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Hi, Could we have a picture, or two, of the inside of the panels and details of how you fixed the lexan to the side panels ? Thanks, Brian H.

Hi, Has anyone done something similar to this, with a first gen venture? As I understand it, the bike leans despite the sidecar, thanks to a pivoting linkage, beneath the bike. The height offset in the front and rear sidecar linkage pivot points, causes the side car wheel to steer into turns in either direction. Ingenious. Common s/c setup? Any one done similar with a first gen venture? I don't own a sidecar, yet, but the dogs are looking more like sidecar passengers than pillion. Thoughts, experiences? Thanks, Brian H.

Yup, I have that too. Have just lived with it so far. Brian H.

I recently tried some of this stuff on a car exhaust. It was a big hole where a weld had rusted out, oval shaped 1/2" x 1" in size approximately and the repair worked out a great success. http://www.permatex.com/images/DisplayImage.asp?210|/images/ProductPhotos/80331.jpg Permatex® Muffler & Tailpipe Bandage Epoxy-impregnated fiberglass bandage chemi- cally welds mufflers and tailpipes. Permanently repairs holes and leaks in exhaust systems saving costly part replacement. Seals out poisonous fumes to temperatures of 800°F (426°C). Suggested Applications: Mufflers and tailpipes on automobiles, trucks, tractors and farm equipment Hope this helps.

FWIW: I emailed Ignitech about a week ago to ask about some spare pins. They promised to send some asap. They just turned up in today's mail. Can't do much better than that! Cheers, Brian H.

I am thinking of springing for the caddy instead of messing around with baggies. Importing from the UK is not cheap I have learned. I think I just have enough patio space for the biggie, into which I hope to get both my XVZ12's. Brian H.

Hi, Has anyone used one of these vacuum storage bags (or similar) for wintering a Venture? I have lost access to my usual winter storage, so am having to get creative. Thanks, Brian H.

Those cracks wouldn't put me off, they look entirely repairable to me. I'd haggle the price of the bike over them though, you bet I would. The repairs will take a bit of time and effort but as long as you aren't paying someone else by the hour, it'll be worth your while. I like Plastex also. It is truly wonderful stuff. You will be amazed at the repair results and its versatility. It takes a bit of trial and error to get the technique down but it isn't hard to use once you get the hang of it. I'll bet with the right clamping, just a few drops of the liquid solvent part of the Plastex kit run into the backside of those cracks would 'heal' them up nicely. Then I'd do something on the inside for a bit of extra strength and insurance out of sight. I have used auto fibreglass in the past and have had mixed results. I have decided not to use it anymore as it doesn't stick well enough in the long term. That being said, I do have some f/g repairs that have a lot of miles on them now. I have had very good results with MIGHTY PUTTY believe it or not. (I started out using a Permatex product that was recommended by someone here but was later discontinued. When Billy Mayes began his annoying info-mercials for M/P, I said to myself that looks a lot like that Permatex stuff. I bought some and it works just as well, so I think Permatex dumped their remaining inventory on Billy Mayes et al and they renamed it. Just my suspicion though, so make up your own mind.) I have a lower fairing mounting tab completely rebuilt of M/P and it has a full season on it now. For behind the scenes repairs, I use M/P in combinatioin with the fibreglass drywall tape that comes on a 2" roll. I mix an apporopriate sized wad of M/P then spit it in half. I work the first half into place on the crack, then lay the f/g tape across the top so that the strands go diagonally across the repair. Then I cover that with the other half of the wad of M/P and work it in well. It sticks well, holds strong and lasts. (M/P doesn't hold a thread very well though.) In your purchasing decision I guess you need to weigh how important it is to you to have an absolutely pristine looking bike vs a way of bargaining down the price by pointing to cracks and deficientcies then fixing them yourself. Personally I don't care what the bike looks like so long as I can have fun riding it. I am much happier getting a good price, others seem more hung up on appearance. Your call. I don't have a compressor equipped bike so you are on your own there, sorry. Hope this helps. Brian H.

Hi, With the Ignitech box installed, w/o a MAP sensor, and running Todd's map file (from the first post) appropriate for this setup, I am still finding that my bike is running somewhat hotter than I recall, especially since I am now operating it in the predawn cooler fall weather. (It was down to less than 2 deg C at my house yesterday at 05:30hrs!) On my 65km / 40mi trip from home to work yesterday, the temp gauge was showing at the high 2/3 of the normal zone when moving and was getting up to the bottom of the red zone when waiting at lights etc. Average ambient temp for the journey was likely (optimistically) somewhere around 10 deg C. Previously I would have expected to see the temp gauge in the low end of normal. I still have trouble with hot starts. (I keep meaning to mod my starter with the better internal grounding expounded by dingy ET-AL but alas, there is only so much time in the day and it doesn't look like a 5 minute job with all that plumbing in the way.) I got stranded on my commute yesterday morning. After buying my take away coffee, close to work, the bike was a no go. I wound up leaving the bike where it was and walking the remaining distance. When I came back at midday, the bike was cooled down and started up just fine. On the ride down, I'd had my electric gloves on (2 amps max) and a seat heater (3 amps max). I had the controller at about 75% so I was drawing say 3.75 amps more than a stock bike's load. Seems like peanuts but admittedly, the seat heater is a new addition. I watched the voltmeter closely on the ride and its behaviour seemed normal, above 12v except when waiting at lights etc. I don't think I have a charging issue. I am thinking of going back to the OEM CDI box till I have time to either add the MAP sensor or mod the starter or both if I dream in technicolor. I will watch the operating temps carefully for comparison if I do. Thought this might be of interest, hope I am not muddying up the TCI thread. Cheers, Brian H.

You have read more into my question than I intended, sorry if I was not clear. All I really need is to know is what's the margin between what a stock bike pulls and how much the charging system is capable of delivering. Surely such an illustrious and innovative group as this has a rule of thumb after 26 years. IF I wasn't trapped in my cubicle hell, I'd be able to refer freely to my manual and do all sorts of useful measurements, but as it is I'm trapped here at work so you are my phone a 'friend lifeline', sorry. Thanks, Brian H.

Hi, What do we know about the amount of power available to power accessories on a stock '84 non Royale? All otherwise being well, how much current can I draw with add on accessories without risking a no start situation at the next stop? Thanks, Brian H.

I don't like doing unpaid commercial endorsements but........ I like Techron, have you tried that? Brian H.

Is there anything you don't have Bob? Brian H.

Hey, Any iPhone users out there? (I don't know how I got along without mine!) I have been using an app called Gas Cubby to keep track of my fuel use and service efforts this season. It can do multiple vehicles and is free, sponsored by Prestone. (There's a paid for verson too with extra fancy features but I wouldn't know about them cheapskate that I am) At the pump, it would probably be quicker to write in a log book like I used to do but when it comes time to crunch the numbers, man its all done for you and you can email it to yourself to print out etc. I like it a lot. Check it out, its pretty cool. Hope this is of interest. Brian H.

$258.36 ! That's a spicy meat-a ball ! Brian H.