sKiZo

A half million miles down the road, I'm still trying to figure out what this "biker experience and lifestyle" is. You meet good and friendly folk on a bike, but then again, you meet enough of those no matter what you drive if you're good and friendly enough yourself. I try hard to remember that's true even for those driving Winnebagos and garbage trucks when I'm trapped behind one. Then again, I got to think trundling down a goat path with a chunk of leather for a drive belt would be waaaay more experience that would weed most of us out in a heatbeat. I'm not a biker, not even a motorcyclist. I do however, really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really enjoy riding motorcycles. ** PS - Given the choice between a carbide light and a PIAA super white halogen ... I think I'll stick with what I got, ok.

Already been covered, but worth repeating. The low pressure fuel line is probably what's causing the problem. Depending on the line routing, if it's laying right on the motor, the fuel can boil and cause vapor lock. Only real cure is to let it cool. If it's just an occasional thing, no biggie, but next time you're in there, check the fuel line from the petcock and figure out a way to prop it away from the hot stuff. O-rings around the line or just some spacers cut out of rubber hose should do the trick. You don't want to run a solid chunk of line over the fuel line - that will eventually hold even more heat. Routing isn't especially critical for fuel delivery on a pumped system, so I might even change out to a longer hose and try running it outside the frame rail if it were a regular issue. I've also heard that an extra inline fuel filter can help by allowing any vapor to filter out of the line there instead of blocking the line. I know on some bikes you can remove the vent plug completely, but then you risk a fuel spill on a tipover. Never tried it with a yamafour ... Also, do try removing the tank cap next time it acts up. If you hear a whoosh or burp, the tank isn't venting right. Especially common on the CAL tanks. Some of the caps are rebuildable, some aren't depending on the model, but you can usually blow out any obstructions and free up the vent with high pressure air. Couldn't hurt.

Lucky me, my doc gave me the option of either surgery or therapy - I went with therapy. Don't believe you mentioned if your problem was traumatic or just old ... er ... older age. I did mine falling off a roof - that's more in the category of stupidity I guess. Tip to self - stay off roofs in winter - it can get slick up there. Mine was a 40%+ tear which is borderline for therapy, but apparently there's a whole lot of redundancy in the muscles. Went for it, and absolutely no problems since. Knock on wood, toss salt over shoulder. Yeowch? Anyway. Stretch, stretch, stretch. Once you lose range of motion you're fu ... fu ... functionally impaired for good. Best tool for the job? Get a heavy duty closed pulley and hang that from a doorway. Run a piece of nylon rope thru and tie a couple handles to that about chest level sitting down. A couple chunks of sawed off broomstick drilled for the rope work well. You pull the bad shoulder thru with the good one, scream, repeat as needed. You can get all kinds of action on the shoulder by moving the chair around - front stretch, back, to the side, across the chest - just make sure you attack all angles and make it hurt without hurting yourself. Concentrate on the angles that give you the most problems - once those settle down, all the rest follows. Couple days, you'll be amazed the difference. Keep that rope handy and give it a go anytime the shoulder starts to stiffen up, which it probably will for a while, especially up there in cold country.

And now for the long version, narrated by Captain Kirk. I caught this one on NASA TV and thought it was very well produced. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvaG0xDdP8g&feature=player_embedded]The Space Shuttle (Narrated by William Shatner) - YouTube[/ame] Still an impressive machine, especially considering it's a 40 year old design. We won't have that kind of NEO vehicle again for a long time. ISS would never have happened without it, and I guess we now need to keep our fingers crossed the Russians don't let us down keeping it running. PS - I did two launches - one day and one night, and I still get chills thinking back on them.

Popping is more unburned gas in the pipes than anything else. And for whatever reason (I'm thinking screwy linkage) #4 seems to do it the most. I always had some burbling and popping on a hard decel, like coming off a freeway on a short ramp. Even the occasional backfire from hell - the one that makes you want to look for holes in buildings where your valve might have landed. Tried this that and the other. I was able to tune a lot of it out with adjusting the PMS, but the real cure for me was switching to iridium plugs. Those apparently do a better job of scavenging fuel in the cylinders so you don't have any leftovers getting to the pipes. No fuel, no boom, even if you do have minor air leaks. Try it - you'll like it!

I have the silver mesh and it's comfortable up to the mid eighties. Don't cinch the cuffs and just zip it up enough to stop any flap and you're good to go. I wish I could find a mesh helmet to match ... For me, it's all about hiding from the sun. I got a killer sunburn crossing Indiana the long way a few years back. Did you know you can catch shingles that way? If you've had chicken pox, the virus never really leaves your system and any major skin trauma can cause the bug to come out and mutate. Since then, it's SPF 85 and the mesh. Ditto on removing the lumbar pad in the back. The rest are OK. BTW - that pad is quite the conversation piece if you leave it laying about. Half the people break out laughing, and the other half cover their kiddie's eyes. Anyone who's seen one knows what I'm talking about. The sizes do run a little strange - I had to get 2x to fit the shoulders and arm length, but the velcro adjusters at the waist left it real loose. I could get them sized ok, but ended up having to staple them in place. Granted, not much of an issue for of us.

Lucky me ... my rig tips up to the rear, which raises the road clearance on the axle a few inches. Jam in a log or cement block, then pull the tongue down, and the wheel is off the ground. I've got a light duty adjustable tripod that I use around the house. 12 inch tires, so I may have more clearance than some to get in there comfortably. Been thinking about making a jack stand for the tongue out of a piece of square tubing. Just cut it the right length, then tap it for a bracket that would bolt to the tongue. Locking wing nuts, and just pop it and turn it down when needed. Axle tube (also square) is the same size, so it'd be easy enough to move it over there if I had to do some tire work on the road. If I wanted to get fancy, add a pivot plate with a couple locking pins to make it easier to rotate.