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LilBeaver

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Everything posted by LilBeaver

  1. LilBeaver
    Me too!!
  2. LilBeaver
    Oh no - I think SOMEONE needs to get out for another ride or a few!
  3. LilBeaver
    Nice. I think that is one of the color combos that I have not seen in person. Looks like you've got all sorts of goodies on there!
  4. LilBeaver
    Mine are wired up with a switch and if the switch is on they will only be on with the high beam and off with the low beam. If the switch is off they do not ever turn on. They are wired up with a relay that is triggered by the high beam circuit so the power draw comes straight from the battery. Yes, I do like to have lots of light but I certainly do not want some oncoming vehicle to be blinded by my lights at night. I usually run with my high beam on as well as the lamps during the day, especially if it is gray-ish out. Do what you are comfortable with - it isn't hard to install a switch if you decide later you want to have them switched instead.
  5. LilBeaver
    Perth, eh? One of our department's professors is from there. Although he has been in the U.S. for over 10 years he still talks funny
  6. LilBeaver
    Very nice!
  7. LilBeaver
    +1 to this. I use my bike mounted signals AND hand signals (most of the time). I also wear a silver/reflective jacket and the back of my bike has some extra lights on it that can be seen on a sunny day. I can only assume that every little bit helps...
  8. LilBeaver
    I did have a detailed description of the vehicle, vague description of the driver and a partial plate. However, no cell signal in podunk Texas not to mention the fact that the description of the pick-up and drive would match about 1/2 of the ranchers/farmers in west Texas so it wouldn't do much good anyways. On top of that all that really could be cited would be failure to yield right of way and possibly improper lane usage. I would have gladly signed a sworn statement to have the citation issued but I also knew for sure that I couldn't positively identify the driver as my look was not THAT good. One of the reasons I like the 'middle of nowhere' roads is that I usually don't see too many people which I suppose may make it that much more dangerous (to some extent). We are okay and that is really what mattered to me at the time. I'm just glad I am in such a good habit of watching my mirrors so closely and doing those regular shoulder checks REGARDLESS of where I am. I also have to say that I am glad I was leading that stretch because after we had chatted a bit after it happened she had admitted that she had no idea what was going on other than she saw my bike get a bit squirrelly as I started my sharp weave to dodge this goofball. It was a good lesson for both her and me; something I know for sure she won't forget which is handy since NEXT time evasive action may be required to avoid being a hood ornament.
  9. LilBeaver
    Be careful and watch those mirrors for sure. My friend and I almost got smoked by some dude in his monster truck last weekend (maybe 2 weekends ago). We were literally in the middle of nowhere (somewhere between Lubbock and Spur, Texas) going to make a left onto another FM road. I signaled a few hundred feet before the turn, so did she; I watched in my mirrors as he approached from behind. I continued to slow and as I was getting ready to turn I had noticed that it didn't look like he was slowing down. It got to that decision time where I needed to decide to just make the hard left turn or make a run for the shoulder/ditch and hope my friend was paying enough attention to follow suit. Just as I had decided to make the run for the ditch I did a final check and saw him switch lanes and pass us on the left. We then completed the turn and I pulled off to make sure that she was okay and aware of what just happened. I figured it would be a good learning experience if he surprised her as much as I thought he did. It turns out that she saw him coming and didn't know what to do so she just sort of froze up. Just goes to show it never huts to constantly play those 'what if' games to prepare yourself for that last minute and split second decision; not to mention WATCH THOSE MIRRORS and ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS! Ya'll ride safe, ya hear?
  10. LilBeaver
    If your 'high winds' are the same thing I consider to be high winds (30+ mph) I wouldn't count on it. Especially if it is gusty.
  11. LilBeaver
    I would suggest putting your original levers back on and re-testing. That is really the only way to conclusively decide whether it is the levers or not. I don't know about other members here but my cruise will disengage with a feather touch on the front brake, and a little more (but not much) on the clutch. I am quite positive that my cruise disengages before the brake light comes on - BUT I have not looked at the wiring diagram to see if the two switches are linked (which it would only be logical for them to be). A thought is that the shape is different enough that when the levers are in the 'fully out' position, they simply are not quite out far enough to allow the cruise to be activated...
  12. LilBeaver
    About how long does the battery last? Did yours come with a memory card, this particular site does not specify (so I can only assume that it does not)?
  13. LilBeaver
    Make sure that any maintenance you do before your trip is followed by a DECENT test ride (I'll usually do a couple hundred miles through wide ranges of speeds - some highway, some backroads, some stop and go, etc) then go over the bike with a fine tooth comb looking for leaks, funny noises, loose nuts/bolts, etc. Obviously on your test ride you should be paying attention to that kind of stuff too. +1 to the tools, flashlight, extra bulb(s), extra fuses, spare wire, first-aid kit that includes your favorite pain killers and muscle relaxers, multi-meter, spare spark plugs, tire patch kit, portable air compressor with the appropriate wiring to be attached directly to your battery, spare fuel container (sized appropriately for the places you'll be riding), good clothing for ALL weather, VR Assistance list, spare key or a few stored in a safe place that stays with YOU at ALL times (or on the bike so that you can get it if you happen to loose your main one). If you don't have a driver's backrest and a set of highway pegs on your bike I would highly recommend both of those to be additions to your bike before your trip. I don't know how much or how frequently you usually ride, but if you are the kind to get out for a short run every other weekend and you plan on having a couple hundred mile days back to back, it would be my suggestion to make a point of working your way up to those longer days starting as soon as possible. Get your self used to what you will be dealing with and make sure that you can do it SAFELY. It wouldn't be a bad idea to load your bike how you would have it loaded for your trip (or some reasonable approximation therein) to allow yourself plenty of opportunity to figure out what you are actually comfortable with, what is needed and what isn't. I know that on my first couple of long distance multiple day trips I packed WAAYY more than I needed. Something else I like to in verifying that my tool kit is as complete as necessary is to go through the normal maintenance and troubleshooting operations and making special note of the tools that you use for them then KEEP THOSE IN YOUR BIKE and it wouldn't hurt to make sure that you are comfortable with the tools in your tool kit to be doing any of this on the side of the road, potentially in the dark. On my last trip I ended up needing to replace a windshield and troubleshoot an intermittent electrical problem (total loss of electrical power) on separate occasions. I was fortunate enough to be able to take care of R&I the windshield in a fellow member's driveway. I did, however, have my tank, trunk, seats, front fairing and lower cowlings off in troubleshooting my electrical issue and I wouldn't have been able to get that fixed as quickly as I did if I didn't have all of my nice tools there with me. For a long time I had one of those 'compact emergency toolkits' that I carried in my vehicles with me on long trips. One day I decided (in the garage) to try to use one to do some very basic tasks and realized IMMEDIATELY that they were absolute junk. Yes it cost some money to do but I went ahead and assembled a tool kit that includes higher quality tools that I actually LIKE working with and that I can rely on for either the emergency repair on the side of the road or the routine maintenance in the garage. My tools have paid for themselves time and time again for these nasty bugs that turn out to be minor things but if I didn't have the tools with me, I cannot even begin to imagine the kind of money I would be out of after having to pay for a tow and for some shop somewhere to troubleshoot my problem for me. Staying hydrated and eating healthy is important before and during your trip. Sorry this is a tad 'mixed-up' I wrote it on the fly and now I need to get back to real work for a bit... I may revisit this later to clean it up... ENJOY YOUR TRIP!!!!
  14. LilBeaver
    I agree with the others that with dirty or plugged injectors you would likely be running rough under heavy load (hard accel). Dumb question here, does over 2500 rpm roar happen while you are parked and revving, only while moving or both?
  15. LilBeaver
    It appears to be the same part number from 99 to 2011 (4XY-85752-00-00) So you should be in good shape with any of the years. I rode for a long time without one too. The book said it should be there so eventually I ran across one at Pinwall for 20 and figured 'what the hay'. I am glad I did as the unit that replaced the one I had drops the fuel bars more evenly throughout a tank not to mention it is handy that the light comes on right at 4.5 left (when I could be flipping to reserve anywhere within 20 miles of that light coming on depending on how many left turns I made). So there you go. Others will have a different opinion about actually USING the petcock (either using 'on' and 'reserve' as Sylvester described); I pretty much do as described above but to each his own. On a normal day of riding, I have a rough idea of where my fuel stops ought to be. If I am traveling in a well populated area (fuel stops every 25 miles or so) I'll wait until 150 miles or so before starting the fuel search (last 2 or 3 bars). If the area is pretty sparse I will push it back to more like 100-125 if my consumption is 'typical' (I can get a pretty close approximation of my fuel economy when my first and second bars drop). Also, having a rough idea of the density of the fuel filling stations along whatever route I am on helps too. Anyhoot, replacing that puppy ought to fix you up just fine!
  16. LilBeaver
    Do you have a F trip meter that counts up when you have to switch to reserve? If not, you fuel sending unit is probably shot. It is easy to confirm the diagnostic on that; first symptoms, as you describe, indicate the 'low fuel' light is out or the sender is not working properly. Pull of the ignition cover (black thing around the fuel cap) and the electrical connection there is where the sender plugs into the bike. The shop manual has instructions as to how to test this or you can check the electrical wiring diagrams for what wires should have continuity. The fuel sending unit has two separate componets on it; one contains the fuel float which drives the fuel gauge (the bars that go between E and F depending on how much fuel you have in the tank) and the low fuel light/F trip meter that triggers when you have less than 1.5 gallons left. YES, your fuel gauge MAY function normally if the low fuel light/F trip meter part of the sender has failed. This is a pretty simple diagnostic and a pretty simple fix. It does require that you remove and drain the tank. Then some finagling to get the old sender out and a new one in, but it IS doable. I think mine took 30 minutes start to finish; maybe a little longer because I looked inside my tank to see what kind of condition it was in. I picked my replacement up from Pinwall on e-bay for $20 including shipping (I think I lucked out on that one). New was around $60 or $80 if memory serves me correctly.
  17. LilBeaver
    Thinking about it, where you keep your hand(s) on the grips really makes a big difference too. I'll have to go try and see where mine end up...
  18. LilBeaver
    I've never really had a problem with it and I don't think my hands are all that big. For what it is worth I am only 5'7; 'medium' gloves are a tad tight on me but 'Larges' are a tad loose (to give an idea of hand size). I don't know if there are after-market levers available, I do believe I have seen that discussion on here once or twice in the last couple of years. Perhaps someone replaced you levers with non-OEM or they machined their own. I too think it is silly that there isn't an adjustment though. Most other bikes I have ridden have had some sort of adjustment, even ones with the hydraulics. Hopefully someone else can jump in that has done a mod and help you!
  19. LilBeaver
    To and from work I have to switch to reserve almost always right at 160 miles. If I am out cruising and there is negligible wind I'll get anywhere between 170-190 before I have to switch to reserve. EDIT: My furthest was 215 and could have gone a little further (BUT I WAS Sweating!)
  20. LilBeaver
    Thanks. I may look into this in a couple of weeks when I end up with some more time on my hands. I'll post pictures and procedures if I end up getting something figured out that is reliable. Sounds like you might have a good shop by you. I'll admit that I am not sure which to me more skeptical of; the service people or the service manual... Anyways...
  21. LilBeaver
    What kind of winds are you talking about? Around here we routinely have 20-40 mph winds. My cruise only gets used when I am somewhere that is NOT here. Although if I set it around 65 or 70 in 4th it seems to hold just fine but it doesn't stand a chacne in 5th. For me, I hear the engine bog down and I feel the throttle rotate but it just doesn't do it fast enough to stay within that 5mph tolerance. With all of this said, I have been suspicious of my cruise control being flaky for quite some time now based on comments other members have made about how well theirs works. Any other symptoms that you noticed that would suggest a faulty or intermittent speed sensor? How would one check the pump to verify good vacuum?
  22. LilBeaver
    Sorry to hear it, thoughts and prayers out to your family and close friends. Gdspeed.
  23. LilBeaver
    Neat! Just be sure to not park this one in the garage! :yikes:
  24. LilBeaver
    For what it is worth, I do not see that you have anything listed. Recently I have become more interested in a cable but not getting serious enough to send a message to inquire more about it...
  25. LilBeaver
    For what it is worth, I like it the way it is. I prefer it THIS way with the member vendors separated from the 'normal' areas as it de-clutters the normal areas.
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