Dan M

Do you see? The idiot put the wrong filter on (a plane no less). I'll assume it was self service, I can't imagine a professional aero wrench skimping on something like this. Almost took himself out of the gene pool. That Darwin was on to something! If you don't remove the pan or don't have the proper tool it is impossible to tighten the filter properly by hand. I think some are doing it anyway and thinking it is "tight enough" Some may install the filter with the gasket dry and it feels tight when it is not. Wrong filter, faulty filter, loose filter, damaged threads on filter mount. That's pretty much it. Over the years I've seen engines with stuck oil pressure relief valves explode oil filters but never unscrew them. I don't think there is some mysterious counterclockwise vortex whirlpool of excessive oil pressure, teaming with the rocking vibration of a v-twin to unscrew these filters. JMHO

Greg, just curious, are the failures you've seen factory (UFI) filters or another brand?

Exactly. After near 30 years in the car business I can tell you that filters that "come loose" were always loose. Loose, leaky filters that I've seen were usually put on by the car's owner or some snot-nosed kid at a quick oil change place. The only bright side is that if you are not qualified to tighten an oil filter fully then natural selection is probably going to see that you are removed from the gene pool after you decide to do your own brake service.

Sheesh, she looks like an ass kicker

Works now. This address didn't work yesterday.

I tried to visit Mike Rich's site today. The weather is getting crappy here and I'm thinking of what to do to the goose over the winter. The website is gone with no forward info. Anyone know what happened?

EXACTLY! Thanks Alex

Look here: http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5691

I'm running with mine capped. Runs great, no issues performing a TB balance. I would think that tying them together would be of benefit if the bikes were carbureted, as manifold vacuum effects fuel delivery. Not the case with fuel injection. JMHO

At one point early last summer I noticed my bike was running extremely rich. The exhaust odor at idle was overwhelming. I brought it in to the shop and hooked it up to the exhaust gas analyzer. Sure enough COs were off the scale. I disconnected the vacuum hoses in the manifolds to check balance and some raw fuel dribbled out of the right side. I thought my injector may be leaking but it was not. I set the mixture and balanced the TBs and it ran great from then on. Never found the cause of the raw fuel but it has not recurred. I did notice some choppy acceleration in very hot weather about 1500 miles later and reset everything again. It seems they are rather touchy to temperature and settings and need to be fiddled with occasionally. Overall though, in temps below about 95, once things were dialed in the bike runs great. Edit: Greg, do you know the resistance values for corresponding temperatures for that temp sensor? I haven't found a chart anywhere.

Nice post Orson, beautiful stuff. There was a big article in one of the brit classic bike mags about a year ago showing the fire damage and the rebuilding process. Many of those bikes were literally melted into unrecognizable lumps. Amazing work getting things back to what is shown your photos.

Welcome Crooz, knew you'd love it, The LeMans is a great mount. There's a place for the uncropped version of your avatar elsewhere on this forum!

If the pistons retract far enough for a new pad to fit in without dragging on the rotor then the position of the caliper is OK. The hydraulic pressure is going to be equal on both pads regardless of how "centered" the caliper is. If one pad is wearing faster than the other, then that piston is not retracting properly when you release the brake, or the pad is sticking in its mounting. Pull your caliper off of the mount, remove the pads and clean everything with brake clean. Make sure there is not piles of crap in the folds of the piston boot. It's easier to clean & look before you retract the pistons. Pick up a tube of Sil-glide or other brake lube at the local parts store and put the smallest amount on the steel edge of the pads where they contact the caliper and a smear on the piston face where it contacts the pad. Be extra sure not to over do this! Don't get anything on the face of the pad or the rotor. You just want a thin coat so everything moves freely.

So, I was reading my November issue of Motor Cyclist and came across this ad for "the ultimate motorcycle accessory" http://www.viberider.com/ Maybe I'm old fashioned but it seems to say "I'm inadequate" or "Honey, I know I promised you a dildo for Christmas but wait until you try this"

The short answer: Maybe... Actually, If you are looking for character like no other, plenty of torque, excellent stabillity in high speed sweepers, excellent brakes and oh yea, that awesome sound, then the answer is yes, absolutely! If you measure everything in quarter mile times, up to the minute technology and bullet-proof reliability, then probably not. I haven't had an Asian bike for a few years now and I'm not looking back.

yup

Ah yes, Red heads... Testarossas... bottles of Maker's... Slug's avatar...

Like Felix said, make your own. Gluing will not hold. Any hardware store should be able to supply you with suitable stainless allen bolts & washers to keep it looking nice, then sandwich a stack of rubber washers inbetween. Don't overtighten so there is still some cushion.

Here's a few to choose from. I have one from them that reads time, temp & voltage. I mounted it to the panel inside the fairing below the windshield. Easy enough to see but not intrusive. I don't see that model offered any longer these are all easy to install. Many are battery powered so no wiring to do. edit: just like Martin mounted it. http://www.aerostich.com/home.php?cat=265&...on=0&page=1

They are different, still Marz 40mm but the later ones have finer dampening adjustment. The Wilbers shock is sweet. Excellent control and plush ride at the same time. I'm thinking of updating my RT as well. (more obsessing) Thanks Ratch.

I believe a riding position can be tuned to an individual but it is not as easy as it seems. Sitting more upright is putting more wind pressure on your neck. A small shield is not going to do much for that, it may take some pressure from your chest, but likely will just create turbulence from the shoulders up. As Ratchet said, one fix can create another problem. For extended stints at high speed you want to be leaning into the wind. Is it possible to rotate your risers forward for more reach to the bars when taking a long trip, and adjust back to the upright for around town?

Sorry, should've looked at the dates Evidently we have different rate springs. When I ordered from Todd he asked my weight and selected the springs. I felt like I was adding too much preload to get proper sag. (it would be interesting to know how much compression it takes to bind all of the close coils, maybe next time it is apart I'll get some threaded rod and experiment) I suppose if both laden & unladen sag are within the limits, spring rate is OK & I should stop obsessing. thanks for the info though...

Ratchet, When you get 'round to installing your progressives, please post the length of preload spacer you end up with. I did mine in the spring and remember cutting four or more sets of spacers until I got the sag in the proper range albeit at the soft end of the range. I'd have to pull them and measure to be sure, (which is likely less time consuming than finding my notes) but think ended up adding about 19mm of preload. I'm about your size - 180lbs + gear, and got Wilbers progressives from Todd E. I wonder how much spacer can go in without defeating the progressive quality of the spring. They work great and are far & away better than stock, but I tend to get a little nuts with dialing things in "just right"

This is just a thought for Jaap or AL. What about compiling a list of specifications, settings, torque values ect. and pinning them on the FAQ board? Not just factory specs but things that have been found by the collective wisdom of these pages. Factory specs, real world specs, suspension settings, tire pressures, fluid capacities & viscosities, ect. Not a how to page, just numbers. wadaya think?