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There's an old saying, "It's better to be a BIG fish in a little pond, than a little fish in a big pond"! Over the years, people have come and gone from VR.ORG not because they were here to seek information about their bikes, but because they were here to create turmoil, whine about their "lot in life", take advantage of free parts and services, or bad mouth other members. Because of Freebird's integrity, he has kept these distractions to a minimum, and allowed the "real members" to learn about their motorcycles, share parts and events and enjoy the "protected environment" that is VR.ORG. In this day and age, it is a pleasure to come to this forum KNOWING that the type of bike I ride, my political affiliation, my gender, my masking preferences, or the color of my skin will NOT bar me from learning about my scoot, finding out where the next "meet and greet" will be, or if I break down on the road, where help can be found. The entire world could stand to learn a lesson from this little microcosm we affectionately call VR.ORG. I thank GOD every day for men like Don Nelson and some of the other members of this forum that have allowed me to travel the country, share my kits with them, been patient with me during the development process of something new, and have just been "Damn Good Friends" over the years. Sadly, the Internet has become the World Stage for the "bullies" and "bad mouther's" that we ALL ran into when we were growing up. There was a time when people like Don Nelson would have put them in their place once and for all, (GOD Bless Texas!) and these sub-human beings would go on to live their lives in mediocrity and shame. Now, in the safety of their mother's basement, they spread their Anger and Fear and Loathing to ALL that will listen. Lastly, $12 is a VERY small price to pay for the information, friendship, and instruction I have gleaned from this forum over the years. I have spent a LOT more money on "stupider" stuff in my life, that's for sure! As far as FACEBOOK and TWITTER goes, they are what I would expect from a "FREE" subscription service. Controlled by shallow people with an "Axe to Grind" about all of the terrible things that have happened to them because "They Didn't Get Their Way"! ADULT CHILDREN!! This is of course is just my OPINION, and Your Mileage May Vary! Earl

Your not far from wrong. I see a bunch of whining babies that don't understand the concept of 'your siting on a hot engine with a can of gas between your legs'. I've been kicked from the one guys page so I registered with my wife's account and posted that he was making more from the ads on FB than @Freebird made on the $12 per year and he need to leave his butt hurt attitude out of the site. It opened a can of worms before he deleted the thread and kicked almost 20 people from the group. There are more FB pages that are a waste of the precious time we have. All they want to do is complain about the GPS, the SVTC is too hot etc etc. I just leave those groups within a few minutes of reading comments. And, . . . . I always recommend people to come here. I tell them it's one of the few sites where you get excellent knowledge access for all 3 generations of the Venture. Only the one guy had a problem with that.

LOL. I always tell people I don't know everything but I know who to call or can find someone who knows. That's why I refer people here.

One of my other favorite past times on other sites when answering questions, especially when I really cant help a person in need is responding with "go ask the GURU's on VR,,, if they cant fix it no one can".

I have ALWAYS referred people back to VR on both FB and when answering questions on my U-tube page and many other utube pages in the owners "comment" section.. It may not right, it may not be acceptable but that is the way I roll. I really dont care much for either platform, never have and never will, BUT I choose to use both to OUR advantage for as long as I can get away with it LOL.. With all the fake news and misinformation infesting the internet these days I am one who likes to focus on truth. I know,, I am wayyy out there in some of my thought processes but I still don't think even our own Face Book page did our club any favors as far as keeping the group dynamics going that we at VR had the blessing of experiencing years ago. I know,, pretty hardcore

My first attempt with beer brats was last week. Recipe said to cover and simmer. They came out boiled and not good. So my own take this week is to just slowly add beer and deglaze the pan and let them crisp up on the skin. First round went well! Now for that onion jam gravy at the end. FYI this is also how I’d like to cook on an MC trip.

You are correct about the trailer. We don't use it a lot and by that I mean maybe 3 times a year for relatively short rides...2 - 300 miles. This was the first long haul with it (approx 1200 miles), and it was pretty much 3 days of steady riding. ( Old Fart Tour) Broad strokes...Winnipeg, MB to Kenora, ON, then down to International Falls, MN, south and east to Ely, MN, down to Lake Superior then West from Duluth to Grand Forks, ND and home to Winnipeg. A lot of that was in moderate hilly country and I don't generally cruise any quicker than 65 mph. The VMax rear puts the engine at 3500rpm, which seems to be a happy spot for the motor. All that to say this...The bike seemed to be working fine considering the all-in weight. I had some concerns about pulling a trailer before getting one, and thought I was moving in the right direction by going with that VMax rear after reading a few posts from members who had gone that route. As for "stirring the pot" 🙂..the one oddity I noticed when I got the bike up on my scissor jack.(besides that whole bearing thing) was there had been oil seeping out at the joint of the gear pumpkin and the drive shaft tube (those 4 acorn nuts). It wasn't dripping, more like oozing out then carried toward the rear by the wind. Not a lot of oil, but enough to catch dirt. Definitely a first. Wrapping up here, for now...I know a guy who has a wrecked 2nd Gen (unsure of year but I think it's newer than mine). The bike was written off after a front-end hit. Everything from the handlebars forward was damaged, but everything aft is good. If memory serves I think the rad was untouched, which to me suggests no engine damage other than the sudden stop. He says he will sell me the engine. As of this post, I have not been to see him to determine a price, or for that matter to confirm the motor does indeed run. Something I have to get my head around, since I don't have the ability or shop space to pull and disassemble a motor. This whole riding thing is fun tho...right?

It’s not just FB that gets their panties in a wad. I was part of a forum that unfortunately was run by liberals. There was a convo about vaccinations and masks. One guy who was a lower admin, I shredded his argument with logic before another senior admin jumped in to help him in his error. The problem was is that these liberals thought that because they were “admin” that their opinion on a subject gave them an unquestionable stance. I’m sorry, but unless you’re dealing with a site policy violation, EVERYTHING an admin says regarding a subject is subject to the same scrutiny as anyone else’s opinion. They didn’t see it that way. Now I’m banned from the site because I wouldn’t cowtow to it. They even lied about a violation I didn’t commit to get me “re-banned” after another admin let me back on. It’s sad and their loss. They even went so far as to block my IP address, so regardless that I can’t post anything, I can’t even look at the site! Talk about petty!

Yup....that's the guy that a number of us have had run in with. Think the admin's name is Sonny. Sorry to say but he is a Canadian out of Hamilton Ontario - bad example of Canadians, eh. He was a short term free member here and scavenged some documentation. Facebook is "free" and like you said he makes profit from advertising but has a hard on for spending $1 per month to get (mostly) intelligent and experienced information. We all know that Freebird doesn't have this site to become rich.

There is a write up in the 2nd Gen read only section (under electrical) on how to connect a tach. Not difficult....power and ground, wrap other wire around cylinder 4 negative cable....

I will probably get slapped for this one but Facebook always reminded me of an Old time sewing Circle

I am with @Marcarl Will be checking with my travel agent(Phantom Wife) Y'all talking permanent vacation are making me anxious, guess I gotta be patient for 10 more days.😜

Thanks for that last bit of info @cowpuc...it addressed most of the questions I had...I'm sure more will pop up before long. I like that idea of using an old clutch "steel" as a hub lock. It just so happens I have a few steel plates from the clutch swap a while back, along with a buddy's Lincoln wire welder that he's in no hurry to get back. I might just give that a try, or possibly your strap grip method. Either way my 40 year old Craftsman Impact will be getting some exercise tonite. Don't worry about carryin' on with the replies..I was able to make sense of it and follow right along. Now I just have to transfer that "sense" to my hands and tools in the garage. 🤓 Cheers...

One of the facebook groups was started by a very dis-enchanted ex VR member. Seems after all these years bad mouthing VR is still his number one priority. So sad.

It took me 11 years, but I'm finally back and in the saddle of a RSV. In fact, it's not just any RSV. Two days ago I purchased @Dano's 08 along with what I'm told is Aussie Annie's trailer from her first trip to the US. Really hoping to reconnect with some old friends on here, make some great new ones, and become part of this community again. I'm now in Central Kentucky, so if anyone is in the area, hit me up and we'll go for a ride!