2nd Generation acceleration

[JoeSense]

Just picked up a 2007 Royal Star Venture Midnight edition with 15k miles for $4500. While think it’s a great looking bike, it’s super heavy and doesn't seem to accelerate out of 1st gear like my 83 Venture Royal. Is this just me or do need a tune up? I was told it had never seen a drop of ethanol and always maintained. I also feel like this bike gets thrown around on the highway. I’m going to try the wider front tire, soon as I decide if I keep it or fix 2nd gear in the 83. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

[luvmy40]

The '83 is far more snappy out of the hole than the Gen 2. The '83 is by far the fastest, most nimble bike of the family and, one might even argue, of it's class across the board.

However, the Gen2 is far from a pig. It should out perform any but the top performance HDs. Is your engine bogging on the hole shot or is your clutch slipping? Clutch slippage is a universal problem with the stock Gen2 and there are a few clutch upgrade kits available. Skydoc_17 sells a great clutch upgrade kit at a competitive price. There is also a Barnett kit out there.

I'd start by verifying you are firing on all 4 cylinders then a carb sync.

Edited September 5, 2021 by luvmy40

[saddlebum]

lumvmy40 is correct on all accounts although you should have no issue detecting a slipping clutch. One thing with these V4's to keep in mind they run so well even on three cylinders that you don't notice sometimes that one cylinder is not firing until you try pulling up a grade in around the 2000 rpm range or find yourself down shifting on a hard pull or uphill grade  sooner than you normally would. Though the Gen 2 is not as a quick as the Gen 1 specially the MK1 (83-85) they still are no slouch for a big bike with a stock engine.

1. Check and make sure its firing on all four ( it may be something as simple as a bad plug ). Simplest place to start is to check and make sure you have spark on all four cylinders and if you do try a new set of plugs ( even a set of new plugs can sometimes have a faulty one ).
2. f the bike had been sitting I would drain all the fuel including the carbs, replace with fresh gas and half a can of Seafoam to a full tank and take it for a good run keeping my rpms closer to the upper rpm range
3. Who knows when the bike last had a valve set, it may be  overdue which leaves the chance that there is not enough valve clearance which can compromise your compression values because if the valves are too tight they may not fully seat or have a longer open time than they should. So going over your valve settings is always a good idea.
4. Carb issues is another thing to consider. whether it has had ethanol free gas or not crud can still build up in carb if it has been sitting. as the gas ages it begins to separate as volatile vapors evaporate from the gas. Sliders may become sticky and diaphragms may get old and brittle or just develop pin holes this were removing the diaphragms and sliders to inspect them is a good idea and while they are out give the carb a good flushing with a quality carb cleaner. Note as good as seafoam is as an additive, as a cold cleaning spray it is not as good as some of the more carb cleaning sprays.
5. Even though it may have always used ethanol free gas keep in mind all gas still contains a small degree of moisture. As well depending on how often the bike has sat for long stretches there is condensation within the tank to consider. The lower the fuel level in the tank the more free surface area within the tank the more condensation/moisture accumulates in the tank. If the bike is never ridden with the valve in the reserve position this can allow for a nice collection of water to develop in the tank.  ( I ride with the bike in reserve at all times except when on long road trips so that gas is always picked up from the lowest point in the tank to avoid accumulation of contaminates in the lower section of the tank  ).

[RDawson]

2 hours ago, saddlebum said:

Even though it may have always used ethanol free gas keep in mind all gas still contains a small degree of moisture. As well depending on how often the bike has sat for long stretches there is condensation within the tank to consider. The lower the fuel level in the tank the more free surface area within the tank the more condensation/moisture accumulates in the tank. If the bike is never ridden with the valve in the reserve position this can allow for a nice collection of water to develop in the tank.  ( I ride with the bike in reserve at all times except when on long road trips so that gas is always picked up from the lowest point in the tank to avoid accumulation of contaminates in the lower section of the tank  ).

Moral of this story: keep the tank full, ride it enough to keep the gas fresh, have tons of fun and miles of smiles. Setting around months at a time is the worst thing to do to these bikes. They’re built to ride not look at, that other brand of trailer queens takes care of that market. 
 

[JoeSense]

On 9/5/2021 at 6:24 AM, luvmy40 said:

The '83 is far more snappy out of the hole than the Gen 2. The '83 is by far the fastest, most nimble bike of the family and, one might even argue, of it's class across the board.

However, the Gen2 is far from a pig. It should out perform any but the top performance HDs. Is your engine bogging on the hole shot or is your clutch slipping? Clutch slippage is a universal problem with the stock Gen2 and there are a few clutch upgrade kits available. Skydoc_17 sells a great clutch upgrade kit at a competitive price. There is also a Barnett kit out there.

I'd start by verifying you are firing on all 4 cylinders then a carb sync.

Thanks for the info. The clutch may be slipping. Even with a tight squeeze on the clutch, I notice it lurches forward when I fire it up. Rev limiter also seems to kick in way to early. Yeah, the 83 is more fun for sure! 

[saddlebum]

20 minutes ago, JoeSense said:

Thanks for the info. The clutch may be slipping. Even with a tight squeeze on the clutch, I notice it lurches forward when I fire it up.

That sounds more like a hydraulic issue than a slipping clutch. Check your clutch fluid level and try flushing and bleeding your clutch system. Don't forget to finish off by cracking the bolt which holds the line to the master open while maintaining pressure on the clutch lever. Make sure to tighten bolt before lever bottoms out. repeat until only air free fluid escapes.

NOTE: use plenty of covering under and around the area of the master to avoid getting fluid on stuff you don't want damaged. I usually wrap a rag around the bolt and wrench and listen for air rather than watch as fluid with air in it makes a distinct sound, something like forcing saliva between the tip of your tongue and the roof of your mouth,   were clean fluid escaping makes no sound.

Edited September 6, 2021 by saddlebum