Plus/Delta/Q on my first day's ride with my new RSV

[SilveradoCA]

Today was the day. I picked up my 2008 RSV and rode her home.

 

It was one of those tragically rare serendipitous days where everything comes up aces. I checked into my flight online last night, and got my boarding pass in my email. Walked into the airport... ZERO passengers waiting at the security check; I was through in about 90 seconds.

 

The plane was about 1/2 full. I got my own row. Flight was wheels up 5 minutes early and touched down 15 minutes early.

 

I had booked a cheapest economy rental car to do some running around in the city before meeting the seller at his house. The rental desk had nothing but trucks, so I drove a Nissan Titan today for $40. It was OK, but certainly better than an econobox. My errands took less time than I thought, and then SCORE!!! I got an alert for an online ad selling something I've been searching for: a 1990's vintage Hein Gericke Firstgear Ranger jacket. I had one back then, and let it go to my uncle when I sold him my Road Star. He crashed the bike and wrecked the jacket. Today I paid a guy $125 for an old style, serious quality leather biker jacket that cost about $500 in 1990's money, in great condition.

 

Back to meet the seller; hand over the balance in cash, get the bill of sale written up, and pop over to the registry office for a plate. At lunch time. I figured to be there for about an hour.

 

There were two people in line, and one just leaving. I was out of there with a new plate in about 10 minutes, plus the gal behind the desk was a babe.

 

Dropped the rental off, seller picked me up and we were back to his place. 15 minutes later and I'm on the road. I only almost dropped her majesty's largesse twice at walking speed; did I mention it's been about 15 years since I rode regularly? This motorcycle is somewhat top heavy, but we knew that. With my hybrid Hobbit/Dwarf lineage and 28" inseam, I can comfortably and easily get both balls of my feet down, and am quite comfortable with the seat height.

 

Today's ride was 497Km. Oh, and the weather was a perfect 27°C and sunny, with a little breeze. Final win of the day: I was 58Km into my fuel reserve when I hit the last gas for 200Km on the way home. I could've used a little walk, honestly, but it was going to be dark in a couple of hours.

 

Anyway, on to the important bits.

 

Plusses:

 

The bike is sexy. She got looks everywhere we went. It shows some wear, but comes by it honestly. It's never been down. Love that small-block V8 sound. Odometer is at just a hair over 64,000Km.

 

She runs very well. Starts, goes, stops, turns, shifts, all AOK. It came with a cover, Fox pump for the air shocks, and a trailer hitch that the first owner had installed and apparently used once. (I will use it... never.) Also came with 2 extra helmet locks, and a handful of keys.

 

I stopped by the dealership where the original owner had it serviced, and they gave me a service history. I'm pleased, and confident. He basically had ALL the fluids, including brakes, clutch, oil, coolant, and final drive lube, changed every year. Valves were checked and in spec just 8000Km ago last year. Fuel pump was replaced about 12,000Km ago, less than 2 years ago. He had moved to BC for a while and then came back, so it also had an out-of-province safety inspection done, again last year. All five-by-five. The dudes at Riverside Powersports in St.Albert were very helpful, so before I head out on my ~5000Km BC tour in a few weeks, I'm going to have them slap a new rear tire on her. (This one could probably go half that or so before needing replacement, but I'll do it before I head out.)

 

I'm happy with the power and performance; In the continuum of horsepower, she falls squarely in the 'enough' range. Not more than enough, but enough. That beautiful beating heart of a V4 has power EVERYWHERE... from off-idle right until the rev limiter. Love it that way.

 

She's quite comfortable, generally. (More on that in the next section.) Wind protection is great in my opinion. No buffetting to speak of. Seat is great (maybe a hair too wide if I'm being picky, but it's just fine). Lots of engine sensation in the bars, but not uncomfortable vibration there at all.

 

Cruise control! Within about 1 hour of riding today, I realized that I may not be able to comfortably ride a bike without this. Severe carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, plus some funky nerve impingement stuff in my arms and shoulders (related to advanced osteoarthritis in my C2-C5 vertebrae) mean I have to keep my arms and shoulders moving, a lot.

 

To summarize the plusses: I'm very happy with this purchase, and today's ride was great.

 

Delta (things to change):

The pipes are too loud for my liking. They sound cool in town and at idle, but at highway speeds they set my tinnitus at an 11. I was wearing a new Shoei Neotec II helmet, and foamy earplugs. I don't hear a drone per se (I can still hear every individual exhaust stroke), but the overall volume is just a bit much. I have no idea what kind of pipes they are; I can't find any markings. I'll take a pic or two tomorrow; maybe one of you can recognize them. In any case, I think they've probably saved enough lives in their career, so I'm going to retire them.

 

Also, on deceleration, we're gifted with a preposterous cacophony of low backfires, pops, and burbles. Not in a good way; it sounds silly. Looking at the ends of the pipes, they are a little coked up, especially the baffles. I think she runs rich currently. Maybe needs some tender loving tuning.

 

Ideally, I'd get the bars back an inch or so closer to me. Short guy, short arms, you know. I'm sure there is some kind of pullback riser that can fix this.

 

The heel shifter has to go. I don't like them, and it's in my way. Gears are to be shifted with the toe, the way the gods intended. Part of the fun of having a prematurely broken down body, is that I have to keep in almost constant motion to be comfortable. I have to move my legs from way up on the highway pegs (which I can surprisingly reach at all - my knees are almost locked), back to having the balls of my feet on the back edge of the footboards, and all around in between. Shortly I'll remove it and cut it off; ultimately I may find someone to fab me a custom one that does away with the outboard jog in it, making the arm straight and the toe lever wider.

 

The windshield has to come down, by at least 6". It's fine when it's clear, but by 10PM just as the sun was close to going down (way up North, remember) and being covered in thousands of dead bugs, it was a problem. If I ever got caught in the dark like that, I'd have to prairie-dog standing up on the boards just to survive.

 

The rider backrest needs to be replaced. This one is too high (already at it's lowest position), and the shape doesn't match my back at all. Plus it's too far back. Short legs, I tell ya. Will look for a different solution there, or maybe none at all. I don't have any lower back issues.

 

I'm going to have to play around with tire pressure and fork pressure. I had 36psi in the front tire, and 5psi in each fork leg. I could feel every mouse hair I drove over, and she gets a little unsettled up front from any kind of undulation/bump/crack in the pavement when heeled over. It may be the front tire too; it's fairly new with lots of tread, but maybe just the make/model characteristic? It's a Metz Marathon Ultra.

 

There is an obvious pulsation from the front brakes, most noticeable at slower speeds. I'm assuming it's a warped rotor? I'm planning on doing the Road Star brake swap anyway. I certainly CANNOT brake this big girl effectively with two fingers, which is how I've been doing it since I was taught. It takes all 4, and a goodly amount of pressure. The brakes are sufficient in power and modulate OK, I just want more, and finer.

 

To certain someones at Yamaha Motor Corp.: the air stems for the fork and shock could EASILY have been made long enough to actually reach, but you didn't. Plus, you built and sold this bike for 14 model years without a tachometer? Really? You have dishonoured your clan, and must now perform Seppuku in the town square.

 

Need to add a phone mount, cup/bottle holder somewhere to drink more (I usually drink about 5-6 litres of water per day... pretty tough when you're moving and your water is in the trunk), and change the tank bib for one with a pocket that's actually useful (and without the studs; they're not my style man!)

 

The chrome (or polished?) gas cap has to go. I see three of them reflected in the windshield. Is there a known replacement, or shall I tastefully rattle can the one I have?

 

The rubber bumpers for the lower fork deflectors are gone. I've read that this causes the deflectors to divorce the bike; will remedy promptly.

 

Now, Questions:

 

Quite a few times today, the cruise control just randomly began losing speed, then the orange RES light came on, and I had to reset it. Any ideas?

 

There is a distinct harmonic sound coming from... somewhere. I couldn't say where specifically, thanks to those loud tubes. Sometimes I thought it was the final drive (or maybe the rear tire), other times it sounded like engine (which made me think of out-of-sync carbs). Thoughts there?

 

I believe the speedometer to be WILDLY optimistic. Anectodally, I think it reads almost 15Km/h too high at highway speed. I'm off to search the tech forums for this, as I believe it's a known issue, with a known remedy?

 

Need to build a tool kit for this bike. Are there ANY random SAE fasteners, or are they all metric? What about Torx, any of those?

 

Here's the TL;DR: Great bike, love it. Happy I bought it. Needs some tweaks. What do you think?

Edited June 8, 2018 by SilveradoCA

[Freebird]

Today was the day. I picked up my 2008 RSV and rode her home.

 

 

Now, Questions:

 

Quite a few times today, the cruise control just randomly began losing speed, then the orange RES light came on, and I had to reset it. Any ideas?

 

There is a distinct harmonic sound coming from... somewhere. I couldn't say where specifically, thanks to those loud tubes. Sometimes I thought it was the final drive (or maybe the rear tire), other times it sounded like engine (which made me think of out-of-sync carbs). Thoughts there?

 

I believe the speedometer to be WILDLY optimistic. Anectodally, I think it reads almost 15Km/h too high at highway speed. I'm off to search the tech forums for this, as I believe it's a known issue, with a known remedy?

 

Need to build a tool kit for this bike. Are there ANY random SAE fasteners, or are they all metric? What about Torx, any of those?

 

Here's the TL;DR: Great bike, love it. Happy I bought it. Needs some tweaks. What do you think?

 

First thing. The chrome ignition cover surround is aftermarket. They all come with black plastic ones. I know of no aftermarket ones except for the chrome one that you have. I'm sure that somebody around here has a stock black one though. I actually should have one, if I can find it.

 

The speedometers are indeed optimistic. I've never seen a second gen speedometer that wasn't around 8% off. Many of us have installed speedo correction devices. Some just use their GPS or whatever or simply remember that it's off.

 

As for the harmonic sound you are hearing. I would indeed look at the tires first. Run your open palm along the very edges of the tread and see if you feel any scalloping. It could come from the front or the rear. It doesn't take much to create such a sound. If that is the case, it will probably be worse when you are in a slight lean. I've had it happen and even going straight, you can hear it clearly if you weave back and forth just a little bit.

 

As for the cruise control. Check your clutch and front brake lever. Is there any fringe added to the levers? I've seen the wind cause the levers to push back enough to cancel the cruise. Even without any fringe, check that the levers aren't a little worn and loose. One way to see if that is the issue is to maintain a little forward pressure on the levers to make sure they aren't causing the issue. Also, if you are pulling a hill or something and in too high a gear that causes the bike to lose speed, it will turn off if the speed drops a certain amount below the set point.

[SilvrT]

 

The chrome (or polished?) gas cap has to go. I see three of them reflected in the windshield. Is there a known replacement, or shall I tastefully rattle can the one I have?

 

/QUOTE]

 

Clean them with a good oil/grease cleaner. I've always used paint thinner.

 

Spray them with a self-etching primer.

 

Then spray with a semi-gloss or flat black.

 

I did this to the gas cap on mine and the paint stayed good for at least the 3 years I had the bike.

[dfitzbiz]

 

Plus, you built and sold this bike for 14 model years without a tachometer? Really? You have dishonoured your clan, and must now perform Seppuku in the town square.

 

Need to build a tool kit for this bike. Are there ANY random SAE fasteners, or are they all metric? What about Torx, any of those?

 

Here's the TL;DR: Great bike, love it. Happy I bought it. Needs some tweaks. What do you think?

 

Welcome to the Venturerider Family. Yep, no tachometer!! If you're aggressive ride it to the rev limiter, if not just remember these scoots love RPM's. Some say "Ride it like you stole it!" I don't recall any factory SAE fasteners but you may have some on non-factory accessories. No Torx that I can recall, mostly Allen head, hex head and JSO phillips. Be safe and enjoy. Come here for any questions you may have, these members are GREAT.

[XV1100SE]

...The chrome (or polished?) gas cap has to go. I see three of them reflected in the windshield. Is there a known replacement, or shall I tastefully rattle can the one I have?...

 

After a ton of chrome and shiny stuff to my bike....the one piece of chrome that I had to cover was the gas cap. Like you said, you see a lot of reflection in the windscreen. I didn't want to take a chance and make a mess with a rattle can so what I did was get the gas cap cover from Yamaha ($25). I put a fishing lead on it and looped it over a support under the plastic ignition cover panel. Won't lose it and it looks good.

 

You mentioned "popping" on deceleration. You should be running the regular gas (89 octane). Do a proper sync on the carbs. Having access to a Carb Tune allows you to sync all four carbs. Maybe a member local to you can assist you. Don't count on the dealers to know what they are doing with the Venture.

[cowpuc]

Howdy and a huge to both you and your new scoot Silv..

 

I dont know squat about the 2nd Gen's but I finally did just get to spend some time on one that belongs to a close friend (he fell asleep on o ur couch and happened to have left the keys in his scoot when he did so,,,,,,) and couldn't help but notice his bike had a leather cover over tank cap.. You would have to ask him (@VideoArizona ) where he found such a cool cover but I would not be surprised to hear that it was something that came from another friend of mine/member here,, @Acehighleather who works with leather..

Puc

[SilveradoCA]

Thanks everyone.

 

I thought of one more question: the 'Audio' button on the radio control seems to make intermittent contact. Has anyone had to open up that controller before?

[SilveradoCA]

As for the cruise control. Check your clutch and front brake lever. Is there any fringe added to the levers? I've seen the wind cause the levers to push back enough to cancel the cruise. Even without any fringe, check that the levers aren't a little worn and loose. One way to see if that is the issue is to maintain a little forward pressure on the levers to make sure they aren't causing the issue. Also, if you are pulling a hill or something and in too high a gear that causes the bike to lose speed, it will turn off if the speed drops a certain amount below the set point.

 

Thanks; there are no whips or fringes, but it's possible that one of the levers has enough free play to contact the switch hitting a bump. I'll have a close look.

 

How does the cruise work; from the wheel speed sensor, by vacuum, or some other way? I believe I noticed the bike losing speed first, then the RES light would come on.

 

There weren't any hills on this trip (during CC operation) that were any kind of challenge for the bike at an indicated 120ish in 5th. It's almost like the CC just stopped giving throttle input. Then I'd reset it and it would be fine for quite a while. I actually wondered if the throttle cables might just need a lube.

[Uturn 780]

Welcome to the forum. Where did you pick up your bike? Very few for sale here in Alberta. The previous owner of my bike pulled the baffles on the muffler and it is louder than I would like. I get a small amount of popping on deceleration. I put Michelins on mine 12000km ago and really like them. The 130 front tire is night and day difference over stock tire. It doesn't seem to grab the tar strips here in AB like the old tire did. Big improvement to low speed handling too. About 60% left on rear tire after 12,000, at least half of that two up. Run a bunch of seafoam through it to clean up fuel system(I put 1/4 Can every other fill). What do you have on for a windshield, I have a couple extras. Currently have the tall Baggershield on it.

[cecdoo]

Hey great to hear you like the bike, as afar as seat ht, you can have Rick Butler a forum member rework your seat to narrow the front nose and dish out the seat . He will get you low enough to flatfoot. You can also look at a Corbin seat, look for a used one they pop up all the time. You either love em or hate em but the will lower the seat ht a good 1.5 in.

Once you remove those pipes and replace with Harley pipes I bet that popping goes away. They have a nice soft rumble that deepens with age and they are cheap!

I never road a bike with heal toe shifter before my RSV and hated it just like you, but was told by some on here to give it a chance. I did and now I love it and wouldnt be without it. Makes shifting up and down so much easier. Just dont buy boots with long shoelaces:bawling:

 

Enjoy the new scoot, Craig

[SilveradoCA]

Welcome to the forum. Where did you pick up your bike? Very few for sale here in Alberta. The previous owner of my bike pulled the baffles on the muffler and it is louder than I would like. I get a small amount of popping on deceleration. I put Michelins on mine 12000km ago and really like them. The 130 front tire is night and day difference over stock tire. It doesn't seem to grab the tar strips here in AB like the old tire did. Big improvement to low speed handling too. About 60% left on rear tire after 12,000, at least half of that two up. Run a bunch of seafoam through it to clean up fuel system(I put 1/4 Can every other fill). What do you have on for a windshield, I have a couple extras. Currently have the tall Baggershield on it.

 

Hey Uturn,

 

I found the bike in Beaumont. After searching for a couple of months for the right one, I'd say there are only about 100 for sale in Canada at any one time.

 

Are those the Commander II's you mounted? My front has lots of life left, but I think I'll go with a 130 when it's time to replace it; the feedback here seems positive. A tire that's fixing to give you ~20,000Km is pretty good in my books.

 

The 'shield is the original OEM one.

[SilveradoCA]

Hey great to hear you like the bike, as afar as seat ht, you can have Rick Butler a forum member rework your seat to narrow the front nose and dish out the seat . He will get you low enough to flatfoot. You can also look at a Corbin seat, look for a used one they pop up all the time. You either love em or hate em but the will lower the seat ht a good 1.5 in.

Once you remove those pipes and replace with Harley pipes I bet that popping goes away. They have a nice soft rumble that deepens with age and they are cheap!

I never road a bike with heal toe shifter before my RSV and hated it just like you, but was told by some on here to give it a chance. I did and now I love it and wouldnt be without it. Makes shifting up and down so much easier. Just dont buy boots with long shoelaces:bawling:

 

Enjoy the new scoot, Craig

 

I'm not too worried about the seat, or getting flat footed honestly. As is, I can flat one and have the full ball of my other side down. I may have the seat re-worked to narrow it some though.

 

I'm going to try some HD take-off pipes. They seem to run about $100-150 a pair online. Seems like a cheap fix if it works to my liking.

 

I hated the heel shifter on my Road Star as well; I just never got used to it. It's just counter-intuitive to me, so why bother? Too many miles on dirt, standards and sport bikes I guess. For the short term, it's nothing I can't fix with a grinder.

[Uturn 780]

I have the Butler Seat mod done to my drivers seat. If your down this way you can try it out. I have a lower tinted(8" I think) I took off mine that I won't be using again. It is the Commander 2's I put on.

[snyper316]

Dangit, You all making me want to buy Cherry.... I told him if she is still there in a couple weeks I would come grab her. He bought it for his wife but she don't ride it enough to justify keeping her. The bike not his wife lol. I think if I had a choice it would be my wife finding a new home... The roadblock in my way is the old lady would flip **** if I got another big bike, funny thing she has no problem with me buying smaller bike.... I guess there is some logic there... I have even been thinking about getting another scooter for the heck of it... anyways enjoy your new scoot.

[slowrollwv]

Today was the day. I picked up my 2008 RSV and rode her home.

 

It was one of those tragically rare serendipitous days where everything comes up aces. I checked into my flight online last night, and got my boarding pass in my email. Walked into the airport... ZERO passengers waiting at the security check; I was through in about 90 seconds.

 

The plane was about 1/2 full. I got my own row. Flight was wheels up 5 minutes early and touched down 15 minutes early.

 

I had booked a cheapest economy rental car to do some running around in the city before meeting the seller at his house. The rental desk had nothing but trucks, so I drove a Nissan Titan today for $40. It was OK, but certainly better than an econobox. My errands took less time than I thought, and then SCORE!!! I got an alert for an online ad selling something I've been searching for: a 1990's vintage Hein Gericke Firstgear Ranger jacket. I had one back then, and let it go to my uncle when I sold him my Road Star. He crashed the bike and wrecked the jacket. Today I paid a guy $125 for an old style, serious quality leather biker jacket that cost about $500 in 1990's money, in great condition.

 

Back to meet the seller; hand over the balance in cash, get the bill of sale written up, and pop over to the registry office for a plate. At lunch time. I figured to be there for about an hour.

 

There were two people in line, and one just leaving. I was out of there with a new plate in about 10 minutes, plus the gal behind the desk was a babe.

 

Dropped the rental off, seller picked me up and we were back to his place. 15 minutes later and I'm on the road. I only almost dropped her majesty's largesse twice at walking speed; did I mention it's been about 15 years since I rode regularly? This motorcycle is somewhat top heavy, but we knew that. With my hybrid Hobbit/Dwarf lineage and 28" inseam, I can comfortably and easily get both balls of my feet down, and am quite comfortable with the seat height.

 

Today's ride was 497Km. Oh, and the weather was a perfect 27°C and sunny, with a little breeze. Final win of the day: I was 58Km into my fuel reserve when I hit the last gas for 200Km on the way home. I could've used a little walk, honestly, but it was going to be dark in a couple of hours.

 

Anyway, on to the important bits.

 

Plusses:

 

The bike is sexy. She got looks everywhere we went. It shows some wear, but comes by it honestly. It's never been down. Love that small-block V8 sound. Odometer is at just a hair over 64,000Km.

 

She runs very well. Starts, goes, stops, turns, shifts, all AOK. It came with a cover, Fox pump for the air shocks, and a trailer hitch that the first owner had installed and apparently used once. (I will use it... never.) Also came with 2 extra helmet locks, and a handful of keys.

 

I stopped by the dealership where the original owner had it serviced, and they gave me a service history. I'm pleased, and confident. He basically had ALL the fluids, including brakes, clutch, oil, coolant, and final drive lube, changed every year. Valves were checked and in spec just 8000Km ago last year. Fuel pump was replaced about 12,000Km ago, less than 2 years ago. He had moved to BC for a while and then came back, so it also had an out-of-province safety inspection done, again last year. All five-by-five. The dudes at Riverside Powersports in St.Albert were very helpful, so before I head out on my ~5000Km BC tour in a few weeks, I'm going to have them slap a new rear tire on her. (This one could probably go half that or so before needing replacement, but I'll do it before I head out.)

 

I'm happy with the power and performance; In the continuum of horsepower, she falls squarely in the 'enough' range. Not more than enough, but enough. That beautiful beating heart of a V4 has power EVERYWHERE... from off-idle right until the rev limiter. Love it that way.

 

She's quite comfortable, generally. (More on that in the next section.) Wind protection is great in my opinion. No buffetting to speak of. Seat is great (maybe a hair too wide if I'm being picky, but it's just fine). Lots of engine sensation in the bars, but not uncomfortable vibration there at all.

 

Cruise control! Within about 1 hour of riding today, I realized that I may not be able to comfortably ride a bike without this. Severe carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, plus some funky nerve impingement stuff in my arms and shoulders (related to advanced osteoarthritis in my C2-C5 vertebrae) mean I have to keep my arms and shoulders moving, a lot.

 

To summarize the plusses: I'm very happy with this purchase, and today's ride was great.

 

Delta (things to change):

The pipes are too loud for my liking. They sound cool in town and at idle, but at highway speeds they set my tinnitus at an 11. I was wearing a new Shoei Neotec II helmet, and foamy earplugs. I don't hear a drone per se (I can still hear every individual exhaust stroke), but the overall volume is just a bit much. I have no idea what kind of pipes they are; I can't find any markings. I'll take a pic or two tomorrow; maybe one of you can recognize them. In any case, I think they've probably saved enough lives in their career, so I'm going to retire them.

 

Also, on deceleration, we're gifted with a preposterous cacophony of low backfires, pops, and burbles. Not in a good way; it sounds silly. Looking at the ends of the pipes, they are a little coked up, especially the baffles. I think she runs rich currently. Maybe needs some tender loving tuning.

 

Ideally, I'd get the bars back an inch or so closer to me. Short guy, short arms, you know. I'm sure there is some kind of pullback riser that can fix this.

 

The heel shifter has to go. I don't like them, and it's in my way. Gears are to be shifted with the toe, the way the gods intended. Part of the fun of having a prematurely broken down body, is that I have to keep in almost constant motion to be comfortable. I have to move my legs from way up on the highway pegs (which I can surprisingly reach at all - my knees are almost locked), back to having the balls of my feet on the back edge of the footboards, and all around in between. Shortly I'll remove it and cut it off; ultimately I may find someone to fab me a custom one that does away with the outboard jog in it, making the arm straight and the toe lever wider.

 

The windshield has to come down, by at least 6". It's fine when it's clear, but by 10PM just as the sun was close to going down (way up North, remember) and being covered in thousands of dead bugs, it was a problem. If I ever got caught in the dark like that, I'd have to prairie-dog standing up on the boards just to survive.

 

The rider backrest needs to be replaced. This one is too high (already at it's lowest position), and the shape doesn't match my back at all. Plus it's too far back. Short legs, I tell ya. Will look for a different solution there, or maybe none at all. I don't have any lower back issues.

 

I'm going to have to play around with tire pressure and fork pressure. I had 36psi in the front tire, and 5psi in each fork leg. I could feel every mouse hair I drove over, and she gets a little unsettled up front from any kind of undulation/bump/crack in the pavement when heeled over. It may be the front tire too; it's fairly new with lots of tread, but maybe just the make/model characteristic? It's a Metz Marathon Ultra.

 

There is an obvious pulsation from the front brakes, most noticeable at slower speeds. I'm assuming it's a warped rotor? I'm planning on doing the Road Star brake swap anyway. I certainly CANNOT brake this big girl effectively with two fingers, which is how I've been doing it since I was taught. It takes all 4, and a goodly amount of pressure. The brakes are sufficient in power and modulate OK, I just want more, and finer.

 

To certain someones at Yamaha Motor Corp.: the air stems for the fork and shock could EASILY have been made long enough to actually reach, but you didn't. Plus, you built and sold this bike for 14 model years without a tachometer? Really? You have dishonoured your clan, and must now perform Seppuku in the town square.

 

Need to add a phone mount, cup/bottle holder somewhere to drink more (I usually drink about 5-6 litres of water per day... pretty tough when you're moving and your water is in the trunk), and change the tank bib for one with a pocket that's actually useful (and without the studs; they're not my style man!)

 

The chrome (or polished?) gas cap has to go. I see three of them reflected in the windshield. Is there a known replacement, or shall I tastefully rattle can the one I have?

 

The rubber bumpers for the lower fork deflectors are gone. I've read that this causes the deflectors to divorce the bike; will remedy promptly.

 

Now, Questions:

 

Quite a few times today, the cruise control just randomly began losing speed, then the orange RES light came on, and I had to reset it. Any ideas?

 

There is a distinct harmonic sound coming from... somewhere. I couldn't say where specifically, thanks to those loud tubes. Sometimes I thought it was the final drive (or maybe the rear tire), other times it sounded like engine (which made me think of out-of-sync carbs). Thoughts there?

 

I believe the speedometer to be WILDLY optimistic. Anectodally, I think it reads almost 15Km/h too high at highway speed. I'm off to search the tech forums for this, as I believe it's a known issue, with a known remedy?

 

Need to build a tool kit for this bike. Are there ANY random SAE fasteners, or are they all metric? What about Torx, any of those?

 

Here's the TL;DR: Great bike, love it. Happy I bought it. Needs some tweaks. What do you think?

 

I can't help much with the cruise but if it is the chrome aftermarket key surround. I have a black plastic one. What I did for the gas cap I went to a truck stop or Wal Mart and got the foam can cooler that matched the color of the bike and cut it off to match the gas lid. It was less than $2.00. As for the tank bib I have a leather bib with large pocket. If you are interested in any of them send me a PM and we can go from there.

[SilveradoCA]

I can't help much with the cruise but if it is the chrome aftermarket key surround. I have a black plastic one. What I did for the gas cap I went to a truck stop or Wal Mart and got the foam can cooler that matched the color of the bike and cut it off to match the gas lid. It was less than $2.00. As for the tank bib I have a leather bib with large pocket. If you are interested in any of them send me a PM and we can go from there.

 

$2.00 beer can cozy? NOW you're speaking my language! That's less than a can of Krylon. Love it.

 

Someone remind me to tell you guys about the camp stove I made from a Heineken can and a penny.

[snyper316]

Ha now I'm curious.

 

Never ride faster then your angel can fly. I am as free as the wind on my face.

[SilveradoCA]

Updates after a few thousand KM, in the middle of a great road trip:

 

The shorter windshield is much better. A little shorter would be better yet; I'll deal with it later.

 

The brakes need work. I get a HARD pulsation in the front, and a mild one in the rear. It's not such a problem at cruising speed, but actually makes low speed manoeuvres difficult, as either the front or rear are not dragging smoothly. The front at very low speed actually causes the fork to move up and down some. Fluids look good, and there is plenty of pad on all 3 calipers, so I suspect it's the rotors. The calipers move easily on the slider pins by just pushing them with my thumb. They don't seem to drag, as the rotors are not hot when I touch them (carefully!).

 

Has anyone used a bar riser? What do you think? I'd be in an almost perfect position if the bar were between 1-2" further back. I know they are available.

 

Handling... hmm. I need to look into this further. This bike becomes so unsettled when upset by bumps while leaned over in a corner at highway speeds, it's borderline scary. Massive wallowing. The rear tire is fairly worn in the centre, so that is possibly contributing. Me and my gear weigh about 300lbs all in - yes, really. I'm a little fat these days at 175lbs. Yesterday I had about 25lbs pressure in the rear shock, and about 5lbs in the forks. Today I upped the forks to 7lbs and the shock to 45lbs. Front tire is at 36psi, rear at 41psi. (The rear was at 38psi until this morning.) Will see how the increased pressures feel when I hit the road again in the morning. I ride with a very active body position in the twisties (weight somewhat forward), and the heaviest part of my gear (large duffel bag) is on the passenger seat. I don't believe this is a load distribution issue.

 

I will see if I can get a new tire done while I'm on Vancouver Island, and have the steering head bearings checked, but they show none of the usual signs of drastic maladjustment or failure. The bike was given a full inspection by it's 'home dealership' late last year, and saw few miles after that.

 

QUESTION: Do the side cases need to come off for a shop to swap the rear tire, or can the wheel be removed from on a lift without removing the bags? (Just need to know if I will have to empty them beforehand.)

 

The louder pipes the P.O. put on have to go. They sound cool when I get on the throttle and at idle, but they're just too loud for me at cruising speed. I suspect a set of factory take-offs may be hard to come by, but I'll look around. Perhaps some HD Road King take offs will be quieter. I can't identify the pipes that are mounted, as they have ZERO markings anywhere that I can see, including on the bottoms.

 

I found a speedometer app for my phone, and my bike reads 10.5% too high on the speedo. This is annoying, due to the factory cruise control limits. The high limit is 140Km/h, which is really only 125. I will be installing one of those electronic speedo fixers in the near future.

 

Otherwise, as this is my first full dress touring bike, I have to say that it is a remarkably satisfying way to travel.

Edited July 1, 2018 by SilveradoCA

[videoarizona]

 

Yep, good power band. Just remember these bikes love to rev and both 4th and 5th gear are overdrives. IE, in heavy winds you can cruise all day at 70mph in 4th gear!

 

 

 

Carb sync first then look for exhaust leaks. Air entering exhaust will cause some popping. It's normal to have on decel if the bike is set to the factory lean specs.

 

 

 

 

I added 1 1/2 inch risers to my bars. Helped a lot!

 

 

 

 

I left the heel shifter on...even though it gets in the way. I like that I can brace my left foot heel against it. I ended up adding some highway pegs on the engine guards. Lets me stretch out.

 

 

 

 

Suggest you try running within 2 pounds of tire max. And no air in front forks. If she wallows in turns on the front, then you need to change out the fork springs...probably shot. Go with progressives. I'm still running stock up front, run 38-40 pounds air in front tire and 0 pressure in shocks. The undulation over cracks is the way some tires are, especially the front tire. All you can do is find the right pressure for your tire. My Shinkos need 38-40 pounds in the front to glide over all that stuff.

 

 

 

 

Rotors warped. 2 finger braking? Probably not. Change out the pads before you do the caliper swap. That much pressure to activate is usually caused by pads, old brake lines or dirty calipers. The caliper swap should fix as well. Do change out the master cylinder as well so you have a matched front braking system.

 

 

 

 

LOL! Yep. When I lowered the front end, I turned the air stems out a bit to make it easier to get to. Do a search for lowering the front end. Lots of info including pics. I did it 2 years ago instead of changing front tire to a 130. I wanted to keep the stability of the front end in high winds, etc.. It's easy to do...lowers the front about 1 inch...gives you better low speed handling. I can help you with phone and pics if you decide to go that way. I would recommend it with your short stature. Be even easier to flat foot and no loss of clearance. See picture above for forks raised up with valves turned out.

 

You won't need a tach, (grins), just rev the heck out of her!

 

 

See Nanci at acehighleathers.com . She made a gas cap cover for me that looks cool! I wanted to get a matching tank bib from here but just haven't been able to afford it. Nanci is a member here and has done some fantastic work...all handmade!

 

 

 

 

Hmmm..if it's losing speed then releasing: I would look at vacuum leak...or miss-adjusted throttle cables. The CC will release if the bike speed gets 5mph lower than the set speed...a safety thing I think.

 

 

 

If you are running Metz's in the rear as well...I would look at the tires. 2 things I noticed when I had Metz's... cupping in rear after about 5K miles and a humming/whine noise on corners. Tire related.

 

 

 

Yep..Speedodrd Easy to install and program.

http://shop.12oclocklabs.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=59

 

 

hope this helps...

[videoarizona]

 

A couple more things to think about. Steering head bearings a touch loose will cause sloppy handling. The bearings can look good but most shops won't take the time to adjust them as it does require some effort to get the front end apart to do a simple job. Takes the right tool as well if you follow the manual. Yes on the rear tire...look it over carefully. Worn front shocks and worn or dry/misadjusted swing arm bearings/bushings can also cause wallowing. I'm going with the front forks and tires as the most likely.

 

QUESTION: Do the side cases need to come off for a shop to swap the rear tire, or can the wheel be removed from on a lift without removing the bags? (Just need to know if I will have to empty them beforehand.)

Yes. Plus the right muffler. The rear brace under the rear fender comes off easily and helps a lot as well. If you take off both bags it really does make a difference in getting that axle nut off and on. Lots of torque needed! Pics and a write up available on this site. You will need a lift adapter (sold by a member) or some 2x4's will work in a pinch. I recommend the lift adapter cause it is solid! You need to get the scoot up in the air!

 

 

 

 

I have Road Kings and like them. Nice rumble at idle but not to loud at 75mph. You will need to make a bracket unless the pipes you have on now have a bracket that works....

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed. I just completed a 4K plus mile trip on my 05 RSV and I was comfortable all the way!