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DonTom

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Everything posted by DonTom

  1. DonTom
    Well, since I own several bikes and only one of them was designed to kill the engine with the sidestand, or even have a warning, the display alarm alone is a lot more than I am used to. If the sidestand kill feature worked on my Venture, I would probably get so used to it that I would ride off with the sidestand down on one of my other bikes! BTW, I hated that feature that the engine would die when the sidestand was down, but like you say, to each his own. BTW, if your engine ever dies while riding, be sure to check the sidestand switch! Since they are on separate wires and switch contacts for the display and engine kill, it's possible to NOT get any alarm on the display when the side stand switch kills the engine. I remember reading about this problem in Venture Road Magazine back in the 1980's. That was when I decided to bypass mine, but leave the warning working. -Don- in rainy SSF, CA
  2. DonTom
    Is there any type of sidestand down warning on a RSV? In my 1984, there are two wires for the kickstand. One kills the engine and the other goes to the monitor. It's easy to wire it in such a way that the engine will not die when the sidestand is down, but will still get the warning on the display. I did this to my 1984 Venture in 1984 when the bike was fairly new. I have heard of the switch failing, even in rather new Ventures, causing the engine to die while riding. IMO, it's safer to NOT have the sidestand kill the engine. And more convenient in many cases. IMO, the display is all that should be needed for a reminder that it's down. -Don- in Rainy SSF, CA
  3. DonTom
    Then use it to set up your TPMS for the first time. After that, you will no longer need it. BTW, I know my Pressure Pro sensors are accurate because they agree with my best gauges. -Don- Reno, NV
  4. DonTom
    Most have a yellow as well, to show that you're only a little low. Likewise, the Pressure Pro has two stages of alarms. A slow alarm for a little low and a fast alarm on a serious air loss. On a RV system, there are two different audio alarms. On the cycle, it's a slow blink or fast blink on the alarm light. No sound on the cycle models, but I think it would be a good idea to provide an audio output for an alarm that can connect to the bike's intercom amp or whatever. -Don- Reno, NV
  5. DonTom
    You always set your tire psi when cold, such as on a cold morning. On the Pressure Pro system, if there is a loss of air alarm, it usually takes about seven seconds to get reported. But when the unit is first turned on, it can take more than two minutes for the unit to get all the psi readings from all the sensors. That's why I put mine on its own switch. My TPMS stays on when I turn my ignition off to get gasoline or whatever. -Don- Reno, NV
  6. DonTom
    I have heard the opposite, from people who should know. The only purpose of the valve is so the air will not release when the cap is removed for filling or whatever. The cap holds the air a lot better than the valve. However, my own experince is that neither will leak, if installed correctly. -Don- Reno, NV
  7. DonTom
    Any error on a decent TPMS and you will know right away. Either they work or you get an error. And the sensors on my Pressure Pro units (I own four units and 14 sensors) seem to all be within 2 PSI of the best gauges available. BTW, I NEVER saw an error on any of mine. Not even a low sensor battery warning. I think the only people who worry about errors with a TPMS (at least a Pressure Pro, I cannot speak for other brands) are those who have never used such a TPMS system. BTW, the first step on installing a TPMS is to check all your tire pressures on a gauge that you trust. That will be the last time you should ever need that gauge on that vehicle. So even if it were off by 10 psi, it will make no difference as the alarms will work based on the psi when first installed, regardless of the PSI reading it gives you. Nevertheless, I trust my sensor readings just as much as a high quality tire gauge. LIke I said, all mine are within 2 psi of my best gauges. -Don- Reno, NV
  8. DonTom
    With the Wal*Mart ones, the part that holds the valve open stays working fine. You get a tear above that point and all the air leaks out FAST. It has happened to me and many others. I will no longer use them on anything. With all this stuff (includes external TPMS sensors), the stock tire caps are removed and the sensor or indicator cap forces the valve open. So all you have is the sensor or the indicator cap to hold the air in. -Don- Reno, NV
  9. DonTom
    I use the ACCU-Pressure caps in all my cars. Don't use the cheap rubber ones they sell at Wal*Mart. They fail fairly often causing a flat. But on my motorcycles and RV, I use the TPMS as I want to know the first second possible when something is wrong. With the ACCU caps, you will have to be off the bike to check the tires. On my Suzuki DR200SE, I once had a total flat on the rear and I did not even realize it until somebody yelled at me. The ACCU Caps would not have told me anything, as I got a large screw in the rear tire perhaps in the last mile or so of riding. If I then had the TPMS, I would have known right away that there was a problem. BTW, with the DR200SE, I was able to ride another 20 miles home with a total flat rear tire. I know that would not be possible with a heavy bike such as a Venture. I also use the TPMS on my Venture air shocks, just so I can read the psi in them without connecting up a gauge. The Acca caps are better than having nothing. You're better having nothing than the ones sold at Wal*Mart. They are too unreliable. I leaned that the hard way, but on a car, not a bike. On a bike I would not have the guts to use the Wal*Mart ones for more than a few miles. They randomly go bad letting all your air out, but some will last for years. I wouldn't chance those. I never had any of the ACCU-pressure caps fail and I have been using them on six different vehicles for many years. -Don- Reno, NV
  10. DonTom
    It was a cool day and the tires had a chance to cool off a bit before taking that picture. But my 84 Venture owner's manual says cold psi should be 32 psi front and from 32 to 40 psi (cold) on rear depending on load. 38 PSI seems about right for a single rider on a warm rear tire, doesn't it? -Don- Reno, NV
  11. DonTom
    I use the Pressure Pro TPMS on all three of my bikes. I use it for both air shocks too, on my Venture. If you look closely, you can see it says I have 38 psi in rear tire (that's after some riding). I have mine on it's own switch so I can turn it off or on regardless of ignition switch position. Here is it on my Venture: http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/DonTom3/motorbikes/TPMSunit.jpg
  12. DonTom
    I left FT. Carson in March of 1971 when I ETSed. BTW, were you a CO? All the medics we had all year in Vietnam were CO's. That meant they did not carry a weapon, but the pick or shovel. I wonder if it was mainly only the CO medics that they sent to Vietnam. BTW, the second person I saw KIA was our unarmed platoon medic. He was KIA when trying to get to my squad leader who was shot during during a firefight. Neither made it. Most medics in the 4TH Infantry Div. in Vietnam had a tough time. Was one of the most dangerous jobs. -Don- Reno, NV
  13. DonTom
    There were a lot of Montagnards in the Central Highlands. What type of work did you do with them? The troops on the basecamp in An Khe hired a lot of Montagnards. I've always wondered if it had anything to do with why the helipads in An Khe got blown up (from the inside!) every so often! -Don-
  14. DonTom
    What difference does it make? I was told as soon as I arrived in Vietnam that every MOS the army has is to support the infantry. And there are no exceptions. I still remember those words more than 40 years later. I was in the infantry (11B). Army, B-3-8, 4TH Div. September 1969-1970. I was mainly in the Central Highland jungles of Vietnam between An Khe and Pleiku from September 1969 to 1970, but I was also in the 1970 Cambodia incursion. Thanks for your support! -Don-
  15. DonTom
    Perhaps not. See here. It seems to be recommended for bikes. -Don-
  16. DonTom
    Just in case . . . Don't assume it's a fuel pump problem until you check the input of the fuel pump! Regardless of the clicking, be sure gasoline is getting to the pump. My fuel petcock screen was clogged and acted just like a bad fuel pump. Just blowing air up the hose by mouth should clean out the fuel petcock and then you can drain the tank. I used an extra section of clean hose. If the gas cap is off you will hear the bubbles, knowing it is working. After draining the reserve, you can remove the fuel petcock (remove the two little screws) to clean out the rest. There will still be some gasoline, so an oil pan should be used under. In my 1984, I could not get the fuel petcock all the way out (without removing the tank!) because the long main screen would not clear. But I could get enough of it out to clean off most of it, without removing the tank. Aim towards the rear brake switch to get most of fuel petcock out. Also, with what seems like a fuel pump problem on the road might be able to be fixed by going to reserve. Or if you keep it on reserve all the time, like I used to, going to the main tank will fix it, if it's just one of the screens clogged of the fuel petcock, like it was with my 1984 Venture. -Don- SSF, CA
  17. DonTom
    I've done the same. Use one of these at the lowest psi available. It's small and easy to carry a spare. You can buy them at Napa, but perhaps not at the lowest psi to match a Venture. You will have to play around with it a bit to make it fit with the fuel filter, but really not much trouble at all. Even the one sold at Napa should work fine, but it's a slightly higher psi fuel pressure than the stock 1st gen Venture. Such might make idle a bit richer, but not enough to be concerned with. -Don- (but not the same Don mentioned in previous post.)
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