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Finally finished work today and have just over 4 weeks off, time to look at the old 13 again, riding it to work almost every day I don't get a chance to really do a lot to it during the year. Finally got around to cleaning my spare set of carbs, soaked in diesel for a week, blew out all the lines even used the special cleaning tool I got a while ago, had to order 3 air cut off diaphrams as the old ones were pretty stiff, took a while to get here, now if someone could explain what the hell they do would be good , but when I rebuild stuff I replace everything that needs to be fixed, so never mind the cost . The reason i'm doing up my spare set is because the old girl just can't seem to get over 5000 rpm along the highway, seems to be starving, i'm wondering if it's the old set of carbs with a few blockages or i'm not getting enough fuel flow with the Kawasaki vacuum petcock, have to look into that after I swap carbs if it continues. Another item I thought i'd mention after reading that most people seem to have problems starting their bikes, I never took much notice of it before but for some reason someone has run a heavy duty wire (it looks like household electrical wire, 5 thick copper wire type stuff) from the battery up into the back of the headlight cover, didn't take notice of where they connected it, so i'd guess it's maybe because of a broken power wire, or maybe they did it so supply a bit more grunt to the ignition system ????, if I remember i'll have a look and post some photos, and the only reason I mentioned it was that the old girl will always start easy, even in winter (well our winter down here), just need a little bit of choke and away she goes. Ok just thought i'd let you know what i'm doing over Xmas, I've been a bad boy most of the year so nothing from Santa unless I buy it myself, but I wish everyone on here a very merry Xmas, and a really great new year (and I don't care if any Muslim is offended by my xmas wish) cheers all, Pete.

Cheers Pete have a great Xmas my wife has got me some old issues of classic bike so ill have a couple Jim beams and do a bit of reading ill also be pulling my carbs off the new tool just turned up with some new inlet manifolds.

Hey Pete, hope you have a nice relaxing break.

I took my bike on it's first long run a couple of days ago and sure enough after about 100km's she started to splutter. I managed to nurse it to a shady rest area and couldn't for the life of me work out the problem (electrical or fuel). It would start up and rev nicely but as soon as it was under load she would die in the arse. First good samaritan to come over was another sidecar owner (go figure) and after he left 2 more guys came over and suggested looking at the battery terminals to see if they were loose. Sure enough the negative was loose from all the bouncing around on the very mediocre road we were travelling (Bucketts Way, Gloucester, NSW). I pushed it on as hard as I could but the same thing happened and it wasn't till I tightened it up with a spanner that it started to respond properly. So the problem was my fuel solenoid was cutting in and out with the the loose battery terminal and every bump in the road. I don't know if you have removed your fuel solenoid at all, I know a lot of the members here have, but if you haven't then just check that is not causing the problem.

Anyway, hope its not too hot up there, we are supposed to get 40 deg c here the next couple of days so I will probably be locked inside with the air conditioning turned up.

BTW Don't know if you were serious about having the air cut off diaphrams explained? But if you were it is pretty well explained on Page 168 of the manual with a nice diagram as well.

Yeh read up on them diaphragm thingies, changed 'em, got it all back together yesterday, still have to pull off the ones on there now and swap over the floats, I have the brass ones in the ones on the bike, everything went back together well, amazed me I didn't have any "spare parts" after I finished , still have to install, balance and colortune them, but still a few weeks of holidays left so no rush. Fuel solenoid not on there, will check fuel line and filter when I take the tank off, and any other obvious causes of starvation, but as I said no rush yet . Weather up here has been hot also, few bad thunderstorms with hail and wind, usual Aussie summer like it use to be ages ago. Did an oil change on the ute, once a year is good enough, bike oil also changed, do the bike a tad more often, like a mate of mine said, the price of oil is cheaper than a re-build, anyway have a Happy and Great New Year and here's to another year of riding a 13, cheers

Maybe you can enlighten me on installation of those diaphrams, what and where does that small o-ring type thingy get installed? I can't find a reference to it in the manual.

I couldn't find anywhere to put that little thing either, so I have 3 "spare", and don't forget to put the cap on that spring from the old set, still have to pre-adjust the balance shafts before I put them on, noticed one was a little worn in the bottom of the slot, but it should be ok (fingers crossed), took the idle screws out 4 turns just to start it, as I said it all has to be tuned and balanced after I swap them over, not looking forward to those bloody rubbers on the air box, hopefully I have the carbs together in a reasonable place on the rail, no rush, still have a few more weeks holiday, cheers