Two months in

[Brenner]

Well I have been riding my bike now for almost two months and unfortunately only roughly 1500 miles or 2400 kms and thought to update those who have assisted me along the way. My build in my opinion has been successful in the manner of the bike being reliable and I have no regrets on any of the upgrade and changes that I made due to the advice I received on this forum. I know I had posted shortly after riding the bike for my first time that I was unsure of it and was not overly content with the bike itself. Well as of this date a lot has changed and I see why the following is so strong on this model of bike. At first I found this bike to not be as fast as many out here have claimed but I have learned that riding with others on their bikes that I my bike is far quicker than theirs. I still do not feel it is the rocket some claim but I have come to realize for the size and weight that this bike can respectfully hold its own. I have also become accustomed to the weight and handling over this time and have no problem handling it in very low speed maneuvers and have had many tell me I look as if I have been riding it for years. I feel with the gold dots, race brace, drive line upgrades, that I have an advantage as the bike handles and holds the road very well even though I have not ridden a stock model. With my chrome delete that I performed and blacking out the bike I find I get quite a few people looking at it when I am stopped and it seems to attract quite a bit of attention and most do not believe the bike is 30 years of age. I have parked and rode alongside some real nice bikes and it is often the one that has the attention to my surprise. I have not towed with it as of yet so I cannot comment on how well it does in that aspect but overall I have no complaints. I am trying to like this bike but I just can't seem to get the same feeling I get like when riding my Harley and honestly I do like this bike but I am not in love with it. I enjoy leaving the few who give me funny looks or those that try to outrun me well behind and the ability to travel further on a tank of gas than others that I ride with can. I have learned that having a radio can be nice at times and that the bags come in handy and are used more often than I thought I would. I ride mostly with my top trunk off the bike and find the bike handles better without it on solo runs and feel the wind is far more comfortable this way and more refreshing. I am happy I stayed with the linked brakes as they work exceptionally well with the R1 calipers but I did make sure I had a R1 caliper also on the rear for proper proportioning. I have a couple of others who have stock ventures now performing the upgrades on their bikes that they have seen on mine and desire. I praise this site and advertise it but find many feel they do not want to research and look it up but rather just look at my bike and ask me questions. Oh well, their loss. I have not put my Harley mufflers on it as of yet and have become accustomed to the sound of my slash cut exhaust and will make an effort to make the change but without loving the bike I find my inspiration and motivation lacking. I am trying to figure out what I need to do to get my excitement up on this ride as I do like it but still am unsure. I still am a little too tall for it and find it a bit tight but feel I will probably feel that way on almost any bike ( almost 6'3"). I must say with the handle bars fully up and expanded my hands do not fall asleep like they did on my previous ride or like they do in the other two adjustment positions of these handlebars. I have considered riding my Harley due to this lack of enthusiasm and even had another rider offer his FLHT on trade for my 53 Chev Bel Air so I have been considering the trade as the Harley might fit me better but I am unsure of the of a shovel head on long distances. If I do pull the venture off the road and start riding a Harley again I will not part with the venture right away as I do realize with my limited riding experience and really only having rode this bike and my previous virago I may not really know what feels right, or what fits right for my needs. I really do not know what to expect and if it keeps growing on me and maybe after riding with a passenger and or pulling a trailer I will feel different about it. Again I am not dissatisfied with it but I am missing the wow factor that others on this site have expressed with their bikes. I do have a reputation of setting the bar high on my expectations of my projects. If anyone has an idea of what I am missing or what might make this ride more exciting for me please feel free to make a recommendation as I am open to consider all recommendations. I hope to hear some positive replies, Cheers.

[Marcarl]

Now yesterday would have been a perfect day for you to get all those interesting statements discussed, seeing as we had a whole bunch of Venture Riders, and former Venture Riders gathered in one place,,, where were you???

[Patmac6075]

Very interesting read Brenner....As you are aware, I am traveling the same road as you, only I'm still a couple of miles behind (or kms for the Canucks), and I have learned much from your posts. I too have felt that the performance is somewhat less than I had anticipated although I must admit I'm still in the tuning phase...On the other hand, I'm really enjoying my bike....and at 5'9" I'm finding my bike to be just a tad too tall (even with my saggy springs). I guess I would chalk it up to different expectation....at least for me, I wasn't looking for a performance bike I could tour on, I was looking for a straight up touring bike, the performance is just a bonus. At least for this bike....I have no plans to drag the pegs or zip from stop light to stop light. This bike seems to be engineered to precisely fit my needs.....open road cruising....in comfort.

This is not meant as a criticism of your post, just a different opinion of the same piece of art.

[Flyinfool]

I think you both should come to Freebirds MD next weekend.

It would be a nice ride, and you can see first hand many of the mods you have read about.

And even better yet meet some of us other knuckleheads.

[Marcarl]

I think you both should come to Freebirds MD next weekend.

It would be a nice ride, and you can see first hand many of the mods you have read about.

And even better yet meet some of us other knuckleheads.

 

I resemble that remark!!!!!,,,,, I see you on the weekend,,,, maybe even have to ask you to STEP-OUTSIDE!!!!! if your getting in the way of the food!!!

[billmac]

A knucklehead is a Harley, right

[Flyinfool]

I resemble that remark!!!!!,,,,, I see you on the weekend,,,, maybe even have to ask you to STEP-OUTSIDE!!!!! if your getting in the way of the food!!!

 

I will gladly step outside with you, you first........You aint gettin between me and food, and surviving!!!!!

A knucklehead is a Harley, right

 

A real old one.......

[The Tooch]

A knucklehead is a Harley, right

 

Oh! For the guy that went to Freebird's a week early! ..........No! that's NOT nice......

 

I'll bite my tounge and duck. All in good fun, sorry, I'll go back to my corner now.

[camos]

You mention "expectations" and "excitement" but don't actually say what is missing for you to feel either of those so that makes it a bit difficult to address.

 

The 1st gen VR's have good performance for a full dress touring bike but if you are going to compare their 850 lb with 90 hp to a crotch rocket with 500 lb and 180 hp then your expectations have indeed been set rather high. I too moved from a Virago to a VR and find the seating position to be not so very different, although the Virago is a bit more relaxed. I'm 6'3" with a 33" inseam and also find the VR seating to be a bit cramped but I've gotten used to it so it is no longer a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. However at some point I will move the foot pegs and controls forward on my 90 VR. It took me about a year and 20,000 km before I felt really comfortable in commuter traffic with the weight of the VR. Travelling at a slow walk and stopping on roads with various angles and surfaces was quite daunting to begin with and it still takes focus but has become almost automatic. Fortunately for me that kind of stop and go traffic makes up only a small part of my daily commute.

 

The VR is not a great choice for piddling around town but get it on the highway and it is awesome...solid in the wind, powerful enough, even two-up and fully loaded, to get up hills at speed and soooo comfortable. The fixed fairing, besides being good protection, positions the mirrors always in the right spot to see what is behind you and also makes parking lot maneuvering easier than it otherwise might be by taking a great deal of weight off the steering.

 

It appears to me that you have made some good mods to your bike in both styling and operation and should be happy enough, for now at least, with the results. What is it that you think you are missing out on?

[stickhandle2]

Hi Brenner,

 

 

I rode a full dressed Goldwing for a few years back in the 80's, a suzuki GS750 before that, then a full dressed honda 750 K into the early 90's. The two kids came along and riding didnt seem to be important at the time so the honda was sold. Fast forward a few years and it was time to get back into motorcycles, low and behold I like you grabbed a 750 Virago, liked the bike but it was too small and I really wanted to get back into touring bikes, a friend had an early 90's 1st Gen kinda liked the look, then he got his 2nd Gen........I found myself an 86 Venture Standard that needed lots of attention and TLC. Like yourself I took the time to get it running and stopping ok, started to ride it, yes at first it seemed a bit heavy, but as time went on I loved getting on it and going anywhere and everywhere on it, I also heard the 1st Gens were supposed to be fast, heard rumours it could pull the front wheel off the ground from a standing start....(never did try that), I didn't go looking for spots to go fast but as others have said on the highway that old girl just loved to go and it was smooth.

 

I guess all I'm saying is give it time, for a new rider, they can be a handful, hopefully you will grow to enjoy it......my prescription is to ride it and ride it some more, I know when I got my 2nd Gen a couple years back it took me a while to love riding it after I had been on the 1st Gen for a while.

 

If you want some company on a ride, just ask, we are just down the QEW in Hamilton.

 

Take care and I hope you work things out.

[Brenner]

Now yesterday would have been a perfect day for you to get all those interesting statements discussed, seeing as we had a whole bunch of Venture Riders, and former Venture Riders gathered in one place,,, where were you???

 

 

 

Carl my friend, I am sorry I had no knowledge and that I missed the event you speak of. I have not been on the forum much and been riding/trying to become a skilled rider and doing what it takes to keep the bills paid. I will have to pay more attention in the future.

[Brenner]

Very interesting read Brenner....As you are aware, I am traveling the same road as you, only I'm still a couple of miles behind (or kms for the Canucks), and I have learned much from your posts. I too have felt that the performance is somewhat less than I had anticipated although I must admit I'm still in the tuning phase...On the other hand, I'm really enjoying my bike....and at 5'9" I'm finding my bike to be just a tad too tall (even with my saggy springs). I guess I would chalk it up to different expectation....at least for me, I wasn't looking for a performance bike I could tour on, I was looking for a straight up touring bike, the performance is just a bonus. At least for this bike....I have no plans to drag the pegs or zip from stop light to stop light. This bike seems to be engineered to precisely fit my needs.....open road cruising....in comfort.

This is not meant as a criticism of your post, just a different opinion of the same piece of art.

 

No offence taken as I did ask for opinions and have an open mind to all responses I receive. I am not knocking this bike when I make my statements but only noting my observations and again I do not dislike the bike as it far exceeds others in it's class but I just don't seem to be in love with it as others on this site seem to be. Perhaps my lack of experience or perhaps because I have more than one bike and that they differ so much that I am not able to commit to one particular style? I am not sure but I am falling short of the "wow factor" that I had expected from all the other testimonies I have read here on the forum. Again I am in no way putting the bike down as I do like it but am unsure of what I am missing that would sway me to being in love with it.

[Brenner]

I think you both should come to Freebirds MD next weekend.

It would be a nice ride, and you can see first hand many of the mods you have read about.

And even better yet meet some of us other knuckleheads.

 

Thanks for the suggestion but right now I am in between jobs and doing what I need to do to make dollars to cover my bills. Trust me I did think about it and would prefer that I had a stronger sense of satisfaction with my ride prior to attending a get together with a strong following of a specific model bike. Thanks again.

[Brenner]

You mention "expectations" and "excitement" but don't actually say what is missing for you to feel either of those so that makes it a bit difficult to address.

 

The 1st gen VR's have good performance for a full dress touring bike but if you are going to compare their 850 lb with 90 hp to a crotch rocket with 500 lb and 180 hp then your expectations have indeed been set rather high. I too moved from a Virago to a VR and find the seating position to be not so very different, although the Virago is a bit more relaxed. I'm 6'3" with a 33" inseam and also find the VR seating to be a bit cramped but I've gotten used to it so it is no longer a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. However at some point I will move the foot pegs and controls forward on my 90 VR. It took me about a year and 20,000 km before I felt really comfortable in commuter traffic with the weight of the VR. Travelling at a slow walk and stopping on roads with various angles and surfaces was quite daunting to begin with and it still takes focus but has become almost automatic. Fortunately for me that kind of stop and go traffic makes up only a small part of my daily commute.

 

The VR is not a great choice for piddling around town but get it on the highway and it is awesome...solid in the wind, powerful enough, even two-up and fully loaded, to get up hills at speed and soooo comfortable. The fixed fairing, besides being good protection, positions the mirrors always in the right spot to see what is behind you and also makes parking lot maneuvering easier than it otherwise might be by taking a great deal of weight off the steering.

 

It appears to me that you have made some good mods to your bike in both styling and operation and should be happy enough, for now at least, with the results. What is it that you think you are missing out on?

 

Please forgive me if you feel I have been comparing a touring bike to a crotch rocket as I in no way have done so nor wanted it to come across that way. I am well aware of weight considerations but perhaps my reading of many posts have set my expectation too high for this bike to meet. But I cannot really make that statement either as I find no specific fault in this bike it is just that I am not in love with it as much as other seem to be with theirs. Your example of you similar experience with a virago to mine really echo with me as I understand. I do recognize the advantages of this bike over others but it has not hit home yet as I expected to like it more than I have so far. Let's put it this way, when I built my virago I had certain expectations from a virago specific site and the bike met all the expectations positive and not so positive. Well I can honestly say that with the virago although a tight fit for me I did love the bike and wanted to keep it spotless and took pride in it. I for some reason just do not find that in me with this specific bike. No fault of the machine I just do not know what I am missing to make me feel that way. I love my Harley and keep it spotless and love to maintain it so why do I not feel that way about this bike? No rhyme nor reason and perhaps it will change as I keep riding this bike as it has been good to me and I find myself more and more comfortable in various traffic. The weight is becoming less and less apparent and I am happy that I made this step (riding) this large bike as I feel it has made me a better rider and improved my handling skills. Coming to an end, all the positive points you have made about the venture are those I fully agree on and being analytical I am having great difficulty trying to figure out what I am missing or what sets this bike apart from the others I love. Perhaps you are correct it is only a time issue and I suppose I will have to wait to see if I feel differently at a later date. Thanks for you opinion and thoughts.

[Brenner]

Hi Brenner,

 

 

I rode a full dressed Goldwing for a few years back in the 80's, a suzuki GS750 before that, then a full dressed honda 750 K into the early 90's. The two kids came along and riding didnt seem to be important at the time so the honda was sold. Fast forward a few years and it was time to get back into motorcycles, low and behold I like you grabbed a 750 Virago, liked the bike but it was too small and I really wanted to get back into touring bikes, a friend had an early 90's 1st Gen kinda liked the look, then he got his 2nd Gen........I found myself an 86 Venture Standard that needed lots of attention and TLC. Like yourself I took the time to get it running and stopping ok, started to ride it, yes at first it seemed a bit heavy, but as time went on I loved getting on it and going anywhere and everywhere on it, I also heard the 1st Gens were supposed to be fast, heard rumours it could pull the front wheel off the ground from a standing start....(never did try that), I didn't go looking for spots to go fast but as others have said on the highway that old girl just loved to go and it was smooth.

 

I guess all I'm saying is give it time, for a new rider, they can be a handful, hopefully you will grow to enjoy it......my prescription is to ride it and ride it some more, I know when I got my 2nd Gen a couple years back it took me a while to love riding it after I had been on the 1st Gen for a while.

 

If you want some company on a ride, just ask, we are just down the QEW in Hamilton.

 

Take care and I hope you work things out.

 

Thank you kindly for your support and invite to ride. I just might have to take you up on that offer. From what responses I have received I am thinking more and more it just might be a time thing. I must confess that when I went looking for a venture I did initially want a second gen but ended up with a first gen as payment for some mechanical work done to a lexus. I have no regrets and like my bike as mentioned earlier and I honestly get lots of attention and questions from others. The bike has met just about all my expectations but I just do not feel the way about it as I did with my first two bikes. Maybe it is time or maybe it is just not as exciting as it once was to get a new to me bike. All in all I am happy I did this project and have had the experience of riding it as it has taught me a lot and I feel I have grown as a rider. I do not know what the future holds but I intend to pull a trailer with this bike and to ride 2 up before making any decisions on it's future with me. I still am strongly partial to the v-twins and have an individual who wants to barter with me a vintage FLHT for an old car I have. I am quite certain in no way will the Harley come close to compete with the yamaha as the yamaha outperforms and out handles in every way. Time will tell but I will give the venture the time it needs to show me why I should love it. In the end if I do not grow to love it I still will feel it served me respectfully and was a wise decision in my learning experience as a rider. Thanks again and I will look you up in the near future. Cheers

[cowpuc]

Know what Bren, I TOTALLY get where your coming from brother. That "in love" feeling is a mysterious thing that many folks cant quite a handle on. I have literally owned hundreds of mopeds, minibikes and motorcycles thru the years and gotta say - most of them never made it to me being "in love" with them. Some have though..

I have noticed thru my career in motorcycle ownership that some bikes have scored that status thru sheer looks as eye candy (had a 39 Harley and a 41 Indian that rang that bell), then there was Olivia The War Bike whose history and charm scored it, of course my first 1973 Honda 250 Elsinore (Elsie was her name) and the trophies she magically won throughout my early growing years of racing MX and Harescrambling scored it, my KX500 named Katie later took over that status as her and I tossed dirt in the faces of many competitors.. I gotta say though, the 5 Ventures that I have worn out (including Tweeks) have actually surpassed the "in love" status and turned the corner of "in love" status into the fullfillment of TRUE LOVE..

A big part of all the above are found in bonding.. Bonding can only come from a development of trust, shared experiences, laughing and crying together, building life long memories and having fun.. All of those things take time.

I have been not doing so well health wise these days. I keep Tweeks (my 83) parked outside in the garage and over the course of dealing with all this medical stuff I have found myself wondering outside into the garage and just staring at Tweeks.. Every sticker and signature on her represent a sharing of our in loveness. Her gorgeous old Blonde non matching side covers that came from my 1st 84 Royale have over 1 million miles on em - I can still hear my kids laughing voices in those side covers and see their smiling faces as Beeg (name of that first one) took us deep into the back country of regions like Montana, Wyoming, California, Nova Scotia and other obscure places and always got us safely home.

Tweeks took Tippy and I far out onto the barren salts of Utah in an area known as the Bonneville, beat the drums of her worn out ol V-4 motor with me on her back and fully loaded with our cross country gear and made her way to 124 mph before I pulled on her reins.. Those memories are like medicine to me as I look at her Bonneville sticker that Kickshot sent me in the mail cause we could not find one for her in Wyndover..

I stare at her and I can feel the warmth of Death Valley at night as we trusted her with our very lifes in a region that has claimed countless crisis because other brands of bikes could not make it, I can smell the smells of the warm air coming up out of the Grand Canyon and feel the moistness of the Rio Grande River that flows thru the dry regions of South Texas and Big Bend and can still taste the salt air from Hwy 1 in Cali.. Her welded and rewelded collector screams to my senses of the many many rocks, logs and dirt holes that pounded the day lights out of her as we flogged our way deep into dirtbike regions to camp under the stars in remote areas pretty much assured that ol Tweeks was going to start when I touched the starter button on the next morning and she would bring us back safely to modern society..

 

I know,, I got a bad bad habit of being long winded and I appologize for the ramblings here.. Bottom line is, ok, these old Yam's aint the prettiest bikes in the world (to some folks they are), they indeed are NOT the fastest bikes in the world (wonder if I could fall in love with a New V-Max,, hmmmmm), certainly dont have the instant "in love" that I - like a LOT of people find with that "potato potato" sound of a well tuned Harly, still have hidden issues like making whiny noises (personally I like that sound - I am odd, I also like the sound of turbos spinning up or the noises of the gear whine of a good gear driven Super Charger) BUT,, if given the chance (time) to show what your bike is really are made of, thru bonding, REAL In Love can and probably will happen!! IMHO, the two of you just gotta give each other a chance to begin the bonding process and real in love will come!!

Puc

Edited May 25, 2015 by cowpuc

[Wizard765]

Personally I think it is something you will grow into if you give it enough time. My bike (20 years ago) was a Virago and I had the opportunity to ride one a little while ago after riding my 1st gen for a few years and many miles. Could not wait to get off the virago and back on my steed. When I got back on the old 84 it was like coming home.. I've ridden wings from the same era and there is no comparison. I wanted a long distance runner with storage and found the 1st gen to be the best in that category by far.. Comfy? check.. Fun to ride? check.. Dependable? check Toys? check Handling? (for a touring bike) check. etc. Not to mention the very best community on the WEB.. So give it some time..

[Brenner]

Know what Bren, I TOTALLY get where your coming from brother. That "in love" feeling is a mysterious thing that many folks cant quite a handle on. I have literally owned hundreds of mopeds, minibikes and motorcycles thru the years and gotta say - most of them never made it to me being "in love" with them. Some have though..

I have noticed thru my career in motorcycle ownership that some bikes have scored that status thru sheer looks as eye candy (had a 39 Harley and a 41 Indian that rang that bell), then there was Olivia The War Bike whose history and charm scored it, of course my first 1973 Honda 250 Elsinore (Elsie was her name) and the trophies she magically won throughout my early growing years of racing MX and Harescrambling scored it, my KX500 named Katie later took over that status as her and I tossed dirt in the faces of many competitors.. I gotta say though, the 5 Ventures that I have worn out (including Tweeks) have actually surpassed the "in love" status and turned the corner of "in love" status into the fullfillment of TRUE LOVE..

A big part of all the above are found in bonding.. Bonding can only come from a development of trust, shared experiences, laughing and crying together, building life long memories and having fun.. All of those things take time.

I have been not doing so well health wise these days. I keep Tweeks (my 83) parked outside in the garage and over the course of dealing with all this medical stuff I have found myself wondering outside into the garage and just staring at Tweeks.. Every sticker and signature on her represent a sharing of our in loveness. Her gorgeous old Blonde non matching side covers that came from my 1st 84 Royale have over 1 million miles on em - I can still hear my kids laughing voices in those side covers and see their smiling faces as Beeg (name of that first one) took us deep into the back country of regions like Montana, Wyoming, California, Nova Scotia and other obscure places and always got us safely home.

Tweeks took Tippy and I far out onto the barren salts of Utah in an area known as the Bonneville, beat the drums of her worn out ol V-4 motor with me on her back and fully loaded with our cross country gear and made her way to 124 mph before I pulled on her reins.. Those memories are like medicine to me as I look at her Bonneville sticker that Kickshot sent me in the mail cause we could not find one for her in Wyndover..

I stare at her and I can feel the warmth of Death Valley at night as we trusted her with our very lifes in a region that has claimed countless crisis because other brands of bikes could not make it, I can smell the smells of the warm air coming up out of the Grand Canyon and feel the moistness of the Rio Grande River that flows thru the dry regions of South Texas and Big Bend and can still taste the salt air from Hwy 1 in Cali.. Her welded and rewelded collector screams to my senses of the many many rocks, logs and dirt holes that pounded the day lights out of her as we flogged our way deep into dirtbike regions to camp under the stars in remote areas pretty much assured that ol Tweeks was going to start when I touched the starter button on the next morning and she would bring us back safely to modern society..

 

I know,, I got a bad bad habit of being long winded and I appologize for the ramblings here.. Bottom line is, ok, these old Yam's aint the prettiest bikes in the world (to some folks they are), they indeed are NOT the fastest bikes in the world (wonder if I could fall in love with a New V-Max,, hmmmmm), certainly dont have the instant "in love" that I - like a LOT of people find with that "potato potato" sound of a well tuned Harly, still have hidden issues like making whiny noises (personally I like that sound - I am odd, I also like the sound of turbos spinning up or the noises of the gear whine of a good gear driven Super Charger) BUT,, if given the chance (time) to show what your bike is really are made of, thru bonding, REAL In Love can and probably will happen!! IMHO, the two of you just gotta give each other a chance to begin the bonding process and real in love will come!!

Puc

 

 

 

Puc, never apologize for sharing your wisdom and thank you for your reply. I do truly believe you understand the feeling that I feel I am missing. As I have stated earlier I do not feel the venture has done me wrong and I have no regrets on my build or trying it on for size. This venture has better handling, is faster, and is more reliable than most of its competition. I just feel I have come to realize that I can only get to the speed limit so quick, then I am breaking the law. And that this bike although this bike rides and handles well to me it has no character and my journey is less enjoyed. Some riders like crotch rockets, some like scooters, to each their own and I really do not want to start a biased war over what bike is best as there is no correct answer. Too many people think they have the right answer but have little or no experience with the competition and or use stereotypes that cloud their judgement. What I am saying is the right bike for one is not the right bike for everyone. I have a vintage shovelhead decker offered to me on a trade for a vintage car I own and honestly I have a spark inside me over the thought of it that I did not feel when I put the venture together. What does this mean? Well I really do not care what others think and if an old bike who is not as reliable, does not handle as well as the venture, is what it takes for me to enjoy the open road so be it. Everyone has an opinion and they all differ and are not worth 2 cents. I am just looking for what ever feels right and that makes me crave the open road. Time will tell but until then I will continue riding my venture and sharpen my riding skills. If I end up riding another make or model and I do not miss the venture well I guess then that would be my answer. No one can answer this but me. Ride safe my friend.

[Brenner]

Personally I think it is something you will grow into if you give it enough time. My bike (20 years ago) was a Virago and I had the opportunity to ride one a little while ago after riding my 1st gen for a few years and many miles. Could not wait to get off the virago and back on my steed. When I got back on the old 84 it was like coming home.. I've ridden wings from the same era and there is no comparison. I wanted a long distance runner with storage and found the 1st gen to be the best in that category by far.. Comfy? check.. Fun to ride? check.. Dependable? check Toys? check Handling? (for a touring bike) check. etc. Not to mention the very best community on the WEB.. So give it some time..

 

I fully understand what you are saying and I suppose that I will not know how I truly feel until I ride another bike for a little while and see if I miss the venture. Well this might happen sooner than later. I will keep the forum posted.

[Venturous Randy]

I have had my 83 for over 19 years and have put almost 150,000 miles on it. Of all the bigger bikes I have sat on, it fits me the best. I have a scooped out Corbin seat that fits me good. It has been an extremely dependable bike and in all those miles, I have only had to tow it home once and that was from a poorly crimped wire connection that someone else had done before I got it.

I have yet to put one mile on it this year as I have been involved in so many other endeavors and my plans are to do the fork/brake upgrades, and I already have the parts, I have just not focused on it yet. To me, my bike has a great deal of personality and to a great degree it is me. I also have an 85 VR and a 96 Goldwing and the 83 is what I love.

Randy

[Brenner]

I have had my 83 for over 19 years and have put almost 150,000 miles on it. Of all the bigger bikes I have sat on, it fits me the best. I have a scooped out Corbin seat that fits me good. It has been an extremely dependable bike and in all those miles, I have only had to tow it home once and that was from a poorly crimped wire connection that someone else had done before I got it.

I have yet to put one mile on it this year as I have been involved in so many other endeavors and my plans are to do the fork/brake upgrades, and I already have the parts, I have just not focused on it yet. To me, my bike has a great deal of personality and to a great degree it is me. I also have an 85 VR and a 96 Goldwing and the 83 is what I love.

Randy

 

 

 

Thanks Randy, and in your last line I can see you might understand what I mean when the word "love " is mentioned. After looking over the decker I am undecided whether to complete the deal or give the venture more time.... I really do not want to taint my decision by bringing home a bike that might draw my attention from the venture.