Doing my "Winter Maintenance"...

[videoarizona]

...before our riding season hits in full swing....

 

Two more things stand out in the differences from the 1st Gen and the 2nd Gen.

 

1: Toolkit

 

2: Ease of maintenance.

 

Oh...3. Putting bike on front tire stand.

 

1: Differences in the toolkits are like the difference from a TinkerToy set to a Craftsman. Even the spark plug wrench sucks. Won't reach and doesn't have the rubber insert. Of course, I may not have received all the proper tools to begin with...but like to think so...

 

2: Have to take half the bike apart to check the plugs. Really?

 

 

 

3: 150 front tire makes holding up the bike in a stable position almost impossible. She is wedged in as tight as I could get that 150 tire...and braced with 2 blocks of wood under the pipes. One more eason to go with a 130 front tire! Didn't want to use the hydraulic stand as I wanted to clean underneath and do an oil change.

 

Now, since I've had the bike a little over a year, it's time to change air cleaners (done), check plugs, oil and filter, clean up underneath, rear master fluid (looks good), might as well pull diaphram covers too while I'm here...

 

\Found Iridium plugs in scoot. They look good to me. But what do I know? I've always used standard plugs....Did put iridium's in 89 but that is easier to check and replace.

 

 

Whatcha all think? In order...left to right. 1,2,3,4. I'll clean them and re-gap them.

Edited September 12, 2017 by videoarizona
clarify

[bongobobny]

The big difference with the Iridium plugs is they last a whole lot longer than the standard ones. Especially with the 2nd Gen's the plugs need replacing every 10 K give or take, whereas the Iridium's last a good 25 K or longer!

[Kirby]

Yeah, what he said.

[vzuden]

...2: Have to take half the bike apart to check the plugs. Really?

 

Never had to remove more than the front motor mounts to replace the plugs. Tank removal is easy and does make the access to the sp plugs easier but it is not necessary

[videoarizona]

Never had to remove more than the front motor mounts to replace the plugs. Tank removal is easy and does make the access to the sp plugs easier but it is not necessary

 

 

True. But I still had to take off way more than what I do with the 1st Gen. Air cleaner replacement is 5 minutes on the 1st Gen, 30 minutes on the 2nd Gen. Plugs, the same.....especially since the tool kit was useless on the 2nd Gen. Used the 1st Gen's tool kit for that. Carb check of the diaphragms....tank has to come off on the 2nd Gen.

 

So to do all that I wanted to do...the bike has to come apart far more than the 1st Gen does....to say nothing of the lack of a center stand adds more time to either put the RSV up on a front tire stand with braces or on a lift.

 

My point was, IMHO, all the engineering thinking that Yamaha did on the 1st Gen was left on the "cutting room floor" on the 2nd Gen.

[videoarizona]

The big difference with the Iridium plugs is they last a whole lot longer than the standard ones. Especially with the 2nd Gen's the plugs need replacing every 10 K give or take, whereas the Iridium's last a good 25 K or longer!

 

I know. But that thought does bother me. My Yukon is going on 190K with original iridiums in it and getting better mpg's than when new. I have troubles thinking that would be possible with our V4's. Wonder what the most miles anyone has put on their iridium plugs on a V4??? Survey?

 

I just cleaned the plugs, gapped them and put them back in. BTW, my diaphragms looked brand new. Threw some carb cleaner on the plastic slides to clean them and put them back in.

Beans...forgot to take pictures....again!

 

Well have to put the bike back together and then put the oil change on hold until I get back into town next week.

I do enjoy working on them, but getting harder to go up/down from the garage floor these days!

[camos]

My point was, IMHO, all the engineering thinking that Yamaha did on the 1st Gen was left on the "cutting room floor" on the 2nd Gen.

Sure but don't forget, Yamaha gave the masses what they wanted with cruiser styling, feet forward controls and a fork mounted fairing.

 

Seem familiar only now the masses also have an air cooled V-Twin.

[videoarizona]

Sure but don't forget, Yamaha gave the masses what they wanted with cruiser styling, feet forward controls and a fork mounted fairing.

 

Seem familiar only now the masses also have an air cooled V-Twin.

 

 

Yeppers! Agreed. I do like the RSV. Very comfortable bike. I don't mind the air cooled V-Twin...provided it has the typical Yamaha power plant engineering behind it. It should be quite the motor. I do hope I get the chance for a ride in October when they come to Phoenix. I tried to sign up, but just got a form reply. We shall see.