Common Issues

[DaveS]

So what are the common issues with the Dom, and what are the recommendations to overcome them?

[Rubberchicken]

So what are the common issues with the Dom, and what are the recommendations to overcome them?

Exhausts rusting through and breaking spectacularly in under 20k miles, and worn out suspension in about the same timeframe are the most obvious ones I've encountered...

Intake manifold has a thin spot underneath where it can't be seen and likes to tear, causing an air leak, lean mixture, and a seized engine if not caught in time. Something to keep an eye on...

Tendency to run too hot and consume lots of oil when cruising around 6000 rpm and up, tendency to stall when braking for traffic lights, both of which are fixed by getting the jetting set up properly. (Mine still likes to swallow a pint of oil every now and then when pushed to the max, though.)

Oh, the shift lever wants to come loose ever so slightly which if left that way rounds off the grooves in both the lever and the axle it mounts on. Which is Not Nice At All. Solution is to cut a slice out of the lever so that it can be properly tightened.

Otherwise it's pretty bulletproof.

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Issues; It's a single

Solution; Buy an Alp

Phil

[Recycler]

Tendency to run too hot and consume lots of oil when cruising around 6000 rpm and up,

Otherwise it's pretty bulletproof.

I had an '89 which did the same. The other thing I found was the head bearings need re-greasing every year as the heat from the oil-in-frame chassis melts it.

Lovely bike, but it only felt right under acceleration. On a constant throttle it felt slightly agricultural (compared to Yamaha XTs). Having said that I'd still own another.

I stripped the fairing off of mine and did an enduro once which was hard work, but it was on worn out trail tyres.

[Rubberchicken]

I had an '89 which did the same. The other thing I found was the head bearings need re-greasing every year as the heat from the oil-in-frame chassis melts it.

Never had a problem with that, mine's got 47500 miles on it, never needed to do anything at all to the head. It did need a new clutch at 40k miles, but really who can blame it for that.

I stripped the fairing off of mine and did an enduro once which was hard work, but it was on worn out trail tyres.

I'm stripping off the fairing bit by bit, as stuff keeps coming loose and gets taken off when the rattle annoys me too much.

Headbutting a dog last november didn't help at all. First time I've managed to crack the fairing, and I've had a few tries.

Enduro sounds tough though, it'll be quite a heavy beast in a crowd like that I imagine. I took mine to Bilstain in Belgium once, that was a ton of fun but those xt350s are a lot more suited for that. Though the guys riding 'em were a lot better than me as well.

[Scott]

Oh, the shift lever wants to come loose ever so slightly which if left that way rounds off the grooves in both the lever and the axle it mounts on. Which is Not Nice At All. Solution is to cut a slice out of the lever so that it can be properly tightened.

Do you have any pics ?

Sorry to drag this up. I was looking through the old posts and this one stood out because it's something i noticed on my bike a while back.

[Rubberchicken]

Oh, the shift lever wants to come loose ever so slightly which if left that way rounds off the grooves in both the lever and the axle it mounts on. Which is Not Nice At All. Solution is to cut a slice out of the lever so that it can be properly tightened.

Do you have any pics ?

Sorry to drag this up. I was looking through the old posts and this one stood out because it's something i noticed on my bike a while back.

Sorry I don't have any pics handy, but it's really simple:

You have that clamp thing that goes 'round the axle, there's an opening in it so you can tighten it down. That opening is a bit too narrow so the sides touch before it is properly tight.

So you need to make that opening wider, 1 or 2 mm will do it. I used a metal saw. Then you can tighten it more without the sides of that opening touching and it'll stay tight.

[Scott]

Oh, right, I get it.

Easy really

Thanks.