darthandy

If the battery is in good condition ten check the connections to it. My 2nd gen was losing the trip meter and clock info and it turned out to be a loose ground wire connection at the battery. Andy

Well I knew the governments on both sides of the border got screwed up some years back, but I didn't realize how far back till I saw this. I guess we never had a chance, did we? http://1funny.com:80/canada-and-u-s-border/ Andy

Our most sincere condolences. You are in our thoughts. Andy

Rode my mountain bike this morning for the first time in a few years. I need to get my aerobic activity level up! As I came home along the paved trail that runs by our canal, I came to a cross walk that is controlled by a traffic light. This is a fairly busy area with a senior's activity center right there and the canal trail next to it. The street is a four lane and there was a police car parked in the far lane (Traffic control for the rose festival parade later today). I pressed the button for the cross walk and watched for traffic as I waited for the light to change. I noted traffic coming from the left, including a pick up truck moving at a pretty good speed. When the light changed to red there was a few seconds delay before the walk sign came on and I decided to double check traffic before crossing. Sure enough, the pick up truck was still coming full tilt so I decided to thrust the wheel of my bike just off the curb (He was in the next lane over) and the guy literally shook his head (As if just waking up!) and nailed his brakes hard enough to lock his rear wheels. He slid well past the line where he should have stopped! I shudder to think what would have happened if it had been a 10 year old just taking off as soon as the light changed. I crossed once he (and the other traffic) had stopped while giving him a good hard stare! He never apologized (His window was down) and to add insult to injury, the cop looked up for a second (To make sure I wasn't lying on he ground covered in blood, I guess) and then went back to whatever he was doing. If ever a situation justified a quick walk to the truck to talk to the inattentive driver, this was it! And he did nothing ... didn't even look over at the truck driver. Wonder how he feels about motorcyclists since he doesn't seem too concerned with the safety of bicyclists. In my mind the cop was as big a jerk, in his own way, as the nit in the pickup! Our police force around here hasn't exactly been covering itself in glory these days (Smuggling charges, fights, DUI's) and actions like these don't give me (Or anyone else) much reason to respect these characters. Oh well ... so much for the rant! I try to stay attentive whenever I'm on the road, regardless of the number of wheels (And motors under me) 'cause it's obvious the cagers around here are still half blind! We had a woman turn left in front of a motorcycle this past week - she didn't see him! Yeah right! Let's keep our eyes open folks - the cagers, as usual, are still asleep at the wheel! Andy

Always so sad to hear of a good man gone. Our sincerest condolences to his family. R.I.P. Andy

As has been mentioned, checking the battery connections is a good start. Even more, try cleaning the connectors and the battery terminals before tightening them carefully. If you look in the tech section, you'll find a fix for a related problem - the main connector for the switch to harness connection can overheat and melt causing a short. This was beginning to happen on mine when the ignition switch died. I repaired the ignition switch and then replaced the connector wit a heavy duty flat type with 10 gauge wiring as well as putting relays on the driving lights, headlight and ignition. No problems since. One thing you can check after a longer ride is the ignition key's temperature. If it's almost too hot to hold, then you've definitely got too much power going through the switch and you should definitely look at relays and an auxiliary fuse block (Cuts down on the number of wires at the battery connection.) Andy

Another idea would be to install relays for the ignition and any lights. That would reduce the load on the ignition switch. Our RSV's also have that problem and many of us have solved it by going the relay route. Search this forum and look through the tech section. You'll find plenty of info on making the modifications. In my case, I removed the ignition switch, repaired it and replaced it. I also installed several relays and have had no problems since. Andy

I couldn't find the thread either but I did find a link to the chrome housing cover that fits over the air cleaners. http://www.motorsportssupercenter.com/pages/Catalog/Product/20081?categoryID=198&subCategoryID=398&catalogFilter1ID=1&catalogFilter2ID=4&catalogFilter3ID=90&catalogFilter4ID=69&catalogFilter5ID=35535 They were about $100 cheaper than the ones in the Star catalog. Both kits required the installation of a K&N filter kit. Andy

Darn good idea. I did that last year when my ignition switch failed. I was able to repair rather than replace and it has worked fine ever since. Andy

Steve we give you our best wishes and hope that all works out for you. As others have said, never give up - just keep fighting. Our thoughts are with you. Andy

No, no! You haven't screwed up! You have "increased the drainage capacity" of the grab handle should it spontaneously fill with some type of liquid. There ... don't you feel better now? Andy

This could be one possibility, although I don't know if that would trigger the engine light. Also, there is a well documented problem with the ignition switch getting over heated. I had to repair mine last year. Again, i don't know if that would trigger the engine light. Andy

You could try Tons of Bike Gear on Highway 20 just outside of Fonthill. He has some good stuff with decent prices and the tax is built in to the price so you know exactly what you'll be spending when you see the price tag. Also, he's open Saturday and Sunday. http://www.tonsofbikegear.com/ Andy

The big, black box is your radio / intercom unit. You'll see a smaller box below it ... that is your cassette player ... the heart of the R.S.V. Dielectric grease is used to cover electrical connections so that they won't corrode and so that water can't get to them and short them out. Do not use it on regular nuts and bolts as it could allow them to vibrate loose. As to washers, it would be necessary to know which bolt / screw and/ or nut in particular. I'm sure someone else with more knowledge than me will be along soon to help you with that part. Andy Oops .. forgot something. Those connectors are to connect various items to the electrical system - ignition switch, lights, audio, etc.

As usual, there's quite a price difference with us up here. The last price I saw for a Venture ignition switch from a Canadian dealer was $280.00 plus tax and that was 2 or 3 years ago. The tamper proof bolts were a separate order. By the way, I've used "Deep Creep" from the Seafoam people in mine and it seems to work quite well. I too have heard that graphite is a bad idea in an enclosed space as it can mix with water and cause problems. WD40 can sometimes cause problems since it also leaves a residue. That said, I've never had a problem when I have used it that way but maybe I was lucky ... or just didn't overdo it. Andy

At a guess, I would think that the airflow should be sufficient, although a run through death valley at noon in August might strain the cooling system a bit. Most of the grill guards I've seen seem to cover a fair amount of radiator area and they don't seem to cause a problem. I have a Star cover on mine which covers a surprising amount of area and there have been no problems so far. Don't forget folks ... only a certain amount of air makes it through the radiator area anyway since the rad itself stops some of it. There are quite a few openings in the guard and they are well dispersed so my two cents worth says that it should work well in all but the most extreme situations. Then again, I thought the Montreal Canadians had a good shot at the Stanley Cup this year, so ... Andy

He couldn't have been having too bad a day if he gave you the option. I tend to think he didn't read the oriuginal document properly. Andy

Incredible! Talk about talent!! Thanks for sharing! Andy

We always wonder why cagers don't seem to see us. Well, it seems the answer was in an old issue (June 1989) of Cycle Canada. Here it is ... now you know what the problem is. Andy

Thought this picture might interest a few people. I ran across it in an old June 1989 Cycle Canada magazine. It was yet another Europe only version of a Japanese bike. Looks kind of cool. Andy

Yes the intercom is always "on". The button on the handlebar is the push-to-talk button for the CB. Are you aware that there is also a volume switch on the left side for the passenger's volume control.? You might try playing with that as well. Also, there is a push-too-talk button for the passenger should he/she want to use the CB. Andy

I have read that synthetic oil is better when you will be doing a lot of riding in very hot climates. It will stand more heat without breaking down. This problem, however, seems more prevalent with air cooled motors rather than liquid cooled motors. As far as price is concerned, the Rotella is quite a bit less expensive than the other synthetics on the market and is only a bit more expensive than the good quality dino oils, so for those operating in high heat conditions, it may well be worth he extra expense. I too have heard that using synthetic oil in a higher mileage motor can lead to leaks but I've never run across anyone who had the experience. Andy

Thanks to everyone for the hints and tips. I got her done today and now have a nice loud blast aimed closer to cagers' window level. Of course it's also closer to me so there's never any doubt when I have used the horn! Andy

Actually, my Clearview is 5 inches wider (2 1/2 on each side) and I believe the F4 Customs is also that wide. Made a big difference on my bike and I really like that adjustable vent. Worth every penny. Andy

Don't know of any, but what exactly are you looking for? There are some windshields available that are much wider and give a bigger "pocket" of still air for the rider as well as improving hand protection. Andy