V7Goose

Welcome Sir, glad you found us here! This issue has been commonly discussed in these forums. I know that as a new member you haven't seen the discussions, and probably don't know much yet about searching for old threads, so I'll get you started - here is just one thread: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=311645&highlight=reserve#post311645 Bottom line is that the manual is wrong - every RSV I have checked has the reserve/low fuel/trip meter come on with approximately 1.5 gallons left. You probably think it is 2 gallons since you have a hard time getting the tank full. That too is normal unless you vent the filler neck. Check out the thread above and see if that helps. Goose

I'm not sure what tires you actually bought, but the Avon site shows that the Cobra rear tire is not made in any 15" size. Goose

I did a fairly complete description of this circuit for another thread just a few days ago. Since both your neutral light is out AND the bike will not run in neutral with the side stand down, your problem seems pretty obvious: most likely the neutral switch is bad or a wire broken between it and the Starter Cutoff Relay. Goose

OK, I guess it's been a while since this was discussed here, so I'll cover it. First of all, you don't say what bike you have - all of my info applies specifically to the RSV. The problem I am addressing is ignition ticking in the audio - could be either radio, IC, or CB (and probably all three). The ticking speeds up with the RPM, so it is clearly spark or ignition related. This is not really uncommon on these bikes, but the exact cause has never been conclusively pinpointed. It is usually blamed on the positioning of the wires under the tank or the plugs inside the fairing. It has absolutely nothing to do with the volume level, other than getting louder when you turn it up. It has happened on my 05 twice. The first time was right after I got it back from scheduled service where they replaced the plugs, so I know they had the tank off and had been "messing around" near the wiring harness under there. I pulled the tank and did some generally tugging and moving of the wire bundles - nothing specific. And it was fixed. The next time was about a year later (give or take 10 months - can't really remember! ), and it just started spontaneously one day when I stopped the bike. Over the next few days riding, before I had the time to pull the tank and mess with anything, I notice that the problem would stop if I turned the bars all the way to one side, then start again if I turned them all the way to the other side. I suspect this was simply caused by the wires routed around the steering head into the fairing being tugged and pushed from turning the forks. Anyway, I solved the problem the same way again. Since the two front plug wires arch up against the wire bundles near the frame, I strongly suspect this is the cause. Simply reaching up under there with your fingertips to move them around, particularly on the left side, may be all that is needed. If the problem persists, do a little more tugging and generally moving of the wire bundles. In addition, split the fairing and re-seat all the plugs to ensure the pins have good contact. While you are messing with the plugs it is a good idea to put a little dielectric grease on the pins before you put them back together. There are several other common problems with the radio controls that are generally fixed by re-seating these plugs and sealing them with a little dielectric grease. On a different note, you mention needing your IC volume up around 16 - this is not common, as far as I know. My wife and I generally keep our IC volume setting right around where the radio setting is most comfortable (10 - 12). Of course, how loud you need yours will be dependent on your hearing and the speaker positioning in your helmets. But if you find you need the IC much louder than the radio, maybe check out the correct positioning of both mics; ensure they are facing the correct way and positioned very close to the lips (actually touching is best). Last comment on volume deals with accessories. If you have more than one item connected to your aux input at the same time (through a splitter or Y cable), it is very common for that to cause the audio to drop way down. This is often caused by the audio jacks being wired differently, but sometimes just a poorly designed audio circuit in one of the devices that bleeds the audio to ground. Goose

Pegscraper, don't be so sure of the things you don't understand. All bikes do not have two throttle cables. Yes, many bikes have had them for years, both with and without cruise control. The second cable is generally not actually needed, but it does provide a minor increase in safety should the throttle return spring at the carb break, then the reverse cable allows the twist grip to force the throttle closed instead of relying on the no-longer functioning spring to do that. The specific design of a cruise control on a cable operated throttle will dictate if two throttle cables are actually necessary. In the case of the RSV, they are. Since the throttle cables are not enclosed where they connect to the carb linkage, if some force other than the twist grip pulls open the throttle, the main activating cable from the grip would loose tension and come off the cam, possibly allowing the cable end to slip completely out. In fact, this is exactly what you do with your fingers to remove the cable! By having the second cable pulling on the throttle as the linkage turns from the cruise control, the tension on the main cable is maintained so that it cannot come out of the track or loose from the cam. Note that I am not trying to describe the entire function of our cruise control, nor have I mentioned the cable junction box where the cruise activating cable connects - I am simply giving you enough information to understand that the second cable connected to the throttle linkage on the RSV IS necessary and actually does something. Federal law in the US or EU may now require dual throttle cables on new bikes - I really have no idea, but they certainly have not always been required. Goose

My mistake, Bigshow. Since you don't put your bike in the post header with your avatar like most, I don't know what you have. I assumed it was an RSV, which all have cruise. Goose

They are a pull/pull setup, (one pulls throttle open from the grip, the other pulls the grip from the cruise), required because of the way the cruise control operates. Goose

That is exactly what eagleeye said in post #25. Your problem now is just going to be how soft the plastic is without that coating. If you are real careful you may be able to keep from scratching it too quickly, but even the cracked shells of splattered bugs will scratch when you try to clean it. But one little piece of good news remains: without the hard coating you can polish out minor scratches using something like Novus and a power buffer. Goose

The choice of a bike is a very unique and personal thing for each rider. My comments are above in Red. For me, there is only one acceptable touring bike sold today, and that is the RSV. Good luck on finding something you like! Goose Oh, just for reference, I do ride the bike a bit - I have over 60,000 miles on my 05, plus an additional 13,000 miles on an 07 I owned for a few months.

Stock windshield comes with hard coating on both sides that helps prevent scratches. This coating can be damaged by numerous things, including lots of solvents, paint pens (they like to write on them in junk yards!), etc. I have seen several very similar to what you describe. The shield will look better if you can find a way to remove all the damaged coating (typically with more solvent), but then the plastic will scratch VERY easily. Unfortunately, once this hard coat gets damaged, there is little you can do short of a new shield. On other questions - Re: RainX - I believe the bottles have a specific warning about not using on some types of plastic - I cannot verify this now because I don't buy the stuff and they have a terrible web site that tell you nothing! Re: Plexus - I have used it and it is good, but I find nothing of value to justify the price over other options. Re: Products with ammonia (like Windex) - very bad for many plastics. Re: Pledge - never tried it, have no interest in it. Re: Kit Scratch Out - I have used this with buffer wheel to polish paint with excellent results - would have never tried it on shields due to the scratching nature of polishing compounds, so this info is great to know! Re: Preferred product for cleaning shields - I love Sprayway Ammonia Free glass cleaner, available very cheap at WalMart and Sam's. Goose

Glad there have been no new surprises and things seem to be going well - hang in there; we're pulling for you! Goose

:soapbox:No, everyone should NOT do it. Not only is it a needless and irresponsible decision to add unnecessary pollutants to our air, it is a violation of federal law. I am not going to get into an argument or attack anyone for their decisions on this site, but when someone advocates an irresponsible act that harms us all, I must at least ask others to not make that decision. It is wrong, and it does damage. It also may reduce the resale value of your vehicle. Thank you for listening. Goose

I haven't tried to analyze the test results you posted yet in response to my questions, but even so, I am virtually certain the problem will turn out to be the diode I pinpointed in the Starter Cutoff Relay. In most of my post I used actual wire colors to help you when looking at the bike (e.g., light green and blue/yellow), but when I gave you specific instructions on how to test the diode inside the SCR, I used the pin identifications that you will find on the Yamahaha schematic, since that is the only way you can be sure to find the correct pins in the plug on the relay. The second page of the schematic shows you plug pin-out diagrams. Lg is the pin for the light green wire, L/Y is the pin for the blue/yellow wire, but Yamahaha's code for Blue/Yellow is L/Y. I don't know for sure where the Starter Cutoff Relay is, but I'd bet it is under the seat behind the center battery cover. I thought I'd let you ferret it out (there is only so much I'm gonna do to solve this for you unless you really beg! ). The SCR actually hast two different realys in it (the starter cutoff and the fuel pump relays), along with 5 diodes. I suspect it is an expensive part, but I have never priced it. There is probably no way to actually fix the part if that diode is open, but if the price is too outlandish, I could tell you how to add a replacement diode to the wires outside the SCR. It all depends on how much you think you can handle in making electrical mods. Before I go any further and speculate on possible fixes, you need to test the diode and verify it is bad, then we can talk about what to do next. Goose

99% chance you have a vacuum leak. Replace the rubber caps on the intake manifold nipples and all will probably be instantly OK. This issue has been discussed at great depth in many threads here in case you want more info. It is generally very easy to fix. You are close to me - bring it over and we'll get it all fixed and tuned up nice. Goose

Hey Trailer Boy, I wasn't trying to personally insult you, but I'm sorry if the truth struck a little too close to home! But I am curious - seeing as you mostly just haul that pile of tupperware around on a trailer (that's real PB behavior!), how can you be so sure it handles anything? Doncha have to ride it before you actually know???? Goose Oh, don't forget, you are supposed to change your oil at least once a year even tho you only have 15 or 20 miles on it!

Yup, the MT90 front tire is the same as a 130/90; not stock size. As others stated above, Avon's own web site does not show any front tire available as a white wall in the stock size. Goose

OK, I still need the answers to the questions above to maybe pinpoint your problem, but here is some information about how the circuits work, based on the schematic. The Yamahaha schematic is a terrible schematic, and there is little explanation about how almost anything works, so I can't swear I have interpreted it correctly, but here goes: Near as I can tell, the way the side stand switch provides a hard cutout for the ignition is through a ground on the Ignitor Side Stand pin (SS) when the side stand is UP. The neutral circuit also provides a ground to the same wires through a diode in the Starter Cutoff Relay (SCR) when the bike is not in gear. So the bike runs when there is a ground applied to SS, and it dies if that ground is removed. In addition to the ground supplied to the Ignitor, the side stand switch circuit ALSO supplies a ground to activate the SCR in conjunction with the clutch switch. Basically, your starter cannot engage unless either the bike is in neutral or the side stand is UP and the clutch is pulled in. Although this sounds similar to the ground circuit I described above for the Ignitor, it uses mostly different wires and connections on the SCR. Somehow these two circuits are interacting, either through a miswired ignition switch, or possibly a shorted diode in the SCR. The ground to the SS pin on the Ignitor comes through the blue/black and blue/yellow wires in the three-wire plug to the ignition switch, so this would seem to be a likely place to look for problems after you had wires come loose there. Unfortunately, since the bike runs fine with the side stand up, that suggests the ground circuit from the side stand switch through the ignition switch to the Ignitor is working fine. Testing those circuits on the ignition switch can be a little tricky if you don't fully understand ohm meters and schematics since you can quicly ruin an ohm meter if you connect it to a hot wire, so let's assume that circuit is OK for now and concentrate on the neutral circuit that SHOULD be providing a ground to the Ignitor when the side stand is down. From here on, I am just thinking out loud - maybe typing out the thoughts will lead me to a possible cause . . . The first problem is that your bike does not run with the side stand down and in neutral unless the clutch is pulled in. The neutral should always supply a ground to the Ignitor through the diode in the SCR between the light green and blue/yellow wires, and the clutch switch is in a completely different circuit so it should have no effect at all (other than to allow the bike to be started). We know the ground from the neutral switch on the light green wire must be good since your neutral light works off the same wire, so it is possible the diode between the Lg and L/Y pins in the SCR could be open. HOWEVER, if that is the problem, then we have to figure out how pulling in the clutch could possibly be providing a ground to the Ignitor to allow the bike to run with the side stand down. The isolation diode inside the SCR between the blue/black and light green wires would probably allow this. Ding Ding Ding - we may have a winner! Assuming I have correctly understood your symptoms, it seems likely that you have a open diode between the light green and blue/yellow wires on in your Starter Cutoff Relay. To test that you will need to disconnect the relay and measure the resistance between those two pins with an ohm meter set on the x10 scale (or use the special diode check scale built into most modern digital meters). With the negative lead connected to the Lg pin on the relay and the positive lead to the L/Y pin, you should have some measurable resistance (the exact amount is unimportant). If you reverse the leads, you should read infinite resistance (same as when the leads are not connected at all. If you read an open (infinite resistance) both ways, then the diode is burned up, as if it is not there at all. This could have happened if one of the wires that came loose shorted out. If you DO find a bad diode here, then you should also track down and check another diode in the side stand switch circuit. On the schematic it is number 12 and only labeled as "Diode", connected with a two-pin plug to the side stand switch circuit using blue/white and blue/yellow wires (blue/white from the switch, blue/yellow to the SCR). I have no idea where it is, but if something fried the diode in the Starter Cutoff Relay, it could have possible shorted out this diode also. Right now I think you may have been lucky you didn't fry the Ignitor, so best to check everything to keep that luck! Goose

OK, I still haven't gotten to the schematic yet to examine the circuit again in detail, but I DID go out and verify normal operation of the side stand/neutral/clutch interlock switches. If the neutral light is not on, the bike will not run with the side stand down, period. The clutch makes no difference. This means that if it is running and you put the side stand down while it is in gear, it will stop. Neither can it be started under those conditions. If you hit the start button with the side stand down and in gear, you will see the normal engine temp and oil level lights come on, but you will hear no sounds. If you are in gear with the side stand up and attempt to start the bike with the clutch OUT, it behaves the same way - the normal two dash lights come on while the start button is depressed, but no other sounds. In gear, side stand up, and clutch IN, the bike starts normally. One other piece of information - if the kill switch is on and you hit the start button, ONLY the engine temp light will come on, not the oil level light. That may help us determine if they made some abnormal modification to the wiring. So please check and report back these things: Hit the kill switch and then press the start button. What happens (dash lights on or noises, such as clicking)? Any difference with side stand up or down? Turn kill switch back off (run position), place bike on side stand, in neutral, clutch out, hit start button. What happens? Bike still on side stand, clutch out, but IN gear, hit start button. What happens? Finally, bike still on side stand, IN gear, and clutch IN, hit start button. What happens? For the above tests, I am particularly interested in what dash lights come on when the start button is pressed, along with any clicking you may hear (other than the normal fuel pump clicking the first time you turn the key on). Now, with bike on side stand, in neutral and clutch in, start the engine, then let out clutch while still on side stand. Based on your first post, the engine should die. Does it? (I'm just trying to make sure I understand the problem correctly with this last test.) Goose

I added a comment to my first response, so I won't repeat it all here other than to say my initial assumptions were wrong - I jumped to a conclusion without thinking it completely through. More later, IF I can come up with something useful! Goose

Well, this really shouldn't be all that hard to solve. You don't specifically say, but is this problem with your RSV? I only question that since you mention a Honda dealer. Next question - does your neutral light work correctly? Again, that seems like an obvious thing you would have already checked, but you didn't mention it. You said you "inspected" the neutral switch, but what does that mean? Did you use a meter and verify when it makes contact and when it does not? How about the resistance through the switch when it is closed? The problem is absolutely in the neutral circuit, since what you have described is perfectly normal operation if the bike is in gear. But since you have verified the problem happens when the bike is in neutral, that pinpoints the circuit. The problem cannot be in the sidestand or clutch switch, since you described normal operation for both. UPDATE after more thought: The above statement is probably NOT correct! The RSV should NEVER run with the sidestand down if it is in gear or THINKS it is because of a bad neutral switch. Just going from memory, but I believe the sidestand switch while in gear is a hard cutoff, so getting a ground through the clutch switch should not allow it to start or run in that condition. So the problem is a little more insideous than I first suspected. I'll Keep thinking on it. The last unknown is whatever the Honda shop did to the wires - it is possible that they hooked something up wrong, causing the problem, but that is only speculation. I'll try to look at the schematic and see if I can imagine a way to make it act as you describe if the neutral switch is working correctly. Goose

Cornering noise from tires on some bikes is very common, and not just from cupped or abnormally worn tires. On the RSV, the stock Brickstone rear tire that most of them come with is well known to begin howling with only slight leans with only 3,000-4,000 miles on it (even just weaving in a lane) . I have never run the D404s, so I cannot comment on the noise form them, other than I don't recall hearing a lot of complaints about it. I do know that the Perelli tires will howl some, but not real bad, and I have often seen moderate complaints about the noise from Michelin Commanders. Avon Venoms have always been completely silent for me, and I suspect the Dunlop E3s will be just as silent since they have very similar tread patterns. Goose

You have described the operation correctly, with one exception - when you have IC selected (and only then), I believe you can adjust the volume using EITHER the vol knob or the up/down arrows. The rear volume control for passenger is a headset volume control - doesn't matter what the source is. The front volume control is specific to the individual source you are listening to (radio, CB, or IC), and it sets the main volume of each source for BOTH headsets. By separately selecting and adjusting the volume for each source, the rider decides how they should be set, but you can only adjust one at a time. The passenger can then decide to override all of them together, either up or down, withing the limits of the rear control. Unfortunately, the IC only works when either the radio and/or CB is also on, so the main volume control will always default to one of the radios, meaning you can never adjust the IC volume without first selecting it from the middle button on the control head. On a side note, if you have to have the IC vol at max, I suspect you have something wrong - in my experience that is REAL loud. My wife and I usually keep our IC around 10 or 12, and that is generally where I keep the radio volume also (just for comparison). How loud you keep your radio will depend on a number of things, including your hearing, type of helmet, speaker quality and placement, etc., but based on my experience it probably should be similar between radio and IC. Here are a couple of things to check. First, make sure the mic is turned correctly, with the sound holes facing the lips. If you use a wind cover on the mic, it is real easy to have the mic turned and not notice it. Second, make sure the mic is very close to the lips. This has a huge impact on how loud it sounds, either for IC or CB. Goose

Well, that assumption is where the error is. Condor, the part you missed was that I started the trip with just under 10,000 miles on the tire and put 4,500 additional miles on it before it got to the point where it was about to show cord. At that point, with a total of 14,500 miles on the rear tire, I made the decision to ride the 350 miles home instead of finishing the trip. So I got almost the full mileage I expected from that tire, and I attribute the very rough road surfaces we hit along the Mexican border (some freshly paved roads with HUGE aggregate with lots of sharp edges in the asphalt) for the extra wear that made me cut the trip short. I originally expected the total trip mileage to be no more than 4,500 miles, but I guess we did a bit more poking around in the boonies that added on a few miles. Goose

My brother had a 2005 Wing before he bought the Venture, so he already knew how they compared. I will say that his new one is a LOT more attractive than his old yeller one, but other than that it still leaves me cold. He says they made a number of good improvements to it, but I guess you had to own one to know - from the outside looking in, I couldn't tell a bit of difference. I'm probably telling stories out of school here, but I saw a hint of why he got rid of the Wing in the first place (after he and I did a long ride through Colorado a couple of years ago he dumped his first Wing as soon as he got home and bought the 07 RSV). Well, right after he picked up the new Wing there were several instances where we stopped for gas, etc., and someone would come up to me and compliment me on what a great looking bike my Venture was - even engage me in extended conversations about it, but nobody said boo to him about that fancy brand new candy apple red $24,000 tupperware refrigerator sitting right next to it! At one point he briefly lost it and grumbled about how everybody just assumes a Wing is a pussybike and their riders aren't serious bikers! I did my best to not audibly agree with him on the point, but I don't think I completely succeeded. I later posed the question to him wondering if the pussybike created the pussybiker, or the pussybiker went looking for the pussybike (kinda the chicken or the egg sort of thing), but I never got an answer I could print here! Goose

BuddyRich included an excellent picture of the wear indicator. In addition, both sides of the tire are marked with "T.W.I." on the shoulder right next to the edge of the tread for each wear indicator, but they do not go straight across the tire. The wear indicators seem to cross the tire in an arc; not sure why. I always kept my Venom tires around 40 front, 46 rear. One additional comment - the Avon Venom tires are mostly "bald" in the center all the way around, even when new. They only have 4 grooves that run all the way from one side to the other, so these four points are the best place to watch for wear. It is very easy to be fooled by the amount of depth left on the side grooves that do not extend all the way to the middle. And since the RSV shows such a small section of the rear tire under the fender in the back, just glancing at it there is never safe. Either get down on the ground and look at the tire front and back, or better yet, roll the bike several times and check multiple spots. As you can see from the pictures in the first post here, one side of my tire was severely worn into the cords, but the other side had one of the long tread grooves that still was not worn smooth in the center. Just looking at that one groove would have given a false sense of security that there was still life left in the tire! Goose