Du-Rron

I tried the EVO and it was a "fitment" issue for me. The Bell was a "round" fit and I guess my head is an oblong size. My HJC and Arai helmets seem to fit best and I can wear them the longest. With the generous return policys of most mail order places, get one and try the fit. Even better if you have a dealer in your area you can walk into and try one out.

See Here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?107652-Shinko-777-Tires

But...But...But... I don't know how to convert Wing miles to RSV miles.

I usually ride necked... Less wind resistance.... Puc is my Mentor.

You also belong to the "Nerves of Steel" club!

I think the sweet spot on engine-running on mine starts at 75MPH and continues on from there. Absolutely smooth. Just like Arizona where you live, I have to drive 2 to 3 hours in any direction, just to "Start" a trip, since I live in the middle of nowhere. Sure am glad the "55 MPH" limit is gone. I don't like that walking thing either. Pushing is a distinct fear.

I think on mine, the factory got the float rod, somehow perfectly, aligned with the bottom of the main fuel screen inlet. The 'F" was only on for 2 miles and I didn't notice it when it came on. I knew I was outta main fuel because the bike died. If I was in town, no worries. However, I was on the highway, in the middle of nowhere. This was the first time I tested the distance I could go at speed. Past the 25 mile mark on "F" was a little nerve racking as I knew my gas mileage always sucks the faster I was going. I was assuming 30MPG when I made the decision to continue on, 30 miles away from Kerrville. I scared myself more when I actually fuelled up and found that I was only 0.3 gallons away from walking/pushing. Strangely, this made the rest of the trip more fun because I knew now that I could now go 160 miles, and flat out fly, without worries.

Yeah, it is. Aerodynamics of a barn door.

In the "industry" brass tools are used for "non-sparking purposes. Typically, two steel surfaces will not spark if they are clean, cool, and you have not been grinding on them, when you give them "one-shot" whacks to make a hole in the thin fuel neck. The fuel vapor is what you have to worry about, and to minimize that, have a full tank when you attempt this. Also, doesn't hurt to have a fan blowing on the tank as well. On mine, the F was actually on for 2 miles, I just did not notice it till the bike died. I guess the factory got the float level pretty close to the reserve fuel intake level when they made it. Wind and speed play havoc with my fuel mileage as well. I have gotten as low as 27MPG and as high as 40MPG.

And since the first gens are faster, I bet they run outta gas faster too. Like the refueling pic!

Lets see. Carry the one, divide by zero, then add in the days of the week till payday..... Yup, not much fuel left.

I have nerves of steel. I punched holes in the fuel filler neck a while back or this trip would have wound up differently. Decided to go to Kerrville 9-15-15. Topped of the bike with 1.188 gallons of fuel before I left. From San Angelo to Kerrville it was 90MPH speedo/85MPH GPS bucking a headwind the whole way. Three miles southeast of Junction on I-10 I came up on three V-Twin riders with pipes loud enough for me to hear with me 100 yards behind them. Seems like they were having difficulty maintaining 80MPH uphill as I could hear their engines hitting -hard-. I blew past them and waved nicely. Twenty-one miles Southeast of Junction on I-10 I ran out of Main Fuel. What the heck? This was Main Fuel gone in just 121 miles. I switched to Reserve and for a few moments considered turning around and heading the 21 miles safely back to Junction to refuel which I knew I could make without running out of gas. "No way" I told myself. I pressed on with 30 more miles to go before I hit Kerrville. I prayed I didn't run out of fuel. Hoping that if I did run out of fuel, that the nice V-Twin riders I blew past earlier would help me out. I never let off the throttle and continued at speed. I made it to Kerrville running 33.9 miles on Reserve. When I got to Kerrville I put five -point- seven zero six gallons of fuel in the tank. Yes, that is 5.706 gallons of fuel. I drove 154.9 miles on 5.706 gallons of fuel yielding a spectacularly craptastic fuel mileage of 27.14MPG during this leg of the trip. I drove around Kerrville and Hunt, Texas and had a wonderful time. When I was returning home I refueled in Junction this time and I refueled again when I got back to San Angelo. Total trip miles for this trip was 345.1. I used a total of 10.596 gallons of fuel during this trip yielding a fuel mileage of 32.56MPG for the trip total.

is a wire missing in this picture?

ohhh... good one! I forgot about doing that one. Have to keep the spare key handy.

When I am on cruise I use my free hand to hold my beer... But seriously tho... Have you made the bike your own yet? Adjusted handlebar tilt to your reach? I find it most comfortable to ride with my hand on and off the end cap, fly in the breeze, play with the GPS.

Mama Yama wants it that way. With the iriduims I won't do it again till at least 30k though.

So, I am not putting on the miles as fast as I though I would due to new job since April. Oh well. So the bike has 9500 miles on it now and it is getting very hard to find neutral. When I do ride around, I usually do it at a speedometer indicated 85mph or GPS indicated 80MPH in over 100 degree heat the past few weeks. The clutch fluid is nasty looking ... kinda like weak coffee. Today, I changed out the clutch fluid again. Now, all is right with the world.

David: See here. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?258-Syncronizing-the-Carbs The words are for the girls and the pics are for the guys.

My spark plugs looked fine at each 4K service interval. These below have 8K on them. However, since I am made of money... I installed four NGK DPR8EIX-9 spark plugs anyway. Just to feel good.

You have said much and are wise beyond your 71 years. I am sorry to hear about your wife.

I have 9000 miles on the bike now, 500 miles on the Shinko 777 Series tires. I am liking these tires very much. They are confidence inspiring and Stick-E. I have less than 3/4 inch wide Chicken Strips, And I can scrape the floorboards at will. These tires also ride smoother than did the Dunlop 404's when they were new. Side note: I believe the bike is finally broken in now. The engine is quieter and smoother. The mirrors are crystal clear. At any speed.

Can't even see mine as the covers are not notched like yours.

Cwhite123174 Please take a browse through the 2nd gen tech section and also see http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?95817-Crush-Washers http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?97279-Baking-Clutch-Fluid-Exhaust-Heat-Shield http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?96009-Oil-Filter-Comparisons-Hey-I-m-no-Engineer http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?101114-Purolator-PL14459-Oil-Filter http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?95242-To-Lube-or-Not-to-Lube-That-is-the-question Oh Yeah and Rotella T6 5W-40 is what I use. Cheers!

I have decided to replace my worn out Dunlops with Shinko 777 tires. Please note, NOT the Shinko 230 Series tires that wear out if you ride them around the block. I went with the Shinko 777 tire front and rear based upon: Pricing, availability, load range, and expected mileage. I ordered the tires from J&P Cycles. When they arrived I noticed these were the freshest tires I have ever bought for my car ,truck, or bike. The front Shinko 777 was made the 13 week of 2015 and the rear Shinko 777 was made the 15 week of 2015. It is now July, so that means that these tires are just 3 months old. I like the way the Shinko 777 tires look. I am sure that all tires ride well when new, but these Shinko 777 tires ride really well and have a "soft" ride as compared to the Dunlop 404's. The Shinko 777's seem "stickier" as well. As the result of changing two variables, new tires and going to a 130/90-16 front tire, or as a result of one or the other, the front end is now much lighter and the bike corners easier. So much so that I am over doing it, and I have to remember to calm down and not lean so hard to make the same turns I used to. Parking lot maneuvers don't take as much muscle either. Straight line 80mph stability with the Shinko 777 tires is still the same as it was with the Dunlop 404's, which is to say excellent. Here is a chart showing the differences between the Shinko 777 tires and the Dunlop 404 tires that were previously on the bike. MtireCompare.pdf

My bike has 8500 miles on it. Strangely, the front tire has worn completely out. There is less than 1/16 " till the wear bar is smooth and the tire has some sidewall cracking on it. The rear tire has plenty of tread left at 5/32" but has some minor sidewall cracking. Both tires are four years old and are OEM included on the bike at purchase. The rear tire I will be keeping as a "spare". I have decided to replace these with Shinko 777 tires.