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Rick Butler

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  1. Rick Butler
    Hey Annie, I never heard back from you as to how your seats worked out? Curious minds need to know, Rick
  2. Rick Butler
    Rick, Please save yourself alot of time and agony and let me fix your seats. I starting doing this seat mod (just for VentureRider members) over 2 years ago when I couldn't stand listening to you complaining about your oem seats or having to spend over $500 for a custom aftermarket seat which still didn't resolve your seat issues. Check my ad out in the VentureRider Classifieds which will help you understand what I do: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1023&title=butt-butler-seat-mod&cat=7 But I'm not the only person doing this, where Spencer reworks seats similar to what I do and has a good reputation: http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php And I wouldn't trust an upholsterer that wasn't at least a rider and understood touring motorcycle seats, where I've had to fix many of these seats. Let me know if I can help, Rick
  3. Rick Butler
    Well David, Even though fork oil weight is probably as controversial as any topic, I would probably shy away from 7.5 weight which is generally reserved for inverted cartridge forks. I've been using a synthetic 10wt but after talking with a suspension tuner at the track recently about cartridge emulator rebound dampining, I'm thinking about the possiblity of blending 10wt and 15wt fork oil for a mid grade weight. But that's just me. And 2 turns in on the emulator spring is what I'm using. Now on the spring rate, I tried the .95kg/mm Race Tech springs and they bottomed out on me with sharp bumps. I really feel that a spring rate of 1.20kg/mm is the right spring for the RSV. If you need any other help, just PM me, Rick
  4. Rick Butler
    Oh, Just a little info on the Race Tech Cartridge Emulators. All they provide is a quicker action on a dampening fork, which is really not the best fork design available. It's been around since the inception and is inexpensive to build. But all the performance bikes use a fork cartridge design to get faster fork action. And these emulators (aka Gold Valves), are really pop off valves that sit on top of the dampening valves and can be adusted for the compression dampening rate desired. However the rebound rate is still controlled by the oil weight. I first installed these emulators on my 91 Venture and have had them on my RSV since I bought it, because I like to ride aggressive and need better fork action. I've attached an article out of Motor Cruiser that describes these emulators and the process they went through when they installed them on a Vulkin back in 97, which should help your understanding better. Rick
  5. Rick Butler
    David, I have looked at the Barons lowering kit that you spoke of. And yes they have packaged Progressive Springs for this kit. However this kit as well as the Race Tech's cartridge emulators was designed for the original Royal Star and not the RSV, even though they state that it will work for the new RSTD (which does not have a heavy front end). I think the reason for this is that Race Tech has no experience with the RSV, where they only supply springs for the orignal Royal Star. I know this because I first installed their springs with my emulators on my 02 RSV and was confused as to why I kept bottoming out on harsh bumps. Then I found out about Spring Rate from my friend Rich Desmond who owns Sonic Springs and is also a endurance road racer. Then I realized that these Race Tech springs were not heavy enough for the RSV which has more weight on the front forks because of the fairing, etc. The springs that come on the RSV from the factory is a progressive wound spring with a rate of .90kg/mm. The heaviest constant rate spring that Race Tech offered for the Royal Star was a .95kg/mm spring. After going through a spring rate calculator for the RSV, it turned out that I needed a spring rate of 1.2kg/mm. So in answer to your direct question on this kit, I suspect that the spring rate (not knowing what rate these springs are) will not be enough to keep the front forks from bottoming out on sharp bumps. Secondly these spacers they use to lower the front end will reduce the travel of the forks which is 5.5" from the factory. But if you do not ride aggressive and don't carry a passenger much. both of these Barrons lowering kits will work just fine. In fact in the fine print on the rear lowering kit, I think they make a statement not to carry a passenger? And boy the instructions on the front lowering kit really suck and are really lacking for proper details on re-assembly. They don't even talk about oil weight, oil height or much on the preload spacer. The instructions on their lowering kit for the Road Star (without the emulators and only $150) is much better: http://www.baronscustom.com/catalog/display/564/index.html On this kit they only supply springs and lowering spacers. But not knowing what spring rate they offer, I feel the springs will not be heavy enough for your RSV. And you may not even need the emulators if your objective is to lower the front to match the rear. They only make the front end handle better in the curves and respond quicker to road conditions. If I were you, I'd try to just order their lowering spacers (which I think they offer seperately), buy constant rate springs with a rate of 1.2kg/mm and if you really wanted them, buy the Race Tech emulators seperately from Race Tech or your dealer (Tucker Rocky or Parts Unlimited sell them). The Race Tech part number is FEGV-S4301 which is for the old Royal Star and they will work on the RSV because the forks are the same diameter. In fact I see that Race Tech also offers lowering kits where it appears they address the issue with using longer dampener top-out springs rather than spacers for the top-out spring? Hope this helped rather than confuse you more, Rick Now if I were
  6. Rick Butler
    Yeah Carl, I do them all the time where the prodedure is the same as the driver, just on a smaller scale. My objective is to get a nice bucket to set into and narrow the the neck to take away from the bisquit shape and reduce the pressure on the inside of the thighs. This where replacing the oem foam with memory foam really tops it off. Rick Oh uechi, what is a M95? Just curious.
  7. Rick Butler
    Yeah David, Your Star seat is a Corbin. The issue of my reworking a Corbin is more cosmetic than functional. I reworked the driver section of Scott Robertson's Corbin and I felt that I made it a better riding seat. But like I said, the leather cover had a mind of it's own on how it wanted to lay when I put the cover back on, where there was a pucker in the cover that I couldn't resolve no matter what I did. And this was the exact condition with the 2 other Corbins I reworked where the pucker went away when you sat on it but came back when you got off of it. I haven't heard back from Scott recently but maybe he will respond on this issue. But the pillow top seat is one of my better successes where after I reshape the 2 main pressure points of this seat, I replace the 1" of standard foam with an exact copy of 1.5" of memory foam. And from what I have seen from pillow tops is that over time, the standard pillow foam really starts to break down and flatten out to almost nothing. And I don't any evidence yet, but I feel the memory may never break down. So if I was riding a stock pillow seat, I'd let Rick rework it just so I'd know that I was riding a seat that was as good as it could be for an OEM seat. And I'm completely unbiased when I say this. And the pillow driver is really a big round bisquit with a pillow cover, so I feel my mod really helps out where I not only reshape the flat bottom, but also narrow the front of the seat to relieve any pressure on the inside of the passenger thighs. Hope this helps, Rick
  8. Rick Butler
    You know guys, There is not one seat out there OEM or aftermarket that will work for everyone. And even though the Mustang seat is a good seat option (especially for the passenger of a RSTD) I have reworked many of them in the past two years. In fact in the last month I've reworked 2 complete sets. And in my opinion the driver is a very short seat and the first change I make to a one is to open up the back of the seat to provide a little more room to the rider. However their seat pan is designed such that they really limit the amount I can remove from the foundation foam to accomplish this. The next thing I do is to remove the flat surface and put some curvature (and a tailbone relief) to the bottom to better fit the butt. This where I feel Mike Corbin has the advantage with his seats that they do fit the butt. But they just won't budge on their foam density options which is also affected by their leather covers, which makes them feel hard. This is also where I feel adding a layer of memory foam has a better effect, where it reduces pressure points and conforms nicely to the shape that sits on it. But I will have admit that I've learned much more about seat technology from reworking your various seats for the past two years, than when I started this venture (no pun intended). And even though I've reworked 3 Corbins, this is not a seat that lends itself to any change and I've decided not to ever rework another.....for the benefit of my friends with Corbin seats. The leather cover on these seats just seems to have a mind of its own as to how it wants to lay? Hope this helps this conversation, Rick
  9. Rick Butler
    Rob, You didn't say which of your Ventures you are speaking to, but the best thing you can do for either is replace the fork springs. And even though I reccomend a constant rate spring from either Race Tech or Sonic Springs, Progressives are certainly a good option. And the only reason you have air as part of your suspension is to set the preload or ride height of either the front or rear of your bike. In other words if you have something heavy on your suspension like a passenger or side hack, then you need to raise the suspension to provide more suspension travel....so you don't bottom either out. However air in a suspension does act like a progressive spring in that when you compress air, the more it wants to resist and push back. Hope this helps, Rick
  10. Rick Butler
    Guys, I've not started this project yet, but I intend to. A friend of mine converted both of his headlights on his ST1300 as well as his running lights and the following is his input to me: I ordered the H-4, 3 Bi-Xenon Conversion Kit w/ 6000K lamps. I see that the price has dropped ~$6.00. Before it was $49 + 25 shipping. Now the price includes includes the shipping. If you can order the 5000K lamps, they put out more light!! I have the 5000k on my driving lights and I can see the difference. And he ordered his kits from www.vvme.com which appears to be both a US and a Canadian company that will ship anywhere in the world. And it appears they also take PayPal? I point this out as possibly another source for those interested in this project to explore. In fact when I do mine, I may look at also doing my running lights? Rick
  11. Rick Butler
    Mike, They are talking about your rear shock.....where Progressive does make a bolt-on replacement rear monoshock for the first gen Ventures. And you can have your favorite dealer order this for you since the national distributors Tucker Rocky and Parts Unlimited carry these. However, the Progressive replacement spring for the Venture Royale is a direct order part from Progressive. And you will need a good spring compressor to replace the spring. Hope this helps, Rick
  12. Rick Butler
    Here you go, Aug 19, 2006 6:30AM, I-35 & Garden Ridge exit in Lewisville, TX. Sure know how to tear up a good Shoei X-Eleven....not to mention a 2002 Midnight RSV. And I'm still riding it with 120k on it. Rick
  13. Rick Butler
    Hey Dickie, It's been my experience that the guys in the shop know very little about our cruise control system. In fact I've had service managers ask my advice when they were at a lose. But on page 8-73 to -76 of the RSV service manual there are a couple of easy Self Diagnosis tests that you can perform that will tell you if one of the components of this system is not working. If all of the test come thought positive, there is noting wrong with the system. Beyond this test, you just need to take all of the slack out of the throttle cables, especially the one going to the vacumn actuator in the lower left side of the lowers. And like many have suggested, it's just a good practice to hit the Set button and then bump the Acc button twice to make it hold. Then remember, once the speed changes 5 mph from what it was set at, the cruise control turns off. And surely you don't have leather tassles on the clutch or brake levers because they will cause enough drag to turn the system off as if you touched the brake. Hope this helps, Rick
  14. Rick Butler
    So Mark, You say you have the Utimate rear seat? I have never sat on one yet but it looks like it should sit and ride as good as it looks? But if this is true and she still feels uncomfortable after a long ride, I could most likely help it out with my Butt Butler seat mod. I would first like to know if the cover is pop riveted or stapled to the seat pan. I have reworked several Mustang seat sets which turned out well, but the Mustang driver is a rather short seat, unlike the Ultimate that extends up onto the tank. Let me know if I can help you out, Rick
  15. Rick Butler
    Scotty, You really need to remove them. The heat of the oven will melt the grease from the bearings and will destroy the paint. So go ahead and knock them out and replace em. Rick
  16. Rick Butler
    Don, I've found a more current picture of hanging the fairing and handlebars. I started using M/C tie downs which work very well. I use one set to suspend the fairing and another set to suspend the handlebars to keep them out of the way. You want the bike positioned such when you lift it up, it will also pull the fairing forward to get the enire assembly away from the forks. I took these pictures when I lowered the front end of a friends RSV. My original intention was to do what Kent does often and work up a set of detailed instructions. Guess that I need to get back to this? Hope this helps, Rick
  17. Rick Butler
    Bill, An old doctor turned me on to Tinactin Liguid Spray (not the spray powder) about 20 years ago and I havn't found anything that would match it since. Since it's liquid, you can spray it on and rub it between your toes and hard to reach places on your foot. In fact I use it on a regular basis as a preventitive. And it works great on jock itch too. Hope this helps, Rick
  18. Rick Butler
    Jason, You don't have to worry about needing this piece and I have had mine off for years. Like you, it just got in the way of getting the seat nuts off and on. And you want a replacement solution that will allow you to remove your seat without any tools, I make up a set of thumb nuts (that YamaDuck mentioned) that will not loosen up and fall off: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php/product/1023/cat/showproduct.php/product/1663/cat/7 Hope this helps, Rick
  19. Rick Butler
    Dan's right, And they will work just fine. The only difference is the 1200 slides have a smaller lift hole, which I feels works better to keep the slides more constant over the entire range. However, I'm not sure about the 84s but the 83s had problems with the diaphrams coming off the slides. Hope this helps, Rick
  20. Rick Butler
    Tom, Well I can't say that I went from a sport touring to touring bike. However, the 1st generation Ventures in 83 were probably more sport than tour because they were a narrow frame bike because of the V-4, had a monoshock for rear suspension, and removeable bags and trunk. But over a short period (1986), they went to larger top loading non-removable bags which competed more with the GL1200. But they all handled much better than the GL and we all rode them like they were sport touring bikes. And when I decided to move to a 2nd gen Venture in 2001 (after I totaled my 93 on a curvey Arkansas road) I hated the way the bike handled where it was a real pig in the corners. But once I got the bike home from the 1st ride to Arkansas, I started looking at changes to improve the handling to make it handle more like my 1st gen Ventures. The first change was a narrower front tire which made it turn in easier, followed by changing the rear shock links to raise the rear to level the bike. This made it turn in even quicker and easier by decreasing the rake about 1 degree as well as give the bike more ground clearance (no more dragging bike parts in the corners). Then I changed out the front springs and installed Rac Tech cartridge emulators as well as change out the monoshock for a Works 2 way adjustable shock. The last changes I made to the bike was to replace the 2 piston front calipers with 4 piston calipers with stainless lines, not to mention installing an adjustable proportioning valve to the rear caliper to make the rear 4 piston brake milder. Oh, and I changed out the heel-toe shifter with a toe shifter. So in short, for around $1,500 you can make a RS Venture handle more like a sport bike which will provide you the capacity of a true touring bike (long distance carrier). In fact I felt so good about the changes I made to my 02 RSV that this year I took it to the track for a level 1 track school, and it handled just fine (see attached pictures). Hope this helps in your decision, Rick
  21. Rick Butler
    Yeah Annie, I guess that didn't come out right did it? What I meant was having to deal with the distance. For someone in Canada, they can send their seat to me without too much trouble or take it across the border and send it. But in your case, I had to mail you the foam and provide insructions for your upholsterer to complete the mod. What ever it takes, right? Rick
  22. Rick Butler
    Yeah Marvin, It's a little misleading....but frankly I'll do any seat. And it's the same price, where if you only want the driver's section done on a 1st gen seat, it's only $40. But to do both, it's $70. In the past 2 years I've reworked just about every type of seat on the market, from all of the Star cruiser seats, Goldwings, Kawasaki and Suzuki cruisers, Harleys, BMWs, sport bikes, and even several after-market seats..Travelcades, Harco, Rick Mayer, Mustang, and soon to be a Corbin. Frankly, I don't think I would turn away any seat.....but there is always a first? And Annie, I'm glad it worked for your seats. Dealing with someone in Australia is certainly not the same as with our Canadian friends, is it? Rick
  23. Rick Butler
    Tommy, I've been using a full cover from E-Z Touring for the past 20 years or so and I'm only on my second. They have been making covers since the late 80s. http://www.eztouring.com/wanderer.htm The nice thing I like about these covers is that they have a shock cord at the bottom edge of the cover rather than elastic that will give up over time. Secondly they pack small, especially the half cover. And for protection, an insurance agent told me back in 83 that the best thing you can do to insure that no one will not mess with your bike is to put a full cover on it at night. If they don't know what it is, they probably won't mess with it. And it's worked for me. Hope this helps, Rick
  24. Rick Butler
    Hey guys, It seems like the seats I have reworked recently, the individuals have sent me an e-mail asking if I still did this. Some of these have heard about me from friends or other sources. But many are members of this forum, where I'm guessing that many of you do not know (or forgotten) that I have an ad in the Classifieds under 2nd Gen Accessories: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php/product/1023/cat/7 Well I say ad? A while back Don was helping me with it when I was having a problem with some of it getting truncated. And his response was "Rick, this isn't an ad....it's a freakin novel". I'll admit I sometimes get carried away, but I feel too much is better that not enough? Anyway I thought I would just remind everyone of this ad. Even though I've done seats all year, I'm starting to get busy as you folks up north start putting your bikes up for the winter. And for now I'm only an exclusive to the Venture Riders, so I'm really your secret....unless you want to send me a friend who needs help. I've never turned away a referral. Thanks, Rick Oh, I've finally got my first Corbin. I't sad that it's off a 1000 VStrom instead of a Venture. But I'll let you know how it goes and what's really under the cover.
  25. Rick Butler
    Thanks Buz, For the nice comments and I'm glad that my mod worked for you. However, as most aftermarket seat makers will tell you, there is not one change in a seat that will work for everyone. Just ask anyone who has bought a Corbin, only to discover this seat is not for them. And even though most folks are satisfied with my rework, there have been a few that I have had to make later changes to for various reasons. And most of them were pillow top passenger seats? The point is...that not one seat solution will work for everyone? Bigfoot, the tail bone relief is not the only issue that I address in my seat mod. The first thing I address on any seat after I get the cover off is the basic shape of the foundation foam. And this is where I feel Mike Corbin has it right, where he creates a nice bucket for your botton to sit in. The problem with the rest of his seat is that it's like sitting on a cast iron Farmall tractor seat. Not really but they are pretty hard, which works for some but not others. So I reshape the bottom to create a shallow bucket and then to remove any pressure point on the tail bone, I cut in a V shaped pocket in the bottom where it meets the back of the seat. Then on most of the RSV and TD seats the back of the seat is rather flat creating a pressure point at the base of the spine. I remove this pressure point by cutting a curvature into the seat back. In wrapping up the reshaping, I also narrow the neck of the seat to remove any pressure points in the inside of the thighs. After I grind the foundation down smooth, I cover (glue) the seat bottom and back with a layer of 1 1/2" memory foam. Now memory foam does not provide any physical support, but it does reduce pressure points and conforms nicely to the shape that is sitting on the seat...ie your buttox. Then it's back on with the cover, where the memory foam also fills in the cover for the foundation foam that has been removed. So when you get the seat back, it looks pretty much like it did when you sent it to me.....until you sit on it. Paul Thede the founder of Race Tech, Inc made a statement that I use mostly for how folks feel about riding motorcycles. "The best you have ever ridden is the best you will ever know". This means that you may be riding around thinking that this is the best you and your bike will ever get......until you make a change that makes a drastic improvement that opens your eyes up to the possibilities of continuous learning. This also applies to how you feel about your motorcycle seat? Sorry for getting long winded, Rick
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