GeorgeS

On any " older " motorcycle, its a good idea about once every 5 years or so. to take about two days, and go over " Every " nut and bolt on the entire motorcycle. Also its a very good idea, to disconnect and clean, ( with electrical contact cleaner ) " Every " electrical connector of the wireing harness, nose to tail, and port to starboard of the machine. Things come " loose " and connectors get corroded !

Has anybody come up with anything on this old 09 thread as to a gauge mount for the later model RSTD's ?? I have been thinking about some form of gauge mount for my 08 RSTD. I am thinking about a " Volt meter " and " Temp gauge " . However I run with a Tank bag most of the time so not much room . Have been thinking about building some type of " Mount " on the clearview windshield, for the gauges, and useing quick disconect wireing leads. Has anybody come up with anything like this ???

Just wire it up with about #12 stranded wire. Install an new fuse holder, and wire Directly to battery. Also, install a RELAY, that can handle about 10 AMPS . Power the relay so its OFF when the KEY is OFF. Put the Fuses, CLOSE to the Battery. If you are still useing the STOCK, OEM venture Antenna, I would replace it with a HIGH Quality CB antenna. and NEW, COAX from the new antenna, to the New Amplifier. Also, make up a new Coax,from the CB transciever to the new AMP. If you have never installed COAXial Connectors, find sombody to do that for you who knows how to do it. OR, buy NEW made up cables, with plugs on each end. RG-58 Coax cable will work good, ( 50 ohm impedance coax ) try Radio Shack, for made up cables. Lots of folks, have had problems with the Antenna base mount, on the 1st gen bikes, MOST, of them have been replaced with aftermarket CB antenna's.

IF, the Float Valve, sticks, in open position, and the bowls flood, the fuel will run out these Overflow hoses, I had this happen once, lots of fuel running down under the bike. thats why the hoses are supposed to run down behind the engine !!

On my 89, ( now sold ) I could remove the rear drive unit, and then pull out the drive shaft in ONE piece. At about 35,000 miles, I pulled the rear, and the oil seal came apart. I had to replace the Oil seal at the input of the drive unit. Every 10K or so I would simply remove the 4 nuts, pull off the drive unit, and pull out the shaft and hand greese both ends and replace it. I did the same thing on my new 08 RSTD last year, at 3800 miles, when replaced the Brickstone with a new E-3. The OIL ( SAE-90 ) in the drive Box, Does Not lubricate the drive shaft!! You have to greese it, BY HAND, and there are NO Zerk fittings IF--- the SAE - 90 is getting into the Drive shaft houseing past the rear oil seal, and running forward, it will drip out from a HOLE, in the bottom of the forward rubber boot, of the drive shaft, under the U- Joint. Mine did this !! thats when I pulled out and replace the BAD, SEAL, at the input to the drive box. Check the IPC, for parts lay out.

Put a bottle of " Ride-On " in both wheels, air up, and ride !! Much simpler to do

You might also have to re-build the Master cylinder. Order OEM parts to do that job. You might as well order a new slave cylinder also.

Its not worth the trouble, 5 to 20 watts is good enough for close in communications with rideing groups. Especially if you use channels above 25, useing the SSB channels. A 100 watt amplifier, on a motorcycle, gets into some serious power draw, and wireing considerations. I have done it with Ham radio equipment, 100 watts, and currently 200 Watts. Trust me, its not easy, but, it can be done. ( A 100 watt amp, is going to draw, about 20 Amps from your electrical system, be sure to consider that in your plans ) But on the CB band, its simply not worth the trouble. 5 Watts, SSB is good for about 5 mile range with rideing groups, thats all you need. I might go with a 20 Watt amp, but remember, thats not legal. ( I know everybody does it ) George, K7RTF,

At about 8000 miles my new 08 started slipping, " Bad " I installed just the Barnett pressure plate assembly, about 10K on it now, absolutely NO Slippage. So far, so good,

Haveing 3 bikes in the garage, I order the stuff by the case !! Every new tire, gets a bottle. Balance, Yes!! it does help, in my opinioin. I recall sombody, removed a worn out rear tire a few years ago, and posted, that he found " Three Nails " in the old tire, and the " Ride - On " had kept it from leaking. One other guy, said that before removeing worn out rear tire, he drove three screws thru it, and let it sit over night, before removeing it the next day. He said it only lost a couple of lbs. of air. The stuff seems to work, I'm sold on it. If you have more then one bike, order it by the case, and keep it on hand. I also, carry an extra on both bikes, at all times.

Well as long as we a makeing a list, my first bike was a " Harley Hummer" 125. Upgraded to a 1947 45 C.I. flat head, in late 1958. ( should have kept it , Darn !! )

Question?? Is that a Sears Roebuck, purchaced, " Puch " 250cc in the background ??? Looks familiar, I used to have one in 1960. Bought it new, at the Sears store on Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys, Calif.

The Intakes throats on a Busa, are 44mm each cylinder ( maby 45mm )

Well a Bussa, is a nice driving bike, " IF " you don't use more then about 1/10 of the throttle !! If you keep it to about that much throttle rotation, you will never be going more then about 30 MPH over the speed limits !!! Quite often while I am rideing my Busa, I glance down at the speedo, and usually I am only going, about 30MPH over what I think I am going ?? ie: IF, I think I'm going 50 , I'm actually going about 70 . I did go for a ride on the thing yesterday. Nice relaxing ride, it was, Sun was shinneing, not much traffic. At one point, I thought I was doing about 50, and glanced at the speedo, and it said " 80 " !! I swear, Officer, I did not know this was happening !!! But the point is, with a full face helmet, and Quiet mufflers, you really can't tell how fast you are going on these things !! They seem to have a " Little Devil " installed inside the Computer !!! This little guy never seems to be satisfied, as to how fast you are going, :stirthepot: ?? Anyway, tell your neighbor, that George, has one, and he his nickname for his Black Busa, is the " Death Machine " !!! Zero, to 60MPH, in 2.4 Seconds is another big selling point for these machines !!! You can get to the next stop light, before the cars behind you are even out of Second gear !! Its amazing, when you get to the next Stop, light, the cars are still sitting there waiting for the light to change to green !! At this point, you are faced with trying to stop the thing from about 90 MPH, in less then 100 feet !!! Amazingly, the the bike does have " Fantastic " Front brakes !!! But sadly !!! a Neophite rider probably does not have the skill level required to stop the thing ! :whistling: and we all know what happens next :whistling: If you have a flag pole in your front yard, you might lower the flag to half mast, and if your neighbors wife happens to ask " Why " you could hint to her why you have done this !!! :whistling: Back when these bikes first hit the market, in 1999, I think the statictics were that 2 out of 3 that were sold, were crashed, within 3 months !!! Funny thing is that the mfg. does not even advertise them anymore !! In case anybody is interested, the original bikes back in 99 make 174 HP, and the bike has a dry weight of 495 lb. !! I think the last few year's the HP has been bumped up to about 185 or 190, something like that. I have had my 99 run on a Dyno, It DOES, make 174 HP, It will get up to about 130MPH, before you even realize what is happening !! Your still in 3rd gear at this point, and not even at red line yet. Anyway, that's as fast as I have had the thing going, enuf is enuf !!! as they say. It is a Fantastic Machine !! But, if you buy one you better know what you are doing !! It is capable of going 200 MPH, and it will !!! The older ones, would do about 193, and the newer models will top 200 !! Getting the thing to about 150 mph, is Effortless !!!! I refer to my 99 as the " Death Machine " whenever anybody asks me about it !!! I have offered mine for sale to two different riders who were rideing " Liter Class " "sport bikes", and both of them told me NO, I don't want it, its to dangerous !!! Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth, But, I love rideing the thing!!! It makes a V-Max, seem like a toy !!! :stirthepot: Its Amazing, a 1.3 liter engine, that makes 174 HP! AND, you can add a turbo, ( easy to do ) and get it up to around 300 HP !!! ( Really !!! you can )

What years of V-Max Rear drive can be used on an 08 RSTD ?? Does it matter which year of V-max the rear comes off of ???

Recent article in Cycle world, http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/03/09/exclusive-inside-the-all-new-indian-thunder-stroke-111-v-twin-engine/ And a second article just found: http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/08/15/new-2014-indian-motorcycle-chief-and-chieftain-review-from-sturgis-bike-week/ Read on, lets discuss the engine !!! the rest of the bike will develop with time !!

If the engine is as good as I have been hearing, they need to put it in a " GOOD " Street Bike Frame !!! Something that can handle all that power !!! Something like a " Sportster " But with that much ""Power"" , it will have to be a ------ " GOOD "----- frame, and not just an Average, Harley type of " welded pipe" frame assembly.

I would like to see a Dyno Run, print out, what will the new engine do ???

At this point I think its all about the new engine !!! Styling, that stuff will get worked out over time, IF??? the Engine is as good as I have been hearing. Hmmmmm Sooner, or later, you might find one Wrecked !!! and be able to swap that new engine into an RSTD !!! :stirthepot: :stirthepot:

What are the Torque, and HP numbers ????? Guess I will have to call my Bro in Law, the Harley Guy, who builds race car engines. Sis told me a month ago the he is all excited about the new Indian !! ( Now understand, this guy own's THREE, Harley's !! ) And, builds " extreme " high perfermornce Engines !! SO---- if he is excited about this new Indian, there must be something to it. I'm going to give him a call this week end, find out the story. Looks like Yama, has dropped the ball on this one. Guess we will have to start working on finding a " New " V-Max " Engine from a wreck, and retrofiting it into an RSTD !!!! :whistling: :stirthepot: Any Idea's ?????

Any more trouble ?? Did you get it fixed ??

OK, where is the best place to order stainless lines for 08 RSTD ?? Have that on my list for off season modifications !! ( to do list ! ) Galfer lines I assume are the best, open to suggestions. ??? :confused24:

Well the new ( last year ) 08 RSTD, now has 18,000 miles on it !! Got back from Idaho the other day and looked at odo, Hmmm say's I, have I really gone that far in 15 months ???? Well, I guess I did !! I checked the E-3 I installed on rear, at 3000 miles ( bridgestone went into trash ) and it now has about 15K on it, looks like it will make it to at least 20K !! :cool10: Required maintenance so far: New Barnett clutch, to replace slipping OEM clutch. Everything else, just normal maintenance !! and a few mods, So far, so good !!! Love this machine !! :):)

Went on a 650 mile round trip last week on the 08 RSTD. Seattle to Couer de alene, Idaho, then south to Harrison, Idaho. Went to visit an old friend I worked with for many years. Anyway, good ride, no rain, but I did get caught on about a 10 mile ride on gravel, mountain road. !!! Hmmm This was a stupid mistake on my part, and frankly I do not reccomend rideing a Venture on Gravel roads. ( Especially high mountain, back roads !!! ) It was a hairy experience, and NO place to turn around and go back !!! But we made it. The Venture is a wonderfull highway machine, but , dirt bike ??? I will never do that again, at least, " on purpose " !!! :whistling:

The plug wires on these bikes, is just 7MM Solid Copper standard spark plug wire. You can get it in bulk at most autoparts stores. Its easy to change the wires, it just screws out of the coils, and the resistor caps.