Beau-Kat

Just lifted you and her family up in prayers. Rusty

Hey folks. Hurt my back lasat week putting my son in his car seat. Still healing and can't ride yet, so I have been cruising the web in the meantime. Here is a thread to a forum I am also on because of my 1981 Maxim. I haven't heard of this event before, but it almost looks worth the trip to Milwaukee for me to be there next time. http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=387820.html#387820 Rusty

Watched the video. The bike has a lot going for it. However, the stitching on the seat isn't for me. I can imagine it wearing out rather quickly. The way the lids and the saddle bags come together looks cheap to me. That newly designed engine has to carry the name for them to want that price. I know I can't afford one. And, by the way, what would I then do with all of my cassettes? Oh well, some folks will be riding those bikes for sure.

A few years ago, I installed tires on a friend's 1996 1500 Wing. Took it out for about 20 miles while he rode the VMax. Wow! That 1500 was really better than sewing machine smooth. That engine is so balanced that it was actually boring for me to ride. I couldn't wait to get back on my VMax for some fun. I do bet you could ride one of those 1500s for a 700 mile day without feeling fatigued though. Really nice bikes. If you got a good deal on it, I'd fix it and ride that puppy!

Happy birthday friend! Hope you are doing very well these days!

Nevermind. I did a search and found the answer to my question. I wish my '88 had the 4 brush starter. But I upgraded the cables and it starts fine right now.

I agree, I shoulda probably done the whole deal instead of the rebuilt kit on the Max. Well, I got some more maintenance stuff to do on the Max soon. Probably install a new slave and master cylinder then.

Do all 1st gens have a 2 brush starter or did Yamaha switch to the 4 brush starter in a certain model?

I wonder if the heat gun would work on the painted-on pinstripes (on my Maxim) without damaging the original paint, then buff them off with some fine rubbing compound?

Or sit around and write a self-help manual. You've already made a good start at it. I'd probably buy one from ya cause I ain't going to IR either and I've walked back and forth to my shop about a gazillion times this week, but really haven't gotten anything done. Plus, it rains nearly everyday around here.

Just went through that with my VMax last summer. Leaked a bit, then, I totally lost the clutch. Fluid all drained out under the bike. Cleaned up the slight rust and a bit of water in the slave and installed rebuild kit. That gunk build up in the hydraulics has a way of plugging itself (temporarily). I'd rebuild the slave.

I'd definitely recommend one if you can swing the price. I got mine at a really great price from a member on here who had installed it, then removed it because he didn't like the way he caught the back of his leg on it when rolling the bike backwards. I've had the "push down pedal" part slightly contact my leg too when pushing the bike backwards, but I love the stand too much to let that bother me. It doesn't lift the rear tire as high as some of my other bikes' oem center stands do, but the tire still clears the ground well enough. And it takes a good bit more effort for me to "hunch" the bike forward to roll off the stand than my others do. Still, I use it a lot to stand the bike up straight and secure.

Big change from the stock 150 size. Probably handle great in parking lots, but be too squirrelly at highway speeds. I have a new 130 that was intended for my wife's bike, but since we adopted our son two years ago, she has pretty much quit riding. I considered putting that 130 on the front of my MM, but haven't tried it yet.

Thanks for all the prayers guys. My family surely appreciates them. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make the trip up north to my uncle's funeral as I just couldn't get everything going in one direction in such a short period. I'm saddened to have missed the opportunity to see my aunt at this time. Also, my daughter, who lives in PA, decided to drive down with my grand daughter and is already in NC tonight. She will be here tomorrow. I'm gonna try to make about a week long motorcycle trip to see my NY relatives before the cold season moves in up there. Thanks again. Rusty

Who did your valve adjustments? Just wondering, after all the things you have thoroughly checked, sounds like the #2 exhaust valve could possibly be slightly too tight and not seating. This could allow fuel drawn in on the intake stroke to seep into the exhaust on the compression stroke before combustion. Then, that seeping fuel will ignite in the hot exhaust. Just a theory. I've seen a synch look ok while there still existed a slight vacuum leak.

You folks going to the IR have a safe trip. Praying for you from here. Maybe, one day, I'll be able to join you at an IR.

I like those Harley tour packs. Opening from the side instead of from the rear makes more sense to me. I've seen my HD friends open their tour packs with the passenger still sitting on the bike, just had them move forward a bit to clear the arm rests. I can't even open my trunk much with a bag or helmet in the rear seat.

Praying for a good trip for ya. Stay alert.

Yup, I'm retired and my list keeps growing... thanks to Pinterest. My wife finds all kinds of goofus projects for me on that site. She says that while I'm doing these projects for her that I'm learning to do new things that I never thought I could do. I responded, "or wanted to do".

Lost my Uncle Donnie to cancer yesterday. He and my Aunt Joan (mom's sister) were married over 50 years. Was just there on family vacation this spring and knew he didn't have too long to go. If I can get a plan worked out, I may riding one of the Ventures from SC up to Malone, in upstate NY in the next day or two. Although I'm retired, I still have my wife and 3 year old son at home, so have to look at the calendar to check conflicts before leaving them. It's a long way from home, about 1100 miles, as I would travel I-26 to I-77 to I-81 to avoid all that I-95 mess. I'll probably have to ride straight through to make the funeral. Done 1000 miles or more straight through many times before, but not since about 2007. Don't know yet if I can even get the trip underway in time. Anyway, I'll post on here if I go and y'all can pray for a safe trip for me. Thanks. Rusty

I changed my rear coils years ago, but had forgotten that they both came out with the bracket until you just mentioned it. Then, I remembered.

My Sportster doesn't stay off the road long enough to cover it up. When I'm not on it, somebody else is. My friend is commuting on it today, just like he has been doing for the last two months. Have had it for about six years. No engine or frame problems or parts falling off yet. The tail light bulb does succumb to the vibes from time to time (non rubber mounted engine), but that's minor.

That procedure works for me on both of my Ventures. When the MM was fairly new, I don't remember having the speed droop problem. I would just set it and it held right there. Seem that I remember the "drooping then picking back up" stuff starting around 40k miles.

A few months back, my slave cylinder started leaking on my VMax so I rebuilt it. Took me forever, but after I bled what I could at the slave, I pumped that clutch lever rapidly for about 40 minutes. That worked for me. Had to get going and didn't have the time to let it set overnight with the lever tied back. Around here, if you leave the cap off or even loose overnight, that brake fluid will draw so much of our wonderful high humidity in there that I'd expect that you'd be back to square one and changing the fluid again. I worked on a fellow's four wheeler's front brakes the same way and pumped til it worked the air out. All was well after that. I don't have the brake bleed tools to put the brake fluid in at the slave or caliper bleed screw and force it back up to the master cylinder. Sounds like a good way to do it though.

Prayers sent and he is also being lifted up through our prayer chain at CMA.