RSTDdog

Been wondering this same thing. For those who know they have X thousand miles on the commander II, how about a tread depth measurement. Can extrapolate and estimate the tire life from that. Its been a while, but the last time I checked they don't make the Commander II to fit the OE Goldwing front wheel either. Odd Michelin doesn't want to be in the Goldwing market.

What Pete describes above is the way most veteran mechanics adjust the pilot (mixture) screws if there is no EGA (exhaust gas analyzer) available (and sometimes even if there is). There is one pilot screw in each carb body. They adjust the air fuel fixture at idle for each cylinder and also affect off idle throttle response before the main jet comes into play. The pilot screws are different than the screws you adjust the carb sync with. With carb sync you are adjusting the throttle plates relative to the base carburetor. Without looking it up, I don't remember if the Pilot screws on these carbs meter air or fuel in the circuit, but I believe its fuel IIRC. The pilot screws are tapered metering screws. If you slowly start turning one pilot screw in (cw) you will reduce the fuel at idle to that cylinder, leaning it out and eventually leaning it out to the point you will get a lean missfire and also a drop in rpm as that cylinder does less work. Hearing and sensing big changes is obvious, subtle changes takes some experience. Turn it back out CCW you will start to add fuel in and rpm will increase to a point until you start getting too rich. Two methods for those that don't have an ear for it are EGA and Lean drop. All Yamaha multi cylinder bikes have threaded ports in the head pipes of the exhaust. 4 cylinder, 4 thread ports, one in each head pipe upstream of the collector. The dealer I worked at inthe ealry 90's used to have a 4 sensor EGA and you could adjust the pilot screw so the CO in each cylinder was exactly the same. For emmissions they were really lean fromthe factory, around 1.5-1.75% CO. Ideal was typically 2.5-3% IIRC, its been a long time ago. Carbureted bikes properly sync'd and tuned with an EGA ran like a watch. The second method, absent an EGA was lean Drop. lean drop used to be the method for carbureted cars as well. With an accurate and stable tachometer you would set the base idle speed and then adjust the pilot mixture screw on each carbureter to obtain maximum rpm at idle. then reset the idle speed screw to spec, typically 1000 and recheck the mixture screws if there is anything left to be gained. Then you would turn one mixture screw in (lean) to drop the rpm by 50. reset to spec and repeat for the other cylinders. The above is the general idea and its been a while so some of it may not be 100% correct. I don't recall specifics anymore on multi cylinder lean drop if there was an order you started with or not. Lean Drop was primarily for making it close to emissions compliant. You can simply tune for max smoothness and throttle response. A good tach helps you see the changes if you can't hear/sense them. Typically you set idle rpm, adjust sync, adjust mixture and idle rpm,recheck sync If your carbs aren't clean and your pilot circuits are plugged, none of the above will help. If turning the pilot screw makes no change in the running at idle, the pilot circuit is blocked. Odds are it will also be idling poorly or need the choke to idle. RSTDdog

There are pics of what the complete solo seat set up (fender rack, seat rail and filler panels) looks like on my midnight RTSD in an album on my profile page. I have since sold all these pieces but you can judge for youself what it look likes. I loved the look, but the reality for me having the wife ride with me meant lots of swapping back and forth. I found all the pieces searching craiglist on google. Alot of peoplesell their accessories instead of trading them in with the bike. Everyone I dealt with on CL was willing to ship. ebay would be another source, but hit or miss on deals and people with NOS parts on ebay still want full retail ( at least back when I was looking). I tend to avoid ebay at all costs if I can help it. RSTDdog

Interesting?? It doesn't have 4 solid plastic pins molded on the back to secure the loose ends of the tubes that connect to the bike when not in use?? Thats what mine has (Mine looks the same as the one in the link above) The vent is for the mercury reservoir snd you should have one of those. Mine has a short hose that fits in the hole in the back you initially fill it with mercury with. The other end of that short hose connects to a solid pin for closed or you swap it to fluted pin for open. Those two pins are located Below the 4 plastic pins on the back for the tubes on the engine. When I get a chance I'll post a pic.

You sir are the beneficiary of my insomnia. Just seeing this. Glad to see that things are turning the corner for your daughter. Have only personally met a handful since joining, but after 5 years it seems like you know everyone here. Derrek:080402gudl_prv:

Looks like you got it fixed. Mercury does evaporate, particularly if you forget to close the vent on the back of the manometer. Mine (motion pro also) are quite old (bought them in 1991) and closing the vent consists of moving a tube on the back between a fluted post (open) and a solid post (closed). Mine had bubbles and upon examination it was low on Mercury in the reservoir. I was without a bike for 10 years so it just hung in the garage, shop or wherever was convenient.

Fender should be the same. RSTD from 2005-2009 is basically a Royal Star Venture without the faring and trunk.

Don't buy/use cheap straps. As already mentioned compress the suspension. I prefer ANCRA straps myself. Yes more money, when you compare them to the blister packed straps being sold in sets of 4, 6, 8 you will see why. Helps to Have the ANCRA Nylon Soft Ties to wrap around the handlebars then attach hooks from the ratchet strap to those. Same for using soft ties on the frame in rear.

Keep in mind the 130/70 18 tire size on the Roadliner/Stratoliner wheel is the same size used on the Goldwing. All the available tires in that size have a lower load index rating than the stock size. Stock load index is 71H for the 150/90-16. The Avon Venom in 130/70-18 has the highest load rating I have found at 69H. I am running that currently with Avon rear but have also noticed some very light cracking starting on the sidewall and its a 2011 production date. All the Dunlops in 130/70-18 including reinforced models spec'd for the wing are rated 63H. Even 63H is something like 630 lbs, (too lazy to look it up), which is more than two thirds of the dry weight of the RSTD (787lbs) and still half of the total loaded weight at Capacity (max load capacity for an RSTD/RSV is something like 440lbs, so 1200lbs total going down the road should be max depending on how you load the bike). I ran mine for a while with the BS radial that was on it and liked it. Like it better than the Avon for overall feel. Michelin Commander II is what I wanted to run, but htey don't make the 18" tire size for the front. A combo I considered using was the Michelin Commander II rear tire with an Avon Cobra Radial front tire since they have similar tread pattern/design. Tire selection here is somewhat uncharted territory. Avon Venom was the closest I found in Load index and matching set front rear but cracking still seems to be an issue. You canget Dunlop E3 inthe appropriate sizes, but with a lower load index in the front. Since total loaded weight on a goldwing and Venture/RSV are likely to be similar, probably not an issue. as they say YMMV. RSTDdog

Congrats on the new bike.The new Goldwing will have Dunlops on it FWIW, but I believe they are radials. Given you have a new bike the following points are moot,particulalry that the Goldwing will out handle many bikes half its weight, and from a handling standpoint, the Venture doesn't come close, but keep them in mind if you think the Wing needs a wider rear tire. If you like pegscraping through intersections (or any corner) keep in mind that sufficent peg scraping can unload the rear suspension (lean your bike over stationary with the sidestand down for an example) and any tire can and will slip in that condition. Wider tires on a rim that is not of the correct width ( for the tire size) can result in less contact patch with the road, not more. The wider tire you are(were) using is also taller, so you are(were) probably getting more lean angle as result before scraping starts ,but not necessarily more traction or contact patch. Unless you are (were) wearing the entire tire/utilizing the entire tread profile,bead to bead (out to the edge), in the stock 150 size, more tread width doesn't help. Even in the mountains with aggressive riding and pegscraping some corners, I still have about 1/8 to a 1/4 inch of the stock 150 tire not getting scuffed by the pavement.

Looks nice and you got the S model polished wheel, same one I used. Now you just need the 4 piston caliper upgrade to go with those Floating rotors (I want to do that eventually ). One of the big improvements in the looks is losing the big rotor covers on the Stock wheel. For anyone interested in seeing the Stratoliner/Roadliner wheel compared to the OE wheel there are pics in an album on my profile page. FWIW, I ran the OE BS radial that came with my wheel for a while (2-3k miles) and when I needed a new rear tire I got Avon venoms front and rear to have the whole matched tire, bias front and rear deal. The Avon Venom bias in the 130/70 18 has a rounder (pointier?) profile than the Bridgestone radial. Bike feels tippier to me with the Avon than it did with the BS radial. Not bad but different and between the two I liked the feel of the radial on the front better overall. The other option I considered was running an Avon Cobra 130/70R-18 radial on the front and the new Michelin Commander II on the rear. They have very similar tread patterns. Might try this when the current set wears out (or cracks). Surprised Michelin doesn't offer the 18" front in the Commander II. Apparently they aren't interested in the Goldwing Market. RSTDdog

Hmmmm. I have the Tri-bar style passing lamps so this may not work unless I get the straight Halogen housing and then still have to modify. here I thought locating (hiding) the ballasts on an RSTD and running the wiring for them was going to be the tricky part.

I remember seeing a discussion about this but can't seem to find it. So who has put HID in their passing lamps and which kit did you use and where did you put the ballasts? Thanks! RSTDdog

I was just wondering. If its running fine and plug color looks good they probably aren't leaking. If you want to change them as a matter of staying ahead of the game, boats.net, Yamaha Sports Plaza and parkshark seem to have the best pricing on OEM Yamaha parts. Boats.net has free shipping that kicks in over 200.00 so you have to check the price with shipping between those. The rubber caps that cover the sync ports on the intake are a good maintenance item to check. The OE rubber caps tend to last longer than Auto Part store ones. If your taking off the valve covers to change the gaskets, thats a good time to check the valve clearance if it hasn't been done in the last 26,000 miles.

Never ride it without first checking that it has 41 PSI in it. cupping of your first tire is likely due to under inflation. 2500 miles in two years tells me you may get on the bike and ride after its sat for a while without checking the pressures first?? Ride that bike very far with 30 PSI and you'll ruin ANY brand of tire in short order. You should be doing it for Safety first, tire life is a benefit. If you cup another tire out in 2500 miles running the correct tire pressure all the time , you have another problem.

7 years on the OE made in Japan Yuasa battery. Was Still starting the bike and would charge up to 12.7 but figured I was on borrowed time. When Ipoulled you could see some swelling on the case. Didn't use a tender, but periodically every 6 months or so would disconnect battery and fully charge it over night. Recently Bought an Interstate (rebranded Yuasa) at northern on sale. Yuasa's you buy here are made in USA in PA. If I get 7 years out of this one I'll be happy.

Have you drained the oil and looked for metal? Empty the oil filter in a separate container and do the same?

Correct. Direct swap assumes you are buying a wheel with the bearings and seals and center spacer installed, intact and ready to go. Anything not included with the wheel you buy will have to be added. I bought a complete take off wheel assembly that also included the floating rotors. Remove the stock front wheel which involves several steps including removing brake calipers. Its covered in the tech section and for brevity I won't cover it here. Basically the front wheel is held on with a long axle bolt and there are two short spacers one on each side that the seals ride on.With the axle out and the wheel off, the spacers pull out by hand, sometime they just fall out. You reuse the axle bolt and two small spacers from your stock wheel when installing the stratoliner/roadliner wheel. Swap rotors over if you are buying a wheel that doesn't have them.The stock venture/rstd rotors will swap over if get a wheel with out rotors. With floating rotors, don't use the rotor covers. The wheel you linked on ebay in the other thread didn't include the center spacer (between the bearings). Bearing needs to be removed to install that part. Since you need ot remove the seal to remove the bearing at minimum order two new seals if the bearinhgs are still good.

I would have dealer investigate (i.e remove) the trailer wiring.Likely suspect. Bad or improper aftermarket wiring attempts can cause ground loops and other issues that can affect the electrical system. If someone cut into the factory harness, I would want that section of the harness replaced. Battery really shouldn't be "That dead" unless its been sitting a long time. Mine could sit two months without being too dead to start it. Other issues could be loose battery cables. A 2009 still should have at least 1 year of warranty left, maybe more depending when it was first sold. Botched wiring by others won't be warranty or the stuff it damaged , so make them fix that before you you even begin to deal. Fix first then buy. Don't buy on the promise they will fix it.

Who did you order from?

Yes I thought about that too. The Avon Venom in the 130/70 18 front is a Load range 67, one of the reasons I went with that combo. All the radials in 130 70 18 and the Dunlop E3 belted are rated 63. Its the same size front tire that the Goldwing uses and the Wing and Venture weigh about the same so I don't see it being that big of an issue unless for some reason the dynamic loads on the front wheel of the Venture/RSTD are higher than those of the Wing. I considered the 140/70-18 but don't remember why I didn't go with it.

No experience, but I wouldn't buy that Battery. They are advertising it with Yuasa's part number YTX20HLBS in the title and description but its not a Yuasa Battery, its a knock off. The misleading advertising puts up the red flag for me. In the Photo the battery number is 20HLBS. Same battery you will buy at Walmart, Costco, etc. If your going that route, at least buy it somewhere you can carry it back in if it fails. Only Yuasa Batteries will have the full YTX20HLBS or YTX20LBS part number on the battery and the charge rate will be printed on the top of the battery. This includes batteries they manufacture for others. I just bought an Interstate battery on sale at Northern that was manufactured by Yuasa. Made in USA, Interstate label, but White screened Yuasa part numbers and charge info just like the OE battery, identical casing construction, etc. (Other than my 7 year Old OE battery was made by Yuasa in Japan)

Although not directed at me, I did this and Yes it makes a difference in the handling. I used the radial for a while with a bias rear and then switched to matching Avons. In a 130 70 18, the radial has a flatter profile than the bias so to me it feels more planted with the radial. The bias makes it feel more tippy but still controllable. I won't be putting my OEM 16" wheel back on. Pics in Album in my profile compares the RSTD/Venture wheel to the Strat/Roadliner wheel. You live close enough, If you want to meet some time and try it let me know. No. Not with out also using the 2nd gen triple clamps and forks. See Dingys Hybrid Bike thread. He had to use First Gen forks and triple clamps to use a first gen front wheel on the 2nd Gen frame Hybrid bike he's building so I guess the reverse is true.

A little late to the party with this now that your selling the RSTD and not pursuing putting radials on it but FWIW I ran my Stratoliner wheel with the OE Bridgestone radial on the front that came on the wheel when I bought it and the original style Michelin Commander on the rear of my bike for a good 2500 miles until the Michelin was done. Handled great, no squirrelyness, no issues. 1100 miles of that was on Roads in NH and Maine. After the Michelin was done, replaced with Avon Venom (Bias) front and rear so I would have a matched set, not mixed brands , etc. Still good overall but actually prefer the way the bike felt with the radial on the front. Looks wise, the polished wheel Stratoliner/Roadliner S wheel on the Midnight RSTD is tough to beat. Floating Rotors that came on it are a plus and will make complete the future brake caliper upgrade.

Looks good. Faster too ! Yes Direct swap. Did mine two years ago now. I used a Stratoliner S wheel comes polished and goes well on the Midnight RSTD. Album with pics on my profile page comparing the Stratoliner wheel and the RSTD/Venture wheel. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/album.php?albumid=880 First guy to do it I'm aware of was remmertb. He put one on a Venture. The thread is in Accessories forum I think.