RSTDdog

The only thing Progressive suspension makes that fits the RSV and RSTD is front fork springs. http://www.progressivesuspension.com/prodSearchResults.aspx?yearID=2006&makeID=48&modelID=662 As far as I know your choices for a rear shock are Works, Hagon, YSS and the OEM shock. I ended up buying a Hagon. Search rear shock, titles only, should get you lots of reading to decide what will work best for you.

Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't had one apart, but it appears to me from the microfiche the speedo sensor is reading off the pinion gear which is splined directly to the output shaft of the engine. The vmax rear means you are turning more rpms for a given speed, so the gear spinning by by the speedo sensor(essentiallya hall effect sensor I guess) is turning faster for a given speed. what am I missing?? Is it enough to make a difference?? Has anyone checked?

How does the Vmax rear affect the speedometer error?? Since the pick up is on the gear set at the input end of the diff, the gear is therefore spinning faster at a given speed with the Vmax rear than it is with the stock rear correct? To accurately check for mileage changes between the two, you also need to know the speedo error associated with both. I can't figure out in my head at the momnet if you would log more miles or less with the vmax rear??? 2nd gen owners can't compare fuel mileage to first gen owners or expect that type of mileage either. The aero dynamics on the first gen appear to be much better to me which has a big effect on mpg.

Be sure and check the air in the donut spare. most of them take 60 psi and they never get checked. You don't want to have a flat and find out its under inflated, those donuts will over heat rapidly when underinflated. Was the Cultass a bucket seat center console car? If so I can understand the desire. With 60's and 70's rear drive GM muscle cars going out of site, the last of the rear drive GM coupes from the 80's are becoming affordable alternatives and nice ones that are higly optioned will eventually be collectors inspite of the underpowered emission motors of that era.

No problem I offered my used rear shock since you said you were possibly trading it in soon. I didn't notice a problem withthe handling, was doing some other maintenance, noticed it was dirty and saw some oil inside the boot and decided to replace it. Never leaked a puddle on the ground. Figured Free was better than 500 if you aren't keeping the bike. Not aware that Progressive (Progressive Suspension, its a brand name)makes a rear mono shock for the rstd. Dealer may be mistaken. I know progressive makes alot of replacement rear shocks for twin rear shock applications but those don't fit the RSTD/RSV since it only has one. In rear shocks for the RSTD/RSV as far as I know the choices are Works, Hagon, YSS, and the Stock Yamaha shock. If you are thinking Hagon, Hagon LLC in California is who I dealt with. Very nice, shipped out Monday from CA and arrive that friday in Fort Myers, Fl. Progressive does make replacement springs to go inside the front forks and I could see a dealer charging you 500 for new fork springs and to rebuild the front forks with new seals, fork oil, etc. If you are rebuilding the front forks consider Sonic straight rate springs. Freebird has these and Rick Butler recommends them as well. Actually with the Sonic springs you will find that you won't need to add air to the front forks any more since they can support the weight of the motorcycle. Stock front springs are kind of soft. RSTDdog

Is the Road Glide the one with the fixed fairing and dual headlights? I like the looks of those. A guy in the rstd forum posted a photoshop of an rstd with that HD fixed fairing on it and it looked pretty good IMO. He was asking if anyone had done it/tryed it before. I rented an Ultra Classic when we went to Maui in April. Did not like the cable clutch, clunky shifting or the heat when stopped, but other than that its a real nice, well balanced motorcycle. Rode the North shore road on west Maui (Kahekeli Route 340)two up and was actually more comfortable on the Ultra than I would have been on my RSTD just from a slow speed balance and control standpoint. My friedn suggested and I had not researched it prior to our trip. This road is one lane with sheer drops, blind uphill hairpins, section with bad asphalt and loose gravel and no guard rails. Not for the faint of heart, I've done it once, lived to tellabout it, but would probaly not do it again. Anyhow I enjoyed the ultra overall and would buy one with a water cooled, shaft drive, hydraulic clutch drive train.

I have the Hagon with Heavy Duty Spring on the rear. It is ( or was when I got mine) 469.00 shipped, 2 year warranty. If you're not keeping the bike looking for a used one might be better. You can have my old rtsd rear shock if you like. It started leaking a bit of oil, but it still holds air just fine. Would be better than one that doesn't hold air. 2006 removed at 23k miles. Remove the shrader and add some fork oil down the air tube. May just get you by till you get the new bike. If the front forks are not holding air anymore you need the forks serviced and seals replaced.

Don't have a picture, but from the factory they are capped. If the caps are still on you won't see them, just the plugs that cover them up.

Often wanted to do this myself. On slow speed U turns my current handlebar adjustment causes the bar to hit my knee unless I point my knee out first.

Good deal. I wouldn't worry about the custom build too much.. I can't imagine they have that many different spring rate choices and beside you can adjust the preload if necessary. Your weight difference as a percentage of the total weight the shock see's is not that significant. I put a Hagon on with the HD spring and like it. The Hagon increased the static ride height over the OEM and I used to run with 45 psi all the time. I didn't do before and after, its just based on looks/feel. Your static height probably increased as well. My guess is the light feeling is a similar effect to leveling links from raising the rear. At some point would like to do some static sag measurements. I have Sonic springs waiting to be installed ( for longer than I care to admit). Do you have just the Sonic springs or do you also have the cartridge fork emulator? What weight oil did you use with the Sonics. Thanks.

Are you sure its the coil and not a lean misfire which would be a fuel issue or air leak? I haven't tried to get a coil out before so I'm not much help there.

Id like to take an advanced rider course. I took the MSF course here back in 92. They let you use their bikes Honda CB250 and Suzuki GN125 mostly. The instructor was doing the figure 8 in the box with his Ultra Classic, same thing we were learning to do with on a CB250. Know your bike and where the limits are. I have scraped pegs, but I try to avoid it and still gives me the willies when it happens. My buddy went down and spent a week in the hospital in Chattanooga and 6 months recovery ( compound broken ankle, ribs, collapsed lung and thats with ATGATT) when he he put a floorboard down and unloaded the rear suspension and lowsided it. He's been riding most of his life. He went in to the turn to hot and thought he could lean it more to make it and he was wrong. Just be carefull out there folks.

Don't buy the Impala. If it were me spending your money, I would wait for the SS, Built on the Rear Drive Holden platform (Formerly Pontiac G8) and currently being offered as the Caprice in fleet Only Police car. Me I'm begging Mazda North America to bring the new Mazda 6 Wagon here (with the Sky Activ diesel and the manual transmission no less which is soon if not already available in the US Spec Mazda 6 sedan), but alas Europe only for the Wagon. Here it will compete with valuable CUV and SUV sales (more room and better fuel economy than the CX5) . http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/21/2014-mazda6-skyactiv-d-wagon/

if you are going to give a last attempt to soak with anything I would use Ring Free. If its a stuck ring from carbon build up it should free it up. I would suggest pouring it straight undiluted in the cylinder and let it sit over night. Then Mix the clean-up ratio in the gas tank with fuel and go run it. If that doesn't free it up, you will have to go in. If you are going to swap motors, obviously do a compression test on the spare motor before doing the swap.

Thats a great concept. The foam form like you built for this can be used to make the mold then hand laid fiberglass would be all you need.

One thing I see missing from you list is valve adjustment. 52,000 miles you would be due your 2nd valve adjustment. 1st one was due at 26,000. Something else to check if it hasn't been done.

I still run the stock bars. From a logical perspective, changing the bars will change where your hands end up and relative position width,height to your shoulders, back, etc. Obviously the narrow pulllback won't be as wide, high, or back as far as the wide pullback. Try to measure/mock up where you want your hands to be relative to the stock bar. Measuring the stock bar in a similar method to the way FLanders measures their bar will give you an idea which would be better fit for you. IOW you need to know the height and pullback of the stock bar to know where the grips will end up with the two Flanders choices relative to that. Having never installed a set can't tell you if/what needs to lengthened. I think FuzzyRSTD did a write up on his Flanders install that has that info. here is a link:http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=67106&highlight=Flanders Seems some change the hoses and some don't. Giventhe age of these bikes, probably not a bad idea.

Not sure how you start your bike, but if its similar procedure to me the following scenario is possible. I turn my fuel on, I turn on the key and wait for fuel pump to finish priming (runs for a few seconds and shuts off), then engage the starter. If your float was stuck and the cylinder was just before TDC where intake valve is not quite closed, the prime function of the fuel pump could deliver enough fuel to hydrolock that cylinder (doesn't take much near TDC). I know when the bowls are full and the bike has been running,the prime function doesn't run nearly as long as it does on a cold start, sometimes barely half a second.

First how are the tires and the tire pressures? If the tires are worn/cupped,low pressure that's the first place to look. If the rear tire is worn in the center, that transition to the side in a corner can be disconcerting if the tire profile isn't round anymore. Steering head bearings may be loose need adjusting/repacking . Getting any clunking/handlebar movement at low speeds entering a parking lot, driveway traverseing speed bumps? Swing arm bearings at 16,000 unlikley unless you ride in the rain ALOT, park the bike outdooors, or use a pressure washer on your bike without paying attention. While the manual says 16000 on the swing arm bearings for repack, mine are tight with no side play and no binding at 24,000. Many others here have inspected and found the swing arm bearings to be in good shape. Check Tires and pressures first, Steering head bearings next, swing arm bearings last.

I used a sharpie to make a match mark just so I could go back if I didn't like it. So far so good. I don't mind it firmer when riding solo. probaby 60-70% percent of the time it was fine, but i added the 1/4 turn for larger bumps where it needed more damping. I have had some sonic springs for the front forks in the garage for a while. Haven't gotten around to installing them. That should hopefully firm up the front and balance things out.

Get your old one back if its not too late. Its my undertanding that the pumps don't typically fail on the fuel side (all bets are off if the bike sits however, you have enough miles that shouldn't be the issue). There are contacts in side the pump that get stuck. It seems I read where someone dissassembled the pump, cleaned the contacts and got the pump working again. You have a new one, but it would be worth servicing the old one up for a spare. Hope you got a new fuel filter to go with that new pump. I use the blue marine stabil routinely in my bike. Even when running it all the time. I feel its worth it just from the corrosion inhibitors, plus if the bike sits for a while I don't have to worry about the fuel.

If the dealer that overhauled your carbs installed the bowls correctly you should see the drain screws looking through the V. Right carb drains are visible from the left side through the V and vice versa. Each should be canted inward toward the V to be accessible with a long screwdriver. It is possible to put the carb bowls on the wrong carburetors. They will fit but then you can't access the screws with the carbs installed. Also another place they can leak fuel by is the oring that seals the brass seat for the float valve assembly. That oring is not available separately, at least not from Yamaha. Did they replace the float valve assemblies when they overhauled the carbs? If not cleaning solvents could have damaged that oring. Some things to consider.

Yes enrichment circuit. each carb has one connected with linkgage to the choke knob.

.115= between 3/32 (.094) and 4/32 (.125) left for those of us with stick tread gages. If these tires start with 11/32 you ve worn off 7/32 in 10,000 miles or about 1428 miles per 1/32 of tread depth. If the wear is linear you should be at 13,000 or so when you hit the wear bar (typically 2/32). Not bad. What's your two up weight?

I have an RSTD with a HD tour pack. I run the Hagon shock with the heavy Spring. So far, the preload is set the way it came out of the box. The damping adjuster I turned 1/4 turn clockwise from the stock setting after I put about 3-400 miles on it. This seems to work well one and two up. I weigh 195 and the wife weighs about 150.I have not measured sag yet (static and loaded), but it doesn't seem to sag much by the "feel" of it. I think Rick Butler had posted at one time that your loaded Sag should be no more than 30% of the total suspension travel. Rear travel on the RSV/RSTD is 4.1" IRRC. So loaded sag should be about 1.2 inches total. Measuring loaded sag is kind of tricky since you need to keep the bike balanced while a helper measures.