Hey ! I believe Yamaha put resistors in the boots when these bikes came out because the bikes have electronic ignitions and Resistor plugs were much less common back 30+ years ago. The resistor suppresses a lot of the electronic “noise” generated when the plug fires so it doesn’t potentially damage the TCI or CDI, but still gives a strong spark. These days, most everything that uses spark plugs has electronic ignition and still need the resistors, so plug companies just put them in the plugs vs. the wires. Most modern plugs (Iridium, Platinum, etc) only come in the resistor type so if those are used, the resistors need to be removed from the boots so it’s not doubling up the resistance and making it harder for the coil to fire the plug. Having too much resistance is like gapping a plug too big…unless the coils are really strong, the energy cannot jump the gap to make a spark. Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

Hello, it’s one of the tools of a Trim and Molding Tool Set. I use the plastic ones (like this forked orange one) as they don’t mark up the surfaces like the thin steel ones do. Hope this helps and all the best ! Steve

Hey ! The smaller cir-clip on the starter is there to make it stop rotating quicker when the start button spins released. The quicker the starter motor stops turning, the faster the Bendix gear will pull back once the motor starts so the clip helps just a bit to keep the Bendix from grinding against the flywheel.

@@StevesDIYs Thanks for the quick response. I have been having to deal with a crap ton of starter issues with this bike and I was freaking out when I just found that clip laying in the hole where the motor was supposed to insert. Thanks for explaining the clip purpose, helps alot.

Thanks man 👍. All the best ! Steve

Thanks man and glad the videos help some 👍. All the best ! Steve

Hello, unfortunately, I’ve never seen the upper main or pilot air jets available for sale on any websites…not even Jets R Us and they make many different ones for several carb models. I’ve had to make a few to resurrect some basket case carbs over the years though lol, but never made any to sell like I do with some other hard to find Virago parts. I looked in a couple of old carb bodies I had just to see if I had any…only have one pilot air jet, but no main air jets were in them.

No worries I appreciate the feedback.

Yep, BMW didn’t do us any favors on there control system when it comes to having an issue with the soft top. There is another video on the channel on how to push the compartment cover locks back in n place (basically opposite to the pulling of the cables in the trunk) so the compartment is locked again. This should allow the windows to start working again once the latches are pushed back. To get into the trunk once it disables the unlock (tilting the rear emblem), you will need to take the physical key that is in the key fob and use it in the key slot that is in the rear emblem that is visible when you tip the emblem up like you open it.

Hey man ! I usually only work on my bikes as I don’t have a lot of spare carb parts available in case something needs replacing (like the diaphragms for example) or one of the hard to remove screws that hold the slide guides in twists off. There is a guy out on the Virago Facebook forums that rebuilds them though, I believe he is on the “Virago Nation - All things Yamaha Virago” forum if you wanted to make a post on there to get his name and info.

Hey man, I thought I noted the amount in the video…maybe not, but yes it is basically the thickness of the two additional shims from the spacer with the rubber inside removed 👍

My friend said that his Bike is an 84 Virago 920 is that set up different than what you showed on your video?

@PaulCTownsend hey ! The one I showed is a 1st Gen (81’-83’) xv750, but the starting system and left side cover are virtually the same (if not exactly) for the xv920 👍.

Hey again, yep, I have them listed out I eBay for folks if interested. There’s a comment with the link pinned to the top of the comments section of the video.

Hey man, it does sound like it could be the same issue…especially if it is also hard to start after filling up with fuel. Good news is that the purge valve is really easy to change out and doesn’t cost very much so it’s a good place to start if having issues with it cranking but not starting.

@@StevesDIYs I will try it out thank you so much

Glad the video helped some 👍. All the best ! Steve

Thanks man 👍. All the best ! Steve

👍

👍. I think both are made by the same company, but the Compare N Save only has the Glyphosate so it only kills the living weeds and grass, but doesn’t prevent the reemergence of new growth from seeds like the RM43 does with the extra herbicide in it.

Hey ! If you haven’t already checked, I would check the compression to be sure it’s at least 110 psi for both cylinders (checked while cranking and with the throttle twisted so the butterflies are open). If the timing is good, you have decent compression, good spark, and you are getting fuel, it should at least try to fire up. They are pretty sensitive to the idle air/fuel mix needle adjustment so I start at about 1.5 to 2 turns out so I know it’s getting some fuel. Another trick is to remove the rubber intake elbow attached to the carb and put your fingers over the intake of the carb with them closed together…this will create a vacuum and make the slide lift to really pull in the fuel. If it then tries to fire, you can keep it running by opening gaps between your fingers to regulate the air flow until you can get the mix needle dialed in a bit better. These will actually run on just one cylinder so if you can ever get one firing, you can then work to get the other firing. Another easy thing to try to be sure the floats aren’t stuck open and flooding the cylinders or stuck closed and not providing fuel is to tap the bowls with the handle of a screwdriver to make sure the floats are free…especially if the bike has sat for sometime. Hope this helps a bit and all the best ! Steve.

Yep, it would be nice to find something as a more ground friendly alternative, but so far nothing I’ve tried has worked unfortunately.

👍. Yep, the RM43 was a couple of days slower to kick in than the Round Up, but caught up after a week. Now(another week later), even the little spot of Clover in the RM43 sprayed area is totally dead, but still barely trying to hang on in the Round Up section. I’ll see how they compare over the next few months and if one last a lot longer than the other, I may make a follow up video to show folks. All the best ! Steve

Hello, I actually did do a little research on what was in it as the bottle says it was chlorine free. Its main ingredient is alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, which seems to be used in several household cleaners (like Lysol for example). Seems it’s a bit different than just chlorine, but not 100% sure. It does seem to work good though.

Hello, GM did a pretty good job of keeping things consistent across models so it might work as well for the newer Escalades (someone commented that it works on the CTS). Easy way to see would be to push the remote buttons at the same time and if it pops up the tire learning notification on the dash then it should do it. You can always just turn the vehicle back off then lock and unlock the doors and it should take it back out of learning mode if you just wanted to see. All the best ! Steve

Thank you Steve. I try it...

Hello, I have used a big propane burner torch in the past (and one of my neighbors does periodically). It does do pretty good for killing the green part of the weeds, but doesn’t kill the roots very well so it has to be repeated about every month. The other problem is that we have a lot of the vine type Bermuda grass here so as soon as the other grass is killed, the Bermuda grass happily crawls over to the clean area. I do use this sparingly (I mixed the RM43 to a third of the recommended strength so it would be equivalent to the weaker Round Up). When we mixed it full strength (6 oz to a gallon) for the fence rows when I was a kid, it obliterated any growth in the fence rows for over a year, but since I do yard work all year long anyway, spraying it twice is not a big deal and maybe helps with it not building up too much in the soil.

Hey ! I haven’t paid much attention to this side of the garage so this was the first time I sprayed this area with the Wet & Forget. There was some green moss on the AC unit also so I sprayed it as well with the hose sprayer too. My other ac units are out in the sun so they don’t really get any mold growing on them, but if they did, I would probably spray them with a little while doing that area every year or so. The bottle says it is safe for metal roofs so I don’t think it would hurt the ac units since it is bleach free.

@@StevesDIYsThank you Steve for the reply and information. Already looking forward to your next video. 😊

@GarysnewYT thanks man 👍. All the best !

Hey ! These aren’t too hard to push start, but they are pretty heavy so finding a bit of a down hill slope makes it much easier. Since the electronics control the spark, they still need a battery that will read at least 10.5 volts with the key on though or the TCI won’t spark the plugs. I’ve roll started mine a few times over the years…much easier if you have a friend that will push you as you dump the clutch in 2nd or 3rd once you are rolling pretty good.

@StevesDIYs I'm just thinking on bump starting the bike I'm going to buy until I get in and fix it in hopes of saving the gears .he sed it just started making the noise so we will see when I get in there how it all looks

I would be nice to find something else that worked as good as these. I did try Vinegar, salt and dish soap (there’s another video on the channel for that), but unfortunately it didn’t kill the weeds and they just came back in a few weeks. Maybe someday a company will come out with something as an alternative. All the best ! Steve

@@StevesDIYs Please tell me you didn't use the store bought 5% vinegar and regular table salt.

👍. Seems Round Up just does a better job of advertising vs. some of the other brands so they feel they can mark it up a bit more I guess. After the neighbors saw me making the video, one said he used something similar to the RM43 that came in a 2.5 gallon jug. He said he’s had the same jug for years so I guess this stuff doesn’t expire or loose its potency for several years.

Hey man ! Yep, the remote mount filter setup is holding up good…it’s a bit messy to change the filter (I should have mounted the filter with the open end up lol), but still tons easier than taking the parts off to get to the original filter. I never made any more of them as there didn’t seem to be much interest unfortunately, but the setup was pretty easy using the oil filter cover with the flow ports I still make.

Thanks for the tip 👍. I’m wondering if not sticking to the leaves is why it took so long to kill the Virginia Creeper vines 🤔. They have like a waxy feeling leaf and water just beads up on them. I’ll give that a try on my next grass killing session and see if it improves things 👍. Thanks again and all the best ! Steve

Thanks man 👍. All the best !

Thanks man 👍. Good to know the actual size as I only had the standard kits so I used one that fit the best out of it.

@@StevesDIYs You're welcome Steve

Hey man ! Lol, yep, maybe they will get the point that there are definitely other options that have the same chemicals and give the same results and lower their prices or something. It’s all in the advertising though I guess…I’ve never ever seen a advertisement for this RM43 stuff…but growing up on a farm and spraying the acres of fence rows reminded me of these odd colored bottles we had in the barn and I was able to track it down. The mixing directions on the RM43 are pretty vague, but mixing it to the same concentration as the Round Up gave the same results. Mixing it triple strength so it’s the same price per mixed gallon as the Round Up would probably kill the weeds for a full year like it did in the fence rows. Thanks again and All the best ! Steve

Thanks man ! Yep, the RM43 is a much lesser known product for sure and seems to be used in farming where larger coverage is needed (for killing the weeds out of fence rows for example ). Works out great for home usage as that one bottle will do be for years. I’d say if I mixed it 6 oz to 1 gallon like the roundup, the areas I sprayed it would look like ground zero or something for over a year lol !

Hey ! Yep, if the motor is getting weak or the tracks that guide the glass get dirty or sticky, the motor senses that it has reached it’s maximum allowable current draw and shuts off (basically how it knows that it has reached the top or bottom of the normal travel as it uses the current draw to determine when it hits the travel stops).

Thanks ! Yep, it was a fun project for sure 👍

Hey ! I’ve only made this one to get an idea of the design, but hopefully I can finalize the design so more can be made 👍

Hello, these will definitely pick up the rear of the vehicle, but it really depends on the trailers tongue weight vs. the weight the truck is pulling. They lift my tandem trailer up which has several hundred pound tongue weight, but if I front load the trailer too much (like when I hauled like 4 tons of gravel on it one time lol), it couldn’t get the Escalade all the way back up. If it was me, unless I had the automatic leveling system and compressor installed on the vehicle, I’d go with some low cost air bags that just get aired up with static air pressure if possible as they are much easier to deal with and would be much better at lifting and leveling for periodic trailer hauling. Hope this helps a bit and all the best ! Steve

Hey man, I haven’t done a complete swap for one of my bikes yet as I’m hoping to get a couple more manifolds to test out to see which one balances the cylinders the best. I think more modern carbs would work better than these old Hitachi’s I was testing with though based on what comes in the kit from Mikunioz.

@@StevesDIYs my mikuni hsr t42 is put in bout I don’t know how to plug the rest of the hoses

Thanks man and glad the video helped some 👍. All the best ! Steve

Lol ! Thanks man 👍. All the best !

Thanks 👍. All the best ! Steve

Hey ! Usually if they will fire up, but then die quick, it’s an issue with the fuel coming to the carb or a dirty carbs. Does the fuel pump prime the carbs and then stops clicking within a few seconds or does it keep clicking? If it continues to click then it may not be pumping fuel (bad pump, stopped up filter, etc…). If it is pumping fuel, but the carbs are dirty, sometimes you can squirt a little fuel into the carbs (elbows removed) and keep it running long enough that they well clear out a bit and start running.

lol…Thanks man 👍. All the best ! Steve

Thanks for the info! I'll do the same. I have to verify the correct build date from the dealer. It looks like a change was made on my MY at the build date!

Hey ! I actually used a Huf brand sensor as I believe they are one of the OE suppliers for BMW but sell as their own brand also. Since this was the only sensor that was giving problems, I just changed it as I’m due up to replace my tires this year and will replace the other three when I change tires (the tire shop is really good about damaging the beads on these run flats as noted in the video so I didn’t want them damaging the other tires just to change the sensors). Here’s a link to the info of the sensor I used I put out on my Steve’s DIYs Facebook page. I purchased it from Parts Geek, but I’d say other web stores carry it as well: facebook.com/share/gXqxwFcjB6vh6BdD/?mibextid=WC7FNe . Yep, INPA isn’t the easiest to get around in, but with a little practice it manages to do most of the normal things for these. Glad the video helped some and all the best ! Steve

@@StevesDIYs Ahhh...so close but yet so far. My version of inpa is mostly German, so, working through it required me to get acquainted with a few things, thought mostly, it's pretty close, so I followed your instructions until the part for the static test, where mine did not have F1 , only F2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10. Lastly, my live readings don't seem quite right. I'm getting the same readings even with the wheels away from the car, like on the other side of the house! Except for the battery status, where I was getting some readings at the "receiving's" column, now its all 0's there too. My issue is that I don't want to guess at whether it's the TPMS or the RDC. I may go to a tire shop and see if they can scan and get some kind of reading, that way I can compare. My car is an '11 E89 with 25k and it has barely seen rain (except for washing her) but, you never know, RDC could still be corroded.

UPDATE: I went driving with Inpa hooked up. The thing lit up like a christmas tree.! Looks like just the right front sensor, but the battery still shows 0 for all sensors.

@xr500t 👍. Yep, mine is in half German as well. Takes me longer to Google translate than actually find the faults most time lol. Yep, I don’t really trust all of the info INPA gives for the readings as it seems to do it’s own thing once the car is rolling and it automatically goes into the dynamic sensing mode.

Nice ! Yep, my batteries aren’t consistent on the readings either, but as long as it picks then up I’ll call it good. At least it sounds like it’s just a sensor like mine was. Hopefully you’ll get it back happy again once the sensor is changed and picked up on the static test so then it will find it in the auto dynamic verification.

Thanks 👍. Yep, it does take a bit to push the rubber tapers over the tube flare for sure lol. All the best ! Steve

You as well thank you again for the assist​@StevesDIYs

Hello again, as I showed in the videos, a lot of running one of these with a single carb successfully has to do with the design of the manifold. It’s apparent that you cannot just put any single carb manifold on these and expect it to run right as the AFR gets thrown off between the two cylinders if not designed correctly. As with the replies to the comments you had made on the other video and previously on this video, I’d be happy to put one of the single carb manifolds you make on the test rig and show how it performs on balancing the AFR for the two cylinders if you believe your design is optimized. Or, if you have some data that shows how well yours performs against the stock dual carbs (or even other single manifolds) I’d be happy to see it. All the best ! Steve

Hello, you can rotate the crank around to access the torque converter bolts without causing any damage to the rod or main bearings…there’s plenty of oil film between the bearings and the crankshaft for just rotating the crank a rotation or two. Actually, since most motors have a mechanical oil pump, each time you normally start the motor, there is no oil flowing for several rotations of the motor until the pump picks up the oil and starts supplying it to the system.

Hello, for the rubber hose that was in the way of the Schrader valve fitting, I didn’t connect it back to check for the fuel pressure as I was guessing it wasn’t going to try to start. If it had tried to fire, I would have definitely needed to connect it back as I believe it went to the intake as part of the crankcase vent system and would have made the motor run really rough if left disconnected.

@@StevesDIYs ok. so when i personally do this on mine, I should reconnect that, right? Then with the guage on the Schrader valve, I'll be able to see the fuel pressure while the engine is running? This would be the proper way of testing the Fuel Pressure?

@MiOEvO hey again, yes, if you are running the motor with the gage connected to the Schrader Valve, the rubber hose would need to be connected 👍. Just be sure to check that the connection to the schrader valve is tight and not dripping fuel as that could be bad to drip fuel onto the motor with it running. All the best ! Steve