Jump to content

phertwo

Expired Membership
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    179

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by phertwo

  1. phertwo
    I usually get the whine at lower rpms: 2,500 ~ 3,200 rpm. I usually ride at 3,500 and up though, so the whine is gone. But when it is there I never notice it. Putting on some louder pipes definitely cuts your perception of the whine - my pipes are too very loud either.
  2. phertwo
    So here is where the leak is. Well, I did what a few of you guys said not to, I used an adhesive~!@. But I did choose wisely I think. I got a specific high temperature aluminum adhesive that is specific to repairing radiators. I would have had the rad welded, but it was literally a very small pinhole that was causing this leak, no doubt caused by me pulling hard on the rad putting stress on that top pin. It seems to be holding just fine now, but if it fails in the future I can still pull the rad, grind off the adhesive spot and have it welded. I'll hope for the best. Thanks for everyone's suggestions and advice! Much appreciated! http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad85/phertwo/IMG-20110831-00086.jpg
  3. phertwo
    Hmmmm, I think its aluminum. The rad metal scratched really easily when I scraped the crack with a knife. I checked it with a magnet and its definitely non-ferrous. Damn. Maybe some kind of adhesive might work? I don't do aluminum welding.
  4. phertwo
    Okay! So I found the leak! There is a tiny hairline crack right at the base of where the pin sticks out of the top of the rad. I saw a tiny little stream of coolant spraying up from the crack. My guess if that the crack developed from my method of removing/getting the rad loose and out of the way. Everyone should be a little more careful when moving the rad by not disconnecting the hose. So I think this may be a quick fix... Pull out my trusty mig welder and run a bead over the crack. Its a small crack, maybe 3/8" long. I took a picture of the crack which I will post tomorrow. Hopefully I won't have to pull the rad again to fix this.
  5. phertwo
    I'll be on the look-out for cracked tubing and loose connections. I'm going to wear a swim-suit I think. Coolant is so damn messy, I've always had bad luck with spilling that stuff everywhere when refilling..
  6. phertwo
    This is a really good idea, but they are pretty darn expensive! I wish they made a fish-tail version, or at least a fish-tail tip, but that's just me. I'm moving into a town-home very soon, so I might have to give this exhaust some thought. Either that or just put the stocks back on..
  7. phertwo
    Thanks Allwx. I just replaced the short top hose (the one that connects the rad to that whatchamacallit device above the rad) and put new heavy duty clamps on it. I'm going to check that hose and clamps again for issues. Ain't nothing like a coolant shower in the morning to wake you up!
  8. phertwo
    At idle I say a small stream coming from the frame of the bike where the rad connects. It streamed down the rad pin connection that connects to the frame, and then all over the top of the rad. I'm assuming that the spray/splatter is caused by the wind while in motion. Makes a hell of a mess.
  9. phertwo
    Well I'm making this seem much worst that it is, but the problem is starting to get worse. I finished putting my bike all back together after a whole host of maintenance tasks, like the valve clearance adjustment and unbolting the rad to give a little wiggle room to replace the regulator/rectifier. So a few days ago when I parked my bike after an hour long ride I noticed one drop of green coolant sitting on top of the lower cowling by the air filter. I thought, boy that's strange, how did that get there. I had a sick sense that something was going wrong. During the next ride I looked forward and noticed that there was coolant spray on the back of the front-right fork. I knew that something was wrong for sure now. When I parked I looked all over the rad and noticed that there was some coolant around the top of the rad fins and on the very top of the rad. It appeared that the coolant was coming from above the rad. So I stripped the bike down a fair bit to inspect further. I didn't notice any coolant leaking while the bike was off, so I knew this was a leak being caused while the water pump is on, putting pressure to the whole system. I also noticed that the 5" long heater hose that fed the top of the radiator had a decent size kink/bend in it. So I replaced it with new heater hose and better clamps. I should have done a hot idle test, but I decided to put the bike back together hedging my bets that I fixed the problem. Well, on today's ride to work the problem quickly developed and got much worst. The front fork was getting spray (though I could never see any stream of coolant while riding), the coolant was also streaming up my handle bars, on my right mirror, all over my tank, and some on my pants. This made a nice stain on my brown work pants which I am not happy about! So I'd appreciate any thoughts, suggestions, past experiences shared. No leaking when the bike is off, but it appears to be leaking above the rad when the bike is on. Though I haven't had the bike stripped down and running, the rad cap and hoses above do not look like they are wet, they still have some dust on them. Thoughts?
  10. phertwo
    That's an interesting article Ndiaz. I seem to notice an interesting but annoying phenomenon with many cagers, most notably your teenage guys, pickup truck drivers and expensive car drivers. If I for any reason pass by or accelerate away or accelerate with them, most of the time it becomes a game of hot pursuit. Now I DO NOT drive like an animal, I don't speed more than the flow of traffic, I usually stay put in the slow lane, but the sound of my pipes and the High Revving sound of the RSTD triggers a 'lets race' mentality in many drivers. Does anyone else notice this at all?? I do not want to race anybody, so the cars usually blow by me as to prove, 'hey, my cage is faster' then they either weave around other cages, or they just swerve in front of me as if they have captured me. I'm really tired of this. Anyway, just thought I'd vent after reading that article!
  11. phertwo
    I'd do a check voltage check to make sure that the bike is still charging. If the stator is fried, you won't be going far once the battery has discharged. Just get a voltmeter and check it across the battery terminals: with the bike off it should be around 12.6VDC, and with the bike running it should be better than 13.5V. If the running voltage is still 12.6VDC, let us know, you'd probably be ordering a stator..
  12. phertwo
    SilvrT, I also had the popping on decel, all the time.. It was usually pretty quite though, not enough to be annoying. But I just recently adjusted my pilot mixture screws to ~4 turns out and I am no longer hearing the popping. I don't know why, but its cured this minor issue. Check it out, maybe it might work for you too.
  13. phertwo
    Have you plugged your AIS system?
  14. phertwo
    Well, I'd keep the meter on and start pulling fuses one by one. The fuse box in the front lower cowling and the fuse box in the side cover by the battery. You may be able to isolate which system is causing the higher current draw. If you can isolate which system it is and its not critical to running the bike ie. cruise control, leave the fuse out and let the bike sit for a few days. Test the voltage again after a few days to prove that that is the problem. From there I would grab your manual on that specific system/circuit and run through the troubleshooting to diagnose it. Hopefully this helps a smidge.
  15. phertwo
    Its got a nice look to it, but does it have the gear whine..?
  16. phertwo
    Yes, monetary reasons. I sold my 03 V-Star 1100 Silverado for $6,000 and then I bought my 05 RSTD for $5,300 cash.
  17. phertwo
    I'm not sure if its the same as an RSTD, but I really like the new bracket for the passenger seat. I can take off the passenger seat in 30 seconds for a solo rider look. Love my Ultimate seat, it makes you sit up straight more than the stock seat which is better for posture. I never feel discomfort on my rear anymore. Its well worth the money.
  18. phertwo
    I've never met Ponch or anyone from VentureRider but I can't help but feel like a part of my family is hurting right now. I wish Ponch and his family the best and hope that they can look forward to the better days once again.
  19. phertwo
    Good idea. If remove one of the battery leads and let it sit, your voltage should still remain at 12.6~12.9V fully charged. That proves that the drainage is in the bike's wiring and not a faulty battery. A 10 amp ammeter will be fine for the bike-of test, but don't use it for the bike-on test. The bikes probably puts out 30 amps or so. If you want to check the stator, unplug the stator connector that is located between the fuel pump and the resevoir coolant tank that is under the seat, then connect your multimeter/AC voltmeter to check the 3 stator wires. Check 1&2, 2&3, 1&3 for AC voltage, they should all read the same, somewhere +20VAC. But again, if you are getting +13.5V, the stator and regulator/rectifier are probably fine. You are probably looking for a short of some kind that is not tripping a fuse, possibly generating heat - look at connectors and wiring for scorching/burning. That drainage has to go somewhere.
  20. phertwo
    What MikeWA said. I don't think you should spend your time looking to close at the stator and the regulator rectifier yet as the bike is charging properly by the sounds of it. It sounds more like you have something draining your battery over time while the bike is off. Remove the positive battery lead and connect it to the positive (red) lead of your multimeter in the ammeter setting. Then connect the negative (black lead to your battery. Do this while the bike is off (there would be too much current for most multimeters to handle unless if you have an actual ammeter with a higher amperage rating). See what your reading is, compare that to MikeWA's previous post. It isolate each system you can find and unplug connectors for various items and see if this changes the reading. PITA I know, but its the best way to find the problem.
  21. phertwo
    Good stuff! That's one less thing to worry about. They do get dirty don't they! Probably why they get overlooked/missed because they look invisible when they are caked up with dirt.
  22. phertwo
    Yep, that's it. Its located under the seat in between the coolant reservoir tank and the the fuel pump. Take off the seat, the side covers, the rad. tank and dig around a little bit. You should see a number of connectors there. The one you want has three wires, all white I believe. You will likely need a flashlight. Sometimes it gets rather dirty in there and the wires and connectors will be covered in dirt. Clean the wires, connectors, spray the inside of the connectors with electrical cleaner spray, let dry, then apply dielectric grease to them. This is important maintenance to do!
  23. phertwo
    Not to 'cross the line' here, but I have a Harley tire gauge that is incredibly tough and easy to use. It has a flexible cord that you press on the tire stem while holding the gauge in your hand. It also has a tire tread measuring device in it. I've probably bought 5 digital tire gauges, but this one is by far the best and long lasting. http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448765800&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302490891&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302490891&CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198680242562&bmUID=1259706011767&bmLocale=en_US
  24. phertwo
    My slippage was more gradual. The more I pushed it, the more it slipped. But to lose 5th completely . I'd wait for V7Goose to jump all over this with his wisdom. Slippage in 4th as well at least hints that your clutch spring, discs and plates are suspect. I'd think that you'd be replacing those at least.
  25. phertwo
    Sounds like you just looked at two bikes that have not been properly maintained. The whine is an issue, but to varying degrees - some loud, some less so. If you have an aftermarket exhaust slip on put on you should not be able to hear the whine. The 'hot feet' problem will be an issue for you if you enjoy the wind. No, you cannot cut holes or take off the lower cowlings as they hold electronics, fuse box, cruise control amongst other items. The best that you can do is get wind deflectors and/or foot pegs. This bike is great for those who like a little more wind protection or for cold weather riding. I can think of many other bikes that are better for hot weather riding though... Make sure when you try out this bike you rev it hard and very high. If you ride it like your VTX you will not be happy. Its a V-4 engine and should be treated as such. The low-end torque isn't going to be anywhere near your VTX either, but if you managed to hit highway speeds in 2nd gear you will have witnessed something pretty amazing. And no, you won't hurt the bike.
×
×
  • Create New...