What did you do to your venture today?

[Stasher1]

Mounted some new tires. Had intended to do an oil change as well, but ran out of time. 

One more item crossed off the "to-do" list. 

 

[Pro procrastinator]

My work in progress 89 vr 

Drilled in a bunch of leds into the reflectors on the back last night and bench wired them over lunch

Added a full strip on the top reflector as a third brake light and two small strips as running lights.

Plan on wiring them in on the trailer circut.

[saddlebum]

Took it off the work table, and went for my 1st ride of the season.

A little later than I normally would begin riding but the more I worked on it the more little things I found that either needed to be or may as well address. including top set polishing removed parts on the buffing wheels I mounted on my wood turning lathe, while they were off the bike.This of course led to having to remove and buff parts that I initially intended not to bother with but once you start bring some aluminum pieces up to a chrome like finish, the ones you were just going to let go look even worse. So off they come and to the make shift polishing station they go. Swapped out rusty chrome crash bars with a good looking set I salvaged from an 87 I stripped down for parts and all this being fitted in with refurbishing a hard top camper that belonged to my son.  Thanks to my big mouth I stuck my foot right into a cowpuc ( pun intended @cowpucLOL ). and got myself elected to do the work. But that is another story.

Edited April 20, 2021 by saddlebum

[bpate4home]

In Albany NY area longingly and wishing I would have brought her with me. 

[cowpuc]

New stator, stator gasket, forward bevel gear gasket, oil filter, fresh 15/40 dino oil, hard wired stator, new battery, new tie wraps holding side covers on, rear tire @ 45 psi, front tire @ 42 psi, checked brakes for stick calipers, toggled kill switch to fill the bowls, choke on, hit starter,, moved choke to half choke when she fired up to keep from blackening  plugs while I walked inside to tell Tip I was going for a test ride. Volt gauge bounced right up to 14.5 volts when touching throttle. Was greeted with pure V-4 torque when nailing throttle in 5th gear at 35 mph and ran solid up to 90 like a good running V-4 should. No hesitations or misses, just pure V-4 elegance from bottom to top. Headed to HD shop on this, Tweeks maiden April 24, 2021 spring test ride to see if any of my HD riding buddies were out braving the cold. Tweeks was greeted with the usual WOWZY WOW WOW - now THAT is a touring bike.. Lots of admirers as I admired the gorgeous 20 or 30 HD's sitting in the lot. Felt sooooo good to be back in the saddle, indescribably delicious to say the least.. Summer cant get here soon enough IMHO...

[AGrengs]

I've been replacing the lights with LED.  I did the turn signal relay a little different than the write up:

I cut out a section with dremel cut-off to better access the jumper:

This made it easier to solder the leads:

Then I epoxied the housing:

Edited April 24, 2021 by AGrengs

[cowpuc]

On 4/10/2021 at 11:29 PM, circa1968 said:

Good for you @cowpuc   Cycling is my other 2-wheel passion.  I was once a naysayer when it came to electric bikes but I’ve seen so many people out enjoying cycling that otherwise would not be doing so without an e-bike.  That’s a good thing. 
 

 

INDEED @circa1968,, that is exactly whats going on here in our area!! Since purchasing our two e-bikes 5 more of my buddies and their wifes have purchased them!!! Its an E-Bike wave of fun!! I am thinking of starting an E-Bike biking club LOL... It is indeed a really good thing imho too! Seeing people, especially us older crowd out enjoying being on two wheels!! Got 100 miles on ours so far and thats with shut down due to Tips eye surgeries. I am now in the process of building hitches for ours so I/we can tow the grandkids around behind us. These things are remarkably versatile with plenty of power to climb even the biggest hills in our area along the lake shore. I made sure to buy the ones with regenerative input into the batteries when coasting and soooo glad I did. We left home with 1/2 charged batts not long ago, rode around the lake on our areas bicycle trail and by simply bumping the pedals to engage peddle assist and then coasting we actually came home with no discharge showing on the battery levels!! Unbelievable!! Tell you one thing, for us older people this is definitely a good way to stay outside, enjoying life on two wheels!! Worth every $$$ IMHO... 

 

 

[AGrengs]

4 minutes ago, cowpuc said:

INDEED @circa1968,, that is exactly whats going on here in our area!! Since purchasing our two e-bikes 5 more of my buddies and their wifes have purchased them!!! Its an E-Bike wave of fun!! I am thinking of starting an E-Bike biking club LOL... It is indeed a really good thing imho too! Seeing people, especially us older crowd out enjoying being on two wheels!! Got 100 miles on ours so far and thats with shut down due to Tips eye surgeries. I am now in the process of building hitches for ours so I/we can tow the grandkids around behind us. These things are remarkably versatile with plenty of power to climb even the biggest hills in our area along the lake shore. I made sure to buy the ones with regenerative input into the batteries when coasting and soooo glad I did. We left home with 1/2 charged batts not long ago, rode around the lake on our areas bicycle trail and by simply bumping the pedals to engage peddle assist and then coasting we actually came home with no discharge showing on the battery levels!! Unbelievable!! Tell you one thing, for us older people this is definitely a good way to stay outside, enjoying life on two wheels!! Worth every $$$ IMHO... 

 

I'm looking forward to having step-through scooters (Vespa-style) with good range and ability to run 55+ mph, like the 250cc and up gas scooters we got now so I can tool around the backroads.

 

[cowpuc]

2 minutes ago, AGrengs said:

 

Yeppers @AGrengs,, we/I did exactly that for years!! Got to the point though that I simply can not do the carb and such upkeep because of my hands/health.. Matter of fact, I sold out all my mopeds/scooters and also our Honda 250 Helix this spring and applied the proceeds toward E-Bikes. I/we trail rode our Helix two up as well as street rode it.. It would do 70 on the Highway no problem and was remarkably trail worthy. We also did the Honda CT-70 routine,,, with moped stickers on them they were wayyyyy fun!! I still have my sons 1971 CT70 (his 8th birthday present) and my daughters 68 CT90 (her 8th birthday present) in the basement but all the others are gone. An FYI,, we did have numerous Chinese made 50cc and 150cc scooters/mopeds thru the year going all the way back to the early 2000's when China introduced them to the U.S. market.. I was picking them for $85 brand new back then and selling them for $450.. Those were/are remarkably durable machines imho. Cool thing was the price of parts - new carbs for $8, brake parts kits for $6, complete drive train including engine for $70. If you go that route for something to beat on try to land something with the GY6 drivetrain.. Those proved to be most versatile in my experience.. I sold one years ago to a neighbor who put over 20k miles on hers.. Pretty cool considering how inexpensive they were.. Main thing with them is to keep a close eye on oil level if you run long distance at speed as their oil capacity is tiny and they,, as all 4 stroke motors do tend to aspirate small amounts of oil and even a 1/2 ounce can make a huge diff in engine longevity.. Word to the wise so to speak

 

[circa1968]

53 minutes ago, cowpuc said:

INDEED @circa1968,, that is exactly whats going on here in our area!! Since purchasing our two e-bikes 5 more of my buddies and their wifes have purchased them!!! Its an E-Bike wave of fun!! I am thinking of starting an E-Bike biking club LOL... It is indeed a really good thing imho too! Seeing people, especially us older crowd out enjoying being on two wheels!! Got 100 miles on ours so far and thats with shut down due to Tips eye surgeries. I am now in the process of building hitches for ours so I/we can tow the grandkids around behind us. These things are remarkably versatile with plenty of power to climb even the biggest hills in our area along the lake shore. I made sure to buy the ones with regenerative input into the batteries when coasting and soooo glad I did. We left home with 1/2 charged batts not long ago, rode around the lake on our areas bicycle trail and by simply bumping the pedals to engage peddle assist and then coasting we actually came home with no discharge showing on the battery levels!! Unbelievable!! Tell you one thing, for us older people this is definitely a good way to stay outside, enjoying life on two wheels!! Worth every $$$ IMHO... 

 

 

Awesome @cowpuc!   Sorry, not to be judgmental, bossy or controversial, but please wear a proper bicycle helmet when riding. 
 

I ride ~1300 miles/year, road and trail/Mtn.  I average going down 1-2 times a year, mostly on the mtn bike but I’ve gone down on the road bike too.  
 

I track my rides on a garmin gps & have literally gone from 15-20mph to 0mph in an instant when crashing.  It doesn’t sound like much but I can assure you the noggin is along for the ride at that point & will hit the ground hard.  
 

Look for a helmet with MIPS design.  The outer part of helmet is designed to rotate slightly about the head on impact, taking up part of the impact energy. 
 

They may look dorky, but so do wheelchairs.  Ok, off my soapbox now. 
 

Enjoy the bikes, have fun & be safe!

[videoarizona]

I rode the RSV today. Got up early and chased the front wheel to Rock Springs for a good breakfast. Then back to Phoenix...the long way. Got a bit warm at the end. 

Edited May 2, 2021 by videoarizona

[videoarizona]

On 4/10/2021 at 8:38 PM, circa1968 said:

What I did to my venture today.... Gave her a bath after finishing a 5- day, 1900 mile road trip!

BTW, does anyone else ever think about selling all other worldly possessions and spending the rest of your life just seeing the country on your Venture????

 

Couldnt stop thinking how awesome this is!

Photos from middle of nowhere(northeast corner of New Mexico, Hiway54).  Small town with three buildings, one of which was this tired old service station.  After snapping a few pics, curiosity got the better of me & I had to peer in the garage bay windows.  I was floored by what was inside!

Hwy 54 is pretty nice ride. I did it 3 years ago.....

[ChiefGunner]

Well, as if my SVTC doesn’t have enough lights already... I’ve been installing some more. Installed a great triangular light below the Venture emblem that is a running light & turn signal. Also install some strips on my forks that do the same but the turn is a fluid directional. I think it looks great but comments are welcome.

Now to see if I can post the videos.

Also did a short evening walk around video.

[bpate4home]

I was just happy to throw the leg over the bike.  Was out of town nearly 5 weeks. Even though it was a quick ride to the grocery store it is good to be home.

[Shaw]

Removed rear tire, rounded out one of the brake caliper bolts 🤦🏽, questioning my life choices.

[Squidley]

12 hours ago, bpate4home said:

I was just happy to throw the leg over the bike.  Was out of town nearly 5 weeks. Even though it was a quick ride to the grocery store it is good to be home.

Welcome back to the great Republic of Texas!

[saddlebum]

13 hours ago, Squidley said:

Welcome back to the great Republic of Texas!

It only got great after a certain someone and her cheese cakes moved down there

[Shaw]

New brake pads, greased the drive shaft hub, oil change, new tires, added highway pegs. 

[Pasta Burner]

On 5/11/2021 at 7:41 PM, Shaw said:

New brake pads, greased the drive shaft hub, oil change, new tires, added highway pegs. 

What highway pegs?  Got any pics?  My 87 came with floorboard conversion that I don’t hate, but also had floorboard style pegs that didn’t sit right on the crashbar, couldn’t fold up and just weren’t comfortable so in the spare parts pile they went.  

[Shaw]

14 minutes ago, Pasta Burner said:

What highway pegs?  Got any pics?  My 87 came with floorboard conversion that I don’t hate, but also had floorboard style pegs that didn’t sit right on the crashbar, couldn’t fold up and just weren’t comfortable so in the spare parts pile they went.  

These also install in the crash bar, 

Link from cycle gear

it’s dark out I’ll give you a pic of them installed in the am

[Shaw]

17 minutes ago, Pasta Burner said:

What highway pegs?  Got any pics?  My 87 came with floorboard conversion that I don’t hate, but also had floorboard style pegs that didn’t sit right on the crashbar, couldn’t fold up and just weren’t comfortable so in the spare parts pile they went.  

 

[BlueSky]

I bought some pegs like that for my Kawasaki a good while ago and I could never get them to stay in place, no matter high tight they were.  

[circa1968]

Yesterday I set out to lower the front end 1/2".  About 5 hours later....after a break for lunch and looking in vain for the a nut that dropped into an abyss and finally making a trip to the autoparts store for a replacement...success!

I'm ~5'9", and based on various posts I read, 1/2" drop seemed like the right amount and I didn't want a dramatic change.  For flat footing @ a stop, I probably could have gone a hair lower but gotta say overall I couldn't be happier after a short test ride. 

I didn't expect to feel much difference, but it is noticeable, even w/ just a 1/2" drop.  Moving the bike around by my own power is much easier too as I now have more leverage.

I had previously installed Rox 2" risers so I need to spend a little time fining the right spot for my bars after the change.

[N3FOL]

I finally got the chance to bleed my brakes and clutch last week on the SVTC.  It is an ‘18, so it was time to replace the brake fluid.   It took me more time trying to figure out how to remove the right front cowling (I think that is what it called) than actually bleed and replace the fluid.   Everything went smooth as expected.   My brake fluid is good for another 2 years.   😀 I got a few pics I took during my ordeal    
 

 

 

[RDawson]

In a moment of weakness 27 years ago today I exchanged rings and ate a cake so I got the bike out and we got in around 100 miles to celebrate today.