camos

Depending on the size of it, a tapped hole could work well. There is a 1" RAM ball mount that is meant to attach to a camera which would make a tidy accessory adapter. [ame=http://www.amazon.ca/Ram-Mount-1-Inch-Threaded-Cameras/dp/B0059X0YIQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1409502284&sr=8-7&keywords=RAM+mount+stud]Ram Mount 1-Inch Ball with 1/4-Inch 20 Male Threaded Post for Cameras: Amazon.ca: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31mGF2e%2B2AL.@@AMEPARAM@@31mGF2e%2B2AL[/ame]

Looks like you could easily make the bars with a built in SnaggleStud on each side for mounting GPS or camera. It's a First Gen thing if you don't know what I'm talking about.

What I have heard is the mirrir glass can be removed using heat to release the glass. A great deal of care must be taken as it is somewhat difficult to get the glass out without breaking it. In your case, since the glass is already broken it would not matter if there was some breakage getting it out. If the replacements are indeed the correct shape then it would be worth $10, in my opinion, to give it a try.

I'm not a collector in the pure sense either but that said, I now have three bikes so that would make me some kind of collector. I tend to get good used vehicles and then drive them until they are nearly worn out. Don't abuse them but don't baby them either. I know what you mean about dropping the Venture. After riding the 90 for 3 or four months I was get fairly proficient at handling it but one day came to a perfect stop in a flat parking lot stall and went to put the kickstand down. Must have tilted it too far to the right cause it overbalanced and started to tip over. I could not get it back up to a stable position no matter how hard I tried. All I could do was gently lower it down until the mirror was resting on the truck beside me. I was stuck there. Could not get it up, could not let go of it to get out. Finally some bystanders noticed my plight and came to the rescue. No damage to the truck, not even a mark in the paint, but the right mirror pivot point had been stretched to the point it would not stay in position. Fortunately that is the only "crash" I have had.

For a collector plate, I don't think it has to be "mint" but it does have to be OEM as originally sold with no primer, dents or body rust which may not apply so much to guards or bumpers. There are some qualifications that allow for era specific aftermarket accessories but I'm not up on all the details. Collector vehicles can only be driven for pleasure so no driving to or part way to work or school. In BC we also have a vintage plate and that one only allows the vehicle to be driven to shows or events. I can't remember what the requirements are for these vehicles. Good idea although so far I have not found any public contact numbers for their inspection service. For the time being I'm going to have to ride the 89 to work because the 90 is having fan issues and there is no dash light. Everything else seems to be working OK so it might be two separate issues or a related issue like a bad ground. The Virago needs a new clutch and a new exhaust. Until I get at least one of my "spare" bikes roadworthy I can't proceed with obtaining collector status for the 89. How does life get so complicated?

Thanks for all your good wishes and for the helpful ideas on how to fix the unhappy trunk on my "new" 89 VR. It may be a bit of a trial to switch the clean and bright trim pieces, hinges and latches from the 89 trunk bottom to the 90 trunk bottom then install it onto the 89 but I've decided that is probably the best route to take. Just have to take it easy see how it goes.

Thanks but it's not nearly as nice looking as yours is with the extra bling. I think the saddlebag and trunk racks add a lot to the way the bike looks. That said, everything on my 89 looks good and works good except for the holes in the trunk and rear reflector. The trunk bottom from my 90 just happens to be the same Graceful Maroon colour as the darker maroon on the 89 so it will be a suitable replacement for the damaged original. Without a side by side comparison it is unlikely anyone will notice the substitution.

After reading the collector application rules it appears to me that they want the vehicle to be in almost showroom condition. Totally stock except for era specific optional accessories, no dents, no primer, no rust, no holes and more. They do allow braided brake and clutch lines but not for electrical wiring. There are two holes for each of the four trailer lights. Only two of the lights are mounted on the reflector. Haven't pulled them off yet to see how badly the reflector was damaged when the holes were drilled. The two amber lights are mounted to the sides of the trunk so four holes to fill there. I have the aftermarket trunk light bar on the 90 that I could use to replace the 89 reflector, assuming that accessory is acceptable, which I think it should be. Anyone on here got access to a 3D printer?

Plugs would certainly be the easiest solution to fill the holes but if I go that route I will most likely fill them with some ABS. You remember the discussion about using ABS and MEK to create liquid ABS to repair the plastic parts? ColorRite has a pen kit with all the necessities except for base coat to make minor paint repairs.

I retrieved this little beauty from Washington last weekend. OK, so it's not that little but it's still a beauty, to me at least. Has 25,000 miles Unfortunately, there are some warts. In order to get it registered as a collector I'm going to need a new trunk reflector. There are four holes hidden under a sticker on the lid so a possible repaint of both the lid and the bottom bucket. Didn't notice the holes under the sticker I know, suck it up, the rest of it is gorgeous. A big, big thanks to peder_y2k for helping me get the rear brakes working for the ride home.

I don't know if this is off topic but how does the GPS get connected to the headset? I recently got a Garmin Nuvi 2598 which has Bluetooth capabilities. From what I have read the Bluetooth in the Garmin is only meant to connect to a cell phone for calls. I have not found anything that says the voice directions can be routed through the headset. Anyone know about this feature?

That's good news, I contacted Sena about the SM10 quite a while ago and was told it was not able to transmit on the CB. I guess they must have modified it since that time. The SM10 is advertised to have stereo output though so I am a bit confused about you saying it is not stereo. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding your information.

According to my understanding of the description, the Sierra adapter ($99) attaches to a Sena SMH-10 headset (approx $180) on the bike that is used to transmit to the rider's headset. A bit too spendy for me at this time but then how much is freedom worth? Thanks Bluestreak, it's good to know that option exists anyway.

Can you actually use the CB or just listen to it?

Would this be something to do with the router limitation that has been in the news lately? The number of web addresses has gotten too large for some of the older routers to handle so some URL's are getting dropped.

I've never heard of drilling through for light bulbs either. I'm pretty sure there is a description in the tech library for installing an LED strip in the reflector which can apparently be separated relatively easily using a heat gun to soften the glue. I hope so anyway since one of the turn signal lights in my aftermarket reflector bar is burnt out so it needs to be taken apart to replace it. Stupid way to build a light bar. What Freebird said about using the same colour light as the plastic.

Not that it can't be done with the wheel installed but it's a bit easier to grease the suspension linkage. Not sure what year they showed up but my "90 VR has grease nipples and apparently some earlier models did not have them.

The waterproof case arrived a few days ago. It looks like it is well made except for the way the mount connects to the case. Looks like a good bump could shake it loose. A screw or two will make the connection solid though.

Rick's Motorsports is probably the best choice.

Yes, pretty much that. They say when riding you should look where you want to go so looking down is not a very good thing. Committing to the stop before looking left and right is by far the safest method. Having to come to a quick stop in the middle of a turn is courting disaster mostly because the momentum vector does not follow the same trajectory as the direction of the bike, it's a bit behind it. Which make it sideways. Interesting, of course, I do almost the opposite. Use the front brake only to slow to a crawl then apply the back brake until stopped then apply the front again. I prefer to put only my left leg down but depending on the road surface having the right foot available can be necessary. This heavy bike is made even heavier with a passenger but a balanced bike takes little effort to hold up. While sitting at a stop I can feel the balance shifting left and right and will occasionally need to put my right foot down. That's a failed stop. You get demerits for any uncontrolled actions. It's a game, you know. Dropping the bike goes far beyond just demerits.

Yayyy!!! Somebody besides me gets it. I have posted about this several times and have never gotten any feedback. It's like everyone thinks bleeding the brakes or the clutch has to be hard because the only people posting about it are having difficulty but it is not, it is just too easy if you know how it's done. As djh3 said, the trick is the loop from the bleeder to the bottle and of course, never let the reservoir get empty. That's all there is to it. The rise of the loop holds brake fluid so no air can get sucked back into the system when you stop pumping. You can see the fluid level move back towards the bleeder on the back stroke. The loop needs to be higher than that possible movement, 1/2"-1" so it needs to be 3"- 5" high. Also, it is not necessary to pump and hold pressure before opening the bleeder. Just open the bleeder with hose already on it and pump out the old fluid. When the fluid looks clear then you know fresh fluid from the reservoir has made it to the bleeder. Any bubbles can be seen through the clear hose and most of the action happens before the fluid looks clear. The faster you can pump the fluid the easier it is to move any bubbles in the system because there is less time for the bubbles to float up. Having another person keeping the reservoir from getting empty does make it easier. However, doing it solo is not very difficult since air cannot get in through the bleeder when the hose has a head of brake fluid. The main reason to have a helping hand is when pumping you may not be able to see the level in the reservoir. Suck any air into the system from the reservoir and you have to start the process over again. Motorcycle systems are so simple and so small that bleeding them should never require a vacuum pump or speed bleeders. KISS reigns supreme.

The dealer here wanted about the same exorbitant price. Rocket and I bought a bunch of them a year ago for around $3 each on eBay. I just did a search on eBay for "Venture Royal fuel filter" and got a bunch of hits ranging from $3 to $6.

There seems to be a flood of really nice low mileage 89 Ventures coming available lately. A month ago there was an 89 with 17,000 miles for sale in Friday Harbor WA, asking price $3200. I did not see that bike but talked to the owner and the pix looked as good as the one Bluesky bought. At the same time, there was an 89 for sale in Lynnwood WA with 25,000 miles. I bought that one for $1900 and will be picking it up next weekend. The one I got does not have the extra chromey things on it. Congrats on your super find Bluesky. Wonder if we should start a separate forum for beautiful 89's.

That one looks just like the clamp on my XV 1100 which did not fit. Guess the Virago is too wimpy for the Venture.

Thought they might work but didn't know if they would fit my '90 VR.