skydoc_17

Hey Ed, Thank You for the kind words about the Clutch Install. This is the time of the year when many of us are not able to ride for weather reasons. This makes it an excellent time to take care of maintenance issues that get overlooked when the weather is good, and you would rather be ridin' than wrenchin'. We had three inches of snow here in South Central Pennsylvania just yesterday. Come on SPRING! Thanks Again, and congrats on the install Ed, Earl

Hey Ron, The First Gens. DO NOT like to run with the Air Filter Removed, or the Air Box Cover Off. Try reinstalling the air filter, and the air box cover. If the battery has been sitting for a while, try charging it. Install a new set of plugs gapped properly, (it's impossible to tell if a plug is fouled with the naked eye) If your gas is over a month old, you may want to drain and replace it due to the Ethanol in it. Here is the cold start method I use on a bike that doesn't like to start. 1) NO Choke, do not touch the throttle, key on, wait for pump to stop running, crank for 10 seconds. If it fires, then shuts off, go to step two. If it doesn't start at all, go to step three. 2) Half Choke, do not touch throttle, key on, wait for pump to stop running, crank for 10 seconds. If it fires, let it "fast idle" for a minute or so. Then start to reduce the amount of choke, but keep the idle above 1000 RPM's. If it won't start at all, go to step 3. 3) FULL Choke, do not touch throttle, key on, wait for pump to stop running, crank for 10 seconds. If it fires, let it "fast idle" for a minute or so. Then start to reduce the amount of choke, but keep the idle above 1000 RPM's. If it won't start at all, then some Carb. Cleaning is needed. When you twist the throttle, you bypass the Idle Start Circuit in the Carbs. and basically dump raw gas in the cylinders, fouling the plugs. Here is a write up I did a while back to clean a set of First Gen. Carbs. on the bike. This doesn't address every issue with a set of Carbs, and it doesn't replace a good Carb. rebuild, but may get the bike started if the Carbs. are "gummed up". Cleaning First Gen. Carbs. On The Bike I use this cleaning method to unstick a float needle that is causing the gas tank to drain when the bike is parked, or for a Carb. that is passing raw gas out of the overflow tube when the bike is running. This on bike cleaning DOES NOT address the issue of a Carb. Set needing a complete rebuild, (off the bike) and does not address the issue of AIR PASSAGES being blocked, and causing poor performance. These two issues require the Carbs. be removed from the bike. With the bike on the center stand, and the engine off, I select the first Carb. I want to clean. You will be looking for the Black Plastic Carb. Drain Tube, and the screw that opens that drain. (Phillips Head Screw) You will need a small coffee can, or a coke can with the top cut off, (NO plastic containers) to catch the gas that will come out when you open the drain screw. Allow all of the gas to drain from the Carb. and have a look in the can for “floaters”. (solid particles) With a new can of Carb. Cleaner, insert the red straw in the end of the drain tube. I wrap the junction of the red straw, and the drain tube with a small piece of shop towel to slow the blow by. Press the button on the top of the can of Carb. Cleaner, and count to 3. Remove the red straw and let the cleaner fluid run into the coffee can. Move to the next Carb. and repeat. When you do Carb. #4, start over again, and do them again. I use up one can of Carb. Cleaner on the four Carbs. When the can of Carb. Cleaner is gone, retighten all four drain tube screws, (CAUTION DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE DRAIN SCREWS) Turn on the ignition switch, (do not start bike) listen for the fuel pump to fill the Carb. Bowls and stop pumping, check the drain tubes and the overflow tubes (down in front of rear tire) for fuel leakage, move the can with the Carb. Cleaner/Gas mixture away from the bike, (or better yet, roll the bike out of the garage) and start the bike. (It may take a few short bursts on the starter motor, and you may need to choke it as well) Go for a ride and “blow the cobwebs out” (my personal FAV part) if this doesn’t solve your problem, then a “Carbs. Off Rebuild” may be in order. On a side note, I run 3 ounces of Seafoam in every tank of gas I put in my 87’and 89’VR because of the negative effects of the Ethanol in the fuel these days. Because of my shop here in South Central PA. I buy OEM parts direct from Yamaha, and share my discount with the VR.ORG members. It would be my pleasure to help you with any project you have in mind for your First Gen. VR. Earl (skydoc_17)

I had just finished a full rebuild on a 400 Small Block Chevy that I was going to "shoe horn" into an S10 Blazer 4X4 I had, and was dying to build into a "sleeper". I had the motor on an engine stand, covered with an old bed sheet. This truck had a 2.8L V6 in it before. I was using a cutting torch to burn some steel plate to bend into mounting brackets for the V8 motor mounts. I had my welding mask on and was burning away when the next thing I know, my wife Jean is squirting me with the garden hose that was attached to the side of the garage. ANGRY doesn't even begin to describe how I was when I flipped off my welding mask, and began to shout at my wife for squirting me with the hose! As I am screaming at Jean like a drunken sailor, she points over my right shoulder, mouthing the word FIRE! I turn to see the bed sheet in flames, and the fire running up the wall board in the garage. I stepped aside, she proceeded to put the fire out, never said a word, and went into the house. Needless to say, I helped myself to a BIG, FAT, helping of humble pie, with ALL of the trimmings. By the weekend, I had a Fire Extinguisher on every wall of the garage, and as I remember there was some Jewelry involved as well. To This Day, I must own 10 Fire Extinguishers which I have all thru the house, the basement, and the shop. The engine suffered minimal damage, I finished the project, much to my delight, and my loving wife never mentioned it again. She saved my "Bacon" that day I assure you! NOW, the rest of you Lugs need to fess up! Earl

That "front" tire is mounted backwards because it is a REAR tire on the front. I wonder how many miles per round he gets! Earl

Hey Jeff, I offer a S.S. Line Set, With VMAX Splitter AND S.S. Adapter Bracket for BOTH the First and Second Gens. On the First Gens., this will require the De-Linking of the front and rear brakes. I understand that Rick at Buckeye offers the S.S. stock replacement lines if you are NOT interested in De-Linking the front and rear brakes. Here is the link for the First Gens.: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3878&title=first-gens-sbrake-line-delink-kit-21&cat=22 Here is the link for the Second Gens.: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=4052&title=second-gens-sbrake-2fclutch-5-line-set-21&cat=22 A link to ALL of the items I offer in the "Member Vendor" Classifieds: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showcat.php?cat=500&ppuser=4738 Once you upgrade to the S.S. line set, the four year rule pretty much "goes out the window". Not to mention much better braking. Earl

Hey Weslee, First off, welcome to the forum. $12.00 gets you a FULL dose of the insanity! Now about that front end conversion. Most all of the Yamaha street bikes use the same bearing set. The hot ticket item would be to go to the tapered roller bearings from the stock, ball bearings. So this means that the steering stem on any of the popular front ends that you would want to swap into your 750 are going to use the same upper and lower bearing set. This means that the "gooseneck" of the frame is the same diameter on them all. Here is where you are going to have to get out your measuring tape and start hunting. Pull a tape on the length of the smaller diameter of the gooseneck of your bike, then hit the motorcycle scrap yards, and take a measurement on the front end of the bike you would like to swap the front end off of. This will give you the length of the steering stem without taking the front end apart. You could even go to a dealership and "discreetly" make some measurements while pretending to shop for a new scoot. If you plan to use a front end from another manufacturer, then you will need to cross reference bearing diameters, and make some hard measurements on the steering stem length. A lot of this kind of research can be done on the computer, but sometimes you need to get out there, and do the foot work, as well as the homework. Good luck with this project! Earl

Hey Tom and Amy, Both Jean and I are glad you were not injured worse! Prayers sent for a speedy recovery. Thanks for the post Bobby. Earl and Jean

Hey Evan, After meeting you at more than one of Don's Maint. Days, and seeing your passion for riding first hand, I am SURE that what ever bike keeps your passion for riding alive will be OK by me! After all, it's the wind in our faces, and the twist of the throttle that takes us to that magical place that no other event does. I would be PROUD to share some road with you, no matter what kind of bike you ride! Just remember to keep commin' back to the site, and continuing to share your love of riding with us. Earl

The above link didn't work for me, feel free to try this one! http://www.bludolphintravel.com/gmg/marshallmod.htm Earl

This is not a shameless promotion of the Clutch Diaphragm Spring Upgrade Kit I offer in the Classifieds, as many know, PCW Racing offers an excellent quality Clutch Diaphragm Kit as well. This is an explanation from a manufacturing standpoint as to why in the world would Yamaha put a single Clutch Diaphragm Spring in the MKII VR, and ALL of the Second Gen. V4 motorcycles. In 1983 , Yamaha produced the MKI Venture with the 1200cc motor and the 6 compression spring clutch configuration. It used this clutch design up thru 1985. When the MKII VR was introduced in 1986, A single clutch diaphragm spring was used, and is still used to this day on the V4 bikes. Basically, the single clutch diaphragm spring is cheaper to produce, and quicker to install on the bikes as they come down the assembly line. Considering the fact that the clutch is considered a "perishable item" and is NOT covered under Yamaha's 5 Year Warranty, I am sure a lot of service work is generated for the dealers as a result of this one "weak link" in the clutch system of the V4 engine. I assure you that Yamaha is FULLY aware of this issue, and they must chuckle every time someone complains about the weak clutch on the V4 engine. As far as the Barnett vrs. Single Clutch Diaphragm Spring choice goes, BOTH clutch compression systems do the same job, they squeeze the friction discs and steel clutch plates to connect the engine to the rear wheel. Period. The Barnett Clutch is a "Purple Powder Coated" knock off of the original MKI VR Clutch Compression System that has been around since the 60's. They didn't reinvent the wheel, so to speak, they just took a solid clutch compression system and painted it purple. There are many different types of people in this world, (which is GOOD for Barnett) I for one don't really care what color my clutch pressure plate is, so long as when "I drop the hammer" on my 87'VR the rear wheel is spinnin' and not the clutch friction discs! I say, if you got the bucks, and like to brag about purple parts on your bike that you can't even see, then Barnett makes an excellent quality product, and your clutch will hook up just fine. If, on the other hand, you are like me, and let your bike's performance do the talking, and want to save a few bucks while you're at it, the try the kit I have offered in the Classifieds, or the PCW Kit. It won't be Purple, but it WILL do the job! Earl

Hey Andy, With the Ethanol in the fuel these days, it is really hard to keep the rubber parts in the Carbs. from drying out. I run 1 oz. per gallon of Seafoam in my tank pretty much all the time these days. I am guessing, but I think you have a float bowl needle that is not sealing as well as it should. Usually this happens on the left side of the bike. (leaning on kickstand all the time) Try running your bike, (go for a ride) then park the bike for about an hour. When you turn on the ignition switch after an hour, the fuel pump should NOT run hardly at all. If you hear a few clicks of the pump, then the pump is filling up one or more of the Carb. bowls due to fuel loss. It will be such a small amount that it usually evaporates in the tubes hanging down by the rear wheel. (until that float bowl needle REALLY gets stuck!) Once you add the Seafoam, (NO need to get crazy with the Seafoam) try parking you bike on the center stand for a while, this will keep the float bowl needle, (and the O'Ring on the needle) submerged in the fuel with the Seafoam in it. This will either work within a tank or two, or it won't. Option two is replacing perishable parts inside the Carbs. I personally would try the Seafoam first. Unless of course, you enjoy pulling your Carb. Rack off your bike!! Good luck with this project. Earl

Hey Vince, Welcome to the Forum! Here is the scoop on the Stator and R/R on your 09'RSV. In 2005, Yamaha finally got their act together concerning the Stator and R/R on their "touring motorcycle". The stator that is in your bike currently can't have another wrap of wire put on it, and fit behind the Stator Cover. It is for all practical purposes, a "High Output" Stator. The R/R unit is manufactured by Shindengen for Yamaha, and there is no better mass produced technology available for the RSV at this time. As long as the Stator and R/R are functioning properly, you have all the "Juice" you can put on your bike. If one or the other of these units fails, or is faltering, that's another issue. I suggest you plug in your goodies, ride the bike "like you stole it", and replace either of these units when they stop working. You can spend $400.00 on a new, High Output Stator and Shindengen R/R, and not gain a thing. OR you can buy new heated gloves, a vest, a coffee cup warmer, and $100.00 worth of gas. The choice, as always is up to you. I personally would be the first person in the world to do an upgrade to my motorcycle for safety or performance, or comfort reasons. By I try to never fix anything that "ain't broke". Earl

Hey Jonas, Since an increase in combustion is what you are looking for, (I am assuming here. of course) and MORE combustion is created by introducing more FUEL and AIR into the combustion chamber, then enlarging the Main and Pilot Jets of your Tour Classic, and NOT allowing MORE Air into the combustion chamber at the same time is not really going to give you much of a power increase. Besides fouled plugs and sooted up tailpipes, raw gas washing the protective oil coating off of the cylinder walls is going to do a lot more harm that some micro-particles of dirt passing thru a high flow air filter. (in my humble opinion) Atomized fuel is a ratio of air and gas, period. If you increase one without increasing the other, you have upset the ratio, and are not going to get the desired results. (If indeed you are looking for more power) Your smaller Carb. Set on your Tour Classic has absolutely NO problem dumping a LOT of fuel into the engine, It's the amount of AIR that can be moved thru the Carb. Body that restricts this engine from it's full potential. That's why you put the larger Carb. Set from the RSV on your other (USA) bike. You got it right on that one, my friend. If you are going to stay with the smaller RSTC Carb. Set, and the stock Air Cleaner, then re-jetting you bike past one step up, (because Yamaha does run these bikes a bit lean) would be like "putting lipstick on a pig!" Remember a blown dragster runs absolutely NO Air Filter on the engine because Horse Power is what is desired in that case. Tuning an engine is a compromise between Performance and engine longevity. The more power you demand from the engine, the shorter the lifespan will be. Because your entire Country is the size of Cleavland, OH, do you really think you are going to miss the few thousand miles you will skim off the life of your motor by installing a High Flow Air Filter? I think not. If you wear that RSTC out "Touring" Iceland, then I am sure there be a rut in the right lane of the highway. Hey isn't that like NASCAR?!?! Go like crazy, right turn! Go like crazy, right turn! Etc, etc. You basically have two choices Jonas, either increase the air flow, (put the K&N filter on, and stop being a "sissy") re-jet the Carbs. and put a smile on your face! Or, leave the Carbs. alone, go for a ride, and put the smile on your face! Either way, you're a winner! Earl

Hey Winston, I fully agree with Squidley on this matter. Considering that you will wait for parts, I would not want to fool with the Clutch Slave more than once. Because any moisture that is in the Clutch System will collect in the Slave Cylinder, and not the master cylinder, the Master Cylinder is an excellent candidate for a rebuild. A decent set of snap ring pliers is the only specialty tool needed for a Master Cylinder Rebuild, and the rebuild kit of course. Throw a speed bleeder on that new slave when you install it, and your future, yearly clutch service will be a snap. Earl

Hey Paul, Both Jean and I are sorry to hear about your recent accident! I hope you mend quickly. Count me in for a donation for a new helmet. Rest up, heal up, and let me know when you are ready to fix that bike up. Glad you are still here with us, my friend! Earl and Jean

Hey Caj, The wider Barnett Clutch Friction Disc goes in the rear of the Clutch Basket. You DO NOT need to reinstall the retaining wire if you are using the FULL Clutch Friction Disc, weather it be the Barnett, or the Stock Yamaha Friction Disc from the upgrade. The reason your clutch lever is frozen is you have the Pressure Plate Clocked Incorrectly. The "Teeth" of the leading face of the pressure plate MUST mesh into the Clutch basket. They will only mesh in two places, 180 degrees apart. If the Pressure plate is not clocked correctly, the friction surface of the pressure plate will not be up against the LAST Clutch Friction Disc in the Clutch Pac. The nose of the pressure Plate will be against the edge of the Clutch Basket. To solve this issue, remove the Clutch Cover, Remove the 6 retaining bolts that hold the pressure plate on, ROTATE the Pressure Plate in 3/8" increments until the Pressure Plate "Drops Into" the Clutch Basket. Verify that the Pressure Plate Friction Surface is up against the last friction disc, reinstall the bolts and the Clutch Cover, and you will be good to go. Here's a TIP, NEVER squeeze the Clutch Lever with the Pressure Plate Retaining Bolts removed. You will be removing the Clutch basket to reinstall the Clutch Push Rod If you do! If you have questions, please feel free to PM me. Good luck with this project, By the way, Very Nice Write Up RR! Earl

Hey Roger, Have a look at these directions from the First Gen. Tech. Section about installing the Sirius Carb. Diaphragms. Here's the link: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32121 If you have ANY questions, please feel free to PM me. As I have offered in the past, and will offer again now, I am willing to install your Sirius Carb. Diaphragms (that you purchase yourself) on your used sliders at NO Charge, other than the shipping of the sliders to my location, and then back to you when I am finished. In the USA, total time for me to receive the sliders/Diaphragms, install them, and send them back to you is ONE WEEK. It would be my pleasure to help ANY VR.ORG Member with this project! Earl

Hey Jeff, Jonas, (and others) are correct. The later model RSV motor is NOT a direct bolt on fit for your bike. The larger Carbs. on the RSV motor is why the RSV has a pair of "outrigger" type air boxes located behind the lower fairings of the RSV. Your bike does not have this air box set up. If you want to basically "bolt a motor in, and go", so to speak, then you will need to find the earlier model RSTC type motor with the smaller Carb. set. On a personal note, Jonas has a few of the Tour Classic type bikes which would be the same as yours, and would be an EXCELLENT source for information and help with this project. Combined with the fact that he is on your side of the "pond" makes this collaboration all the better. You will not find a more trustworthy man than Jonas, as I have met him personally. And his knowledge of the exact same type of motorcycle you have is beyond reproach. Rebuilding your present motor is out of the question from a cost standpoint, the parts would be way to expensive. I WOULD pull the Water Pump, Starter Clutch, Starter Motor, and Carb. Set from the old motor to keep as spares. Because of the wet climate you currently live in, I would suggest Poly Bagging these parts for future use. On a final note, the only known reason for throwing a Con. Rod Bearing in a Yamaha V4 engine would be caused by overheating due to a "suspect" coolant system. ONLY use distilled water when refilling the coolant system. The correct coolant mixture for a steel sleeved, aluminum block motorcycle engine is 60% Anti-freeze to 40% Distilled water. By filling a bucket with WATER, THEN adding the Anti-Freeze to the water, THEN stirring forcefully, you are encapsulating the water molecule with the Anti-Freeze molecule, which gives the best results. VERIFY that your radiator fan is coming on at the proper time. (If at ALL!) To protect your new motor investment, purchase a new radiator cap, and add 2 ounces of a coolant stop leak to your fresh coolant change. (I use the Barr's liquid stop leak) It would be "optimistic" at best to expect every O'Ring and every seal to NOT let a single drop of coolant escape on a 16 year old motorcycle! I would venture to say that you spend a fair amount of time in traffic, which puts the coolant system on a motorcycle to the test regularly. Be sure to check back in and let us know how this project is progressing, and good luck with this project! Earl

Don't forget to thank a member of our Armed Forces, for fighting for our privilege to Vote! http://www.yourememberthat.com/media/1071/Red_Skeltons_Pledge_Of_Allegiance/ Enjoy, Earl

That, my friend is the MOST "sunshine happy" radio unit I have ever seen! You have asked a very good question. The answer, I'm afraid is not an easy one. If you are handy with all things electrical, then the removal, install of a new, aftermarket radio unit would be fairly easy. If you are not, I have another option. Because you had the courage to ask for help, here is what I am willing to do. I have a used, stock, AM/FM Cassette unit that works in AM or FM, but the cassette drags a bit. It also has the plastic mount. It is a used unit, but it does function, and looks a LOT better than the unit you currently have. I am willing to donate it to you for the cost of shipping it to you. This will NOT solve your problem if in fact the antenna is disconnected, or broken. If you are handy with wood, or metal Dennis, you can use the old plastic radio mount as a template and cut a piece of wood or metal to replace the plastic mount, then install a "marine quality" AM/FM/CD/Ipod unit in the stock location. Run two leads to the fuse box for power, replace the paper cone speakers with polymer cone, "outdoor rated" speakers, install a "hidden type" antenna in the fairing and you are good to go. If you are interested in the stock, used unit I have, please feel free to PM me for my Paypal email address for shipping payment. Good Luck with this project! Earl

Hey Jonas, With thee battery being at the top of the list, I would check the plug that connects the light bulb to the wiring harness. When I installed the Silver Star bulb in my 87'VR within 6 months, I had smoked the plug. I replaced it with a new stock one, and when I did my stator upgrade it smoked it again. I now run a ceramic plug, and all is well. When you replace that battery, put your volt meter on the battery terminals. 12.5 volts min. with the bike turned off. With the bike running, rev to 2500 RPM's and you should see 14+ volts. (casual stator check) If the plug is good, and the stator puts out 14+ volts, then the old battery is the culprit. I offer the ceramic plugs here at the shop. Good luck, and safe journeys to you my friend. (Jean says "hey") Earl

I was sent home from work around Noon Monday. We lost our three phase power about 11AM. I got home and moved everything into the shop that wasn't nailed down. By 10PM, we had lost power. Around 11PM, a limb from the neighbor's tree flew threw our bathroom window. Around midnight, the wind was blowing so hard, it blew the doors off of the front of the furnace! (it wasn't working anyway, we had lost power earlier) Jean and I went to bed cold and hungry, but unharmed. When we woke up Tuesday morning, we had a new "picture window" in the bathroom, the basement had a foot of water in it, the shop was flooded, and the furnace was in pieces all over the floor. The power came back on around noon Tuesday. The sump pump took care of the basement, but the shop is still flooded. My Brother James, my Uncle Ron, and a few of the neighbors helped me get the limb out of the bathroom, and James has already got the side of the house framed up again. I hope to have a new window installed by Wednesday. Jean was able to cook a hot dinner for the men folk this evening. I'm still working on the furnace. Both Jean and I are grateful for the help we received, and glad to be alive. Both Jean and I hope that the Other VR.ORG Members living on the East Coast faired well during the storm. BongoBob, I wish you safe journeys on your way home. Earl and Jean

I found this very interesting: Enjoy, Earl

Hey George, The EBC HH Sintered Pads are #1 on the front of a Second Gen. in my book. I have been installing the EBC Kevlar pads on the rear of the First and Second Gens. for the last year or so for several reasons. They are excellent for Interstate 70 to 40 MPH "quick slow downs". Second, they don't "bite" into the rotor the way the stock or HH pads do, so locking up the rear brake is MUCH more difficult. (Disclaimer: if you JAM on the rear brake on most any motorcycle, you will be able to lock up the rear brake) Also, it takes a lot longer for brake fade to result. (Disclaimer: if you haven't changed your rear brake fluid in a few years, and it looks like maple syrup, Kevlar pads will NOT solve this problem) Both the EBC HH pads and the Kevlar pads are under $50.00 per caliper, which I feel is reasonable considering this is what makes your bike STOP! I would also add that I have tried, and do not like the Kevlar pads on the Front of a First or Second Gen. bikes. Because most of the riding we do is of the 75 to 25 MPH range, these pads don't function quite as well in that lower MPH range. The Kevlar pads were designed to function in the 100 to 180 MPH range. I keep the EBC HH and Kevlar pads in stock. Questions, need parts, PM me. Earl

Hey Dan, Both Jean and I are most happy that you are still with us. The fact that you posted is a testimony to the fact that you still have very important things to do here on this planet. I know you must be getting stronger, and feeling better every day. I am also very glad you are "back in the saddle" again. Jean and I wish You and Rose a wonderful Holiday Season. We love ya', Bro! Earl and Jean