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twigg

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Everything posted by twigg

  1. twigg
    While I have no experience of this particular course, I have been on other advanced riding courses. As a general rule, they are worth their weight in gold. As to specific courses .... Much depends on the actual instructor you get, but courses that are not well liked do not last long, word gets around. The staff in the local dealerships are usually up to speed on local courses, unless, of course they run their own ... then ask their customers Most local areas in the US now have Facebook Rider Groups .... Those guys could be very helpful too. Hope this helps.
  2. twigg
    Even as anti-gun (mostly) as I am, that is one fine looking piece of engineering. Enjoy!
  3. twigg
    Yep. The petcock location on the 1st Gens is right down by your right foot, and they are very difficult to move. I was also going to look at the feasibilty of feeding into the return on the main tank filler tube. There is plenty of space to add an inlet high up on the tank too, but it involves drilling, which is okay. Putting a fitting in the top of the Sender Unit would be easy, but it might be a bit too low .... although that may not actually matter with the Aux. tank on the passenger seat level.
  4. twigg
    The thing that always gets to me when I hear folk attempt to justify not wearing a helmet is this simple idea: Are you prepared to put your life in the hands of every other motorist you encounter on the road? If we didn't have accidents caused by others then you would be in control of your own destiny, and I would get it. That's not how it is and I. for one, don't trust 'em!
  5. twigg
    I feel you pain. I'd love to try a CT on my VR, but I just can't find one that will fit. Swapping out the rear end isn't an attractive option either. So I stick with the Bridgestone Spitfire II. It wears well, grips decently, it's a Bridgestone and it's cheap.
  6. twigg
    As I understand it you got that about right The pods on my Triple need cleaning a little more frequently, but they are completely exposed to road crap. On the Ventures, they are enclosed and will go a long way between cleanings. Maybe less if you live in the desert.
  7. twigg
    The easiest answer of all is MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone). That is the generic name for the specific solvent for ABS, and the good news: Home Depot sells it in Quart cans for around $10. Use some scrap ABS to grind up if you need a filler, and grin broadly when you look at how much guys are being fooled into paying for Plastex. Wear gloves!
  8. twigg
    I use RAM mounts for just about everything. If they had a "Wife Mount" I'd probably buy one The only reason the C550 is not recommended for M/C use is that it isn't waterproof. A baggie takes care of that. I use two GPS units. A Streetpilot 2720, which is waterproof, and a Nuvi 1490T which isn't. I have no problems with either, and RAM mounts for both. They have universal mounts that will probably take the C550, if not as elegantly as a dedicated cradle. I'd love a Zumo, but, quite honestly, I buy motorcycles for less money and they do very little that other, cheaper Garmins can't do. Even the LD Riders are complaining that Garmin have dumbed down the Zumo software. Edit: RAM do have a mount for the C550 .... here is one [ame=http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-RAM-FLAT-SURFACE-MOUNT-Garmin-StreetPilot-c550-/190492436510?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5a3be81e]NEW RAM FLAT SURFACE MOUNT FOR Garmin StreetPilot c550 | eBay[/ame] and here is the mount for the Zumo 550: [ame=http://cgi.ebay.com/RAM-Motorcycle-Mount-GARMIN-ZUMO-550-500-450-400-/160466704506?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255c8f987a]RAM Motorcycle Mount for GARMIN ZUMO 550 500 450 400 | eBay[/ame]
  9. twigg
    I still have that option. They are wired through a separate switch by my right hand. So I can have them on only when I need them, which will usually be outside urban areas.
  10. twigg
    They are high beam lights. Offhand I can't think of any situation where I would use the high beams and turn signals at the same time.
  11. twigg
    When you get used to using it, you'll never put it down. That stuff is useful
  12. twigg
    That's a fair point. So then it's simply redundant. It will draw on the stator but not much else. I can see manually controlling the fan as a temp. fix while other issues are investigated, but as a solution to anything? Not so much.
  13. twigg
    He's talking about the valve that would be fitted to the aux. tank outlet. I wondered about using the auxiliary gas first, but most don't. They run the main tank to empty then use gravity, or a pump, to refill it from the reserve .... Then they have the gas gauge working for all the fuel. Either way works and I haven't decided which to use yet/ Hey Jef .... We were talking about mounting Driving Lamps some time ago. Did you see those brackets I made upthread? Edit ... Yeah, I see where he mentions the standard petcock. Mine sits on reserve and takes pliers to move it Couldn't be done while riding.
  14. twigg

    Speedometer

    twigg replied to Barlow's topic in Watering Hole

    If you can't get one in time, a decent GPS unit will be a good substitute until you find one. Most have very good Trip and Odo functions.
  15. twigg
    So far? At least 52 years ... today
  16. twigg
    The film is probably the UV protection. Polish it all off now. The screen won't last as long, and will scratch more easily, but you will get good use out of it. Besides, it's no longer the bit you look through. When I cut seven inches from mine, Mrs Twigg remarked that I had cut off the only bit that was clear
  17. twigg
    I agree, I should be getting better. I'm not sure what the problem is right now. It's going to take some investigation to find. The carbs are clean, sync'd and have quite a few new bits, including a full set of diaphragms, but I haven't yet checked the float levels, nor have I dialed in the Idle Mixture. It starts very easily, the chokes work as they should and now it is idling fine when hot. It pulls strongly and the gas consumption is too good for a cylinder to be out. The valves are all set just right .... so, I need to investigate. Since I made the last round of changes I haven't run a tank of gas through it, so I don't yet know if it's improved.
  18. twigg
    Would this help? http://farm1.static.flickr.com/1/1091480_6d382d4e9a_o.jpg
  19. twigg
    Thanks for some very helpful info I'll get a sheepskin. It's the one seat product I have yet to hear anyone complain about. From beads to Airhawks - all have their adherents, but everyone loves a sheepskin. I also need a waterproof cover for the seat. The Aux. tank .... I was planning to fit the piping so that the aux. tank simply drains into, and refills the main tank once it is close to empty. That would mean a bulkhead fitting high up in the main tank. Easy enough to do and the regular tank return might suffice, so no drilling. I'll take a look. Fitting down by the petcock is interesting. If I did that the gas would still refill the main tank, and as it is before the pump ... Hmmmmm! Let me think about that. LD Comfort shorts (x2) are on the shopping list. Yes, I am entering Mickael Hickman's Autumn Equinox Rally. I helped out with the IBR Prep Rally and met a number of the entrants in this year's IBR. I missed meeting Ken Meese as work commitments stopped him from coming. You are correct, Mike Kneebone did ride a 1983 VR. He was refused entry in the 1986 IBR because the organisers didn't think he was experienced enough. I guess he made up for it Oh ... and any more useful info you might have would be gratefully received. I want to make this work and other people's mistakes are way easier to learn from than your own!! Before the September Rally I have two LD rides planned. I have the bonus listing and rally pack from the IBR Prep. Rally. I plan on picking a route as if I were entered in that Rally, and riding it under rally conditions. I am also considering a BBG, which would have me riding from North East Oklahoma to just short of the Arizona border, and back, in under 24 hours. If the VR makes it, I'll be happy with my work so far.
  20. twigg
    Well I was expecting to wait months. It took two weeks from mailing the stuff in to my Cert. pack arriving here. It was well documented and I submitted rather more than they require. I addition to all the receipts and gas log I sent an SD Card with all the photos, a GPS Track Log and a 5000 word written report. lol ... I sent so much they asked if they could print the report in the Iron Butt Magazine. I wasn't leaving anything to chance! However .... The process involves a volunteer actually sitting down with the information, and plotting your route in software. They then check that the receipts and all mileages tally. It's not a long process, but it's thorough and they can only do so many at a time. In March they probably weren't getting too many submissions, so someone got to it quickly, and it was a complete pack. The route was complicated though. Here have a read: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=669111
  21. twigg
    lol .... I mentioned silicone because that's how mine was fixed when I got it. I struggled a bit but it came apart with no damage. A sharp knife helped. I put it back with hot glue. The diffraction screens must be newly out of stock, because I got two with my amber lenses a short time ago.
  22. twigg
    Bunch of places ... Try here: http://www.headlightplugs.com/H4.ht.html Autozone probably has them too. In a pinch you can solder wires to the plug end of an old H4 bulb. Post some pics of the conversion please.
  23. twigg
    lol ... yeah ... and the fuse will blow again Disconnect the fan wiring and jump it across the battery .... If it runs, good. Find the short, fix it, no switch needed. If it doesn't run then it is probably the faulty fan that is blowing the fuse. Replace it. No switch needed. All this "switchy" business is a red herring. The cooling system on a VR is perfectly able to keep the motor cool two up, at highway speeds and faster, and when running through town. A manual switch will not make it cool better and there are risks associated. ymmv
  24. twigg
    Two things would cause the fuse to blow again. Either there is a short in the fan circuit, or the fan motor is stalled and drawing too much power as it tries to run. I'd bet on the first reason, so you need to find the short before powering that circuit at all, or you will blow something else.
  25. twigg
    Thanks. I plan on doing both. I have a Saddlesore 1000 which I did in March on my XS750 Triple. I want a BBG (1500 miles in 24 hours) and I am entering a rally in September. The bike came with a Travelcade Road Sofa. It's tatty but still very comfortable. A recent 450 mile daytrip, two up, was no problem for either of us. I want to replace those cheap driving lights with HID units, but they cost $$$$. Also, I plan to fit a 5 gallon Fuel Cell where Mrs Twigg usually sits. With the right brackets and QD fittings, it should come off easily. A one gallon Igloo cooler with a drinking tube will go next to the Fuel Cell. Also, I plan to mount a small inverter in the trunk to let me use my laptop on the road. TPMS are a lot of money, but useful and a Russel Day Long would be great, but I didn't pay much more than that for the bike, so it's hard to justify when the Travelcade is decent. A back rest is on the list.
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