Jump to content

DarkLeftArm

Expired Membership
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    183

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by DarkLeftArm

  1. DarkLeftArm
    I read a good article a long time ago in a 4X4 truck publication of some sort. The guy said each tire should be treated separately, and brought up/let down to its correct pressure according to its footprint. He parked his rig on smooth concrete, and used a business card or matchbook to slide under the edge of the tire as he adjusted the air. When he could just no longer get it under the edge of the tire, he recorded and maintained that pressure. He reported great tire life, and good handling.
  2. DarkLeftArm
    Hey, Buck. I also graduated from a Roadie to the RSV. What a dream. Still keep the Roadie for short solo hops, but anything over a couple hours calls for luxury! My partner, Susan won't even get on the old bike any more. Speaking of the back seat passenger, I installed the F4 Customs tallest/widest shield, and it cut back considerably on the buffeting around Susan's head.We both wear full helmets every time we mount up. And by the way, I look through the shield 100%of the time now. We live in Tucson, so the Goldwing vent option was a must, and works great. No advice about tires yet, as I am still in the process of wearing out the factory 404s. I did however install the 100 LED custom dynamics tail light (on both bikes) and love it. Also put up an auxiliary light bar on the RSV and have been told we are VERY visible from behind now. Happy Trails. Bert
  3. DarkLeftArm
    17 mm is the size. Same as the oil dran. And the rear drive drain...
  4. DarkLeftArm
    It has been said here that there is no way to drain the 2nd gen water pump with any normal tools without removing or at least loosening the exhaust. I found out otherwise. I REALLY hate disturbing a new, leak-free exhaust system. Even more than I hate vise-grips and cheapo Chinese sockets. With these common items I was able to remove the waterpump drain plug easily. Happy wrenching.
  5. DarkLeftArm
    + one more on the 100 led from Custom Dynamics.
  6. DarkLeftArm
    As a matter of fact, I can. Just purchased one the other day. I was going through the same thing as you, and contacted Don, aka Freebird. He said that you need a different spring. Go to the hardware store and look for springs in the fasteners section. they will be in drawers that may or may not have part numbers. What you need is a spring with coil width of about 5/8" diameter. It should have a short hook on one end, and a long one on the other. The one I used was about 8" long overall, and if I did it again, I'd keep looking for one a little longer. I had to use a drum brake spring expanding tool to stretch it, but it works perfect. If you haven't seen it, Don's article is here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1427 You can see the spring I used in my thread here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74127 Good luck. Enjoy your new stand!
  7. DarkLeftArm
    I have torn my share of emissions junk off of cars a long time ago. One of those ended up biting me when they changed the laws in Pima county. Now they test motorcycles in Maricopa county (Phoenix) and I'm afraid we will follow suit down here. Otherwise we probably wouldn't be having this conversation.
  8. DarkLeftArm
    I guess nobody has had to deal with the charcoal canister when mounting a centerstand. Well, now I have. Not sure how much interest there is, but here goes. The bracket bolts to the same frame tab the canister bolts to. There was almost enough room. I only had to modify my bracket a little. I drilled out and tapped the welded in nuts on the charcoal canister to accept the 3/8 stand mounting bolts. Then I needed to relieve the bracket arm on one side. Now I have a stand, and the emissions system on the RSV remains unmolested.
  9. DarkLeftArm
    Spike 13-- If you will push the pedal ALL the way down quickly, it will lower MUCH more slowly. Took me a while to figger this out, but it is way less stressful coming down. There are actually 2 speeds here. It takes some getting used to, but works fine. give it a try. Bert
  10. DarkLeftArm
    very nice. Thank you.
  11. DarkLeftArm
    do you happen to know what the part # for those would be? It would be nice to only make one parts trip for my upcoming hydraulic system flush!
  12. DarkLeftArm
    Hey, fellas. Today I built the bracketry to mount a first gen stand as per Freebird's excellent tech article. I have, however, run into something Freebird never encountered, and he suggested I post here to find out what to do. As you can see, the charcoal cannister has to come off to make room for the stand. Seems like connecting the 2 hoses together is probably the way to go, but I'm afraid it will change the way it runs. The cannister is vented to air, so should I put a tee down there? Any suggestions to keep me from messing things up would be appreciated!
  13. DarkLeftArm
    Hey, Carl. Those chrome pieces were both scratched up pretty bad in the wreck, so I figured if the paint doesn't hold up, I can always go to the dealership and order new one$$$$... I scuffed the chrome with 220 grit sandpaper before painting. I actually liked the sanded look. It looked like brushed stainless steel, but I could still see the scratches. So I painted them with plain ol rustoleum gloss black. They still were not as glossy as I had envisioned, so I hit them with a coat of gloss clearcoat. I think they look as close to black chrome as I can get. The satin black fairing is also clearcoated with satin. That turned out better than I expected. One of these days I'm gonna fire up my compressor, and learn how to use my sprayer with better quality paint. Until then, I guess rattlecans will have to do!
  14. DarkLeftArm
    Hey, Bill! How you been? There's a possibility we will be riding up the Lemmon next Sunday. Supposed to be an Oktoberfest going on. I think we might meet some non-riding friends up there. Let me know if you end up going. We can meet up someplace. Bert
  15. DarkLeftArm
    Decided to fix it myself, and pocket the change! I think the ol' rattlecan job looks pretty ok. The bugs wash off better than I expected, too. Next is the trunk and bags. Just a little ratty. Not the whole bike. By the way, I love my new F4 Customs X tall X wide. The vent in front is truly perfect.
  16. DarkLeftArm

    EMPTY

    DarkLeftArm replied to jaymacdoo's topic in Watering Hole

    Heres a tech article that Goose put up a long time ago: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=302
  17. DarkLeftArm
    You gotta see this before you go in. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI1go72c5H8]Lou Rawls Colonoscopy Exam in English - YouTube[/ame]
  18. DarkLeftArm
    That looks like a great idea, but it also looks to be unattainable, practically speaking.
  19. DarkLeftArm
    Man... nobody even wants to TOUCH that picture of the baby trailer...
  20. DarkLeftArm
    I rode a 533 mile loop yesterday up through the White Mountains in Arizona. I've never had tar snake trouble until then. I started wondering if I was getting a flat tire or something! Actually stopped to check. And change underwear! Glad to read this today. I was a little afraid I was going nuts or something.
  21. DarkLeftArm
    Hey, Farm. I don't know the answer to your question, but I am curious about your leftover tank. I have a friend with a RSTD that just mashed up his tank. You gonna sell it? Bert
  22. DarkLeftArm
    Is there anybody that can give me the real lowdown on BOTH of these windshields? I want one that makes the Calm air "bubble" extend back to include my passenger. She gets slapped around terribly back there. I know that with things aerodynamic, bigger doesn't always mean better. It just looks like the Clearview is selling its shape, and F4 is selling it's enormity. Is it possible that the better shape of the Clearview will outperform the huge F4?
  23. DarkLeftArm
    Here ya go. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=66613 Very simple. If I wasn't lazy, I would have made one from stuff laying around. It was all made up, and very cheap, though. Works great.
  24. DarkLeftArm
    I have an '03 Roadstar. We were going to sell it after we got the RSV, but I'm kinda in love with it. Thinking about keeping it.
  25. DarkLeftArm
    Risers helped me, but I also had to concentrate on my posture. On the bike I was used to, I looked over the windshield. Not so on the Royal star. I look through just about the top inch of this one. When I first started riding it, I was straining to see over the windshield, and my back got real sore right at the base of my neck. Now I have gotten used to looking through the windshield, and I just need to keep my chin down a little. No more back pain.
×
×
  • Create New...