dynodon
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Everything posted by dynodon
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my 96 royale gets 45 on most of our rides, some city, highway between 60-70 mph, one up.
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I had both hips replaced about 3 months apart about 4 years ago. Sorry I waited so long. I have known others that had knees done and nobody has regretted it. Just do a little research and get someone that is good to do the surgery, and plan ahead for plenty of time for rehab. Even with the hips, it was only a month or so and I was mostly back to normal. Did take most of those 4 years though, to convince myself to get back on a motorcycle after a 20+ year gap. My Dr. wasn't in favor of it, but I love being able to swing a leg over the bike again.
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One of my pet peeves is people using "fog or driving" lamps in the daytime and all the time at night. In Illinois you aren't supposed to have aux lighting on in traffic, oncoming or if you are close behind someone unless you have fog style lamps and it is foggy or rainy out. They are to be used only for the situation intended. Driving lamps only when there is no traffic near you. These are almost always on cars or bikes aimed wrong and will blind oncoming drivers and are a danger. Be sure your "aux" lights are properly aimed so they aren't up higher than legal for high beams at the most. True fog lights should be low and level or ever so slightly down. Most factory lights are so weak though, they aren't a problem, I just think it makes the drivers look stupid to run them 24/7. On bikes, the typical accessory lights on each side of the headlight help with making sure drivers notice you, but be sure they are aimed right. I don't get so ticked at bikers with them that are using them night and day, as long as they are aimed right.
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You should have a great trip. If you like things automotive, you should NOT miss the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Musem in Auburn IN (far NE corner of state). Depending on your route, you should see Indianapolis, the Indy 500 museum and take a ride around the track on the busses. If you take the Indy route, you should plan on great steak at a restaurant at exit 4 just before Illinois. Then as you come into Illinois, there is a wonderful Air Force museum at the old Rantoul Air Force Base just north of I-55. This is worth the side trip if you like airplanes/jets etc. I live near Bloomington, and in that area, you might want to visit the Route 66 Museum at exit 145 off I-55 just south of Bloomington at the truck stop, not huge, but interesting. Also, there is a neat winery, Mackinaw Valley Winery Just East of Mackinaw IL (West of Bloomington about 20 miles) and there are even a few hills and curves in the area (rare for central IL!) This winery is fun, has a good patio/view and good local wines. I think any fan of wine would enjoy this winery. There is a really fun dinner theater in Goodfield, IL about a 30 minute ride from Bloomington on I-74 at exit 112. The Conklin Dinner Theater is just north of the interstate and a fun evening out. If you ride north to Eureka from there, you can visit the college of President Ronald Reagan in Eureka, they have a nice exhibit and it is a very scenic old campus. I would also recommend you visit Starved Rock State park straight North of Bloomington near Interstate 80. There is a great leather shop for bikers called Stonehead in Utica and a couple of really good restaurants and Starved Rock makes a great overnight stay (get one of their cabins if you can) and a nice ride if you don't have the time to stay a night. Of course, you MUST drive as much of old Route 66 as you can. There is quite a bit of the old four-lane still surviving in Illinois from Springfield on north to Chicago. Buy a route 66 map or two for Illinois and do as much as you can. Take every side trip possible to get the max benefit. There is more, and I would love to meet up with you when you get in the area. Maybe Roadkill and I can join up and ride with you a while!
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Had a wave of someone cutting cat converters off cars sitting outside repair garages over the weekend here in Central IL! Druggies mostly, will take anything, including power wires, copper gutters/roof, plumbing from deserted/houses under construction etc. I like the sign about traps. If you build a secure looking building, better make sure it really IS secure, or you will just have to repair it anyway! A good junkyard dog can help. Be sure to hide those security cameras, or they may take them too! Seriously, I hope you solve the problem, and stay safe.
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Congrats on the new (old) bike. I bought my '86 late last summer and have enjoyed the heck out of it. About that clutch, good advice on the springs and do go ahead and change the oil using motorcycle specific oil of the correct weight. There is a good tech section here, if you don't have your owners manual. About the rpm's, I bought my Yamaha because I run a car club for cars with Yamaha engines (SHO Taurus) and I love their (Yamaha) engine work! Those SHO engines also like to see a redline once in a while, but please remember this, that any engine taken to redline (and especially beyond) will shorten it's useful life. The royale has lots of torque, and unless you are at the drag strip, there is little to gain in going to redline. Most engines are dropping HP and torque big time well before redline. Redline is the max you should see, NOT the recommended shift point, even at the drags. If you get a chance, take your bike to a dyno shop and you will see what I mean. Plus, at prices predicted to reach $4 per gallon, running any vehicle hard all the time is costly in the extreme. You can enjoy your Royale, and get lots of jollies at less than 100% throttle, and that clutch will probably behave normally for some time if you just ride normally. Enjoy and welcome.
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Hard to believe the crap that people allow to just roll around and sit loose in the back of a pickup. Many people use them as rolling trash cans and throw stuff in it as they drive down the road. I don't suppose you whipped out a chain and gave this guy a good whipping after? A friend of mine was driving his car back from a car convention and a semi dropped a very big I beam that speared the car and caused it to wreck into the ditch. Took out a lot of the car, but it was a Taurus and helped protect the guy and his wife. I was lucky riding to Chicago one summer on I-55 when a truck loaded with pallets stacked WAY too high passed me going about 90 and leaning all over the place. I slowed way down and hung to the right watching for traffic from behind, when about 2 minutes later I saw a huge cloud of dust over a hill and lots of brake lights. Truck and load was all over FOUR lanes and a real mess. Could have been me! Glad you came out with just a bump.
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I could not find the stand in the classifieds either, searched for Carbon One etc. Even googled it in general without success. Hey, Red Rider or others, how do we get in touch with this guy?
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Beat the foam lining with a hammer or rock? Whoa! That foam is what saves your noggin, and if you MUST create some room inside the helmet (speakers etc) then use a knife or similar and shave off as little as possible, leaving the rest to work as it was designed. Hitting it with a rock or hammer will compress it much deeper, leaving it useless in an accident. Maybe a minor difference, but still, to get the same effect, with less damage to the safety system would be my choice. I have also found that sometimes you DO get what you pay for. Most of the cheaper helmets I have bought have been less comfortable and less durable than the ones from my favorite company, Simpson. Bell is second on my list. I buy more car helmets than bike helmets, but they make both. When talking about your life, the difference between a DOT helmet and a quality SNELL helmet is minimal and worth it to me. A proper fit is also almost always going to feel too tight at first. If you can move the helmet around on your head much at all, it is too loose. Don't be too quick to buy oversized or to cut down the lining/foam.
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A proper battery "maintainer" (not a 'trickle charger") like the Battery Tender will take literally years for the battery to go dry, probably go dry on its own just as fast. NEVER had a battery go dry on one, and I have some vehicles that move once or twice a year, the rest of the time, they are always on a Battery Tender. ON the older style batteries with caps, I check the water level once a year and add as needed, I haven't noticed any difference in the amount of water I have added before starting to use the Battery Tender and after. Starting with a healthy battery is essential, as no charger, no matter how nice or sophisticated will be able to save one. Also, any acid accumulation is a clear indicator of something gone wrong, usually the battery has a bad cell or two, or the charging system is overcharging. If you have a healthy battery and use a quality "maintainer" you should never have acid accumulation, a dry battery (check at least each year or few months, like you should no matter what) or a dead battery.
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I have relied on Battery Tender brand for many years, including motorcycles, tractors outside, old cars and more. This place has the best price I have seen and the Battery Tender Jr. has all the bells and whistles needed, and will work just fine on the spiral core Odyssey type batteries, I have had one in my race car on a Jr. for about four years now. http://www.accwhse.com/batteryt.htm
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Modern diesels have no particulate problems, low sulpher fuel solves other problems and Urea systems solve the last problem. The biggest problem with diesels right now is the cost of the fuel, it can be 15-20% higher or more, so you need to get that much better mileage and more to make it economically pay off, especially with the extra cost of a diesel. America is just car-diesel shy because of the GM Olds fiasco. But Ford was sponsoring the U. of WI some years ago in economy trials, and they won a couple years in a row with a hybrid diesel Taurus SHO. One made out of all aluminum, with the SHO's manual 5-speed tranny, and a small 4 cyl diesel and hybrid electric setup. Was fast, got 100+ mpg and they ran in on hundreds of C size rechargeable batteries donated by an alum that owned an electric tool company! Ford should have all that info, and the car, so I don't know why they can't seem to come up with really useful hybrid drivetrains. VW will sell lots of these if they make them.
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Rider magazine is where I found out about many great rides including the T.W.O. campground in N. Georgia that my wife and I rode to in 1982 as part of a ride to the Knoxville Worlds Fair. The web site makes you think they are really focused in on sport bikes, but I think they also cover touring bikes and cruisers about as much as anyone, probably more. I used to subscribe, but haven't in many years, so I ordered a free issue (got to remember to cancel subscription if I don't like it!) to see what they are like now.
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I am pretty sure you can do that. We have had both in horse trailers and honestly there isn't a lot of difference. Less maintenance is probably the best thing. Hard to shore up a rubber torsion axle if you need more capacity I think, where with leaf springs, you can probably find a helper spring to clamp on.
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So far, I haven't had a problem finding Yamaha dealers to work on my '86, hasn't needed a LOT, but in particular RTR's in Washington IL has been very nice. It helps that our STAR group has brought them some "new" business and I have bought some bling and clothing from them. If you are having trouble getting an appointment, maybe buy some things, drop in more often and develop a relationship. Also, give them some leeway when it comes to time. If you didn't buy the bike new from them, then I think it is normal for them to service their current customers and warranty stuff first. I didn't buy my '86 from them, but when RTR's gave me a little trouble with my first appointment, I just kept coming back and got involved with the local clubs, and bought a few items from them. Next time I asked for an appointment, they were lots friendlier. They even worked on my wife's Honda and they don't even sell them! I am also easy going on appointment times, not insisting on quick turnaround, but guess what? I usually get in within a week and they get it out right away unless they have to wait on parts. Develop that relationship, it pays dividends both ways.
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About 70 my '86 VR really starts to talk to me and at 75 it purrs like a BIG kitten. Super Sweet. Stays that way past 80. I don't explore those speeds a lot here in somewhat crowded Illinois, but when I can, well, it is nice. speaking hypothetically of course!
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We have a dealer in E. Peoria. Didn't ride one, but it looks nice. VERY highly styled. that trunk hanging out in space is a little wierd, but the front is nicely done. I am just not sold on air-cooled V-twins yet, but I need to ride one before I really decide. I am going to rent a Harley this summer, just so I can say for sure what they are like. If they would just bring out a new Venture Royale, I would be in heaven. Oh, and maybe replace the 8-track with a CD player of disk drive?
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I prefer to find a spot for myself and leave everyone else alone. It IS safer if everyone is going about the same speed though. Best behaved drivers I have seen was several years ago (it could be different now) in Toronto Canada. They seemed to understand the proper use of the fast and slow lanes and traffic pretty much moved like it was designed. Then it started raining and like magic everyone slowed down! I discovered they had a "rain" speed limit, and darned if they didn't obey it! I can't understand those that block the left lane (LLB"S) or those that insist on pacing beside another car, no matter the speed. When that happens, I try to take an exit, take a break and get to heck away from them.
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Down and out!!!!!!
dynodon replied to Kurt827's topic in Venture and Venture Royale Tech Talk ('83 - '93)
Kurt, sorry to hear about your accident, but glad you are not worse off. listen to the therapy people and keep an eye on your neck. I was in a rollover in a van when much younger and didn't see a doctor when my neck started hurting, and now can't turn my neck much. About the bike, there are 1st gen's on e-bay all the time for parts, so you can probably find enough parts to rebuild your baby. May have to paint some of them, but it can be done. Best of luck -
I was looking around for glove solutions, and found these heated glove LINERS that seem like a good idea. Heat the fingertips which is better than the palm or back of the hand to my mind. http://www.vaso.tv/sport_northamerica.html Not bad at $80 including one set of batteries, no controller needed. You can use any AA battery, some will last longer than others. Anyone tried them? I may take a chance.
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I am just starting to gear up for cold riding. Bought my first face mask that cov ers the nose this last week and took an hours ride yesterday before bad weather hit for several days. WOW, Nothing about being comfortable means I am less of a man, and that face mask was nice and warm under my 3/4 helmet with shield. Plus my wife said the "mystery" man image with the mask turned her on when I chased her down in her truck to take her to lunch at the end of my ride!
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I bought my '86 VR without ever having riden or even sat on one, or any other bike in 20 years. I bought it because it was Yamaha and I run the SHO Car club with Yamaha engines and like the looks and good reviews, and the Yamaha connection. When a friend of mine delivered it from 1/2 way across the country, it needed a little more work than I was led to believe, but not bad, but what I REALLY loved about the bike was from the first moment sitting on it I felt like I was home. It fit, it looked right, it sounded right, and now 3000 miles and 5 months later, I am still in major love with this bike. Worst problem? If I ever need to replace it, there isn't anything out there that is as good looking, with the features I like. Just hoping the next Venture isn't a Harley look-alike and they go back to more of the look of my Gen I!
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Capt, Good on you for not immediately posting this person's name and address. That is a class act on your part. yes there are two sides, but this sounds pretty cut and dried. Just for your safety, do you have an attorney that will give you some advice for a few minutes and not much charge? Just to get your exact legal rights concerning small claims, or any other court option and what you can do with the other bike. $50 spent finding out can be worth a lot in just knowing the answer, good or bad. I have friends locally that will help with mechanical work, and I can do some myself, but I try not to infringe on that friendship if you know what I mean. I am lucky to have a local Yamaha shop (RTR Cycles in Washington IL) that has treated me right, and has a good mechanic. They aren't cheap, but so far they have worked on my bike twice, and my wife's twice, and they have been fair and good. I mention their name because those that treat us right should get kudo's and referrals. I suspect you will get some more business out of this, so make lemonade from the lemons, and get your money up front and don't give back the bike without full payment! (or some legal arrangement that can stick). Best of luck, and again, you did the right thing, and can be proud.
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Cervi, Got my VR out for over an hour today, testing out a new face mask I bought at IMS in Chicago last weekend. Wow, the right stuff makes winter riding nice! It was 37 today in Peoria, IL, and wind chill to 30, but in an hour I wasn't close to chilled. Was a great ride, only had to dodge a little ice on the roads! Our group is going to Nashville IN (south of INdy about an hour) to spend Memorial day in log cabins and ride the great roads around Central and S. Indiana over the holiday. Care to come along? If so, PM me and I can get you specifics. Our group in Peoria takes a couple nice rides a month when the weather warms up, you are welcome to join us. Do you have a group in Decatur? I grew up in Arthur, and spent a lot of time in Decatur. go through there several times a year.
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You can get the excellent motorcycle specific Amsoil synthetic on their website, or through any Amsoil dealer, if you can wait a couple of days. If it is an emergency oil change, any motorcycle shop should be able to get you motorcycle specific oil that will do till you can find what you really want.