shikano53

I downloaded and printed the Jason Mod articles and pictures along with the Blocking off the AIS article and pictures. I am going to do both of these mods. My question is, once you do the AIS blocking and then go onto the Jason mod; what do you do with the vacuum hoses from cylinders 2 and 3 once you have spliced in the small 3/16" fuel tubing as shown in the pictures? Thanking you in advance. Chris

Well spoken, OldBear, I just sold my 2010 Kawi C-14 and made the decision for me, to go back to the RSV. I just could not make the C-14 fit me. I loved the handling, the ride, the power, but I had to concede that I am 57 and my sport-touring days are over. Chris

Sir, Putting aside all levity and the jesting we all may take part in with good fun about other bikes; I would like to make some objective, as opposed to subjective comments.. It is to be noted that bikes, like oil and cars, inherently boil down to personal likes, dislikes and choice. As I mentioned previously, I have been the proud and happy owner of two Goldwings. A 1500 and an 1800. I rode them for many, many kilometers and long, full days in the saddle. I am 5' 10" and weigh 160 pounds. I was a local GWRRA chapter member for years. I learned how to ride, corner, read curves and ride them by some of the best Goldwing riders it has been my privilege to learn from. One of those instructors was over 76 years old at the time and once rode for the Goldwing Precision riding team in Phoenix, Arizona. Many the day I remember when he and I would find a great, local section of windy twisty road and he would follow me and coach me through the turns and corners over the CB radio. I have been on Chapter rides with over a dozen Goldwings strung out in the standard Goldwing formation according to GWRRA Road Pilot dogma, and the only ones who were not really having a white-knuckle, scary ride were the ride instructors and a few of the fortunate who had learned how to ride in the wind. I preface my comments in order to establish a modicum of credibility for what I am about to say. IMHO, I found from day one that the Wings got blown around more than any other bike I have ever owned. Now before you say, you only weigh 160 pounds, of course it's going to blow the bike around," kind of comment, rider weight has nothing to do with it. I will concede that rider ability does if said rider does not understand how to counter-steer. Then it can be downright terrifying. And as far as weight goes, the person I bought my 1800 Wing from weighed in at probably almost 300 pounds. If the wind was blowing he would not ride. OK. Both of these bikes are awesome bikes and both have their fierce and staunch supporters. I apologize right now to any Goldwing owner who was insulted by my previous remarks. They say that forgiveness is good for the soul so if you can forgive me then I will consider myself twice blessed. When I purchased my first 2001 RSV and took it out on one of my first rides, my friend who was with me and who rode a 1999 RSV commented over the CB, "Chris, do you notice that cross-wind?" I thought and felt for a moment and replied, "What cross-wind are you referring to?" He replied like Kipling in his tale, "How the Elephant Got His Nose," Vantage number One!" The faring is something you get used to. And there are ways to negate any wobble on the RSV when cornering. The most significant of which is suspension set-up and tire pressure. I have practiced this. Deflate the tires mush out the suspension and work some curves. Ughhhh. Amp the suspension, inflate tires accordingly taking into account ambient temperature and the fact that tires have already warmed up and do it again. Wow! Amazing. No more mushy, bounding ride. As far as weather protection, I always felt that the RSV had the Wing beat hands down. I know a lot of 1800 Wingers who grumbled and complained about the money they had to spend in order to amp up the weather protection to something that was at least comfortable. At one point in May of 2003 I had two bikes in my garage. A 1999 RSV and an 1800 Goldwing. So I confess I experimented a bit. I would take my RSV, ride the same route and section of twisty road, come straight home and hop on the 1800 Wing and ride the same route over again. I did this over the course of a two week period every day after work at least once. The Wing has more power that's a gimmee. But as far as handling and competence on the road and in the corners, the Wing did not out handle the RSV. The RSV turns tighter, quicker and leans further, than the Wing does each and every time. Sure we have all seen the You tube of the guy on the Yellow 1800 Wing riding the Dragon. A wonderful video and no doubt a superb, skilled rider who could take any bike you hand him and drag his hardware all over the road. Comfort. IMHO, I criss-crossed Alberta and BC on my 1800 Wing and comfort wise, I could never get it quite just so I could ride it all day without pain across my arm neck and shoulders and a numb butt. I have done likewise on my RSV and again, for me, never had the pain issues I have had on the Wings. The only other bike that was on a par comfort wise was my 2006 HD Electra-Glide Ultra Classic. So. I'm not saying that if you are a Wing rider, you made a bad choice, or that my RSV is a better bike. Just stand the bikes side by side and you can tell they are a totally different bike built by two manufactures who looked at long distance touring through two distinctly different perspectives. The result of which we see. Both are awesome rides. Having owned two of the Honda variants and two of the Yamaha variants I can testify to that. (I rode a 1st gen Venture for five years.) If there were a 2010 Honda Goldwing and a 2010 Yamaha RSV parked side by side and someone said you can have either one, the choice is yours. I would do what 99.99% of us would do. I would sit on both of them, bounce a bit in the saddle, turn the handlebars and would choose the 2010 RSV. For me it just feels like it was made to fit me and that would be it. Someone else would do the same thing and choose the Wing. We both would go home as happy as a clam each convinced we had made the best decision for us. And you know what, he would be absolutely correct. To my kindred GoldWing owners and riders. I wish you many wonderful and happy miles. I wish you joy with your choice, and may you and your co-rider find those golden roads where the sun shines bright and the wind skates your path softly. Respectfully and humbly submitted Chris in Red Deer, Alberta Ride Long, Ride Hard, and my the Wind Skate Your Path Softly.

I have owned two Goldwings. A 1500 and an 1800. Sort of nice bikes. Never, ever again. They are like a Winabago. They get blown around in the slightest breeze. Of three bikes, the wing, HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic and the RSV, the RSV is the lightest and the Globwing is the heaviest. Now that is the real HOG Love my RSV. I'm on my second one.

Actually I personally think the PIAA bulbs are highly overrated. I had these ones left over and thought I would use. Anything is better than stock. I bought them for my 2006 HD Electra Glide. I had purchased Harleys version of a better bulb and was quite surprised after swapping out to the PIAA that it wasn't nearly as good or bright as the upgraged Harley bulb. Oh well, Live and learn.

Hi, I changed out the stock bulb with a PIA Extreme White headlight bulb. It is considerably brighter than the stock bulb. Anyone else ever use a PIA bulb in their headlight? I'd be curious to know how you liked it or the difference in other bulbs some people have used. Thank you in advance.

Yes, they are very small and located directly on the underside of the exhaust. Chris

I bought a new to me 2004 Midnight RSV. I have only had it home a week and when I changed the oil and filter yesterday I noticed that probably the first owner of the bike drilled little holes in the exhaust on both sides. I have heard of people doing this before. I am assuming the reason people do this is that it adds to the overall sound of the bike is this correct? Thank you in advance. Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

Hey Cliff, I am not sure if you said you are riding a sec gen or a first gen? I'll assume you are riding an RSV. One other thing to check is your suspension. The front forks have two valves unfortunately which means you have to be careful when adjusting these. Use a bicycle pump. The manual says 0 to 7.1psi. '0' being soft and cushy, 7.1 being a tighter and harder ride. I would suggest you check them and then use a digital pressure gauge and the bicycle pump and start at maybe 3psi in each front fork. It's a bit fussy and takes some practice but it can be done. Then check your rear fork pressure. It goes from 0 to 57 max psi. Again use the digital gauge and set it however your riding style dictates. A bunch of little things can add up to a better handling bike and a much more enjoyable ride. Chris in Red Deer, AB PS The local GWRRA Chapter Ride instructor and the Provincial Ride Instructor advocate inflating tire pressures to what is listed on the sidewall of the tires, not what is indicated in the manuals.

Hi all, I just wanted to metion that my Yamaha filter from the dealer was $15.00 CDN. I put Amsoil 20-W-50 in. I should have bought it from the dealer but I didn't realize that he would be the cheaper than The Peavy Mart store. I paid $16.00 a liter and the dealer was selling it for $14.50 a liter. Next time. Chris in RD

Hi Cliff, I would check your tire pressures, steering head bearing. I am on my second RSV and I love this bike. I have had a 1st Gen Venture, a 1500 and 1800 Goldwing, a 2006 HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic and now back to an 04 RSV. Tires can be an issue. For the past 15 years I have run Avon's on my bikes. What I find interesting in your comments are the fact that you get blown around. Of all the big decker bikes I have owned the Goldwings have been the worst at getting shoved around in the wind. I am not much bigger than you. 5' 10" and 155 pounds. The RSV is rock solid on the superslab and I bought it over another wing for that very reason. The only bike by comparison that didn't get blown around was my 06 HD Electra Glide. A word of advice, and I know a lot of people will take issue with this; ignore what the manual and the trunk lid says about tire pressure. That's like a dentist telling you you need heart surgery. Ignore it. Read what the sidewall of your tires say for maximum psi and run your tires at that, no exceptions. At 32psi your bike will feel mushy and wobble all over. Believe me, I've tested this over and over through the years and your bike needs to be run at max cold psi inflation. The tire manufacture knows better than the bike manufacturer knows where to inflate your tires. The tires are designed by the manufacturer to be inflated to max psi at ambient temperature (68 deg F or 18 deg C) and to run in the hottest weather possible in the summer or all year round for that matter. Second, if you have Stones on the bike. Loose them real fast. Any thing is better than Bridgestones. Dunlop Elite III's, Mets (I would be careful with the Metzellers because they are no longer made in Germany but in Brazil and there have been quality issues) or Avons. Then again, inflate them to max cold psi as indicated on the sidewall of the tire. Then take your bike out for a ride. Next, these bikes are very twitchy when it comes to inflation. I have found that I can tell within a few kilometers if there is something wrong with my tire pressure. Just a few psi is all it takes to make me notice. That's not BS. I check my tires religiously before each long ride and at least twice a week for scooting and shooting around town. I just sold a 2010 Kawasaki Concours C-14 sport touring bike. The manual said to inflate the tires to what was rated on the sidewall of the stock Bridgstones which I removed and changed out for a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2ct's. The indicated inflation in the manual was for 41 psi as indicated on the sidewall of the tires. The bike ran flawlessly. As a matter of fact every bike I have owned in the last 15 years I have run my tires at max cold psi and the bikes handled and performed wonderfully. I don't know if that helped or not but a lot of people blame a lot of handling and bike problems on things that really are a simple check of the tire pressure and inflating them to what the sidewall of the tires say. Chris in Red Deer, AB

Go with the Avons. Hands down a superior handling tire in every respect over the Crudlops. I have been running Avons on all my bikes for over 15 years. Ist gen Venture, 2001 RSV, 1500 Goldwing, 1800 Goldwing, 2006 HD and now back to a 2004 RSV. I just ordered a set of Avons to replace the Elite III's that are on the bike even though they are still good. Won't use them. I tried a set of Dunlop Elite III's on my wing and went back to Avons. The Dunlops are stodgy tires. Better mileage perhaps but the Avons are a flat out better performing tire. They will delight you and make you smile. But if you never go over 50 miles an hour and always drive straight roads then I guess the Dunlops will do you fine. In 15 years of running Avons on all my bikes I have never ever had a balancing issue ever. Chris in Red Deer, AB.

HEllo Rick and thank you for the offer. I don't need it that bad. I think old man winter is going to strike today. I made it home with my new bike yesterday afternoon. If you want to see what the next week holds weather wise click here. http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/ab-29_metric_e.html Thanks again Rick. I have to go to the Yamaha dealer next weekend to pick up my passing light kit and adapter kit I bought so I will pick up a filter at the same time and change my oil and filer next weekend. PS your welcome to a beverage though anytime you may be in the neighbourhood. Chris

Thank you. I'm a bit leery about using Fram filters. I will have a look and see if Wal-Mart has the Super-Tech 7317. Thanks for the information folks. Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

Hi, I read the oil filter cross reference sheet on the technical link and was wondering if anyone from Canada used a Canadian Tire (Motormaster) oil filter and what the number is? I was in Canadian Tire this evening and there were no Fram filters that fit my 2004 RSV. Thank you in advance.

Hi, Well I got my new to me 2004 Midnight Royal Star Venture home this afternoon from Calgary, AB to Red Deer, AB. Wow! Do I love this bike. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the RSV. There was no owners manual with it but I downloaded the PDF owners manual from here. Thank you very much for that. I have a question. This bike has heated grips. The person I bought the bike from didn't install them. Are they stock or would they have been installed by the original owner? I didn't think the RSV had heated grips. Thank you in advance.

Found the manual link Thank you.

Sorry, no I'm not ignoring the thread and I don't mind if you seconded it to go in a more or less different direction. Its all good. Since today (Nov 11) is a holiday, all the banks are closed so I have to wait until tomorrow Friday, to get a bank draft, then go pay for the bike, get a bill of sale, drive from Calgary where I work to Red Deer where I live (150 kilometers) get my pink insurance slip, get my plate, have my wife drive me back to Calgary Saturday, install my Gerbing wiring harness, and hopefully, hopefully be able to drive the bike back home to Red Deer Saturday afternoon. The forecast is for snow tomorrow, so if it does snow, it may be coming home via a trailer sometime in the future that is to be announced, hopefully not too far in the distant future. Chris in Red Deer, Alberta. I was reading a bunch of tech stuff last night and now I remember doing a lot of things on my 01. Jason mod, driving light install, synching the carbs (what fun!) I have a carb synch II that I purchased back in 01 for that sole purpose. Change the oil to synthetic and replace the filter and have a pair of Avon Venom X's installed to replace the 2 year old Dunlop Elite II's that are currently on the bike. Life is good. Or will be in five months again. Chris in Red Deer, Alberta.

As soon as I get it home I will take some pics and post them. Thanks again. Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

Hi everyone, Well I bought a used 04 Midnight Black RSV today. I previously owned a 2001 and I'm glad to have one once again. I look forward to talking with you folks once again.

Everyone, thanks for all your comments. I bought a 2004 Midnight RSV today. Now I just need to pray the snow holds off so I can drive it home from Calgary to Red Deer on Saturday. I previously owned a 2001 RSV and know well the power and awesome handling it has. I'm glad to have one back again. I look forward to talking with ya'll in the future. Chris in Red Deer, AB

Thanks for the comments and information. Is there anyway to increase the HP or is pretty much, "What you see is what you get?"

Hi, I am looking at purchasing a 2004 Midnight Black RSV. I am wondering if anyone has had their bike dynoed and what HP is actually measured on the rear wheel? Yamaha says 98 but that is at the crank. Its a shaft drive so I figure minus give or take 20% so let's say 70 to 74 HP actual? Thanks Chris in Red Deer, Alberta