General Questions

[Mountaineer47]

I have finished going through all of the posts for the generation 2 Venture. I have a 2008 model.

 

From my readings and to keep from reopening some threads that have been unused for a while, here are my questions:

 

1. Reference to tires. On my previous bike, 2008 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 classic LT, it came with Dunlop tires. The wear rate on them sucked. I was only getting about 8000 miles or so out of a set. Switched to metzlers ME 880 and was well into my second year of riding on the same tires before I traded it for my current bike. Having read the threads here, I see some have had issues with the Metzlers. I did not on previous bike and current bike has a set of metzler's ME 880's on it. My question. Is there any issues with the tires? I run them on 40 lbs air in the front....42 in the rear.

 

2. I know I have screwed up my stereo system. The head unit works, but I have no sound. All fuses are fine. My question. Has anyone dealt with Pinwall Cycle Parts? The have a used stereo I can get to replace my current unit. I am aware that my current system is under warranty. However, don't feel like waiting through a long process for them to get around to replacing the unit. My only concern is their no exchange policy.

 

3. Another audio question. What year's of the bike use the same audio system? From looking at Pinwall's selection, they all basically seem to be the same size, ect....is there any difference between say a 1999 model and 2008 model stereo?

 

That's all for now.

 

Thanks!

 

[XV1100SE]

1- tires - Metzlers are known to "chunk" rubber off. Generally the recommended tires are the Avon's and the Dunlop E3's

2 - Pinwall - sorry... I don't have any experience with them

3 - radio - nothing has really changed from the '99 to the '11. Minor changes like seats, colors.... You sure the sound is set to SP (speakers) and not HS (headsets)? Did you check all the connectors from the radio inside the fairing

[SMSgt]

1. tires...... there as many opinions about tires as there are members. I run Elite III on my 03 and have no problems with them. Just maintain the air pressure and they will last longer.

2. Pinwall. I have delt with them on an occasion or two and have no complaints. If it were me I would go the warranty process. The radio isn't all that important to me because I like to listen to the engine sing to me.

3. Radio.... All the radios are the same right down to the cassette tape.

 

and have fun.

[allwx]

OEM tires on new bikes usually do not last as long as people think they should. This may be because the manufacturers make these tires, which are intended for installation on factory-new bikes, to the bike maker's specs. These may call for softer rubber, for safety purposes. That sacrifices longevity for traction.

 

As for the ME880s, I personally have used at LEAST more than a dozen sets on various bikes, including two sets on a VTX1800C. I've never had the least bit of problem with any ME880. They work fine, last long, and don't cost too much. I'm not easy on tires, either. I pound them pretty good.

 

Currently I am just about at the end of a set of Elite 3s on my Venture. They've got 13k miles on them, and look like they'll go another thou or so. They work fine, but are very noisey compared to the D404s the bike came with from the factory. The Elites howl all the time, and have done so since they were new. I have never heard noise from any ME880 except as they get near the end of life, they will start to howl a little in the corners.

 

The orignial D404s on the Venture lasted about 9k miles, and could have gone a bit further but for a nail. The D404s are very quiet running, but they are a softer tire than the Elite 3. I could tell the difference between them and the Elites just hefting the tire. The Elites have a very firm sidewall while the D404 is less so. I will replace the Elites with a set of D404s. The howl really gets on my nerves. I'd go with ME880s but I've got a D404 rear sitting here needing to get used, so I will use it.

[Guest]

I have finished going through all of the posts for the generation 2 Venture. I have a 2008 model.

 

From my readings and to keep from reopening some threads that have been unused for a while, here are my questions:

 

1. Reference to tires. On my previous bike, 2008 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 classic LT, it came with Dunlop tires. The wear rate on them sucked. I was only getting about 8000 miles or so out of a set. Switched to metzlers ME 880 and was well into my second year of riding on the same tires before I traded it for my current bike. Having read the threads here, I see some have had issues with the Metzlers. I did not on previous bike and current bike has a set of metzler's ME 880's on it. My question. Is there any issues with the tires? I run them on 40 lbs air in the front....42 in the rear.

Tires: Metzlers failed me 2 out of 3 times. Avons never did. Avons get my nod.

 

2. I know I have screwed up my stereo system. The head unit works, but I have no sound. All fuses are fine. My question. Has anyone dealt with Pinwall Cycle Parts? The have a used stereo I can get to replace my current unit. I am aware that my current system is under warranty. However, don't feel like waiting through a long process for them to get around to replacing the unit. My only concern is their no exchange policy.

Radio: Nothing wrong with Pinwall other then the no return policy. Your buying used parts and they usually do test them as they come off the bike. I have used them several times. That being said......replace the radio under your warranty. Save yourself some grief.

3. Another audio question. What year's of the bike use the same audio system? From looking at Pinwall's selection, they all basically seem to be the same size, ect....is there any difference between say a 1999 model and 2008 model stereo?

Same radio. You may want to consider going to an XM satellite radio.

 

 

 

That's all for now.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Did I say go with Avons???

[Seaking]

My experience..

 

(A) Tires.. Dunlop Elite 3 tires run best, I get a lot of miles out of mine, running them 39 front 41 rear.. ME880s were awesome on my VStar, no issues, great handling and long life.. but from all accounts they suck on our bikes. One tech told me is that instead of formulating the compounds around (harder in the centre and softer on the sides) they instead tightened the centre belts more which now wreaks havoc on the rubber.. No idea how true that is but I've never had problems with ME880's on other bikes.. but won't put them on this one..

 

(B1) Most of Pinwalls parts come from crashed or dropped bikes.. They state they 'check them out for serviceability but how well can they actually do it? I dunno.. some parts yes, others I doubt it..

 

(B2) If you haven't smacked your controller (killing it or what ever) you should split your front fairing and look at the connectors that are found to the right side of the radio box.. you cant miss them, they are the BIG connectors.. I believe its the BLUE cable that goes to the controller. I had a lot of issues of mine jarring loose due to the nice pot holes found in the road.. If all your connectors to the speakers and radios etc are fine, then check this one.. I resolved this issue by making a 'cinching harness' with 4 zip ties that effectively cram both ends together and never had a problem since..

 

Best of luck

[steamer]

As for Pinwall,I have had some good deals and some so so deals. watch they're pricing, I picked up a full set of very nice black engine fins for $39.95, but have seen single covers sell for as much as $70.00 each. Some of they're stuff is price right, some not so much. The pictures don't alway tell the whole story.They don't take enough close up pic's so you don't always see all the damage. With that said, I have saved well over $1000.00 in parts. All in all,they're ok.

[Michael_Bishop]

I have ran metzler's ME 880's on my RSTD for 5 years now no problems at all. I was told by the shop that put them on to run 45 lbs in front and rear.

[flb_78]

OEM tires on new bikes usually do not last as long as people think they should. This may be because the manufacturers make these tires, which are intended for installation on factory-new bikes, to the bike maker's specs. These may call for softer rubber, for safety purposes. That sacrifices longevity for traction.

 

What?

 

You need a source to back that up. I have never heard of a tire manufacturer who made special, new bike only tires.

[MikeWa]

2008 Venture with no sound from the audio system. Say warranty and head for your nearest dealer.

Mike

[Bobby G]

1. Don't listen to the Metzler haters until you talk to some independent tire dealers who carry all of the major brands, and see what they say. My experience with the ME880's on my '99 RSV is excellent. On my second set, and both sets have lasted over 15K (front and rear!), with no "chunking" or failure of any kind, and nobody is harder on tires then I am. 40 lbs in the front and 42 in the rear. I preferred the D404's on my VTX, and we are now running the E3's on the H-D Softail. Very happy with all of these combinations of bikes and tires. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that it's usually the Venom guys who will trash the ME880's as a bad tire. Not sure why, but everyone has their opinion. I've never run a Venom tire, so I have no opinion on them. If it ain't broke, I don't fix it.

 

2. Get the replacement stereo under your warranty. It's not worth screwing around trying to find a fix that may repeat itself down the road.

 

3. Ditto. As far as I know, all '99 and newer RSV's have the exact same stereo system in them right down to the wiring harness and tape deck.

 

Good luck!

[elmicko]

My bike currently has the Metzler 880's on in and I have no complaints. They were on the bike when I bought it last fall and I've put about 5000 miles on it so far. That being said, when I buy new tires in the spring I'm going with Elite 3's because I was really happy with the set I had on my 1st Gen.

[allwx]

What?

 

You need a source to back that up. I have never heard of a tire manufacturer who made special, new bike only tires.

 

OK, here's the story: Back in 97 I bought a brand new RSTD in Austin TX. The bike came with Dunlop D404s, which I believe were a new model of tire at that time. I was shocked, SHOCKED I say, to see the tread on that rear tire melt away to nearly bald at 5k miles. It so irritated me that I complained about it to Dunlop. There was a factory tech who traveled around the country doing demos and whatnot at events, can't remember his name now, but I also read some stuff he wrote for a magazine or two. So, he was a bigwig in the Dunlop company. After my complaint about the short life of the stock D404s on the RSTD, he actually called me one day and we chatted about it.

 

He was a little cranky with me, but informative. I asked, how is it that a tire on a bike that makes only 60hp and maybe 75 lbs of max torque could kill a Dunlop tire in 5k miles? I was doing no burnouts or other hard riding, since they were break-in miles. My experience with Dunlop up to that time was the K177 on Goldwings. I was accustomed to getting 15k miles out of those tires, and could see no reason why a bike that made less power would kill a Dunlop tire in 1/3 the miles.

 

Anyways, the Dunlop tech guy told me what I related to you earlier. The motorcycle manufacturer buys tires in mass quantities to install on their new bikes, but they don't buy them from the mass market. They specify a particular rubber compound, often a softer compound than is put into THE SAME IDENTICAL MODEL TIRE SOLD IN THE AFTERMARKET. He said the reason most likely is that the motorcycle manufacturers fear liability problems if people take a new bike out and crash it. They put a softer rubber on the bike to lessen chances of a dumb move by an inexperienced rider causing injury that could possibly be pinned to the manufacturer. Makes sense. Product liability drives an awful lot of what we riders find irritating.

 

The important point in what he told me is that the tires the bike manufacturer puts on the new bikes in Japan are not necessarily the same rubber you will get when you buy that same model tire from an aftermarket dealer.

[PERM44]

Other than the original stock tires and one set of Avons, I've always run Metz 880 on both my RSV and no problems. 73K miles on my 03 and 15K on my 07 so far. Usually change both at the same time around 12-15K miles. Keep the pressure in the 42 front and 46 rear. Never had a problem.

[CaptainJoe]

Dunlop elite III's

Just wait till this winter when your not riding you bike and take to the dealers, Heck you've got until what...2013 to get it fixed under warranty?

thats what I'm going to do... to get the rear shock replaced...

 

Hummm.. Sounds like you'll be using DOHMS Cycle... they are a tad bit expensive but they fix things right the first time...

[Bobby G]

OK, here's the story: Back in 97 I bought a brand new RSTD in Austin TX. The bike came with Dunlop D404s, which I believe were a new model of tire at that time. I was shocked, SHOCKED I say, to see the tread on that rear tire melt away to nearly bald at 5k miles. It so irritated me that I complained about it to Dunlop. There was a factory tech who traveled around the country doing demos and whatnot at events, can't remember his name now, but I also read some stuff he wrote for a magazine or two. So, he was a bigwig in the Dunlop company. After my complaint about the short life of the stock D404s on the RSTD, he actually called me one day and we chatted about it.

 

He was a little cranky with me, but informative. I asked, how is it that a tire on a bike that makes only 60hp and maybe 75 lbs of max torque could kill a Dunlop tire in 5k miles? I was doing no burnouts or other hard riding, since they were break-in miles. My experience with Dunlop up to that time was the K177 on Goldwings. I was accustomed to getting 15k miles out of those tires, and could see no reason why a bike that made less power would kill a Dunlop tire in 1/3 the miles.

 

Anyways, the Dunlop tech guy told me what I related to you earlier. The motorcycle manufacturer buys tires in mass quantities to install on their new bikes, but they don't buy them from the mass market. They specify a particular rubber compound, often a softer compound than is put into THE SAME IDENTICAL MODEL TIRE SOLD IN THE AFTERMARKET. He said the reason most likely is that the motorcycle manufacturers fear liability problems if people take a new bike out and crash it. They put a softer rubber on the bike to lessen chances of a dumb move by an inexperienced rider causing injury that could possibly be pinned to the manufacturer. Makes sense. Product liability drives an awful lot of what we riders find irritating.

 

The important point in what he told me is that the tires the bike manufacturer puts on the new bikes in Japan are not necessarily the same rubber you will get when you buy that same model tire from an aftermarket dealer.

 

Interesting comments from this Dunlop tech. I did some asking around on this subject with some of the product managers and TSM guys I know with a few of the Japanese OEM's, and none of them could corroborate this assessment by your Dunlop guy. Admittedly, they did tell me that most OEM's that import tires from the U.S. tire manufacturers will specify a designation on the tires that are shipped with a new bike so that they can see if a tire has been replaced or if it is the tire that came with the new bike. Obviously this is for their protection in the event of a tire failure and a resulting liability suit. But as far as they know, there are no special compounds or different specs for OEM tires then for replacement tires. The cost of retooling, compound remix and overhead to do this makes the cost basis of the OEM tires less efficient, and would increase the overall cost of the bike. Adding a number code to a stock run of tires costs virtually nothing, so that's all they do. Again, this is coming from the guys who make the bikes, not the tires, so I guess you have to take it with a grain of salt.

 

Maybe the whole process of manufacturing tires is so inexact, that there just isn't any consistency in how one tire will wear or perform, versus the tire that came off the line 5 minutes later or 5 minutes earlier! That wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[allwx]

This is one of those things that will probably always be a mystery. The corporations don't generally talk all that much about what they do and how they do it.

 

The Dunlop tech, remember I mentioned he was "crabby" with me. I'm sure it was because I was blaming Dunlop for making a 5k tire for a 60 hp bike. He was a bit on the defensive, I guess. His position was, don't blame Dunlop. The company makes tires to specification. I can pretty clearly remember him saying in so many words, Yamaha tells us how to make the tires and we make them that way. If you want to blame anyone for lousy mileage blame Yamaha.

 

And sure enough, D404s that I've used subsequent to 1997/98 have lasted a lot longer. My Venture came with D404's on it and those lasted 9k, could've lasted probably 11k but for a nail in the rear tire. This on a much heavier bike than my 97 RSTD and with substantially more power from the motor. My understanding is that the two most significant factors leading to tire wear are bike weight and horsepower. I got less than half the mileage out of the same model tire on a lighter, weaker-powered bike. Same rider, same riding style, same climate, half the mileage. What else could it be?

 

Further, I've heard this complaint from many people. Many, if not most, people who bought early Royals got about 5k out of the oem rear D404s. by any standard that is atrocious mileage for a low power bike like the Royal. That kind of mileage is more like what someone gets out of a Hayabusa or other sportbike.