Venturous Randy

Joe, I just checked and I am on D-21, so we are good. Thanks, RandyA

For those coming to the Asheville Rally, I always like to do an "In Case of Emergency" list. Thankfully, we have not had to use the info for a crash situation, but it was used for coordinating of meet-ups. I would like to use this format so I can just do a cut & paste: It also helps if you keep it a simple font and no color. Your name(s), phone numbers, where staying, estimated arrival, emergency contact number with name or relationship. Randy Atkins 423-726-0431 , KOA, Thur afternoon, 423-335-1484, son Please forward it to my home email; rsatkins@comcast.net or PM me here. I will have copies for everyone who is on the list upon arrival and will be glad to e-mail you a copy before you leave if I have the info by Wednesday. Thanks, RandyA

Yeah, Linda had a Dr appt on the 15th and had to change it yesterday. I hope you can get it worked out as I am looking forward to seeing you. RandyA

After my engine swap, my signal lights or emergency flashers are not working. I have not started looking at the wiring or anything, but looking for suggestions. RandyA

I used the same carbs that had been on the bike and since the bike was running very good, I decided that I would not tear them down and do a cleaning. But, since I had a drain tube that was coming loose, I decided to change the tubes and that required me to turn the carbs upside down. Well, that must of shook some crap loose because when I did my first test rides, the bike ran like it had a couple of blocked pilot jets. I put a whole can of Seafoam with about a half tank of gas and rode it some and let it sit over night, but with a ride the next day, that did not seem to help. After looking at the diagram of the carb, I found that one of the jets in the top of the carb is ported along with the pilot jet. I drained the carbs(the first time ever) and using a new can of carb cleaner with the little plastic tube on it and the carb drain still being open, I sprayed through the top jet. This apparently opened up the pilot jet because it immediately started running better. After so many beautiful days of sunshine and cool temps, now that I have the bike running good, we are going to have several days of heavy rain, but, we really do need it. I just hope we have a dry time at Asheville. RandyA

I installed the 2nd gen gear set with forks and tumbler into an 83 engine. Both 1st and 2nd gens have internal transmissions in the engine. RandyA

Well, I am pretty much done with the engine swap on my 83. It took a lot longer than I expected and I spent many days not even messing with it. So far, I am reasonably happy with the results About five years ago I bought an 85 Royale and a spare 83 engine came with it that supposedly had about 30,000 miles on it. There was a problem with the engine that I did not realize as it had one cylinder that had some rust in it. About three years ago I put a 2nd gen transmission in the engine. Once I figured out some of the unique differences between the two transmissions, I got it working ok in the 83 engine. A while back I put a V-max final drive in my bike and enjoyed it very much. The downside was at speeds over 65, the bike was revving more than I liked and I did not enjoy running at interstate speeds for very long. With the setup I have now, it is the same as putting a V-max final drive in a 2nd gen and I can see why so many like that set up. 1st gear is about the same on a 1st and 2nd gen and with the V-Max final drive, it is noticeably lower geared. A comparison of my setup and a stock 1st gen is 1st gear is about 10% lower, 2nd is about 5% lower and 3rd and 4th are the same and 5th is about 5% higher. To me, this is the perfect ratios for both starting out and the slightly higher 5th gear makes highway travel more pleasant. Another change I made was installing a 4 brush 2nd gen Venture starter. It cranks up really fast now. I recommend this for all 1st gens. I also added the solid motor mounts (thanks SGN) and this allowed me to remove the bar that runs beside the engine as I have the bikini side panels and it opens up the engine even more. As I said, I am reasonably happy as there are some issues I am still messing with. This engine, so far, is not as strong as the old one with 167,000 miles on it. With the V-Max final drive, it was almost scary in 1st gear. I would run it up to about 3,000 rpm's and nail it and it got very light in the front end. It also easily came off the ground shifting hard into 2nd gear. It would pull real hard up through about 5,000 rpm's and then it was like kicking in the four barrel in on my 240Z with the Chevy engine. This engine pulls somewhat similar, but so far it is a little lacking in that part over 5,000 rpm's that I liked so much. Another concern is I believe I have more noticeable whine in the 2,500 to 3,000 rpm range in 4th and 5th gear. But, the good thing is at 70 to 75 mph, the engine/trans is really quiet. I am running about 3,800 rpm's in 5th at about 75 mph and it is a lot more comfortable than in 5th with the stock trans and the V-Max final drive where I was running over 4,000 rpm's running 65 mph. Anyway, I thought I would give an update and I really do think the 2nd gen trans with the V-Max rear is a great setup for a 1st gen. I am going to see if I can find a good 1300 engine and use the other 2nd gen trans that I have in it. I think with the extra torque of that engine that it would be even better. RandyA

This would be great if you can make it. Probably best to make a reservation between D-18 and D-24. I have D-20 and Woody has D-21, I believe. RandyA 2708 Highway 70 East Swannanoa, NC 28778 Reserve: 800-562-5907 Info: 828-686-3121

About a month ago I had an Adobe update that popped up and it did not want me to cancel so I did the update. It ended up changing my homepage and screwed up several things. I ended up having to go into "programs" and uninstall everything with that date on it. Well, it popped up again this morning and to stop it, I had to go to "task manager", because to "X" out or "cancel" did not work. What's happening here? RandyA

To me, this is odd. With all the screwing around with these engines that I have done, I have never seen a leak from these screws and they do not have any seals. RandyA

A note to add to Prairiehammers' great response concerning the brakes is be very careful that you do not get any brake fluid on the plastic. Also, do not fill the reservoirs to the top as it will cause the brakes to lock up when the fluid gets warm. Always carry an 8mm wrench with you so you can relieve some fluid pressure if you need to. Unless the brakes have been modified, the left front caliper and the rear brake are linked together. RandyA

Also, pull the sided covers off the carbs and check the diaphragms for pin holes or being torn. Bad diaphragms will cause plugs to foul. Just remove the four screws and lift off the cover. One screw may have a safety screw and if you don't have a socket to fit it, you can usually use vise grips. RandyA

I am seriously considering bringing a three room tent along with my little camper just in case anyone would like to drop by and spend the night. This KOA has been real good about letting us double up on the camp sites and not making an issue about it. These sites are pretty large and with what we have had in the past, it looked like a little village down by the pond. Everyone is welcome, whether it is for a week or a couple of nights or for an evening. We have always had a great time. If anyone has any questions, ask here, send me a PM or call me, as my number is in my profile. RandyA

When you removed your YICS, how did you plug the ports? RandyA

For anyone wanting to make their center stand pull up a little tighter, you do not need a stronger spring, you need to make an adjustment on the "G" shaped linkage. What you want to do is shorten the distance between the two holes. The way I did this was to put in a large vise perpendicularly and tighten the vise. You may want to measure the distance between the holes before and after so you don't bend it too much. If you only have a small vise, you can clamp one end in the vise and use a hammer to hit the other end. I ran into this when I shortened my center stand a half inch and it worked fine. If you have not shortened your center stand, you will only want to bend the linkage a little or you will have a hard time putting the spring back on. To take the linkage off, all you have to do is unclip the spring and the linkage will slide off the pin on the frame. You will want to do this with the bike on the center stand as this is when the spring is at the least tension. RandyA

I guess I am a lot like my old 1st gen, the older I get, the faster I was. RandyA

Is anyone watching the new series Manhattan, about the development of the atomic bomb? It is interesting and appears to be very era correct. I have been through the museum in Oak Ridge and it was amazing how it all transpired. If you ever have the opportunity to go through it, it is worth it. RandyA

As part of this engine swap I am doing, I am re-polishing all the covers. The concern I have is this engine has several areas that just do not clean up real well. I have got these areas clean, but it is like the silver/gray paint is stained. I would like it to look better as I have the bikini side panels and with the solid motor mounts, I am going to go back to the shortened brace that holds the side panel on. But, I would like this engine to look a little better. I do not want to paint the engine black, I just want to go back as stock as possible. What I may do is just do some touch up if I can match the paint color good enough. Anyone got any suggestions on the color? RandyA

Well, after days of getting very little done, I am finally making some progress. The engine is swapped out and bolted up. The 4 brush starter is installed. The solid motor mounts are in. The coolant hoses are in place with some new O-rings installed. Main electrical connections in place with cleaned contact points. To do yet; polish and install all four covers. Replace stator with newer one after I decide which cover I will use. Put the carbs back on. Put the driveshaft back in. Put in coolant and oil. Hook up clutch hose and bleed clutch. Go around and clean and hookup all electrical connections and get ready to start the bike. I am having a problem getting started in the mornings and may sleep in a bit this morning as it is supposed to be about 50 degrees. RandyA

And, do not use Rain-X on a stock shield. RandyA

I really PO'ed a guy on a BIG Dog Harley one day when I pulled him twice. He just could not believe it. I also ran side by side with a Harley V-Rod going up the mountain from Asheville on I-26. He also could not believe my bike would pull like his. That was before I put the V-Max final drive in mine and now I believe I could pull him a little. Yes, these bikes will lift the front wheel and you have to be careful when two up cause those love handles can get real tender when she is not expecting it. The trick is, don't worry about hurting anything when getting near the redline, as these bikes like to rev. RandyA

When I got my 83 it had 23,000 miles on it and the windshield had so many small scratches on it that it was difficult to ride at night when meeting another car. I started with about 2000 grit sandpaper and from there some polishing compound in various coarseness. Since then, I have used Plexus and it is still amazingly clear and I now have 167,000 on this windshield that is 31 years old. Fortunately, in all that I did, I never got under the hard coat. I have seen windshields with the hard coating coming off and about the only thing they are good for is for those that like a cut down shield. RandyA

Worn out shocks on a car can cause tires to wear funny and I suspect the same thing can happen on a bike. You may need to confirm that you have an adequate amount of oil in your forks. RandyA

Get you some Plexus and use it. Plexus has a cleaning and polishing ability. You may have to get some plastic polish and use it first as it will have a slightly courser polishing compound. You can fix it, but do it in steps so you don't make it worse. Yep, education is expensive. What have you cleaned your windshield with in the past? RandyA

You may also have a problem with the head bearings being too tight. This is usually from the grease drying and making tight spots. RandyA