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Dave77459

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Everything posted by Dave77459

  1. Dave77459
    I agree! I think you should run a fused line from the battery anyways, but now you are just running it to a switch that controls the on/off. That way the lights can be on even if the key is not in the ignition. The dealership installed mine to come on only with the high-beams... or maybe only with the low-beams. I wanted them on all the time I was riding, and was looking to re-wire them. At the time, I rode with a buddy who had his passing lamps wired to a switch, and he constantly left them on when the bike was off. Once he needed a jump because the battery was drained... the lights weren't evident in broad daylight. I decided then that I would wire them so that my lights would only be on when the bike was on Accessory or On. Installing your lamps will be a fun project. Good luck! Dave
  2. Dave77459
    Just a clarification question... do you want them to only come on when you have the ignition on, or do you want them toggled on and off at your direction (as you implied)? Mine use the running lights to power the relay. They have a toggle switch on the lamp housing, which I never use. I leave them on all the time. Dave
  3. Dave77459
    I may not know much, but I know this: the odometer read 55,802. Dave
  4. Dave77459
    We had someone hurt on our last ride to Big Bend that did exactly this. A scenic overlook is situated on a hill, with nowhere level. The rider put her foot down, but the ground sloped away and by the time she made contact, the bike was leaned over too much to hold up. We've scratched this overlook off our two-wheel-approved list, since the same thing almost happened the previous year too. We're slow learners, but we eventually do learn. I don't know if it is true everywhere, but my experience on scenic mountain roads is that they are particularly crumbly. The shade/sun freeze/thaw cycle plays havoc on them. The pavement may not be good, and you may find that out at the inside of a curve. Expect it, and be pleasantly surprised when the pavement is great. Every turn. Dave
  5. Dave77459
    I live in the coastal flatlands, so I don't know all that about mountain riding. I believe it is important to ride within your capabilities, and when riding in a group, leave plenty of room in front of you. My bike (and me) seems heavier than whoever is in front, so I tend to coast into them downhill. Someone else will chip in, I'm sure. I have done some LD riding. One great resource is the IBA's Archive of Wisdom (AOW). Well worth the reading. I personally give up caffeine for a month before LD riding. For one thing, it allows me to sleep more deeply, building up a rest reserve. And caffeine is more effective if I need it... in an emergency. For you, I think investing in an electric vest is wise. Riding all day in the sun makes riding at night in mountains feel very cold. Hope this helps! Dave
  6. Dave77459
    You are the only one to say so! Here's a couple different photos of that area, if I understand you right? The top photo below has a smudge, but it looks like a stain to my inexpert eyes. The bottom photo seems to indicate a lighter shade on the rod, about horizontal from where the rod is contacting the piston head. No? Given the shadows behind and the angle of the shot, I don't think it is a flash effect. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5296/5469614686_61e403d18c.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5216/5469614064_389964f95f.jpg I'm not following the discussion of crust on the piston head, but I don't have another photo of the face of it. Wouldn't it be immediately evident if there was a gasket failure? It wouldn't be a mystery or object of speculation, right? I think forensic analysis is interesting. If only I had paid more attention in my metallurgy class! Dave
  7. Dave77459
    As I see it, there are a variety of reasons for price spikes. The obvious is Libya, but not because it produces oil. It is a sign of continued unrest, which could spread to real producing countries. Saudi Arabia, who has handed out money these past few days to quell the public. Iran, who has a strong base for revolt. Who else? The prices going up now are because stations have to have money in hand to buy future gas. It's not like they buy it on consignment or using credit cards. If the price goes up and they haven't the cash to buy it... anyways, they raise prices to afford to buy future gas. The "excess profit" (if you believe in that sort of thing) is when they have raised prices and then the cost declines. Maybe then they can afford to clean the bathrooms. And then there is the Spring switchover to different blends. At that time, there is lost capacity in pipelines and refineries. Each state seems to have its own blend requirement, which reduces the economies of scale. And finally, there is a growing call among politicians to artificially increase costs in order to reduce demand. Of course, they also want to increase the revenue by adding more taxes. These ideas are becoming more mainstream. Be ready. Dave PS, I am neglecting the push by China and Russia to conduct oil business on a commodity basis rather than in Dollars. The use of USD for energy commerce has given us an inflationary hedge, and that might go away. The point is that gas prices are about more than oil company greed. If you think producers are to blame, I suggest you buy oil stocks and at least make money off it.
  8. Dave77459
    Most of the photos I didn't post were just variations as the service manager took shots with flash and without. Some of the tonal differences appear to be due to the flash reach. Which photo are you thinking of (# from top) and I'll see if there is a variant that could shed light on the subject. Flash... shed light... get it? I crack myself up. Dave
  9. Dave77459
    Here's an option. Might look good on you too! http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/4109509924_3782b16117.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4109510358_cc9b41b6d4.jpg Dave
  10. Dave77459
    Thank you. And now your opinion may change, because it is time for minutiae. Ha ha, maybe not for me... I got the photos from the service manager; a few are shared below for y'all. Clearly, the event that happened internally was violent. I used to worry when I rode about what would happen if a rod was thrown, would my legs and other parts get hurt. It wasn't something I dwelt upon, because motorcycling can result in all sorts of really bad injuries, and a blown engine wasn't high on the list of threats. But looking at the piston rod, I am reminded of those thoughts and the words "compound fracture" come to mind. In response to a question from a friend, I wrote back to the service manager and inquired about the bearings, whether they were stuck or what not. His response was, "The bearings and all looked good." The Yamaha "rta" (whazzat??) has already called him back and has a working theory that he wants to investigate. I don't want to share it, in that it is speculation(1). However, the service manager shares the theory, so that might give you a clue. Today, the dealer will dig deeper into the engine to investigate the theory. It's a bit worrisome, because it's the sort of cause that may not be covered by the warranty.(2) The service manager said that he will let me know when he knows more. He also owes Yamaha "a full estimate and so forth".(3) Before I post pictures and lose your attention, let me say that I regard the dealer increasingly highly.The service manager is walking a line between his needs (to not be stuck with the cost of this) and Yamaha's. I feel that he is being a standup guy... honest. Yes, this is taking longer than I would have ever guessed, but I don't think it is in order to work in bad faith. I was told it was commonly a two month effort, and what has happened thus far supports that view. It is out of respect for the dealer that I am not publishing their working theory. Well, and to protect myself. So now, pictures! http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5469615852_3ce5c97541.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/5469615706_feac0244e7.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/5469615382_8787941d87.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5469615038_edb324307c.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5211/5469614218_45ec6d8f00.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5469613920_77eb6d2425.jpg Admit it: you didn't read the words above, but jumped straight to the pictures. Didn't you? Dave Notes: 1 - Who says old dogs don't learn new tricks? 2 - "Worrisome" - please note that it is presently 3:43AM and I am not asleep... 3 - I am vaguely worried that the "full estimate" will include parts that are reused from the damaged engine. I am not aware of the warranty repair process, but I hope it includes testing of those parts to ensure there are not hairline fractures, etc. When I get Roxie back, it looks like I will have less than a month before my warranty expires (April 11th, I believe). But, if I get her back before March 11th, I'll be putting roughly 3000 miles on her that weekend... a pretty decent shakedown cruise.
  11. Dave77459
    I know you are sitting on the edge of your seat, so I am updating you mere minutes after I called the dealership. The dealer has Roxie torn down and has sent photos of the damage to Yamaha. I asked for copies of the photos, and was promised them, but haven't received them yet. We'll see. The rod "has snapped". I gather from above that it is good news for me. However, the rod is also twisted. That is something Yamaha asked the dealer to take special note of. It seems that it is something Yamaha has experience in, or suspected, or something. What it means for me, I haven't any idea. He told me that he should hear something by tomorrow. If not, he will call them. So, this phase of the investigation is approaching a conclusion. Again, I'm just relaying information and avoiding scandal. I'll let y'all speculate, since you know more than me. And, frankly, it is interesting to watch you do it. Dave
  12. Dave77459
    Post a reply, and look at the options below the text entry box. You should see Manage Attachments. Use that and you can attach a buncha photos. Good luck! Dave
  13. Dave77459
    Sorry I missed what looks to have been a good time. I even see a big 'ol hammer was used! How far out were the valves? This was the first time done on Perry's bike, right? Dave
  14. Dave77459
    I installed two Powerlet ports last summer to do things like charge phones, run mattress pumps, etc. I also bought a few extra right angle male plugs and turned one of them into a battery charger connection. I had a spare battery harness laying around, so I used that. If I had a battery tender harness, it would be trivial to wire up one of those. Dave http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5334707280_728d173a06.jpg
  15. Dave77459
    There have been times when my cruise control got confused while engaged. I'd be cruising along, and it would disengage. RESUMEing did not work. The only way to get it to come back on was to turn the cruise off, forget about it for a while, then turn it back on. Bah. Anyways, something to think about. Note that the RSTD uses the on/off function where I think your 4-way flasher button is on the right handlebar. Perhaps you could relocate the cruise there (an RSTD cluster from a salvage yard?) and then you could relocate the 4-way somewhere else. Surely that is a simpler and less used button. Dave
  16. Dave77459
    A little gross for me, but Squidley would love this. Dave PS - Monkeyboy put me up to it.
  17. Dave77459
    Hey Brad, I lost track of days, etc, and will be in Grand Rapids this weekend. Thanks for the offer! Dave
  18. Dave77459
    The 32 LED tail light is an improvement, but the 100 LED is even brighter. Dave
  19. Dave77459
    Thanks for the encouragement. We'll see... The two service manuals (Clymer's and official) are not exactly clear on the procedure, either. I didn't really run camp fuel in it this past time. I put some in, and sloshed the tank to try to clean it. If it ran, I would have added more camp fuel. I saw there was some sandy-looking stuff that came out after I sloshed it around. I am afraid some of the sandy stuff has now plugged the filter. Possible? I need to scratch my head and see just where the float bowls are. Thanks for all'y'all's help! Dave
  20. Dave77459
    I refer you both to this here post talking about maps in the signature. If that doesn't do it for you, do a search for "signature states" and you can find a zillion more posts. I could tell you more easily than referring you, but learning how to effectively search the site will pay enormous dividends. Good luck! Dave
  21. Dave77459
    Thanks guys! We're having a mini maintenance day around here in a couple weeks. Hopefully someone will be able to help do what you suggest. Once I think about carbs, I get the hives! I should be able to do the filter though. It's remarkable how much simpler this v-twin is compared to our fours. Dave
  22. Dave77459
    I'm "taking advantage of Roxie's absence" to look into her predecessor, Suzie. Suzie is a 1989 Suzuki Intruder 750GLP. She was my starter bike, and when I got 10,000 miles on her I started looking for a step up, and that's when I got Roxie in July, 2008. Since then, Suzie hasn't been run much at all. I started her and got her to rough idle about 6 months ago. I ran some SeaFoam through her, but she still was rough. Today I completely took the tank off and drained it, then sloshed some Coleman's fuel around and drained that. I put it back on and put in fresh fuel. She started just about right away. However, she wouldn't idle, and eventually coughed and gave up. Now she won't start, and will barely catch now and again. What should I look at next? Fuel filter? Dave PS. I could go to IntruderAlert, which is much like VR. I just like y'all more.
  23. Dave77459
    I got a call last night from the dealer about Roxie. The engine was still on the bike, but they had been talking to Yamaha. They were puzzled, because this engine never dies; it just doesn't happen. They were bullet proof. Hinted at: it was something that I did. He had been looking over my service log, and had some questions. He noted that I had done clutch work at 41,650 miles. What was that? I replaced the clutch spring. Oh. Was that it? Hmmm. He saw I had put on Speed Bleeders and did more clutch work? I had installed a Speed Bleeder on the brakes and clutch lines. That's it? Hmmmm. He then noted that I had a non-OEM filter(1) and had no idea what oil I had been using(2). You can guess what his tone of voice was implying. Then, he got a bit delicate. He had paperwork in hand, but he wanted to make very sure that I was still OK with paying for 8 hours of labor to tear the bike apart, roughly $600, if Yamaha later declines to fix the bike under warranty. Sure, I said, because I am confident that it is a defect. "Um, er, I should really get a deposit for half of that..." You have my bike in the middle of your garage. Isn't that enough? "We've had people refuse to pay in the past... but I guess your bike is still worth $8-$9000." With that out of the way, they'll start tearing down next week. Might have it apart on Wednesday. I reminded him that there were people here who would want to look at it once it was open. That was OK; once it was open, everyone could take a look. The timing is personally bad for me. Both my parents were in the hospital and are presently facing end of life issues. I am leaving Thursday for Michigan, so I may not be able to look it over once it is open. Oh well. I took notes during the call because he caught me as I was going into happy hour with friends. I had an extra libation in his "honor," and another as a get-well for Roxie. So, there it is. Hopefully this isn't an inflammatory post. Just trying to relate this story as it goes along. Dave Notes: 1 – I believe it was a Super Tech 7317; that's what I have been using since hearing such bad things about the FRAM PH6017A 2 – I had told him earlier what oil I used, Rotella T full synthetic.
  24. Dave77459
    I was most scared for his fingerless gloves. But he still seems to have fingers.
  25. Dave77459
    Yes, it is smaller and the RSTD has a huge windscreen. Very comfortable to ride behind, but at the cost of fuel efficiency. Please do let us know about the gas can. Are you riding without a passenger? I ride with my bag on the passenger seat and I can use it as a back rest. That frees up the luggage rack for a small gas can. Empty most of the time, but it is comforting on those lonely stretches. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3511/4075991988_f7d3300b6f.jpg Dave
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