VanRiver

If I knew you were coming I would have baked a cake! No need to pick the lock @cowpuc, you are always welcome! Just please refrain from "installing" any stickers on AZZI while you guys are out having fun without me! As for the V-max parts behind the fridge, I hope to finish the V-max heart transplant soon.......maybe during the Christmas holidays while we are down there in AZ. Old AZZI is still very grateful for you selling those to me.....will give her a new lease on life as the current stock engine has around 250,000 miles on it.

Hi @videoarizona! Unfortunately it was NOT me and AZZI that you saw. I'm still stuck up here in the Tundra of Canada. Hope to come down soon so you can have more "Brown first Gen" sightings around town, and maybe meet for lunch if you are up for it. Cheers Buddy!

I personally was looking to buy a motorcycle jack too as I'm getting too old and crippled to keep going up and down, on and off the floor everytime I forgot to grab a wrench......but last week I saw an ad for a used lift in my local classifieds. I was able to get it for $100 Canadian dollars! It's a cheap model from Harbour Freight but still for that price I couldn't go wrong. But with that said it is big and bulky to store compared with a Jack.....and still a bit scary for me to raise 800lb + of a precious motorcycle up in the air, but I feel more secure with this then with the jack style (but that is just my personal opinion). This lift also has a removable trap door in the back for easy rear tire removal, but as you see from the picture the front tire needs to be locked in unless you put it on the center stand while on the lift which would be a 2 person job due to the additional height of the lift and the need to balance the heavy beast at the same time of engaging the center stand as the bike is 4-5inces higher than usual.....all of which would not be an issue using a jack instead. So there are pro's and con's for both Lift vs. Jack. Keep your eyes open on Craigslist and you might find a deal on either a lift or jack. Please excuse the extremely messy workshop area!

Is your Kickstand down when you put it into gear? If "yes" then it is caused by the "protection" switch that prevents you from riding with the stand down and having an accident. If the answer is "no the stand is up" when it dies, then you might have a faulty kickstand switch and the bike might still think it is down if the switch is broken.

Hi @Sailor, yup @cowpuc is correct, I recently added a BMW K1200LT to my "collection". I suffer from an illness where I only have the ability to buy motorcycles and never sell them, so the Beemer was an addition rather than a replacement. Plus, my bike is well out of warranty so the responsibility of fixing her up and doing maintenance is on my shoulders as I will be "gosh darned" to even dream of taking it to a dealer. I feel this same way about all dealers, not just BMW. So here is what I have learned over the last 4 months of BMW ownership......I was always taught that German engineering was the "Ultimate" and that owning a BMW motorcycle was the epitome of riding! Well I have figured out that no matter what badge is on the side of the tank, every motorcycle and mechanical thing in general has it's strengths and weaknesses. Just like our Ventures have flaws, so does my BMW. Case in point, my K1200lt has a known issue of early rear differential failure because some bikes were shimmed incorrectly at the factory! Yes the German engineering and manufacturing wizards actually put the wrong shim in around 4% of all K1200 Diff's that made the bearings fail very early! Also on my bike, it is around a 4 hour job to replace the air filter.......they actually located the air filter under the fuel tank on my K1200LT.....so that means you need to remove all the "Tupperware" on the bike, remove the stereo and communications system, and finally completely remove the gas take...... yes completely take it off the bike...... to simply install a new air filter! Next is the cost of parts.....if it has "BMW" printed on it, it is usually triple the price. But the good news is manufactures like Bosch and Mann actually make most of the parts for BMW so the trick is to purchase the identical "Bosch" version of the same part/filter and the price comes down significantly for the exact same item and quality. The last thing is all bikes have quirks and BMW's are no exception! You know how our Ventures whine since they have straight cut gears, well guess what so does the BMW "ultimate driving machine"....5th gear between 90km and 112KM per hour she whines the same way......and K1200LT riders all report the same thing. All BMW K1200 motors also smoke to the point that it can be extremely embarrassing if you don't turn your bike off and wait 30 to 45 seconds before you put it on it's side stand, it even tells you that in the owners manual!!!! This is because oil seeps into the cylinders of the horizontally positioned 4 cylinder motor when it is tilted on the side stand which just happens to be the same side the heads are on (great German engineering)!!! I have had people make fun of me because I forgot to turn the key off and then wait a minute straddling my bike keeping it upright to let the "Oil settle" before I put it on the side stand......"Dude there is something wrong with your bike", as I speed away riding through the cloud that my bike just created to avoid having to explain that my bike is not broken......and this is all documented stuff that all BMW K1200 riders experience and are in some way proud of! But to be honest I find that with many "luxury items".....the more you pay for something the more willing I find people are to accept these quirks! I currently own Mercedes and BMW cars and SUVs as well and they all have some really weird things to them that when you complain to a mechanic or dealership they say "thats just how it is owning a Mercedes" and I need to accept the "Uniqueness of my ultimate driving machine".......but if that same "quirk" was in a bargain economy Kia sub compact car I would say that it was a piece of crap!!! Funny how the human brain works! So have I scared you yet? I hope not.....now the good news. There is NOTHING on my BMW that is more complex or mechanically challenging then what is on my first-generation Venture's. Actually, I personally believe that once you get past removing all that plastic "Tupperware" the BMW is actually simpler then my Venture to troubleshoot and repair (aside from getting to the air filter! Plus there is a huge BMW community out there to help support you, similar to the fine folks we have here at VentureRider.org. Case in point about simplicity.......my BMW is almost identical to the engine in my BMW 325 convertible car I also own (they event use some of the same electronic components). If she doesn't run right I just plug in my diagnostic tool into the diagnostic port and it will tell me how she is sick. Gas mileage is poor, oh look my GS911 diagnostic tool says I have a bad O2 sensor on my Bike, guess I should replace that!........Compared to our Ventures, it took me weeks, pages of wiring diagrams, and finally some expert advice from the fine folks her to figure out that I had a bad ECU on my Venture causing 2 cylinders to periodically not fire. That would have been a 5 minute test on my BMW motorcycle. Another example is checking and adjusting your valves, the process is very similar between the BMW and the Yamaha with the exception that things are easier to access on the BMW since the heads are on the side rather then then busting your knuckles trying to access the top on the Venture. etc etc. Lastly, she rides nice and has so many amenities that I didn't know I was missing in my life with the Venture until I rode the BMW on some day trips. Things such as the power adjustable windshield is amazing! Adjustable seat height is great of a guy like me with a bad knee. Heated grips, heated seats front and rear and backrest, wow that is nice too, fuel injection so no more futzing with carbs and I get 54 miles to the Gallon! But I need to feed her premium gas as per the BMW manual......"FiFi" likes high octane! So I know this was a very long post and hopefully you have made it to the end! Long story short I totally respect both Yamaha and BMW, and there is no clear winner or perfect motorcycle in my mind. I would be happy to hop on either one of them and ride across the country! I'm also not scared anymore of them breaking down as I know that even my personal rudimentary mechanical skills can maintain them and fix them both. If I break down or need parts I can buy anything over the internet and never really need to rely on a Dealer (Mother Yamaha or Mutter BMW) And lastly my bikes are not new.....if they were brand new I would still do the maintenance myself, but would take all warrantee work to the dealer even if I know how to fix them and 3 years/36,000 isn't bad. Hope that was helpful in some way. The new K1600b looks like it is an awesome bike! Life is short, enjoy the ride no matter what bike you are on! Here is a picture of "Fifi" my 1999 BMW K1200LT "naked" trying to get at the airfilter and of course another when she was all put back together again after all my preventative maintenece was done.

Very Nice Bike! And congrats on the "entrepreneur venture" as well! (pun intended).

Work is really cramping my style lately, especially while the weather is still so nice up here on the Tundra we call Canada. There was an angel on my right shoulder saying "stay here and work, you have so much to do!" and on my left shoulder there was another critter that kinda looked like cowpuc saying "GET OUT AND RIDE!".........I couldn't take it anymore!!!!!!!!! So I played hooky at lunch, hopped on "Fi Fi" and headed for the mountains for a short 100 mile ride (it's good to be the Boss sometimes). I decided to take "Fi Fi" the BMW instead of "Walt" my 86 Venture Royal (don't tell Walt I went without him). I got the Beemer all fixed up and running like a charm again after being in hibernation for 6 years when the previous owner parked her outside in the elements and forgot about her.....lots of wrench turning and ebay parts and here she is. Fi Fi actually got 53.7 miles to the gallon on our ride through the Rocky Mountains today.....Walt has never been able to come close to those numbers....mayby those German do know a thing or two about engine design, just like old Mother Yamaha did when she gave birth to our "old" Ventures. Please excuse all the bugs on the windshield....bug splats and an empty gas tank are a sign of a good ride!

Hey @cowpuc, yes sorry to be bearer of bad news (and after the fact too). I thought long and hard if I should post that information or not as I didn't want to worry you or Tippy! I personally was all excited to use my welding gear for me and the family too, but then saw that all my helmets were #11 and below. My old blind eyes have problems welding in pure blackness of a #14 ....my welding bead already wanders enough with my shaky hands (and lack of skill)! I'm sure you and TIP are fine.....so no need to start shopping for that seeing eye dog yet......You would probably train that dog to ride and guide Tweeksis anyway! Be safe buddy, and say "howdy" to TIP for me!

Thought I would resurrect an old thread from 4 years ago......now in the modern days of Youtube there are many examples of people showing how to perform the act of pouring water into your fuel, letting it bond with the ethanol, and then removing the water/ethanol combo to get "pure" gas. So, do you guys and gals think it is worth doing? Might be a fun experiment!

Hi @Flyinfool, you looking for a partner or "angel investor" for the project? I hate Carbs with a passion too!!!

Very True @videoarizona! Will be interesting to see what the "aftermarket vendors" will do for this bike as well. I like the "No Guess" rack alignment that Mother Yamaha added but the only thing that disappoints is that the rack is only rated for "4.4lb capacity". I get 4.4lb of dead bug build up on my rack just from driving the down the road during a Canadian summer! I hope they are being extra conservative on the load rating......or the trunk material is not supported very well for top mounted cargo.

Thanks @cowpuc for sharing....you are the official VentureRider.org field reporter this year! Always good to have a man in the field. All that Farkle adds up to be more than all my bikes are worth put together. Slightly different list of accessories compared to the Farkle provided back in 1986! Would be nice to deck out a new scoot from the get go! A boy can dream. In the mean time I'll just polish my Ventureline chrome rotor and vent covers.

Hey cowpuc I hear you brother! You make it look so easy in your video tutorial on changing tires, but I have to admit I was "sweating to the oldies" last night in the garage wrestling with getting the old hard dried out rubber off the rims.....even with your "bug" and "missing body pieces" you probably can still work circles around me Puc! My hands are soft like butter from too many years behind a desk. As for finding an easy and portable bead breaker I actually have been looking into the same topic as well and have found an interesting tool that would probably fit in your travel sack of tools.....it is called the BeadBuster XB-450. The design looks pretty simple, so simple that I've been thinking of attempting to make my own version. Here is link to a youtube video showing it in action. Sure beats pushing, prying, and using human brute force to break the bead when a simple locking screw mechanism can do the same thing in a small package. Basically the same clamp concept but better. What do you think, could that work for you? Their website: https://beadbuster.com Link to Amazon.....the economical $99 model: https://www.amazon.com/BeadBuster-XB-455-Motorcycle-Tire-Breaker/dp/B00X4J75OI/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1501133597&sr=1-1&keywords=bead+buster+xb-455 Video of it in action:

I just spooned on a Shinko 777HD on my BMW K1200lt "FiFi" last night.......Because the Beemer is a "heavy lady which goes fast" she requires a 79V rated Tire size 160/70 17. 79V (79 = 963 lbs and V = up to 149 mph) The Shinko is rated to handle it and the BMW guys have given them good reviews from what I have researched. Because of the relatively rare tire size and weight rating requirement my options for tires are limited for that bike and as a result are pretty expensive compared to our Venture tires, so it is really nice to have an economic alternative in the Shinko 777HD. Just wish they made a 777 in the size for the front of the Beemer too 120/70 17.....oh well maybe some day. I personally had beads in my last set of tires on Walt (1986 Venture) and really did not like them as I still had balance issues at both really slow and really high speeds (probably not enough beads like videoarizona mentioned). I personally have moved away from lead weights and beads to using the product called "Ride on" which serves the purpose of balancing but also gives you the added protection of a sealant for punctures too. Only problem is that it is kinda expensive especially if you go through tires quickly like Mr. Cowpuc does (Ride On is not reusable between multiple tires compared to beads). Works for me as tires usually die of old age on my bikes rather than from miles, so it is worth the investment to me. Long story short, it is so nice to not have to take a tire into a shop for a change......I feel liberated and my wallet is thicker because of it too. Here is some info if you are interested: http://www.ride-on.com/motorcycle-formula-mot.html

Thanks @Condor for the details and pics! So that is what she looked like before it was left to deteriorate in the desert sun. Yours looks like it came out of the showroom, very nice!

Thanks for the information, much appreciated!!

@Rick Haywood Sorry to hear about the Deer collision! So it was made in Iowa you say.....do you happen to remember the name of the manufacturer as I would like to do some research on it. Thanks for the insight! Hopefully some day I can graduate up to one like your new model....that is one sweet trailer you have, and at a fantastic price you stole it at too!

Nice Trailer Rick Haywood!!!! Up until a few months ago I too had never pulled a trailer on a motorcycle before, but while I was down in Arizona on my "Epic motorcycle adventure from Calgary to Phoenix" my wife asked me to bring some relatively large items back for her from our house in AZ. I said "Sweety, you understand that I'm on a motorcycle, right?" Anyway, I never let an opportunity to purchase a new toy slip by, especially under the cover and justification of needing to benefit my wife. So my next statement was "Honey if only I had a trailer, think of all the items I could bring home for you on my trip!" So the search begain.....find the cheapest motorcycle trailer you can get on Craigs List, and get it road worthy in the next 3 days before I need to leave on the 2500km trip back to Canada. I love challenges like this!!!!! And so the story begins of "Buba the $100 motorcycle trailer". To save you all the gory details, I found one that had been sitting under a tree in the previous owners yard for over 10 years, made the deal for $100 cash, straightened out some legal issues with the trailers Arizona title and got her registered with AZ plates under my name. Did a quick sand, patch, and paint job......new tires, repacked the bearings, rewired......installed the hitch on Walt my 1986 Venture Royale and hit the road fully loaded with all the motorcycle parts I can't take on the airplane as well as all the items that my Wife wanted me to bring back which I used to justify this purchase and adventure in the first place. She (yes Buba is a she) was in rough shape on the outside, but the carpet on the inside was spick and span. Boy the desert is hard on items like this when they just sit out in the sun for years. Long story short, "Buba the $100 motorcycle trailer" got finished in 3 days and made the trip back to Canada without a single problem. Even with it loaded up I could bearly tell it was hooked up to the bike during my trip which really surprised me as I was expecting to have braking issues etc......but this particular trailer is so light weight, small, and free rolling that it was a true delight to have along for the ride. Here are a few pics during the process......yes it is not a fancy trailer like yours Rick.....but good enough for me and the girls I go with!

Totally agree with my buddy @videoarizona ! I put the shinko 230's on my 1986 Venture Royale for my cross country trip from Calgary Canada to Phoenix Arizona and back and they performed flawlessly. They are economical (aka cheap to buy), great in the wet, and so far have been wearing very well on my Venture. Plus they were easy to spoon on the rims and balance all by my self! I would, and will buy another set of Shinko's in a heart beat, actually already have for the BMW K1200LT. I suggest you get a set (and quickly) if you want to enjoy your bike on the street based on the pictures you sent!!!!! If you won't do it for yourself do it for all of us reading your thread.....we worry about your safety brother! Stay safe!

Hi Leo, Was great to meet you on the road!!!! (gas station outside of Page AZ) Glad you had a great time and got home safe and sound. Hope to bump into you again someday on the road!

Wow....so sorry to hear about the accident! Hang in there @brakepad! Prayers up for FAST healing! It was so nice to meet you few days ago on the road. Due to your skill on a bike (and brand new brake pads installed) probably saved your life. Sorry to hear about your rig being totaled, but those can be replaced...you can't. If there is anything I can do from Arizona let me know. Here is a pic of your rig I took when we met in Page AZ on June 22nd (not sure if it could be useful for insurance or anything like that). Thanks for posting the Facebook video....so nice to see your are on the mend!

It was great meeting you guys on the trail! Such a small world to bump into some esteemed VertureRider members at a gas station in the middle of the AZ dessert! Sorry to hear that your trip being cut short....prayers up to you guys and a safe ride home from James aka. VanRiver

Hi Grez007 looks like you have done your homework! Yes you can swap the springs with the forks in the Bike (I have done it a couple times now on my Gen 1 Ventures). Make sure you have the right tools ( proper size allen key socket for the caps) and the weight/strength to compress the new springs and tighten the caps back on. Not too hard but kind of like walking and chewing gum at the same time (pushing with your weight to compress the spring and turning the wrench at the same time), just make sure you don't cross thread the caps while you are pushing hard....take your time and if you feel resistance in threading the cap stop and re-adjust......and it is easy peasy. As for modifying the spacers I personally did not mess with them and used the supplied new spacers that cam with the new springs. I'm 6 feet tall 190lb and they work great for me. You will get a kick out of how cheap and "light duty" the OEM Yamaha springs look compared to the beefy progressives......Our buddy cowpuc says that Yamaha outsourced the manufacturing of the OEM springs to the Bic pen company as they belong on a clicky ballpoint pen not a motorcycle! I was shocked when I compared them side by side for such a heavy motorcycle like the Venture. The spacers on the OEM are on the top of the spring so you don't have to do much "Fishing" for them. Good luck on the project, you will find that this is a very easy project to do and will have a significant improvement on how your bike handles and performs...it did for me anyway.