RedRider

If you can get to Fond du Lac (60 miles south of GB) tonight along with FlyinFool and his stator, we can get it in the shop and swapped out. Let me know. No real plans for the evening but will need to clean the shop a bit to get it in there. RR

Look in the vendor area at the BaggerShield. They are a good supporter of this site and get really good reviews on their product. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=80541 No relationship - just like the reviews (no, I don't have one. Still run the OEM stock windshield). RR

Here you go. Armor in all the right places. Can be worn as an overpant with shorts/underwear underneath. http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/mesh_jackets_and_pants/first_gear/2011_mesh_tex_motorcycle_pants.html Be careful of dehydration. When taking long trips (multiday) I wear the non-mesh overpants. RR

The shaft needs to come out periodically to lube the splines going into the U-joint. Use Honda Moly60. For those who haven't done this yet, there is a small rubber plug on the swingarm over the U-joint. Remove this plug and use a coat hanger or something similar to center the U-joint for insertion of the drive shaft. Be patient, it will go in. Make sure the drive shaft is in the U-joint and not next to it. Most of us have learned this the hard way. RR

Hope he slowed down a bit so you could keep up. RR

Having two fuel pumps do the exact same thing doesn't make sense that the fuel pump is the issue. I would check your synchronization. Something may have slipped in the linkages. As another thought - What happens when the rev limiter is hit? Does it shut down the coil? May there be a bad RPM sensor? I don't know how that circuit works.

When you install them, it may require some cutting of the foam. If the speakers are pressing on the ears they will become painful in a short period of time. RR

I'm stayin' out of Chat. You's is skurrin' me.

What bike? Year? Give us some symptoms and we can offer some suggestions. Do you know it is electrical? Might it be fuel related? Need more info. RR

There are several aftermarket windshields that can help. Or you can cut down your windshield. Wouldn't work well to completely remove it since it would leave a large slit at the top of the faring. Baggershield has received good reviews and offers discounts to VR members. http://www.baggershield.com Visit the VR Gold Vendor listing for more info. RR

+1 on this site. The moderator of this site is REALLY knowledgeable on the old GS'. I have one that will be restored over the winter.

Jeff, Good luck tomorrow. While this is fun to joke around about (at least fun for us), you are doing something really serious. Hope it all turns out ok. RR

I got right in. RR

Jeff, Good luck. Getting old is a *****, but it beats the alternative. I'm involved with something similar and am not having any fun either. Maintaining dignity goes out the window when they are having object enter places that were previously exit only. Hope all works out in the end. RR

Actually, almost half of crashes are single vehicle accidents (motorcycle only). All almost 100% preventable with training, proper maintenance, and experience (and riding sober). Summary from: A 2009 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute report found that: More than half of motorcyclist deaths involved at least one other vehicle. 42 percent of two-vehicle fatal motorcycle crashes involved a vehicle turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle. A little less than half of all motorcycle driver deaths involved no other vehicle. Of the 1,791 motorcycle deaths that involved only the motorcyclist 48 percent were speeding. 42 percent had blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08 percent or higher. RR

Why yes, yes it would. Next time it happens, open the gas cap. Any vacuum sound? If so, you hit the nail on the head. If not, well you ruled one option out. My money is on fuel filter. RR

Are they also targeting loud car pipes? (didn't read - too long) RR

Apparently only Volume 1. RR

- Fixed - Darwin awards prove that stupidity is curable. Unfortunately, the stupid don't usually get a chance to practice their new found knowledge. "Wow, I really shouldn't have done that. I'll know better next time" as the sheet is being pulled over his head. However, on a more serious note. I'm not sure I could ethically sell a monster motorcycle to someone with no knowledge, training, or brains. Would be hard to sleep at night. Next time I go to my dealer, I'm going to chat with the owner. Just curious about his attitude/policy. I sold two motorcycles to a couple of my son's friends. Before they took delivery (rode them away), I made sure they had helmets (gave one of them an older helmet of mine) and we went to the fairgrounds parking lot and spent a couple of hours learning how to ride. They were both signed up for the MSF course and had their temps. I still worried.

I agree with Snaggletooth. Whether this story is true or not, it reeks of stupidity. Letting someone drive a new 500HP Camaro without a license or having someone teach them to drive? FAIL Selling a 50 cal Desert Eagle handgun to someone that has never shot a gun or received any instruction? FAIL Riding on an 800+ pound, $20,000 motorcycle with no training? EPIC FAIL Also, if his helmet flew off, he didn't have it fastened correctly or was only wearing a beenie (purely a cosmetic helmet). HUGE FAIL While I feel sorry for the wife (and kids), it appears her judgement was correct. This guy was not made, or certainly not prepared, for riding a motorcycle. Rant off RR

The real problem here is my son not having the tools. I understand it requires some rather large sockets, a breaker bar, high capacity torque wrench, and a puller. Was hoping there was someone in the Austin area that might have this stuff along with some expertise/experience in making the Dano mod. I am going to get the Dano starter clutch upgrade on order today (along with the gaskets and stuff). Anybody in the Austin area available to help? RR

'LilBeaver, I realize this thread is a couple of months old and you likely already have your rack. When I read your original request, my first thought was - How is going to get the gas from the rack all the way up to the tank? When the aux tank is mounted on the pillion seat area, it is above the tank and fuel flows naturally. This will no longer be the case. You will need to add a fuel pump and, possibly, a bung into the main tank. I'm not sure how feeding the pressurized fuel into the line (I assume you currently plumb the line into the elbow right out from the petcock) will be handled. You may need to use the pump to transfer fuel from the aux to the main tank rather than just feed the aux into the line. Here are a couple of additional thoughts worth exactly what your are paying for them. 1) Will your passenger be OK with travelling more than 200 miles between stops? I remove the tank from my bike when the wife is riding along. She prefers to stop every 125-150 miles. 2) When the TourTank (TT) is mounted on the pillion seat, the trunk doesn't open. However, it is 3 phillips screws and a 10mm nut to remove the backrest from the trunk. Go to your local hardware store and pick up 4 pan head machine screws, 4 matching nylon insert nuts, and 8 special washers that have rubber fused to a steel washer. Mount these in the holes. Your trunk will now open. Not enough to latch, but almost. 3) I have seen Ventures with a TT mounted in the trunk. This would take care of the gravity/fuel pump issue. You could then use your new hitch rack to carry the luggage that otherwise would have been in the trunk. Don't know if you can fit a 5 gal TT in there, but a 3 gal will fit. Keep us up to date on how this is coming along. RR

If you recall - I purchased the St. Jude Venture this past Easter weekend. My son in Austin went over to pick it up and has been riding it ever since. He called me today to inform me the starter sounds like a handful of rocks and it won't start/turn over. My guess is this will be the starter clutch. Is there anybody in the Austin area that may be able to help? My son, while a decent wrench for a 24 yo, has limited tools in his apartment. Not really sure what the final solution will be. I see the Dano/Squeeze thread from 2008 as a solution. Also looked at the PCW page and they have a starter clutch replacement. http://www.pcwracing.net/featured.htm I know he doesn't have a puller. Help please RR

Even with grooves in the disks, I wouldn't worry about it. Warping, that's different.

I had the same problem also. Mixture was too rich and carb floats were out of spec. Mixture was the main problem.