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LilBeaver

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Everything posted by LilBeaver

  1. LilBeaver
    Yea, I know - I just figured I would toss that out there for you just as an FYI. If you look carefully at the picture that shows the seat from a rear view - it looks as if the tab that holds the seat in place is actually broken.
  2. LilBeaver
    I am curious here - With the stock setup on the venture, what is the approximate range of the CB for a clear transmission (assuming optimal conditions, no powerlines or other sources of interference, etc.)?
  3. LilBeaver
    HAHA - So what is the minimum age for someone to own a wing?
  4. LilBeaver
    For what it is worth OEM from yamaha the seat runs around 330. I was talking with my local dealer about another part and saw this, so they looked it up for me.
  5. LilBeaver
    A place to look for some of these particular lights may be a shop that supplies trailer lighting (LEDs may be a good way to go for a combination of high visibility and low current draw). http://www.signaldynamics.com/products.htm have a reasonably priced selection. I put a 15" LED light bar on the back of my bike last week (seemingly identical to what Signal dynamics sells and what I have seen on many people's bikes). I have also seen trailer lighting at my local tractor supply, truck stops, and if you are lucky enough to find a place that sells parts for semi-trailers - that may also be a good way to go. Good luck, I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
  6. LilBeaver
    Yes they do. They also close it when they do any sort of maintenance or whatever. The grate is okay as long as it is DRY. It pulls the front of the bike around a little bit but I have found that if you just kindof let the bike go where it wants to it is fine. What I have done in the past is drive on the grate as little as possible. Since they 'close' the lanes by just putting pylons in the way, as long as there are not any bridge workers or vehicles in the 'closed' lane I would just pop over there anyways. I was never questioned (and I have done this many many times). I had always figured as long as I am not endangering any workers and whatnot then IF I got 'pulled over' by the Macanac bridge authority (or the Michigan state police) I felt that I could have easily justified it as dangerous for a bike to be driving on the possibly wet grate. The worst thing I have found is the wind that whips though the straits (and across the bridge). Also, if the weather gets bad enough they simply do not let people cross (beginning with high profile vehicles and motorcycles). I have also been 'escorted' across the bridge before. Do not let driving across the bridge detur you from taking a motorcycle trip up there -- it WILL be okay. Just take a deep breath, hold on (and maybe pack an extra pair of shorts ). Drive safe! - Rick M.
  7. LilBeaver
    Sounds like you have quite the get-up goin on! This is the 'rear accessory plug' that is fused with a 5A fuse (located in the front right cowling [by the rear brake]) As far as where else to tap into - I'll have to pull out the wiring diagrams and get back to you -- unless someone else jumps in here first. - Rick M.
  8. LilBeaver
    I will 2nd this. I've made that run several times in the last couple of years (I lived in Marquette for 4 years -- so it was a great day ride) Only got snowed on a few of those times. And those little places do some amazing things with the fresh whitefish! I sure miss that too. Glad you had a great trip and made it home safe!
  9. LilBeaver
    Ruffy: We messaged regarding these back on June 8th-ish (if I remember correctly) and I am not seeing my name on the list. If you could toss me on there that would be great. Thanks a lot! - Rick M.
  10. LilBeaver
    Since this is all DC there is a correct and an incorrect way to plug something in. If you get them switched you will attempt to pass current through whatever it is that you plug into it in the WRONG direction. To determine which is which, take a multimeter (Voltmeter) ground the negative lead of the multimeter (to the frame of the bike or the negative terminal on the battery) and probe each lead. with the key in the on (or possibly the ACC position) your power port should have power. If you probe one of the plugs and get 12 (or something nominally close to it) volts then that is your positive terminal. Probe the other and you should get 0 Volts (since the other SHOULD be ground - aka the negative terminal). If you get 0 volts on both of them check your fuses. If you get 12V on both of them, there is likely a short somewhere. If you do not have a voltmeter/multimeter, let me know and I can walk you through putting one together using some typical household items. Hope that helps
  11. LilBeaver
    Well shucks. I had read on here that some worked fine (ie the one from twistedthrottle.com) and some others didn't. Somehow I managed to miss that -- I thought I made it through all of the information pertaining to the horns on here but obviously I didn't. Oops. Well... they did gaurntee that it would work for me, and since it didn't I DID (luckily) get my money back for it... Oh well, my honker works now...
  12. LilBeaver
    Got mine yesterday and after a trip to the Home Depot I've got 'er wired up and installed. Just as a warning to anyone ordering from BikerHiway - Do not waste your money on the 'plug and play' kit. I am a little embarrassed to say that I went ahead and spent the extra 10 bucks for it because I have been really busy and will be really busy and figured that IF it installed in 5 minutes like they claimed then it would be worth it. (I cannot speak for the other places since some folks on here said that they had good luck with theirs) Well, I spent about 15 minutes going over everything to make sure that I had it setup the way that they told me to. I was a little skeptical of how it was wired, but I gave it a shot anyway. Turned the key on, connected the positive wire, and about had to change my shorts -- (the wiring was wrong, as I had predicted). So, off to Home Depot for the bracket and some wire and extra connectors (while I am there). Got home had it all wired up, mounted and wires neatly hidden, all in about 15 minutes. I wrote an e-mail to customer support, discussing their 'guarantee' that the harness would work. I actually got a telephone call from their support this afternoon and discussed the issue with the guy. We went back and forth a little bit about how he felt that I had plugged the setup into my bike wrong at which point I had about enough of it and explained what I did to make it work and how there was no way that I could have gotten it to work using only the harness that they sent (since it was missing a wire for the setup on the Venture). He then said that if I box everything back up and send it back to them that they would be happy to refund my money (for all except shipping of course). I suggested that I get refunded for my time and the extra materials I had to purchase to get this "plug and play" adapter to work for my bike. He did not like that too much and I basically ended it with him saying that what they had 'guaranteed' me to work (via customer service BEFORE I placed my order) did not work.... A little more back and forth and I got my money back for the plug and play harness... Anyways - back to the original point, I have read many people say how loud these horns are and I had no idea it was going to be THIS loud. Bottom line - anyone that is on the fence about upgrading to something better than the tweeter that is on there now, I would say DO IT NOW! I have a sound intensity meter in my lab somewhere, when I get there tomorrow (provided I can find the meter) I'll take some time to do some measurements and report on the results for this Stebel Compact Air Tooter. Bigfoot and everyone else that had the same answer of "___ it is Loud!" Thank you!! - Rick M.
  13. LilBeaver
    Geographically I am in north Texas but I know the native Texans [around here at least] get all bent out of shape when I say that... Regardless, I'd be game to give this a shot. I think the only fluid that I haven't flushed yet is the coolant, and I am looking to do that pretty soon... I'd be happy to buzz down there on a weekend or something to give this a try if you want.
  14. LilBeaver
    After reading a few more posts I wanted to clarify. My implication is that the whine was coming from the backseat passenger/driver - and I could hear her better because of the intercom. As far as the bike whine I get... Well, I keep up with my periodic/routine maintenance (complete fluid changes including oil, final drive oil, grease where needed, clutch/brake fluid, etc.) and I have just accepted the noises that the bike makes. I have a similar whine on my truck (02 F-250) that has been the same on almost every heavy duty pickup I have driven - so I just deal with it. Annoying yes - at times, but I am not going to trade my bike in for something else because of it. None the less I am definitely watching to see if/when someone comes up with a way to diminish it to satisfy my curiosity.
  15. LilBeaver
    You may be on to something. I've got a 3/4 helmet and when I upgraded my g/f's helmet to also include an intercom the whine that I was hearing got a lot worse. Mostly occurring at high speeds, steep high bank angles or long time periods without a pee break. Before I put the headset in her helmet I could barley hear it -- it was usually just a 'thump' on the back of my helmet. I suppose other's experience(s) probably differ. :-P
  16. LilBeaver
    Jack: You know, I do not remember which Maaco it was... I remember it was just off of the expressway, but I know that probably won't help much. And to make it worse, I cannot remember the guy's name either... Sorry, I know that isn't much help. I will see if I can find his number and figure out which one he is at. (He offered Steve a sales job a few months ago -- that is how I met him and saw his shop). At any rate, I am pretty sure that you would not be disappointed at either place.
  17. LilBeaver
    In my opinion it never hurts to have a good set of rain gear. As others have stated, if you are moving on the freeway, there is pretty good protection for the driver so long as it is not too windy or anything. But if you slow down, stop or get some enjoyable crosswinds you are going to get wet. After all, you ARE exposed to the elements. If you plan on riding 2-up, the passenger is guaranteed to get soaked, period. I have only been in Texas for 2 years now, before that I lived in the midwest, and the start and end of the season I found the rain gear to be handy - just in case it started to sprinkle, mostly because I did not want to be wet AND cold all at the same time. Again, like everyone else has said, get some and stow it in the saddlebag -- the bags are plenty big and it doesn't hurt to keep it with you.
  18. LilBeaver
    Yea I understand that. When you open up your can of latex paint and roll it onto the wall the paint itself is exposed to the atmosphere where the hardening (curing) process begins to take place (more rapidly than it does in a 'sealed' can). While exposed to the atmosphere the particles (in latex I believe it is water-based) that are responsible for keeping the paint fluid evaporate which causes the paint to 'harden' thereby leaving you with that 'water-resistant' finish. So while Ride-On goes from a bottle that is sealed (near 1atm of pressure or 101,325 Pa) and into a tire that will eventually have near 2.72 atm of pressure (~275,800 pa). When a puncture occurs, there is simply a pressure differential between the inside and out side of the tire causing the tire to deflate (no surprises there) until the Ride-On sealant is able to expand in such a fashion to seal the leak. Now, the sealant is not adhesive at all, since it will settle to the bottom of your tire if you let it sit long enough. Also, it does not harden when exposed simply exposed to the atmosphere (I actually just treated my tires last week adn intentionally put a dab on a paper towel that has been sitting on a shelf in my garage to see if it would harden or not). My garage has varied in temperature from around 60 degrees F to 105 F in since with relative humidity ranging from 9% to about 75% and the sealent is still close to the same consistency as it was when I put it there to begin with. ANYWAYS, based on the report of the fellow that drove from Amarillo to Houston with it holding out, it sounds like at a minimum it is a reliable temporary solution! Thanks for asking this question Bigfoot -- I was curious about the same thing... I got mine from the E-bay seller "yourthebestbuyer" I clicked on "make offer" and offered $24 (with 'free' shipping) for the two bottles they are selling. They accepted, and it came with the instructions, a small piece of tubing, and the valve stem remover needed for installation. When/if you go to do this, make sure you have a firm grip on the stem removal tool (or a bucket over your hand) so you do not lose the valve stem as it will shoot out of there
  19. LilBeaver
    After reading Squidly's post here http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20982&highlight=screw+weeks and watching some demos, I was pretty much sold. At least for one round of tires. When I get close to replacing mine (if I do not have any problems before then) I will do a similar test on both front and rears and see what happens. I bought a few bottles on ebay for about $12 a piece (including shipping). I figured that worst that happens is that I wasted $24 on a preventative measure. Also I had figured that there is a chance that if I run something over, it will buy me some time to get to the shoulder (if it did not work like it was advertised). My #1 concern with it is that people say it cleans out with water easily which leads me to question what happens if you have a hole in the tire that it sealed, then you ride in the rain. I called and talked to a customer service rep and they assured me that so long as it had 'cured' when it filled the hole that riding int he rain wouldn't be a problem - however, I am very skeptical. I do not understand how this can be water soluble on the inside of the tire and NOT go away when water hits it from the outside (again, IF it had filled a puncture). Again, I have some experimental work to do once my tires get close to replacement time. These are my Hopefully someone will weigh in that has had a real experience with it one way or the other Rick M.
  20. LilBeaver
    I usually wear a Camelbak that does not hit the tank. In fact, if it did I have other things to worry about. I have also affixed a cup holder to the crash bar that would be by the passengers feet (as to keep it away from the handlebars. I know that neither of these directly address you question but they are other options... I use these precisely for the issue you have - I could not figure something out that did not get in the way of the tank.
  21. LilBeaver
    A few tweaks to the suggestions above... One more thing -- Make sure that if you do this on your own you get yourself a REALLY GOOD respirator and try to ventilate your workspace as good as possible with out having moving air around your painting surface. I would suggest hanging thick plastic sheets around where you will actually be painting for two reasons. 1) Keep dust/junk/dirt out 2) to keep the paint in
  22. LilBeaver
    Every once and a while Harbor Freight does have a few paint guns that go on sale for real cheap, and some of them are real quality guns. I found them to be the cheapest supplier for the quality that they provided.
  23. LilBeaver
    I know you said that you did not want to pay someone to do it but you are in Akron Ohio and there is a Maaco in your area. Tell [the owner -- I am pretty sure that he is the only one that works up front still] him that Steve from the Maaco in Garden City Michigan suggested that you stop in and see him about your bike. Bring your bike in for the estimate, and let him know that you will do the full dissassembly, etc. He should shoot you a reasonable price. (I didn't tell you this but it wouldn't hurt to suggest a cash job) DO NOT go with the Enamel [which is the lowest line paint offered] I would suggest either the Polyurethane with an integrated clear or a Base Clear. I am pretty sure that he has two levels of the base clear one is called the 'signature' service and the other is actually a factory finish. (the latter is not advertised) The ONLY difference is the clear coat. The clear coat that is used with the more expensive stuff makes it a little easier to get the correct texture match when you spray a panel that is adjacent to a panel that didn't get painted (ie for color and texture match on a spot job). If you go base clear, you will be fine with the signature series (as there is no difference in durrability, gloss retention, etc) I am sure he would be happy to show your some of the finished cars he has in his shop so you can see the difference between the polyurethane with integrated clear and the base clear. I know that some people may have a bad flavor about Maaco body shops or whatever but in the last several years Maaco has really been fighting with the franchisees that hadn't changed a thing since the 70's. I have seen some of the work that this Akron shop turnes out, and he does do real nice, quality work. I used to be a painter (among many other things) a the Maaco in Garden City. I painted a number of Motorcycle parts (as well as helmets too actually) and they ALWAYS got a great deal on it. So you should take the 10-15 minutes it'll take to have a conversation with them and I am guessing that you will find that it will be much more affordable than you think. Good luck friend!
  24. LilBeaver
    Yup, me too!
  25. LilBeaver
    Like others have said already, I removed mine for the air filters. I did this [the first time] because I thought I needed to in order to get the filters off. It turns out that it was not 100% necessary, but for the 5 minutes it took me to R&I both cowlings it was worth it for a few reasons. First, I could easily get the air boxes back on, make sure everything was clean in and around where they mount (don't want anything getting sucked into that intake that isn't supposed to!) The other pluses for taking off the cowlings is getting the chance to give the insides a good cleaning. Some might argue that this is not necessary, but where I live it is really dusty and that stuff gets in EVERYTHING. So I took a few minutes to make sure to wipe everything down, check the few electrical harness (cleaned those too, after all dielectric grease is cheap), check and clean out the fuse box (on the side with the brake pedal) etcetera. Yes, it may have taken longer to do all that, but I figured I was in there anyway so it couldn't hurt anything. Anyway, that is my . Have fun, - Rick M.
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