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LilBeaver

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Everything posted by LilBeaver

  1. LilBeaver
    No surprise here. I was supposed to be collaborating on a few research related items with another department here at my University - literally, they are the next building over. I have had numerous e-mail, telephone and a few face to face exchanges with them as I did what they wanted me to do. Now that it is their turn to help me, they don't respond to ANYTHING. I have a faster turn around by sending my samples off to a colleague a few states away. I just don't get it either.
  2. LilBeaver
    http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/contact-information This is their website. All the way at the bottom there is an 800 number to call or a 'contact us' form to fill out. I suggest you go through these channels first (if you choose to contact Avon directly instead of going through whatever dealer you went through). Respecting their customer service chain of command, while may be annoying on the customer end, just seems like a considerate way to start. That being said I will look to see if I have any additional information on the rep I corresponded with (same one for all of the separate incidents I had) but would like to leave that as a last resort, if necessary at all. ^^^^ Good point ^^^^ although they sure look like it in the picture - but pictures can be deceiving.
  3. LilBeaver
    These tires are what, 15 weeks old and already look like that?!?!? Sheesh. I have gone through 2 sets (2 fronts & 2 rears) of the venoms because of THIS issue (not because of tread wear). Well, one of them there was cracking within the tread itself instead of just on the sidewall, so that was it for me. Granted they were replaced under warranty, but the last time they offered to replace them again under warranty. I said no thanks and had a set of E3s for me instead. I would most definitely have it replaced. There should be no question at all - especially if they have not been mounted yet. If you need to, contact Avon directly with pictures, the date code and a description of what you see. That is what I did and I had a relatively fast response that was basically an apology and a statement saying that it is, indeed, a warranty issue (ie no cost to me). Note that a quick search for 'Avon cracking' or 'avon sidewall' or something of the like you will find some good information on the ordeal. Also, Condor (I believe) started a thread and list that contained folks that had issues with the Avon tires, what the issue was, date code and the resolution. have fun.
  4. LilBeaver
    I have the 'Professional' line version. Higher capacity, lower profile, lighter weight, easier rolling with bike on, etc etc. I was torn between the two because there really didn't seem to be that much, in the way of differences, between the two. The 'pro' on went on sale and I had an extra discount on top of that so for the extra 20 bucks (above the red one) I went with the yellow one. Have been real pleased with it.
  5. LilBeaver
    Playing Jazz (Trumpet)
  6. LilBeaver
    Wow, sounds like a good deal! Whatever you do, DO NOT plan a stop at the Yamahahaha dealership in Amarillo, TX. We have a few folks in Amarillo that may be helpfull - though you may want to send some PMs, e-mails or phone calls to touch base because many of them I haven't seen on/around in a while. Hope your return trip goes well!!
  7. LilBeaver
    NOw there is a FANTASTIC idea, but you need to wait a few weeks... THIS guy is headed to New Zealand Who says science can't take you places?
  8. LilBeaver
    Okay, so you got me there. Although I have plenty of practice since my foot ends up there on regular occasion. Darn un-proportionate feet. Yeah - I just like to give you as many 'soup-erstar' related plugs as I can... Just because I still think its pretty awesome. You betcha - Tx2sturgis is the man. Still don't know how he does it, but there ya go.
  9. LilBeaver
    Excellent point. For me I do think there is quite a bit of value in a low mileage vehicle (more addressed later in the response to MiCarl's post)... Good point. BUT, something else to make sure one can decipher is the time frame for which those miles were put on it. For example, a few years back I came into an 82 goldwing with 40,000 miles on it. I would consider that low miles for a 20+ year old bike. I was not one bit concerned about it because I 1) Knew the COMPLETE service history of the bike (family member bought new and took meticulous care of it) 2) the bike had been ridden just about every day since it's purchase except for a few months seasonal storage (Michigan bike). It was just a short commute to work for him and he worked A LOT. When shopping for bikes in the past, I have quickly passed on some bikes after I found out that they rode it when they bought it but then it sat in the garage for years and also passed on bikes when the owner might have ridden it a lot but doesn't have any records at all (or can't remember when the oil was changed, for example).
  10. LilBeaver
    Actually if you can find away to INCREASE your gas load a little bit you probably won't have to worry about anyone wanting to ride with you. Or maybe just stick to taking one or two gals at a time. I have heard stories (and seen a picture... I think) of a member here that gave two gals a ride once at the same time - I know I am not that good. :witch_brew:
  11. LilBeaver
    In my opinion, as anything with the potential for some SERIOUS injuries NOTHING is TOO LITTLE when it comes to safety precautions. I doubt that I need to mention it but knowing one's limits is just as important, if not more important than anything else in evaluating what is and is not okay. Setting up a video camera is an EXCELLENT idea! This will give both of you an opportunity to LOOK and see what happens while going through this process. ESPECIALLY what LITTLE things can make BIG differences in what goes on (small passenger movements where she may not even realize she is doing it). With the passenger stepping on the floor board and you balancing the bike with the bars and your feet, you essentially have yourself a 2nd or 3rd class lever (fulcrum = tires, passenger being loaded is the applied force and YOU holding the bike steady being the response to the applied force). Minimizing the distance between the applied force and the fulcrum (your passenger keeping her self as close to the wheels/pivot point as possible) will make a huge difference in the amount of applied force necessary to counter the torque applied by the passenger stepping on. Remember Torque=distance x force (technically speaking it is the cross-product of the displacement vector and the force vector - but not important here). The goal is to maintain rotational equilibrium, which means bike does not rotate. Anyhoot, I digress... Sorry, Physics excites me... Several pounds heavier and a higher center of gravity! The RSV weighs in around 850lbs dry (say ~900 with a full tank) and your Boulevard maybe tipped the scales at what, 550 or so? The Higher center of gravity roughly translates to the fact that it will take more effort to hold it up (when you are a few degrees off center) -- again this comes back down to a rotational equilibrium/torque explanation where you, the bike and the tires [pivot point] constitute a 2nd class lever where the 'weight' is concentrated at the CG located between the point where you apply the force and the pivot point of the bike. I'll stop here, if anyone wants a true explanation of this I'll be happy to write it out but for now I'll call it quits here. Folks MUCH MUCH smaller than you have been riding these bikes for a while without a problem so just some more practice and don't forget that it is a BIG bike and you'll be fine. Ensuring you are absolutely 100% comfortable on the bike by your self may be wise before giving to many rides to an excited passenger - but I'm sure I don't need to be the one to tell you that either. Good advice here too. I do the same with ALL of my passengers - I don't care WHAT kind of experience they have (unless they regularly ride with me - then they get to pass on the lecture) but in actuality I have found that seasoned riders make WORSE passengers than folks that have never been on a bike before in their life. I also make a point to say if they are uncomfortable with ANY aspect of the ride or my driving to SPEAK UP immediately. Because if they are uncomfortable, timid, or tense about something - that may actually come back to but both driver and passenger as any twitching or whatever will be transfered to the bike and if done at the right (well... wrong) time, could be the difference of staying upright or going down. Maybe someone should hit the gym - (or eat healthier soup)! (and no I am not talking about HER) :stickpoke:. Although it may be hard to eat anything at all until you can pry that appendage out of your mouth... might be time to bust out the 'ol shoe horn again,eh? Good luck with that!
  12. LilBeaver
    :sign yeah that: :sign yeah that: I mostly agree with SilvrT on his description here. The key is having the person getting on the bike to try to keep as centered as possible on getting on/off, using the DRIVER for support and doing it in a SMOOTH motion. Think of it like getting in and out of a canoe (on water, of course) -- if you have any experience with that. I ALWAYS leave the side-stand DOWN for passenger mount and dismount even though I hold the bike upright. My reason is that just in case I cannot hold the bike up for whatever reason (ie my knee gives out, foot slips, etc etc) the side-stand is there to save my rump. There have been a few occasions where I have let a passenger mount first. I have given rides to a few youngsters that needed to be lifted and set in place on the back seat; no problem. The other times have been when I give my grandfather a ride. He had a stoke a few years back and has very limited mobility. It is a big effort to get him on, safe and situated but he has been riding since he was in his early teens (he is ~85 now) [he also gave me my first motorcycle ride and inspired my excitement about bikes]. SO, when he wants to go for a ride, I make it work. Typically for him getting on and off it takes at least 3 of us. One to stabilize the bike and hold the front brake then one person on each side of the bike to help him on and get him situated. I'm no beast either, ~200lbs and a whopping 5'8". Only times I have trouble when someone gets on or off is when they do so and I am not ready. OH YEAH, MAKE SURE THE BARS/FRONT TIRE ARE PERFECTLY STRAIGHT WHEN STOPPING OR MOUNTING A PASSENGER!!!! Hope that helps.
  13. LilBeaver
    Welcome. Two quick things. First of all you say your RSTD has more 'low end grunt' than your suzuki did - while that may be true the power band on these bikes really is in the higher RPM range. Just so you know these bikes have a built in 'rev-limiter' (since we don't have a tach) that stops the bike from revving above ~6500 rpm. When the Rev-limiter kicks you WILL know. If I recall correctly the rev limiter kicks in at the following: ~45mph (indicated) in 1st gear ~70mph (indicated) in 2nd gear ~94mph (indicated) in 3rd Gear I have not tested 4th or 5th yet. Also, for what it is worth, if you are trying to accelerate from say 40 or 50mph and up, your best bet is to be in 3rd. 4th and 5th are both [technically] over drive gears. The only time I am ever really in 5th is if I am buzzing along at a constant speed above 65 or so. Any hint of acceleration and I drop to 4th or 3rd depending on what it is coming up. Ride it like that for a little bit and you will feel these bikes TRUE power. NO, they won't outrun a crotch rocket or a goldwing but there are not many cruisers/tourers that would pull away from these bikes. It has been a while since I have looked at the electrical diagrams, but if I am not mistaken the carb heater is ONLY functional when the bike is in gear AND the temperature is sufficiently low. Which means that the heaters do not do anything to 'help' start the bike or keep it running while warming up. As far as the oil filters that people are using, there are probably [literally] hundreds of 'oil filter' or 'oil' threads on here - some have nothing but banter in them but some really do have some quality information. I do believe that most will agree that FRAM is most definitely NOT the way to go; but other than that you'll see raves about (in NO particular order) purolator, mobil 1, bosch, super-tech, etc... There is LOTS AND LOTS of great information on this site. Take your time to poke around and I am sure you will find good stuff. By the way, you say you have a 2005. These bikes have an UNLIMITED MILEAGE 5 year factory warranty on them that starts the day the bike gets driven off the lot for the first time. SO, it would probably be rather beneficial for you to get a hold of a Yamaha dealer and have them run your VIN to see how much (if any) of the warranty you have left. Then do a real thorough look over to see if there is anything that ought to get taken care of before the warranty period is up. Anyways, I have yammered enough. Welcome to the site, hope you enjoy your bike and your stay here
  14. LilBeaver
  15. LilBeaver
    Good thing you've already got a NICE BIG HEATED Garage, eh? :stickpoke:
  16. LilBeaver
    :yikes: SHHHHHHH - Don't tell the boss
  17. LilBeaver
    :think: Really? So what sense does this statement make? Huh? See, ANYONE can change a quote, not just souperstars!
  18. LilBeaver
    :confused24::think::confused24: It IS possible to only drain SOME of the oil. The way I see it you have 3 options: 1) As suggested - loosen the oil filter and let some drain out, re-tighten the filter then check you oil level; repeat as necessary. 2) Unscrew the drain plug enough to let the oil drip. Let it drip for a while then re-tighten the plug and check your level. You could speed it up by removing the plug completely for a few seconds then put it back in and check your level. Note that removing the plug for a short time will not dump ALL of the oil out. 3) IF the dealer really did service the bike, take it back and have them do it correctly. Either 1 or 2 is extremely easy to do. Don't worry about it and just do it!!
  19. LilBeaver
    Wha-chu talkin' 'bout? .... Oops.
  20. LilBeaver
    Forget the cupholder, where is the cassette deck!?!?!?!? That is until the battery dies or someone shuts it off... Then TIIIIIIIMMMMMMMBER!
  21. LilBeaver
    :yikes: sounds like someone to keep away from MY freezer...
  22. LilBeaver
    Right on. I sure as heck don't want to be some 90 year old vegetable... By the way I showed that video (crotch rocket through Moscow) to a few of the Russians that I collaborate with (both work at a lab in Moscow) and they said that they see this behavior all the time in the city. They call them a word that directly translates to 'suicides'... and mean it that way too. Not to steer from the original topic... Back on track - hopefully justice as appropriate and that all parties involved (directly and indirectly) can do what they need to do to grieve, cope, learn and move on from this incident.
  23. LilBeaver
    WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!! *Puts on hip-waders, nose plug and goggles* Okay, NOW you may continue shoveling that bu.... :witch_brew::stickpoke:
  24. LilBeaver
    Too bad. Always hate to hear someone else going out of business... ESPECIALLY if it is one of the 'good guys'.
  25. LilBeaver
    Ooooo fun.
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