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dynodon

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Everything posted by dynodon

  1. dynodon
    Looked like a Honda winged thing on the tank. At first I thought Polaris, but was that the english word Police on the front? I have been through the part of the course where you go a set speed and then zig left or right with a point or light a couple times before in a car during a driving school. Was most impressed with the low speed stuff standing up. Does standing up give them better balance? or just a better view.
  2. dynodon
    I was hoping to make it but my grandson's 9am Saturday hockey game changed to 1pm, so I won't make it. Hopefully we can do this again soon.
  3. dynodon
    Good instructions, but I would just change the first measure to use a yardstick or tape measure and find the sweet spot of the light coming FROM the headlight. That is quite often different than just the center of the headlight. I adjust my low beams so they drop down just a little when going out about 20 feet. Also it is a good idea to check any AUX lights you have.
  4. dynodon
    I get your drift, but won't be much help with GPS units. But I would think that any Google Earth pic you could get on a small portable GPS on your bike (or car) would not be a very good choice, because it would be hard to see anything. I like paper maps, I have a small book that I tape to my tank and can flip pages that I print out from Google Maps. There is so much beauty on this earth, and of course in the US you plan to visit, just use the roads as usual on the GPS and your your eyes to see the real thing! Be sure to get off the interstate as much as possible, especially through the middle states, it is pretty boring. Hope you have a great trip.
  5. dynodon
    I remember when the VR came out, and thought THAT is what I want, but kids and career got in the way. Now that I am 60 I finally have my '86 VR, and love it. I had sat on but not ridden the newer Wings and the BMW K1200 LT, both don't seem to suit me and although I like the style of both, I still hope that Yamaha will say ENOUGH with the fake Harley styling and go back to something unique, and a true update on the VR. Now that Kawasaki has taken a small step in that direction, and the fact that Honda keeps selling their anti-Harley bikes, maybe Yamaha will do it. It doesn't need 1800 Cc and 200 hp either. FI and computer controls on the same V4, maybe punched to a max of 1400 cc and 120 hp would do me just fine. I want 45+ mpg and don't think that will happen with 1800cc. Mustang cars did the retro thing and sold a bunch, I think Yamaha would do well with a modernized VR. Oh, I got a nice ride on a new Ultra Glide and the vibration at idle was enough to blur my vison! Decent once off-idle, but the bike seemed small to me and I wasn't thrilled with the controls. I think I worked through my lust for a Harley. Till someone beats my '86 VR, I will keep fixing it.
  6. dynodon
    Live near Peoria, IL, keep me on your list if you put together something. I don't have anything going on Saturday that I know of, so ROADKILL if you want to try a get together this weekend, I am up for something. Don
  7. dynodon
    Excellent tip on going W-E rather than E-W and downhill!
  8. dynodon
    Google earth clearly shows the gravel portion. IT is a farily small section of some really straight and boring looking roads. Be fun to do, but not sure about it on a big bike. Here are the coordinates: 37"16' 29.02 N 109" 56' 19.29W OK, looked at some more of the pictures, maybe not so boring! certainly the squiggly part looks exciting.
  9. dynodon
    About the skid distance, I took it to mean the skid included tire marks and then AFTER the bike laid down. In fact he mentions "Lock up and Lay Down" A bike sliding on pavement on its side will go a lot farthur than if it is on the tires with brakes locked. A quick search on the internet revealed that CARS with FOUR bigger contact patches can take upwards of 200 feet to stop from 60 MPH. He didn't mention how fast he was going, but it is very easy to see how the combined stopping distance could be 250 ft since the tires weren't doing any stopping for a good portion of the accident. Unless he was going a lot faster than 60 though, he probably was slowed down pretty well by the time he slid into the car.
  10. dynodon
    It's too late now, but get an oil analysis kit from your Amsoil dealer and use it at the next oil change. It is possible the bits are just left over from manufacturing, but today, most engine builders are VERY careful with this, and that much stuff coming out is unusual. An oil analysis will clearly show if something is coming apart and wearing funny inside, and be good proof for the dealer that they need to do something sooner rather than waiting for a huge failure.
  11. dynodon
    Hey, have a great trip in the US! I am probably not going to be at the event, but can tell you that a $40 (US) hotel is hard to find, even in the bad parts of town, and that is usually where they are. $65 and up is pretty much the rule, but with internet access, check out the many hotel/motel pricing sites and see what you can find. Just a thought, if in mountain regions OUT of ski season, check out ski lodges. Out of season they provide great accomodations at bargain prices, but probably not $40! You could also search bed and breakfast places, but again, it is tough to get much below $75 or so most places. But for a B&B the middle of the week is slow time, so call and negotiate some!
  12. dynodon
    Well, it fixed itself...kind of. While at the dealer, who had graciously agreed to take a quick look, I squeezed the lever with both hands and something gave and it was back to normal. Must have been some dirt in a passage or valve. It had been bled/flushed last fall, but seems like I should probably do it again. Thanks for the help.
  13. dynodon
    two days ago, rode the '86 VR and it ran great. Got on today and the clutch lever is super stiff. Slow to pull in and slow to come out, doesn't take forever to come out, maybe a full second, but doesn't snap out like it did last ride. System was worked on and fluid flushed last fall by Yamaha dealer, has been perfect all summer. What happened in the space of less than 48 hours sitting?
  14. dynodon
    Glad your OK, be sure to check the tongue weight of your trailer loaded. You want right at 10% of the total trailer weight on the ball mount. You can go a little over and a little under that, but not a LOT under or over! Also, be sure your air pressure is at the high end of the allowed scale when hauling the trailer and passengers. IT is a good idea to check your tires at EVERY stop, especially in the summer and when heavily loaded Put your hand on the tread, and if you can't touch it without burning, something is wrong. Same with your trailer tires, and on the trailer, also touch the axle/bearing area, same deal, they should be cool to warm, but if HOT, then something is wrong (too little grease, too tight/too loose). Takes just a second at each stop, carry some wet wipes to clean your hands if necessary.
  15. dynodon
    Since he was moving in the left lane, he could say he was doing the speed limit and since you caught up to him, you obviously were speeding. If he was slower and you WERE doing the limit, then he just didn't like you passing him. Not sure of the rules in Canada, but in Illinois, the Rules of the Road say that you can pass on the right legally on a four-lane divided highway or in a lane on a two lane highway provided for that purpose if the car in the left lane does not yield. In this case, the car in the left lane is the one breaking the law, even if they are doing the speed limit, and you are above it. Of course if you are above the limit, then you are speeding, so a LEO could ticket BOTH cars if that is the case. Check your state laws, I bet more states allow passing on the right on an interstate type highway than you might think.
  16. dynodon
    Was that the thing floating in space in that 2010 movie? Looks like maybe it goes over the end of a fuse holder or connector is at the end of a wire buncle. Maybe to protect it if there isn't anything hooked to it. Did you add something taking up a connector that maybe this covered?
  17. dynodon
    Is it possible that you had a stuck piston as mentioned, and that was giving an abnormally long swing to the lever before the brakes bit. Maybe the lever was even adjusted to make up for this a little? Now maybe you have it working right, and just need to get used to it, and possibly re-adjust the lever? But it was good advice, to take apart that caliper again and make sure everything is put in correctly. Maybe the pad got in a touch crooked and isn't letting the piston move back and forth properly? Can't hurt to take it apart and check it out again.
  18. dynodon
    The way to check the oil is to be sure to let the bike sit for a few minutes (5 at least?) after it runs, before you check it. There is a lot of oil that is in the upper part, and it takes some time for it to drain back. You should not check the oil immediately after you shut it off for this reason. Be sure it is on the center stand, and on level ground. Best to check it cold.
  19. dynodon
    I bought the Vaso liners last year, and had a hard time keeping the battery connected. They have better magnets, or extra magnets that they offered me, if you have the same problem, ask them for the extra magnets. So far I am underwhelmed, but they do help. I use Toe warmers in my boots, and on really cold days, I put one on top of each hand on top of the Vaso liner and I am toasty. I am not fond of more wires connecting me to the bike, so go through this routine!
  20. dynodon
    Ditto above, you want a 1300 86 and up, and at this point your main problems would be previous owner neglect or maintenance, and wear/tear. They are great bikes.
  21. dynodon
    Been wanting to ride a Harley for years. Finally this past SAturday, my son calls and says he is at the local dealer and they are doing test rides. 20 minutes later I am leathered up and there with my '86 VR. Took an Ultra for the pretty nice 7 or 8 mile ride on two-lane roads. Nice mix of slow, curves, fast and turns. Impressions? The vibration anytime you pull in the clutch and coast or at idle stopped is enough to blur my vision! That alone would be enough to make me not want one, but also, the bike feels almost like a toy under me compared to my VR. Maybe for some that is a plus, but I like my room. The handlebar fairing protected me better than I expected and a little better than the one on my VR. Mainly because it is about 6" closer due to handlebar mount. It wasn't windy, so I can't speak to how the wind effects the bars with a bar mount fairing. Electronic throttle gave a false impression of LOTS of power off idle, but the Ultra did have more than enough power. Don't know where they get the reputation for not being powerful, it had plenty. But it was hard to control, especially when my hand started going to sleep because I could not figure out the cruise, and the lettering on everything was too small to read with the vibration and being on a strange bike. Grips were too small, but that can be fixed. Got back on my 23 year old VR and felt like I had stepped from a $10,000 bike to a $30,000 bike! Smooth, not as much off idle power till I relearned to give it more throttle. Did I say smooth? I really got my need to own a Harley out of my system, but it wasn't as bad as some say, and I can see a little bit why they have loyal owners. Turn signal system is wierd and old feeling, but again, it is what you get used to.
  22. dynodon
    I have done a lot of autocrossing in the past and know how confusing a sea of cones can be, I am amazed that anyone could possibly memorize a course that confusing, especially doubling back on itself like it does! As for the pairs riding, never seen that before, thanks for posting. We are taught to look where you are wanting to go and the bike will go there in a corner. But did you notice that the inside rider on that pairs course was looking opposite of the turn between the bikes! THAT must really be a mind blower the first time you try that.
  23. dynodon
    Sapper, Not sure that totally qualifies for a "giant" flag, but what the heck, it is on tall pole, and pretty big. I say it is OK, thanks for getting this going again everyone. When you say amusement park ride, can it be a carnival? Most parks won't let you drive in. How about a picture of my bike in front of a neighbors Ford Fiesta, that is almost as wild as an amusement park ride, and a LOT more dangerous! LOL
  24. dynodon
    With all the previous and current problems with the Venture, I wonder if the molds and machinery for manufacturing are getting old and wearing out? There seems to be a high number of bad cases, drives, etc, and the whine/chirp/etc seems to be getting worse per bike than better. Yamaha needs to address this issue, as it will really hurt them. Probably already is. Certainly doesn't make me want to consider trading for a newer Yamaha.
  25. dynodon
    I have used K&N filters for decades on my cars/trucks, and I have sold them for some time. I also used to have a Dynojet dyno shop, and can tell you that a K&N on a car or truck WILL give you a little HP, from 1-5 or more but usually not much more. That is peak power at full throttle. At part throttle, the air flow us much less and the benefit of the K&N for power or MPG is almost nonexistent. STill, they are worth using if you keep your vehicles a long time and drive/ride them a lot. Clean maybe once a year and you are done. As for dirt, the K&N is just as good as a paper filter, and as good if not better than foam filters. I also sell Amsoil, and get oil analysis on my vehicles. If the K&N were passing ANY dirt beyond normal for any filter, oil analysis would pick it up. Only once did I start seeing silicon (basically sand or the most common element in most "dirt" in the air) and it turned out to be a hole in my K&N filter made by MY error, not any fault of the filter. I filled the hole with Silicone sealant and the numbers for silicon dropped back to near zero. Also, if the K&N passed anywhere near the dirt some bogus articles claim, you would find dirt in the air path between the filter and the throttle body. NEVER in all the years I have had K&N filters would my air path fail a white glove test. Dry, clean and perfect always. So, you can get some peak HP with a K&N, they will clean as well as other filters, and they can save you some money on maintenance. They won't give you any more MPG because the low throttle positions dont' pass enough air to make any difference between a K&N and a CLEAN paper filter. Finally, As an Amsoil dealer, I did test their previous generation oiled foam filter VS paper and K&N and the oiled foam filter LOST HP vs paper and the K&N. I have not had a chance to test the new generation of K&N filter, I hope it does better. But I did not sell or recommend any oiled foam filter to my friends and customers.
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