ToyOdie

Did anyone notice the bike in the background of picture 44 of the "On the Road" section? Not the red Harley the other one.

OK guys, you have my attention! At my first opportunity I'll pull the front end apart. More than likely I'll find bad bearing races. With that in mind I'm going to order and replace them while it's apart. I don't like to do the same job twice. Any tips or tricks I need to be aware of when I get into it?

I'm looking for suggestion on my 97 RSTC. When riding at speeds up to around 55 mph the bike seems to wander like I'm going over tar snakes. It is more noticeable at lower speeds and it's not as bad as it sounds but still it's anoying. I have been paying close attention to where the crown in my lane is and that doesn't seem to matter. I have adjusted the steering head bearings to the book and that didn't help. I also checked tire pressure (Dunlap E-3's with 8000 miles and still look new). My next thought is wheel bearings because I swapped the wheels from my 96 that had 60,000 miles (they were in better shape). I'm looking for any ideas of things to check before I start changing parts. Thanks for any help I can get.

If you have a compression tester check the compression. A new 2 cycle should have @120 to 140 psi. Anything below 80 psi is done. At 80 psi you might be able to get it to start but it will die when it tries to idle. Don't beat yourself up, buy a new one. This is what I do for a living.

If your looking to get your bars a little closer, I recommend the Venture risers with a 1 1/2 inch riser extension. This is what I did and it worked great. I didn't have to change any of my cables. The other advantage to this setup is it allows you to install a Batwing Fairing. Here is a link to DarrenGT where he did the same thing http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?56020-Time-to-start-Tearing-into-the-Bike&highlight=tearing+bike.

Just got my seat back from Rick Butler. I haven't gone on a long ride yet but I just rode 25 miles and it felt great. I found a NOS seat on eBay for $80. My old seat was beginning to tear at the nose and needed to be recovered anyway. I sent the new seat directly to Rick for the mod. It will need a little seat time to break in the cover. Rick did a great job and the cost is much less than a new seat. I would highly recommend giving Rick a chance with your seat before you spend big bucks on an aftermarket seat. This was one of the best mods I've done to my bike. Thanks Rick!!!

As suggested in your other thread, pull the clutch cover. Check to see if there are any worn parts. The 96 has a different shift segment than later models. There are more pieces to wear out including the cage that holds the pins. The segment from a 2001 is one piece eliminating the cage and is a direct replacement. I replaced mine as suggested when I lost fourth and fifth gear. I think your problem is somewhere in the shift linkage behind the clutch and this would be IMHO the best place to start. Here are links to the breakdowns so you can compare. 1996= http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/oemparts/a/yam/50043abbf8700209bc78d0be/shift-cam-fork 2001= http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004469ff8700209bc78fb10/shift-cam-fork

This is the one I used. Easy to install and works great. If your going to add LED turn signals you need to add the electronic flasher relay or the lights will flash too fast. http://www.customdynamics.com/tailconversion_kit.htm

Partshark.com is less expensive however.....in my experience they are not very quick in shipping and their customer service leaves something to be desired. Based on your other post, you said one of the brass tubes had come out of the housing. Those are just press fit in the housing (no sealant required). If the tube is not damaged, all you should need to do is put a small piece of wood over the end of the tube and tap it back in. I have had the same issue with mine. Tapped it back in and have had no problems since.

Here is the part number for the entire assembly. 4WM-24500-10-00 You can get more specific parts if you don't need the whole unit. YamahaPartsHouse.com (Babbits.com) is where I have bought many parts.

I would check my carb sync. Numb fingers on a 2k ride would drive me nuts. I usually put some Sea Foam in my first tank of gas on a long trip. It goes without saying to check your tire pressure.

Thanks for the info Cowpuc. I think I'll go ahead an pull the carbs. I'll give you an update (or ask for help) when I get started.

+1 on Dennis Kirk!!! I have had great experience with the Dunlop E3 bias ply. I have had them on both my 96 and 97 RSTC. They have excellent grip wet and dry. The last 2 sets I got 15,000+ miles.