rstd_mn

I picked one up from a Clearance Sale from JP Cycle and installed it on my Radio Caddy Fairing. Comes with a rubber waterproof plug. Ran it to the battery with a fuse in line. As long as you are using one made for a 12 volt power source it has the built in voltage regulation. DON'T try and wire up a USB extender cable. Not worth the trouble of discovering you fry everthing you plug in. Don't quote me but I think the standard USB port on a laptop puts out 5 volts to power devices. No clue which connection is the power. Bruce T. 05 RSTD Minnesota

Being an older rider, I have been watching for options for when my right leg finally says I can't hold a bike up any longer. (nerve damage) Been doing some research on trikes, sidecars and setups like the voyager kits. One of the little tidbits I gathered from a trike builder is they like to use a Sportster tire on some of their heavier trikes. They also reverse mount it so the tire runs backwards. Supposed to make slow speed handling mucher easier. I do know there are 2 sizes of front tires that others use on their Ventures and RSTD's. Front Tire: 150/80-HB16 Optional size: 130/90-HB16 The narrower optional size is supposed to improve slow speed handling but at the price of some higher speed cornering ability. Wondering if the smaller size front tire would be best on a Venture trike. BTW: Nice Trike!! Bruce T. 05 RSTD Minnesota

Since Qdude prefers to make this a "Public" discussion rather than working this out between us: I will be posting pictures of the Bub mufflers tonight after work. When you see the pictures, then I welcome opinions on which are worth more and what would be a fair settlement to this issue. It is only fair that you get the complete picture before making any statements on what is worth more and what would be a fair settlement. My mufflers were in excellent condition, No Scratches, Dents and No Rust. The RSTD Tips were not peeling chrome. I only wish I had taken some pictures of them before mailing them off. RSTD_MN

I have been thinking about a trip to Alaska for a few years now. I considered riding to Alaska then ship my bike back. Rejected the idea as it would be a big expensive hassle. Plus the worry of my bike getting damaged, etc. Started thinking about a "Disposable" Bike. Buy a older, used, good running bike to ride to Alaska. Then just before flying home, go to a dealer and see what they will give you for the bike. Figure if I invest $4,000.00 in a bike (purchase and repairs) and end up selling it for $2,000.00 or less, what the heck. If a dealer would take it on consignment, that would be even better. One could always "Donate" the bike to a charity in Alaska and take a nice healthy tax deduction. Just did a quick Ebay search for some of the bikes I would consider comfortable enough to ride to Alaska: 1993 BMW K-Series K1100 LT 2003 Ducati Sport Touring Ducati ST4s 1982 Honda GL 500 Silver Wing (the smallest I would consider) 1982 Honda CB 900 1996 Honda ST 1100 99 HONDA SHADOW ACE TOURER 1100 WITH HARLEY FAIRING Then there are always the older Goldwings, Ventures and Voyagers. Bruce T.

I have built 3 HF trailers for pulling behind my RSTD so I have a little experience. 1. Run about 20-25 lbs of air in the tires depending on how much cargo you are carrying. 2. Remove the short springs. You only need the one. 3. The length of the tongue as recommended by others should be 1.5 times the width of the axle. I have adjusted the length of my 3 trailers by cheating (sort of). I have always narrowed my trailers by 6 inches and depending on the roof top cargo box I am using, shortened it by 6 to 8 inches. Most of the shortening is taken off the rear of the trailer. When I do this I also move the center support bar forward by several inches. The tongue then gets "pushed" forward by that many inches. When I narrow the trailer I also cut the same amount from the center of the axle. I then take the piece of the axle and invert it onto the 2 pieces of the axle. I then drill and bolt the axle together. Since there is no stress on the center of the axle, this works out fine. An easier way is to weld the axle back together after cutting out the excess. Once again invert the piece and fit it into the 2 pieces of axle and weld. The warning signs of a too short tongue or improperly loaded trailer is at speed the trailer will swing back and forth. You should have a tongue weight of at least 15 - 20 of the total weight of the trailer (including cargo). Should be at least 25 to 30 lbs of tongue weight. Use a spring loaded fish scale (under $10.00) to weigh the tongue. If your trailer still swings at speed then the tongue needs to be longer. When you install the coupler onto the tongue, be sure not to overtighten the bolts. You will know they are too tight as the coupler will not fit over the ball. Another important factor with trailers is for it to be level. You can move the axle above the springs to lower the trailer if needed. This will probably require you to move the fenders up to keep good clearance between fenders and tires. You will find the HF trailers tend to "rattle" going down the road. This is caused by the rear perch on the leaf springs bouncing up and down between the frame and the bolts. Just take a 1" piece of heater hose and install it on the rear spring bolts. Makes a world of difference quieting down the trailers. I know this is more info than you asked for and I am sorry I rambled on. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Always glad to help. Bruce 05 RSTD Minnesota