my super-fast Colson (http://motorbicycling.com/f38/one-more-40s-colson-add-fleet-21037.html) hasn't been as super-fast lately.
i've been riding it to work everyday (30mile round trip) and it seemed like it was losing power, was blowing oil out the exhaust, and had some strange rattling going on. it still ran at 40+ though, so i just figured it was taking a beating from the headwinds and the lack of maintenance due to working (more than) full time.
yesterday, i decided to finally change the leaking aluminum exhaust gasket, and i peered into the port and noticed my piston was all messed up.
ripped it apart and found the piston had disintegrated inbetween the rings, and the rattling noises i heard was from the metal chunks that luckily got blown into the exhaust.
there was a ton of blow-by, and that was what caused the oily exhaust.
the good news, besides me having a new piston handy, was that the cylinder walls are perfect. they were black and oily, but after cleaning them with some carb cleaner, they're still chrome, no scratches, no gouges, no nothing.
put the new piston in and it's screaming along at 50+ again.
dunno for sure, but i think opti-2 saved this motor from being a boat anchor. it first started acting up 3 weeks ago, and i kept on riding it everyday, except for last week when i was working out of town. didn't have time to tear into it till yesterday.
i love this bike...
i've been riding it to work everyday (30mile round trip) and it seemed like it was losing power, was blowing oil out the exhaust, and had some strange rattling going on. it still ran at 40+ though, so i just figured it was taking a beating from the headwinds and the lack of maintenance due to working (more than) full time.
yesterday, i decided to finally change the leaking aluminum exhaust gasket, and i peered into the port and noticed my piston was all messed up.
ripped it apart and found the piston had disintegrated inbetween the rings, and the rattling noises i heard was from the metal chunks that luckily got blown into the exhaust.
there was a ton of blow-by, and that was what caused the oily exhaust.
the good news, besides me having a new piston handy, was that the cylinder walls are perfect. they were black and oily, but after cleaning them with some carb cleaner, they're still chrome, no scratches, no gouges, no nothing.
put the new piston in and it's screaming along at 50+ again.
dunno for sure, but i think opti-2 saved this motor from being a boat anchor. it first started acting up 3 weeks ago, and i kept on riding it everyday, except for last week when i was working out of town. didn't have time to tear into it till yesterday.
i love this bike...
