Week 3 Monday Scribe Notes

I. Announcements

  1. Professor Littman rearranged some of the groups’ responsibilities and focuses. (see the Teams page)
  2. A spark plug observations guide was added to the FRS 106 Website, along with a Carburetor Tuning Manual
  3. A new frame was purchased on eBay along with grips and some other accessories.

II. Recap from Last Wednesday

  1. Engine Group
    1. Oil was still leaking from the blue motorcycle, so they emptied the oil and replaced a screw and gasket that was overtightened and stripped last year.
    2. Oil was also refilled at the end of lab.
  2. Fluids Group
    1. Worked on removing the timing cover on the orange motorcycle.
  3. Detailing Group
    1. Looked for new handlebar parts.
    2. Found a method of searching the internet (eBay in specific) using part numbers from the manual.
  4. Electrical Group
    1. Learned how a bridge rectifier works (converts Alternating Current to Direct Current [AC to DC]).
  5. Frame Group
    1. Attempted to use the hand press and hydraulic press, and learned many useful tips for the future
  6. Front Fork Group
    1. Completed a catalog of most pertinent parts and determined each part’s purpose.
    2. Ready to clean everything today.
    3. Learned about the difference between normal springs and progressive springs (on progressive springs, the spring constant changes during the compression process).
  7. Carburetor Group
    1. Discovered a fitting issue with one of the carburetors and will work on the motorcycle it came from today.

III. Technical Concepts

  1. Gear Ratios
    1. The gear ratios technical data sheet is now posted on the website.
    2. In our drive train, the gears change from small to large twice, effectively reducing the amount of revolutions per minute by the time the power gets to the rear wheel.
    3. In its simplest form, the power flows through these four components in this order : 1) Engine, 2) Clutch Basket, 3) Gearbox, 4) Rear Wheel
  2. Spark Plug Operation
    1. The crankshaft’s rotation induces a current in a series of wire coils that powers many of the motorcycle’s components, most importantly, the spark plug.
    2. The voltage produced by the engine is relatively small, but is boosted by a transformer to be able to bridge the gap in the plug and create the all important spark.
    3. The points mechanism is what controls the frequency of the spark based on the engine’s rotation and the position of the piston in the barrel.
    4. The color of the spark can also indicate the health of the spark plugs, as a blue spark represents a hotter, more effective spark, whereas a red spark represents a cooler, less powerful spark.

IV. Discussion on Zen Chapters 7, 8, and 9

  1. Highlighted Concepts
    1. Dumb Questions Prevent Dumb Mistakes
    2. Inductive vs. Deductive Reasoning
    3. The Scientific Method has its place in many facets of life, especially when a difficult problem occurs in motorcycle maintenance.