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V7Goose

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  1. V7Goose
    I came across this information in the April, 2009, issue of Motorcycle Consumer News. I am posting this response in it entirety because I thought it would be useful for just about anyone fighting problems getting a smoothly running carbureted bike. The answer that follows was in response to a question from someone who had several older (carbureted) bikes that do more sitting than riding, and he was having problems with carburetor fouling: Answer (transcribed in full): "[G]asoline deterioration is indeed a problem, one that has gotten much worse than it once was over the last few years. The most recent fuel reformulation has now resulted in fuel going stale in just a few weeks. As I understand it, the problem is fuel separation. The oxygenating compounds being used in gasoline are the primary culprits and not the alcohol (ethanol or methanol). The oxygenates and octane enhancers either separate or evaporate quickly, leaving the gummy, jet blocking and float sticking residue behind in just a few weeks' time. Traditional fuel stabilizers (as you have experienced) do not work well (if at all) with the current oxygenated fuels. Until a new fuel stabilizer is produced that deals with this new fuel formulation, I do not have a good solution for prevention beyond riding as often as you can and topping off the fuel at every opportunity. I do have a few suggestions for folks dealing with clogged carbs. If the bike has been sitting, drain the fuel from the float bowls prior to starting. This will help prevent sucking the gunk into the jets. If the jets are clogged or restricted, Yamaha Carb Dip and Cleaner (ACC-CARBC-LE-NR) can be dispensed into the carbs through the fuel line. Crank the engine to draw the cleaner into the jets, then let it sit for several hours and, afterward, drain and refill with fresh fuel. This process will work if the carbs aren't too badly clogged. You can repeat the process, allowing the cleaner more time in the carbs or disassemble the carbs for direct cleaning. (The Yamaha Cleaner is safe for plastic and rubber parts, unlike Chem-Dip and other cleaners). K&L Supply Co. offers a Carb Jet Wire Cleaning tool (35-3498) available online and through most bike shops. The tool helps clear clogged jets, especially non-removable styles found in your Amal and many older Keihin carbs." Background: The information was in response to a question in the Downtime Files section of the magazine. The masthead identifies the author as Matthew Wiley, an "AMI Certified mechanic. Since 1985 I’ve specializing in touring bikes, worked as tech, managed various dealerships in southwest Ohio from ’85 to 2000. Served as an instructor and technical trainer for MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute) from 2000–2005, and since 2005 I’ve done Internet sales, motorcycle service, technical writing & powersports business consulting. In 2007, I switched to Operations Manager for a racing suspension company and served as AHRMA Vintage Road Race Support." I personally know nothing more about Matthew Whiley than that, but I have a huge respect for the quality of information published in Motorcycle Consumer News. Goose
  2. V7Goose
    Perfect symptoms for a fuel filter problem too. Goose
  3. V7Goose
    Sorry, that just makes NO sense at all to me - in fact, I'd go so far as to say it is not possible. As stated above, the audio jack under the cassette door is the AUX input to the RSV audio system. This is nothing more or less than the ability to substitute the RSV speakers (or headset) for a separate headset on your MP3 player. What that means is that ANY sound that you can hear with a headset plugged into your MP3 player WILL be heard in the RSV when the audio system is set to AUX and the volume is properly adjusted. There is no "version of MP3 on the bike" as you mentioned in your first post - there is only the audio input jack. It is possible that you are not hearing anything at all from your MP3 player for a number of reasons, but it is not possible that you would hear its radio but not a music file if you can hear that same music file when you connect the MP3 player directly to a headset. Note that there are no controls on the bike for playing an MP3 file (other than adjusting the volume like normal) - the file must be played by using the normal play controls on your MP3 player. Goose
  4. V7Goose
    Well, there are two different issues here: How we think it SHOULD work (and usually does) vs. How the printed warranty says it DOES work IMHO, there should never be any cost to transfer the warranty, nor should it make a bit of difference when it is done - as the first dealer said - the warranty on on the machine for five years, no matter who owns it. And most of us have found this to be exactly what usually happens - you take a used bike in to any Yamaha dealer when you need warranty work done, and they just do it without even commenting on the "transfer." Unfortunately, the printed warranty says what that unpleasant shop in Waco told you - MUST be inspected within 10 days, and they can charge a "reasonable dealer imposed fee". In fact, it specifically states the warranty will no longer be in effect if that is not done! Just for reference, I am attaching a copy of the warranty, and it can be found in the back of the owner's manual as well. Goose
  5. V7Goose
    I have no knowledge of your particular state laws and licensing fees, but here is a different idea you might want to explore instead of adding him to your policy. Find the cheapest old street legal machine that you can register and put it in his name ($100 or $200 max should do it), then shop the major bike insurance companies like Progressive, Dairyland, Nationwide, Geico, etc. to find the cheapest liability-only policy on that bike. Once he has a legally registered bike with insurance on it, it makes little difference what bike he is riding. He will be legal for liability coverage, and your own insurance will cover your bike for comprehensive. Goose
  6. V7Goose
    Your short trips are VERY bad for the bike as a whole. Probably not much you can do about it (other than taking a longer route), but still real bad. Not only does the engine oil pick up contaminates and acids that never get burned off when it does not come up to full temperature, but your battery will have a much shorter life than normal. Unless you are keeping it on a charger (not a tender), it is NEVER reaching full charge. That short ride is not enough to fully replace normal starting and sitting losses, even if you don't run passing lights or any other accessories. As for the gauge info and fan - you need to understand just a little more. As already stated, the fan should almost never come on under normal riding, even in very hot weather, so don't even think about that. Your mechanical volt meter cannot give you a reliable indication of the charging status of the battery until things are significantly going south. Way too many details to cover here. Under normal riding condition, any volt meter is good enough because all you are looking for is sudden large differences to tell you something is wrong, but to really monitor the condition of the battery and charging system, especially with so many short trips, you need a digital volt meter (or high quality analog bench volt meter) and an ammeter. Bottom line is that if this type of battery is not showing a MINIMUM of 12.8 volts after sitting overnight, it is not fully charged, and probably damaged. The normal engine water temperature is around 210F, but the oil will not reach full temperature until quite some time later (the coolant heats up much faster than the oil). In fact, your best indication of when that engine is up to full temp is when your oil drops BELOW 10 psi at idle. Your fan won't come on until the water temp shows 220 or higher (and even if idling for hours in a traffic jam, it should keep the water temp from ever going over 240). Goose
  7. V7Goose
    Because I'd rather ride than continually stop! I know for certain after 85,000 miles on this bike that I have a minimum of 40 miles on reserve under virtually ALL circumstances. The ONLY times I have run out, I did it on purpose because I knew I had spare gas available and I wanted to push the limit. So any time I know that I'm going to find gas within 30 miles, I will keep riding until I am on reserve, and then I'll probably use some of that too. Just seems kinda stupid not to. If you wanna fill up at 1/2 a tank, or 1/4, or whatever, then be my guest. But I don't wanna. Goose
  8. V7Goose
    I use a free program called RPM from Sound. You can get it here: http://www.tunelab-world.com/rpmsound.html It works well, but you need to understand quite a bit about it to use it effectively. It is not a great replacement for a real tachometer, since it must be set up for a specific range of RPM, such as 700-1300 RPM, and the upper limit must be set to less than twice the lower limit to avoid a significant harmonic that will confuse the sound card. It is tougher to use at low RPM. All the information is in the help file, so if you like to mess with that sort of thing, give it a try. Goose
  9. V7Goose
    Every time I roll up next to one of those horribly designed things at a light and watch it bounce up and down on the front tire while the engine and all attached bits jump around in the frame, I just shake my head and snicker while I wonder what could ever possibly interest someone in such a terribly designed product. I guess it just shows a difference in values . . . I'll keep my RSV (or just about anything else EXCEPT one of those), thank you. Just about every product has some design flaws that someone will take exception with, but that joke is the only one of which I know that DELIBERATELY chooses to design in such stupidity. It sells for them, so more power to them. But I value quality and intelligence over the name and poser image. I guess there is a reason there are more bikes NOT designed like HD now than those that are (speaking of technical design, not style). Goose
  10. V7Goose
    I have no personal experience with that specific tach, but what you describe does not sound right to me. First, no single-fire adaptor is needed on this bike - any tach that works correctly on a stock HD with dual-fire ignition will work fine on the RSV connected to one coil. As far as a ground goes, one ground bolt is the same as another. Goose
  11. V7Goose
    I'm 6'5", 250 lbs. I ride year-'round in all temps (lots of 100+). I never had any problem with sweaty butt, but then again I started riding 45 years ago in the Mojave dessert, so maybe I just don't notice it. I made myself a beaded seat cover to get a little extra height on the seat. Took my 24 hr. non-stop comfort range from 600 miles to 1,400 miles with the stock pillow-top seat. I don't ride my RSV without the beads now. Occasionally I do notice a bit of ventilation under there with the beads, but it is not enough to bother me even when riding in 15 degree weather. Goose
  12. V7Goose
    Why did you look for Dot3? The 2005 calls for Dot4. In addition, there is ABOLUTELY NO REASON you should EVER be adding brake or clutch fluid (I now you didn't say you were adding, but I'm trying to make a point). As others have said, DOT4 has a slightly higher boiling point than DOT3. Other than that, it is effectively identical, and the two types are totally compatible if mixed. For clutch usage, I cannot imagine that DOT4 offers ANY value at all, so either DOT3 or DOT4 is equally good there. For the brakes, I'd stick with DOT4. Now back to the "adding" point - neither the clutch nor the brake should ever loose any fluid, so if you fine one of them particularly low, either your brakes are completely and dangerously worn out, or you have a leak. Find and fix the problem. If it has been two years or more since the fluid was changed, this is a good time to do it. Otherwise, when you compress the pistons in the slave cylinder back to accept new pads, the master cylinder will again be 100% full. Goose
  13. V7Goose
    Very interesting. I haven't seen the article, but I imagine the Hardly Trailerson they tested is the brand new re-designed 2009 model? If so, it almost boggles the mind that Yamahaha's stale 10-year-old tourer fully matched the newest and best that those jokers can produce! Goose And I also assume they had stock tires on that machine - just IMAGINE what they would have thought with decent skins!
  14. V7Goose
    Sounds like a lo of Micky Mousing around to me. I'll stick to the mechanical vacuum gauges - they work perfectly, are pretty much impervious to rough handling, are easily calibrated (and only need it once every 40 years), and are generally available for around $70. I guess I'm just stuck in the past, but it works for me! Goose
  15. V7Goose
    Unfortunately, there are generally no signs that a valve adjustment is needed until way past the safe point. Our engine usually has the valves get tighter as they wear, not looser, so there is no noise. At the point your MPG drops dramatically you probably have a valve that is not closing, which can cause a burnt valve and an expensive repair. The only safe route is to check the valves on the schedule provided by Yamaha (every 27,000 miles). Goose
  16. V7Goose
    Well, I could ride up and meet you somewhere around Eureka Springs. We'd spend about 10 minutes doing the carbs, then we could spend the rest of the day on some fantastic roads. Lemme know, Goose
  17. V7Goose
    Dang! I wish I had known you were scheduled for that - I'd have ridden down to join you (and you could have saved a trip up here in a couple of days to do your carbs). Oh well, now I'll just have to throw one of your carbs down the storm drain to teach you a lesson! Goose (or maybe I'll just stick a toothpick in one of the main jets - MUCH more subtle!)
  18. V7Goose
    That makes me think they didn't really check the book on the estimated time for the valves, and they probably have very little real experience working on these bikes. Setting the floats is much less real work than checking the valves! Goose
  19. V7Goose
    Unfortunately, here is a bigger fact than any of the ones I posted above - the Dealer is more critical to getting warranty coverage than any other factor! If a dealer tells Yamaha they think something should be covered, 99% of the time it is just automatic. But if one says they don't think a particular problem should be covered, then the manufacturer will virtually always agree with them, and then it is usually a long, uphill battle to get them to turn around. In those cases, the sooner you can get a regional rep to personally look at your vehicle, the better. It is hard to blame the manufacturer in those cases, who else should they trust? So get your facts together, be polite, but be insistent that they need to either cover the problem or provide written documentation to show how it is excluded from their legal warranty. When you find an honest dealer, it pays to be nice to them and keep them on your side! Goose
  20. V7Goose
    This is not the first time someone has said this here (may have been you, for all I know), but it is the WORST kind of stinking excrement someone can spread. I'm not blaming you for saying it - I understand that a dishonest dealer said it to you. Here are the facts: This bike has an unlimited mile, 5 year warranty (at least in the USA). There are no exclusions in the warranty for wheel bearings. The Periodic Maintenance chart in the owner's manual lists NO required maintenance for the wheel bearings. The maintenance chart DOES say to "Check bearings for smooth operation." every 4,000 miles, and "Replace if necessary." For reference, this is exactly the same type of "maintenance" listed for the sidestand switch, front fork and shock absorber assembly, ALL of which are covered under warranty. Any dealer who refuses to repair the wheel bearings under warranty is simply a thief who thinks you are too stupid to see them stealing from you. Make a complaint directly to Yamaha. Goose
  21. V7Goose
    Actually, I think even a $1.99 HF meter that had been dropped from a moving bike would be fine here. While I understand and would normally applaud your caution, in this case there is just too much corroborating evidence that can only support the diagnosis: First symptom was bright lights and blown bulbs - can only be caused by high voltage. Boiled battery only caused by high voltage or way too long connected to normal charging voltage and excessive current. He already checked and verified the plug and ground for the regulator/rectifier was good. Most importantly, the meter used showed the correct voltage when connected to a new battery with the key off. So when the same meter picked up 17 volts with the engine running, there is only one reasonable possibility. Goose
  22. V7Goose

    Relay??

    V7Goose replied to Yammer Dan's topic in Watering Hole

    BuddyRich, what you describe is true for a relay that matches the diagram you provide, but it is NOT true for the vast majority, if not all, of the commonly available black plastic relays you find in blister-packs at the auto parts store next to the fog lights. I am currently holding a DF005 "Heavy Duty Relay". The diagram on the top of the relay shows no N.C. contact, and two N.O. contacts tied together, both numbered 87. But on the bottom of the relay, the middle contact is clearly marked 87a, and I have used an ohm meter to verify it is tied together with 87. The package does not show a diagram, but they clearly show a picture with both 87 and 87a connected to the same line that is labeled "Power to Lamps (87 & 87)". So the proper answer for anyone is to check the diagram shown on the relay (most have them) to verify what contacts do what. In every one of these I have used for over 40 years, I have never encountered a 5-pin version where 87 and 87a were not tied together. Not saying it doesn't exist - just that it can't be very common. Goose
  23. V7Goose
    I don't think he was suggesting the service would be covered under warranty, just that it might be a bit safer to keep the warranty is effect; therefore, cost justified. IMHO, considering how much work is involved, anything under $300 is certainly very fair, and I would actually expect the normal cost to be more than that - closer to $400 or even $500. But I also don't think there is any warranty risk to do this yourself. There is very little warranty repair that would ever be related to misadjusted valves, and even then, the burden of proof is on the manufacturer to prove that something you did (or did not do) caused the failure. If you have any record at all that you performed the valve check as specified in the service manual, there is almost no way they could ever deny warranty work, even for a burned valve. This record can be something as simple as a note you make on the service record (legally called a "contemporaneous record" if you make the notes when the events actually happen), and it is strengthened by any receipts for supplies needed by that service, such as the valve cover gaskets. Contemporaneous records are legal for the IRS, so they darned tootin' should stand up against Yamahaha! Goose
  24. V7Goose
    I have no experience with the 1st gen, so what follows is just general info that would apply to the average machine - it may or may not be right for your bike! Based on what you say about the headlight going out when you hit the starter switch, I'd suggest it almost certainly is NOT the starter switch. On many vehicles, this behavior is by design so the starter motor has access to ALL the battery juice. But since many motorcycles do not cut out the headlight with the starter, you need to know what is normal for your bike. If your bike normally cuts out the headlight when you hit the starter, your problem is most likely a bad starter relay or bad ground on the starter relay. On the other hand, if your bike is NOT supposed to kill the headlight with the starter, then the most likely problem is a bad battery or corroded battery contacts. Goose
  25. V7Goose

    Relay??

    V7Goose replied to Yammer Dan's topic in Watering Hole

    I think this is very bad advice, for several reasons. It may be safe, but it has other problems. First, if you want your new lights to go on/off automatically with your existing lights, then a relay is the only reasonable option to not add excessive load to the stock wires. Second, for any accessory that needs significant amounts of current (that's the only reason we are talking about a relay at all), you must use larger wires to provide the power. Depending on where you want to mount a switch, it often makes no sense to run the larger wire all the way to the switch, then back to the load. By using a relay, you only need very small wire, typically 18 gauge, between the switch and the relay. This can be very important if you are routing wires in tight spots or along handlebars. Third, a 30A switch is almost always MUCH larger than what you need to activate the relay (where any mini-switch will be just fine). Again, this can make a big difference in where you can mount the switch and what the finished job looks like. Goose
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