BlueSky

Thanks for keeping us updated! I bought a torque wrench from Lowes, their Kobalt label for about the same price. Seems to do a good job. Probably both are made in the same Chinese factory! Ha!

My ZN700 manual says use 10W20 motor oil in the forks. Evidently, motor oil can be used.

Are you sure you want to sell that Gen 1?

Something to think about is that it's a felony to sell a gun to a person who is a convicted felon. I would not sell a gun to someone I didn't know without going through a dealer who can make the call to check the guy's record.

Congratulations on the weight loss and the exercising! Weight loss is the best thing you can do for your health. It helps in so many ways, reduced arthritis, reduced blood pressure, reduced heart risk, reduced diabetes risk, and the list goes on. I also believe in taking some supplements, fish oil, garlic, vitamins occasionally, selenium occasionally, CoQ10, zinc occasionally, and others. You need to do some research on the statins and other drugs you may be taking. I was taking rosuvastatin for cholesterol and I developed severe pain in my right arthritic hip. So, I stopped taking it and the most of the pain went away. A few months later, I tried it again and the same thing happened. I've taken 3 different statin drugs so far and they just don't agree with me with different unacceptable side effects from all three. Again, congratulations!!

PODs don't work well on CV carbs. Go back to the stock air filter.

As wide as the engine looks, is it a 6 cyl?

My 89 ate a couple of screws that I never found. Always a bummer.

check partzilla.com. They might have it.

Night time photos are suspect. I would ask for some day time digital photos emailed to me so I could expand them and check the bike out really close up before I made the drive.

I regret to say that I've ridden my 89 only a few hundred miles and have not ridden it in several years. It got less than 30mpg when I checked it. But, something was wrong with the carbs because the idle mix screws had to be turned in leaning it out until they were one turn out. And it would start cold without the choke. I suspect the enrichment valves are leaking but I haven't pursued a fix. Now the fork seals are leaking and the speedometer was noisy the last time I rode it. Hopefully, I will get around to going through it soon. It's as perfect as they get for an 89 and deserves to be repaired and ridden. I just have to fix the typical issues to get it going again.

The only glaring design flaw that I can think of at the moment is the 2 brush starter that was used in all 83 thru about 90.

I wish I could have made it. I would have enjoyed it much more than removing those dang kitchen cabinets! I'm getting too old for this stuff.

fleabay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=progressive+springs+for+1989+Yamaha+Venture+Royale&_sacat=0

The front brakes are much better on the 89 also unless you have changed the forks on the 83 to the Mark II forks.

Well, I won't be able to make it after all this year. I just got word our new kitchen cabinets have arrived at the builders supply, so I will be removing the old cabinets and repairing the wall for new back splash for the next couple of days.

Just to be clear, it will be on Thursday, May 16?

This is a fairly common problem with bikes that have sat for years. Corrosion happens and the cap won't come off. Most of the time I think the key won't turn either. Their are utube videos about how owners have finally been able to get the caps off.

May sound stupid, but check the tire pressure.

Sounds like a great idea! I'll be there.

Only a V6! That V6 is more powerful than the V8 Camaros of a few years ago. I've ridden in a rental Camaro with that engine that my son rented when he visited and it flys. My wife has a similarly powerful 325hp V6 Infiniti EX37, the little crossover, and I think it may be quicker than my Hemi Magnum. Congratulations to Eileen!

Yeah, but the "small" trucks today are about the same size as the full size trucks of old. That's one thing I don't like about the new full size trucks. They keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger. It's like driving a dang bus. When I got out of my buddies 2013 F150 and got back in my 2002 F150, both supercabs, it felt almost like I was going from a full size to a Ranger.

The Tacoma and Frontier can still be purchased with a stick, but that's all I know of.

Grew up on the edge of the woods with a swamp and small creek not so far back in the woods. Saw and was scared by many Copperheads. Killed as many as possible with a hoe or bushax. Never saw a rattler in the wild growing up in north eastern NC. Lots and lots of water mocassins in the creek where I fished. Some hot summer days I would go fishing and there would be dozens of them laying on the bank. Those days I went back home without fishing.

RAM started using the ZF 8 speed transmission in 2013. It is German designed and is used in BMWs, Rolls Royce, Audi, and a host of others. I think it's a good transmission. Check it out.