camos

I'm in agreement with you about removing the rear wheel but perhaps you are being too hard on Yamaha. The single sided swingarm had been around for quite a while but in 1980 there were issues that had to be overcome before it was considered suitable for use in a large motor bike. The technology was not reliably there when the first Venture hit the road. It probably was before the 2nd gens were launched so Yammy probably did drop the ball on them. But then since they did seem to want to make the 2nd gen look like a Harley, perhaps it was ignored on purpose. The rear wheel removal on the GL1800 is awesome. Props to Honda for continuing the development of their touring bikes. Of course, one will never see a Honda being played at the philharmonic so Yammy wins that one.

It would be great if someone came up with an adjustable helmet inter-liner that would go between the foam shell and the comfort liner. We have XXL to XXS with round and oval but the reality is almost everyone is somewhere in between.

Since the TPL is removable could it be fitted to an MC helmet? I still like the idea of a pump system better. It would also accommodate transitioning from Hippie to Aryan Brother as the mood strikes.

When I laid my 90 on it's side to replace the stator the front engine guard was propped up with a couple of 2X4 blocks to keep the bike approximately level with the rear guards sitting on the floor. One result of doing it this way was the fairing corner was nowhere near touching. Mind you, there still was not enough clearance to get the rear tire out of it's cocoon. Wonder if laying the front end on a car tire would keep it high enough to get the wheel off. When in a shop it is probably easier to just jack up the bike as usual then put a third jack under the engine to keep it balanced when the rear wheel is removed. That's the way I usually do it.

Until I put the backrest on my method was to raise my knee pointed down just over the seat with my foot angled up to clear the trunk. Worked OK but then I'm tallish. After installing the backrest that way no longer worked. The new preferred method is to raise my knee then put my hand on the shin and pull up which lifts my foot high enough to clear the seat, then step through. There are times when I'm either too tired or too stiff to get my knee up high enough so I resort to Condor's method to get my knee high enough to then grab the shin and step through. Having to mount this way has always struck me as rather pathetic.... Oh well, guess my best days are long past.

Perhaps more simple to implement and more likely to be cost effective would be a pump-up liner similar to that used in decent ski boots.

When riding solo and listening to MP3's with my SMH-10, if the jog button (the big round knob) is pushed then the "Can not connect to intercom." message is generated. Mostly that happens when adjusting the volume and pressing more than rotating the jog.

This is embarrassing. For some reason I decided to check my helmet and it turned out that both my helmets are IS-MAX-BT as well. Don't know how I got that turned around. In any case, in general it is probably not so important. Seems to me one of the most important things to take away from a discussion on helmets is whether the general architecture of a brand will fit a round head or an oval head and anything in between. Reading reviews on webBBikeWorld can shed light on which helmet is most likely to fit a particular head shape. Try on a few, or a lot, at local bike shops to find the ones that fit your head the best which will help decide what your personal shape is. Then, within that parameter, shop for the features and price that works for you. When I purchased my current helmet I had not done any research because the one that was being replaced had broken when I was on the road. Tried on the IS-MAX-BT (got it right that time) and it felt OK but after wearing it for 5 hours my forehead had a dint along with a slight ache from a pressure point. Removed about 1/16" of foam from a 1X3 area in the critical spot and it was good. Other than the minor fitment issue this helmet has given me excellent service with over 11,000 hours of wear and still counting.

That's interesting, the Arai I had fit my medium melon perfectly while the HJC Symax II needed a tiny amount removed from the forehead foam to fit my ovalness. Once that was done wearing it forever is totally comfortable. Other than spending waaay too much on the Arai Genesis, I've never looked at any other the expensive models so don't know what you would get in return for an excessive amount of cash. To me, a helmet is a tool rather than a fashion statement.

Every time I read one of these threads on someone agonizing over tire brands I think how pointless. Sure there are cheaper tires that do a reasonable job of holding the road but they don't get good mileage. If you do the math, getting E3's is more cost effective than any of the cheaper brands can offer. While it would appear that most of the equally expensive brands have issues that amount to playing Russian Roulette or they only make a tire for one end of the bike so, again, how pointless.

Perhaps it's just a matter of preference but the sun shield is not as dark as I would like. Bought a second Symax II three years ago for my passenger and as general backup helmet and they are both the same. As for the maintenance issues, everything wears out some time. My everyday helmet has over 11,000 hours on my head so it is doubtful if HJC will try to improve on it without doubling the price. Seems to me that helmet has given better than fair service for a mid-range price.

Sadly, the sun shield is not dark enough but it does help cut the sun somewhat. My Symax II is 5 years old and still working OK except about 6 months ago the shield knob popped off which makes it a bit awkward to lower the shield. Those large Phillipsy looking screws under the clear plastic side covers have a tendency to get loose and can fall out. Lost two of them before I decided to Locktight them. Two years ago the ratchet piece for the face shield had to be replaced because the shield kept falling down. I never close the shield tight but do half close it when riding in the rain. On a dark rainy morning/night it's really annoying to have it close on its own. The paint is wearing off the chin bar where I grab it to raise or lower. A year ago the chin bar mechanism had to be tightened as it would not stay up on its own. Locktighted that too. Have not had any problem with the chin bar latch. Those maintenance issues are pretty minor considering the amount of use my helmet gets. Not a bad idea to round up the replacement parts when you can get them at a good price rather than waiting for something to happen. Something you and your wife might appreciate is the chin bar can be removed without the use of a hacksaw by removing the bolt under the clear side covers.

If you have a dried up can of ABS glue why not try a little experiment? Put some MEK in the can then seal it up for a few days and see if it's gotten any better. MEK is cheap so you would not be out very much. I bought a litre can of MEK a few years ago and it's still good. I might have mentioned this before. My preferred repair medium is ABS and MEK mixed in proportion to give either a thick or thin consistency needed for a particular job. Keep the stuff in a small mason jar that's never even close to 1/4 full and after a month or two it's always hard as a plastic rock. Add some MEK, let it sit for a couple of days and it's workable again. Add a little more MEK to thin or a few small chunks of ABS to thicken. Just sayin... again.

Remember, you're planning on removing the OEM gas tank anyway. Bet you could find a route for the equalizer through just behind it.

The MkII's have an intermediate bleeder valve at the steering head that, I think, the MkI's don't have. Not too sure about that though as I've never seen a MKI. If there is no bleeder at that point then there will be a lot more air to remove and also the potential for getting an air lock in the head area.

That's pretty much how I did it too except none of my pistons popped out. A little bit of give is normal with OEM brake lines. Really old OEM brake lines will most likely have quite a bit of give due to old age. Of course, there is always the chance all the air was not bled out. It is quite easy to mess up the process with a second or two of inattention. This is the method I use which works very well for me.

Good ideas. Thanks, I'll keep them in mind when I get to that project.

Still looks unmistakably like a Venture. Well, early days. Is the engine case in the pic that hammered copper paint? I've been thinking of using that paint for some accents on the 90 VR.

As you mentioned, the trailer is quite a bit heavier than it needed to be. If you ever decide to make something similar out of GRP, here are some hints. Non of the rods or chicken wire are necessary to get the shape needed. Set up the cross section stations as you did then put longitudinal stringers, like lathes, along the outside to form the shape and support the GRP layup. Along the top edge of the shell attach a 90 degree wooden bracket before laying up the outside skin. This can be cut be into the outside top edge of the station molds or just laid on top. Use 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch urethane foam strips to cover the stringers. The foam is quite flexible but by using strips it will help to cover the compound curves. First coat the foam with a layer of resin and let it set then lay up the outside layers of fiberglass. Cover over the above mentioned edge bracket. This will stiffen the free edge and provide an attachment point for the lid. My preference is to use a mat, a roving and a mat but a couple of 2 oz mats will probably be enough. Two layers of 2 oz mat properly wetted and rolled out will give you about 1/8 inch of thickness. After that sets up the inside supports and lathes can be removed and a layer or two of mat can be laid up on the inside. This shell will be quite stiff but to add extra stiffness, using resin, glue some 1x2 strips of urethane foam horizontally along the length then cover them with fiberglass. The bottom area could have some cross stiffeners put in as well. Where attachment points are needed for bolts remove the skin foam prior to laying up the inside and and fill in with extra layers of fiberglass or a block of wood. Polyester resin needs UV protection so a gelcoat topcoat is preferred over paint. A really nice finish can be achieved using a sheet of cellophane and a squeegee to apply the gelcoat. You and your sons did a really nice job but next time they won't have to work quite so hard.

So one cell on each side or both in one? Why not just go ahead? Don't remove the tank, mount the cells and try it, then you will know. Probably better off adding a pump for each cell. There is a thread somewhere that describes making an intake manifold for the carbs so the air box can be removed. Seems to me there is not very much in the fairing that needs to be kept. Keep to your plan, there are several others who have successfully accomplished what you are doing. Did you get my PM?

If you have already moved the battery to the saddlebag then why move it under the seat? I've been intrigued by the idea of moving the battery behind the chin fairing. With the OEM position there is not quite enough room but it would not be too difficult to extend the chin mounts to get more room. Then there is the possibility of getting a narrower battery. Some of the newer technology batteries can be installed in any position which may make it easier to find something that will fit there. The standard Ventures did not come with a CLASS, just had a valve to pump up the suspension so you could get rid of that and get your saddlebag back. Going from memory, which for me is rarely a good idea, the petcock is a little below the bottom of the saddlebag except when the bike is leaning over. As long as there is a downhill flow to the pump intake then it probably would not be affected much by lowering the gas tank. That said, two gallons of fuel is on the inadequate side if you ever wanted to go anywhere. As it is with 5 gallons there is only enough for about a 3/4 day ride or less if there are any freeways involved.

You trying to get me into trouble? I think BlueSky probably nailed it. Prior to uploading any files to this site I always re-size the image to 640x480 which makes them small enough to easily upload and are big enough to display the subject well.

Hard to say what went wrong. When I want to upload an image I first click on the Insert Image toolbar icon which opens a dialogue box with the choice of selecting the image from your computer to upload or inserting a link to an image already hosted on a web server. The only issue I've had is taking too long to save the post after uploading the image. There is a timeout but it is long enough if you don't go get a coffee or something in the meantime.

When I had a couple of stuck pistons on one side of a front caliper and getting them out was quite difficult because if you try blocking the one that will move there is no room left for the stuck one to move. I ended up clamping the movable one with a pair of visegrips then used pressure from the brake to force the stuck one out. Cleaned it then slid it back in, blocked that pair with a piece of wood then did the visegrip thing on the other free one. It would have been a lot better if I had removed the caliper before starting this job. It was difficult to get the jaws in far enough to clamp the piston. As an after thought, perhaps a couple of 1/8" flat bars with two clamps would have worked much better to hold the movable pistons and still leave enough room for the stuck ones to get pushed out. Didn't want the pistons to come all the way out, just enough to clean the sides of the pistons. After doing that to all the calipers the brakes worked great.

Bleeding the brakes is really easy on the MKII because it has a bleeder valve at the steering head. I don't think the MKI has one there but it should not be too difficult to put one in. In any case, if you de-link then that bleeder won't be necessary. Ummm, no, started to tell you about the anti-dives on the MKII which are electric but remembered you have a MKI which is hydraulic. I think you can get a bypass plate from Skydoc_17 but not really sure about that.