Squidley

Ok Folks, It seems like there are a few of you that want to have another one...so be it! I will start another thread setting the date (which is going to be the 3rd weekend in October) and we'll go from there. Thanks for spurring me on and let the planning begin Here's the planning thread http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=82038

Short answer, yes you can. All the fittings are the same on all the shocks. You'll just install the line from the '86 that has the CLASS onto the different rear shock. I am fairly certain that all the shocks on the 1st gens will interchange. Just make sure you measure center to center top eye to bottom to be sure.

Well Owl.... 2lb's of donut doesn't sound all that intimidating, but there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that I'm going to try and eat one. I have a hard time trying to eat a 1/2 lb burger these days. If your up to it, I'll be right with you, cheering you on, as you attempt to devour the tasty pastry...You KNOW how good I am at cheering you on

Yeah, thats it, come on over

It would be the 2nd or 3rd weekend in October John. If you can get over to my place Friday, it would work out a lot better. Checking the valves is a long job and if we could get the bike tore down on Friday it would make it a LOT easier. We'll do that for you, have fun my friend

Fellow Texans, and others in close proximity, Go to this poll and vote if you want to have another Fall MD at our place in Cleveland. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=81955

John, If your comfortable with bleeding the brakes yourself, I would bleed them. I would also make sure that the pads were installed properly. The pads that were installed may not be up to snuff, organics, for me, just dont have the bite like EBC HH sintered pads. It's hard to say without looking at it, but your bike is only 7 years old. For the most part, if the fluid has been changed regularly, the master cylinder shouldn't be an issue. I wish you were a bit closer as I'm confident a new set of EBC pads and a bleed would fix your issues. The back brakes on the RSV are overkill, I have locked many of them up without even trying.

The pleasure was ours Alan, we enjoyed having y'all in Texas and I really enjoyed wrenching with you on your bike and Scary Jeep. We'll work on getting to the bottom of the world to see you folks

I know that I speak for others here, but this is just from me. With everything that happened prior to your coming to Texas. It was very bittersweet having you and Alan here with us. I know Gunboat was with us on our journey in his honor, and I was very happy to have both of you here. I can imagine the emotions you have gone through while you have been here in our country. I have felt the same way when I came home from my Gulf war deployment. So many highs and lows, so many different people, so many personalities. Your trip is coming to a close for now, but the stories both here and down under will be told for many years to come. Lonna and I both want to thank you and Alan for sharing time with us in our home and everywhere else we traveled. Australia is on the bucket list, and if we can get the kids married, and back on their feet, we are definitely wanting to try to come to your part of the world. Have a safe trip back home and as always, the door is always open in Texas for y'all

Ok Texans (and those in close proximity) Last year in October I held a MD at our place here in Cleveland. We had a pretty good turnout for the inaugural fall MD. I had a couple of folks ask me when we did the Gunboat Memorial ride a few weeks ago if I was going to do it again. I'm all up for it, but I want to know if y'all want to have another one? Poll is up top, cast your vote and if we get a couple of folks that want to do this I will open up the homestead again for y'all (it's open all year round to everyone anyhow) The rough dates would be the 2nd or 3rd weekend in October. Let me know how you feel about it brethren!

John, Did the pressure drop when the bike was at running temp and while you were sitting at an idle/stopped? Every Venture I have known that has an oil gauge does this. I remember several years back one of the members talking to me about only having 5 lbs of pressure when at a stop light when the bike was warmed up. Freaks you out when it 1st happens, but this is normal on the majority of the Ventures. Another thing too is if your gauge is not a super high dollar quality unit, 5 lbs will barely make the needle move....

You may want to check out the XS forums, I know there are a couple that folks talk about here. The XS is a good bike, my 1st Yamaha was a '79 XS 1100 special. They are a pretty basic inline 4 cylinder, I'm quite sure you'll have to get into the carbs. As I understand it, parts are pretty scarce, so you'll have to keep that in mind and be resourceful at times....

Owen, Sounds like a bit of air is still trapped in the system. Another bleed is in order, and it is a bit tougher on the clutch as the resistance is a bit different than the brakes. Another thing you may want to try is bleed it up. Go to a feed store and buy a syringe that they give livestock shots with without the needle. Modify it to accept the correct size tubing that will fit over the bleeder on the bike. Fill the tube and empty the reservoir and push fluid up into the reservoir. This will pretty much assure that you will force any and all air out of the system....

Herb, I had the same issue with my '83, puke all over the place. I ended up gutting the thermostat and leaving the body in it for restriction. I still get up to operating temp, but it doesn't boil over anymore..... 1 more thing, is the fan coming on? I know that wire by the sensor tube on the right side can get fussy if it's not tightly connected to the sensor. I have had several of them needing to be reseated to get everything back running in sync.

I wanted to take a minute and post up a couple of pics that Annie sent to me. They have been traveling with the trailer that they purchased off of Gunboat. Along their journey they have been adding things to it. Don and I added some placqarts to the front of it with one being Texas and the 2nd being Australia. They had a harder time finding these types of stick ons and instead glued state magnets of all the states they traveled in on the front (pretty clever idea from Alan) Annie also decided that before I went to retrieve the trailer, she wanted to do something that I talked about doing to it at a later date while they were here with us in Texas. She had it airbrushed on the back, thought y'all might like to see it......I think it's fantastic! As she said to me in the PM she sent "blue for the ocean, and silver for the ships." I think Don would greatly approve. Thanks Ann

I have one on my '83, and also on my '86. Definitely a different spot to put it way back by the rear cylinders

Herb, Unless the locking tab is broken, or it's a different TCI, I really dont have a good answer for you. Are you wanting to relocate the TCI on top of the air box or are you going to leave it in it's stock position?

The mufflers have different turn downs on the MKII's due to the different bags on the back. I believe that the mufflers can still be used, but it would create a lot of exhaust gasses around the back of the bike which wouldn't be a good thing. The windshieds are all the same.

Older bikes did it, my '79 Electra Glide has the same tires front and rear. It has the directional arrow stating if it's on rear it goes this way, on the front the other way. Lots of darksiders do it as mentioned with no real adverse effects, but that a whole nother subject....

I have had several trailers that I have pulled for well over 40K miles with 8" tires. As long as your axle is strait and true, the small tires will perform great. As far as going to a C load range IMHO your wasting your money. I never ran any more than about 20 psi in the tires as it made them too bouncy and wears the center of the tread out prematurely.

Not in terrible shape it doesn't seem like. There are plenty of threads on fuse block upgrades, I have done every 1st gen that I have owned and many of the members. Go into the search bar up top and type in Fuse or Fuse Block and lots of threads will come up. Skydoc 17 has a kit he sells in the classifieds under the member vendors area. I have gone a bit different route than his, but his works just as good. If you have questions, ask them, we'll help you along. The search bar is your friend as well....welcome to the Venture world BTW, I see your in Austin, if you need a hand let me know. I have had many of these bikes naked and back together again.

Happy Birthday Buddy!!!

Along came lonely, lanky Jones....Ray Stevens

They pay more in Canada for all their stuff Bernie, GST and PST and all that kind of good stuff

You mentioned it didn't get good mileage, if you were riding 2 up and loaded 36mpg isn't that bad. Lots of conditions cause differed fuel mileage, wind, riding speed, quality of gasoline ect.... The pipes, unless they are totally on wrong, shouldn't cause popping on decel. When's the last time the carbs were synchronized? as far as back pressure, there is a lot of crap (read baffling) inside the stock pipes that drilling the holes more than likely didn't do anything to them. Folks ride with lots of different mufflers that are way more free flowing with zero issues. I would be looking at the nipples on the intake manifolds and the vacuum lines to the AIS systems to see if one is off or not sealing properly. If you want a set of stock pipes, I have a very good virgin set, PM me if your interested.