petekadish

So . . ., it sounds like there is still a question about exactly what bulb I need. So, were would be the best place check for this information? I figured that someone here must have either done it already, or at least would know if it would be worth trying. I would ask my local dealer, but the last time that I went in there to order an oil filter, the kid working the counter asked me what kind of bike I had, and I told him that it was a Venture. Then, with a puzzled look he asked if that was a Yamaha? I replied, Yes, it's a Yamaha. He then asked if it was an 1800? I should have told him that it was the 1800, with EFI and no cassette deck, but I didn't want to have to wait any longer than I had too. Thanks! Pete.

I experimented once with an empty tank (between work and home, so the bike wasn't packed), just to see how far I could go on a 32 Oz MSR Fuel Bottle. Well, I made it just 17 miles. It's not much, but it could make a big difference if I had ever run out of gas 17 miles away from the nearest gas station. However, I don't typically depend on that as my back-up fuel support. Pete.

I would like to change the color of the dash light (speedo, etc) to a blue light. Anyone have an idea if this is a reasonable effort? I think that it would look nice. I also want to find out if it's possible to find the correct replacement bulb in blue, before beginning such a project. Has anyone seen this light changed-out before or does anyone know what specific bulb I want to use for this? Thanks! Pete.

Hey Lou! Wow! Your story brings back some memories from my experience about eighteen months ago. It's a little too detailed to re-explain things again here, but I could copy it and paste a little summary - Remember, this is old news. Everything is cool now. I have an '07 Midnight Venture which I have put-on 26,000 miles on over the past year and a half. It's awesome! _________ Well . . ., as of today the original Royal will be just a little more rare. The insurance company decided to "total" my ride after a trailer accident this last month. Such a shame too. It only has 26,000 miles and most of it is still perfectly fine. However, there is over $9,000 in estimated (cosmetic) damage that they don't feel is worth fixing. If I wasn't getting over $12,000 back on the claim towards my new Midnight Venture that I'm going to pick-up soon, then I would be even more upset. Unfortunately, my ins. co does not allow their customers the option to purchase their totaled bikes back. In some states, the law requires the customer that option, but not here in Utah. I'm just glad that I had the coverage I did. If I hadn't been as careful as I was to document everything the way I did, they would have just given me about $5,000 max. book value. If you have a beautiful, unique and valuable ride, double-check your coverage or run the risk of some insurance adjuster assuming that you just have some old bike that he's not familiar with. __________ Some of the most important things I learned after this ordeal: 1. Check with your insurance company and determine exactly how much of your accessories they will cover in a "total" write-off. Geico for example, will only cover (I believe) $2,000 in total extras, and then they will only pay-off what the book price says that it's value is. Geico said that my (former) near-mint condition, 1996 Royal Star (with thousands of dollars in accessories), was only worth the value of a ten-year-old bike, plus only $2,000. So, they said that they would only cover it for about $5,000 at the time. Well, I knew that wasn't going to work for me. So, I decided to switch to a company that would insure my bike for comprable, replacement value. I ended up switching to Foremost, Ins. Co. just months before my accident. That choice gained me about $8,000 in additional insurance pay-off. 2. Document everything you have done to your bike, including parts, manufacturer, cost, and details. Save your accessory purchase receipts and your service receipts. take good-quality pictures which clearly depict all angles of your bike and show how great a condition it is in. 3. Have a dealer inspect your bike and sign a document which confirms the quality and condition of your bike, and which verifies that you have actually added any extras which you claim. Then have the dealer (in writing), state what it would cost to replace your current bike with a comparable other one. 4. Take all of your documentation to your insurance agent and get them to agree to insure your bike for a written, stated value which you can agree upon. If you can complete these steps, you'll probably be as thoroughy insured as you could ever hope for. If you don't . . ., well, you'll probably be in for a tough battle trying to collect. My claim wasn't too difficult to resolve because I coverd all of the bases beforehand, and I had it all in writing. When I was first contacted by my insurance company after my initial claim, they tried to low-ball me something terrible. However, I then asked them if they would like to see the "the rest of the story". After re-reviewing my paperwork, it was completely apparent to them that they would have to pay-off (as previously agreed), on this one. So, for whatever that's worth I hope it's helpful. I was sure glad that I took all of those precautions when I did, or else I wouldn't be riding what I do know. That pay-off enabled me to purshase a brand new bike with the majority of it being paid by my insurance company. Be Safe! Pete.

When we travel with our trailer on long trips, we always carry a couple of extra gas containers for a total of three extra gallons. Boy, I tell you ..., that sure builds a lot of extra distance confidence. However, on those trips when I wasn't carrying extra fuel and I ran until I had to switch to my reserve with no certain gas ahead - I tell you, I sure begin to ride conservatively. My typical run speed is about 75 MPH on highways and freeways (when safe), but when that light comes on, I drop down to about 55, and then begin trying to recall just exactly how far I could possibly go, and just exactly how far away from gas I might be. I'm pretty careful about getting in that situation though. Pushing a fully-loaded Venture for any distance is out of the question. I would be curious to see exactly what kind of mileage I could get on a full tank of gas riding at constant 50, 60 and 70 MPH under the same conditions. I have pretty close estimates at 70 MPH, but of course there are usually variables to consider that mess up accurate statistics. Good luck! Pete.

Hey Brian! Without fail, my fuel light comes on at 165 miles (give or take a couple miles). After that during our average trips and two-up and loaded light, I'm usually good for about another 30-40 miles. If we're riding fully loaded and pulling our trailer, then we'll only get another 20-25 miles after the fuel light comes on. I've had my bike for about eighteen months and have rolled about 26,000 miles on it. Gas mileage has remained steady and I couldn't be happier with how it has performed. And, now wintertime is fast approaching . . . sigh:snow2:. Time to pull out the heated gear. Be Safe! Pete

Here's an overly simplified idea . . ., but it might be worth attempting contact with some of the more well know helmet manufacturers directly. After all, there just has to be a number of other people around who have big heads (or maybe really big ears) that wear helmets. I wear a XXL and I thought that I had a pretty big head. I recently switched from a HJC flip-up to a Shoei Multitec, and it's surprising how a different brand helmet can fit so much better. There was nothing wrong with the HJC, but apparently my Shoei has just a better shape for my head. Good luck! I'll keep my ears and eys open for ya. Be Safe! Pete.

Your day can only improve from this point on. But, more important ..., you'll be able to ride another day. I'm glad you're safe. Pete.

Carrot Top - Whoa, what happened to that guy over the past few years? It appears that he has adopted the raging-steroid, androgynous look. I mean, he has always looked pretty different, but he's scary-looking now. Pete.

Hey guys! I think that we're planning on riding there the last weekend of this month. So far, I think that we might have anywhere from three to seven of us coming down. I expect that at least a few of us (though not me or Sandy) will probably flake-out. I don't expect that any of us will be doing much gambling. Most us us prefer to spend our limited funds on travel and safety-chrome. I wish that finances were't such a concern. I would love to go see both the Blue Man Group and Cirque de Sole, but after calculating all of our other expenses I expect that we won't be throwing much money around. I think that we would all also be interested in going to see Cirque de sole. But, again we would probably want to find some sort of great deal on tickets. A buddy of mine went down there last year and was able to see The Blue Man Group and investing a couple of hours of time sitting through some time-share pitch. Unfortunately, he can't remember who made the offer to him. But, he did say that it was a good trade off of his time. I would do that as well, if I could find out who is offering tickets for my time to sit through a sales pitch. I'll check-out the "tickets 4 tonight" place to see what kind of deals they might have. And, we will probably end-up staying at one of the less-expensive hotels, which offers decent rooms and which is safe and secure. If we do make it down there and the weather is good, and we have a little time to ride on Saturday morning or afternoon, are thare any "can't miss" places that anyone can reccomend? We only have a couple of days on this trip before we need to head back home. We have all been to Vegas and have seen the casinos, Cesar's Palace, and wandered around. But, it has been a little while. We're not into the "adult' side of things and none of us drink, so we would be more interested in the checking out more "conservative" types of entertainment if you know what I mean. Thanks! Pete.

Hey Everyone! As our riding season will soon begin to experience a chilly slow-down here in Utah, a few of us (couples mostly) are trying to plan one more overnight ride before the snow begins to fly in these parts. Last year around mid-October, we road up to Yellowstone Natl. Park. While that was a fun time, it got pretty cold and wet. Afterall, that's what happens in the Rocky Mountain's in October. We probably want to go sometime around the end of this October. This year, we thought that we would take a day or two and ride South down to Las Vegas and catch a performance of the Blue Man Group. I have already seen them on TV and on-line, and have heard that their live shows are awesome. So, that should fun. This is what we're looking for - the best deals there in Vegas that I can find. Either a package deal with a room at the Venitian along with the show, or perhaps an inexpensive hotel and some discounted show tickets from someplace. The hotel doesn't need to be anything more than a place to sleep. But, we do want someplace which is clean, comfortable and which is an unquestionably safe to park our bikes (and our bodies) at night. Can anyone offer us some suggestions? Thanks for the help! Be Safe! Pete & Sandy

I hope that you took a moment to kick it off to the side of the road. :rotf:And, you know how they always say "you go where you're looking". So, when we see a rock laying in the road, we're not supposed to focus on it because then we tend to ride over it. So, when we see a rock this size . . . Pete.

Hey Guys! I am sure that if any of you are wired with Gerbings heated gear, that your original end-cap (the plastic cover the power-plug connector), has probably fallen apart like both of mine have. I have two of these. One for my wife (passenger) and one for myself. This is really no big concern, but I would like to keep moisture from getting in there with something which doesn't look out of place - like a baggie. I'm thinking that something like a flexible rubber tire-valve stem cap which isn't threaded. I'll have to check with some of the local tire shops to see if they have something which would work well. Anyone else run into this? Thanks! Pete.

Why, it's Paris Hilton! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Hilton Basically, she's famous for being a pubically spoiled rich girl and next in line for the Hilton Hotel fortune. Yep! We did a lot of riding this summer; about 13,000 miles over 17 different states. And, we still have another few months left. Too bad I have used-up all of my vacation time now. Oh well, there are still weekends and a few holidays ahead of us to ride. Pete.

That's okay. I was in out of town in New York this past week anyway. My mom is now 86 years old, and lives in California, but she grew-up in the Bronx, New York. Well, she wanted to take one last trip back there to visit her two sisters and to show me around a little while she is still able. I tried, but I wasn't able to persuade her to ride on the back of my Venture, so we had to fly there. It was a fun visit. We got to see a lot of Manhattan and a number of other sights. One evening, I took a walk from our hotel room downtown towards Times Square. Along the way, I passed by the old Ed Sullivan Theater (where David Letterman does the Late Show). Well, I couldn't get in because I didn't have "advanced tickets". But, as I was walking past the edge of the building, I noticed a small crowd of people gathering outside the back door - you know, on that little side-street where Letterman does bits sometimes. So, there's all these people and lots of security around a roped-off area. So I had to check this out and hang around to see who was going to come out that back door. A few moments later, the back door pops open and guess who strolls out? See the attached pictures that I took to find out. So, that was pretty entertaining for a few minutes. I hardly saw any motorcycles in Manhattan. I couldn't even imagine riding there anyway. Just riding in a cab was like driving in a third-world country. New York City just doesn't seem like a place I would ever take my bike. So, I just thought that I would share a little. New York was fun, but I am happy to be back in Utah. Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz ... "there's no place like home". Pete.

The collective wisdom on this site never ceases to amaze me. When I was a teenager, I figured that I had pretty much learned all of the most important things in life:o. Yesterday, I turned forty-eight and every year that I grow older, I realize that I am finally beginning to capture just a fraction of the most important information I need in this life. So much to learn, but so little time - and it just goes by faster and faster each year. Thanks! Pete.

That finally puts everything in to it's proper perspective. I can finally relate. And, all along I always thought of electrical things as being overly complicated and beyond my ability to comprehend, but it's really not all that hard now. I'm going to print-out your post and give it to the guys who did all of the extra accessory wiring on my bike. I'm sure they will appreciate it as much as I did. Can you also help me understand math or women? Oh yea, I also have teenage daughters who confuse the heck out of me too. Thanks! Pete.

Hi All! Recently I had some accent LED lighting installed on my bike everything looks awesome and (for the most part), runs just fine. However, last night I decided that since the night air was kind of chilly, I decided to plug-in and check my Gerbing's Jacket Liner to make sure that it was still working properly for when it begins to get colder. Fortunately, it works just fine. Unfortunately, last night while the bike was running, and Gerbing's was plugged-in and running, I flipped-on my new accent lighting for just a moment and then my gear-indicator lights disappeared. I typically will just turn-on the accent lighting when the bike is off and nothing else is running. Last night was the first time I tried turning on the accent lights with everything else running also. So, apparently I blew a fuse which is connected to my gear- indicator lights. My question is ..., Where is the fuse located for the gear-indicator lights which I blew, and is anything else typically on that same line? Also, what size fuse do I need to replace it with. I don't appear to have lost any other functions that I am aware of. All of my other dash-indicator lights, etc., seem to be working fine. As you can probably tell, I didn't install the accent lighting myself. I know better than to get in to my electrical system. Some things are just way beyond my skill level. Thanks guys! Pete.

Big Bob! We haven't met yet brother, but I hope we do someday. My prayers for your speedy and complete recovery are on the way in the meantime. Be Well! Pete.

No one has mentioned this yet, so for whatever it's worth ... The upper Western states can be surprisingly unpredictible for the next couple of months. Be prepared for extreme weather - meaning hot, cold, rain, and yep - the "S" word. Right now, the weather here in the Salt Lake City area is awesome. But, when we head out on our trip to the Black Hills on Sept. 8th, you can bet that we will carry our cold weather gear with us. Be Prepared & Be Safe! Pete.

Ever since I picked-up my Venture last year, I always had this feeling that it needed a a little touch of something to break-up all those big black areas just a bit. So, during our trip to STAR Days in Arkansas this summer we had Sue Hopper (http://www.signsandwondersbysue.com/motorcycles.php) apply a little bit of her artistic magic. Those who are familiar with Sue's work, know that she could have painted just about anything one could imagine. However, I just wanted something subtle and somewhat original. My inspiration for the requested artwork came from a simple Pilot P-500 pen. It has a bluish-black marbled look to it - kind of like clouds against a midnight sky. So, I showed the pen to Sue and she said that she could replicate that design. So, the goal was to air-brush wispy sort-of com-trails (like what you see come off jets) on the fairing, the lower part of the tank, the lids of the hard-bags, the lid of the trunk and then our names printed on the rear of the trunk lid. We're pretty proud of how it looks. Then a few weeks ago, I began to think about installing a little accent lighting. I didn’t want anything which appeared too extreme, but something which was subtle and attractive. I have always liked the look of midnight-blue, and since it was complimentary to the new touches of paint, the lighting color was an easy choice. The lights I picked-up at a Pep Boy's Auto Supply. I used two different types of LED light configurations on this project. One kind, were little strips of LEDs with an adhesive backing that came in lengths of 5", 10", and 15". The other styles of LED lights were little oval-shaped pods consisting of multiple LED bulbs in a cluster. The pods were about the size of a quarter. All of these LED lights are surprisingly tiny and bright. Total cost of the lights itself was only about $120. Unfortunately, I cannot offer much information on the technical side of the install process because I had someone else (who knows what they are doing) do the work for me. The price he charged me was so reasonable, he told me not to tell anyone one what it cost me - because he won't do it again for that price. But, I was happy with it! All of the accent lighting is hard-wired to the main system and can be flipped-on with a little toggle switch which is hidden behind the seat. It can also be switched-on without the key in the ignition. Keep in mind that almost all states prohibit the use of any blue lights on a vehicle which is in operation. This means that I will only turn-on the accent lighting when the bike is parked. Cops are pretty serious about this law because blue lights are reserved exclusively for law enforcement in most states. Probably the most unique feature of this lighting project is the way I managed to light-up the windshield. But first, I owe credit for this idea to Bryan (Penguin from STAR Chap. #152 in SLC, UT). I totally stole this idea from him. Sorry Brian, but, it does look really cool! Anyway, his theory was that the windshield would have fiber-optic type of properties if properly lit. So, I experimented by placing one of those tiny LED strip-lights at the base of the windshield, inside the fairing and pointing up. Oh my gosh! (As my teenage daughter always says). The result was even better than I had imagined. With the accent lighting on, the base of the windshield now has a subtle, midnight-bluish glow to it, while all along the edges of the windshield there is an intense glow. My windshield is just a medium-height, Show Chrome brand. I believe that this trick would work with most windshields. So, if you're looking for something non-practical but very decorative to do to your bike, these were a couple of my most recent attempts. Be Safe! Pete & Sandy

This has had me stumpped for a while. Anyone have any ideas? I have a Kissan headlight modulator and typically ride with it on (brights on) during the daylight hours. With the brights on, I can see the headlight molation flashing ahead of me on the street signs in front of me - way high up on those signs. Additionally ..., the headlight modulation feature is not supposed to work in the dark. When I flip over to my low beam (if I happen to be riding at night), it seems to shed a decent flood of light out in front of me on the road, and I am happy with that adjustment. Of course, if I ride at night I will almost always just ride with my low beam on. However, sometimes when I want to reach-out a little further on up the road ahead of me (to light things up a bit more), when I flip-on the high beam it seems that it's aimed so high that it fails to throw any beam of light out on to the road ahead of me. Now, if I try and adjust the headlight with the adjustment mechanisms in the backside of the fairing in order to lower the high-beam, then the low-beam seems too low. Not that it seems like it should make any difference, but I also have a Silverstar Bulb for the headlight, and I have running lights hooked-up. So, I guess that my question is - How can I lower the high-beam without over-lowering my low-beam? Am I the only one who has noticed this before? Thanks! Pete.

Thanks Don! Pete.

Hey Dan! I did see your bell, but I didn't take a close look at it. I had a nice bell on my ride for a couple of years, but the ding-a-linger fell out. Oh, and I did see a couple of posted pictures on the Venture site of what the bell looks like. Once again, I just didn't look carefully enough. I'll be ordering one shortly. It's a good thing I didn't need a bell after one of those big, sweeping turns we took on Saturday's ride. I wasn't paying very close attention to my lines, and took one of those turns way too wide and almost crossed over the center line. I had a feeling that you probably saw that. So, the next turn I did it correctly and leaned in to it just right. I just love big twisties! Pete.

I probably want to get one, but I would still like to see one first if that's possible. Has anyone taken (or would someone take) a picture and post it for us to check it out please? Thanks! Pete.