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greg_in_london

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Everything posted by greg_in_london

  1. greg_in_london
    I always used to worry about locking the Venture and took the radio out every time I parked, but now I just don't bother. Kids don't seem interested in nicking radios any more (fortunately) and the bike is too imposing for kids and too old for professional thieves. That and the sidecar that the g/f refers to as the anti-theft device.... When travelling with the trailer tent, we've started using a trailer lock, but whether it is to stop somebody taking the bike or the trailer is a moot point. Back to the lights, though, in the UK (and probably elsewhere too) it is supposedly a legal requirement that vehicles parked on unlit roads at night show sidelights. I say supposedly because nobody does it - if they did then their vehicles would never start because of flat batteries and then their lights wouldn't show anyway. Plus people would crash into the back of them (or queue!) because they would assume they were being driven on the road.
  2. greg_in_london
    I'm no so sure about that - I hardly ever sit at home and listen to music - the longest time that I'd ever spend listening to music or the radio is when I'm travelling on the outfit. It's a bit more than pocket money, though...
  3. greg_in_london
    Flicking across from the other thread about the reserve lighting unit ( http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51483 ) I came to the same conclusion about the computer and also did not want to start hacking up the wiring. In the end I found the three way block connector (green, yellow, black) which carries the live hi/low feed from the switch and an earth from the indicators (for the cancelling function I guess, I didn't check). I pulled the two connectors apart and made a connection for the green and yellow - lo/hi wires and also made a jumper for the black (ground) to connect the black of the original two connectors (so the indicators still work) with a wire to the third connection for the hid relay. It would have been neater and easier if I had bought a headlamp plug first ( and better if I could buy a spare of those three way connectors, but they're not available). This way I can convert back to halogen bulbs if needed, but the computer is not happy. If I have any problems with this system I'll post.
  4. greg_in_london
    That looks great, but more than I want to do when I'm getting ready for a trip - that's for sure. Admittedly the computer fault monitor isn't a real issue for me as it flashes all the time because I've changed the front master cylinder and the battery to an AGM ( no sensor) and the headlight (nearly) always gave a fault sign anyway. That red light stops flashing after a while. Flyinfool's comment about just bypassing it seems sensible - maybe I was trying to overcomplicate things, so I'm going to try just undoing the block connector and connecting the bue/black (l/b) to the blue/white (l/w) and see if I get success. I'll just live without the high beam warning for now (or maybe wire an LED in somewhere else.)
  5. greg_in_london
    Hi there Flyinfool. I just installed a hid conversion this evening without thinking about the reserve lighting circuit. What did you do to bypass the unit ? I'm assuming that just pulling the plug on it will ncut the lights. I had been thinking about disconnecting the low beam wire to it and connecting that to a live, so the unit thinks the bulb is on, but don't actually power the low beam circuit and confuse the hi/lo relay. But if you've thought about it more an have a better way... ? Greg
  6. greg_in_london
    We could run through making sure that you forgot nothing. First - did you replace any out of: the nozzle o-ring ? the jet block gasket that you can't but anymore/ was it in good condition ? the little rubber bubgs at the botton of each jet block ? Next - how long have you run it since you rebuilt the carbs ? Is it possible that any jets have worked loose ? Could the brass bolt in the end of the nozzle have worked loose ? Or even the screws that hold the jet block. I've a feeling that it is possible to get two of the jets the wrong way round, but I'm not 100% sure of that. At the end of the day, it doesn't take that long to pull the carbs off. It takes me even less time now that I've bought some very long nosed surgical pliers from Maplins that makes reconnecting the two throttle cables easier. [edit] oh - and have you taken the air box off to verify that the slides are all moving okay when you blip the throttle with the engine running ?
  7. greg_in_london
    Thanks everyone - that's what I wanted to know.. I haven't had an answer yet about the other starter motors, although I'm committed to buying the brush set at least. Squeeze, I may be passing though in a couple of weeks, would that be a good time to drop by and say hello and put a face to the name ?
  8. greg_in_london
    Yeah - know the feeling. I've my fingers crossed that a newbattery and checking the starter will mean it bites harder and not slip - enough for a while longer anyway.
  9. greg_in_london
    While fiddling with my carbs - and with a battery that is getting low, it feels as if my starter motor clutch is giving up. It could be that as the battery is low and the starter motor has always struggled, it's just not gripping tightly enough , so changing the battery and servicing the starter motor just MIGHT sort things out, otherwise I might have to invest in the starter clutch modification. While searching for bits, though I came across this chap on the US ebay site: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Starter-KIT-Yamaha-M-C-XVZ1200-Venture-XVZ-1200-1198cc-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem414ce55e63QQitemZ280462974563QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories He is selling the bits to refurbish the starter motor, but also sells aftermarket starters. He says that all models are available, so I have asked if he can match the later Royal Star starter which I'm told will fit (awaiting an answer) and wondered if anybody had experience of these.
  10. greg_in_london
    Thanks guys - I've a few more days of searching European websites for a Conti Tour, then if there isn't one, I'll try a Michelin Commander. If I get 4,000 miles I'll be happy.
  11. greg_in_london
    About the needles - there are different part numbers for different years and different market places. According to the Mikuni specialists I spoke to when I researched all this a couple of years ago, the numbers in the designation list the diameters and slopes/gradients on the needles. That would indicate that needles are not interchangeable - or at least would change the charcteristics markedly. This might be positive or might be negative, depending on what you have and what you get. If you don't have the adjustable needle, you could check out the other thread on the shim under the needle clip - but finish cleaning everything out first and also consider checking the o-ring around the nozzle and replacing the rubber bungs in the jet block (this is what I'm doing over the next few days - I'll take pictures if you need them).
  12. greg_in_london
    Hmmm - never mind the dark Side - I'm drawing a Blank Side on this one. Apparently the Elite III isn't sold in the UK - although I don't know about the rest of Europe. The tyre shop suggested I think about a Michelin Commander (which Harley D are now recommending) but I have no idea how they compare for mileage with other tyres. I really do not want to put a tyre on and then maybe have to start looking for another half way through our holiday.
  13. greg_in_london
    From where I am I have quite a few options to get onto mainland Europe. I can go Dover-Calais, Dover-Boulogne, Ramsgate( or Dover-)-Dunkirk, Newhaven-Dieppe or several other routes - even one tunnel route. For you I'd have thought the only reasonably priced method would be to chat up a sailor... Other than that you'll probably be paying more than the bike's worth. If your bike is spectatcularly customised and you need to show it in Europe, then you'll want a specialist anyway. If you're moving across and have a lot of stuff, then you're looking at shipping a container, or renting space in a container. What's special about your bike ? Has it been adapted in some way ?
  14. greg_in_london
    Well it's not exactly the Dark Side - but the new Gold Wing tyre size is close to a lot of car sizes and might JUST be the largest you can fit on a first gen, at 160/80x16, but it also might be too wide. Has anybody tried fitting one ? It has an 80H load rating which is a fair bit higher than the 77H of the heaviest duty 140/90x16 tyres - and as I'll be pulling a trailer tent on the bike and sidecar on the German autobahns, I'll be putting a fair load on the tyre in hot weather. Has anybody any experience on this ? I hope so because I need to splash out on another tyre in the next week or so to be ready to travel.
  15. greg_in_london
    Has anybody tried the mega-heavyweight (designed for Gold Wing) 160/80x16 on the back ? The Elite 111 has a significantly higher load rating than other tyres available, but I don't know if it will quite fit or if it really gives higher mileage when loaded (with sidecar, trailer tent etc). I need a new tyre before we set off across the channel to Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic in the Summer.
  16. greg_in_london
    Hmmm .... been standing............... yes tyres flat ..................... yes tyres been flat a while ....yes no puncture in tyre ........ yes - er no - whatever. Well it COULD be a valve, but I'd check something else - corrosion on the rim. If it's been standing and it's been damp at all, then you might have some corrosion if you didn't have it before. It's easy to check - pump up the tyre - then get one of those spray cans people use for watering plants (or a paintbrush if you don't have one) and fill it with water and washing up liquid (your neighbour will have some if you don't..) and squirt it around the rim, getting it into the lip where the rim and tyre touch. Might as well squirt some around the valve too. Now - and this is most important. Go and make a cup of tea. A beer is a suitable alternative, but not coke - it will rot your teeth and you'll be exchanging one problem for another. If you see lots of bubbles around the rim, corrosion is preventing it from seating properly. People have recommended techie solutions, but the only effective one (imho) is to remove the tyre and polish the rim with a well lubricated fine sanding block. Just using rim sealant/lubricant when you fit the tyre will not solve it. I've found you have to do it yourself as your average tyre fitter won't see the value. If there are no bubbles then the problem is elsewhere - go round the tyre and check there's no puncture after all. And finish off that cup of tea/beer.
  17. greg_in_london
    Or do baby it - but learn to change gear smoothly. Years ago I read an MZ racers advice (they needed every edge they could get) on fast, smooth gear changes. He didn't bother with the clutch to disengage the gear, only feathered it as it went into the next gear, with a fraction of a second closing the throttle to match engine speed. That might be going a little far, but a fast positive gearchange with thought on how you use the throttle will be good for a smooth fast take-off and better for the gearbox.
  18. greg_in_london
    Going back to comments on the tyres - which tyre are people using on the back ? Is it the MU90 (whatever size that is) or the 160/80x16 (if it fits) ? The extra load of the 160/80 sounds useful if it leads to longer life, now that you can't get the Conti TK17 Tour any more.
  19. greg_in_london
    Speak for yourself - you'd be amazed what these things can pull if you upgrade the suspension enough. I used the use the Conti Tour, but it has been discontinued (in the UK at least), so had to switch to the Avon.
  20. greg_in_london
    I don't know if this holds for modern tyres, but the advice I have followed for twenty years is that when you put a rear tyre on the front, the orientation must be reversed. (This is clearly marked for 'universal tyres'.) I have heard two strands of reasoning for this. One is simply that the working load of a back tyre is primarily driving the bike forward, whereas the front tyre will mainly be loaded when braking, so the tyres are used in opposite directions. The second is to do with the way the tyres belts are laid. The suggestion was that one way the ends would tie in, and in the other direction they would tend to unwind. These days, I think you'd be unlucky if your tyre disintegrated, but that's tyre fitment advice on this side of the pond.
  21. greg_in_london
    Looks like a really good price - except for 20 Euro shipping... maybe I'll need to see if Maplins do them. At least I know that they're available.
  22. greg_in_london
    I don't know how many of you knew Colin - he started the UK Venture Club and was active in touring with the motor touring club europe (MTCE). I didn't know, but was just looking up the shop phone number for a UK member. This is the news report: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2009/september/23/three_kent_bikers_killed.aspx He wasalways very welcoming in the shop and it was only a few weeks ago I dropped by with a pack of biscuits to tell him about the carb diaphragm replacements I had fitted. He was looking forward to his next tour. just doesn't seem possible. I've just lifted this info from the UK site:
  23. greg_in_london
    You could also talk to Colin at CM motorcycles who started the UK Venture club. You can ring him at the shop on. Sorry - you can't I'll post this elsewhere on the site, but I've just read that he has died. http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2009/september/23/three_kent_bikers_killed.aspx
  24. greg_in_london
    You can buy cheap pads from a dealer or from e-bay. Check the brands and share your experience. Riding old bikes, no matter what brand you buy, you can get very old stock. I've had reputable brands where rust meant the friction material just came off the pad and I've had good braking performance from companies I'd never heard of. I use E-bay for convenience as much as price. I order and they're delivered in a day or two - that's better than my local (absolutely useless) Yamaha dealer, and quicker than getting around to my mate's bike shop during a working week.
  25. greg_in_london
    Without looking at the parts, I have seen similar things on other bikes, but don't know how closely this matches your scenario. Step one: while on side stand, a small amount of oil leaks out and pools in an engine cover on the left of the bike. Because the bike is leaning, the bottom of the casing forms a cup to hold it. Step two: Bike is placed on centre stand. The pool of oil cupped in the engine cover is now tipped out as the bottom edge of the casing is now horizontal. Does that make sense ? I had it on a 200 Benly - oil dribbled into the alternator cover from the crank seal when it was on the sidestand, but only leaked out when the bike was placed on the centrestand, when instead of pooling on the left hand side of the casing, it returned to the air vent hole next to the crank casing.
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