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RossKean

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  1. RossKean
    Interesting post and responses. I also have significant hearing loss and some tinnitus but am not quite to the point of getting hearing aids. The title says "Non M/C" but I wonder how much hearing loss is the result of our favorite past time? My bike isn't particularly loud (Venture with stock pipes) but I definitely notice additional ringing in the ears after a long ride. Combination of engine noise, road noise, wind and tunes is likely far more volume than what is good for the ears. I generally wear a full-face helmet but I think I will invest in some decent earplugs for this season. Its probably better to protect what hearing I have than to require electronic hearing assistance. I hate the foam plug type of earplugs as I find they hurt after awhile. Can someone recommend something that can be worn comfortably with a full-face helmet for an extended period of time? Don't really care how much they cost (within reason). They'll be a lot cheaper than hearing aids! Thanks Ross
  2. RossKean
    -25 °C here today (-13 °F). Windy and lots of ice and salt on the roads. Don't think the scoot is going anywhere anytime soon. With luck, I'll be able to hit the road by the first week of APRIL!!! As long as there isn't any salt or ice on the road, I'm happy to ride at 40 °F - at least for an hour or so. While I have ridden at lower temps, its more of an ordeal than recreation. Ross
  3. RossKean
    I'm "only" 6'3" and I share your opinion about rider room on the Goldwing; I haven't tried the BMW. MAybe one would get used to the GW after a time, specially with hwy pegs and floorboards?? Haven't ridden a Harley (Ultra Classic) for much distance but I think there is a bit less rider room than the Venture. In any case, I don't think I would go back to a v-twin after the Venture. I haven't had any real problem stopping on the Venture but I have to say, I would like the security of ABS in an emergency situation. Ross
  4. RossKean
    You might consider a heat pump if you are going electric. Higher initial cost but much more efficient than electric resistance heating. It operates as an air conditioner in the summer. This, of course, assumes that you have some sort of forced air system. Would be a complicated install if you had to put distribution piping in place. I have had homes with oil, electric resistance, heat pump and natural gas heating. The heat pump operating cost was about the same as the natural gas. This will, of course, depend upon local utility rates. Ross
  5. RossKean

    Horns

    RossKean replied to GeorgeS's topic in General Tech Talk

    For the Stebel electromagnetic horns, should I consider the TM 80, the TM 80 Magnum or the HF 80 series? I wonder if anyone has any experience with these? The HF 80 is a disk type and the TM's look like a more traditional horn. Either of these has plenty of volume so I would probably mount inside the fairing. I would leave the stock horns on as well - more for appearance. Specs can be found on the Stebel website http://www.stebel.it/stebel/index2008.htm I can't believe how anemic the stock horns sound. At speed on the highway, I can hardly hear them over the bike, wind and stereo. I am pretty sure they aren't loud enough to get the attention of an inattentive cager. Ross
  6. RossKean
    A balmy -23 °C here today. Wind chills below -40 tonight - doesn't matter whether you do °C or °F for that one. Ross
  7. RossKean
    Maritimer We should definitely get together once the roads clear!! I would like to think I will get the bike out before the end of March but won't do anything more than around the block until the salt is gone. I don't know if "johnny-canuck" (John Aird) is one of the Midnight Venture riders you know but I have ridden with him a few times. He lives in Fredericton and is in the Fredericton Motorcycle Club also. One other Venture rider in our club as well - not a Midnight but we don't mind too much! Ross
  8. RossKean
    Makes sense. Thanks for the explaination. It is nice to have the option of linking to a high resolution picture but I really like to have the convenience of simply uploading a lower resolution image. The upload also ensures a reduction in the number of dead links as websites change or as people change their on-line picture albums. Ross
  9. RossKean
    My experience with other forums and my limited experience here tells me that the relatively small upload picture is good enough to illustrate something that does not need much detail. The linked picture (linked to a higher resolution picture on a website) allows for a much higher quality image. Something I don't understand is sometimes the high resolution image appears, but more often, you have to click on the top banner of a fairly high resolution "thumbnail" to get the best detail. Ross
  10. RossKean
    Rick Thanks - 2002 Midnight Venture I picked up near the end of last season. Only managed a few thousand miles in the fall. Hope to put 20,000+ on it next year - that's a lot of riding when the season (usually) runs from mid-April to sometime in November. Sylvester Picture resolution is (unfortunately) a function of the maximum upload size permitted by the forum. I think You can display a higher resolution image if you host the picture elsewhere (i.e. Photobucket or Flickr etc.) and use the "insert image" to link to the host. (I just inserted the picture using this method.) If you click the banner, the full image should open in another window. I remember finding the colored map site somewhere but don't remember where - CRS acting up again! A lot of people use it on this site so I'm sure someone will chime in with the info. If not, try asking at one of the other sections like the Watering Hole. Ross http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3183942386_0e611f1437_b.jpg
  11. RossKean
    At Point Escuminac, New Brunswick Edit: Looks like I need a bit more resolution
  12. RossKean
    I wonder if this is an optical effect of the windshield or whether the light is reflecting off something (i.e. helmet visor, tank chrome etc.) and back onto the shield? Do you wear a helmet with visor? Just a thought...
  13. RossKean
    http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq71/rosskean/Venture-1.jpg?t=1230258770 How about this one? I am thinking about putting the badges back on - they were off when I bought the bike. Not sure yet. Ross
  14. RossKean
    I like the Kury adjustable "longhorn" pegs http://www.kuryakyn.com/index.cfm/go/Home.ProductDetail/catID/18/scID/53/IMID/460 Work great on my Venture. Gives me quite a bit more legroom. 1" clamps.
  15. RossKean
    Any reasonable fix for the ignition switch? (I assume its a mechanical/contact issue) I have had a couple of instances when the clock and trip meters reset themselves. The bike is a new-to-me 2002 Midnight Venture. I am pretty sure battery connections and grounds are OK. Ross
  16. RossKean
    Not looking right now but thinking about it for the future. I'm not sure if I would use it very often since I have an MP3 player. Ross
  17. RossKean
    Does the Clarion CD changer play MP3 files recorded to a CD-R disk? Ross
  18. RossKean
    I too, like the boards. I'm 6'3" with long legs and a size 14 boot. I wish I had a little more legroom - knees are bent more than I like in normal riding position. Highway pegs help a lot! I may see about stuffing a little more padding in the seat to give me a little more room. No trouble flat-footing the Venture with a couple of inches to spare. I tried a Goldwing and came to the conclusion that the pegs (on that bike) would never work for me. Don't know how well the aftermarket boards would work on the GW because the rider position is totally different - closer to a sport bike than a cruiser. I like the heel shifter but with my pontoon-size feet, it is a little bit cramped. I would rather deal with the "less room" than deal with toe shift only. I realize that we are well off-topic here! Can't help you with the pegs for the Venture but I certainly understand that there are many different preferences out there. I'm not sure that pegs would work well on the Venture because of the foot-forward rider position. Ross
  19. RossKean
    Quite a discussion. Just one of those things I questioned some time ago and did a little research. Now, if putting the battery on a bench or in a more prominent place means it will get noticed and maintained, then keep it off the concrete floor! The key is to keep it fully charged without overcharging or charging at too high a rate. Ross
  20. RossKean
    [quote=Eck;274640 Caution note here: If you do remove your btattery to charge it, DO NOT set the battery on the cement floor ...place it on a piece of wood or something, but do not set it directly on the cement floor..it will drain it. I know that this is a commonly held belief but with modern batteries, there is no possibility of leakage to damp concrete to discharge a battery. In the old days, battery cases were a hard molded rubber with high carbon content that could allow some leakage but this is not the case with the high dielectric value for today's polymer cases. Keeping the battery charged is very important for the longevity of your battery. A battery tender is a good idea. I tend to just leave it in the bike and put it on a slow (500 ma) charge for a few hours every few weeks. No problems so far. Ross
  21. RossKean
    Right around 19,000 miles so far; maybe a couple thousand more before the snow flies and they get salt on the roads. Pretty good for a relatively short riding season. Ross
  22. RossKean
    Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend!!
  23. RossKean
    Brian I agree that damage from a curb bump might not be visible to the naked eye but could affect handling. That's why I decided to try to make some measurements. There is little doubt that the front wheel is pushed sideways compared to the back. They don't line up and the front is not parallel to the rear. It could be pushed in a little but I don't know how I might check that. In any case, I will see what the dealer has to say and if I am not 100% certain that he can fix it right, I'll undo the purchase deal and get my Roadie back. Ross
  24. RossKean
    Brian Touching the two edges of the rear tire, the straight edge should pass by the side of the front tire. The amount should be equal on the left or right side and the total spacing should be the same as the width difference between the front and back tires. On the left side of the bike, the straight edge passes ~3/4" to the left of the front tire. When done on the right, it is very close to touching both the front and tires. In fact, it may actually be "not quite" touching the front edge of the back tire before it is stopped by the front. i.e. a straight line from the two reference points on the rear tire would pass (slightly) through the edge of the front tire. However you look at it, the wheels are not in alignment and do not follow each other perfectly. As a result, the bike will track to one side unless there is a constant small amount of steering input. I also attempted to determine whether the front and rear wheels were parallel to each other. I removed the left bag and had my son hold the bike at the balance point such that the rear brake rotor was perpendicular to the garage floor when checked with a carpenter's square. When the square was moved to the front, it was evident that one or the other was off by at least a few degrees. I am guessing that either the frame is twisted from an accident in the bike's past or at least the forks are bent. In either case, I will leave it up to the dealer who sold me the bike to fix it properly or give me back my old bike. Ross
  25. RossKean
    RR I tried the "roll forward and stop" and did not hear clicking as you might expect if the steering head bearings were loose. I may snug them up a bit anyway - it should at least dampen the shimmy. I realize that they should not be too tight. This, however, does not get to the alignment and tracking issue. I have to think that all of these things are related. Thanks Ross
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