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Mike G in SC

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Everything posted by Mike G in SC

  1. Mike G in SC
    I've got the 100 light on my RSTD and my RSV (had previously had the 32 light). Yep, it's mighty bright. But I also had a lighting guy add run/turn/brake BRIGHT LED's to my tail lights (still using the clear lense). I think he got the 100 tail from Custom Dynamics and the R/T/B lights and load module from Signal Dynamics. (But anyone with a metric phillips screw driver can install the tail light.) I went from barely visible at night to hard to stare at without seeing red dots for a few minutes. I normally lead my club's rides and riders say they are very obvious day or night. This came about when my wife was following the group in a car and said "I could barely see your bike!". But the 100 (or even the 32) LED is a good start. Mike G
  2. Mike G in SC
    Steve, Sorry, my search didn't do so good either. So, I did find my last post on it: You can do a gravity feed to bypass the filter and pump if you want to eliminate them, to find out what's wrong. Takes about 15 minutes. Be careful about spilling fuel,,,. (Remove seat. Turn off fuel petcock. Pull the tank bolt - you don't have to remove the tank, just lift the rear of it an inch or so, maybe put in a block of wood to raise it. Use a long needle nose to pull (unclamp) the feed line from the filter, then pull the line (unclamp) to the carb on the right side. Then connect the tank line direct to the carb feed. Before you try to start it,, remove the left side cover and disconnect the fuel pump connector so it won't spew it's remaining gas. Oh,,, turn back on petcock now. Try to start it. If you have a mostly full tank, it should start up and run fine,,, your problem is the filter or pump. If this works, then you have a bad filter or pump. If it's the pump, you can run on gravity if you keep the tank above 1/4 full, till you get one. If you plan to do more than test,, get a $3 inline filter till you are back to normal.) I ran a week and 1000 miles without a pump. Yes warranty is good. The Yamaha stock part (Mitsibshi) is $300. If you are out of warranty, someone on this forum has posted a after market $45 replacement.
  3. Mike G in SC
    Steve, Just so you don't get "stuck", do a search on this forum for "gravity feed". Read up. If you pump should go, this can get you running again in about 15 minutes. (It's simply routing your gas line directly from the tank to the carb input.) Good luck with what you find. Warranty will save you about $350 for a stock pump. Mike G
  4. Mike G in SC
    Gary, I bought one from you also, have not used it,,,yet. Question: to use your wrench instead of the screwdriver/hammer method, what do you have to remove to get to the steering head nut? Is it just as simple as the screwdriver method or do you have to start pulling stuff? Thanks, Mike G in SC
  5. Mike G in SC
    I had a 2006 Strat for a year. Also had my RSTD at the same time. As good as the Strat was (power+), I just never found the ride comfortable. When I came across a deal on a RSV, I sold the Strat. Oh, took me 10 minutes to sell!!! To my neighbor. He loves it and finds it comfortable. I didn't loose a bike, I got a neighbor to ride with now and then. Mike G in SC
  6. Mike G in SC
    Bob, simple answer,,, no. Glad you asked. No cost to come see and do most of the stuff. No "gate fee". So, please do come by. Heck you might run into some VR there,,, like me. Probably about 800-1000 people typically show, about 500-600 bikes. Pay stuff includes banquets and any meals, auctions, seminars and the bike show or rodeo. So the vendor area is free (unless you buy something!), Yamaha Star demo rides are free, most of the rides are on public roads and guess what,,,, just slide on in, no one is going to check. So, the packet is $57. But if you aren't a STAR member, no problem, 75% of stuff won't cost you. If you have any questions, PM or email me. Thanks for asking, Mike G in SC (and I am president of my local STAR chapter, Columbia, SC)
  7. Mike G in SC
    STAR Touring annual STAR Days is in Madison, WI next week. Just wondering who from VR forums is going. Three of us from SC STAR chapters are going, headed out Saturday. About 1000 miles each way. If it ain't RAINING, we will HEAD up through Clemson, Hwy 28 to the Dragon, spend the night north of there. Sunday morning, more mountain roads through TN to Louisville. On through Indy, to around Champaign, IL for the night, then to Madison Monday AM. Doing straight interstate back on the following Fri-Sat. I did see a post in a post saying they were going. Anyhow, anyone else going? And, hey, even if you aren't a member, swing by to see what's happening, including vendors. Hey Wanderer, yep, I'm taking the Venture-Dream. Mike G in SC
  8. Mike G in SC
    I got a 18mm socket at Autozone a few of years ago. It's not a plug socket but it fits fine on the Royals (and Road Star). BUT, just now, I installed a set of the new "E3" brand,,,,, and they use a 16mm. Go figure. Lucky me, I had a full set of deep well sockets in my shop that I had never used. Mike G in SC
  9. Mike G in SC
    Same thing happened to me. The shop installed the passing lamps and on a road trip, days later, the stock fuse did the same thing, melted. When I got back they reinstalled no charge but we did also put in a blade type inline fuse. It is sticking through the faring about where the headlight adjust knob is located. And it is YELLOW. Yep, great idea to make it accessible. Glad you posted, Bobby. Mike G in SC
  10. Mike G in SC
    Keith, Mod on the washer: Seems like there were two big washers in the tubes (on each side). One bigger than the other. I think we swapped the top to the bottom and took a grinder to one to change the outer diameter. That gave us another fraction inside the tube. I'm vague on it as it was a year or so ago, but if you get that far, you will probably see what and why we did. Mike G
  11. Mike G in SC
    Now you got me interested on putting some RSTD bars on my RSV. What's the benefit? Jim, you said like power steering? And,, other than weight issues, what's involved in putting them on. Any cable or hardware changes needed,, or is it just a swap out?? Is there already a thread on "how to", didn't see one? (I have a RSTD and RSV and put Kuryakyn ISO's on both. Yeah, the RSV stock weights are one piece and actually threaded like a big bolt and the RSTD has a center hole with a bolt through it. On the RSTD, we modified the weight, on the RSV I bought the Baron's end weights.) As I remember, the RSTD handlebars probably need weights to dampen the vibration. I did without a few days on my RSTD and it was much better when I put them back on. Anyhow, if you know what's needed for install, let me know. Thanks, Mike G in SC
  12. Mike G in SC
    Tony, We looked at that, not using the calliper relocation bracket. We just put on the modified dog bones first. I bounced around on the seat, never bottomed out. Kind of looked like we could get away with out it,,,, but I had already bought a used kit (on this forum) and we decided to put it on. I queried people on this forum and on the STAR forum on what they thought about it. Got mostly "don't knows". So,,,,, sorry, don't know. Mike G.
  13. Mike G in SC
    Tom, Yeah, I've tried the water soak vest too, yuck, and little benefit. I saw the pricing,,, let us know. And how long they work before swapping out the packs. Mike G
  14. Mike G in SC
    Hey Keith, I didn't use Barron's on the front, so, don't know. But what Tony said is that the kit lowers from the inside. With that, then I would think you can go more than the 1/2" if using a kit. (For what we did on the front,,,, look at your front forks top, and imagine how much you can raise the top of the fork through the tripple tree before the valve top hits the handle bar. There is my 1/2" or so.) Barons can tell you, their techs are good on the phone (Chuckie?) but the old folks there (before it merged with LA Choppers) were cautions to give info cause of liabilities on lowering the bike. Kind of like they are selling parts but telling you not to install them(?). If you have time, tempreture and $$ the kit will add some muscle to the front for bumps and braking. But on the RSTD at just 1/2", I haven't felt any loss there. Not aware of bottoming out the front. (My RSTD is lowered in the front, not my Venture.) As for the rear, Tony, my wife has not admitted her weight for 20 years. She don't trust me to ride over truck scales!! (Guess I could put 4 bathroom scales under our bed and do the math.) Anyhow, I would say bodies add 350 lbs. maybe another 20 for her pocketbook! I was real happy with the mid length dog bones (both bikes). I do have the Barons 4-2-4 pipes so this lessens the pipe diameter some. But I don't scrape the pipes much. Mike G.
  15. Mike G in SC
    They are a good, cheap, quick fix for stock grips. Yep, very soapy, might even just squirt some liquid hand soap right in them. Then rinse with a hose real good and blot with a towel. Adding the 1/4" (x2) or so dimension to the grips also cuts back on cramps or numbness. I used them for a year or two before I went on to Kuryakyns. But the Grip Puppies go on in a couple of minutes, last most of a year then you just put on another set that easy. They also take out the concern about how to make end weights work with aftermarket grips.
  16. Mike G in SC
    My Stebil has been on my RSTD for 3 years, on my RSV most of a year. Mounted where the stock right horn was. I simply disconnected the one in the left lower so it didn't take juice away from the Stebil. Never had problems (unless the lead slipped off-once). For the RSTD I got the bracket at Lowe's, they come in a 4 pack for a few bucks. Need to enlarge the hole. For my Venture, I got the harness and the SS bracket from this site (I think Carbon One.) Wow, did that make life easy. Mike G in SC
  17. Mike G in SC
    You can only lower the front of the RSTD a bit over 1/2" because your handle bars will hit the Schrader valves on the front forks if you go more. We tried to lower mine like you do a Venture (1.5") and had to take it apart and do again. (unless the kit has a relocation for the valves and can go more). We did get another fraction by swapping the top & bottom washers, after some grinding. So, with no add on stuff, mine is lowered in the front just over 1/2". If you do the small front tire you can get another 1/4" or so. (But I like the stock size tire.) On the rear, I have the Barons lowering kit. BUT, IMO, it drops too much and does bottom out or scrape pipes often when two up. SO, I got a local fab shop to make a pair of dog bones half way between the stock and Barons lowered length. I also have 29-30" inseam and that works great. (cost was about $40 for the fabricated bones but some here have done it themselves with stock steel from Home Depot.) So, the rear is lowered about 3/4". And between the front and back, I am about level again. It is worth it to me and her, as my footing is much better at stops. I did the same to my Venture but still want to drop the front 3/4" but that is above my skill level. Good luck, Mike G in SC
  18. Mike G in SC
    There was a old link to Yamaha of Cucacmonga on my STAR website. When I checked it out, I saw they give real good prices on Yamaha OEM stuff. My SC dealer (in Sumter) will normally match the YC price if I bring in a printout. So, in that sense, they have saved me money several times. And I have dealt direct with YC, from SC, you're righ, good people. Their link: http://www.yocracing.com/
  19. Mike G in SC
    Don, Was that Michelin? I was thinking that Metzler was throwing chuncks. I hadn't heard that on the Michelins. (I have Michelin Commanders on my RSTD and Avons on my RSV, like them both but wanted to find more Michelins.) Thanks, Mike G
  20. Mike G in SC
    I just ordered the same leather one this week. Probably get it Monday or so. I asked and got 10% off and free shipping. But also, bongobobny posted on my thread that he had the same one, used, for sale, but did not put it in the classifieds. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=57067&page=2 Might check him out and save a few bucks(?) Mike G in SC
  21. Mike G in SC
    George, just sent you an email. Mike G in SC
  22. Mike G in SC
    I've got a friend who has had them all. He bought the new Voyager as soon as it came out. He is normally a boaster, about most anything. But I noticed after he got it, he rarely boasted about it, maybe gas mileage. Well as fate would have it, he got t-boned about 8 months later, totaled. Well when the dust settled, he did not get another. He gave the RSV a thought but went to a Ultra Classic. He had been in love with the Voyagers of the past but, apparently he did not feel the same about the new one. Just saying,,,,, PS: The Voyager did not do well in a wreck. Mike G in SC
  23. Mike G in SC
    Sorry, didn't see your's for sale. Is it on the VR classifieds? Mike G.
  24. Mike G in SC
    Thanks all, and Steve P. for the links. I had lost this thread,,, till I started to ask again. Nice feature here, it will find an old post if you start to repeat yourself. Anyhow, I see the one on J&M, looks like what I need. (The "Harley bag".) I called to check stock and ended up ordering via phone. (I asked if he had a VR or STAR discount code. He gave me a promo code, 116P01120, to get 10%, don't know how long it is good for.) Anyhow, it's on the way (and free ship over $30). Thanks again, Mike G in SC
  25. Mike G in SC
    Try faster flash memory. Everytime I buy a new point & shoot (for me or a gift), they have always come out with faster SD memory chips. This may speed up your time between shots if you get the latest speed memory (?). Mike G in SC
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