delayed start and more compression testing

I've decided to delay the start of this project by 2 weeks in order to take part in a small-displacement ride to Starved Rock but I haven't just been sitting around doing nothing. I've started digging deeper into the tasks and planning my schedule. I also got a chance to re-check my compression and ordered some more supplies.

I took a project management training class at work last week and I've decided to apply some of the techniques to this project. I even went so far as to create a free account at aceproject.com. I'm using this to fill in my schedule and I've setup some basic budgeting to get a feel for how much this is going to cost.

I also started to think about quantifying my goals for the project. My main interests are solving some tuning issues with the bike (poor performance above 7K RPM, strange timing and, now, poor compression in one cylinder - more on that soon) and making changes to the appearance. It's clear to me now that I want to embrace a cafe racer look with this bike which will likely push my schedule out and change my budget substantially.

While reading issue #4 of cafe racer magazine, I encountered the term "starter block-off plug". This is a device that, at one point, was available from Honda to plug the hole in the crankcase after the electric starter was removed. A few google searches later and I found motorcycle solutions. They offer one that fits the cb350 so I will almost certainly be removing my electric starter!

Since the ride to Starved Rock is this Saturday, I am hoping to start disassembly on Sunday! I ordered three items from my shopping list in anticipation of the start: a fire extinguisher, a rubber/plastic mallet and a pair of snap-ring pliers.

I received a replacement tube for my compression gauge earlier this week and I finished my compression test this evening. I had tested my right cylinder (cold) about 2 weeks ago and it measured 160 psi. I checked the left side a few days ago with the new tube and it measured about 150 psi, which is the lowest acceptable value.

Tonight, I moved my tools and supplies to a garage that I'm now sharing with my girlfriend (Nicole) and two friends from ChiVinMoto - Benjamin and Adam. At the garage, Benjamin and I tested the compression again on the bike while it was hot. The right side measured around 200 psi while the left side measured around 160 psi so clearly something is not right here. I'm going to test it once more (cold) before I start disassembling the bike but it's clear that there's a big discrepancy between the right and left cylinders so I will almost certainly need to inspect my cylinders and piston rings.

Benjamin and I also started filming a tutorial on a radical CV carb synchronization technique that he acquired. It involves using spokes and nipples from a wheel to provide a length of unshielded conductor between the spark plug and its wire. You can short out one side at a time and see how each side idles on its own. While doing this we found that the right cylinder idled strongly, but the bike would die when only the left cylinder was running. At this point, we abandoned the synchronization because the left cylinder's behavior was making it difficult.

My spark plugs were carbon fouled, so we replaced them and adjusted the mixture screws on my carburetors. I'll make a note of their condition once I start the disassembly to see whether these carburetor adjustments made any difference.

We've got some videos of all of this that we're going to post soon. That's it for now. Hopefully I'll have a lot to report on Sunday night!