Royal Star Venture S 2012

[Davvid]

I am just about to buy a 2012 RS Venture S that has only 17,900 km on it. I have never ridden a Venture or any touring bikes. I have always been a cruiser guy. Is there a big difference in the balance with the rear luggage box if it is installed? At this moment in time it is not installed. How is the ride compared to a Triumph Thunderbird and of course the Road Star? The sound system is also a cassette player. I am  shocked to see a 2012 have cassette player. How could I change it to a bluetooth system with the speakers in their current positions?

Anything else that I need to look at? The Bike has been not used for an year. It starts very well as I think the owner has charged the battery. From outside it looks good but has a bit of rust on the chrome and `I presume it can be cleaned up?

All advice would be most appreciated. 

Thank you. 

[XV1100SE]

2012?  You should post this question in the 2nd Gen section.  A moderator can move it to the right section ( @Marcarl )

I have a 2009 RSV Venture.  With the trunk there is a capacity limit but even full you won't notice it.  I've even had a trunk rack bag on top and no difference in ballance.  Same with saddlebags....there is a weight limit per side but again you won't notice it unless you load one side a lot heavier than the other.

The Venture is top heavy to begin with having a 22 liter fuel tank and with the way it is designed.  You do get used to it.

On the cassette...there was only limited/minor changes between 1999 and 2013 (colour, seats....).  In 2009 they offered a 6 disk cd player which went in the left saddlebag.  You may have noticed a connector there same as for the intercom/headset connection.

For bluetooth... I use a Garmin Zumo 660 GPS and have my cell phone connected to it thru bluetooth and used the "BuddyRich" cable to tie into the bike's audio system.  GPS loaded with mp3 files and play them with the audio system set to AUX.

Some people have added a bluetooth adapter to the bike.  There should be a write up in the 2nd Gen tech section.

For a 10 year old bike...did you get service records?  If you didn't get the owners manual it can be downloaded from here.  General maintenance to check is oil (change ever 6,000-8,000km), coolant (every 2 years), rear gear oil (every 2 years), brake fluid (every 2 years).  If you don't know when these were done, should do it.  Tires - check the date code on manufacture date.  Anything more than 7 years old should replace.

If the bike has sat for a while, with around 1/2 tank of gas put a full can of SeaFoam in the tank.  That will help (but not totally) clean the carbs.  Depending on the oil condition SeaFoam can also be added to the oil but expect blue exhaust until it burns off (use it if the oil hasn't been changed in a long time (cleans the bottom end of the engine).

If the trunk was removed....did they leave the audio/cb system in place?  If they removed the trunk (and saddlebags?) make sure you get all the parts/bolts/spacers.

Edited August 16, 2022 by XV1100SE

[ChiefGunner]

This is in the wrong section Don. @Freebird

[Freebird]

Moved.   Thanks.  

[vzuden]

This doesn’t address your questions but to update - the 2012 had an iPod that came with it.  There is (or was) a cable in the left saddle bag to connect it to the sound system.  I never used it or the cassette and rarely the radio.  I prefer my phone in a Ram mount on the handle bar and Bluetooth to my helmet.

[videoarizona]

Davvid ,

looks like you've been covered with answers.

I enjoy the cassette. I make my own mixes and once in a while cruise the old music stores to pick up pre-recorded tapes for cheap.

I also use my Garmin, connected via a Y cable to the audio system aux input. It has a SD card slot that I use for my music library. I get music and turn directions that way. You can easily add a Bluetooth transmitter if you don't want the gps unit. I even added a passive mixer so I could add an XM receiver as well. That and the GPS live on the bars just fine.

In addition to maintenance mentioned, every thing you do to bike from now on should be considered a baseline for your future maintenance. So basically, the more you do after purchase, the better off you will be... Even in terms of getting to know the bike.

As mentioned, the bike feels heavy when you first start to ride it. Ponderous is the word that comes to mind. I lowered the front forks about an inch and that changed the handling dynamics for the better! Procedure is on this site. I've been across country with scoot and found it to be a very pleasant experience. Seat is very good. I bought the widest/tall Clearview windshield with vent and stayed dry in Oklahoma storms. (Except the knees). I could ride all day and not be tired. Says something for the comfort of having a heavy bike. And I'm not young anymore!

Good luck, stick around here. Good people and lots of help available!

David

[djh3]

The 130 (I think it is) front tire helps the bike be a bit more nimble. I also lowered the forks in the triple tree to help with getting the bike a bit lower for me to touch ground. AS mentioned the bikes CG is high, but once rolling, I doubt you can find a nicer riding bike.

[Davvid]

Thank you very much everyone here. Yes I have found that they bike is ponderous and I have tipped it over twice in two days. Both times at gas stations and had to stop suddenly while the handle bars were turned and it tipped over. Lesson learnt. 

Does the lowering of the forks help with the C of G? Is there any side affect of the lowering of the forks?

[circa1968]

Lowering the front helps a bit, but slow speed handling on this bike may take a little getting used to.

Regarding the cassette and bluetooth, I removed the cassette player itself and made a little storage cubby out of out instead.  You have to remove the front fairing, and wiggle around inside there a bit to get the cassette player out.  Not easy, but certainly doable if I can.

The cassette player has an aux connector in the front and there is a separate aux cable on the back of the cassette which goes to the head unit.  Its a simple 1/8" DIN style connector.  I purchased a small Bluetooth receiver from amazon, hard-wired it to switched power, ground and ran the output to the aux connector.  I also hard-wired a phone charger/holder and mounted on the bars, near the right side controls.  Now, when I ride, I set the audio to AUX, connect my iphone to the bluetooth and listen to Pandora.  I've also got a good collection of songs stored on my phone in case I'm out of range to receive pandora, but that hasn't happened yet.

Stick with it, you'll get used to handling.  For reference, I'm ~ 5' 9" and weigh 155 soaking wet.  I'm sure its easier for the big dudes here to handle this bike, but again, if I can do it, its doable.

[Davvid]

Thank you very much Circa. Yes the sound is not very good with just only two speakers ( I do not have the rear seat with the speakers) I will change it too by removing the cassette and installing an amp/bluetooth there if possible. I also saw a cigarette lighter connector in the fairing. Is this normally connected too and could it be used to charge the phone? But I guess these days the phone chargers are much faster than going thru a cigarette lighter charger. 

It certainly is cumbersome at low speeds. I have been used to a 1600cc Triumph Thunderbird and now a 1600 Yamaha Roadstar. Both are very nimble in compared to the Venture. I am 5'9 and around 194 lbs and have dropped it twice in two days at stops. Yes I know now I should keep the handle bars straight when stopping. But even at traffic lights and road works it is cumbersome and difficult to stop. I am now trying to stop it using a walking stop. But the experts here could please tell me how to stop it?

Once it gets going is is a beauty. I thought that I would miss the 6th gear that the Triumph Thunderbird had but this was purring around 120km or so. 

[PastorCurt]

Stopping these beasts is not intuitive, keeping your handlebars and your head straight is necessary. A walking stop won’t work for me cuz as you know, these things are HEAVY, and I need to have my footing alongside of me and not behind me. I am 6’3” and 200 lbs so I have some height which helps me. Plan your position on the road for your stopping point, away from cracks and dips in the road. Get it into first gear before you completely stop. I put my left foot down first so I can stop using rear brakes and then I grab the front brake so I can have both feet down.  

[circa1968]

What @PastorCurt described is a very good method for controlled stops.  Dragging the rear brake as you come to a stop and using less front will prevent front dive, which seems to make it a bit more unstable, IMHO.  The other change I made to the bike was upgrading the front calipers to the R6 4-pistons.  The stock calipers will stop the bike, but they always seemed to be just off/on to me with too little finesse.  When I had to make a quickish stop, it seemed like they were doing nothing until I really grabbed hard, then it was too much and a nose dive and an unstable stop.  With the 4-piston calipers I have much more finesse and control over how much brake power is applied and can ease into most stops with little to no front end dive. 

BTW, I lowered my front only 1/2" as I didn't want to make a too dramatic change (so I thought) and then have to go back and redo it.  Even 1/2" made a big change and I can more or less flat-foot at a stop.  My heels might be just a hair off the ground if I am not leaning more to the left at a stop. 

If/when you lower it, the rubber bumpers that sit between the handlebars and the fairing will need to be modified.  I just used a dremel with a small sanding wheel to make the U cutout a little deeper so they sit further down on the bars. 

Here is the bluetooth receiver I installed:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/331841419661

And the phone holder/charger:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/392997266015?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=v984r6nmshi&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=5AnVekZESR-&var=661914431613&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Davvid]

Thank you very much Pastorcurt and Circa. Yes it is heavy I now know. As you said, the front brakes on mine seems to nose dive. I will try to get it changed to the R6 4 pistons. It is a beautiful bike when it is on the move especially on the highway. I really enjoyed my ride apart from the drops. Now I know for a fact that the handle bars were turning left both times and it was to the left that it tipped over.