camos

Where does the Vise Grip go? Is it at the rubber boot end? Not sure there is a descriptive term that applies to me. I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out what your instructions meant so I didn't even get to the 10 seconds required to finish the job. If there is a term I don't want to hear it...OK?

Mine were in a similar condition when I pulled the pins out. I expected to see the needle bearings after removing the pins but no dice. So how do you get to the needle bearings?

Since you did not mention what you think of the Honda CTX 1300 thought I would bring it up. It is not a 2-up touring bike but should be reasonably capable for one person. The ST 1300 engine has been re-worked to supply more low end torque and the seating position on the CTX is more upright. The stock postage stamp windshield fairing bump can be replaced with a full size touring windshield which would offer more protection and might make it look more balanced. The CTX 1300 is a downsized version of the Goldwing F6B, both of which need the addition of a trunk to be much good for serious touring.

Thanks for the advice. Not sure yet if I will follow it this time around as I want to get the Venture on the road as soon a possible. If the bearings don't look bad I'm thinking at this point that I will probably just get the bearing number and order one in so I will be ready for when it does go bad.

Super, that was the info I was after. Saves me the effort of taking the rotor bolts out just to find they don't go through to the pins.

I'm assuming the needle bearings can be accessed by removing the cir-clip and seal? As you did not mention it, I guess you did not service the drive fingers when you did the bearings.

Got the rear wheel off and replaced the tire. Now I'm trying to sort out how to go about repacking the bearings and drive fingers. The left bearing which I think is the needle bearing one feels a bit rough and the right one feels good. Read in the tech library that a needle fitting on a grease gun can be used to inject grease into the left bearing. Is there a better way to do this? Seems replacing the bearings is quite difficult and is apparently quite often not necessary. Other than saying they should be greased every tire change I have not found any info on these drive fingers. Looking at the wheel it appears the 6 Allan bolts on the rotor side are what keeps the fingers in place. So by removing those bolts, the fingers can be removed from the left side. Is that right? If Honda Moly-60 is not available here I read JET-LUBE MP-50, available from Acklands, is quite good.

I ride in the rain very often and have to say no matter what you try it pretty much sux. As has been said, being able to look over the windshield is a must particularly in low light and wet conditions. Keeping the windshield clean definitely helps but when it is wet the reality is you won't have good visibility through it. I have found that it is not necessary to completely close the helmet visor while riding in the rain. I use the visor kind of like the bill of a ball cap, just pull it down to just above your sight line. This works quite well to keep light rain out of your eyes. With it a notch lower when the rain is heavier you would be looking through the lower inch of the visor but can tilt your head back a bit when better visibility is required. Most of my riding is commuting to work so I don't have the option of seeking shelter to wait out the rain. That seems to be the most sensible course of action to take when on a trip.

Very timely post, I just got my new rear tire mounted and intended to grease the rear wheel splines before re-installing the wheel. So now it appears that it is not just the splines that need doing but the fingers too. Not sure exactly what the fingers are though. Is there a How-To in the tech section? Found a reference to moly grease and high tech substitutes at ( http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Shaft.html#Grease )which might be of interest. I seem to recall reading that the Honda 60 moly was normally available through the Honda car dealerships. Anyone know if that is right? Just to throw a wrench into the works, I just found this posted in a forum thread that is discussing moly paste versus moly grease. The thread is here: http://cx500forum.com/forum/technical-help-forum/18104-honda-moly-60-paste-vs-loctite-moly-65-paste-2.html Excerpt:

Oh??? Well I think it is just stupid. If the plugs were set on an angle (as they are on my Virago) they would be no muss no fuss simple to re-n-re. Futzing around with standard sockets that won't fit and having to force it under/through the heat shield or messing with that stress inducing socket/wrench combo that comes with the tool kit. What were they thinking? ( Yamaha ) I haven't done it yet but I think I will cut off half of the OEM socket and have it welded to a 1/4 inch drive extension of the correct height.

As I recall it is more like an hour each. It's the stupidest setup I can think of.

Don't take my word as gospel but I'm sure multiple strands carry amperage better than solid core and solid core is more prone to vibration cracking than stranded wire is. Also, I recall reading that a wire kit for a V-8 can be had for less than one for a V-4. Haven't looked into it yet but that job is on the list after rebuilding the exhaust and replacing the rear tire. You can be the Guinea pig aka R&R guru. Pretty sure I read the info on this forum so there is most likely someone on here that actually knows what he is talking about. Gary perhaps?

Hah!!! That was my first thought but since you already said it, I'm going to x 2 it.

Reservations have already been made.

Well, it wasn't SAE but that was just a desperation move anyway. Turns out it was probably a 12 mm with rounded corners. Not brass either. There was just enough room to get about one inch of a hacksaw blade on the clamp so I cut it off. This was on the right side, the left side had no room to get the blade on it but I remembered I had a Dremel and was able to use the cutoff attachment to cut that one. The bolt on the left side needed an Allan Key which was stripped out. Hopefully those clamps are still available from Yamaha. So the mufflers are now off. The inside edges are very rusty looking but no holes that I could find. Got my fingers crossed on them still being serviceable. Had a look for the collector bolts but didn't find them. That was enough for me so I quit for the night, actually, until next weekend. Sure hope I can get the exhaust repaired before Venture West happens. Even though I had to cut off the clamps the suggestions were very much appreciated. As you are all aware, moral support is invaluable. Thank you all.

I tried 12 mm but it seems to be too big. Actually tried 11 mm too. Just occurred to me that I did not think to try fitting an SAE socket. Think I'll go out and try every socket in my toolbox. Thanks for the response Gary. This is so frustrating that I'm currently thinking dynamite might be the best long term solution.

You are right there, pretty sure I have not met him. Wasn't implying other pokes were not justified, just this one. Everyone is worthy of a hug, don't cha think?

The collector needs welding but I can't get a socket on the muffler clamp bolt. Not sure exactly what size it is and can't see what the problem is. It does not look like there is enough room to get in to cut the bolt but knowing the correct socket size might be helpful. Help!!

Sorry if you felt the poke was justified, personally, I don't think it was. As for it being an old thread... so what? The info you posted is still relevant and useful to those who are near Hamilton. The info I posted may also be of interest to anyone who is not near a retailer offering Deka's for a reasonable price. Hard for me to shield you from that unjustified poke. Perhaps Marcarl will send you a to make up for it. Here is a rendition of your favourite riff to cheer you up.

Yes it is but the thread came up when I was posting about SaskBattery and I thought why not add to it instead of creating a new one. Not sure if it was a good idea or not. The info I posted is most likely only of value to a Canuck anyway. Deka's around here were about $160+ and getting one from across the border almost doubled the US selling price. We are at such a disadvantage.

Check out http://saskbattery.com/ecommerce_435.htm. I got one from them a couple of months ago. Posted the info on here but no one seemed interested. OOps already said this. Should read the whole thread before opening my yap.... Oh well.

Have you tried logging out of the site then clear the browser cache? Do have the browser set to remember your login automatically?

As far as I know the rear brake shoes on my Virago have never been changed so they are probably nothing special, whatever comes stock. EBC does not make an HH sintered shoe so Aramid or Kevlar seem to be the only options. Decided to go with Vesrah VB-230 Organic Brake Shoes which are the Aramid ones. Don't know anything about the Vesra brand but they say they are for racing so should perform well enough for my commuting use. Thanks to all who responded and helped me make my decision.

I don't recall if the EBC shoes I found were HH, seems to me they were only described as organic. I too have EBC organic HH pads on my 1st gen and have been very happy with how they work. Don't recall ever hearing anything about how well Kevlar brakes work. Thanks Squidley, gotta take a closer look at what is available.

It will soon be time to replace the rear brake shoes on my Virago. Anyone have an opinion, yay or nay, between organic and kevlar shoes?