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V7Goose

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Everything posted by V7Goose

  1. V7Goose
    For that price, I'm willing to bet there is no way they did the work you listed. Bike shops are not known for "giving away" hours of work. Goose
  2. V7Goose
    Here is the link from the tech library: http://labs.trunkful.com/vrmanuals/index.cfm Goose
  3. V7Goose
    That's about it. I have no idea if blowing air would show anything, but it is an interesting idea. But just turning on the gas without the power will tell you easily if the pump has positive shutoff. Unfortunately, you cannot do that until you have already bought the pump. But that is why I listed the two types by part number in the alternative parts list. Goose
  4. V7Goose
    Yes, I listed both types of fuel pumps in the alternative parts list you can find in the tech library. Generally, light aircraft use the non-cutoff type because they cannot afford to have the engine stop if the pump fails, but other small engines are safer with the positive cutoff. The other important specification to pay attention to is the low fuel pressure required by our bikes. Most aftermarket pumps are too high. Higher fuel pressure m3eans higher float levels before the needle valve shuts it completely off. Goose
  5. V7Goose
    Just a quick word of advice - if you use an aftermarket fuel pump without a positive cutoff (blocks the fuel flow when the power is off), you should get used to shutting off the gas when you stop the bike. This was standard procedure before the 80s when vacuum operated petcocks became common, and there were even thousands of us who successfully ignored it, but you do run a risk of a leaking carb float valve and resulting engine problems. I THINK I know of two instances of these problems with Ventures. Even if the risk is slight, there are two very bad things that can happen if you end up with a leaking float valve. If the engine is stopped with the intake valve open, the slow trickle of gas can drain past the rings and massively dilute the oil, causing major internal engine damage over time. Second, if the engine stops with the intake valve closed, the gas can pool at the valve, then when you try to start it - hydro-lock. Result can be bent con rod and engine destruction. Finally, the fact that ALL RSV and RSTD carb floats are set WAY TO HIGH from the factory significantly increases your risk of this problem if they have not been corrected. The cheapest aftermarket pumps do NOT have positive fuel cutoff, so the easy solution is simply to use the fuel shutoff valve at the tank when you stop the bike. Goose
  6. V7Goose
    Based on the very limited information here, I'd bet your fuel filter is clogged, or maybe the petcock intake screens. Could easily be a pump going south, but the fact that you have heard it several times in one day says it could just as easily be struggling to suck the gas as intermittently trying to pump. Your best test is to bypass the pump and run on gravity feed for a bit - if the fuel line and filter are good, it will run perfectly on anything over 1/4 tank of gas without a pump. Goose
  7. V7Goose
    First, let me say that there is no way for me to know if you actually have a mechanical problem with your bike - the handling symptoms you describe CAN be caused by steering bearings, fork issues (including uneven spring rates or damping), swingarm bearings, wheel bearings, and frame alignment. But, mostly it is normal, especially the front tire wear. ALL bikes in countries where we ride on the right side of the road wear the front tire more on the left than the right; the reasons have been discussed in depth in other threads. And that will not cause your handling problems. What you describe with uneven road surfaces is almost always caused more by a rear tire with a square profile (either a bike tire worn flat in the center or running a tire not designed for a bike). It feels like it is a front tire because you feel a jerk in the bars, but it is actually caused by the sharp edge of the tire instantly climbing over any imperfection in the road surface. A rounded motorcycle tire moves much more smoothly over a ridge. Tar snakes are just a mess in themselves, for many reasons. They are usually raised slightly above the road surface, so they cause the same issues mentioned above, the smooth tar surface is different than the normal asphalt surface, to it will always feel somewhat different, and in the summer when the roads are particularly hot, the tar gets soft and squirmy. Even worse, if there is any moisture at all, the surface will be super slick. I have also noticed that tar snakes on roads at high altitude almost always seem to be much worse than those on normal roads. I do not know the reason why, but I wonder if they use a softer type of tar to compensate for the generally lower temperatures in the mountains? I can also say that my very subjective observations over the years have shown me that Utah tar snakes always seem to be much more treacherous than those I have encountered in any other mountain state. Since I just got home last night from a 6,000 mile trip through the New Mexico, Arizona and Utah mountains last week, these observations are very fresh in my mind. I have ridden many hundreds of thousands of miles on bikes in the last 40 years (over 100,000 on the Venture alone), and until last week I have NEVER been spooked by tar snakes - noticed the handling issues with them and respected them, yes, but never "spooked". But I cannot say that any more. Coming over 9,700 ft Boulder Mountain on UT12 (a FABULOUS road!), I started getting a lot of twitching and nervous jerks on the snakes, and in one curve particularly, where the snake ran a long way in the center of the road in the same direction of travel, the front of the bike actually slid about 5 inches. I absolutely pinched off a doughnut or two on that one! And just for reference, my front Avon Venom still looks brand new, but the rear E3 was nearing the wear bars. And the tar snake issues went back to normal once I dropped back down to the high desert. Finally, if you were actually pulling a trailer at the time, that drag on the frame geometry of a two wheeled machine will always have some effect on handling. Usually not too noticeable if all is set up correctly, but if anything effects the tracking or traction of either tire, it will be greatly magnified. The last comment I will make is about the E3 front tire on an RSV - I do not like them. On my bike they wore out MUCH faster than a Venom front tire, and they cupped badly (never happens with a Venom). So maybe that specific tire contributed to you issue? Goose
  8. V7Goose
    If you are traveling through Eastern Arizona, you might want to tuck this info away for future reference - there is an excellent Yamaha shop in Show Low, AZ: Show Low Motorsports. I was heading back towards Texas this morning, and about 10 miles east of Show Low I blew the rear tire at 65 MPH - pretty bad, it un-beaded from the rim and the bike was virtually uncontrollable, went into a sideways 'slide' from the tire rolling off one side of the rim and it drifted into the left lane and off the side of the road before I could scrub off enough speed to get it stopped. Thankfully the oncoming traffic avoided me, and I kept it right side up! Wife was on the back, and she handled herself perfectly in the situation too - probably the only reason I kept it under control. With the tire loose from the rim, no possibility of repairing it on the side of the road. But we were wonderfully fortunate to have another rider come by who know the local area (also a Venture owner, but on one of the 'other' brands today!). Bill Poor told me about the shop in Show Low, and after we contacted them and waited a while for them to get back in touch, he decided to ride back and coordinate our rescue - a REAL class act. Hopefully we will see him on the site soon! Anyway, the shop came out and picked us up, had a tire in stock, and got us all fixed up in about 4 hours total. The final price for everything was extremely fair. I strongly recommend Show Low Motorsports! Goose
  9. V7Goose
    Glad to have you back, Boss. That phone tether thing ain't a lot of fun - I been doing it all week from Utah too. Thought we'd have the internet from the hotel tonight, but they wanna charge me to use it, so I'm back on the phone tether! Goose
  10. V7Goose
    I do not know who told you about adding or removing fork oil, but that information is just wrong. You need the correct amount of fork oil, period. Too much will prevent the forks from working correctly, and too little will cause foaming and reduce the damping. As others have already said, the air is simply an additional spring. The oil is squeezed through small valves and slows the speed that the fork (or shock) can move. This function is primarily in the rebound, or fork extension, direction. The springs generally control how fast and high the tire comes up on a bump, and the oil controls how fast and far the tire goes back down after the bump. The correct oil weight should allow the tire to quickly return to the original position on the surface of the road without over-shooting (which causes bounce). If the oil is too thick, the forks may not be able to move the tire back down in time to soak up the next bump. Goose
  11. V7Goose
    All of the possible causes are already listed in this thread, so I am just adding my opinion on probability. It is NOT the gas. Purchase of any gas above regular grade for this bike is simply a total waste of money unless it somehow just makes you feel better (or there is something wrong with your engine that causes it to knock or detonate on regular grade). It cannot ever affect a problem like you report. Fuel tank vacuum maybe, and very easy to test when it happens. Clogged fuel filter unlikely, or it would not be so intermittent. But you should change it anyway. Clogged pickup screen on the petcock in the tank - unlikely, but good possibility IF you have lots of sediment or rust in there - it will only cover the screen when lots of gas is being pulled through, and then when pump is off and any sloshing happens, much of it will be washed off. I suggest you drain the tank, pull the petcock and rinse everything out well. Not hard to do and good maintenance under the circumstances. If you do find contaminates in there, make sure you change the fuel filter AFTER you get done cleaning the tank. Bad/failing fuel pump - most likely cause. Detailed diagnosis of this problem has been covered in lots of older threads. Since it is intermittent, you probably can get it running again by tapping on the fuel pump with a tool, or even a rock, when it is acting up - at least until the pump completely fails. I suggest you read up on the way to bypass the pump and run on gravity feed - this will always get you back on the road until you can replace the pump. Goose
  12. V7Goose
    Play (or looseness) would be checked by grabbing the ends of the swingarm and gently trying to rock it side to side - absolutely no motion should be felt, just like checking steering bearings. A further check would be to disconnect the shock and gently move the swingarm up and down to feel for smooth motion with no notchiness. Preload is simply having the correct torque on the bearings as specified in the shop manual. Just pop off the bearing covers, loosen the bearing nuts and re-torque them properly. If those bearings have NEVER been checked since new, you might want to reconsider just ignoring them - Remember that I said mine were properly checked and packed the first time at the scheduled 16,000 miles. Knowing that they had been properly serviced and were well sealed gave me the comfort to modify the maintenance schedule on this item. I do not think I would have gone so long without that first service. Goose
  13. V7Goose
    Yup, you caught me there! I have not done the swingarm bearing maintenance on the recommended intervals. It was done by the shop on schedule at 16,000 miles, and since then I simply check for bearing play when I change the rear tire, and periodically check the bearing preload. I never recommend to anybody that they do not do scheduled maintenance at the specified intervals, but it is my bike, and that is the choice I make. Yeah, that is way overkill to me, but so what? It is your bike, and if it makes you feel good, keep doing it! As for the "chance" I was taking - there is a reason that drive shaft service is not called for EVER in the scheduled maintenance - it is not needed in normal service. I do believe that certain checks and unscheduled work are called for on a machine around each 100,000 miles, just to keep on top of normal wear and tear, and that is simply what I was doing. This is not accurate. Some members have gone through the pain of completely reassembling their bike only to find that there was 'no go' because the drive shaft will easily slide in next to the U-joint! I maintain that the best and easiest way to remount the final drive is to simply use the drive hub after it has been removed from the rear wheel. Put the transmission in gear and use the fingers on the drive hub as a great handle to gently turn the drive gears/drive shaft as you push lightly against the u-joint, and it will slide right in. The extra benefit of this process is that you will have positive feeedback that it is mated properly because it will STOP turning, totally preventing the possibility of putting it all back together and ending up with the 'no go' problem! Thanx for your comments, and ride safe! Goose
  14. V7Goose

    i give up

    V7Goose replied to kwisor's topic in Watering Hole

    Yes, you could have a bad coil or other ignition related problem, or you could have a compression problem. But what you do NOT have is a carb problem. I would start by simply swapping the rear coils. This is easily done by: 1. Swap the wires on the coils (you can see them from under the bike by the swing arm, below the battery), and 2. Swap the plug wires. Now do the spray test on the vacuum nipple like I described. If the problem stays with the same cylinder, you know the coils and plug wires are all good. Next, swap the spark plugs and repeat the test. If the the problem is still with the original cylinder, you know that it cannot be electrical UNLESS the ignition module is bad (or one of the coil wires is broken). Unfortunately, I do not know of any reliable way to test the ignition module without swapping it. Maybe you can get together with someone in your area to test it that way? Another option is to test it by connecting a tach to that coil trigger wire; that will at least show you if it is regularly firing the coil. If you use a tach, make sure to compare the reading on both coils - you are looking for same RPM and smoothness of the needle. For this test, it does not even make a difference if the tach shows the correct RPM, just that it is the same. If you have an old timing light laying around, you could even try that to at least see if it seems to be flashing steadily. If you do not find an electrical problem, it is time to do a compression test. For this, you can usually borrow/rent a tester from the major auto parts chain stores. When you do a compression test, make sure all the plugs are out and the throttle is held wide open. Test each cylinder (do NOT forget to hold the throttle open!) and compare the results - they should all be fairly close. You can find more details in the shop manual, but for your particular problem, the exact readings are not important - you are just looking to see if the bad cylinder is different than the others. Good luck, Goose
  15. V7Goose
    If you do not have a good charger, get one first - you are going to need it. And make sure it has a 2A output option. Now take the battery out and get it up to full charge, then let it sit for a few ours before checking the voltage. If it is not 12.9 minimum, you have found the issue. If it is 12.9, then drag it down to an auto parts store and have them load test it (CCA is 96 - you will need to know that for them to properly test it). If it load tests good, go back home and double check the voltage - even after the load test it should still be 12.9 or 12.8; if it is lower than that, start doubting the knowledge of the kid who tested it! OK, so now we assume you have a fully charged battery that passed the load test - I'd just let it sit on the bench for a week or two if I didn't need to ride the bike - just to verify that the voltage doesn't drop. Assuming it passes all those test, you just saved yourself about $80. If it fails and you do need to buy a new battery, I'd personally just buy the lowest price one you can find at either Sam's, Walmart, or the local auto parts store. Other folks often disagree with me, but I think any "fancy" battery is a complete waste of money. If the bike is in good working order and you understand how to make sure you battery is reaching full charge during normal use, that stock battery or standard replacement will last at least 5 years, and probably 7 or 8. And now the most important part - DO NOT PUT THE NEW BATTERY INTO USE UNTIL YOU HAVE PROPERLY CHARGED IT!!!! Lots of people think that a new battery comes fully charged and can be put right in the vehicle, but they are dead wrong. If you do that, the battery will never reach it's full capacity, nor will it last as long as it could have. The instructions that come with your battery, or the sticker on top of it, will tell you what the proper charging rate it. But in general, you can just use any modern quality charger with low output and an automatic cut off/maintenance function and just leave it on the charger overnight.
  16. V7Goose

    i give up

    V7Goose replied to kwisor's topic in Watering Hole

    One thing I did not tell you to do is the easiest test of all to verify if the problem is the pilot circuit or something else. With the bike running at idle, spray a bit of carb cleaner or starting fluid at the open vacuum nipple. You should try that on a good cylinder first so you know exactly what to expect from the bad one. If the engine picks up, then you are guaranteed that it is firing but just not getting the idle fuel from the pilot circuit. On the other hand, if it does not react to the starter fluid/cleaner, then you can quit looking at the carbs. Goose
  17. V7Goose
    First, see my comments in this thread (post #11) - it all applies to you. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=70299&highlight=battery Second, you do not specify exactly how you checked the voltage at the fuel stop (it should have been from the lead terminals directly on the battery). BUT, your reading of 12.6V indicates a definite problem. The battery in this bike is not fully charged unless it is showing 12.9 volts AFTER sitting for several hours. If you check it shortly after it has been run, the battery must be showing around 13.2V if it is fully charged. If all wires, connection, and battery are good, a battery with voltage even down to 12.3 volts will still spin the engine just fine, so the fact that you were showing 12.6 and had slow start not only shows that your battery was not getting fully charged, but there is an additional problem. It could be the battery is bad and just cannot provide the needed current, and it could be any of the other issues I mention in the other thread. Finally, the fact that you can get it to start better after hitting the starter button several times strongly suggests you have a wire connection issue. The sudden surge of current each time you hit the button is trying to break through the bad contact and eventually gives you a fair and temporary connection that lets you get it started. Goose
  18. V7Goose
    Do not make any phone call for this - you do not want to raise any red flags with the central company if you have had the bike for more than 10 days (just going from memory here). In the real world, you almost never have to do anything other than take the bike in and request warranty service. The "transfer" is not actually anything that has to be done other than maybe the shop changing the name in the computer. But the technical words in the printed warranty is where you could get screwed. They give you a limited amount of time to take the bike to a dealer to have it inspected and do the transfer, and the dealer is free to charge whatever horrible sum they think they can get away with. Any good dealer will never charge - the crooks stop at nothing to steal from you. So no matter how long you have owned the bike, you want to take it in to a shop and request some specific warranty repair. Even if there is nothing to be fixed, just make up something, such as poor battery charging or poor MPG so that they will have to document your request and then tell you there is nothing wrong. The only possible downside to this approach is that you might have to pay a checkout fee after they do not find anything wrong (that is only fair). But if you do this when also paying for something like regularly scheduled service, a decent shop will rarely charge extra if the checkout didn't require disassembly. Another option that will usually get the job done just fine is to give the shop the serial number and ask them to check the computer for outstanding TSBs - and while they are at it, please update the owner information and address if necessary. But my main point is that even the "official" warranty transfer requires the bike to be taken to the shop, so there is nothing to be gained from calling someone, and possibly something to loose if you are past the official deadline. BTW - if the engine is turning over slowly, either the battery voltage is low (we told you how to check it), there is a cable problem (poor contacts, corrosion, or burnt near one end), or the starter/relay is bad (absolutely rare on the 2nd gens). If it is either the starter or relay, it is certainly a warranty issue, but anything else would generally not be covered (except a charging problem). Since you implied that there was no starting issue when you picked up the bike, that almost totally rules out the starter, relay or cables. Goose
  19. V7Goose
    There is not enough information provided to accurately help you pinpoint the cause, and it also sounds like y'all have a misunderstanding of what to expect from a charging system. First, your symptoms fit the classic problem of loose or dirty connections. Often the battery terminals and cable ends on a vehicle can develop an invisible hard coating that will block good connection (not the typical battery corrosion of years past, but a clear layer on the metal surface). The only way to fix that is to scrape the surface to see shiny metal. But if your battery is actually drained, then you may have a real charging problem. Pull the regulator/rectifier (under the oil filter) and make sure the wires in the connecting plug are not burned - this is a relatively common problem. More importantly, the only way you will be able to actually tell where the problem might be is to measure the battery voltage with an accurate meter directly on the battery terminals (NOT touching the screws or cable ends, but touching to top of the lead posts). There is lots of other information already provided in this thread and lots of others about what voltages you should expect to see and what the readings mean. Finally, even if everything is working perfectly on your bike, running it for 15 minutes will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the charge level of a dead battery, even if you held the RPM up to 5,000 for the whole time. Even if your battery was new and fully charged, running the engine for 15 minutes of normal riding will not even fully replace the current you expended starting the engine, and if the bike was just idling, you are not charging anything. Goose
  20. V7Goose
    Tom, you are quite right on this, and I know I often rub some folks the wrong way by just getting to the point. But I rarely am INTENTIONALLY rude or insulting to folks, and if they (or someone else) clues me in to the hurt feelings, I am happy to apologize and try to clarify my real intentions. Unfortunately, I am not a touchy-feely kind of guy; I hate dishonesty, verbal games, and veiled messages. I say what I believe, and I say it straight out. You do not have to try and guess what I really meant - there is never a hidden message. I do go to great efforts to try and make it clear when something I say is my OPINION instead of what I consider a fact, but other than that, I expect people to read or hear my words and not try to insert their own imagination into what I actually said. Welcome to the family SundayRider, and thanks for the comment. I do not particularly disagree with you, but the problem is deeper than it may seem. I know that everyone would love to just be able to get personal answers instantly on any question that might pop into their minds. And if this was a telephone help line or chat session, that is exactly what they would get. But it is not. Beyond the community aspect and information exchange that we do, this site is a repository of great information. In many cases, the newb is not even aware of what information is already here and just waiting for them to find. In those cases, telling them how to find it is "teaching them to fish". But folks need to also look at the other side. What about those of us that have bent over backwards to share this information? In many cases we have spent literally hours documenting it in tech articles or long threads when the questions were previously asked. After about the 47th time that the SAME EXACT THING is asked, it is sometimes hard to get up the energy to start all over again. Another thing to consider is the nature of technical questions - they often require detailed explanations or long Q&A when the poster does not provide the information up front. It is a lot easier to repeatedly respond with something like "Turn the key on" (when that is all that is needed) than it is to describe the electrical cutouts and circuit functions. And then there are the few who just think they are worth more than the rest of us. Occasionally (thankfully very rare), someone will start right out and say that it just is not worth their time to search for the information, so they will ask it again. Those are the rare times when I am intentionally rude by simply being honest - when they make it clear that is how they feel, I will bluntly tell them that it is not worth my time to type it all in again either. Bottom line is that if the question was last dealt with a year ago, it is a lot easier to dive in and start fresh with someone than if it was just covered last week. So those of us who spend a lot of time dealing with the technical questions will continue to try to find the best balance between the desire for instant gratification and the irritation of repetition, and we hope that those asking will also consider that they are asking for a favor instead of commanding an employee to do whatever they want. So here is to the "family" that we have become on this site, and the give and take that is needed to keep the family together. Goose
  21. V7Goose
    Hey guys, I really do appreciate the kind words and thoughts. I'm still around, and I've been checking in a bit now and then. I'm sorry for the extended absence, but I just had to get away form the rudeness and discourtesy that seemed to be getting so prevalent on our site over the past year. I think that open discussion and debate on issues is extremely valuable, and opposing opinions are much more valuable than a mutual admiration society. But to insult and disrespect other members just because you do not agree with them is not what we are supposed to be about here. And I have seen way too much of that. We prohibit religious and political topics simply because they always lead to that sort of discord, but, unfortunately, we seem to have slowly allowed the unpleasantness to intrude into many other threads as well, and some of us have been afraid to do anything about it because of the shouts of censorship. So I just had to step back and get away from the unpleasantness. It did me a lot of good, but I really miss my family here. So I'm back. Hopefully I can help improve things while still providing help to those who want it. But if it turns out that I make things worse, well ..., I guess I'll just have to hang up the spurs for good. I'm a firm believer that if you cannot or will not be part of the good, then ya best do whatever it takes to not be part of the bad. Ride safe y'all! Goose
  22. V7Goose
    Hmmmm, I DID say that, in almost those exact words - look back to the post that YOU responded to: "I do not recommend putting anything at all inside of a tire except air."
  23. V7Goose
    "My point" in this is simply that I chose to agree with the companies who manufacture the tires. I personally do not believe many of the claims made for the benefits to be gained by these add-on products. I do not personally see enough perceived value in them to to outweigh the drawbacks. For those who like these products - that's just fine - everyone is free to spend their money any way they want. But the OP asked for recommendations, and mine is simply to not use these types of products. And as for tire warranty issues - here is just one snippet from Dunlop's web site: "Dunlop does not recommend the use of dry or liquid balancers/sealers and will not warrant tires into which these materials have been injected. Tire and wheel assembly balance must be checked with a balance stand or computer wheel balancer." I have seen the same thing published by other brands, but I really do not care if they all say that or just one - that wasn't the main issue. I do not believe ANY tire manufacturer recommends these products, and that says volumes to me. Considering all the fantastic claims made for them about how much better your tires will be if you spend the additional money - any sane tire manufacturer would WANT you to use the products if they were really good things. In fact, they would sell their own brand of the same things! But they do not. And in the end, I simply do not believe in them, nor do I recommend them to others. I DO believe in my own skills to both balance a tire properly, and repair it properly if that becomes necessary. So that is my personal choice.
  24. V7Goose
    You do NOT remove the floats to adjust them. Simply lift them up with your finger and hold them up off the needle valve, then lightly push down on the metal tab to bend it. You must hold the float up to do this so that you do not mash down on the float needle valve. If you bend it too far, then use the short end of a small allen wrench ("L" shaped) to slip under the tab and bend it back up a bit. Remember to make the measurement with the carb held sideways (with the bowl mating face vertical) and the float resting lightly against the needle spring, but NOT depressing it. And do not forget that when you are adjusting the floats, you are working with the carbs upside down, so bending the tab towards the needle, which raises the float higher above the open carb face, is actually LOWERING the float level. But no need to get too hung up on whether you are raising or lowering the float, just make sure the measurement is done correctly and is within the spec. Goose
  25. V7Goose
    I do not recommend putting anything at all inside of a tire except air. The tire manufacturers all (as far as I know) flatly state not to use any of those products, and I agree with them. I also believe most, if not all, of the manufacturers state that the use of something inside their tires will void the warranty. Many people either disagree with the manufacturers, or just do not care what they say, but it is something to at least think about. Goose
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