Purchased a 2009 Venture on Labor Day.......

[YamahaLarry]

Got it with plans to transfer all my HOK Voodoo Kandy painted body parts from my 99 Venture to it, and parts from the 09 to the 99 and eventually sell the 99 Venture. It has been a great bike. Currently 70k miles and still runs like it did when I got it with 20k+ miles on it.

 

The one I just purchased seems to be a good bike. It does ride and handle much different than the 99. Sits taller, I guess due to the pillow topped seats maybe, and just feels lighter or something. Had 38k miles on it when I picked it up in Taccoa, GA on Monday. Drove it some 175 miles to Sevierville, TN (thru 2 rain storms, fun on those twisties of 441 between Cherokee and Gatlinburg). Then yesterday, drove it some 265 miles to my home in Moody, AL on mostly back roads. It ran well. I was expecting to get maybe 42 to 45 mpg, but did run the final 45 miles on interstate at 75 to 80 mph, and much of the 1st tank in 3rd gear coming over the mountain in Gatlinburg. Overall mileage was 39.6. I will sync carbs soon as I get time and run a check on another couple tanks or so.

 

The guy that had the bike has been using Valvoline Synthetic 50w oil. IMO, that's a little thick. I've been running Rotella T6 40w with MotoKote treatment in my 99 since day 1, and will be changing this one over to that.

 

The engine seems to have a little bit of excessive rattle from the front of the engine when started cold. After running it down the road for a few minutes and coming to a stop, it has quietened down to very very little rattle. Not sure what that is all about??? Maybe the T6 + MotoKote will fix that. Also when it is first cranked and rattling, when you barely let out on the clutch to put a little load on the engine, it quietens down totally. Any ideas from you old time Venturers? My 99 has some clicking from the front side, but it's different sound than this. This is more of like a loose rattling sound. Hoping it's not cam chain.

 

I had been looking for a while for a 2007 or newer at a good deal. Most folks for the 2009s with fairly low mileage seen to be wanting 5500 and up. This guy wanted 4400 initially, we settled for 4k even. So, I am hoping it turns out to be a good deal.

 

Here's a pic of what it looked like on Monday before a bath.

 

 

And of course, my 99. All the HOK painted surfaces to be transferred to the 2009. Painted in memory of 6 year old childhood cancer patient, Princess Emma Mitchell of Oxford, AL. My Princess. Sep 02, 2008 - Sep 15, 2014. RIP sweet princess.

[RSTDdog]

How long did the prior owner have it?? Did valve adjustment get done at 26000? Rattle is probably not valves or valve adjustment if you can't get it to quiet down loading the clutch. Rattle may be carb sync issue if they are out alot.

[YamahaLarry]

How long did the prior owner have it?? Did valve adjustment get done at 26000? Rattle is probably not valves or valve adjustment if you can't get it to quiet down loading the clutch. Rattle may be carb sync issue if they are out alot.

 

He owned it for 5 years and put right at 25k miles on it, and no on the valve adjustment, I did ask about that, and also no on sync of carbs. I may do carbs on Sunday. Have a bike ride all day Saturday and bike night at the local Harley dealership that evening. I will probably go out in a bit and pop the oil plug and let it be draining and fill it in the morning before heading to work on it and see if the oil change makes any difference.

 

Also, when you raise the rpm just a tad, the rattling subsides. And when riding it, even up thru the mountains in NC and TN, there didn't seem to be any noticeable vibration/thumping that maybe 1 cylinder was way out of sync with the others, but with the mpg not as well as I expected, it could still be carbs maybe.

 

Gonna also pour some Seafoam in the tank since I just topped it off this afternoon. I like running that thru before adjusting the carbs.

 

ONE MORE note, the choke is stuck and I can't pull it out by hand. Assume it is all the way in since it doesn't smell to be running rich and idles good. Never have a stuck choke before. Will deal with that this weekend as well. Thankfully it starts right up with a touch of the button.

[djh3]

OK My .02 on noise. If it rattles with clutch engaged IE handle out and then you pull clutch in, I would lean towards something in that system. What that could be I'm not sure. I have never had the clutch system apart on one of these.

[YamahaLarry]

OK My .02 on noise. If it rattles with clutch engaged IE handle out and then you pull clutch in, I would lean towards something in that system. What that could be I'm not sure. I have never had the clutch system apart on one of these.

 

It does change when sitting in neutral and pull the clutch in and let it out. It's quieter with the clutch in at an idle, but my 99 is the same way. Clutch basket, whether it be the bearing or whatever, is quieter with clutch disengaged (handle in). The rattle I am talking about is more from the front of the engine and not the clutch basket area.

 

I did go out tonight and changed the oil to T6 and added 6 ounces of MotorKote treatment. Rode it about 7 miles and it was much quieter, but not sure if that was due to the engine warming or the oil and treatment. Will know more in the morning when I get on her to ride to work, 22 miles with 19 of it being interstate.

[Freebird]

I seriously doubt it is the valves. As the valve train wears, the valves get tighter, not looser. Unless they were set way too loose at some point, that is not likely the issue.

[Woody]

what bike ride you doing Saturday?

[YamahaLarry]

what bike ride you doing Saturday?

 

It's the Remembering Brittney Ride out of Pinson to Hanceville FD. I will most likely be running lead on it with Jefferson County Motor Division escort. 3 deputies on their GoldWings. And on Sunday is the 9/11 Memorial Ride out of Legion Post in Fairfield. Also have rides for the next Saturday and Sunday that I will be running lead on. One out of Riders in Trussville and the other out of Roadhouse RC in Odenville.

 

[Woody]

to bad I have already made promises for tomorrow, good luck

[YamahaLarry]

How long did the prior owner have it?? Did valve adjustment get done at 26000? Rattle is probably not valves or valve adjustment if you can't get it to quiet down loading the clutch. Rattle may be carb sync issue if they are out alot.

 

 

Pretty sure problem solved. Changed oil last night. Didn't really make any drastic noticeable change. Maybe just a little.

 

When I got home from work tonight, went ahead and sync'd carbs. The 2 hoses were baked on, so the previous owner obviously never had it done.Ended up cutting about 1/2 inch off end of each hose. Still long enough, but barely.

 

Anyhow, carbs were WAY OFF. When I did #1 and #2 (the ones off the most) the noise actually got worse, but more of a knocking than rattling. Then did the other 2 and still and it started getting better, and RPMs went up, so had to idle it back down to 1k rpm. Then when I brought the 2 pairs together, RPM got really high, over 1500. Brought it back down to 1k and then #1 and #2 were off a little, so had to repeat the process. But no more rattling sound from the 2 front cylinder area.

 

Wasn't able to take it for a spin. Started raining before I got done. May take it out here in a bit when it stops, but real test will come tomorrow. Will be participating in a charity ride and will put tween 150 an 200 miles on her tomorrow.

 

Now the next task, figuring out why the choke is stuck.

[RSTDdog]

Carb sync can cause weird noises. Glad that helped. I would recommend getting new hoses and also the rubber caps for the sync ports so you don't get air leaks there. Buy the Yamaha parts. More money, but in my experience hold up better than rubber caps from auto store. Choke presumably stuck in (off) and not out out (on) correct? You will have to pull the tank and inspect carefully the linkages and see if there is anything hanging up.

[BlueSky]

The carb sync being off is probably why you got such a great deal! Congratulations!

[YamahaLarry]

Carb sync can cause weird noises. Glad that helped. I would recommend getting new hoses and also the rubber caps for the sync ports so you don't get air leaks there. Buy the Yamaha parts. More money, but in my experience hold up better than rubber caps from auto store. Choke presumably stuck in (off) and not out out (on) correct? You will have to pull the tank and inspect carefully the linkages and see if there is anything hanging up.

 

I have some of the caps that I had ordered from Boats.net a couple years ago, but gonna get some rubber hose and replace whats on there for sure. I will be tearing the bike down in a few weeks after I get done with 4 more upcoming bike rides this month and will deal with the choke at that time. I am sure I will be calling on the experts here. Have never messed with the choke or carbs other than sync'd them on my 99 several times. Actually, in over 50k miles of riding the 99, the only problem I have ever had was the regulator/rectifier was putting out 18v about a year ago.

[RSTDdog]

The choke on these bikes is more correctly defined as a fuel enrichener circuit. Each carb has a brass plunger assembly in it. The linkage pulls out on the brass plungers to open them to allow extra fuel for a cold start. There is a rubber seat on the end of each plunger that covers the orifice in the carb body. The linkage ties all four plungers together to open at the same time. Either one or more plungers is stuck, or something in the linkage is not right. That said, After I went through the carburetors on my RSTD, check all the float settings, replaced the orings on the seats for the needle valves and pulled the caps from the mixture screws and adjusted the mixture, I could start the bike with no choke in Florida, with the exception of really cold days.

 

There are a lot of good posts and discussions on servicing the carburetors on these bikes when you get to it.

[BlueSky]

If it starts fine without the choke, it is probably set up too rich.

[Woody]

May take it out here in a bit when it stops, but real test will come tomorrow. Will be participating in a charity ride and will put tween 150 an 200 miles on her tomorrow.

 

 

Did your bike ride carry you to Munford today we passed the Jack's there and there looked to be about 20 bikes and I was stuck in a car.

[YamahaLarry]

If it starts fine without the choke, it is probably set up too rich.

 

I am beginning to think that this is a true statement. Had it for 6 days and have already ran 7 tanks of fuel thru it and have gotten 40 mpg only once, and that was today at the end of a 9/11 memorial ride. On my 99 RSV in these types or rides where the biggest part of the driving is in 4th gear, I usually average around 42 to 43 mpg.

 

It doesn't smell excessively rich, but unlike my 99, on a cold start, it idles remarkably well without having to apply a small amount of choke. Overall though, I am pleased with my purchase. Bike seems to be running well and performing well.

 

I did discover today that the prior owner had put 20psi in the front shocks. Yesterday during a charity ride running a bumpy road pretty hard, the handlebars wanted to fight me mostly in the twistys and seemed unsafe at times. I was running lead and trying to stay up with the law enforcement assisting me and them on their GoldWings. It got hairy at times.

 

I dropped the pressure down to 5psi and that helped a tons. May take it on down to zero. Will deal with the carb choke issue when I do the teardown to swap a the body parts with my 99.