RedRider

Well, got home about 4:00 this afternoon. Great time was had by all. From 8 am Saturday morning to 8 am Sunday morning (with a 3 hour rest bonus), I racked up 1156 miles and 5500 points. Oh wait, that was only 4000 points. Lost the points for the rest bonus since the starting receipt didn't have a computer printed time on it. It's one of the rules and I should have caught it. Anyhoo, That dropped me from 3rd place to an also ran. Oh well, had lots of fun, road lots of miles, and am ready for Butt Lite 7 in a couple of weeks. That is a 6 day rally. RR

Here are pictures of my rally ready Venture. The hose for the water jug is attached to a keyring return thingy. Take a drink and let it go. Snaps the line out of the way. RR

Tisunac, Your clutch may be fine. These V4 engines don't have the same power band as a V-Twin. In other words, you don't shift until a much higher RPM than a V-Twin. I may be telling you something you already know, but..... Take your bike out to a country road and crank it up. Get to 25 mph in 1st gear. 60 in second. 90 in third. Don't worry, there is a rev limiter so you can't hurt anything. Once you find the power band and shift accordingly, you won't lug the engine any more. Now, if you are hearing the RPMs drop after you fully engage the clutch - like the clutch is slipping and then grabbing - then clutch work may be needed. Easy upgrade. And yes, the mountain roads of West, by God, Virginia are wonderful to ride. One of my favorite places. RR

It is a huge PITA as you need to remove both the outer and inner portions of the fairing. Not hard, just a PITA. Once you get the complete fairing off, it is straight forward (you do have a FlyinFool steering bearing nut tool, don't you?). While you have all this apart, it is a good time to take the front forks in to have the springs changed out to Progressives. RR

I've been following your saga and am glad it has come to a good conclusion. Chasing electrical gremlins is difficult and frustrating. You've done well. Now, go ride and think HD no more. RR

The Long Distance Rally season is upon us. Getting the bike ready for a really good year and thought I would share the preparation. First rally is this coming Saturday (6/21). The Minnesota 1000 is a 24 hour scavenger hunt style rally during which I will generally cover 1000-1200 miles. It starts and ends in Stillwater, MN (Minneapolis/StPaul area). Second is what I am really looking forward to this summer. The Butt Lite 7 is a 6 day rally of similar style to the Iron Butt Rally (IBR is 11 days). This will be my first multi-day rally so will be interesting to see how I hold up. The BL7 also starts and end in the MN/StP area with an intermediate checkpoint in a location that will be announced the night before the start. Third is more of a flower sniffing rally. Mrs. RedRider will be joining me for an 8 hour Team Lyle New England rally out of Rutland, VT. We will then ride around the NE experiencing some of this country's most beautiful roads and vistas. In preparation of this grueling schedule, over the winter the bike received the following love: - All new fluids - brake, clutch, pumpkin, oil/filter - Upgraded to SS brake and clutch lines - Spline and pins lube with Honda Moly60 - Drive shaft splines lube with Honday Moly60 - New front brake pads (rears were fine) - Hagan rear shock (OEM finally died) - Progressive springs in front (actually, this was done 2012/13 winter) - New front and rear wheel bearings (2012/13 winter) - New battery - Valve shim check and adjustment (did it without removing carbs - it can be done) - Carb sync - New fuel filter - Purchased backup fuel pump (thanks Squidley) - Cleaned and recharged K&M air filters - Replaced fuel lines and fuel filter on auxiliary fuel tank. - Gave its annual bath including leather food for the seat. - Bike currently has 113250 miles and ready for a lot more. Also, - Added a second Zumo 550 - Added a SPOT satellite tracker - Added a hydration system (work still in process). - Have a set of new Dunlop Elite3 tires ready for after the MN1k. Plenty of tread for a couple of thousand miles, but not for 7000 or so expected during the Butt Lite. - Added a Laminar Lip to the windshield (should arrive on the brown truck today). Will update this thread with pictures when I get an opportunity. WooHoo!! I am ready (OK, almost ready) to ride! RR

Groan is the rear shock getting lubed up. Goes away after a few miles generally. Check shock for the proverbial drip. RR

Textile. Firstgear Kilimanjaro jacket (available in tall sizes) and HT Overpants. When warm, I will wear them over just LD Comfort shorts. Have ridden through snow and Death Valley in this set up. And, they are on Closeout at Motorcyclegear.com (formerly New Enough)

If you're heading through Wisconsin, I have a lift, a full beer fridge, and an extra bed available. Be glad to host and help out where I can. RR

Which side of AZ? NM side or CA side? If on the CA side, there is a Walmart Supercenter (with Tire and Lube) in Kingman, AZ. You can purchase an aluminum turkey roaster pan and a jug of oil, change it in the parking lot, and they will recycle the used oil. If on the NM side, there is a Walmart Supercenter (with Tire and Lube) in Gallup, NM. On another note, and just for reference, the oil change interval recommended by Yamaha in the owners manual is 8000 miles. And this is for standard dino oil. RR

Yup. Just got my $40 Visa card last week. This promo has been running a couple of months. RR

North Carolina QuickPass RR

If someone doesn't have an extra set of parts carbs laying around, you could try Pinwall Cycle. They usually have a large selection of Venture salvage parts. RR

Stick it to the inside top of the trunk lid. FYI - If anyone is looking to get an EZ-Pass / I-Pass transponder, I recommend the NC Quick-Pass. In addition to it working on the NC toll system, it will work with all the I-Pass and EZ-Pass systems. And the kicker - it is the only other pass that will work with the Florida Sun-Pass system. RR

Your passenger would have already ignored my initial advise if she was on the back of your bike in the first place. Why would she listen to me with further advise? RR

My general practice has been to mill the head if you take it off. It is easy and inexpensive to have it milled. It is a real PITA if it needed it and you didn't do it. RR

http://www.day-long.com/gallery_Specialty_Bikes.html There is no substitute. $650 to $810 for a dual saddle (they reuse your current seat pan). While it is expensive, I have never heard anyone regret spending the money. RR

Just an FYI - These carb boots are double walled. You may see cracks in the outside, but they are still sealed. Mine has had cracks for the last 60k miles (that I noticed) and there are no leaks. While running, spray carb cleaner around the cracks. If the RPMs don't change, you don't have any leaks. RR

Well, you are close to the first major review per the owners manual. Valve check Carb Sync Plug replacement Fluid replacement (brake and clutch) That ought to be it. Although most go much farther before a valve check, it's a good idea to get that done a first time. It will give you a feel for how the bike is set up. Make sure they advise what the gap was before and after adjustment (if one is made). Carb sync is something you can do yourself. Find someone with a vacuum gauge and have them show you how it's done. Plugs are easy to do. Use the tool from the kit to get in there. Will need to remove the tank and the dog bones to get to the front ones. Use BLUE loctite on the bolts putting the dog bones back on. Fluid replacement is fairly easy. If you have questions, there are several threads on here about doing it. And lastly, 40K kms in 7 years? Get out there and ride this beast! RR

This fully qualifies as "Stupid Fast" 'nuf said. RR

Good diagnosis. Check this. Easy and quick. RR

Coil or ignitor. When it heats up, things deflect/grow and a contact is lost. It also can open a crack and water can get in (riding in the rain). To confirm, get the bike warm and start spraying a water bottle (like a Windex bottle with water in it) around the coils and ignitor. ScooterBob had this problem a few years ago. If I run into him, I will ask. RR

Dang, that is a great offer. FYI - My OEM went out during a trip down south. Road about 1000 miles home on it. During one bump, the brake caliper put a small dent in my rear fender. Replaced with a Hagon shock over the winter. Seems to work fine. RR

Wait until you try to change out a rear tire. Finding a good local shop will be your next action. Well done though. RR

IIRC, the key code is also on the underside of the ignition switch housing. It's a piece of work to get to it, but .... RR