Venture /HD

[newventure]

I agree on alot of the replies. I just can't get over the stigma some riders have if you don't have a HD. I really like the venture, that's why I bought it two years ago, looks, price and research through this site, about the power and durability, ect. helped me make my decision on the venture, but as other's have agreed with me on some points, as far as paint, chrome, over all quality in appearance. I've found out over the years riding, before the venture purchase that most bike events are geared toward the HD's. Disappointing at times when just about all the accessories are hd related and not much for the metrics if anything. I'll keep the venture as my wife would have a problem with me wanting to sell it for anything else, as she absoluetly loves the bike and pretty much despises the hd, but she does agree about the attitude of the ones that ride the other's . Yes I do know that alot of those bikes have different parts on them, from other sources and have these discussions with friends which they don't like , but they can't disagree with the facts. I guess the majority of the guys I ride with are hd guys, so it gets kind of old hearing the same old crap. I try not ot let it bother me, but after a while it gets old. Yes, I will agree, two years now and some miles, I have'nt done anything but routine maint. Before this season though I will need new tires, any recomendations?

[Blackjack]

There are untold scores of arrogant people in the world.

 

There are also untold scores of idiots in the world.

 

My only advice is to encourage you to pick your friends, associates and riding buddies very, very wisely...

 

TERRY

[Kirby]

You know, it's funny that this subject has come up, on this day. Today a couple of friends and I went for about a 200 mile ride this afternoon and it was a beautiful day to ride. I guess all the riders were out enjoying the day just as we were, possibly some were returning from Daytona. I try my best to be couteous to all I meet along my travels and today was no exception. But , there are those out there who act like they think their crap doesn't stink just because they ride a certain "American made" bike. You know the type, all dressed out in their leathers and name brand getup. They are like a rolling advertisement. All that stuff really doesn't phase me one way or the other. What really gets my goat is they want to try to look down their noses at you when you pass by and give them the courtesy wave. IMHO, They are just showing their ignorance of bikes and bikers!! If I were to have taken a poll today there would have been maybe one out of ten that would have even acknowleged by waving back. I pray to God, that if I ever get to be like that, some of you good friends and fellow bikers will bring it to my attention and help me to snap out of it!!! I'm out there on the road to have fun and help those I meet along the way. I am making payments on my RSV. I could have been making payments on an "American made" bike just as easy. I got the best on the market, IMO!!

 

I'm gonna get down off my soap box now.

[newventure]

Yes, Iv'e had that happen to me as well, I just laugh and tell my wife we are cyclists, rider's it's a sport that we both enjoy whether she rides with me or on her own bike. We shouldn't laugh but we do say we are more civilized riders and wear the gear for protection instead of going around looking like pirates. Today we didn't get a chance to get the bikes out but I did see quite of few out there riding with full leather gear and no helmets, don't understand as the temps. were only in the low fifties and the air still does have a chill to it and cruising down the road I would think it would be kind of cold, with no head protection.

[CMIKE]

IBefore this season though I will need new tires, any recomendations?

 

Dunlop E3's or Avon stock size...better mileage...handling than any stock tire Yamaha put on the RSV. I went with the Dunlop E3's since they were a little cheaper and now have over 10K on them. They are holding up really well for me. I need to measure the tread depth to see if I can estimate how many miles I will get out of them, based on the wear so far.

[midnightventure]

Yeah all that.!!And ask the Hardley if he wants you to wait on him at the next light....

 

You might want think twice about that. A friend of mine that has a new Harley had it dynoed. He was getting about 80 HP to the back wheel. With our driveshaft I doubt if we are getting any more than that. If being the fastest was what decided what was the best bike then I guess the Hayabusas or GSXRs would be best .

[midnightventure]

You know, it's funny that this subject has come up, on this day. Today a couple of friends and I went for about a 200 mile ride this afternoon and it was a beautiful day to ride. I guess all the riders were out enjoying the day just as we were, possibly some were returning from Daytona. I try my best to be couteous to all I meet along my travels and today was no exception. But , there are those out there who act like they think their crap doesn't stink just because they ride a certain "American made" bike. You know the type, all dressed out in their leathers and name brand getup. They are like a rolling advertisement. All that stuff really doesn't phase me one way or the other. What really gets my goat is they want to try to look down their noses at you when you pass by and give them the courtesy wave. IMHO, They are just showing their ignorance of bikes and bikers!! If I were to have taken a poll today there would have been maybe one out of ten that would have even acknowleged by waving back. I pray to God, that if I ever get to be like that, some of you good friends and fellow bikers will bring it to my attention and help me to snap out of it!!! I'm out there on the road to have fun and help those I meet along the way. I am making payments on my RSV. I could have been making payments on an "American made" bike just as easy. I got the best on the market, IMO!!

 

I'm gonna get down off my soap box now.

 

 

And when I am out riding my DR the cruiser riders (all of them including the metric riders) act like they don't see me.

[newventure]

I've heard about the E3's. I guess I should check localy here in case I have to order them before riding season gets here. Thanks for the info...

[ddoggma]

I got waved at and then dissed by the same three HDs when we passed em again later in the day. My buddy got waves from all the HDs, Some actualy tryed to pull in the wave when they saw my bike...lol Too funny. Good, kinda short, shake down ride, 4 hours. Bikes ran great. I still need a carbtune. I like my new brakes......lol I have much more control of the 800lb beast. Twisties feel more in conrol etc. Watch out for the GRAVEL that will be on the road for awhile. Its sneaky....... even when not moving. PS:I was not trying to look grumpy......or like a badass. I was very happy and I'm a nice guy...really

[Sonnyboy]

:stickpoke:I also like the look and sound of Harleys. Been around them most of my life as my Dad had been riding them since WW2 starting with a W45. Had a friend of mine want to give me his Ultra at an extremely good price a few years ago. I was riding a Roadstar then. One up it was a great ride..until you stopped and the front tire started dancing across the paint stripe I stopped on. Then with my wife on the back it was way to short for the two of us. Then I remembered all the 'Harley' conversations my friends have about where they have their bikes fixed and what they pay for it to get done. That along with a two year warrenty that doesn't seem to cover much. All I do is change the oil and filters, check the tires and look it over when I'm washing it. In the 9000 miles we've ridden in ten months my only maintenance expense have been oil and filters. They do have some neat clothes though, but for iron I'll keep my RSV with a big smile..... And now I have a place to play all those tapes I never threw out, now that is old school.

[Ky. Rider]

It always amazes me how many post turn up when HD is mentioned. Oh well, I guess I'm playing into that as well. However, let me say first of all that the definition of "Jerk" in the dictionary does not say "see Harley rider". Jerks come in all types. Secondly, so someone doesn't wave at you, so what!???? You can only be intimidated if you allow it to happen to you. I learned to stand on my own two feet along time ago. I ride a rsv because I think it is the best ride for my style for the $. I could care less about someone else's attitude that they can't ride anything but a certain brand because of intimidation. That is their weakness, not mine. I really like my rsv and it will likely be the bike that sees me out. As far as a dealer telling me to move my ride if it isn't the brand they are selling, that hasn't happened and won't in most cases. But, if I selling new Mustangs and someone parks in the front door with a new Camaro I can understand me hoping others don't start looking at the Camaro instead of my Mustangs. Same with my rsv! Get over the HD mindset already and ride what you want, even if it is a HD! We should have left the intimidation world in our teen years!

[atlm]

The leadership at HD are extremely smart.

 

After their near demise and the AMF years, when they bought themselves back, they had learned that they couldn't compete with the Japanese bikes when it came to cost/quality/performance. Instead, they chose brand recognition and loyalty through the power of advertising and the media.

 

The power of public media is incredible, and can make most people believe almost anything. Association and repetition. Visually or verbally associate something with good feelings or bad feelings, and do it repetitively. Then, when people see the "something" they will experience the good or bad feelings. They'll feel and believe it strongly, and defend it, and won't think about or know why.

 

Think about it. After hearing something often enough, some people will strap bombs to themselves and gladly blow themselves up, totally believing it's the right thing to do. I'm NOT saying what HD is doing is bad like that. I think what they've done is harmless and ingenius, and has helped the American economy. I'm just pointing out an example of how powerful association and repetition can be.

 

Using the media, HD sells a perceived lifestyle. All American, the only original, family values, being faithful, the "good old days", etc. And although it's not said, it's insinuated that non-HD or foreign brands are unAmerican, unoriginal, valueless, and unfaithful.

 

And because of the power of the media, a lot of people now feel that way. And some just feel like HD is the right brand to buy. It's genius, and it's kept HD thriving.

 

And just like religious extremists, some people go overboard with it. They're unfriendly and hateful to any non-believers. They don't wave, and they don't want you around. And that's fine by me, because I don't want to be around all of that negativity.

 

I owned a Harley for a few weeks (25 years ago), and I have quite a few friends who ride Harleys, and they're all super friendly. They love their bikes and they love the Harley lifestyle, but for them the lifestyle is the comeraderie of a group of bikes, regardless of brand. They sometimies give me a bit of ribbing about my non-HD, and sometimes ask when I'm going to buy an HD, but there's no anger or ill-will. It's just their subconscious playing games they're not aware of.

 

[ArcsSparks]

falling for the hype I see. I own one thing HD and that's a pair of gauntlet gloves (bought in an emergency) paid 85.00 for them, good gloves but just like everything else HD -- two prices

[The Marshal]

I like Harleys. Really. I just don't want to pay to keep them running.

I put 10K trouble free miles on my VStar 1300 last year. Only changed the oil, filters, plugs, and tires.

My good friend from work has a 100th Anniv Springer. He has put $40K into it; rebuilt the jugs/pistons etc. Last Nov. it crapped out on him while on a ride - the oil stopped oil'in.

Almost $5K later, he is gonna get it back next month. In that time, I have put over 2000 trouble free miles on my RSTD.

I just don't want to spend that kind of money for something that (appears to be) less reliable.

 

Now, if I *was* going to drop the bux, I would be looking at the Victory bikes. Yowsers!!

Victory knows how to build a sexy bike!!

I have heard that the quality is far above what you get with 'other' American made motorcycles.

 

To each his own. That is why there are LOTS of different M/Cs out there........

 

~Bill

[MasterGuns]

I own both and ride the heck out of both. I prefer my Ultra. Except while idling, it is smoother, easier to maintain and is a heck of a lot better looking. Everyone should buy American anyway.

[YamaDuck]

I own both and ride the heck out of both. I prefer my Ultra. Except while idling, it is smoother, easier to maintain and is a heck of a lot better looking. Everyone should buy American anyway.

Sooo, that means you can't buy anything at Wally World (mostly China) you can't ride a HD or anything else (foreign parts in them) can't drive an "American car" (to many Canadian and Mexican parts not to mention Japanese) Even Wrangler jeans are manufactured in Mexico. You need to be able to tell time by the sun because you don't own a watch since they are made oversea's. Of course you don't watch TV or listen to the radio since none are made in the good old USA. Most of the foods you eat are imported for overseas. You see how a statement like "buy American" in today's world is a #$%^& statement. Anyone who just buys American is the guy walking everywhere he goes butt naked and starving.

Calm down Harry it really isn't worth it.

[Guest human4m]

I'm sure I'm throwing myself in the fire with this one...

 

Harley-Davidson = Purchased Image & Misguided Visions of Grandeur.

 

Okay, maybe I'm just bitter because I can't afford a Road King.

Edited March 8, 2010 by human4m

[Guest seuadr]

i read that guys page too. i can see what he is saying, but him lumping all harley owners into the same group is just as wrong as them lumping all the rest of us into one group.

 

lets worry about who the rider is, and stop caring about what the ride is.

 

I will ride with you if you are a nice guy even if it means i have to pull you with a string because all you can afford is a unicycle!

 

[Dave77459]

I ride with a nice meetup group called the Road Kings that accepted me when I rode my Suzuki 750 Intruder and were happy for me when I upgraded to the RSTD. Yes, out of the 10 regulars, 7 ride Road Kings. They frequently "trouble share" about their maintenance costs. We all are understanding, because that's how friends are.

 

Just about every time we get together, someone has some new safety chrome to point out. That's when I feel some envy. There is no lack of accessories for HDs. My buddy got Jack Daniels Ol' No 9 covers for either side of his engine (not sure what they cover). I'd just like to find blank covers for mine, and can't find them for both sides. For a 10+ year old unchanging design, you'd think there'd be plenty of accessories for the Royal Star touring bikes, but there really isn't.

 

I don't feel much envy when they talk about their $100 oil changes and $250 tire changes. I sorta feel sad, because I think these distance-based costs keep them from riding more. Their cost-per-mile is really high, and I know of a couple buddies who skipped our trip last fall because their bikes were due for maintenance and they couldn't afford the cost. That and on the actual trip, we repeatedly pulled into gas stations only to leave empty because the station didn't carry Mega Premium grade.

 

Aside: I like the biker pirate description. +1 for that!

 

Dave

[MasterGuns]

Sooo, that means you can't buy anything at Wally World (mostly China) you can't ride a HD or anything else (foreign parts in them) can't drive an "American car" (to many Canadian and Mexican parts not to mention Japanese) Even Wrangler jeans are manufactured in Mexico. You need to be able to tell time by the sun because you don't own a watch since they are made oversea's. Of course you don't watch TV or listen to the radio since none are made in the good old USA. Most of the foods you eat are imported for overseas. You see how a statement like "buy American" in today's world is a #$%^& statement. Anyone who just buys American is the guy walking everywhere he goes butt naked and starving.

Calm down Harry it really isn't worth it.

 

 

I should have clarified "bikes". Metric bikes are pretty much totally made in Asia but not my brand new 10 vehicle (auto or bike). And, you're right, I use to walk everywhere when I was in Nam, have never been butt naked nor starving. I graduated up to replacing my combat boots with civie shoes and buy whatever the heck I want; just like you I assume. If anyone has earned that, I have. Have a good one.

[WHiP]

This thread has come up at an interesting moment for me. I purchased a 2000 RSV in December 2009. It had 14,000 miles and was in great condition. I've put 3,000 miles on the bike since, paid out $1,000+ for new rear tire and 16,000 mile maintenance at a dealer.

 

I bought a Yamaha because I have owned three others and they were always low maintenance, highly reliable, and great to ride. I bought an RSV because I wanted a dresser to ride long and far. I bought used because I did not want to invest 15-20K in any motorcycle until I knew I would keep it and ride it as I intended.

 

I did not seriously consider a Harley because I have never thought Harleys to be a good value - too much hype and marketing. As for not being part of the pack and not getting waved at out on the road - that sounds like a feature rather a bug. When I started riding 40 years ago it was all about being a rebel and being different. Although, I admit to being a pretty conservative, law-abiding citizen, I still don't want to be part of a herd. Buying American? I paid $3.00 extra for my Purple Heart Plate - made in Huntsville, Texas, USA.

 

Now the problem. After two months of fairly easy riding and fairly expensive maintenance - I have a slipping clutch and just discovered a small puddle of oil under my rear shock. I had already ordered the clutch upgrade and that didn't seem like too big a deal and from what has been said on this site, a one time fix. The shock replacement is a big deal (for me)and sounds like a regular, uncorrected, recurring problem.

 

I really have enjoyed riding the bike. I have spent a lot of time on Hill Country back roads. I like the handling. It is very comfortable. I'm 5' 11" the bike with stock everything fits me as well as any bike I've ridden. It does make a lot of funny noises, whining, whistling engine, gear and road noise just as decribed by others on this site. I don't really mind the noises - but don't really like it either. As for slow speed handling, It's a big heavy dresser and handles that may. I took a skilled rdier course with 11 other riders on Harleys. The RSV handled the course as well as the other bikes.

 

So bottom line is I like riding the bike but it does not seem to have that Yamaha quality and reliability I was expecting. I'm now wondering if there is better value in a goldwing or beemer.

BTW is there is a permanent fix for the shock issue I'd really like to hear it.

[loehring]

Whip, I have to question the upkeep of the bike before you got it. I know there are a couple issues with the RSV just as there are with any bike but I bought my '07 with 32k miles on it '08. I know it was maintained well. I now have almost 65k on her and have done nothing other than change the oil, upgrade the clutch spring and change the tires. I have no leaks anywhere and no issues with the rear shock. (I do think they fixed the shock problem before the '07 model) If you're having all that trouble maybe it's not the bike as much as the original owner. 14k miles in 9 years is a question mark all in itself.

[YamaDuck]

 

So bottom line is I like riding the bike but it does not seem to have that Yamaha quality and reliability I was expecting. I'm now wondering if there is better value in a goldwing or beemer.

BTW is there is a permanent fix for the shock issue I'd really like to hear it.

 

Yes there is another shock. You lose the air ride but the shock is rebuildable and is custom made to the way you ride and your weight. I think the company name is Progressive. Not really sure but it is called a Progressive Shock. They were being sold on ebay. Now the bad news (there is always a down side) the price is almost $700. I don't know how long it last or how much it cost to rebuild.

[WHiP]

Yeah the bike had been sitting mostly in the guy's garage. He had oil change receipts and had replaced the front tire before he sold it. No mods or anything extra added. I've always thought it was a real bad thing to a bike sit for too long. This one obviously did. The clutch, the shock, and the noises are the only problems I've experienced. What bothers me is these problems are so well documented as common on this site. Seems like there should have been fixes along the way.

[davepa]

I am thankful that in my circle of riding buddies both male and female, of which ride Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Dukati, Yamaha, Bmw, Harley, Triumph, BSA etc. All treat me the same regardless if I am on the 89 Venture or 09 Ultra Classic.

 

We have all gone to many different events together and had a great time.

 

It should not matter what your preference of motorcycle just the fellowship of good friends getting together.

 

I always wave at all bikes even the mopeds......just enjoy the ride

 

Regards Dave