Seaking

Fortunately, my bike doesn't backfire at all.. I did manage to get some firewall decking tape around some of the crack that took care of some of the exhaust leak but not all of it.. I'll be trying the JB Weld fix soon to see if that will carry me over till winter when I can take the y pipe off and do it up properly.. Expensive part to replace!

Book calls for 56 ft/lbs on the front wheel axle and 13 ft/lbs on the pinch bolt...

You would want to determine if it's not coming from the various drain hoses found behind the kickstand. Then this is normal.. "clutch fluid" is DOT4 brake fluid, and if you're sure that this is what you're seeing, then it's possible it's coming out of the bleeder port found low on the left side of the engine between the two jugs. You'll see a small square flat piece of rubber with a raised nub on it that cover the bleeder port (looks just like your brake bleeder ports).. If unsure where it's coming from, give the bike a proper wash and let it dry, take it out for a ride and have a look to see where it might be coming out of. Hopefully nothing more than just the drains dumping diluted oil down and around the kickstand area..

As odd as it may sound, check for the least obvious as well.. valve covers. I had a loose one not long ago that didn't feel loose when washing the bike, and it would make an engine ping knock like noise at certain conditions.. Only found it was loose by the time one of the bolts actually went for a walk on it's own one day..

Checking for play in the throttle cables, lubing them up periodically, check for binding and routing etc.. The double resume tap previously mentioned works nicely for a quicker on speed setting. If you find that cruise control disengages after hitting a sharp bump it usually indicates loose cables.. (based on experience...)

Well THIS sounds ever so familiar!! I just resolved this issue recently.. The start issue you described plagued my bike for a year or so.. feels like the engine is cranking up hard against a compression stroke and hangs there.. But will usually always start on the next try... In my case, there was such a draw on the system it would sometimes reset the radio station presets and / or reset the ODO as well. Here's what I went through to fix it.. In July and August, the bike simply wouldn't start without a lot fuss and muss.. Turned out the Key Switch had suffered a lot of wear and tear and failed the resistance meter check. I installed a bypass switch to temporarily fix the key switch until one could be found (national back order sheesh) but the start issue would show up once in a while. Once replaced the bike started OK, but still every once in a while I would still get that 'hang start'.. hmm Later in the week the SCCR (side stand relay) failed, and once replaced the bike would start and yet again, once in a while that hang start you described would show its ugly head.. Then a week later, the failed to start completely, or make spark.. After a lot of testing and proding, it was discovered that the PICKUP COIL completely (and finally) failed.. geesus.. one thing after another! Resistance meter check showed an open circuit.. I can't remember exactly what the range is but it's somewhere between 180 and 230 Ohms. After replacing the pickup coil, the bike now starts like it never had before.. Touch the started switch and wham the engine starts immidiately. Only started to have to use choke due to the colder nights up here now.. but went all August and earlier parts of Sept without having to use choke after an overnight shutdown. And most of all, no more hesistant starts as you described it. It also got rid of that weird little rumble at highway speeds at certain revs and speeds. Once I replaced my pickup coil, I never once again exprienced that weird start issue. I had since been out on a long road trip (8,000 miles) where I would ride several 12 hour days and a couple of 36 hour runs, starting the bike in the heat, cold, wet and various conditions, and now in the cold (40'F mornings) and no more weird starts. Betting dollars to donuts, I'm guessing your pickup coil is starting to show signs of failing. It took almost 2 years, maybe around 30,000 miles of riding before it finally died. But once replaced, wow, it's like a brand new bike and has never started this awesome since I bought this bike used in 2008.. bike now has 135,000 miles on it. As it was explained to me, the pickup coil which is fixed inside the left generator cover, picks up signals to fire the spark plugs. If the pickup coil is weakened or doesn't have the correct impedence, these signals will get scrambled on start.. and you end up with that hang start.. or not pick it up at all once it dies. After having changed all those parts, key switch, SCCR and even taking apart and cleaning out the starter thumb switch, the problem persisted until I changed the pickup coil. BUT before going that route, check out the battery as well. If its 5 years or older, might as well replace it.. it might just be a weak battery causing the issue.. but if the problem shows up again, I'd be looking at the pickup coil.. Partsshark and such sites show a good price on them, and with a new gasket the job isn't that hard.. just a PITA to get the wiring through. I was fortunate enough to pick up an alternate coil with the same specs for a lot cheaper to fix mine. And she's still running super fine 10,000 miles after the fix. Best of luck!

If your HIDs are working fine, stick with those. You'll find the LEDs not as bright or as far reaching as HIDs..

It is indeed better than stock for sure, but wish it were as bright as HID..

The one listed by the original poster is rated at 2200-2400 lumens. I have an LED headlight installed on my RSV from http://canadiancruisercustomizing.ca/products/afterburner-led-headlight-direct-replacment-lamps that is rated 3200 lumens.. Not sure if quality or different manufacturer equates to comparing oranges to apples but I can tell you that the LED headlight I have is not as bright as an HID, not even close as bright as the 80/100 Ostram bulb, but it beats the OEM bulb easily. The difference between Hi and Lo beam isn't that dramatic. It takes a lot of fiddling to get these LED headlights aimed properly for max lighting but once you get it just right, the light does reach out nicely enough. Oddly enough, I seldom if ever get flashed by oncoming cars when I forget to dim the headlights... What IS nice about them is that they do get you noticed in daylight or night, without burning out retinas. If I were to be doing a lot of night time cross country distance riding, I'd be putting the Ostram back in.. (but it's a yellow light) But for the $60 it's not an expensive gamble to find out for yourself and they are bone easy to install...

I had broken my back in two separate accidents in the 80's, lower and upper back. Thankfully the lower back has never bothered me after healing (paralysed for 5 days though ergh) so I'm always careful not to re-injure my lower back. But the two broken vertabrae between the shoulder blades is a different story. The only time I ever feel that is when riding the RSV. Never bothers me on the VStar or other bike.. only the RSV which is the bike I mostly ride. Tried the chiro, massage and various treatments but nothing. Tried various sitting postures, pull back risers etc.. nothing. The local chiro office has a products that loops around your shoulders and joined in the back to pull them back ever so slightly to correct bad posture. I figured that after 30 yrs in the military I had good posture (probably why lower back didn't bother me) but turns out my shoulders were rolling (slouching forward) more than normal. Just by wearing the loops for 10-15 minutes a day helped correct the bad posture so that now when I ride the RSV, I have a better feel as to where I should position my shoulders to take the strain off the afflicted area between the shoulder blades.. You don't wear the device while riding, it's not meant for that.. but only 15 mins a day helps you realign your posture.. I have to say it made one hell of a difference as I was able to ride 2500 miles in 4 days a couple of times on the last road trip and yes, though I could still feel the discomfort, wow, what a difference. I could stay in the saddle longer without having to stop to stretch it out. When stopped over night or longer breaks during the day, I'd toss it on.. and take it off before riding (If you wear it while riding, it can affect circulation since your arms are out forward) I also have my back rest leaned forward a lot, not so I can rest against it (inate fear of the mount suddenly breaking off and me falling backwards while riding?!) but I use it to guage my sitting position.. I wouldn't say it would help with lower back pain but because you're in a better sitting posture you spine should be better aligned. If I can find the box I'll post the product info so others can check it out. Its done wonders for me, not 100% pain free long rides but much more enjoyable!

Yes, its cracked between the Y and where the muffler connects, but around behind the chrome shield. I haven't removed the Y pipe as of yet until I can figure out how to repair this part without damaging the chrome. There used to be a product around like a heat sensitive tape that would shrink up and make a seal around an exhaust pipe that could be used.. if I could find it. Not an ideal fix but a temp fix until I can remove the Y pipe and take care of the crack properly. Cheers

Seals replaced and same noise but now found where it's coming from.. Left side Y-Pipe aft of the Y and around behind the heat sheild.. How do you get to that part of the pipe to clean and weld when the chrome heat sheild appears to be welded on and blocking access to the cracks? Has anyone done this before?

The drain line from the holding tank comes down by the kickstand area.. Best guess is simply an overflow drip.. But best keep an eye on the reservoir level. Mine did that after I did a coolant flush then stopped weeping onto the floor after a couple of rides.

The bike is amazing at those speeds.. thrilling! however I wouldn't think you did any damage to the clutch.. at worse you simply put a shine on the steel clutch plates. You can take apart the clutch plates assembly and put the wet/dry emery to the steel plates to take the shine off.. (in a criss cross pattern from the center outwards).. This should revitalise your clutch plates again.. inspect your friction plates to make sure they are still in good shape. Bleed the brake fluid in the clutch system and give it a try.

A cross reference check shows that the -00 is the one for the Venture while the -30 is for the 2006 and Later Yamaha F115LA Outboard Motors

Are they still gonna charge you a pretty penny to test it out? (trying to arch an eyebrow like The Rock.. the incredulous look thing...)

I used to get that as well until I changed the pickup coil, most of it was cause by gear lashing from badly timed spark ignition. But now, wow, smooth and quiet.. (this is not to say that your pickup coil is bonking out..) What a difference.

Check the valve covers.. Mine did that recently.. I could only hear it on the highway and only if I tilted my head a certain way.. hopefully that's all it is.. Cheers

Has anyone done all of the exhaust seals? When I did the pickup coil change, the left exhaust pipe at the heads came off and the next joint down the line was flexible enough to push the pipe out of the way just enough to get the generator cover off. Now that the outside air temps are cooler, I'm hearing some exhaust leaking from the left side 'somewhere' when the engine is under load. Being that the bike has over 130,000+ miles on it, I'm guessing the crush gasket needs to be changed (might as well change all four?) but it's the other gaskets I'm wondering about, especially the next one down the line where the pipe is joined.. Is this hard to take apart, easy to change? Later this winter I do plan to take the exhaust system off to check for cracks in the y pipe. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

These are my second set of tires (E3)with Ride On in them and will continue using the product as it works well. Apart from the balancing and puncture protection, there is also a dampening effect as it absorbs a lot of high frequency vibrations from the road from the imperfections and crack lines in the pavement and concrete... Kind of hard to explain but if you ride with your tires at proper inflation pressure (for me, 39 front and 41 rear works best and I get 35,000 kms+ out of them) you can sometimes feel every little crack and crevice in the road through your grips. Great handling but the little vibes are noticeable. What I noticed right away after using the Ride On product is that my tires felt like they were soft and under pressure as those little vibes were absorbed, almost like riding under pressure but with the great handling of properly inflated tires.. (dunno if that makes any sense in explanation?) Better handling but without the sharp little jolts of road defects.. Nice. The product sticks to the inside of the tire tread region like goo.. mechanics won't grimace at you when they change the tires for you and it makes doing home tire changes a breeze since you don't have to worry about using balancing weights.

45 watts is all I needed to pump out the tunes loud enough to push through the wind at highway speeds, and the price I paid for the unit couldn't be beat at the time. Could it be louder, I'm sure it could.. does it need to be? Nope, this Alpine amp does the job for me and then some. Paired with the Polk speakers, the sound is awesome. And when hooked up properly, the rear speakers are indeed 'stereo' regardless of what anyone will tell you otherwise. All the wiring connections are done under the front fairing with a fused power lead running to the battery. You also have to consider the source for quality sound. Some FM stations sound so much better than others, and mp3 encoding quality will also make a huge difference as well. I even looked into FM 'boosters' but discovered they are mostly either snake oil myth or a hit and miss contraption. Like you, I don't know the science behind all of this but I do know what works for me as I've tried different antennas and speakers, and this is the best combination for my needs. But do let us know if you found something better.

Looks like the same one..

I installed an Alpine KTP 445U 40W Amp under the radio frame. Easy enough to plug into the bike system etc. You get a bigger boost in sound to punch through the wind when traveling down the highway without distortion. I run my MP3s through my GPS which also speaks direction changes through the bike's audio system..

Soon as I got the problem fixed I took off on a 5000 mile road trip... OK, so the rough idle and last problems were caused by a bad pickup coil.. the 2nd one.. go figure eh?! Though the resistance checked properly, there was still an issue with it.. so they refunded my coins and gave me a new one. This time it worked! And wow, did it ever get rid of a lot of the long suffering little annoyances I had with this bike. NICE! The problem with the 2nd pickup coil was that though it would pick up the signal, once it heated up it would start dropping the signal here and there.. So after a ride and arriving at a light, it would hold idle without assistance.. Nor would it start every time.. but turning the key off and back on would just about work every time.. Not good. Discovered it was the new pickup coil by putting a test light on the spark plug lead and watching the spark sputter out here and there while on idle... it did this intermittently with all four jugs.. Run the revs up and it would show a good spark throughout.. but not back at idle.. So a new pickup coil was needed and well sure enough, an 8 week national back order would mean no road trip.. hence why the free coil, it's from a different bike but with all the same specs. Straight bolt on, solder the wires up and bam, wow.. what a difference.. Whereas the key switch died earlier, then the side stand relay, I replaced the starter relay 'just because' since I changed everything else.. it was like a cascading effect.. right down to the pickup coil.. However, the charging system is working awesome. Based on all I had been through and had to go through in order to get this bike running awesome again, I've deducted that the pickup coil was going south for a while now before finally dying cold. All of the previous annoying issues I had in the past are gone now.. After 5,000 + miles of 'test riding' all the low engine rumbles are gone.. the engine has never been smoother.. Others suggested colour tuning the carbs but it was the pickup coil (rumbles were still there after all the other components were changed and before the final pickup coil) Hang starts.. for a while now, every once in a blue moon or more often than not, when I hit the starter button, the engine would turn and feel like it was hanging up against a compression stroke somewhere.. sometimes resetting my odo and radios. It even did this once or twice after the major component changes, but never once after the final pickup coil change. Go figure that with 12-14 hours of riding a day cross country, the bike did a lot of start ups in the heat, cold (Northern Michigan night temps dipped to 40'F brrr..) and in the rain.. never failed to start, lighting up magnificiently every time.. No choke needed. I haven't used the choke on the bike since putting in the last pickup coil.. even when parked over night in 60F weather.. wow, that's never happened before.. I always had to add a wee bit of choke to get the engine to light up after a few hours in moderate temps.. Now it's simply clutch in, neutral, hit start button without a twist of the throttle and she lights up.. and quickly gains idle revs (1000 rpm) Mileage. Again wow.. With the VMax rear diff on my bike, I ended up with surprising and consitant mileage while traveling through the USA plains and mountains. Running on the highways at 80 mph (revs at 4100 rpm) I ended up with 38 MPG Running on the highways at 70 mph (revs at 3550 rpm) I ended up with 43 MPG Running on the highways at 50-60 mph would give me around 48 MPG Going through Vermont and New Hampshire mountains on RT 9 in 4th and 5th gear rolling at various speeds gave me 43 mpg.. (wow, what an impressive route! =) ...and somehow got a whopping 58 MPG while cruising in 5th out west.. hit reserve at 200 miles.. While running at 70-75 MPH on the speedo I hit reserve at 175-180 miles fairly consistently.. Makes fuel plan management so much easier now.. So though the other components died on me, they just caused the bike not to start properly.. but the pickup coil was the culprit to a lot of issues this bike had. All I need to do now is replace the exhaust gaskets since I had the pipes off so often and check for Y pipe cracks while the pipes are off.. and the bike is like new.. Long story short: Bike is back better than ever.. And I'm gone riding again.. =)

Just rolled 130,200 miles on my 2006 midnight that I purchased in 2008 (had 20,000 on it then) Two rear shocks, on warranty replaced with Works shock Clutch at 40,000, replaced with Barnett system Fuel pump under warranty at 60K ish? Whole radio unit under warranty at 60K (mechanic doing fuel pump broke it oops) Neck bearings and swing arm bearings at 90K Key switch, pickup coil and side stand relay (SCCR) at 124,135 miles (replaced the starter relay 'just because'.. NOW the bike has run so much better than ever before.. woot!