didn’t work at all. The turn signal switch’s operation never felt correct (like it needed lubricatuion), so I started my troubleshooting there.

I had a spare switch assembly from my RZ350, so I tried it. Viola, it worked… it told me the rest of the system was working perfectly. I should have just mounted that working switchgear on there and moved on, but I had time to tinker with the original RZ500 switches and besides, the RZ350 part felt like it needed to be lubed anyway. I guess there still could be a problem with the self-cancelling module, and of course the high RPM issue that the previous owner disclosed, but I will find that out when I start riding it.

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So it was time to take a look inside the LH switchgear. Yep, pretty grimy in there and it needed a good cleaning and lube.

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Actually, I felt a full disassembly was needed and I enjoy taking things apart completely anyway, so I ended up with this.

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A lot of cleaning along with a little lithium and dielectric grease, and it was working perfectly again. Cosmetically, the switchgear could use some work, but that is saved for another day.

E04 Total Cost: US$0.00 (I love these zero cost fixes!!)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#124 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:56 am

Service E08 – Rear Turn Signals...

Now that the system was flashing again, it was time to work on the rear turn signals. I took care of the wiring when I installed the new tail light and I retained the bullet style connectors.

All that was left was straightening the light stalks to make it look better. I used some long bolts in place of the turn signals and a straight edge as a guide to persuade the aluminum box into alignment.

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Here is the result with everything in place. Could it be better?... Sure! But at lease it doesn’t look like a hack job anymore.

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To hide the unused holes in the aluminum bracket and to generally make the whole thing disappear back there under the bodywork, I decided to paint it black.

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I will show the final results in a future post when I get the tail bodywork back on.

Go to Picture of Finished Tail Light

E08 Total Cost: US$0.00 (Painting supplies and paint from stock)
Last edited by TwoStrokeNut on Fri Dec 21, 2018 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#125 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:01 am

Service E12 - Create mounts for electrical components...

When the bike was purchased, the fuse panel, self-canceling unit, and flasher relay were simply cable tied up to the front fairing mount and it just looked tacky to me.

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To know how much room I have back there, I needed to install the front fairing and that was something that hasn’t been done for about 6 years. But that story will be saved for a future post.

I set out to create dedicated mounts for these items in a fashion similar to the way the factory did it… little tabs for the rubber holders to slip on to and this is what I came up with made from a scrap of aluminum angle.

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Here it is with the fairing mounted. Fuses will be easy to get to, should I ever need to.

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And finally with the gauge cluster mounted. It would be nice to build a little cover to hide this stuff, but I will save that for Phase 2 of this restoration. Actually, I would like to build a custom gauge panel and incorporate a forward cover into it.

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E12 Total Cost: US$0.00 (Aluminum and screws from stock)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#126 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:06 am

Service C06 – Lube speedometer cable ...

This one is barely worth mentioning since it took less than a minute to perform, but its another item to check off my service list. I had the gauge cluster off for some other work and that cable end was just staring me in the face the whole time, begging for some lube. I didn’t bother using the clamp on pressure adapter because the cable end has somewhat of a “funnel” built into it and gravity did the rest of the job for me.

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C06 Total Cost: US$0.00 (fluids from stock)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#127 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:12 am

Service C15 - Straighten windscreen support on left side ...

I admit, I really struggled with this one. Trying to get a symmetric fit with perhaps an imperfect fairing proved very challenging to me. Here is the mount that supports the upper fairing off the steering head.

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I used a piece of tubing that clamped in place of the steering head to take measurements from, in an attempt to get this thing symmetrical again. I made sure each of the bends were equal angles from side to side.

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I eventually realized that short straight tube reaching out to support the oil tank actually interfered with the headlight housing, thus forcing that side of the fairing down a bit. So no matter how perfect the support was, the fairing was distorted when mounted. I ended up bending that straight tube into a curved shape that went over the headlight without touching it.

The result was windshield bubble that matched the profile of the fuel tank, despite the base of the windscreen being not exactly level with the ground. The rear image shows this pretty clearly. And it shows the left side tubular mount at the base of the screen being noticeable down below the right. In the end, I decided no one is going to notice the mounts being non-symmetrical if the bubble screen looks good from the front and rear views. With all my fiddling, I ended up with slightly more clearance as the handlebars sweep lock to lock as well.

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I can’t say I’m completely satisfied with the results because it still takes quite a bit of effort to install the fairing and lining up the 4 mount screws. So don’t be surprised if this topic gets revisited in the future.

C15 Total Cost: US$0.00 (Just a little muscle, and a lot of frustration!)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#128 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:19 am

Service C08 – Add rivet-nuts to lower fairing ...

When I took the lower fairing off for the first time 6 years ago, I vowed not to put it back on without adding riv-nuts to it. It is just too difficult to get to the loose nuts on the back side.

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With the upper fairing now fitted, it was time to install the riv-nuts in the lower. I have one of those inexpensive kits that use aluminum riv-nuts. I found that it is easy to strip out the riv-nuts with just moderate force on the tool, therefore I always install a hex nut onto the threaded mandrel while crimping it down to eliminate pull through.

What I did in this installation was countersink the holes a bit so flange of the riv-nut would be flush with the body surface. This will allow the mating surfaces to pull together tightly, plus it just looks nicer IMHO.

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Here is a shot with the lower fairing installed. I’m getting a bit of hump between the fasteners, so it could be better, but it will do for now. It’s certainly easier not messing with the nuts on the inside of the fairing – it gets pretty tight next to the air intake elephant ears.

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C08 Total Cost: US$0.00 (Riv-nuts from stock)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#129 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Thu Dec 20, 2018 7:48 pm

Service C07 – Lube swing arm pivots...

This was another quick one and I probably spent more time writing about it than it actually took to do in the first place.

I found 5 lube points on the swing arm. Three of them are lined up on the centerline of the linkage system.

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The other two grease fittings flank the shock.

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As with most linkage systems, forces in these pivots can be quite high due to the multiplication factor, so lubrication is crucial for smooth operation and long life.

C07 Total Cost: US$0.00 (lube from stock)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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TwoStrokeNut
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#130 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Thu Dec 20, 2018 7:53 pm

Service E09 - Front Turn Signal Wiring...

I had to laugh (or maybe I cried a little) when I pulled the front fairing off about 6 years ago right after buying this bike. The front turn signals were mounted to the sides of the fairing and the method for disconnecting them during bike servicing was wire nuts like you might find in household wiring. That just won’t do for a motorcycle, at least not one that resides in my garage!

My goal was to add in some proper vehicle connector(s) to easily unplug the turn signal BEFORE the fairing was removed.

First I wanted to get the turn signals properly attached to the fairing. I used riv-nuts through the fairing so I didn’t need to mess with loose nuts on the back side.

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My preference would have been to mount these turn signals parallel to the ground, but one of the previous owners chose to align them with the paint job. If I ever change the paint scheme, I will change the angle of the light then. For now, its fine, but I added it to my Phase 2 list.

For the wiring, I chose bullet connectors, which is probably one of the only style connectors that will pass through the smallish wiring hole in the fairing. I don’t want to enlarge it because it will make it harder to fill in if changing the light angle someday.

Here is the kit I bought from Amazon for US$7.

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And here is a close-up of the parts, including the economy B-Crimper I use to install them.

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The economy crimper does a great job of installing the bullet connectors, and works on many other styles too. I chose to invert the connectors leading to each indicator, so there is no chance of flipping the connections. And for safety reasons, the power lead is female so that it will have the boot fully covering it, even when unplugged.

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For the indicator assemblies, I added a bit of heat shrink to give it a finished look and add some abrasion protection. Note the unequal length of the wires. This was done for a reason, but I actually screwed up. With the small size of the pass- through hole, the female connector needs to go through the bodywork first, followed by the male, so it really should have been the longer one. But there is enough length on the gray wire to loop it around and feed it through second, so I’m not changing it at this point.

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This is the routing I came up with for the front indicator harness branches.

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This white sheet may help show the four connections to the front fairing for the indicators and dual headlights. The headlight wiring splices aren’t the nicest, but they seem robust enough for now. I may cut them out someday and redo them, however, and it is being added to my Phase 2 list so I don’t forget about it.

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Here is a picture looking down in the fairing at the right side indicator connection. Nice and easy to get to now for fairing removal. No additional clamps seem to be necessary with the way it is routed.

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E09 Total Cost: US$7.00 (Bullet Connector Kit)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#131 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Thu Dec 20, 2018 7:57 pm

Service C31 - Mount for oil tank ...

It’s a little hard to see in this picture, but all that supported the front end of the oil tank was a cable tie between the fairing support bracket and the oil overflow tube.

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Actually, it shows up better in this picture.

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As seen in this picture, the OEM mount tab behind the fill cap was not used.

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I figured the nipple on the tank would eventually fracture, so I came up with a little support bracket that reached back to the original tank mount tab behind the fill cap. I added a grommet just because it is the proper way to mount a plastic tank regardless of how Yamaha chose to do it originally.

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Having the fill point of the tank stick out beyond the fairing is a bit odd looking, but it sure makes it easy to top off with oil.

C31 Total Cost: US$0.00 (Aluminum, grommet, and hardware from stock)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#132 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:03 pm

Service C34 – Add bushings to bodywork mounts...

The front fairing is a tight fit and it needs to be pulled pretty tightly to install the fasteners. Over time, the mount holes have been elongated and I wanted to stop that from getting any worse. My solution was to add some aluminum bushings to keep the thread of the screws from chewing away at the hole in the fiberglass.

I didn’t have the correct size bushings handy, so I made some by cutting the flanged end off of a rivet-nut. They look like this.

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After cutting, I have the perfect size aluminum bushing to line my hole.

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And here it is, installed

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C34 Total Cost: US$0.00 (Rivet-nuts from stock)
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#133 Post by TwoStrokeNut » Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:07 pm

Service M03 - Carb Cleaning (Final routing of fuel lines)... (Part 8 of 8 )

Before the bodywork went back on for the final time, I decided to take another crack at routing those fuel lines downstream of the fuel valve so there were no uphill sections in it.

This picture shows where the problem was. The fuel hose leading from the fuel valve routed up and over the carb. The arrow points to fuel that is trapped in there after the carbs are drained. That was unacceptable to me and doesn’t allow complete draining of fuel.

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In the new improved routing, the supply line routes around the carb over to the tee that supplies both sides with fuel. It is now all downhill from the fuel valve, even with the filters installed.

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I’m not sure if this routing is possible with that auxiliary Rick Lance radiator removed and the stock fan installed, so be aware of that if routing the lines on your OEM bike.

M03 Total Cost: US$0.00 (Small sections of fuel hose from stock)
Last edited by TwoStrokeNut on Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Project bike links: NS400R - TRIPLE THREAT // RZ500 - MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE // RZ350 - REVIVAL
'72 H1-500/'75 H1-500/'85 RZ350/'85 NS400R/'01 DR650/'07 FJR1300/'18 Tiger 1200

Motolli
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#134 Post by Motolli » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:30 am

Great! I use the same configuration of the fuel hoses incl the two filters on a stock radiator. I installed the t- piece near the fuel valve to have longer hoses towards the carbs. Then you can lead them around in a smooth radius around and between the fan and stock radiator hoses

Olli

lost1750GTV
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Re: Operation: MOSQUITO CONTROL BIKE - Florida RZ500 Project

#135 Post by lost1750GTV » Fri Dec 21, 2018 8:15 am

tail lights look really good, amazing what you can do when price is not an object.

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