bongobobny

You can still ride with the controller out of the bike. If you are not confident then find someone who has electrical soldering experience and smooze them into doing it for you...

Yup!! Bearing seats wear to the old bearing and the bearing wears to the old seat! Just replace the whole assembly, they are not expensive...

Yes, an old bike is an old bike no matter what type and brand. By now you have discovered they are a comfortable and responsive bike and probably the best touring bike for it's time. Once you get all the bugs worked out you should feel confident to take it cross country! You will also find out many of us aren't satisfied with just running, we want to make them the best we can. There are several improvements we have done to make them perform even better and make them even more reliable. This site is very friendly and helpful and will be glad to help you thru all issues you have. You mentioned a spark issue which is most likely going to be your TCI or a corroded connector. The location is not the best so many of us have relocated them on top of the air box to protect them better from the elements. Besides that there is a modern setup available from member Dingy that replaces the old TCI with a different model...

Mk1 or MK2? They are different...

OK first a question, why do you think they "suck" electricity? The only time they draw anything is when you apply the brakes, and they don't draw much amperage at all, they are just a solenoid. That being said, just follow the wires up to the wiring harness and pull the plugs. If you notice, the wires are very thin to begin with which should tell you they do not draw very much amperage. If you want to do it the fast way just cut the wires and insulate the cut end...

Hmmm, 2 up I'd get around 40 with my 1st gen...

I've had days like that...

I personally think a better battery for the money is a Deka. Contact Earl, Skydoc_17 for a good deal on them. The Deka is a gel battery with lots more cranking power and long life. Just keep a battery tender on it in the wintertime...

Try a real sheepskin! Also for your wife instead of lowering her floorboards raise her seating position. I would also recommend moving your trunk back a few inches to give her some more room. This is accomplished by making up some metal bars with new mounting holes in them. Lastly if you don't have them install arm rests for your wife. I also came up with some forward foot pegs for my wife so she could change her position. Other than that you will find the 2nd gen Ventures are a very comfortable and reliable ride if you decide to update...

I hope to be remembered as a God fearing man and a friend...

Yup, thin wall socket and a U joint! Yes, what you need to do is monitor your battery voltage under each condition. The battery may not be up to snuff, the stator could be weak (there was a cooling issue with the '83 and '84 so make sure the stator cooling kit was installed on yours) and you could have corroded connectors on the stator wires. Many of us solder the wires and eliminate the connector. Corrosion on the Rectifier/Regulator connections could also be an issue. Here's a couple of ideas for the headlight. First check your fuse holder, they have been known to go bad. Many of us have converted the fuse holder to a more modern blade type fuses. Check your headlight connector for corrosion. Also there is a device called a Reserve Lighting Unit that may be going bad. The RLU senses if the headlight goes bad and then switches over to the high beam and lights up the warning light on the dash. It also monitors the tail light so make sure both bulbs there are good. If and when you replace your battery get a Deka gel battery and do the mod to eliminate the battery fluid sensor, it's an easy fix. The Deka is a good strong long lasting battery. Member Skydoc_17 is a distributer for them and he will give you an excellent price...

Good job! My concern is that you are using 27 year old rubber hoses. If you can afford it, I would recommend new stainless steel lines...

Sounds like a classic venturerider member to me! So put him in for a medal!

Ummmm, depending on your age it might outlive you! It's nothing to get 200000 miles out of it as long as you give it proper maintenance. The only issue will be your rear shock but if you spend the extra money for a really good aftermarket shock when the stock one goes that should be the end of that issue. The stock ones like to leak. The carbs will need occasional adjustment but it is not a huge deal. Many of us periodically run a half can of seafoam thru a couple of tanks and drive it like ya stole it. It helps keep them running properly. BTW these bikes like higher RPM's so don't be afraid to rev it up now and then. We have a pretty decent tech savy crowd here so stick around and ask questions!!

You mean it's not raining in PA???

For the RSV it's a coin toss, both will work quite well...

Yup! For the RSV you have 2 choices, Triwing or Hannigan. Triwing is do it yourself whereas Hannigan is installed only. The Triwing is solid axle drum brakes, the Hannigan is IRS and disc brakes. The Hannigan is twice the price but well worth it! If you McGuiver in a bigger master cylinder then you can run disc brakes in the Triwing.

Yes, every time you turn on a trike it scuffs the tire as the rear end tries to push you straight forward, which leads to the cupping...

They mentioned some really good bikes IMHO. Keep in mind the source, I don't always totally agree with CU but it's one person's views vs another's...

Just got off the phone with Scott! He is home recovering, and other than some serious pain from surgery is living the good life. He's not allowed to drive or lift anything so he's out on his deck enjoying the world. It will take about 6 weeks recovery, and I think he said he has some other surgery yet to be done. He sounds in excellent spirits!

Thanks Wayne!!! I have computer parts here...

Is he coming to the WNY regional? We have a car for him to do...

...or look in my profile!

Due to the questionable weather, caging it is a good option. We can park three cars, and there will be additional parking available at Yorkshire Free Methodist Church on Rt 39. I will provide shuttle service by calling if necessary. Number is for nian to fi fi to tree.