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V7Goose

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Everything posted by V7Goose

  1. I normally have no problem plugging a tire and riding all the life out of it, but not when it is that close to the sidewall. Here are a couple of pictures of a brand new E3 where I picked up a screw at the same place on the tire. I plugged it to get 200 miles home, but you can see the sidewall damage inside. Goose
  2. Yes, the size you listed is the only one for this bike. Avon makes the same size tire in both an H speed rating and a V rating, but there is just one E3. Goose
  3. Your description certainly sounds like a heat related problem causing cylinder drop. Since you already changed coils, that primarily leaves the ignitor (and maybe the pickup coil). I doubt seriously that the fuel pump has any possibility to cause this, but that would be very easy to check just by bypassing it with a direct gravity feed. Thinking while I type here, I even have doubts about the ignitor. Your description says the problem has varying degrees of severity (sometimes bad, sometimes really bad), so that says more than one cylinder drop, just like you suggested. Electronic circuits can do strange things as heat changes, so that potentially could still fit the symptoms, but I would also check for any plugs in the wires between the coils and the ignitor. Bad plug contacts are classic causes of intermittent problems. But I'm really leaning towards the pickup coil here - it would affect all cylinders the same, so if was just flat bad, the engine would not run at all, but what if it is weak or intermittent? Maybe the problem is not just one or two specific cylinders dropping, but all four missing a lot? If that is the case, you should be getting a lot of afterfires unless you made the huge mistake of plugging the AIS. With your symptoms, the only viable check of the pickup coil would be to replace it. Maybe you can locate a used one that someone would let you try as a test? Anyway, those are my best guesses at this point - do not forget to check the plug contacts on the ignitor as well as the plug that connects the pickup coil; like I said above, bad wires or plug contacts are just as probable as a bad part. Goose
  4. Thanx for the invite, but for me Sturgis no longer holds any interest whatsoever. It was interesting back in the 70's - last time I went was probably about 1984. Now I personally find it crass commercialism and not an interesting biker destination. I'd much rather wander around the Texas border! And there is nothing "'experimental'" about my trailer - it is just a standard HF utility trailer that was put together with care and is completely true. I pull it with LOTS more air in the tires than you do, and after about 10,000 miles the tires show ZERO wear, which proves that in this case you don't know as much as you think you do. But I hope y'all have a safe and enjoyable trip. Goose
  5. Since you only have the wobble when turning to the right, I'd first suspect an improperly mounted tire or very bad bearings, either in the swing arm or steering head. Next, I'd look for loose pinch bolt or improperly torqued axle. My bet would be the right side of your front tire is not beaded up properly. Raise it off the ground and carefully examine the little ridge on the rubber that runs all the way around right next to the rim as you slowly turn the wheel - this should be exactly the same distance from the rim ALL THE WAY AROUND. Check both sides, and both tires. Improperly beaded tires are actually fairly common, and I personally do not think many riders or even shops mounting tires ever bother to check this closely. Goose
  6. Well Davie boy, you just need to take a little more time at Home Dept when you look for this stuff. Straight boards really are not that hard to find - not saying all of them are straight, by any means, but some of them are, and you are only looking for one. And that is why I said to focus on something at least 4" wide - the wider the board, the less side warp in some of them. Any hardwood will tend to be much more true than cheap pine 2x4s, but of course they will cost more. As for conduit - the vast majority of new ones will be perfectly straight, but they are not my first choice because they CAN get bent while you are using them (but they do not bend all that easy). And a sheet of paneling is thin and light. But I mainly suggested the plywood just in case you might have a sheet laying around - you never know. And here is one more idea - look at the crown moldings - find a wide one. Most of those are carefully milled and have enough different shapes to keep them from flexing sideways too much, and they will tend to be very straight. Just trying to give you some ideas and options, but I'll shut up if you think they are too ridiculous to be worth your time. Goose
  7. Dave, I do not know what kind of straight edge you have, but I'll describe a method that should be easy to do and quickly spot any problems. For a straight edge, you can use boards or electrical conduit. You need something 8 feet or longer. Even a sheet of plywood would be perfect, as the side will absolutely be straight. If you need to buy something, go to the hardware store and look for some board at least 4" wide (1x4, 2x4, 2x6, etc.). You can easily see if they are straight by carefully sighting down the side or laying the edge on the cement floor. Now that you have a straight edge you will use (I'll call it a board now because that is shorter), put the trailer in the driveway with the hitch touching a wall or garage door. Use a carpenter's square (or 1/2 sheet of plywood - the original outside edges will be perfectly square) to ensure the tongue is perfectly square with the wall. Now take your straight edge and put one end against the wall and raise the rear of it so the edge crosses the center of the wheel; this will give you the widest cross section to ensure the board is actually straight with the tire. Mark the inside edge where the front of the board touches the wall, then use the square to mark a perfectly vertical line from that point up to about 2 feet. Next, hold the board about level with the center of the tire and mark where the front of the board touches the wall - that SHOULD be exactly on the line you just marked. Finally, drop the rear of the board down to the driveway and hold the front of the board on the line so that the board again crossed through the center of the tire, and mark the point where the inside edge touches the driveway. Repeat this process on the other side of the trailer. Finally, before you move the trailer, make sure you carefully mark both sides of the hitch on the driveway so that you have a point to measure to the corner. Now all that is left is to move the trailer and carefully measure the distance between the front points, between the back points (should obviously be exactly the same measurement as the front),a nd then the distance from the left front corner to the left side of the hitch, then from the right front corner to the right side of the hitch. If anything is off at all, something in this process will show it. Goose
  8. Boo is correct that you rarely see cord showing all the way around - it always peeks through in one or two spots first. But one of your pictures shows a very specific spot of wear fairly close to one of the tread grooves that crosses the center of the tire, and that groove was still visible. That tells me that the spot into the cord was put there by an out-of-balance point slamming it into the road and then pulling it away before the tread groove came by just an inch or two later. The amount of weight a tire needs to be balanced is an indication of possible defect, but you need to know what the wheel needs to be in balance (and where) without a tire mounted before yoiu can make any real assessment. Generally, I do not like to see a motorcycle tire that needs more than 3 oz, and if it takes 6 or more, I'm pretty sure it is defective. I have an E3 I just recently mounted that took 5 oz, and I am not happy about it, even though it seems to be in perfect balance. If I had purchased it locally instead of over the internet, I would be demanding a replacement. Most tire brands have a dot that indicates the lightest point on the tire, and that dot is supposed to be placed at the valve stem (the assumption is that the valve stem is the heaviest point on the wheel). Avon is the only brand of which I know that does not have this dot, and when I asked them about it, they claimed their tires were so uniformly made that they did not have a light point so it was not necessary. In general, I have usually found Avon tires to not change the static balance point of the bare wheel, so this tends to support their claim. Noticing that you have an unbalanced tire is not always easy, since it takes a fairly big weight problem to generate a significant wheel hop. In addition, the vibration that you can get from an unbalanced tire is often attributed to engine vibration instead. I put enough miles on my bike that I generally can notice a sudden change in the feel, no matter what causes it (not saying I can tell what is causing it, just that I can tell the change). I don't like to use stick-on weights because I have had some come off several times after about 10,000 miles. In those cases, I have noticed a different vibration when running fast (about 80 MPH), and I was able to see the tape residue left on the rim from the missing weights. I disagree with you about the wear indicators - they are quite useful on all brands of tires. They are NOT just at the sides of the tread; on the Venom, the TWI extends in an arc all the way across the tire. To be of any value, you must look for the point where you can see one of the TWIs in the tread groove near the center of the tire. And because an out-of-balance tire will wear unevenly, you cannot just check one point - you really must rotate the tire all the way around and look for the wear at all places. In actuality, I generally pay way more attention to the tread groove depth in the center of the tire than I do the actual wear indicators. The Avon Venom only has four grooves that cross fully from one side to the other, so it is important to check each of these. There is one big thig I hate about the Venom (which is still my favorite tire on the RSV) - there is absolutely NO margin for error on the tread wear. Once the bottom of the tread groove is reached in the center, you have about 30 feet of riding left before you start seeing cord! That means you better change the tire BEFORE you get to the bottom of the tread groove. And that is where the TWI comes in - when it is level with the surrounding rubber in the center of the tire, that is the last safe point. Goose
  9. That is a lot, but it is not uncommon to see them that loose. Unfortunately, after 32,000 miles I suspect your bearings are damaged from running way too loose for way too long. Usually when I find a bike with the bearings that loose, I can still detect some play even after they are adjusted a bit too tight. That happens because the bearings do not actually move when they are left too loose, so every bump or imperfection on the road surface just constantly hammers them in the same spot on the races. If you keep these roller bearings properly adjusted, they will last a long long time. But neglect them and ride with them loose for too long, you will be replacing them regularly. Goose
  10. I guess I should update my flippant remark on the chance that your petcock is bad - obviously it is not really "zero" chance, but the odds are pretty darned low. But I think there is a good chance you have a vacuum lock on the tank. That is not real common, but it does happen from time to time, and it especially shows up when a fuel pump starts acting up too. I don't think this was discussed earlier in this thread, but I have not gone back and re-read all the posts. Sorry that thought didn't come to me sooner. If the problem is vacuum lock, then you may have a sticking rollover valve in the vent hose (I'm not 100% positive that there is such a valve on this bike, but I think so). But the hole in the vent tube is VERY small, so something could be blocking that too. It is easy to diagnose when the problem starts, you just open the tank and see if the problem goes away. You should also hear a whoosh as the air rushes in when the cap is opened. Goose
  11. If the petcock was bad, it would cause it. But like zero chance the petcock is bad. Sounds like your dealer is a Bozo. Goose
  12. I can't see how, base on what you wrote. Goose
  13. Gee, I really appreciate your reason for violating the laws that REQUIRE safety chains! YOU want to get away fast, but you don't give a hoot about killing the person behind you, who, by the way, would be completely not at fault in your disaster. Goose
  14. Just another thought on this idea. There is a huge difference between a friction device that is supposed to slow down motion compared to two active tension devices pulling against each other that have the real possibility of actually ACCENTUATING the sway. The sway is initiated by some external force, and the tension device may over-correct, causing the oposing tension device to over-correct even more, etc. This is essentially the same thing that causes a moderate fork wobble to become a tank-slapper when the rider tries to forcefully control it. Bad bad bad. Goose
  15. Motorcycles are inherently risky, partially because they require active involvement from the rider to maintain control (not free-standing). I classify any action that has the realistic potential to suddenly affect that control in a negative way as a stupid action. Rubber straps have a huge tendency to rot and break. Two straps rarely have an equal tension. S-hooks come loose VERY easily (that is why so many of those rubber straps litter the roads). Think about the affect on the trailer if just one strap breaks or comes loose - much more pull to one side, won't track straight, very dangerous on a bike. Depending on the length of the straps and where they are attached to the trailer, there is the possibility of one getting caught under a tire with potentially catastrophic results to anyone around. Even worse, what happens if the end attached tot he trailer lets go and it springs forward and wraps itself in the rear wheel?? Actually, I do not think I would be comfortable even within 100 yards of this dangerous setup! Goose
  16. Grease is nothing more than oil mixed with a soap to make it thick so it will stay in place. Like any petroleum product, heat will make it thin and runny. The grease seals on the axle should keep the majority of it in place, even when it is thin, but if too much heat builds up the expansion will force some out. From your description, it sounds to me like you may have a problem with bad seals. Even with good grease seals working as they should, you always need to make sure the bearings are properly packed, that is why there are zerk fittings on each hub. Use them. Any sway is a bad thing - even in a cross wind I would not expect it unless your load was particularly high or the trailer was already tracking marginally. I'd be a bit concerned. I won't make much of a comment on your ball coming loose, other than to suggest you just learned why you should have had a lock washer on there. If by chance you DID have a lock washer, then you need to grow another muscle or two before you do any more wrenching. I would not only NEVER use rubber straps the way you described, I also would not ride within 100 yards of anyone who did. Goose
  17. That is enough to make me ashamed that I ride a Venture! Maybe I'll just have to bury it in the back yard and wait 300 years for the terrible memory to go away. Goose
  18. If the unit was not run dry there is no reason it should not last several hundreds of thousands of miles. I think you can see the ring gear teeth through the hole where the speedo sender mounts - if they all look smooth, I'd just bolt it on and start riding. Goose
  19. Barend, your ideas are interesting, but the situation is totally different. The fact that your bike tracks straight pretty much proves your tire is dragging sideways. If it was aligned perfectly straight, the weight of the hack and the wind resistance would create a terrible pull on the bike. For it to track well, you need both a specific toe-in and a lean-out on the bike. I do speak from experience here,a s I have a bike with a hack. But even with those conditions, you should not be getting the bad wear you suggest - you, too, have a problem with the setup. Goose
  20. Oh, come on, a low speed roll for 1 block isn't going to result in loss of control of anything! As for your other contention about knowing so much about the affects of overinflated trailer tires - I will continue to respectfully disagree. I do not say you are wrong in concept; what you say will show up in normal use. But ain't no way it will show up in 2,000 miles on a motorcycle trailer unless something else is wrong. If you think you can prove me wrong, let's just test it. I'll drag an empty utility trailer with max pressure in the tires for 2,000 miles. You drag whatever you want - it won't make any difference to this test. When we are done and my tires look just like they started, you pay !00% of my costs for the test, plus $100 for good measure. If my tires look like Dave's at the end of the test, I'll pay you instead. Goose
  21. If you want to get a hint about what is going on, hook up the trailer, put the bike and trailer on the side of the road where you can go straight for a block or two, put the axle on a couple of bricks to get the tires off the road, then coat the tires with paint or grease. Now ride straight for about a block (maybe less) and then look closely at the surface of the tires. If it is slipping sideways at all, you should be able to see some hint of that from the drag marks on the surface of the tire. I am not sure how obvious this would look, since that kind of wear could be caused by even minor side slip, but the test might be worth a try if you cannot find anything else. Goose
  22. Dave, none of this changes my opinion - the only thing that could cause such fast wear on both tires, evenly all the way around, is if they were being drig sideways on the road (or drug straight from frozen wheel bearings. My point is, the ONLY way all that rubber is disappearing is if the tires are being DRUG OVER THE ROAD, not just rolling on it. As for all the repeated suggestions that your problem is over inflated tires - I say BS. Yes, over inflation will push out the center of the tire and cause wear there instead of on the shoulders, but if there is not something else causing the tires to slip on the road, such as engine drive power, brakes, or steering, they will simply roll with no particular drag or friction. If there was not something else major wrong, you could put 100 lbs of air in those tires and they would not show any wear in 5,000 miles (assuming they did not explode!). Bottom line is that you must have something wrong that is causing those tires to drag on the road surface. Goose
  23. Dave, I do not have any answers yet for you, but you absolutely DO have problems with that trailer!!! The vibration would typically be tire balance, and it should be easy to spot by someone following you and carefully watching the edge of the tire at about a 45 degree angle. But balance wouldn't cause the tire wear you show, at least not all the way around. So that kind of vibration may be related to whatever is ruining those tires. Balance vibration would also be relatively low frequency vibration, so I doubt it would cause the surface wear that you described on items inside the box. NO, you should NOT have to replace those tires like that - even in 10,000 miles, they should not be showing any significant wear. I have about 5,000 miles on my super cheapo HF utility trailer, and you cannot tell those tires are not brand new. If the wheel bearings were dragging and causing excessive wear, the hubs should have been real hot. But this is easy to check too - just pick the tire up of the ground and spin it - should do lots of free wheeling with just a light spin. If it quickly slows to a halt in just a turn or two, then you do have a significant drag. My best guess right now is a toe-in or toe-out problem that causes the tires to both drag somewhat as they roll. If the toe is equal on both sides, it wouldn't cause any shimmy or sway, but it would scrub off the tires fast, just like you are seeing. And the tires dragging over the road surface could easily cause a high frequency vibration that would wear out stuff rubbing on the inside of the box too. Unfortunately, toe should not be adjustable (or wrong) on a straight axle, so you may have a crooked axle. That is not my first guess because it would probably cause a big sway as the trailer tried to track sideways. But if it is bad enough, it might just keep forcing the trailer way off to one side and drag the tires, causing the exact problem you show. I'll keep thinking on it and see if anything else comes to mind. You are welcome to drag that thing up here and we'll see what we can find, Goose
  24. Naw, I'm OK uner an RSV - it's just under them ugly refrigerators where you gotta worry! Goose
  25. On an older bike it could be almost anything, including the contacts inside the control head as you suggest. The classic problem that causes this is pin contact in the red plug (just going by memory here for the color) inside the fairing. On newer bikes, this is almost always cured by re-seating those plugs several times and giving the contacts a coating of dielectric grease. There is a bundle of round plugs on the right (brake) side of the radio - do them all if you are in there. Goose
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