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timgray

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Everything posted by timgray

  1. timgray
    I can do that without touching them. Get by the window and nail the two Stebel Bad Boy horns. They throw the phone out the window on their own and soil themselves as they think they are about to die under a Semi tire.
  2. timgray
    I have a tiny brass brush that I will clean out the master and then run a Whole lot of new synthetic brake fluid through the system, use it for about a month and then repeat. Problem is Bleeding the clutch is a lot harder than the brakes.
  3. timgray
    My Clutch master started oozing/leaking around it's sight glass. I have ignored the crazing ugly mess for a couple of years, but this spring she started to leak. Instead of risking my plastic, I bought the watch crystal as mentioned in the other thread and decided to get to work. First, open up the master and become horrified. This goo is all over in there, which means it's in the slave and line. yay, more work ahead of me. Clean it out good, I siphoned out all the old with an old turky baster and rags. then washed it with clean new synthetic DOT3 compatible. you can see the corrosion from the water that was in the fluid. Note: change the fluid more than once every 4 years. second, get a couple of tiny thin screwdrivers and a small hammer, you can go around the outside of the old glass making a gap, to eventually get most of the old rotted plastic out. at this time the little metal piece that has a slot on it will fall out. dont worry, you will not use this anymore. Third, get a small screwdriver and start tapping out the metal insert ring that held the old sight glass assembly. go careful as you can ding up the aluminum housing easily. Finally, clean it all up with a painters prep and get a good strong solvent resistant epoxy. I used JB weld as they claim it's brake fluid resistant and I cant find others that do claim this. but it has to be fully cured, so that means a few days without contact to Brake fluid. that's it. Unless someone finds a way to put a more modern one on the bike, we cant get replacement sight glasses, and Used ones are ready to fail just based on age. I really hope this helps someone, it took me a leap of faith to do it and I freaked out when the sight glass did not fit, that's when I discovered the press fit insert you have to knock out.
  4. timgray
    I always wondered why the sight glass was plastic and not "glass" like it is supposed to be. I guess Yamaha was hoping all these bikes would have been melted down as scrap by now.
  5. timgray
    I wish they would release a second venture more along the lines of the 1st gen. Yamaha needs to make a K1200LT clone/killer. as the FJR1300 is not a touring bike riding 2 up.
  6. timgray
    Actually to update an old thread. IT does NOT come with all the gaskets. Just the stator cover one. I had to find the other gasket and copper washer elsewhere. It seems that Ricks is not sending all gaskets anymore. That also do not stock them anymore, but they will have one custom wound up for you, adds about 30 days to shipping time.
  7. timgray
    Yup it goes in the tab hole cut on the Carb body where the outer ring goes. Most important part is to be very VERY patient. Go slow, take your time. when you rush at all is where it will all go south.
  8. timgray
    Yup. Around here most of the dealers have huge boat payments they need to extract from riders. These same dealers also have techs that cant see that they did something wrong. Buddy went to get his bike after a tire change (he has more money than sense) front tire would not turn. they screwed it up and was bending the rotor. The tech knew this as they had to push hard to get the bike out of the shop, the dealer refused to fix it claiming it was a fault of the bike. I fixed it in 30 seconds in the parking lot with my toolkit by removing the wheel and putting the spacer on the CORRECT side of the wheel. No dealer will ever touch my bike, they only employ idiots in the service department.
  9. timgray
    I used a very very thin screwdriver that I blunted the end with sandpaper to get rid of all sharp edges. Sharp edges = rips or holes. Try to make the screwdriver end round and smooth. I then used a general purpose light oil. push them in all the way, the rubber cup should be mostly round (except where the packing made them curl up and look identical to how they look not installed on a slider. any wrinkles at all is not right. The hardest part is that they will not stick in the grooves when you put the slider housing caps back on. you will need to very carefully work them until the metal cap sits perfectly flush with the housing. any gap that is thick at all is not correct. Also, dont forget to put the springs back. I have half done and looked down and sighed... removed the two to reinstall the springs and start over getting the caps back on.
  10. timgray
    But ram does not make a waterproof mount for the iphone. This one you can drop the whole bike in a lake and the phone will be fine. We just took his new iphone and dropped it in the sink and then filled it with water. let it sit for 20 minutes under about 1 foot of water and pulled it out. Phone works perfect, so we opened the case, bone dry inside. So a driving rain will not cause a problem. The coolest part is that you do not remove the phone from the case, it's thin and stays on the phone all the time, they even have a nice belt clip for it to clip in.
  11. timgray
    A good friend of mine just got a new waterproof case for his iphone that also has a Handlebar mount for it that locks the phone into it. It is also waterproof to 2 meters. so it is completely rain proof. What this does is make your iphone into a motorcycle GPS with Music playback and phone integration. Coupled with a BT helmet headset and you have something that is better than the Zumo. http://www.lifeproof.com/the-four-proofs/ for the case. http://www.lifeproof.com/shop/accessories/mounts/bike-mount for the mount. They also have a mount for GOPro mounts. it has a cutout for the camera, so if you were to get a gopro mount and have it where it can see out the windshield, it also can act as a sport Camera, or an accident cam using the iCar app. You will not have the GPS screen on all the time, but you do get the voice prompts in your ears for turns, I find this to be better than having a screen to distract me. But the screen does light up for incoming calls so you can glance and see if you want to answer the call.
  12. timgray
    Does anyone have a nice step by step or a series of photos for the removal of the rear wheel? I am looking at new tires and am Unwilling to let the bike butchers at the dealer touch the bike or charge me an extra $350.00 to remove the wheels from the bike.
  13. timgray
    I could not see any holes in mine but replaced them anyways. And suddenly my bike will take and hold a Carb sync. IT also runs better than it ever has since I bought it 4 years ago. I believe it was leaking around the edge or the center as they came off easily during replacement and the new ones went on hard sealing tight between the two plastic rings on the slider. You can get a leak around the rings on the slider.
  14. timgray
    I ride as if every car driver was told that they get a $1000.00 cash prize for killing me.
  15. timgray
    The ONLY LED headlight I have seen that was bright enough to be used as a headlight was an entire assembly that cost well over $450.00 Anything less than that will not be safe as a headlight. Heck, I cant find LED tail lights that are as bright as the bulbs, even the $55.00 ones that are 3Watt are not as bright as a $0.99 Bulb. Now, LED Foglights that server to make you more visible to cars? Yes, I have a pair. They don't light up the road, but they demand attention from drivers with their painful to look at yellow that is focused forward. AS for the face shield, flip it up or change it for the clear, in Most states it's illegal to ride at night with a tinted or mirrored face shield and you are severely limiting your side vision to spot a deer running at you. They are actually easy to swap out. I do it every evening, swap to my clear for night riding.
  16. timgray
    I run the walmart battery as I am fine with replacing it every 2 years. This year I have upgraded the stator and regulator so that I get stable and good charging on the bike so I will be upgrading to an AGM battery. Being an Electronics Engineer I was not confident of the Stock 1st gen charging system and how it looks like it would cook a Battery over time so I never risked an expensive battery. With the new setup installed, the voltage is so smooth and the battery does not have the periods of heavy draw like the stock electrical does when sitting in traffic with an undervolt coming from the charging system and the fan kicks in. It could have been just my bike, at idle I was making 10.5 volts and did not get past 13 volts until 1500rpm. it then would spike to 15 volts at around 4500 rpm and drop back down to 13 volts above that. New 012 Regulator from a FJR1300 and a high output stator... 14.5 volts no matter the RPM or load... So I'm getting an Deka AGM battery soon.
  17. timgray
    I had no problems at all on my walmart NGK plugs. I don't think that Walmart is buying a sub grade plug and stocking them on the shelves. It's the same plug that my Yamaha Dealer has on his shelf for 20X the price. A bigger problem is the platinum or Iridium plugs. Older bikes want good old standard plugs.
  18. timgray
    Cost of Ownership of any older vehicle is higher than a newer one. So I am guessing if you take a 2007 or newer zero maintenance needed Venture compared to an econo box? It also depends if you DIY all maintenance. Car Oil changes at the dealer is $14.95. the Yamaha Dealer around here charges $45.00 for an oil change. Car tires are $450.00 If I dont take the wheels off the bike, the dealer charges $500.00 for tires and installation. (see a pattern?) My 2007 civic get's a $30.00 synthetic oil change every 10,000 miles, new tires every 40,000 miles, and every 100,000 it get's the fluids changed like brake, tranny,radiator,etc... my 83 get's oil changed every 2000 as I dont like how dark it is for about $15.00. Tires every 8,000 miles. All fluids changed every 3 years.. I dont count the yearly $600-800 in parts to keep it running perfectly and like new. If I wanted Economy, I would buy a Honda NT700. Those are zero maintenance engines and bikes (no valve lash to check or adjust) and get 60mpg. I have seen European versions of the NT700 go 350,000 miles without any maintenance at all other than tire changes and oil changes. I am certain that that bike would be far cheaper than an econobox, but still just as miserable to ride in the winter (I'm in michigan) compared to an econobox :-) A Venture is like driving a BMW 525. It's not purchased for cheap transportation.
  19. timgray
    That is how it started on mine. and it kept getting lower as the year went on. Everything checks out from those tests EXCEPT, voltage when the bike is running. I could see a spike in voltage when I revved it to 1500rpm, and then it drops off when I go above that on two of the wires from the stator. If your bike does not have a stator cooler installed, and has the stock regulator, Your Stator is probably cooked and getting more cooked. The stock regulator draws full amps all the time form the stator and dumps it into heat. Modern regulators do not do this and will not rn the stator at full load high heat all the time. I would change the Regulator first, then plan on replacing the stator in the near future as well even if it works. You have over 2 decades worth of cooking on that stator.. the chances that it's close to done are high. Also check voltages when HOT and cold. I have seen a voltage drop out on one leg when the bike was hot.
  20. timgray
    Lost a fellow rider yesterday. http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/06/muskegon_motorcyclists_involve.html#incart_river_default Car driver crossed the center line and mowed down 10 of 12 riders in a group killing one and injuring 9. All the riders are from my town and the local club. Remember, the cars are trying to kill us.
  21. timgray
    Be paranoid over train tracks. Wet steel is like riding on butter, dont even think of crossing at anything other than straight across. Brakes, Unless you messed up and was tailgating, or a cager is actively trying to kill you you will be fine. Just do what you do in a cage and double your safe following distance and dont worry about sliding. MC tires that are not worn out work great in the rain, just drive like a old guy and assume everyone in a car has been told they get $1000 cash if they kill you. (I ride like that daily, but the drivers around here are that bad) Lastly, the hardest part is getting soaked to the bone. An all day ride in the rain = wet everywhere under your rain gear. I have never found any rain gear that keeps you dry. If it's raining hard, pull over and wait it out with a hot cup of coffee at any place you can find. Be sure to bring extra clothing, damp and wet clothes will chill you to the bone riding in the rain in 70 degree weather.
  22. timgray
    A Lot of guys said that the 83 carb sliders have adjustable needles, Mine did not. So I am thinking that Yamaha had a random box of parts they just grabbed from to build our carbs from.
  23. timgray
    A Crossover is nothing more than the new name for a "Station Wagon" it's to make the cagers that buy them feel better. Kind of like how most "SUV" trucks are actually nothing more than 4 door minivans. Very very few SUV's are built on a truck frame and actually built decently and rugged.
  24. timgray
    Yes you can rotate the sliders in relation to the rubber easily. I just recently changed all of mine and I could not see any holes in the diaphragms but the change was drastic on how the bike runs. I strongly suggest saving your money and getting a new set of 4. My bike now runs better than it has ever ran in my ownership.
  25. timgray
    Premium fuel is not helping. Premium burns slower than regular gas and can cause issues. If your carb sync is way out of whack, that can easily cause plug fouling as it's dumping more gas into that cyl compared to the rest. Syncing the bike is not hard at all if you get the right tool. http://www.carbtune.com/ In fact a carbtune is cheaper than any dealer will charge you to do the job, and honestly you will tune it better than the dealer will. Most dealer mechanics are not perfectionists. Also, when was the last time you had the Carb diaphragms replaced? Mine looked good, but the bike would not keep sync. I replaced them this weekend and the sync was easy as pie, plus the bike has never ran so good. Seeing you ride an 85, they may have holes or leaks in them causing problems.
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