2018 Yamaha Venture Gen 3 Iron Butt this Sunday- at least I will try

[videoarizona]

,,, another one of those winter time, opportunities appears on the horizon!!

 

Sooo,,Vaz, are you by chance talking about my favorite little screws on the whole bike that LOVE to take up permanent home in the carb housings? The little steel ones who once they get a little fuel vapor between them and that aluminum become nay sayers about letting anyone in to check diaphrams?? If so,, did you by chance happen to try using a prick punch at an angle on the side of them with a carefully placed WACK from that little 12 oz hammer ya got hanging on the wall?? I only ask because I have removed more stuck screws that way (and LOTS of those little diaphram cover screws in such a manner) thru the years...

Time for a video demo for these varmints?

Sorry about the Neil, couldnt resist...

 

Nope. Didn't think of that. Thanks, I'll add that to my list of ways to get off crap screws!

I did try: Dremel, Vice grips, hand impact driver, power impact driver. In the end, the screws out reversal process worked.

[videoarizona]

...or was it the 4 "tamper-proof" screws (one for each carb) that you need the special bit for??

 

Nah. Those came out easy. In fact, I kept them and put them back on. I have the tool!

[VentureFar]

Glad you made it back ok. Had the Yukon ready to go if you needed something. Good thing you didn't call. The carb diaphram screws on my 89...4 of them decided to test me. But I won out after 4 hours of swearing!!

Thanks for having my back but as we know Yamaha's are reliable.

VentureFar...

[VentureFar]

Ok, stayed up late last night trying to document everything about the 2018. I submitted it. Now waiting for the link.

VentureFar...

[cowpuc]

Ok, stayed up late last night trying to document everything about the 2018. I submitted it. Now waiting for the link.

VentureFar...

 

I am standing right there beside you my brother waiting for that link .. Matter of fact,, I am as anxious as a little kid standing in line waiting for the ice cream lady to finish makin his ice cream cone while I eagerly await getting to read your report!!

 

,, how about some half time video's about what we know thus far concerning that gorgeous new Venture you got to spend time on??

 

:icon_lurker:*** INTERMISSION ***

 

 

 

 

 

[VentureFar]

Ok, stayed up late last night trying to document everything about the 2018. I submitted it. Now waiting for the link.

VentureFar...

 

It will be next week before I can post the link on my ride report. Sorry for the delay.

If anyone has a question sing out.

VentureFar...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[snyper316]

It will be next week before I can post the link on my ride report. Sorry for the delay.

If anyone has a question sing out.

VentureFar...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ye

 

Yes I have a question sir, how well done is the left leg? Medium rare, Rare, medium well?

[VentureFar]

Ye

 

Yes I have a question sir, how well done is the left leg? Medium rare, Rare, medium well?

 

Medium rare when riding at 35 mph at 78 degrees for 5 minutes.

It honestly felt like my internal temperature was increased.

VentureFar...

[snyper316]

Medium rare when riding at 35 mph at 78 degrees for 5 minutes.

It honestly felt like my internal temperature was increased.

VentureFar...

 

What I don't understand is why they did nothing to sheild the heat there well they did but i could tell right away when I looked at the one at the dealership that with that curve in the heat sheild that is there, and if you know anything about science in High school that would almost have a Jet effect the way it looks. I could be wrong but I just don't know why they didn't bring it out a little more and then down for a heat sheild. I can see aftermarket money made there lol...

[baylensman]

Well from all the comments about heat here, and the lack of comments on other test rides. I'm wondering if there is a running change between the preproduction or demo bikes and what's out there now for "SALE" .

If Mama Yama delayed delivery of the bike due to a glitching the infotainment software instead of a rolling firmware update ( my brothers HD gets them almost monthly as new phones come out) but allowed the bike to reach the street with what seems to be a HUGE issue as far as left side heat, I have to wonder why? I can't believe they are unaware of the issue. Was there some underlying need to beat the GL to the market? Is this model a STOP GAP measure till the 4 th gen comes out ( OH PLEASE MOTORCYCLE GODS).

 

Sorry rambling thoughts but just can't wrap my head around such an obvious defect!

[snyper316]

Well from all the comments about heat here, and the lack of comments on other test rides. I'm wondering if there is a running change between the preproduction or demo bikes and what's out there now for "SALE" .

If Mama Yama delayed delivery of the bike due to a glitching the infotainment software instead of a rolling firmware update ( my brothers HD gets them almost monthly as new phones come out) but allowed the bike to reach the street with what seems to be a HUGE issue as far as left side heat, I have to wonder why? I can't believe they are unaware of the issue. Was there some underlying need to beat the GL to the market? Is this model a STOP GAP measure till the 4 th gen comes out ( OH PLEASE MOTORCYCLE GODS).

 

Sorry rambling thoughts but just can't wrap my head around such an obvious defect!

 

 

Nah just a very good question here, If you get to go to your dealer and check one out up close and you will see what I am talking about, they heat shielding there makes no sense. The exhaust is hottest closer to the heads and your leg litterally might as well be sitting on a spit over a fire.....

[SilvrT]

Harley, Indian, Victory, and now Yamaha all share a common complaint ... cooked legs. One would think by now the manufacturers of all these bikes would have come up with a REAL solution to this as it has been an issue for years.

 

When I demo rode the Indian I couldn't wait to get off it coz my inner right thigh was getting so hot I could almost smell skin burning. My Victory toasted my lower right leg and Nina's foot. Luckily I was able to cure that by removing the CATs, changing the mufflers to a freer flow performance product, and installing a power commander. Is this what owners of the new Yamma are going to have to do? These types of mods should not be necessary to rectify a design FLAW IMHO.

[cowpuc]

Actually I honestly believe that burn area and the heat it produces is not a flaw or even a mistake - it was actually a much sought out and designed for feature of the new Venture. To understand some of what I am referring to it might be beneficial to read the report I wrote months ago about finding the answers as to why Mom Yam would do what we are talking about.

 

The thread involving this report can be found here in its entirety:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?132205-TheREAL-scoop-on-the-new-Venture-is-FINALLY-starting-to-shine-thru-2-me-FINALLY!!!&highlight=v-twin+riders+heat

 

The article that I quote from in the thread is found here and the quote can be found by scrolling down to the report on the V-Twin tourer - all found here:

https://rideapart.com/articles/the-5-best-touring-motorcycles-bike-for-doing-distance

 

and for those who really dont care to read much about this stuff but may be curious about the gist of what I am talking about,, here is the short version of what's in that thread and the quoted article:

 

"""Most folks that know me know I am a pretty thick skulled lop eared varmint.. As a matter of fact, so thick skulled that even my methods of CTFW are about as ancient as they come = I still trust my own backyard mechanic abilities and work on my own bikes, swap my own tires and even actually prefer to sleep out under the stars instead of Moteling it. I am a block headed purist with a deep belief in function over form = I really truly do prefer my steeds to be as basic as possible (I am known to remove "bling" if it is likely to get in the way of ease of maintenance while out scouting the back roads of American on a beat up old scoot - talk about being a bone head..

Anyway,, I was just reading another Magazine article titled

""The 5 Best Touring Motorcycles: Bikes For Doing Distance""

 

While reading this article I ran across the 2nd machine on their list (right behind the Beemer GTL1600) = the Polaris Indian Road Master.. Tip and I had parked Tweeks, our lowly 1983 MK1, 1st Gen Venture that is covered with stickers that Tweeks has earned by hauling us and our camping gear on her back to all the places represented by those stickers, long enough to actually demo one of these 2nd place modern touring bikes.. I remember vividly telling Tip after the demo ride that I thought the Roadmaster was somewhat hotter (I truly had no way of knowing at that time, like I do now, that its ability to burn its

riders

was actually a desired characteristic so I spoke of it as a negative thing) in its ability to burn us then the Harley Davidson Ultra that belonged to friend who allowed us to ride his 2012 Ultra any time we wanted. I also remember mentioning to her, right after recently riding the new Star Venture (the article doesn't mention the new Star Venture - the article was written in March of '17 and the new Venture had not been released yet - perhaps the new Venny would have taken the place of the Beemer and sat in the

#1

spot on the list as the Venture is also an enormous

V-Twin

with the much desired and necessary

heat

associated with the new touring bikes) that I had placed the new Venture right in between the Indians extreme

heat

and that of the lesser hot to the legs Harley. As I considered all this and continued reading, something jumped out at me like a spook in a cemetery when I read the first line of why/how the Indian was chosen for this honor - I read:

 

"" the rumble,

heat

, and heft of an enormous

V-twin

is a neces

sary part of the road-trip experience.""

 

Reading this is when it all began to FINALLY makes sense!! In other words = I FINALLY figured it out = how could I have missed something so simple!! Let me explain - but before I do,, do yourself a favor and reread that line above and see if something jumps out at you too:

"" the rumble,

heat

, and heft of an enormous

V-twin

is a neces

sary part of the road-trip experience.""

 

Not happening??? Read on and see if this helps:

 

A number of years ago when I was in High School and just a young Puc, us future touring bike rider teens used to play a game where we would wrap a friends dollar bill around our wrist, take a lit cigarette and then attempt to burn a hole thru the bill without raising it off our wrist = burn a hole thru the bill and into your arm = keep the dollar bill and earn a burn.. Sounds painful and, as memory serves me,, it actually was VERY painful BUT - the pride that came with having a great big ugly nasty infected cigarette burn hole in ones arm during those priceless days was unbelievable - this pride was so powerful that,, if you had a "burn" (which most of us did) you were instantly accepted into the formidable and hugely desired group that I hung out with at that time,, no burn = not a real member of the team = a wanna be at best..

Fast forward to the current day and age of Tip and I spending some of our time out CTFW on an old motorcycle... Having long since forgotten about those days of yesteryear where real men (and ladies) wore scars to prove their worth,, neither Tip nor I totally understood the actual importance of what we discovered in the last couple years of demoing the newest, most technically advanced touring motorcycles in the history of the world, like the new Venture - that being the issue of "

heat

" and how it applies to modern day touring scoots and those that ride them..

See,, the little 74 inch water cooled motored Yamaha Venture motorbikes that I/we have logged over a measly little million miles on have all been covered in plastic in an effort to keep the scar giving

heat

off my precious kids and endlessly gorgeous wifes legs and feet... To make matters worse,,, my wife - TIP (stands for Treasure In Person - she has earned that biker name and grins every time someone uses it cause she KNOWS I meant it when I gave it to her) - has actually shown just how much of a sissy she really is when compared to all those other masses and masses of real deal touring bike passengers out there riding 900 mile/16 hour days in the passenger seat while scaring their legs and feet and enjoying every minute of doing so! Blunt honesty? Tip has actually even complained a couple of times of

heat

from our water cooled - plastic covered - tiny motored V-4 Yamaha sneaking out from under Tweeks plastic side covers during heavy crosswinds in obscure places (obscure to us,, I am sure that real touring

riders

and their passengers who seek out "the burn" and scars from the

heat

they paid so greatly for, ride these places during the

heat

of the summer by the droves just to get the need for those scars fulfilled) like Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, Montana and Utah.. And then, to make matters worse,, instead of explaining to her that real touring

riders

actually do seek out the scars and memories associated with that

heat

rolling off their enormous historically modern air cooled V-Twins (sorry Tip,, I truly had forgotten how necessary that

heat

and those scars are), I actually added an extra set of foot pegs on the crash bars that protect the saddle bags on Tweeks sides so Tip could move her feet up and out of the hot air flow to keep them from getting burned giving us the ability to continue riding in high cross winds in 110 degree tempts and even crawl out of other situations like being stuck in traffic for 4 hours in California. Quite frankly my sweet love - it appears we cheated and I cheated you out of the opportunity to have earned those scars = I hope you will forgive me..

I have been enlightened = I truly have.. And I am thankful for this enlightenment.. My bone headedness is still giving me problems though.. My children, of which I have 4 and which all four have also crossed this country from one end to the other in the passenger seat of one of these under powered, lack of scar giving

heat

old water cooled, plastic covered, shaft driven cheater bikes have also been cheated of their rightful scar tissue from earning the burn.. I now cant help but wonder if I should reclaim the biker names I have given them until they are willing to lay their legs against the rear ward jug or exposed exhaust pipe on one of these history making modern air cooled V-Twins and take their rightful place by doing that which has been deemed necessary?? Or,, at a minimum,, be willing to wrap a dollar bill around their wrists and see if they can find someone who smokes so they can earn the burn that way.........

 

It's not easy being a Puc I tell ya....""""

[SilvrT]

Actually I honestly believe that burn area and the heat it produces is not a flaw or even a mistake - it was actually a much sought out and designed for feature of the new Venture.

 

Well puc, I honestly believe that I disagree with what you honestly believe, believe me! LOL

[cowpuc]

Well puc, I honestly believe that I disagree with what you honestly believe, believe me! LOL

 

Thats good,,, thats really good Silv:happy65:!!!! I really wish I could find somehow to disagree with me too but I cant cause I cant undue the truth about what I discovered

[bongobobny]

I dunno, Puc, your write up kind of burns me...

[RandyR]

Heat from the engine is merely another reason to stop at the next Dairy Queen and do some socializing.

[SilvrT]

Heat from the engine is merely another reason to stop at the next Dairy Queen and do some socializing.

 

That being the case, I'm surprised more 1st and 2nd genners aren't jumping ship to a air-cooled twin

[snyper316]

Heat from the engine is merely another reason to stop at the next Dairy Queen and do some socializing.

 

think i will have to stick with braums if i had to put up with a scalding lol, DQ have hundreds of miles between them...

[VentureFar]

I am told my ride report will be up later this week. Sorry for the delay. Editorial priorities:-)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VentureFar]

It is 9pm out here in the West and I just got the editor's edited version. I ran through it quickly and added a point about the sound system. I should have the link tomorrow. Sorry for the wait.

VentureFar...

[baylensman]

I just read the review dated 2/15> Nicely written thanks Don. It seems that the Eluder/Venture seat is still a little rough, waiting for Butler etal to see about aftermarket fixes. Infotainment seems to suffer just like Ford's sync system, its not Android or Apple so its not intuitive but can be learned! No mention of the Heat problems encountered by Eluder drivers and other test rides of Ventures

[VentureFar]

Here is my ride report on the 2018 Venture. Two up and solo.

https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2018/03/01/iron-butt-comparison-2018-yamaha-star-venture-vs-personalized-2007-royal-star-venture/

Hope you like it, I enjoyed writing it for everyone here on the forum.

I hope it answers most of your questions. Feel free to ask about anything I didn't cover.

VentureFar...

[cowpuc]

,,,, :clap2::clap2::thumbsup:!!

 

VERY well done my brother and an EXCELLENT read!!!

 

Matter of fact,,, this is so well done that if I were a club moderator with all the power over man and beasts like they

get to have, I would wave my magic wand and POOF - this thread would find its way over to the Gen 3 section = IMHO,, its that good!!!

 

WHAT AM I SAYING!! We dont need no lop eared sneaky moderator varmint messing with us... I think I will just make a new thread over in that forum area highlighting your published article all by my own self!!!

[cecdoo]

Great write-up enjoyed going along for the ride. Hopefully they come up with a fix for the seat and heat. I would still be interested in taking one for a spin, like the low seat ht and center of gravity and really interested in the power band of that motor. Dust on the tank? I had an 06 Black Cherry beautiful bike and color, I swear after spending 2 hrs shining her up, the minute I put her into first gear there was dust on the tank. I was always wiping that thing off.

 

Thanks again, Craig