dusty roads

That's 107F, getting old. Yes it did feel like an oven and could only work early mornings. All was fine with both bikes till the heat weave started.

Had the same Deka prior to the one I replaced and it was 4 years old. Have had no luck with them. Seems you got lucky with yours Ben. I think what happened is the heat did them in...temperature in my garage got up to 107C. In a Suzuki Bandit had a year old Yuasa and it gave up as well. I chased problems on that bike to no end sine the last thing I thought about being fairly new was the battery. It would work than not till I removed it and had it tested for deep draw. It would also show parasitic draw intermittently which should of been a clue. Since replacing both bikes working fine.

Just installed one this morning and fits reasonably well. We shall see how it stands up since it's a Crank Chinese battery and they are known for being poor. They must of bought a truck load of old stock batteries really cheap since they were for the Cavalcade and hardly a item one can move. Hope I have luck with this one. My Deka ETX glass mat lasted 3 1/2 years which is disappointing considering the price and being extremely well maintained, one never knows.

Still riding a but not as much as I would like to, age catching up. Yesterday washed and dropped the bike getting it ready for winter.

A Merry Christmas and best wishes to all. May the new year bring good health and prosperity and many more Christmases to come.

Yes, definitely Mark at brakecrafters. Like CaseyJ955 says + a super nice guy to deal with.

Finally installed the MU90 E3 yesterday...had to take it to a shop to put on with machine. Two of us tried Wednesday night and found it impossible with the stiff sidewall. Tire manufacture date is 4615 so its 3 years old. The ride compared to the low mileage 404 which was on the back is far superior. No more road snake wobbling or barely noticeable. In fairness I did readjust the swing arm bearings so it might of helped a bit. The 404 worked well last summer when new but not this summer and degraded really bad after about 2500km. Chasing the problem with Marcarl and could not pin it down the poor ride...wondering around on the road. Was cold last night so did not get a chance to go for a longer ride to test properly. Thanks to all the members comments re tires and next time will do a bit more research before taking some kids advice behind the counter.

Decided to double check with fourtnigt.ca and was told MU 90-16 is the tire to use. It's a 140 verses the MT which is a 130. Sometimes it pays to talk to others rather then just your local dealer. Ordered the MU Elite 3 to match the front so all should be well. Thanks Zzyzx for bringing it to my attention and getting me thinking again.

Will be getting Elite 4 tire from them. Unfortunately they do not have any of the Elite 3s in size I need.

Have checked them out and dealer tells me they are not compatible with wheel with. Can get them locally but they recommend proper size.

Talked to Performance Cycle and they don't have any. Will order Elite 4 from fortnine.ca in the morning unless I can find a cheaper one on line.

Will probably go with Elite 4 and give it a try. Can't find Continentals in our area so E 4 by the looks of it.

Trying to find a new Dunlop Elite 3 rear tire 140/90/16 for my 86 Venture. Had a puncture in the rear and needs to be replaced. Was interesting getting home. Have a Elite 3 on the front and tires have about 2500 km on them. Would like to match them. Looked all over locally and on line and have had no luck finding one...discontinued. Last year I could still find one. Was wondering if anyone knew of someone who has a tire I'm looking for. Dealer or someone who has a new one they never used... in Southern Ontario. Any help would be appreciated.

Wonderful weather and location. Thank you Paul and Mary for putting on a great get together. Enjoyed seeing all who attended and again thank you for a wonderful day and for all of the effort you put in.

I'm a young 67 and it's my youthful delusions that keep me interested in bikes. Got sick a couple of years ago and sold off all of my bike stuff figuring my riding days were over. After going through treatments and some time passed I had a bit more strength and started looking at bikes again. Got the Venture since a good friend of mine suggested it would be good therapy for me to work on something to keep the mind occupied. Was not sure I could even handle the Venture but eventually by next spring had a bit more strength and started riding it. It was a good decision. Unfortunately my mind can't accept the fact that my body is no longer capable of handling heavy bikes. That fantasy has to be adjusted with a good dose of reality. Can no longer ride long distances since my lack of stamina gets the better of me. Bottom line is that I really have no business trying to go to a heavier touring bike as much as I would like to. Will most lightly pass on the bike and accept the situation for what it is though at times I think I still can. Usually these thoughts come when I wake up in the night and the brain is not up to speed. In the light of day reality dictates another story. Thanks for the advice and ride safe.

Might look good in the images but not so on closer inspection. You are absolutely right about two owners passing on repairs and the smart thing to do is also to pass on this bike.

Good day VanRiver, have enclosed images of BMW which don’t show the true state of bike. Close inspection reveals all of the flaws which are not apparent in the images. Bike has been sitting for some time…possibly in the elements and there is rust showing on a lot of the bolts-nuts that has ever been wrenched. What cannot be seen are the scratches, loose-rattling plastic, bent shifter, road rash on front-rear sides, road rash-rip in rear left speaker vinyl from a slide, etc. Another concern which I forgot to mention is a slight knock when engine hot and idling. Knock disappears when rpm is brought up and the engine runs very quiet at higher rpm with a smoke cloud. I have watched Kurt’s videos last week and every item he mentions to watch for is obvious. Will need brake lines, rear rotor, all new pads, springs, tires, battery, a lot of new seals since they will dry out, electrical issues sorted, ABS repaired, valve check and who knows what else…list could be endless. These are only visual observations that are readily apparent. Another problem is lack of facility to do work on in the winter. No longer have access to machine shop and lift to work on over the winter like I did with my Venture. Suppose I could leave it till next summer and then start which is acceptable to me. In the meantime, will keep riding the Venture and not worry about any problems. Will go to see my buddy MarCarl to tighten neck bearings just a bit. Had them perfect when replaced and the bike was striped down, but just could not leave things alone.Let me know what you think and if this bike is worth anything with what I have described. Sure wish I could find one like the one you picked up, it’s a real find.

Drove to see the BMW on the weekend and it needs a lot of work. Has been sitting for a while and won't stop smoking even when running for a while on the center stand and thoroughly warmed up. Has been dropped and some damage has to be repaired. Needs just about every wear part replaced which will add up quickly to a high cost. ABS...motors can be heard working for front-rear circuit so it does not appear to be the ABS unit. It has been sitting and neglected so it could be a number of issues with the ABS. Bike is very heavy and at my age and diminishing strength I'm wondering if it's the right choice of bike. Rode one several weeks ago and it's a handful just finding room to do a slow turn. Might make a low offer and see what happens since the owner got the bike from a friend who was going to get it on the road, gave up and sold to current owner who is also giving up on the bike. Don't think he knew what he was getting into, although hi is mechanically very savvy judging by the vehicles he had and what he had done to them, the guy is extremely knowledgeable. I thank you for the info and will see how things go. Will post if I end up with bike. In the meantime, will keep riding the Venture which has proven to be supper reliable since I went over it two years ago. Still having problems posting proper reply...hope it displays.

A very happy seventieth birthday Evan. May you have good health and many more to come. All the best.

Having trouble sending image attached to private message. Shows selected image and path but not being received. On posts there in no problem. What am I missing.

Last year I was in position where my health was going and never rode my bike at all. Sold a nice newer bike that was set up for exactly what I needed while going through treatments figuring the bike days were over. After a month I started feeling a bit better and there was no bike in the garage...panic hit since there was always a bike-bikes around since I was a kid. Ended up picking up an 86 Venture that needed going over mainly to keep my mind occupied. Over the winter I got it mostly sorted out at probably twice the cost of what I originally figured. I have never been weaker or had a bike this heavy since my Harley days back in the early 70ies. Got the bike running fairly well and with help from Marcarl sorted some of the final touches. I can honestly say that I've never had so much pleasure riding on this older bike this summer even though it has it's quirks, problems and will need a bit more work this winter. My hope is to keep riding as long as I am able and not sweat the problems life throws at us all. For my two cents, keep the bike and ride it when you are able so there are no regrets later on.

Just had a conversation with supplier and they will order a MR90-18 for me. Was initially told it was not available but the Elite 3 is now available when I mentioned others are putting them on. Thanks for the input to all.

Just had an Elite 3, 130/70-18 installed on my 86 VR. Old tire was Elite 2, 120/90-18 standard size tire. Since the tire was not available in the original size I was assured though a bit smaller on diameter there should not be much of issue with the smaller tire. Has anybody tried this size on the front with stock size on the back. Should I proceed with the tire or try something else. I put the wheel back on yesterday and then started thinking. Bike has not been driven yet.

Removed four corner screws on the cover…. small Philips head. The cover was not easy to start since it had some sort of sealer-glue around the edges. Used a razor and tiny screwdriver to get a corner loose. Once I got a bit of a gap on the cover I slowly worked my way around the box very gently till I could pry the cover off.