Mike G in SC

Last time I went "first weekend" seemed the party had not started. Um, to restate that, there were no vendors at Barefoot or south. I normally just do a day trip, from the Columbia, SC area, 3 hours. But I got plans for the following Saturday (21st) so,,, I may do a day trip during the week. I'm 5 years retired. Seems previous you guys met at Hamburger Joe's on the event Wednesday. But that was during Skid's vacation. Anyhow, I'll check back to this thread to see if anyone makes plans. Still got the GW Trike and a RSTD. Mike G in SC

I saw where Longhaul Paul posted about that. It will affect him. Me and some STAR friends met at the Atlanta IMS last October. I have been to several in SC, NC then GA. It was always a fun thing and I typically spend a couple hundred at vendors. (Amsoil, gloves, cup holder, Big Skinny wallet, even free trinkets from lawyers.) Well,,,, last year,,,, NO VENDORS. Or,,, literally only a few. One helmet tent and maybe a Com vendor and earplug guy, maybe a lawyer. Only minor on food vendor at $$$$ prices. Last year's IMS was only the bike manufacturers. That was it. If you were in the market for a new motorcycle and you came to test ride,,,, then this was for you. I already have a bike (okay, two). And the Yamaha tent did not have even one Venture, Nada. Okay, British Kim was there! But, yes, several manufacturers were there, with plenty of demo's. But if you go the the IMS events looking for the side shows,,,, they did NOT exist. (Kind of like going to a state fair and they only have rides, no events or games of vendors.) This was not because of COVID, which everyone has blamed the last two years on, there were not restrictions. This appeared to be just a manufacturers only event. And unfortunately the day I went, Conyers, GA was an all day rain event. Took the SUV 250 miles each way for a non-event. So, of the dozen folks I ran into that I knew, most were done with the show in an hour. Sorry to see it go, if that is what they call an IMS,, I'd not go again.

I've had two Clearview's on my RSTD's, both with vent. They are great, love the recurve top. They kept their "clear view" better than stock. But I got a F4 Customs for my RSV. The first one came from a bad batch of plexiglass. After time it seemed to frackle. Talked to owner, as I was out of warranty, he let me have a replacement at half price. Fair. It is even more bullet proof that the Clearview. Still up in the barn somewhere, took it off before I sold the RSV back to a dealer. It was good enough that when I got rid of the RSV and got a used Goldwing Trike, first thing I did was order a F4 Customs for the GW. Six years and still looks new. And you clean it with Windex and paper towles. Don't do that with the Clearview.

Thanks Don. Yep,,,,, but this time I was wrong on a year/color. Can't win them all. And thanks Steve K for the PDF's,,, Mike G in SC

Don, great, thanks. I'm on several of the FB Royal Star forums and often someone comes up with their own idea of what year they have. lol At times, that history makes me look smart. Mike G in SC

Model History? Easy, yes or no,,,,, and if so,,, where. The previous forum format had the History of Royal Star bikes by year group and thus colors. Was looking for it because on a FB page, someone posted a bike that seemed to have a wrong year/color match. So,, Freebird or someone, can you point me,,, or let me know it is gone. Thanks,,,, Mike G in SC

On my Royal Stars I've mostly run Michelin Commanders since 2007 (Maybe Avon's at first). I went to the Michelin Commander, Loved them. Then they came out with the C2 but did not have stock size front so I mixed Dunlop E3 front with Michelin C2 rear for several years. On my 2009 Venture, first time with that combo I got 26K front and 22K miles on rear. Two and a half years ago I bought another 2006 RSTD, this one lightly used, restored after sitting for a few years (first owner had long illness then passed). The family put on a set of Shinko Tourmaster 230's just to sell it at 5000 miles on bike. I bought it next with just 6000 miles. So the Shinko 230's had 1000 miles, when I got it. Me and the last owner did a 200 mile run in SW Missouri and NW Arkansas. Awesome riding there. The tires and bike performed great on dry asphalt twisty roads. But I trailered the bike back to my home in South Carolina. First time I got on the interstate I did not care for the ride. And first time it rained on the interstate,,, it was a butt pucker. So, within a couple weeks I replaced the Shinko's with a set of Michelin C2's. Yep I went with the small front and haven't looked back. I gave the 1300 mile Shinko's to a friend (but told him my feelings). I don't know if he used them or not? I planned to ride them to their expected 8K miles,,, but Nope, will not ride them again.

Don, have chatted with him on FB forums a couple time. Jim Dalton from North Bay Ontario. He posted on one of Mike Eykamps' FB forums a couple weeks ago. Maybe this link will get there. But you could extend him an invitation. He has a rare bird, for sure. His FB page. https://www.facebook.com/jim.dalton.9250?fref=search&__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARDmdmW9kqxUMJ04q0sCy6bfLmJE4MNPpZO2jgizO3gayK2kRIsugx30O8xYoyiY77p11mtolJO4fbzK

I envy where you are moving. Just below Hwy 11. You are still in flat country but just a very few miles from SC and NC mountains. I live near Camden, SC so about 2 hour ride TO the mountains. If you have any interest a friend of mine is the the Greenville STAR Touring chapter president (and a state ambassador), Joe Busheck, can put you in touch. Great choice. My "gal from Kalamazoo" likes it here too. Mike G in SC

Still here in middle SC. Now, 69 and still riding 15K miles a year between my two up Gold Wing Trike and my 2006 Midnight RSTD. The company I retired from a few years ago but had been part time consulting, closed my local plant,,, so now really retired. Not on VR like years back as the Royal Star line ended and I got no interest in the 3rd generation. I probably spend too much time on Face Book Royal Star forums. Mike G in SC.

In the saddle bags there is a little holder for "stuff" in the upper center, frame side. In all 3 of my Royals, that is where I put unidentified bolts. Just FYI. lol

Was thinking I'd make it again this year. Two somethings came up for today. Sorry. I may shoot down there tomorrow (3 hours for me from Lugoff, SC) to see the vendor tents. Let me know if you think it's worth a day trip? Barefoot vendors? South of MB vendors? Mike Griswold - Mike G in SC

Had a friend 10+ years ago who put on our message board that his bike was dead, wouldn't start. He begged to borrow a trailer, but most of us knew his luck with "stuff". So someone lent him one, which he promptly got. But he had to wait till the weekend to take the bike to the dealer. So when he hooked back the trailer and ran the bike up the trailer,,,, he forgot to lock down the trailer,, the nose went in the air and he fell over to the right side on the trailer rail and creased the hell out of the gas tank. So, after getting it "safely" loaded, took it to the dealer. Um,,, after all that and two weeks of being down,,, yep,,, same think,,, petcock was off. Dealer fixed it in the first minute. Then he gets the tank repainted but the shop paints over the vent hole, so now he is plagued with gas expansion when he fills up. Listen,,, this goes on and on...… Glad yours if "fixed", Blue Sky. Hard to say if you'll ever need the points so you got a head start. They tend to pit after 50K miles. Mike G in SC

Yeah, but you have to take the pump out of the gas line circuit for it to free flow, else the broke pump is acting like a shut off valve. (See above on gravity feed). OH, I see he fixed it. Issue gone.

Me too, what do you get? Says parts to fix the OEM pump? But plug and play? I know the connector for the venture and the RSTD are different. Don’t see how it could fit both. unless it has both.

Remember that dummy bolt. If your shifter bolt ever falls out on the road, that one will do, till you replace that high dollar original. Found that out in 2007 near Carowinds.

This is what fits... yep, same. Mark Shields has a lot of experience with this. He has rebuilt several. He's on this forum, not sure what user name Mark goes by. Hey, Mark, got INFO? Also, Mike Eykamp, EUSA1, Diamond Cut Guy, has done this. Mikey?

You can gravity feed, bypass the pump. This works if you keep the gas filled above half tank. I had to do it when a pump failed. I ran that way for a couple weeks till the dealer got me an OEM warranty pump. (I did put a cheap in-line filter in the gas line as this bypasses the filter too.) I posted here some time back, but here is same from a FB forum. TO GRAVITY FEED: You can gravity feed pretty easy if you have a few tools (Wrench for seat bolt, needle nose pliers for clamps, Alen wrench for side cover bolt.). Takes 20 minutes. You may spill some fuel so careful there. You turn off the petcock. Remove the rider seat. Remove the rear tank bolt under the seat. Raise/pivot the tank at the rear an inch or two, Put a wedge so it stays up. Remove the left side cover. With a needle nose, pinch the gas line clamp and pull the line from the filter. Pass this end of the line over to the right side of the bike near the tank end. Then with needle nose pull the carb side gas line from the carbs single inlet (also on right end under the tank). Now connect the line from the petcock to the carb intake. You now have a straight line from the tank to the carbs for gravity feed. On the fuel pump side, pull the pump electrical connector so it will not try to puke out more fuel. Turn on petcock. Give it a try, see if it starts. If it was the pump it should. Drop the tank, put on seat, put on side cover. You can ride this way if you keep the tank over half full,,, indefinitely.

I tried the Rotella T6 in my RSV and RSTD, both at same time, about three years ago, I did not care for how changing gears felt or sounded in both. After about 2000 miles in which ever bike came first, I swapped both back to Amsoil 10W40. So, tried it, did not like it. Immediately both bikes seemed to go back to what I expect. Another friend I ride with, thought I was still using the T6 last year so tried it. When he was due to change he asked me again about it and I told him my experience. He said he had noticed the same and wanted to get away from the T6. He tied it, did not like it. Just sharing, not advising,,,, cause this is an OIL THREAD! lol Then,,, maybe I used the wrong ROTEL.....Uh.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Supply-Universal-Point-Switch-18-4615/dp/B0034ZMVKU/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=K-L-Supply-Universal-Fuel-Pump-Point-Switch-Kit-18-4615&qid=1554654586&s=gateway&sr=8-1 Or Ebay https: https://www.ebay.com/itm/K-L-Universal-Fuel-Pump-Point-Switch-Kit-18-4615-Kawasaki-Yamaha-Honda/392240662545?epid=171162134&hash=item5b535d8811:g:LNwAAOSwGelcaD3P Minor Solder job needed. Suggest you use your phone to photo before and after close up of old and new point as I goofed the spring,,,, I think. But this is likely the problem. Mike G in SC

Looks like my 1985 Celica GTS. Had a louver covered rear like this picture.

Mark Shields has replaced points in several failed pumps. I tried once, it failed. I don't know if I sprung the points spring (easy to do) or if another component in the pump was bad. If I did it again, would take a pic of the old and new before swapping. But it's worth a try to get yourself a good spare (not a China knockoff). Here is same points part but from Amazon. A little cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/Supply-Universal-Point-Switch-18-4615/dp/B0034ZMVKU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547071182&sr=8-1&keywords=Point+Switch+Kit+-+18-4615

Good deal Reggie. Maybe I should recheck my store if some are shipping. But if I got it,,, would just be to flip it or sell to a friend for what I pay.

Actually,,, I got one of those big fiberglass trailers that looks like a Goldwing rear. I pull it behind my Goldwing (trike) rear. But good offer,, if someone else is looking. Actually GREAT offer.

IF YOU CAN FIND ONE,,,, Harbor Freight put their little MC pull behind on crazy clearance sale $199. I was not able to find one.