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V7Goose

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Everything posted by V7Goose

  1. V7Goose
    That condition is not normally caused by a front tire - it's possible, especially if the tire is badly worn or cupped, but I'd really look elsewhere first. Steering head bearings are the most likely culprit, but bent or misaligned forks or frame also. Even loose swing arm bearing or rear axle can do it. Good luck finding it! Goose
  2. V7Goose
    JC Whitney has a four gauge set for about $54. Goose
  3. V7Goose
    While your comments are generally valid and should be considered in a generic tire discussion, there are certainly reasons whey every manufacturer of every motorcycle, and every manufacturer of every tire publish specific inflation pressures for each combination, and these are virtually never max sidewall pressures. If the subject was as simple as you would have us believe, every tire manufacturer would simply state to run all their tires at maximum pressure so you would get maximum life out of them. That would supposedly be best for them and best for their customers. In reality, it is not. The best tire pressure for each bike and its owner is going to be based on a combination of the tire design, the load on the bike, the conditions, the suspension settings, and the individual's specific riding style. There is not going to be a single pressure right for everyone, but the right pressure is more likely to be closer to the vehicle's recommended pressure than the maximum permissible for the tire as stamped on the sidewall. Goose
  4. V7Goose
  5. V7Goose
    I've been waiting to see Joe's update on this problem, but it seems to me that problem is almost obvious by now. It is not uncommon for folks to loose one or more of the mounting bolts for the passenger handles or trunk braces. There is not much room in that fender for the big tire, and even a slightly too long replacement bolt is probably rubbing the tire, either right at the edge of the tread or near the center. Goose
  6. V7Goose
    Juggler is quite correct about the effects of vibration on the hard drive. At least on mine, the lockup came after the skip buffer filled up, which is just poor design and lousy software, Nevertheless, once it locked up, the only way to get it working again was to force a cold boot. I did find an amazingly simple solution. The rubber bib on the tank has a raised section in the center that is just formed into it - nothing but air under it. All I did was glue a little strip of Velcro on the center of the bib right behind the filler cap, and that acts like a shock absorber. No more lock ups in 30,000 miles. Before my last trip to Colorado, I started using a tank bag that prevented me from putting the ipod there, so I just put the Velcro on the top front edge of the tank bag, and it worked flawlessly there too. Frankly, I hate the ipod, but since I was given one for free, I'm gonna use it as long as it works. Goose
  7. V7Goose
    Yes, if you put on the Leveling Links to raise the rear of the bike by 1", my recommendation is you stick with the stock 150/80-16 front tire size in any brand you choose. I found the handling of my RSV on twisty roads with stock tires OK - not wonderful, but I wasn't complaining about it either. The change to an MT90 front tire made it wonderful. Here is what I said about highway speed handling in an old post: "The feel of the bike at highway speeds is now much more of being "one with the bike" that just sitting on a bike and trying to control it. The bike is much more responsive to shifting body weight and leaning than it was with stock size. And besides, no matter how long and far you ride on the super-slab, you are still gonna have to slow down and turn off the road some time!" As I have posted in the past, I personally found the improvement in handling from either the Leveling Links OR the 130/90 front tire to be quite similar, so you do not have to agonize over which change is the best. To me, the decision is quite simple: IF you want the seat to be 1" higher, add the leveling links and stick with stock tire sizes; however, if you don't want to raise the rear of the bike, change your front tire to either a 130/90 or MT90 size. I believe you will be happy with either choice. As I have previously stated, I personally do not find any benefit to making both changes, and I do find one significant bad aspect of making both changes. That is why I recommend only doing one or the other, but not both. Goose
  8. V7Goose
    There are lots of older posting on this subject - you should read them for a complete picture. Although I am not the first one to suggest the 130/90 front tire, I am the first one to do some detailed testing of it, both with and without the shorter rear dog-bones (Leveling Links) that raise the rear of the bike by one inch. I do NOT recommend both changes. When the tires are new, having both a narrower front tire and the raised rear will not be any problem at all, but it also will not be better than just the raised rear alone. The issue comes when you wear out those tires. As they get near the end, especially when the rear begins to flatten out from center wear, you will experience significant groove tracking and a general squirrelliness on any road surface imperfections. Several others here that have worn out a set of tires while running both the 130/90 and Leveling Links have confirmed this sensation. Having a stock size front tire when using the Leveling Links will greatly reduce this problem when you get near the end of life on your rear tire. Here is one more thing to consider when deciding on tires - the stock Brickstone front tire is considerably wider than ANY other brand in the same stock size. The Brickstone measures about 6.3", and most other brands are closer to 5.7" in 150/80-16. The Avon MT90 front tire is approximately 1" narrower than the 150/80-16 Brickstone, where it is only about 1/2" narrower than most other brands in 150/80-16. Goose
  9. V7Goose
    You just put seafoam in the tank. If you plugs are black, this means that either you are running very rich or you have a persistent misfire. If all plugs are black, it is unlikely that it is the ignition system causing it. Using Seafoam is a good first step, but you will need to change the plugs after running a tank or two of Seafoam in order to get a good reading and see if it made any difference. Goose
  10. V7Goose
    It's all in the owner's manual. Just open it up and look. Goose
  11. V7Goose
    The bottom line is, there AIN'T no rubber left! I love my Avon tires in all aspects but one - once the tread is past the wear bars and approaching the bottom of the center grooves, there is NO excess rubber under that as an extra margin of safety. If you push these tires past the wear bars, one quick lock of the rear brake will give you a peek at the cords. I have sectioned these tires, as I do all of the tires I wear out, and there is no danger of a blow out from this, but I still wish there was more rubber there. Goose
  12. V7Goose
    See this comparison writeup I did in April: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8973 In short, the mid-priced J&M headsets with 2xx model numbers sound TERRIBLE compared to either the low-end cheapies or their 5xx series premium headsets. One caution, however, is that the low-end J&M headsets I bought three years ago may not be the same as the low-end ones they are selling now. My original under $100 set has the same mini mic as the mid and high-level J&M headsets do now. Since you already have the 257s, the cheapest way to improve the sound might be to find the "edset" speakers I mentioned in the other thread and just replace those in your helmet. Goose
  13. V7Goose
    You are not outside the power band. That type of gas mileage is common at the speed you were running. These machines have massive wind resistance, and mileage drops like a rock at speeds over 70. Your popping is coming from either a vacuum or exhaust leak. I'd bet it is the rubber caps on the #1 and #4 intake manifold nipples. Do a search on other posts by me and you will find an extensive thread on this subject from last month. Plugging the AIS is not necessary to fix this, although many have done that. Syncing the carbs should help, but if you have a vacuum leak, it will not stop the popping. An exhaust leak will also cause this. 05 and 06 models had a big problem with leaking Y pipes, but it has also been seen on some bikes from other years. Goose
  14. V7Goose
    I have gotten 14,000 each out of two rear Avon Venom tires. That compares to only 8,000 out of the stock Brickstone rear. Goose
  15. V7Goose
    Take the bike out for a ride and make it hit. Pull over as soon as possible and look at the tire - you will be able to see where it hit. If you have trouble seeing it, try stopping with the front brake only, or try finding some light-colored dust/dirt to roll through before you go out and make it hit. Of course, this means you should already know of a place where you can easily duplicate the problem, so you don't have to ride too far before or after the test. Goose
  16. V7Goose
    OK, you have given a bit more information. First, 410 lbs is quite a bit more than the 380 you previously stated. Which is it? Even at 410 lbs, however, it still should not be giving you the problem. Secondly, you stated you could smell the rubber, so in the absence of more specific information, I'll assume that your "bottom out" means the rear tire hits something. This is probably the key (along with the other measurements I previously asked for). Specifically, what part of the tire is hitting what part of the bike? You should definitely be able to see a skid mark on both the tire and the bike. Is it the center of the tire on the top middle of the rear fender? Is it the widest part of the tire on the edge of the tread? If it is not the center, is it the same on both sides, or is just one side hitting something? Goose
  17. V7Goose
    OK, let's go about this a different way. As many others have already said, this is NOT typical. Your combined weight is not out of line - I weigh 250, my wife is probably about 125, and we have toured extensively with heavy load besides and never bottomed out in 36,000 miles. What specifically are you feeling or hearing when it bottoms out? Do you hear the tire rubbing? Is it a hard bump? Clunk? Have you ever ridden a different RSV to verify it does not do the same thing you are talking about? You said you bought the bike with only 100 miles on it, so you doubt it was modified. Are you sure? Did you buy it from a dealer new, or prior owner? Any chance it was wrecked and the indicated miles is not correct? Have you verified the size of the tire? I'd suggest you stand the bike straight up and measure the distance from the bottom edge of the rear fender to the ground and post this information with the exact shock pressure at the same time - someone here will be able to confirm if that matches their bike under the same conditions (I have leveling links on my bike, so probably not me, but I'll compare it too). Next, at the same shock pressure, sit on the bike. Give it a little bounce to make sure it settles at the typical height, and have someone repeat the measurement at the rear fender tip. Post that information with your weight solo. Again, I'm sure we will find someone here who is close enough to you to give you a comparison measurement. If you are my weight, then I can compare the two measurements and see if my bike sags the same amount, as the links should not affect this. I feel certain there is something either wrong or modified on your bike causing this issue, as it is extremely unlikely that you would have the exact problem with two shocks if that was the cause. By doing these measurements, we might be able to zero in on where to look. Of course, if you know anyone near you who has an RSV, you could do these same measurements side-by-side with that bike and use them to compare for differences. Goose
  18. V7Goose
    Almost certainly yes. The only way I think you could do it without removing the bag is to have a suction pump designed for filling transmissions and axles where you can suck it out of the bottle and use the flexible hose on the tool to squirt it into the final drive. But even if you have one of those tools, like I do, why try to use it? The bag comes off with only 4 bolts, and that will make the entire job much easier. Goose
  19. V7Goose
    Methinks he had a tail wind.
  20. V7Goose
    I sure do hope he didn't blow anything with that air hose! I don't know much about the inside of these forks, but with a max pressure of 7 lbs, any blast from a normal air hose is liable to destroy something! Good luck, Goose
  21. V7Goose
    A little high on oil should NOT cause the symptoms you described. In fact, it shouldn't have done anything except blow some oil our the vent tubes. Glad it is all working again for you, but I'd be a little worried about not knowing what was really happening. Goose
  22. V7Goose
    It's not your oil, but that is the only thing I can say for sure. Doesn't sound like clutch slipping, cause that should be worse hot than cold, and it wouldn't stall the engine. Maybe brakes dragging? How easy does it roll in neutral before you start it? Jack the rear tire off the ground and turn it by hand - does it turn freely? Good luck, Goose
  23. V7Goose
    It is mounted with Velcro, and it is definitely NOT waterproof. However, water does not seem to have any long-term effects on it. In the past several years, it has been completely flooded at least 6 times, including a couple from my hose while washing it. When it fills up (you can actually see the water across the face), it goes haywire, but straightens right out within a day. It does not seem sensitive at all to light or moderate wetting. The only reason it has been wet that many times is that I ride every day all year, no matter what the conditions. For the most part the mounting location is quite protected, and the only real problem is if the bike is parked so that a hard storm blows in from the rear of the bike. I have taken to quickly pulling it off the Velcro and putting it in a plastic bag when washing the bike - only takes a couple of seconds and the hose problem is completely solved. Goose BTW - it dries quickly, and even after repeated floodings, there is no indication of any kind that it was ever wet.
  24. V7Goose
    Lots of places sell the ShowChrome 5-function volt meter, but the best price I have found is at California Sport Touring. The Hi/Lo switch is for the wrap-around grip heaters I made. Goose
  25. V7Goose
    Here are a couple of pix. I switched to the black one to better match the other gauges I added. This is the smallest tach I could find, and the only one I know that is small enough to mount under the dash like this. Goose The black tach is part no: 7805-6948, 1-7/8" Mini tach, purchased from www.Competitionmotorcycle.com. It comes in a nice chrome case with mounting bracket. The only additional thing you need to mount it is any type of 1" handlebar clamp. I used a $7 chrome clamp from JCW.
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