dynodon
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Everything posted by dynodon
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Cassette Deck, why do you have a problem with MORE options?
dynodon replied to LilBeaver's topic in Watering Hole
I have used the cassette on my '86 VR a couple times, but mostly listen to the radio. The '04 Wing I have has XM and I almost never use the radio, it doesn't have a CD player and with XM I don't need it. I just think the continued inclusion of the cassette on the Royal STAR Venture is proof that Yamaha has no interest...yet... of updating the bike. I think it is funny. I noticed that Sony (as mentioned elsewhere here) is stopping production of the Walkman. My personal cassette collection is turning to dust, and as I looked through it a few weeks ago, I won't miss them except a few that I made myself that are not replaceable. May have to find a way to put them in digital format. I don't consider the current Venture as a viable option for me because I don't want a Harley look alike. That is why I bought the Wing. It isn't perfect. The perfect bike for me would be an updated Venture Royale. Same V4 but updated, a bit more size and torque, but not much. My Wing has almost too much power, doesn't really need that much, would like another 5 mpg better! If the "new" Venture comes out with a huge V twin, then Yamaha has lost me forever. -
Sony announced that it is stopping production of the cassette based Walkman unit. Maybe this will finally convince Yamaha that a cassette player is no longer needed on the Venture?
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Scott, I looked at the TYRE site, and it seems unique to the Tom Tom. Have you used it with a Garmin? Is there a Garmin App on the site that I missed? Thanks
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I had the same exact problem, and could not find a way to solve it, asked here and also didn't get any real help. Maybe someone will know the answer this time?
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You can get them from Yamaha, but they are WAY expensive. A used one is likely to be expensive and maybe not usable. Here is a link to a site with the most affordable good disk that I have found, I haven't bought one yet, but will soon: (story to follow, please keep reading) http://www.perfectbrakes.com/products.asp?cat=8906 A couple years ago I had my local Yamaha dealer put on a new rear disk, he got me one for about what the one in the link is, but it had slots that were 90 degrees to the axle. This disk vibrates and squeals something awful. Make sure whatever disk you get has the slots/holes drilled at an angle or curve. And don't go for the hardest pads, softer pads will be cheaper to replace than the disk! Plus they will bite hard and not make noise. A little extra dust will be the worst you have.
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Took a nice ride this morning at 8am. about 40 degrees. Leathered up, put on a couple extra layers, Toe Warmers, and turned on the heated grips. Had a great ride. I love riding in winter, just wait for the days when roads are clean/dry and don't have salt on them. Then go riding.
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I got an '04 wing this spring to supplement the '86 VR. The VR is superior to the Wing in every way except overall smoothness and power. The VR rides better, takes curves and turns better, and is more stable in wind and on bad roads. Been waiting for a new Venture and keep hoping they go back to the VR format. I have looked at the LT, and many other bikes, but of those left (other than the Venture and Wing) I like the Harley Ultra, but don't like the heat, I like how the Vision rides, but am not in love with the look. Stuck with a used Wing (not bad duty, but still....) and I KEPT my old VR, and still love riding it.
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Don't Try this Kiddies. Not nice Border Guards.
dynodon replied to mrich12000's topic in Watering Hole
Wow, had no idea it was that bad at the border crossings. I would still be in jail based on what we did in 1996! I was participating in the One Lap of America and had to get from New York to N. Illinois. We (three of us in my car) decided to go through Canada. The car was plastered with sponsor decals and the ONE LAP decal. We were loaded down with three big guys, extra spare tire/rim, luggage, and tools, car was obviously overloaded. Running a scanner, CB and radar detectors the entire way. Going into Canada, I don't remember it much, might have been asleep. But going back into the US I remember. About 2 in the morning, Detroit area, and US guard looked in the car, saw all the stuff, us scruffy guys, all the electronics and the decals, and declared that we were obviously too STUPID to try to get away with anything and waved us through with a smile. Since 9-11 I haven't considered going to Canada. Don't have a passport yet, and with these stories, I don't think I will get back in that country for the rest of my life. I like Canada, have several friends up that way, but just don't need the bother. Plenty to see and do right here in the USA -
Ok, that is odd, how did you get a picture of me mowing my yard? LOL Yes, Very good, I approve 100%, set the next target!
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Went on a 150 mile ride yesterday and didn't think to try to get a picture. This morning I was in the pickup truck going into town and saw what I thought was a great scarecrow tied to a corner of a fence. Was about to turn around and get the bike when I realized it wasn't a scarecrow, it was a teen girl waiting for a bus! Wild hair, some of the Goth look, and some just trashy hooker look combined! Parents must be real proud of that one! Bet there are no crows anywhere around her. Still on the lookout for a real scarecrow.
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Let's talk battery tenders
dynodon replied to Mel's topic in Royal Star Venture Tech Talk ('99 - '13)
A word about some of the off-brand battery maintainers. Some are OK, others will overcook a battery, others won't do a proper float. I buy only Battery Tender BRAND maintainers, and they have never let me down. When I am plugging something in that will be running 24/7 in my garage with my beloved bikes/cars, I want a brand name that won't let me down or burn down the building. Before I started using Battery Tender Brand maintainers on my equipment, I was buying 2-3 batteries a YEAR. (we have four mowers/tractors, plus a couple bikes and a couple old cars) Since using the maintainers, we average about on battery every 3 years. You don't have to remove the battery, but keep an eye on it. IF the caps come off, check fluid level 2-3 times a year. Also look for battery acid accumulation. In my extensive experience with vehicles that get stored, acid starts accumulating when the charging system/battery has a problem. Bad battery, means it will charge too much and acid accumulates. Bad alternator/charging system, and acid accumulates. IF the system and the battery are healthy, you will NOT get any acid, especially if you use a maintainer. Just google Battery Tender Jr. (I have had both the Jr. version and the bigger plus version, and don't see the need to pay more for the bigger one) and you can find them for near $20. I won't trust a -
I would think the type for Halloween would work, that is what I am looking for. Finding the traditional one in a field or garden would be very hard in my area.
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I think I am in love! Adaptive headlights are way cool, the seating position on the GTL looks spot on for long distance touring, and Kuryakyn probably already has pegs designed for it, and BMW may have some too. Now I need to prepare for the $ hit! (sorry, don't mean for you to put those two bits together, that should read "Dollar Hit"!). I am guessing 30 large at least.
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hig4, that is 99.93%
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Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta - Anyone own this Venture?
dynodon replied to ablumny's topic in Watering Hole
Don't know who the bike belongs to, but I REALLY wanted to go to that event, how was the racing? -
I keep Battery Tenders (most of them the JR variety) on my bikes all the time year round when not riding. Same with any equipment I don't use regularly like mowers and an old car. NEVER had a Battery Tender (brand, some off-brand units aren't as good) cook a battery. With ANY charging unit, and a non-sealed battery, you can run them dry, but again that is ANY type of charger, and it takes months. I have a VERY old tar top battery in my old Chevy, the BAttery itself is about 25 years old at LEAST. I bought it dry (no acid ever in it) over 25 years ago, and then sold the car I bought it for. Sat forgotten on the shelf till about 3 years ago when I bought another old Chevy. Manufacturer said it was no good, but Interstate Battery dealer put it on a big/slow charger after filling with acid and it held a charge. It will go down in less than a week, but I keep a Battery Tender Jr. on it, and it just keeps on going. Add water twice a year. That has to be some sort of record for battery life!
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Questions: Does the course offer the plastic protectors or did you find them elsewhere? Edit, I looked again at the ride like a pro site and found the pro-guards page and found their web site. Looks like they are made for Electra Glides, wonder if they would work on a GoldWing or other bikes? Also, I would think it would be good to remove pegs from crash bars for this class, did you do this if you had the extra pegs/footboards?
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I am not a "driver" but my oldest son is one. I tried everything I could to discourage him, but he had a vision and went for it. He wanted his own truck, and found out that unless you are VERY good, or very lucky, that your own truck is a good way to go broke. He did over-the road long haul for many years, and missed seeing his kids grow up, and it cost him a lot with his family. Now he is making up for that, got with a decent local company that has him home every night, and weekends. Driving their trucks may put you in some questionable equipment, but if you keep an eye out, it isn't bad. Also, he doesn't have to worry about where to park his rig. Weekend parking is a problem for most owner operators. My wife was even his dispatcher for a while. I am proud of my son for knowing what he wanted, and for going for it no matter what. We supported him after it was clear he wasn't going to change his mind! Get your own training, decide if long haul is OK or not, and get some experience. Seems you have gotten some good advice. As the family member of a trucker, I give them plenty of room on the road, and let them in when passing, I run a CB and usually get thanks for treating truckers right. I have had plenty of them cut me off without warning, they assumed I wouldn't let them in, and they are right most of the time with most four wheel drivers, but those that do use their signals and drive with some respect for others (most of pro drivers do) I give that respect right back. Good luck.
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I am going to try the beads. My '04 Wing has a handling problem that now three different dealers can't or won't address. I wanted the new Kuryakyn fork brace, and adding the beads got me free shipping and the beads wound up costing about $8! So why not try it. I do have a problem with one comment from that MCN test. They said:"Also, the weight of the beads added so close to the tire tread gave a noticeable increase in gyro stability, making the steering heavier" Regular weights are within about 3-4 inches of the inside of the tread on a tire that is what? about 26" tall? I can't believe that 2 oz of beads distributed around the inside of a tire/wheel combo that weighs what? 30 pounds? (I haven 't weighed one, so I am guessing, it is a LOT more than the beads) when you can have 1-2 or 3 or more ounces of wheel weights at one spot. Anyway, I will try them and see if they help. My front tire seems to have a slight out of round condition (new E3 with about 2000 miles on it) that I can feel when riding. If the beads help any at all, it will be worth the $8!
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Hey Rick! Want some company for at least part of the way? I can head out with you and go for a ways, maybe quite a ways, have to see what is going on next week. Don (from the next town West!)
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OK, I have to fess up that I did it in my 2005 Chrysler 300c "Cage". Nicknamed the USS Saratoga. It corners a bit better than that ship though! My son and I were in N. Carolina most of the week starting with last Saturday, to set up hotels and venues for a car convention we put on each year. We were looking at the Chapel Hill/Raleigh-Durham areas, and also Charlotte. (The NASCAR Hall of Fame is WONDERFUL and a must see if you get to that area!). On the way back to Illinois we decided (well I decided, and my son, a non rider) went along with it! I drove the first time through all of rt 129, and he drove back to the dragons den hotel/restaurant etc. We ate lunch there watching bikes come and go, and then drove the skyway on the way back to IL. We had a blast, and only one Harley caught up to me, and another bike caught up to my son. We let both by as soon as possible, but were proud that our cage was able to keep up with all other traffic, in fact other than those two bikes we never saw anyone else going our direction, only bikes (and not a lot) going the other way. There were two accidents, one had an ambulance and one did not, both were on the skyway. I am glad I got to do it in my car, I will be much better prepared when I take my bike out that way, hopefully later this month or next.
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I watched a few seconds and then stopped, because it is just another crotch rocket jerk that thinks he is the perfect rider, and will live forever, and that any public road is his playground. HE WILL die a bad death some day, or worse, live to be a veggie and live off our taxes the rest of his days. And he will probably hurt or kill someone else in the same accident. I hope the police stop him and put him away before this happens for his own and others good. I see people like this ride around my area, and they are all suicidal jerks. Sorry about the soap box, but there is NO excuse for riding busy public roads that way,..... none. The guy needs to do some track days, and get off the highways. I would love to drive/ride that road but because of the reputation and of people like that I am not anxious to do it on a bike. I would take a tank-like big car and when this guy comes around he will take out my fender (I can drive and ride very well, and won't be over the line when he comes into my lane) but I should survive. Riding on an area road known for curves, a jerk in a small sports car almost took out my wife yesterday. Luckily I didn't see it or I might have tried to turn around and find the guy. I take pride in driving and riding correctly, having fun, but staying safe and respecting other drivers/riders. I save the 10/10ths stuff for real race tracks.
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I have hit road gaters in my car, and dodged bits of them on my bike, but what I saw last month was different: One of those LARGE tow trucks, the kind that pick up semi's was going down the road empty, when one of the jacks on the back corner (the ones they use to stabilize the truck as it pulls from the side) slides down and starts dragging on the road! HUGE shower of sparks. I was coming up on this truck and was in the passing lane (interstate) and it scared me. But as I got beside the truck I tried to tell the driver that something was wrong out back. He didn't want to look. Saw him trailing sparks for a long time, he never pulled off till he was well out of site. I know several cars tried to get a message to him also.
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I would bet that most quality detail shops for cars would do a bike if asked.
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I have heard other people weave the bike back and forth, sometimes stand up on the pegs a little....idea is to kind of make the tailgater think you are a bit crazy or out of control? I have done the weave a couple times, and it seems to work. Flash the brake lights works sometimes. If the 'gater doesn't get the hint right away, then pull over, turn, wave them by....whatever is the safest for you and other traffic. About speeding up, I have found that tailgaters, love it when you do that, and they try to keep up and that just adds to the danger usually. Sometimes slowing down doesn't work, and that also puts others at danger, along with you! So I pull over or turn and try to make it into an area where I can get help or witnesses if needed! I used to get mad at jerks like this, but decided a few years ago it wasn't worth my blood pressure or energy. Just get rid of them as quick and safely as you can.