December 2003 - Vol 5, No. 2 - ISRA Star Cruiser E-Zine

Transcription

December 2003 - Vol 5, No. 2
Written by Administrator
Friday, 18 December 2009 09:15 - Last Updated Friday, 18 December 2009 10:35
This issue of StarCruiser has a little bit of everything. We have two
commentaries, one from a veteran V-Star rider (Steve Mango), who writes
about how shifting saddlebags can result in some spectacular fireworks, and
another from Earl Bennett, who writes about his newly acquired V-Star.
Stephan Fishman asks the question: What do you do with a totaled Royal
Star? Slawomir Skupin (say that three times fast) talks about an ISRA
constellation in Poland, and Ben Harper offers some tips for riding safely in a
group, which is part 1 of a two-part article. Yours truly writes about
synchronizing the carburetors. On the breezy side, Walt (Breez) Burris
shows his beauty BREEZ STAR, the Star of the Month; Rob, the Ripper,
Weeds asks, is speed for real? Finally, David Lindsey takes us on a journey
through the Texas hill country, and a mighty fine ride it is.
Submissions Are Welcome
As always, I am actively seeking articles for future editions of StarCruiser. C
lick Here
to see submission guidelines for general articles as well as columns,
including:
-
Bike Mods: Articles about modifications to improve the function or
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appearance of a Star.
- Commentary: A personal experience, observation, or opinion related to
motorcycles.
- Constellation News: Keep readers informed about constellation
activities.
- Humor Me: Jokes or funny anecdotes.
- Member Profile: Nominate a member to be profiled (you can even
nominate yourself!).
- Original Fiction/Poetry: Any motorcycle-related fiction or poetry.
- Products and Services: Descriptions of any motorcycle-related products
or services.
- QuickTip: Anything to help members ride better and safer.
- Road Trip: Narratives about your travels atop your motorcycle.
- Star of the Month: Nominate a member's motorcycle for Star of the
Month (you can even nominate your own motorcycle!)
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Brad Connatser
IRSA No. 14726
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Commentary
How Much for That V-Star in the Window?
By Earl Bennett, ISRA #15741
I have been in the computer field for over 20 years, and I am currently
working as a computer programmer for a large food distributor here in West
Michigan. For the past few years I had thought that I would like to get a bike,
but I always said that my next bike would be a Harley. Well, my opinion has
changed, and I want to tell the story of the opportunity that fell into my lap.
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Fortuitous Beginnings
November 2nd, 2003 was the day, or actually night, when I took delivery of
my 1999 V-Star 1100 Custom. I had been looking at bikes for a month or so
and narrowed the bikes down to the Honda Shadow line and the Yamaha
V-Star line. After further research, I decided that the Yamaha V-Star was the
bike for me. I was initially looking at the 650cc because it was a little closer
to what I might be able to afford, and the size of bike was closer to the 450cc
Magna that I previously owned.
My wife and I decided to go out bike shopping the upcoming weekend, when
I noticed an advertisement in our company’s newsletter. Someone was
selling a 1999 V-Star 1100 with 2,600 miles for $3,900. Wow, what timing! I
called the guy, and he sent me some pictures. The bike looked so sweet, so
I offered him $3,500. I couldn’t believe it when he said ok.... The only
problem was that he lived west of Chicago, and I lived north of Grand
Rapids, Michigan. He happened to be in a position where he was able to
take care of that little problem. He simply put the bike on one of our
company's trailers, which are transported back to the warehouse, and
shipped it over to me.
It was a Sunday night, and being November in Michigan, it was cold, dark,
and raining when the trailer carrying my bike rode in. We unpacked the bike,
and I walked it out of the trailer and onto the dock. There was a ramp going
down to the ground, but it was way on the other side of the warehouse, so I
started walking the bike in that direction. As I walked the bike through the
warehouse, I started to draw a crowd and the bike was getting very favorable
comments.
When I got to the ramp, I walked the bike down to the pavement. It has been
over 10 years since I sold my Magna, and I was a bit apprehensive about
driving it home. I turned the gas on, flipped the choke on, and fired her up.
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The bike was equipped with Cobra Slash cut pipes and sounded great! It
also had a National Cycle "narrow" windshield. The pictures that I
had received did not do the bike justice.
After about 10 minutes of letting the bike warm up, and giving myself some
time to overcome my apprehensions, I put it in gear and started home. That
bike fit me like a glove; it was like I had been riding it for years. I must have
been some sight, though, going down the boulevard in the cold rain and all
the lights reflecting off the chrome. People must have thought I was some
real hard-core biker! Once I had gotten out on the open road, the windshield
kept most of the rain off my body, and the 40-minute drive home was just too
short. The only bad thing about the whole experience was that the bike was
in a real need of a washing afterwards.
I did notice that while ridding home, I couldn't fully close the choke without
the idle going too low. I think that the carbs just need a good cleaning,
because the bike had been sitting in his garage for over a year since it was
last ridden. Still, it's a great bike, and there's no way that I could get a Harley
half this nice for twice the money.
It's November in Michigan, and I have a great bike! It's going to be a very
long winter....
5 / 157
Commentary
Up In Smoke! Saddlebag Shifting Can Be Dangerous
By Steve Mango, ISRA #8347
How I got by without saddlebags for the first 25 years of my riding career is
still a mystery to me. Sure, I had some sort of luggage rack; in fact, I can still
remember the time I was tying something down to the back of my 1979
Honda when I pulled on the bungee just a little too hard, in the wrong
direction, and the kickstand unfolded and down she went. It happened not
once, but twice, I am (almost) embarrassed to say.
I developed a case of “men-o-pause” a few years ago and just had to have a
new scoot--a 1998 RoyalStar Boulevard--nicely equipped with windshield
and lots of chrome, but no saddlebags. Not being totally destitute, I had a
few bucks to spend on accessories, and saddlebags were first on the list. A
set of Tour Classic saddlebags put an entire new light on my cruising
enjoyment. Along with the new scoot, however, came my wife’s revelation
that this scoot wasn’t just for point A to point B transportation. I was enjoying
riding more than ever. Well, the solution to that “problem” was a scoot of her
own, a new 650 Custom. Leveraging what I had recently learned about
accessorizing, the mission was clear and swift: saddlebags and supports,
rear passenger seat and backrest, pipe mods, GAK, you name it! But unlike
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my RoyalStar, I decided that a set of “throw-over” saddlebags would be
sufficient for her ride.
I was a little uneasy with the installation. I got them leveled and adjusted just
fine, but they just didn’t seem robust enough to hold up in the long term.
There was no means to hold them level and steady, to keep them from
shifting. Of course, all we had to do was to make sure that we loaded them
perfectly evenly, and there would be no reason for them to shift, right?
Nice and Level
Fast forward to a beautiful late spring day. We both have the day off, and it’s
perfect riding weather. We decided to head down into Pennsylvania. From
upstate New York where we live, it’s a very comfortable 85 to 90 miles each
way, and with a couple of stops, it would have been a quite leisurely ride.
Our destination was a fireworks warehouse, to stock up for the upcoming
Independence Day celebration, and with some luck, we’d have some left
over for New Year’s festivities. It was at least the second trip there, but the
first time was before my wife’s 650 Custom, so she previously rode with me.
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The Wife’s Scoot, Complete with Bags
Well, having two scoots and two sets of saddlebags, we were like kids in a
candy shop! We filled a VERY large box of fireworks, hoping that we’d be
able to fit it all into the saddlebags. We damn near succeeded, but when we
got back to the bikes, we realized that our eyes were bigger than our
saddlebags. No problem. There’s always room for more; we just couldn’t get
the bags closed completely, but it was close enough.
Packin’ It In
We had spent so much time in the “candy store” that we were a little pressed
for time on the way home--no stopping permitted. We cruised at a pretty
good clip, a bit faster than my wife was comfortable with, but I figured she’d
get over it. When we finally pulled onto the blacktop in front of our garage, I
noticed my wife was acting kind of strange. She was frantically pointing to
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the rear of her bike, but at first it wasn’t quite obvious what she was trying to
tell me. I’m thinking, spell it out baby, what exactly are you trying to tell me?
But then it became quite obvious: Her saddlebags were spewing thick purple
and green smoke, kind of like the huge smoke bombs (among other things)
we had just purchased! Not to mention that the saddlebags were lopsided
and askew, with the port side resting right against the hot pipes.
Knowing there were various aerial displays and “heavy artillery” also in the
saddlebag, it was imperative to minimize the damage. With a rush of
adrenalin, I knew exactly what to do: I ordered my wife to “get it out of
there!!” And, having her act quickly was paramount! After all, I hadn’t even
come to a full stop and deployed my kickstand, but more importantly, having
her do the “bomb squad” work would keep me out of harm’s way! But I guess
I came to my senses, secured my bike, and rushed to her saddlebags,
emptying the offending payload just as it unleashed its full fury.
When the smoke cleared (literally!), we had a bunch of charred ordinance
and a saddlebag with a hole burned through its bottom. Now I’m sure the risk
of shifting throw-over saddlebags has been contemplated before, but I
wonder if the worst case was really considered? We could have lost a
relatively new 2002 V-Star 650 Custom (not to mention my wife).
Necessity, being the mother of invention, led me to a couple of solutions.
The photo below shows how I tie-wrapped the saddlebag right to the
saddlebag support. Sure, it’s not 100% waterproof, but considering the
alternative--99% is close enough. Oh yeah, the other solution: We traded in
the bike for a 2003 V-Star Silverado, which, of course, has factory-mounted
saddlebags.
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The Solution: Tie-Wrap the Bag
Constellation News
Classic Yamaha Constellation
By Slawomir Skupin
10 / 157
The story of the Classic Yamaha Constellation (CYC )
started more or less in March of 2002. Swiatoslaw
(Swiatek) Rytter's Web site about Wild Star was the
general input to create CYC. One day when I was
searching via the Internet about "Star
bikes" (because I'm owner of Yamaha Drag Star
650 Classic ), I found Swiatek's site and established
communication with him. I suggested that we initiate in
Poland something similar to the ISRA. Swiatek agreed
that it was a good proposal and started his Internet site
with a survey:
Who wants this club and is it a good idea?
More and more owners of motorcycles--star series and
Virago owners--were interested in joining. So in
August 2002, we officially started a Web site for CYC:
www.yamahaclub.idf.pl
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Thus the Classic Yamaha Constellation was founded
on the gathering that took place on September 28 and
29, 2002, in Znin. (I'd like to thank Swiatek, Marcin,
Piotr, Tymek, and Mariusz).
What is CYC ? We are group of Yamaha
chopper and cruiser motorcycle enthusiasts
from Poland. At the moment, there are 90
members in CYC. Our goals are to broaden and
promote the idea of motorcycling in Poland, to
create and strengthen good relations with
society and the media, to highlight the positive
image of motorcyclists and the Yamaha
motorbikes, to disseminate the safety-riding
rules among motorcyclists, and to organize
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meetings that consolidate the motorcycling
movement. Our organization's name indicates
that the owners of the following motorcycles
may become members: Yamaha Drag Star,
Royal Star, Wild Star, Royal Star Venture,
Warrior, Virago, and V-Max. However, we do
restrict membership; everyone who respects
our rules and understands our goals is
welcomed at our meetings.
Since Our first meeting in Znin, our organization
has gathered speed. CYC doubled the number
of its members. We had a great meeting in
Witnica, which was organized by Ula and Janek
Domarecki.
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That meeting improved our goal and gave us
that feeling that we want to continue what we
have started. We don't want to organize open
meetings or become another motorcycle. We
concentrate more on our friendly relations. We
are friends who enjoy the ride, like to meet
during weekends, take a long trips on bikes
manufactured by Yamaha. After forming our
group, we organized some more meetings for
2003, which stabilized us in our conviction that
what we do gives us more joy and makes
sense.
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We enter into relations with Star-Riders
Germany and with other organizations in
Europe similar to CYC, ISRA. Since September
15, 2003, CYC Poland become an official ISRA
Constellation. We went for a party organized by
Star Riders Germany, and then some of our
friends invited us to a party that took place in
Boguszyce.
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I think that CYC Poland will flourish and will
give us a lot of fun. On our Web site, you can
take a look at our events, see some pictures
from our meetings, and much more.
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The history of CYC is being written right now, in
this particular moment.
A Royal Dilemma: Replace It or
Rebuild It?
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By Stephen Fishman, ISRA #1948
It Happens....
I've been riding motorcycles since I was
14 years old. Now, almost 40 years later, I
can count on one hand the number of
mishaps. During nearly four decades of
riding, there was only an occasional near
miss until, a year ago, I bounced off a curb
and dumped the bike on an unmarked
90-degree curve. The good news was that
I was only doing 25 mph at the time and
walked away from the incident; the bad
news was that my scoot was nearly
totaled.
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"Jake" Before the Accident
Decisions, Decisions
Do I sell the carcass for what I can
get? Do I make minimal repairs, sell
the bike at a fire sale price and buy
something else? Do I rebuild it into
something special?
I bought the black 1996 Yamaha
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Royal Star second-hand in 1998 with
about 8,000 miles on the odometer
and, during the next two years, added
another 30,000 miles.
"Jake" is my primary
commute vehicle, and we had seen
thousands of miles of back roads
together. While wrangling with the
insurance company for several weeks,
I vacillated about which route to take.
Finally, I decided to rebuild, for one
simple reason--the Royal Star was the
best ride I had ever owned.
To Wrench or Not to Wrench
My local Yamaha dealer has a
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cracker-jack service department, so I
had them do some initial work just to
make the bike road-worthy. I wanted
to ride the bike home instead of
paying another towing fee, even if it
meant the dealer made some repairs
thatI could have easily done myself. It
was a matter of expediency to have
them replace the handlebars, risers,
and clutch master cylinder, but the
rest could wait till I got it home.
I do as much maintenance as possible
within a few self-imposed limitations.
Whether or not to tackle a repair is a
simple decision. I check the shop
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manual to determine the complexity of
the repair and discover if special tools
are needed. I will dive in to just about
anything, excluding the inside of the
engine and transmission.
Over the years, I have assembled a
fair assortment of tools along with a
hydraulic floor jack, so I can
accomplish most tasks with relative
ease. That said, it is my expectation
when going into any bike project that
it will take me approximately 1-1/2
times longer to make the repair than it
would the dealer, and I figure I'm
ahead of the game if I finish a project
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anywhere inside of this time frame.
Parts Is Parts
The plan was simple: Ride the bike
as is and accumulate replacement
parts in preparation for the long Labor
Day weekend in September. Because
the wreck happened in January and it
was now February, I had seven
months to locate the parts and
contract with a painter.
The project began with an inventory. I
carry extra insurance coverage for
chrome and leather accessories, and
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becausee most of the accessories
were damaged, there was a sizable
settlement.
All accessories were stripped off with
OEM fittings in one pile, Yamaha
accessories in another, and
aftermarket parts in a third. Jake
carried a lot of chrome goodies at the
time of the "incident," but
many of them, such as the front
fender rail, would not be replaced.
The parts that were in good shape but
would not be used in the rebuild were
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offered for sale on the motorcycle club
forums and Ebay. I'm not much of a
packrat, so I focused on getting the
parts out of my garage and into
someone else's. I planned to keep or
replace a lot of stuff, but, ultimately, I
managed to sell almost all of the parts
from all three piles.
When we went off the road, we
landed in deep, soft turf, so there was
almost no road rash. I straightened
the saddlebag guards and interior
frames of the hard leather bags. The
rear fender was damaged, but the
sub-frame was straightened and
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aligned perfectly with a replacement
fender.
At the same time that I was selling off
the stuff I didn't want, I was buying
stuff I did. I bought second-hand parts
and accessories when possible and
splurged for new parts when
necessary. Buying and selling
activities became a part of my daily
routine--checking Ebay and the
forums, looking through the mail for
money orders, scrounging boxes,
packaging shipments, and going to
the post office. I finally ran out of parts
to sell and, with only a few things
26 / 157
needed to finish the project, I went
into a sort of withdrawal.
New Clothes
I looked for a painter while the
buying and selling was in high gear. I
inquired at local paint and body
shops, but never got a warm fuzzy
about any of them. The local shops
seemed to be unjustifiably expensive,
so I turned my search to out-of-town
sources. I finally settled on Andrew
Preston, the painting expert at
Bushtec Trailers in Jacksboro,
Tennessee.
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A few years earlier, Yamaha had
contracted with Andrew to custom
paint 85 Royal Stars in an ivory pearl
color for the one-time offering of the
"Palomino" model. I
figured if he was good enough for
Yamaha, he was good enough for me.
Jacksboro is a long way from
Houston, but between email and snail
mail, we finally agreed on a cream
pearl color with gold leaf and tan
striping. I wanted something elegant
and simple. To enhance the retro look
of the Royal Star, Andrew painted the
chrome buckets on the headlight and
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passing lamps along with the fork
covers and radiator side covers. While
most riders chrome the forks, I wanted
more paint.
Chrome Is Good, Too
Because I like to ride every day, I
didn't want to take down the bike for a
couple of weeks while parts were
shipped out on a chrome exchange
program. I bought new and used
parts, knowing I would later get a
refund when the original was returned
to the vendor. I disassembled and
polished the switch housings myself,
and both master cylinders were
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exchanged for polished versions.
Nothing was chromed. I like the
contrast of different finishes, such as
chrome against brushed aluminum,
and so forth.
That's not to say chrome goodies
were sparse--quite the contrary! The
list of plated accessories is long and
includes items such as covers for the
front rotors and calipers, backing
plates for the passenger pegs, and
replacements for virtually all exposed
bolts.
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Exhausting Work
The exhaust pipes needed some
attention, too. The Royal is a V-4, and
there are four exhaust pipes. The
lower pipe on each side was
damaged, but the uppers were not. I
really didn't want to buy a whole set of
four when I only needed two
replacements. I called Tom in the
customer service and tech support
department of Baron's Custom
Accessories to see if he could help.
The pipes on the bike were from
Baron's and had been installed along
with a jet kit a year prior. Early in
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2001, Yamaha announced the
discontinuance of the Royal Star and,
like other aftermarket suppliers,
Baron's began reducing their
inventory of accessories for this fine
bike. Tom said that they were no
longer making pipes for the Royal
Star, but he might be able to scrounge
a set of lowers at an attractive price.
Sure enough, he came through.
Pull Up a Seat
The bike was fitted with a Corbin
Dual Tour saddle when I bought it, but
I've never cared for the looks of a
single two-up seat. I sold the seat,
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backrest pad, and driver backrest as a
set and replaced them with OEM
seating from a 1998 Royal Star Tour
Deluxe. I added a driver backrest from
Utopia that matched the design of the
Yamaha seating.
I feel that studded leather accessories
take away attention from chrome bits
here and there, so the seats and
saddlebags are unadorned.
Most of the time, I ride solo with a
fender rack in place of a passenger
seat, but a two-up configuration takes
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less than fifteen minutes to complete.
The Work Weekend
No doubt you've heard the
expression, "Measure twice and
cut once." Well, that's how I felt
in early September. I reviewed the
shop manual several more times,and
got an early start on Saturday
morning. By the end of the day,
everything had been removed except
the engine, transmission, and wheels.
Each part that came off dispelled a bit
more of the mystery surrounding how
the bike was put together. Anything is
easy when you know how, and by the
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time Jake was down to the frame and
power train, I had a much better
understanding of the bike's
underpinnings.
"Jake" Naked
The wiring harness running
through the rear fender was as
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simple to understand as the
sub-frame supporting the fender
itself. The mounts and
components of the tank were
logical and straightforward to
transfer from the damaged fuel
tank to the new one. My greatest
fear was disassembling the
forks--the steering system!--but
even the forks and clamps
seemed logical as one component
after another came off.
It was early evening before
everything had been removed that
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needed to be, and I quit for the
day with a feeling of confidence
that comes from knowing you can
to do the job right. I just knew
everything would turn out well.
The reassembly process went
smoothly but took longer than the
disassembly because every part
was cleaned and polished before it
was bolted on. So it was midday
on Monday before the
reconstruction was finished.
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"Jake" Becomes
"Jackie"
Going Down the Road
I still may not be willing to
adjust the valves, but now I'm
ready to dig deeper than I
would have ever thought into
my scoot's inner workings.
38 / 157
Learning to balance the
carburetors is the next thing on
my list.
I sit a bit closer to the tank
these days because of the new
saddle, and I'm more aware of
little sounds than I was before.
The paintwork gets admiring
looks from other riders, which is
at least part of the reason for
doing it. The bike doesn't feel
different since the rebuild, and
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it doesn't handle any differently;
but that's sort of the point, isn't
it? To me it means I've put Jake
back together correctly, and I
learned a lot about how to
make future repairs and
modifications.
There's something else, too:
the self-satisfaction that comes
from doing a tough job well,
and the knowledge that you can
do it again. The regard my
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fellow riders have for me has
edged up a bit, too, and my
smile is a bit wider knowing I'm
more personally responsible for
how well we travel together.
One thing did change: The
cream pearl paint and gold
striping convinced me that
"Jake" had morphed
into "Jackie."
41 / 157
Safe Group Riding: Part 1
By Ben Harper, ISRA
#12795
Of all the commonalities we
motorcyclists share, one of
42 / 157
the most important--indeed
critical--commonalities is our
concern for our safety on the
road. We all want to get
home alive and healthy, so
as to repeat the adventure on
a later date. In spite of that
concern, however, most of us
would be shocked to learn
how little most of us really
know about ride safety,
particularly in group
situations.
Furthermore, few riding
43 / 157
associations currently have a
comprehensive ride safety
training program. In other
words, how you ride when
you arrive will probably be
how you ride during your
membership in whatever
group, association, or club
that you have joined.
Although most associations
have minimal ride leadership,
there is usually no program
to train riders in the practice
of group riding, and no
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association currently
mandates safety training for
its ride leaders. This process
often has unfortunate
consequences, such as
accidents, lack of rider
development, loss of
membership, and so on.
Also, it is amazing how
resistant many riders are to
further education on riding.
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Many of your friends
probably feel there is
"nothing to teach
them." These are also
the hardest people to
re-train, so be prepared for
this. One stubborn individual
can ruin the best ride for
everyone, and this
sometimes requires
draconian actions to resolve,
but resolved it must be, for
one individual can ruin the
best program if given the
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opportunity.
By initiating and maintaining
a comprehensive rider safety
program, you can improve
the safety of the group,
increase individual
awareness of both their own
riding styles and the abilities
of others around them, and
give your Constellation
another big recruiting tool.
47 / 157
With many former riders
returning to the sport after a
long hiatus and many new
riders eager to join an
association, the benefits of a
safety program are obvious
and compelling.
We, the membership of
Rocky Mountain Dark Star,
have built a training program
that any Constellation can
48 / 157
master. It is based on several
ride safety programs,
including, but not limited to:
- The Motorcycle Safety
Foundation (MSF) basic and
advanced rider safety
courses
- The Motorcycle Safety
Foundation (MSF) group
rider safety course
- The ride program of the
Star Touring & Riding
49 / 157
Association
- The ride safety
programs of various state
police agencies
Together, these sources
provide the foundation for our
program. Once implemented,
this program will increase
your ride safety and
enjoyment, as well as
impress both your
50 / 157
membership and observers
as you roll down the road in
tight formation.
Two-Second Rule
One of the first concepts to
learn is the so-called
"Two-Second
Rule." Simply put, we
ride in a staggered formation,
riding two seconds behind
the rider directly in front of
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you, and one second behind
the rider in the alternate
column. In this formation, a
rider can easily avoid any
sudden problem that the
riders in front may encounter.
It also allows emergency
stops in the event of a
breakdown, flat tire, and so
on.
To practice this technique, a
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rider simply has to observe
any marker on the road or
side of the road. As the rider
in front of you passes the
marker (a signpost,
pavement crack, roadkill, and
so on), you count, "One
thousand one, one thousand
two." If your tire
crosses the imaginary line at
the marker before you are
done counting, you're too
close. If you count further
than "two" before
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you cross the line, you're too
far back. Any rider can
constantly re-check his or her
position with this method and
maintain a proper distance
from other riders in the
formation.
This technique allows groups
of all sizes to comfortably
maintain group integrity with
any group size. This
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becomes very important on
multi-lane highways and
freeways, where other
drivers are not always
courteous. The better your
group can maintain a
formation of riders, the less
often drivers are likely to cut
into your formation, which
minimizes the odds of an
accident.
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This technique can be
improved with careful, steady
riding on the part of the ride
captain. By pulling away from
stops in a slow, deliberate
manner, the group can better
maintain the integrity of the
formation. The same holds
true for lane changes and
stops.
In subsequent articles, I will
56 / 157
discuss ride leader training in
detail. For the present,
mastering the
"two-second rule"
is a good beginning to a
safety program that will
sustain your membership
and improve the safety of
your group and others
around you.
57 / 157
Maximize Accuracy
During Carb
Synchronizing
By Brad Connatser
The Problem
58 / 157
Synchronizing the
carburetors of the V Star
1100 requires special
tools and precise
adjustment of the
synchronizing screw. To
simplify this process,
some have advocated
running a vacuum line
from the intake manifold
on the front cylinder to the
compartment that holds
59 / 157
the tool bag. This
compartment already has
a vacuum line from the
intake manifold on the
rear cylinder to the AIS
(air-induction system) or,
on motorcycles that have
the AIS removed, a
vacuum line that is
terminated in the
compartment. This
creates a very convenient
60 / 157
spot for hooking up a
carburetor synchronizer.
However, as shown in
Figure 1, the vacuum line
from the rear-cylinder
intake manifold to the AIS
includes a part called a
"nozzle." This
part comes with all V
61 / 157
Stars (Classic, Custom,
and Silverado) from 2000
to 2004. If a synchronizer
is connected to the lines
in the tool-bag
compartment, will this
nozzle affect the reading?
62 / 157
Figure 1. Callout of
"NOZZLE"
in Exploded View of
AIS
The Experiment
I tested the carburetor
synchronization using
63 / 157
a Twinmax in four
conditions:
1. No restrictors used;
Twinmax connected
directly to the intake
manifolds.
64 / 157
2. No restrictors used;
Twinmax connected to
the ends of the two
vacuum lines.
3. Restrictors used;
Twinmax connected
directly to the intake
manifolds.
65 / 157
4. Restrictors used;
Twinmax connected to
the ends of the two
vacuum lines.
As shown in Figure 2,
the readout on the
66 / 157
Twinmax is a needle
that indicates an
imbalance by
registering on either
side of zero. I hooked
the vacuum of the front
cylinder to side A and
the vacuum of the rear
cylinder to side B. In
each of the four
experimental
67 / 157
conditions, I let the
motorcycle idle at
about 1000 RPM and
took a reading from the
Twinmax. Differences
between conditions
where the vacuum
lines were used and
where the vacuum
lines were not used
indicate that the nozzle
68 / 157
interferes with the
reading. The results
are shown in Table 1.
Note that the red-tinted
area indicates the
needle reading, which
fluctuated at engine
idle from left to right.
69 / 157
Figure 2. Readout of
Twinmax
Table 1. Results of
70 / 157
Experiment
1
N
71 / 157
2
N
3
Y
4
Y
72 / 157
Conclusions
The restrictors
reduced the needle
swing, so I highly
73 / 157
recommend using
them to take readings.
There was a slight
difference between
the line and no-line
conditions, so I
recommend taking the
reading directly at the
intake manifolds for
more precision. It
74 / 157
appears that the
nozzle does affect the
reading, if only
slightly. Another
option is to purchase
a nozzle and install it
in the vacuum line
from the front cylinder.
75 / 157
Original
Fiction/Poetry
76 / 157
Is Speed for Real?
By Rob (Ripper)
Weeds
77 / 157
He cranks it up
He feels the
breeze
A rabbit jumps
out
He's down on his
knees
78 / 157
He's just amazed
That he's still
alive
The pavement
was hard
He was doing 95
79 / 157
The doctors
worked hard
They put in pins
and a plate
They did what
they could
But had to
amputate
80 / 157
His leg was gone
It seemed like a
dream
It happened so
quick
Things arent as
they seem
81 / 157
The plate in his
head
Made him feel
funny
He'd be allright
If not for that
BUNNY
82 / 157
We told him it
would happen
He just laughed
at our worry
We just hoped it
wasn't him
That we had to
83 / 157
bury
His struggles are
long
The frustration is
there
He looks in the
84 / 157
mirror
His head has no
hair
It will grow back
The wounds will
heal
85 / 157
He only has one
leg
Yes, speed is for
real
A broken wrist
A caved in skull
86 / 157
He lived on the
edge
His life wasn't
dull
87 / 157
Road Trip
The Ride to the
88 / 157
Texas Hill
Country
By David Lindsey
89 / 157
On June 5th,
2003, a small
group of
ArkLaTex
StarRiders set
out for the Texas
Hill Country. A
beautiful area
just west of the
90 / 157
I-35 corridor that
connects Austin,
San Marcos, and
San Antonio. We
left the town of
Waskom on the
Louisiana/Texas
border and
headed down
91 / 157
Highway 79. After
smooth cruising
for a couple of
hours, we met the
typical summer
downpours. We
pulled off into a
rest area, donned
our wet weather
92 / 157
gear, and
proceeded to
"cruise&qu
ot; through 100
miles of the wet
stuff. As we
arrived at Round
Rock, a northern
suburb of Austin,
93 / 157
we were finally
able to go back to
the dry mode.
The remainder of
our four-day trek
was sunny and
warm. We
crossed over I-35
and made our
94 / 157
way through the
small towns of
the eastern part
of the Hill
Country to
Blanco. This is a
charming little
town just south
of Johnson City
95 / 157
and would serve
as our base to
ride to and from
on our trip. We
checked into our
rooms at the
Swiss Lodge and
sat outside our
rooms in the
96 / 157
evening plotting
our adventures
for the next day.
Blanco is a small
town with a
small-town
97 / 157
attitude and great
folks. The town
seems to revolve
around the Town
Square and the
bowling alley; its
diner seems to be
the cultural
center.
98 / 157
Everywhere we
went in Blanco,
we were met with
the best of
hospitality. It
seemed as
though we
couldn't stop for
food or fuel
99 / 157
without someone
introducing
themselves
and/or giving us
tips on the
"must-do&q
uot; rides in the
area.
100 / 157
On our first
morning in
Blanco, the group
got together and
had breakfast at
the bowling alley
café diner and
101 / 157
then set out for
the some of the
southwestern
sections of the
Hill Country. We
traveled through
farmland and
nice rolling hills
to visit towns
102 / 157
such as Boerne,
Pipe Creek,
Bandera, and
Medina. Bandera
is known as the
Cowboy Capital
of the World and
one of the spots
we will have to
103 / 157
revisit in the
future, as time
did not allow for
much time off the
bikes. One of our
top priorities was
to visit and ride
an area called the
Frio Canyon. You
104 / 157
can make a loop
basically from
Bandera to
Utopia to Leakey
(pronounced
Lake-EE) to
Medina. If you are
ever in Leakey, a
must do is the
105 / 157
Frio Canyon
Motorcycle Stop.
The shop is
basically a large
barn with a huge
opening on the
street side that
leads into the gift
shop, a
106 / 157
picnic-style
eating area, and
an "under
construction&qu
ot; café. Bob
Robin, the
manager of the
shop, was super.
He discussed the
107 / 157
area, the best
riding spots, and
even helped give
a hand with some
all-important
picture taking.
108 / 157
Frio Canyon
Motorcycle Stop
in Leakey, Texas
109 / 157
The stretch of
Ranch Road 337
through Leakey
is known as the
best bike riding
in the state of
Texas. After
110 / 157
riding it, I will
agree. Lots of
twists, turns,
dips, and
beautiful scenery
make it one the
best rides
around.
111 / 157
Great Curve!
112 / 157
After finishing
our roller coaster
of RR 337, we set
out on Highway
16 to the historic
town of
Fredericksburg.
113 / 157
Fredericksburg is
one of the many
towns settled by
German folks and
is another of
those places that
one needs to
allow plenty of
time to visit.
114 / 157
Texas Ranch
Road 337
115 / 157
Texas Ranch
Road 337
116 / 157
Just outside of
Fredericksburg,
we visited
Luckenbach. Of
course, it is
mostly famous
because of the
117 / 157
old Waylon
Jennings tune,
and there is not
much there, but it
has a great aura
and, of course,
another
"photo
op."
118 / 157
Post Office in
Luckenbach
119 / 157
Our third day in
the Hill Country
started with a
ride on the
Willow City
Loop. I will
120 / 157
promise that the
name is
misleading! The
Loop is basically
a paved road
about the width
of an average
home driveway
121 / 157
that meanders
through about
16 miles of
private
properties.
Taking you
through dips,
canyons, cattle
122 / 157
gaps, and tons
of free grazing
cattle along with
all of the wildlife
you can
imagine, it is
one of the
slower rides you
123 / 157
will take in the
area. From this
area, we made
our way up to
the town of
Llano and then
to Kingsland to
ride State Road
124 / 157
1431. Here is
where the Llano
and Colorado
Rivers join and
the road
meanders
beside them
through hills
125 / 157
and turns,
leading you
back toward
Austin and
Round Rock. We
had such a good
time on this one
that we stopped
126 / 157
in the town of
Lago Vista,
gassed up,
turned around,
and hit it one
more time. After
going back to
our motel for a
127 / 157
bit of a break,
we then headed
southeast from
Blanco toward
Canyon Lake
with a trip down
the Guadalupe
River on inner
128 / 157
tubes. It is a nice
slow moving
ride with a
couple of small
waterfalls to slip
over--and more
beautiful
scenery. The
129 / 157
water is clear
with a green tint
(due to the
granite it runs
over, I am told)
and mostly it is
COLD! The river
is just another of
130 / 157
a ton of must-do
things in the Hill
Country.
The next
morning, the
crew loaded all
131 / 157
their gear up
and started back
toward home,
the Piney Woods
of East Texas
and Western
Louisiana.
Except for a
132 / 157
couple of
missed turns
inspired by
yours truly, we
had a fabulous
time and look
forward to
another visit to
133 / 157
the Hill Country
with hopefully
more time to
spend there. We
squeezed as
much fun as we
could into our
1300-mile trip
134 / 157
and have
nothing but fond
memories of our
time there.
135 / 157
Star of the
Month
136 / 157
BREEZ STAR
Owner Walt
(Breez) Burris
, ISRA #15879
137 / 157
I purchased my
Road star in
April of 1999
because it was
the biggest
V-Twin
138 / 157
available at
that time. This
became the
platform that
turned into
BREEZ STAR,
the bike you
see today. You
139 / 157
can see the
different
phases at my
Web site
.
140 / 157
Exhaust: Bub
Stubbies
Air Cleaner:
141 / 157
DPM
Front Fender:
Jesse James
Tombstone
Rear Fender:
Lynn
"Looney
" George
142 / 157
Tank: 3
1/2"
Extension by
Lynn
"Looney
" George
Seat: Lynn
"Looney
143 / 157
" George
Triple Trees:
Custom 6
Degree Raked
Triple Trees by
C&S Customs
Front End:
41mm Ball
144 / 157
Milled Lower
Legs by
Chrome Horse
Suspension:
Rear Lowered
3-1/2"
with Custom
Dog Bone by
145 / 157
Lynn
"Looney
" George
Wheel, Front:
21"
Stainless Steel
40 Spoke
Wheel, Rear:
146 / 157
RC
Components
Smoothie
Tires: Metzler
Brakes, Front:
Jay Brake 6
Piston Caliper
on Hallcraft
147 / 157
Cross Laced
Rotor
Brakes, Rear:
Stock Caliper
Chromed on
Polished Rotor
Forward
Controls:
148 / 157
Legends USA
Handlebars:
White Bros
1-1/2"
Burley T Bars
149 / 157
Grips:
Kuryakyn ISO
Mirrors:
150 / 157
Aeromach
Funhouse with
Sidewinder
Stems
Shift Linkage:
Custom with
Flames and
Words
151 / 157
"BREEZ
STAR" by
Cal Custom
Cruisers
152 / 157
Front Pulley
Cover: Custom
Cross Laced
by Bad Sports
Racing
License Plate
153 / 157
Mount: Custom
Side Mount
with Flames by
Bad Sports
Racing
Paint: Kandy
Green Flames
with Gold
154 / 157
Outline on
Black Base by
Ron
"Hacker&
quot; Davis
Assembly:
Walt
"Breez&q
155 / 157
uot; Burris
156 / 157
157 / 157

December 2003 - Vol 5, No. 2 - ISRA Star Cruiser E-Zine

Transcription

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