dingy

You have to cut one of the mount ears off to get it to fit in there right. Gary

Define 'Annoying' ... Its been a long winter & this might perk things up. Gary

OK, which one worked? Gary or Gary's? Gary D or Gary Z I wasn't real sure about the number I posted. Gary

From what I have seen of EDM process, it is fairly slow. It would be doable, but probably would not bring cost down much. There is a lot of chips made when this tool is produced, an EDM would have to cut away a lot of material. Another issue is the tool thickness, it is not a stock size. So each part has to be cut to correct thickness as well. Would be simpler if tool was say .500" thick or some standard size. I sent out quite a few quote requests for this tool, and none of them came back in a range that made sense for me to pursue. Gary

OK, you can do the carbs the easy way (buy mine, & cheaper) or the hard way (rebuild yours). I have a set of carbs that I just pulled off of an 83 bike. The carbs are fine, I am putting a larger set from a 1300 motor on in place. I upgraded to a 1300 motor last year but kept the 1200 carbs. The bike ran very well, considering the limitations of this undersized set of carbs. PM me if you are interested in them. I just puled all the diaphragm covers to put the stock, unpainted ones back on and replace stock jetting. Replaced main jets with #125's, stock is #117.5's. Fuel floats have been set on these. The sync is close but will need to be reset. Diaphragms are in good condition. Cleaning your carbs on the outside is not going to make them run much better, You feel good, they look nice, but it doesn't help much. I am butt deep in rebuilding the 1300 set. Rough cost to rebuild a set, and do it right is at least $600. Attached is a PDF file showing parts breakdown for a 1300 set. These are not the correct p/n's for a 1200 set. One thing is shown at bottom of PDF that I did which does not need to be done is a VMax stge 1 jet kit. Though this kit did include upgraded slide needle valves. List does not include new sliders, add another $150 if those are needed. Two things that may not need replaced are the starter kit and enrichment diaphragm sets, these would save quite a bit if yours are still usable. Attached are also a few pictures showing what a set of carbs look like completely disassembled. I have cleaned all these parts to death. All exterior parts have been glass beaded (not bodies or internals. Float bowl covers have been) It is time consuming to do, but doable. Gary

Below is a schematic that shows how to run the wiring for your lights. If you want some information on relays and their use in a Venture check this link on this site. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=43150 The switched shown has an indicator light in it, yours may not, so just eliminate light in switch and the wire to ground. Use care when routing wires, check that handlebars will rotate fully in both directions without putting stress on new wires. If at all possible, solder all wires. I am not a fan of the crimp to connect wire splices, (Scotchlok is one trade name). The relays and switches are available at most auto parts stores. Radio Shack has a few nice miniature switches also. Check the rating on the switch, you want at least 10 amp rating for a pair of 50 watt lights. The circuit should draw about 8 amps. Gary

To answer your question about what is standard compression for this motor, below is a cut from Royal Star 1996 service manual. Manual says 216 psi. This is base upon 175 rpm cranking speed by starter. Pull all plugs, and crank with throttle held wide open. Gary http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af193/gdingy101/RoyalStarSpecs.jpg

Looks good so far. I think it might be a smidge long, maybe just tad, hard to tell from pictures. Gary

Possibly Radiator Cap - Stant #11233 Gary

The problem getting the race out is there is not an exposed surface at the inner side of the race to get a punch or puller to bite into. The race pocket is machined into the neck of the frame and the race edge pushes up against this machined pocket, thus covering it. The idea behind cutting the notch in the race is to give the drift punch a surface on the race to be driven against. Another aproach is to cut two grooves close together in the race with a dremel, so a small sliver can be removed. This will allow the race to driven out easier. Gary

I just searched through the VMax forum for replacing these bearings. This post seemed to have some positive follow up to it, indicating it was feasible. Not positive if it will work in the Venture. Ground a recess above it with a Dremel wheel and punched it out with a drift. Use 'drift' to describe a long punch. I guess the proper term is 'drift punch.' This is one type http://cgi.ebay.com/Allen-25632-Long...item4ced0d3588 Start your groove 3/4" - 1" above the bottom race and grind deeper into the steering neck as you work down toward it. There is a shoulder milled in the neck above the race that you have to go through also. Gary

Below is a link to a thread that goes into changing them a little. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=41310&highlight=rsv+grease+steering Gary

Crazy Facts You Probably Don’t Know. Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled “Gentlemen Only…Ladies Forbidden”…and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language. The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury. Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better. Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn’t added until 5 years later. The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this…) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38% The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400 Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what? A. Their birthplace Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? A. Obsession The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments. In the 1400′s a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have “the rule of thumb”. Coca-Cola was originally green. The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000 Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king in history: Spades – King David Hearts – Charlemagne Clubs -Alexander, the Great Diamonds – Julius Caesar If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase “goodnight, sleep tight.” It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts… So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them “Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.” It’s where we get the phrase “mind your P’s and Q’s” More Crazy Facts Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. “Wet your whistle” is the phrase inspired by this practice. Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter “A”? A. One thousand Q. What do bullet-proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? A. All invented by women. Q. What is the only food that doesn’t spoil? A. Honey I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdgnieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the human mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in what oredr the ltteers in a word are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is that the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 It is impossible to lick your elbow. And finally. At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow

Is the radiator getting hot? Feel the radiator cap. If it is getting hot then it is circulating through radiator. Gary

So does the riding partner have a nickname yet? Since LilBeaver is taken, how about NewBeaver? Maybe MyBeaver If she still has BF maybe, OurBeaver LeaveItToBeaver ? Gary

I don't think so. Why would anyone care what torque a bolt loosened at? Anyway, you wouldn't know, bolt would break loose, either before click, which you wouldn't know rating, or after click, so same scenario. When you are tightening bolt, you stop at click, so you know setting. BTW, they click in both directions for what is called a Left Hand Thread. Google it. Gary

Did not get it done last year. I have it set up with a guy that Dyno'ed bike at a shootout, but that was RWHP only. He will do full analysis at his shop. I knew bike needed help in airflow area, so I didn't pursue it. When I get done with this, it should be putting out as much as a mildly tuned Vmax. I have 100 more CC's than most Max's and a better TCI. Compression will be better. Exhaust is weak link now, but it is much better than a stock Venture. And, no I don't have a lot of free time anymore. Last year, Yup plenty. Gary

Before Yammer gets here, let me be the first to say... Seafoam, available at walmart, Auto Zone etc. Mostly white can with red lettering, around 12 oz. About $8.00 Gary

You got a present coming. Not as big as Bongo's, but that just between us. Gary

Doing this as in why did I tear motor down. Not a real good reason, other than trying to see what I can get out of this bikes V4 motor in the way of acceleration. One reason was to put in solid motor mounts from sgn, Easier to do with motor out of frame. Bike was smoking some on acceleration, so I wanted to change valve guide seals. This required motor to be pulled in order to pull heads. While I was in there, I took motor rest of way down so I could have the block machined across the head mating surface. I had .040" removed. This will increase compression/HP (hopefully). There is not enough material on the heads to do the milling. I was told this when I started this, but it is the reason I held off on the order of motor dis-assembly. I wanted to look at the VMax heads that are on bike and see if they had enough material to be milled. It would have been easier to mill heads, but not practical to do. To have the block milled, it needed to be completely stripped. This obviously even included removing head studs. Won't know how much this really helped because I am modifying air intake path at same time. Bike was flat at higher RPM's due to restricted air flow. Going from 34mm carbs to 35mm. Adding VMax air cleaner, K&N filter, and VBoost intake manifolds. I know what my compression readings were last summer, so I will be able to see change to that variable. Gary

Attached is a list of gaskets, o-rings and other goodies that I am replacing in 1300 motor. All of the part numbers listed are for an 88 1300. For the most part these will be the same as the 1200. Head gaskets will differ for one. This is not everything that I am replacing, but it is the gaskets & o-rings mainly. Also includes everything in the oil pump galleys. Couple of optional things like the neutral pin on the shifter drum are included. Water bypass joint in heads needs to be removed to pull heads off. These are a pain to get out intact, but the sometimes can be saved. A question was asked in another unrelated thread about the list to fix the transmission in a MKI. This list is assuming heads are removed, case split, & all rubber stuff replaced. Some items are shown as not required or may be reused. Prices are from partshark.com I did elect to upgrade the shifter segment components as well. There is a complete gasket kit available for the MKI's from Athena. It runs around $220 I think. I didn't go this route due to what I saw of the kit, each component was not individually marked. Some of the o-rings have subtle differences as to where they go. Gary

I seem to remember a thread detailing something like this last year. Not sure, but I thought it had something to do with the position of the ball bearing in the clutch push rod assembly. Gary

The graphite will cause unintended paths for current, you can't just put it on the contact. There will be the dreaded electrical curse known as "Short Circuits' every where the graphite is. I should have been clearer in my previous post. Graphite is too good of a conductor for this purpose. Gary

Graphite is not a real good choice to use on electrical contacts. It is a fairly good conductor. Gary

Bearings are on the way, replaced the mains, rods & balance shaft bearings while I was at it. That was expensive. Gary