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Evan

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  1. Evan
    To Mother and Others - I have read the related threads and got what info I could from web sites. Would like to have brighter headlight on my 88VR, but still wonder about the options. It seems most members think the Silverstar H4 9003 bulb is best for various reasons. I understand it is a standard halogen replacement bulb. I looked for it at Wallmart, but couldn't find one. Anybody know where these are availabel here in Ontario. I read about the PIAA option but still don't understasnd. Is it a halogen bulb that plugs in without problems or kit? Is it brighter than the Silverstar? Finally, I checked out the Xenon HID bulb. I understnd I must buy a kit and the one now available on ebay for much less than the Xenon price (under $100) claims it is a "plug and play" installation. Any experience on how much brighter this bulb really is and whether it is really a plug and play without triggering other problems? Appreciate any additional information!
  2. Evan

    need help

    Evan replied to jlh3rd's topic in Watering Hole

    Unlike other forum members who have responded, I don't know squat about your specific bike and I am not a mechanic who can give you good technical advice. However, the suggestion that it might be a coil reminds me of my own experience many (many) years ago, when I was touring on a KZ650. I would feel an ocasional miss when on the road. I tried everything I could think of to find the problem as it was an annoyance, although it did not prevent me from riding. Because it only missed occasionally, it was harder (even for a mechanic) to find the problem. Finally, one night when I had the bike on its stand and running (I don't remenber for what reason), I was looking underneath and noticed an arc from the coil to the frame. This intermittent arcing caused a miss on two cylinders. The arc came from the side of the coil and when I inspected the coil, you could not see any visible wekness, but it was there, and a new coil fixed the problem.
  3. Evan
    Just bought an 88VR with a braket for a backrest, but it is missing the actual backrest. Don't think it is a Yamaha accessory. Can anybody tell from the picture who makes this and does anybody know where I might find the matching backrest that attaches to the bracket shown in the picture? [ATTACH]28658[/ATTACH]
  4. Evan
    This one happened quite a few years ago, and to my riding partner. We were on a trip that took us through Smuggler's Notch towards Stowe in Vermont. It was hot riding that day and my partner was riding in shorts. As we were passing through the notch at the very peak of the mountain, I saw my partner head straight for the granite wall along the side of the road. At the last minute, he somehow prevented a crash into the wall and headed down through the serious S turns. He kept going until he could run off the road, where he dropped his bike and ran into the bush. It turned out that he was in serious pain as a bee had gone up his shorts and stung him where it hurts most. The obvious lesson - proper riding gear! Evan
  5. Evan
    I know very littel about oil and won't make any reccomendations. However, last night I changed the oil on my 88VR that I recently purchased. The previous owner said he had used synthetic oil, but I don't know what brand. I wanted to use good oil that would also result in smooth shifting, so I used AmsOil 10W40 symthetic. I was quite surprised when it did not shift as smoothly after the oil change, although I know many others like AmsOil. Evan
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  7. Evan

    Helmet Help

    Evan replied to Shot's topic in Watering Hole

    Shot - You have lots of other good information, so I will provide a few pennies worth from a different angle. I have used a open face (almost a beanie) for many years. Last year I bought a flip up full face. If you get one with a flip up visor, you will not find it too hot -at least I don't as I can open the visor to get more air, and I can open the flip up if really need to when I am stopped at a light, for example. However, there is another issue you should be aware of. Depending on the design, they can cause a lot of wind noise around the flip up visor on the highway.
  8. Evan
  9. Evan
    Hi Carl - Thanks for your note. I'm in Toronto, which is a bit further than Woodstock, but still only a hour or so from you. I am now mostly retired and I hope to do more rides with this VR. I got to the International MC Show in Toronto today and picked up info on a number of charity rides. I talked to a guy who was selling his 85VR and he said there was a VR ride here in Ontario last year. I'm reluctant to ride too far before I reduce my break pad friction, so I will see what I can do with my limited faciliteis here. Hope to connect with you soon and I will keep in toutch. Evan
  10. Evan
    Thanks Condor - Now, while my rear brakes stop well, the pads are not releasing enough to prevent minor friction and rotor heat. I can spin the back tire while my 88VR is on its centre stand by only about one revolution before it stops from pad friction. I have about 1/4" play at the brake pedal which I understrand should be enough. This bike sat for a year and I don't know the history of brake fluid repalement, but the cluth fluid that I replaced by reverse bleeding looked dirty. Before I get into work like cleaning the pistions, should I try bleeding the brakes lines to reduce this friction? If so, can I do this by a similar reverse bleed procedure as Condor suggested for my clutch? If so, what order should the lines be reverse bled? I would like to reduce the pad friction enough so I can drive to my cottage (250 miles away) where I have my shop and good tools to do more work. Evan
  11. Evan
  12. Evan
    Just starting to maintain and ride an 88VR that I recently bought here in Ontario. This forum has been extremely helpful. In fact, I have learned more about the VR from the forum than I think I knew about any other bike I have owned over the past 40 years. I haven't yet bled the breark lines and changed the brake fluiud (I did do the clutch). The rear brakes work great, the fronts are just ok. The previous owner told me that he changed both the front and rear pads. He also said the the back rotor had to be repalced because it was warped. However, I notice a brief rear pad friction noise every wheel revolution when I drive slowly in an indoor parking area. Also, I checked the rotors after a ride and the fronts were cool, while the back was warm to hot. What is the chance of eliminating this problem without changing the rotor, and what do you all suggest I try to do this. Evan
  13. Evan
    Thanks to Condor and all others who gave me such useful advice. I came up with a way to do a reverse bleed that worked like a charm, so I am passing on this information. I purchased a small pump for filling outboard motors with lower unit gear oil. The pump is designed to screw onto any plastic container containing oils or fluids such as dot 3 brake fluid. You can pump directly from the dot 3 fluid container into an attached hose. I repalced the original hose and fitting for marine use with a 3/16 plastic line. The beauty of this setup is that you can pump until the plactic line is filled with dot 3 fluid (no mess and it won't flow back into the container) and then insert the other end of the line on the bleeder valve and pump some more until it comes out of the reservoir clean and airless. In my case, I used a syringe to remove excess fluid from the reservoir until all the old fluid was displaced. I have attached a picture of the pump as well as the original line and fitting for marine use that came with the pump plus the 3/16 line that I used. It cost less than $15.00 at Canadian Tire. Evan
  14. Evan
    I have been an active forum member since acquiring my 88VR recently, and continue to be overwhelmed by the helpful information. Regarding batteries and their maintenance, I ran across something this weekend that others may find useful or be able to comment on. It is a Pulse Maintence Charger with patented pulse technology that apparently reduces or removes sulphates from the plates. The bottom line is that using this maintenace charger from time to time (for even a few days) apparently makes a battery perform much stronger and last up to 5 times longer due to the removal of sulphates. I am intrigued by the forum information in this thread that makes me think that the AGM technology and the Odysey battery is better than acid batteries. However, in my case, I have similar battery challenges for many other batteries (eg. my Pacific Coast, my Yamaha Venture snowmobile, several boats, my 8N and garden tractor etc.). So, I hope the $120 cash (Canadian) that I paid for this maintenace charger won't be a waste of money, and it works on gel/AGM batteries as well as acid batteries. You can see the info on this charger at www.xtremecharger.com. While they market different coloured units for auto, motorcycle, marine, I understand they are all the same. Evan
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  19. Evan
    Been thinking of all the encredibly helpful advice. I plan on trying to reverse bleed the clutch line for starters. Been thinking of ways to do that and today I picked up a pump that is normally used to inject oil into the lower end of outbaord motors or outdrives. It is designed so the pump screws onto the top of the Dot 3 fluid container and sucks from the container. I can then pump fluid straight from the container through a plastic tube connected from teh pump to the bleeder valve. I understand all I need to do is take the top off the clutch reservoir and and make sure the fluid level in the reservoir doesn't get too high by removing any excess fluid until it comes out clear and without air bubbles. I also understnd from Condor's helpful advice that I don't need to depress the clutch lever to do the line bleeding. Hope I got this right as it is a 3 hr drive to get to the VR and I will be working in someone else's garage? Evan
  20. Evan
    Bongobobny - Thanks for your note and the meet and eat info. If I can't make that one (likely not), I will sure try to do so as soon as I can this season - and I will check for future dates. The ride from Toronto to Fort Erie will be great for me as Niagara is my original stomping ground. Evan
  21. Evan
    Thanks Scott - and yes, this does seem to be the best forum - by far. I am amazed at the good information and helpful responses, and I sure appreciatre your offer to help. I look foreward to being able to help others some day. We are probably quite close as I live in downtown Toronto with a cottage on Lake Nipissing. Unfortunatley, my shop and tools are at the cottage. I am looking forward to being able to ride the VR to the cottage (about a 350K run to get there) and I expect the ride to be much more comfortabel than with my Pacific Coast, which I still have for now. I also hope to do more touring. Right now, the VR is in a garage close to Hanover. It seemed to run well when I looked at it. Fortunately, however, I noticed the lack of hydralic clutch pressure as I was planniong to ride it back to Toronto as soon as the roads are clear. When I checked the master cylinder, it was empty. I am hoping that bleeding the line will at least get me back to Toronto. The owner claimed that he rode the VR to where it has been stored for a year (he bought a RSV) and that it ran well with no clutch problem then. From the forum responses, I hope that bleeding the line will get things working well enough to run home. However, my other problem is that I will not be able to work in the garage where the bike is currently stored for more than a few hours, so Condor's suggestion to back pressure bleed the line may work best or alternatively, I understand there is a tool to power bleed a line. While I did my own brakes on my van last year (with help from a frriend), I don't know what I am geting into with the VR. Alternatively, I have an option to trailer the bike to my brother in law's farm near Woodstock and work on it there? From the sounds of it, I should do what you did fairly soon in any event, and I would sure appreicate your help. Also, I look forward to talking with you about other maintenance that you suggest and hopefully, we will ahve a chance to ride together this summer. Thanks Again Evan
  22. Evan
    Big thankyou's to all for your advice and particularly to Condor for your additional information. Like you, Condor, I am retired, but with 4 grandkids that are becomng a major source of pleasure for me. Two of my passions in life have been horses and motorcycles and I bought my first mororcycle in '61 to get to horses. While I haven't owned horses for several years, I have never been without a motorcycle since then. Even so, I am surprsed about how excited I am to pick up this 88VR. Since I stumbled across this forum a few days ago, I have spent hours learning about 1st gen VR's and I have been blown away by both the good information and the friendliness of forum members. I hope I can reciprocate over time. PS - For my 60th, I bought myself a different "toy" - which is identical to the one my grandfather taught me to operate when I was 7. It is almost as old as I am and in my mind, a classic, with a dedicated owners forum similar to this one. [ATTACH]26689[/ATTACH]
  23. Evan
    I 'm a new member as well as a first time owner of an 88 VR. Never been bikeless since 1963 and currently ride a 90 PC. Very excited to get this VR on the road as soon as the snow melts here in Ontario but have one immediate issue. There is no clutch pressure so I checked the reservoir and it was empty - strange since the previous owner drove it to where it was parked, although that was a year ago (he bought a new RSV last year). I added some fresh fluid but couldn't get pressure. Should my first step be to bleed the line and then check to see that there are no visible leaks. Any advice on this problem or bleeding the line and anything else that I should do to check it out and make sure all is good. I hope to ride this bike for many years. [ATTACH]26653[/ATTACH]
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