dna9656

Thanks for your kind response! Pray tell me what is a "Butt Butler"? I know we have other upholstery shops around but they seem to never be open or they are long gone out of business but left their signs behind OR they are "going to order" the stuff for my project but it never seemed to happen even though they didn't ask for money up front and that bugs me too, I mean who can you trust? Rich's is well established, has a national reputation, has most anything (material) ON HAND, his family are all involved and yeah 3 or 4 employees; all this tell me this guy will be here in 2 or 3 years if I need a fix. He has what my grandmother would call "rooms", (think "King of The Road") and if you can remember that song you're an old fart like me! "Trailer for sale or rent , rooms to rent for 50 cents..." Rooms that were for sleeping in, no phone; no stove, or hot plate. Rich's rooms are very nice, 3 of them share a kitchen, sitting room, and there is common internet access, Cable TV, a really nice bath room, much like a bed and breakfast or old style family run hotel. So yeah he's expensive but no upholsterer I ever knew that was worth a damn wasn't. I would have like to have spent less but it's DONE, it's beautiful, and it fits ME and my wife, not a skinny butt in Asia even though the seats for our bikes got very high marks from the critics. I traded a guitar I didn't play (paid less than $300.00 for the guitar) any more for a 85 parts bike. It's number 4 on the list of factory corrected 2nd gear thrust washer issue. The trunk has ONE lock (and 2 latches) for the trunk lid and is held onto the rack by TWO keyed locks.; there are locked square "rings" at each lock. It has a smaller chrome luggage rack on the lid too. The trunk mounting rack came with 2 antenna pedestals. The trunk that was on the 83.5 (all the parts are in the 84 catalog m/n XVZ12DKC2) will hold ONE helmet. When I traded for the 85 it had this HUGE trunk on it, I read that the 1300s has a 50% increase in the size of the trunk and saddle bags I figured some PO along the way got one and put it on the 85. The saddle bags are the same size as the pre 86 models. One day I hope to remove the engine on the 85 for a rebuild and put it on the 83.5, or just get the 85 running. The 83.5 has 63K miles on it and no hint of a 2nd gear issue yet so I'm hoping it was fixed but there are no indications on the frame or engine/trans case that it was completed by a dealer. The color of the bike was red, it has the 85's trunk and saddle bags on it with the 83.5 side covers, yep! it's a mongrel! Here is a couple pics of the 83.5 before I got my hands on it! The rider's floor boards on the 83.5 are useless so I took them off; they made it hard to shift or brake.... I never could get the air suspension on either bike to work so I put shrader valves on the rear spring/shock assembly and on the fork; I check the air pressure from time to time. I wish it did work though. Sat like this for 2 years: http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/bike4.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/bike2.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/bike1.jpg This is from a time it was a daily driver: http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/01313_hDYraE7rWys_600x450.jpg This is the only pic I have of the 85. http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/01717_fMqDWa4j1Dp_600x450.jpg The 83.5 has the trailer hitch, the fender chrome on the front fender and the bags and trunk of the 85. Note the skid plate on the 85, there is a welded crack inside the "ring" where the oil filter goes.... Any help you can give as to ideantity of the bags would be of interest to me! Thanks in advance!

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0349.jpghttp://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0350.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0348.jpg More pics.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0351.jpghttp://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0345-1.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0344-1.jpg My new seat in LEATHER; (Heated too!) I also got the passenger's back rest recovered and a pad made to replace the storage bag behind and below the passenger's back rest. This is for my Birthday, Sweetest Day, Christmas, Father's Day, and maybe next Birthday too! The guys at Rich's Custom Seats in Kingston, WA. (http://www.richscustomseats.com) did a wonderful job restoring the original foam pad using steam, then extended the passenger end so my wife can set a little further back against the back rest. They lowered the front end so I have more of my feet on the ground when we stop. All the mods were smoothed out using power sanders. You test drive the seat before the cover is installed, any changes are then made, another test and then on your OK they sew your new cover from man-made material or leather. As a customer I was welcomed to watch every step of the process. Rich and his family run a FIRST CLASS operation! By appointment only. Expect to spend some hours there. My seat was by far the biggest job of the day so I know no one left before their seat was finished. Rich oversees everything going on in the shop, every step, fitment, you name it; he's there in the middle of it all. Friendly, helpful, accommodating...My wife just finished her night shift she was really tired and Rich kindly provided a quiet place where she could rest (MAJOR POINTS with Wifie!) while the seat was made. NO it wasn't cheap or inexpensive, would I do it again? YES! IN HEART BEAT! After all it's our butt ya know? Rich is a "iron Bottom" member so you know he is a hard core rider, even his dog rides! He knows what "monkey butt" is and builds his seats accordingly. Oh yeah the colors used will go with the new paint job! The plan is to go with the Alluvial Gold scheme! YES that is a 2nd Gen trunk (so far as I know) on my 83.5 Venture Royale, it will hold 2 helmets. Any body got a pair of 2nd gen saddle bags? Here are some pics of the back rest and detail(s) If you take notice of the rear seam that's close to rear edge of the seat... That is approximately where the original seat ended. Rich added a bit but you'd never notice because of the excellent job he and his crew did on my seat. Yeah you can ship him your seat for work, visit the web site, call them and see what can be done to make your ride more enjoyable! http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0352.jpg

Years ago when I was a motor head I read in one of the magazines that the gauges with the little tube inside were the most accurate for the money. The tube (if memory serves hahahaha) is pressurized to N and the gauge mechanically compares the pressure in the tube against pressure measured I think.... So I always bought one like that.

I suggest using a air pressure regulator (diaphragm type) used on paint spray guns. It can be set from 0 PSI and up. Pressure regulators are by their design more accurate than pressure gauges (IMHO). We use diaphragm regulators for oxy-acetylene torches and regulating acetylene pressure is PRETTY IMPORTANT. Granted those regulators are larger and most likely built better...but I think the inline one I'm recommending here is accurate enough for this application. A regulator used for spray guns is small enough to pack up in the fairing some place. The rub is getting it between the air source and the shrader valve on the bike;. especially at some air source away from home! You can put an air chuck on the out put side and shrader valve on the input side to apply the UN regulated air. This is really just an idea for a solution; maybe some one can figure this out for us all. Currently I use the regulator on my 12 gallon Craftsman compressor. I turn it to the pressure required and apply the hose....when you hear the air stop flowing check the pressure with your gauge, if your gauge is good it should measure pretty close to what you set the regulator at. if there is no sound of air moving there is either more or equal pressure in the suspension than you dialed in. I do my tires the same way. It can take a little more time than shooting 125 PIS in and measuring the pressure/bleeding/adding air but it's way more easy on delicate seals that (maybe?) in the suspensions of our bikes.

Did you try the beeswax?

I think why we might feel more protection should be given bikers is because we (as bikers) see a lot more carelessness and lack of attention by cagers (people driving 4 wheels or more) because it more directly threatens us. We; on the other hand feel that as bikers we ay a lot more attention to the traffic than do the cagers. I have to agree with this. All we want is people to be more aware and look for motorcycles. They seem to never get that regardless because when they don't there are no or little in the way of penalties, and we all know when we have a lot to loose we're much more careful with our behavior. The frequency of incidents drives this feeling too. 2 or more times a month I'm run out of my lane on SR 3 here in Kitsap County, WA. I drive this road twice a day, there is other routes but they are way out of the direction I need to go. Funny; I have fewer incidents at night; harder NOT to see a bike at night? I should hope so. We heard "I didn't see him" used as a defense too often. In other areas of the law, like hazardous waste handling the law says you can be found guilty of miss-handling hazardous waste if (using the reasonable person standard) you improperly dealt with it. Now that means that if you have rec'd the proper training from or through your employer, passed a test proving you understood the training; you're in trouble. No it doesn't really matter if you made a mistake, or had a bad day and you dropped a bucket of Haz Mat into a river; YOU did it. YOU can be found guilty. What about having known you should be sure before there is nothing in or too close to the spot you want to be in when you change a lane? Why was it so crucial that a cager be in the other lane? How many times have wee been cut off so some one can pass a couple cars just to get off the highway (in a high speed maneuver) immediately after passing the last car? Or the car keeps on zipping in and out of different lanes just so they can zoom down the road and be first? As mush as I do not like unmarked police cruisers (the sneakiness bugs me) it is OH SO gratifying when some smart ass gets himself busted for reckless operation. BTW women are just as bad as the men. IMHO

What is a "420" suspension part? I know "420" can mean "met us under the bleachers at 4:20 to smoke pot"

I was on terminal leave (using up my outstanding leave) after the SEC USAF finalized my medical retirement out of the USAF. Some SOBER guy pulled out in front of me on the last Monday before Halloween in 1996. The State Trooper says I was "lost in the headlights of the cars behind me". The guy had 4 traffic judgments against him. He got another truck and a failure to yield charge. I got 13 more months in the service for a shattered wrist, pre-mature arthritis in that wrist and hip (where they harvested bone to screw on to the end of my shattered arm), totaled my beautiful alluvial gold 83 venture royale. I cried bull****. He couldn't have missed me; the cars behind me had to stop at the light I just drove through! How do you NOT see a man (I'm 5'7") a bike the size of a venture with a head light and 2 running lights, the only thing in your immediate front? You're not paying attention; he was pulling into a place where there is an Arby's, a BAR, and an auto parts store. He was thinking about fixing his car, getting something to eat or drink. Here's how I faired: $3500.00 for the bike I paid 3k plus tax for. I installed a new front tire and a windshield. Because I was still (technically) on active duty I had no hospital bill (more on that in a minute) and I was fully paid during my hospital time; all as it should be. Here's the rub: my insurance company advised me I didn't need to carry underinsured motorist insurance because I was in the military, the military would cover my medical regardless, ok fine; saved me a few bucks right? Well the injury was worth $75,000.00 in the courts (for pain and suffering) the guy had $25k for liability insurance. I got the $25,000, out of that $ my lawyer got $7,500, the military (who would have got ZERO had I not got this guy's insurance) got what they thought my hospital time costs.;$8,300.00 and I got the rest. How does the military figure they spent that on me? the Drs. would have been paid had they been on leave, or sat on their asses at work, same as everyone else in the hospital. The materials used in my care? Bed sheets, bandages, and stiches? the food?(PLEASE!) NO; the money went to better the hospital that they then closed of 1/2 of so they could send more people off base for care.....How does THAT work? The better side: because I was in "the line of duty "(I wasn't breaking any laws and had not been drinking) my broken wrist is service connected; that means when I finally can't use it they will increase my disability by some small amount, and they are on the hook to fix it if possible, I admit that's a lot more than you non-Vets would get in similar circumstances. My kids sure could have used that $$ for college though. I get some people didn't see some one, but I have to ask, why didn't you see them. How many accidents have there been in any particular place that excuse is (was) used? MAYBE that place should be re-engineered huh? DUH! I don't get the cop saying "that's a bad spot" if that's true let's get some REAL engineers there to make a determination and if it's found to be FUBAR we should crucify the guy that designed the "spot" like we would any other engineer that designed a poor school or hospital that upon it's collapse killed 57 people.

With the air pump gone there is no need to dry air (with the desiccant) as you won't be compressing with the air pump/compressor.

Found the info in the tech library sorry I don't know how to delete a msg.

Remember to save all those little packs in stuff you buy that say "DO NOT EAT", you can use it in that desiccant can. Just go into the house for a snack and stop eating the desiccant!

Wifie is allowing me to get my torn original seat recovered at Rich's for my birthday, anniversary (same day; different year) Sweetest Day, Veteran's Day, Christmas, and probably (next year's) Father's day too. Here in the NW (Kingston, WA) we have Rich's Custom Seats http://www.richscustomseats.com/ I'm getting leather, and I hope to get a little more back rest for the rider and heat added to both positions. I'm thinking about $1K. but probably more. Our appointment at Rich's is on 09/13. He takes one day to fit the seat to your a ah needs, both rider and passenger. You have choice of leather or vinyl, leather is more %%% but performs much better and no monkey butt with leather. Should I get a 86 or newer (I want one because a lot of bugs were worked out and the luggage is bigger) the part Numbers for all years is the same so my seat will stay with me. If you are passing through Rich's has a little room for a very reasonable cost, he's up in a small town, you'll like it. My Road Star came with one of his seats. I had what I was told was an original Road Star seat for about 2 weeks, WHAT A POS! I got my Rich's seat back FAST! http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/Photo0371.jpg That custom color is "Viper Yellow" and it has hand painted pin striping in brown...these bikes came in wine, black and some blue I think. Who ever painted this bike didn't leave a single flaw in it that I can find. http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0032.jpg Yep; that's my garage and back yard. The seat while not MADE for my backside is very nice. Rich's would be happy to mod it for me I'm sure but the bike is for sale. I think I have a buyer too! Oh yeah Rich's say they can do your seat through the mail if more convenient.

Get some Bees wax. I get here in the NW USA at Ace Hardware; they sell it in a blister pack hanging in the isle. Ask someone where it is. Get a syringe, go home and melt a syrige worth of wax and from the syringe squirt it on to the head of the stuck screw, if you have a LOW heat source (like a heat gun) you can keep the wax melted while (and so it can) penetrate the threads. You want to keep the heat down as the carb IS aluminum so a heat gun just hot enough to keep the wax melted should be ok. According to Ask.com Beeswax has a melting point of approximately 143 to 147 degrees Fahrenheit. It has no fixed melting point because the composition varies from one wax to another. Most aluminum melts at Aluminum melts at 1220.666 °F. Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_8519909_melt-aluminum.html So use your heat gun with discretion. test your screw often. I used beeswax on a 1957 GMC door hinge. 3 bolts per side of the hinge, they all are made like a coke bottle so they won't come loose. they were rusted BIG TIME, WD-40, Koil(a well know penetrant used by machinists), heat, nothing worked. I heated up the head of the bolt, pushed the hockey puck of beeswax on the head of the bolt, waited till it flowed behind the bolt and I'll tell ya what, all those bolts came out; It was a struggle with the rust on the fine threads and the way it bunched up behind the hinge. I didn't strip or break 1 of them. 12 for 12. It was amazing! http://wheretobuybeeswax.net/

These lights are VERY CLOSE in size but they ARE NOT an exact replacement; at least not on my 83.5/84 or the 85. You'll have to file an end and side slightly to get them to fit exactly, I believe it's because the black base is wider on the bottom (where the back/bottom of the light rests on the location than the black edge is as it rests against the lighting element proper. Anyway you'll see what I mean when you get your lights, I fit mine using my bench grinder, and btw they won't fit in the chrome cups on the saddle bags unless you do some really serious fitting so I took mine off and mounted the LED directly to the bag. You'll want to put some RTV around the wire hole to keep water out or use a grommet, I opted for the RTV, you'll have to drill 2 holes, one for the wire to enter the saddle bag and one to exit the bag into the LED. I connected mine in parallel to the running lights in the back of the bike and to the front running lights for the engine side cover LEDs. http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0320.jpg http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0304.jpg

Umm yeah I installed them and posted all about it WEEKS ago, posted pics and all. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=88135 http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=87400

If you can heat up the fastener (small torch' like for use on heat shrink, available at radio shack) a little get some bee's wax at Ace Hardware, it's in a blister pack usually on an end cap, ask for it if all else fails... Anyway heat up the head of your fastener (f you can get to the threaded area so much the better) and push the bee's way on to the head of the fastener. It will penetrate, trust me. This is WAY better than any penetrating fluid I have tried, including Kroil, WD-40, LPS, cutting oil, and numerous others. The wax come in a hockey puck shape, keep it handy, it's good for lubing threads you don't want to rust.. and many other things that will occur to you as you go though your repairs.

Considering what K & N gets for those filters I would be at K & N's door whining about it.

Are your panties still useable?

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk195/dna9656/IMG_0336.jpg Pic of what, the finished product or pics of the modification process? Are we talking about the reflector on the trunk or the ones on the side bags, engine side panels and behind the side bags? These are the ones I'm talking about... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&vxp=mtr&item=121388435326 I realize they are from China, (what ain't?) but these are available from this and other vendors on ebay in Red and amber. Some vendors say they are orange...they are amber.... EDITED; added to.

The replacement LEDs on ebay are a near perfect fit. You just have to file the edge a little bit to fit into the pocket on the side bags and side covers on the engine. They can be wired so the running light (blue wire) is on with your running lights and the red wire is for the blinker OR you can run them in the bright (blinker mode) all the time by not using the blue wire. It Makes sense to me to use the red LED on the bag as a running/blinker light and the engine guard (amber) as a running/marker light. Insert this description at Ebay "2x Orange 12V LED Rectangle Reflector Tail Brake Stop Trunk Light Lamp" To get a listing for the red LED change the color to "red". I have had 2 of these LEDs in AMBER fail, the vendor replaced both...they cried about the expense. I responded with advice to return them to their supplier and in the future make sure (check the product) prior to shipping or live with the fact that they will have some defects....they sent a replacement....free of charge.

In the scale model world there is a matte or flat clear that is used to make glossy paints flatter, it gives a uniform matte appearance to things. Dull Coat I think is the name.

The best one I have seen is on ebay it's called "Tech Spark' and includes generic how to on bikes too as well as some games!

They will do your seat though the mail.... http://www.richscustomseats.com/

my titled 83 (XVZ12dkc2) has cruise control. well technically it does not, it's not working yet. This model's parts are in the 84 catalog....