Jump to content

warthogcrewchief

Expired Membership
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    239

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by warthogcrewchief

  1. warthogcrewchief
    I've been riding her to work once or twice last week, and I finally got a chance to take her on a good run. I put about 30 miles on her, about five of it on the highway. She does good in town, decent power... However, on the highway, it struggles to accelerate over 80-85 MPH. It'll hold the speed at 80-85, but nothing much more than that. She still "pops" a little when at idle or coasting, but not big backfires from the exhaust or intake recently. She also tends to want to idle around 2,000 - 2,500 RPM despite resetting the idle screw at 1,000-1,100 RPM before every ride. I'm still waiting for the Carb tune to come in the mail and haven't had a chance to make it to the parts store and get new vacuum plug/covers. Does the lack of power at highway speeds sound like a carb problem or an ignition problem? Thanks for all your help again! WHCC
  2. warthogcrewchief
    I've never placed a bike on the center stand while on the bike. I always dismount and then place it on the center stand. On my VR, being that it's heavier, I usually pull up on the passenger hand hold and push down on the center stand foot pedal at the same time. That usually does the trick for me. Oh, make sure you have good shoes on...it really hurts trying this with either sandals or no shoes at all.
  3. warthogcrewchief
    I had a similar problem where I would get power to the radio, but nothing else worked...turns out it was corrosion building up around the battery terminals.
  4. warthogcrewchief
    You've got yourself a nice ride! I've ridden all kinds of bikes, one of them being a '94 Virago 750. I got rid of it because it didn't have enough power for me. I am near completion of a '89 VR restoration...about 98% done (mostly little cosmetic items left). You'll love riding the VR...a whole lot more power than the Viragos!
  5. warthogcrewchief
    If you're concerned that you have burned up a stator or a regulator rectifier, you should run some tests. I forget which values specifically to look for. However, I know the simplest test, which is to run the engine and see what the volts are across the battery terminal with a multimeter. Then compare the results with the static (not running) battery. If you have questions about your charging system, read the stator papers: http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_garage.htm They start halfway down the page. Most motorcycles have similar charging systems, so a lot of what is said in those papers will apply to the VR.
  6. warthogcrewchief
    The motorcycle charging system is similar to an automobile's. However, the major components are separated out. Everything you wanted to know about a motorcycle charging system is here: http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_garage.htm Read "The Stator Papers" about halfway down the page. I found out about these priceless write-ups when I owned a GS850. Those GS850's were/are nearly bulletproof with one exception: the charging system - which can be easily remedied. Anyways, read those papers and they'll tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about a motorcycle's charging system.
  7. warthogcrewchief
    Some people's children.... (and I'm not referring to the little girl).
  8. warthogcrewchief
    I changed the air filter last night. The old one was pretty bad! Since then, the bike is running better. Although I still have an occasional backfire. I plan on syncing the carbs (as soon as my Carbtune gets here!) and also replacing the vacuum port covers for good measure. Hopefully it does the trick....I know I'm headed in the right direction now.... might be tempted to take her for a fast, hard and short 30 mile ride to see if anything clears up.
  9. warthogcrewchief
    It could be... I know that it would work in ACC, but not in ON. I did clean the contacts up and it works great. I haven't seen a spark and haven't blown any fuses. I know it wasn't an "arc", but a spark. I think it could have been my battery contact bolt getting loose as I may have forgotten to tighten it completely. I ensured I tightened it it works fine now.
  10. warthogcrewchief
    I've heard of that happening a lot. I'm sure others will agree with me that the connector for the three wires is pretty cheap. A lot of people will hardwire the stator in. All you've gotta do is clip the three black wires and three white wires as close as you can to the connector. Then connect the wires together. I think it's a good idea to just solder the wires and use heat shrink tubing over the joint. I always manage to forget to slide the heat shrink tube over the wire BEFORE I solder the wire. Also, "tin" the wire before you solder. Tinning is just coating the exposed wire end with a little solder. It doesn't matter which white wire connects to which black wire. All three wires are the same for the white and for the black. I've been fortunate that my connector hasn't burned up yet, but I'm still thinking about doing the "hard wire" mod as I hear it helps to improve charging just a bit.
  11. warthogcrewchief
    I tried using the 8-pin min-din plug and kept having issues with the sound being VERY quiet. I go frustrated and just cut off the stupid thing and hard-wired in the switch and MP3 input plug. It works great! I got some plastic from my local hobby store and made a little storage area where the tape deck used to be. I got some small brass hinges from the local hardware store and installed a door panel. I also found a magnetic push latch and cut a hole into the side of the box the shape of the latch so that I could keep more room for my MP3 player and 12v power supply. I have it wired so that I can still remove the radio module... with the exception of the 12v marine-grade outlet. I just have to disconnect the female spade connectors on the backside. I'll add photos as soon as they're uploaded to my photo storage site. EDIT: Photos added http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/warthogcrewchief/100_0952.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/warthogcrewchief/100_0955.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/warthogcrewchief/100_0956.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/warthogcrewchief/100_0957.jpg
  12. warthogcrewchief
    Before you go out and replace a fuel pump that needs to be replaced, ensure you are getting electricity to the pump. You'll need a decent multi-meter and test the leads going to the pump when you turn it on to see if you're getting electricity. It could just be a minor electrical issue. Also, do you have a good repair manual? I've done a lot of repairs on other bikes before, but these Ventures are something unique... With that said, if you're in need of a repair manual, don't hesitate to ask. EDIT: Oh, and welcome to the forum! Be sure to get a membership before your trial membership expires (Definitely worth it!). I'm just finishing up a near total restoration on an '89 VR and the membership here has paid for itself tenfold!
  13. warthogcrewchief
    I've got one of these braces and they look great! The fitment is a little tight, but it should be to keep movement to a minimum. I've noticed that the ride is definitely more firm with the brace installed! I'm still doing test rides on my newly rebuilt '89 VR, but the brace works great!
  14. warthogcrewchief
    I pulled the battery terminals off, cleaned them with sand paper, cleaned the battery cable connections, and reconnected, leaving off the battery tender leads and another lead I have connected for accessory. It started right up! I started it three times. On the second start, I thought I saw a spark near the upper brake bleed port. When I started it the third time, I didn't see anything. No fuses were blown, so I might just be seeing things (too much exhaust maybe, lol). Either way, I may look for chaffed wires or other little things that may cause a potential problem. Thanks again for the help! It was such an easy fix, that I didn't even bother thinking of corroded connections... EDIT: This website is great! Thanks everyone for helping to get my bike going!
  15. warthogcrewchief
    I'll try that. Funny thing is that everything looked as if it was working...then the moment I hit the starter button, it all just quit...as if I had a dead battery or blown fuse.
  16. warthogcrewchief
    Howdy all! I was just going out to start the bike. I turned the key on, and the CMS BIT check went through its normal process. After all checks cleared, I hit the start button everything went off and no start! I checked the fuses on both fuse panels and they're alright. The main fuse is good too. I also checked the other little fuse on the negative side of the battery. The radio works fine, but that seems to be the only thing that works (when ignition switch is on accessory). I have no headlights, turn/hazard lights, tail light or start. The battery is good, I just put it on the battery tender and it already had a full charge. My thoughts are it could be a relay (which one, I don't know) or a CMS. Any ideas?? Thanks.
  17. warthogcrewchief
    With all the weight removed, I bet she's a FAST bike!
  18. warthogcrewchief
    I just ordered my EMGO filter from bikebandit.com and got it in this evening! You can get them from Bike Bandit.
  19. warthogcrewchief
    Does the posi-lock fuse holder replace the main fuse? If so, add that to my cables.
  20. warthogcrewchief
    I saw a few on Ebay. http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=yamaha+venture+royale+tank&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=yamaha+venture+royale+false+tank&_osacat=0&bkBtn=1
  21. warthogcrewchief
    I'll take a set too, please.
  22. warthogcrewchief
    I've had this happen on other bikes (Yamahas and Suzukis). I've always had problems with "soft" screws and bolts. Often times, I'll get stainless steel or grade 8 bolts (depending on the location/application) from my local hardware store (gotta love Ace Hardware or other "local-hometown" owned hardware store). Something else to remember is that a torque wrench is not to be used in the 10% window. Example: One torque wrench I have has a range from 10 to 150 Ft.-lbs. So, the usable range for this particular wrench is 11 ft-lbs to 135 ft-lbs. I also recommend having your torque wrench calibrated. In my line of work, we have to have our torque wrenches and torque limiters calibrated every one to two years (depending on the tool). Also, if the tool is misused or dropped, it should also be re-calibrated. Do a google search for torque wrench calibration in your city/area.
  23. warthogcrewchief
    I think you're talking about the mixture screws that are underneath the "EPA plug" that gets drilled out? I haven't drilled the plug out on these carbs yet. The only other thought would be the syncro screws on the outboard side of the carbs. Thanks for the info on the vacuum nipples. I'll keep that in mind. I'll see if my local Ace Hardware or auto parts store has them. I have a manometer on order...so I'll have to wait a week or two before it gets here.
  24. warthogcrewchief
    I just replaced my valve cover gaskets this week. I took the advice of some wiser folks here and used a little RTV on the gasket to hold it in place. It helped a little bit. I was too impatient to let the RTV dry overnight. So, I just let the RTV "tack" a bit. My biggest problem was getting the gasket aligned up while placing the cover back into position. I'm wondering if placing the gasket on the engine side first, and then placing the cover on top of the gasket followed by a final fitment to ensure it's properly seated and not pinched would work? Might be worth a shot. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to change out my gaskets...I thought it was going to be a lot longer to accomplish than it took (about 30 min-45 min each).
  25. warthogcrewchief
    It's a TDM 850. Those are nice bikes, never seen one in person, but heard great things about them. Also, the title of the photo gives it away.
×
×
  • Create New...