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twigg

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Everything posted by twigg

  1. twigg
    Be careful with those, and check them often. The tend to crack very quickly on the curved part of the cap.
  2. twigg
    I know that use of the word "easy" is probably not appropriate, but 1000 miles is actually routine, and doesn't require anything more than a 43 mph average speed. So if you can run at 60 to 65 mph, you will cover the distance comfortably, and have time for substantial breaks. Even with the delays I had, I managed the first 1080 miles in 17 hours. By most people's standards, and that is your measure, a SaddleSore 1000 is a terrific achievement.
  3. twigg
    Yes, I remember you telling me about that. I would be happier with the Tour Tank too. I simply do it the other way round, and I figure both options are valid. I run the main dry, then switch to the auxiliary. That way I get the benefit of the fuel gauge for the full amount.
  4. twigg
    I haven't tried running 4th gear, but I haven't felt the engine labouring either. What I have found is that one of the cylinders is not firing correctly. It appears to be running only part of the time. Plugs, caps, wires are all brand new. Plug is sparking, but that doesn't mean it is sparking under high compression .... and I am also beginning to think that the pilot circuit on that carb might not be functioning correctly. :: sigh :: It never ends. I'll swap the coils over and see if the problem moves to a different cylinder ... If not, then off with the carbs and I'll clean them properly this time.
  5. twigg
    The Aux. Tank does not have the capacity Summit states. It is a 4 Gallon tank that only holds about 3 1/2 gallons from completely empty. The outlet bungs are about 1" from the base, and that's why it doesn't empty completely. The tank gravity feeds to a Tee right before the fuel pump inlet ... it backfills the main tank to about two full bars in about ten minutes. It works as designed, and works well, but it needs to be a little bigger.
  6. twigg
    Adding .... On a run like this you really only need to run 68mph for 22 hours to hit the distance. That leaves two hours for gas and rest stops ... up it 1/2 mph to give the extra 30 miles you need. Doing that will reduce the gas consumption quite a bit, and, significantly reduce the number of stops you need for gas because you will easily hit the 200 mile range. It simply proves the point that LD Riding is not about speed, it is about hours spent with the wheels turning.
  7. twigg
    Your theory is faultless, in practise it's not quite like that. Here is what I experienced: Normally the I40 route is probably one of the best ... It is almost door to door Interstate, most with 75mph speed limit. I ran as close to that as I could. Sometimes a bit above, sometimes a bit below ... The chart on the Ride Report lays it all out. The GPS showed that, over 1000 miles I was able to maintain a moving average speed of 72mph. You will not get much better than that. That accounts for all the construction, the cities where the speed limit drops to 60 and all the slowing down and speeding up, plus getting in and out of gas stations. In future I will plan rides assuming I can maintain 70mph over a long distance, a figure which builds in some margin. Gas mileage is massively variable. I planned based on 35 mpg. My experience prior to this ride is that I get 30 to 32 ish, in general riding, and about 35 on steady runs. That is poor compared with a modern motorcycle engine, but it's manageable for an elderly tourer. I have a Summit 4 gallon aux. tank giving me, in theory, 9 gallons before I am desperate. 9 gallons @ 35mpg = 315 miles range. Perfecto! Then reality hits .... The auxiliary tank is rubbish! It only holds 3.5 gallons and, crucially, only delivers 2.9 gallons into my main tank at best. That reduces the absolute range to 275 miles. I usually plan to re-fill every 200 miles, because 200 miles should be easily achievable and, importantly, you cannot guarantee a gas station exactly when you want to ... so plenty of wiggle room and you never have to worry about gas. You can push 230 without worrying. However ... On my run out West the gas figures were ... 26.7, 24.7, 23.2, 23.3, 25.6 for the first five fills. This is on a bike where I was expecting around the 35mpg you mentioned. My guess is that the poor performance was caused mainly by a combination of high speed, high wind and climbing in altitude. Take 24mpg and the range is reduced to 189 miles, and you have to re-fill every 150 to be safe. That is just not good enough. On the run back I got much better numbers, including one tankful @ 36 mpg. On this particular ride I was planning for seven gas stops totaling around 60 minutes. In reality I needed many more, and they took longer, including the time spent changing the ignition back to stock, etc. That's pretty much where the attempt failed.
  8. twigg
    What Jeff said! The plastic is ABS, not glassfibre. It does not play well with solvents. Sand them smooth, and go easy.
  9. twigg
    I never find myself falling asleep on a bike, the way I sometimes can in a car. In a car the actual driving is almost sub-conscious, and can be quite soporific especially on an Interstate in warm weather. The bike is not like that at all. It will not go forward without the rider being totally involved in the activity, so what happens is that you stay alert right to the point where you become too fatigued to stay alert any longer. You need to recognise your own "personal" signs. Many riders make a list of tell-tales, and if they check off two in succession they stop. For example, one might be your speed dropping below a threshold you have set. Another could be forgetting to indicate a lane-change (forgetting, not choosing). Maybe forgetting to switch to low-beam for oncoming cars. Little things that tell you that the limit is being reached. When you see those signs, and you will see them, then you simply must stop, if only for a 20 minute power-nap. Work out your own, and stick to them.
  10. twigg
    Mine too needed collector repairs. By the way ... a new one from Yamaha is $200 more than Marks, not $100. I had a local muffler wholesaler make me two new collector stubs from stock pipe which were then welded on. While I was at it I opened up the bottom intending to remove the baffle that was rattling like crazy, except it wasn't, it was firmly attached so it was welded closed with the baffle still where Yamaha put it. The rattle was coming from the front right downpipe. The inner pipe had completely sheared from the outer. I paid $25 for the welding and $20 for the downpipe. The gaskets cost more!!
  11. twigg
    It was a terrific ride, loved every minute except the minutes I was hurting I learned exactly what it takes to complete a BBG successfully. At least now I know that I can do it, but it does involve some decent fortune as the margins are exextremely tight.
  12. twigg
    I'm not sure how many VRs have one of these: http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i418/twigg2324/1986%20Yamaha%20Venture%20Royale/IMG_0654.jpg Or one of these: http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i418/twigg2324/1986%20Yamaha%20Venture%20Royale/IMG_0642.jpg
  13. twigg
    I think I can hook up the laptop, but as yet I haven't tried it. I ran about a sixty mile test with the Ignitech prior to this ride. All was fine except towards the end of the test the bike hesitated, twice. Nothing much to pin down. Normally I struggle with gas mileage ... high twenties, low thirties and about 35 on a run ... so 35ish is what I was expecting. I also noticed that while the Ignitech will normally rev clean to the redline, sometimes it stutters around 6000 rpm, almost like it hit a rev limiter ... then it clears and will again rev freely. That sounds like a connector issue to me, but who knows. I swapped back to stock at the second gas stop. That cost me 15 minutes but gave me peace of mind, and a free revving motor, but no better gas mileage. I am thinking that a combination of headwind, high average speed and terrain caused most of those issues. I am also a bit suspicious that the basic tune might be off. If it is running rich at all it would kill the fuel consumption. If I can hook this up to tha laptop, what do you want me to try first and, just so you know .... These are teething troubles and I am not in anyway disappointed.
  14. twigg
    I'll second the suggestion that the Russell is the preferred choice for LD Riders. My VR came to me fitted with a Saddlemen Travalcade Road Sofa. In my long rides to date this has been excellent. The pain I get is mainly caused by being cramped in one position for so many hours. Some minor soreness sets in, but not until around the 800 to 1000 mile mark. I'd take the Russell, but for now I am okay with the seat I have.
  15. twigg
    Yes.it.does I wondered if it were the Ignitech, but apparently not. That was working pretty well. The bikes are not jetted for 7000 feet either ... That can't help.
  16. twigg
    Woah ..... Seriously guys ... You are freakin' awesome I just read this thread through and I'm overwhelmed by the support. If good wishes could do the ride, I would have been home dry! Okay. The ride is in the books, and it's a Bun Burner, not a Gold. The full tale is here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/19/1075667/-How-to-Meet-with-Triumph-and-Disaster-and-Treat-Those-Two-Imposters-Just-the-Same- That report took a bit of writing and all the other questions I'll answer in good time. Yes, I was fit Yes, I used the Ignitech but switched back to stock part way. The report will explain why. The headlight was awesome!! So was the desert. Enjoy the read, ask any questions you want because my VR just covered 1575 miles, and it has a story to tell.
  17. twigg
    Tomorrow morning (Saturday) I will attempt to ride my '86 VR 1500 miles in less than 24 hours. Anyone interested will find all the info they need to follow the attemt here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/16/1074869/-Bun-Burner-Gold Should be interesting
  18. twigg
    I get it ... In modern engines, especially high revving ones ... I just wonder about our large capacity, low tune slower revving motors .... It's a significant extra cost ... peace of mind maybe? In my VFR I used nothing but Mobil 1
  19. twigg
    We always used kerosene mixed with oil for a good flushing. Don't run it long, don't let it get too hot and drain thoroughly. I would think Seafoam would work too, and adding some Marvel Mystery Oil (ATF) is popular ... Kerosene cleans quicker and it cheaper but you have to be more careful
  20. twigg
    Switching to synthetic .... Well it's you money, and your bike so no worries from me. But to those who choose to use a non-specified oil, even one that exceeds the specs recommended, I just wonder why? What is the upside?
  21. twigg
    I find it a hard compromise. I like to look over the windshield most of the time, but it is quieter behind it .... So I generally have to cut them to get it just right. 22" on the VR 1st Gen is about right, so my excellent 24" screen ($35 Ebay) needed a couple of inches lopping off. 10 minutes with a jigsaw and some patient sanding and it's just about right.
  22. twigg
    He was correct. The fuse is there principally to prevent the wire from melting and causing a fire. Secondary protection is incidental. If individual components require protection, they would normally contain their own fuse. The reason that we use fuses rated lower than the wire capacity is simply that a higher current draw than required by the item is a fault, and the fuse blows .... No need to stress the wire to the max.
  23. twigg
    Or ya could just fill the tubes, compressed .. get the air out and set the level at 5 1/2" ... and quit worrying about it
  24. twigg
    Seven turns out and you virtually removed it ... If it ever needs more than about 3 to 4 turns out then you need a bigger pilot jet. In any event, those screws will not stop the engine firing, so set them at two turns out and go looking for the other problem Check spark and timing try a squirt of Easystart just to see if it will fire ... don't use it regularly. Check there is actually gas in the carbs ... basic, but it won't run without.
  25. twigg
    The info on this site is only as good as the people typing the responses or posts. I can tell you that you can fit a projector into an '86 VR, but that is only good info if you can feel confident that I have done it, or had personal experience of someone who has ... I can tell you that the VR is good for 1000 mile days, or more, and that is info you can use more readily if I have a track record (I have) .... However, it really only tells you that my bike was capable, on those days. In another place I just had a request passed to me that came from a new member wanting to know how to increase the impact of his posts, and build a readership. He is concerned that the three articles he has written to date have not been well received. It's about reputation and experience. I have written 200 articles in that place, and have hundreds of regular readers, and had I written his posts they would have been better received ... because folk have experience of my writing. In a Forum like this it's actually easier to discern the useful information. If one member posts a piece about AGM Batteries, the posy is helpful .... It is far more helpful when taken as the opening entry in a discussion which then explores the subject. Actually, I now feel happier about my cheap Walmart batteries than I did before, even though there are advantages to AGM .... See how that works? Like every other aspect of life, the internet is simply a place to meet, discuss and learn. And like everywhere else, it takes all kinds. People do not drop in and hand out info by accident ... they share, and it is the sharing that matters because that is how you assess what you are reading, both here and in real life Just my 2c
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