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Gearhead

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Everything posted by Gearhead

  1. Gearhead
    Yup, I was asking this same question a year ago on this forum. My rear spring was sacked - not leaky and it was functional, but the bike sat way too low 2-up, even with max air pressure. I finally bought the shock for $335 from MAW. It works good; not quite as stiff as I expected. My wife and I are around 400 lb together and it works best with the spring preload set at max (installed spring height 5" per Progressive instructions). That provides a nice balance of ride height 1-up and 2-up, and the ride quality is very nice. I started with a little less preload and ended up at the max. I'd set it there before even installing it if I were you, unless you never go 2-up. Damping adj. is pretty easy to get to. I have Progressives in front and left the air connected. With present preload I like a few psi in the forks; a little more preload might alieviate this. I took the rear air connection and ran a hose off it into a saddlebag, and installed an air chuck. Emergency tire pump! Not ideal as the little compressor isn't very excited about the volume of air a tire requires, but it does work. Jeremy
  2. Gearhead
    Yeah, what they said. I don't think that diesel or MC oils are offered in 10-30 or lower, actually, so neither are Energy Conserving. Bottom line - look for the label. Jeremy
  3. Gearhead
    It's refreshing to read this! Jeremy
  4. Gearhead
    The Energy Conserving oils are the ones with the extra friction modifiers that are said to be bad on clutches. Energy Conserving rating only applies to 10-30 and thinner - I'm pretty sure that 10-40 does not have the rating. I know that 20-50, mono grades like 30 or 40 and diesel 15-40 are not Energy Conserving and don't have the harmful friction modifiers. Synthetics are another subject and have a debate of their own! I've replaced the clutches in my Virago and Venture, both around the 50-60k mile mark, both because of slippage, and measured both to have every single part in spec, including the springs and friction discs. In both cases, all I replaced were the friction discs, and in both cases the slippage was cured. The Virago now has 130k miles with no slippage. I've had other issues, but no slippage! Both were purchased used with 45K or so on them, so maybe they were both run with some kind of no-no in the oil. Jeremy
  5. Gearhead
    Popeye, your tach intermittent issue is a clue. I've had a problem when water has gotten down by the TCI with just that - the bike runs a little funny, idles rough and sometimes dies, and the tach quits. Might be inside TCI as discussed, and might just be the connections. There are three that are really suspect. Two are on the TCI itself which is hard to get to, but I was able to pull the battery, reach down there and unplug them. Sprayed some contact cleaner, did several plug-unplug cycles, and reassembled with vaseline. The third connection is between the pickup coils and the TCI on the schematic, located behind the LH side cover, right under your left thigh when seated. There are also two connections there for the charging system that you should clean while at it. Jeremy
  6. Gearhead
    There was a company called Pro Tac that was making backrests for many cruiser models, priced a little over $100. Look for them online. Jeremy
  7. Gearhead
    Flaky ignition is more likely to fire at idle and miss under load, not vice-versa. First, as already asked, is your bike really running on all 4 when revved up? A top speed test may be in order as I've heard that will quickly expose a missing cylinder under load. If the miss is only at idle, that suggests to me a plugged pilot circuit in the carb. Jeremy
  8. Gearhead
    That strobe setup is cool. If I'm not mistaken, the windshield turns blue because the blue light from the switch transmits into the windshield, and some of that light travels through the plastic (like in a waveguide) to the edges which then glow blue. I had a similar phenomenon in a shield I added to my Virago. It was picking up light from the headlamp on the lower edge and making the whole edge glow, only noticable at night. Very distracting. I installed a headlight visor which isloated the offending edge and it fixed the problem. Jeremy
  9. Gearhead
    Have you thoroughly flushed the cooling system? Remove the lower radiator hose at one end and the cylinder side covers and little rubber plugs behind them, along with drain and rad cap. Flush water with a hose in one and and out the other, then reverse, in every combination you can think of. See what comes out. Could be that the radiator needs servicing. There's also some funny things that go in in the "breather box" - the aluminum hot-dog-looking thing between the cylinders under the carbs. Jeremy
  10. Gearhead
    Thanks guys, will check these things. Jeremy
  11. Gearhead
    Interesting concept, but you get more accurate fuel metering and the best performance from individual carbs. That's why they were done that way to begin with. Would've been cheaper I think for Yammy to fit a manifold and single carb like a car, but they did it this way. There's a popular retrofit for Viragos with a manifold some guy makes and a single Harley carb. People claim this and that about it, but the bottom line is there is a loss of top end HP but it is easier to work on. Jeremy
  12. Gearhead
    Marcarl, My dad has a Kawi Voyager on which the Intercom is standard but the CB is optional and his doesn't have it. We found a guy on the web who has done just what you want to do on his Voyager - wired a standard CB into the factory intercom system. Of course the Voyager's system is not exactly the same as the Venture's, but the concept is the same. It involves a handful of electronic parts you can order from Radio Shack's website. He ordered the parts and we laid them out on the little breadboards, but haven't soldered it together yet. The guy is an electrical engineer and says it works on his bike just like the factory system does. I attached his very complete schematic and some info I compiled on mic pinouts. Maybe it can be adapted. Jeremy
  13. Gearhead
    Me too. Usually the radio drowns it out so when I occasionally drive with it off the whine jumps out at me. Jeremy
  14. Gearhead
    "'delaminated by the Acceleration' " Hmm, I'm not sure that "My parts were delaminated by the acceleration" sounds any better! Jeremy
  15. Gearhead
    FYI, this stuff is still available from the factory. I recently purchased a new triangular hot-air-vent for my 87. They are not cheap - $70 - but the one you lost is a lot smaller and must be less expensive. BTW, I love your red Venture! Just this morning I was looking a a red Harley with just a touch of metallic in it and thinking how good that would look on my Venture - maybe someday when I have free time!:rotf: Yeah, and maybe pigs will fly! Jeremy
  16. Gearhead
    "what you want to do is remove your black rubber liner, remove the glass, and paint it white" Is this only on the 83-85? I can't figure where this would be on my 87. Condor, are your 35W lights MC specific? Where'd you get 'em? Most car ones I see are 55W which concerns me, although some of you obviously have no problem with them. Does anyone else find the light pattern to be funny? The light cutoff at the top of the pattern is very sudden, and I have a hard time with the compromise on the height adjustment. On low beam in corners, the upper cutoff is a big problem; I can't see very far around the corner. If I adjust it higher, then hi beam is ridiculously high. I have a Silverstar bulb but it's hard to say if the helped. It wouldn't change the pattern at any rate. Jeremy
  17. Gearhead
    Haven't done it but I have an idea. It would require that you have the stock amp. You could run the aftermarket stereo into the amp where the old cassette did - that's what I did for my MP3. If you want to do it w/o the amp, that I don't know! Jeremy
  18. Gearhead
    "The bikes are built on racing platforms and then modified for the highway before being sold to consumers. They boast a light weight, powerful engine and are meant to be all about speed. IIHS says the bike is especially popular among riders younger than 30. " This from the first article - the accident rate is not the product of the bike per se but the mentality, hormone level and experience of the rider. "24. The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents. " This reflects the benefit of proper training, of course, but I think it again is more of a reflection on the mentality particular riders who TAKE the training. Those who do are more concerned about safety in the first place and would be more safe even without the training. "1. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most often a passenger automobile. 6. In multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents." That conflicts with a stat I heard before which said that over half of bike accidents are single-vehicle and are simply related to the rider failing to control the bike. I wonder if this reflects some bias from the "personal injury" (lawsuits-R-us) website. We just have to be super-aware of our surroundings, from potential "puller-outers" to rocks in the road, etc. When I see a car that could pull out, I like to keep one eye on the front wheel. It's easier to detect the wheel turning than the car moving, if that makes sense. I too have ridden without glasses or visor at night, but I've also had stuff bounce off my forehead even behind the Venture's big windshield. I need to change my night habits in that regard and get some clear glasses. "41. Groin injuries were sustained by the motorcyclist in at least 13% of the accidents," !!!!!! Jeremy
  19. Gearhead
    " When I changed the diaphrams in my '89 I had a member tell me to check a marine parts dealer. As it turned out the carbs were the same as Yamaha puts in boat motors and they charged about half what the bike parts places wanted. Check it out before you spend the money on parts." That's odd. I have an old boat, and I can tell you that marine parts are none too cheap. Jeremy
  20. Gearhead
    Condor, using the compressed-air method I would be afraid of spraying oil on the backside of the lens, etc, creating a cosmetic mess. This did not happen? Did you use short bursts of shop air? Thanks, Jeremy
  21. Gearhead
    Boy, you guys make me feel lucky. Mine had 50-some K on it when I replaced the friction discs with Yammy replacements, and that stopped the slipping. Jeremy
  22. Gearhead
    Wow, I'm really surprised that the double springs didn't stop the slip. Glad you finally nabbed it. Jeremy
  23. Gearhead
    I don't see the relationship between the slide lift hole and PAJ#2. The lift hole controls the rate of slide lift, and PAJ#2 gives the pilot circuit its second air source which is cut off for coasting enrichment. Unless I have this all wrong! Jeremy
  24. Gearhead
    Hmmm...it looks like somebody's been button-napping from your radio! Jeremy
  25. Gearhead
    Jeff, do you then remove the lower bushing and carefully slide the seal over the lower end of the fork tube? How do you drive the new seal into its bore? Jeremy
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