jimmy99

Well, I will be 47 this year and I could see owning a Spyder. Those things look like a ton of fun.

The sandpaper on the brake pads might actually work, but I don't think it is a good idea. I would consider getting them turned or replacing them.

Thanks. The drive home was good, no problem. My Sunday at work driving to Barrie and back... well, that was a little challenging at times, lol. I had a great time at the meet and greet. What a friendly bunch of people and a very interesting bunch. I look forward to meeting up again and riding together. I guess I should have warned you guys that sometimes I talk a lot, lol. It's an anxiety thing and I try to remind myself to keep quiet but it is hard. It does get better. Thanks again. Jeff

I am pleased to say that as of today (thursday) it looks like 85% I will be able to go. My work schedule is very fickle, keeping my fingers crossed.

No tipping is one thing, but this seemingly new system of having 1 person take your order, then another delivering it, same with drinks etc., is on of my biggest pet peeves at the chain restaurants. I don't want to have to deal with 5 or 6 people while I am there. I believe the management thinks people will think they are getting better service but the reality is this service model sucks. It is one of the biggest factors for my wife and I when making a choice on where to spend our restaurant $$.

I want to go. I have it marked in my calendar. It will depend on work. I work on something like a "call in" basis and I cannot afford to turn down any shifts. Also, my shifts change all the time, sometimes several times in a day and that makes scheduling anything in my life nearly impossible. I will try to keep April 9 open, but if a shift or two gets cancelled earlier in the week and I have the opportunity to work, I will have to. It all comes down to the business that I am in is a fickle beast, and due to financial set backs, I need to work almost every chance I get. Usually when I have time off, I try to give that time to my family. The situation will improve in the future, but that is still about a year and a half away.

D'oh!! I work so much that I tend to forget what day it is. Definitely forgot it was April 1 today.

As a newbie (last year) I will say that I feel very welcome and if these were different times I would definitely attend as many of these events as I could. My personal situation, for now, really makes it difficult to get away. I would really enjoy meeting the people that post on the site as they all seem to be very genuine and a decent bunch.

Watch TV "while you ride"???? Really??? I hope this is a joke. There are already way too many distracted drivers out there and as motorcyclists we are already too aware of this. Motorcyclists need to be extra alert to compensate for the dough heads on their phones etc and the very last thing a biker should be doing is watching TV. I can't believe anyone would think this is a good idea. Might as well put a bullet through your head to save time.

Trust me... a bigger garage... will... not... help. I know from experience on this one. I knocked down a 13x19 shed and built a 24 x 30 shop. Now I simply have more stuff to look through to find that thing I'm looking for.

Awesome! What a cool idea. How many people usually participate?

Thought I read somewhere that stabilizer does not prevent the issues caused by ethanol fuels.

Be careful with the E-smokes, there are nasty stories out there about them blowing up, burning peoples mouths, throats, and lungs. the cheap ones are just that - cheap. I quit cold turkey over 15 years ago, hardest thing I ever did but definitely glad I did. Keep at it, it does eventually get easier. Once you get passed the initial withdrawal and hand to mouth habit, the key to long term quitting is learning to deal with the stress of life without smoking, because there will always be stress in your life.

dogman. There is a Princess Auto in Hamilton where you can get cheap tools like at Harbor Freight in the US. The prices are a little more due to us being Canadian and all. Quick link to a similar multimeter that Puc posted http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/digital-multimeter/A-p8347676e Almost everything at Princess Auto will go on sale at some point in time, so if you can wait to buy you can save a few $$. I have one I picked up at Canadian Tire for less than $15 (also on sale at the time). Hope you find the problem before the bike eats another battery.

Thanks, I saved the site to my favs. I would like a gel pad and might as well add heat while it is apart. Good project for the winter months.

No... but it would give me hope of picking up a sweet "new to me" used one in a few years.

Haha, that's funny.

Don't blame you at all Eck. As you likely know - it seems like when you are working on someone else's stuff, things tend to go wrong or you break something. Then you feel bad as you were just trying to help but made things worse. I usually end up with $$ out of my pocket to fix whatever I screwed up and fix the bike/snowmobile/whatever and make it right. If it were your own bike... then entirely different story as you mentioned. You did the right thing here, looked into it, got some info, and decided it just wasn't worth the headache for you. Too many people might have just jumped in and in the end caused tension between friends. Being the V45 has such low mileage I'm sure it will be an easy sell as long as he doesn't think it's made of gold.

The carbs aren't completely terrible to do, just more so than other bikes. You have to drain the radiator and remove it, the upper fuel tank, some covers, etc. The air box/carbs come out as a unit from the side. It is a bit of a puzzle to get them out of the frame and I ended up cutting a small piece off the air box to make it easier (no one would ever see the missing piece). Once the air box is out, the float bowls can be removed and like other bikes most of the vital components can then be cleaned. He likely just has a sticky or dirty float valve. The job could be done by the average backyard mechanic in an afternoon. Just work on one carb at a time as there are differences between the front and rear units. If it were closer to me I would do it for a few beers.

I had an 82 V45 Magna, awesome bike. Good power and handling, felt like a lighter smaller MKII Venture. The carbs are little tricky to get out of and in to the frame but otherwise no more difficult to work on than any other bike.

Yup, I'm on the same wavelength. Went to the dragon a few years ago with some friends, rode it sensibly, got a t-shirt, then found a bunch of other beauty roads in the area to ride.

Motorcycling is becoming a fashion statement for many people whether they are pirates, adventure tourists, or squids. It all seems to be about posing for the particular crowd they are into. Me, I just ride my bike. I wear clothing/gear that is appropriate for the weather and the ride at hand. Usually work boots, jeans, t-shirt, textile jacket, helmet. Rain gear when needed. I tend to avoid group rides that have more than 4 bikes and large crowded rallies. I just simply enjoy riding for me, don't care what anyone else thinks. Jimmy

This will be a larger tank with a float gauge etc and worth more than $30. I understand the desire to make it work over replacing it. If you can borrow the pipe tap - chase the threads and test the connection for leaks. If it still leaks it is likely done and a replacement tank is needed. You might consider taking it to a propane distributor (not your local gas station) as they probably have the NPT taps and might be able to repair your tank. Jimmy

Get another propane tank. It's just not worth messing around with when you consider the risk vs reward. I haul bulk propane for a living and I would not bother messing around with this thing once the simple solutions you have tried had been done. Even a very small leak can be catastrophic. If you modify the tank, welding etc., where would you get it filled? The guy filling it should refuse as he will be held liable if there is a problem later. Also consider the age of the tank, they do have to be pressure tested and certified at certain intervals. You might be able to buy a new tank from a local propane distributor rather than the RV dealer, might save some $$ Jimmy

When I'm not at work I'm not bringing in any $$ and with my wife in university we need all the $$ we can get. I just have to keep the wolves at bay for another 2 years then she graduates; then our lives can return to something like normal. When she started school I had a great paying job - got downsized, career went sideways, re-invented myself with a new career that is always in demand. It pays less per hour but I can and usually do work tons of hours. When I do find a few days off I usually putter around the house or spend the time with family. I DID vote.