V7Goose

I normally compare about four different places, but one of these is often the best price: http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Yamaha/parts.html http://www.carolinacycle.com/ It is strange, but the lowest price is NOT always the same place, so it is not just a simple matter of % off list. Often when I need two or three parts, especially if they are a bit expensive, I will have to order from two different shops to get the lowest price on each. But I rarely order Yamahaha parts off the net anymore. My dealer gives me a flat 20% off, and if I find it lower on the internet, he matches that price. So I simply swap sales tax for shipping, and I help keep a good dealer in business. Since those rings are so small, I could probably order them here and mail them to you for no more than 50 cents shipping if you can't do better locally. Goose

I wouldn't bat an eye lash at 100,000 on a venture engine (I have more than 86,000 on my 2005). In fact, I would MUCH rather have that bike with 100,000 miles than 20,000, considering it's age. Sitting and rotting is much harder on a machine than using it. In addition, that kind of mileage increases the likelihood that it has actually been maintained and serviced appropriately. I'd ask the owner for maintenance records (if he has had it all done at authorized Yamahaha shops, they will have them all in their computer for you). If you cannot get the records, then I'd be extra careful on the inspection, maybe even consider a compression test, but I don't think that is necessary at under 100,000 miles. And I would absolutely have the valves adjusted after the purchase if there is no proof they were done in the last 30,000 miles. And beware, this is an EXPENSIVE service on the RSV - will cost between $300 and $600 if you have the shop do it. I'd be a lot more worried about the condition of the steering head bearings and the swing arm bearings than I would about that engine. Goose

No, I wouldn't have expected any commercial spray carb cleaner to destroy those O-rings, ESPECIALLY since the bowls were not removed (meaning the cleaner could not have even gotten all over the O-rings unless they were already leaking). It seems even stranger to me that you have a problem there with a bike that is so new. But under the circumstances, since we cannot identify any other cause, I am forced to concede that the carb cleaner could possibly have been the culprit. You should not have any problem getting new O-rings. After you have it all repaired, I'd love it if you would take one of those old O-rings and spray it with a bit of carb cleaner, then let it sit for an hour or so in a small cup. If it is going to damage the ring, it should feel sticky and soft after that. I'd love to know . . . Goose

I suggest you grab the linkage right below the middle gear cover and see if there is any play there. Mine has a bit of in/out slop, but absolutely no up/down or front/back play. Since you suggest that your bike may have had a bit of a problem from the beginning, it is possible that it was put together wrong and the shaft is not in the right position, or maybe there is something wrong with the cover. Any motion at the end of that shaft where the ball joint is would play hell with proper shifting. Goose

FYI - the OP (massey130) was way back in March - I assume his problem is either fixed or his bike is parked in a field somewhere by now. Further replies to him are probably not of value. But tx2sturgis just resurrected this thread with a similar problem, so if you are going to reply, maybe focus on him and not the stuff from back in March? Just a suggestion to y'all. Goose

There are a number of things that could cause your problem, but one thing it is NOT is worn clutch plates. The first possibility is the most simple. Since you suggest that synchronizing gear speed on downshifts (blipping the throttle) allows the gears to change, your clutch may not be fully disengaging. Two checks for this - the first is to just put it in gear and see how easy it is to push around while holding the clutch in (or raise the rear wheel and try turning it by hand the same way). Compare how easy it is to turn the wheel or push while in gear and holding the clutch in to neutral. There will typically be a little clutch drag that you may feel, but since I have never actually done this comparison on the RSV, I cannot say for sure how significant that might be. The other test is to simply ride the bike and shift without using the clutch at all. Clutch-less shifting is very simple and safe if you understand the principle and do not try to force anything. Up-shifting is totally simple since the gear speeds synchronize naturally as you roll off the throttle. Just pre-load the shifter by putting light pressure with your heel on the shifter, then quickly roll the throttle off and back on; the bike will up-shift almost instantly as soon as you drop the throttle, and if you roll it back on fast enough it will feel as smooth as an automatic. You do NOT need to try to force the shift by applying more pressure. In fact, putting more pressure on the shifter when it is not ready to shift is the way you bend shifter forks! Down shifting without the clutch is just slightly more tricky since you have to speed the engine up to synchronize the gears. If you have never done this, practice in 5th and 4th until it gets easy. When you are ready to downshift, start by pre-loading the shifter with light pressure from your toe, then quickly blip the throttle. As the RPMs rise and the gears synchronize, the bike will shift down. In this case you do not want to roll off the throttle too quickly since the lower gear will need the higher RPM to maintain the same speed. With just a little practice it will become second nature. The whole point of testing your bike by shifting without a clutch is to simply remove the clutch form the list of possible problems. If the linkage and transmission are OK, you will be able to shift it fine with the technique above. If you are uncomfortable trying this while riding, you can simulate the test fairly well by just raising the rear wheel off the ground and trying to shift it the same way without the engine running at all. Just put some pressure on the shifter and rotate the rear tire by hand and it should easily shift up or down. The second possibility is something wrong with the shift linkage - lots of possibilities there, so it just needs a close inspection of each part. This could be anything from just being maladjusted so that it does not move the shift fork far enough in one direction to worn out pivots or bent parts. If there is a problem with the linkage, the same trouble shifting should be evident whether you are using the clutch or not. The third possibility is a bent shifter fork inside the transmission. This can easily cause exactly the symptoms you describe, but diagnosing it will require you to open up the transmission. Although I have never looked into the transmission details on this engine, it probably requires you to completely dismantle the engine and split the case. Goose

I certainly have not seen your carbs, so I am just guessing, but I doubt you need gaskets (o-rings) for the float bowls. I have done over 200 of these carbs, and even bikes from 99 and 00 have been fine with the original bowl gaskets. There is often some gay or tan crud on the gaskets - most often it seem just like some of the original gasket glue they used at the factory to hold the o-rings in place. I have never done anything more than use my thumb nail to scrape those gaskets and the bowl mating surface clean, and they have always sealed fine. I would not use any form-a-gasket type of stuff on the float bowls. If you suspect you have a leak somewhere, get some spray foot powder. Put it all together and pressurize the system just like you did before, then spray all the various joints and surfaces with the spray powder. Any leaking will be vary obvious. Goose

I'm sorry, but you make absolutely no sense at all to me. Whether you go 130 miles or 210 miles before hitting reserve is totally immaterial. My fuel trip meter comes on at virtually the same point that I have to manually switch the petcock to reserve if I have not left it there (maybe 3 mile difference). The seven RSVs that I have personal experience with in this have all been extraordinarily consistent and go on reserve with about 1.5 gallons of fuel left in the tank. So if my dash tells me I am on reserve at the same time that I would have to bend over and manually move the valve, what possible value could I ever get from simply being forced to move the valve when it is not necessary? Leaving your petcock in the normal position does not give you one drop more gas, nor does it tell you that you are going on reserve even one meter sooner as your travel down the road. And to your comment about how far away the next gas station is - you are going to go on reserve at the exact same point no matter if the next gas station is 1 mile or 100 miles away. If you care about not running out of gas, then you simply need to pay attention to how much gas you have left, and the position of the petcock on this bike cannot help you there in any way. So to repeat the maim premise here, your fuel gauge will constantly tell you how much fuel you have left, your fuel trip meter will come on to tell you that you have 1.5 gallons of fuel left, AND the idiot lit on your dash will come on to tell you that you have 1.5 gallons of fuel left. And for those people who just cannot seem to understand when they have only 1.5 gallons of fuel left, despite those three glaring indicators, then they still have the opportunity to leave the fuel valve in the normal position so that they get the joy of feeling the engine starve at the exact same time they see all the other indication telling them the same danged thing. A few people have reported that they do not think their fuel gauges are consistent or accurate - OK, so why don't you just get it fixed? This is NOT a typical problem for this bike. All of the RSVs with which I have personal experience, including every singe one of them where I have ridden hundreds of miles with other owners, have been very consistent and accurate in both the fuel gauge reading and when they go on reserve. There was a time when bikes had no way of telling you that you were getting low on gas EXCEPT the normal/reserve petcock. But that is not the case with the RSV. I don't care one bit if you prefer to leave your petcock in normal or reserve, but please do not try to tell me there is any value in your personal preference unless you can actually tell me what that value might be. Goose

I agree that it is all about personal preference, but there is a huge difference between preferring something because it is the only thing you have ever tried and preferring something because you actually think it has value over other options you have experienced. At the risk of further beating a dead horse, I do want to add a few other comments. There are differences in handling and wear characteristics between all different tire brands and models, and you can find riders who prefer Avon, Dunlop (404 and E3), Pirelli, Metzeler, etc., on this bike. All of those are personal preferences that I can understand. But the feelings about the Brickstone Excedra tires on this bike are virtually universal - the difference between them and ANY other tire you can buy is so phenomenally HUGE that I will go out on a limb and state that I am unaware of ANYBODY who has ever actually compared the Brickstone with any other tire who doesn't totally despise the Brickstone. If they were even remotely acceptable, you would find some riders who actually prefer them in comparison to other tires, but you just do not - that is how bad they are and how significant the difference. For me, that takes a claim of being happy with them out of the realm of true personal preference. My bike did come with the Brickstones. And for the first 8,000 miles I, too, debated with others who said how bad they were. I sounded much like you, telling them I thought the bike handled just fine. But that all changed when I tried something different. With actual experience comparing different tires on the same bike, I could clearly see just how unbelievably bad those tires really are. OK, I'll let this rest now. Back to our previously scheduled programming . . . Goose

Glad things went well for you. But even tho' it's no skin off my nose, I'm really sorry to see you went with those horrible tires. There is absolutely nothing you could buy that will make that bike handle as bad as the Brickstone Excedra tires. I'm sure you are happy with them, or you would not have bought new ones, but if you have never ridden on good tires on this bike, you can't possibly imagine how bad that decision was. I only post in the hopes that you will consider something different next time. Oh well, enjoy the riding! Goose

Well, it may work for you, but I cannot provide any information, good or bad, about putting Pin-Sol in a carbretor. I don't think I would. . . . But more importantly (for me, at least), I would NEVER follow instructions printed in PINK! Yuck! Goose

I leave mine on reserve all the time simply because I do not find any value in having to move it! This bike has THREE other things to tell me I am going on reserve (the fuel trip meter, the idiot light, and the fuel gauge itself), so feeling the engine falter as it unnecessarily starves for gas is pointless. In addition, although changing the petcock to reserve is usually easy, that is not so with the chrome wind guards I use in the winter. And even when they are not mounted, having to take a hand off the bars and lean forward to change the fuel to reserve introduces a small amount of additional risk to the control of the bike that is really unnecessary with the other fuel warning systems we have. To each their own, Goose

Hey Joe, I'm pretty sure I remember your bike from MD this year, at least I remember one that really hung at high RPMS when dropping the throttle. But I did so many bikes, I cannot remember anything else. Do you recall if I made any comments on the overall vacuum level, such as it being quite low? Most of these bikes easily pull at least 10" Hg at idle, but a few do not. First, I don't have any ideas on the fuel leak. In fact, I don't have any idea at all what part you are calling "the screws that hold the "bottom plate with brass piece" on." But if you have a stuck float valve, you WILL get fuel coming out of one of the vent tubes when the key is on. Of course, if one of the tubes is off or kinked somehow, that would affect it, but I have never run into a problem with the tubes except that the factory always crosses them (so the tube from the left carbs drains at the RIGHT air cleaner and vice versa). I stressed the key on bit because the fuel pump will continually push fuel through the stuck valve and out the vent. But with the key off, there probably won't be much pressure there, so any overflow might not be enough to push all the way up into the overflow tube. In this case, you could get severe engine damage if the engine stops with an intake valve open on the same cylinder that has a stuck float valve. - possible hydro-lock and oil diluted with gas. So finding this problem is quite important! And that is also why the manual says to shut off the fuel at the tank when stopping the bike. Most modern bikes have vacuum operated petcocks that do this for you, but ours does not because of the fuel pump. As for other carb issues, after seeing that this bike sat for so long, I'd bet your idle jets are mostly or totally plugged. If your idle vacuum is below 10" Hg, this would pretty much confirm that, since your idle adjustment would need to open the slides a lot to allow enough fuel through the main jets for idling. When you have the carbs open, remove the idle jets and look through them - you should see a very small, but perfectly round spot of light. Anything else is bad and needs to be cleaned. Do NOT NOT NOT push anything though the jet to clean it! Jets are very easy to damage. Use spray carb cleaner in a little bowl to soak the jets, then blow through them with compressed air, and repeat as much as needed to finally clear the jet completely. All four pilot jets are the same, so nothing to mix up. But NOT so with the main jets - there are three different jet sizes, so pay close attention to which ones are where and do not mix those. I would also change that fuel filter if you have not already done it - the same stuff that clogs up carburetors plays hell with fuel filters. Goose

The headlights look like somebody beat the snot out of them with a hammer. Looks terrible. Goose

That's interesting - I hadn't seen that screw before. It actully looks like another height adjustment - very different than the side adjustment screw I remember on the headlight frame. But if it works lateral adjustment, that is great - glad you know about it! Goose

It is interesting that this TSB has an NHTSA campaign number asigned, but does not show up on the government site under either recalls or defect investigations, just service bulletins. But the fact that some owners actually got letters from Yamahaha notifying them of the problem is a good thing - it sounds like they are actually treating it like a recall. Still, I would not rely on that - doesn't take much effort to go into a dealer and have them check that TSB to see if your serial number is included. For what it's worth, when I had my 07 I asked the dealer to check it, and they said it was NOT included. the last six f the serial number were 012073. Goose

Yes, you will have to split the fairing. You will find an adjustment on the side of the headlight frame. Goose

This seems highly unlikely to me. Brakes generate a huge amount of heat on the pads, and each pad has a very large contact point on multiple pistons to transfer that heat into the fluid - that is why they have significant problem with boiling fluid in some situations (heavy and repeated brake use). The clutch is totally different. First, all plates are bathed in the engine oil, so no matter what, I doubt they can much exceed the oil temperature which will always be below the boiling point of brake fluid. But even more importantly, there is almost no direct contact path from the plates back to the fluid like there is with brake pads. Since the clutch slave cylinder is mounted on the engine case, the fluid is going to be at the temperature of the engine oil. A little quick research indicated that typical oil temperature on a water cooled engine will probably be around 250 °F, which is below the boiling point of even DOT3 fluid. Any oil temperature that is high enough to boil the brake fluid will trigger an overheated and damaged engine long before that happens! But your idea is an interesting one, nonetheless. I have no idea just how much 3% moisture content actually is in the fluid, nor do I have any idea how long it would have to be neglected before that much moisture would be absorbed. But maybe if the moisture content was really super high (whatever that might be), then the normal engine temperature could affect it? But then again, boiling fluid usually has the opposite affect - it removes the ability to apply the brakes (or disengage the clutch) instead of locking them up. While the added pressure in the system can cause the piston in the slave to push out, it usually just pushes fluid backwards into the master instead, and the steam and air makes the system spongy. So I guess I doubt it even more than I did to start with. But all of this is just theory - I have never tested it or seen it discussed. Contrary to the opinions expressed in another post here, I believe the reason that the clutch fluid always turns brown much more quickly than the front brake fluid is simply because the lever is worked MUCH MUCH MUCH more often. The master cylinders are not 100% sealed, as air must be allowed in above the diaphragm, and I suspect this slight but relatively constant motion is what is introducing the moisture at a faster rate. Goose

Bobby G, the part of your post to which I objected was the quote "The 5.0 is OK too". This is absolutely incorrect when discussing the Royal Stars. I personally do not believe DOT 5.1 adds any material value in either the clutch or the brake systems on these bikes, but I did not specifically advise against its use. Goose

Never Never NEVER mix DOT 5.0 fluid with DOT 3 or DOT4. They are totally incompatible!!!! The RSV specifies DOT 4. DOT3 and DOT4 fluids are compatible, but DOT4 has a higher boiling point. In my opinion, either DOT3 or DOT4 is fine for the clutch, since it will never develop enough heat to make any difference. But stick to DOT4 on the brakes. Goose

Well, I do not use speed bleeders, nor do I have any interest in them. But I can give you extremely easy instructions for this with a simple hand vacuum pump. The tool I use is here: http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-bleeder-and-vacuum-pump-kit-92474.html Step one: Use the pump to suck out all the fluid from the master cylinder. You do this so that you do not have to suck all the nasty old fluid out through the bleeder valve. Step two: Fill the master with fresh fluid. Step three: connect the pump to the bleeder valve, open the valve, and start pumping. This will suck fresh fluid from the master and old nasty stuff out of the line. You will have to hold the tube on the bleeder to make sure it does not accidentally pop off while pumping. Step three-point-five: watch the master cylinder fluid level while pumping from the bleeder. STOP pumping before the fluid gets to the bottom to prevent any air from entering the line. If you make a mistake here, you will need to keep bleeding until the air bubbles get sucked out through the bleeder. Step three-point-six: Refill the master cylinder each time it gets low, making sure you never suck it dry! Step four: Watch the color of the fluid being sucked into the canister. When it changes color (gets clear), you are done. Close the bleeder and top off the master. Now go ride. Goose

Just a couple of points of minor clarification. First there has never been an official legal "recall" of either the 2007 or 2008 Royal Stars. I did not look for other model years, but you can check them here: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch.cfm However, Yamaha HAS issued lots of different Technical Bulletins, which is how these issues were handled. It is possible that they have used the term "recall" internally, but it still does not have the same requirements as a government mandated or approved voluntary recall. From an owner's view point, there is not a huge difference beyond the legal requirement for a manufacturer to notify you and perform free repairs under an actual recall. Under a simple tech bulletin, Yamaha just hopes you never have the problem, or if you do, you never bring it to them. But if you do, and you have a decent dealer that actually checks the tech bulletins, then they will fix it like they would a recall. As for the 2007 problem, it is well known, but it does not affect all 2007 bikes. In fact, the tech bulletin specifies a specific serial number range which is something like 1/2 the model year. Unfortunately, I do not have the tech bulletin, nor do I remember exactly what it says. But I would have some specific concerns about it. If my bike was in the affected serial numbers, but had not shown any leak (requires analysis of both coolant and engine oil to look for contamination), I would be reasonably happy with just having the heads properly torqued. BUT, if there has been any sign whatsoever of a leak, then the ONLY appropriate fix is to replace the head gaskets. Good luck, Goose

Well Sir, the answer to #1 lies in the fact that the two tools function on TOTALLY different operating principles. The mechanical gauge actually measures vacuum, while the rattling rods only measure air flow, which is simply an approximation of vacuum. The distinction is quite simple: if you put a vacuum pump on the mechanical gauge and draw a static vacuum, the gauge will hold that vacuum indefinitely until the line is removed from the input. The rattling rod system will not hold any reading whatsoever. The rod is only raised in the tube so long as some source continues to suck air through the tube. For the purpose of synchronizing carburetors, the distinction is not too important, except for one thing. Since air and contaminates are constantly being sucked through the tube and around that rattling rod, it gets dirty constantly, which ABSOLUTELY MUST change the reading and contributes to the major problem of sticking. Furthermore, even when new and clean, the rod often gets stuck against the side of the tube so that all the air rushes around one side (that is why holding the tool vertical is so important). When this happens, the position of the rod does not register small changes of air flow at all. Your ONLY indication that it is not stuck is to constantly look for the rattle, and even then I don't trust it! So to sum up the answer to #1, all tools that read vacuum will pulse between intake strokes on a slow-turning engine. On the rattling rod, that is shown by up and down movement, not the vibration or rattle that is required to even allow the rod to move at all. The air-flow through the instrument that requires the rod to rattle just to be able to move is a unique and very poor design principle. #2 - the inability to adjust the rod position to calibrate the tool is a HUGE MAJOR flaw for the rattling rod tool. I don't care if you think it is important for the tool to accurately show 11" of mercury or not, it is CRITICAL that all four rods or gauges show the identical vacuum when connected to a single vacuum source. This might even be more important for some people with the rattling rods, since the "goal" is to get all the rods to line up perfectly. Of course it is 'possible' to just know that maybe the 2nd rod always reads 3/4" low, and the 4th rod always reads 1/4" high, then remember this and adjust the carbs to reflect such an out of calibration reading, but that is fraught with errors. And just because it would be possible, why in the world would you want to be forced to do that? Far better to just perform a simple bench calibration so that all the gauges read the same vacuum and then just use the tool as it is intended. Finally, I do care a LOT about having an accurate reading of the vacuum on each gauge. It does not need to be laboratory type accurate, of course, but I want to be able to rely on what I measure. First, the standard for carburetor synchronization on this machine is to have no more than .4" Hg between any two carbs (that is the relative measurement you mention), but it is also important to know that the specification for this engine is to pull 280mm or 11" Hg at idle. Here is something that puzzled me for a couple of years - not all of these bike will pull 11" at idle, even when they seem to run well. After working on a number of them with really fouled up carbs I now have the answer to this conundrum, but it raises even more questions about actually getting a good "sync". If the pilot jets are partially clogged, the idle adjustment will have to open the slides more just to maintain the idle RPM by sucking some fuel through the main jets, and this is exactly what causes a lower vacuum reading. Since the idle adjustments affects all four carbs together, even one clogged pilot jet will affect the vacuum readings on all four cylinders. While you can still get a proper carb sync in this situation (the vacuum is only a function of the engine condition, valve timing and intake restriction), the bike will obviously not run as well or as smoothly. A bike will almost certainly have some continued popping on deceleration, and I think it also explains whey some bikes will not hold the same sync at 3,000 RPM as they do at 1,000 RPM. I used to just scratch my head, but not worry about a bike that would not pull over 10" Hg while I was syncing it - but now I think it is real indication of carburetor problems. But back to the main subject of your questions and the general tone of this entire thread - I'll sum up my thoughts on the Morgan Carbtune Pro. I have never said this tool cannot be used effectively, or even trusted. In fact, I have used it effectively on well over 50 different bikes. But I do find it a HUGE PIA to use, and unlike Freebird, I am never 100% confident with it - after constant tapping and re-checking I am reasonably confident that a bike has a good sync, but I wouldn't say 100% since the problems with the tool are always nagging at me. And it is because of the problems I find with this tool that I think it is a very poor tool - IMHO it would be overpriced at even $10. In contrast, I find either mercury stix or dial gauges simple to use and they do give me 100% confidence. For those of you who have different opinions - great. I'm happy for you. Enjoy your tool of choice, but if you are going to recommend it to someone else, try to actually give them some real reasons why you like it. Goose

Any sync tool will work just as well on our bikes as it does on any other bike. The dial gauges are my preferred type of sync tool for any bike. They are reasonably priced, rugged, and accurate. Goose

You are wrong in most aspects of this statement other that what you may or may not have seen with your own eyes. True, I have never owned one - thankfully I didn't need one so I did not get sucked in by all the people who seem to think they are great. But I have used at least four different individual Carbtune Pro tools to sync well over 50 Royal Stars, plus a few other bikes. And one of those was brand new in box that a friend brought to me to show him how to use. That particular one came from the manufacturer with the four tubes NOT reading the same vacuum (out of calibration), and it is exactly why I know that the manufacturer says it CANNOT be calibrated, as well as the rest of what they said in the instructions. BTW - despite their claim that the tool could not be calibrated and their attempt to physically prevent it from being done, I was able to fix that defective tool so that the disappointed purchaser could at least use it. All four of those tools showed the same major faults, even the brand new one. First and foremost, the rods STICK in the tubes, and they stick A LOT. The only way you can get a reading that is close to accurate is to constantly tap on the tubes, causing the stuck rods to begin vibrating (rattling) again, at which time they will jump up or down to the proper reading until they stick again. The other fault that I consider major is that the tool must be held perfectly vertical or it won't read properly at all. So yes, I DO feel experienced enough, both with this tool and all the other types of sync tools, to accurately criticize it. In fact, I suspect I have a lot more experience with it than you or the majority of other owners. I never gave a "website reference to 'rattle'." In fact, I never claimed to have seen Morgan use that specific word at all. I did say that the rods rattled, because they in fact do. And I did say that they had to rattle because the design requires it, no matter what term the manufacturer uses to describe it. I do find Morgan's use of the term "smooth rod operation" to be somewhere between a sick joke and deceitful dishonest lies to sucker potential customers. But that is just my opinion. And no, rattling is not an expression of the up and down puling of the rods; it is specifically a side-to-side rattle or vibration that is caused by the air rushing around the rod in the plastic tube. If the rod is not rattling like this, then it must, by design, be stuck. A "rattle" is both a type of motion and an audible sound (although everything that rattles does not have to sound like a rattle). Nevertheless, if you were to put a steady vacuum on your tool in the shop in an attempt to check the calibration, the audible rattle of the rods would be very obvious. Finally, I will note that in both this and several older threads on the same subject, I have posted not just my opinion on the tools, but very specific observations and technical explanations so that you or any other possibly interested readers can actually understand what causes me to have those specific opinions and then decide for themselves instead of just having to guess whose opinion they might want to blindly follow. Goose