happypunch

It's fixed. I'm happy it's fixed but I'm unhappy because I don't understand why it's fixed. I went over the grounds with sandpaper and made sure all the connections were tight and that didn't seem to do anything. I figured I would give my old brake master cylinder one more shot and was pleasantly surprised to have it building pressure again. Bled the brakes and now the front brake is working (as well as the crappy stock brakes ever did) and now the dash doesn't shut off when squeezing the brake lever... Like I said, I'm happy it's working again but super confused to what the problem actually was. Since I don't know exactly what caused the issue, I'm worried that I will be updating this thread in a few months saying the problem came back.

Well, I've struck out with the grounds. I'm not sure what would make the switch itself cause the issue since it should just make it be on or off, but the stupid switch doesn't even make the taillight come on, so it probably needs replacing anyway. I think my next step is to pull apart the fairing and thoroughly check each wire to find a short. 35 year old bike with 77k miles and I'm sure there's bound to be plenty of insulation that's rubbed a bit thin. In a perfect world, I would like to redo the harness, but that would take a ton of effort and $$. Something that started at the same time is my front brake master cylinder developed a leak out the inspection window. I noticed when I first got the bike that someone had done a repair on the clutch inspection window by epoxying a dime in it. When that thing died, it went out in a blaze of glory. Of course I had picked my wife up for lunch and on the way back had a torrent of brake fluid dump out and the clutch wouldn't budge. Some time in a parking lot and some new fluid didn't help since the seals were pretty much dust. But I managed to get the 6 miles home by starting in neutral, revving a bit and stomping into 1st. Rev matching allowed for shifts on the way, but I had to try and time traffic lights perfectly... Luckily my transmission was fine. Tried to rebuild the master but it was so pitted that it barely worked so ended up getting a clutch master cylinder from an 04 fjr1300 and it works like a champ. All this rambling is heading somewhere. I promise! So, since my brake master cylinder is also not working (shaved dime and jb weld fixed the inspection window leak but it's not building pressure) I'm looking into options to upgrade/fix that problem. Ive been reading up on folks using brake rotors from r1/r6 bikes and I'm sure that I can make a master cylinder and lever work no problem. This would be a great time to upgrade and what better master cylinder to use than the one that matches the calipers, right? The concern I have is this: does it matter what year of r6 to use as a donor? Do they all bolt up the same? I read somewhere that the xvz1300 forks are the ones to use so it bolts up and I already have a set of those ready to go on. There's a guy near me selling a set of 03-09 r6 rotors, lines, master cylinder and lever and I really hope that will fit. Plus I will have a new brake switch and get to de-link my brakes at the same time. What are your thoughts? Should I be looking for different years? Just get another fjr1300 master and worry about calipers later? Do I need specific brake rotors to go along with all of this? Any links to threads that I may have missed when searching the site would be appreciated! Thanks, everyone!

Hey, folks! A few days ago, I noticed whenever I used my front brake, the gauges would cut out. Everything, except for the speedometer (having just replaced that, I know it is cable driven or else it would have crapped out too, I'm sure!). Even the LED indicators like for the fuel and clock turn off. The second I release the brake, it all comes back to life. You can do it several times in a row until it just stays off and you have to turn off the key before it will work again. This is crazy weird to me. I don't have any other electrical issues and my bike is just the base model so there's less to go wrong. I started following wires and making sure that connections were clean and tight and was keeping an eye out for any insulation that may have rubbed off and causing a short but haven't had any luck so far. I've even removed the front brake master cylinder from the handlebar to make sure that I wasn't just jiggling a loose connection in the starter switch and I can't replicate the problem when I fiddle with the starter switch, just the brake lever. Any thoughts? I've tried digging through old posts and haven't seen this problem so I'm hoping someone can help point me in the right direction! Thanks! Forgot to say this is for my 84 xvz1200

After seeing wasps going into the fairing, I pulled it apart to find their nest. I got a look at the vent and ducting and found that they aren't lined up. I can see the turn signals through the vents... couldn't do that if the ducting was attached. With all the broken tabs, everything wiggles too much and causes the vents to shake free. Weird experience last night. I needed to go to the store in the middle of the night so rode to walmart. Got there right after they closed (1:00 am) and saw some guy in a hoodie running around the parking lot and talking to someone in a car a few rows over. There's a few employee cars in the lot but pretty vacant. I am putting my gear back on and getting ready to leave when he comes walking by about 15 feet away when all the sudden he stops and asks me if the store is closed and what time it was. I finish my helmet, explain the store was closed, gave him the time but he kept walking closer and asking the same thing. He then asks if I would give him a ride to his hotel... I noticed that the car he was talking with had pulled up behind me. Nothing about this is normal, everything screams meth head trying to rob me. I tell him, "nope, but good luck with that" got on the bike and took off. Even if i misunderstood the situation, any hotel he could have been staying at was less than a mile away and if he walked to the store he could walk back. Plus if he wasn't up to no good, why would he be wearing a hoodie with the hood up on a warm night, keep his hands hidden, run around the parking lot and approach people in the dark like that and keep repeating his questions in an attempt to get closer even though I speak clearly and LOUDLY. I'm just glad my bike starts right up and I could get out of there quickly. Again, maybe I'm paranoid but I lived in California where it was a common practice for crews to work together at traffic lights and box you in and car jack you. Nobody in there right mind was going to try and steal my prized stallion, i mean Venture but could have lost my wallet and phone.

I've been looking into them and they are sort of like window vents on old cars. You can use them to block more air when it's cold or turn them the other way to grab more air and funnel it towards you. I haven't found air wings for our ventures but wonder if one of the goldwing models would work. I was riding yesterday and hit a series of bumps and noticed the instrument bezel flopping around. Think I just found the source of the super loud and annoying sound when I hit a bump just right! I was able to notice a very very slight breeze from the front vents but it is so insignificant, I can't believe they spent time designing and manufacturing vents at all. I'm going to look into it more and see if I can't make some sort of air scoop for them or find a windshield with vents. It's only 70* and I was sweating a ton in my riding jacket with all of it's ventilation open. S. Idaho will spend many months in 90-105* and I want to enjoy it without sacrificing basic protection. I may have been riding for years but it doesn't take much for something bad to happen and I prefer having my skin on my body. There isn't a helmet law here (unless you are under 18) and I see so many people riding without helmets... saw a guy yesterday wearing slacks and a wool vest and a hipster mustache... no protective gear at all. I can't do it! I've seen so many people get hurt while wearing protection and I can't wrap my mind around not wearing at least basic things. Sorry for the rant, I will step off of my soap box now. Does anyone know where I can get some new windshield bolts? I am missing 2 and the others are stripped or rusting. It is a weird fastener but I can probably get away with just using regular bolts, but might have to make a bushing to keep the windshield from moving. So far I haven't had any luck online. Will try and go to Tacoma Screw and see if they can locate something for me. *I just found out it is called a shoulder bolt so that should help track it down. I changed the clutch fluid yesterday and that stuff was baaaaddd. Picked up a brake bleeder from Harbor Freight and it kind of worked. I need some small clamps to make sure air doesnt get in around the bleeder nipple. It makes it hard to tell if the air bubbles are from a poor seal with the hose or air from the clutch. Ended up doing it the old fashioned way by pumping the clutch and holding it, cracking the bleeder... The hose came off and I got some lovely DOT3 in my eye. Got pissed off and decided to do the brakes later once I get those clamps.

Checking the oil after hitting the starter was a good idea. The oil level dropped from above the sight glass (that's why I thought it was filthy, now it's the normal yellowish tint). So there is too much oil in it but the air filter looks fine. I'm waiting on the oil filter to arrive and will change it all out and put the correct amount in. Can someone explain to me how the vents are supposed to work? I can't find a switch or anything to open or close them (besides pushing them with my finger) but I can't feel any air flow. Same with the legs, but I can just put my legs out to the sides and cool them down. It gets real toasty hugging the tank! I read about that before but thought it was nice when it was cold. Riding in 70* weather gets unpleasant but not as bad as the upper vents providing 0 air flow. If there isn't something obstructing the vents, I would be tempted to believe that someone removed the ducting. I keep coming up with plenty of reasons to take the fairing apart, guess I can't avoid it for much longer. Another question. The choke won't stay on unless I hold it. Is there an easy way to fix it? I assume that it's worn out in the handlebar control and friction isn't keeping it in place. I know some bikes you can get away with tightening the controls to increase the friction and that would be nice, I don't look forward to trying to source a new one. What a pain when you start the bike, go and lock up the house and come back to find instead of warming up, it died and I can't let it warm up while I put on my gear

My wife just passed her motorcycle riding/safety class at the Harley-Davidson dealership and now doesn't need to do the skills test to get her motorcycle endorsement. Friday, there was a BBQ celebrating the passing classes (mostly a big sales pitch trying to get a bunch of people to buy into the Harley brand and lifestyle) but there was free food so I was in. We rode together on the Venture and I scraped the pegs for the first time. Probably because I need to adjust the suspension and I'm fat and had a passenger + sharp turn = scraped pegs. I felt very sporty for a second... Anyway, we pulled up to the huge dealer with tons of American steel out front and I wish I had parked right up next to a bunch of Harleys and taken a picture. My blue turd next to a bunch of overpriced noise cannons. Neat thing about the class is it is accredited by the STAR association and teaches a lot of good skills and the students get several hours of ride time with instructors. Their class used 2015 HD Street 500's which are kind of a neat bike. It weighs about 500 lbs and my wife had a hard time picking it up off the kick stand. I am going to try and hunt down a V-star 250 for her if I can. I am super proud of her getting out of her comfort zone and getting started with her own street riding journey.

I was thinking that something gaudy would distract from the steaming pile the rest of the bike is. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's going to take a lot of work to make it pretty. Right now I'm in the "polishing a turd" phase and hope to soon get it up to "tired and seen some miles" one day it might get all the way up to "decent." The more I look, the more broken tabs and missing fasteners I find... Still not sure how it stays together on the freeway, someone must have used good bubble gum and bailing wire. Looking at the mirror and windshield, can someone tell me which part is supposed to be on top? Can't tell if the black or the blue goes on top since it was broken and glued together and it looks like it might be incorrect.

I have been sick and not wanting to do much but got real tired of the gross looking speaker covers. It probably would have been easy to remove them but I just taped up the bike and sprayed them with primer and silver paint. I wanted gold or glittery purple, you know... and obnoxious color! But my wife talked sense into me. I didnt want black because I would have to paint everything to match the shade. Here are some before and after pics. It made a big difference, the old covers were just so ugly!

Awesome, thanks! I didn't have anyone to help me by looking at the sight glass and didn't want to tip the thing onto my head or worse... the other side with nothing to break it's fall! When I track down an oil filter, do they come with the o-rings or do I need to track them down separately? It's so annoying when someone puts in an autolite or champion spark plug and you only have the factory tool kit and the 18mm spark plug remover doesn't fit. I would change them all out just to make sure my emergency tool kit will actually work in an emergency. I still haven't found what is making the rear end feel so squishy. It's not consistent either, happens sometimes when on sharp turns, sometimes not. I'm starting to wonder if I have an inner ear problem and for a split second am losing my sense of balance. I choose to blame the bike.

I tried shaking the bike just a little. Didn't want to risk it tipping over on the center stand just so I could see the oil slosh around. I will have to get my wife to watch the sight glass while I give it a good shake. I am worried it is low but will need to change the oil soon anyway. Who can say when the PO changed it, sometimes "oil recently changed" means different things to different people. Picked up some new NGK spark plugs today. I have read some people not liking them but I've always been a fan. I work on a lot of different bikes and often see people using autolites or bottom shelf champions and then I have to change them out because they crap out so fast. Swap in a set of new NGK's and it's surprising the difference it makes, the bike runs so much better. It's raining so will have to wait... Really need to clean out that garage! In the meantime, the xxl cover works well to keep the elements off of it and the rain out of the electronics. At least the hard bags keep everything dry!

Been busy doing boring chores around the house but have been trying to ride whenever I can. It got wet again, started running like garbage (again) but never would dry out and start working normally again. It's been several days and I'm pretty sure at least cyl #2 isn't firing and probably another if there's 2 coils. My plan is to look into the TCI and reroute it if it hasn't been done yet. I have read that the top of the airbox is a favorite spot. Is the stock location under the battery? I would think it would be fairly protected there but do see a couple wire connectors exposed at the top of the top cover. not sure what that part is really called since it isn't covering a gas tank... Is it just the connectors that are getting wet and causing the grief or does water penetrate the TCI box itself? Would some liberal use of RTV help seal it? Does anyone have a picture of the TCI once it's been relocated? Google has let me down! Anyone have an idea how I can check the oil with a 33 year old and grimy sight glass? Even using a flashlight doesn't help. Don't know if it can be cleaned or replaced. It's sort of important to make sure the oil level is correct... Last question for the day: When changing the oil AND filter, it uses 4 qts? I have good 20w50 that I use on my other bikes (no friction modifiers), will that work fine? There's no way I'm dropping $20/qt for 20w40 yamalube. I have used diesel 15w40 on my xt250 and it seems to work fine, but it doesn't get a lot of riding time. I love doing maintenance because it's a ton easier and cheaper than fixing crap that breaks when people are too lazy to take care of it in the first place. Change the oil? Why would I do that? They put oil in it a few years ago, it's fine... lol. Tire pressure? what's it matter, since it's not flat? I deal with a lot of dummies!

So the brake lines that came from the 99-02 r6 fit the venture?

Mine just started randomly flashing the blue high beam light. The first place i check for weird electrical gremlins is the grounds. Its often the cause of the problem and easy to check. Then move on from there.

What year R6 calipers did you use? I'm not sure how I feel about the linked brakes. Wasn't it supposed to be an improvement? First few rides had me scratching my head about the crappy front brake and surprisingly strong rear. Then I find out that the front lever only activates 1 side of the front calipers and the rear brake does the other and the back... I bet it would feel a lot better if the front lever actually activated both calipers. As of right now I tend to use both at the same time. Went for a short ride tonight and tried just using the rear brake and it stopped alright, i guess. really have to stomp on the pedal before it starts gripping and I don't like having to think each time I apply the brakes. If I have to think about it every time, I'm going to get confused during a panic stop and mess up. I will probably de-link them so it behaves like every other bike I've ever ridden.