The Venture Is A Sorry Bike....But!

[Guest LSUBOY]

I have been thinking about getting a new bike and keep saying "get another Venture" but then again I stop and consider all of it's shortcomings?

 

---It's dog slow

 

---It does not have fuel injection

 

---It does not have ABS Brakes

 

---It even has a casette and even Walmart does not sell them things anymore

 

---The speakers cry-out for UPGRADE

 

Hold on: Maybe I should tell you why I say these things. "I have an 06 FJR1300 with ABS, Fuel injection and it's a pleasure to drive and even puts a smile on your face just pulling out of the drive", whereas riding that bull of a Venture is like having to struggle to get a big ole fat man to move out of it's shadow"....If you kno what I mean.

 

But, then again I think of what I will have to put-out to get all of those qualities, ie., 22,000.00 Gold Bling and that's when I come to realize that that ole Venture is a bargan with it's 5-year warranty at the discounted price of 15,000.00 that you can easily find.

 

Then, I cross my fingers and hope that Yamaha can see the light and come-up with a better motor with fuel injection, ABS brakes, AM/FM/MP3/CB and so because I like their bikes.

 

O' well, What's life without wishing.....and by tha way, If you are ever at a place where this bike is for demo http://www.triumphrocket.com/ make sure you ride it because It will give you a whole new take on big-bike performance. Whew!

[BEER30]

Before we start a war again , let's all go to the Dr. tomorrow and get a prescription of Estrogen . I know when my gals at the shop take their little happy pill , they don't have hot flashes for awhile !:rotf:

 

BEER30

[hig4s]

Slow, dog slow, tire engine..

 

Let see the 1st gens do the standing 1/4 mile in 12.6 sec.

the 2nd gens do it in 13.6 both plain old carburetor engines, the 2nd gen with different gearing. Throw in different gears and the V-max cams and it gets much faster.. Top speed around 135 who needs to go even that fast on a full dress touring bike?

 

The new 1800cc fully fuel injected rocket ship of a Goldwing, does it in 12.7, yep those extra 500cc, and FI really make a difference.

 

I still play cassettes, and it has an AUX port, plug your MP3 player into it, problem solved.

 

And you think the stock speakers on other bikes are better, up until 07, the 'wing didn't even come with rear speakers, you had to add them. CB is still an option.

 

ABS would be nice, but if it is going to make it cost $21k like the 'wing, there won't be many buyers.

 

As far as handling, I've owned everything from a 250 dual sport to a 750 Ninja, to the Venture. I don't have a problem with the handling, it does what it is suppose to do. It handles better stop and go than a 'wing or a BMW LT, and cruises the freeway just as well as they do. If you want to carve canyons, yo should try a KTM 690 Super Moto, makes your FJR seem like a pig.

[Guest kozman01]

After my first foray with a Yamaha, I think I might just be finding myself going that Triumph Rocket III route. For the money, the Venture can't be beat, but I still not sure this is the bike for me. My wife loving the bike is the only thing saving it from teh trade-in lot.

[FJR Rider]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...I have both an RSV (2d one) and an FJR...love 'em both. Different bikes for different rides

 

Cassette deck? What cassette deck?

 

Curt

 

 

 

 

 

I have been thinking about getting a new bike and keep saying "get another Venture" but then again I stop and consider all of it's shortcomings?

 

---It's dog slow

 

---It does not have fuel injection

 

---It does not have ABS Brakes

 

---It even has a casette and even Walmart does not sell them things anymore

 

---The speakers cry-out for UPGRADE

 

Hold on: Maybe I should tell you why I say these things. "I have an 06 FJR1300 with ABS, Fuel injection and it's a pleasure to drive and even puts a smile on your face just pulling out of the drive", whereas riding that bull of a Venture is like having to struggle to get a big ole fat man to move out of it's shadow"....If you kno what I mean.

 

But, then again I think of what I will have to put-out to get all of those qualities, ie., 22,000.00 Gold Bling and that's when I come to realize that that ole Venture is a bargan with it's 5-year warranty at the discounted price of 15,000.00 that you can easily find.

 

Then, I cross my fingers and hope that Yamaha can see the light and come-up with a better motor with fuel injection, ABS brakes, AM/FM/MP3/CB and so because I like their bikes.

 

O' well, What's life without wishing.....and by tha way, If you are ever at a place where this bike is for demo http://www.triumphrocket.com/ make sure you ride it because It will give you a whole new take on big-bike performance. Whew!

[dray]

if speed is what you need try a Huffy then if its not fast enough for you its no ones fault but yours so get off and walk:stirthepot:

[BuddyRich]

I won't buy another CAUSE I really like the one I have. Best all around bike for the price and I am into Cadillacs and Luxury cars/bikes at this stage in my life. My hot rod days are long gone. I no longer feel the need to go blindly fast. But I do like going ALL day if I have to. And 16 hours on a Venture is a lot easier than most other bikes. Now there's nothing wrong with pulling the front wheel off the ground once in a while . No, it ain't the fastest in the world but I really don't need to do that any more. It is certainly fast enough for my blood these days. Just wanna get there in one piece now.

[captnmidnight]

For me the ergonomics are the best for long distance riding.Much better than the 1200 LT,wing, or the ultra. Best price, 5 yr unlimited mileage warranty, and ,though I've never sat on the back of one, my wife says it's o-soooo nice. Plus I like the retro look as opposed to the wing or the LT. I don't mind the power,however if they ever made an RSV with lots more ,I'de just have to have one.

[cowpuc]

I am a little eccentric about bikes,, been my passion since I was a little toe head drawing pics of choppers in Kindergarten.. I have over 100 bikes currently (counting mopeds and honda mini trails and MX bikes) and 2 of them are Ventures.. Having an obsession with riding cross country - 16 hour/800 mile days are the norm - and I have found the Venture to be the absoulute perfect bike for doing so.. I retired my 84 at 192K, bought this 83 that I am riding for 900 bucks and it has already seen California and most of the west too.. On one of our cross country rides my daughter asked me what we would do if we were out in the middle of the desert and our bike blew up.. I told her I would find some kid that wanted a bike to work on and I would give it to him OR if we were in the sticks I would just pull out my 45 and shoot it in the radiator (symbolic of shooting the horse) and push it off a cliff hahah.. I was serious too.. Doing that is a whole lot easier when the bike owes you nothing and your not tossing 20 grand away...

Now another point,,, I had a chance to go to a dealer outing last fall and ride a vast array of scoots on a test course.. All brand new bikes and we were ORDERED to hammer them... Surprisingly,, the most impressive motor (not talking superbikes here) was Polaris!! And,,, my best times on the course, believe it or not, was on the Road King!!! When it comes to the Twisties Harley has it!!

'Puc

[whozleft]

No matter what bike you own, there's always something you love about it and other things you hate. The trick is realizing the things you really like should always outweigh the other things.

 

I have had many bikes in my life. The Venture has some great points. It's much more comfortable than either of the Goldwings I have owned. You can stretch out on a Venture. We complain about the cassette player. Yes, it is ridiculous in this day and age, but they did give us the option for the MP3 hookup, and the CD player is an option should you want to take up some storage space to install one. So there are things we can do. My Valkyrie Interstate was a great bike, but I did have to buy rear speakers. And it didn't have cruise control on it from the factory. So you see, it's all in how we look at things. A speaker upgrade on the Venture really isn't such a huge problem or expense when you look at the other bikes where the first thing people do is spend close to a thousand dollars in exhaust upgrades to get the sound they want.

 

As I get older I realize that the "PERFECT BIKE" is not produced. Just go to Don's maintenance day and see how many variations on the Venture you see. Some have cupholders, some have fringe, etc. So the bottom line is a manufacturer just could never make one bike that satisfies all people. Improvements can and should be made as time progresses though, and I think that is where Yamaha dropped the ball. But, hey, they got to use up all the old casstte players they got such a great deal on! I think they didn't make the Venture for '08 because they ran out of cassette players. LOL

 

For me the Venture is a great bike with most of what I want. The other things I can put on myself.

 

Just ride your bike and enjoy it. And most of all, stay safe.

[ken]

2005 brought a new Midnight put over 10,000 miles several long trips, never a problem. Very comfy, plenty of power. Had some good times, I really loved that bike.

 

2007 sold the venture, thought I had to have a Harley. Bought a 2008 Ultra came with all the bells and whistles except ABS. Shortly after riding the Ultra I realized I messed up.

 

Here's why. The HD is not near as comfy, my back starts to hurt after 20 min of riding and I've never had a back issue before. It's the same with the passenger seat the wife feels cramped and she only 5'4" 120 lbs (but she says she can live with it). Much louder then I thought it would be, I really don't care for the vibration that comes through the handle bars. The warmest day of riding so far was 72 deg and I could really feel the heat on my right leg, can't wait for those 85 deg days. Now on the plus side it does handle very well, has a cd player, security system, navigation and xm option, and all the gages.

 

With that said I would go back to the Venture in a heart beat if I wouldn't lose my rear on selling the HD, and if the wife would go along with it. she seems to think 3 new bike over 8 year is enough.

[Rich99]

I won't buy another CAUSE I really like the one I have. Best all around bike for the price and I am into Cadillacs and Luxury cars/bikes at this stage in my life. My hot rod days are long gone. I no longer feel the need to go blindly fast. But I do like going ALL day if I have to. And 16 hours on a Venture is a lot easier than most other bikes. Now there's nothing wrong with pulling the front wheel off the ground once in a while . No, it ain't the fastest in the world but I really don't need to do that any more. It is certainly fast enough for my blood these days. Just wanna get there in one piece now.

What he said!

[IH Truck Guy]

With that said I would go back to the Venture in a heart beat if I wouldn't lose my rear on selling the HD, and if the wife would go along with it. she seems to think 3 new bike over 8 year is enough.

 

What,that's not even one a year...What's her problem ?:stirthepot::rotf:

[1BigDog]

With that said I would go back to the Venture in a heart beat if I wouldn't lose my rear on selling the HD, and if the wife would go along with it. she seems to think 3 new bike over 8 year is enough.

 

 

But what about that fantastic "RESALE VALUE" that the HD dealers and owners all love to talk about to justify their overpriced purchase??? :whistling:

 

(now dont read anything wrong into this, im just making light of it, but it IS what my HD riding buddies always say to me)

:stirthepot:

[Kurt]

With that said I would go back to the Venture in a heart beat if I wouldn't lose my rear on selling the HD, and if the wife would go along with it. she seems to think 3 new bike over 8 year is enough.

 

Sooner or later you will get to the point that it doesn't matter if you lose. You will ride what you like and are comfortable on, and any loss will get written off as education expense. I just hope it doesn't go so long that you completely dispise HD bikes. Life is too short to have your fun stuff cause pain or irritation.

[ken]

But what about that fantastic "RESALE VALUE" that the HD dealers and owners all love to talk about to justify their overpriced purchase??? :whistling:

 

(now dont read anything wrong into this, im just making light of it, but it IS what my HD riding buddies always say to me)

:stirthepot:

 

Ya right.

 

I got a $3000 LE discount when I brought the thing, and still I would that a hit!

[Guest LSUBOY]

Slow, dog slow, tire engine..

 

Let see the 1st gens do the standing 1/4 mile in 12.6 sec.

the 2nd gens do it in 13.6 both plain old carburetor engines, the 2nd gen with different gearing. Throw in different gears and the V-max cams and it gets much faster.. Top speed around 135 who needs to go even that fast on a full dress touring bike?

 

The new 1800cc fully fuel injected rocket ship of a Goldwing, does it in 12.7, yep those extra 500cc, and FI really make a difference.

 

I still play cassettes, and it has an AUX port, plug your MP3 player into it, problem solved.

 

And you think the stock speakers on other bikes are better, up until 07, the 'wing didn't even come with rear speakers, you had to add them. CB is still an option.

 

ABS would be nice, but if it is going to make it cost $21k like the 'wing, there won't be many buyers.

 

As far as handling, I've owned everything from a 250 dual sport to a 750 Ninja, to the Venture. I don't have a problem with the handling, it does what it is suppose to do. It handles better stop and go than a 'wing or a BMW LT, and cruises the freeway just as well as they do. If you want to carve canyons, yo should try a KTM 690 Super Moto, makes your FJR seem like a pig.

 

 

ABS isn't nice or would be nice, it's the "New World Order" and iffin you don't understand what I mean just consider this: I can be traveling 60 MPH on my FJR and do a HARD panic stop. The only problem is that the bike stops so suddenly until you have to remember to get ready to put your feet down or you will fall down/over.

 

I will never purchase another bike that does not have ABS as per I know their worth. And, even if there were no other upgrades to the venture, If it does not come with ABS real soon, eye won't buy another one. That's the one thing I won't compromise on.

[Guest LSUBOY]

if speed is what you need try a Huffy then if its not fast enough for you its no ones fault but yours so get off and walk:stirthepot:

 

Please go back, reread and think about the tone of my post after which you should arrive at this SIMPLE conclusion:

 

"It's time for Yamaha to upgrade the Venture"

[Guest k4sfc@bellsouth.net]

Maybe I'm wrong, but to gain faster acceleration from a stop...don't you lose some of the power band at the high end? Such as fifth gear passing ability without needing to downshift? I have an '07 1700cc Silverado (twin) and the '08 RSV. When riding two-up on the twin, I have to down shift at higher speeds to pull hills than I do with the RSV. Which is a heavier bike with a 1300cc engine. A touring bike needs the medium power band, a drag racing bike needs the low end power. Get the bike that suits your riding style. Me, I've owned less bikes than some of you but a total of seven. And I've test driven the Victory Vision, but my RSV is still the choice for me. This coming week I'm to test ride the Triumph III and we will see how that shakes out.

[Midrsv]

After reading the posts here and comments by Kit Carson I felt compelled to add mine. Last fall I totaled my ’04 RSV with 42,000 miles on it. Loved that bike. During my time with that bike I learned many things about it. Some I liked and some I didn’t. It had the dreaded whine that was mostly corrected with a basket change. It needed better lighting which I took care of with passing lamps and rear led lights. It had an antique cassette deck which I never used but it did have an aux input so no foul there. It could use a bit more power but I was able to stay ahead of anyone I needed to be in front of. It had the best warranty in the industry and above all other things, it was comfortable for both me and more importantly, for my wife.

So after my crash I found myself shopping for a new bike. Most of my riding buddies ride Gold Wings with one on an Ultra and one on a K1200LT and I had plenty of encouragement to look at other brands. So I did. While I like a good value as much as the next guy, money was not much of a consideration. I could afford any of the bikes on my list. BMW and Victory were taken off the list quickly due to their limited dealer networks. We like to tour and I didn’t want to get stuck hundreds of miles from a dealer. So, that left me looking at Gold Wings and Ultra Classics. Both are great bikes. I really like the looks of the HD but I found it to be too small. Not enough leg room and the passenger space was too tight. I also prefer water cooling. Good HD dealer network and I found their dealers pleasant. That left me with the Gold Wings and I really wanted to like them since I had traveled extensively with Wing riders. The GW had everything I wanted, power, fuel injection, ABS, electronics, water cooling, etc. However, I could not get comfortable on it. I tried multiple times. I had people telling me I could add floorboards, heal/toe shifter, highway pegs, etc to make it more comfortable for me. At the end of the day I came back to a new RSV. It’s comfortable and met my needs. At $13,800 for a new ’07 I felt I had $6000+ to improve the lighting. Is it the perfect bike? No way. All bikes, in my opinion, require compromises. The one compromise I couldn’t live with was being uncomfortable. Each of the last 2 years we took 4000 plus mile trips and we have another trip planned for June. My ’04 was a proven tour bike and I have no doubt that the ’07 will do just as well. So with the compromises I chose to make, it was the right bike for me.

DT

[Guest Vermincelli]

My Venture is my 28th bike and I consider it the original sport tourer. (at least I ride it like one )

I look at costs of new bikes and cannot come to pay the outrageous prices for new bikes when there's so many good oldies out there.

I found my bike in the back of a guy's garage in totaled condition, traded some network wiring for it and today have all of about $700 into it including the CD player with remotes I just installed. I put in progressive springs and with Avons I can carve corners to the point I am on my 3rd set of footpegs from dragging them.

 

If I want something more sporty or that can handle fireroads, then I buy something designed for those. For what the Venture was designed for though, it does it in spades. I have 5 bikes currently and the big yellow beast is my daily driver. Can it do 150mph? no, but then again, why would I want to on public roads? I can however whip it around in a parking lot like my littler bikes (course that also has to do with advanced riding classes)

 

As for more performance out of it, I can still toss on a Vmax differential (if I can ever find one or a Vmax owner interested in a swap) a set of Vmax heads or even a Vboost system. It's just a matter of want vs. need.

[Mariner Fan]

I'm 6'3" and the only bike that felt right for me is the Venture. I have no regrets with it. Figure I'll ride it for the next 5 years and then see if what's out there, or I might just keep this one till I can't ride anymore.

[Guest Popeye]

I've had Harleys, Ventures & Wings [& many others]. I have a 1500se Wing now, since my Venture left me stranded 4 times last year.

I got it mostly due to the price. Not likely I'd go back to a Harley with the 2-banger vibration.

 

I loved my Venture....& now that I'm getting the bugs out of my Wing... I love it. Wife loves it more though due to the rear seat comfort.

 

Dependability, comfort, & decent mileage can be found in a Venture or a Wing. I wouldn't buy either NEW, though. For me, it's the best deal when I'm looking for a scoot......no monthly payments.

[StarFan]

 

"I have an 06 FJR1300 with ABS, Fuel injection and it's a pleasure to drive and even puts a smile on your face just pulling out of the drive", whereas riding that bull of a Venture is like having to struggle to get a big ole fat man to move out of it's shadow"....If you kno what I mean.

 

 

http://www.triumphrocket.com/ make sure you ride it because It will give you a whole new take on big-bike performance. Whew!

 

This was a very interesting reading but I can not say that I get the point. Comparing the Venture with the Triumph Rocket and the FJR 1300 is kind of strange. These are completely different bikes and simply can not be compared. Who would want to ride 800 miles in a day, two up on the Rocket or the FJR 1300? Certainly not me but I would do that on the Venture any given day. These bikes are to different to compare. There is not a bike in the world that is perfect in every way and there will never be such a bike. The Venture is a solidly built cruiser, large and heavy but very comfortable and demands respect. But a very nice driver when you get to know the bike. It does not have ABS and I do agree it would be nice to have it but not a must. More power needed? Well, if you are into speeding then buy a racer - not a touring bike. The Venture has ample power but it is not a racer and never will be - designed and geared for cruising - understandably. When deciding on a bike one has first of all to decide where in the motorcycle community he wants to be. A triker, a racer, a cruiser, a tourer and so forth. Pick your shelf and then choose the bike that suits you best in that category but don´t confuse yourself or others by comparing bikes from different categories. That is in my eyes simply a naive thing to do.

You can´t beat the price of the Venture or the warranty. I am sure we are all very exited about seeing Yamaha come up with a upgraded Venture with the ABS, Fuel Injection, GPS and so forth but one thing is for sure. There will most certainly be some things from the old Venture left out that we will miss and some new things we like and others we do not like. The perfect bike will never be!!!!!!!!!! But the Venture is damn close !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dray]

Please go back, reread and think about the tone of my post after which you should arrive at this SIMPLE conclusion:

 

"It's time for Yamaha to upgrade the Venture"

 

 

hey i put the:stirthepot: lill stiry guy in:stirthepot: LOL or didnt ya see me stir the pot:stirthepot::stirthepot:

 

ok so i should had said just kidding LOL give me heck for it i can take it:banana:

 

Dray