circa1968

Thanks guys! @saddlebum Looking at the attached exploded view, the adjusting nut and lock nut are locked together with #6. I think the only way to adjust them separately is take the top part of the triple tree off & remove that part. Once in that far, it probably makes sense to go all the way. In reading my Clymer manual this morning, it says the fairing has to come off to replace the bearings. Seems to make sense if its attached to the triple tree. Will save that project for a rainy day. I previously did the bounce test to adjust. Definitely not perfect and I just made a minor adjustment to tighten it up a bit, maybe rotated the nuts 1/16. didn't take much.

Ok, going back & forth between three different exploded views, I answered my own question: One adjustment for both bearings. late night internetting..... Next is to figure out how to repack those suckers.

Sorry all, didn't mean to discount the possibility of it being a mechanical issue. I was riding in some crazy extreme wind, which I'd never experienced before. I'm getting ready for another 5k trip and plan to check out the bearing again to verify it won't be a factor. On that note, last time I adjusted the head bearing, it was the top most bearing I adjusted via the locknut. I'm looking at exploded view drawings and that seems like the only adjustment I can make. Is that correct? And by doing so, it changes the tension on the bottom bearing too? Looks like its a mother of a job to replace or even repack the bearings, if needed. Anyone ever done that?

Just remembered I shot a short video of the wind @ a rest stop in NM. A semi driver came up to me and asked how I was holding up. He must have seen me struggling. It was something else. I remember it was a slight downhill walk to the restroom from where I parked the bike and I was leaning into the wind, to walk downhill! But, a bad day on a Venture is still better than a good day in the office! IMG_1313.MOV

I did a 5k mile round trip this spring on my 07 and had the same issue following/passing semi's. It was really bad. At first, I thought something was terribly wrong with the bike, then like magic it seemed to go away & then come back again at seemingly random times. I had tightened up my head bearing before the trip and was certain it was ok. The other changes made before the trip, were brand new tires and a brand new F4 wide windshield. Both were possible factors in my mind. Well, 5k miles in the saddle is a good amount of time to figure this out, so here's what I eventually figured out: 1st, it was windy as all heck, going down hiway 5 in CA & then on 40 through AZ & NM, there were signs warning about the wind. Unbelievable wind. Ton's of semi's on the road and the turbulence coming off of them, coupled with the wind, coupled with me going 85+ and I literally never went more than two minutes without seeing a semi, so it was constant turbulence. Turbulence was dramatically worse within 50 feet of the rear of the semi until I was just past the rear wheels, while passing. Once I got past the rear wheels, the turbulence almost completely died and then as I passed the cab, got blasted by the side wind. It was utterly exhausting. I was speeding up to get through it as fast as possible, but increasing speed only made it worse. It was literally a no-win so I chose faster speed, more turbulence and finish the ride sooner. I did a couple of 3-400 mile days like that and they were exhausting. On the return route, Hiway 70 through KS, CO & UT, no wind to speak of and I was doing 90++ and she was a stable as could be. Far fewer trucks on 70 than 40, maybe like 90% less, so can't recall that it was ever an issue passing them, leading me to believe that the prevailing winds were the biggest culprit, followed by the extreme turbulence it created off the semi's. I also suspect that the wider windshield might have come into play, but in the end, my conclusion was the wind was primary factor. And the moral of the story was never ride 40 through AZ & NM again. Ever. Other than Flagstaff, its pretty boring/ugly landscape and unbelievably windy!

I gotta say, they've had an eye for styling from day 1, IMHO. The YA-1 is a very cool looking bike!

But seriously, I agree with you. You took all those electrical pulses in my brain that give me a kaka frowny face & turned them into the precise words that describe my kaka frowny-face feelings about the world. But the kaka frowny face quickly goes away when I get on my Venture and ride!

Well said!!!!! The main take away for me is I now know how to spell kaka and plan to use it regularly in my writings. Thank you for that!😂

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks again! Your knowledge, experience and expertise is so greatly appreciated! I always learn something new from your posts.

But none of this discussion should take away from the heartbreak and tragedy of those lost to this virus/disease that, by all accounts, should have never even existed in the first place. If the world powers have not learned from this, then we are doomed as a species.

I love all the knowledge & info you provide here Saddlebum. For a newbie like me, its invaluable! Having gone through a bunch of carb issues myself and knowing what's involved in actually getting to the carbs themselves (pulling the tank & airboxes @ a minimum), I was visualizing what you suggested and wondered if this would be an easier way: Drain the float bowl, then refill it with carb cleaner via the drain itself (I use a section of 1/4" hose to drain, so use that as you described to inject the cleaner). Then immediately close the drain screw and allow it to soak for a few mins. After soaking, drain again, close the screw, run the fuel pump and drain again to flush. Not sure how it will work to force feed cleaner up through the drain & could be messy, but I think I might try this if I ever have that stuck float issue.

Sorry to hear that Saddlebum but glad to hear they pulled through. My sister & brother in law, actually the whole family also tested positive and all but my brother in law pulled through quickly. He did not end up in the hospital, but came close. Incidentally, he is the only smoker in the family. I've always wondered what the stats for smokers vs. non-smokers were. I'm guessing much worse for smokers since its a respiratory issue, but we probably were not allowed to see that data as it would not fit the narrative.

Agree. I just looked at my county's covid dashboard & it matches your mortality rate @ 1.39% (of known cases) & 66% of those are with 1 or more known comorbidities. They've taken the long-term care facility data off the website, but it was tracking at right around 45% of all deaths in our county. I live in a county of 1.9M people, so would say this is statistically significant data. There are now known and proven therapuetics to treat covid, so as someone who is healthy, I too am comfortable taking the risk - and I know the risk is not zero. I too do not like the government overreach here. Like everyone else, when this first started I was freaked out. But when political power and profits came into play, it definitely changed my perspective to be a bit more skeptical. As Mark Twain said, there are 3 kinds of lies; lies, damn lies and statistics. Oddly enough, our two top current politicians were talking down the vaccine just months ago because it came to be under someone they didn't like. But now its all good?

I hope it all goes well for you. Its one thing to make the choice and accept any risks without coercion, but to be forced.... At least they are giving you a choice to wear a mask instead. I asked my son what he would do if his college coach told him he had to get it or not be on the team. He said he's not going to make it to the majors anyways, so he would quit and go find a rec league to play instead. I was happy to hear that. And now we are hearing about more & more "break through" cases and that the antibodies wane after a few months and booster shots are needed (at least according to Pfizer, who's making a nice profit on this). There are just too damn many documented cases of short-term adverse reactions and we still don't know what, if any, long-term implications this messenger RNA therapy will have on our bodies. I'm 53 & hope to make 100 and I'm very careful about what goes into my body now, knowing that will play a key part in making that goal. I will never forget sitting down with my Grandfather one day when he was 89. He was reflecting on his life and telling me stories about his life experiences. I was ~30 at the time and was not even remotely thinking about my own mortality. The one thing that stayed with me from that day is that life is good and there are no number of years of being alive that will ever be enough for me. He made it to 92 and died of a broken heart, 6 months after my Grandmother (they were each other's first and only love in life). I miss them both tremendously, they were pretty much dirt poor, but had a type of riches that most people try for, yet never achieve in life and I idolize them for that. Sorry for the ramblings, we've just had our sense of reality, purpose and value in life so distorted and mangled over the last year+, that I sometimes need a simple reminder of what's really important to me

I see some consistent microcracks in the recessed channel area around the side blocks. The main channels that go diagonally across the tire do not have these tiny cracks. Not sure what to make of it, but will keep an eye on it for sure. The tire has 5k miles on it and date code is 2420.

I'm with you. I'm most concerned for my 19-year old son and what position his college may put him in to get the shot. There are well-documented cases of adverse side effects (especially young males having enlarged hearts after the shot) and we have no idea what this may cause 1, 2, or 10 years from now. There are well-educated researchers out there who say this has very real possibilities of causing autoimmune disorders in the longer term. And now we are hearing that the vaccine does not prevent catching the virus, at best it minimizes symptoms. I respect everyone who's made the choice to get the shot and just ask that same respect in return for my choice. @larrydr Get well soon!!!! Prayers are up for you! From what you've just told us here, you are one tough cookie!

I'm running Shinko tires right now too and will go inspect mine. Can you let us know the batch #?

That's good news. Incidentally, my niece, had also been on AD's prior to her attempt. In my niece's case, it was later determined that what she was on was not compatible with her genetic makeup. Might be something to check into.

For the bowl drains, I used 1/4" hose. No way to get your hands up in there. The hose I used is stiff enough that with a little patience and practice can guide it to the drain port then slip it on with a little gentle pressure & twisting motion. IIRC, a 5mm allen key opens the drain port.

Prayers for all of you. Our family had similar experience a few years back with our beautiful, vibrant young niece, who thankfully survived. With love and strength from family, she is doing well and thriving today. One thing I observed through her and her parents' journey is that some friends may disappear from your lives. This was hard for them to accept as they are a very social family. Mental health issues are so very complex and unique, I believe its because most of us don't know what to do or say and don't want to do or say the 'wrong' thing that might upset your daughter or you. For whatever its worth, my advice is to continue doing what you've done here. Reach out for support, keep people updated and show your unconditional love as an example for others to follow. Don't crawl under a rock because of some perceived stigma of mental health issues. The truth is almost every single person alive has inner demons and we all just deal with it differently. You have a long road ahead, but a journey that must be taken so stay strong. We are all here for you and I firmly believe we can send some strength to you and your daughter through prayer or karma or whatever each of us subscribes to.

Dad, I promise to stop being a problem child, but the bad jokes voice in my head is hard to stop sometimes... And I agree, cool place to hangout, learn, help, laugh, etc. Thankful to all the foremembers here.

my bad. sometimes reading comprehension oversleeps in my world

.8 - .9mm on the spark plug gaps https://www.venturerider.org/manuals/1983-owners.pdf Page 59

@Patch has helped me learn, and no doubt countless others here. I'm still a newbie, like you, learning along the way. If it wasn't for guys like Patch, cowpuc, saddlebum, and others, my bike would spend more time in the shop than on the road. They've not only helped me directly, but I've learned much by reading their older posts helping others. Regarding electrical issues, I have a EE and spent 20 years in silicon valley manufacturing, starting as a production floor technician. I learned a few troubleshooting skills along the way. Controlled explosions of internal combustion are new to me, but the education process has been a fascinating journey along the way. Not to get too basic on the electrical stuff, or insult you, but here are a few pointers as you go along that journey (and some basic terminology). At a very basic level, there are two types of circuit faults; a short (often used incorrectly as a description for ANY circuit fault) and an open. A "short" is a short circuit, or path for electron flow, between two points that is not intended to exist. Typical symptoms of a short are blown fuses, charred or melted wires, sparks, something getting really hot & smoke. To better visualize this, imagine (do not do this) straightening out a paper clip and connecting opposite ends to +Pos and -Neg of a battery. You've just created a "short" circuit between battery Pos & Neg - Bad idea - allowing nearly unimpeded electron flow between them. You will quickly notice: a) initially a spark; b) a glowing red wire in your fingers and c) 3rd degree burn marks on your fingers. (Final disclaimer: I am not recommending anyone do this!). Intermittent, and/or high resistance shorts can also exist due to dendritic growth of oxidation between two circuits, usually the result of some type of contaminant or chemical reaction with the conductor (even moisture can cause this). These will cause arcs between circuits and/or ground. This type of short may likely not cause a fuse to blow, instead, you will have charred insulators and wires, which can lead to either a direct short or even burn a wire out completely, causing an "open" circuit. An "open" circuit, should be fairly obvious by now. Its a break in a circuit, stopping the flow of electrons, between two points. Sometimes an open circuit is intentional, i.e. a switch in the "open" position. A broken or burn wire creates an open. You can also have a low/high resistance open, particularly at connection points. Again, this is due to oxidation (any metal, save the few precious metals) will oxidize over time. As the oxidation forms a barrier to electron flow between the connection points, heat can be generated causing even greater resistance to current flow. In extreme cases, this could generate enough heat to actually burn out the wire. Common places to look for unintended mechanical opens are at the connector crimp on a wire, often caused by stress (mechanical stress, not wife/kids/job/mortgage/etc kinda stress...) This is why the advice to clean/inspect all your connection points is very good advice to follow as a starting point, along with the voltage/resistance measurements that Patch is pointing you towards. Not sure what to make of your spark plug wire pics. Can't tell if that's heat, arc or chemical related. It appears there is some other contamination around the area there, related? Is the damage just on the outside, or can you see that it is burning through from the inside out?