Gen 2 drags through a curve?

[Patch]

Every so often a picture in the home banner will catch my eye and off I go.

 

I came across one with Steve??? in a left hand curve. He looked quite at ease traveling along but then the next showed he was dragging, then another pic of someone else dragging..

 

So what gives? Is it a mod or are the gen2s that low?

 

Even with a near flat rear I never dragged my gen 1.5..

 

My Cade would on occasion but, drag the boards only, and seems to me she'ed be leaned over a lot more.

 

I also notice a very nice midnight blue perhaps black Gen 2, what I fond surprising was how low the profile was on the front tire, like a cruiser choice over touring..

 

So if you would guys enlighten us or me on some of the reasons or mod decisions..

Thanks

[RandyR]

I've drug the floorboards lightly a couple of times when being over aggressive on both my RSTD and ex-gen2 Venture. I ride conservatively and I've never done it intentionally. But, its good to know the bikes can recover from going into a curve slightly too fast.

 

A number of people have installed lowering links on the 2nd Gens, and I expect that would make them quite prone to footboard dragging in the twisties.

[RDawson]

I have leveling links raising my 07 up an inch and have drug in unexpectedly sharp curves. The wife lets me know when she hears it that I need to slow down. It's not the ride height it's the aggressiveness of the rider.

[Patch]

I have leveling links raising my 07 up an inch and have drug in unexpectedly sharp curves. The wife lets me know when she hears it that I need to slow down. It's not the ride height it's the aggressiveness of the rider.

 

So you found the bike to low from its original height?

 

If you ride that low, do you choose a higher contact patch?

[uncledj]

Don't remember ever dragging my 2nd Gen.

Having said that, I remember dragging all the time on my 81 Honda CB750 Supersport.

Don't ya hate it on a curve when you drag, so you straighten the bike up a bit...but then there's the guardrail, so you have to put it into even more of a lean to avoid the rail....and so you drag again......

Then you say to yourself...." I gotta take it easier on those curves"...lol

I swear,...when I was young...someone up there was watching out for me......Amazing I lived this long.

[Patch]

Don't remember ever dragging my 2nd Gen.

Having said that, I remember dragging all the time on my 81 Honda CB750 Supersport.

Don't ya hate it on a curve when you drag, so you straighten the bike up a bit...but then there's the guardrail, so you have to put it into even more of a lean to avoid the rail....and so you drag again......

Then you say to yourself...." I gotta take it easier on those curves"...lol

I swear,...when I was young...someone up there was watching out for me......Amazing I lived this long.

 

YEP! certainly know that puckering feeling and why I always wear my leathers cause they ware better then....

[vzuden]

So you found the bike to low from its original height?

 

If you ride that low, do you choose a higher contact patch?

 

many of us have raised the rear about an inch to make the bike handle better. Others lower the front by either switching to the 130 tire or sliding the forks up in the triple tree. Either way makes a big difference

[slowrollwv]

Yep I have drug with the wife on board. Went into a 15 MPH up hill right hand curve at about 30MPH in third and the boards pinched my foot into the motor and did a good job on the pipes also. I take it easy in the curves now.

[Patch]

many of us have raised the rear about an inch to make the bike handle better. Others lower the front by either switching to the 130 tire or sliding the forks up in the triple tree. Either way makes a big difference

 

 

Interesting, I'm trying the math out to see what the gains are, certainly lowering rake and some trail which suggests the bike is set with too much stretch for actual driving trends...hmm

[videoarizona]

I lowered the front end of my 2nd gen to make it a little more nimble in slow speed stuff. Left rear stock. I feel she tracks better, too. I kept the wide stock size front tire (others go to a 130 front instead of a 150 stock) and glad I did as she is quite stable in wind gusts and large trucks blasting at me! If you look at the profile of a 2nd gen, even though they say around 6 inch clearance, she will drag some metal through a corner, especially if you are on the throttle and she squats down like she's supposed to. But that's OK. Dragging won't hurt you or the bike unless you hit heavy metal.

 

On my 89 1st gen, I've dragged something underneath going around a left hand decreasing radius turn. I think it was either the center stand or the left muffler. Not sure, just know I was into the turn with engine pumping, wife in back sound asleep and the turn radius decreases. It was one of those "oh ****" moments. I just learned her over more and crossed my mental fingers. Of course, she pulled right through the turn (thank you Shinko 230's) but there was a slight jolt and a scrapping noise... then we were upright on into the next turn. The noise woke up my wife! I found out later she was asleep...I had no idea.

 

So yes, both generations of Ventures can drag metal....

 

BTW, I'm not normally an aggressive rider. I try to read each corner, especially on a twisty 2 lane. I took the 2nd gen down hill on the Devils Highway, rt 191. About 100 miles of serious curves...speeds at 25 mph or less. Like the Dragon, but if you go off the road, you die. Most of Rt191 has drop offs...and they go down a ways! I never scraped anything on that ride, despite the curves. I was probably to scared to go fast enough!!

[RDawson]

So you found the bike to low from its original height?

 

If you ride that low, do you choose a higher contact patch?

I bought it with a lowering kit on it. I am long legged and didn't like the ride, after reading many talking about lowering the front for low speed handling I followed Freebird's idea of leveling links to raise the rear up. Love it. I don't normally ride aggressive enough to drag the boards but have done it. We were in the mountains last spring and after what seemed like the hundredth curve with a 25 mph sign we found one that MEANT 25 mph. She let me know real quick she heard the board drag.

[snyper316]

I lowered the front end of my 2nd gen to make it a little more nimble in slow speed stuff. Left rear stock. I feel she tracks better, too. I kept the wide stock size front tire (others go to a 130 front instead of a 150 stock) and glad I did as she is quite stable in wind gusts and large trucks blasting at me! If you look at the profile of a 2nd gen, even though they say around 6 inch clearance, she will drag some metal through a corner, especially if you are on the throttle and she squats down like she's supposed to. But that's OK. Dragging won't hurt you or the bike unless you hit heavy metal.

 

On my 89 1st gen, I've dragged something underneath going around a left hand decreasing radius turn. I think it was either the center stand or the left muffler. Not sure, just know I was into the turn with engine pumping, wife in back sound asleep and the turn radius decreases. It was one of those "oh ****" moments. I just learned her over more and crossed my mental fingers. Of course, she pulled right through the turn (thank you Shinko 230's) but there was a slight jolt and a scrapping noise... then we were upright on into the next turn. The noise woke up my wife! I found out later she was asleep...I had no idea.

 

So yes, both generations of Ventures can drag metal....

 

BTW, I'm not normally an aggressive rider. I try to read each corner, especially on a twisty 2 lane. I took the 2nd gen down hill on the Devils Highway, rt 191. About 100 miles of serious curves...speeds at 25 mph or less. Like the Dragon, but if you go off the road, you die. Most of Rt191 has drop offs...and they go down a ways! I never scraped anything on that ride, despite the curves. I was probably to scared to go fast enough!!

Rt 62 is the same way quite a few 15-25 mph curves. But they was fun and scenery was breathtaking at least what I saw I was to occupied with keeping her on the road.

 

Sent from my LG-M255 using Tapatalk

[Patch]

I lowered the front end of my 2nd gen to make it a little more nimble in slow speed stuff. Left rear stock. I feel she tracks better, too. I kept the wide stock size front tire (others go to a 130 front instead of a 150 stock) and glad I did as she is quite stable in wind gusts and large trucks blasting at me! If you look at the profile of a 2nd gen, even though they say around 6 inch clearance, she will drag some metal through a corner, especially if you are on the throttle and she squats down like she's supposed to. But that's OK. Dragging won't hurt you or the bike unless you hit heavy metal.

 

On my 89 1st gen, I've dragged something underneath going around a left hand decreasing radius turn. I think it was either the center stand or the left muffler. Not sure, just know I was into the turn with engine pumping, wife in back sound asleep and the turn radius decreases. It was one of those "oh ****" moments. I just learned her over more and crossed my mental fingers. Of course, she pulled right through the turn (thank you Shinko 230's) but there was a slight jolt and a scrapping noise... then we were upright on into the next turn. The noise woke up my wife! I found out later she was asleep...I had no idea.

 

So yes, both generations of Ventures can drag metal....

 

 

Interesting, I can be aggressive especially pulling down on the left, admittedly I have lost much of my right competitiveness. Now Ajay is a true form cafe rider but he wouldn't ride my gen 1.5 after his first try with it. I never dragged that bike even when I thought I pushed to much.

 

If you found the 230s handled well then, if you have the chance try the 1.5 with performance rubber what a difference. I found I was gearing down lower and running through at much higher rpms worth the thrill and cost/mileage wise so money well spent. That 1.5 really could handle for her size.

 

Anyways I did the trail math in metric for the 130 it worked out to 5mm less and at 25mm (rear) that is very close to 6mm.

 

So certainly that would be a very notable handling change and is reflected in your mention of stability in the wind, as more could make for a twitchy heavy touring ride.

 

In 15 they broke into my shop taking my laptop and math tables so I don't have all the formulas any more. But I really want to figure the rake change to the bike, then would like to compare to others I know..

 

Thanks for playing along guys

[videoarizona]

You might be able to do the math based on rake and trail published by Yamaha, then figure out what 1 inch lowering of the front forks in the triple tree would do. That's what I lowered mine down...1 inch.

 

[BlueSky]

Seems to me that raising the forks in the clamps would decrease the rake and make the steering less stable but at highway speeds the lowering of the bike's front end should make it more stable aerodynamically.

[Patch]

Seems to me that raising the forks in the clamps would decrease the rake and make the steering less stable but at highway speeds the lowering of the bike's front end should make it more stable aerodynamically.

 

Yes that was the point we made earlier reducing the trail for (actual driving trends). Like everything in life and machinery there's always trade offs..

 

Wow very clean and polished. I guess for many of us who don't have need anymore to use the math we just forget it. I had all kinds of formulas, notes and links to very good stuff, much of which was very old school stuff written by guys that have since...

 

Anyways I used 4:1mm to get the reduction

[RDawson]

Skipped the math and made the leveling links. The bike handles well from parking lots to triple digits on the interstate. I would've tried it no matter what the math said, dog bones are too easiy made from scrap steel in the shop to not try it. I haven't ridden an RSV at factory height to compare but since it aint broke I aint fixin it, I'm riding it.

[Patch]

Skipped the math and made the leveling links. The bike handles well from parking lots to triple digits on the interstate. I would've tried it no matter what the math said, dog bones are too easiy made from scrap steel in the shop to not try it. I haven't ridden an RSV at factory height to compare but since it aint broke I aint fixin it, I'm riding it.

 

I am certainly all for tuning the ride to the riders style.

 

I'll tell you guys a good one. I road 4000 klm with kinked bars, my rear and front weren't tracking together. I think it took me a day to notice.. Imagine what that must of looked like to the traffic behind me the things we do

[Uturn 780]

You might be able to do the math based on rake and trail published by Yamaha, then figure out what 1 inch lowering of the front forks in the triple tree would do. That's what I lowered mine down...1 inch.

 

https://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=113892

 

What make of bar riser?

[videoarizona]

What make of bar riser?

 

The P.O. put them on. I don't remember what he said they were. I think they are the Baron's..

1 1/2 inch risers. Just make sure they have metric bolts.

 

https://www.denniskirk.com/baron-custom-accessories/1-1-1-2-in-riser-extensions-ba-7430-00.p595937.prd/595937.sku

 

I had to mount the rubber bumpers that went between the bars and the inner fairing with a glue as the fit was now loose. I glued them to the inner fairing.

I did not need to extend the cables and no issues with the throttle cables either.

 

Note: Pretty sure they were Barons....

[Leland]

​This one lifted the bike up. Right side engine guard.