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Sunday, March 27, 2005


Okay, so I really did not like the way the Oil Pressure Guage Sending Unit was hanging down below the exhaust pipes. The risk of the brass fittings being broken off and sending oil all over the rear tire sent me in search of a remedy. In my hunt for something better, I found a 45 Degree brass fitting. This fitting allows me to completely remove the straight extension and now the sending unit does not extend past the pipes. In fact, it doesn't even extend past the lower part of the cases. I feel so much better about this install... beautiful. Posted by Hello

Monday, March 21, 2005

PJ1 Balance Plus

Okay, so I took the 3 minutes that it takes to put the "PJ1 Balance Plus" in the front tire. I really wanted to see how much of a difference it would make with the front end wobble I have on the Yamaha Vision. Supposedly this PJ1 product will automatically balance your tires, even beyond what the shop is capable of doing. Kind of like fine tuning the balance job that the shop did. Well I went for a 10 +/- Mile ride with the green goopy stuff installed. I did not notice any difference. I guess I will be replacing the Head Bearings this Summer with the Tapered Roller Bearings that so many have recommended. Oh well, it was worth a try.

Saturday, March 12, 2005


Yamaha Vision Dash with Voltmeter/Thermometer, Heated Grip Switch and my new FAZE Oil Pressure Guage. Posted by Hello


FAZE Oil Pressure Guage. Posted by Hello


I installed this FAZE Oil Pressure guage. It looks pretty cool with it's Blue/Green "Indiglow" type of illumination. I am posting a few pictures here. One picture will show the brass fittings I had to use to get the sending unit to fit in the tiny space where the OEM sending unit was located. Unfortunately, I have developed a very slight leak from these fittings as the destructions advised "Do Not Use Pipe Fiting Dope or Pipe Tape on the Fitings as the Sending Unit Will Not Ground Properly". It's not bad though. The sending unit has been installed for 48 hours and I have had a max of 3 small drips from the fittings... I don't think that's bad at all. Posted by Hello


Just oredered a bunch of Yamaha OEM Parts from DGY Motorsports. Their prices are fantastic and they seem to have a lot of those small nobody ever thinks about parts, like the speedometer cable holder that hangs off the front fender. This is all pretty good for a 23+ year old motorcycle. They have manufacturer's schematic drawings for finding the exact part your looking for without question. Only drawback from this site is the very annoying music playing in the background. With Dial-Up, it makes for a VERY slow load with Internet Explorer. Posted by Hello

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Fixed YICS

Alright, I sealed the YICS put it all back together put some wire clamps on the ends of the vacuum lines. The bike starts a lot easier and has a lot better throttle response and it feels a bit more tourquey. That's all great.

The problem with the backfire seems to be gone while riding (then again I only went for a short 5-6 mile ride). While not riding, but with the bike simply in neutral, I can open the throttle and shut it quick. When I do this I can still hear, although a lot less, what would be a backfire in the exhaust if it was louder. But seeing as it's not that loud, in fact barely audible, I am happy with the result.

Monday, March 07, 2005


YICS (Yamaha's Incredibly Crappy System) - So I start pulling things apart to try and find out why I am getting a back fire in the exhaust. What do I find... My YICS Box (or as some call it my YIKES Box) has a severe leak on one side and a minor leak on the other. Apparently, it is not leaking from one side to the other. In the picture, you can see how badly the one side was leaking. It looks like someone had repaired it at one time using RTV Gray or something. Now I have to see if I can repair it after it's already been repaired once before. I wonder if the hammer trick will work with the gasket seal already in there? Posted by Hello

Sunday, March 06, 2005


While I was out riding today, I did notice that the bike had developed a slight backfire. This can't be good. Hopefully, this is just a symptom of a simple vacuum leak from maybe the YICS box. Checked things out a little when I got home. I found that the vacuum lines from the YICS don't have any hose clamps on them. Gotta get some. Also found the throttle cable had a bit of play in it. That was a simple fix. I guess small problems with a 23 year old bike just gives it a little character. Posted by Hello


Left the house at about 8:15 AM, the sun was out, the snow was melting, everything was looking good. I was off to meet some of the Twin Valley Riders in Blacksburg for breakfast and then out for a ride. The coffee was hot and strong. After some good conversation, off we went. Through Christiansburg, down Route 8 to Alum Ridge to Route 221. Off on some other road then another, eventually to Dugspur and back to Route 221. It was a great ride. Found that one of the guys I was riding with is a Roanoke City Police Officer, been doing it for 21 Years. Posted by Hello

Thursday, March 03, 2005


I don't think I am a Sheep Skin Seat kind of guy, however... For as little as $4.00 for a Sheep Skin Seat Cover I might just have to try it. This link (Click the Picture) was posted on one of my Motorcycle Email Lists and I thought it a great idea. Gotta love Wally World for hiring those thumbless guatemalan children who work so cheap to be able to bring us rich Americans those falling prices. Posted by Hello

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Jack Frost Wanted - Dead or Alive

Preferrably Dead! Well, winter is still here. Snowed about 4 to 5 inches of wet snow Sunday night into Monday. The temperature has since dropped and froze everything solid. This morning, the wind is blowing making it all that much colder.

Mobil 1 has gone and changed their Synthetic formula. The "Red Cap" that a lot of motorcycle riders look for and use in their bikes may be a thing of the past. Replaced with Mobil 1's new Entended Life Synthetic Motor Oil. The Extended Life is supposed to be Guaranteed for 15,000 Miles. That's just ducky as a Guarantee doesn't mean squat to me. A Guarantee just tells me that they will refund the price of the oil if my engine fails. I would like them to Warranty my engine, now that would be nice. Besides, who wants to keep the same oil in the engine for 15,000 miles. What about the small particles that the oil filter doesn't catch, do I really want them floating around the engine for 15,000 miles? I change the oil, not only for the renewed viscosity, but to remove any small abrasive peices that have found their way into the engine somehow. Besides, from what I am hearing.... the "New" Mobil 1 is costing somewhere between $1 to $3 more a quart than the "Red Cap" was.

In addition to this, the Motorcycle BlogBar that I wrote about a short while ago has gone "tits up". The owner of the BlogBar advised that he will be looking for a replacement and that the demise of the BlogBar was beyond his control. Oh well, it was interesting while it lasted.

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