Hi All, I own a 91 GN 250 and an 81 CX 500. Both need repairs and I am having a lot of trouble finding a trustworthy and knowledgable mechanic to take them to. I bought the gn 250 a few years ago. It had a worn gear change spindle. I took it to get it fixed back then at sydney motorcycle wreckers when they had to do some other major engine work on the bike. They were going to fail it for a pink slip because of this, so I asked them to do the work, they did not do the work instead they just tightened the bolt on the gear lever and said not to worry about it. Over the years I have had the bike the spindle has become more and more worn to the point where the lever cannot be tightened on to it anymore. I have taken it back to the mechanic and asked how much to get it fixed properly, they said don't worry about it just weld it on. As I was ready to sell the bike I decided to do this, but not through them, as they had the bike for 3 months the last time and I got it back with a dented up front mudguard. I took it to a friend who was a welder and fellow motorcycle enthusiast. Instead of just welding the lever, we chose to build up the spindle with weld so the lever could have something to attach to. Weld was applied to the spindle and the lever hammered back on. In the process the spindle went through the other side of the case. We removed the case and welded it up properly, however we didn't have a replacement gasket. Inside the motor we found a metal "tooth" broken off from somewhere which we were unable to spot from that side of the engine. The bike was reassembled and limped home. It still needs a replacement gasket, as well as the unknown part which is broken and ideally a new spindle and gearshift lever. I previously tried to get a gear shift lever at the wreckers and they told me it would take too long to get one off come back another time. I have tried various other methods previously to welding, to fix the spindle including liquid metal, a metal sleeve, and wire windings. None of these were successful. It's time to hand it over to a good mechanic. Engine schematics or a workshop manual would also be helpful. The CX 500 has a problem with the charging system. Its symptoms include: -Intermittent Power, -battery not charging, and -bike stalling when the battery is low. I took it to an auto electrician with the workshop manual and asked him to do the tests in the manual and tell me what the problem was. He told me it was the rectifer regulator needed replacing, which he did. Several hundred dollars later I get the bike back and it is the same as when I took it . I called him straight back and he said well I guess the rectifier regulator I just put on was faulty also, bring it back and I'll put another one on, and that'll cost the same again. I asked "why didn't you test it before you put it on?", he said he did and that it was charging weakly he thought it would be ok. So I sourced another regulator rectifier and replaced it myself. The problem was still there. Now the rectifier regulator has been replaced twice without solving the problem. Both rectifier regulators test ok when tested with the multimeter. The Alternator tests ok. The Battery is brand new and fully charged. All connectors have been dismantled and cleaned. When testing the charging of the battery when the bike is running, it is low and weak, but it does charge slightly, though not enough. If you could recommend someone to me who can repair either, or both bikes, and their contact details, I'd be really grateful. I am in Newtown, NSW, so am looking in the Sydney area. Thanks, kenahs
