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V7Goose

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Everything posted by V7Goose

  1. V7Goose
    I have nothing against the Barnett clutch - it is certainly pretty, and I'd like to have the more 'normal' coil spring setup than the Yamahaha flex spring. But how much you gonna see that pretty pressure plate inside the bike? Bottom line is that the PCW spring works great, and it's cheaper. That's why I recommended it. I wouldn't be surprised if that clutch with their spring lasts as long as you have the bike. Goose
  2. V7Goose
    The compression and leak-down test will check the rings and valves, but not much you can do about checking the condition of main bearings, rod bearings, cam lobes and bearings, etc. If the oil hasn't been changed in several thousand miles, them you could get an analysis done, but even that won't tell a whole lot without the trend reports from past oil changes. Frankly, you take a substantial risk with a vehicle that has been run that far - it is a pig in a poke. I was just trying to list a couple of things that could be quickly checked and might provide some indication of overall condition. I decided to ad this response only to emphasize that even if those tests look good, there are still many things to worry about. When you buy something old for cheap, you generally get what you pay for! Personally, I wouldn't consider buying a bike that old (and high mileage) for long distance riding unless I was going to strip and rebuild the whole thing. A low enough price might make that plan palatable. Goose
  3. V7Goose
    IMHO you probably only need an upgraded clutch spring. 61,000 miles is almost certainly not enough to wear out wet clutch plates. I have replaced the spring in RSVs between 40,000 and 60,000 miles, and the friction plates measured withing stock tolerance. If you want the more expensive Barnett upgrade, you need both their pressure plate and springs. The other option is the PCW Racing upgrade. This just replaces the stock spring with a stronger one. Most people who do the PCW spring also replace the half-plate and wave washer in the back of the stack with a full size friction plate. When you do this, you just throw away the retaining wire. No "ball" or "o-ring" involved. Personally, I'd suggest just calling PCW Racing and order the spring upgrade kit for the Venture. Just follow their instruction sheet and you can do the whole thing in about 30 minutes. Just make sure you have a torque wrench that will measure 70 INCH pounds. Goose
  4. V7Goose
    Personally, I prefer the sound and feel of the engine idling about 700 - 800, but don't do it. The biggest concern is to keep enough hot oil pressure at idle, so don't go below the spec. Goose
  5. V7Goose
    I personally have not seen any specific information on high-mileage problems with a 2nd gen, but I'd be worried about 200K on any engine, and even more so on a unit construction (where engine and tranny share oil). At a minimum I would do a full compression test and leak-down test on each cylinder. On the frame I would worry about steering head bearings and swingarm bearings - these rarely get serviced as they should. Goose
  6. V7Goose
    There is no need to modify the bike to make it perform well - These machines in stock configuration have plenty of power and will very easily bury the speedo. But you clearly do have a problem. On such a new bike, it would seem to be either messed up carbs (from any number of things) or that you are running on only three cylinders. The three cylinder thing has been discussed here several times, so do a search for that info. It is a real shame your dealer is incompetent! There is absolutely NO excuse for them to charge you for a repair while claiming it was not covered by warranty and still NOT fixing the bike!!! To me, that is proof that they either did nothing, or it was unnecessary and the charge is fraudulent. Good luck getting it sorted out - I'd be happy to help if you were closer... Goose
  7. V7Goose
    My guess is it is both CYA and a real problem. If bike was to run straight on into something at a low enough speed to keep form flipping forward and throwing both riders up, that backrest could do some nasty damage to the space between the legs and lower pelvis of a passenger. But there are an awful lot of them in use on lots of different bikes, and I have never seen any specific reports of injuries attributed just to the back rest. Goose
  8. V7Goose
    It must be a height thing. I have heard for years about people complaining of this, and I have never experienced it. I am 6'5", use the stock shield, and I occasionally see the reflection of the cap in the shield, but never a glare from it after 60,000 miles. Goose
  9. V7Goose
    No, the arm is not too short. Go back and read my first post. The part that is bent is behind the nylon cover, so you cannot see it. If you just hook the arm back up and gently force the lid slowly open until it is straight up, all will be fixed. The metal is real soft, so slow and steady pressure will move the corner of the bracket back against the trunk wall. Goose
  10. V7Goose
    More like Mr. Magoo
  11. V7Goose
    Basic grade school math - the Ausie got it right. It's 23.
  12. V7Goose
    You can order the LED lights from JC Whitney; they cost about $45 for a pair. They are the exact size to replace the reflectors - just pry of the reflectors (just held on with two-sided tape) and stick on the LEDs. Run the wires through the inside of the crash bar and out the hole in the back. Goose
  13. V7Goose
    Nawww, maybe if they could be moved to a 3/4 ton pickup, their size would fit better.
  14. V7Goose
    If you only got 4.5 gallons in after going 25 miles on reserve, then you are not really filling the tank. But this is a normal problem with the stock tank - that long filler neck makes it almost impossible to get it full. That is easily fixed by venting the top of the filler neck (see the tech library). The owners manual says the reserve comes on with 1 gal remaining. In my experience with three different RSVs, this is WRONG. It comes on with 1.5 gallons remaining.. Even with the best fuel economy reported here, after riding another 25 miles, you should have been able to add at least 5 gallons. Goose
  15. V7Goose
    Why did you coast into a station after going on reserve? You had at least 60 more miles to RIDE without coasting anywhere! I have used virtually all of my 6 gallons numerous times - twice I have filled up with 5.8+ gallons after pushing it to the hairy limit on reserve. Goose
  16. V7Goose
    Go back to that dealer and have them pull up the shop ticket. They have to record the mileage before they start work, and for warranty work, I think it needs to be reported to Yamahaha too. Anyway, they will have the exact mileage when they replaced they instrument head. Goose
  17. V7Goose

    MP3 editor

    V7Goose replied to rod's topic in Watering Hole

    If you use an ipod, Belkin makes a 12v power cord that has a built-in amplifier, volume control, and audio out jack. This makes it very handy to match music output levels to the nominal radio volume levels. Goose
  18. V7Goose
    The dash back lights are not replaceable. Take it to the dealer to have it fixed under your 5 yr warranty. Goose
  19. V7Goose
    I have no first hand info on this, but I researched both and found one post that said if your are tall (and I am), the Utopia will not set back far enough for you. So I ordered the standard Diamond R. Don't have it yet. I never wanted a back rest on my RSV, but after the last 8 day, 4,000 mile trip, my back hurt for a week. Can't say for sure it was the bike ride that did it, but thought I'd at least try a rest anyway. Trouble is, I hate the way any of them look. Oh well ... Goose
  20. V7Goose
    A bad ignition switch seems the most likely answer. Even if you had accidentally hit both the 4-way flasher switch and the Kill switch at the same time, you would have still had power to your lights and radio. There is no way the problem you described could have been the battery unless it has in internal opening in the circuit. Although I have seen this once, it is very rare. But here is a quick check - if the battery voltage completely went away because of a bad battery or other circuit problem near the main fuse, you would have also found both trip odometers reset to 0 and lost all your radio pre-set stations. If this did not happen, the problem had to be later in the circuitry, like the ignition switch. Goose BTW - you can access the owner's manual for your bike directly from Yamaha's Star web site. Check the Parts & Service tab.
  21. V7Goose

    Chirp

    V7Goose replied to veep1's topic in General Tech Talk

    Just going from memory here, but in 5th gear, I think 3,000 RPM is turning an acutal 70MPH (or an indicated 76). That would put your whine about 2,500 - 3,000 RPM. If it is loud, then that would be a particularly bad range for most riding. Sorry to hear it. Good luck on getting it fixed, Goose
  22. V7Goose
    A discussion in another thread made me think of one other possibility you might want to check: if the clutch basket ears are notched from the friction plates, that would cause the exact problem you have. Although it is very easy to just pull the cover and take a quick look without even disassembling the clutch, I still put my money on the master cylinder seals. With less than 50K on your bike, it would have had to be really beat to death with someone constantly dropping the clutch on hard shifts to notch the basket so soon! But then again, if your original clutch was slipping as early as you say, maybe it has had pretty hard use? Goose
  23. V7Goose
    I think that at least 50% of these bikes are sold with that trunk bracket already bent from people on the showroom floor trying to force the trunk closed. The part that is bent cannot really be seen - it is flat against the front of the trunk behind the nylon cover. The fix is exactly like Don described - slowly and smoothly push the trunk lid up until it is straight up and will stay open without any help. That's all there is to it. Now you can either open the trunk and leave it fully forward from it's own weight, or pull it back down a bit to sit against the support rod. Goose
  24. V7Goose
    Your shock is bad. Not a cheap fix. Stock shock is close to $400, and the only aftermarket item is about $650 (Works Performance shock). If you plan on putting more than another 20,000 miles on the bike, you are better off with the Works Performance item. Goose
  25. V7Goose
    The Silver Star bulb is absolutely a great choice, but make sure you buy the SilverStar ULTRA - it is specifically designed to last in vibration and high shock situations like a motorcycle. Goose
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