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Snaggletooth

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  1. Snaggletooth
    Sounds like I would like to live at your place. At my house I have a security camera in the garage with a motion detector for the inside lights, I keep the forks locked and the car outside literally against the door so it can't be opened. And I've still lost some tools to the varmits. Haven't had many problems since I started wearing a side arm while working in the garage. Guess they are getting the message. Like they say, it pays to advertise. I feel safer leaving the bike on the street downtown at night. Glad you didn't lose anything...... except some sleep. Mike
  2. Snaggletooth
    Us old 1st Genners have been using the heavier battery cables for a while with great results. Both sides, positive and negative cables. We were doing that upgrade to deal with hot starts due to the 2 brush starters. Major improvement. But the battery is the heart and needs to be alive and well to gain anything from the cable upgrade. Mike
  3. Snaggletooth
    If you are showing a charge of 13.5 (idle) - 14.2 (above 2k rpm) AT the battery while running I'm going to say the battery itself is most suspect. The charging system sounds like it working fine in that range. If all the connections are clean and tight you should be ok. Make sure the ground wire to the engine is in good shape also. Adding a High Output stator, as well as an upgrade R/R will still charge in that same range but will help keep the charge up when adding more load to the system. It will not help do much to improve a problem like you are having. Best test, with the battery charged.... connect a voltmeter or multimeter at the battery posts and check the voltage. It should be in excess of 12.6 volts or higher. With the test meters still hooked up crank the bike at watch the readings. If the battery is on it's way out, it's gonna be dropping like a rock. Probably going below 10 volts. I'd pull the battery and have a local battery supplier do a load test. That will answer the question for sure. I have the DEKA AGM, almost five years old, and it don't drop below 11.6 during cranking even at cold starts and it's right back to 14.3 at 2k rpm. I'd be sure the issue you are having is cleared up before adding an upgrade to the charging system or you will probably be disapointed with the upgrade. Just my Mike
  4. Snaggletooth
    I went ahead an odered the one that M61A1MECH suggested. Figured I'd go with simple and cheap. (plus I found a handfull of other parts I wanted on Amazon while I was looking.) Yea! Free Shipping!! The Hoppy 42655 is probably more than I'd need as with all the lights going to LED there won't be much load on the system. As far as short protection, hoping for the best. I'll try to avoid backing into lake when I pull the boat. But guys, all of you that had suggestions, thanks much for your advice. Once again the wealth of knowledge here is outstanding. Now the wait for parts...... What else should I screw with? Mike
  5. Snaggletooth
    Bob! That's about the best CYA disclaimer I've seen in a while. I think I might have that printed on some business cars to hand out when I talk to people. Sometimes I have trouble with the PC thing. Mike
  6. Snaggletooth
    When, and if this goes to trial you'll need a stick to beat the news crews away. At this point I'm sure the dealer and the local enforcement involved are doing their best to keep this out of the news. It makes them all look bad in the pubic eye. Mike
  7. Snaggletooth
    Good to see you up and posting. You take care and recover well. Mike
  8. Snaggletooth
    Thanks Steve. Looks like the ticket. Two Wally Worlds, another Auto Zone, another O'Riellys, and a two more NAPA stores and none had what I needed. Amazon it is. Mike
  9. Snaggletooth
    The rubber gaskets and silicon probably help a bit. I got to looking at pics of added trailer lights last night. Found these that Richie R. installed. The teardrops add the old roadster look. So many options. Thanks Mike
  10. Snaggletooth
    Looks good Mel. I like the idea of the lights higher up. The favorite traffic game around here it TAILGATING. I know they can't see the stock lights that close to the bike. Now I have a question. I don't care for the plastic material they use on the carrier and I know some have had cracks develope, or found them even on new trailers. Are you considering any method of bonding the edges of the holes you cut for the lights? Epoxy? A light heat treatment to the edges? Just thinking again. Not good. Mike
  11. Snaggletooth
    Good for him! I'm sure in the end he will have a vehicle he likes even better and a lot of respect (or fear) (( known to be the same thing in some cases)) from the dealer he buys it from. Bet the paperwork is right next time. Mike
  12. Snaggletooth
    I'll check WW tomorrow. I just searched the Hopkins site for the number Playboy gave me and that shows "not found". What a day. And I found out today as the PO never registered the trailer and did not include the Certificate of Origin (that supposedly comes with the trailer) to the dealer when it was traded it's got to go through the Sheriffs vehicle inspection before they will issue a title. Gonna need lights for that. Mike
  13. Snaggletooth
    Thanks Playboy. I'll check it out. I love parts guys. Always the came question. "What's it for?" A Yamaha Venture. "Who makes that?" Yamaha " Is that a 2 or 4 door?" It's a motorcycle. "What are you going to use it for?" Do'h! Hooking up a trailer ya bone" "I mean, where is it going to be installed" Drivers side. I can make 'em cry if I stay long enough. I know the weak ones. I have a gift. Mike
  14. Snaggletooth
    Those were the Pyramid (?) brand weren't they KIC? I had a set of those. Just didn't fit. Mike
  15. Snaggletooth
    I see the upside to that but ya know..... DON'T JINX ME BOB!
  16. Snaggletooth
    And that brings up another question. The 5 to 4 wire converter. I'm at a loss. I've been talking to VX1100SE (Don) about his set up and during that he mentioned the plug in patch kit M61A1MECH (Steve) had been making for the RSV and TD's. I PM'd Steve and he hasn't been able to do a kit for MKI bikes as he hasn't been able to locate the correct plugs to match the MKI plugs. Oh well, I know how to splice. I'll live. Now I've been to O'Rileys, NAPA and Auto Zone looking for a 5 to 4 wire converter. Best description I can give them as I don't know much about them. Get a lot of blank looks. Not making any progress. They all carry the Hopkins line but they have nothing that looks like it would work. What they show me is all 5 in and 5 out. Anybody know the number of the correct converter for this? Thanks, Mike
  17. Snaggletooth
    Just had a thought..... Maybe I'll build a bumper out of tubing so I can use the nice NOS trim piece I've had on the shelf for a year. Don't have the rail set for the trunk so at least I could put that to use.
  18. Snaggletooth
    All ready on it but on another path. I can't see replacing the entire housings when I can upgrade by just changing out the bulbs. Be about the same cost either way. I did all my lights on the bike using Superbrightleds.com to replace the stock bulbs with LED's. I was looking at the 1157 Dual Spider lights for the tail/brake lights on the bike but space for them was a issue. They should work nicely in the HF taillight housings. The HiPower 360 degree wedge bulbs will do well for the side maker lights and I'll use the same style marker lights I used to replace the side reflectors on the bike for additional side and rear lights along the frame. I'll have to mount a couple of wedge sockets pointing down above the clear lens for the license plate lights but that's an easy fix. All the time I spent lighting up the rear of the bike and now the trailer will block it. Geesh. Starting over again.
  19. Snaggletooth
    Man, keep it there!!! It was 35 this morning when I left for the shop. It made it into the 50's for the ride home. Yea!! They are talking a low of 24 tonight. I can live with that. I didn't take the car last year until it dropped below 15. Love that big old fairing. Sleet and snow would ruin my mood. Ah heck, the wind is blowing from the West. Your'e too close to me to be talking trash like that. Geesh.... where's my snow shovel? Thanks, Mike
  20. Snaggletooth
    My first set I mounted a few years back were 42#'s. The set I mounted new this spring says 50#'s. I run them at the the pressure on the tire all the time and I got almost 25,000 miles out of the first set. Hoping for the same with the new ones. Mike
  21. Snaggletooth
    Always cracks me up. Well, as long as it's not costing me a bunch of money to make right. I just bought a dang near new HF Tag-A-Long right. I got it cheap enough. I knew when I looked at it I had a few things to deal with. The coupler was crushed into the tongue as the PO had not used washers to shim the couple and it has pulled in so tight the latch for the ball would not move without being pried down with a pry bar. I had to remove the hitch and the latch assembly to get it over the ball when I hooked up. Got that corrected today. One handed hookup now. When saw the trailer the first time I knew something was not right with the wiring. I'm no whiz kid when it comes to electrical but I was pretty sure there were too many wires coming into, through the frame and into the tailight housings. I was right. More than needed. There was an extra wire with a female crimp on connector that ran forward with the 4 wire trailer plug. My best guess at first glance was maybe an extra ground wire. I chased it today and it ran through the frame and was spliced and split into both taillight housings. Holes had been drilled and the wires ran inside. I pulled the lens off both sides and it all made sense. And extra 1156 bulb had been installed in both housings. Not to mention one of the 1156 bulbs had come apart and was laying in the bottom. I hooked up a fused jumper wire and powered the extra wire from the front. Blew da fuse. Pulled the wire and it was cut into where the wire ran thought the holes in the frame with zero protection. Nice. So I can kind of understand the thinking here...... maybe the PO just wanted a couple running lights at the rear. Went the hard way about it in my mind. Now when he hits his lights he had (2) 1157's, (2) 1156's and (4) 194 wedge bulbs lit up. Then add the brake lights and the voltmeter has to be taking a nose dive into the red. I'm seeing why the PO may have been happy to trade off the damn near new Tag-A-Long and be done with it. Can't hook it up, throwing sparks and some lights had quit working and the battery was probably taking a beating. I got to admit, I'm enjoying the old "His loss, my gain" moment. Oh, and I checked the zerks and one was not only missing but a plug had been installed in the hole. Nice touch. Mike
  22. Snaggletooth
    It's home. And pretty happy with the way it pulled. I ran the construction and even on the heavy grooved roadway they had been grinding it down it behaved very nicely. No sway or wandering at all. I did check all the major bolts and lug nuts before I pulled out and all was in order. Can't say so much for the PO's wiring jobs on the lights. That needs to be redone. I cheated and patched into the 2 wire plugs I use for the LED lights on the saddlebags and got the running lights to work so at least I was lit up in the rear. I lowered the tire pressure to 25 lbs before I left to. They were at 35 lbs when I picked it up. I was running about 55 mph on the back roads on the way home and doing well so I detoured and hit the Interstate for a while. Not a flinch at 75 mph even empty. So a quick run to the house and loaded up the trailer with camping gear and a tool box. Probably about 100/125 lbs. Still pulled great. I had the Drift camera rigged to the rear of the bike so I can watch what it was actually doing back there while I was riding. Still have to review that and see what it looks like from that angle. I was surprised how little of the trailer was visible in the mirrors. I can barely see the outside edges from the seat. Probably put some LED lights up higher on the body so I can see it better at night from my angle. But that's it. My own wagon. I know the rules. I added some pics. It looks just like very other HF Tag-A-Long but it's attached to my bike. It's all good here. I'm happy. Can't gripe for $250.00 bucks on a new, already together trailer. Mike
  23. Snaggletooth
    Thanks Bob. Hope the cops don't feel the same way while I'm dragging it home today. Got the Markland hitch on last night. Been hanging in the shop for two years waiting to get around to finding a trailer. Had to make some minor adjustments to match it up with my rear light bar but it looks pretty decent together. So I'm off to pick it up from the car dealer. This should be interesting. My first time pulling a wagon on a bike and I have 5 miles of construction to deal with. Lane restrictions, surface drops, surface grinding and rough roads. I guess they call that a "trial by fire" right? If I'm not back online by tonight....... send the dogs. Mike
  24. Snaggletooth
    Good to see you up and posting. Do what it takes to get healed and back to 100%. Mike
  25. Snaggletooth
    Well, it's official. I'm a trailer owner. Had to play tag with the sales guy a bit but caught up with him today and took a look at it. It couldn't be any closer to new if I'd put it together myself. Still had a lot of protective plastic on it where the body mounts up and clean as a whistle. A little bit of dust on it from sitting. Not a scratch, crack or flaw on it. Not even a sign of any kind of wear on the tires. Don't look like it's ever been used at all. The sales guy said the PO had traded it with his bike towards a purchase and both came in on a trailer. It may never have been hooked up from the looks of it. He knew the PO had paid about $400.00 for it. Never been registered or titled so I got that to take care of. But they were asking $300.00 for it and I offered $250.00 and they took the offer. So, all I got to do now is finish mounting the Markland back up on the bike and wire the harness in tonight. I'll pick it up tomorrow. So that's it. I got a wagon. Ain't much but it will do the trick for now. Let the upgrades begin!! Mike
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