cowpuc

Your welcome guys, here is another point of interest for me that you all may enjoy.. coming out of canyonland we pulled into a fuel station (kinda pricey place - 5.29 a gallon for 85 octane). There sat a bike that appeared to be plugged into a 110 volt outlet, it had been "streamlined" like bikes that run on the Bonneville Saltflats, had some decals on it and just looked suspiciously like something I should check into (its a flaw in my charector, always nosing around...).. Of course I left my bike sitting on the fuel island and boogied over to the suspicious bike. Tippy went inside to get something to drink (cool off - it was well over 100).. The bike looked to be an electric motorcycle built for highway usage.. some pretty elaborate fairing type work and lots of NASA looking wiring and stuff.. Tippy came out and told me that she thought she noticed a guy inside that was had probably been riding the bike.. Of course we went right back inside to check him out.. Come to find out the guys name is Terry Hershner (sp), riding cross country on his electric bike. He was on his way to Ohio for some fuel economy competetion with the likes of Craig Vetter (whom he is very good friends).. His goal was 1000 miles in 24 hours (good ole iron butt stuff) at zero cost!! Said he could run about 80 mph for almost 150 miles without a recharge.. I was telling him about our love for coasting downhill and about a 39 minute coast we had experienced at Kings Canyon last year and how I imagined he got the same "feeling" riding an electric bike as we did coasting down mountains - engine off, in neutral (the silence is amazing).. He was amazed at us for doing that - even asked me to sign the back of his bike!!! Anyway, I just did a google search on him and it appears he is in the Guiness World Book!! Pretty cool... I am the old guy in the pics... What a blast,, ya NEVER know what adventuring on a bike is gonna bring into your life..

Hi All Tippy and I are putting a few more miles on the 83, after spending some time at Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reefs and Great Basin Nation Parks (gorgeous places - I swear that Canyon Lands is right on par with the Grand Canyon, in its own way maybe even more awesome) we finally got out here to Sacramento for a weeks visit with the kids.. Lots of crazy stuff always happening as always happens on a bike trip (as most of you know).. My new 404 on the rear only made it to 4 thousand miles - the heat out here ate it alive!! After looking around Moab Utah for a new tire (we were almost down to the wear bars) we finally found ONE in Moab - guy wanted 230 bucks for another 404 sheesh).. Passed on that one, talked to some local tire store folks (cars) and found out our closest bike shop was RichField Utah. According to our little trip Map that Tippy picked up at a visitor center someplace in Utah Capital Reefs Nat Park was right between us and Richfield.. Well, after spending a night camping at Hogans Pass up in the utah mountains (outstanding), having trail mix for dinner and very low on gas we finally figured out (thanks to a national forest park ranger) that the capital reefs park was placed about 80 miles west on the map of where it was suppose to have been placed - oh the joys of biken!! A day later we made it to Richfield - bald tire and all.. All the Yamaha Shop (Jorgensans) had in stock was another 404 too (sheesh again) BUT they let us have it for only 145 bucks instead of the 230 in moab hahah, and only charged us 25 bucks for install (wheel off bike of course).. Headed back to Salina Utah to ride Hwy 50 across to California - hit the hardest blowin mountain winds/storm we have ever experienced - got hailed on.. Later found out that this same storm caused a major two bike accident at the Grand Canyon.. Always wanted to ride the 50 but never took time to do it - great ride other than real warm. Amazing the different terrains along that "Loneliest Hwy in America". We had just came over Connors Pass on 50, tippy had been complaining about not seeing any wildlife during this trip and bingo - 2 elk crossed a ways in front of us, another 200 feet and 3 more!!! We went around a sweeper and there was one standing on the side of the road about 50 feet from us - I slowed way down and it bolted and almost ran into us!! It missed the back of the back bike by inches!! We are visiting with our kids in Sacramento till this weekend and than gonna head to the Red woods National park and up to Crater Lake.. The bike cleared 148,000 on this one, has had 2 1100 mile ride days on this trip all of which were in 100 degree weather plus, been thru hail, rain and major winds and is still doing its job honorably!! Gotta love these ol yammies!! It appears I do have a clutch slave to rebuild when I get home - master cylinder was down in window yesterday and I do have some seepage at cover. Yea she's old and tired but so am I hahah Ride safe ya'll Puc

Thats awesome Don, your kindness is shining once again!!! Man I love this web site and the folks associated with it!! Puc

Normal for these good ol carbs..

CONGRATS!!!! Here is to wishing you a fantastic motorcycling experience with your new bike - may the highway treat you to all kinds of Venturing fun and may that "geeked" feeling your getting from these great ol V-4's never leave you (been ridin em since the mid 80's and I still have it too)!! Oh yea, being the typical male of the species I am stimulated by sight - CANT WAIT TO SEE THE PICS!! Puc

I once rode my KX500 home from the U.P. of Michigan with a blown shock and no Nitrogen in it - talk about a scary ride - and that was on a dirt bike!! Gotta tell you guys, riding a "springer mono" on a RSV simply wouldnt be a good idea.. Are there any other alternatives for this guy besides buying exact replacements? I wonder how close a first gen shock would be? Are these shocks rebuildable?

Ok, here is my guess,, the battery was flat dead from setting. The jumper cables got crossed and took out the fusable. The battery took a reverse polarity charge and that popped the fusable a second time.. At any rate, hopefully the fusable was able to protect any and all computer circuitry,, maybe you got fortunate.. If you have gremlins in the future you may have found the secret to producing them Puc

Also might want to check your carb diaphrams.. I also had something simular to this happens and found a couple bad plug caps - high resistance through the caps.. Blackened plugs (from over choking) can cause it too...

I have experienced that same thing many times over - buy factory if your gonna get one - well worth it!!

Have never personally owned a Beamer but did a bunch of touring with a fellow who had one. Pros and cons that I observed and that we talked alot about while traveling (gotta do something while stopped for the night).. Pros NICE BIKES!! Super gas mileage! Very quiet! Quality parts and pieces! Excellent tour package! Cons High prices for quality parts and pieces. Not a lot of dealerships around. Seemed top heavy at slow speeds. Gotta park on center stand over night or ya get "puff" of smoke on start up. Guy had less than 40k on his and had already had issues with ABS and drive line - not cheap. I am always working on my bikes so I cant really say that the beamers are any worse than any other bikes as far as issues go - kinda all have issues they inherit.. I would love to own one too (I like all bikes) but, alas, money seems to be my ongoing issue (not enough haha)... If I had 5800 to spend on a bike I think I would save a little more and buy a newer Venture,, only cause they have proved themselves to me and got me home over and over again.. Puc

ME TOO!! The wife pointed out a bumper sticker on a cage the other day - it read "I see dumb people" - sure dont have to look to far or hard to get that to be applicable LOL

NICE STEVE - REAL NICE!! I have always wanted one too!! I almost pulled the trigger on one very simular to yours this spring in Michigan, guy wanted 3500 for it, problem was it wasnt street legal - is yours (looks like it is)?. The ONLY other thing I struggle with is that ol "two many toys and to little time to enjoy em" thingy - just selling the last of my huge bike collection and antique air gun collection because of that very thing too.. ANyway, I hope you get alll better soon and are able to enjoy that buggy - oh yea, I do have lots of sand dune fun here (Silver Lake) as well as massive miles of state ORV trails (they parellel our Cross Country Cycle Trail - over 1400 miles of woods riding ) to run those buggys on - you ever wanna come to Michigan and play just let me know and I will hook you up (save ya a bunch of $$ on out of state fees and stuff!!!!).. Get ya out of the heat too!!! Best of luck Puc

This is coming from 1st Gen experiences but probably still applicable. All good previous advice but here is more to think about.. There is probably a set of three wires coming from the stator (alternator) - they are all the same color (white on my 1st gens) and there should be a splice terminal for them (left side while sitting on the bike under the left side body/frame cover??). Split that terminal block and check coloration on terminal/wires for getting hot, also check wires going into terminal and the connectors internally.. Make sure they are clean.. I've had em get so hot from bad connection on this terminal (from resistance made by bad wire connection that the plastic plug had melted) You can do a resistance check on your stator at this connector too.. You just check from leg to leg (the resistance is suppose to measure the same across all three wires (seems like 3.5 ohms rings a bell to me,, maybe 6 ohms limit - I am sure the tolerances are on here somewhere) - just seperate the plug and check the lead going to the motor.. Will the battery take a charge off a battery charger and hold it?? Could be as simple as needing water in the battery..

LOL, I am sure that is doable and I think it it would be AWESOME!! And then toss in some Kold Kutters and hit the lakes on it next winter - THAT would be a blast!!! I gotta hunch the real hard part would be finding DOT knobs for it so it would still be street legal (here in Michigan they are pretty strick about that stuff)..

The wife and I were touring down by the tail of the dragon on our way out to sturgis last year, we camped for the night not to far from a little town up in the mountains that literally was one state on one side of the road and another on the other.. Seems like it was the Georgia/Tennessee line.. Anyway, I am really curious if there are any International border towns like that between our two great countrys..

Couple other things to add, Did you install the pads? did the pads slide easlily on the pins that go thru em? How were the bushings in the calipers. Most calipers are made to slide on pins and bushings (or some faximilie thereof) to equalize the pressure being placed on the rotor from the piston(s) pressing the pads against the rotor. If getting unequal pressure placed on it it will flex.. Another thing to check is the rotor surface - I have seen lots of them with hard spots in them - did you resurface the rotors? Another possibility could be tire related.. A belt slipped in a tire can surely cause brakes to feel funny and go undetected till it finally fails.. Puc

Yea that was hilarious!! Thanks for posting that.. I cant help but wonder what that international border cut thru the trees looks like from space - I some how envision a saw tooth pattern like I used to cut in pumpkins for hollow ween - just a big hollow ween pumpkin floating in space.. Maybe scare away an alien or two.. I know one thing,, if I were one of those cowboys cutting that path back in the 1800's I would have done that hahahah

Been putting a lot of miles on our little Honda Helix, if you have never ridden one they are a RIOT for two up "scootering" but they do handle different than any other bike I have ever owned.. Having ridden down many bikes with flat tires in my life (stuff happens) and knowing the different "feel" the Helix has on wet roads and road snakes, I always wondered what riding a flat tired Helix down would be like - especially with the wife on the back. Tippy (the wife) and I were on the way back from dinner tonight on it, doing about 60 when I felt the familiar rear end wobble, she's ridden down many flats with me (more than one on the fully loaded Gen 1) and knows that when I say "flat" that its time to set still and follow the bike.. This thing was a handful!! Anyone who has ridden a big bike down with a rear flat probably can relate to what I call "guaranteed dog trackin" - especially below 30 MPH.. I have found that you cant over react (unless you want to biff it) you simply gently correct the dog trackin drift so it doesnt drift into on coming traffic or off into the ditch.. Tell you what, that little helix took every bit of tenderness in the drift as ANY big bike I have ridden out - even fully loaded and with a passenger on board!! Last year we had a 1 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/4 inch piece of steel go thru a brand new tire out in Johnson City Tennessee - never seen any thing like it!! This Helix flat was just as freaky - after I got it stopped and on the center stand I check the tire - the flippen valve stem had LET GO!! It has a 90 degree stem (very simular to a Gold Wing) mounted on a cast wheel - it was broke all most completely off flush with the wheel. Has good rubber on it, never a problem losing air, tire bead stayed intact, just wierd - never seen anything like this one in all my years of biking either..... Any way, be safe out there and watch those air pressures and tire conditions.. Spit check those shraders after adding air.. Leave the rest of the strange flat tires to me.. Puc

Yep, done many many miles of off roading on the Gen 1's. Have done miles of sandy back roads while ghost towning out in Arizona and the Utah mountains, also LOTS of two trackin the Grand Canyon area.. All fully loaded with tent and bags and most of the time with a rider on the rear. I jumped on a two track one time at the end of the Spear Fish Canyon ride while out in sturgis, it all began with a "short trip" on gravel to see some falls, ended up doing some single trackin, came out in Wyoming about 25 minutes from Devils Tower - all day in the mountain woods but a BLAST!!! One of the reasons I still ride a Gen 1 are the mid frame foot pegs - I ride alot standing up just like I did racing motocross.. Stay on the pegs, if your a dirt biker you KNOW how to handle sand - throttle on keeping the front end light, for cornering its throttle and rear brake application (not a bad idea to carry xtra pads if your going cross country). Run max air both front and rear in your boingers and set the rear shock at position four, I also run 15 wt in my forks when I go west - they are surprisingly well valved!! . Of course, these bikes are NOT dirt bikes or, for that matter, dual sport bikes. You gotta use your brain when it comes to mud/river crossings/steep hills - if it looks like you might get stuck and your alone DONT DO IT (I got stranded for two days in the out back of Utah once cause of mountain rain - not good - you NEVER want to get one stuck!). Gravel roads are a HOOT on these babys, very controllable on the hot shoe, just got to remember the xtra weight of the bike.. Couple years ago I spent 3 weeks checking out old coal mines in New York, Penn and the Virginias on mine, lots of two tracking and woods riding. One of the things that I learned about on that trip was how low the pipes hang on these bikes - destroyed a set of pipes. While off roading watch for rocks and roots and remember - this aint no CRF your ridin... Wonder if anyone makes an aluminum skid plate for em hahahh Have fun Puc

Yea, years ago my daughter and I stopped in Salina Utah on one of our cross country bike trips, some kids on quads come cruisining into town - passed a cop and pulled in to get gas. I asked if that was legal there, kid smiled and said - you aint from Utah are you.. Than a guy pulls in with a hitch mounted 28 foot camping trailer and a speed boat behind it, or course I, being from Michigan had never seen that before either.. I asked him the same question and got about the same response I had gotten from the kids, yep - we pretty much do what we want out here.. Now adays it is legal to piggy back up to fifth wheel here but I have been told that you have to have a special license to do so and max length is 70 feet..

I cant wait to see the new Indian inveiled at Sturgis this year, did you notice the pricing on it? 18000!! They are going after that HD Market big time!! If I had the cash I would grab one NOW cause if they catch on (and I got a hunch they will) I bet they will be a 28000 dollar bike in five years!! I was actually told buy an HD dealer that HD has dropped the Tour Glide and will be coming out with water cooled very soon... I really dont see water cooling going away, especially if the manufactures continue to get hit with more EPA regs, the leaner the engine has to run the more it depends on something besides air to cool it.. I actually think the days of the air cooled motor are limited..

Thats a really good question Gilli. I KNOW there are some folks that find enjoyment and fulfillment out of owning a new bike, will put thousands of dollars in it, actually dont mind the instant depreciation of buying new and than ride it very little - although their world is totally different than mine I certainly dont wrong them for it.. I like the trickle down. I personally think differently. I like to find those hidden jewels out there, pay cash for a good ol venture (have yet to pay over a grand for one) and than see how many miles I can squeek out of them (on my fifth one and have squeezed over 200k on three of those).. I have never had one of these ol 1st gens leave me stranded but I have always said that part of the privilage of owning old is that if it did I would just give it away, take a bus home or buy something to putt home on and start from scratch.. You just cant do that on bike that you owe 20 grand on, at least I cant. Now if I were wealthy , tell you what I would do just for the fun of it.. I would buy a Harley CVO Ultra CLassic brand new, get the extented warranty on it (unlimited miles for 7 years). I would than begin a 7 year bike journey that HD would never forget. I would LOVE to see if I could do the million miles on one bike thing, record accumulated time in shop for those miles and over all test this mighty HD (hog owners group) warranty that I have heard so much about to the limit.. Puc

Soooo, you two seen any "tital bores" out there? The wife and I sat for hours once waiting to catch one - we finally did - it was pretty cool..

I still just dont get why anyone would buy a "street glide" when, for exactly the same money you could buy an Electra Glide Classic - get all the goodies (tour pac - additional chrome) and then remove the stuff you dont want and have a street glide,,, this has always short circuited my brain... And that street glide (HD's best seller) out sold the electra like 10 to 1 - makes no sense (and certainly makes no cents).. I actually "rescued" a fellow bikers right rear bag not to long ago - he had forgotten to click his mount bolts and I could see it was just hanging on,, at first he tryed to out run the yam but when I ripped up beside him and pointed it didnt take long for him to pull over hahaha Not to hijack this thread but another really good point to make here for you HD guys with quick disconnect tour pacs - make sure you use little locks on them - I know a guy who had his fully packed tour pac ripped off - click click and its gone - those suckers are expensise to replace... Oh yea, and replace your Cam Chain Tensioner Shoes!!

Yea Dan but just think of the contribution to keeping these great ol bikes around you are making,, I bet your wife will actually thank you in the long run - I know someday my wife is gonna thank me for doing the same thing...