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Stoutman

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Everything posted by Stoutman

  1. Stoutman
    In my exierience you can't guess where an electrical problem is, you have to methodically check. When I guess I'm right about one in four times. When I just methodically check everything I can think of I usually find it. Check the fuses first. Best of luck.
  2. Stoutman
    Thanks for the reply. That is what I estimated I would get by extrapolating my current tread wear against what is left on the tire. I think I'll put on a new tire, then run this one out the next time I'm due. Be nice to have a spare I can put on and not have to wait for one to be delivered.
  3. Stoutman
    I'm about to go on a 3000 mile trip, but my rear Avon Venom has 10,500 miles on it. The rear tread depth is currently 2.9mm, or .115 inches. When new the same spot on the tire had a tread depth of .350 inches, or 8.89 mm. To me this is right on the edge of being able to get me home, and I'm leaning toward a replacement before I leave. Anybody have the mileage numbers on their Avon Venom rear tire they would like to share?
  4. Stoutman
    When I'm moving I don't really notice the heat on my legs. The only time I notice the heat is when I'm stuck in traffic. Then even the air deflectors don't help much. But either way it is not that bad. Certainly something I can tolerate long enough to get home from a commute, and has never been an issue while on a long ride.
  5. Stoutman
    Don, Thanks for the writeup. I'll be looking forward to your next update when you have some dry roads to test your brakes on. Don't put any flat spots on the new tire now. I didn't see the Butler mod in the VR classifieds, but I see his writeup in the tech library has a good parts list. When this mod floats to the top of the to-do list I'll drop him a note if I need the help.
  6. Stoutman
    I've got stock bones if you need em. I know I'll never use them again. I like my leveling links way to much. You may want to consider leveling links from Diamond R instead of going to stock. They really improve the slow speed handling of the bike, and improve your drag clearance as well. Anyway, shoot me a PM if you need the stock dog bones. Here is the writeup on removing the stock dog bones and replacing them with leveling links. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=492
  7. Stoutman
    Just wondering if you did this mod and how you like it. I've been considering this since Rick wrote this up. I've locked up the rear brake on this bike on every panic stop I've made. Luckily it has always been at a low enough speed I could just ride it out until I stopped. I would like to know your opinion of this mod.
  8. Stoutman
    I have three HF torque wrenches. 1/2 inch drive, 3/8 inch drive ,and 1/4 inch drive. Between them they cover the whole range. I like to use them on the bike because we have steel fasteners going into cast aluminum parts and they are easy to over tighten. With torque wrenches I worry about calibration. I found my 30 year old 1/2 inch torque wrench from a different manufacturer to be way out of spec on the low range. It was clicking at about 1/2 the torque setting, leaving my bolts loose. That is why I bought a new wrench.
  9. Stoutman
    I've used the Drag Specialties tach for about the last year or so. It has been reliable for me, and I think I spent about $80.00 on it locally. There are nicer ones with billet enclosures that mount on the clutch or brake reservoir, (Barons I think) but they are much more money. I went with this cheaper one and was not disappointed. I've attached a picture, but it is a little fuzzy due to my dirty phone camera lens.
  10. Stoutman
    What do you think of the roads down by Bryce Canyon. I've been planning to come out to SLC and visit my Dad in September. On the way back I was going to ride down to Bryce Canyon, then ride highway 12 up to Torrey. From there I can't decide on the best route back to Texas. Should I shoot up 24 to Green River then take highway 70 over, then down to Silverton, CO, and home, or should I go down 95 by Fry Canyon and Bridges National monument, then over to Montecello? Any of you Utah riders have a suggestion? Been so long since I've been down that I way I can't remember what is worth seeing and what to avoid.
  11. Stoutman
    My bike was dropped and never left the garage. My son decided to move the bike so he could get the tractor out and mow the lawn. He is a big guy, 260 lb. and 6'5", but he is not a biker. Needless to say he dropped it, more like he lost control and laid it down gently when he discovered he didn't have the strength to keep it upright. He did manage to pick it up and put it back where it was. He was rather flustered that I noticed at all. Told him thanks for doing the mowing, but next time I'd rather do it myself. I had to replace the highway peg mounting bracket, but other than the the Yamahawg came through with flying colors.
  12. Stoutman
    Scott, I completely understand the cost if government is involved. I work in a heavily regulated industry and our prices would be 1/3 what they are if we didn't have to deal with regulators (OK maybe more if people were willing to pay). Unfortunately if we weren't regulated some unscrupulous idiot would screw things up for the honest ones and somebody would get hurt. Just the price we pay. The other thing is I think some businesses rely on the regulators to keep the competition at bay. If regulators raise the cost of entry into a business the ones that benifit are the ones already in business. Also, I don't care if you charge $30.00 per tire as long as your customer knows what they are getting and agrees to pay the price. Things are worth what somebody is willing to pay and somebody else is willing to sell. OK rant off.
  13. Stoutman
    Its the oxygen and water that do harm to your tires. The water vapor expands at a much greater rate with each degree of temperature change. This means your tire pressure changes much more when warm or cold. The oxygen reacts with the rubber in the tire to degrade the tire compound. It is much worse on the inside of the tire where the temperature rises way above the outside temp. Then to top it off the static electricity electrolyzes the water vapor to creat hydrogen ions, which react with the CO2 to form carbolic acid, also degrading your tires. If you run pure dry nitrogen in your tires they won't change pressure as much when hot, which means more consistent performance hot or cold. Plus you can run them at a higher pressure and not worry about building excess pressure when warm. I don't think its a scam, but it doesn't make a huge difference to the average driver. I don't think it makes a big enough difference to spend $10.00 per tire. It does make a difference to the racer, so people that want to do everything to perfection will pay the extra dollars. And the people that sell tire services will gladly take their money. Nothing wrong with that as long as every body understands what they are getting.
  14. Stoutman
    Not to be pedantic about it, but atmospheric composition is 78% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. This doesn't take into account the water vapor which varies with humidity. Under very warm conditions water vapor may be as much as 4%, and under very dry conditions much less than 1%.
  15. Stoutman
    I've worked on a lot of these type problems. Everything I read on this post is a possible solution. The thing is, without some troubleshooting gear it is hard to say for sure. If you paid the dealer to install it then try to get them to fix it as part of their original install price. If they won't help you then here are some different ways to try to nail it down. Take a handheld am radio, like an old transistor radio, (I know, I'm dating myself again) turn it on, but not tuned to a station, and closely point the antenna at different possible sources of noise like the spark plugs, coils, ignition module, and alternator. If you get a noticeable increase of noise from any source then try to isolate that source. If it is plugs, try resistor plugs, or move power wires from the proximity. If is is coils, try a capacitor in parallel with the power wire, or a choke (coil of wire with a ferrite center) in series with the power wire (or both). If none of the above work then try a big ground strap to the radio, and the ground side of the antenna. Best of luck.
  16. Stoutman
    Gearheads response is great. For supports, I've heard that jack stands work well. The keep the wheel from rolling off the support due to the saddle on the jack stand. Keep some chalk or soapstone handy to mark the tire. Avon tires don't have a red dot that marks the heavy spot on the tire. That is how well they are made. That means any imbalance will be due to your wheel.
  17. Stoutman
    I go boating with a trial lawyer now and then. He told me he will never use an automatic charger on any of his equipment. He claims they can malfunction and cause fires. He sites many cases where his friends have sued and won. He uses a solar battery charger on his boat to keep it charged during the off season. He claims there is no way for it to malfunction and provide to much power and boil out the acid or cause other harm, so he feels safe with it. If it fails he will only have a dead battery, not a fire.
  18. Stoutman
    DOT standards say they should be wired so they can be shut off. Mine came with a switch mounted on one of the the lamps. It was a junk switch though and I replaced it with a switch that controls the lights through a relay (left the old switch in the hole and just took it out of the circuit). The switch I use is one of a bank of three that mounts on top of the front brake resevoir. I use it to control a relay that turns the passing lamps on and off. It is a showchrome unit that I bought from Extreme Revolution. Here is a link. The relay is a standard 20 amp 12 volt automotive relay from JC Whitney. Best of luck.
  19. Stoutman
    Go ahead and sync the carbs. A good carb sync makes this bike and entirely different animal.
  20. Stoutman
    I've got the Mustang seat on my 05 RSTD. I'm also 6'4 and 300 pounds. Guess they grow em big in Texas. Long story short I like my Mustang seat. It is much better than the stock saddle, but: It will push you forward toward the tank. This will make your legs bend a bit more than you may find comfortable. I compensate two ways. First I sit on a 1 1/4 inch sheepskin pad which I had purchased to try to make my old stock seat more comfy. The pad keeps my knees from being bent too much. Second I have highway pegs which give me room to stretch. The Mustang seat is good for at least two hours before I need a rest. By then I need gas so it works out perfectly. Also, the Mustang seat gives me all day comfort, where with the stock seat I was numb in the butt after 30 minutes and wore out after two tanks of gas. The navigator gives the Mustang pillion pad only slighty higher marks than the stock seat, but that really doesn't matter because it is better and she didn't complain about the other one unless I made her sit there all day. If you do get the Mustang seat be careful when you install it. The metal bracket that bolts it to the bike is positioned perfectly to scratch the tank when you first install the seat. I think this is because the back of the saddle has to fit below the pillion pad. Other than that the Mustang seat is a home run hit. Best of luck.
  21. Stoutman
    The way I understand it is you put that kind of stuff in right before you change the oil, then let it idle for a few minutes before you drain it to help remove varnish and sludge buildup. I save my seafoam for the gas. I prefer to change the oil and filter more frequently to keep the sludge down....
  22. Stoutman
    I used the stock seat for about a year. After that much time getting used to the bike I decided I was never going to be comfortable in the stock saddle for more than about an hour. I did several rides that were 500 - 600 miles. Always glad to get to take a break for gas. When new the seat would start to hurt after only 40 minutes. I switched to a Mustang seat. It is MUCH better. It may not be the right choice for taller people because it forces you forward onto the tank. That position makes you bend your knees and can put your knees higher than your butt. I'm pretty tall and use a 1&1/4 inch sheepskin pad on top of the Mustang seat to get my legs in a better position. With that setup I'm good for all day rides only stopping for gas. If I had forward controls on my highway pegs It would be the best ride on the road (IMHO).
  23. Stoutman
    I believe they are talking about parts 10, and 11 in the attached picture off Yamaha's web site. These are the parts that transfer the torque to the rear wheel from the rear drive gear. Parts 10 and 11 need to be cleaned and greased everytime you replace the rear wheel (there are six of each).
  24. Stoutman
    Victor, I've probably asked you before, but I sure would like to know where you got that luggage rack that your tour pack is mounted on. I haven't been able to find one anywhere. Do you have any model numbers or vendor information on that?
  25. Stoutman
    You are right. The Mustang seat does move you forward. I'm a big guy, 6' 4", and it was a problem when I put it on, but when I add a 1&1/4 inch sheepskin/foam pad it is just right. I do like it. If I could buy some forward controls it would be perfect. If I wear it out I my try the Ultimate or Corbin. For now I like the Mustang and my sheepskin pad.
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