Kretz

Living in BC we do get to ride year round, I try to ride when weather is decent, but roads etc can be a bit dodgy in the wintertime. The group I normally ride with tries each year to do a Jan 1st ride, (as long as roads are dry) but the bike may only be used at 3-4 week (or longer) intervals What recommendations do you have when using a bike intermittently? Winter temps in my area are generally around -5 to +10 degC (say 20-50 degF) I do have the bike on a battery maintainer I check tires/ lights etc before a ride I usually add stabilizer to my fuel.... do you turn fuel petcock to OFF? I normally don't Any other suggestions for irregular usage? Thanks in advance

OK Thanks found 'em, (Amazon of all places) & it lists everything needed if I'm read it correctly: #4351 Kuryakin Premium Floorboard Cd$220 #8818 Kuryakin Splined Adapter Cd$45 #4388 Retractable Pegs Cd$200 So that makes for a total of Cd$465.... Whew! may have to wait a while but they sure are nice! Hmmm that's weird it says they don't fit the RSTD. Is the Venture mounting different?

Yeah! Thanks Mike, I looked for "switchbalde pegs" but couldn't find any like those pictured. Link would be much appreciated.

Duuuh! Yes I see it now LOL obvious.... once it's been pointed out

Absolutely Love the look! (& your m/c) Are the rests different on each side of the bike? (one looks to be forward, & one behind the footboard) I'd love to get my lady something that allows her to move/ stretch her legs a little. Do they fit with the stock footboards or do you have to replace the whole thing (rest & board)?

Agree totally! But it's amazing how many just don't set those boundaries! btw Thank you for your service Randy

Yep! me too! Oh the good old days huh? The thing is I don't think the odd whoopin' did any of us any permanent damage or harm, & if we're honest it was usually well deserved (but now waaaay to many do gooders out there sticking their noses in) it was called discipline or setting out the rules! Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread. Getting back to the OP yes I think dog owners (& parents) just tune out the racket their pets / offspring are making. Sadly many get quite aggressive if you say anything.

Hey SilvrT just come over Abby/ Mission way, & you'll see LOTS of crap thrown by the roadside & in the ditches. Even seen the odd mattress & sofa it's disgusting in some places!

I mounted a two forward facing FIAMM horns (black plastic, snail shell design) on my Vulcan over a year ago. Wired via a relay, supply is direct from battery. They still perform well & no problems with corrosion, terminals etc. Got them at my local auto supplies/ hardware store (Canadian Tire) Mine are plenty loud & I got discordant ones to make them just that bit more noticeable. I don't have any dB figures, but figures can be misleading as there is no "standard" for measurement. Claims can be made of 120dB (which is what I think mine are) but at what distance? Higher figures are often measured very close to the horn & are not what people will typically hear. Mine definitely make people look. They may not be the loudest out there but I'm quite happy. Whether they will be heard over whatever is coming out of the earbuds that many people seem to wear now is debatable. All I know is that they have made folks aware of my presence on more than one occasion! I would like to put something similar on the RSTD but finding mounting space for accessories is difficult to find. Forgot to say: don't "limit" the current the horn wants to pull by reduced wire sizes, Tapping into the supply for another accessory. It can limit the noise they make.

Just sayin' & insurance companies are notorious for trying to mitigate their losses. There is so much "expert" press/ testimony out there advising not to use car tires, do you think they are going to ignore that fact? My RSTD manual states "After extensive tests, only the tires listed below have been approved for this model by the Yamaha Motor Co Ltd" It also carries a warning stating that "front & rear tires should be of the same make & design, otherwise handling characteristics of the vehicle may be different which could lead to an accident" Yamaha's warning not mine I know we all use "other" motorcycle tires which can be proven to be equivalent to (or better than) the Bridgestones for design/ load/ speed etc. But could you prove the same for a car tire? Would a car tire manufacturer stand up in court & say his car tire is suitable for use on a motorcycle? I very much doubt it. Like I said earlier, I'm just playing devil's advocate.

Playing Devil's Advocate here... I've read so much in the m/c press about how m/c tires are constructed differently than car tires & I understand that. Car tires after all don't get over on their side walls they're actually designed to prevent that very event. I know, many out there are using car tires & having no problems, so if it works for you.... BUT In the event of an accident no matter what the cause, how would dark siders be looked upon by their insurance company? Well, he's not using the right tires, that must have contributed to the accident, so his/her claim is reduced/ invalid etc???? We all know what a bunch of sharks insurance companies can be & how they ALWAYS try to mitigate any loss & prove that liability lies elsewhere. Just a thought.

Some rides for you to enjoy (not mine but in the public domain) mostly BC & Alberta but a few farther afield too & worth viewing this link does work (at the moment!) LOL http://www.vridetv.com/xlfrasercanyon.html Enjoy

djh3 thanks for the input, I've always wondered the why Yami have their lights coming on as soon as the ignition switch is ON. So you're really pulling the power, startup amps plus lights & whatever else. I didn't realize that it all goes through the ignition switch. On my Kawasaki the lights only come on after the bike has started. Just seems more sensible to me. Looking at a lot of the H3 replacement LED bulbs they all seem (but may not be) a bit big (long) for that reflector housing. Wish they'd just sent the damn things I ordered! I'm thinking the Yami lamp bucket is the same for sealed beam or H3 type so in theory I should just be able to put a sealed beam (as I'd planned to) into the lamp bucket. Or am I missing something.

So the lights have arrived & on checking I find that they have sent the H3 Halogen lights not sealed beam as ordered. I really don't want the hassle of returning them so my question is: Can the H3 Halogen light units that I've been supplied be fitted with the PAR36 LED Bulb 6W 600-700LM, 6000K, 12VAC/DC (equiv to 35W) Cool White sealed beam units? OR do I need to find H3 style LED bulbs to fit instead? Thanks again

I think the poster who said (aggression gets aggression) or something like that, is correct. Have you noticed that "bad" drivers with "the attitude" when challenged either verbally or with some kind of gesture (not necessarily that one!) nearly always get aggressive, you get the finger, or they roar off to show how "manly" they are, etc. One very rarely gets a polite "sorry" wave (but it does happen) Not long ago I had a "didn't see you" incident, my loud horn & look of disgust as I stopped about 2 ft from her car said it all (to the lady driver). She was so shocked, embarrassed, very apologetic & nice that I really found it hard to be angry at her. She definitely realized that she was in the wrong & what the consequences could have been. So... hopefully she, in future, will also be more aware of bikes.

Guys thank you so much for all the input! I think from everything that's been said I will be going the LED route. I'm all for reducing the load on the overall electrical system. I just wasn't aware of exactly what would work as far as LED's go, so the input from people who've already tried it is extremely helpful. I had previously looked at the LED tail light cluster but at around $85 I thought it was a bit much for what is effectively a "bulb" so I was assuming (wrongly it seems) that 4.5" auxiliary or 7" Headlights would cost even more. So to summarize, looks like I'll be getting: Aux lights: VStar PAR36 LED Bulb 6W 600-700LM, 6000K, 12VAC/DC (equiv to 35W) Cool White, (I see there is also a 50W equivalent too) too bright??? Headlight: BroView S5 8000LM 9003 H4 LED (bought in pairs so I'll have a spare (or one to help a friend out ) May have to get both from over the border as Amazon Canada doesn't carry same items as are available in the USA Thanks Again!

Waaaay too many thoughtless & careless drivers out there & too many head cases as well. Yesterday I was headed out for our local Toyrun, my wife on the back of our RSTD it was wet, & raining a little. Not 500yds from my driveway there is a slight left bend in the road, (60kph limit) this clown in a truck came around it on the opposite side at such a speed that he was a good three feet over the center line. Had I been 20 or 30 yds further along the road he would have hit us. When being followed too closely by drivers, I, like others have posted just get out of their way, & let them go by, my view is "off you go, have your accident (as you will) with someone else.. not me!" I really think these drivers have absolutely NO idea what it's like to be on a bike nor do most of them care. Having said that I have also seen stupid bikers too, doing things that will not endear bike riders as a whole to the general motoring public. As someone said earlier... "You can't fix stupid" so why even try. Karma will eventually kick in. ps Re the Toyrun... due to the poor weather there were only 196 bikes took part on this year's Toyrun, but $4000 was raised plus a small mountain of toys/ gifts. In addition the organizers rased another $2000 or so from raffles 50/50 draws etc. Hopefully it'll bring some cheer to some less fortunate families this Christmas.

Now I'm upset because the little hottie behind the counter doesn't call me Sweetie lol I guess sweetie is better than "Waddya want ya old fart" which is may well be what she's thinking. When I or my lady hold a door for someone we usually greet their "thank you" with a polite "You're welcome" If the person breezes through like they have a right, we also say to them in a louder tone... "You're Welcome!" sometimes (dependent upon their attitude) "You're most welcome" It does often make people realise that they are being rude or thoughtless.

Thanks for the replies guys, & the LED suggestions, much appreciated. I don't understand why adding lighting should damage the stator, lights would be wired from the battery, so the stator isn't asked to put out any more. It just means the battery will discharge quicker with more load on it. I did look at the Yamaha LED lights they look fantastic but prices were nuts... Can anyone provide a description/ model/ part number for an LED "bulb" that would fit into the 4 1/2" sealed beam light bucket? (Just so I don't sound quite so dumb when I go into the auto store!) ps I found a PAR 36 but can't find a 32?

Using a phone to text or call (unless it's handsfree) is against the law here in BC but still you see them regularly. I too have seen cyclists texting riding no hands but never motorcyclists. There are idiots on both sides of the fence.

I have a new light bar & set of additional (sealed beam) passing lights on the way for my RSTD I'm adding them for daytime visibility more than for night riding, though I do ride occasionally at night too. I plan to wire them via a new aux fuse box & a relay. Just wondered if anyone who has done this had any advice/ tips etc or what to do/ not do. Best position to mount the relay & fuse box?? Also I read somewhere to change out the stock sealed beam units for NAPA? ones that are slightly higher wattage? Thoughts & Comments appreciated. Thanks in advance

Good Idea imho. There must be a wealth of knowledge (& opinions) LOL on this site.

As SilvrT said in BC Canada YES! Around Vancouver (maybe elsewhere to) they even have signs indicating "motorcycles OK". Here they're designated HOV & to use them (in a car etc) you are required to have a minimum of one passenger (plus driver) Recently Electric Vehicles (with a permit) were also added to the permission. One has to be very careful however as increasingly I see motorists using the HOV lane as a passing lane (illegally) I've been cut off a few times (both on bike & in car) by some clown who just want's to get past someone Another annoying occurence is when a driver is using the HOV lane illegally & is constantly looking to "get out" if he thinks he may be caught! So they drive constantly tapping their brakes, soooo frustrating.

Love it!!! But recoil may upset the jewels! LOL My wife often comments how she wishes she had a "vaporizer button" (no not for me) I put twin horns on my Vulcan (lots of space) def wakes people up! But I can't find anywhere suitable to mount similar on the RSTD.

Must admit I was leaning heavily towards a Nomad (a late 1600cc) or preferably a Voyager but was more or less "presented" (long & peculiar story) with the RSTD & the rest as they say is history. Here in Canada a Voyager new is around Cd21k. list they can be had for approx Cd$17K.