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dmoff1698

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Everything posted by dmoff1698

  1. dmoff1698
    Here we go again... Around two years ago I started having a strange indication when first turning on the ignition switch, usually after the bike had set for a few days. Turn on the switch and it would take a full 5-10 seconds before ANYTHING came on, no radio, lights, dash, nothing. Cycling the switch off and back on had no effect. I thought at first that I was loosing the switch or my mind (the most likely). After the electrics finally came on, I was good to go until she set for a few days again, no problems. Finally dug in and looked at the starting relay and found it completely encased in corosion!! Where did that cr*p come from?? Long and short of it is I cleaned everything up as best I could, pasivated the area with soda water, rinsed and replaced the relay. All is well... Until this weekend. Bike has set for several days and when I went to move it, nothing. Same indication as two years ago. No lights, no radio, no dash, all kayput! :depressed:Checked the battery voltage, good, shurly not the relay again!!! Yep, again completely covered in that white/green cr*p I have come to hate. Here we go again. Here are some pics of the relay after I knocked off most of the gunk getting it out. Notice that things were stuck together so bad that the relay came appart taking it out. The relay pins broke off inside the connector plug and the connector is toast. Might as well replace the battery cable while I'm there. Also note the paint pealing from a few areas on the swing arm just below the relay. How does all this happen with a sealed battery? This is not in an area you get to with normal cleaning, but still......
  2. dmoff1698
    It's been a few days longer than expected with my back and I haven't done any riding at all until this Monday when I decided to try riding to work. Sunday I serviced the bike with fresh oil, plugs, tire pressure check (42 lbs rear-38 front), checked stearing (good) etc. etc. Monday's ride was smooth and uneventful. Normal ride to work, 55-60 mph, clear and dry. No problems. Tuesday ride was also good until I hit the main hiway (2 lane) and decided to let it breath a little. All good until I hit 75 mph and felt just a slight "wiggle" in the rear. It only lasted a second then settled down. Pushed on to 80 mph and OMG!!! the back end suddenly tried to jump out from under me. Felt exactly like a flat tire that had jumped the rim. Set up a oscillation that I couldn't control no matter what I did. Scared to hit the brakes or the gas or maintain speed. Just scared PEROID. Oscillation did not let up until I got down to around 50 mph, by then I was riding on the white line ON THE LEFT SIDE of the road. Lucky there was no other traffic close by because I was totally out of control. The bottom line is...all this happened riding 1 up, everything checked and to spec. and no trailer. No damage to the rear C/T and swing arm is tight. I've put my bike through it's paces many times in it's 126K life, and this bike has been rock solid since day one. The only difference in Tuesday's ride is the rear tire. I know many of you have a lot of time on the darkside and are pleased with the results. But for me, I will never be comfortable again with any solution other than going back to what I know works for me. E3 ordered yesterday.
  3. dmoff1698
    I lowered the front of my 99 one and one-fourth inch a year ago because of the improved handling claimed on this site. I did not need the lower seat height, so this was just an experiment for me. The thing I noticed immediately was the improved low speed responsiveness in turns. I would never have thought that such a slight change in geometry would make that much difference. I don't feel much change at road speed. It may be my imagination, but I do seem to feel an increase in "harshness" over bumps through the handle bars. The fairing may be bouncing just a bit more on ruff roads. Not enough to bother me or make the bike feel uncomfortable. But I feel it's there. I'm not a very aggressive rider, so dragging peggs sooner is not a issue for me. I wouldn't go back to stock height.
  4. dmoff1698
    :Venture:While at Brandon, keep an eye open for a blue Harley trike. Give her a big VR wave for me. She just might be my daughter Trena out for a Sunday ride.
  5. dmoff1698
    By my count, you have accounted for 215 VR members. That leaves 8,213 with either no opinion or haven't signed on today yet.
  6. dmoff1698
    What is a thumb brake? And you have one on your RSV?
  7. dmoff1698
    First let me say that all the previous comments are right on when you are talking safety gear. However, I don't consider a vest as safety gear, It's just a place to store my patches. My wife and I have found that leather vests are fine on the road and in the cooler times, but when you're stopped, and it's 90+ degrees in the shade, leather is just not an option. We found a pair of vests in black denim and made the switch. Very comfortable year around and looks good. We have friends who have bought the blue denim. Not my cup but they like it. Just because it's motorcycle related, it don't have to be leather.
  8. dmoff1698
    I haven't been able to make 145 yet but I came through 550 about two months ago. From Durango to Ouray is some of the best riding I've seen. From Ouray to Grand Junction is flat and straight. Hammer down...not much to see. Everyone absolutely must ride through the Colorado National Monument at Grand Junction. If you don't have religion when you get there, you will when you leave. That stuff don't get created by accident. Another suggestion. Eight miles east of Montrose is Black Canyon of the Gunnison Monument. If you like the Grand Canyon, you'll like Black Canyon. Ride the rim and make a lot of the pull-outs. On the way back out of the park take the road down to the Dam. It's a second gear ride for sure. Total round trip from Montrose about 30-40 miles and well worth the day.
  9. dmoff1698
    I have noticed that bike riders are a lot like pilots, they will try almost anything for improved performance. Or at least perceived improvements. Modifications and their benefits come and go. When the Jason Mod started making the rounds it was claimed that you would get a small increase in low end torque. I actually made the change on my bike and thought I felt a difference, but it was very small. Others claimed more and less or none at all. The mod consisted of running a vacuum line from the front cylinder to the rear on each side. If you wanted to retain the AIS you had to insert a "T" in the line and reconnect the existing hoses attached to the ports. All I can say is get yourself 2 vacuum lines 2-3 inches long and give it a try. Takes about a minute to install. Just temporarily leave the AIS connections hanging, and go for a ride. If you see a difference that you like leave it on, if not put it back to origonal. If you decide to leave it on, either plug the AIS (see tech section) and disable it or install the "T"s and reconnect the AIS.
  10. dmoff1698
    For the last few days I haven't been able to do much with this due to a pinched nerve in my back. Now I'm doing much better and feel it will be safe to ride in a couple days. Here is the plan based on your inputs. 1. Check pressure in the trailer tires and make sure they are even. 2. Lower the pressure in the rear shock to get the hitch height down. 3. Repack the trailer to get more weight on the tongue. 4. Go on a good test ride on various roads and speeds. Thanks for all your input and support. I will post results as soon as I get them.
  11. dmoff1698
    This talk about tongue weight and ball height has just struck a bell. I have been playing around with the pressure in my rear shock trying to figure out how it changes handling. Just before I left on this trip I bumped the pressure up another 5 lbs. I did notice that it raised the bike some when I did it. I just went and set the trailer back on the hitch..it looks like the the tongue is a good 2-3 inches above level. Slightly taller tire, a little extra pressure, riding 1 up = a real interesting ride. Not a proven fact yet, but my money is on you guys!! There is so much experience here, no need to go anywhere else. Thanks!!!!
  12. dmoff1698
    I checked when I got home and nothing had shifted in the trailer. tongue weight still around 20 lbs. Another thing that is really strange, the last 50 miles of my trip was riding 2 up. For some reason the trailer pulled straight and true while 2 up. Several people on the trailer forum say the tongue weight should be 10% of the total trailer weight. For me that would be around 40 lbs, which sounds pretty high. But what do I know? I'll try that and see if it helps.
  13. dmoff1698
    I've been thinking about putting on a C/T for a while now. From what I've been reading it sounded like a good choice for the way I ride. Well...last weekend while on a trip to Texas, I punched a hole in my rear tire and decided to take the plunge. Getting a C/T mounted on a bike is sure a conversation starter. But I got er done. Two hundred miles later around Texas it was all I hoped it would be. Smooth, stable and quiet. Then I made the mistake of trying to pull my Time Out camp trailer back home. Holy crap!!! I'm all over the road!!!! Any speed over 40 mph and the trailer starts oscillating back and forth dragging me with it!!!:shock3: Thought since the C/T had a softer sidewall than my E3s I've been running, I tried bumping up the pressure from 40 to 45 lbs. No help at all. I've got probably 4000 miles pulling this trailer, and never had this problem before. A friend who was riding with me suggested that the trailer acted like the tounge was too light. I have always run with about 20 lbs on the tounge, and don't see that changing the tire should change the loading but that is the only thing new:confused24:. Any similar experiences out there? If I don't find a quick solution, this tire is outta here.
  14. dmoff1698
    Thank goodness I've never had to deal with those stones. I did have a great uncle who had them regularly (every year or two). He finally found an old time doctor who put him on a three day "cleansing" diet. Doctor said if he would repeat the diet once a year, he would never be bothered with kidney stones or gall stones again. The doctor was right, that was the last time my uncle was bothered by kidney stones. Several in my family (the older generations) have used it as preventive medicine. Worked for them.
  15. dmoff1698
    When my relay on my 99 went KAPUT, I had the same problem getting to it. Ended up having to remove the battery and the battery box (2 bolts) to get enough room to work in. You will need to have the side cover off too so you can work the relay off the battery box as you lift it out. Getting the relay back on the battery box when you go back together takes some patience too. Then again.....with those short wires, where's it going to go? Hope you find your problem soon!!
  16. dmoff1698
    Agree that the battery is the first choice. But if that isn't your problem, don't forget to check the start relay under the battery box. It can be seen by removing the left side cover. I had the same problem and found the relay completely encased in corrosion. Had to replace the relay, relay/fuse holder, and the ends on some of the wireing. Quite a mess.
  17. dmoff1698
    A Koozie is one of those foam rubber things that many companys give away as advertising, made to put your soft drink can in and keep it cold. Also insulates the can from your hands, so they don't get cold. If you don't have one aready around the house, they can be found in the sporting goods section. Find a good heavy one with thick walls that are as rigid as possible. I also used a full Koozie with the bottom cut out on my gas cap, as a drink holder before I got my cup holder. Never spilled a drop.
  18. dmoff1698
    Yes, the Ram mount is the best...but there is a cheap alternative. If you have a thick-wall/heavy duty Koozie laying around, the inside diameter is a perfect fit for the gas cap. Trim the koozie down till it is about 1 1/2 inches deep, turn it up side down and push it onto the gas cap. You will find it's very stable. I'm sure your GPS came with one of those round plastic stick-on thingies, made to put on the car dash. Well you need to glue that plastic disk to the bottom of the Koozie. This gives you a slick/hard surface to attach the suction cup to. On Oklahoma roads, there is way to many oops-e-dos to mount anything to the fairing, but mounting to the tank has worked fine for me for several years. Like I said, the Ram mount is best if you want the best. but it's not the only way.
  19. dmoff1698
    First a little background... I have a 99 RSV that has 125K miles. She is almost completely stock and I ride daily to and from work. A few years ago I decided to check my carb balance (I use a 4 guage set up) and noticed that #3 and #4 cylinder readings "danced" badly at idle. #1 and #2 were holding steady. By increasing the RPMs to around 1200-1300, #3 and #4 both smoothed out nicely, so I adjusted the balance there. It only needed minor tweeking to get all four cylinders to near perfection. Since the bike has always run and pulled smoothly at all speeds and loads, I have continued to use this method since. This info may or may not have any bearing on my current problem. Now to the problem: My wife an I just returned from a two week, 2K mile trip around Colorado riding two-up pulling my Time Out camp trailer some of the time. Total trailer weight was around 350 pounds and around 15-20 pounds on the toung. When I was fully loaded (wife and trailer) I found that I could hardly drive in 5th gear at all. Even on level ground at 65-70 MPH, any time I tried to accelerate or maintain speed on a slight hill, the engine would feel like it was missing severly. I'm talking here about a miss strong enough to shake the fairing until the speedo was almost unreadable and almost 0 acceleration. Back off the throttle or down shift into 4th and things were smooth again. Park the trailer (still two-up) and things are back to normal. Smooth acceleration from 55 MPH in 5th with wide open throtle. Now I realize that I am probably pushing the limit for a 1300cc bike with the load I had, but the severity of the vibration supprised me and I have never experienced it before in this bike. This is the first time into the mountains with this trailer. Thoughts I've come up with: Weak spark plug blowing out under heavy load...had around 2500 miles on them when I left. Porely adjusted valves running just on the edge....never been checked. Just the nature of the beast...down shift and don't worry about it. Any thoughts? Your experiences with heavy loads?
  20. dmoff1698
    Could your rotors be out of line and bumping the brakes as the wheel turns? I also felt a similar feeling some time ago, ended up being one of my wheel berings. I would be supprised at wheel berings considering your mileage. Can you raise the front end and spin the wheel manually?
  21. dmoff1698
    I also have a noise from the rear of the bike. Not so much of a rattle, more of a buzzz at certain speeds. Finally tracked it down. Several years ago I broke an Antenna off and replaced it with a FireStick fiberglass antenna. Well, those fiberglass (CB) antennas have a tuning slug screwed into the end for matching the SWR. The slug on mine has worked its way down past the internal threads and is floating around inside the botom of the antenna. Small irritation for me.
  22. dmoff1698
    I am very disapointed in this thread. When I read the title "screw in tire" my first thought was "great, thats got to be easier than removing the bags, wheel, and poping that devil over the bead!!! Just screw it on!!!":clap2: Now I find you are talking about something completely diferent. Oh well....
  23. dmoff1698
    I carry a couple gas credit cards, simply because I like to keep track of the gas I burn. Putting all gas on a gas card makes this easy. Problem is my Conoco-Phillips card has an automatic shut off after using the card 3 times in a 24 hour peroid, regardless of the amount of each purchase. This has caught me up short a time or two. An attendant can "force" the card, but they have to know how and be willing. I called the company about this, explained that I rode a motorcycle and three fill-ups in 24 hours was not always reasonable. They weren't interested. Said this protected them (and me) in case of card theft.
  24. dmoff1698
    Brian, The wife and I will probably be at Sparks next weekend. We usually just make it a day trip. We only live about 20 miles from Sparks, so in case of an emergency you're welcome to my cell number.: 405.570.3860. and my home: 405.356.2221. I have trailer, tools, and moral support. When you're away from home, it's nice to have some insurance in your back pocket. Enjoy yourself Dale Moffitt
  25. dmoff1698
    Just refilled the ink in my computer screen so I might a well join in. Like many of you, I have pulled a cargo trailer for many years, but this weekend was the first time I pulled my Time Out camper long distance. It is much heaver than I am used to pulling and I noticed the wobble when turning. I also noticed a lot more resistance (push) in a curve than I was used to, and bumps in the road were much more harsh. I'm not happy. I was weighing in at about 35 pounds of tounge weight and 45 pounds of air in the shock. The next morning I repacked the heaver stuff to the rear, reducing the tounge weight to about 15-20 pounds. This greatly smoothed out the ride and eliminated most of the push through curves. As has been said, stopping 5 feet sooner eliminated the wobble in a turn from stop. I'm happy again!!! BTW..Another lesson learned on this trip. With a Time Out Camper the wheel well hump on the floor IS NOT TO BE USED AS A STEP STOOL when gettin into bed. It will break out the bottom of the floor and you are left with a hole above the wheel.
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