C90 trip from Denmark to Vladivostok (and back) 2024

[125erCrazy]

Sooty plug is too rich a mix. I'm doubting the fuel you are buying is premium either.

If it starts & runs go with it, but the fuel tap/carb may well be gummed (road dirt) or over flowing as the fuel bought is to neat (if that makes sense)

Is the choke closing properly (bearing in mind you've done multiple altitudes with no adjustments)

I don't suppose you have feelers gauge on you for the plug gap & check the HT lead for loose cap or break.

After your last woes I looked at DPD to help you out (not that your in one place long enough) & the postage was €100+ for a €10 part)

In the VV days I tried sending a brake lever to a member in Turkmenistan (or similar) never arrived but came home to me 6 months later making it more travelled than the bike I removed it from

Fingers crossed

[Gavepapir]

Sooty plug is too rich a mix. I'm doubting the fuel you are buying is premium either.

If it starts & runs go with it, but the fuel tap/carb may well be gummed (road dirt) or over flowing as the fuel bought is to neat (if that makes sense)

Is the choke closing properly (bearing in mind you've done multiple altitudes with no adjustments)

I don't suppose you have feelers gauge on you for the plug gap & check the HT lead for loose cap or break.

After your last woes I looked at DPD to help you out

Ok, interesting stuff. And im honoured that you considered sending me a part. Feels good!!!

First of all, yes, i just bought a feeler gauge to be able to adjust tappets by myself.
I felt the choke today, down by the carb, and it looks and feels to close properly. Why should different altitudes affect choke mechanism? It is a simple, mechanical movement.. maybe i misunderstand.

What is plug gap and ht lead? Are you suggesting that the carb is dirty because of low quality fuel, so i should take it apart and clean it?

[125erCrazy]

Altitude will effect carb not choke soz for misunderstanding.

I found a thread on here from 2013 explaining HT lead faults but linking it to your post outside my intelligence (especially after a Sunday lunch beer)

search the forum it's all here including spark plug cap ill fitting

[Bogger]

Have you checked the valve clearances recently? Check them anyway as it costs nothing.

Bogger

[Gavepapir]

Have you checked the valve clearances recently? Check them anyway as it costs nothing.

Bogger

About 2000 kms ago i adjusted them. But will check again.

[Gavepapir]

Have you checked the valve clearances recently? Check them anyway as it costs nothing.

Bogger

I dont have tools though to align the.. whats it called.. the flywheel. But isnt it ok just to push on the kickstarter untill the tappets feel good and loose, and then measuring them?

[Gavepapir]

Tappets were almost perfect. Adjusted exhaust valve from 0.04 to 0.05 cm.

Spark plug gap is 0.25 cm. It has a tiny tooth at the end. I took a picture:




Plan is now to stock up on a few more plugs, and drive to russia. I need to drive more that 5 km to assess if carb adjustment has had any effect i think.

[Gavepapir]

update

Previet comrades, i am in dear, mighty Russia!!
From windy, arrid Aktobe i drove 300 km to Orenburg, crossing the russian border. Was interrogated for almost 2 hours, but in the end the border guard let me go. We shaked hands.
I had a couchsurfing host in Orenburg, but first i drove to a few mechanics to get help with a slightly crooked back wheel and the damn spark plug that keeps sooting!!

In Aktobe, 300km earlier, some mechanics found worn wiring, and they suspected that that caused my plug to misfire, and thus soot. It definitely dro e better after that treatment, but yeah.. only for so long.

At one of the mech places a guy said i should go to his house at 8 pm. He would help me. So idrove there, and met him and his friend, and they started taking the c90 apart in the parking lot while it quickly got dark. We drank beer, and they checked different things in the glow of flashlights.. my gas cable was replaced (i had spare).. but it was late and we went to Sashas house where i could stay. A small apartment, smelling a bit of cat piss (there was cat piss on floor), but friendly family. Suddenly Sasha pulled out a gun, and the other guy took it with his hand inside his tshirt, i guess no fingerprints, and they talked in Russian about something. I asked if it was legal, and they said yes.
The next day it was raining, so wepulled the c90 into his tiny apartment, and he changed my front tire. Also we cleaned the carb, and i found the overflow pipe to be blocked. At least i think so.

I was happy driving back to the city from Sashas apartment, but in a turn a huge pothole suddenly appeared, and ihit it so hard that my key flew outof the ignition and got run over by a truck. I retrieved the key, it was only slightly bent, and continued. The c90 was driving bad, and i stopped only to discover that the back wheel was bent.

The next day i left my host Vadim, and set out on my wobbly way to find a mechanic, again. Someone callled someone, and i found myself in the city center, at a motorcycle club called the Steel Eagles. A man named Andre said big, big problem, took out the wheel and sat on it like it was a wrestling match. He then told me to leave, "not see", as he said.. maybe because he was about to do something that would look unpleasant to the untrained eye..
Outside i met a guy, also called Sasha. He was an actor, and he invited me to the theatre of Orenburg where he was performing that afternoon. I saw his show, a historic drama, and he then showed me the acting school, where i met 10 young, soon-to-be actors who were completely amazed at what the hell i was doing there.. they invited me to their exam perfomance in the evening, which i also went to.. it turned out to be winnie the pooh in russian. It was amazing, and i almost cried in the end. I can be very sentimental.

Back at the club Andre had fixed my bent wheel, and wanted around 10 euro for his effort. Everyone liked me at the club, even though it was a very patriotic club . The president was in the war, voluntarily, providing stuff to soldiers.
I slept at Sashas place. It smelled bad also because he had a ferret, but i appreciated it none the less.

I left happy and drove towards Samara.. found a hotel after some trouble (it was raining, and all was wet, so didnt want to camp) and slept amazingly.
Next morning i was so excited to see the giant Volga river, but just had to check oil level first. It was strange.. very runny.. i quickly suspected gas in the oil, and set off, once again to find a mechanic. A guy les me to another guy, he put a lighter to the oil hole and WHOOO, smallexplosion.

I am plagued by problems, but continually blessed by goodwill of others. The mechanic, Maxim (he told me he could help with everything. Even police), said that it might be the piston rings.. he pointed towards slightly black smoke coming from the exhaust.
Presently i am sitting in a former McDonalds. It has a different logo now, but the smell is like always.. i am going to head of to maxim and see what he found out. But, Russia is an amazing place so far. I cant wait to cross the Volga by boat.

Cheerio

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[125erCrazy]

Thanks for update buddy & glad to hear world politics don't stop genuine people being kind

Keep it coming

[Devon general andy]

What an adventure.
Hope you can keep the mighty C90 going.
It's awesome what you've achieved already.
Yes..... does sound like fuel is seeping past the rings into the sump. Is the oil level on the dipstick rising? The trouble is.... the more fuel in the oil.... the less lubrication. The fuel can start to 'wash' the surfaces. I wonder if small traces of oil are being sucked into the cylinder (soot) or whether it is 'one way only' for the fuel into the sump?
May have to monitor and change oil more frequently.
All the best,
Andy.