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timgray

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Everything posted by timgray

  1. timgray
    The main lights are 65 Watts each if I can find what I am after the LED fog lights should add another 6-10 watts. The way they are designed to work is that you switch between the high and low beam instead of trying to have both on. The draw of just the headlights should not be much more than that of the standard lamp. These low beams are like driving with the high beams on but with a really sharp fall off of the light so that it does not blind oncoming drivers at all. The high beams are like driving with 747 landing lights. on.
  2. timgray
    I would love to see 6 thieves try to pick up a 1st gen or 2nd gen and "lift it" into a van. The great part about riding a really heavy bike is they cant steal it easily.
  3. timgray
    Talked to my fabricator yesterday. I got a mock up to show everyone.... http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3655/3351520924_1a282f901f.jpg?v=0 This is how it will look. I do not have any way of mounting it yet as I need to get measurements and my hands on headlight assemblies for the mk1 and mk2 1st gens. The rubber lightly touches the front glass lenses at the sides. there is plenty of room below the lamps for a set of bright yellow fog lights! I am looking for a source for incredibly bright and yellow 3Watt LED fog lights to fit in there not to light up anything but to produce a very distinctive color for daytime riding. If anyone is interested in cost, I can tell you that you are looking at $130.00 in light modules sitting there. These things are glass and metal and DOT certified, not cheap junk like the ebay ones out there. I get them from susquhenna motorsports in Canada. they are about $60.00 each with shipping that is a tad expensive. No idea on the bracket yet or wiring adapters to make it a no wire cut plug in setup. They take a standard automotive H9 bulb.
  4. timgray
    has anyone used the bluetooth with a headset and phone? does it work decently? also can you hear the mp3 or XM through the bluetooth? My wife and I have the Scala Team rider set that work great and this would solve a couple of issues for us.
  5. timgray
    Update: A set of these modules are going to my fabricator to see if he can get them closer together. I need to get some measurements or headlight assemblies from the 83-85 and the 86-up to see if it would be possible to make a universal one or if I need to make two different brackets.
  6. timgray
    I get mine from rock auto whenever I make a car parts order... Wix 24933 for $4.95 comes with both o rings. When I bought one at the Stealer, they gave me a filter for $11.99 a large O ring for $10.00 and the small o ring for $3.95 Many dealers will strip out the O rings from the yamaha filter boxes and sell them to you separately to further rob you blind. My first oil change on my 83 venture cost me $75.00 with yamalube and yamafilterparts. NAPA has them as well.... http://www.napaonline.com/NOLPPSE/(S(fr1tz455gvqbdh55hoy3ktik))/Detail.aspx?A=PFIPS4933_0138964580&An=599002+101983+50135+2135195+25001
  7. timgray
    did we verify that these were in fact for the 83-85 AND 86-up bikes? The rubber is no different for all years of the 1st gen?
  8. timgray
    Honestly, dealers like that should also be avoided for even basic service. I discovered that if they are snotty in the showroom they will be useless in the mechanical side. There is a large dealer like that here in Muskegon. Babbitts. Sales people are useless, they think 10% over msrp is a deal and their service department has a really bad attitude. Now the harley shop just a few miles away, Sandys Harley in Fremont,MI.. If you ride a bike, ANY bike, he treats you like a brother. He will work on anything and give you a fair price.
  9. timgray
    Both the headlight and High beam lights are 65W bulbs. They can be replaced with a standard car bulb though. I neeed to investigate that further. I am hoping that the 83-85 and the 86-up uses some of the same components as to how the lens mounting. If so I may be able to make it more universal. I guess seeing two of them side by side on the bench is important. If I can design this I will see how much to get the bracket made. In fact if things go the way I think they will, there will be space below the lamps to put a set of small projector "fog" lamps as well. I'm going on simple eyeballing the assembly and I need to some real measurements.
  10. timgray
    I dont think the heat on the rubber would be much of an issue, the lenses of these are polycarbonate and dont feel hot when touched after they have been on for 15 minutes. My glass sealed beam feels far hotter. I'll know more as I can move ahead with the project. Update: the new ones are glass and not polycarbonate. I will run them for an hour to find out how hot they get.
  11. timgray
    I was Messing with my project car when something inside my head clicked. My bike is still disassembled and I ran into the house all greasy to grab my headlight housing and run back to the garage... I am upgrading my Fiero GT from using a single ugly 80's headlight to dual Hella projector headlights. Guess what, they will fit in the Venture's opening and I believe there is enough depth for them to fit completely. Problem is, this will delay my getting the bike on the road so I am looking at another option.... Does anyone have a front headlight assembly they are willing to sell cheap, give or loan to me so I can have a metal bracket designed to upgrade our 1gen headlights? I have a machine shop at my disposal as well as a laser cutter to design a bracket that can slip into the existing assembly and hold the two Hella modules. I can get them set apart side by side just enough to fit in the rubber mounting ring. I have seen these lights in action and they would make a HUGE improvement and the way I am thinking of installing them they would still use the adjuster on the dash and even be removeable to restore the bike back to stock. Plug and play in a way. These are DOT legal lights so the upgrade would be 100% legal in the USA. and it would make a HUGE difference in lighting on the road and reduction of glare in the eyes of the oncoming traffic. The lamps are not cheap. I paid $69.00 each for mine (4 on my car)
  12. timgray
    Now that is perfect! Thank you very much! that answers a ton of questions. These will be prefect to start on the design. Thank you very very much!
  13. timgray
    My timeline for building this hitch was just pushed up. My buddy said that if I want him to make the hitch it needs to be right away as he is slow right now and has a big job coming up in 12 days. I'm rushing to reassemble my bike in the next 3 days so I can ride it to his shop to get it started. I need to see where the mount points are to begin with.
  14. timgray
    Anyone's photos of the hitch on their bike with the bags off on a 83 would help a lot as well. We need to know where everything mounts to and how it sits. The more photos the better on this one. It might not be a bad idea to post photos of the 84's and 85 as well so that the differences can be seen side by side. After I'm all done I'll gladly start a new thread on a complete how-to and all drawings and measurements so that anyone else later on can make one or get one made.
  15. timgray
    I just forewareded all that to a buddy of mine. I am helping him refurbish a barn find of one of those bikes. Less than 2800 miles on it and it looks like new. Tires all rotted off, carbs have an inch of varnish in them and 3 gallons of what used to be gas in it. All the rubber parts on the engine needs replacing... Anyways, he was complaining that he wont be able to camp with us, this will let him know he can carry all that.!!!
  16. timgray
    I was wondering how much gear can you safely pack on a bike and riding 2 up to camp with? My tent and cooking kit is small but would already overload the trunk and rack capacity. I figure I can strap the sleeping bags and pads to the sides to the saddlebags but cant figure out where to carry everything else. Honestly our bikes are big, but they dont have a lot of storage room. I was thinking of getting a giant tank bag to strap to my tank rack... anyone have any suggestions? I am getting a hitch made but with the wife losing her job buying the camper trailer is no longer an option... has anyone sucessfully camped for two on a weekend with just what you load on the bike? how to you keep from making the bike even more top heavy?
  17. timgray
    Don't believe the rates that progressive quotes you from the "other companies". I went to a local state farm guy, talked to him face to face and he quoted me 30% less than Progressive could do. This is even more effective if you have a very clean driving record.
  18. timgray

    Just got robbed!

    timgray replied to a topic in Watering Hole

    nothing. They cant log in unless the fob serial number matches you fob serial number. so they need your username, password, and get you to read your fob serial number to them, AND reprogram the secure chip inside the fob to emulate your fob. Way outside the capabilities of the typical thief. Also be sure you never follow a link to paypal(unless you are paying at ebay). always open a new web browser window and type in http://www.paypal.com they like to send you links in the email saying your paypal account is dead, click here to re-activate it. basically I never click on any link emailed to me. Email can not be trusted for any reason.
  19. timgray
    No major hurry. cant ridde until Late april/may anyways... another 20 inches of snow is predicted in march for around here with snow on the ground until past easter.
  20. timgray
    I disagree. The problem is MOST drivers are not very well trained. MOST kids today get their license without doing everything they are supposed to do. Their parents sign off on it fully knowing that their little darling did not drive 15 hours at night and 100 hours in the daytime. My daughter is a YEAR LATE getting hers because I refuse to sign off. I tell her all the time that she is driving a weapon and can kill people in a second if she is not paying attention all the time. Most parents ignore their kids and let them do what they want. Some are dumb and give their kids at 17 a nice high power sportscar and then onder why their darling is dead in a mangled wreck. Drivers license is too easy to get and too easy to keep. Require everyone to take a road test every 5 years. hitting a motorcycle needs to make you lose your license for 1 year MINIMUM. If people understand that if they cut that loud biker off and cause an accident they will not have a license and 4X insurance costs, they will magically start looking for us. I watch every day some really dumb cager barreling at a car stopped in the road and then they panic stop and jerk the wheel in the last 100 feet. These people will gladly barrel into you, the think they are invincible in their cars. Cautious driving is the exception and not the rule with cagers. Most are doing 10-15 over the speed limit, 12-6 feet from your rear bumper, most cars are poorly maintained and have bald tires or are not properly maintained so they skid farther, Most are messing with something or have some distraction. All of these add up to "oops sorry, I did not see him." Nobody is accountable for their actions in a car. If you "accidently" kill someone, it's called manslauter. It needs to be applied to that 16 year old darling because she killed someone accidently. If I accidently kill someone hunting, you bet they will throw those charges at me. This brings me to some words that echo in my head to this day.... I was appalled at a comment a woman made in a traffic safety course I took as a younger lad... she said "But he's a biker, so it should not be so bad if I hit him." Those comments stuck with me to this day, and is what makes me ride like every car on the road is trying to kill me.
  21. timgray
    83's rarely show up. and the 84+ are different and will not fit. Plus I'm betting that 83 will end up at $250.00 by the time it ends. I can have one built and powdercoated for less than that if I have measurements and photos.
  22. timgray
    nothing special. just reallllly long screwdrivers. the longer the better if you dont want to remove all the lower fairing parts. I have a 18" long 1/4 inch flat head that works perfect on my 83. Oh long nose bent pliers to remove the clips holding on the rubber plugs on the vac ports.
  23. timgray
    I've given up on buying a hitch assembly for an 83. a buddy that has a full service shop says he can build me one if I can get photos of a hitch off the bike and or measurements and photos on a bike. Anyone able to help me? He will havethe bike at his shop to measure, but would like a starting idea as to waht they look like, how high they are mounted, etc....
  24. timgray
    It's why I'm fitting my 1st gen with TWO badboy horns out the front blaring out the front vent of the fairing. If they are gonna' run me off the road, they get to change their underwear and go for a hearing test as a present. Its unfair that today to get a Cycle endorcement you have to go through intensive and expensive training course. But a cage driver has to simply prove they are breathing and say their name correctly to get behind the wheel. And the number of bikes and mopeds on the road have tripled over the past 2 years.
  25. timgray
    Probably a really good idea.... change brake fluid and clutch fluid. It probably has never been done. Flush and change the radiator fluid. It also probably never has been done. change the rear diff oil. It probably has never been done. change fuel filter. change fork springs and oil. probably be a really good idea to clean out the gas tank. Not easy to do without tearing apart the bike. take apart the foot brake lever assembly and clean/lube it all up. where it goes through the frame can bind and cause your rear brake to lock and never release, if you can pull the pedal up at all after pressing it down and letting it return, this is needed. it should return to the top stop on it's own. really inspect the tires... cracks = highly possible blowout at high speed and you in the hospital or worse. sync the carbs. I'd then run 2 cans of seafoam through it on 4 tanks of gas (1/2 can per tank). Things you might have to do... Replace rear master cyl reservoir after you break it from trying to open it. replace the carb diaphragms replace brakes and brake lines disassemble the drive shaft and rear pumpkin and lube everything up. Front wheel bearings. Rear wheel bearings. Those are just off the top of my head. welcome to the world of owning a classic motorcycle. If you know how to work on mechanical things, they are far cheaper than any new bike, and they dont lose value like new ones.
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