Question on the VMax pumpkin swap

[RDawson]

I remember a thread about cruise not working right for some after the pumpkin swap, maybe Freebird being one of them? After 2 hours going crosseyed looking for it I give up. For those who have done it are you seeing cruise problems? I am really thinking of ordering one now that we're pulling a trailer, but I use CC most of the time I'm on the slabs or long highways and don't want to lose it. With both shoulders giving problems setting the cruise and riding one handed is a must.

[Freebird]

My cruise would only work in 5th gear after my changes. But I don't know if it was the Vmax rear or the Dyna Ignition that caused it. It never failed to work though, it just only worked in 5th gear.

[RDawson]

My cruise would only work in 5th gear after my changes. But I don't know if it was the Vmax rear or the Dyna Ignition that caused it. It never failed to work though, it just only worked in 5th gear.

Thanks Don. I'm still running OEM ignition so hopefully no issues there. Wiz talked to me about the swap at WNY and I've been thinking about it since.

[Freebird]

I am a big fan of the change, especially if you are pulling a trailer. I don't think it will be an issue. Most of the time you are on those long highways, you are in 5th gear anyway.

[WIZ]

My cruise only works in 5th gear also, but I wouldn't change back. Much better pulling a trailer and really like it riding the twisties.

 

Ron

[CaseyJ955]

I went to a COPs and Ignitek setup, Cruise still works but I still have the original pumpkin. I was not aware of any speed sensor or anything back there. Doesnt the cruise read through the speedo on these? I've read that worn lever handle pins can cause cruise to fail by activating the cancel switches.

[RDawson]

I went to a COPs and Ignitek setup, Cruise still works but I still have the original pumpkin. I was not aware of any speed sensor or anything back there. Doesnt the cruise read through the speedo on these? I've read that worn lever handle pins can cause cruise to fail by activating the cancel switches.

The speedometer sensor is in the pumpkin. With only neutral and 5th gear sensors my understanding is the TCI "computes" gear by matching RPMs with speed. With the lower gearing running higher revs for the speed it computes 3rd instead of 4th. That's the explanation I've found online and since it's on the internet it must be true and that's the story I'm sticking to. If that's true I wonder if you could trick it with a speedo healer or DRD. I run the DRD to fix the true speed and probably won't test the theory. If it did work it would change the 80 mph cruise limit.

[Freebird]

I had the speedo healer on mine. Still only worked in 5th gear.

[RDawson]

I had the speedo healer on mine. Still only worked in 5th gear.

In my head (which is a scary place to be) if the healer was programmed to throw the speedometer off to a faster reading you might be able to get 4th gear CC back. Just another of my crazy ideas. It wouldn't be worth it to me but I'm always thinking out of the box. I bought the DRD to get the Speedo right, it always bugged me being off.

[RDawson]

Does anybody know what years the VMax final drives fit the RSV?

[tnt05venture]

(610) 509-8629 John Furbur

 

 

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[RDawson]

(610) 509-8629 John Furbur

 

 

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I’ve talked to John, thinking I may just mill in the speed sensor in a VMax pumpkin.

[RDawson]

For anybody interested, if I understand what research I’ve done the FJR has the same gears as a VMax and on Ebay are 1/3-1/2 price of the VMax pumpkin. I just ordered an FJR pumpkin for $55.

[RDawson]

I finally got around to doing the swap. A local machine shop milled out the speed sensor and I installed it this week. I ground down the “deck” where the sensor sets as it was thicker than the OEM casting and made 1/4” spacers behind the acorn nuts as the studs in the FJR final are longer than the venture. Took it for a test run and yeah I like it. I never checked rear gear temps on the OEM but it’s running 155* which doesn’t seem bad to me. I did lose cruise in fourth also.

[Papa Fred]

I finally got around to doing the swap. A local machine shop milled out the speed sensor and I installed it this week. I ground down the “deck” where the sensor sets as it was thicker than the OEM casting and made 1/4” spacers behind the acorn nuts as the studs in the FJR final are longer than the venture. Took it for a test run and yeah I like it. I never checked rear gear temps on the OEM but it’s running 155* which doesn’t seem bad to me. I did lose cruise in fourth also.

 

I've been running the VMax rear for a couple of weeks...about 1200 mile...some solo, some 2-up, 70/30 split hiway/city. Nothing but good things to say about the results.

Fuel use to this point is pretty close to the same as with the OEM gear. over that distance, I've averaged 45 Imperial MPG (works out to about 38 US MPG) That is essentially the same as I was getting at any given point before the swap. I'll be trying out the new gear pulling my trailer within the next week or so to assess the results with the weight addition, but judging from what I see so far, I won't be disappointed.

 

Regarding the Cruise Control issue, I still have cruise available in 4th and 5th. The only mod I've done to the carbs is to link the Vacuum ports on adjacent carbs with a short (2") piece of rubber gas line. The two original lines that went up under the tank (1 from a carb on each side of the bike) are disconnected, not capped off. Cruise has worked fine all along.