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(Then DragonRider had his stent done yesterday. Yammer Dan dropped his bike yesterday....can I get through the weekend without a disaster? I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm wiped.) I feel the same way. Every time I turn around...something else happens to a long time friend.....Guess that comes with the territory we call aging. Relatives, friends...all passing through the end of life....not fun. Prayers to all this weekend! david

For those who think AZ is nothing but brown desert...here goes some proof... Any other questions? Note to self: mention we have everything except an ocean. If California goes away courtesy of the San Andreas, we'll then have that too! david

Hmmm....Patricia...seems to be my problem. Ok...I'll dig in and see what's changed while I was away! Thanks! david

Geesh..I go away to visit the lady and get back and can no longer upload pics from the computer...only choice is from a URL. Confused puppy am I ... david

I found a site for a company that makes custom hoses....and of course now I can't find the bookmark! I'll keep looking...but suggest you do a search on the internet for custom hose manufacturing....hopefully you will find a company that does make a hose for your application.

I get it too..... But...comparing both my 1st gen and 2nd gen...I can really see the need for the 2nd gen to have a lower final gear ratio. Running much of my time in 4th gear on local roads seems like a waste. Yet, I get better gas mileage...so what am I saying! If I pulled a trailer...then a VMax drive on the 2nd gen would be mandatory. Constantly shifting gears is not fun after a full day of riding the hills...

Not much choice on a 2nd gen. I mounted mine on my 1st gen on the handlebars and that worked well. On the VStar 950. I tried both the handlebars and the engine guard. Handlebars were better. For my 2nd Gen...I'm thinking my helmet unless I can find a way to mount it to the inside of the windshield in center. But the only other place I could find is the engine guard. Would prefer handlebars but would need to buy a RAM mount so I could swivel the camera.....and don't want to spend any more $$ since I've already got lots of mounts for the GoPro since I used it for work as a teeny cam.....it was great for cutaway shots. No clear choice for me! david

I've always gone 81 north to 84...all the way to the Mass Pike. But you could get off at Hartford and take 91 north to Brattleboro, then 9 to 202 all the way to Old Orchard Beach in Maine. Avoiding the 95 corridor in Portsmouth area that can get jammed up pretty bad in summer. I grew up in Portsmouth, and just came back from a year in New Castle. Love the NH seacoast but the traffic on rt1 or 1a...even on my bike...was a pain. The interior of NH though is still beautiful and biker friendly. Just do the speed limit. 81 is a truckers hiway....but I took that even towing my 2 1/2 tons of sailboat...and enjoyed the drive. Especially from Harrisburg north. Road was a little beat up alst time I went through a year ago in places...but doable. 84 into the Hartford area would be the worst part of the trip...but thankfully it's lots of lanes until you get into the city...then straight through with eyes closed to 91 north! I wouldn't hesitate to do it on the scoot. Whatever way you go...try and spend some time in the interior of NH.

Thought I would resurrect this thread. Last week went to dealer and they installed a new Pirelli on the front and used beads instead of weights. I rode to GV, then up to Phoenix, to Wickenburg and back to GV south of Tucson. Not impressed with beads. Either they didn't mount the tire properly or not enough or to much beads. Went back today...they said tire was mounted properly and added another bottle of beads. Take my hand off of left handle bar at 75mph and mirror vibrates enough to make it hard to see! Worse now. I think they put to much in. Either way...think I'm done with beads. Went to order some Ride-on products...but all are out of stock. So...are they out of business? Anyone know? Thanks, david

Just got off the phone with Craig. Ordered the XX Large, clear, with vent. They still have the discount for us. So with shipping...came to: $241.44 I also asked about the 1st Gen shields. He was going to check and see if he had any in inventory. I would order basically the same shield...largest, clear, wider with vent. He mentioned they are considering dropping the 1st gen shield from their line-up. I suggested they reconsider as there are still a ton of 1st gens out there. Anyway...we had a nice chat... david

Craig...thanks for the thought. I was debating going with the largest....I shall order it today!! david

This weekend, lady and i went for a breakfast ride to Wickenburg... 44.1 mpg for 137 miles. 05 2nd gen. Took our time. Regular gas... No additives past two tanks. Getting better mpgs each tank. 65/70 mph with some 50 on two lanes. No wind.

This weekend in Wickenburg. Breakfast ride. Lots of bikes. We had to park on side street. HD Ultra and my 2nd Gen. 44.1 mpg, 2 up...137 miles. More 4th gear than 5th!

Stuart, Search in the archives and the 1st or 2nd Generation read only tech area. I think someone has done an article on replacing the assembly. Could be nothing more than a broken shaft. That does happen. There are pictures in the article as well..... My pinion rear shaft was broken and I replaced the assembly myself. Wasn't hard with the advice and pictures here. I'm not a real mechanic...but it worked! Read here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?91454-Rear-End-Questions&highlight=ujoint+shaft david

Steering head bearings are loose. Also...an older front tire will also aggravate the problem. (Worn down in center) BUT, remember it is a heavy bike and most of that weight "Feels" like it's really high up. So a high center of gravity makes it feel like it's not going to go straight. If everything is good...then it's your technique...and nothing more than practice and you will get it all together! Check for my posts under the 2nd Gen forum...I've had my 05 for a month now and was fighting same issue. Found some of the problem went away when I tightened the front end bearings by 1/4 turn. Rest went away with a new tire. david http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?102729-More-thoughts-on-2nd-Generation-scoots

(Perhaps I should add, throttle response is slower than my 750 as well. It's not bad, just a tad slow, I had chalked it up to V4 engine and the extra weight of the bike...perhaps I'm nit picking, and if I weren't having the 5k issue I wouldn't even mention it (so when I say a "tad" slow...it really is, just a tad slow to respond to throttle input....perhaps better put not exactly "crisp".) Hmmm. Could be anything from older plugs, plug wires... to carbs. Usually a slight hesitation would be the carb slides not responding properly. I say this since timing is not adjustable. High speed miss is usually plugs/wires and/or a dirty fuel filter and/or fuel float level. Since you've had the carbs checked and balanced. I would change out plugs and wires. Both are cheap enough and available at any auto store or on-line. Research this site for info on wires/caps and plugs. Lots of info. If that doesn't help...then back to the carbs. Find another member nearby and re-sync your carbs. Pull the covers off and check the diaphrams for pin hole leaks. There should not be any throttle hesitation. Now.. the bike won't get up and go as quickly as a lighter bike...but there shouldn't be any hesitation...just flat out acceleration right up to red line! BTW, mine doesn't get moving until around 4K rpm. Then it's scary fast! Hope this helps, david

Glad you got everything settled. BUT, I was going to recommend some Grip Puppy's. Just got to the discussion to late! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008FD6DXW/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have them on all three scoots...they solved the problem of grips to small for me. Cheap way for me to find out if bigger grips help! david

I'm your size.....220lbs, 5'10" with 30" inseam. 67 years young. I started riding in 1965..typical small Yamaha's and Hondas. Took a long break to build a career, raise family...etc.. Came back to riding on a Yamaha VStar 650 Classic, took the riders course. One year later, sold the 650 and bought the VStar 950 Tourer. Love that bike...still have it. Then bought a 1st Gen 89 Venture Royale. Very top heavy...but as my buddy with an HD Ultra Classic said...you will get used to it. It was scary at first to ride 2 up knowing how top heavy the older Ventures are. But I persisted....Still have it as well! Now I've added the 2nd Gen 2005 Royal Star Venture. Heavier but lower to ground. Bottom line: You can handle the 2nd Gen Venture. You will be able to put both feet down. If you lower the forks 1 inch...the low speed handling will improve and your feet will fit the ground even better! So yea, I think you could handle the 2nd Gen Venture. BUT...unless you feel very comfortable on 2 wheels, I would recommend a 950 size bike for a year. Just to get used to the size and weight. I'm glad I did. Don't think that the 950 size is to small...I can cruise all day at 80mph with my 950T. It's 650 pounds so it's a big bike to get used to but it's low to the ground and very easy to handle! So...your choice here. If I can handle the 05...then so can you. It's all a matter of practice and more practice to get the confidence level up. I chose the take my time and move up in size as my confidence built! BTW, had a GoldWing guy come over this morning and ogle my 89. He had never seen one. Thought it was very cool! I smiled lots! David

Harley Davidson Exhaust System #65539-95 is what I have. BTW, still have a pair of HD mufflers from a 2012 Ultra Classic. My friend wanted $75 as they are clean... but I'll take $50 paypal...plus shipping. Would like them out of my garage! See pics in my ad. david

Latest update: New Pirelli installed up front yesterday. Totally changed the way the bike handles in slow speed turns. Much more neutral. Still a bit biased wanting to turn "into the turn"...but much easier to handle now. Slow speed starts and stops and u-turns are a piece of cake. So...my front end issues were worn front tire and loose head bearings. I can't wait to lower the front forks 3/4 of an inch. I bet she will be really nice! I know the Pirelli MT66's are considered a "value" tire....but I gotta say they are great over the tar cracks and miscellaneous ridges on the road. Don't even wiggle! At 40 psi now for front...and 40 for rear. Going to drop it down to 38 in front and go for a short run tonight. See if that keeps the handling but adds a bit more comfort. Changed headlight to an Ultra bulb...going to check it's alignment. Boy that was a bear to get in there and change the bulb! david

Always welcome, Scott. The advice and encouragement I've received here over the past year is worth far more than $$.

Thanks, Kev. I donated enough to cover a meal or two for someone. My pleasure, guys and gals! Ride safe and have a great time! david

That's nothing more than a slack cable on the cruise, most likely. Don't expect it to hold immediately...takes a few seconds for the vacuum unit to pull the throttle cable in to where it actually matches what you are holding with your hand. Mine was just like that. After a few seconds it would grab hold and the speed would start to climb to where I set it. All in all...it would take 10 to 15 seconds for it to be cruising at the speed I set. Check the amount of free play in both the throttle and cruise control cables. Manual available for download on this site. After I did mine...it takes about half the time as it used to. I'm good with that. Heck..it's an 80's technology computer! Probably a 1 bit one at that! david

Your gas mileage should go up as you keep using it. Suggest you throw a little Gumout in now and then until your mpg's settle down to a constant number (as constant as we can get with a 1st gen - those smiles from throttle twists are easy to enjoy!) Once you get her settled down...you can look into the mixture, etc.. Richer is far better than lean with those V4's. Good to hear! david

We can't make it...but if you open the paypal account, I'll be glad to throw in some bux to help defray the costs. Paying it forward, don't cha know... david