jonr651

Like the saying goes, it's usually the nut that attaches the handlebars to the seat... I'm sorry to have wasted everybody's time here. Seems the genius at the battery store sold me a battery with the terminals reversed. I didn't even think to look, just dropped it in the same way! Sometimes I think I should really wear my helmet 24 hrs a day! Dohhh! I wasn't until the second person mentioned the condenser popping was a sign of reversed polarity that it even hit me to check. Anyway, I'm off to the store. Thanks again for all the input and sorry to have wasted all your time. This group is the best! Jon

Thanks for all the responses. I ordered a replacement R/R and swapped it, but it still pops. I unplug the r/r and everything is good. Plug it in and it blows. The weird thing is I can't see a short on that circuit with my meter. (?) But the battery blows the fuse. I show good cont. btw. the pos. term. and the red lead on the r/r connector. and good ground from the black. No cont. between the red and black, and no cont. btw the any terminals on the r/r and ground (or the housing). The 3 stator leads at the r/r connector show about .3-.4 ohms. (my meter doesn't read very low, but I get .7-.6 on the 200 scale and I have .3 by just connecting my leads) I'm looking for the connector where the stator plugs into the r/r. I want to disconnect the stator, plug the r/r back in and see if it blows. Still haven't found it. Can someone tell me where to look? But still the resistance at the r/r connector seems about right. (?) I'm not an electrical engineer, but just don't get why I would get no cont. across a circuit and when I connect the battery I get sparks and blow a 30 amp fuse??? I'm stumped! Should I just buy a stator and try it? It's warming up this weekend and the pressure's on now!!! Thanks for all the advice. Jon

Well, after pulling all the fuses it still pops the main. After studying the wiring diagram, it seems there are only a couple of things it can be. The regulator/rectifier, condenser, ignition switch or the wiring in between. I unplugged the R/R and reconnected the battery, the fuse didn't pop, but then the (what I suspect is the) condenser on the L fairing began to snap, crackle and pop and spewed something all over the garage floor. Is this because the R/R wasn't connected? I'm not sure what the function of that condenser is, and it doesn't show up in any parts diagrams that I can find, but it is shown on the wiring diagram. Is there a way to test the R/R? I get no continuity (infinite resistance) across the red and black terminals, and .7 ohms across between white terminals. The manual doesn't show any testing specs that I can find. I have found nothing else out of the ordinary: good continuity between all the components and haven't found any shorts. The main switch seems fine, and shows continuity when on and none when off. I'll probably just replace it and see what happens, but at $105.00 I'd feel better about it if there was a way to tell if it's bad. The jump start seems to be the cause of whatever it is. If anybody has some ideas, I'd appreciate some input. Thanks again. Jon

After finding a dead battery when starting up this spring, I had to jump my 2004 RSMV. It started and ran fine, got it home. Now the main fuse blows every time I try to connect the (new) battery. Tonite while searching for similar issues, I read where you shouldn't jump from a running car. Is this likely my problem? What damage did I do and where should I start looking? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thx, Jon

Well, after changing the plugs, the problem has disappeared. Took her for a 100 mile ride this afternoon and smooth as silk! Doubt it was the plugs, probably the B12 stewing in the carbs for a few days. Anyway, thanks for all the input! Jon

The plungers are all working and appear to be seated evenly. It starts and runs good on the choke, and even after I push it in, it still runs pretty good until it really warms up, then the idle gets hunting gets really bad. I changed the plugs and they all seemed pretty even. Dk Grey to black on the threaded body, porcelain is white, and a med grey on the electrode tip. Still have to get some starting fluid and check for a vacuum leak. Thanks Jon

Which is the low speed screw? I can't identify it by the diagrams in the manual. (they must use a different term). It seems to be only below 2000 rpm. It runs smooth above that with no miss, although it seems the power is down a little. I also seem to be smelling gas, especially when sitting and idling, but nothing is leaking and there is nothing coming out the vents or drains. I'm going to check the plugs in the morning and see if it's one carb or an overall problem. Air filters are ok. Thanks for all the input! Jon

My 2004 RSMV has developed a fluctuating idle, which seems to get worse the warmer the engine gets. It surges 800-1200 on the tach, and up to about 1500 rpm, then smooths out. I'm due for a valve adjustment and am planning to do that soon, but this happened suddenly, in the middle of a ride. I didn't start gradually and get worse. I pulled the carbs and removed the bowls and sprayed everything I could get to with carb cleaner, checked the float levels (all were good) and changed the fuel filter. I didn't split the carbs or completely tear them down yet. Air filters are fine, and I'll probably do plugs just to rule them out. I'm currently running some B12 thru it, and it seems a little better, but it's still there. Hoping this rings a bell for someone. I'm going to do a complete tear down on the carbs when I do the valves, and re sync if no one has any other ideas. Thanks for the help. Jon

I suspected that too, as I am still getting used to it. It's definitely a big step up. It's just the noise that has me wondering if its something more than my skills...

I have recently aquired a 2004 RSMV with about 20K, and have been following the forums here with great interest. I am upgrading from a Honda shadow and this is my first bike with shaft drive so I'm not sure if this is normal... I have noticed what seems to be an excessive amount of drivetrain "slop" or backlash, i guess. It is very noticable in the lower gears and makes transitioning from accel to decel very jerky. I'm also hearing a distinct banging when shifting. Actually two bangs, the first when I shift and the second when I release the clutch. I can also duplicate the bang by releasing the clutch quickly from a stop. I have read the manual and based on the location of the noise, I'm guessing either the ujoint or middle gear is the culprit. I know that the backlash in the gears can be measured and shimmed, but requires disassembly. I was wondering if this is a common problem, and if anyone has any experience with this issue? Can someone give me an idea of how much play is "normal"? For example, if I were to put it on the center stand, put it in gear and measure the total driveline slop based on how much I can turn the rear wheel, how much movement at the rear wheel would be considered excessive? Any insight would be appreciated. Jon