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allwx

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Everything posted by allwx

  1. allwx
    Sounds like she may need a little more cushion down below the stock pax backrest. Short of buying a new saddle that may, or may not, solve the problem in one step, you could look around and find some small cushion to stick into that space. If she only rides occasionally, that would be the better solution. But if she rides every time you ride, then something more definitive would be called for. There are many saddle options for this bike, some of which also replace the pax backrest. I would suggest, since the bike is new to you, that she try to live with it while you two shop around for a cushion that fits and works. Oftentimes all that is needed is some get-used-to-it time. I don't think this trunk is adjustable. Maybe there is some wallow room where it mounts, but it wouldn't be much.
  2. allwx
    A 1/8" side to side play in the swingarm is too much. There shouldn't be any detectable play at all. With everything detached from the swingarm (wheel, shock, caliper, etc) the swingarm should move smoothly and easily throughout the extent of its travel, with no side play at all. The book has torque settings. If your bearings and races are OK, those torque settings should make the swingarm right. Not sure I would try torquing those nuts with stuff attached to the swingarm, unless it was an emergency. Good luck with it, and your trip, hope you get it resolved in time. Sucks to get between that rock and hard place.
  3. allwx
    You'll probably never get rid of the clutch whine. Best advice IMO is to block it by means of a fullface helmet and/or earplugs. The faring is definitely the culprit here. My 97 RSTD had the whine, just like the Venture does. That bike had a quick detach windshield, which I often detached for long spells of riding. Without the windshield I could not hear the whine. First time I ever used a faring was in 1971, when I bought a used Windjammer for my 71 BMW R60/5. My first impression of the thing was, first, the huge amount of engine and road noise being funneled up to my ears by the faring, and second, the distinct air backpressure from the rear. The low-pressure area probably also helped direct noise from the rear end of the bike. So I think pretty much any fully fared bike is going to be noisy with mechanical noises, but quieter from wind blast.
  4. allwx
    Facet (also makes the 42S) has a part #FAC-40178 that has a check-valve feature. Costs around $70 here and there. I bought one last year after I installed my 42S. I had read several reviews of the 42S in automotive applications where the users reported short life span for the 42S. Because of this, and because I wanted a check-valve feature, I bought the 40178 and keep it on my shelf waiting for the inevitable 42S failure (which means the 42S will undoubtedly last for ten years). I've gotten back into the habit of turning off the petcock. Not that big a deal. But I occasionally forget to turn the valve back on after a stop. THis is probably what will lead to the early demise of the 42S, running dry for a few seconds now and again. However, so far, it is about a year old and runs great.
  5. allwx
    Most likely the pump is dead. It is a common failure on these bikes. Mine went intermittent at around 20k miles. It stayed intermittent for a couple of weeks while I wondered why the bike would be so balky when first started up. Then it failed completely. Very unlikely to be the relay. I *think* the pump relay is behind the rightside cover, just below the saddle. There's more than one device in there, though, and I don't know which one is the relay, if any.
  6. allwx
    Congrats on the new bike. My best advice would be that you not form any major opinions about the bike until you've put maybe 5k miles on it. The Venture is top heavy, and the heavy handlebar mounted faring makes it even worse. Then, there is the full 6 gal tank of gas. It can be a hand-full, but once you master it you will find the bike handles very well, and is very stable at high speeds. No, no tach on the Venture. You'll get used to it. No temp guage either. Consider it a blessing.
  7. allwx
    Absolutely true! Not only do you have to ride it, you have to ride it for awhile. Like a month or so. You can't form a valid opinion until the saddle is broken in, and then you ride on it for a couple thousand miles. I've been having a lot of butt burn the past couple of years. A friend suggested it is because of my age, and the loss of butt muscle to pad between bone and saddle. This makes sense to me. I've clearly lost the very fine rear end that once brought unsolicited compliments from ladies. It may be why I like my hard Corbin Dual Tour less now than I did ten years ago. So maybe an old timer will prefer a more pillowy saddle. Something to consider, if you're in your sixties.
  8. allwx
    I didn't find any significant amount of grease in my 07 the first time I took it apart at 10k miles.. Some of the gear splines looked as if plating material had worn off. I don't know if they plate these things with anything. Probably not. But that's what it looks like now. I got into the habit of greasing the slipjoint every time I do a tire change, back when I had a 79 Goldwing. For some reason it was definitely a requirement to lube the slipjoint regularly. I recall reading and hearing reports of people losing their slipjoints and driveshafts because of not regularly greasing them. One other person noted the presence of gear oil in the slipjoint. I've observed the same in mine, and recall it being true of my RSTD as well. In fact, gear oil is all I found in the slipjoint at 10k. The gear oil most likely seeps past the seal from the final drive. It probably is sufficient to lube the slipjoint. Which is why I don't bother with mine anymore. As for the swingarm bearings, they were also coated with only the thinnest possible amount of grease. However, it was enough grease. Sometimes I think I tend to over grease things. It doesn't take much.
  9. allwx
    I doubt anybody ever does this, but it is something to consider, and the measurement is pretty easy once you get the springs out of the forks. The book sez the spring free length limit is 573mm. If it is "over" the limit (book's words) then replace the springs. I gather what this means is that over time the spring will get shorter. It probably starts out well above 573mm, and then shortens over time and miles. Shorter than 573 and it is toast. At least that's how I read it. Stock springs are probably best for this bike. I've used stiffer springs in other bikes, including in my Roadstar, which has a near identical front end. I ended up putting the stock springs back in. To each his own.
  10. allwx
    I bought a new oem shock from this dealer: http://www.yamahasportsplaza.com/pages/OemParts?aribrand=YAM#/Yamaha/ROYAL_STAR_VENTURE_-_XVZ13TFW_-_2007/REAR_SUSPENSION/XVZ13TFW_(2007_MOTORCYCLE)/REAR_SUSPENSION_(XVZ13TFW_-_2007) last year. Price is still the same as what I paid for it: $426.00. They shipped it out to me promptly, and it arrived in the factory box, brand new.
  11. allwx
    I've had a RSTD and now a Venture, and both of them have the slop you note in your bike. I think it is normal. My RSTD had a different shock, though, than the Venture. The RSTD (1997) had a horizontal shock that had a needle bearing pressed into the top mount. I can't recall if there was slop around that mount, but I do recall that there was a general slop to the whole thing with the wheel off. Not a bad idea to repack your swingarm bearings, at that mileage. I usually spooge some grease into the needle bearings in the dogbone operation, too. I'm not sure it helps anything, but I feel better about having done it. There are small grease seals on the bearings. Good time to clean those off and put some grease on them.
  12. allwx
    oem Yam brake pads for the front are around $26 a set (you'll need a set for each caliper) online. Probably cost around $35 a set at the local dealer. I've run both oem and EBC pads in most of my bikes. Generally I can't tell the difference, and EBC pads can be a few $ cheaper. However, next time you have an opportunity, lay a set of EBC pads down on the bench next to a new set of oem. To me the oem pads "look" much nicer. Higher quality. The one problem I've occasionally had with the EBC pads is that they don't fit well in a caliper. My last set of EBC that I put into my now-gone 05 Roadstar fit so loosely that they rattled around going over bumps. I've not had any fit problems with the oem. And the price is so similar, it hardly makes sense to not go oem, unless there is some performance factor that appeals to you.
  13. allwx
    There has been a long-running problem with final drives making a fierce whine. Yam replaced the final on my 97 RSTD for that reason. The clutch whine is a different animal. I wish there was a way to identify each type of "whine" being produced by a bike like this. Probably from the engine/tranny alone there are at least a half-dozen whines, from the clutch, the valve train, the alternator, fuel pump, waterpump, etc. Then there is the final drive. The tires. Lord knows what else. All these whines glom together into one wild and woolly whine.
  14. allwx
    Howdy, Jake. What are your forks doing that make you want to rebuild them? Reason I ask is, I've been getting some noise from somewhere in my front end, and lately have turned my attention to the forks as a possible location. Thanks Patrick
  15. allwx
    Did it take care of the rattle you are getting over bumps? I've had something rattling in mine for a year or so now. At first I thought it was head bearing, but it wasn't. I've looked and looked. Can't find it. It only makes the noise occasionally, and only over slow bumps. Anything higher than around 45 mph and I can hit any kind of bump without any rattle. It sounds to me very similar to a loose head bearing, but the head is quite snug. Last year I disassembled the head, packed the bearings, and did a very careful torquing of the bearing nut. So I'm all but certain it isn't the bearing. There is absolutely no effect on operation of the bike. It handles perfectly. I'm starting to wonder if something isn't loose in the forks. Maybe it's a "normal" kind of sound that I shouldn't worry about.
  16. allwx
    When you get your new valve stem, make it easy on yourself and buy one from the dealer using the part # out of the Yam catalog. I bought a rear stem aftermarket and discovered it wouldn't fit the wheel, and had to re-use the old valve. Next tire change I used the Yam part and it fit perfectly. You'd think there'd be just one version of these things, but apparently there're at least two.
  17. allwx
    I wonder if most of the clutch slip problems come with the bikes that are pulling mucho weight, like trailers, and two-up all the time.
  18. allwx
    I used some EBC rotors on a Kaw Voyager over 12 years ago. they worked just fine. However, you can get most things online cheaper, often MUCH cheaper, than the dealer. I just looked at this store and found the rear caliper for about $180. Shipping might bring it up to $200. That is for oem Yam. http://www.yamahasportsplaza.com/pages/OemParts?aribrand=YAM#/Yamaha/ROYAL_STAR_VENTURE_-_XVZ13TFW_-_2007/REAR_BRAKE_CALIPER/XVZ13TFW_(2007_MOTORCYCLE)/REAR_BRAKE_CALIPER_(XVZ13TFW_-_2007)
  19. allwx
    I'll bet your warranty just expired, too, right? The rad blew on my Ford truck about a month after the warranty expired. Anyways. A totally new Yam radiator online is around $275.
  20. allwx
    I like the oem bulbs from Yamaha. They are a bit more expensive, but when you hold the oem bulb beside one of the cheapies from Autozone, you can readily see the diff.
  21. allwx
    Maybe the chirp you hear is from the valves, or water pump. If the clutch basket isn't turning I don't see any way for the primary to make any noise.
  22. allwx
    I just came back from three days of riding around west and south of Denver. 1300 miles total. First day, rode almost 500 miles. I did some determined experimenting with standing up on the footboards, and discovered that I can do it very well by using the Corbin Dual Tour backrest to support me while doing so. Eureka! The ability to fully stand up, knees locked, while riding safely, really extends the riding comfort. Get a lot of stares from fellow motorists, though. It is still a bit awkward to stand for long, and I'm not sure the backrest can support that much weight, which makes me tentative about putting my full weight against it. In Gunnison I chatted with an older guy on a rented Electra Glide Classic who is traveling with his wife from Frisco to Maryland via US 50. He uses a gel pad of some sort to put a little more pad into the stock HD saddle. A couple of my friends use these types of pads, that inflate with air rather than liquid. I haven't considered these before because I like the solid connection between butt and saddle that I get with my Corbin, loss of which I think might interfere with handling.
  23. allwx
    All true, but add in the fact that anyone who rides a 1000 day is going to be in a world of hurt at mile 999. I don't care what saddle is on the bike. You can't bend an old human body into that position for 18 hours without pain. The most I've ever ridden in a single day was about 850 miles, so I know what that feels like. Lots of things go towards making comfort or lack thereof in the saddle. The saddle itself is probably the least important component, IMHO. One thing I miss about the Venture is the inability to stand up on the footboards. If you can stand up every so often and stretch your knees, arch your back, rest your blood-deprived derrier, the saddle will be a lot more comfy. Can't stand up on the Venture because of the forward footboards, and that's too bad.
  24. allwx
    The thing about saddles is, they are like shoes, in that no saddle is perfect for everyone. If everybody had the same size butt and same back problems, then there'd only be one saddle made, because that would work for everyman. I wish I had back the several thou $ I've spent on saddles that I was assured was The Very Best Saddle but which still gave me buttburn and a backache. Same for windshields. Lordy! Truth is, buttburn and backaches are going to be the norm for us 60-somethings. There is a saddle somewhere that will work better than others for you, but even the very best saddle is still going to make your butt hurt after a few hours.
  25. allwx
    The E3 is the noisiest tire I've ever used on any motorcycle. I'm very finicky when it comes to howling noises. Usually, tires get noisier as they age, as the tread wears unevenly. But the last set of E3 I had was a set of howlers from DAY ONE. Motorcycle tires are handmade, so I understand. This probably explains the wide variation from one tire to the next. Why one set of E3s is noisier than another set of E3s. The E3 is a good tire. Lasts a fairly long time. Add the tire howl to the clutch whine, and you get a double whammy of noise. That's why I've gone back to D404s, which are among the quietest tires I've ever used.
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