Wife urged me to buy another bike

[Yammer Dan]

What I need is a good mechanic to fix my nice low mileage Gen 1!

 

What wrong with it??

[BlueSky]

What wrong with it??

 

Lots of stuff, mostly typical:

 

Leaking fork seals and now the front pads are soaked with oil

Leaking clutch slave cylinder (I think)

Howling speedometer (the last time I rode it that's what I think I heard)

Corroded spark plug wires

Carbs aren't right. It runs rich and the idle mix screws have to be turned down to 1 full turn out. I plan to remove the carbs and go through them replacing the enrichment diaphragms. I'm sure the weak ignition from the corroded wires has an effect on this.

 

Nothing real serious that I'm aware of. I just need to get off my butt and git-er-done. Now that my knee is getting better and the weather is getting warmer, I'll probably get to it. Just the idea of getting a newer, FUEL INJECTED, more reliable motorcycle is appealing.

[bongobobny]

Hey Blue Sky, sounds like you're suffering from getanewone syndrome...

[BlueSky]

Sounds like you have a keeper for a wife. Not many that encouraging.

 

My wife's attitude is that the last thing she wants me to do is sit in my recliner watching tv. Skydiving, mountain climbing, motorcycling, almost anything is good, not sitting in front of the tv. Yeah, I'm fortunate in that respect.

[leroy]

My wife's attitude is that the last thing she wants me to do is sit in my recliner watching tv. Skydiving, mountain climbing, motorcycling, almost anything is good, not sitting in front of the tv. Yeah, I'm fortunate in that respect.

 

That is good. Many of a good men have sat in the recliner just to die early or worse, get to where they can hardly walk. Keep moving and doing. With you interests you don't have time to sit around. That very good.

[BlueSky]

That is good. Many of a good men have sat in the recliner just to die early or worse, get to where they can hardly walk. Keep moving and doing. With you interests you don't have time to sit around. That very good.

 

Oh, I don't do the mountain climbing and skydiving. Those were just examples.

 

I think I will stop by the Suzuki dealer tomorrow and sit on a V-Strom 1000. I spent some time on the stromtrooper forum and those guys are fanatics about their bikes, especially the 650s. The 1000s have had more issues than the 650s but the 1000s were redesigned in 2014. I saw a youtube video of a V-Strom 1000 with some slipon Two Brothers mufflers and it sounded really good. That 90 V-twin is supposed to have good primary balance which the typical 45 or 50 degree or the parallel twin does not. And it is water cooled!

[leroy]

Oh, I don't do the mountain climbing and skydiving. Those were just examples.

 

I think I will stop by the Suzuki dealer tomorrow and sit on a V-Strom 1000. I spent some time on the stromtrooper forum and those guys are fanatics about their bikes, especially the 650s. The 1000s have had more issues than the 650s but the 1000s were redesigned in 2014. I saw a youtube video of a V-Strom 1000 with some slipon Two Brothers mufflers and it sounded really good. That 90 V-twin is supposed to have good primary balance which the typical 45 or 50 degree or the parallel twin does not. And it is water cooled!

 

I talked to the owner of MotoQuest a few months ago. He said the 1000 was OK with some problems but the 650 was about bullet proof. Of course he was talking of rental bikes and some rough roads. Last summer a friend took an almost new 1000 to Alaska and Prudhoe Bay. He had both front seals leaking by the time they left Alaska. Not saying the Strom 1000 is bad as all motorcycles have their flaws. I personally like shaft drive. Today's chains are good and I like Suzuki. The 1000 is too tall for me.

 

In any case get what you want, what fits you, and take off somewhere.

 

Happy Trails.

[BlueSky]

Well, the V-Strom forum has been informing me of all the potential problems with the 1000 up thru 2012. And I just went to the Dealer and looked at a 2014 V-Strom 1000. Supposedly, Suzuki fixed all the issues with the older version in 2014. They had a new 2014. It's really tall for an old codger with a 29" inseam. So, time to forget about that V-Strom I suppose.

 

However, I saw the bike that I wanted, there it was sitting on the showroom floor, a red 2018 Honda Goldwing. It's beautiful! I really like it! But, I'm not spending $27,000 on a motorcycle. Sooooooo, the next best thing is to get my 89 Gen I Venture on the road. That's the plan.

[Yammer Dan]

See I told ya!! Hey I agree with ya. If I could afford a wing Trike I would have one in the garage. Lucky to have the Voyager to cuss right now!!! Give that 1st Gen a good Strong dose of BerryMan's before you tear them out of there. 1/2 can to 1/4 tank or less. It may do something!! When I have one acting up I'll put a whole can to 1/4 tank or even stronger and run it in from rear line on pump and let it soak for a while. I have used a 1/2 & 1/2 mix with fresh gas and soaked them. I also do this with Sea-Foam and feel a little safer wit it. But the BerryMan's great stuff and I haven't hurt anything with it yet.

[cowpuc]

Hearing that Sky,, that new Wing is AMAZING!! Personally I think its the only new bike out there that the manufacturer has actually earned the right to charge even close to 27 thousand dollars for,, and even that is stretching it IMHO.. WOWZY WOW WOW WOW and hokey Manometer spaamokey thats a lot of cash for 2 wheels and a motor even if it does come with a telephone...

That said though,, climbing on the new puppy and lifting up between the knees and WOW is it light!!! Feels like a confounded big dirt bike to me!! Just amazing!! I would REALLY love to demo one but our local dealerships are to small for such stuff.. The big dealer in the area (Babbitts = the place where I am sitting on the one the guys are putting together in the pics) for us is only getting in 2 of them this season - I am sitting on the Wing and the Wing Tour with the trunk wont be there for a couple weeks. Only 2 so any form of demoing is out..

Getting Tweeksis ready and as soon as my neighbor on the other side of the pond stops messing with that White Washer, Tip - Tweeksis and I are gonna go hunting for a new Wing to with just for kicks!!

By the way,, Babbitts still got new Ventures available and have a discount happening Sky (see pics).. Save a few grand by riding belt drive - air cooled brother :guitarist 2:but dont plan on outrunning the guy who picks up your 89 if you do

[BlueSky]

Maybe it's the engineer in me, but I would never buy a new expensive touring bike with an air cooled V-twin. I don't mean to flame anyone who likes them. It's just not something I can understand. Yeah, my old 85 Kawasaki is air cooled but I paid $1200 for it when it had 1k miles on it in 2009.