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Semi-retired

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  1. Semi-retired
    Thankfully, Brad.......I don't think it's a coil. When I was out in the sunshine, and pulled the offending cylinder's plug, I was pretty sure I saw a spark off the SIDE of the plug when I held it up against the head....but nothing down by the gap, no matter HOW hard I tried. So, I'm going to assume it's a "bad" plug. And by that, of course, I mean "bad owner"! Just realized I hadn't replaced or even LOOKED at my plugs since buying the '03 back in '06. Those are some OLD plugs in there. Shame on me: uninspected...... for 6 years!! So, in addition to buying a new set of plugs.....I also had a lot of cleaning up to do on the choke linkage. (MAN, there's a LOT of linkage in there, isn't there!!??) Thirty-five squirts of WD40 later....I can finally get EVERYTHING moving back and forth by pulling on the choke knob. (Any chance of a fuel injection aftermarket kit!?!?) I was hoping to get a set of Iridium plugs for it, but my Canadian Tire Store only had the NGK DPR 8EA-9's which is what's coming OUT of the bike......after nine years.....so I figure they'll do the job for another 5 or 6! Anybody know if they come pre-gapped? Oh, and, anybody know if there's any special trick to getting those FRONT plugs out? They look like a bit of a b**ch at first glance!
  2. Semi-retired
    OK....just started from cold. Fuel pumped cycled as always when turning the key on by the way. Started just fine.....with about 1/3 choke. After idling for about 2 minutes, left rear pipe could still be grabbed.......other three were untouchably hot! Pull plug next, you figure? What color should I expect.......depending on whether it's a dead plug or a clogged carb? (I'm assuming it's not a coil....on the basis that I'm assuming there's a coil for each PAIR of plugs.....am I right?) The plot thickens! (or thins!)
  3. Semi-retired
    She's sitting out in the garage, cold (well, as cold as it can be when it's 75 degrees outside!), so now's a good time to do the thing Darrin suggested......which is fire it up.....let it try to idle......keep feeling the pipes to see if they ALL get warm/hot. From there, if indicated, I'll move on to fuel filter, float bowls and electrical. I've been a LITTLE bit concerned about the purity of my gas since I've been "hand-pouring" out of 5 gallon gas cans that I fill up each time I cross over into Niagara Falls, NY to gas up our cars. (gas in my home town in Ontario is about 30% higher in price than 12 minutes across the border!) Cheap(er) gas is a good thing......but I may have buggered myself on purity by messing around with too many caps covered in spider webs and grass trimmings. I'll report back as I make progress. Thanks again to all of you! Happy Father's Day to those who ARE! Mike
  4. Semi-retired
    I went for a short (50 mile) ride yesterday and noticed that during the course of the 'trip' the bike seemed to feel more and more "reluctant" to run. A sense of 'hesitation' got more and more pronounced as I rode along. My first reaction was to POWER through it, thinking that maybe I had a temporary condition of some sort brought on by dirt in gas, fouled plug.........bad AIR!!! I was really grasping for 'causes'. But, the more I gassed it, the worse it seemed to get. When I 'backed off' to what the 'normal/neutral throttle grip position' SHOULD have been for the speed I was going......the engine again sounded somewhat erratic and "hesitant" (for lack of a better word). The sensation was similar to what you might get when running out of gas.......but I had just filled up before leaving home......and was showing "all bars" on the gas gauge when I left the driveway. I could almost SEE my gas gauge going down, however, while driving along! I ended up burning what looked like about a quarter of a tank over the fifty miles (80 km). (I was TWO or THREE bars down on the gauge by the time I got home!) YIKES! Being an old-time mechanical type (but not a mechanical genius, by any means), I fiddled with the gas tap while riding along (which did nothing).....and moved the choke button all the way out and back in.........several times.........which, strangely ALSO DID NOTHING!! Shouldn't pulling the choke out have made the bike run "rough"......kinda like the way it was ALREADY RUNNING?? Therefore, my training told me, maybe the choke is stuck ON.....somewhere in the mechanism "beyond the button". When I tried to search this site for a thread on the subject/problem, I came up with http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=65183&highlight=choke, where the conversation centered on the OPPOSITE problem....."choke won't come on".....and reference to sticking linkage. Is it possible I have the same cause......but opposite symptoms? Anybody else ever had this problem? Choke stuck ON? Rough running? Horrible gas consumption? (Background info: I HAD just removed/replaced my tank while doing a coolant flush last week. Also, I had just (the day before) removed/replaced my front brake lever in order to lubricate its action and take out some of the play in it. (I took out too much play, apparently, because I notice the cruise control wouldn't stay ON during my ride; but I don't think THIS problem is related to the rough ride/high fuel consumption............IS IT???) Thanks for any hints, tips, tricks!........then get out there and enjoy your Sunday ride!
  5. Semi-retired
    Yeah, yeah.....we know.......everything's big in TEXAS!! LOL Right there with you on BRIGHT vs LONG-LIVED.......but, since we (well, you Americans) put a man on the moon........any reason we can't have BOTH?!?
  6. Semi-retired
    I guess that's where they get that expression: "The grass is always greener on the other side of the 49th parallel!"
  7. Semi-retired
    Don't be too envious, buddy! Remember that old expression, "You GET what you pay for"? In the case of health care.....Canadian DON'T get what they DON'T pay for. I waited six months for an MRI of my back last year. Yes.....it's great to know that if you need your appendix removed, it won't cost you anything. But on the other hand......it would be nice to know you're not going to DIE while waiting for the surgeon to show up! Please also see http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/03/22/marketplace-dirty-hospitals.html about our 'dirty hospitals'........you'll be glad you're where you are!! All that said.....I'm close enough to the border that I can visit a "good" doctor or hospital when I need one quickly.......in Buffalo! I can also pick up gas, beer, eggs, milk and chicken at about HALF of what Canadians normally pay (because of all of our Marketing Boards that protect our poor farmers). The double price we pay on booze is just to protect us from ourselves!! :-)
  8. Semi-retired
    OK, guys...........here's the bottom line on cheap filters: I just got off the phone from Ron Ayers; I ordered a pair of genuine, Yamaha air cleaner elements from Mathew in Parts......and he said he'll ship them to my NY mailing address for $51.06........bottom line. No extra fees, no shipping charges.........BOTTOM LINE. I read him Patrick's paragraph, "However, a couple years ago I ordered two of these from Ron Ayers. When I got the invoice, I saw they'd charged me an additional $30 or thereabouts because the filters are some sort of "special order" item that they charge a premium for. After that I stopped doing business with Ron Ayers."..........(don't worry, Pat, I didn't mention your name.....although I did say Albaquerque, so he MAY send the dogs after you.. :-).........and he said he has NO IDEA what you would have meant by the $30 extra charge. So, there ya go. Ron Ayers, http://www.ronayers.com appears to be the cheap source of genuine Venture air filters. Cheers, and have a safe weekend of riding. Mike
  9. Semi-retired
    Hey, Patrick! You keep saying how inexpensive these things are ("can be obtained for under $25 each") .......but you don't mention any SOURCES. In your earlier message, in fact, you mention that you got 'hood-winked' by Ron Ayers and ended up paying $38 each after some kind of "special order" fee. (also, you didn't mention whether or not there was a further shipping cost!) I emailed parts@ronayers four days ago (and I made sure to include the comment "Please mention any additional fees, including shipping, tax, etc.........to a Lewiston, NY shipping address.) and am still waiting for a response. Believe me, (darthandy in Welland, ON) I would NEVER have this sort of thing shipped to my house in St. Catharines, Canada. I have a "call-me-when-it-arrives" relationship at both UPS and USAddresses in Niagara Falls, New York.......in addition to my Bank of America savings account, complete with its own US VISA card and a link to my PayPal account.) I invite anyone in Southwestern Ontario to contact me regarding this proven moneysaving setup!! So, Patrick...........WHERE ARE THE CHEAP, MAIL-ORDER FILTERS??? :-) NAME THAT COMPANY AND PLEASE PROVIDE WEBSITE!!
  10. Semi-retired
    If it WERE only $50, that would be GREAT! Unfortunately, it's considerably more expensive than that. Bob Weaver Powersports in upstate New York (near Buffalo) quoted me a cost of $29.04 per filter........PLUS tax. (works out to about $65 with NY tax) Here in Ontario (where I live), Kelly Cycle in Hamilton quoted me a price of $43.50 per filter........PLUS LOTS OF TAX......... i.e. 15%!!! You have to get a LOT of peace of mind (and REALLY clean air) to warrant spending $100 on new air filters!!! (43+43+15%=100.05) Almost makes you start thinking about McGiver-type solutions involving paper towels, coffee filters or the foam cushions out of your LazyBoy chair!
  11. Semi-retired
    And.................??
  12. Semi-retired
    Whether the OEM filter is better or the K&N is.......I've pretty much decided I'd just as soon not get myself all oiled up while changing filters! :-) That ALONE is enough of an argument to stay 'stock' for me. (Hate to sound like a PUSS.......but I got enough OTHER things messing up my floor, my jeans, and stuff!) So, all that being said........anybody know the lowest priced mail-order source of a pair of stock air filters? Thanks for any info, Mike
  13. Semi-retired
    Have a good one, Will. Looks like a nice run down the coast for you two!!
  14. Semi-retired
    Hey, Bobby! Thanks very much for your kind offer; we'll definitely give you a shout when we're ready to hit the road (or the runway!) We're keeping an eye on Frisco weather in the meantime to see if it's reasonable/logical to expect to get some "comfortable" riding in out there within the next month or so. (We're not wusses......but, it's also not our plan to "relax" by riding in cold-rainy conditions.) Even if we're confined to a 4-wheeler, we'll have fun, I'm sure. (We can always play it by ear and try for a last minute bike rental once we're out there I guess.) We'll let the wine take front row center on this trip......and if it looks like riding the Pacific Coast Highway is a bucket list must-do......we can always go back! Talk soon! Mike
  15. Semi-retired
    My wife and I are hoping to visit the Napa Valley wine region........and maybe rent a bike to get around on while we're out there. We live in St. Catharines, Ontario, near Niagara Falls.......so we won't be riding all the way out to California. :-) Our plan is to fly in to San Fran and rent a bike there. Just wondering if anyone has done this before/recently and has any recommendations about sources for bikes and/or places to stay......in Frisco and/or out Napa way. Thanks for any help. Mike
  16. Semi-retired
    Not to mention what you're doing to your 'wasteline'! LOL
  17. Semi-retired
    Yes you did (as did the builder).......and valves.......and piston rings. Cute little project, but definitely more of a Meccano set or miniature Lego than a 'working model'. Even if we could "assume" that he put in all those 'missing' items when we weren't looking...the shot at the end, with it running....'er, turning, was the dead give-away: she'd a been screamin like a little banshee if it were really "combusting". Yeah, whoever said it......big BOO on those slotted screws. (That was actually the first clue about non-authenticity!) Mike
  18. Semi-retired
    Hi, Bob. Thanks for that link. I'm writing those guys a quick note to ask what the "third" connector in the middle of the photo is for. It would have been nice if the shot of the "Single H4" version (that's the one we need, right?) would have been shot with the connectors "facing the camera". Thanks again, Mike
  19. Semi-retired
  20. Semi-retired
    Thanks, jfoster, I'm glad to see that someone agrees with me. Brian and several others have outlined all the engineering and gizmos that go in to determining WHEN and WHERE our turn signals WILL CANCEL. However, it's all about when they SHOULD CANCEL! The point is, they virtually ALWAYS cancel TOO LATE.......long after the turn has been made.....at a point in the road when the bike has not only completed the INITIAL signalled turn......but has also passed six or seven driveways, one or two laneways PLUS a couple of sidestreets, every one of which could have been perceived (by other drivers) as ANOTHER turn, because the signal is STILL FLASHING!! I hate to use so many upper case words, but I don't know how else to accentuate the fact that the Yamaha self-cancelling signal light technology is CRAP! How many of you (including Brian and anyone else who has all the 'manual references' and technical specs) actually think the signal lights on your Venture turn off as quickly as they should? I'm thinking NOT MANY...otherwise there wouldn't have been such an "orchestra" of members saying they use THEIR THUMBS to turn them off. I know what a thumb is......I know how electrical circuits works....I'm an auto mechanic by training and I took electrical shop and electronics in highschool. BUT, what I don't see is a well engineered system at work here. I see a lot of loyal owners making excuses for what is maybe an OVER-ENGINEERED, but still POORLY engineered system that, no matter its intricate complexities and combined time/distance algorithms is STILL a PIECE OF SH*T. It still fails to TURN OFF when it should. As a rider, I shouldn't have to GUESS or CALCULATE how many feet I am from the turn I MIGHT make or might not, if and when I get close to it (life is full of surprises, right?) and flick my turn signal when I think it's the exact, correct moment based on how many seconds and/OR how many feet I MIGHT TRAVEL between NOW and THE TIME I will navigate my turn and come out of it on THE OTHER SIDE. GIVE ME A BREAK. (I'm yelling at YAMAHA.......not you guys!) Cars turn a corner.........and the signal light immediately turns OFF. That's OFF..... the SECOND they round the corner. Stop making excuses. ( and PLEASE don't tell me motorcycles don't have steering wheels, so it's different!!!!). There HAS to be an EASY, AFFORDABLE way to make our signals turn OFF immediately after we've made a turn. Now I'll shut up.......and wait for Yamaha to come back with an answer...or, more likely, an excuse! (Trust me.....I'm NOT holding my breath.) (Do they even have an "outed" representative who participates on these, the forums of their single largest owners' group in the world!?!?) Just sayin. Mike
  21. Semi-retired
    I know that.......and you know that........it's the car driver turning into me I'm worried about. :-)
  22. Semi-retired
    Funny......your two-up comment......that's exactly the way I felt when I put the Hagon on; as though it were just a bit "springier" than it should be.....like it wanted to be loaded up a bit more. I, like you, decided I would just let 'er ride for a couple of weeks before even THINKING about playing with any adjustments. Been out on Bertha (my affectionate name for the behemoth!) 6 or 7 times now with the new shock mounted......and I gotta say, it must be 'working its way in'.....cause I don't even think about it now. I realize that at least part of that is probably just the "familiarity factor".....you know, where your butt just "adapts" to what you set it on over a period of time....so I think I'm gonna trade bikes for half an hour with my Intruder-riding buddy today and see what HE thinks. He rode Bertha a couple of times with the sacked out shock several months ago....so he might have a more objective opinion of how it's performing. Plus, I'll at least be able to do an A/B comparison of his shocks to mine. It's times like this I always regret not having pursued my "other" dream job of being a motorcycle magazine journalist......so I could just jump on five or six different sets of wheels on any particular morning.......go for a spin down the Pacific Coast Highway.....and come back with a handful of critical comments on anything from shock performance to acceleration specs. Instead.....here I am trying to remember how my ass bounced up and down a month ago, compared to how it's bouncing up and down today! Arghh.
  23. Semi-retired
    OK, guys.....tell me if there's one already for sale out there (I want two of them if there is)......or count me in on the royalties if YOU'RE the first person who invents it using MY idea: What is "IT".........a gizmo to attach to my Venture AND my wife's V-Star that CANCELS our signal lights the SECOND we turn the corner and bring our bikes to the upright position. Not 10 seconds after......not 5 seconds after.........not 2 seconds after.....IMMEDIATELY AFTER. Is there any reason you can think of why our signal lights STAY ON for up to half a block (or more!) after we've made the turn we just made?? After all, it's the signalling of our INTENTION to turn that's the important thing.......not putting on a big show AFTERWARD..... "HEY, did you see me turn back there!?! Look, my signal's still on, to prove I did it!" If you're like me (God help you, first of all....), you've probably noticed when group riding, or even just riding behind your buddy or your honey, that the person ahead often appears as though they may actually be about to make a second turn in the same direction as the one they just made. Even scarier, is the fact that the car coming out of the street or driveway on the opposite side from the signal light thinks the bike is turning too......and that it's SAFE TO PULL OUT!! Wrong.........SCREEEEEEECH........BANG!!! What ever possessed Japanese engineers (haven't checked on BMW's or Ducati's to see if German and Italian engineers are likewise afflicted) to put a so-called SELF CANCELLING device into our signal lights that sends MISLEADINGLY EXTENDED "signals" and could potentially CAUSE more accidents than it PREVENTS? Cars don't do it! They cancel the second the wheel straightens out. So, what's with bikes? Get with it, Japan!!! (Remember, all you up and coming MacGyvers out there.......this post is date-stamped....you saw it here first.......and I want my royalties in small, unmarked bills sent to my villa in Majorca, please!)
  24. Semi-retired
    Great install, Ponch. Glad to see you got your bell hangin there, too; keeps the evil spirits out of wifey's coffee!! m
  25. Semi-retired
    Hey, Derrek, I'm not sure exactly what GVW the Hagon "standard-sprung" shock is rated for (in comparison to the factory ratings of the bike).....but, if you go back and look at my original post that you're referring to above: I didn't say "the Hagon shock comes with a spring for the average rider". I was quoting word-for-word from the reference sheet that came packed with the shock. What it says is........ "Hagon monoshocks have a wide load carrying range and are preset for average rider weights." Notice, it doesn't say the spring is BUILT for average rider weights....it says it COMES ADJUSTED for average rider weights. I believe this is only meant to say "there's no need to mess with the shock (pre-load and/or damping) if you are of 'average weight' (presumably somewhere in the 200 lb range). Whereas, if you lean to being "husky".....or a skinny minney........you may want to change the pre-load in one direction or the other. There was no reference in the included printed matter to the "MAXIMUM" load capacity of the spring...only the settings as delivered in the box. (In fact, I've just spent 15 or 20 minutes scouring the Hagon websites.......both UK and US, and I can't find a reference to 'maximum loading' for their Venture shock anywhere.) Since they don't seem to get into this spec on any of their shocks........maybe a phone call to speak with them IS in order, Derrek. Good luck, and let us know what they say.
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