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Snaggletooth

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  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. Snaggletooth
    Those were the Pyramid (?) brand weren't they KIC? I had a set of those. Just didn't fit. Mike
  4. Snaggletooth
    I see the upside to that but ya know..... DON'T JINX ME BOB!
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Snaggletooth
    Good to see you up and posting. Do what it takes to get healed and back to 100%. Mike
  14. 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
  15. Snaggletooth
    I would say the weight of the mercury is the key factor. Very dense, very heavy. A lighter fluid would be sucked out of the tubes in short order as the standard manometer tubes are quite short. Some have made DIY set ups using several feet of tubing with other liquids that seems to work.
  16. Snaggletooth
    There was a member on the other site that hailed from that area I think. He was a member here a while back but haven't seen him around for a while and I'm not on the other site anymore. He had a beautiful blue MKI that he kept in spotless shape. He had an upholtery busness and had done the interiour of the trunk and the saddle was done with a velour material. He was the one that got me started on doing my trunk and bags. His name was Mike but can't remember his handle at the moment. I've got pics of his bike around somewhere. If I find them I'll post them up and see if it's the same bike. Gonna see if I can figure out his handle. Mike
  17. Snaggletooth
    Was it extremely clean, all kinds of chrome and a custom seat?
  18. Snaggletooth
    I got rid of my YICS tank years ago and simply crossed the ports with the cut down vacumn lines. I've replaced them since them as they did crack. Somebody was talking about the vacumn cap plugs on the ports on the intake boots a while back and the failure of the caps on them. Someone else mentioned they had driven ball bearings, larger than the port, into short sections of new vacumn line to create a heavy duty cap. Sounds like an idea I'm going to give a shot when I get back to tinkering with the motor this winter. Mike
  19. Snaggletooth
    Thanks but the trailer I'm looking at is already together and on the road. That pic was attached with the others he posted of the trailer. Save me some assembly time and can focus on "improvements". I can't remember the last time I bought something that didn't get "improved".
  20. Snaggletooth
    That's why I'm looking low end right now. For the first time in 7 years I'm not tied to a 7 day a week work schedule. Now I have a chance to wander a bit farther and even actually stop and spend a night or two. All I need is a way to carry a cooler, tent and some extra gear for a couple days when I can get away. Hey! I've tried! I bought my raffle tickets for the Alumas but ya know..... well, I won't harp on that. I know there were death threats involved. Mike
  21. Snaggletooth
    Ok, I'm meeting the sales guy at the dealer later today to check this thing out. What would be the the best tralier wiring adaptor for the hookup? If I remember right there is a powered setup for this that works on the MKI's. (Hoppe?) Mike
  22. Snaggletooth
    You're right Bob. Just checked the model number. Harbor Freight. I was wondering if maybe it was the original that the HF was knocking off. Guess not. I was sniffing this one as I had another ad with one of the same pictures. But.....it's at a well none auto dealer near me so I figured it was legit. They are asking $300.00 for it ready to roll so I thought it was worth a look. Maybe $250.00 used eh? Might have to jack up the bike and mount my hitch tonight. Always makes me nuts when I see the same pic over and over in different ads. Makes me smell BS. Looks like this might have been part of a trade in or the like. Thanks Mike
  23. Snaggletooth
    Ran across this and going down to take a look at it. As I'm not a trailer guy (yet) I'm open to opinions on this one. Motorcycle load capacity: 200 lbs. Heavy-duty 4.80 x 8" tires 55-MPH maximum towing speed Extends 78" behind vehicle Leaf spring suspension system Bed dimensions: 41-3/8" L x 34-1/4" W x 3-1/2" H Shell dimensions: 47-1/2" L x 38" W x 16" H Tongue dimensions: 49-3/4" L x 2-1/2" W x 1-7/8" H x 14-gauge thick Universal 1-7/8" ball coupler Overall dimensions: 78" L x 44-1/2" W x 38" H Thanks, Mike
  24. Snaggletooth
    Here are the directions from Progressive for the install of their springs. Maybe this will help you along. But, I'm going to throw this in the pile. The oil being 5.5 inches from the top of the tubes, with the forks collasped, without the springs is a guideline, not a rule you have to live by. The 5.5" will work fine but there has been a lot of comments on the stiffness of the springs when first installed. Sounds like you are probably past that point. I've had my Progressives in for several years and have played with different preloads and oil weights, 5 & 10 wt. and oil levels in the forks. The 5.5" is pretty much the max level because of the porting in the inner tube for the air system. Any level higher than that might allow oil into the air collars and into the air lines. Makes a mess to clean out and can effect the operation of the C.L.A.S.S. system. Been into that myself. As mentioned in the instructions also that the forks can still operate properly and safely at lower levels. Currently I'm running mine at 6.5" below the top. I feel I've gained a bit of softer ride due to the added air in the forks. Air will compress, oil... not so much. I bought a Foil Oil tool from MotionPro and makes adustments, higher or lower much simpler to do on the bike without the mess. Set the gauge for the depth up want and add or subtract with the plunger. Not needed. but real handy if you do a lot of forks. But that's just my thoughts on it. It works for me. Mike
  25. Snaggletooth
    Prayers up and rollin'. Hate to hear this news. Mike
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