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skydoc_17

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Everything posted by skydoc_17

  1. skydoc_17
    Thank you everyone for the kind words, this group is too funny sometimes. To address Ivan's question, I drilled and tapped a block of Delrin with a 10-32 tap. I threaded a 10-32 S.S. cap screw in the block of Delrin with Locktite. I ground a right hand and left hand form tool for my lathe and cut the ball in two operations, the front radius first then the back radius. I then sawed the head off of the cap screw. NOW, what I am wondering is, If I replace the GPS ball mount with a gimbaled cup holder would anyone be interested in one??? I have attached a pic below of the cup holder I would like to use. I would be very grateful for any comments you have about this project. The "Kit-Meister" may be going into action if there is some interest in either the GPS mount or the gimbaled cup holder. The GPS mount has a 17MM ball for the Garmin GPS's but I can do a 1 in. ball as well, or another size with some more tooling. Let me know what you think, Thanks for the help, Earl
  2. skydoc_17
    Hey Ben, Welcome to the site! A few things I would check would be the tire pressure, Try running at the top end of what is marked on the tire. Next I would get the rear wheel off the ground and spin the wheel and see if I could hear any noise in the drive train like the noise you are hearing while riding. I am not a 2nd Gen. owner but I assume that your bike has the "Brickstones" (Bridgestones) on it. They don't call um' Brickstones for nothin'. But just to be on the safe side, check out your final drive and drive shaft to make sure you don't have real problems. Oh, and hurry up and wear that rear tire out by RIDING YOUR BIKE! Then put some better quality tires on her. Stick around, you may have some fun here, Earl
  3. skydoc_17
    Hey Byron, What a beautiful trike! Even though Jean would never let ME have a motorcycle without the ability to carry 9 pieces of luggage, (just to go to the mall) I personally think that your trike looks VERY sporty. I like it very much! I bet you can hardly keep from smilin' every time you look at it! Earl (Ever thought about a Yamaha R1 front brake upgrade just to jazz it up a bit and help you stop better? Just a thought.) E.
  4. skydoc_17
    Hey Jimbob, I'm probably the last guy in the world to be giving you advise on the electrical system of a VR (being electrically retarded) :doh:but my 87'VR puts out a solid 15 volts at anything over 2500 RPMs. Have a look at the big connector on the left side of the bike by the gas tank, a good cleaning and dielectric greasing of that plug may help. (it did for me) Also check that plug for melting, overheating. A lot of the members have taken that connection completely out of the circuit. The regulator/ rectifier is another area to check. Below is a very interesting link to the install of the Buckeye Performance high output stator, just in case it turns out to be the stator. There is some good information about that plug I was talking about turning into a "heating element" from high resistance from Squeeze. Check it out. [ame=http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=301579#post301579]buckeye stator install - VentureRider.Org[/ame] Let us know what you find out, and good luck on your quest for more power! Earl
  5. skydoc_17
    Hey Doc, When you have that bolt off, if you could take a pic of it I would be grateful. Or if you will send it to me that would save you the trouble of measuring everything. Earl
  6. skydoc_17
    In the past I have been one of those riders that gets on his bike and just rides! With that being said, Jean surprised me big time and got a Garmin Nuvi 855 as my birthday present over the weekend. (Bless her heart!) Well needless to say I spent the better part of Sunday shopping around for a mount for the thing. By the time I was finished, I felt old. There were so many choices and they looked so complicated to install and operate I said, "the heck with it" and made my own. I went to the hardware store, bought a 7/16-14 Stainless Steel bolt, a nylon inserted lock nut, a 10-32 set screw and went to the shop. As you can see in the pics, It went pretty quick. I heated the bolt with my little torch, put a couple bends in it, machined off the bolt head, drilled and tapped it for the 10-32 set screw, machined a Delrin ball for the mount, drilled and tapped it for the 10-32 set screw. On my 87'VR there was a hole plugged for what looked like a mirror, I drilled and tapped this mirror stem hole to 7/16-14 and screwed the mount together. After a test ride, the mount worked perfectly but I think I am going to add a strip of Velcro to the back of the GPS, just for safety's sake. Comments, questions are always welcome, Thanks for letting me share, and thanks Jean for a great birthday gift! Earl
  7. skydoc_17
    What a great moment in time you have there! It looks like an old "Indian" to me. I hope you find out, Earl
  8. skydoc_17
    Hey Eddy, Being one who has "snacked" on the safety chrome of more than one Harley, My hats off to you Bro, I had to tell a cocky Harley rider just the other day, "that the only way your Harley is gonna' beat my 23 year old Jap bike is if we race......IN REVERSE!" Sometimes you just gotta' show these guys that they best "stay on the porch if they can run with the BIG DOGS!" Oh, and Jean said, "I wodda' swatted him if he Had NOT blown his doors off!" ( and she wodda' probably flipped him off as well, gotta' love those Jersey Girls!) Ya' did good! Thats how we roll here in PA, Earl and Jean
  9. skydoc_17
    Hey Dr. Gardner, I have been following this thread in hopes that someone would have a spare bolt for you. With that being said, If you would be so kind as to send me a PM with the Diameter of the bolt, the thread pitch, and length of thread, I would be happy to make as many as you need and send them to you. Earl
  10. skydoc_17
    Hey David, Here is how you can tell if it is a stuck float, or something else(which I think it is.) Each Carb. has a black rubber hose coming out of the bottom of it. Back by the rear shock is going to be a gang of four black rubber hoses. If you have a stuck float, and the bike is running, fuel should be coming out of one (or more) of the black hoses. Now, here is what I think is going on. The fuel pump is on the left side of the bike as you sit on it. A fuel line comes from the fuel tank and goes to the fuel pump. Then a fuel line runs up by the rear shock and over to the carbs. This fuel line is a red braided line and is about the size of your middle finger. I have seen this line rub against the frame or the rear shock and spring a leak. The reason that it only leaks when the bike is running is because the fuel pump pressurizes the line and the fuel squirts out. when the engine is off, (as well as the fuel pump) the fuel leaks out until it reaches the place in the red fuel line where the hole is and stops. I have attached 2 pics, In the first pic (FUEL LINES 1) The yellow arrow is pointing to the red fuel line going to the Carbs. (the one I think is leaking) the red arrow is pointing to the fuel line that comes from the fuel tank thru the fuel filter. In the second pic (FUEL LINES 2) again the yellow arrow is pointing to the red fuel line going to the Carbs., the red arrow is pointing to the fuel line coming from the fuel tank and the white arrow is pointing to the rear shock. So, the first thing to do is find the 4 black rubber drain hoses and start the bike and see if one of them has fuel coming out of it. If none do, trace the red fuel line and with your hand find the place where the fuel is leaking out. Good luck, and if you have questions, PM me. Earl
  11. skydoc_17
    Hey Ken, Thank you very much for the kind words. It is always a pleasure to have a fellow VR.ORG member visit the "little shop by the creek". Jean's only complaint was we would have been finished a lot sooner if it wasn't for all the laughing and "horsing around" we did in the shop!" Perhaps next time you will bring your lovely wife so Jean can have a "play date" with her. Thanks for the visit and I am glad that you are happy with the repairs we did to your bike. As always, All are welcome! Earl and jean
  12. skydoc_17
    Hey Jack, I think it is an excellent Idea to match the pads on the two calipers that are linked. If you want to take the braking to the next level, then delink the front brakes from the rear. Stainless lines are iceing on the cake with this mod. If you need a list of parts or pics for the delink, let me know, I'd be happy to help! Earl
  13. skydoc_17
    Hey Dave, Earlier this summer Seaking came to Pa. for a visit, and much to my sorrow, his bike was plagued with what sounds like the same problem you are describing. 2 dealers later and a new set of coils later it turned out to be the fuel pump! It seems that the fuel filter is in such a bad place on the Second Gens. that it is a real bear to change it regularly. well that is a shame because it sure does play heck on the fuel pump! One new fuel pump later and he has been enjoying some carefree miles on his bike since. I am hoping he will relate his story here if he sees this post. PM me if you need help with this issue. Earl
  14. skydoc_17
    Hey Don, Sometimes I focus on the technical details and forget the "people" aspect. (Just ask MY wife, she thinks I am WAY to serious about this motorcycle stuff!) In my "zeal" to convey a lot of technical information is a small space, I come across as an A$$hole sometimes. That is not my intension. I do so love to work on and talk about these wonderful machines and it is apparent that I do a better job of working on them than I do talking about them. Thanks for taking my limited verbal abilities into consideration and seeing that I am only trying to help, You're a good man. Earl
  15. skydoc_17
    Hey Stewart, When you contacted me by PM to tell me I sent you the Stainless Steel Brake Line With the wrong ends on it, I Immediately sent you another S.S. line with the proper ends on it at my own expense. It has been sitting in your Washington State mailing address for the better part of a week. If you feel that I should do something else regarding this matter, please feel free to let me know. Earl
  16. skydoc_17
    Hey Don, As I said in my earlier post, I have not looked at your brake system, I do not know how you ride and I was not insinuating in any way that you are abusing your equipment. I was merely stating some general information about brakes and some areas that need regular attention. If I "ruffled your feathers" in any way, I apologize. Good luck on finding the source of the squeaking problem. Earl
  17. skydoc_17
    Hey Emery, Welcome to the group! Check out this link: http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html View the pics and at the bottom of the page watch the videos of the lady picking up her bike all by her self. Just knowing that you can right you bike in case of an OOPS! is a very comforting thought. One thing I have learned is "If your bike starts to go over, don't hurt yourself trying to hold it up. Just ease it to the ground, get off, use the lifting method on the website above, lift the bike and get on with your day! It works for me and I am 6' tall but only 180 soaking wet. Have fun, ride often, get a feel for the bike, THEN go for a ride with friends. You might want to hold off on riding a passenger for a while as well. Great to meet ya', Earl
  18. skydoc_17
    Hey Lewis, Sorry to hear about the accident! I was thinkin', we could put a set of First Gen. CRASH BARS on ya', Maybe you would fair better next time. Get well soon, my friend! Earl
  19. skydoc_17
    Hey Don, Here is some general information so you will understand why this is happening. Modern Aftermarket rotors are made of a much harder material than the stock First Gen. Rotors were. I checked the link in your first post and it looks like you have Kevlar impregnated pads on the rear. What has happened is the Rear Rotor is now "Glazed", (which means the outer most surface of the rotor has been heat treated) and is very hard. The pads can't get a "bite" on the rotor and are vibrating which creates the "squeak". Kevlar pads are actually for "super bikes" where heat fade is a BIG problem. These pads fight heat fade by transferring the heat to the rotor. This is great for an R1 but bad for a VR. Now don't get me wrong, our bikes are fast but I dare say you haven't been doing too many 160 MPH to 110 MPH "slow downs" lately. With that being said, you have two options, go to organic pads, (they wear quickly, they are less noisy, they do not over heat the rotor, they cost less, but your braking will be slightly diminished) OR go to the HH Sintered pads, (they wear more slowly, they could be noisy if used improperly, they could over heat the rotor, they cost more, they do wear the rotor faster, they do improve breaking). which ever way you decide to go, bevel the outer edges of the pads with a file, use the "no squeak" lube on the back of the pads, and break the new pads in properly. (which means two or three stops from 60 MPH to 40 MPH, rear brake only in this case, then ride for 10 minutes and do two more stops from 60 MPH to 40 MPH. You will need to do this for a few days so the pads will remove the heat treated area off of the rotor and "bite" again) At this point I would like to add that I have seen a "sticky" caliper cause this problem as well. There is NOTHING inside a brake caliper that makes the pistons and the pads retract off of the rotor, if one or more of the pistons is sticking then the pads stay in contact with the rotor and overheating of the rotor results. Now for my shameless plug: I sell sets of high quality organic pads already beveled, for $25.00 a set. I sell rebuilt front and rear MKII calipers for $60.00 with exchange (Just price the seal kits to know this is a deal) I don't buy enough of the HH sintered pads to get a deal on them so you can get them for the same price I can. I have a stock, used rear rotor for sale but will not sell it if you are not going to rebuild the rear caliper. This doesn't include shipping. To make a long story short, If you don't check/rebuild your rear caliper and go to a different set of pads, buying a new rear rotor is not going to solve your problem. Oh, and one final comment, "riding the brake" compounds the above problems. (I'm not saying you do that Don, I'm just pointing out a cause to the effect) When you activate the brake, do it and then get off of it, if you want to creep to a stop light, use your transmission, not the brakes. (low speed, "friction zone" usage is something totally different) I have seen a LOT of brake pads, calipers, and rotors in my shop and can pretty much tell what kind of rider a person is by checking his (or her) equipment. I have NOT checked Don's breaking system personally so NONE of the above could apply to him, :confused24:these are just things I have seen in the past on other rider's bikes. If you are interested in parts, or have other questions, please feel free to PM me. Earl
  20. skydoc_17
    Hey Kite, The last production year for the First Gen. VR was 1993 in the USA. There was a limited release in Europe in 1994 (basically, 1993 models that didn't sell in the US) After that nada. Earl
  21. skydoc_17
    At a certain maintance day in Ohio just this year, I saw a full grown Bird (Man) "Swimming with the Fishes" right in his own drive way. I was SHOCKED! But not as shocked as he was! That was truely a Kodak Moment! Talking about leaving the door open for trouble makers to come in thru... Earl
  22. skydoc_17
    I have purchased a few sets of wires from this Ebay supplier and if you email him he will create a set just for your Second Gen. but either the First Gen. Set or the VMAX set will work just fine. Now, about that spark plug gap, In theory, the gap should get larger as time go on, with the heat of the engine and the current flow. With that being said I have heard a few schools of thought on this subject, One is gap them "tight" to give the longest period before re-gap or replacement ( but with a tight gap you get less spark) The other school of thought is to gap them big for the largest amount of spark. I split the tolerance and gap them in the middle myself. ( old machinist habit) That way you get decent spark and decent plug life. This is one of those "Personal decisions" things, the bike should function anywhere in the plug gap range. Earl
  23. skydoc_17
    Hey Pick, Squidly touched on part of the problem, a fluid change would be an excellent idea if it hasn't been done. Here are some other things I have seen with the Second Gen. Brakes. If you previously had a set of HH Sintered pads on your scoot and you now have organic pads on there now you will notice a difference in the stopping power. Next, If you had HH Sintered pads on your scoot you could have glazed (surfaced heat treated) the rotors and you are going to be hard pressed to get an organic pad to "bite" into those glazed rotors. Next, your RSV only has a 2 piston caliper. ( you really should do the VR to R1 Brake Swap) [ame=http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27170]VR to R1 Brake Swap Part 1! - VentureRider.Org[/ame] Unless you damage the pistons getting them out, the pistons can be reused, (I use compressed air to "pop" them out, never pliers or vice grips!) You will need to order 2 seal kits. (www.partshark.com ) the seal kit number is: 3JB-W0047-00-00 times 2 You should be looking about $30.00 for both kits. I usually give the piston bores a light hone and you will need to clean the pistons really good. (I polish the ones I do) If there are "shiny streaks" on the rotors and they have been making noise, pretty much plan on buying two new sets of the HH Sintered pads. Thats about all I can think of right off the top of my hat, Good Luck with this project and have a great time in Fla.! Earl
  24. skydoc_17
    If you find that your hands are too big to reach the Instrument cluster (like mine are) then option B would be to remove the chrome trim at the base of the windshield, remove the windshield, remove the cluster cover, (screws are on the sides of the black cover) and remove the nuts on the back of the cluster exposing the speedo cable. This is not a hard job, just time consuming. Good Luck, Earl
  25. skydoc_17
    Hey Oz, Thanks for the tip, actually, I plan on replacing the steel sleeves and the Delrin bushings with a set of self lubing, bronze bushings that should tighten up the swing arm really nice as well as make it maintainance free. I'll post again when I get the bronze bushings finished. Earl
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