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darthandy

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Everything posted by darthandy

  1. darthandy
    ...but...when I bought my '94 Triumph Sprint a couple of years ago, it was the first multiple headlight bike I had ever owned (Two standard sized round headlights). Soon after getting it, I noted a number of times where cagers started to pull out of side streets in front of me or started to turn left in front of me and suddenly did a quick double take and stopped. Talking to friends in my riding club revealed that they too, noted more drivers suddenly stopping a cut-off error at the last minute after the bike owners had installed "passing lights" or "light bars" on their bikes. Going back to some old studies (1980's, IIRC), it was noted that the larger a bike was and the more lights it had at the front, the more likely a car driver was to notice it. Most car drivers are geared towards seeing a car or truck when looking for traffic...bikes tend to "disappear". Multiple lights give a bike a different and, more importantly, a "wider" appearance. It may not look like a car but it doesn't look like a bike and that tends to get a driver's attention...which is what you want. This may not be the world's most scientific analysis but my experience and that of the other riders I know would seem to indicate that multiple light sources do tend to get cagers' attention. Just watch the next time a sport bike comes towards you. Today's new lights can illuminate quite nicely with a relatively small light source, but coming head on in the daylight, they can be surprisingly difficult to see...especially if a driver hasn't educated and trained him / herself to watch for smaller vehicles. So... since my VR came with passing lights with a separate switch, I use them whenever I'm on it. I've just made sure that they are properly adjusted so as not to blind oncoming vehicles since that would be counter-productive.
  2. darthandy
    ...they work great. I've had a set for over 20 years and they do a great job. I've never had a full coverage fairing until I bought my VR a few weeks ago and the Hippo hands have done a great job on my unfaired bikes. I've even taped some of those "hot packs" sold at outdoors stores to my grips on other bikes and with the Hippo's stopping the breeze, my hands stayed warm and dry. I've never used them for an extended rain ride so I'm not sure if they would repel water for a long time. The owner of the company belongs to my vintage motorcycle club and I've been checking to see if he'll be coming out with some to fit my Triumph Sprint. My old ones were a "universal fit" and they're getting pretty beat up by now (Hmmm...now why is that, I wonder?).
  3. darthandy
    You might also want to check with these guys. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/401/15017/ITEM/Avon-AV71-Cobra-Front-Tire.aspx?WT.ac=SLIsearch
  4. darthandy
    You're in luck...there's an anal retentive. perfectionist around to help (That doesn't mean I do things well or accurately...only that I would like to!) Anyway, the correct spelling (You did write (sp?)) is "kudos" ... it's from some Greek word meaning "glory". There...another good deed done. Now to get the rest of the lights working on my VR (PO clipped the wire to some of them ... felt there were too many(????).)
  5. darthandy
    Very nice combination of skill and luck. You should think about buying a lottery ticket. Glad you won the "I didn't get hurt!" lottery on this one. Disgusting that people wouldn't slow down let alone stop! Last week, a couple of days after getting my VR, I had to try to squeeze by a car in a sort of paved parking lot with gravel on it here and there. I cranked hard left to get by then had to slow down before exiting onto the road and grabbed a bit too much brake. Before I knew it, I was laying the bike down (As gently as I could!) as it over balanced and all that top heavy weight got it away from me. I shut it down and used a few well chosen expletives and tried to get it up by myself using a technique I saw used last year. It worked well on a 550 lb road bike...not so well on nearly 800 lbs of touring bike. As I prepared for a second try, a guy pulled into the lot and hopped out of his car, running over to give me a hand and saying something about how "these big bikes were murder to get up again". We got it up and I put down the side stand and thanked him. He said he was glad to help and hopped back into his car before I could come around to shake his hand and drove off. Hard to beat that for being helpful!
  6. darthandy
    I've been trying to do as much of my work on my recently acquired '87 VR for much the same reason. Labour costs at the local Yammie dealer are insane as are parts prices. I also have an older Triumph Sprint 900 ('94) and the nearest Triumph dealer (45 miles away) is even worse. I know of one guy who brought in his Tiger for an oil and filter change at that dealer and was charged $160.00. Granted it was synthetic oil, but even so...my retail cost for 4 liters (Less than a gallon) of synthetic is about $50.00 + taxes. A Fram filter is less than $10, so how do they justify $100 for labour on an oil change ... we're talking about 20 minutes of work here...and I'm sure they don't pay retail for their material. I could go on, but you get the picture. I know times are tough in that industry, but this is a good way to lose customers to other dealers or to doing it yourself.
  7. darthandy
    You put your bike away for the winter? And the temperature is not going below the freezing point all week (I checked the weather network site.)? Around here, we don't put them away till we have to shovel a path to them! Come on man...get a tourmaster suit and ride...there'll be time to sit in front of the fireplace when we can't lift a leg over a saddle! Say...why do those guys water down the floor? Oh wait...maybe it's those types who have to turn and look at you when they talk...even in the John. Or they may be trying to clean dust off their shoes...or spray cockroaches on the floor. Uh...I think I'll go to bed now.
  8. darthandy
    Cobra motorcycle alarms were very popular in the late eighties and into the 90's. Although they are still being produced, the Gorilla alarms seem to have surpassed them in popularity since then, for motorcycles. They did produce a "King Cobra" car alarm at that time (and still do for that matter) so it's quite possible that there was a "King Cobra" motorcycle version as well. If I remember correctly, they were considered to be "top of the line" systems back then. Don't really know where they stand now.
  9. darthandy
    ...what did I start now?
  10. darthandy
    About the Harmonicats. Jerry Murad formed a Harmonica group in 1940 (The Harmonica Madcaps) and they had their first big hit, Peg O' My Heart in 1947. The "little guy" was Johnny Puleo who was with them during the early forties. By the fifties, they had become a trio with only harmonicas whereas previously, they occasionally had other musicians accompanying them. Last but not least, there is a harmonicats web site where you can learn more about them and buy their music. There, I've done my good deed for the day...which shows just how slow a day today is!
  11. darthandy
    Actually, I'm capable of doing something similar after a couple of bowls of my wife's really spicy chili ... but I prefer to avoid doing it ... too painful!
  12. darthandy
    Thanks, Squeeze. Wow...is Germany still your location? That is one long distance reply!
  13. darthandy
    I finally had time to get out to the garage and check out my fuel gauge problem. I wanted to check that float and sensor on the gas tank first. Slight problem...how do you get the seat off? I couldn't find it in the owner's manual nor in the service manual. Am I missing something really obvious and simple (Wouldn't be the first time!)? Oh Marcarl...I believe that it is a Royale since it has the Royale badging and C.L.A.S.S.
  14. darthandy
    ...to go with it. http://www.buybatparts.com/joomla/index.php All that's missing after that are the Bat Plane , Bat Boat and Bat Copter. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the Bat Room. (Sorry...I just couldn't help myself!!) :Laugh::Laugh:
  15. darthandy
    Thanks guys...that gives me a few more options to look at. Marcarl, I'm down in the Niagara Peninsula...Welland as a matter of fact. Brantford is about an hour away. Less if I'm on my Triumph and the roads are lightly patrolled....oops...did I just say that out loud?
  16. darthandy
    Thanks Rocket. Guess I'll be digging around in there and doing some soldering. Thanks also for the power cable hint. I was, in fact, getting ready to do that on my Triumph as the Hinckley boys saw fit to put minimum gauge wire there as well, causing occasional problems. I suppose I'd better buy extra wire, ends, etc. Aren't older bikes fun?
  17. darthandy
    Took my VR out for a ride today and noted that the fuel gauge, which had been down to 4 bars yesterday, was now showing full. In fact there was a bar where the "Full" usually resides. I had it up to 200 km (about 125 miles) with no change, then as I took a fairly sharp right hander at an intersection, it dropped down to 5 bars and the "Full" reappeared. Once I straightened up, it went back to about 6 bars. Anyone have any idea what could be causing this (Besides some prohibitively expensive part needing replacement.)? Oh yeah, also...I've not had previous experience with a VR before and do't know anyone with one around here. So...on deceleration, when it gets down to around 2,000 r.p.m., there's a sound coming from under the "Gas tank" that sounds like...well...slapping, popping. I know that's not the best description, but for now, it's all I have. It may be perfectly normal, but I've never had that particular sound on any bike I've owned before. And finally (Don't newbies get annoying after a while?), when I start it up (Hot or cold) the motor spins a couple of revs then seems to "hang" for a split second then starts. Again, does that sound normal? I'm really going to have to find someone with a MKII to do some comparing.
  18. darthandy
    Thanks Freebird. Good to know.
  19. darthandy
    I find it works, but it can be a bit picky about how the search is worded. I'm down in the Niagara Peninsula...Welland to be exact.
  20. darthandy
    Well...I guess this beats my "deer running across the road in traffic" story just a bit! I'm buying a used Hummer before heading out that way!
  21. darthandy
    I have now that you've told me! Thanks. Wonder why it didn't show up on my "service manual" search?
  22. darthandy
    ...for my bike seem to be difficult to come by. It's a 1987 Venture Royale that came with the original owner's manual and a 1983 Service Manual. I know that there were both cosmetic and mechanical changes in 1986, so I would like to have a newer manual, if possible. Neither Haynes nor Clymer show a Venture repair manual on their sites. Does anyone know of a company that has some kind of service or repair manual for the '86 to '93 bikes?
  23. darthandy
    I go to Toronto fairly often (youngest daughter lives there) and I feel quite certain that they won't buy this water...unless the distributor bottles it in dark blue glass bottles and charges a minimum of $5.00 per. Then it should sell like hotcakes!
  24. darthandy
    isn't too bad either. That is, for those of you who also pressed the "next" button. I love looking at redheads...whatever color their hair is. How can anyone be so fully dressed and still make breathing difficult!
  25. darthandy
    Well, not really danger; I just wanted to get your attention. I feel really stupid about this. I went out to the bike this evening to see what kind of job it would be to replace the fork brace. When I saw it, it looked very substantial to me and shining my flashlight on it I noted the word "Superbrace". It seems that for the first time in a long time (Ever, actually!) I have purchased a used bike where a previous owner had improved it in at least one area. So, this means I don't need a new fork brace after all. Sorry.
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