CaseyJ955

My knees get a little tender too, and one thing I realized immediately about Goldwings is they really lack legroom if you have some inseam going on. This is how I ended up on the Venture, sweet legroom and highway bars that dont make me feel like the bike is about to make a wish. If knees or hips are a thing I would suggest taking a long ride on that Wing before making a final decision. I felt cramped before I left the dealer lot so I knew the Wing was not a good fit for me. YMMV. Also with the new generation of Goldwing coming out I do believe that the deals on the previous generation are going to get quite good as the hardcore Wing guys seek to trade up to the new model, should soon be a buyers market on previous generation Wings. If I could fit on one correctly I would own one, they are fantastic bikes and I have a lot of respect for Honda.

Pulling for young Cole, he/family are in my thoughts!

The quality of HD has improved but they still trail way behind the Euro and Japanese manufactures. I've seen later HDs that seem to have adequate build quality but the technology found in an HD is always at least a dogs life behind the same year Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki/BMW/Triumph/BETA/KTM etc etc. They are what they are, I sure hope he isn't just finding out about that!

Glad it's looking like it will be done soon. Sometimes it's nice to get someone on it that has the patience and know how so hopefully this kid can do some magic. Anyways, hopefuly you will be riding very soon!

Smoke and a cool cyl could be incomplete combustion for any number of reasons. If a head gasket were leaking into the cyl you would probably get visible steam, which is easy to identify because it dissipates much faster than smoke. I would check the easy stuff first for missfire, plug cap, HT lead into coil, possibility that over winter some jets/circuits got plugged up. I used to have to do shotguns in the spring and once even had to pull the carbs and scoop corn squeezings out. Needless to say that I top off with pure gasoline, sta-bil and Seafoam after the last fall ride. A quick compression test should tell you about a possible head gasket issue in that cyl, it just doesnt seem to be a common thing for these to drop head gaskets. Good luck sorting through it and keep us posted, I hope it's an easy fix!

I think if it were me I would toss a battery tender on it overnight and make sure that battery has and holds a proper charge and all fuses are good and clean. Then I would pull the faux tank and airbox to expose all the lines and carbs to inspect for any dry rot or fuel line routing problems. It's a really old bike so checking condition of all the fuel lines and overflow lines IMHO is a sound idea, especially since it's so easy to get to. I would then unplug the carb side of the fuel filter and slide a length of hose into it and other end into a gas can or glass container, then with kill switch on, turn the key to the engine on/run position (dont hit the start button) and watch the fuel flow from the hose into the container. If flow is inadequate then you can perform the same test without the filter to test just the pump. This should help you individually rule out the pump, filter and plumbing. In my experience with carbureted vehicles when the fuel filter becomes gradually plugged the symptoms of fuel starvation are also somewhat gradual. If one day it just stopped running I would say there could be an issue somewhere else, but this should show you if it's getting fuel as it should and save you from dropping $$ on parts that you may not need. Also have a look at the fuel selector switch. I leave mine on Reserve all the time. It's not uncommon for the carbs to get gunked up, especially if it sat with ethanol tainted fuel for any length of time. I have not personally experienced it but I have heard about kickstand safety switch issues preventing starting, and a few other things I cant think of before coffee. Noteworthy; if you do get the bike fired up without the airbox in place it will run like ****, thats quite normal. It needs the restriction of the air box to run correctly. Let us know how it goes.

I would bet everything I own that it has plenty to do with distracted motorists. Not every one but a vast majority of bike wrecks are related to idiots with phones IMO. I have been fighting a strong gut feeling that its time to get off the street bikes and sell my Venture and Vmax. As much as I love riding its a powerful premonition I just cant shake. Stuff like this really reinforces that. I am at a crossroads now. Just having bought a barely legal dirt bike I am ready to test out moving my riding out of the reach of todays average motorists. If I can sate my need to ride with this overgrown chainsaw, the Venture will end up in the classifieds. There is no longer a pretense of saftey, it is very much a roll of the dice to ride on public roads. I would feel so much safer if autonomous cars were the norm, because trusting Jane Q Public to pay attention and be safe seems very poor odds.

Same with my 89. It weeps a little when anbient temps plummet but fine other times. I think Puc clued me into this, I opted not to worry about it. Checking AF levels are a regular thing anyway and its never been low.

One thing about making your own stuff is you control exactly what goes in. You can skip fillers and preservatives, another is it is usially cheaper and quality is better. Love me a good recipe!

If you do find that you need the AF O rings I found some universal ones at NAPA that have been great. Even the best tech can have an off day, I concur on checking the synch and make sure carbs are fully seated in the intake boots. I often readjust the AF screws after a synch if its anything south of crisp and snappy.

Thanks all, it means a lot. Also, prayers are absolutely welcome. im lucky enough to have friends and family from a variety of faiths so I know its all positive. I cant thank you enough for the kindness, I know prayers are kindness, it does help. Thanks guys, I will never forget it.

I probably dont belong in this section. I have no clue what prayers do, never been made privvy to that info but I'm pretty sure it falls under positive energy somehow. I use thoughts for people in pain and suffering loss. In my line of work it's not uncommon to loose someone I have grown close to. Today is different. My nephew was recently diagnosed with kidney failure r/t another Dx he was born with, treatable but would be a lifelong struggle with low protein diets and some harsh meds to preserve kidney function. This young man is not even old enough to buy booze. It has been nice talking with him and getting to know him in an adult capacity. He was just maturing and growing into a man. An exceptionally smart, good hearted kid that just had problems relating sometimes. Last night he was found dead with a single GSW to the head. I still have no other information other than it does not appear to be self inflicted. He was surprisingly up for a young man dealing with so much serious ****. Now hes gone just that fast. There are no real answers yet. Just pain and loss, all the things he will never experience. This is a lot of personal **** to put into an open forum, just cant seem so get a grip on this tragic reminder about how unfair life can be.

Im hoping to make it, some variables at play but its looking good.

Dont let the scale getcha down, it can be deceiving. Any faster wt loss than ~3lbs/week is reason for concern rather than celebration. It sounds to me like your off to a good start.

If you are going to purchase a warranty then DO be willing to break out the reading glasses (and calculator) and read what it covers and under what conditions, all fine print. I have had two extended warranties and both times it was a colossal waste of money. They refused to cover two major failures. I own most of that for not reading the fine print ahead of time, a lot of these warranties actually cover very little, phrases like "bumper to bumper" and "power train" come with plenty of fine print that MUST be read and understood. Not all warranties are equal. Read it carefully and do your due diligence on the company offering the warranty, seems there are plenty of shysters in the industry. So after you read and understand exactly what it does and doesn't do, then shop out the best source. If your getting the warranty from the seller/dealer you can almost certainly get it cheaper directly from the co. offering the warranty. Dealers always take a taste of the pie so shop around, there are choices. Also, since they break it up into payments, are they charging interest and/or service charges on the total premium, will total cost of ownership of the warranty be more than the $2400? Technically it is a loan if you dont pay for it all up front, probably not free of charges or interest. How much would it cost of you paid for it all up front? Do also understand that some companies offer a prorated refund if you cancel the warranty before it expires. Maybe there is a service fee or cancellation charge for that, good questions to ask before purchase. I havnt checked into it but I think Ford had the cyl head issues (****ting out plugs) and various transmission issues sorted out well before the 2014 model year. IIRC those issues plagued early Explorers much more than the later F150 variants. I say read up on that particular vehicle for common failures or customer complaints and decide what your chances of a $2400 warranty being a sound purchase are. I know the F150 and SUV variants to be pretty darn solid vehicles. If I were to buy another Lexus I wouldn't even consider an extended warranty, if I were buying another S class I would be uncomfortable without a warranty. A gently used F150 variant, in my humble opinion/experience does not really need an extended warranty but I encourage you to do some reading on that model/year and see if there are any common failures, what those cost to fix or prevent and if the warranty is likely a good piece of mind or unnecessary expenditure of $2400+ hard earned dollars. Based on my experience with full size Ford trucks I would probably skip the warranty, stay on top of ALL scheduled maintenance and treat it nice, like I do all my vehicles. YMMV based on your own research findings. BTW, I agree with Flyinfool, many of these 3rd party warranties are a rip-off. As mentioned, been there myself. Food for thought.

Wow! Congrats! Enjoy the new addition!

I got a quote from Danny at BRC (revered on the Vmax forum for his work and pricing) to sort out a set of carbs for a coming Vmax headed Venture project I'm doing, it was a fraction of the price you got. Of course I will be taking the rack off and sending it to him, but hes a proven and known magician for these types of carbs and a 100% straight up guy. I think the shop you talked to was just trying to tell you they either dont want to or dont know how. I'm okay with carbs so I went through mine with guidance from folks here and on the Vmax forum, and got them sorted out. If I were to hand the carbs over to someone else I would expect parts and labor to run 300-600-ish if I pulled the carb rack off the bike myself. Thats assuming they were installing some new parts.

It would be a problem, but not yours.

You could always let them steep for awhile on CL. The longer they sit there they more willing to deal he should be. How much he owes on one of them should not influence what your willing to pay but if his bottom dollar stays at $850 I would pass on them. If you could see them in person and do a little inspection and determine that some of the harder to find/resellable parts are good then you might be able to make your money back in parts and still have some stuff leftover, but... but if you get them home and start tearing into them to find they are mostly junk then you may be out a few bones. One/both may even have the 2nd gear issue, without a ride it's impossible to tell for sure but these look like they have been flogged pretty good. After doing mine and reading stories of others here I realize that making one roadworthy from a state of disrepair can rapidly spiral out of control, especially if you have to go into the carbs and/or replace plastics. From those pics they look like they have endured considerable abuse and neglect. Dunno man, I try to think of everything in terms of risk/expense verses benefit/return. My gut says this would be a notable investment of time/money with a strong possibility of very minimal return. I'm thinking half of his asking is pretty generous on your part and would probably allow you to recover most/all of your investment, any more than that and it seems like you may be taking a chance. For me to bite down it has to not only be a fair deal, but a pretty darn good one.

A vehicle without a title has essentially no value beyond the parts, this assumes it's not stolen in which case it could be quite a liability. On the titled one you have to trust him to pay off the lien and then send you the title. Seems like there is a lot of room for this to go sideways and you could end up with two bikes with no titles if the seller just fails to cooperate after he has the money in his hand. Two old bikes, neither run very well, one without title, broken plastics and who knows what else you will need to do to get one road worthy. Even then you already have a decent Venture... I would go about half of what he's asking, but I'm cheap and already have a Venture. The $1200 he's asking definitely feels lofty to me. If both bikes had clean clear titles I would still keep it south of $1000 unless one were road worthy, or close.

It sounds like double congratulations are in order, grampa!

Wow, very nice! Red looks good on a Venture.

Also noteworthy that fat weighs less than muscle, if you exercise and burn fat while replacing it with increased muscle your scale may not look as optimistic as it otherwise would without exercise. The benefits are great though obviously.

I cant agree enough. Artificial sweeteners are not a good thing. If you want a pop occasionally then have one, occasionally. If your really wanting to shed some pounds then the pop has to go. That diet pop you have, I would pitch that stuff right into the dumpster today. If your serious about loosing weight then do what you can with a hindered leg, mad weight training wont help you as much as some decent cardio a few times a week. Hydrotherapy or swimming is a good way to get exercise without stressing joints and bones that already hurt. If you have a local Y or gym with a pool that might be a great way to get some low impact cardio. I hate the word diet, moderation is a more achievable goal for most, myself included. The less processed foods you eat the better. Pop, chips, TV dinners and the like will not make it easy to loose any weight. Buy some meats, some fruits/veggies and be ready to do some meal prep. The internet is full of great simple recipes for eating less calories and cooking light. I bake my fried chicken now instead of frying, it's damn good really. As said, anything with artificial sweeteners should be avoided. I have a hard time believing artificial sweeteners arent black listed by the FDA. Things like chips, pop and processed snacks are going to work against you in a big way. One thing you can do is keep a food diary for a month, then tally it up and look at it. This is a sobering experience. The thing about extreme diets is they tend to be short lived where moderation is something that can also be effective with some self-discipline. Pop and anything with artificial sweeteners has to go now. Keep processed foods and sugars to a minimum and plan to do a little simple cooking. When I cook I make large amounts and divvy it up into serving size Tupperware containers and freeze. I really dont want to cook every time I want to eat but I really dont want to start loading up on processed crap either so this is one way I found to keep it simple. Good luck on this, eating a little less and a little more exercise is something I suspect many of us would benefit from.

I did the R6 brakes with EBC HH pads, keeping my MC stock. The bike stops so much better now (gen 1). I will speculate that the EBC HH pads are the biggest part of the improvement aside from delinking. The R6 calipers weren't really THAT much bigger. I think a good flush and a decent set of HH pads will make a pretty big difference, assuming your existing calipers and lines are in serviceable condition. I swapped my calipers out because the OEM calipers were toast after only 30 years, they just dont make em' the way they used to!