videoarizona

John, Been through this with my wife and mom-in-law. It is hard. But the saving grace is...it's his call and he knows what he needs. Besides full time care, he'll make new friends and have people around to make his transition a good one. It will leave a hole in your lives for a while, but you both have done more than your share...it's time for the caregivers to take over. Please don't feel guilty....as that's an easy thing to feel...and quite normal. You should pat yourselves on the back that you gave him care when he needed you! Thanks for sharing and enjoy visiting with dad.

If you have any tips or tricks you learned..I'm all ears! Seriously....I've never done it either... I'm not liking the racket from the valves and thinking maybe I should check them out. Even though they aren't due for a few more miles.... Of course, it could be the hearing aids....there are times when I never know if what I'm hearing is really tinny, noisy or loud. The fake ears can be a problem sometimes....

A very enjoyable read about the VMax build. Thank you, Kevin!

Boss, @Freebird, should this last post get a sticky or copied to tech area...?

Sounds good! I'm curious how this comes out. Looks like you thought it through nicely. 3D printing....ah...when you are done with this project and ready for another....all of us who own 1st gens could use some of those little black vanes to replace the broken ones on each side of the motor....hint!

Ok. If I follow you, adding a second 2way radio to the cb circuit. The only thing I know about that is make sure you isolate the two transmitters. I understand that done wrong can blow out the output transistors on one of the transmitters. Sounds quite interesting...I saved the link, BTW, as my daughter still wants me to help her do more with her music and her ipods! So thanks for that!

Fantastic! Looking forward to your success. I think going that way rather than the cb will be better.

I'm on the road so can't help at this point. Search older posts. Try keywords like "add mp3". You are looking for the guys in Spain who made the adapter. Maybe an email to them asking the pinout so you can remove tape deck and add your mp3. You will need to know which pin to jumper so the radio thinks the cassette is still there, and then the left/right/ground pins for audio. If you dont find this info in a week, pm me. I have the adapter and can try to reverse engineer it.... It was a small box that plugged in between the cassette and the radio with a mini jack input. When mp3player was plugged in and turned on, the casssette wasbypassedand audio came out of my 1st gens system.

Are you coming this way? I'm in Phoenix this weekend... Joshua trees are cool!! I'll be in Green Valley Tuesday. @KIC wanted to meet you the next time you came around here

What bike? 1st gens... There was an adapter made in Spain that worked. Not available now. 2nd gens... There is a company that makes an adapter that may work... But I added my XM radio using a simple "y" plug.

Dave, My RSV always sputters with 2 bars left in tank. I switch to reserve and move on. When it sputters...I can also pull over and move bike side to side and run about 10 more miles then she sputters again. By rocking, I'm moving gas from right side to left side of tank. At least, that's my theory anyway! If I fill up, I have around 1.6 gallons left. I'm going with my gas gauge being off. I never see the warning light nor does the gauge count change. It's the nature of my beast, I guess.

My eyes.....

Correct. If you are careful, the oil seal may come out without tearing. The only thing I'm not sure of, is if there is a circlip on the rear end of the driveshaft. Some parts diagrams show one, some don't. If no, then the driveshaft pulls out.

The best way to tell if the bulb is designed for single bulb high/low beam operation is to look for the tiny metal cut off next to one of the LED chips. It is like a tiny dam that blocks the light. Scroll down to the pictures...look for the tiny metal piece on both the old and new bulbs. If the LED bulb has this little "dam", it will throw a clean low beam with a cut off so it won't blind oncoming drivers and allow the high beam to throw further. https://www.xenondepot.com/Philips-12953BWX2-H4-LED-Bulb-Review-s/62.htm BTW, the article gives a nice explanation of color temp and other stuff....

Here's a simpler explanation...in the difference between the early ventures 83-85, and the later Mk2's 86 -93?.... https://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?45138-Mk-II-driveshaft-lube ++++++++++++++++++ This post with pics has part of your answer as well.....a picture showing the rear end part of the drive shaft gear and oil seal.....notice that the oil seal is forward of the gear...so the gear can get oil from the rear end and the seal will keep the oil from leaking into the drive shaft tunnel....(nothing there to lube anyway) Even though this post was written for 2nd gens...it's the same for the later model 1st gens. https://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?95242-To-Lube-or-Not-to-Lube-That-is-the-question +++++++++++++++++++ Going back to your original question. The later model (MK2's) of the 80's vintage Ventures have a different drive shaft/rear end design coupling. The early models needed grease on both ends of the drive shaft. The later models did not as the rear end of the drive shaft is lubricated by oil from the rear end. The picture you posted of the grease zerk fitting was probably added by a Previous Owner. As to whether it works or not...it would depend on whether the grease can make it to the gear coupling to the rear of the zerk fitting. If I remember, you have an 88? Your maintenance would require you to remove the drive shaft and rear end as an assembly....(take off rear tire, take off the 4 nuts holding the shaft assembly/rear end to the swing arm and pull it straight back. Do NOT remove the drive shaft from the rear end unless you want to buy a new oil seal and clean it up anyway. Then add grease to the front splines of the drive shaft. Some add a teeny bit of grease to the rear end of the drive shaft on the gear (not necessary really). Put back together. As long as a tiny bit of rear end oil makes it into the gear the gear will be fine. Some think (and I'm one) that adding a tiny bit of grease to the rear drive shaft gear may gum up the small oil that allows oil to flow into the gear space. Maybe it can or will. I don't know. My thought is if the rear end part of the drive shaft looks clean and no oil mess, then the seal isn't leaking and the gear is probably getting good lube. But the only way to tell is pull that gear and seal straight out of the rear end. Takes some effort to get the assembly out, but it is a straight simple pull. Probably ruin the rear seal, but that would be ok as you can check the condition of the drive shaft rear gear and then look into the rear end and see if the hole is nice and clean as well. Do it once, then keep your rear end lube changed on time and that part of the assembly should be good to go for years. Hope this helps...

About halfway down this thread....follow the discussion and the links... https://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?134799-Oil-capacity-of-the-rear-differential&highlight=grease+drive+shaft

Me too. Got my wrist. ER doc wasn't impressed...

Yep. This is what @cowpuc and I found when we replaced my rear tire that collected a nail. I did get on the case of the manager of the store that did the tire install about their guy NOT cleaning the wheel! My temper was not held in check....not with my life on the line... What bothers me is that the Shinko 777HD went over 3K miles like this with all the crud on the inside bead area of the rim. I was lucky...

I think we are on the same page.... but, just in case not, let me try again... On the Mk 1's, early Ventures, that area where the driveshaft ends (rear), is lubricated by grease. On the Mk2's it's in the oil bath...no grease needed. So an 88 year would not have a need for a grease fitting...which I thought was the original question? Th front end where the shaft splines go into the unjoint do need grease. And some people did put grease fittings on the swing arm bushing areas, but some reported here that that was problematic at getting grease where it needed to go. That's beyond my expertise...

Seriously? Grins....the Mark 2's drive shaft rear coupling is lubed by the oil in the "rear end".

Yikes! Good thing Mr. Moose was wearing his sneakers that day....otherwise he blended in nicely!

Going to have to put that one on my Bucket List. You guys have to do RT 191 in eastern AZ too! Thanks for sharing!

Careful...Trooper may spoil you both!

JC, The Custom Dynamics LED is exactly what I got. It's already red LEDs so you don't need the lens...just use the red lens that came with the bike. With a red lens, red LEDS work just fine! Mine is so much brighter than stock. IE, pull off the lens, take out the bulb, plug in the LED panel, place panel into frame, put lens back on, screw down. Done.