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allwx

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Everything posted by allwx

  1. allwx
    No need to put the caps back on the pilot screws. Usually they are destroyed during removal. Each pilot screw will be found in a different position measured by number of turns out. When I removed my caps and checked the screws they were all over the place. One of them, can't remember which just now, was barely a half turn out. This suggests that at least some rudimentary adjustment is made at the factory. But I doubt they do very much at the factory, given the number of other things that are essentially left un-done on these bikes at the factory. WOuldn't surprise me a bit if the assemblers of the carbs just slap 'em in there any old way and leave fine tuning to the end user. I could be wrong, of course. Personally I wouldn't re-route the crank vent tube as you suggest. I've done this on other bikes and generally accomplished little more than making a mess on the bike, and in one case on my pants leg. It may be that having this oil mist going into the intake is good for the motor, as well as making less mess on the externals. The oil coating in the plenum could help collect dirt bits that get past the paper filters, or enter the very long intake tract of this bike at one of the other joints. And it could actually be good for the intake valves to have a little oil in the air going in.
  2. allwx
    I usually put in about 3.2 quarts on an oil change with a new filter. Nevertheless, the drip hose under the frame still stays a bit wet, and occasionally a drip of oil will fall. It isn't much, and certainly nothing to worry about. There probably would be more oil collecting in the intake plenum, and therefore more oil dripping from the tube, if the engine were filled to the top line. But in my observation of the two of these bikes I've owned and put over 100k miles on, is that it really doesn't make all that much difference. There will pretty much always be a wet end on that tube, and an occasional drip. Maybe environmental factors come to play, such as field elevation and whatnot, which could explain why some riders get more or less oil drip, I don't know. But I do know that mine have always dripped a little, and I've always found a small amount of oil in the plenum, no matter where I've run my oil level.
  3. allwx
    After two years I saw my intake boots cracking on my 97 RSTD. The dealer mech looked at them and said they had to be replaced, and ordered new. I talked him into letting me do the work, and was able to examine the boots, both new and old, off the bike. They are very thick!! Cracks on the exterior of the boots don't mean anything in terms of leaks. Not saying they will NEVER leak, but they are probably not worth worrying about before ten years old. That was 13 years ago, and I have since seen cracks in most intake boots on most RSTDs and Ventures I've seen that are more than a couple of years old. Some of the cracks look horrible, but apparently do not leak. As for decel popping, my Venture, like my 05 Roadie, "burbles" on decel. I would not call this "backfire" since my understanding of "backfire" is a completely different type of animal involving fire coming out of a carbuetor. I might call this sound "popping" but it is actually more of a "burble" and thus we arrive at the limitations of the printed word. I removed the AIS from my Roadie and this eliminated the burble. I took this to mean that the AIS, which allows the post exhaust-valve burning of unburnt fuel, causes a certain amount of combustion in the pipes. Minus the AIS, the unburnt fuel just goes out the back in raw form, which is why the EPA wanted such a system installed on our bikes in the first place, to burn this fuel before it gets into our air. Not a bad idea. I put the AIS back on the Roadie before I sold it, and the burble returned with it. I don't worry much about this burble, because I think it is a sign that the AIS is working properly. I stand to be corrected.
  4. allwx
    I changed out my fork oil two months ago. I went to 15W oil (Honda brand) and did not notice significant change in damping as a result. I considered replacing the springs at that time, but decided against it because the bike had only 22k miles on it, and I've been happy enough with the action of the forks as they came from the factory. Next time I do this I will install new springs, just 'cause. I had a helluva time getting the fork caps back on. My 62 y/o hands aren't what they used to be, and I didn't have a helper. So... I ended up making a tool out of a chunk of wood. I chiseled out a space in the woodblock for the air housing on the cap such that I could apply strong pressure to the cap as I turned it clockwise, the air housing acting as a hold point for the block. I used the bike's lower bracket as a vise, since my puny little chinese vise wasn't up to the job. One critical step under these conditions was to index the cap threads with the forktube threads before starting. With the bike chassis in the way, there's only about 60 degrees of rotation available. Therefore, the threads have to engage almost immediately. The indexing obviously has to be done prior to mounting the forktube into the lower bracket, with spring out. Find where the threads first engage, then make a feltpen mark on both cap and tube to find the spot. Start at that aligned spot, push the cap down onto the spring, turn the cap carefully so as not to crossthread, and that's the job. Next time I do this I will burn a lot fewer calories.
  5. allwx
    I have better luck with the oem blind plugs than others. Even here in dry NM I've never had one crack on me, but I do replace them anyways every three years. I just R&R'd mine last month after 3.5 years. I checked them out real good to see what condition they were in before I threw them away, and they were not visibly cracked. I kind of feel like the oem plugs are a better quality than what I've found in the chinese auto parts stores. Those cheap plugs don't last long in this high desert air. But those Yam oem plugs are hardy things, and stand up well.
  6. allwx
    Sorry you're having these problems. Just out of curiosity, why were the heads pulled?
  7. allwx
    It might be a Roadstar rear seat.
  8. allwx
    I've run a Widder vest, chaps, and gloves at the same time, without any thermostat. Never had a problem. But this is highway riding, sustained speeds. I wouldn't try this (or likely need it) in city riding.
  9. allwx
    I would get a new shock. I replaced the shock on my 97 Royal Star when it had around 40k on it, and it really improved the ride quality, I mean A LOT. From the way you dscribe the ride, it may be that there is something else wrong with your suspension, besides the worn shock. It wouldn't hurt to disassemble the dogbone apparatus, make sure all the bearings are moving free, nothing bent, and make sure your swingarm is moving freely with no side-to-side play. Patrick
  10. allwx
    The seal might've been on the way out anyway. I never saw one leak after any kind of hauling. I do like the advice on not compressing the forks, though, makes sense. However one thing compressing does is to compensate for inevitable loosening of the tiedowns.
  11. allwx
    I've been told this, too, and have always followed that practice. I compress the forks as far as I can get them, but if the bike is to stay in the trailer any length of time I release the tiedowns while it sits. I was told the reason is the fork springs may lose some length from being compressed so much so long.
  12. allwx
    Thge screech is a bad sign, but it *could possibly* be one of the needle bearings in the linkage rather than the shock itself. Not that I've ever seen any of these go bad in my very limited experience, but any bearing could go bad. As for do you need a new shock, with those miles, I would say yes. It doesn't seem likely that these things retain close to new damping ability after around 30k miles. Most shocks are shot by then. And, that doesn't necessarily mean the thing would bounce. Shocks can be shot well before they lose all damping ability and start bouncing. Shock function isn't just about absorbing bumps, but also about proper chassis performance, and is a definite handling and safety issue. I just ordered a new stock shock for mine, with 25k miles on it. I think I'll install it as soon as it gets here, and keep the old one as a spare in case... since it isn't leaking and I think it still has a breath of life left in it. I'm curious to see how different the new one feels compared to the old one. In the past, whenever I've changed out shocks on bikes I felt an immediate improvement in ride, including on my 97 RSTD which I replaced the shock on at around 40k, as I recall.
  13. allwx
    I'm with you on the appearance of the 1st Gen Ventures. The machine is very good, butt buttt ugly! I'm convinced the appearance is what killed the first gen. The 2d gen looks much better, but in some ways is over-the-top on the cruiser styling (to wit, bolt on cylinder fins, ugh!). As far as longevity, there is nothing special about the Venture. There are plenty of every make of big bike with +100k miles on them. There are lots of reasons to love the Venture, but longevity of it does not make it a standout among big bikes, rather, merely normal for modern machinery. Even Harleys can go far. All bikes have their handful of mechanical "problems" the Venture is no exception. The real question is: how does the bike fit you? I love my Venture because it mostly fits my frame and my riding style with a minimum of aftermarket modification. The fact that it is reliable and long-lived is a big plus, but not the main reason for me owning it.
  14. allwx
    FYI I just ordered an oem Yam shock for my RSV from Yamaha Sports Plaza out in OR, cost was $426 with about $30 in ground shipping. Order also included a few other smaller odds and ends I need. That was the cheapest I could find from what appears to be a large reputable dealer. Local dealer wants list price for everything. Here's their url: http://www.yamahasportsplaza.com/
  15. allwx
    Probably the valve cover gasket.
  16. allwx
    I've seen a few of this family of bikes (the family including the Vmax, Venture Royale, Royal Star) with lots of miles on them and running great. I sold my 97 RSTD with 75k miles on it, and it is still running with well over 100k, though I haven't seen it in around 3 years now, so no telling how many miles it has today. It still needs to be remembered, though, that high miles means that some components on a machine will be nearing end of life. The motor/drive train can be fine, but there are other subsystems on the machine that will keep you hopping on the maintenance end. Water pump, clutch, bearings, deteriorated rubber, control cables, alternator, etc. It wouldn't IMO be reasonable to expect a machine with 75k miles on it to have no wear and tear failures down the road. As long as you understand this, then you will have no regrets. Just yesterday my friend Dave was telling me about his 12 year old Chevy SUV that has 140k miles on it. He's never changed the coolant!!! It still has the original shocks and struts on it!!! He thinks he can get 200k out of it without changing the coolant. I said, OK, good luck with that. But I'll betcha you look inside that radiator and block and you'll see a lot of corrosion. The oem shocks and struts were worn out at 30k miles, and if he put new ones on he'd notice a big improvement in handling. Etc.
  17. allwx
    I just wanted to say how much I admire you for making a public admission of the mistake with the bolts. We all have done this sort of thing. I once left the rear caliper bracket bolt loose on my Roadstar; it fell out and was lost. Never admitted it to anyone until now. It feels good to make a clean breast of it!!!
  18. allwx
    I always use only soft terrycloth bath towels on mine, the brown ones the Army issues, get them at the uniform store for a couple $ each. They last for years. But even these will eventually cause the small scratches. Someone a few years ago told me that toweling in vertical strokes, never horizontal or swirling, will make the inevitable scratches harder to see. Seems so.
  19. allwx
    Mine does similar, but it seems to me to come from the right rear. I stopped chasing it two years ago, and haven't much noticed it since. I can only hear it during city riding with low ambient noise levels. I never hear it at highway speeds. Also, I can only hear it when riding without helmet or earplugs. It sounds like something loose, metallic. I went all over the rear end of the bike way back then, chasing this noise. Every time I thought I had it, I was disappointed. My wife riding as a pax could also hear it, but could not locate it.
  20. allwx
    Did the noise develop gradually over time? Or did it just start suddenly? How 'bout the drive hub, there's a needle bearing in there, I think. Also, the cush drive inserts? Taking pressure off the axle nut could maybe cause the noise to come and go.
  21. allwx
    I know what you mean about the fan on the VTX1800. Very noisy fan. After a stretch of 75mph riding on the highway, just getting off the highway and decelerating down the offramp, I could hear the fan come on, thru my fullface helmet and earplugs, and all! I could never hear the fan on my 97 RSTD, and like you, I worried about it until I verified that the fan was running. Same thing on my 07 Venture, but now I don't worry about it anymore. Too bad they couldn't have made the primary gear as quiet.
  22. allwx
    I see it is an 03, same as mine was. The 03 model was smack in the middle of the overheating era. I'm all but certain people were still carping about it on the 04's. So, most likely the 02 thru 04, and maybe beyond, were prone to overheating. The only reason I mention this is because you were told there were no warranty work done on that bike. Was that dealership the selling dealership? An 03 would surely have had the recall work done on it to assess for the overheating cause. If yours didn't, then maybe that work was never done, and so maybe you've got an overheater. Just to remind, the overheating prob does not show up until speed slows down to around 10 - 15 mph, and held steady there, as if creeping in a traffic jam, for at least five to ten minutes. If you can do this for a full 15 minutes and the guage stays near normal all the way, then you should be AOK. I realize the narrow range of operation in which this problem exists seems like something many people will never do, so no big deal, right? First time it happened to me, bike still had its dealer plate on, I was putting on dirt roads between soccer fields looking for a friend, just bouncing along in 1st and 2d gear. My eye glanced at the guages and DAMN my heat needle was pegged. I speeded up, and it cooled down. Another time, I got stuck in a parade in Ruidoso NM during the bike rally. No way to speed up, I had to pull off and let it sit for a half hour before I felt I could proceed. So while it may seem that a person who lives in the country and never hits rush hour traffic would never see this problem, it ain't necessarily so. Good luck with yours. I would definitely test the slow speed running on an 03 with uncertain history to verify overheater or not. You will love the Wing. It's a terrific bike.
  23. allwx
    Yes, looks like they sorted things out, since they have dropped off the screen. But back in 03, the overheating problem caused a lot of overheated conversation on the forum. After that I stopped paying any attention to the Wings.
  24. allwx
    The overheating problem had to do with slow riding, such as in stop and go, or "parade" mode riding. People who seldom ride in those conditions seldom see the prob. People in cities who ride in stop and go, see it more often. The worst I ever had it was descending down into Mexican Hat, UT on a gravel road behind a slow moving car on a warm, not hot, day. By the time I was able to get my speed back up, I was blowing coolant onto the road. Some people thought the problem had to do with the fact that the Wing fan blows the air forward against movement airflow, rather than sucking it backward the way every other motor on Earth does. The idea was that, at 10 mph, the fan blowing forward is canceled out by airflow to the aft. Some people modified their fans to blow backward by reversing the blades on the fan. Not sure if that worked. I knew about the overheating prob from two of my friends who bought early production Wings. When I bought my 03, I asked the folk at the dealership if Honda had fixed the prob, and they all said, oh yes! But they hadn't. Three years in, Honda had done almost nothing to address the problem beyond claiming that it was an indicator fault, not a true overheatting issue. Their earliest "fix" had involved changing out a wire harness that had absolutely no effect on the problem. Then, in 04 the head of Honda America sent a letter to each owner, saying Honda was addressing the issue head-on. By that time, owners were screaming bloody murder. They came out with a "fix" that involved a detailed inspection of the cooling system and repairs to bikes shown to have a problem with castings in the heads that might impede coolant flow. They also changed out the ignition computers that modified timing during slow riding. None of these fixes fixed mine. It continued to overheat during slow riding, and when I say "overheat" I mean needle pegged into the red zone complete with the sounds and smells of overheating. I was willing to live with that situation, and then came the cracking frames. It seemed to come all at once. The forums erupted with reports and photos of cracked frames. Honda addressed the issue by calling all (or some) bikes in for inspecttion and repair by rewelding certain faulty welds. I reacted very negatively to the cracking frame issue; I was already worn out and pissed off by the overheating problem. I decided to jump ship rather than wait for my frame to dump me on the road. I sold the bike, at a significant loss, of course. To say that I (and hundreds if not thousands of other 1800 owners) was disappointed would be an understatement. Honda issued two bikes in 02, the Wing and the VTX, that were plagued by problems apparently caused by insufficient R&D testing. They must've rushed these two models to market a year or two earlier than they should've, and it cost them dearly. Then, Honda played silent partner for three years, denying there were these problems, which just pissed everyone off much worse. I haven't kept up with Wing or VTX issues since those days. I'm sure Honda finally got to the bottom of things. If you want to see if your bike is an "overheater" just take it out on a warm day and ride in 2d gear at 10-15 mph for ten minutes or so and see what happens. Keep your eye on the guage. It would be normal under these conditions for the needle to creep upward a bit until the fan comes on, and then go back down. With an overheating Wing, the needle just keeps on climbing until it pegs. The good news is, if yours is in fact an overheater, by now surely Honda has a firm fix on this, so it shouldn't be a problem getting it fixed. Except for these two issues of overheating and cracking frames, the GL1800 is a fantastic machine, and you will undoubtedly love yours.
  25. allwx
    I put well over 100k miles on three Wings, two of them 1500s and the last one an 03 1800. Up until two years ago when my wife got very sick, I used these bikes for daily transportation, with a daily commute of 140 miles round trip, year 'round, so the miles really piled up, and I had ample time to figure out what I liked, and didn't like, about each bike. I like the Wings, and frankly I'd still be with my 03 1800 if it hadn't been for the overheating problems I had with it, the failure of Honda to fix that problem, and then the cracking frames. When the frames started cracking, I got fed up with Honda and sold the 1800. Three years ago I started shopping another new bike to replace my VTX which was going to go to my son while he went to university. I looked seriously at another GL1800, but couldn't make the deal with local dealer to my satisfaction, so I jumped back into the Yamaha Star, an 07 Venture. Yes, there are a few little niggling problems with the Venture that Yam is unwilling or unable to fix. The Venture is not the type of bike that just anyone can hop on and ride without a concern for fixing the littlle niggling things that irritate. It is more of a tinkerer's bike. Someone like me, who loves to tinker and "fix" things is very happy with the Venture. Someone who hates to work on a machine will probably hate the Venture. As for the whine, I believe a lot of how much the whine bothers is a function of perception. Heck, some people are deaf, others are hypersensitive to certain sounds at certain frequencies. I'm one of the hypers, and that's why I MUST wear earplugs or a fullfface helmet when riding the Venture. But, that's a good idea even without the whine. The noise levels of a large motorcycle cruising at 75 mph on a highway full of trucks and cars are way too high for human ears to tolerate for long without damage. If Yam removed the whine completely, we'd still be left with enormous volumes of racket, from wind, tires, loud pipes, and the deafening noises coming from other vehicles. This is why I say, solve the problem of the whine not by "fixing" the whine, since that apparently isn't really possible. Rather, fix the entire noise problem by using ear protection. All noise, including the whine, will become non-problem.
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