Single best modification you've made?

[similost]

Lots of cool stuff everyone has done..

 

So much to do.. so many ideas... I really need to look around and figure out the best bang for the buck stuff...

 

I have yet to hear anyone really mention Dyna much, and on my other bike putting a Dyna on it was a great investment... I had been looking at evidently the clutch in these are weak so a Barnett clutch was a thought, but now I hear about this I basket...

 

hhhhmm.. so much to do.. so little time.. and my money tree isn't growing fast enough.. maybe I should invest in some miracle grow first..

[CMIKE]

The beloved Venture in stock form is severly lacking in lights on the rear end. I was always nervous about cages not seeing me from the rear. A guy I know got hit stopped at a red light cause the driver of the car was looking up at the red light. The biker was not seriously hurt since it was a slow speed accident but there was no need for this.

The addition of extra lighting and converting every light except the head light to LED's would have to be my favorite mod.

 

Next would be the addition of passing lights on the front.

 

Then getting her ready for the long trips...Trunk rack, saddle bag liners, back rest, foot pegs, XM, lower adjustable vents and currently waiting on the Zumo 660 to come out...they say by the end of this month.

[BoomerCPO]

Marrage, a rocky road we travel

 

Amen to that Bro.

 

Boomer.....who has patched more potholes than the State Dept. of Transportation.

[skydoc_17]

I have a tendency to lean towards Safety and Performance mods (sometimes not in that order) over "bling". It's not that I don't like "bling" but being on a budget causes you to choose. The single best upgrade/mod. I have done for my bike, hands down has been the VR to R1 Brake Swap. The second best upgrade/mod. was adding LED lighting to the rear of my bike. (Pics attached below)

Earl

[similost]

I have a tendency to lean towards Safety and Performance mods (sometimes not in that order) over "bling". It's not that I don't like "bling" but being on a budget causes you to choose. The single best upgrade/mod. I have done for my bike, hands down has been the VR to R1 Brake Swap. The second best upgrade/mod. was adding LED lighting to the rear of my bike. (Pics attached below)

Earl

 

Interesting you like your R1 swap. I did the same thing on my Roadstar and loved it.. BIG difference in stopping power. I think I'll have to start shopping around to see if I can find me a pair. I do have a single R1 laying around I can use on the rear. Or will the R1 calipers not fit on the second generation. I know the fronts look like they would.

[pegscraper]

The R1 calipers fit fine on the 2nd gens. I wasn't sure they fit on the 1sts. You will also want to find a 14mm master cylinder from a later Roadstar for the front brakes to go with them. I wouldn't do the rear brake though. It has plenty of braking power already.

[GuthDaddy17]

My favorite is the Harley R.K. exhaust mod in my RSTD!!! Second would be the Passing Lamps.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Pegscrapper,

First off I just wanted to say that I admire the many mods you have done to your Second Gen. You Sir are a "True Motorhead" as am I and I find your posts educational and refreshing. Because you have shared so many bits of information with me and others I will share what I have found out the R1/R6 calipers on First Gens.

The R1/R6 calipers will only mount to the MKII First Gens, (1986-1993)

The BIG difference between the stock calipers on the First Gen. VR as well as the Second Gen. RSV is the fact that the stock calipers are a two piece design and the R1/R6 calipers are a one piece design.

Here is what I have discovered about putting the R1/R6 caliper on the back of a First Gen., The stock two piece caliper actually flexes open as the pistons contract on the rotor, as the master cylinder forces maximum brake fluid pressure into the two piece caliper body, there comes a time when the pressure becomes so great that the two piece caliper actually "collapses" on the rotor, causing the rotor "lock-up". In the case of the one piece R1/R6 caliper, the brake piston pressure is much smoother and controlled and there is virtually no "caliper flex" allowing a much better "feel" during the actuation of the rear brake. I run a Stainless Steel rear brake line from the master cylinder port that DOES NOT HAVE the proportioning valve and I have NEVER had a rear wheel lock-up no matter how hard or how fast I hit the rear brake. The technological advance of the one piece R1/R6 caliper, In my opinion would solve most of the rear brake lock-up problems with the Second Gen. RSV due to the above described condition of the two piece RSV calipers.

I am willing to chat further about this upgrade with anyone that is interested.

Just my observations,

Earl

[CrazyHorse]

Replacing 1st Gen handlebars which I hated gave me terrible tendonitus in both elbows.

 

1. I used Kawasaki Voyager adjustable bars. (no more tendonitous much more comfortable)

 

2. Delinking brakes

 

3. Solid motor mounts

 

4. Back rest

[whanna]

Here's two:

Experience.

Confidence.

 

If you're looking for a physical item (I know, you are), I'd have to say rear lighting (LED bar). You still have to be in tune with traffic and your machine in order to ride well and safe.

A VERY close second would be heated gear. This SAFELY allows you to ride when it's below 45 as it allows you to stay focused on the road instead of your misery.

[royalstarjac]

As far as a safety mod goes I would have to say my headlight modulator, closely followed by the Stebel air horn.

 

A headlight modulator is the first mod I would do on any bike. It's a cheap and easy way of instantly making your bike much more visible from the front which is where most accidents occur IMO.-Jack

[Scooter Bob]

Well my baby is gone, but the best one I did wax the "Eck-Stend-A-Grip" mod

 

It was the only bike out there on the road with four hand grips, and two being adjustable.

 

And when I saw you were selling you old Eck-Stend-A-Grip , I was thinking totally wrong. I put on the flanders bars to get a little wider and pulled back. I really missed the end weights for a hand rest with cruise on (and I think the front end shimmied without them). So I cut the weld on the threaded plugs and welded them in the new bars.

 

I already figured on just trying the Barons bar spacers on the next bike but still wanted wider as well. When I heard the words Eck-Stend-A-Grip it occurred to me that all one would have to do for wider bars is machine a spacer the diameter of the bars and bolt on the weights with a longer bolt through the spacer and move the controls out over the spacer.

 

But your Eck-Stend-A-Grip looks like a real comfy add on as well.

 

just my Scooter Bob

[SteveW]

Thats a great idea. Being I have a sidecar on my bike having a wider handlebar would be a big plus, as I find I have my hands on the weights while in the twisties.

I think I'll give it a try.

Steve

[Roadhand]

# 1. Passing Lamps ( I do think it helps to be seen)

LED Tail Light & LED HD Lights

Back Rest

TD handlebars

Short Windshield

Lower Wind Deflectors

Stebel Horn

[similost]

More great stuff... seems a lot of standard stuff too...

 

I'm ordering parts today... passing lamps, saddlebag rails (I KNOW I'll end up easing it over in it's side eventually:whistling:) LED tail lights and 15" brake light bar...

 

OH, and an attorney my wife works for gave us a gift certificate to a bike part site, so we'll be ordering Stieble horns from there...

 

Next week or two will either be bars or risers (a next post I will be asking) and a back rest and highway pegs..

 

Then... WOW.. what a list I have made up already... UV or Blacklight accent lighting is high on my list too. I ride with it on around the engine at night, and amazing how much more seeable you are. In 4 years of using them, have yet to get pulled over for them..

[1BigDog]

More great stuff... seems a lot of standard stuff too...

 

I'm ordering parts today... passing lamps, saddlebag rails (I KNOW I'll end up easing it over in it's side eventually:whistling:) LED tail lights and 15" brake light bar...

 

OH, and an attorney my wife works for gave us a gift certificate to a bike part site, so we'll be ordering Stieble horns from there...

 

QUOTE]

 

Dont forget to order a Carbon One mounting bracket for that Steble Horn....

[similost]

I've got steel laying all over my garage.. Also got a torch and welder.. I'm good to go..

 

Made a really nice bracket for my Howard's Hog Horns I've got hangin on my Roadie..

 

Just something about the satisfaction of showing something off you made yourself.

[BigBoyinMS]

When I bought my RSV it already had the flashing headlamp, LED light bar under the trunk, the Stebel and a few other items. Bur as far as things that I did... I would have to say the Kumho car tire on back is #1 but the backrest is a close 2nd!

[pegscraper]

I'm more of a go guy than a show guy myself. I don't know whether my favorite mods have been the power adders I've done or these R1 brakes that make the whoa match the go. The R1 brakes are incredible. I think everyone should be doing them. There's no such thing as unneeded braking power. I chuckle when someone says that they can lock up their brakes easily enough as they are, as if to say that they can't be any better than that. Just because the brakes can be locked up doesn't mean that's the most braking power there is. And better brakes don't make it easier to lock them up. That's a big misunderstanding. In fact, it's just the opposite. The easier the brakes lock up, the less controllable braking power there is. Better brakes actually make it harder to lock them up and give you a lot more control in the range before they do. The R1 calipers stretch out the sliding friction window and lessen the sticking friction window. Most or all of Y's other models now have these or even better brakes. So why are they still putting their poorest brakes on their heaviest bikes?

 

You make a good point on the two piece caliper flexing issue. I had been reconsidering my own comment anyway. The reasons why I like the R1s in the front and the reasons why I have been thinking it wasn't needed in the back are contradicting themselves. I may wind up doing the rear caliper too. I need to investigate the rear master cylinder bore size though. I know on our front brakes (at least the 2nd gens), the stock 5/8" M/C bore size doesn't work well with the R1 calipers. They really need the smaller 14mm bore size. So I need to investigate what's available in rear M/Cs.

 

What are the front and rear M/C sizes on the 1st gens? Do you have to swap the stock ones for something else to make them work properly?

 

 

Hey Pegscraper,

First off I just wanted to say that I admire the many mods you have done to your Second Gen. You Sir are a "True Motorhead" as am I and I find your posts educational and refreshing. Because you have shared so many bits of information with me and others I will share what I have found out the R1/R6 calipers on First Gens.

The R1/R6 calipers will only mount to the MKII First Gens, (1986-1993)

The BIG difference between the stock calipers on the First Gen. VR as well as the Second Gen. RSV is the fact that the stock calipers are a two piece design and the R1/R6 calipers are a one piece design.

Here is what I have discovered about putting the R1/R6 caliper on the back of a First Gen., The stock two piece caliper actually flexes open as the pistons contract on the rotor, as the master cylinder forces maximum brake fluid pressure into the two piece caliper body, there comes a time when the pressure becomes so great that the two piece caliper actually "collapses" on the rotor, causing the rotor "lock-up". In the case of the one piece R1/R6 caliper, the brake piston pressure is much smoother and controlled and there is virtually no "caliper flex" allowing a much better "feel" during the actuation of the rear brake. I run a Stainless Steel rear brake line from the master cylinder port that DOES NOT HAVE the proportioning valve and I have NEVER had a rear wheel lock-up no matter how hard or how fast I hit the rear brake. The technological advance of the one piece R1/R6 caliper, In my opinion would solve most of the rear brake lock-up problems with the Second Gen. RSV due to the above described condition of the two piece RSV calipers.

I am willing to chat further about this upgrade with anyone that is interested.

Just my observations,

Earl

[similost]

I'm more a go kinda person too..

 

Adding the R1 calipers to my Roadie was one of the best mods on it too. I've already been thinking about swapping the calipers between the two bikes since I'll be pulling the trailer with the Venture...

 

I hear you on the locking up part.. That's why I like the R1 on the roadie so much.. doesn't lock up near as easy in a panic situation, but it whoa's it in a big hurry.

 

Matter a fact, had to jump on the brakes on the Venture this morning, and I DID NOT like the way the back locked up so easily... Startled the wife on the back, but luckily she isn't the squeamish type and just rode with it..

 

I wonder if I can get by with swapping the master cyl too???? I'll have to look into that... Would be nice if I could.

 

OK.. now I need to find all these GO mods ya'll are doing on the second gens..

[pegscraper]

The 14mm M/C from the later Roadstars that had these calipers is the one you want. It matches the style of our stock ones exactly. The bore size is cast into the body right beside the sight window.

[similost]

The 14mm M/C from the later Roadstars that had these calipers is the one you want. It matches the style of our stock ones exactly. The bore size is cast into the body right beside the sight window.

 

Thank you much. I'll take a look at that this evening...

 

I've also got an extra R1 caliper laying on the shelf. I may try swapping that out with the rear caliper soon and seeing if that will help with the rear locking up so easily...

[Squeeze]

Thank you much. I'll take a look at that this evening...

 

I've also got an extra R1 caliper laying on the shelf. I may try swapping that out with the rear caliper soon and seeing if that will help with the rear locking up so easily...

 

I really don't know if the R1 Caliper fits on the rear, but even if so, you don't want to have that R1 Caliper on the rear of your 2Gen.

[similost]

I really don't know if the R1 Caliper fits on the rear, but even if so, you don't want to have that R1 Caliper on the rear of your 2Gen.

 

OH? if it does fit, why not? I'm learning here...

[friesman]

in the last few days since Rocket let me take my 85 back after he slaved over it all winter,making it into a new bike.... my favourite mods in order of preference

 

Stainless brake and clutch lines- cant beleive the difference, pricey but the brakes feel great now . easier to bleed now too, with the added bleeder up by the triple tree.

 

Progressive fork springs and COndor fork brace - no more bottoming out, no flexing ,feels more solid, a great fairly cheap fairly easy fix

 

Solid motor mounts -the bike just feels more solid now, and a bit more vibration, but hardly noticeable, the old rubber mounts were pretty soft after all that time.

 

Extra lighting- Rocket mounted some lights similar to platinum burners on Squidley brackets and I find that it makes a huge difference to my night vision. Also intstalled a PIAA bulb in the main headlight position.

 

It feels like a new, different bike than my old 85

 

Brian