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V7Goose

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  1. V7Goose
    I see that computers and Google Maps are not your first language. Oh well, good that you finally got the map up anyway. Now you simply have to move the cursor over any particular point you want to see and zoom in, either by using the scroll wheel on the mouse or the graphic on the upper left side of the map. I assure you, we WILL be on roads (or something close to a road in a few places). I have looked at every inch of them in the satellite photos! We'll be riding some of the smallest roads there is, so you not gonna see them from 30,000 feet. I do have highway numbers and Farm-to-Market road numbers (even quite a few Ranch Road numbers), but they are a closely held secret available only to real bikers. If I told you, they'd probably take away one of my wheels! Sorry. Goose
  2. V7Goose
    Sorry you lost that post! Yup, we be going by Clayton - trying to stay within Texas, but after we touch the northwest corner of the panhandle we're just gonna run down to to Clayton and spend the night there. Love to lift a cold one with you when we get there! Our non-schedule schedule says we should be there Thursday, 3/12. Goose
  3. V7Goose
    Thanx Jackie - I've got that marked on my GPS now - looks like it is called the Cattle Exchange. Don't know if we will be ready for a meal when we head through there, but it will be the prime option if we are! Anybody else have killer places to stop on this border route? Food, biker places, whatever? All suggestions appreciated. Goose
  4. V7Goose
    You don't open the link - you have to read, and follow, the directions in my post! Right click on it and copy the link, then open Google Maps and paste that link into the search box and click on Search Maps.
  5. V7Goose
    This is absolutely not a normal issue with these bikes. Both of mine have always fired up immediately, even with temps down in the teens. I ride virtually every day, so that does ensure that no sludge and other crap has built up in the carbs. Several things for you to check. First, make sure the carbs are in good clean working order. If you have any doubts, run some high concentration of Seafoam through them, then use normal Seafoam in the gas for several tanks. If your fuel filter has not been changed in the past several years, do that. Probably should put new plugs in it too, just to be sure they are not part of the problem. Then when you first start it, use your fingers to check how fast the header pipes (under the heat shields) are heating up during the first 30 seconds or so; if one or more are not burning your fingers by that time, it is not firing right. Coil problems are not unknown on these machines. You will also want to ensure the carbs are properly synced. Make sure the two vacuum hoses and two rubber caps on the other vacuum ports are in good shape. If the caps are more than two years old, they ARE leaking, so replace them. These normally cause exhaust popping on decel when they start to leak, but a lean mixture will certainly affect cold starting too. Lastly, the choke plungers often stick a lot on older or higher mileage bikes, and the connecting mechanism to these plungers is very soft metal and is often bent enough so they do not operate together, if at all. Carefully look at the plunger on each carb with the choke closed and ensure they are all fully in and the actuating bar is in the same position within the notch on the end of the plunger. Use needle nose pliers to slightly bend the arm if necessary. Observe each plunger when slowly pulling out the choke to ensure they all start to move at the same time, and they all come fully out. Use spray carb cleaner on them if they hang up at all. Do all these things and I am sure your baby will fire instantly when cold. Goose BTW - it is not the carb heaters - they only come on when the bike is in gear.
  6. V7Goose
    OK, Texas VentureRiders, we have a couple of contacts to make on our way around the border, 5bikes in El Paso, Vance in Brazoria, Dave near Houston. Anybody else gonna be around so we can stop by and say howdy on our way through your area? We are sticking as close to the border as we can, so if you are on that track and want to shake hands and have a cup or cold one, let me know! I'll put you on the list and keep you informed of our schedule. Ride safe, Goose
  7. V7Goose
    If you have to ask, you would never understand. Study longer, Grasshopper, and one day you, too, may be a biker. Goose
  8. V7Goose
    You wire them to the running lights and turn signals, not the brake. If they work like that, no relay is necessary. Goose
  9. V7Goose
    Weather looks like we'll slide along the northern border just fine. Leaving out of Texarkana on Monday morning. First night in Denison, Tuesday night in Vernon, then Wednesday night way up in the corner of the Panhandle in Higgins. And on and on and on - 16 days later we should be back in Texarkana. I'll wave if I see ya on the road! Goose
  10. V7Goose
    I just noticed that Western Power Sports carries regulator/Rectifiers for all models of Ventures. No idea if the prices are good or not. Here is a link to page in their catalog" http://www.wps-inc.com/wps/WICATALOG1.pgm?Task=NEXT&CICID=ST&PRVCID=ST&PAGE=577&Rnd=1245745185364661 They also have the stators: http://www.wps-inc.com/wps/WICATALOG1.pgm?Task=NEXT&CICID=ST&PRVCID=ST&PAGE=579&Rnd=1116395901028910
  11. V7Goose
    Squeeze, thanks for posting this! I hadn't seen that before - just a tad bigger than the one I am using now, but with the temp built in, it will allow me to clean up my mounting. Goose
  12. V7Goose
    Squeeze, thanks for posting this! I hadn't seen that before - just a tad bigger than the one I am using now, but with the temp built in, it will allow me to clean up my mounting. Goose
  13. V7Goose
    There is very little bending involved - it is more of a big loop around the front of the steering head that gently flexes instead of bending in one spot. Mine have been on for 60,000 miles with zero problems. The nylon tube with compression fittings used for the oil pressure is totally safe. Nylon is very tough, and a properly tightened compression collar will last forever. I DID have one start leaking a bit down at the engine when I neglected to properly tighten the compression nut when I was all done. The leak started about three months after I mounted the gauge, and I fixed it in 30 seconds by simply tightening the nut as I should have in the first place! Goose
  14. V7Goose
    There is very little bending involved - it is more of a big loop around the front of the steering head that gently flexes instead of bending in one spot. Mine have been on for 60,000 miles with zero problems. The nylon tube with compression fittings used for the oil pressure is totally safe. Nylon is very tough, and a properly tightened compression collar will last forever. I DID have one start leaking a bit down at the engine when I neglected to properly tighten the compression nut when I was all done. The leak started about three months after I mounted the gauge, and I fixed it in 30 seconds by simply tightening the nut as I should have in the first place! Goose
  15. V7Goose
    The rails come with rubber bushings for that purpose. Without those, you could make some out of a tire tube (but I think it would take several layers to be thick enough), the thin part of a tire sidewall down near the bead, or just go to Ace Hardware and get creative. I'd bet you could find a nylon bushing that would be about the right diameter that you could simply cut in half to make two clam shell inserts. Electrical tape would work, but heat and age makes that stuff get gooey and nasty, so I would avoid it. Maybe the best solution would be some self-vulcanizing silicone tape (Atomic tape is one brand). This stuff has no glue at all, it just sticks to itself when stretched. Get the black color and wrap it as thick as you need, clamp the shell on right in the middle of the tape, then use a razor blade to cut the tape off smooth with the edge of the light. I think that might even look better than the stock rubber bushings that don't always stay in place. There are several ways to make them blink. The easiest is usually to just connect the ground lead to the turn signal hot; if you have regular bulbs in the turn signals, the running lights will get the ground through them for normal lights, and then blink off when the turn signals come on. An alternative is to connect them through a normally-closed micro relay (Radio Shack), and power the relay from the turn signals so that it opens up when the turn signals blink on. Goose
  16. V7Goose
    Well, the time is getting closer, and the long term forecast still looks good - we probably won't lock it in for a few days yet. The route is all done. After looking at so many satellite photos for so long, I'm pretty excited to see what some of that stuff looks like in real life when we get there! 5bikes, we will absolutely be coming through El Paso - don't have any idea yet where we will be stopping, but it will be in the area somewhere. We would certainly like to meet you while we are there, and we do appreciate the offer of a place to stop. I'll contact you after we lock in a start date to see if anything fits your schedule. Dave, we won't be going far enough north to actually go through Houston, but we'd love to have you meet us down near the border somewhere. Looks like we may be stopping around Freeport when we get that way, so that gives us several opportunities to meet up. I'll let you know when we set a starting date and keep you posted as we get closer. Everything is looking good, and I'm anxious to get on the road! Goose
  17. V7Goose
    OK, based on two responses, let's get together next Saturday, March 7th. Anytime after 0800 is fine. My address is 5906 Highland Hills Lane Colleyville Texas 76034 I'm just north of Hall Johnson Road, near Highway 26. Cell phone is 817-939-9155 Lookin forward to it, Goose
  18. V7Goose
    There are MANY MANY threads here on tires and what to choose. Here is just one: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16007&highlight=tires In short, I feel that the stock Brickstone tires are absolutely the WORST handling tires you can ever have on this bike. Changing to ANY other brand will give you dramatic improvement. Metzeler tires on this bike are absolutely the most dangerous. Period. Avons in stock sizes are my personal choice. You will be amazed at the dramatic improvement. It is hard to convince anyone to change tires before they are worn out, but if you have crappy Brickstone tires on THIS bike, you need to get rid of them. NOW. ESPECIALLY the rear tire. Goose
  19. V7Goose
    They are held on by two bolts and the hose clamp to the intake tube behind. Once you take off the housing, you will quickly see the screws to open it up. They are easy to replace. You don't absolutely have to remove the lower cowlings, but it sure makes access to the top bolts easier. If you want to try it with the cowling in place, I find that I can remove the top bolt with a socket on a 1/4" drive swivel joint. Goose
  20. V7Goose
    In top gear, 3,000 RPM will show an indicated 70 MPH and be running approximately 65 MPH actual. Actual 70 MPH turns about 3,500 RPM. Goose
  21. V7Goose
    I think the original plug is barely accessible in front of the bottom of the battery (under the fuel filter). Pull off the two side covers and the front cover; you can access it from the right side of the bike, almost dead center. The plug is very hard to reach as it barely comes out from under the metal bracket that holds the coolant overflow tank. The overflow tank is very easy to remove, so you might as well. You will think that might give you more room for your hands, but it doesn't really! I hope that is right, as I am just going from memory! Goose
  22. V7Goose
    That is absolutely the most logical place to put them. I just couldn't bring myself to remove the cassette and modify the fairing. No valid reason, just something weird in my brain that said I had a feature that came with the bike and wanted to keep it! Wonder what I'd a done if it came with an 8-track? Goose
  23. V7Goose
    That is absolutely the most logical place to put them. I just couldn't bring myself to remove the cassette and modify the fairing. No valid reason, just something weird in my brain that said I had a feature that came with the bike and wanted to keep it! Wonder what I'd a done if it came with an 8-track? Goose
  24. V7Goose
    OK, time's a-wasting. I have heard from a number of you about getting together for this, so we need to set a date for everybody to plan on. I think I'll be on the road the last half of March and the first week of April, so that takes out a big chunk of time. Let's try this - how about next weekend, March 7th or 8th? I know that is probably way too soon to make any plans, but it is the only thing available before I head out for the VentureRide around Texas. If that doesn't work, than maybe we could do either April 18th or 19th? Let me hear from you in this thread so we can begin to see what works for the most people who want to come. And don't be shy about throwing out alternative dates. I don't mind possible doing this on a couple of separate dates if that is what it takes. Goose
  25. V7Goose
    Well all, it is time to get serious about planning the spring rides. My brother and I have a real doozy coming up. Sometime around the middle of March, probably between the 10th and the 15th, we will be heading out to ride all the way around the state of Texas, sticking as close to the border as possible. We will be riding counter-clockwise, starting in Texarkana. The exact date is not locked in yet since we think this is still pretty early in the year, and the weather could get a little dicey up in the panhandle. We will be watching the long range forecasts and plan on KSU as soon as wee see a good two week window. Any and all of you that might want to ride along, even for just a part of the way, are more than welcome. I haven't finished the exact route yet, but it is getting close. Maybe in a day or two it will be all done. Best estimate right now is the trip will be about 4,500 miles and take maybe 16 days. You can see my work in progress here (but don't just click on the link!): Google Maps KML file link If you just click on that link it will try to load all the data into Google Earth, but then you won't be able to see changes I make. To display this entire route on one screen in Google Maps you need to kind of trick it. You need to COPY that link by right clicking on it and selecting "Copy Link Location" (or "Copy Shortcut" if using IE), open Google Maps and paste the link into the Search Maps box, then hit search. Once the map comes up you can put it in your My Maps and it will always be there. Each time you open or refresh Google Maps it will display the total route in its most current state. Every inch of this route has been selected by tracing the exact roads through the satellite pictures zoomed in close in Google Earth - several weeks worth of work! You will see lots of different parts of the track around the border, in various colors just so I could keep each piece straight while working on it. These are VERY detailed tracks, following every specific road and curve. Most of them stick to paved roads, - we're not riding dual-sport machines, ya know? But there are some sections, especially over in the panhandle and down above Big Bend where they get into some pretty significant dirt. We have no idea yet if we will actually attempt some of those roads - plan on deciding as we go along. I don't ordinarily care which exact roads I ride, but trying to stay close to the border on this trip has become like a treasure hunt for me. One other thing you will see are some much less detailed pink tracks. You probably want to un-check all of these to not display, since they really don't have any value in Google Maps. These are the special tracks I have made to import into my GPS and let it navigate the plotted routes. I have done a lot of testing with both my XOG GPS and Micro$oft Streets & Trips, and when told to navigate those pink tracks they follow the detailed tracks almost perfectly. Maybe we'll see some of ya on the road! Ride safe, Goose
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