Wizard765

So as promised.. photos to go with the saga.. I know the tire is very worn out.. Please no lectures.. please So when I started to FEEL a problem at slow speeds it was very slow speeds so the thump was faster than the rotation of the tire which really confused me so when I didn't see anything I thought it was the splines dried out or some other issue.. Anyhow the pictures explain it all..

I didn't use the oem spacer either but the aluminum piece with the "O" ring and half the spacer that came with the kit.. worked perfect. the new spring is longer than the OEM

I know I cut the plastic spacer in half that came with those springs and the bike handled great.. I think with the whole thing in Plus the original it is way too much preload..

I agree with the Dunlops not usually doing that so I'm still OK with that brand.. The 404s were on the bike when I got it. IF I was going to get Dunlops I would go with the E3 but I just ordered Shinko SR777 which is heavy duty AND comes in a White Wall.. Got a Shinko on the front and so far I'm happy with it.. Time will tell.. So what is the consensus on Bias vs Radial?

I believe the fairings are the same from 83 to 93

It is a Dunlop D404

Holy Cow! I found out the thumping problem.. By the way thanks for the input guys.. Yesterday it rained and I have to work outside as my garage is miniscule AND filled so the bike just fits.. Today after work I put her up on the Carbon One Lift Adapter (shameless plug here for Larry) which has got to be the best investment for the 2nd gen ever.. and had a close look at my fairly new front tire.. spun the wheel etc and it seems perfect.. now to get the blankie out because of my sensitive wrinkled skin and lay down under the back to have a look... Wow.. Huge chunk out of the tire.. This has me thanking God for my well being.. I was on a very long challenging ride (at least for me) over the weekend. There is a Cannonball ride organized in Canada and I was doing one of the Ontario rides. It's 1000 miles or over 1600 Kms in 36 hours with a layover somewhere.. very well organized I'd say.. Anyhow I started to feel the problem at a checkpoint about 2.5 hours from home and the remaining trip on a major hwy.. I had a look at the tires at the time and didn't see the problem (guess I'm not only stupid but fairly blind as well) anyhow continues running 75 to 80 mph down the hwy to the last checkpoint and then home.. So I know Jesus loves me but I'm guessing he still has plans for me... When I get the wheel off tomorrow morning I will take a pic.. don't need the ragging I'll get if I don't

Wow! That is a great rate. I am paying $825 which is up about $20 from last year.. I've done some shopping around and couldn't find anything less expensive. I know a few people that were with TD and the rate jumped from $750 last year to $1300 this year so they switched

Evan: Just seen this.. I am so happy to hear you are OK. I know how much you like that bike.. At least you have something to ride while you figure this out.. If there is anything I can do to help out let me know.. By the way.. let us know how you are feeling today and tomorrow.. sometimes these things take a day or two to show up..

This is another possibility.. I have not had the back wheel off since I got this bike so don't know when the splines were last greased.. Maybe a good time to check on that while I have it up on the stand..

I took a quick look at the tires and found nothing obvious but will put it on the lift tomorrow and spin the tires. There is no noise...

and I don't mean the cute little bunny rabbit... My faithful steed is now "thumping" at slow speeds. It has me worried and I don't know where to start. Even stranger is that when I first start out I back the bike out of the garage and down my driveway at a very slow walking speed. Everything is as usual. No noises and no thump or anything out of the ordinary. Then I get her started and put her in gear. Once she is moving slowly I can feel a thump and even maybe a little wobble from the handle bars but as soon as I get her up a little faster this all goes away and she feels normal. Once we have been out for awhile and things are warmed up I only notice it in the seat of my pants when coming to a stop or at very slow speeds. Now I don't know what to be looking for.. Tires look fine. Could it be bearings? Rear diff? U joint? What do I look for and how do I troubleshoot this? Looking for ideas

Looks amazing and if the light is better than stock Wow!! Are you experiencing any interference with your radio?

As Bert2006 said. In New Brunswick the premium fuel in most stations has no Methanol. In Ontario it is the same. I actually notice a difference between regular and premium because of this. I know the octane makes no difference but the lack of Methanol in the premium gas makes my bike run smoother. Where I notice it the most is at very low rpms. I know the bike loves to rev up but sometime when I come to a small town and have to slow down I'm too lazy to take my foot off the hwy peg to shift down. I can go slower and still have a smooth acceleration out the other side of town with the premium gas and when I try regular I feel it lugging in the same situation.. Also there is about 30 Kms difference in distance per tank. Again it is not because of the octane but because of the lack of methanol. I don't believe these engines were designed with Methanol in mind. In fact I no longer buy Shell gas in my area because of the performance difference and I believe it is because they have Methanol in all the grades.

I'm not sure what you mean.. I picture of what you are talking about would be very helpful. I don't recall having a screw in the middle of the windscreen. Just screws on either side that are hidden when you put the chrome piece on..

I've also been waiting for this to get off the ground.. Looking forward to lots of pics and details of the trip.. Hope to get together with you when you return to hear about the highlights from the horses mouth so to speak..

Blackbird

It looks big until you compare it to some of the campers people pull all the time.. I think the only issue would be how heavy a load you put in it.. and how that weight is distributed.. Also need to REMEMBER when pulling that it's wider than your bike.. so give yourself room around corners and into parking lots etc.. I personally would have no problem pulling that trailer.. BTW Very nice trailer..

I built a small platform that fits into my trailer hitch receiver and that holds a nice hard sided cooler for those days we want to take a picnic lunch.. on longer trips it can be extra storage if I don't need to take the trailer

Hey Mike: Where you moving to? Upsizing or Downsizing?

You are right.. it the new bike jewelry doesn't actually fix the problem it will hide it very well...

Bob: Thanks for the input but wouldn't the master light stay on and just the reset light go on and off.. if it was a clutch or brake switch?

So this is a new problem for me.. everything was working fine a few weeks ago. Now the cruise won't stay on at all. I rock the switch to on and the dash lights show up for about 2 seconds then go out. If I turn the switch off and back on they do the same thing.. No idea where to start looking..

The warning light is almost always because the battery doesn't have the place for the sensor.. The original batter has a sensor hole. This can be fixed with a resistor in line of the sensor then attached to the battery.. There is a tech article on this in the tech section. With it being over 30 years old if it still has the original brake lines and clutch lines you might want to consider changing them.. braided lines make a very noticeable difference on those bikes. Skydoc_17 has a kit to change those. If you want to delink the fronts that can be done at the same time. Over heating could be just a flush BUT it could also be the water pump. The early models had a plastic impeller which over time could break down.. Keep in touch and feel free to ask away as you get into the project.. You will most likely get lots of responses and some of them might even be right.. Welcome aboard..

My MM has 195000 Kms.. runs like a swiss watch and still looks amazing.. very happy .. Think I might get another 200,000 Kms on her..