What did you do to your venture today?

[videoarizona]

I feel left out. To hot to ride now. An evening ride is not smart either with the monsoon storms popping up so quickly this time of year. 

I'll be home tonight...pat her on the fanny pack and say hi. Maybe start her up and let her warm up. 

Then back up to Phx. in morning.

Truck is getting a major repair...dreaded AFM issue got 2 cylinders, bent push rod....sigh. Thought I was past that at 124K miles. Guess not. Will get 2 year warrantee.... And will hope this doesn't happen again! 

Hopefully, I'll get some time in next two weeks for an early morning ride!!!

 

 

[RDawson]

22 minutes ago, videoarizona said:

Ronnie, I think I missed something..... What happened?

I caught a large bird that pulled my windshield out of the fairing straight into my teeth. Lots of dental work, minor damage to the bike but to major priced items. 

[videoarizona]

Ronnie,

Yikes!

I'm sorry to hear! Glad you are ok other than teeth! 

Whoa!! 

Get better fast!

D

Edited July 3, 2022 by videoarizona

[videoarizona]

Got in to house last night. Got up at 5am, went out to pat the RSV in the fanny pack and she whispered "ride me". 

I can take a hint. Got dressed and took off. 1 hour later, came home and put her back in garage. I swear she was smiling at me! 

Breakfast than back to PHX. 300 miles round trip. Want to know how to put 62K on my truck in 3 years? Commute to PHX.... To see my better half. 

Edited July 3, 2022 by videoarizona
Sp

[luvmy40]

I knocked some of the dust off Beauty, installed a new 50 N18L lead acid battery, added a bottle of Seafoam and topped the tank off with 87 octane. My boy needs to borrow the old girl for while until he gets a minor vehicle emergency straightened out. 

 

Every time I ride the '86, I am reminded of what a wonderful bike it really is! Completely different than the Gen 2, but every bit as nice. I wish I had room to keep them both!

Edited July 9, 2022 by luvmy40

[ChiefGunner]

Well, today I disassembled the SVTC to pull the ECM. Tomorrow I’m going down to “Ivan’s Tuning” and going to have him installed his performance mod flash.

I had hoped to ride the bike down and have it done then ride it home but severe weather going through the area necessitated a change in plans. He said it should only take about 15-20 minutes to complete it.  The real bummer is that I may not get to test it until Monday.

Edited July 8, 2022 by ChiefGunner

[cowpuc]

3 hours ago, ChiefGunner said:

Well, today I disassembled the SVTC to pull the ECM. Tomorrow I’m going down to “Ivan’s Tuning” and going to have him installed his performance mod flash.

I had hoped to ride the bike down and have it done then ride it home but severe weather going through the area necessitated a change in plans. He said it should only take about 15-20 minutes to complete it.  The real bummer is that I may not get to test it until Monday.

BUMMER my friend,,, I cant even IMAGINE having that work done on your gorgeous machine and not being able to at least toss a leg and let er buck. Excited for you Chief cause I have heard LOTS of great things about Ivan's tunings.. Puc

[ChiefGunner]

20 hours ago, cowpuc said:

BUMMER my friend,,, I cant even IMAGINE having that work done on your gorgeous machine and not being able to at least toss a leg and let er buck. Excited for you Chief cause I have heard LOTS of great things about Ivan's tunings.. Puc

Hey there @cowpuc! Good to see you here ya lop eared varmint! 😁 I'm hoping to find a break for an hour today to maybe test it.

I’m on my way home with module in hand then have to install it.  I’m excited because he has put a THIRD tune in here. Touring, Sport & his own. Dyno results look great I can’t wait!

Edited July 9, 2022 by ChiefGunner

[larrydr]

I have a 1983 XVZ12TK and spent a ton of time and money on it ....There been little things going that were hard to get used too ..Last week I was out for ride for about an hour ...The engine ran good but the front wheel went into a bad speed  wobble not real tank slapper , and put it back into the shop and checked everything including the steering head   ....Then switched the front tire back to a Dunlop and it was much better ..Another next day and went another ride and upon passing a semi and 2 cars another front speed wobble happened ... I put the Venture back into the shop and have not been on the Venture for ride since ...Working on another bike at this point , and I don't like to put the Venture away for good but I may have to ..

[ChiefGunner]

Ivan’s Tuning SVTC UPDATE:
Just got back from a test ride.
WOW!
Feels like a new bike!
In Touring mode there’s no bog down taking off from start (used to happen occasionally). Power is smooth and linear.
Sport mode seems to be more “awake”. Take offs are quicker, more pull bottom & at top end too. No popping on decel, very smooth.
The 3rd program he did is crazy! Puts Sport mode to shame.
Pulls like a freight train all the way past redline!
I had to back off. It was too scary. Gonna take some getting used to.
Also, up & down shifting is much smoother. No clunkiness like it used to be.
With the drilled pipes you can HEAR the difference in program 3. It has a much faster throttle response and a stronger “roar”!
After only a 20 minute ride I can’t say definitively, but it seems like it has less heat than before.
I’ll know more when I can ride it for a while and compare.
Have to wait until this nasty weather abates before I can really do a test ride. For now, I’m exhilarated with the results!

[cowpuc]

27 minutes ago, ChiefGunner said:

Ivan’s Tuning SVTC UPDATE:
Just got back from a test ride.
WOW!
Feels like a new bike!
In Touring mode there’s no bog down taking off from start (used to happen occasionally). Power is smooth and linear.
Sport mode seems to be more “awake”. Take offs are quicker, more pull bottom & at top end too. No popping on decel, very smooth.
The 3rd program he did is crazy! Puts Sport mode to shame.
Pulls like a freight train all the way past redline!
I had to back off. It was too scary. Gonna take some getting used to.
Also, up & down shifting is much smoother. No clunkiness like it used to be.
With the drilled pipes you can HEAR the difference in program 3. It has a much faster throttle response and a stronger “roar”!
After only a 20 minute ride I can’t say definitively, but it seems like it has less heat than before.
I’ll know more when I can ride it for a while and compare.
Have to wait until this nasty weather abates before I can really do a test ride. For now, I’m exhilarated with the results!

Now THATS what I am talking about and sounds like what I have heard about Ivan. One nice thing about Ivan's shop is they are very personable type of folk, including Ivan himself. I had some questions years ago about building a V-twin up/compression ratio's and adding a gear driven turbo to a HD. They were very open to discuss what they had found and how to work around tuners and such. GOOD people! A side note on the "scary" 3rd program @ChiefGunner,,, brother aint NOTHING wrong with that! Having a scoot that scares you when you want it to is actually TONS of fun! Good on ya! So does your Ivan tune have the capibilty of removing or altering the rev limiter and speed limiter? Can you (or a dyno guy) access its fuel/ignition parameters? I LOVED the original HD "super tuners" that are now outlawed because they gave us gearheads access to fully control ALL parameters and adjust fuel/ignition in 200 rpm increments. If you had a small flat spot anywhere in the full (unlimited if you disabled the rev limiter, dangerous to the motor but a valuable asset if you were really wanting to run er) rpm range you just tweeked till ya got er dialed in. I am an old carb guy who spent HOURS dialing in my race bikes and those super tuners were MAGICAL. Anyway Chief,, I am happy for you! Sounds like fun! Let er buck - Puc

[cowpuc]

2 hours ago, larrydr said:

I have a 1983 XVZ12TK and spent a ton of time and money on it ....There been little things going that were hard to get used too ..Last week I was out for ride for about an hour ...The engine ran good but the front wheel went into a bad speed  wobble not real tank slapper , and put it back into the shop and checked everything including the steering head   ....Then switched the front tire back to a Dunlop and it was much better ..Another next day and went another ride and upon passing a semi and 2 cars another front speed wobble happened ... I put the Venture back into the shop and have not been on the Venture for ride since ...Working on another bike at this point , and I don't like to put the Venture away for good but I may have to ..

@larrydr, at what speed are you getting the wobble? Low speed,, 35 mph? The MK1's are known for low speed wobbles but not for high speed tank slappers is why I ask.  Tire air pressures and did you mount and balance them yourself? Are you using balance beads? Are  you mixing radials and bias tires? Check your tire bead alignment lines to make sure they are not mounted out of round and spin the tires and watch for signs of belt slippage? Check your tires for feathering and other anomolies?  How are you checking steer head bearings? Does your 83 have Progressive springs in the forks? If so, how much preload on them, when was the last time you checked its fork bushings for movement? Check the fork brace found directly above the front fender for loose mount bolts? Please answer each of those questions one at a time.. Thanks! Puc

[ChiefGunner]

3 hours ago, cowpuc said:

Now THATS what I am talking about and sounds like what I have heard about Ivan. One nice thing about Ivan's shop is they are very personable type of folk, including Ivan himself. I had some questions years ago about building a V-twin up/compression ratio's and adding a gear driven turbo to a HD. They were very open to discuss what they had found and how to work around tuners and such. GOOD people! A side note on the "scary" 3rd program @ChiefGunner,,, brother aint NOTHING wrong with that! Having a scoot that scares you when you want it to is actually TONS of fun! Good on ya! So does your Ivan tune have the capibilty of removing or altering the rev limiter and speed limiter? Can you (or a dyno guy) access its fuel/ignition parameters? I LOVED the original HD "super tuners" that are now outlawed because they gave us gearheads access to fully control ALL parameters and adjust fuel/ignition in 200 rpm increments. If you had a small flat spot anywhere in the full (unlimited if you disabled the rev limiter, dangerous to the motor but a valuable asset if you were really wanting to run er) rpm range you just tweeked till ya got er dialed in. I am an old carb guy who spent HOURS dialing in my race bikes and those super tuners were MAGICAL. Anyway Chief,, I am happy for you! Sounds like fun! Let er buck - Puc

Actually @cowpuc he did all that within the program. Fuel proportions, throttle response percentages, changed rev limit from 4500 to 5500 rpm. Also enable cruise to be set at lower speeds and in all gears.

It’s pretty different from stock.

Edited July 10, 2022 by ChiefGunner

[larrydr]

4 hours ago, cowpuc said:

@larrydr, at what speed are you getting the wobble? Low speed,, 35 mph? The MK1's are known for low speed wobbles but not for high speed tank slappers is why I ask.  Tire air pressures and did you mount and balance them yourself? Are you using balance beads? Are  you mixing radials and bias tires? Check your tire bead alignment lines to make sure they are not mounted out of round and spin the tires and watch for signs of belt slippage? Check your tires for feathering and other anomolies?  How are you checking steer head bearings? Does your 83 have Progressive springs in the forks? If so, how much preload on them, when was the last time you checked its fork bushings for movement? Check the fork brace found directly above the front fender for loose mount bolts? Please answer each of those questions one at a time.. Thanks! Puc

The front tire was a Exedra Max 120 / 70 r18  ..I first noticed the low speed at 35  mph and I first thought it was road conditions ...I did another not severe at 60 mph .. I put it back into the shop and went over the steering bearing installation and adjustments ....But nothing changed , I put the bike back into the shop and changed the front tire to a Dunlop Elite series ...It was much better and went for a hour ride and all was fine till I pulled to pass a Semi and at a speed of 70 mph and the speed wobble went very bad in strong side wind ...I thought this will not end well with semi on my tail and traffic coming from the front ..I gripped the handle as tight as I could , shifted down to 4th gear and opened the throttle all the way and as the front lifted a bit the front began to steady ..Holding the handle tight I slowed down slowly and as it stayed steady I head back to my shop where I began to pull the front apart ...I have many ,many front ends in my time ...I will check each piece or part on that front end and it may take a while ...I have 4 other  bikes and I will ride something ....

[saddlebum]

On 7/1/2022 at 2:23 PM, RDawson said:

Took the fairing off, took pictures for the insurance company. Both fairing halves have minor damage, but I’m afraid they’ll want to total it since the inner isn’t available anymore. Add on the windshield, chrome trim, and labor it won’t be cheap. I’ll repair it all myself if it works out right. 

Which side do you need the inner for. I may have an extra one.

Plastex/Plastifix do wonders for repair. Inlaying some fiberglass cloth or stainless wire mesh really reinforces the repair.  I even made one good fairing out of too bad ones by cutting out the bad sections and combining the good sections by joining them with plastifix and reinforcing with fiberglass mesh. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by saddlebum

[RDawson]

1 hour ago, saddlebum said:

Which side do you need the inner for. I may have an extra one. Plastex/Plastifix do wonders for repair I even made one good fairing out of too bad ones by joining them with plastifix.

2nd Gen one piece inner. I’m gonna repair it myself since it shouldn’t involve any paint. The damage is all on hidden areas. I was worried they’d try to total it because of part availability, I wasn’t interested in totaling it. They haven’t made an offer yet but the damage estimate is in the $3k range. 

[videoarizona]

I repaired my fairing as well. You can't tell it's been repaired.

I used a pencil solder iron to melt the cracks into v channels in backside. Then melted some abs into the cracks. Then added fiberglass matt and resin to it after sanding down the melted plastic. The fiberglass gives very good strengh. 

On the outside, I sanded and used a primer to act as a leveling guide. Sanded until smooth.

Bought a cheap HF air paint gun and had a local shop mix up some paint.

Came out very well! I have a post on that in the archives here. Got some great ideas and hints from guys and gals here!

 

[videoarizona]

Basically, it's very doable. Not hard at all!

D

[RDawson]

2 hours ago, videoarizona said:

Basically, it's very doable. Not hard at all!

D

All my damage is mounting tabs on the inner and a bolt hole broke out on the outer. Think a little ABS softened with MEK and some flat ABS will work. 

[videoarizona]

Yep... There to go!

[saddlebum]

12 hours ago, RDawson said:

All my damage is mounting tabs on the inner and a bolt hole broke out on the outer. Think a little ABS softened with MEK and some flat ABS will work. 

If you look at my previous pics you will see white tabs. they were formed by taking a mold with the putty that comes in the plastifix kit then placed in place of the missing tab, filled with plastifix and reinforced with fiberglass cloth imbedded with more plastifix.  BTW I repaired and painted the bike in 2007 and has held up since. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by saddlebum

[videoarizona]

On 7/7/2022 at 2:42 PM, luvmy40 said:

I knocked some of the dust off Beauty, installed a new 50 N18L lead acid battery, added a bottle of Seafoam and topped the tank off with 87 octane. My boy needs to borrow the old girl for while until he gets a minor vehicle emergency straightened out. 

 

Every time I ride the '86, I am reminded of what a wonderful bike it really is! Completely different than the Gen 2, but every bit as nice. I wish I had room to keep them both!

Agreed!

[Joe in WV]

Slave cylinder shot(leaking) on my 2007 RSVM.  Ordered parts should be here in a week. Went ahead and ordered brake pads as well.

 

.

[ChiefGunner]

Well, it’s not what I did with my Venture, but what I did to my buddy’s Goldwing.

Installed trunk chrome/led trim as well as an XKGlow led light kit.  Here’s the video of him showing off his lights. Yes, I wired it  up so that all go RED with brakes AND the appropriate side flashes yellow with the turn signals.

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by ChiefGunner

[cowpuc]

2 minutes ago, ChiefGunner said:

Well, it’s not what I did with only Venture but what I did to my buddy’s Goldwing.

Installed trunk chrome/led trim as well asan XKGlow led light kit.  Here’s the video of him showing off his lights. Yes, I wired it  up so that all go RED with brakes AND the appropriate side flashes yellow with the turn signals.

 

Dog gone right, THAT is slick!! Nothing like being seen I tell ya!! GOOD JOB  @ChiefGunner! WELL DONE!