skydoc_17

Hey James, Isn't that like stealing Cable TV or something!! LOL!! Just kidding, very clever!! Earl

I was chatting with my son Kyle in California on the phone over the weekend, wishing his family a Happy Thanksgiving while he had me on speaker phone. I happened to mention that "Grampy was sending his girls and son something for Christmas by mail this year" Monday afternoon when my son got home from work, this is what he came into the house to! I later get a text from him and the attached pic. with the text saying: DAD, For the love of GOD, don't EVER mention sending gifts to the kids by mail again!!! The dogs don't have a sense of time, and I have NO idea what in the heck the girls were thinking! I love you DAD, but you're killing me here! Kyle. OOPS! Happy Thanksgiving to ALL of the Forum Members from Earl and Jean.

Hey Ronnie, My nephew is an IT guy, and he turned us onto Mint Mobile. If you purchase it by the year, it's $15 a month. When we ordered the phones, we mentioned that ATT was the best cell tower coverage at my nephew's suggestion, and when they sent the SIM Chip, it was set up to ping ATT first. We all use Samsung phones and in the settings you can actually select which towers to ping first. When we traveled to California from Pennsylvania, I adjusted the phone in the settings for the best coverage while traveling across certain states, and it worked like a charm. The service is straightforward, no hidden fees, you get 4 GIG of data every month, but if you need more, you can double it for $10. This has been better by far than ANY Senior Plan offered even by the government for seniors. We had ATT and Verizon over the years, and the pricing and service were just awful. Being the skeptic I am, I tried the "One Month FREE" plan they offered at the time, beat all of the bugs out of my phone, (They even let us carry our "new" old phones over to the new plan, and keep our numbers) and when I was all warm and fuzzy about it, I purchased the 1 year plan, and have never looked back! Three years and running, still not a single issue. They even offer deals on new phones to go with the plans. NO CONTRACTS! If you don't like it, switch to something else at the end of the month. The way things are today, this is pretty much the FAIREST deal I have been able to find on cell phone packages. I hope this helps you Ronnie, It sure made my life easier. Earl

Hey Guys, This is just an FYI, NOT a shameless plug for the S.S. De-Link KIt! Rebuilding one portion of a 37 year old braking system on ANY motorcycle just puts excess pressure on all of the other elements of that braking system, in my opinion! My "Guess" is that the rear proportioning Ball Valve is stuck, and not allowing fluid to pass to the rear caliper. That valve was such a hassle that Yamaha doesn't make it any longer for any of the First Gens. (And stopped making it almost before the end of the run of the First Gens!) It was a good idea...on paper, but the nature of brake fluid makes it a sticky mess if you don't maintain the flushes of the brake fluid. Along with the proportioning valve getting "Glued" in the closed position, are the caliper pistons on your 37 year old brak system. With the position of the rear caliper behind the engine, and trapped between the rear bags, overheating was a real issue. This is why the rear M/C looked so bad, I can't tell you how many First Gens. I have received at the shop and had to go through the entire braking system, even without adding the De-Link Kit Upgrade just to get the calipers functioning again. Almost every one! The major design element of the De-Link Kit was to take the proportioning valve out of the system every bit as much as it was to convert the bike to the right hand brake lever working both front brakes and the foot pedal working the rear brake. There is NO rebuild kit for the proportioning valve, BUT a good disassembly and cleaning of the front left and rear caliper, as well as the proportioning valve without replacing any parts is the very minimum you are looking at here. You don't need to do the De-Link unless you absolutely can't get the proportioning valve functioning again. Also DO NOT get BrakeKleen on the Seals inside the Calipers!!! The seals will swell, and you will never get them back into the caliper bodies again! I have ONE final tip for bleeding out the brakes on these bikes, and that is if you are not cracking EVERY Banjo Bolt and EVERY connection point starting at the Master Cylinder and proceeding to the proportioning valve, and then to the rear caliper, (or in the case of the left front caliper, the M/C, then the connection up by the steering head bearings, then to the left front caliper) you have NO idea where the blockage is and i can guarantee that there will be AIR trapped in the braking system somewhere along the line! Period!! To simplify this, crack the first banjo bolt closest to the M/C, briskly compress the foot pedal or brake lever, close the banjo bolt, do it again until ALL of the air is gone at that joint. Move to the next connection, repeat. I find this works best with a "Helper". My wife's right leg is twice the size of her left leg from stomping on the foot pedal of First Gens!! LOL!! I have several Vacuum bleeders here at the shop, and NONE of them work on these bikes! NONE! I do use a positive pressure bleeder on Autos and Trucks that works very well but I haven't been able to adapt it to the different motorcycle master cylinders. YET! Because of my shop here in South Central Pa. I buy direct from Yamaha and am happy to share my discount with the forum members. I also offer the De-Link Kit for the members that are going to keep their bikes and want to upgrade their braking systems. I fully understand it is very hard to justify spending hundreds of dollars on improving the braking system on a 30+ year old motorcycle that you most likely paid $800 dollars for. BUT the fact remains that you need to be able to STOP that motorcycle or you are NOT going to be able to ride it safely OR sell it safely. That's why I suggested just cleaning everything up without buying new parts and bleeding the system properly. I haven't added it to the "Member Vendors" section of the forum yet, but I also offer a direct bolt on S.S. Line Set for the Second Gens. as well. If I can help you with new parts, or if you have other questions, or you are interested in the De-Link Kit I offer, please feel free to PM me. Earl

Hey Brian, Welcome to the forum! The reason you are only putting 4.3 gallons of gas in your tank is because the other .7 gals. of gas is the "Reserve" portion of the fuel tank. To access that last .7 gallons of gas you would need to switch the fuel petcock from "Run" to "Reserve". Remember to switch the petcock back to the Run position after you fill up your tank. I hope this answers your question! Earl

Hey Chuck, Both Jean and I will keep you in our prayers! Hang in there, old friend! Earl and Jean.

Jesus Tony! I'm glad you are here to tell the tale! As hard as it is going to be to understand this, you will get through the monetary part of this! The MOST important part of this is that you are alive Sir, and your job is to get better so you can support your family in the future. It's hard for us "Old Work Horses" to NOT worry about what will become of this or that, it's what makes us "Good Men". Take care of yourself for now, so that you can fulfil your obligations in the future. The customer's that understand, will understand, the ones that won't, won't! I personally am dam glad that you are still here with us, as I am sure that your family is as well. Both Jean and I send Prayers to you and your family through this ordeal, and will pray for a speedy recovery! Earl and Jean.

I was in contact with Dennis because of parts purchases. I never met him in person, but he was a very kind and thoughtful person in our dealings. I am very sad about his passing. My condolences to his family. Earl

The rear caliper on a Second Gen. is a 2 piece Aluminum Caliper Body with identical piston size and fluid volume of the Yamaha R1/R6 one piece Front Calipers. If you take the right front caliper from an R1 or R6 and mount it on the rear of an RSV or RSTD the bleeder valve will be located on the "low side" of the caliper body which makes it almost impossible to bleed correctly. Not to mention the performance between the R1/R6 front caliper and the RSV/RSTD rear caliper are basically identical. I firmly believe that the rear caliper on both the First and Second Gens. is WAY overpowered partially because of the large rotor diameter but mostly because of the 4 piston design of the caliper itself. HOWEVER, I have had excellent luck running the EBC FA123 Kevlar "superbike" brake pads on the stock rear RSV/RSTD caliper. During "Panic stops" there is NOT enough heat generated by the rear caliper/rotor to cause these brake pads to "Bite Into" the rotor the way the HH Sintered pads do, which causes the lock up. These Kevlar brake pads were designed to deaccelerate big bore superbikes from speeds in excess of 150 MPH (and higher) without locking up. Save your time and money and keep your stock rear caliper and invest in a set of the EBC Kevlar brake pads, you will notice a difference. I offer these pads at my cost to the forum members, feel free to PM me. Earl

Thank You Very Much John, for the kind words! I am so very glad that after all of that work, your beautiful motorcycle is up and running again! My hat is off to you Sir for having the courage to do the repair on the shift shaft pin and the Clutch Upgrade yourself! In my opinion, nothing creates a closer bond with a rider and his bike than to do their own maintenance and repairs, PERIOD! Thank You John, for letting me help YOU with this project! Earl

Thank you very much for the kind words! All I did was supply a few parts, YOU did all of the work yourself, and frankly I am VERY impressed with how good a job you did! Not to mention those calipers look GREAT on the front of your bike! Safe Journey's my friend! Earl

People from so many walks of life have gathered here because of their love for the particular type of motorcycle we love to ride, TO START WITH! Then they find out that we all have other things in common as well. Don has created this "Microcosm" where we can ALL enjoy making new friends, learn about our bikes, and help each other in the safety of this little community that has formed over the years. I personally have made so many friends over the years, and have watched as fellow forum members worked through issues with their bikes. I have also witnessed some of our dearest members pass away, but I can honestly say that what my dad used to tell me rings true with this group, and that is "If you hold them in your heart, they are never really gone" As it is in all facets of our life, "Many will come, some will go, but a few will be your friend, FOREVER"! Such is how it has been for me, and I hope each and everyone of you will stick around for the magic to happen to you as well. DON NELSON, you sir are indeed the "Magic Man"! You have rode with us, shared your home with us, shared your time with us, and broke bread with us. I feel like I should be washing your feet...or something! Apart, we are just individual motorcycle riders, but together we are a family! Slightly dysfunctional, I'll give you that, but a family none the less. I can't think of a better way to wind down the day than to check up on my friends, and NEW friends on VR.ORG. It's a habit I don't plan to break in the foreseeable future. Thank you everyone for your humor, your advice, and your friendship! Earl

Hey Steve, I apologize for the slow reply, my friend! I was on vacation to the west coast to see my new grandson! I am back now, and would be more than happy to help you with your clutch needs! Reply here, or send me a PM and I will get you fixed up! Thanks for your patience, Earl

Hey John, I sent you a PM with the clutch kit details. Let me know if I can help! Earl

Hey Larry, The only experience I can relate to you would be when I used a Corvair rear Diff. on a bike build many years ago. The wheel base of the bike was so short that I was constantly replacing the spider gears in the Diff. due to the difference in the radius the inner and outer tires swung during turns. I have never tried using a WIDE rear housing on a bike build and tried to keep the width down to a minimum. Wheel spacers could be used to give you some of the wide stance you are looking for on a narrower rear end. Just a thought. Earl

Hey Ronnie, Thanks for the Props! Anssi I do indeed offer a De-Link Kit for the First Gens. That connects both of the front brake calipers to the right side Master Cylinder and connects the rear brake caliper to the rear master cylinder and foot pedal separately. I will be home from my California trip Saturday of this week. If you are interested, please feel free to PM me Anssi. Here is a link to the De-Link Kit found in the Member Vendor's Section of the FOrum: Earl (skydoc_17)

That's an excellent skill set for a build like you intend to do. If I remember correctly Larry, The Hannigan Kit used the Third Gen. Ford Thunderbird Independent Rear because the Diff. Housing was in the correct location, (If you ran it upside down) it was narrow enough to fit under the rear of the bike without poking out to far, and it came stock with Disc Brakes. Earl

Hey Larry, There are basically two types of rear wheel trike kits for the First Gens. I have personally installed two of the older style Motor Trike kits that were the "Training Wheel" type kits. Your stock rear wheel provides the power and the rear wheel braking, and the two add on wheels were "out rigger" wheels. The install required the removal of the two side luggage bags, and the entire kit was "bolt on" and pretty easily removed. On the second install of this kit, I installed an FJR 1300 swing arm, drive shaft, and final drive which elongated the wheelbase by approx. 3 inches. This made for better handling, and gave the passenger more "leg room". The stock seat pan and upholstery had to be slightly modified, and I used an MKII seat pan with custom upholstery which helped a lot. The rest of the kit was bolt on like the first kit. The second type of trike kit is the Hannigan style where the rear wheel is completely removed, and a independent "Floating" car rear end is installed. Because of the Fire at the Hannigan Factory, the molds for the fiberglass parts were destroyed, and I have not seen an offering on the Hannigan web site for the First Gens. (BUT it has been a while since I have checked) The Hannigan kit was NEVER offered as a kit to be installed by the end user because there was some pretty advanced Welding/Fabrication that needed to be done to the frame and the connection points to the rear differential. Also the Hannigan Kit was NOT removable, and once installed, would be there for the life of the bike. The points I am trying to make here Larry are because of the advanced age of the First Gens. in general, and especially the MKI First Gens. There are very few if any options available for a direct "Bolt On" kit for your bike. You would need some "MAD" Fabrication Skills just to get the mechanical "Hard Parts" attached to your bike, plus considerable fiberglass molding skills to "Skin" the mechanical parts installed. Here is a listing for a 1986 MKII Venture with the Voyager Trike Kit installed: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2861311144175612/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A2683a5f3-f003-4646-837e-dbb9c230ef74 The nice thing about the Voyager Kit is you get to keep your side bags! It might be worth it to purchase this bike, and bolt the kit on your 83' VR with minimal fab work to be done. You also get the fenders, axles and tow bumper with this kit. Here again, this is the "Training Wheel" type kit, NOT the Independent full rear end type. I hope this info doesn't discourage you Larry, and depending on your skill level, picking up a used bike with the kit on it might make the most sense for you labor and money wise. If you have other questions, please feel free to PM me, and as always, Best of Luck with this Project!! Earl

Hey Don, Safe Journeys to you, my friend. Both Jean and I hope you have a wonderful trip, and it sparks memories of rides long past! "Knowing your Limitations" is the hardest part of growing older. I hear the weather is going to be great this weekend over your way, I hope this is true. RIde Safe, Earl and Jean

Hey Guys, I have restocked my supply of First Gen. Fuse Box Upgrade Kits! Feel Free to contact me, and I will get those kits right out to you all. Thanks for your patience, and I look forward to helping you with this project! Earl

Hey Graham, Congrats on your new GL1500! You are STILL welcome to hang around, we won't mind! The lesson to be learned, and to be carried over to your NEW GL1500 is "if you can't get Ethanol free gas in the UK, then you need to treat that gas with Sea Foam or other additive to keep the Petrol from separating from the Alcohol". Those Honda Carbs. are a bit trickier to get unstuck then the Yamaha Carbs. Good luck with your new scoot, Earl

Hey Raistlin, Welcome to the Forum! I do indeed still offer the First Gen. Fuse Box Upgrade Kit! This is a very busy time of the year for me as far as this kit goes, (once people start riding the First Gens. again, the old glass fuse boxes often poop out!) I am currently restocking the parts I need to make up the kits. As soon as my stock arrives, I will contact you and get that kit shipped right out. If you could please be patient with me for a little while, I will have those kits back in stock ASAP! Thanks for your interest in the kits I offer, and again, WELCOME to VR.ORG!! Earl (skydoc_17)

Hey Bill, That Cowpuc, he's a gem! The only thing I wanted to add is that we have a member on the Forum, Dano that at one time machined a 6 sprag Starter Clutch. (Heavy Duty) If in fact he no longer offers that upgrade, I offer one. (But I would prefer that you check with Dano first!) The stock Yamaha Starter Clutch has 3 spring loaded "Pins" called sprags that engage and connect the starter motor to the engine during start up. With the Heavy Duty unit, you have 6 spring loaded sprags instead of 3, and this distributes the engagement load over 6 pins instead of 3. The failure point is actually the housing that holds the pins, so by adding more pins, you decrease the load on the housing in any given area. Pin spring failure is also another area that causes a starter clutch to go out. Cowpuc is spot on about the maintenance of the starter motor and the use of a GOOD strong battery. The sprags of the starter clutch engage due to centrifugal force, so if the battery is weak, or the starter is dragging because of dust from the brushes, the you don't get FULL engagement of the starter sprags. Only the model years 1991, 1992 and 1993 of the MKII Venture and Royale came with the 4 brush starter. ALL second Gens. came with a 4 brush starter. I hope this starter info helps you Bill, and Good on YOU Cowpuc for sharing your vast knowledge of these wonderful motorcycles with a fellow member!! Earl

In my opinion, the HARM is the fact that with the crankcase overfilled, if you do have a float sticking in a Carb; you would never be able to detect it because the window is already overfilled with oil. If one day the sight glass is in the middle with oil, and a week later the sight glass is full, then according to Marcarl, there is half a quart of gas in your oil! Risky business, if you ask me. Crack the drain plug into a clean container, refill the crankcase to the proper level, and sleep better at night! Also keep in mind that "newbees" with their first Venture read these posts also! Let's not steer them down the wrong path. WOW! I feel like I am channeling the Pucster!! Hey Michael, I'm not trying to be a dick here, but I would hate to see you end up with an 800 pound paperweight because you scalded the bearings out of that motor because you didn't take 15 minutes and correct a simple mistake! I have a bike in the shop right now that the little brass washer on the middle gear cover was removed, and not replaced and the engine ran out of oil which caused the motor to seize up!! Now this bike is a "Parts Bike" as a result. Simple oversight, causing catastrophic results. If I didn't love ya' brother, I wouldn't say a word! Earl

Hey Pucster, You Sir are a lifesaver! PM sent! Thanks, my friend, Ill post pics when I get this bike finished! Earl