Jump to content

Bobby G

Expired Membership
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    620

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Bobby G

  1. Bobby G
    If they don't, I'll make the suggestion!
  2. Bobby G
    Let me know if anyone has anything they want to know about new Kawi bikes for 2012. I am heading to their dealer meeting in Orlando tomorrow and will get to preview all 2012 bikes, ATV's and PWC's while I'm there. They always hold something back as a surprise announcement, so I'm not sure what will be unveiled, but it should be fun!
  3. Bobby G

    SeaFoam

    Bobby G replied to Ozlander's topic in Watering Hole

    Goose, I don't disagree with your assessment, and I should have elaborated on how and when I use B-12 in my bike. I have only added it as a fuel system cleaning agent when I was running a full tank through, never just to leave it in as a fuel stabilizer. I believe it performs very well in that capacity. Thanks.
  4. Bobby G

    SeaFoam

    Bobby G replied to Ozlander's topic in Watering Hole

    I've used B-12 Chemtool, and it works just as well as Seafoam and only cost $2.89 last week at Wally World. But when I can find Seafoam on sale, like it was at Advance Auto Parts last month for $5.99 a can, I'll stock up on a few just to have around. I also ran 93 octane in my tank on my 320 mile return home from NC last week, and the bike ran great!
  5. Bobby G
    My left bracket broke a few weeks ago, so I took the right deflector off as well while I awaited shipping of the new brackets. In the meantime I just got back from a 700 mile trip to NC, and I can tell you first hand, when the temps dipped below 50 in the mountains the other day, it got downright chilly without them on! The upside is that my gas mileage actually went up about 3 or 4 MPG's. But now that the cooler temps are here, I reinstalled them today with the new brackets and rubber bumpers. I just couldn't believe how much difference it made not having them on.
  6. Bobby G
    Washed the bike on Wednesday, and the left side bracket fell right off. Rusted clean through. Just ordered the OEM replacements (Diamond R's a little too pricy right now), and will hit them with a rust proof coat of Krylon before installing. Should last long after I finally upgrade to a newer scoot someday. The rubber bumpers will get replaced as well.
  7. Bobby G
    About 17,000 since January, and counting. Did 3 sizable trips this year, with one more on the schedule. No seasonal riding here, unless we get a freak ice storm. Got the heated gear ready to don when it starts getting colder in November or so. Have been wearing a jacket this week for the first time since April, and it feels great! Been one hell of a hot summer.
  8. Bobby G
    Just a quick update on this. Have not had the carbs synched yet (thanks Randy - I'll be in touch!), but I did change out the oil and filter after returning from PA last week, and this last tank of gas was noticeably better MPG's - 43 to be exact. When I did the oil changeout, something slightly less than 3qts drained, and I filled with 3 1/4 qts, which tells me that I'd been running on less oil than I should have been for over 3,000 miles. Besides kicking myself for that, I'm thinking that low oil pressure may have caused the engine to work harder and lowered my fuel efficiency. Not an engine techie, so I ask this: is there a correlation between oil pressure, engine compression and gas mileage?
  9. Bobby G
    Thanks Randy. I've got some business travel coming up, but I'll get with you shortly. I appreciate the offer.
  10. Bobby G
    No, not at all. I understand that higher RPM's lower gas mileage. That would not be the reason in this case.
  11. Bobby G
    I posted this, and yes, this is what I was told by a senior member of Yamaha's U.S. management team several months ago. A late 2012 intro of a revamped 2013 model RSV. Allegedly a complete overhaul, including the engine (Vmax?). I guess we'll see.
  12. Bobby G
    Just got back last night after a 6 day, 2000 mile trip from ATL to PA and back, with lots of stops in between, and while the '99 RSV ran great with no mechanical issues, my MPG's were awful. The best I got was 32 on straight stretches of highway riding at an average speed of 72mph. The best overall mileage I got on combined highway/local roads was 35. Either my carbs are way out of whack, or the 10% ethanol is really killing my performance. All other maintenance areas were addressed before the trip, including all fluids and filters. And since the fuel injected Ultras I was riding with all got 42+mpg's on ethanol gas, I'm guessing I need a carb tune to determine if this is the problem. Any north GA area members that have a carb tune kit, I'd love to hook up with you!
  13. Bobby G
    Final packing and bike prep for our journey from GA to DC and PA for the 9/11 memorial events. So far we have 8 bikes and 11 riders. 1st stop - Harrisonburg VA for the night on Thursday, then on to Bucks County PA (Gardens of Reflection) by way of DC. Several rides and events are planned there over the weekend with the Warriors Watch Riders, along with the massive "bike night" in Lansdale PA on Saturday, which is expecting 15,000 bikes. Heading back to GA on Monday with a stop somewhere in southern VA, then home by Tuesday afternoon. Other side trips while there to include a swing up to the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst NJ, a visit to New Hope PA to see the parents of Sgt. Jennifer Hartman (killed in Iraq 11/06), and a ride with a 9/11 survivor group of bikers from north Jersey (which includes my brother, who escaped the attack on the South Tower). This will be a tremendous trip to honor and remember the heroes and victims of 9/11. While we would like to get to the ceremonies in NYC and/or Shankesville PA, there just isn't time to do it all. Working the beads tonight praying for good weather. Not looking great right now, but hopefully it will all clear out by the time we get up there. Bon voyage......
  14. Bobby G
    Replacing my ME880 rear tire tomorrow with another one - - after a little over 13,000 miles. The front has the same mileage, but still has really good tread on it, so I'll do that one in a few months. Leaving on a 2,000 mile trip on Thursday, thus the tire change. Otherwise, I would be OK with going another 2K locally on the rear. I'm a Dunlop fan as well, and I think they are also a good option for the RSV. I'm just not a big fan of Avon's for this bike. Also just changed both tires on my wife's Softail for the trip. We run D404 whitewalls, and got about 12,000 on the most recent set.
  15. Bobby G
    Getting everything ready for our trip with the Warriors Watch Riders to PA for the 9/11 memorial ride and services at the Gardens of Reflection in Bucks County. 5 bikes making the trip from GA with a support vehicle and trailer in tow. Leaving the 8th and returning the 13th, with stops in the Harrisonburg VA area both up and back. Not attempting to get into DC, NYC or Shankesville this trip, as they will be crazy crowded. We'll make that pilgrimage some other time. The spouse of the pilot of Flight 93 will be attending this service with us, as she did two years ago when the Gardens were dedicated. Hopefully the weather cooperates this year (it was a monsoon in '09!), but either way, it's going to be a great ride with some great folks. Wherever you go and whatever you are doing on 9/11 this year, please ride safe, and thank you for honoring the heroes and victims of this tragic day. God bless America.....
  16. Bobby G
    The economy is SO bad that I received a pre-declined credit card application in the mail; CEO's are now playing miniature golf; Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen; Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America; Motel Six won't leave the light on anymore; a picture is now worth only 200 words; they renamed Wall Street "Wal-Mart Street", and lastly, when I called the Suicide Hotline, I got a call center in Pakistan. When I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck. Now THAT'S bad!
  17. Bobby G
    My ignition was going bad, so we removed the cover and the tank, and thought it would be a simple matter of removing two bolts, taking the old one out and popping the new one in. Only the bolts were smooth round head bolts with no way to get at them. Not sure why they were not hex head or some other kind of normal bolt, but we had to drill the heads off to get them out. The rest of the replacement was a snap. Anyone know why these bolts would be smooth round heads? I was thinking for anti-theft reasons, but that makes no sense either. And how would a dealer get them out unless they did the same thing I did? Very puzzling. Only downside to a new ignition is now I have to use an ignition key, and my original key for the bag locks and helmet locks, which is no big deal, but still a bit of a pain. The upside is that my RSV won't be crapping out on me anymore!
  18. Bobby G
    Dumb question: would it be prudent to add a 10 watt fuse to this line, or is the direct connect to the batt not an issue if we're only using the add-on port for charging a phone or plugging in a GPS?
  19. Bobby G
    I do use the kill switch on a regular basis out of force of habit. But along those lines, I did isolate the problem last night, and as previously suspected, it turns out to be a bad ignition. With the engine running, I wiggled the key and the engine died. I did this several times with the same result. I took the entire assembly apart, cleaned the contacts, re-assembled and it still does the same thing. So unfortunately, it has to be replaced - - and it ain't cheap. But my peace of mind and safety is paramount. Wallet lighter, but problem solved.
  20. Bobby G
    As an owner of both, I can honestly say that we have had very few problems with the HD Softail. We did proactively change out the cams and lifters at 48,000 miles, given the reported issues with the cam chain rollers wearing out and breaking apart at the 50k mark, causing massive internal engine damage. Glad we did, as the rollers were pretty chewed up. I looked at it as an investment in keeping this beauty going for another 100K miles at least. Cost about $1,100 for everything, and now we basically have the same engine as an '07 (hydraulic everything) in the '03 anniversary edition. And the low end torque is now phenomenal! However......having said all of that, I am more than reluctant to switch from the RSV to the Ultra anytime soon. F.I. would be great to have, but a water cooled V-4 is a much more viable option for me here in the hot south then the air cooled alternative on such a large bike. The RSV gets the longer rides more than the softail, which is basically a bar-hopper, so having a cooler running engine makes more sense to me. If I were to invest in a new touring scoot, I'd give the Kawi Voyager a serious look before I would an Ultra. Water cooled, fuel injected, cruise, and all of the other creature comforts that are important to me.
  21. Bobby G
    Goose, I'm starting to lean that way myself. While I do think I need to have the carbs tuned, I now also think that the issue is ignition related and not fuel delivery ala the fuel pump. I'm waiting for a call from the svs mgr at the dealership on what his tech support guys at Yami think, but that's the direction I'm going to pursue first to get this identified and fixed.
  22. Bobby G
    Is it dieing like just hitting the kill switch or is it sputtering a bit before it dies? Just dies like you hit the kill switch. No sputtering at all. Are you having to use the choke at all to start it? No choking required to restart. If not, what happens if you do engage the choke and start it? Didn't try that, but not sure what that will tell me.
  23. Bobby G
    Just took it out for a spin in the hopes I could get it to repeat the problem to try this, but no luck. When you want the dang thing to not work, it works! But I did the next best test of this. I pulled in the driveway, left it running and turned the petcock to OFF, and it ran for a good 12 to 15 minutes at idle before sputtering. I'm guessing that there is plenty of gas in the bowls.
  24. Bobby G
    We checked the tank and fuel lines first, along with the fuel filter (which is relatively new). No pinched lines or clogs. The fuel pump clicks when the bike is first turned on, so it seems to be working fine. The quizzer to me is why this only seems to happen on initial start up, but not when the bike is warmed up. Thanks for the ideas.
  25. Bobby G
    I have also noticed a significant drop in my mpg's of late, and it has to be ethanol related. I used to consistently get 42 - 45 mpg, and now am down to 37 - 40 mpg. I have always used mid-grade gas - 80% of the time it is Shell gas due to the discounts tied to Kroger - but I am now moving to 87 octane and no ethanol whenever possible. We have a ton of QT stations here that have no-ethanol options, so that's where I'm moving my business to.
×
×
  • Create New...