PuttPutt

My forks seem to be acting up. I went and sat on my bike, leaned it up off the kickstand and my front end raised up as if they were compressed. When I hold front brake and pump them they have a knocking sound. They also seem to dive while braking and kind of click while going over rough spots on road. I have done nothing but changed oil in them and added 5w back as manual suggested. There is no leaks and spring was withen spec.They move freely while pumping them but seem to compress to easily. Any ideas on what needs to bee done..should I add a 10w or 15w to stiffen them up a bit? Damper rod issue? All advice is needed...thank you all. Oh ...could I have trapped air inside from changing the oil?

I tried a number of options. I ended up moving it to the ON position, added a few drops of crazy glue and set it tto on. Cranked right up. Atleast now I can ride. I actually never turn the switch to off anyway.

If not...does anyone have a spare on off that is junk I could rob the black side from..

It is funny you asked that. I took the switch back apart and found the issue Ok...the RED On/off switch rides between a white gear type deal on the left and a black piece on the right that has the red leads soldered to. The switch its self has two springs and a tiny bb and a triangle copper connection that floats on one of the springs. To get to the problem, I guess I knocked off a tiny little guide off the black side that keeps it with enough pressure to keep it from "jumping" out of position and not connecting the copper connector on the other side...so yes I guess you could say it was not turned on...now how to fab a tuny solid stick of plastic to go in its place and stay put. Thinking about drilling a tiny hole and putting a tiny screw in its place.

I installed new bars on my bike. Barron drag bars and wired them internally. Ok...after I ran all the wires I cranked it up for just a second tom make sure I connected the two R/W wires from the ON/OFF switch on the starter switch. After doing that I took all the wires and connectors and stuffed them all into the headlight as usual. I took apart the Starter Switch and noticed that the Sky Blue and the Black wire ,that sits right behind the actual black starter button, well the Black wire was hanging on by ONE strand of copper and ha popped the solder connection. I took the screw out that held it in and cut the Sky Blue and the Black wire as to take to bench and solder the black wire back on. Did that and soldered the wires back where I had to cut them...no problem. Problem...still will not turn over. Oh yeah, when I engage the starter button the RED TEMP light comes on in the meter. Any ideas? My next step is to pull the headlight and check all the wires and maybe pull wires from bars to check for a knick in one of the wires. All my fuses are fine also....just no vroom vroom. Thanks everyone.

I hear ya...I was suppose to buy a 2005 V-Max today but talked myself out of it. Dont think I would of likednthe way it handles. I think I want to take my 96 and soup it up a bit. I have a 2007 Warrior that moves along pretty good. My RS gets up and moves pretty good also. I keep hearing about it being a slow sluggish machine. Mine really isnt. I am not saying it will raise the front tire, but from 1st to 2nd it sure wants to. I really just want a little more low end to it. I love to glide down the road on that old girl. It gets so many head turns and people always ask me what kind of bike is it. All of my friends are all Harley this and that...but their Dyna's dont like it when I pull off from them...haha. I take care of her and people have a hard time beliving it is as old as it is...I love the old bike!

My bike runs great. I am itching to upgrade a bit in performance. Bike has a k&n filter and OEM exhaust that I drilled holes in the end to get a bit more rumble. I was wanting to know what everyone thinks would be a good starting point for me. I was thinking about jetting the carbs with a stage 1kit. Thanks for any replies!

I am pretty sure 1996 all the way up to 2001...maybe even a little newer. I have a 1996 and have looked myself. There are a few on ebay right now. I think one is $47.00 and looks great. I tore my seat apart and rebuilt it so I am sitting more "in" the bike then perched on top. Hope this helps you out.

It was a damn front left outside pad...I guess the caliper got stuck in a little bit and it was clickin around in there. I took a real good look at it this morning. Little mirror and pen light. There was a little more play in one then the other. Took caliper off and pressed in the pistons...problem solved. I guess that might be why you install the spring...lol...has one now and all good. What was strange was that it was actually in time...click click click click...I blame the tic on these roads around Shaw AFB!...That was a first for me. So I am glad to say everyone can sleep tonight!

Took the 96 RS out tonight. Noticed a CLICK CLICK CLICK sound coming from my front end. Doesnt seem to get faster or slower with speed. Funny thing is, when I touch my brake lever and apply a little pressure the CLICKING stops for a couple of seconds then starts right back up again.I stopped and felt the right and left disk and they didnt seem over warm or one warmer then the other. Thought it might be a piston sticking on the caliper but not hot at all. Any ideas for my next step to search out this irritating sound? Thanks to all for input!

Cowpuc ya ain't right bro!

Went and really checked it over. Cranked on first spin of motor, and sounded absolutly wicked. Nice clean bike. One owner and 16,000 miles. Beautiful Corbin seat and no rust . Bike looks like it had really been taken care of. Think I am gonna get it.

I have found a beautiful 2005 VMax for $5000.00. Not a scratch on it. Seat is perfect. Has a sissy bar installed and is red and black. Metzer tires, plenty of tread but dry rot cracks on front tire. Sound like good deal?

1996 Royal Star...thanks

Anyone please tell me a good place to order seals for both front calipers and the rear? 1996 Royal Star. Thank you all in advance!!!

So, my rear axle is bent...problem is is that everywhere I look for one says part is not available anymore. Does anyone know where I might could find one. I cant believe they stopped producing something like that....thank you all!

Thinking removing the fork covers. What would be the cons of removing and leaving them off exposing the tubes? Not all bikes run the covers. Bike is a 1996 Royal Star. Thanks all!

I have a little drip drip coming out of the right side hose...well it looks to be the O ring. I have not gotten any deeper than a look. How much fluid is going to come out when I take it off? The hose is on top so I figure not to much? Also does anyone know the size of the O ring? Thank you all...

Everything is fine...those springs just looked strange.

I guess it is one of those things ,like the fuel air mix screw, that you are not suppose to mess with. I trll you what, when I went to take them off...I had to really turn hard to break the bolts free. Maybe they just set in but it was way more then 7lb it felt like. I had to clamp my hex wrench with vgrips...lol.

What do you torque them down to. I cant seem to find it anywhere in my service book. It tells you to torque the clamps to 2.2lb I think. But what lb for the two bolts that hold down the boot itself?

I would like someone who has a 1996 Royal Star with 28mm carbs to do me a favor. The spring that is on the side of carb #2 that hooks the linkage to the other carbs and also the spring on the side of carb #1 that the throttle wheel is hooked to. Can you go see if they are suppose to be tight. I can stick my finger to the springs and they are loose and not compressed. The same springs on carb 3and 4 are tight and compressed. It seems to me they should be tight. Someone please let me know what you see.

Choke is working as it should! Thanks everyone

I will call you about it for sure. I did read about, and saw a couple of pics of your fix. I went out to my bike last night and took a couple of pics of the plunger. I even went as far as to open the choke and bend one of the tans over. One tab I could easily reach because the tab was visibal from the top but the other was hooked different. I am assuming if you need to do both tabs on the same side of bike cause it didnt do anything but tighten then plunger in between the tab..no visibal movement towards contact. I am questioning myself as to, is this something that has been this way or did I do this after I reinstalled the carbs? I would love someone to take a couple of pics of the linkage on their bike so I can compare. I think I have everything connected right...but ya never know...

Is there a way to adjust the choke on 96 Royal Star? Mine looks to be closing the right carbs but not all the way on the side carbs. I am talking about the little plunger that the linkage bar hooks over. I actually need a new choke handle cause mine is busted.