darthandy
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Everything posted by darthandy
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Oh sure, now that I paid the Harley dealer $56 you tell me I could have had it cheaper there....AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Oh well, I think I'll just go adjust the fork pressure. Andy
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Actually, most companies had a hefty increase this year. They did poorly in some other categories, so sticking it to bikers, boaters, etc. is a great way for them to recoup their losses. They know that there is little we can do about it. That rate through Riders Plus is quite good compared to the $2,300 that I was quoted by at least one other company on my 2000 RSV when I was shopping around...and that was without collision coverage! Oh, don't forget...Riders Plus is just a broker...Echelon is the company that is zapping us. Too bad we can't get that through the states. My car insurance went up $400 this year so I shopped around and saved about $300 of that with CAA Insurance. Andy
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Hey guys...did I mention I was on my way to the Harley dealer? Andy
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You could go off in a slightly different direction with something like a Suzuki Burgman 650. It has the power to handle two up touring, with a surprising amount of built-in storage space and a CVT. It would be a good way to get some touring experience to decide if you actually enjoy the experience and you can get a used one in very good condition for a reasonable price. It is not a Venture Royale or a Royal Star Venture, but it also won't have the weight, complexity and low speed handling challenges. As has been mentioned in the other posts, going from a scooter to a full size touring bike can be an intimidating experience. Some have done it and enjoyed the experience ...others have gotten right out of motorcycling after doing it. As well, the Burgman would give you some experience with a heavier machine, without going to extreme limits. Just a thought! Andy
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speedo: Canada vs US
darthandy replied to Trader's topic in Venture and Venture Royale Tech Talk ('83 - '93)
I tried to do that with my RSV but the darn needle disappears every time I turn off the ignition... tough to work with these "virtual" instruments. Andy -
While problem solving suggestions are worthwhile and always appreciated, I was just wondering if you noticed that the thread you are responding to was last updated more than three years ago. I imagine he has fixed his problem by now. Andy
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Good to hear that things weren't worse than they could have been. Start mending and make sure the old lady's insurance doesn't try to pull any fast ones. Oh...and see if they can get someone to pull her licence...looks like she's past her driving expiry date! Andy
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Is this the one you mean? http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62609
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Steve, speaking of a linked balance tube for the forks, I seem to remember seeing such an option back in the '80's when air assisted suspension was getting popular. Think I'll check to see if it's still available or if it would be very difficult to put something together. That way we could immediately improve our present bikes. To whoever said they wanted a reduction in noise...sorry, can't agree with that either. I like the sound of my RSV...it sounds like a motorcycle...not an appliance. I have no idea what it sounds like to someone watching me go by, but I love what I hear when I "crank it" and go. And I like the sound at idle...but then if you ever heard my Triumph at idle, that would probably explain why I don't see a problem with the RSV's sound! Andy
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You're right about ABS but....most ABS systems cut out when the vehicle drops below a certain speed, which is when the lockup can occur. For example, coming to a stop on that road that turned to gravel unexpectedly. The ABS cuts out during the last few feet and that's when you discover that you were squeezing hard enough to lock the wheel. Don't ask how I know this! The rear shock works fine but by all accounts, has an early failure rate due to its design. What I would want is a better quality rear shock that lasts longer. Andy
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Octane boosters are useful if you have such a high compression ratio that you get "detonation" (Pinging) on acceleration, especially if you lug it a bit. If your bike is running OK without higher test gas (Higher octane) than adding an octane booster will have no effect on mileage or horsepower...it will, however, lighten your wallet nicely. A lot of people put higher octane gas in their vehicles than is required thinking it will increase power...it won't. Test after test over the past 50 or so years has shown that using higher octane fuel when it isn't required, has no beneficial effect on motors. Having said that, if your engine has a marginal tolerance for detonation, using gas with ethanol could allow detonation, but then you should hear it so you would know. If it isn't "sounding off" then higher octane shouldn't be required. One of the problems with ethanol is that it doesn't produce as much power as straight gasoline, so the greater the amount of ethanol in the gas, the less power you will have and therefore the harder you will twist the throttle...that means poorer mileage...but it's not the missing octane that's the problem. It's the lack of power produced with ethanol. The only real cure is to "take out" the ethanol and replace it with real gas...which we can't actually do. Andy
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Yes, the IMC headsets work on both 1st and 2nd Gens. Same basic system for both. Andy
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I agree with most of the updates, but not the linked brakes. There are times (Slippery surfaces) when I prefer to be able to use the back brake only to reduce the risk of a wheel locking up. Rear wheel lock up means some fishtailing and a reasonably good chance of avoiding a fall. Front wheel lock up usually means you fall down! Also, given the number of posts from people looking for repairs to their air compressor on 1st gens, do we really want to bring back that complexity? Set it and check it once in a while with that nice progressive air pump. Andy
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I have both the J&M headsets and the IMC headsets. Both work equally well and the headset speakers for the IMC units are half the thickness of the J&M speakers. Nice if you have a snug fitting helmet that causes problems with the thickness of the J&M's. And the IMC units, as with the J&M units, work with both first and second gen bikes. Andy
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Yep...you've just discovered one of the little known problems regarding motorcycle handling. It even appears in one of the signatures for one of our members (But I don't remember who!). Namely...the occasional loose nut connecting the seat to the handlebars :rotf: Once that nut gets fixed, the handling tends to improve noticeably! And taking some kind of refresher course is not all that bad an idea. A lot of us tend to fall into bad habits without realizing it and then wonder what's wrong with the bike. Andy
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Thanks Don. It was interesting (and downright scary) to read about these cases. I note that the most serious case wasn't identity theft but rather outright fraud with the banks, "normal" citizens and lawyers all "in on it". In the end, we the taxpayers are the ones that pay for this in one form or another. I note that in the one case of a phony mortgage, the judge quickly tossed the ball in the bank's court and let the innocent victims off the hook. When I was in the business, we never ran into this type of situation simply because I made sure that the deals I (Or my staff) worked on were carefully checked out and no shortcuts taken. Not surprisingly, we occasionally had people walk away from their applications when we started digging...gee, I wonder why. The phony mortgage case they described could only happen because someone got greedy and decided to take shortcuts. Hopefully that person got canned (I'm tempted to drop one "n" in that word!) for their efforts. On a side note, I once lost a job heading up the financial counselling arm of a credit union (We did loans and mortgages as well as investments) because I refused to take certain shortcuts and mislead people. They said I was insubordinate...I called it being honest and ethical. Anyway, that manager lost his job a couple of months later when they caught him pulling some of the stunts I refused to pull. Of course what was left of my career was shot by then and there was no chance of taking this to court with even a slight chance of winning, so now I sell windows, doors and siding and thank god my wife has a decent pension. At least I can feel good about having prevented some good people from being ripped off by jerks like that. Of course, a full retirement is just a dream now, but at least my some of my retirement funds went towards my nice red RSV. Keeps the working days a bit more cheerful! Andy
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Should you ever run across that info or remember a date, I would really like to have the details. I'd be very interested in knowing what happened and how it was done. Things like that are scary and it never hurts to know what can be done to avoid those situations. Andy
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Don our condolences on your loss. My wife and I know what it is like to watch someone you love slowly go and it is a painful experience. All the best to you and your wife. Andy
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As a matter of fact, shifting body weight to one side as you describe, will help to lower the C. of G. a bit and could make a bit of a difference a far as stabilizing the bike through a turn. A better way to accomplish this, although it's a bit more difficult on a bike like the RSV, is to shift your weight onto the foot (And therefore the peg or board) that's on the inside of the turn. This will also help to move the C. of G. a bit lower. This helps to stabilize the bike and, in theory, it should help it to resist a slide to the outside of a turn by moving some weight closer to the outside edge of a tire which should, again in theory, keep it from "rolling away" from the turn, decreasing the amount of rubber on the road and therefore reducing traction. Virtually all road racers nowadays "hang off" their bikes to move the C. of G. as low as and towards the inside of the turn as they can. There have been arguments in recent years that, given today's high performance bikes with super ground clearance, enormous lean angles and super sticky tires, hanging off isn't really necessary...but no one wants to risk trying that as it might instead slow them down. To a certain extent it could be useful on a street bike, but it is highly unlikely that you would be riding it hard enough on the street to really need to that. But avoiding a lean to the opposite side in a turn will definitely improve the manner in which you go through that turn. Andy
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Haven't had a chance to get a new pump, so I used one of my old "mini-style" bicycle hand pumps...the kind you clip onto the bicycle frame. It's a bit fiddly to use and then you have to use a regular tire gauge to check pressure which means you lose a bit, but at least I was able to get the job done. I will, however, be looking at getting the Progressive pump soon as it looks to be a much easier to use tool. Andy
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Nope...multi-viscosity oil gets thicker to "stick" to the metal better as things get hot. When it gets cold, the oil "thins" out to allow parts to move more easily until they warm up. Put in straight 50W oil in the winter and your engine might not be able to spin fast enough to start due to the resistance of the "thicker" oil (Technically speaking, it isn't getting thinner or thicker but more or less "viscous"). On the other hand, run some straight 5W when temps are in the 90's and your engine would wear heavily and possibly even seize up, depending on conditions. At least, that's how it has been explained to me over the years. By the way, that's really only true for multi-viscosity oils (5W40, 10W30, etc). Straight viscosity oils normally maintain their original viscosity Andy
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I've had a hearing aid for years but I've grown tired of the smack on the back of the head when I say the wrong thing so I may have to look into an electronic type. Andy
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Just a thought here, but wouldn't using a stethoscope to study engine sounds while riding possibly lead to the sound of crushing metal and breaking plastic? Andy
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Watch out for these stories about fraud being committed on line. As I mentioned in my earlier posts, at some point the financial institution will want to see a live human with proper I.D. When you look into these "online theft" stories, you'll usually find one of two things happened. 1) it's all B.S. or, 2) there was more to the story and the extra made all the difference in what actually happened. However much people may complain about our banking system up here, it is quite difficult for someone to set up a situation that will force someone to pay off a debt that they did not actually incur. And there's not much chance that someone can steal your I.D. and get a mortgage online. I've yet to see an actual case of it happening in this country...a few stories, but no one has ever been able to come up with complete details, which usually indicates the probability of an "urban legend" or "old wives tale" as us old folk use to call them. And of course, when looking at any deal that seems too good to be true, you can safely assume that it isn't what it seems. The people I've met in banking over the years who were taken for a lot of money, usually failed to check all details properly because they were too excited with the possibility of making a "fast buck". For the most part, the only people who make a fast buck are the con artists...honest people usually just get to pay. Andy
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Question....with all the improvements they've been making in smaller and more powerful batteries, aren't we getting closer to portable 50,000 watt lasers? Watching a half blind, half wit, uncaring dipstick suddenly evaporate would be quite satisfying, don't you think? Andy