GUEST? Registration opens up many more resources which are not available to guests. Registration is free, we never sell or give others access to your information.
Posted by Tfrank59
- May 04, 2018, 20:55:20 PM awesome, buddy! It's funny how three days of rain is an indication that things are getting better up there. 
Posted by CDNRatMan
- May 04, 2018, 18:55:20 PMTom buddy, just an FYI, today I went in and booked an appointment for the 9th to have my snow tires taken off and swapped with my summer tires.........think that the last 3 days of rain are an indication that there is a spring or summer right close by.........
Posted by CDNRatMan
- April 28, 2018, 18:18:29 PMVery nice.
Posted by rob f
- April 28, 2018, 17:21:46 PMMost of the top weight comes from the 6 us gal high up fuel tank and the high perched v4.
The luggage didn't help though.
R
Posted by greenbarn
- April 28, 2018, 09:55:17 AMnice bikes
Posted by Tfrank59
- April 28, 2018, 09:53:14 AMwell I can certainly see how your Royal Star would be top heavy with the trunk and luggage packed for your long trip. The one I was eyeing had just saddle bags and a small windshield. Still, glad I didn't trade my Drifter, though I might get a Royal star someday, maybe when my 20 year old Valk gives up the ghost.
Posted by rob f
- April 28, 2018, 09:17:04 AMThanks for the pic shrinking tips GB.
Here a few shrunk shots of previously owned bikes.
Posted by mittico68
- April 28, 2018, 08:58:13 AMQuote from: greenbarn on April 27, 2018, 21:22:56 PMI hope when I'm that age, I'm still good enough to go on a bike ride with my boys, and I can be as big of a pain the ass.
Yeah, and good enough to fasten up the helmet... 
Posted by greenbarn
- April 27, 2018, 21:22:56 PMQuote from: rob f on April 27, 2018, 10:41:44 AMI was eyeballing a Valkyrie
R
Hate to steel the thread... but , what the heck.
The Valkyrie talk reminds me of the Drift-In I went to in Maggie Valley, 2014 I believe. There was this father-son pair of motorcyclists staying at the hotel where we were all staying for DI; They were not there for the Drift-In, just were on a Father-Son M/C trip. But the Father was in his 80s, I think, or at the very least late 70's, and he was on his Valk. He loved that bike and his 6-gun tail pipes, which I swear were just straight pipes. Every time the guy got on the bike, he would start it up, and push it backwards out of the parking spot, and just rev the everloving shit out of it. VROOM...VROOM....VROOOM....VROOOOM...vROOOOOM...... and the son, about 40 maybe, on his Screaming Eagle, would just shake his head and smile. Old guy wore a beany helmet, but wouldn't fasten it. First time I noticed it, straps just hanging down to his nipples, I said "Hey, forgot to strap your helmet" (Had to yell above the VROOM-VROOM-VROOM, LOL). He just said, "That's OK, I don't need to fasten it. Son says, "Crazy old man never fastens it, he just rides around with it loose on his head. I don't know why it doesn't fall off".
I hope when I'm that age, I'm still good enough to go on a bike ride with my boys, and I can be as big of a pain the ass.
Posted by greenbarn
- April 27, 2018, 21:11:53 PMQuote from: rob f on April 27, 2018, 10:47:52 AMI guess my pics were to large for the post. Not smart enough to know how to shrink them.
R
If you're using Windows, then to reduce the size, open the picture in Paint, and put a number in the "resize" window, and hit enter. Then save the file. I usually use 30% for the forum - from my phone pics, it reduces them to about 500-600kb, which works pretty good
Posted by Tfrank59
- April 27, 2018, 18:09:48 PMI don't like shrinking pictures so I end up just doing a YouTube and posting a link
Posted by rob f
- April 27, 2018, 10:47:52 AMI guess my pics were to large for the post. Not smart enough to know how to shrink them.
R
Posted by rob f
- April 27, 2018, 10:41:44 AMI was eyeballing a Valkyrie before I bought the drifter. There were 2 in the province @ around the $14,000 range. Didn't have the money then so opted out for the drifter. Not sure why I needed the Valkyrie. I guess just because.
For now I will be happy with "abbi" but if I won the lotto I am sure that a Valkyrie would be one of the many bikes sitting in my new shop.
I dug up a pic of the RSV . Kinda miss it, kinda not. Had so many bikes in my life that I don't really get that attached but am going to have a tough time getting rid of my Virago to make room for Abbi.
Hopefully will be taking pics of the drifter soon. Just fabricated some wind deflectors from an old windshield I had laying around. Doesn't look bad if I say so myself. But do they work? Will find out today as the temp will be 24C/75F. Am taking an infrared heat gun with me to get some temps on the engine. Have modified the grill somewhat but not sure how much it will effect the rad temps.
R
Posted by Tfrank59
- April 27, 2018, 07:30:30 AMWow thanks for that explanation. I guess since this is a Drifter forum we are supposed to tout our bikes as the best :-). The weight of the Royal Star doesn't bother me because my other bike is a valkyrie which is about 800 pounds on its own, but it is not top heavy at all -- very low center of gravity so it handles like a dream even at very low speeds. I've had it almost 4 years and I haven't dropped it yet -- touchwood. Anyways like I said I didn't trade my Drifter for the Royal Star in part because the guy sort of hedged on the deal and also because well I do love my Drifter, which by the way I was able to ride yesterday about a hundred and forty miles because the mercury here in western Washington exceeded 80 degrees Fahrenheit -- awesome!
Posted by rob f
- April 27, 2018, 04:11:38 AMThe 2001 Royal Star Venture was a beautiful bike but trust me on this...... you better have a long ,strong set of legs on you because the bike is a Behemoth @ 1000lbs with rider and luggage.
I bought this bike because I was going on this ride: "The MPNMR is the world's longest annual motorcycle relay, travelling more than 10 000 kilometres from coast to coast with stops at Canadian Armed Forces establishments and points of interest along the way"
The bike handled the open road just fine and could easily keep up with the 1800 goldwings. Only difference was that the goldwings had a reverse assist. The RSV was a very top heavy bike with no reverse. Parking lots were always a challenge. Never felt completely safe a low speeds so after the ride I sold her off.
That 1300 cc V4 was a smooth, lots of torque ,bulletproof engine.
For comfort and ease of ride this 800 Drifter suits me fine. As for long distance riding, well ,we shall see.
R