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Dave77459

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Everything posted by Dave77459

  1. Dave77459
    I hate to agree with you, because people will start doubting me, but my RSTD has an incredibly bad aerodynamic profile. On the other hand, when it rains I stay dry. If I can keep it under 60, I get really good mpg, especially if I am not running 10% ethanol. Good luck on either of those, though. On your second point, I ran in 4th gear almost all the way from Lubbock to Albuquerque. I was towing the trailer and wanted to stick to the powerband. I didn't keep track of the exacts, but I got better mileage than I did riding from Houston to Lubbock using the 5th gear. After that, I stayed in 4th unless I was cruising down hill at a good clip. As a rough comparo, before when I traveled 70 mph with the trailer, I got about 90 miles before my low fuel indicator came on. Running in mainly 4th gear, I got 100 miles, and even 120 miles once (when I was in slow sections coincidentally without ethanol). The better economy was noticeable. (BTW, on the 80 mph section of I-10, I got 80 miles before I saw the low fuel warning.) Dave
  2. Dave77459
    I thought I'd give an update of my own, now that I am back from my second trip and my film is developed. This second trip was 3500 miles to Zion National Park and back. I rode over all sorts of surfaces in all sorts of weather (except snow!) without any problems. The picture below tells the tale: barely any wear. In comparison, the original axle went through two pairs of tires in this distance. FYI, I ran the tires at 20psi, rather than the max 60psi. There was very few signs of the horrible vibration that I had experienced. I rode over some pretty "buzzy" macadam surfaces, and I think what slight vibration I discovered was from that rather than a trailer defect. I also had a chance to spend half a thousand miles on the 80mph section of I-10. Not that I would go that fast, mind you. The hubs never got hot. I'm really happy with how it handled. No sway, almost impossible to detect unless stopping. I'm hopeful that my first axle was a fluke. Dave
  3. Dave77459
    Sorry to have missed this. Just got back last night from the trip. Hopefully I'll see the next chance! Dave
  4. Dave77459
    As a sort of update, I had to remove the HID because the ballast died (or so it seems). I put in my old SilverStar Ultra, which fired right up. I noticed that it was not lighting up reflective signs like it used to, so I went to check the aim last night with my trailer attached and loaded (I leave on another trip tomorrow). If you recall a few pages back, I found that the HID was aimed to illuminate passing aircraft. At that time, I aimed it properly. So now, I had to raise the Ultra. But how much? The recipe calls for a 2" drop over a 17' distance. However, it was aimed 18" low! That's how far off the HID was. I know that people claim these HIDs are plug and play replacements. These people will claim that I misinstalled the HID. Maybe I did, but if you install an HID, maybe you will too. In short, aim your lights when you change your bulbs. Dave PS, someone pointed out that the screwdriver that came in the toolkit in your bike works perfectly with the headlamps. It sure did in my case. That JAS screw that Yamaha uses really does prefer a JAS screwdriver, rather than a Philips. I need to buy a set.
  5. Dave77459
    My thoughts in red. Note that I ride a RSTD, so my mileage varies somewhat.
  6. Dave77459
    Your loss of friction zone is what I experienced. However, it appeared the same until I replaced the coffee-coloured clutch fluid with new. When I did that, my friction zone evaporated. After riding it for a while, I have gotten used to it and don't have problems with it. Dave
  7. Dave77459
    Great looking bike! I have been honoring the "Midnightness" of my RSTD and not putting on chrome. It's great to see a different direction. I call your attention to Royal Star Tour Deluxe Owners unite! where we have been listing our mods. It'd be great to see what all you have done, or had done before you got it. You might also get some ideas for future farkle. Welcome to the group! Dave
  8. Dave77459
    I use a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx on my bike. 10-12 life on 2 AAs. I do geocaching, and want a GPS that will travel with me. I have 111,179.8 miles on it now. Dave
  9. Dave77459
    I'm with V7Goose. It reminds me strongly of my trailer tires, which were out of alignment. You say your front was also worn like that? Even if the rear was out of alignment, wouldn't the front roll straight since it steers? Dave
  10. Dave77459
    I may be mistaken, but I believe you are talking about the PIAA H4 replacement bulb. I think Brad is talking about the high-quality PIAA HID setup, which is different. Mine is one of the Canadian Cruiser Customizing HID sets that died. I'm back to the SilverStar Ultra, which I love and has given me 35,000 miles of service. When I go to HID next time, I am mounting the PIAA Cross Country self-contained HID driving lamps up near my mirrors. The high location near my line of sight gives improved visibility. They are really pricey, so I haven't done it yet. Dave [ame=http://www.amazon.com/PIAA-Cross-CountryTM-H-I-D-Lamp/dp/B002GZP77I]Amazon.com: PIAA Cross CountryTM H.I.D. Lamp Kit: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NJD-LGdaL.@@AMEPARAM@@41NJD-LGdaL[/ame]
  11. Dave77459
    As another data point, yesterday my HID died. I suspect the ballast. Installed 6/27/2010 Died 8/21/2010 Approximately 5000 miles I'm going back to the SilverStar Ultra. It has lasted about 35,000 miles so far, and is plenty bright. Dave
  12. Dave77459
    It was another super Maintenance Day! Thanks Owen and Margaret for your excellent hospitality! I had done a crapload of maintenance the previous weeks so that I could sit back and watch, socialize, and generally be a nuisance. But that was before a pin broke off in my trailer connection on the way to breakfast and my wife smelled gas as she followed me in the cage. Hal did a splendid job splicing in a new connection. Thanks! Dave (Jus Monkeyin Around) changed my plugs for me (bike runs great Dave!) since I'd never done that. I was pushing my bike out to make room when someone told me my new Canadian Cruiser Customizing HID was out. It wasn't a fuse issue. Because I didn't hear the ballast energize like I normally do, I believe that is the culprit. I carried my old SilverStar Ultra around with me since I didn't trust the HID, and it is now back in. I think I'll run with that from now on. Anyways, it was a blast to catch up with y'all. I hope we can do this again when it gets a little warmer. (Holy cow!) Dave PS, here's a video of Kregerdoodle cutting his windscreen. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOTG2YKMMbQ]YouTube- Cutting the windscreen[/ame]
  13. Dave77459
    What, you don't think investing 20 trillion dollars into the economy would fix it? Dave
  14. Dave77459
    I thought we were meeting at IHOP? Spring Cypress @ SH249 at 08:00 ?? Dave
  15. Dave77459
    That's an awesome reason to miss MX Day! Congrats! Just know that you will be missed. And lied about. ;-) Dave
  16. Dave77459
    Hey Ponch, Save a seat for Jamie and me. Dave
  17. Dave77459
    Really? That's the ultimate lesson? You learned that in this discussion? For others who stumble on this discussion in the future and don't care to read 9 pages of information, there was a great discussion on tire wear, and diagnosing faults of superior value (at least to me) was the presentation of a method to measure tire toe-in or toe-out. I learned much about tire pressure, how it effects wear, and how it influences trailer ride leaf spring effects on ride quality were discussed the effect of toe-in versus toe-out on vehicle tracking was given Harbor Freight was re-confirmed to be a stand up company on a defective product there was a lively discussion between V7Goose and tx2sturgis; it was like the thrilla in Manila, although betting was apparently suspended Not really discussed until now was the very obvious assertion that a cheap product is sometimes built cheaply. Who knew? Dave
  18. Dave77459
    Thank you for the information. Very informative! I gather you bought the plain utility trailer, not the "Tag Along"? My frame was welded, and it cost much more than $129. Dave
  19. Dave77459
    Whew! I'm glad you clarified, because I couldn't imagine how more my Midnight would smoke all'y'all if it had half again the HP! Dave
  20. Dave77459
    I thought my Tour Deluxe was just like the RSV, minus the bloat and queen seat? Dave
  21. Dave77459
    You can download the manual here. But, there is/was no indication of front or rear on the axle. It had sockets where pegs on the leaf springs sit, assuring axle alignment. If I had put the axle on the other way, my tires would have been toed-in, rather than toed-out. They would have still scrubbed off. Dave
  22. Dave77459
    That was really bad manufacturing. Maybe it was made on a Monday. Yep, HF is sending me the new one from China. They quoted 6-8 weeks, and I have a trip in a couple, which is why I am so happy that Squidley had another. When it arrives, I'll tote it over to Squidley's. I had some nasty vibration on the trailer... I guess from the non-aligned wheels. I'd like to not have the contents shaken or stirred. I'll have to weigh the merits of either approach. Dave
  23. Dave77459
    Squidley found his spare axle, so I dragged the trailer over and we swapped his for mine. Before I got there, he measured his axle and found it 1/16" off across 4'. Swapping axles was no big deal. We also measured how square the tongue was to the frame, and it was darn close. We installed the replacement axle, making sure that it was square to the tongue. Before I left his place, we measured my problem axle. Where the new is off 1/16", the old one was off by a whopping 1-5/8"! It was toed out by nearly 2" in 4'! I don't think there remains any mystery as to why my tires were ground off so quickly. Thanks Squidley for being so awesome, again. Dave
  24. Dave77459
    Kreg, I'll get your t-square back to you, since you are bringing the trailer. Dave
  25. Dave77459
    Thanks for the photos. I've looked at Walmart before, and didn't know if they were out or if I didn't know what I was looking for. Now I have a chance of recognizing them... in the auto section? The Butler mod has served us well, but 40,000 miles later, a pair of back-to-back 800 mile days makes me think something extra would be welcomed on LD rides. Dave
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