camos

About 3 weeks ago I accidentally noticed the rear tire on the 89, the one I am currently riding, was almost as bald as I am. Had a spare wheel and tire on the 90 and a spare unmounted tire. Try as I might, with one thing after another happening, still had no new tire mounted until today. With the wet weather actually here I decided to take the highly expensive road and deliver the 89 with the unmounted tire to Adrenalin Motorcycle in Victoria. I've never gone that route before and was somewhat concerned about the cost of doing so versus the cost of a damaged and broken me due to slippage or blow-out. Anyway, the financial damage was $25 for mounting and balancing the tire and $47.50 for uninstalling and reinstalling the rear wheel. Quite a bit less than my overactive imagination was coming up with. I don't know if that is actually a reasonable price but do feel that it was indeed very reasonable so thought I would put it out for any members in this area who may for one reason or another need to also get someone else to do the work for a change. That's it....

Hmmm.... unfinished exhaust installation.... Yup, I'd say a few explosions might be considered normal. Wonderful!!! When you do perhaps I will be able to figure out what a double linked shifter is and what it might accomplish.

I'm pretty sure what I am remembering was the posts you made after doing this mod. Is the weld in the slot between the reflector lens and the sides of the base or at the bottom of the lens? As you might have guessed from the above I'm not so much concerned with getting the base off the trunk but rather with getting the lens out of the base. I have a perfect reflector on a less than perfect spare trunk bottom that I think is probably repairable. Then there is the reflector that is currently on the 89 that a PO drilled 8 holes to mount 4 trailer lights. This is the one I want to use to replace the reflector lens with the BB lenses. So the destroyed reflector lens needs to come off without damaging the base. With that in mind it would be really helpful to know just how the reflector lens is attached to the base so I don't total it. Have I mention lately that I'm pretty good at breaking things? Thanks for bearing with me so far. Also to the OP, hopefully this is relevant to your original question.

By spatula tool would you mean one that fits into a soldering iron? From what I remember finding in posts on VR.org heat will work on the BB lenses but perhaps not so much on the OEM reflector. Certainly, I could be mis-remembering but I'm sure I've seen pix with little bits of reflector still stuck to the base. So it might just be a sharp thin knife could be the best method to remove it. Anyway, before I dive in I will re-read all the threads on this project. That is a very daunting thought so I was hoping someone who had actually removed the reflector would chime in and save me hours and hours of frustrating searching and reading.

While it's true they are different versions, I'm counting on you being wrong about the interchangeability of the parts. Just sayin.... Without having removed the OEM reflector, I held the Big Bike lenses up to the reflector as close as possible and it sure looked like they would fit into the base. I do have the complete BB trunk light on my 90 so no matter how it works out they will be used. Figured it was worth the gamble.

If you decide to go this route then you will also want the amber turn signal lenses: http://www.bigbikeparts.com/templates/group_ProductList.aspx?GroupGuid=674 Add some LEDs and you will have a far superior replacement for that old reflector. I have not actually gotten to complete it yet but I'm sure the lenses will fit into the reflector base. The base for the lenses is deeper than the reflector but that is just to accommodate light bulbs rather than LEDs. I will be working on this mod soon so will know if my theory is correct. While on this topic, what is the best way to remove the old reflector lenses from the base?

I bought exactly the same thing on (US) eBay.com for the same price as the one you listed. Checked on amazon.ca and they have the one you have from the same company listed for $65 - $82 plus $10 shipping. Ain't we special. Before I decided to purchase the pre-made adapter, I did the same with a spare 5 pin DIN and 3.5 mm jack I already had. Cut the 3.5 mm jack cable and found the wires were really thin and cast into the insulation. Figured I would never be able to solder and keep the wires separated. Buying a better grade of 3.5 mm jack probably would have gotten around that but figured by then just the parts would have cost the same or more than buying the completed adapter. Even though it is a bit of a hack to have the BT transmitter sitting under the fuel door , it should stay dry enough in there. Anyway, after three days of use I'm really pleased with the setup. Will eventually sort out a way to charge the transmitter on the bike but it still needs a handy access to turn it on.

I think I have finally sorted this project out. First I failed at making my own 5 pin to 3.5 mm RCA adapter from the parts at hand. The 3.5 mm plug had wires so small and all 3 wires were cast into the insulation so I could not solder them to anything. Figured if I bought a better quality plug with separate wires it would probably cost as much or more than the pre-made adapter Freebird suggested. So went ahead with this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Gold-Wing-Headphone-Adapter-5-pin-GOLD-DIN-to-3-5mm-GOLD-Jack-NEW/161779181946?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33097%26meid%3Dd4fd22ab064f432eb39f0445caa2e8ac%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D161750709197 After getting it I found this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Pin-MIDI-DIN-Plug-to-3-5-3-5mm-Stereo-Jack-1-5m-5ft/190739600462?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33097%26meid%3Dd4fd22ab064f432eb39f0445caa2e8ac%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D161750709197 which was a lot cheaper and might have done the job just fine. Oh well.... I bought one of these Bluetooth transmitters: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MA8JZ1A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 It has good sound and will pair with two headsets. The first one I got died after a few days so returned it for another which was received two days ago. Only time will tell if the quality is adequate or not but when it works it does a really good job of connecting the VR stereo wirelessly to my Sena SMH10 headsets. The transmitter can be connected to any ancient audio source that has a 3.5mm output jack like the iPod Classic I have or whatever. The transmitter will not work with the CB though. I'm very happy with the setup even though it took a ridiculously long time to accomplish and, of course, I'm hoping the first transmitter that broke was not typical of the quality of the device. Regarding installation, it was very simple. Ran the headset cable with the 5 pin adapter under the top cover back to the gas cap compartment and hung the 3.5mm jack over the rubber boot so it can be accessed easily by opening the cover. There might be better options but for now I have not come up with any.

Since it is so often praised to distraction, I assume you have already tried dosing with Seafoam. Besides the carbs, accumulated gas crud can also affect the operation of the enricher circuit. Anytime you do a gas treatment it is a good idea to exercise the choke leaver to get some cleaning action happening in the enricher. When burning off a tankful of treated gas, leave the choke on for much longer than you normally would. Running on the highway with the choke/enricher engaged won't cause any harm, probably not even poor gas mileage, just remember to take it off when approaching civilization as it will disrupt the bikes idle and may even cause it to stall a hot engine. Just came across a post which might give you something else to consider. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?104512-Latest-on-my-89VR-tinkering&p=927574#post927574

I should have said pilot screws rather than pilot jets. The screws actually adjust air flow past the pilot jets. Here is a link to a notated image of the carbs courtesy of Prairiehammer. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?101752-1983-venture-starts-w-choke-wont-idle-past-20-secs&p=906921#post906921 The adjustment screw may be hidden behind an anti-tamper plug. These plugs can be removed by drilling a hole then screwing in a wood screw that can be grabbed by some visegrips. The screw head is right behind the plug so when drilling don't go too deep, just enough to get the screw to grab the plug.

After re-jetting I would assume you did a sync on the carbs? There may be an issue with the pilot jet adjustment (base setting 2 1/2 turns out) or the choke/enricher not working properly.

Boiling moisture from the oil could act just like air in the system. Particularly, if it collects at or near the master cylinder it would most likely allow the pedal to fully compress with little or no resistance. Cooling off might allow the moisture to be reabsorbed and give you back some pedal pressure. Bleeding the system until clear fluid comes out the valve is the solution. While you are at it, remove the pads for inspection and swap sides if there is uneven wear. With the pads removed "gently" apply brakes to extend the pistons out a little farther than they were with the worn pads. Not so far that the piston is pushed out of the cylinder. While doing this watch for a piston that is moving faster than the others. This indicates the slow ones are dirty and somewhat crudded up. Use a vicegrip, clamp or the pads with a wrench handle between them to stop any fast piston and allow the slow piston to catch up. About 1/4 inch more than the starting position should be enough. Clean the pistons and the area surrounding them with brake cleaner and an old toothbrush. Push the pistons back in and apply brakes gently again. All pistons should move at about the same rate. Air in the system could affect the movement of a piston somewhat but it is quite obvious whether they are moving easily. If the pads are being replaced at this time, put the new ones in then bleed the system. If the pads do not need to be replaced then bleed the system before cleaning the pistons.

If the visegrips can't grab the screw head well enough to get it out then grind the heads off, remove the stator and see if vicegrips will remove the remaining shaft. If not, apply some more heat to the shaft and perhaps some penetrating oil before trying again. When removing stuck screws you must be firm but gentle and persuasive. Snapping one off is migraine territory.

Thanks BlackMax Hopefully a cleanup will be all that needs to be done on my XV. Since I have the Venture to ride I can dismantle the Virago, see what's up, then order what ever parts are necessary.

What I understood, right or wrong, is you want to have an intercom connection to the passenger. The passenger wants to have an audio connection to a phone or iPod. The transmitter can be paired with the passenger's headset which will also retain the pairing to the driver's headset. The transmitter will hook directly to the 3.5mm audio device. What I don't know in this scenario is what will happen when the driver talks to the passenger. Will the intercom pairing override the audio pairing or talk over it. With the SMH10 pairing can be switched from the audio transmitter to the intercom by pressing the main control switch. I would say the SM10 will do the same and perhaps better for $150 more.

I have had that happen with both the Virago and the Venture without the terminal being particularly nasty looking. It's probably a good thing to occasionally clean the terminals whether they look like they need it or not. Might also help the charging system keep the battery topped up.

I think you may have left me behind. So your circuit board somehow allows the audio system to connect to the SMH10 headset module which then will transmit to the 20S headset??? That's pretty cool.

Is it a secret?

The Virago has just under 100,000 Kms on it and I've only used Rotella-T 15W-40 oil. Seems a bit too soon for the clutch to be gone but, maybe not. Yes, should do that before possibly buying parts I don't need. Looked before and just looked again, can't find EBC clutch spring for sale but did find a few Barnett conversion kits. No trouble finding EBC clutch plates.

That was not so difficult. The message was more about the journey than the content. It does however segue into to one of my favourite quotes "Life is a journey, not a destination."

For about $30 you can get a Bluetooth transmitter that can be connected through a 3.5mm jack to a phone or MP3 player and pair it with the headset. Most of the transmitters I found on Amazon would transmit to only one receiver which is what you are after. There is one that will transmit to two receivers at the same time and that one is the Aukey BT-C3 module. I recently purchased one of these and it worked very well...but only for a day...gotta love Chinese stuff. Anyway, I sent it back to Amazon and will probably get another one and give it one more try.

I'm not sure what you are saying here. The SMH20 is the latest version of the SMH10 headset. The SMH10-M01 is the power module for the SMH10 so why is it necessary? In order to transmit both CB and stereo to the headset two Sena modules are needed, the SR10 and the SM10. Gets to be quite expensive. Seems to me Sena could could combine both functions into one module.

Water pill is a very generic non medical term which could mean just about anything. My "water pill" is hydrochlorothiazide which is a diuretic that makes the body fill the bladder to overflowing as quickly as possible. I have been on blood pressure and cholesterol meds since about 30. When I was 38 I started having bouts of low level angina, the occasional "twinge" as you might say. At the time I had no idea what that feeling was and it never lasted very long. After 6 months or so the "twinges" turned into something more attention grabbing but still short duration and not too intense. I did not identify them as pain though. So far in my life any pain I experienced was short term and locally intense from doing stupid things like hitting a finger with a hammer or getting stabbed by a hook. This pain was totally different and so I didn't clue into what was happening. After a couple of weeks the twinges got more frequent and more intense so I made an appointment with my GP to find out what was up. On the way to my appointment the episodes were more frequent and more intense than ever before. So I'm siting in the Dr's office waiting for my turn and thinking this really sucks. Finally get in to see him and explain whats been happening and he disappears for a couple of minutes and returns with a small bottle of nitro spray. He handed it and said you should get yourself to the ER which is about a 10 or 15 minute drive. So off I went. On the trip, the twinges had intensified to the next level or perhaps the next one after that. I get to the ER and stand in line for about 20 minutes to see the triage nurse. (Never used the nitro spray because I didn't know what to do with it. My Dr probably didn't realize I was quite that stupid.) I'm feeling really crappy by this point. Nurse says what's up and I tell her and within a minute I'm on a gurney with an IV. Felt better pretty quick. Ended up getting a stent in one of my genetically deficient heart arteries which was smaller than normal. So there it is... proof... size does matter. Good times in the good old days. Quite a different scenario in civvy life then and now. Obviously things could have gone much worse. Took it as a heads up and cleaned up my eating habits. Kinda slowly because of the general difficulty in separating the marketing BS from fact. Which is part of the reason I have on occasion posted some nutritional hints. Probably all of us should do better with what we shovel into our gob. Glad you are OK GW. We would miss your entertaining posts.

When I did the valves on the 90 the tool I borrowed came with a selection of about 20 shims. I was able to use only three of them, recycled two of them within the 90 and had to buy the rest. Having spare shims is not a bad thing but it didn't work out very well for me. If shims can be had for free or very cheap it's probably worth getting them but waiting until you know what is needed probably won't be very much worse.

So I guess the thing to do is take the clutch apart then order whatever parts don't look good. I was looking at Barnett which has a clutch spring kit but it's quite expensive, over US$200.... OK that's very expensive, in Canuk bucks. Haven't found an alternative for sale yet. Unless there is a broken spring I'm not sure I'd be able to tell if they need replacing.