bongobobny

Yup, you need to determine if the "vibration" is engine related or not! It could be something like the steering head nut needs to be properly torqued or something like that if it is non-engine related...

I doubt a Slingshot one would fit a Spyder, Carl! Why don't you ask him if he makes shields for yours??

OMG, I totally forgot about Beanie and Cecil!!!

I would go with a lightweight oil such as sewing machine oil over 30 weight as that may cause sticking issues due to the "thickness"

Yup! the best way to have potato is baked, naked! My wife learned a little trick though, she uses Salsa on hers to enhance the flavor! Salsa is very low calorie and diabetic safe!!! I wasn't saying to not have potato, just cut back a tad and instead have other veggies that are good for you and taste good too...

If you were to strip them down and sell them for parts you could possibly net $1000 or better per bike, but it takes a looong time to sell everything...

Mac and cheese is a double whammy there Yammer, macaroni is high in starches and carbs, and cheese is also high in calories! Cut down on potatoes and eat more green veggies! Also, limit the amount of bread you eat as well! Try to avoid excessive red meats and instead eat a lot of fish and foul...

Yup!! I've had the stock windscreen, a Clearview, and the F4 on my 2009 RSV and the F4 was by far the best!! As mentioned above, the stock shield scratched easily. The first replacement was a Clearview which was better than stock but it never quite fit right, and it too eventually developed a couple of scratches. I've had the F4 on for several years now and it still looks brand new! I did, however, manage to put a small scratch on mine with my diamond ring once, but that is my fault, not the fault of F4! I highly recommend the F4 to anyone, and would buy their product again and again!!!

Yes, unfortunately, to do a proper rebuild of your carbs it can easily cost $400 to $800 in parts alone! Of course, we are talking a complete rebuild of all 4 carbs with new parts! There is also a large amount of time involved as well!

Yes, it is unfortunately very common for the fuse for the driving lights to be inside the fairing, and one of the most common reasons for that fuse popping is due to chaffing of the power line where it goes into the light bar! Splitting the fairing is a relatively easy job once you learn how to do it, it should take 10 minutes give or take. One thing you may want to do is to fabricate an extension for your light bar so it sticks out farther and you won't have to unbolt it every time you split your fairing...

Well, there has always been friendly rivalry here between the 1st Gen owners and the 2nd Gen owners, but always in good fun!!! We also may brand bash a little, but that is all in good fun too!! Eventually, you will discover what most of us have discovered, this is more than a website, it is FAMILY!! Welcome to the clan and we hope you get a chance to meet some of us in person!

The frame issues at the rear shock mount were for the '83 only, and seeing as you have an '84 it was reinforced by the factory! Great job!! Looks better than new! Yes, I agree with Blue Sky about swapping the lowers so you can use 100mm mounting distance calipers like the R1/R6, along with SS lines it makes a world of difference! And, along with you, I like the linked brakes but there are pros and con's to them... Welcome aboard!! Yes, I'm sure you will fit right in with this Motley Crew!

...and, there is the remote possibility that coincidentally the washing machine's time was up!

That might be a little light there unless you like really mushy suspension. I would try around 30 - 35 for solo but to each their own...

Haven't found a bike yet that didn't need some degree of MacGyvering to make perfect...

Helicoil! Are you a whiz at jigsaw puzzles too?? Yup, sometimes they come right out and other times you can spend a long time...

Yup! I used the brake light relay to trigger the AD solenoids relay that I installed... PS, once the solenoids energize, the draw is a lot less than 5 amps! On the later MK2 wiring harness they added a choke coil onto the brake light circuit as some people complained of clicking noises when the brakes were applied.

Like MANY others, I switched to the MK2 forks and ditched the anemic MK1 calipers and the power robbing hydraulic anti-dives. Myself I kind of like the anti-dive but it is all a matter of personal preference IMHO. There WAS a reason why the brakes were changed with the MK2 version, the MK1 brakes were TERRIBLE!!!

Would love to, but this year we are heading to Florida...

Those "plastic" (I think they are actually bakelite) shields were designed as heat shields to help cut down on roast nuts. Yes, they also tend to keep the rain off of the plugs. Myself, I kept them, we're not talking any huge amount of weight...

For my 1st gen, I use DOT4 Synthetic! The synthetic has a higher boiling point...

That should be the front heat shield that goes over the top of the spark plugs! There are 2 of those plastic shields, one for the front two plugs, and one for the rear two plugs! They are primarily to keep engine heat from radiating upwards from the exhaust pipes...

OK, let's start with the miss. Are your plugs new?? These V4s "eat" plugs, it is not uncommon to replace them every 10,000 miles. Next thing, are your plug wires new?? Chances are they are the original 30-year-old wires! There is also an issue whereas corrosion develops in the coil secondary output cap and kills the spark. When you unscrew the wires from the coils to inspect, be sure to trim about 1/4" from the end of the plug wire to ensure a good new contact into the coil wire center!! The next issue to consider is the TCI or Transistor Controlled Ignition box, or also referred to as the ignitor box. They are not located in an ideal position and can develop water inside of the plastic box. It is mounted under the coil pack on the bottom of the bracket. Many of us have relocated the TCI on top of the airbox where it is protected a little better from moisture, and in case of failure is a whole heck of a lot easier to get to! So, what can you do? Well, besides buying new plugs and wire sets (the caps can get screwed up internally too) you should invest in a spark gap tester available at most auto supply stores at a cost of around $15. You should be able to pull a spark at a gap of at least 0.100" on each cylinder! If not, then the issue could be either a bad coil or a defective TCI. By merely switching the primaries to two of the coils, you can determine if the issue is the coil or not. If the same cylinder is bad, it is the coil. If the weak/missing spark changes to a different cylinder, the TCI is to blame. So, if electrically everything is OK, then the issue is carburetors! They are a very complex carb with several "circuits" to them! Do a little search here and you may find a good description of how they work! There are passageways that can get clogged up, diaphragms that can develop pinholes, and sliders that can get gummed up! As mentioned, they do NOT like to run without the proper intake restrictions so running without the airbox or filter will indeed make them run like crap!! But, as mentioned, with the airbox off, it is a good thing to watch the sliders do their "dance" when revving them up! If one of the sliders is sluggish, it can be either a torn diaphragm, a sticky slider, or possibly a plugged jet, but the "dance" is mostly from air being sucked through the carb so a clogged jet is probably not the case. Try the aforementioned "shotgun" approach as it can fix a clogged passageway. Also, use one can of "Seafoam" to a full tank of gas and drive it like ya stole it!! Seafoam is our friend and can indeed fix a multitude of sins!! After that, 1/2 can to a tankful every 4 or 5 tankfuls is good preventative maintenance! A vacuum leak can also foul things up! One of the most common places to go bad is those rubber "caps" over the ports that you hook up your carburetor syncing tool! They can crack and cause a leak which can mess up just one cylinder! Speaking of which, it is a good idea to sync your carbs on a yearly basis, but unless one of them is really way out in left field, it should not cause one cylinder to not fire. Now, as far as brakes go, as mentioned you need to be aware that one side of the front and the rear brakes are linked! You can have an issue with the rear master cylinder or the proportioning valve which splits the brake fluid going to the rear and front calipers (there is a spring valve inside it which delays the brake fluid going to the front just slightly so the rear engages a few milliseconds before the front), or there can be air someplace in the lines, and bleeding the system can be challenging! For the front brakes, there is also a bleeder near the steering neck because the line routing puts it higher than both the rear master and the front calipers! If you don't have one, there is a downloadable factory service manual for free, found in the read-only technical section. Welcome aboard, we are glad to have you and look forward to helping you as needed getting your bike into A1 shape!! You will find it to be one of the best touring bikes ever made!!! In its day it was light years ahead of the others!

Ya know, being a roll of toilet paper is a $hitty job...

Along with the R1/R6 calipers and SS lines, changing over to a 14mm master cylinder is also important!!!