Slab Pig

I'm going to strip it to the bones, boys. I wanted to start with 95, OK 97 horse engine. Here's a project bike I'm thinking about: Start with an RS of some type. Add VMAX cams and springs, VMax final, big air box, dyno, jets, coil clutch springs, some aftermarket pipes and loose everything that doesn't make the engine run, including the fake fins , chrome head covers, AIS, etc. I'll leave the seat. So, I just thought that an RSTD would have less that I'd have to pay for and sell on ebay, but... I was talking with an old salt today and he said just by an RS with the 75 horse engine and do everything above and you'll get the same result, i.e. say 120 horse and a 650 pound bike. So I'm thinking that this may be true, but only if Yamaha didn't change the valve port sizes (along with the carbs) taking the engine from 75 to 95.

So the earliest RS that I can buy with the least amount of "add ons" and with 95 ponies is the 2005 RSTD. Alright. Thanks.

OK. Thanks. When I read the replies from Monsta and 'flb 78' I immediately thought, "the AIS is coming off, Man!" When I read V7Goose's reply, I felt guilty for thinking that. If I quit farting and throwing beer cans on the side of the road, do you think that it'll wash?

What function does the AIS provide?

What year did the Royal Star's horsepower go from 75 to 95?

Well here's the skinny on the fumes. I bought the bike from the second owner with 10500 mls. I noticed "fumes in the cockpit" immediately. I lived with it. Over a few months, the fumes diminished, little by little, until one day, I was riding and noticed they were completely gone. @ 30k, my clutch starts to slip. It starts slipping more and more, until I can't stand it any more. So I replace all fibers and replace the diaphram spring with a Barnett coil spring. BTW, GREAT post on the clutch on this site. The ball hex key wouldn't do the trick on those lower screws on the clutch cover and I'm a cheap bstrd, so I didn't want to spring for Snapon's stubby hex key set. So I take the header off. What I find is a dent in the chrome cover just before the header bolts to the head. So I'm thinking that someone's been here before, right? Anyway, I think that when the header was replaced that the old header gasket was re-used. So I think it was the bad gasket that caused the fumes. I'd get on the bike and smell all this blow-by. The more I rode it, the more soot and carbon built up to plug the holes in the poor seal made by the re-used gasket. After 10K or so, the fumes are gone, finally sealed. When I put the header back on, I replaced the header gasket with a brand new one. No fumes.

Hey RoadKill, It's a 2001. I was thinking that myself, a bigger problem...bummer if it is. I can smell pizza from a mile away, but that's it.

My RSV is the first bike I've had that has a windshield and I'm constantly smelling/breathing exhaust fumes, pretty much at any speed. My wife days she can't smell anything from the back seat. I have an aftermarket shield that kinda slopes more vertically toward the top. The previous owner installed a Goldwing vent in it, presumably 'cause he was experiencing the same issue. Does anyone else have this problem? Any ideas?