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MikeWa

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Everything posted by MikeWa

  1. MikeWa
    Well they almost got it right. It's not disabled people who shouldn't ride it's stupid people who shouldn't be allowed to ride motorcycles. Or drive cars for that matter. Mike:cool10:
  2. MikeWa
    Also make sure your mic is in front of your mouth. Some riders like to push them up into the corner of the helmet and that can sometimes cause problems. Especially with a noise canceling microphone. Good luck and ride safe. Mike
  3. MikeWa
    If you take the tank off, which is easy, you will find two covered channels to run the wire through. Pick one. The one on the right usually has more space but either is ok. Four screws will remove the cover and running the wire is easy. When completed this makes for a very professional installation. Mike
  4. MikeWa
    Hi Stubby Welcome. You will find good people and an incredible amount of information here. All I can say is I love my Venture. Every time I ride it I am glad I have it. No buyers remorse of any kind. The bike is comfortable and has been problem free. It is fun to ride and if you want to accessories stuff is available. For me that is part of the fun. Handling all the weight of a big bike takes some getting used to. But that is part of the charm. So if you buy it - enjoy it. Mike
  5. MikeWa
    I am not sure what you mean by "don't get out very well". In order for you to transmit your antenna must be matched or tuned to your radio transmitter. Call this SWR. It is easily measured with an SWR meter installed between the antenna and the CB radio. If it is out of tune the SWR will be high over 2.5 to 1 If it is matched it will be lower. 1 to 1 is perfect but not achievable on a motorcycle. Matching is done by adjusting the antenna. The next thing to check is your power output from your transmitter. Remember the antenna must be good before the transmitter will work properly. Many swr meters also have a power meter to test power. Key the mic and read the power on the meter. Expect something under 4 watts. Higher is better but anything over three is good. A couple of points. Operating the transmitter with a bad or wrong antenna can burn out the transmitter. Due to the smaller surface area (ground plain) of a motorcycle they will not put out as well as a base station or semi truck. These CBs are meant for communication between fairly close riding bikes. Some truck and cb base stations operating to close to you can blast your ear drums and your receiver right off of your bike. Not what you want to do to your fellow riders. Communication with other riders should be good up to about half a mile, line of sight. After that 'good luck'. Mike
  6. MikeWa
    There are different Phillips head and cross cut slot designs. Some are deeper and pointier. Some have wider or narrower slots. Try a different screwdriver. If you do not get one that fits well you can strip the head. Mike
  7. MikeWa
    In most applications cb antennas use a PL259 CB/Ham radio screw in connector for the antenna coaxial cable. And most car radios use a Motorola rg59 plug in cable connector. It is impossible to get these mixed up. However in the spirit of keeping life interesting motorcycle manufacturers decided to use the same type Motorola plug in car radio connector for the radio and the CB antennas. So to be sure you are connected correctly you have to trace the cable from the CB antenna to the black box under the trunk. My understanding is some 2009 and later Ventures have the CB antenna mounted on the right hand side. You can clearly see this on the 2010 Venture on the Royal Star web page. Mike http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/products/modelhome/586/0/home.aspx
  8. MikeWa

    US Map

    MikeWa replied to Smilerider's topic in Watering Hole

    Questions are never silly. Although some answers may be. Mike
  9. MikeWa
    The rubber on tires is self lubricated by the action of the tire during use. Storage, non use, for long periods of time especially in sunlight can dry the rubber out and lead to cracking. Many motor home owners cover their tires to keep the sunlight off them and reduce the cracking. Poorly constituted rubber compounds can also lead to cracking as can the tire being stored unwrapped or near a heater vent for a couple of years before it is sold. High up in a heated building for example. However once dried out the rubber is damaged and probably will not recover even though it may look and feel ok. Meaning future cracks. There is also a big difference between non use storage for a couple of weeks or months and storage for several years. For automobile tires there are coatings which can be applied which will help lubricate the sidewalls and block harmful radiation from the sun. I don't think I would try this on a motorcycle. Too much chance of making a self lubricating tire to road contact area. Minor hairline cracks on the surface rubber is cosmetic and should not be confused with large or deep cracks that penetrate to the belts and can be structural. All said and done that is what warranties are for. Oh and I doubt that cold concrete has anything to do with it. Tires are sold, used and stored in cold weather climates all the time. Mike
  10. MikeWa
    I put the SWR and watt meters on the CB antenna cable today. I did not expect good readings on the stock antenna. Especially with the short little cable and RCA jacks it has. A good SWR is below 2-1 a really good reading is below 1.5-1. With the short cable on the stock antenna I was anticipating some very poor readings. Perhaps in the 2.5 or 3-1 range. So I was psyching myself up to have to purchase an aftermarket antenna and cable. On both channels 1 and 40 the SWR tested at below 1.2-1. Wow. No antenna adjustment needed. No new antenna needed. No new cable needed. So then I checked the power output. These units are rated at four watts. I tested mine at 3.85. Close enough. Very surprising. I am much happier with the stock units today than I was yesterday. Funny how that is. Mike
  11. MikeWa
    If you want to check the temperature of everything purchase an infrared temperature gun. Then you can check exhaust, radiator, engine or whatever else you want. Write down the readings then later if there is a vast difference you might spot a problem before something breaks. Mike
  12. MikeWa
    Sounds like your dealer is at least making the effort to get it right. Mike
  13. MikeWa
    Check for looseness of the brake pads in the calipers. They could be rattling back and forth but will quiet when the brakes are applied. Even lightly. The very reason some brake systems have anti-rattle hardware. Also make sure the calipers themselves are not moving around. Mike
  14. MikeWa

    Air Compressor

    MikeWa replied to pick's topic in Watering Hole

    Do not use PVC. If you bump a heavy or metal object against it while it is under pressure it can explode and send out shards of plastic that can really hurt you. Mike
  15. MikeWa
    Ventures are not alone in this area. I friend of mine purchased a new 2009 Ultra Glide. It whines so bad in first and fifth gears I can't hear my radio if I am riding next to or behind him. Even though I am using helmet speakers the radio is still overwhelmed by the screech. He made a video tape of a ride on it and sent it to Harley. It also is worse when his engine is warm. The difference is a lot of people seem to expect this on a Harley. Yamaha at least is trying to repair the offending bikes when they come in under warranty. Mike
  16. MikeWa
    I'm in for a set too if possible. Mike
  17. MikeWa
    This is a very good one. Works with just about any picture format. http://www.irfanview.com/
  18. MikeWa
    It is good news when someone starts getting things put back together. So congratulations from a total stranger. I wish the best to both of you. Mike
  19. MikeWa
    Ok I got the cd changer installed in the trunk. Took some work to run the cable to the front. But it was worth it. Sounds pretty good to me to. But of course I am deaf in one ear. For a guy who doesn't get the most out of music I sure have a lot of different ways of getting noise on this bike. AM-FM, cassette tape, cd changer, and MP3. I mounted the changer on foam mounts to the inside back of the trunk. I passed the cable down through the rubber plug under the trunk, under back seat and through the plug on the left side behind the battery under the riders seat. I also replaced the two Yamaha rubber plugs, which are different sizes, with PCV grommets from the auto parts store. They are heavier duty and already have a hole in the center. From there I tucked the cable along the left side of the battery through the center frame support and crossed it over to the right side. I then passed it through the electrical cable conduit that is under the tank. From where it exited the conduit it was easily passed it through the inner fairing to the front of the bike. I looped the excess cable and plugged the end into the c-bus terminal of the radio.
  20. MikeWa

    CB Radio

    MikeWa replied to Art708's topic in Watering Hole

    Just had my CB cover off today. The gray plug is the plug for the antenna. Operating a CB transmitter without a working antenna properly connected will damage the transmitter. Mike
  21. MikeWa
    Thanks for the info midnightventure. Yes, it was a typo, should have been DC-625. I have some hearing problems and music is no longer as appealing as it used to be so I wasn't planning to install a CD changer. Also since the audio on the bike doesn't have a balance control (which would help me a lot) I don't care one way or the other about the cassette player. Doesn't hurt to have it I just don't use it. But I ran across this used CD changer for $60 and decided why not. I generally ride one up and only have to worry about one helmet so I will probably mount it in the trunk. I haven't seen the cable yet so I don't know if I am in need or not. Hopefully working around the trunk will give me a chance to open the CB and find out why it transmits so poorly. It doesn't hardly move my field strength meter off zero. Oh well thats another problem to toy with. Mike
  22. MikeWa
    Has anyone installed a CD-625 cd changer? If I use a c-bus cable will it operate through my stock Yamaha control? Thanks Mike
  23. MikeWa
    Prayers sent for a speedy and full recovery.
  24. MikeWa
    We are praying for the both of you.
  25. MikeWa
    Depends what you are going to use it for. Some automotive computer systems require an input impedance of 10 mega ohms or more. Since I use my meters for Automotive testing I like the Fluke 78,87,88 or 289. It depends on your budget. UEI makes a good low cost automotive rated DVOM even comes with an RPM probe. There are others available that work well also. Automotive meters will display pulse width, duty cycle, frequency, dwell, RPM and such used in the diagnosis of fuel injection and vehicle computer systems. The 2.99 unit from Harbor Freight might work but do not count on it for anything important. Mike
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