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george_park

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  1. george_park
    Hello, Please check out: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27476 for a survey, long discussion, rider experiences and interactions with dealers & Yamaha. As has been mentioned it's due to straight cut gears and the tolerances used in the transmission (which makes all RS "different"). Changing the primary gear and/or installing an "I" basket may change the location of the whine in the RPM scale but Yamaha/dealers do not expect to completely remove it. If you speak to dealer techs or Yamaha they will explain this is part of the character of the bike (one that Harley removed in 2006 with helically cut gears in all models). If your RS is still under warranty you can request all of this work at Yamaha's expense to get the whine to move/decrease. If your dealer tells you they know nothing take a look at the other thread and mention Tech Note M2002013 (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration). Most common fix: Change "I" basket, install louder pipes... live with the whine. Regards, gp
  2. george_park
    I worked at the "roundhouse" in Philly as an undergrad, live outside of the city now. Officer McDonald, 30 years old, was serving the 25th district as a motorcycle-based Highway Patrol officer when he was shot and killed in the line of duty on the 23rd of September, ending his 8 year tour. http://www.odmp.org/officer/19570-police-officer-patrick-mcdonald To honor Officer McDonald's duty and sacrifice the City of Philadelphia has contacted many groups to gather 1,000 motorcycles with American flags along Hulmeville Road in Bensalem, Pa and at the entrance of the cemetery. The effort has been endorsed by Bensalem and Philadelphia police departments. http://www.warriorswatch.org/downloads/1000.pdf http://www.patriotguard.org/ALLForums/tabid/61/forumid/11/postid/983811/view/topic/Default.aspx Please try and attend if possible, if you are in the PA/NJ area. Best wishes to the McDonald family, Officer Richard Bowes wounded when responding to the backup call, the Philadelphia Police Department and the men and women in blue everywhere. Regards, gp
  3. george_park
    I put a pair of baron's slip on's so this is all where the muffler meets the exhaust pipe. On the stock pipes there are gaskets, on the Baron's pipes it's just metal to metal with a clamp. So far I just smell a slight burning smell (don't know if that is normal) from the Permatex but it's still in there, between the pipes, muffler flanges and the clamps... The stuff I put on only goes up to 400F so I don't know if that will cut it. gp
  4. george_park
    I have an '06 RSTD on which will has a front and rear baron's lowering kit (dropping it 1.5"), rick butler seat mod (a little lower than stock), a windshield with 3" cut off the top, highway pegs, ISO grips, driving lights, Baron's slash cut mufflers, revised rear tail light and license plate, LEDs, garmin mount, cup holder, J&M radio, powerlet power port, etc. There are companies out there that make the add-on boxes that go on the luggage rack and with the removable sissy bar you could do what I do and go solo when I feel like it. In our STAR chapter we have a ton of RS, probably half RSTD and half RSV and I never feel like a red headed step child... we are all happy. Regards, gp
  5. george_park
    Any ideas of temp in an objective system of measurement?
  6. george_park
    Ok, I hate to be a dope but what are leveling links - are they the same as a "rear lowering kit"? I'm installing both the rear and front performance lowering kits in my '06 RSTD (to equally lower the rear and front) and no one said there was any issue with that with regards to the warranty. Regards, gp
  7. george_park
    Anyone have any idea how hot it gets where the mufflers join the stock pipes? I put some permatex 1B form a gasket on and I'm wondering if it's going to burn away... 400F limit. Thanks, gp
  8. george_park
    Just the stock filters. One of the techs I spoke with said that with the exhaust and filter change I may lean it out too much but I was still considering installing the K&Ns anyway... Any idea how hot it gets just before the muffler? I can smell the permatex 1B cooking off a little, wondering if I shouldn't take it off and go with the high temp stuff. gp
  9. george_park
    When I pulled the muffler I put Permatex sealer all over the pipe and muffler. I used Permatex form a gasket 1B which has a max temp rating of 400F. http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_sealants/auto_Permatex_Form-A-Gasket_No_1_Sealant.htm I'm not so sure that will last but have no idea how hot it will get back there... Do you think the sealer on there now will fail? I did get new caps from the Yamaha dealer today, my existing ones did not leak, but I also went and put a little more gasket sealer on the pipes just in case. I'll keep the existing caps and put them on the places where the hoses are now on the carbs - I've added a picture below to show what is where (it's the right side, not the left...). Regards, gp
  10. george_park
    Well after putting peratex sealer on it's better but not great. The popping is only on decel/engine braking - under load and never under idle (or accelleration). Goose had mentioned the carb caps - I've attached some pix, if these are they let me know. I took pictures of both sides, under the choke and directly opposite on the right side. Other than that it's time for a carb sync or something else because I am out of other options (other than putting my AIS right again...). gp
  11. george_park
    Wow, thanks for all the info. I'll take a look at my caps, plan on installing new ones. I put Permatex on the pipe and the muffler before installing them and clamping them. I used some blue painters tape to keep the permatex off the chrome but fill in the holes. I'll let that cure today and will give it a run, take care of the AIS and caps while it's raining this weekend here in PA. I also spoke to Baron, he suggested Permatex as well so hopefully this works (and I'll ask for the instructions to be revised). Regards, gp
  12. george_park
    Don, I have to say that when I talked to the service folks at dealers and the people at Yamaha they all said "every bike is different" - different tolerances, etc. They are all so different that a whole lot of them seem to have the same issue. I know mass production is a new concept but it always strikes me as a little odd. If these bikes are all so different it must be a nightmare to service them, all of those hand massaged parts... I'm just kidding about the hand massaged parts bit but I also study language as well. When people are careful to use "characteristic" and "attribute" and "not a flaw" (in the same sentence "we can try to move the sound around") there is a strong message in there. Harley went with Helical cut gears in all models in '06, there is something to be said with that. I'm an IT consultant and if I ever told someone "that blue screen/smoking power supply and lack of access is a "characteristic" of your computer" I would get the old tomato shower and a big hook. I put a set of Baron's bag slash pipes on and it's taken away some of the whine (plus all of my hearing below a certain range)! gp
  13. george_park
    I have the Kuryakyn Longhorn Offset Dually Highway Pegs with the 1" clamps mounted to the lower engine guards. They are the # 7980 in kit form (1" clamps, mounts, pegs). http://www.kuryakyn.com/products.asp?bn=metric&ci=3260 The way most people mount their pegs - with the "bump" for the bolt facing their foot (the bolt and nut to the inside facing the shift/brake) - causes me to hit the footpeg mount when I'm shifting which drives me nuts. I'll post a picture at some point. I moved the mount so that the bolt is on the outside, the footpegs up and forward of the bars. This way only the thin part of the clamp is towards my foot. You just have to make sure that the bolt/nut won't chew into the lowers by rotating them slightly which actually works well for your feet. Aside from the fact that I think I am going to bend the heck out of the guards (they are not the stongest) it really helps get your feet away from the main heating unit. Regards, gp
  14. george_park
    Goose, Do you have a recommendation for a replacement [part] for the caps? Would it be possible to post some pictures of where they are (or note the post, tell me exactly where the caps are and I'll see if I can take them)? On the Barons pipes there are 4 slots at the end of the muffler and a "hose clamp" muffler clamp. I don't think I could get enough torque to collapse that pipe unless I used an impact wrench, I've added just enough seal to see if that helps the problem, then re-tightened the clamp. If not I'm taking her apart again! Regards, gp
  15. george_park
    I'm going to use some permatex where the slip-ons meet the exhaust pipes to see if that helps. My stock pipes never really "popped" like these or the HK muffs I had on recently - with the new pipes (Barons) it sounds like someone is shooting a shotgun. On my VStar nothing I did would stop the popping until I had it rejetted, something I did not want to do on my RS but may end up doing like a few other people I ride with had to do. Regards, gp
  16. george_park
    Hmmm, The Baron's are slip on muffs so nothing else in the exhaust has been modified. The slip ons have no gaskets - just a clamp that tightens the muffler around the exhaust pipe. I'll try and tighten that up a bit. Other than plugging the AIS - and totally blocking up the tubes in the process - I literally touched nothing so I'm down to just a few options unless I'm missing something. Regards, gp
  17. george_park
    No panic stops...
  18. george_park
    Hello all, I just installed a set of Baron's bag slash pipes (and ah yeah, they are loud...) and plugged the AIS. I removed the front and rear AIS hoses and used a 3/4" and (3) 11/16" plugs to stopper up the mechanical parts as well as the hoses and yet I'm still getting a heck of a lot of popping on decel. I don't think it's any better than it was before I put the plugs in and I know no air can get by those plugs - they are shoved in there tight. One of the guys in our ride group has the same mufflers and had to rejet and I know just about everyone has had to say you don't have to but maybe there is just something different on the '06 and later bikes that needs to be specially tweaked? Any help appreciated, gp
  19. george_park
    I took a header into a curb once and woke up under a car. While I broke 5 ribs and dislocated my shoulder, ruined my leather and my bike was about 50 feet away the only impact to my head was a concussion. The helmet was wrecked and had a big "L" shaped dent and a ton of road wear. My own personal experience, on that occasion I was just out for a Sunday ride when I hit a patch of oil. I ride with people who only wear a baseball cap - and I always hope they don't touch the ground with their head. I have a full face (which I call my EZ bake oven) and (2) 3/4 - all DOT and no skull caps.
  20. george_park
    I have to give these guys a huge shout out as they have always gone the extra mile for me - even the support folks calling me at home to make sure my install was going ok - and they have a great tech support site: http://www.maxairengineering.com/garage/ or go to the main site and click on "support". These guys make kits for the VStars (Road Stars and some other carb-based bikes) that I wished they would make for the RS. They won't because there is not enough demand but I have their kit on an '06 VStar 1100 and the before and after are like night and day - 18 more hp (on the dyno) and 75 in fifth without feeling like I need 6th gear. Because they have people taking their bikes apart - their carbs apart - they get a lot of people spinning some serious wrenches, folks that really need support. IMHO this is one of the best and probably least tapped resources for VStar (or Roadie) owners. The kit is the best money I ever spent on my VStar. Period. I went there for help long before I decided to get the kit, try it out - and for all you RS owners hit Lee up to make one of these kits for the RS - any gen ;-). Regards, gp
  21. george_park
    I had the stock harley muffs on mine and they were OK, a little too quiet and "tinny" while the CVO/Screaming Eagles are more throaty to just plain loud and mean. You can mod the stock RK muffs to go between quiet and loud and there are a variety of ways to do that. I had a mounting kit from R-Mark that was really well put together (adapters/brackets, hardware) and got a pair of stock RK muffs off of ebay for around $25. When harley puts the muffs on they use a clamp that leaves a pretty good mark on the mufflers and changes the shape of the end that goes on the exhaust pipe. You may want to try and get a new set (not a working pull). The clamps will not cover the scratches but they are hard to notice so you may be able to live with them (for $25-35...). Have a pipe expander handy as you may need it. Also the clamp can be tight - and in the kit I had there are some sweet clamps - so I took the bolt out of mine, wedged in a screw driver and expanded the clamp. Once they are one the HD pipes look great. On my bike and all others I've seen once you change the exhaust they pop on decel like crazy. I've got to modify my AIS to see if that helps, many people I know have had their jetting changed. I have a set of the HD RK pipes as my "quiet" pipes - I just put on a set of Baron's bag slash pipes and while the tubes are much more narrow (I painted the ends with flat black high temp paint) they are LOUD and make my RSTD sound like there is a small block chevy motor in it. Regards, gp
  22. george_park
    We have quite a few ventures in our group, about half have been lowered. I have an '06 RSTD that I'm in the process of lowering using two kits for front and rear - BA-7530-00 Baron's rear lowering kit and BA-7503RS Baron's performance front lowering kit . Having ridden the lowered RS bikes I like how they ride. With nearly 6" of clearance there is still room to lower them (IMHO) but lowering the rear without lowering the front can make for low speed handling issues like the other folks posting had noted. I almost took mine over at a gas station (the big covers popping up out of the driveway) and we had a person who did. Not that putting a foot down would have helped but having a lower CG could have. You can lower the front tubes, we have some dealers around here who are familiar with that process and the folks that have had it done are very happy with it. When an unmodified/modified RSTD are sitting next to each other it's a noticeable difference. I'm going to revise the front forks with the performance kit above to install springs and GVE (gold valve emulators) in order to gin up the ride a little bit. You can also use spacers in BA-7502-00 and you can add the GVEs while you have the forks apart or choose not to. The guys I know who have lowered front and rear do have to be selective with their parking position and location so a shorty kickstand wouldn't hurt but I won't know personally until after I make the changes. Best of luck, ride safe. Regards, gp
  23. george_park
    I did have an email conversation with a dealer tech today. He let me know that there was a known "characteristic" of the RS drive gears and that there was a tech bulletin from Yamaha on this in the past. This characteristic - according to Yamaha - cannot be changed but the point at which is occurs may be able to be changed with a basket, I basket or changing the gears. I was told that if I was unhappy with an attribute of the machine - which is not considered a defect - to let Yamaha know. I'll keep looking for a way to do that. Ok, here is where I get lost again. A characteristic is something a quality or something distinctive. An attribute is again something specific to a person or object. I'm not sure if I missed the marketing brochure which listed "loud whine at unspecified RPM" as part of the list of features. If it did I would have purchased a Strat or went with a Harley, Triumph, Honda or Suzuki. It does however list "plush long-distance touring ", "smooth highway ride", "incomparable fit and finish", "reduce vibration", "optimal long-distance comfort", "outstanding long-distance ride quality". These are the attributes which I felt were characteristic of the RS line. A flaw, which is what I would consider the whine, is defined by various sources as "a feature that mars the perfection of something", "An imperfection, often concealed, that impairs soundness", "a defect". Most manufacturers spend a lot of time, effort and capital to ensure that there products meet their customer's expectations. Especially for big ticket disposable income items with a high turnover rate. With Yamaha maybe I just have to wait for 2010 when they release a new RS line? So in a nutshell: - You may or may not have a whine (now) - There is no fix for the flaw, I'll call it a flaw - An attempt, or series of attempts may be made to move the flaw up in range - Yamaha considers it an "attribute" which cannot be changed - If you have this flaw it may make it nearly impossible to recover any part of your investment unless the person purchasing the bike is very hard of hearing or does not test drive the bike. I really like my RSTD and will make an effort at some point before the warranty expires to try and address the problem. In the mean time I'll send a message to Yamaha and keep on riding (with louder pipes...), adding things to it and cleaning it for hours on end until the wheels fall off. For those of you with the problem I'll extend a big 'ol sorry, hope it gets better or you get a better bike. Regards, gp
  24. george_park
    I called Star Motorcycles this afternoon to speak to their customer relations department. They said initially the sound (whine) is caused by the way the clutch basket hits the rubber [trans] mount. They suggested grinding the clutch basket; I don't know how practical or realistic that is or how comfortable I would be in having that done. They said they do make an "i" basket - a replacement at their cost - which may help and may not due to the fact that every bike is different. Unfortunately, I was told, they have no other options so if it does not work it does not work. IMHO if the basket is hitting a rubber mount I would think that over time that rubber object would be worn down to the point where there is no longer any noise. Maybe that would be a long time but some people have put some serious miles on the whine and it's not gone away. They said after being on hold it was straight cut gears making the noise which really confused me - is it the basket or the gears or both? Not being technical they could not answer. If you have any problems they said to have the dealer call the tech line guys to sort out the issues. The Customer Relations person I spoke to said that they have no reports of any loud whines (only mild) - none so bad others can hear while riding. Having heard it myself I can tell you I would be going nuts if that were my bike. I think it’s curious that with all of the effort people have put into dealing with the whine that Customer Relations would be unaware of the issue or it’s severity in some cases. So right now I'm at an impasse with what to do if my whine gets any worse. Looking at the experiences of many of you it's not always looking good. On my '07 auto there was a problem with 3rd gear. There was a tech notice on it so they ordered the new parts and made arrangements with me to bring in the car - and take a loaner - at their expense. I'm not driving a Bentley, yet the dealer still replaced the car in a manner the manufacturer had developed. I kind of expect that same thing from Yamaha here - especially when one of the selling points is the "5 year" warranty. I do like the brand and have had good experiences with STAR but in this case I would like to see them be more proactive instead of taking the "caveat emptor" approach. No one wants to be aggravated or distracted while on two wheels, have their bike in the garage or at the dealer constantly, loosing drive time and generally being dissatisfied with their investment. Regards, gp
  25. george_park
    From speaking to people it's an all too common a story, when the whine happens it goes from mild (mine) to wild (yours and others) but fixing it is an issue. IMHO this is something that should be fixed - a flaw in the product which has impacted the 36 people who have responded to this poll. I'm pretty surprised that Yamaha reps are not proactive in taking care of this, allow it go on year after year. I know I could find a class rep with a significant issue, may know counsel to take it on, if there is enough interest I'll pursue it. In the mean time I'm going to see what I can do with regards to Yamaha. gp
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