[MFolks]

No, only when the brake lever is released, otherwise, the brake line will be pressurized, and will have the brake "On", when your trying to ride.

 

[NorthCountry]

Well, when I have no idea on how to fix it. It seems like the piston does not retract enough to let in fluid, while at the same time, My brake lever has no play in it, and the piston can not go any farther back... Any suggestions? This will be my project tomorrow.

 

[MFolks]

I'd carefully remove the piston from the bore, looking for a collapsed seal, or debris in there. The piston should have several seals, and be careful, as Brake Fluid will strip paint, or mar it.

 

[NorthCountry]

Already done that twice. That is how I cleaned the bore. I used brakleen, and then coated rubber and cylinder with brake fluid via cue tip. What could I be doing wrong? There are no fluid leaks at all when I put it back together.

 

[MFolks]

If your bike was previously owned, could the owner have substituded brake parts? Maybe from another brand of motorcycle.

 

[NorthCountry]

I do not believe so. Owner was a lady who got it from her husband, who I guess kept the thing up. However, the brakes seemed rather original part wise. The piston seems stock, but have no caliper to really tell. Clicks in, so I would say that it is stock. The master cylinder seems to be stock as well, as my manual shows the same exact hole picture (supposed to have one open and other hole with v. Hard to find the picture on the web though...

 

[MFolks]

What brake fluid are you using? DOT 3 and DOT 4 are mixable, it's the DOT 5 (Silicone), you've got to be careful of, as it can gum up master cylinders, calipers, and other brake items.

 

[NorthCountry]

What brake fluid are you using? DOT 3 and DOT 4 are mixable, it's the DOT 5 (Silicone), you've got to be careful of, as it can gum up master cylinders, calipers, and other brake items.

Dot 3/4 valvoline. The fluid is able to pass through when piston is out, and the book even pictures the piston as blocking the clear hole when the brake is relaxed.By this point in time, there is only new fluid in the master cylinder. I am not going to do it, but the only thing that I can think of right now is to somehow clear up the second hole, even though it seems factory purpose built. I have no idea what to do.

 

[MFolks]

Do you have a local mechanic, who works on these older motorcycles? They have a wealth of knowledge, about systems like your's.

 

[NorthCountry]

for future reference, found it. off to guitar place tomorrow. CB500 master cylinder fluid return hole problem

 

[NorthCountry]

Alright, UPDATE:

It has been riding good, my first battery was bad, had a bad cell. Surprising seeing that I bought it from yuasa.

Anyways, new issue.

Now it gets hot and starts to surge. I give it more gas and the engine seems to choke. It runs great at idle and runs good for about 5 minutes. It then surges reasonably dangerously. Repeat.

Only thing that I could see as the problem is a fuel pump, but the bike doesn't have one.

* Never rebuilt carb before, but could be an issue. The right carb bleeds gas correctly, while the left must be clogged as no fluid leaves the carb as the screw is turned. Don't know if it is part of the issue. Thanks.

 

[Cynjut]

Sounds like either valves (as in check the valve clearances) or you have a vacuum leak that is only showing up when the engine gets hot.

Since it's heat related, I'd check the valves first.

After those two things, I start looking for things that hate heat. These would include things like condensers in the ignition (assuming you have points) and the coils (which can decrease in performance as they warm up).

 

[NorthCountry]

I have kind of determined that it is not entirely heat related.

However, I believe that my bike is lacking hp. It doesn't pull, and can barely pull me up a hill. Could something as simple as getting the carbs cleaned improve the hp a bunch? How much would a garage likely charge for the two carbs to be cleaned? Thanks.

 

[MFolks]

Let's look at the spark system;

1. New, properly gapped & correct heat range sparkplugs(most gap is 0.028" to 0.031"). Denso is another brand to try, if you're not happy with NGK.

2. Unscrew the sparkplug caps from the ends of the sparkplug wires & cut about 3/16-1/4' off the end for a better connection.

3. Before re-installing the caps, get a multimeter, and check the built in resistor in them. They should test at 5000 ohms. If bad, replace them, as most Japanese motorcycle shops carry the NGK sparkplug caps.

4. Have you checked the ignition coils input voltage? If not, here's how to do it:

Testing Kawasaki and other brands of Motorcycle Ignition Coils For Input Voltage:

When voltage testing Kawasaki and other brands of Ignition Coils, the following needs to be done:

1. Remove the fuel/gas tank to access the coils.

2. Fully charge the battery.

3. Using a multimeter, set it up for VDC(Volts, Direct Current), range of 20.

4. Turn on the ignition switch and the run/stop switch to “Run”.

5. Put the multimeter’s RED probe on where the red or red/yellow wire goes on the ignition coil.

6. Put the multimeter’s BLACK probe on either the battery Negative(-) post/terminal or a good frame ground.

7. You should be able to see battery voltage at the ignition coil connection, but this depends on the current draw of other items in the same circuit.

8. If the tested voltage is down to 8-9 volts, you probably need to clean the many and various electrical connectors.

9. To check the spark output at the sparkplugs, use Ignition Spark Testers. Instead of grounding the sparkplug with the sparkplug wire attached, looking for a spark. This method puts the IC Igniter and ignition coils at risk of failure due to high currents, and possible internal shorting.

These bikes have a 5000 ohm, non-replaceable resistor in the sparkplug caps. They go bad from heat, vibration and age. New ones are available at most Japanese motorcycle stores, or through Z1 Enterprises, Inc. - Specializing in Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Parts, including New Old Stock & aftermarket parts. Z1 Enterprises, Inc. - Specializing in Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Parts, including New Old Stock & aftermarket parts. | www.z1enterprises.com is their website.

 

[NorthCountry]

So would the plugs be the issue? My bike fires reliably, and both exhaust headers get hot evenly (kinda).

 

[MFolks]

How's the center electrode look on the sparkplugs? BLACK is too rich, WHITE, too lean, but a light tan is just about right.

 

[NorthCountry]

Nothing yet, as they are new. I pulled them a week ago, and saw little wear. The old ones were the wrong part number, and black. Fires almost instantaneously...

 

[MFolks]

Another example of previous owners using what they think is the best sparkplug, possibly impacting performance.

 

[NorthCountry]

Yep. More on topic however, my bike idles very well, I just adjusted my throttle tension so that it did so. However, would the bike idle if the carbs needed to be cleaned, or is that something else all together. Thanks.

 

[NorthCountry]

New update! I through some RP fuel system cleaner in there (about 3 ounces) and it now has more power! It runs better too! I believe the 10 bucks for the product was well spent!

Now, I noticed that there is a flat spot in my rear tire. You can see that the tire must have been flat and only filled upon sale. So, looking for a new tire, I found this:
Kenda Tires K657 Challenger 120/90-16 Rear Tire | 246-434 | J&P Cycles
I have looked at the side of my bike and it says proper tire is 120/90-16 63S. This new tire is 120/90-16 63H which is a more high performance tire. (larger top end speed). However, all of the sites I visit say that the tire is not going to fit my bike. Is that a common thing, or is it really not going to fit?

Also, how much should it cost to have the shop mount, align, and balance the tire. Thanks.