Jump to content

V7Goose

Supporting Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,588

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by V7Goose

  1. V7Goose
    Since you have already been told by the vendor you bought it from that they intend to stiff you, the very first thing you should do is dispute the credit card payment with your bank. Federal law protects you from just this sort of chicanery from dishonest vendors; if you don't get what you paid for, they have to take the charge off. Next, tell US, NOW, who this bad vendor is so we don't get ripped off too. Ordinarily I would say to wait before you reveal the name until they have a chance to make things right, but since you say they already told you they refused to stand behind the order, they have made it clear they are not to be trusted. Finally, do as suggested above and properly file a claim with the shipper. Their responsibility is actually to the company who paid them, but that will protect you from any future games by the shop if they try and claim that they cannot get paid by the shipper because you did not report it. Lastly, do not return the damaged part until you take good pictures of both the part and the shipping material, and make sure you have something in writing (email will work) from the vendor instructing you to return it and stating what they will do when they receive it. Good luck, Goose
  2. V7Goose
    IMHO the Sylvania Silverstar ULTRA is the best option for improved lighting of the stock Royal Stars. But you need to make sure you buy the Ultra - stronger filament, brighter light, longer life. Goose
  3. V7Goose
    Best of luck for those who bought them - they'd have to be free before I would even start to get interested in buying from ebay, and even then I doubt I'd want them. I prefer to give my business to organizations I know and trust, and I am not about to take on the risk of motorcycles tires where I have to constantly wonder what is wrong with them that they couldn't sell either retail or wholesale! But then again, I just won't buy anything from ebay - I'm weird that way. Being a contrarian makes life fun! Goose
  4. V7Goose
    It is unbelievable to me that such a company feels they can insist on having access to their customer's bank accounts! And it is even worse because of their unethical behavior in unilaterally deciding who to give money to. What is really beyond my comprehension is that people actually bend over and ask for more from them! Oh well, to each his own. I do agree with the concerns about just giving out a credit card number on the internet. Even though all the banks have guarantees that they will protect you 100% against fraudulent usage, I just don't want to deal with that risk. But I have a solution that is 200% fool proof and so much better and safer than ripoffpal that I can't even exaggerate a percentage: One of my credit cards is from CitiBank. They have a nifty little way to allow their customers to create virtual credit card numbers that absolutely prevents fraud. And it couldn't be easier to use; in fact, it is even easier that pulling out my actual card and typing in the numbers! There is a neat little TSR applet I downloaded from their web site that just sits in the tray on my computer. Any time I open a web page that asks for payment I get a little popup asking if I want to generate a new virtual number for that transaction. I simply sign in and specify the max dollar amount and expiration date if I wish, and it automatically fills in the details for checkout on the web page! Since I usually specify the exact charge amount for the virtual number, including shipping, it is totally impossible for the vendor to ever over charge me or use the number a second time. Even better, if I set up a recurring payment using a virtual credit card number, I can stop those charges at any time by simply closing the virtual number, completely preventing any additional charges from the company without affecting my other accounts in any way. I just can't see any reason to give in to the irrational demands of an unethical company when there are so much better solutions available! Goose
  5. V7Goose
    That's an interesting bike - too bad it is made for midgets. I really like the styling. Personally I think it will be much more than a niche bike - looks to me like it has a MUCH better chance of survival and going main-steam than either their 750cc or 400cc automatics of years past. If it is a mechanically sound design and if gas prices go back up, I suspect we'll start seeing a lot of them before long. Goose
  6. V7Goose
    It may be technically safe, but it sure isn't ethically safe in my opinion. I think I am the only person on earth who absolutely refuses to ever deal with them. I made the mistake of using PayPal one time several years ago. The product I bought was crap, and after a bit of a fight I finally succeeded in getting a refund to the paypal account. Unfortunately, those crooked idiots will only wait a relatively short time for you to either spend a credit on something else or formally force them to send you the money, then they irrationally just give the money back to whoever made the credit!!!!! Can you say "pissed"? Sure you can! Now you know why I rather pull out my own fingernails than EVER do business with ripoffpal again. Goose
  7. V7Goose
    Oh man, where to start? Assuming for a moment that you are not deliberately trying to bait the majority of members here who have some significant experience with tires on the RSV, it is beyond my personal comprehension how anyone could consider OEM Brickstone tires for this bike. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WORSE TIRE OPTION AVAILABLE! Of course, that is just my opinion - you are free to indulge in your own. It is not that they are dangerous like the Metzelers, just that they don't last, handle terribly, and howl like an injured bassett hound after only a few thousand miles! As for your comment on the number of problems with Metzeler tires, I doubt anyone will disagree. No one has ever claimed that "all" riders who have the misfortune of riding on Metzeler tires on the RSV have experienced problems, just a much higher percentage of them than with any other tire. The key to our concerns here is that a relatively huge number of Metzeler tires on Royal Star bikes have integrity problems when compared to all other tire brands. There is a lot of speculation why, including the weight of the bike, but no one knows for sure. True, the RSV is the heaviest main-line touring bike made, but the POS that Metzeler is selling for these machines has a higher load rating than the stock tires do. To me, this shows just how unbelievably poor these tires are! Think about it for a minute - if those pieces of junk are rated for a higher load rating than is required for the RSV, and they still blow chunks of rubber in numbers far exceeding all other tires, how could they be anything other than junk? For everyone who still likes the Metzeler tires on the Royal Stars, I am happy that you have personally defied the odds and survived. I wish you continued luck. For me, I have seen more than enough evidence, both personally and reported by others whom I trust, to convince me that ever buying one of their products is not something that I would include in the category of an intelligent decision. Not only is the product unsafe, but the company has repeatedly made a point of insulting their customers and refusing to stand behind their tires. On the few occasions where they do replace a bad tire, they always stick their customers with the unwarranted cost of having to replace something that should NOT have been necessary. I have no personal stake in this argument. My only interest is in trying to ensure that all of our members who decide to buy Mezeler tires make an informed decision, knowing before hand of all the reported problems. If they still feel that they want that tire, they are certainly free to spend their money how they like. Goose
  8. V7Goose
    If I were you, I'd try just putting in a new stronger spring from PCW Racing without changing anything (except that stupid half disc on the bottom of the stack). I'm not saying those plates don't need to be replaced, but you can't hurt anything or loose any money by trying the new spring first. If it doesn't solve all your problems, all you have to do is pull the cover back off and replace whatever else you need also. When my 05 started slipping at 40,000 miles, the PCW spring kit was a perfect fix without replacing anything else. Oh, just for grins I thought I'd mention that I love synthetic oil and have used a lot of it in my bikes and "no Issues with synthetic whatsoever". But most of it was the old red-top Mobil 1 - never wasted a cent on the overpriced motorcycle specific oils, synthetic or not. Does it bother me that other people disagree with me on oils? Not in the slightest! That's why they sell so many different types of oil - so everyone can buy whatever they like. My personal favorite at this time is Shell Rotella, in both regular or synthetic. But of course, I don't ride a vmax either - they are just too ugly for me to get around! Goose
  9. V7Goose
    It only takes a minute or two to take them off and put them back on, especially when using an air ratchet. By removing them, I know there is absolutely zero chance that I will ever damage one while changing a tire. In addition, the front wheel does not fit comfortably in the tire changer I have with a disk on the bottom, so if I am going to take one off, I might as well take both. I have done it with the top rotor in place, but I just feel I have to concentrate too much on holding the bar high to stay away from the rotor, so I like it off. I have never removed the rear rotor - that wheel fits in the tire changer fine with it on the bottom where it is protected. If I was still changing tires manually with tire irons, I would not feel the need to remove the rotors. Goose
  10. V7Goose
    First let me state that I am NOT advising anyone to not follow Yamahaha's maintenance manual, especially on something with potentially life-safety ramifications. But . . . Loctite 648 just does not seem to be the correct product for those bolts. Yes, I know that is what the maintenance manual clearly states, but it is wrong in SO many other areas, including several torque specs, that I have to wonder about their intelligence! 648 is not even a threadlocker! In Loctite's own documentation, 648 is specifically designed for press-fit cylindrical items, like a bearing race in a wheel or a gear on a shaft. It has a temp rating up to 350 degrees. Those are normal bolts that need to be disassembled with hand tools. My personal choice is standard blue Loctite 242, which has a temp rating up to 300 degrees. I have found no way to compare the two products directly, since they are documented in completely different application and technical manuals by Loctite. Since I remove my front rotors every time I mount a front tire, I will continue to use the 242. Goose
  11. V7Goose
    Keep in mind that light mounting height is generally regulated in each state, and it differs by the type of light. Fog lights, which have a specific legal definition by type of lens and light pattern, are often regulated to be mounted lower that other lights. I often see 18" as the lowest permissible height for lights, but I really have no idea how much that is enforced. It seems to me the driving lights on the Honda Refrigerator engines, as well as the ones mounted under the bumpers on so may Japanese cars these days are lower than some of the laws allow, so maybe there is no worry? Personally, I don't want to increase the unsprung weight by mounting lights that low anyway, not to mention the additional wear and tear on the lights themselves from the constant bouncing. Goose
  12. V7Goose
    The pressure stamped on the tire is NOT a recommended pressure - it is clearly marked as MAXIMUM, and it is the pressure needed to safely carry the maximum rated load for that particular tire. Many tire manufactures do publish recommended tire pressure for specific applications and bikes, but it is not marked on the tire. On a side note, if you have read any of the other threads on these extremely dangerous Metzeler POS tires you have seen that the favorite ploy of this terrible company is to blame their customers for ruining their tires with the wrong air pressure. That is how they get out of honoring the warranty. NO other manufacturer of motorcycle tires has the huge number of problems with tires coming apart as they do, and NO other manufacturer constantly tries to blame their customers. Goose
  13. V7Goose
    I don't have answers that exactly fit your described symptoms, but here are a couple of ideas. The system clock, along with radio station presets and trip meters, is powered by the "backup" fuse. But you say it only clears ever OTHER time you start it. If the fuse was bad, it should be every single time. Maybe the fuse contacts are marginal? Try pulling the fuse ad re-seating it several times. Also verify both cables are tight on the battery. For the blown headlight fuse, check the wires that run out of the fairing to the light bar. It is quite common for them to be routed wrong and pinch in the steering stops. But I have no idea why you had the starting problem one time! Goose
  14. V7Goose
    When I bought my 07 sight-unseen, the previous SOB owner somehow neglected to tell me about 10,000 gross white marks across the passenger seat - he must have been dragging is $#*^$#!! Pat Boon shoes over that seat every time he got on and off that thing! (Doncha just HATE dishonest people?) For some strange reason I trust members here more than anyone else, but there are bad apples in any group. But I digress . . . While visiting a friend on the way home with the bike, he swore he had some stuff that would take ANYTHING off - well, I rubbed and scrubbed with that stuff for 15 minutes, and it didn't even touch those white marks. When I got the bike home, I put a touch of Goof Off on the tip of a rag; just a little rubbing took those marks right off! Don't know ifit will work as well on your marks, but it is sure worth a try. Goose
  15. V7Goose
    OK, I jsut set up AutoPager on a different laptop and it started working fine with our site without me even having to import that text file. I don't know if my first laptop magically uploaded those settings to the mother ship, or if maybe I had something misconfigured on there. Anyway, you might want to give AutoPager a try. On any web site with a multiple page display, if AutoPager has a predefined setting for that site you will get a little pop-up window asking if you want to enable it. Just click OK and away you go! Goose
  16. V7Goose
    I have been playing around with the AutoPager plug-in for Firefox. For multi-page displays, such as a google search results or a long thread or forum here on VentureRider, it automatically loads the next page below the current one so you can just keep scrolling down instead of having to keep selecting the next page and wait for it to load. I think it is pretty cool, but, unfortunately, they don't have detailed documentation in english yet. It works automatically on many pre-defined web sites, like google, but VR is not one of those that have been defined yet. I played around with the Site Wizard and think I have a definition that works well for us. I am attaching it as a txt file to this post. If you have the AutoPager plug-in, try importing this file on the "Manage Settings" page. I haven't done this myself yet on a different computer, so I can only hope it works at this point. I'll update this post as I learn more about it. Goose
  17. V7Goose

    30% Discount!

    V7Goose replied to a topic in Watering Hole

    Shep, please understand I was not chastising you in any way for posting that info. In fact, I think it is great to share things you find that may have value to others. My caution was a general one to all about the risks of ordering stuff and opening new accounts on the internet. There are MANY bad things going on out there, and more and more people are getting shagged every day. I was very careful to state several times that I had NOT looked into the specific thing you posted, but there were some indications that often indicate a fraud or phishing schemes. I simply want all members to be aware of the risks and use extreme caution before giving out any personal or financial information. Yes, autopilot, I AM saying I will never use ebay or paypal. I am not a Luddite - I think that most of the things I buy come from the internet. I would say that I am a bit of a technology expert. I have been in the computer field for 30 years (and radio, audo, video before that), and although I have recently retired at just over 50, I spent the last 11 years as Chief Information Officer of a billion dollar health care company. Many of the things you suggest are very good, but I would still suggest not good enough. For example, if you rely exclusively on some product to identify spoofed links, you WILL eventually get bit. There are many different products that look for misdirected links, including all the major browsers, but there is absolutely NOTHING that will ever detect or warn you of a perfectly valid link that simply takes you to a site that intends to steal your money or identity. My suggestions are simply that any user take simple precautions to do their own research before jumping. When you hear about a good deal, just look up the company name and go directly to their web site to find the source of the information. Simply doing a google search (or any other search engine) of a particular term or company name can often turn up a bunch of hits about a scam or fraud if there is one going on, so just looking up the company name can sometime give you a heads-up to a scam. I guess the one point you made that I most disagree with is "a little commonsense protection goes a long way." No, it doesn't. That just keeps you from being immediately raped and murdered (metaphorically speaking, of course). In this advanced tecnology with the many, many bad guys spending all their time trying to figure out how to rip you off or set your computer up as a zombie for some future fraud or attack, a "little commonsense protection" is not nearly enough. Finally, I want to warn everyone about potential risks in "free software", ESPECAILLY free software that is supposed to protect you. Yes, there is a lot of free software that is safe and excellent, but there is even more that is specifically designed to load bad stuff on your computer and keep you from finding it just because you think you are protected. I do use a lot of free software myself, so I am not suggesting you stay away from it. Just KNOW what you are getting. Just in case anyone is wondering, my current choice for free antivirus and firewall software is COMODO Internet Security. In addition, I run a hardware firewall and router with network address translation. Even so, I still run everything in stealth mode and do not allow any machine in the DMZ except for testing or running the occasional honey-pot for the scum. Stay safe out there, Goose
  18. V7Goose
    Yes, follow the instructions in that TSB. If that doesn't solve the problem, take it in for warranty fix. I changed the rear tire on a friend's RSV not long ago, and we found it VERY difficult to remove the axle. Neither of my bikes had ever shown this problem, so I knew something was amiss. When we put it back together I followed the procedure in the TSB to align the rear axle, and it slipped right in without binding at all. If that does not fix yours, then you either have a bent axle or swingarm, or something similar that is preventing proper alignment. Goose
  19. V7Goose

    30% Discount!

    V7Goose replied to a topic in Watering Hole

    Man, I sure hope for your sake that offer is real - it sounds pretty suspicious to me. I personally have not looked into it, so I can't say if it is real or not, but there are a number of things in what you described that sound like a pure fraud. I just advise everyone to be EXTREMELY careful about making online orders or creating new accounts based on such information. My own personal guidelines are that I will NEVER order any item online based on an ad or post of any type. If I am interested in an item, I must independently find the information by directly going to the vendor's site and not using any link or information from a different source. In addition, I never deal with paypal or ebay in any way. Never ever. Even that is not a guarantee, but it is about as safe as you are going to get. Goose
  20. V7Goose
    I just wanted to add a few comments to keep all of this in perspective for any members who may not already have a full grasp of the subject. First, I do not want to disagree with the OP's comments or conclusions about the possibility of a rear-end whine and how to fix it. There are some sound mechanical principles that fit his description of the problem and that particular fix. BUT, no one should assume from this that the only possibility of a whine in the RSV is from the rear end! Here is a simple fact with which I doubt anyone could reasonably disagree: There are members who have had their clutch basket replaced and found the noise they were experiencing was wither completely gone or greatly reduced; therefore, the clutch basket on their bike HAD to be either causing or contributing to the noise or it could NOT have changed. For anyone who had the clutch basket changed and found the noise still there but different in some way, there are a number of possibilities, including both the clutch basket still being a problem or that maybe the original noise they heard was coming from more than just the clutch basket (maybe a combined noise from the clutch basket and the rear end). But if their noise was different in any way after the basket change, by definition, the clutch basket had to be at least partially to blame. And my last statement should be obvious by now: anyone who had the clutch basket changed and found no difference in their whine quite probably has something else causing the whine. That could be the rear end, a bad bearing, an irritated passenger, or any other of a myriad of possibilities. More troubleshooting is called for. Goose
  21. V7Goose
    There is no doubt that every state is different, and often the inspectors, and sometimes even the police officers, don't actually know what is required or permitted. The nice thing now is that the internet makes it pretty easy to research and actually see for yourself what is required. If you have an inspection problem or a ticket you think is wrong, do the research yourself before you give up on it! And be sure to check the right thing - not only the laws specific to motorcycles, but the inspection requirements are often quite different than the specific law that would govern a ticket. For example, Texas does have laws that detail the types of lights and how they are aimed (including the number of lights), but the inspection guidelines specifically include this: "d. Other lamps: Fog lamps, auxiliary passing lamps, auxiliary driving lamps, backup lamps, and parking lamps are not required to be inspected." This means that your bike inspection cannot be failed for additional lights, but it does not protect you from a ticket if they are set up wrong. Goose
  22. V7Goose
    I think in this case, the way things were might have been the best choice. As bad as IE is, it still managed to dynamically split lines and wrap most posts to whatever window size the user had. The specific problem we started with was where there were no spaces between graphics. In that situation, IE just left everything one long line until it found a space. But those types of posts don't really happen all that often. Maybe we should go back to that default and just tell everyone who insists on using IE as their browser that they have to live with the limitations? After all, we have already told them how to solve it just by using a different browser. It is their own choice. Goose
  23. V7Goose
    I have no idea what your state laws actually require, but many billions of us have ridden through all sorts of states with all the lights on and never had a problem. In actuality, it makes ZERO sense to say that aux lights can only come on with low beam, since you are supposedly never facing another driver if your high beams are on! In other words, what possible difference could it make what other lights are on at the same time as your high beams? But I digress. The simple solution to this problem (of the inspection) is to simply leave all the aux lights off when you have it inspected. If they ask, just tell them they are for decoration only and never come on! Goose
  24. V7Goose
    Hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but it sounds like a well-deserved curse for noise pollution and annoyance. Just bad karma. Goose
  25. V7Goose
    We are never going to please everyone, at least not if they insist on using Micro$oft Internet Explorer! As we already know, not everyone is going to select the same screen resolution, and as more high quality flat-panel displays come into use, more people are selecting a larger resolution than 1024x768. The problem here is that IE has fallen way behind in technology compared to the other browsers. Firefox and Opera both handle dynamic text wrapping and flexible page width with poise and grace. IE can barely recognize a difference in browser size or page width, let alone deal with it! The HTML code that tells the other browsers to set max width to the window is not even recognized by IE. Because of that, the only way to work around the problem is code a lot of stuff under the covers to tell IE exactly what size to use. As Don said above, he chose 1024x768 'cause he had to choose something, and that seems to still be the most common. But this will leave anyone running smaller or larger resolutions with a problem. The solution here is to quit using Internet Explorer! I have hung onto IE for a long time because I kept finding things I didn't like with both Firefox and Opera every time I tried them. As much as I didn't like IE, it seemed to still be the best of a bunch of bad choices. But I think I have finally changed my mind. The testing for this thread made me install new versions of both Firefox and Opera, and I'm happy to say that I am now very pleased with both of them. I also tried Google's new browser (Chrome, still in beta), but I have to recommend that you stay as far away from that thing as possible! WAY too many things still missing in it!!! So my recommendation to all of you is to try out both Firefox and Opera and see which one you like best. They both are free and install quickly and painlessly. They automatically import your favorites and cookies from IE, so you can begin using them without any effort at all. They each have a very different look and feel, so it is worth trying both of them to see which suits your preferences. When you decide which browser you prefer (even if it is to stick with IE), the others will uninstall just as easily as they went on. And there is no problem leaving all three of them on the same computer either. For everyone who insists on staying with IE, I personally believe we should remove the hokey work-around that Don just put in, and all IE users just need to accept its limitations. Goose Oh, one last comment on the browsers - Firefox comes with a built-in spelling checker that works like the one in M$ Word. Opera does not have one, but you can get a free add-on called Aspell that seems to work great.
×
×
  • Create New...