skydoc_17

Hey Mark, I just Google Mapped Buckingham, I am about 4 hrs. West of him. I'd be glad to help if I can! Earl

Hey Mark, I am in Duncansville, Pa. Near Altoona, Pa. What can I do for your friend? Earl

Anyone Remember Rod Serling? Just Checking!

Hey Don, Thank heavens you are OK! Because I have worked in a Machine Shop all of my adult life, Safety Glasses have been mandatory for me! Whenever I do ANYTHING outside of the house my Safety Glasses are my "Go To" Glasses. It has become second nature to me. My wife on the other hand is a much different story. Over the weekend she was working in the garden, and flicked dirt in her eyes accidentally. The safety glasses I gave her were in her apron pocket...as usual. She felt pretty foolish washing her eyes out in the kitchen sink for over an hour. Be careful with your eyes everyone, you only have two! Oops! Sorry Don, ONE! Glad you're OK! Earl and Jean.

Hey Don, I'm not sure what's going on with the link, but here it is again! https://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?139140-First-Gen-VR-(1983-TO-1993)-Fuse-Box-Upgrade-Kit! If this link doesn't work Don, then please feel free to contact me at skydoc17@gmail.com The kit is still available, and I would be happy to chat with you about it. You can always PM me thru this forum as well. Hope this helps, Earl

Hey Big Tom, Glad to hear you are feeling better! Poor Vickie, that must have been a sight for her to see, trying to figure out which "Old Dog" in the bed was the one to care for.....Just Sayin'! Both Jean and I are glad you are on the mend! Earl

So I guess you had some extra Horsepower "Squirreled Away" in case you needed it! Just Sayin' Earl

Hey Don, Does your wife make you wear that to bed now!?!?!?!?!? Just sayin'! Cool Mask, BUT "you're scaring the children"!! Earl

I am in NO WAY trying to downplay just how dangerous this malfunctioning product is, OR the Recall, but I did want to mention that I have several sets of these Jack Stands, and because of the purpose I use them for, I do not have to extend the adjuster at all. With the adjustable saddle in it's shortest position I don't see any reason why these Jack Stands could not be used in the fully compacted position. After reading this post, I won't be using them in the extended position any more, I assure you. Some of my sets are many years old, and the stickers are long gone. I'll be visiting HF this weekend for sure. Earl

Since I helped Starfan, (Jonas, my dear friend) collect the original set of parts for this build 10 years ago, I thought I would comment on this post. The 1996 to 1999 Royal Star Tour Classic used the smaller 26mm Carbs. Just changing the Carbs. is not going to buy you much without higher lift cams and larger intake valves. Instead of putting thousands of dollars into the top end of your current scoot, I suggest you install the VMAX final drive (or the ring and pinion gears from a VMAX) in your Second Gen. Housing. This would make the bike quicker off of the line, but you do loose a bit off of top end. I personally feel that the Second Gen. transmissions are way to overdriven and this mod is "Just what the Doctor ordered" to solve this issue. Now, this next statement I have made before, and this is not made to discourage anyone from modding their Ventures, Heck, I'm the "Poster Child" for extreme mods to the Yamaha Venture. So with that being said, I'll continue. I have done the VMAX Heads, Cams, FJR Final Drive, Big Carbs; 15" Rear Wheel, R1 Brake Swap, Header, K&N Intake and Nitrous for Pete's Sake, and a Bone Stock Yamaha R1 from about 125MPH on up will leave me in the dust...Period! If I had it to do all over again, would I do anything different, NOT ON YOUR LIFE! BUT if I was looking for a 150+MPH motorcycle to scare my pants off, You could EASILY find a used R1 or even an R6 or a Wing for that matter off the shelf for $3K to $5K that would run circles around our Ventures. As I have gotten older, (much older) I have found that my jaunts over 130MPH have diminished greatly. I also find that I ride my bone stock 89'VR more than the 87'VR, especially when the wife rides with me! (She won't ride on the 87'VR with me any more, says "I Get Stupid" when I ride the 87'!) Now if I could just figure out how to get the V BOOST Sensor to administer my Heart med. as I accelerate AND have my CARBTUNE give me a real time Cardiogram while I'm rippin' thru the gears, I'd be set! LOL! (The specs are correct, the opinions are mine alone. Hope I made you smile!) Earl

Thanks Puc, That pic was there last night, I swear! I was looking at that pic closer this morning, and remembered that this old scoot had drum brakes front and rear. Being the self proclaimed Brake Upgrade Guy, it's funny that my first custom scoot would have the crappiest brakes on it. Although during that time, disc brakes were pretty much unheard of. At least it had a front brake, I remember many of the early Harley's didn't even have a front brake. Thanks again for pointing out my attachment error. My post would not have been much of a post without the pic! Earl

I grew up during a time when "West Coast Vans" were King. The only problem was I lived on the East Coast. My rag tag crew and I did quite a few vans with Beds in the rear, TV's, Reel to Reel tape players, and even an Aquarium in one early 70's Dodge Van. (Dodges made the best Hippy Vans!) Lots of crushed velvet, lots of paneling, and lots of FUR! The pic below is my first time I "chopped" a motorcycle. I took a perfectly good 1972 Honda 450 twin and went to town on it. From the 16" Harley Rear Wheel, to the "coffin tank", to the double rectangular headlights, this was my Saturday Night Cruiser! Proud as punch of this baby because I did the fab, paint and even laced up that rear wheel! Enjoy the pic, it brought back some OLD memories. Skydoc_17

Isn't Celebrating a Birthday with the Pucster like COUNTING THE RINGS ON A REDWOOD TREE!!! Just sayin'!! Happy Birthday Puc, you lop eared varmint! Earl and Jean.

Hey Kevin, The Puckster is correct. If the pressure plate bolts were used, I would replace them. If they are new, (as in your case) I wouldn't hesitate to use them. The point being that those bolts have a service life, and once past that life either break completely, or stretch, and decrease the pressure on the clutch friction discs. Either way is bad news for your clutch. You are good to go! Earl

Hey Marcarl, you got me there buddy! I changed the first post to reflect that the water pump is on the same side as the clutch. Regardless of it's location, I still think he has a water pump issue, but thanks for setting me straight! Earl

Hey Larry, Welcome to the Forum! You and your First Gen. MKI Venture are home brother! Needless to say, I haven't seen or heard your bike running, and you didn't mention the number of miles on it, BUT before I go to all of the trouble of pulling that engine, I would check out the WATER PUMP. It is actually on the same side of the engine, but when the bushing on the impeller starts to go that pump can get pretty noisy, and the clutch cover can act like an amplifier and make the noise sound like it is coming out of the clutch cover of the engine. If the noise doesn't change when you activate the clutch lever, BUT change when you rev the engine, then I would take a closer look at that water pump. The old piece of broom stick on the water pump cover, clutch cover, engine block, (or a decent automotive stethoscope) would do wonders to help you track down this engine noise. Just my thoughts, for what they are worth. If you have questions, please feel free to PM me. Again, Welcome to the forum! Earl

Hey Kevin, It's great to see that all is well with you! Now, about that clutch. Because you switched from the single Clutch Diaphragm Spring to the 6 compression springs that the Barnett Pressure Plate uses I personally would replace the 6 bolts that retain the pressure plate. These bolts are under constant pressure from the pressure plate springs and a failure would leave you high and dry, not to mention the potential for damage to the clutch pac. Cheap Insurance in my opinion. As far as the Clutch Cover goes, there is that one Cap Screw at the bottom of the cover that will require a ball nosed Allen wrench. The idea of drawing the cover on cardboard and putting the cap screws in the correct position is genius. Be mindful the pressure plate has a clocking notch. If not clocked correctly, the clutch will not work. And you won't know until you have the clutch cover back on. Lastly, I'm not sure if I misunderstood what you are doing but let me say that replacing the clutch spring, (or springs) over and over again without replacing the clutch friction discs is not going to work very well for you. The combined thickness of the steel clutch plates and clutch friction discs creates the "stacked height" of the clutch pac. It doesn't matter how new the springs are, or how heavy duty they are, if the stacked height is too short, (out of spec) that clutch is going to slip, period. If it has been slipping for a while, you may have damaged the steel clutch plates as well. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a rider cheap out on a clutch rebuild and then complain about the crappy performance of the Clutch Diaphragm Spring or the Compression Spring in the Barnett unit. Spend the time and money to do this job correctly Kevin, and you won't be doing it again for a while. Great to see you again Kevin, and as always, good luck with this project! Earl

Hey Thomas, I tried to find the original pics of my backrest, but were unable to find them! I will be headed out to the garage shortly, and will take new pics for you. Check back later tonight, and if all goes well, there will be new pics attached to my next post. Sorry for the delay, my wife's "Honey Do List" comes first! (Unless of course you would like to feed me, do my laundry, and make sure my underpants are underneath my jeans when I leave for work in the morning!) Just Kidding!! (NOT Really!) Earl

Hey David, Welcome to the forum! The thing to keep in mind here no matter which way you go is if you want to keep the length of lever action that you have now, you will NEED to keep the 1/2 friction disc at the rear of the Clutch Pac. Both the Full Barnett Kit and my Kit replace the 1/2 friction disc with a full friction disc to increase the gripping power of the clutch pac. This does change the point of engagement of the clutch lever. I am willing to sell you a "Modified Kit" with a new 1/2 friction disc instead of the full friction disc if that would help. I would certainly plan on replacing the rest of the friction discs. Because of your hack, you are placing extra pressure on the clutch system. It would be a shame to do a partial clutch rebuild just to be back in there next spring to replace the remaining pieces you didn't replace the first time. I offer complete written instructions with color pics and my email address and cell phone number should you have any questions during the install of any kit I sell. Good luck with this project, and a big thanks to you guys that mentioned my kits! Earl

Hey Randy, Both Jean and I are very sad to hear of your wife's accident! Prayers up for a speedy recovery. Earl and Jean.

WHEN YOU ROLL ON THE THROTTLE OF YOUR FIRST GEN. MKI (1983 TO 1985) DOES THE CLUTCH SLIP? WHEN YOU "BRISKLY" GO FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR DOES YOUR CLUTCH SLIP? DO YOU RIDE 2 UP OFTEN? ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL A TRAILER AND IS YOUR CLUTCH SLIPPING? ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT PAYING $300.00 PLUS THE INSTALL FOR A BARNETT CLUTCH,WELL THINK AGAIN! THE STOCK YAMAHA CLUTCH IS A HIGH QUALITY UNIT AND WILL LAST OVER 100,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS NOT YOUR CLUTCH, IT'S THE 6 CLUTCH COMPRESSION SPRINGS THAT HAVE FAILED. SO HERE'S THEFIX! INSTALL AN AFTERMARKET, THICKER SET OF CLUTCH COMPRESSION SPRINGS, AND FULL CLUTCH DISC AND NEVER WORRY ABOUT THAT FIRST GEN. MKI CLUTCH AGAIN! THE 6 HEAVY DUTY CLUTCH COMPRESSION SPRINGSPUT 25% MORE CLAMPING FORCE ON THE CLUTCH DISCS THAN THE STOCK FIRST GEN. MKI CLUTCH SPRINGS. HERE'S MY DEAL, YOU GET A SET OF BRAND NEW HEAVY DUTY CLUTCH COMPRESSION SPRINGS, (NAME BRAND) A NEW FULL SIZE CLUTCH DISC TO REPLACE THE HALF DISC, AND A BRAND NEW, GENUINE YAMAHA REPLACEMENT CLUTCH COVER GASKET, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO THIS INSTALL FOR $85.00 INCLUDING SHIPPING IN THE USA!!! OUT OF THE COUNTRY BUYERS WILL PAY ACTUAL SHIPPING COSTS ONLY! IF YOU HAVE SOME MILES ON YOUR CURRENT SET OF FRICTION DISCS, OR THEY ARE OVER 30 YEARS OLD, I WILL THROW IN THE REMAINING 7 GENUINE YAMAHA FRICTION DISCS or the 7 STEEL CLUTCH PLATES FOR $105.00 A SET EACH, MAKING THIS UPGRADE BASICALLY, A BRAND NEW, BETTER THAN STOCK CLUTCH! I WILL INCLUDE COMPLETE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS, AND I HAVE A PICTURE FILE THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADED! WHAT A DEAL! THIS UPGRADE CAN BE DONE IN A FEW HOURS, DOESN'T REQUIRE THE REMOVAL OF THE CLUTCH BASKET, CAN BE DONE WITH A 10MM AND 12MM WRENCH AN ALLEN WRENCH AND A PAIR OF SIDE CUTTERS AND NEEDLE NOSED PLIERS AND YOU WON'T LOOSE A BIT OF ENGINE OIL. YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT: skydoc17@gmail.com IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANKS FOR VIEWING MY AD, EARL.

THE LAST TIME YOU CHECKED YOUR AIR FILTER WAS THERE OIL IN YOUR AIR BOX? ARE YOU TIRED OF TRYING TO GET THE AIR BOX VENT TUBE BACK ON THE CRANKCASE VENT WHEN YOU REMOVE THE AIR BOX? WELL, HERE'S THE ANSWER! THE CRANKCASE VENT FILTER UPGRADE! REMOVE ALL OF THAT PLUMBING THAT CLUTTERS UP THE UNDERSIDE OF YOUR AIR BOX, STOP COLLECTING OIL IN THE AIR BOX AND GIVE YOUR ENGINE A SHOT OF "CLEAN AIR" INSTEAD OF AIR FULL OF OIL MIST. THIS HIGH QUALITY, WASHABLE, REUSABLE CRANKCASE VENT FILTER COMES WITH VACUUM PLUGS TO SEAL OFF THE STOCK AIR BOX AND COMES WITH ITS OWN MOUNTING CLAMP. THE PRICE IS $40.00 WITH FREE USA SHIPPING. THE INSTALL TAKES LESS THAN 30 MINUTES AND CAN BE DONE WITHOUT REMOVING THE AIR BOX. FULL WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS ARE INCLUDED. YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT: skydoc17@gmail.com IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS! THANKS FOR VIEWING MY AD!

Hey Rich, I fully respect the fact that you know your body better than I do. I hope that the Chiropractor can bring you some much needed relief, my friend. I wouldn't wish a back injury on my worst enemy!! Just like Spencer said, when you are in the grips of that kind of pain, it makes the rest of us with chronic back pain say, "OUCH"! Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery Rich. Earl

Hey Rich, I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear of your injury! Take it from someone that has had 7 hernia surgeries, a broken pelvis, and 3 blown discs, that a Chiropractor is not going to fix this!! You NEED to get a referral from your family doctor to an orthopedic surgeon and get this repaired ASAP. More time makes the pain worse, and could cause more damage. The "Discectomy" surgery should have you back up and around in 6 weeks. Anything short of a repair to that disc is a band aid. Sorry for the bad news, but in my opinion, the sooner you get the correct help, the better off you will be. Get well soon brother, we'll be prayin' for ya'! Earl and Jean.

And the DARWIN award goes to: They walk among us!