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timgray

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Everything posted by timgray

  1. timgray
    It also depends on the condition of the carbs, I replaced my Carb slider diaphragms and did a tune up and sync, and my gas mileage went up drastically. (plus the bike has not ran this good in the history of me owning it.) Honestly, if you have never replaced the Slider Diaphragms, they have a good chance if needing replacement. Mine did not have any visible holes, but replacement made a huge difference.
  2. timgray
    Ive been gone for a while due to family, so I have a question, as there is now several versions of the TCI and they are all incompatible, how do I use a v88 file in my older v75? do I open the program write everything down and then enter everything back in the older version? Has anyone seen any advantages to a newer unit compared to older? Should I buy a v88 and sell my old v75 version to someone else?
  3. timgray
    Anyone have part numbers or a source for the gaskets and copper washer? I did not realize I need a second gasket and a copper washer. Glad I read this before starting the stator replacement. And I really wish I knew about Skydoc's kit before I spent more than that on finding all the parts. Ricks does not stock the hot shot anymore so they had to wind one custom for me.
  4. timgray
    If your seat cover is not in bad shape it's not hard to pull the cover off, fix the stuffing or add a nice gel pad in there and replace the cover. just take your time and go slowly and a couple hours in a afternoon can get it done. While you are in there think about adding a heated butt pad for a nice heated seat upgrade.
  5. timgray
    One option is that Hella sells the Low beam bulb as a HID that only draws 35 watts but creates 8X more light than the highest wattage silverstar ultra bulb you can buy. This will drop 20+ watts from the total load and allow the low beam to stay on all the time. basically the high/low switch simply switches on/off the high beam module only. and this would make a giant difference at night.
  6. timgray
    Glad I came up with that idea of the headlight upgrade! and really glad to see others doing it as well. I found having the low beam on the left side will throw more light on the edge of the road from not being shadowed by the rubber housing. It's not a big difference but I like as much light as possible getting put on the shoulder. Oh and upgrading to a set of silverstar ultras will REALLY get the light in the eyes of bambi on the shoulder. The shutter in the 90mm hella modules is perfect for that.
  7. timgray
    No problems with the MAP sensor, just looking at other options for others that may have problems, or if I decided to add a turbo to the engine..... need more horsepower!
  8. timgray
    An update from my side, I am also chasing down the possibility of adding a TPS instead of the maps sensor to eliminate some of the issues with vac pulses and lag. I was curious as to what could be made to fit by looking at what is available in motorcycle TPS sensors. I figure that more options is always a good idea. it should not be difficult if I can find a place to mount the TPS and hook a linkage between it and one of the linkages on the carbs.
  9. timgray
    I also use the Scala Q2, but I bought the "teamset" which has two of them in the box. works far better than the cords to the on bike intercom and I dont have to replace the headset cords on a regular basis because the wife forgets and get's off the bike without unplugging. The new Q4's are even better and stream music in stereo from your phone or mp3 player, the Q2 has a short cord that plugs into the mo3 player. the ONLY thing I miss is the ability to interface to my ham radio for talking to friends in a group ride on the FRS radios. I am still looking for a solution to that one that is not insane priced.
  10. timgray
    when you get your "new one" take the time to soak it in pbblaster and carefully work the fill plug so you dont bust the new one. I also add a dab of anti-sieze to the plug threads and the head so that it will not freeze in place like my old one that caused mine ot break in the first place. Why yamaha made them out of potmetal instead of a thick aluminum I'll never know. but they were designed to break easily.
  11. timgray
    The more it goes up the more I will ride. I get better gas mileage out of the bike so I'll start riding to work most days instead of every once in a while.
  12. timgray
    Oh that is a good idea.... silicone wont get washed off easily from gasoline so it should stay "lubricated" fora while. Although adding some MM oil to the gas regularly helps with lubricating the moving carb parts...
  13. timgray
    Just replace them yearly... I tried to stretch mine to two years... the end of the second year I had rips in it from the sun baking the cover hard and making it brittle... It's a reminder as to why I cover my bike all the time.
  14. timgray
    Mine has both those punches AND a dead second gear. It depends if the dealer actually fixed it correctly or simply replaced the washer with another one that would wear just lie the first one. I would not assume that 2nd gear is good to go on a early 1st gen just because it has those punches.
  15. timgray
    Some things to think about. Most dealers refuse to work on bikes older than 10 years old. You may have to pay a premium for any work on the bike. I really would not buy a classic bike if you cant work on it yourself or will not have the time to. You can easily spend thousands to a motorcycle mechanic while they hunt a problem down. That said, the 80's and 90's venture has no replacement right now. I dont like a goldwing as it looks like 1/2 a honda civic and cost as much as a luxury level Honda Accord. The only other choice is a sport-touring bike and those are tiny compared to the Venture... I was looking at a FJR1300 and I will never be able to get my wife on the back of that tiny thing. Older bikes need TLC and someone that is wiling to take it apart and fix it themselves, or someone that is ready to drop $2000 here and there on a repair. I'm looking at dropping a large amount of cash to fix the infamous 2nd gear problem that is in every 83-85 Venture. Way more than the bike is worth. But it's cheaper than the new bike payments for a year + full coverage insurance. Last thing, if you want to add "farkles" or add on's you will have to find used ones or manufacture your own. they just dont exist anymore. No more chrome fender tips, no more drivers floorboards, and places like Kyrukyn will not help in telling you what fits your bike. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE my bike. But if I knew then what I know now what I was getting into I would have looked for a newer bike or one that was better taken care of. spend a little more on something that is in better shape and newer. You are at least looking at a year that has no major problems. Also be warned, used bike prices are insane right now. Lots of people think their bikes are worth gold. Make sure you research the bike carefully and look it over carefully. Bring a friend that is a bike expert or ask to have it taken to a mechanic if you are unsure.
  16. timgray
    I have been trying for 3 weeks to buy my wife a motorcycle. I have answered 10 ad's on craigs list, told them I have cash on hand and I will buy the bike if I like it. I cant get anyone to call me back, one guy keeps stalling, and another that was willing to meet decided he is not selling it anymore. I cant figure it out.
  17. timgray
    My wife wants to take a ride this summer that covers about 1000 miles. I think it's a great idea but worry about one thing. I'm riding a 1983 classic that not one motorcycle mechanic wants to touch at a dealership, and parts are impossible to come by outside of a motorcycle wreckers or ebay. I already have trust issues with the bike after it blew out the TCI 2 years ago on a 200 mile ride and I am hesitant to trust her to take me 1000 miles without troubles. It's mostly the age, the fact that there are almost no real Motorcycle mechanics at dealerships anymore and the no parts thing. I calculated the worst case and a flatbed tow back home from 500 miles away is $2800.00! Am I being a worry wart? or are my concerns for a long ride justified?
  18. timgray
    A buddy of mine has 2 different sets of Kyrukyn Iso grips he is getting rid of. He said I can have a set if I know which one to get. Anyone know what Set of Iso Grips fit the 1st gen handlebars? Kyrukyn's website is worthless as they dont admit our bikes even exist.
  19. timgray
    http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,27475,parttype,5340 $4.52 for the oil filter WIX in fact. and they come with the o rings, the yamaha dealers pick the out of the box and sell them separately to up profits.
  20. timgray
    Now that is certainly an option. What serial number do I need to stay above? will a 1986 be safe to not have that defect?
  21. timgray
    I certainly can wait until after Thanksgiving or get it there pretty quickly, I am already skipping 2nd in shifting anyways to limit any additional damage to the gearing. Trailering it across and back would not be a problem at all. timgray1@gmail.com if you want to shoot me a ballpark price and talk more about it.
  22. timgray
    I've decided that I need to make this bike reliable an ddrive it until it burns to the ground. I love my bike and I believe I can make it 100% reliable again. That said, I dont have the time or space to tackle a 2nd gear fix. the yamaha shops locally will do it for $4200.00 plus parts:sick:. I can buy a 86+ for that with low miles! Does anyone know of someone in Michigan that can fix the 2nd gear for a reasonable amount of money and can be trusted?
  23. timgray
    I ride an 83. the Elite II's on the bike are getting thin and are quite old. I would like a tire with more "grip" in the wet compared to what I am riding on now. The Dunlop D404's look like they have a far better tread pattern for wet riding. How do they ride on the dry as well? anyone running them? Hate them? love them? How about bridgestone S11's? I'd like E3's but they dont make them in venture sizes anymore. I cant find them in 120/90-18 for t he front and 140/90-16 for the rear.
  24. timgray
    She is 5'4" and small. She has been watching the Ride like a pro DVD over and over and cant wait for this spring to practice in the parking lot near us. My concern was bike weight and too much power to begin with. Honestly smaller bikes hold their value well and as long as she does not drop it it should sell for near what we bough it for if she wants something bigger. Plus, I dont want her to have a faster bike than I do. :-) Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I guess we need to wait until spring to start sitting on bikes in showrooms. Around here all bike shops turn into snow machine shops as soon as fall hits and stay that way until spring.
  25. timgray
    Biggest advantage of the iPhone as a mp3 player is that it has full voice control. get a bluetooth helmet setup and your "mount" is stuffing the phone in your pocket. While riding if I want to listen to my road music I simply press the button on the bluetooth module stuck to the side of my helmet and wait for the "Bing Bing" noise. Then say "Play Playlist Road" it starts playing. I want the next song I do the same but instead say "Next" or "Stop" etc... IT accepts a lot of voice commands and yes it works at 70mph, but not in a riding group of harleys with straight pipes.. But then I couldn't hear the music let alone myself thinking at that point. Works great, no mounts, no forgetting it on the bike, no controls to install. AS for Sirius, I found a old "radar detector" type used from a few years ago. they still sell them... http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/Page&c=ProductAsset&cid=1126670687120 but the new ones have a useless FM transmitter. The old models could transmit to 10 bikes. Works great and is built like a tank. I just tune into the FM channel it is transmitting and enjoy that.
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