Many more cheap mods 1st Gen.

[5bikes]

1. If your horns are not loud, take them off, remove the back cover, loosen the adjusting screw and nut and readjust for the loudest noise. Cover your ears!

2. Grease the hand and foot levers often, You'll be surprised how much easier they will operate and last. Do this often in wet climates.

3. Drop the carb needle jets to get better gas mileage.

4. On Std. models the area under the trunk under a black plastic cover is empty. I easily converted it to tool storage.

5. On Std models remove the fairing pockets/trays/compartments and cut it out . This will double your storage space. Fill in gaps with pink insulation? Carry light items only.

6. Cup holder: Walmart bicycle cup holder, $5, mount to handlebar. Use a metal insulated covered cup from $1 stores.

7. Wire tie the 2 side panel blackstraps to the frame so you don't loose them. $10 each from Yamaha!

8. The removeable rear trunks on MK1's have an adjustment on the underside brackets to tighten them up so they don't rattle as much.

9. My Venture leaned over too far on the side stand I easily extended it by adding a wood block under the foot. 1/2" thick.

10. I added a electrical brake light switch to the right handlebar to flash tailgators and when slowing down slowly.

11. If the trunk opens too far, hitting the driver in the back. Add a 2 piece lever that pivots in the center so the top lid only opens just over center.

12. The wires were too tight under the handlebar covers so I added a longer screw and spacer to give then more room.

13. On the rear fender the black extension gets dirty and muddy. I put silicone glue on the inner underside between to painted fender and black extension to keep it clean.

14. 2nd brake light $7 Ebay 24 LEDs mount on license bracket.

15. The blue high beam indicator is hard to see if it is "on" in the daylight (I drive with my brights on ALL the time, maybe why I'm still alive?) drill a very small hole in the center so you can see white light and recover with clear tape.

16. Footpegs vibrate? Put a small rubber insulator (inner tube?) between metal parts on the fold down stops.

17. Lots of slop on gear shift and foot brake lever? Put some thin teflon inside the pivots.

18. Aluminum screening on the radiator behind the grill will keep bugs and stones from going thru or plugging the radiator.

19. MK1's: drain the front air box drain hose back to the crankcase ventilation hose with a "T".

20. Loosely packed course steel wool will keep oil from entering the air cleaner in the crankcase vent hose line. (Or keep oil level at 1/2 way mark, scarely to me on long trips)

21. Glue the YICS box seam/joint before it starts leaking.

22. Glue the 4 air box intake rubbers in place so they don't leak or turn. See the tab on under side for positioning.

23. I took a good looking leather bag and converted it into a tank bag (don't laugh it's a purse with lots of pockets). Be Careful when doing tight turns.

24. There is a battery box drain hole (left rear) that just needs a hose attached to it so if you get a leaking battery it won't drain onto the engine, electronics, & solenoid, etc.

25. Use silicone (dielectric) grease on the intake boots, carb diaphrams, & all rubber to keep them soft.

 

DON"T DO THIS!

Edited January 1, 2009 by 5bikes
Spelling/grammer

[Thom]

Kewl , # 7 will be done today ! Thanks

Thom

[skydoc_17]

Thanks Chuck for a great list! I never even thought about some of the things you mentioned.

Earl

[Yammer Dan]

That list comes from riding a 1st Gen for a while!! Good one to keep around!! Thanks.

[PBJ]

I already do #2, I like #1-7 and 11 all good ideas Thanks!

[FROG MAN]

Good info lets get started. Oh forgot it's 19 degrees outside.

[pegscraper]

Some neat tips and tricks there. But I don't understand #10. I already have a brake light switch on the right handlebar. It's called the front brake lever. The brake light will come on before the brakes set.

[Rottdoglover]

Great tips. To cold to ride so might as well do some preventitive maintainance. Thanks:178:

[5bikes]

Just pulling in on the brake lever to get the brake lights to come on still applies a small amount of presssure to the pads. The switch is more for tailgators. I can flash them at any rate I want without slowing down. I can hold the throttle steady and push the switch with my thumb (switch is located under the starter switch) easier than applying the brake and holding the throttle.

My wife's suggestion of turning around and looking at them and flashing the brake light has gotten even better results.

Then again some jerks never get the message even with my 8" x 10" "DO NOT TAIL-GATE" sign on the back of the trunk. Even my friends say I get more tailgators than any one they know.

[a1bummer]

I hate tailgaters too! I've stopped in the middle of the road and gotten out of my car to ask what the fudge their problem is. I could understand if I was going well below the posted speed limit. But I usually do about 8 over.