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i have been running my 2007 on premium gas...can i down grade to regular...tring to save some cost without hurting the engine....thanks

Greetings. 1999 Venture with 38k miles has been sitting up for quite a while (just bought it). Just had carbs cleaned and now have oil and gas blowing out of right exhaust. All cylinders show approximately 120 psi of compression. Can this be caused by an intake problem? It seems this must be related to the recent removal of the carbs. Thanks for your time. Tommy

Never could find the articule about loose screws on a RSV, but, I know it will happen to the: left and right saddlebag lids trunk lid Now, for my story... Thursday I decided to take the 650 VStar midnight custom out for a spin and rode about 50 miles. Was going down a straight away when "sprong" the top of my gas cap came off and started to go to the road. I hit it with my right knee and it landed in my lap. Then, a metal/rubber section came up and i did the same thing. I slowly stopped and looked at pieces in my lap. In all 3 pieces. A brass piece a rubber piece and the chrome topper. I stuffed a leather glove down the tank hole and proceeded home. Out of curiousity I discovered my RSV locking gas cap fits beautifully on the 650. Probably the exact same cap. Now, I have to drain the gas tank and retrieve the two phillips head screws and the aluminum spring assembly that must have fallen into the tank. Guess what I'm saying is, the gas cap screws need to be added to that list...

I finally got enough stuff done on the bike to take it out for the first of many required doses of the treatment for PMS. There is no cure. Not a monster ride but a good shakedown of about 80 miles with a lot of it around town. About a third of it was on local streets and the rest on local highways. The wind was brutal, I have never ridden in that much wind and at one point going over a high bridge, with a 40mph cross wind, over the harbor, I had to slow down to about 40mph just to stay on the bike. There were a couple of times that a gust hit me hard enough that I had to make an effort to not get blown off the side of the bike. The bike itself seemed to handle the cross wind just fine, it was me that didn't. Of course the bike ran crappy since the tank is/was full of gas bought in October of last year, and of course it was crap reformulated gas to boot. It was well dosed with SeaFoam before it went to sleep for the winter. In a couple of more days of commuting to work, I should have the tank empty and be able to give her a nice drink of fresh gas. It is going to take a lot more work to get my left arm back into riding shape after the injuries from last month. I still can not hold in the clutch for a whole red light but a month ago I could not pull in the clutch at all. And yes being the stubborn one that I am, I have been avoiding seeing a Dr about it. I am hoping that in another week I can start pulling the trailer around some to get used to it being back there before I make the epic (for me) trek to Ohio in June. I have started to pay attention to my location in the lane and pretending that I am pulling the trailer. But the bottom line is that my PMS is doing a lot better now.

Well, I decided it has been over a year since my last mid-life crisis, so I had better get on it. I haven't had a nice vehicle (other than motorcycles) for myself in MANY years. The wife always seems to get the new car and I get the hand me down. So I decided my F-250 was burning too much diesel at $4.00 a gallon. Although this car doesn't get a ton more mileage, it does get a little more and the gas is cheaper. It's a 2006 Ford Mustang with 38,000 miles. Just the standard v6 model but a good compromise between the look I wanted and the better gas mileage I wanted. Looks brand new inside and out. I added window tint and a new radio so far...but this thing is like when you start adding to our bikes...there just isn't any end in sight to the accessories I could add. Some things in the future that might be added: hood scoop, window louvers, rims, chin and rear spoilers...It's a fun car. I don't drive it hard (never been a speed demon) but it can get up and go when needed. I'm a happy boy with a new toy!

I bought an 86 Cavalcade with 23000 miles to fix up and sell. Looks to be in excellent shape. Has a gas leak or stuck float. Praying it is an easy fix.

I just picked up a spare 1st Gen gas tank to put into the '84 and am thinking of creaming it before I install, and having never done one I'm looking for insight...

Well my little silverwing always did decent on gas at around 55mpg. Well last weekend I put in some sea-foam and rand it for just a bit. It has sat for couple days. Me and a friend decided to take advantage or a beautiful day and went for a ride. Total distance was 208 miles. Total gas I used 2.9 gallons. So my mileage has gone up to almost 72 mpg!!! Sea-foam is awesome. Just wanted to share. Ohh yea if you ever find yourself behind a manure spreader pass it as quickly as possible and convince yourself that was mud that was falling of of it. Shaun

A thief in Paris planned to steal some Paintings from the Louvre. After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van. However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas. When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, 'Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.' 　 I had no Monet To buy Degas To make the Van Gogh. I know...it's pretty bad! I dare you to have De Gaulle to tell this to someone else. I posted it here because I figured I had nothing Toulouse. (is it riding season yet?)

Woo-Hoo here's a gas coupon that we use in can use in Canada...but maybe only for a short time? Good for 1 Litre of Gas file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Brian/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-14.png

well after many miles of riding and figuring i have come to the following conclusions about the new sound. i have noticed a drop off in my fuel mileage. about 15 miles on a tank of gas. its not to b aD,considering what the cost of gas is. any further info will be posted thanks well has anyone eles found a drop in fuel milege after changing there stock pipes? is there any thing to do about it? let us know about it

I'm new to the form..I have a 1988 Ventuer Royale that has been sitting for the last 5 years. Before I try starting it I would like to remove the gas tank & clean it out & replace the fuel lines. Can anyone help me out on how to do this? Also any other suggestions on what to check on this bike would be helpful. Would like to have it up & going in time for the Rally!!!! Thanx everyone:Venture:

Thought you might enjoy this tale http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i418/twigg2324/IBA%20Saddle%20Sore%201000/IMG_0410.jpg The write up: The Iron Butt Association is a group dedicated to long distance motorcycling. It is easy to climb aboard a bike and ride it, even to ride it a long way, but to do so without preparation is to both invite disaster, and pain probably in equal measure. It is also fair to say that “long distance” to most riders would be a short afternoon drive for the dedicated LD Riders. We might consider two to three hundred miles perched atop a motorcycle to be a longish distance, and it is; but the Iron Butt rides start at one thousand miles, and just get longer. One thousand miles in less than twenty four hours, with every mile independently verifiable. That is the challenge, and it requires planning. As we will see later, it also require “doing”, and that it is possible to “over-plan”, built in flexibility will pay dividends down the road. Just under a year ago I paid $250 for a wreck of a motorcycle. It is a 1977 Yamaha XS750-2D. The bike had been stored for years under a lean-to. The tyres were rotted out, some large bits were missing, and the years had seen it become less of a motorcycle, and more of a home to various species of Oklahoma wildlife. The aim was to get the bike running, mechanically safe and sound, and create a decent machine for Jodie and I to enjoy on weekends. It would be nice to improve the appearance a little, but I’m not a guy who enjoys polishing. I like to tinker, and I love to ride. The re-build went fairly smoothly, and involved a modest outlay, lots of waiting for UPS, and some enjoyable “spannering” sessions. Slowly the bike took shape, and within a couple of months was back on the road. That was a nice time and we covered maybe 2500 miles last fall. It wasn’t enough. I had read about the Iron Butt Association, and it intrigued me. Even the introductory ride, the Saddle Sore 1000, is a prodigious riding feat, well justifying the label of “The World’s Toughest Riders”. I am not tough. I’m just me, Steve, a middle-aged family man with no pretensions to toughness. Ask the kids, I’m a pushover. Here was what caught my imagination. Could this bike that I basically rescued from a barn, carry me, husband, dad and regular guy, one thousand miles in less than twenty four hours? And could it do it safely, with at least a modicum of hope that we both might arrive back in one piece, and under our own steam? Well we nearly didn’t make it, but make it we did, and here is how …. The idea took hold in about September of last year (2010). We had ridden the bike a few times, and I had been wondering just how competent it was. It’s an old bike, 34 years old now, and does need quite a bit of “babying”, a bit like it’s rider, I guess. Never once though has it let us down while out riding, so what if the ride were to be a little longer than average? I had something to prove to myself, and so I set about planning to ride the Saddle Sore 1000. Any of the rides are possible, but this is the one that is fairest of all to ask of the motorcycle. No point pushing your luck. I used mapping software to begin working out routes. A straight out one thousand miles is possible in pretty much any direction from here, but that puts you one thousand miles from home, so a circular route, or an “out and back five hundred” works best. I planned three routes, all starting from home in Owasso, OK. I could go straight out West to Tucumcari, NM, south to Austin, TX, or a circular route taking in Oklahoma City, Wichita, KS, Kansas City, on to just short of Indianapolis, and back home. In the end I decided west to New Mexico, because I wanted to see New Mexico, and I didn’t want to negotiate the traffic in Dallas and Austin, and who the hell wants to drive across Kansas? The mapping software allows for very detailed planning, so I did. I had my route, including all the stops loaded into the Garmin GPS, and was set, so I thought, for a routine trip. The bike was prepped by changing all the fluids and checking that everything was functioning well. I have a full Vetter fairing, with lowers, and a full pannier set on the back. The most used item was my tankbag. I bought two RAM mounts to carry the phone and GPS, and would highly recommend them. I have a Motocomm intercom, which worked in some ways, and didn’t work in others. I was carrying plenty of snacks and water, a decent toolkit, two gallons of gas and a quart of oil. The biggest concern was the weather. I had been following the forecast, and the overnight low for the night concerned was 45F. This after a 70+ day with 66F the high on the Sunday. 45F is chilly, that is for sure, but it’s only for a few hours and is quite manageable with the clothing I had, including a good pair of winter motorcycling gloves. I had estimated the trip to take twenty hours and I wanted to arrive back in daylight. It seemed sensible to do the last bit of the journey, when you are tired, in daylight rather than in darkness, so I went for a start time of 10.00pm on Saturday 12th March. Everything was organized and tested. Panniers on the bike had spare gas, tools and oil. Top case was carrying clothes, a couple of cushions and water bottles, and I was ready. I was mindful of the name of this organization, the “Iron Butt”, and had tried to prepare accordingly. I know what “saddle sore” feels like, but I wanted to minimize it. I had seen an ATV seat cover in Walmart, so I bought one and fitted it. There is the first lesson. Never try something new on a ride like this, just don’t do it. I was thinking of writing to the makers of that seatcover and letting them know that, after four hundred miles in the saddle, their padded seat cover sucks! Previously I have rebuilt my seat, the stock seat being useless, and I have to say that while my amateur efforts are no substitute for a Russell Day Long, but they are tolerable. The Kum & Go gas station is one mile from home, so I started there. Filled up with gas, recorded the mileage, started my countdown clock at 24 hours and kissed my wife goodbye. A friend who has completed two of these rides agreed to be my start witness, and he rolled up on his Vulcan a few minutes before I left. When I saw Bill there, on his bike I half hoped he had decided to come along for the ride. In my heart I knew that he respected my wish to do this on my own, but at that moment, with Jodie and Bill waving me off, I felt very alone, and I didn’t want to go. I pulled away and it was a short drive to Highway 169 South. Headed down there and onto I 44 West. I was going to see a lot of both I 44 and I 40, they were the bulk of the route. I made good time down the Turner Turnpike to Oklahoma City and during that phase I discovered that the intercom wasn’t handling the phone well at all. I tried to call Jodie. I could hear her perfectly, but for some reason my microphone was useless. It worked just fine when I tested it a few days earlier, but had chosen a great time to fail. When I hit OKC, I needed gas. I had a stop programmed into the Garmin, and that is where I learned the second lesson. By all means ensure there is gas along your route, but don’t over plan. I had covered about 110 miles, and spotted a handy place to stop, so I did. I filled up, entered the mileage, etc in the log, and fed the numbers into the program on my phone. That told me something useful for a change. The bike had run 36mpg, it’s best ever, and it gave me a great figure to work with. From here on I knew to start looking for gas as I approached 120 miles on the trip meter. One hundred and twenty miles is also about as much as I can stand in one stretch, so all was good. Headed south from there, then West onto I 40. On the trip down to OKC the temperature had held steady at around 60F, and I called Jodie saying I was too warm in all the gear. I changed the winter gloves for my summer pair, and my hands appreciated that. Another one hundred or so miles found me in Canute, a small place just short of Elk City, OK. The gas station was modern, but closed. The “pay at the pump” was fine, so I filled up and called home. Life was good at this point, and I was beginning to entertain the hope that this was, in fact, do-able. As I continued along the I 40 west, the temperature plummeted. This was not in the forecast. The forecast low was 44F, yet my fancy phone was telling me that the current temperature was 35F. I didn’t need the phone to tell me it had suddenly dropped very cold. Thirty five degrees Fahrenheit, when you are rolling along at 70 mph on a motorcycle has a way of making itself known. My hands were hurting when I rolled into the Loves about ten miles short of Amarillo, TX. I didn’t know it then, but this was to be my turn-around point, and almost the end of my attempt. The temperature had sunk to 32F. I went to fill the tank with gas. At that point I was about three hundred and thirty miles from home. One third of the distance covered, I was okay, other than I was freezing … really cold. It was then I discovered that I had lost my wallet. Of all the things that can go wrong, losing my wallet was not one I had planned for. I suddenly went even colder, and had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that can only be described as a mixture of dread and horror. I frantically searched every pocket, pouch, everywhere, but it was gone. I was completely crushed. I had called the bank that day so that they wouldn’t cancel my card because of multiple purchases in three States, I had about two hundred dollars in cash just in case they cancelled anyway, and to cover other unforeseen emergencies. I hadn’t covered losing my wallet. So there I was. Over three hundred miles from home, freezing cold, butt hurting, empty gas tank, and no money other than the eighteen dollars I had set aside for tolls. I did what every other guy would have done under those circumstances. I called my wife. We worked out that I had enough money to get gas to return to OKC. I could buy about one and a half tanks, and the two gallons I was carrying would get me most of the way. Jodie would drive to meet me and bring money to get the bike home. The attempt at the one thousand miles was dead. She had said I had enough to get me to my planned turn-around in Tucumcari, NM, and she could wire money to Western Union, enough for me to continue. I vetoed that idea. If it went wrong, I would be five hundred miles from home, with no money, and no gas, and God knows what temperature! I spent about an hour in that warm place, drinking hot chocolate bought with my, now precious, gas money, and trying to warm up. It was time eaten from my twenty four hours, but I wasn’t really counting anymore. I now just faced a long, cold ride with no purpose other than getting safely home. Then a miracle happened. Jodie had manned the phones. She had tracked down the number for the last gas station and called them. She asked if anyone had found a wallet, and they had. A couple of kids had found it on the forecourt, and handed it in. It was , they said, apparently intact and still had my now cancelled Debit Card, and some cash in it. But it was still over one hundred miles in the wrong direction. Hoping there was enough cash left to get me home, I plugged the address into my navigation system, and headed back. I wasn’t hopeful, and I drove the first fifty miles back to a small place called Shamrock, OK, very slowly and feeling really quite depressed about the whole venture. As I sat in the McDonalds in Shamrock I idly looked at my countdown timer on my phone. Thirteen hours to go. You know … I just wondered if that were enough time to cover maybe six hundred miles. I still had all the receipts I needed, and I might have enough money, but I need a new route. So I did what any guy would have done, I called my wife. I left there with my route planning in Jodie’s hands, and set off in much better spirits to retrieve my wallet. That sixty or seventy miles flew by, I wasn’t too kind to my elderly, but trusty motorcycle which so far had not complained even once. I was still very cold, thirty five Fahrenheit cold, so I did what I know best. I started singing. Yeah, right there inside my crash helmet. A mad Englishman, belting along I 40 East, singing at the top of his voice all the country songs that tell the world about this desolate place we call home. I made it to Canute, having forgotten the pain in my ass for about an hour, retrieved my wallet and it still had one hundred and eighty dollars inside. All I needed now was a route. Jodie offered m a choice of two. First choice was to take the Indian Nation Turnpike South to Hugo, OK, or simply keep going along I 44 past Joplin, MO. How far past didn’t much matter. I just need enough distance. I was mindful of the verification team who later have to work out the mileage. The key is to “verify the corners”. That is … whatever route I take I need to prove I was at the extremities, and couldn’t have taken any short-cuts that would reduce the mileage. So I chose Missouri. It was a straight haul along I 44, and no corners to worry about. All I had to do was figure out how far I needed to run. It turned out to be around ten miles short of Springfield, MO. I had plenty of time. The only concern was that Jodie’s Mom (they were tag-teaming me), had warned that the weather forecast for that area was not good. They were forecasting snow. I didn’t mind too much, I was past caring, and snow would probably mean warmer! The run back to Tulsa was uneventful. It had warmed up quite a bit, although still chilly. The promised sunshine never materialized, but it was dry, the bike ran well and in no time at all I was at the QuickTrip at 21st and Garnet, Tulsa. This is only two miles from our previous home, so I know the area well. I was no longer short of time, and I half-contemplated a quick detour to have coffee at home, before getting back out. Another bad idea that I quickly dismissed. If I went home now I would never leave. Jodie reminded me that if I had to do this all over, the seven hundred miles I now had would have to be done again. I agreed, so I headed straight off towards Missouri, and some of the worst weather I have ever ridden through. It is worth noting here that I wasn’t thinking too well, and that I owe a great deal to my wife, who offered total support, and practical skills. They got me home safely. Having said that, I refused to hear what the Joplin weather radar was telling her, I didn’t want to know. I 44 East is a good road. Wide, clear and although it’s a Turnpike, that at least means a valuable time-stamped receipt. This really is a “tales of two halves”, as goes the old soccer cliché. The first half marked by the cold and loss of my wallet, with it’s attendant gloom, and the second half is a story about the weather. As I approached the Missouri State line the road became wet. It wasn’t raining, but it clearly had been. The further I went, the wetter it became. I could see the line of storms in front of me, but I had no way of knowing where they were going next. It is usual for a line running northeast to south west to be drifiting east, with the storms moving along the line to the north. I was heading east and they were in front, so for the moment I was okay. Then it started to hail! Hail in this area, at this time of the year is not to be trifled with. As I watched it bouncing off the road, the bike, my crash helmet, I was aware that it means one of two things. Either a winter storm is coming, and this is just hail, or there might be a tornado right behind it. I scanned the skies. It was still broad daylight, and I could see no wall clouds or funnels, so I figured this was the preferable, winter storm variety hail. Well that just means that it’s cold, and I’ve done cold, and cold is not going to stop me a mere two hundred and fifty miles from home. There was lttle in the way of rain, but the spray thrown up by the trucks was annoying. I was sore every where by now. My bum hurt something fierce, and I was shifting positions every thirty seconds to relieve it. The cold had gone through me, and whenever I tried to move my feet, pain shot right across my back. Strangely, I was not feeling tired, or sleepy. This was a trick being played upon me by my body. It was keeping me alert so that I could appreciate all the pain. I didn’t know whether to be p***ed or pleased. What is it about eighteen wheeler? Anyone who rides will know that passing a large truck is not pleasant. The buffeting is disconcerting at best. It makes the front of the bike “wobble”. That’s not dangerous, you just relax and let the bike manage it, which it does. But when you pass more than one truck, say on an incline, it is even worse …. And those things always seem to “hunt in paces”. I had chosen Sunday to be riding in the vain hope that there would be fewer trucks on the Interstates. Fat chance, they were everywhere. I was wishing I was in France where heavy vehicles are banned from the roads on Sundays, and the rest of us get to use them in relative peace. Te next stop was Joplin, MO. The stops were getting longer. I needed to thaw out a bit before the final out-leg to Springfield. It was getting harder because every mile was still taking me away from home. Under the old plan I would have been getting closer to home each minute. I know this isn’t real …. One thousand miles is the same distance however you do it, but it didn’t feel like that. Reluctantly, I saddle up and head east. It’s quit hailing now because it’s raining. The road is busy and I worked out I need a minimum of sixty miles before I can turn around. It’s hard. Every mile I am looking at the trip meter and despite my speed, they take forever to mount up. At fifty I am looking to turn around … Just five more miles. At fifty five I want to go home … Just five more miles. I would hate to do all this and not go far enough over the thousand to get a Certificate, so I press on. At sixty miles I spot a great gas station, so I stopped. That should be enough and I fill up, get the receipt and spent a little while warming up, with more hot chocolate. Then I called my wife again. “I’m at the turn-around and I’m coming home”. That was pretty much all that was said. I still had about one hundred and fifty miles or so, the weather was dreadful, but I didn’t care. I was going home. Still the Yamaha was behaving perfectly, it was I who was in danger of letting the bike down, but I wasn’t short of time so I was okay about it all. I now had a mere one hundred and sixty miles to go. I had a full tank of gas, and I could have covered that with the two spare gallons. On the other hand, a stop was a break, and I could afford the time. I stowed the phone in the tankbag because it was expensive and it’s not waterproof. The Garmin is. As a result, for the next leg it meant that Lattitude wasn’t giving position updates, which worried Jodie a bit. I ran all the way back to Miami, OK in the dry! It just happens that way. I called home from Miami, and I was shivering. Jodie could tell. I assured her I was fine. In fact, the only time in the whole trip that I had felt at all weary, was the first part of the run back to collect my wallet. That was a low point. From then on I had remained alert and cheerful. It stayed dry to the end of the Will Rogers Turnpike, so I stopped for a few minutes and dragged the phone back out. Safely mounted it would send out it’s signal again. At this point it would be reasonable to assume that the worst was over. I certainly felt that way. I was fifty miles from home, and had three hours to get there. The fifty miles would take me twenty two miles over the one thousand I needed. I was cruising. I could take it slow and easy. No point in rushing now and making some disastrous mistake. Although I knew I was tired, I didn’t feel it, but slowing down a bit seemed sensible. Well I did slow down. I slowed not just because I was being careful, I slowed because the weather Gods had one last trick to play on me, and it was going to get much worse than anything thus far. It rained. It rained pretty heavily. In a car, you flick on the wipers, crank up the heater a bit, yell at the kids to be quiet and just get on with it. On a motorcycle, when you have already covered nine hundred and seventy miles today, it’s not so easy. You try to keep your visor clear, you keep away from trucks because every time one passes you, or you them, your visibility goes from poor to zero, and you are left trusting that the road is where you think it is, and that the other drivers can see you. To that end I have a couple of modifications to the bike. The standard headlight has been replaced with a HID unit (more of that in a bit), and the rear has a whole array of high intensity led lights. They make me very visible, providing that folk are paying attention. As I approached Claremore, OK, I was watching the total trip recorder on the GPS. It was 998 miles and counting. I watched it through 999, then every tenth of a mile until that magic number arriver ONE THOUSAND miles. I had done it. I was done, made it, verification be damned. I had ridden one thousand miles and I knew it. I didn’t say much, or doing anything more that let out a satisfied “Yes”, with a grin so wide it nearly dislodged my crash helmet. There was still real work to be done. I was twenty two miles from home and it was about to get even worse. Still …. We, the Yamaha and me, we had done it. I left the Interstate for the last few miles and ran into problems. The road, despite the great headlight, went invisible. It was black, unmarked and wet, and I had about six miles of it. I couldn’t see a thing. My glasses had steamed up and the light can’t illuminate a black, unmarked road when it’s wet. I sat at the side of the road, called Jodie and explained, then wondered how I was going to get the last few miles to get a till receipt. In the end I just did it. With almost no visibility I managed to dry my glasses and keep most of the rain from them while I limped the few miles to a well-lit highway. I even missed the access road and had to turn around to get on. The last eight miles were easy, and I obtained a receipt at the gas station I left from twenty two and a half hours earlier. I didn’t need gas, and I didn’t want a full tank when I got home. I think the cashier thought I was some kind of wild man, because I just told him I wanted to buy something, anything that would give me a till receipt. I bought two Bic lighters, and left happy. As I rolled the bike into our garage, with Jodie waiting, it was all too much. There were tears. Would I do it again? Probably, but not for a few days! Lessons learned: The guys on the Iron Butt Forums know what they are talking about. Listen to them very carefully. Lights … You need very good ones. The HID single lamp conversion I have is terrific when it’s clear and dry. When it’s wet you need more. Keeping accurate logs is vital. It sounds like a no-brainer but believe me, when you are seven hundred miles into your ride, record keeping is not straight forward. You start to forget little things so get a routine, and stick to it. You will slow down, and the stops get a bit longer as the miles build. Allow for that. Don’t do what I did, and go when it’s cold. It was dumb. Even if it was doable at the forecast temperature, it doesn’t take much to make it a nightmare. I had great clothing. When I removed the outer layers at home, everything underneath, except my feet, was bone dry. Get good clothes. The rider is more vulnerable than the bike. A well sorted bike will run while ever it has gas, the rider is the weak point. So go rested, eat and drink regularly. Split your cash. Keep some inside your inner clothing, and if you then lose your wallet, or get your card cancelled, it’s not the end of the day. Have back-up. This success would have been a failure had I not had Jodie at home helping me when I needed help. GPS and the G2 phone were worth their weight in gold. Don’t leave home without them. A good seat is not a luxury, it will make or break you. You can ride with a little discomfort, but the pain produced by a poor seat will finish you off. There is a reason good seats cost money, spend it. Finally enjoy yourself. This is one of the few things you will do in your life that you will never forget. Try to make the memories happy ones.

Well I am sure that you all will tire of my questions before long but I have a few more here for you. First The head light, sometimes the low beam works and sometimes it don't. Thought it was the start button but have gone through that with the help of Dingy's thread on it and still have the problem. I have power at the switch all the time(when not pressing the starter) but not all the time at the light. Second one here, it had a full tank of acient gas (paint thinner now) that I was able to get most siphoned out, but there is about 1/2 gallon that I just cant get to. Will a can of sea-foam put in with fresh gas be OK? Third, I have seen it posted to relocate the TCI to a more accessible spot for future reasons, however when I set it up above the battery the cover will not go on. Can I mount it in the fairing? Fourth, I found at Oriellies a 12 spot spade fuse box, my current one has 6 (I believe) Should I stay with a smaller one or can the 12 spot one work (hope so it is being discontinued and is only $10). I think that is about it for now. Thank You, Shaun

PRICE OF GAS AROUND THE WORLD Prices are quoted in US dollars per gallon for regular unleaded. http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.2&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Oslo, Norway $6.82 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.3&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Hong Kong$6.25 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.4&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Brussels, Belgium $6.16 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.5&fid=Inbox&inline=1 London, UK $5.96 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.6&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Rome, Italy $5.80 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.7&fid=Inbox&inline=1 CANADA $5.36 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.8&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Tokyo, Japan $5.25 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.9&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Sao Paul o , Brazil $4.42 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.10&fid=Inbox&inline=1 New Delhi, India $3.71 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.11&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Sidney, Australia $3.42 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.12&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Johannesburg , South Africa $3.39 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.13&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Mexico City$2.22 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.14&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Buenos Aires, Argentina $ 2.09 ... YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS .... http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.15&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia $0.09 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.16&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Kuwait $0.08 http://ca.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f5580%5fAIUIw0MAAWB8TXhfUgz49mmfiOk&pid=2.17&fid=Inbox&inline=1 Caracas, Venezuela $0.12 Gee, if only Canada was an oil producing nation..... Hey, wait a minute!!!

Gas cost is obviously going up. I have a 2001 E-150 full sized passenger van. What do people thing of Compressed Natural Gas and is it feasible to convert or add this capability to a vehicle? Iowa Guy

I ride a 2005 RSTD mostly 2 up, when on longer trips with friends I usually will stop for gas before they do. I've noticed when the fuel guage gets down to about 1/8th of a tank, the guage disappears and the letter "F" shows up and it starts to count UP miles. How many miles does it give me before switching over to Reserve? Or is this my Reserve as the owner's manual states? How many miles can I push it after the "F" shows up? Thanx to all in advance for any insight into this.

Just looked at the recent gas prices in most major cities in Canada. We're around $1.24 per litre (that's about $4.70 per US gal) and we're the highest in all of Canada. Most other places are about 10 cents per litre cheaper and even Victoria, which is our next closest major centre, which is across the straight from us is cheaper. Lowest price posted is $1.01 up in Edmonton, Alberta. Now I know the cost of crude is going up and why but there's really something wrong when we Canucks have to pay such a high price, not to mention why Vancouver is so much higher than most of the rest of Canada. Thankfully our vehicles don't run on water coz to buy a litre of that would be outrageous! LOL

I know some of this may be repetitive and I apologize. I talked to a gas hauler today during an inspection and asked if he knew which service stations gets the ethanol and which ones don't. He told me that when a driver loads the fuel he has to enter if he wants the ethanol blend or not. Some stations want it and some don't. From what he told me (take it with a grain of salt) the stations get a tax break on the ethanol they buy versus pure gas. He also mentioned to what Freebird had stated before on another post about how it will prematurely eat up rubber fuel lines especially on motorcycles. They have to preplace rubber seals in their trailers pretty regularly due to it. I noticed that when my bike was in the shop week before last for the valve adjustment, they had replaced the fuel line to the filter (now I know why). But, basically the fuel drivers know who is selling it and who isn't. I'm not sure how accurate pure-gas.org is ($ changes people's minds). I'd rather know from the guy that just loaded it. Hope this helps some of you guys out and maybe its been addressed before...

A couple that attends our church had their house burn down this week; they were well insured and are all ok, however the fire department is telling them that the cover on his motorcycle rubbed against the bike and ignited a gas leak. I am curious if anyone has ever heard of this happening? http://www.abcnews4.com/Global/story.asp?S=13891411

Probably a thread someplace but can't find it. I have my bike on the lift, I have the battery tender hooked up, I have StaBil and Seafoam in the tank and I took a short ride (it's like 20 degrees here) to get all the additives in the carbs, I have it cleaned and waxed and the cover is on. Now my question is do you leave the gas turned on or off. Mine will not set til April without going out for a ride. It may only be 10 miles total or so but it will go out every 3/4 weeks. Thanks in advance

A friend of mine has this bike, and the gas tank "collapsed inward" - then mostly popped back out - but there is still a visiable dent of there. Does anyone know if a) a dent repair place can fix that type of thing (being it is a gas tank would that hurt the integrity of the tank) - b) is that gas tank interchangable with another STAR model gas tank (I believe it is the smaller 3.8 gallon tank). I have looked on EBAY for her, only couple of scratched up tanks, just trying to gather couple of ideas. Sorry, at the moment, I don't have a picture of this problem. Any ideas / suggestions would be helpful - thank you in advance.

I have an 08 RSV. In June, I was getting an average of 44 MPG (). In July, I changed the plugs to NGK Iridium, replaced the air filters with K&N, and replaced the fuel filter with a Purolator (??) recommended on this board. Since then, my gas mileage has dropped of dramatically (avg of 38 mpg, one-up, highway driving @ 55). Last month, in an effort to understand my loss of gas mileage, I pulled the plug caps (which all measured @ 9.6k ohms), and changed the plugs back to the stock NGKs, and synched the carbs. Over the last month, my gas mileage has dropped to approx 34 MPG...this represents a 10 MPG drop over the last 5 months... Today, I cleaned and charged the air filters...I'm not overly optimistic at this point. Any help or suggestions would be reatly appreciated...I'm running out of ideas!

There has been E-85 pumps installed where I buy gas sometimes, which is no biggie to me cause I don't use it. I thought the E-85 was going to be cheaper than regular gas and it was 20 cents higher I asked the cashier and that was joke, so did I miss something or was E-85 suppose to be higher?

Please send this information to ALL your family & friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen, they may not be able to get the children out in time. MUST READ, EVEN IF YOU DON'T OWN A CAR. Shell Oil Comments - A MUST READ! Safety Alert! Here are some reasons why we don't allow cell phones in operating areas, propylene oxide handling and storage area, propane, gas and diesel refueling areas. The Shell Oil Company recently issued a warning after three incidents in which mobile phones (cell phones) ignited fumes during fueling operations In the first case, the phone was placed on the car's trunk lid during fueling; it rang and the ensuing fire destroyed the car and the gasoline pump. In the second, an individual suffered severe burns to their face when fumes ignited as they answered a call while refueling their car! And in the third, an individual suffered burns to the thigh and groin as fumes ignited when the phone, which was in their pocket, rang while they were fueling their car. You should know that: Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumes Mobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat, etc. Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, (I.e., solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc...) TO sum it up, here are the Four Rules for Safe Refueling: 1) Turn off engine 2) Don't smoke 3) Don't use your cell phone - leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off 4) Don't re-enter your vehicle during fueling. Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of 'static electricity' at gas pumps. His company has researched 150 cases of these fires. His results were very surprising: 1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women. 2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping gas. When finished, they went back to pull the nozzle out and the fire started, as a result of static. 3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes. 4) Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished. This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires. 5) Don't ever use cell phones when pumping gas 6) It is the vapors that come out of the gas that cause the fire, when connected with static charges. 7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was re-entered and the nozzle was touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulted in extensive damage to the vehicle, to the station, and to the customer. 8) Seventeen fires occurred before, during or immediately after the gas cap was removed and before fueling began. Mr. Renkes stresses to NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it with gas. If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the gas is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle. As I mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware of this danger. I ask you to please send this information to ALL your family and friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping gas. If this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time.