The bike is named Grover, after the Muppet character that is blue like the bike. My R1150-RS is named Cookie Monster, who is the other blue Muppet and my wife’s F650-GS is Elmo, because it’s Red.
Okay, enough history about our motorcycle “children”; on to the work to be done. You can read about Grover’s First Engine Start here.
I installed the center stand and adjusted the side stand so it wouldn’t automatically spring back when the weight is removed. I think that’s a trap waiting to have the bike end on up on its side in a parking lot one day.
I’ve worked on a lot of the bike’s components. The odds are I’ve made a mistake or two. So I put together a list of items to check that verify the electrical, fuel, air and lubrication systems are working. And, I corrected the items I found that weren’t quite right.
I want to seat the rings so if I get the engine running, I’ll hold it at 2500-3000 RPM for 30 seconds and then shut it off. The bore is very lightly oiled so the cross-hatch in the bore can cut small grooves in the rings as the combustion pressure forces the rings against the cylinder wall. Since this is the first start, I want to keep a close eye on the instrument cluster to be ensure the oil light doesn’t come on and keep my ears open for any unexpected sounds coming from the bike. It’s been just over a year of work to get this far, so, no pressure 😉
Here are a couple pictures from the write-up and a short video at the end of Grover in the delivery room when I spank him to try and make him “cry” …
Grover’s Delivery Room – The Workshop
Off the Lift on One Leg
Center Stand Parts
Installing Centerstand Spring on Engine Mount
Adjusted Side Stand to Prevent Springing Back
Grover Standing on His Own Two Feet 🙂
Using Ohm Meter to Static Time – Closed = 0 Ohms
Checking Carburetor Fuel Level in Float Bowls