Cafe Racer Update - GS550

[@allisonsailsandcanvas]

First thing I noticed....WTF is my seat? As far as North Carolina is concerned, my BMW has been out of commission for a couple of years now. Knowing I'd be off the road awhile, I surrendered the tag so I will only have to re-register when I'm ready to roll again. No back charges. Great video! You've come a long way since the first one.

[@UrbanMonkTV]

The seat will be on soon. Just need to adjust mounting. I need put a lead on the battery for tender also. Thanks!

[@dillesupersic3316]

Supercool bike!! And seems to run properly also. Enjoy your video’s, keep up showing us the progres. 😉

[@UrbanMonkTV]

Thanks for watching!

[@bhunter8476]

Lookin and sounding real nice!!

[@UrbanMonkTV]

Thank you!

[@bluehazeboy]

Whooo hooo, its running,, well done mate 👍👍

[@UrbanMonkTV]

Thanks! Appreciate you following the series!

[@jdwhite2dw]

BIKE LOOKS GREAT. I have the led strip on the back just like yours. I personally bought the license plate mount that mounts on the side of axle that has an extra tailight mounted on it. In my opinion, the led strip isn't bright enough to be seen during the day especially for you in that bright California sun. Having that extra brake light Is way safer for obvious reasons. Have someone ride behind you on a bright day and see what they say. Gotta be safe with all the "Texters" on the road.

[@UrbanMonkTV]

Thanks! Yes, agree it's not very bright during the day. I will be running some wiring to the license plate mount I fabricate so I may take your advice and add brake wiring to that too and add another brake light.

[@ThePupil]

Really like the look of the bike, the colors, the nicely cleaned and painted engine, the front fender. Curious about the seat. 👌🏼👌🏼

[@UrbanMonkTV]

Thank you! Seat is finished, just needs to be mounted once I run some more wiring.

[@ernestasduda1070]

how did you end up unsticking the clutch? love the series by the way!

[@UrbanMonkTV]

Thanks for watching! I talk about how I eventually solved that somewhere, but can't remember which video. Short answer is I warmed the engine up completely and kept shifting it up into 2nd gear until it broke loose. Took about 20 attempts. Works great ever since.

[@kawa1978]

I didn’t see anything on breaking the new piston rings in to seat properly. I’m only getting 90psi it should be 170. What did you do to seat the rings or if it’s in one of your videos I can watch that. Thanks

[@UrbanMonkTV]

I did not do anything in particular to break in piston rings other than operating the engine gently at first and then varying rpms for the first few hundred miles or so. If your rings are sized correctly, positioned correctly on install, and you honed the cylinder walls, you should be good. Is it possible the compression is leaking out valves? Tappet clearances checked and good?

[@kawa1978]

I did check valve clearances and think they’re ok I will probably check again. I did everything you said do you thinks incorrect valve clearance can account for that much loss.

[@UrbanMonkTV]

It is difficult for me to diagnose your issue from my deskchair here, but if compression is being "lost" it can be 1)around the rings, 2)through a valuve or 3) past the head gasket. Assuming the cylinders and head are all intact. So for me it would just be about eliminating 2 out of the 3 as potential places for the loss. When you bought your rings, did you measure the bore diameter and purchase rings sized appropriately? If the bore is worn beyond tolerance, you may need 1 or 2 "oversized."

[@kawa1978]

I kinda rushed with it and didn’t do all those checks . I was assuming the rings in it were original and I was getting 135psi with them and assumed new ones would be better cause I just mainly wanted to stop the smoking which I thought was bad seals. My fault I wasn’t more detailed . Now I pay the price.

[@kawa1978]

I honed the cylinder to get the cross pattern . Does that mean I have to put oversized rings in cause i didn’t.