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V7Goose

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Everything posted by V7Goose

  1. V7Goose
    I wish you the best of luck with those tires (and your skin). Each of us makes our own decisions, and yours is not mine to second-guess. I know that many thousands of riders have used Metzeler without problems, but they will never go on my bike. Goose
  2. V7Goose
    I certainly do not know for sure, but I have always assumed that this was a kind of "safety" mechanism to remind me that I had left the key in ACC position instead of OFF when working on the bike. IT has actually helped me a couple of times! Goose
  3. V7Goose
    Merry Christmas to you too Lowell - many happy miles ahead! Goose
  4. V7Goose
    I like the Sylvania SilverStar Ultra - You need to Ultra to get the extra filament strength for a bike. Goose
  5. V7Goose
    You are right Rick, we do need to get together. I really don't know why it has not happened before. And sorry about not replying here soner - I just got out of the hospital after having an old plate removed from my leg (no internet access in there). It will be a while before I can ride, but I'll be around here. Goose
  6. V7Goose
    I'd love to join you, but the timing won't work. I am going in tomorrow to have an a steel plate removed from my leg that has been in there since the 70s; that will probably keep me off the bike for a month. Then I have a trip to the Caribbean scheduled for mid January. If you do it some time later, maybe I can help. Goose
  7. V7Goose
    Don't have it, don't want it.
  8. V7Goose
    Stupid, stupid, stupid. It is exempt from all of the benefits of a motorcycle, and it has all of the drawbacks. I can't imagine why anyone would ever throw their money away on one unless it was to just let it sit in the garage with the rest of their trophies. Buy a Miata instead and get the same thing with none of the drawbacks. Just my opinion - no need to agree, Goose
  9. V7Goose
    I sure hope I didn't insult anyone with my rant posting last night - that was not my intention, but I had just gotten in from a 1000 mile 15 hour ride, and I climbed on my soap box just a bit too fast! So, my opinions are just that, MY opinions - not intended to upset anyone or try to get them to agree with me. Goose
  10. V7Goose
    This has been a great discussion, but I think it is one much better suited for a long afternoon over beers than taking turns posting messages . . . Oh well, it is what it is. I find that the handling of my RSV is VERY good when fully loaded and set up correctly with the right shock pressure, tires, etc. For me, this requires raising the rear of the bike by changing the suspension links and NOT having to make the suspension overly stiff to try and mistakenly achieve the same result. So I won't be agreeing with anyone who is equally positive that it does not handle well. I do agree that air is compressible, but I do NOT agree that it is a poor medium for use in suspension components when properly designed. Air is compressible, just like springs are, and the compression rate is adjustable by changing the pressure. The only way to change the compression rate of springs after they are manufactured is to change the preload - both methods work and both have their limitations. The DAMPING rate of a shock is controlled by oil and valves - completely unrelated to the compression mechanism (overly simplified, but I'm just trying to make a point). Although most of Rick's comments are in line with my thinking, I still maintain that the air in the forks and the rear shock primarily serves to change the spring rate (firmness) and any change in height of the bike is an incidental change, just as changing the preload on a rear spring will raise the rear of a bike until an appropriate weight (rider's butt) is added to the seat to push it back down. My point here is that ANY change in the spring rate of a bike, no matter if it is by air or preload or something else, is intended to appropriately change the suspension characteristics of the bike and match the load weight and riding style. This is MAINTAINING the correct design height of the bike, NOT raising or lowering it. I liked Rick's reference to the auto "load levelers". These are correctly named, as the design is to MAINTAIN the correct height of the vehicle despite changing loads, not change the height of the vehicle. Other than that, their function is quite different than the air in a motorcycle shock, as those big land yachts are not designed to change the suspension rate and handling performance. I think I'll stop here, but I could go on and on . . . You see, this is why this discussion would be so much better around a table after a great day of riding . . . Goose
  11. V7Goose
    NO, it is NOT the way of the world, only the way that YOU are willing to accept it. To the extent that the vendor buys your patronage with low prices and lies that you are willing to accept, great. Accept it and be quiet. You (meaning anyone) have absolutely no right to complain if you let them get away with it. You are getting what you are paying for, and you are getting EXACTLY what you are willing to accept! The only way these vendors will act any differently is for the customer who discovers they have been lied to to immediately cancel the order and demand a refund. Only THEN will the vendor decide they must act differently. As is so often the case in life, we all get exactly what we deserve and are willing to accept. Goose
  12. V7Goose
    I realize that this is probably not helpful, but here goes anyway... My choice for a GPS is to pick up a free paper map from the state information center every time I cross a state line, then just stuff it in the tank bag and ignore it while I take whatever road looks interesting! The paper map comes in handy if and when I decide I have had enough "exploring" and just want to plot a quick route home. I have M$ Streets and Trips on my laptops, but somehow, looking at a paper map is still so much more satisfying than any electronic version. I do not have a GPS on my bike (but I do in the car), and I doubt I ever will. It just is not what I equate with motorcycle riding. Your equation, of course, may be different. Goose
  13. V7Goose
    Just got off the bike (well, about an hour ago - had to make a martini, dontchaknow?). Made the run in from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to Colleyville, Texas, in one straight run; 1009 miles in just a tad over 15 hours. My wife is a real trooper when she gets on the back of the bike - I kept asking her when she wanted to stop for the night, and she just kept saying she was doing fine if I was! Left Pigeon Forge this morning at 0730 CST and 28 degrees, made it home at 1045 PM. Great ride with perfect weather the whole way. My grip heaters took the edge off for the first couple of hundred miles until the temps made if over 40 degrees, then the rest of the ride was just perfect. This ride certainly beat the ugly three days of rain we experienced on the way up there last weekend! Wishing all of you great riding, Goose
  14. V7Goose
    Sorry Rick, I don't agree with this. Based on my own testing, adding air to the suspension DEFINITELY changes the firmness of the ride and the handling on both of my RSVs. Too soft is worse than too hard. While doing a day ride in Fort Collins with my brother last summer, I decided to experiment and drop the rear pressure to 15 lbs. Not only did she wallow in the twisties, but after only a 250 mile day, I was miserable. The previous two days of riding we did 300 and 400 each day, and my rear shock was still set at 45 where I had it when riding up there fully loaded, and each day was a breeze (and the bike handled well too). I reset the shock to the right pressure for me the following day and again experienced no discomfort after all day in the saddle. Just this week while riding in the Smokies with my wife, the day after I raised the pressure in the rear shock, we both noticed several sections of the same road we had ridden the day before being much rougher. In my opinion, increasing the pressure in the rear shock does not significantly raise the rear of the bike, but it certainly changes the softness of the ride. I suspect this is because I weigh quite a bit and manage to compress the shock back close to normal ride height when I sit on it even with 45 lbs pressure. Maybe if I weighed less than 200 lbs, by opinion would be different? I just want the other owners out there to keep an open mind and check out their machine for themselves instead of blindly going with whatever they read in the forum. Good luck all, Goose
  15. V7Goose
    Yes, I think it does affect the handling - less precise. But, Yamahaha ships it with 0 psi and says that is the standard setting. I played with different settings when I first got my 05, and found then how important it was to have them exactly equal. That is why I advise making sure they are both empty if you do not have the right gauge to verify they are equal. Goose
  16. V7Goose
    The heated grips to which I was referring were the ones that wrap around the outside of the stock grips and secure with Velcro - they are the only ones that I know of that specifically say not to use on 1" bars (as referenced by the OP). I assumed he was refering to the same thing. Goose
  17. V7Goose
    Not a dumb question at all. Yamahaha just made a really STUPID design (IMHO) by saving $1.00 and not putting a connecting hose on them. Progressive used to make a connecting kit for a different bike (1st gen?) that some have used successfully on the RSV, but it does not really fit right and can be difficult to put on even if you can find one. I thought about making one of my own, but since I rarely ever change the pressure after getting it set right, it is just easier to leave it as is. Goose
  18. V7Goose
    Since those forks hold so little air, you cannot get them accurately filled if you lose ANY air when removing the pump or guage. The only real option is one of the Progressive or HD pump/gauge combos that have a zero-loss air chuck. I have the 0-60 one that makes it a little tough to read the very low pressure in the forks (lowest mark is 4 lbs, I think, in 2 lbs increments above that). I am going to buy one of the 0-15 pumps when I get around to it. If you hear ANY psssss escaping air when you remove your gauge, your forks will NOT be equal. If you don't have the right gauge with a zero-loss chuck, your best option is to make sure both forks have NO air. Goose
  19. V7Goose
    You just stay away - you ain't welcome in the Texass hill country no more! Goose
  20. V7Goose
    I'll keep this brief 'cause I have discussed it in detail in the past - I have 1.5 gallons available and 60 mile range on reserve. I have not actually run out of gas, but I have taken it oh-so-close several times, and once put 5.9 gal in at the fill-up. Goose
  21. V7Goose
    Let me tell you a story about a man named Jed .. . oh, wait, wrong story... Let me tell you a story about suspension air pressure on an RSV... Many of you may remember that I crashed my 05 last summer when brand new tires slid out from under me in a curve. I picked up a barely used 07, but my cornering has never felt quite as good as it did on the 05 - nothing really wrong, but I didn't seem to hold a solid line in the big sweepers, and I sometimes found myself fighting the bars in the tight ones. I just assumed that was still some residual nervousness from my crash that I had to work through. Not so. I kept forgetting to to check the pressure in the forks, just assuming it was 0 (the way it comes from the factory. Even though I have my pump with me, I never think about it untill I am riding. Well, yesterday morning I finally remembered to check it before we went our riding - WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Some background - I'm a fairly big guy - 6'5", 230 lbs, and my passenger is 130 lbs. I have Leveling Links installed to raise the rear and stock size Avon Venom tires. I had the rear shock still set at 30 lbs (where I keep it when riding solo), so I pushed it up to 40. The front forks were at 8 and 8.5 lbs. Not only is that over the maximum, but not having them exactly equal is a BIG no-no. I dropped both of them to 6 lbs. These changes might not sound like much, but the difference in the handling is huge. The bike goes through sweepers like it is on rails now, and the twisties and ass-kisser turns are once again fun and comfortable. Just thought I'd pass on this experience for anyone who has not really checked thier suspension air pressures and found the right settings for their load and riding style - Goose
  22. V7Goose
    Riding in the Smokies has been fantastic this week. Went over the top of the park and circled around south on Wenesday, did the Dragon on the way back to Pigeon Forge. Virtually no traffic, so the ride on the Dragon was wonderful - Only saw three Wings coming towards me and and a hand full of cages; absolutely nothing going my way. Yesterday we went back over the top and headed north on the Blue Ridge Parkway - again no traffic. Took NC 215 south, then US 178 on into South Carolina. Those two roads are FRIGGIN FANTASTIC!!!! Anybody riding in this area should have them right at the top of their list for best bike roads. The BRP is nice and relaxing, but you will wake right up as soon as you start heading down 215! Ride safe, Goose
  23. V7Goose
    Look in your owner's manual. They have a cross section picture of the tank and actually explain that you can only fill it to the bottom of the filler tube. Me, I want to put 6 gallons in a 6 gallon tank, so I vent the filler tube. Goose
  24. V7Goose
    The problem is that our bars are 1" instead of the more common and weenie 7/8". This makes the grips larger, and when you put the HotGrips on top of that, they are too big for most people's hands. I used them and got used to them, but definitely noticed the large size. My solution was to make my own wrap-around grips for about $35 useing some spare buckskin I had sitting aound. They do not increase the grip size near as much and work wonderfully. I think I did a write-up on them last year, so you might do a search on my old posts. Goose
  25. V7Goose
    Just thought I'd take a minute and check in - spending the week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (sure hope I spelled that right - I don't spell too good). Had a misserable ride up from Dallas last weekend - came up through Memphis and Nashville. I thought we'd just catch the southern edge of the storms and be in and out of rain, but it was totally socked in, cold and rainy the whole way. The good news is that the weather has been glorious here since Monday, and we are getting good riding in the Smokies. Probably leave Saturday morning and take the southern route back, going through Birmingham and taking I20 all the way into DFW. Hope all is well with everyone - Ride Safe, Goose
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