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

[cowpuc]

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

 

One time Tip and I camped out behind a Loves Truck Stop out west right after hitting the truck stop showers.. It was breezy and warm (desert) so when I orientated the tent I did so placing the rain fly's opening so it would capture the breeze and force it over the sleeping bags...

Having experienced the talcum powder like dust that covers the desert region I knew how much like Dry Wall dust that stuff could be but I never really thought about it being airborn all the time = thinking it had to be disturbed to be air born I never really gave it much thought and was shocked to find the inside of our tent covered with dust in just a few short minutes even though I couldnt visibly see the stuff in the headlight of the bike... I cant help but wonder if that talcum powder stuff wasnt caught up in the wind that Neil was experiencing = that stuff is soooo fine that it gets into everything....

[Russbug1]

As I wrote on my Eluder 500 mile day thread, I have a new very bestest friend in the whole wide universe that works for UltimateMotorcycling.com and is feeding me all this fun. Tomorrow night I will have in my hands a brand spanking new 2018 Venture for test riding. Saturday I plan to ride 2up with my wife to get her ( and my) impression of the pillion verses my Gen 2. On Sunday I plan to head from Los Angeles to Tucson AZ and back to do an official Saddle Sore Iron Butt. I have done 2 before on my Gen 2 so I know what to expect and how to compare. Yamaha says the bike is "Transcontinental" so I want to put that to the test. The weather looks great for a warm winter day in the Southwest. cowpuc this is what we have been talking about for 6 months.

I am concerned about the pain that will come from the hyper extension position of my feet on the forward end of the floor boards. I don't like to have my feet under me due to old knees and extending out on the long floor boards is great for the knees but causes a hyper flex of my feet at the ankles. picture a check mark with the small part of the check my foot and the long part my leg. The Venture won't have highway pegs.

More as I get it. Glad I have this opportunity to share this fun stuff.

VentureFar...

 

I am 6’ and some change and love where the floorboards are positioned on my Eluder. I see no need for highway pegs with the stock setup, which I find comfortable :-)

[VentureFar]

I am 6’ and some change and love where the floorboards are positioned on my Eluder. I see no need for highway pegs with the stock setup, which I find comfortable :-)

Remember I don’t have any stock in this, just a ride report for my friends on the forum. And we all know every body is different. The editor of ultimate motorcycling.com is my height and he said the same thin: Didn’t see a reason to have highway pegs.

What is the longest ride you have taken on your new Eluder in one day?

fyi the Venture didn’t give me the same shin pain and I was on it for the same 8 hours just one week later. I don’t know what the different in ergonomics is between the bikes. I just know that I was limping after a day on the eluder

VentureFar...

Edited March 5, 2018 by VentureFar

[Russbug1]

Remember I don’t have any stock in this, just a ride report for my friends on the forum. And we all know every body is different. The editor of ultimate motorcycling.com is my height and he said the same thin: Didn’t see a reason to have highway pegs.

What is the longest ride you have taken on your new Eluder in one day?

fyi the Venture didn’t give me the same shin pain and I was on it for the same 8 hours just one week later. I don’t know what the different in ergonomics is between the bikes. I just know that I was limping after a day on the eluder

VentureFar...

 

Hello... 120 mile round trip. Will be making the same ride tomorrow. I find the bike to be more comfortable than any bike I have owned. I have always had to go with an aftermarket seat and highway pegs. I don’t see those needs on this bike. My wife even likes the backseat comfort. So far, so good!

[VentureFar]

Hello... 120 mile round trip. Will be making the same ride tomorrow. I find the bike to be more comfortable than any bike I have owned. I have always had to go with an aftermarket seat and highway pegs. I don’t see those needs on this bike. My wife even likes the backseat comfort. So far, so good!

Excellent. Happy wife Happy life :-)

VentureFar...

[Russbug1]

Excellent. Happy wife Happy life :-)

VentureFar...

 

Yes sir! I read your complete write up. I don’t have the same problem with cancelling of cruise control. I will test it again tomorrow. I use a flip phone so the phone charging compartment is no big deal for me. I like the way you adjusted the bars. I will look into that. My Stratoliner engine also forced heat around my legs and the seat. Never enough to cause alarm. I will have to wait until the warmer temps come around to assess it. I did not feel any considerable heat a few weeks ago in low 70s temps. I would like to see if smaller antennas are available. Not a big fan of the long whips. I installed the bag protectors for two reasons. First, for protection and two for lid handles. I don’t like pushing down hard on the plastic topside when closing. The protectors helped. The bag lids also chatter when riding over bumps. I will be looking into adding additional bump stops. On occasion the fuel door will not open properly. Unfortunately there is no adjustment. The latch works fine. But there is something misaligned. Not a big deal. If I push the lid to the right after hitting the switch it pops right open. Did you use the tour or sport mode on your journey? For around town I prefer sport mode. I am going to ride in sport mode on the first leg tomorrow and tour mode on the way back to get a better feel. I am also going to purchase the bag liners to prevent things from sliding around. All of my issues are minor. I have never owned a bike that was perfect. But I have to say that this bike is as close to perfect as I have come. I rode the BMW 1600B and found it to be okay but not great. You have to rev it really high to get into the power band, which I did not like. I prefer the low grunt and tractor pull. The BMW also had horrible throttle lag at takeoffs, which annoyed me. Have you had a chance to ride that bike? Thanks, Rich :-)

[Russbug1]

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

 

I ordered an aftermarket leather tank protector that stretches from under the seat tip to the underside of the fuel compartment. It covers the center of the tank between the two center edges are. It is made specifically for this bike. I will report back after installation. My bike is black on black...so I know what you mean about dust! Thanks, Rich :-)

[Russbug1]

Remember I don’t have any stock in this, just a ride report for my friends on the forum. And we all know every body is different. The editor of ultimate motorcycling.com is my height and he said the same thin: Didn’t see a reason to have highway pegs.

What is the longest ride you have taken on your new Eluder in one day?

fyi the Venture didn’t give me the same shin pain and I was on it for the same 8 hours just one week later. I don’t know what the different in ergonomics is between the bikes. I just know that I was limping after a day on the eluder

VentureFar...

 

We will be taking a ride to Yosemite after the snow melts, which is a 4 hour ride each way. I will know a lot more then. My wife and I tend to take shorter rides in the 120 mile range. So I believe discomfort will be less of an issue for us. Thanks, Rich :-)

[VentureFar]

READ THIS FIRST

If you are going to adjust bars put thick protection on the tank below both button control consoles. If the bars are loosened and you or a trusted friend are not holding on tight in the up directional falls. If it falls you will dent your tank !

 

I always rode in the touring mode. I hit the botton a few times to check it out but I found no need to have more umph.

 

I didn’t hear the bag lids rattling.

Please get yourself a new horn.

I use the cruise control any time I am going straight for a bit.

I used the cruise control a lot and 100 percent of the time when I tapped the front brake or rear brake lightly it would jerk hard as though I really hit the front brake- which I didn’t

 

Enjoy your new scoot.

 

VentureFar...

[Russbug1]

READ THIS FIRST

If you are going to adjust bars put thick protection on the tank below both button control consoles. If the bars are loosened and you or a trusted friend are not holding on tight in the up directional falls. If it falls you will dent your tank !

 

I always rode in the touring mode. I hit the botton a few times to check it out but I found no need to have more umph.

 

I didn’t hear the bag lids rattling.

Please get yourself a new horn.

I use the cruise control any time I am going straight for a bit.

I used the cruise control a lot and 100 percent of the time when I tapped the front brake or rear brake lightly it would jerk hard as though I really hit the front brake- which I didn’t

 

Enjoy your new scoot.

 

VentureFar...

 

No doubt on protecting the tank topside! I actually enjoyed the tour mode on long flat runs. I switched to sport mode when going up hills. Both modes have their purpose and they do a great job under those conditions. The lid rattle is minor. Something I will work on when it warms up. I rarely use the horn. But I take it you don’t think it is loud enough? I played with the cruise control today and did notice the speed drop. It was not too bad, but noticeable. I am liking this bike more and more after each ride. Super pleased. Thanks, Rich :-)