videoarizona

Funny. Our scoots must be cousins. Everytime I run to Phoenix in the 89, the next morning she leaves a puddle. My thoughts are she's telling me she doesn't like being in the Phoenix. To much traffic and idiots on the road. I think she's right! I get back home and no puddles at all. They do have personalities!

I hear you. Get an adapter to add ear buds to your 5 pin. This is what I do. It's in line with the headset 5 pin cable. I can hear better and my headset system still works so I can use the mic to talk. Edsets makes an expensive one ($65 ?) http://www.edsets.com/universal_adapter.php or check our member vendors area.... one of our guys makes a cord that plugs in.

I'll go one step further than Bob (btw, well said Bob)....and this will confuse even me! I'll keep it simple. Amplifier power. The below are mathematical formulas that are way to deep to go into here....however... Peak = the absolute most power the amp will provide regardless of the noise level it's also producing. Meaningless number to us. Music power = another meaningless term. Usually about twice that of the real RMS power output. Music power takes into account Peak power an amp can provide for a short time. Another formula...but again useless for us. There are other terms but only audiophiles need them. We certainly don't! RMS = Root/Mean/Square = This is the number that counts...but you won't see this label on cheap gear. This is the amount of power the amp will produce continuously at a given noise level, at the stated frequency response of the amp, at a given amount of resistance (ohms) with both (or all) channels being driven. Ie, 25 watt RMS @.005, 8 ohms, 20-20,000, both channels driven. The 8 ohms is the resistance expected at the speaker connections. So if you see an amp advertised at 100 watts. It may only be a 25 watt rms amp. But don't knock 25 watts....that can drive an efficient speaker loudly! Speakers. Another can of worms.....speakers have magnets that move the voice coil that moves with the current supplied by the amp. The current contains all the frequencies in the music and some noise from the amp...and the system too. I say "all" the frequencies as I'm assuming a decent system. GIGO is the word here for all devices in the music system. Usually, the larger, heavier the magnet...the more air mass can be moved and the more accurately the mass can be controlled. IE, the speakers moves both directions...in and out. The more "control" there is (dampening)...the more accurate the sound. The more mass that can be moved, the more lower frequencies can be heard. Basically the larger the speaker...the more low frequencies can be handled. Bass needs mass and power. High frequencies need less power (less mass to drive smaller speakers) but still need control. We also need to take into account the thermal and mechanical limits of the speakers...but that's going beyond this discussion. On top of all this, the environment the speaker is located can be a boon or a bust for the speaker. A well designed speaker box can help control the dampening of the speaker or help control the smoothness of the frequency response...or both! (Think of dampening as moving in water VS the air. You can move your arms and legs in air freely...wildy even. But you can't do that in water.) This resistance can be a beautiful thing for a speaker as it helps control the speaker cone's movement...helping with the accuracy. Last thought...the wind blowing by the speakers and your ears also distorts the sounds coming from the speakers. The more wind, the less accurate the music sounds to your ears. Bottom line? What does all this mean to us? Not much really....it simply means a 4 inch speaker, in a plastic compartment not designed for audio, being driven by an amp capable of a true 14 watts per channel is not going to produce very loud sounds and will distort at loudest settings needed for riding at 75mph. So what can we do? You can find a 4 inch speaker that has very rare earth magnets (think lots of power in smaller size) but they won't be very efficient...so they will need a larger amp to drive them to a decent volume level. That's the "SPL" Bob mentioned. SPL is sound pressure level...the amount of sound at a given distance. 90dB SPL @ 1 watt at 1 meter. That speaker will "appear" louder than one rated at 80dB. Almost twice as loud! or.. You can find the most efficient 4 inch speaker and install that. That will give you the best volume...but probably more distortion at loud levels and they are more prone to break from to loud a music or noise "hit". The more expensive the speaker, the better it will probably handle the louder sounds and last. It's a trade-off.... or... You can add an amp. Usually they take the speaker leads as input then drive them up more. But whatever noise you get from the original amp will go up as well...and these little after market amps are noisy and not efficient at all. Think lots more battery draw and heat, heat, heat! But they do make more volume! Or... Go buy a new Yamaha Star Venture with larger speakers, better environment and better amp. Grins! For me. I gave up thinking about trying to get decent sound from our 4 inch speakers. I plug in ear buds and my music is clean with no or little distortion. I still have road and wind noise to deal with, but that's the trade off for enjoying riding with the wind... Hope this nonsense helps someone understand why we can't get great sounds at 75mph. For another simple explanation of this go here... https://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/tech-tips/tech-tip-wattage-speaker-efficiency-amplifier-loudness

Neck bearings and swing arm bushings will cause just what you are talking about.....as well as a bad front tire...

On my 89, my wife said the buffeting was minimal with the standard windshield, so that would be my first recommendation. If your wife and you are happy with the original, then find a replacement. If you have the need to see over the windshield then compromise will be needed. A tad lower than the normal shield but with a recurve might satisfy both of you. The 2 we here seem to like the best are F4 and Clearview. They both come in a variety of sizes and widths. I believe both still give a discount to us. I know F4 does but I haven't purchased from Clearview in 2 years. All of my scoots had/have Clearviews with vents. F4's are better in terms of durability when cleaning.

:sign yeah that:

I think it's time to take the kill switch apart on the handlebar. I just don't see anything else causing these kind of problems that you haven't checked. If you've got 12 volts to the coils, and you can see the drop to ground which should fire the coils, the problem must be before that...but that doesn't make sense either. I'm going with the switches....time to take them apart. Be aware of little pieces in there...take your time and take pics for your reference. Can't find the posting that ha the pictures and write up but I know both switches are covered here somewhere...

I'm glad Freebird brought up ear buds. I have $300 headsets, ( https://www.jmcorp.com/SeeProducts.asp?PF=08 ) but prefer the passive noise cancelling ear buds for my listening pleasure. There are a few ways to get earbuds connected. I chose the 5pin Edsets adapter. expensive but worth it in my opinion./ You can also make your own adapter cable. There is a headset/intercom pin out diagram here on site...just tie into the left/right speaker leads and ground...add a stereo minijack and good to go. https://www.edsets.com/universal_adapter.php The ear buds I use are Etymotic Research... https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones.html but I don't like any of the new ones as they stick out to far and hurt with a helmet on. Mine are older but still work. So you need to look around. If you get the kind that have passive noise reduction, then you will get the best of both worlds, save your ears from loud road/wind noise and better fidelity to your sounds! Yes, my speakers are still connected with ear buds in so I can use the mic for intercom to my honey or for CB to other bikers. I got ear damage in my youth with the Air Force, so I'm doing everything I can to hang on to my hearing. So...there ya go. I have no issues with wired sets and actually prefer them. No charging issues either! Bluetooth is a welcome for many people as it works well for them. Look around and don't be afraid to ask questions at J&M. They are good people. The 2 series of headsets they have do a decent job...just remember that the wind/road noise will distort the music and audio you hear in the speakers unless you buy very expensive helmets! As far as speakers are concerned, Freebird covered that nicely. We don't have the power amp output to really drive high end 4 inch speakers, so our speakers will never sound like a Harley. Good luck...

I finally sat down and figured out my daily mileage for the trip to Michigan. Tried for Freebirds MD, but the rain on Friday in the east side of Michigan was to much so I went west. Screen capture taken later in day.... I averaged approx. 400 miles a day. That ended up being about 8 hrs on the road. The Speed averages for the 2 lanes was 65mph, so factor in fuel, bathroom and rest stops and you get an easy 8 hrs on the road. I did run about 5mph over most of the time to try and keep the motor at a higher rpm due to wind. It's funny, no matter what direction I travel, I had a head wind. Most of the time it came from around 11 o'clock...which would provide a nice slam when a truck came by from the other direction. Regardless....It was a very nice trip. Meeting Puc and Tip, Flyinfool and his better half.... and having a great ride on Rt's 60, 70 and 54....nice to see the country from a bike seat!

Congrats on both counts! Glad the little guy is healthy and has his "twisties grip" ready to go! Happy Anniversary to you and Tip!

No problemo...! I brought it up cause I was walking past the oil display and saw the oil...once I realized it was certified by Japan, I took pics and put it on the forum for those who might be looking. I was surprised to find it. I've got 2 oil changes coming up. Will try it on both scoots.

And if it's been sitting without service..... The tires are rotted out, the brake fluid and system may be sludge, the clutch same, oil is full of water and acid... And on and on.... Not worth the time to trailer it home.

Two things that separate our bikes from the rest: Weight Power The above make a difference in handling and wear. What I mean by this is one brand may be great on a VStar and horrible on ours. There are more than old posts in search on tires...newer ones too. The name brands that seem to work with most of us are Dunlop, Avon, Michelin, Shinko. Take your pick.

https://darkside.nwff.info/?p=tires https://ridermagazine.com/2016/05/20/tales-from-the-dark-side-putting-car-tires-on-motorcycles/ https://forum.ironbutt.org/index.php?threads/examining-the-“dark-side”.9/ http://www.motorcycle.com/features/skidmarks-dark-side-riders.html http://trafficsafe.org/index.php/trafficsafe-investigates-riding-on-the-dark-side-1683/ https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://haulnride.com/the-dark-side-the-love-of-car-tires-on-motorcycles&ved=2ahUKEwjH68X5267dAhUF0lMKHReMD34QFjAQegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3lR2eBwI4l16u8bOXZPnGl There's a ton more....

Sounds like kill switch or start switch intermittant. Spray cleaner and move switches. Then try to start while turning kill switch on/off. See if it fires...

I mentioned Quiksilver from Walmart a couple of months ago??? I'm going to be trying it as soon as I get some time at home!

Looks like my 1st gen tool kit!

Wish I had 1st hand knowledge, but my friends have been good most of the time so far... The USS Alabama battleship in Mobile Bay is on my list too!

Yea, but I kept the stock size front tire! So you got what I feel is the best of both worlds!!

If you get to Mobile, try Felixe's or Ed's... East of town on the causeway. Heard good things about both.... This is going to be my guide come October when we drive through heading for Destin. https://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/best-seafood-restaurants-alabama I've heard about Lulu Buffets place on the Intercoastal from boating friends... No personal knowledge. I kinda like small local dives... Also, take it easy through Nashville. Roads were a not in good shape going through the I65/I40 section.

Highly rated. And we liked the floor plan and amenities. http://www.rvguide.com/specs/dutchmen/travel-trailer/2014/coleman-reg-explorer/ctu249rb/reviews.html I have two tvs... Probably won't use them. Entertainment center has everything including dvd, bluetooth and aux inputs. Have wireless remote for awning, slideout and porch light. Both vents have covers so vents are usable in rain. Lots of storage and tankage. Got a good deal... Enough so it was worth driving Yukon to Knoxville to pick it up and bring it home. Freebird...I would have jumped on that scoot deal for sure! Glad you brought her home!

I'm coming...pedalling as fast as I can!! Grins! I'm out of town again so emails and forums are a bit harder than normal. Had to use bluetooth to transfer pics from phone to tablet to post here. 2014 Coleman 249RB

Bob, due to your influence last year about the sheepskin, I was walking through Ikea and saw this.. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70026822/ I cut it in half and both pieces fit on the RSV perfectly! Front seat and rear. Just an fyi..

Found an older post I did. Don't know about detailed from me....But older posts combined have all the info to lower the front end. I'll see if I can find them, but a search using various front end terms like front forks, or, lower front end should do the trick. I just did mine again.. Lowered more, and it took less than 40 minutes seconds time around. Basically: 1: raise bike on lift. Use a brace on frame so engine parts not hurt. 2: take off front wheel, or not. You can push front end down both forks together or separately. If separate, then take off front fender. 2.5: remove top screws, one leftside, one right on back side of inner fairing. That allows removal of chrome plastic windshield trim and exposes windshield screws. 3: remove outer fairing,taking off three screws each side. Suggest you lay screws out in order so you know which ones go where. Last remove screw on bottom headlight trim. Hold fairing. 4: remove bars and hang up out of way. Take handlebar wires out of plastic hose on bars. 5: remove two bolts on side of headlight & two nuts behind headlight mount. 6: remove gas tank plastic cover and gas tank. Gets it out of way. Maybe do this one before #4 . 7: remove two bolts in front of triple tree that holds inner fairing to triple tree. 7.5 pull inner fairing forward about 5 inches and stuff a towel in that to hold it. Or I tied handlebars up and forward... Pulling inner fairing out of way. 8: remove stem nut from triple tree. 9: loosen 4 bolts, two on each side of triple tree. Side triple tree up and off. 10: lift off top fork covers. Mark forks tube at bottom of exposed area so you have a reference. 11: loosen two bolts on each side of lower triple tree..careful here... Forks may move! 12: raise field tubes up in lower triple tree about one inch. Maybe sure both are even. Put back together.