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BJ...today..rode the 2nd Gen 2005 for an all-day outing. First time I was going to run until she ran out of gas. Started sputtering at 181 miles...BUT...gauge still showed "1/4" on it and no indication for low fuel at all. Switched to reserve and fine. So on the 2nd Gen...my gauge must be way off... david

Another day in the saddle with 05 2nd Gen. We took off for a late breakfast at Nichols Diner in Rio Rico this morning...then on to Patagonia, Sonoita and back home. Nice round trip. Put about 135 miles on.... Total time was 6 hours....included many stops. The buffeting got to my lady...we stopped for aspirin! Clearview windshield needed ASAP. But she loved the ride. Total miles on tank is 186 so far...and 5 miles from home (181 miles) she started sputtering...reached down and turned on reserve... back to normal purring. Interesting that I still had "1/4" showing on gauge and no low fuel light...no indication at all??!! The trip ODO didn't kick over to miles to go either. So gauge must be way off. This is the farthest I've gone on a tank since I got her a month ago. Usually fill up at 1/2 tank. But I wanted to know when I would hit reserve with 2 up...now I know. 180 miles is good. Combo of 80 mph freeway, 55-60 mph climbing hills in 4th and nice 65mph in 5th cruising the 2 lane.... And the steering seemed more stable after I tightened the bearings 1/4 turn. Felt better at 80mph.... Pics of mountains behind Patagonia Lake and the Stage Stop Inn in the town of Patagonia. All in all...a nice ride. But now 2nd Gen goes on blocks to get some work done. The Admiral likes the idea of moving the trunk back an inch or so to make life more comfortable for her. In addition...want to mount the air horn...get a new windshield...lower the front end and get the pig tail installed so when LED lights come in I'll be ready to install those as well. Need to ride the 950T around for a while... david

BJ, regardless of additives or not.... I do suggest you find a way to determine how much gas your Venture is using while riding normally. Whatever works best for your style of riding. Then you will see if you have a carb issue. I did that when I first got my 89...and even though my gas gauge drops quickly...I find there is more fuel in the tank than one would think. That ruled out bad MPGs...just a gauge issue. My gauge is linear as can be. I can pretty much figure I get 40 miles before 1st bar disappears, then 20 miles for each bar until last bar goes away. That is all I need to know to feel comfortable enough to make gas stop decisions while on road. Of course the above is a moot point if I can't resist cranking the throttle! Until you've experimented with your fuel usage vs gauge accuracy on the 83, I would disagree with above... at least I wouldn't know how much I had left... Interesting how different bikes are.....I've had a few myself and there's always one that's a challenge to figure out. But that's why I bought a Venture...to work on it and enjoy the challenge! Anyway...you'll figure this out... david[/color]

John, if I may ask... How much was marks collector?

I think you may have most of it ironed out. The headphone/speaker choice for mp3 playing could be a simple switch at the amp. Let's you choose the output of the amp. Make before break switch so amp doesn't get a momentary unload. david

Sounds like you need to figure out if the intercom is working...providing the background noise you are hearing. Or...is the noise suppression on the iphone weak or non-existent due to the mic input to the iphone? I know you may not think about the input to the iphone, but most phones do use the same jack for earphones and mic/earphones depending upon what's plugged in. You could be triggering the iphone mic in....feeding that noise back into the intercom/ausio circuits...creating noise and very low volume to the system. The crackling noise with nothing plugged in is probably the intercom amp thinking there is something there and trying to find it. Could also be bike electrical noise in the circuit with the circuit not loaded. Lots of issues can be at play here...or just one simple thing creating the problems. ?? david

Got mine and finally put it to use a few days ago. Took a few minutes to figure it out, but once mounted, it worked like a champ. I have about 1/2 inch clearance on both sides with my HF lift. Took bike up a foot to test lift and check out steering head bearings. Found them real loose. Waiting until after youngest graduates from college this weekend then back to work on scoot! david

Jeff, Prayers Up! david

Prayers Up! Glad you are still around to post!!! david

Hmmm. Did you follow the alignment procedure when you put the pumpkin back on? It's nothing more than putting the axle back to the swing arm through the pumpkin...attaching the 4 nuts to the pumpkin...snugging them up, then pulling the axle out. Then go ahead and put the wheel back on? Did you grease the driveline splines Before putting the wheel on? Or did you do this with wheel on? thinking out loud here... david

Actually, I think Mike has the right idea here. If you open the bleeders while you push back the pads, you are releasing the excess fluid you WILL have in your system with new pads installed. This is assuming you have kept the fluid levels up as the pads wear. If you don't release the fluids or remove some from the rear master cylinder...I can almost guarantee you will have too much fluid in the rear system, causing your brakes to start to bind as the fluid heats up while riding. I never thought of opening the bleeders because of the mess or just plain lazy. Didn't want to dig out the lines and such to capture the fluid coming out of the bleeder. BUT, I always did use a towel or baster to remove the excess fluid from the master cylinders after replacing pads. At least I got that part right. BTW, using a small syringe or a rolled tip of a towel (wicking) is about the only way I know to remove excess fluid from the rear MC as the hole is so small! Using the bleeders makes so much more sense! Thanks, Mike...simple thoughts I like!

Puc, I love the 1st gens handlebars too! They are so easy to adjust. After adjusting mine, the shoulder ache went away...and I can ride as long as I have gas in tank and butt is smiling. I do like to stop periodically anyway. 2nd Gen, I'm going to have to do something with the bars as I find myself all scrunched up in shoulders...hurts! Pat can't see over me on both bikes....that's the comment she made about height. I'll ask her tomorrow or Friday when she comes down which one is higher. Also have to say, took 1st gen out today again...but for a longer spin. Whipping around was easy now that I'm used to wrestling with the 2nd Gen. U-Turns were easy as well. Guess that is a good reason to have both bikes. Can learn from riding both! More wind today for me...buffeting. Interesting. Must have been the crosswind! But she sure is stable on the road... And MPG's are down. And I know why. It's way to easy to crank the throttle on a 1st gen and smile. Really is a far better geared scoot. Simply moves! david

I tried that with my one Scorpion. Didn't close. Could be the audio cord gets in the way. Sticks out left side about 1/2inch.

I checked there. Oh...maybe under the seat? I'll look there tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder!

Put the lift brace underneath yesterday and checked out my motorcycle lift. First time it's been used in two years. Pushed 2nd Gen up fine. While up, checked front end bearings. Feel good but were loose. They would rebound back and forth and not stay put in center. Took 1/4 turn to tighten the bearings up enough to where she would hold still in center and rebound properly. So they were quite loose. Next up, take the front wheel off and get it to the tire shop to mount the new tire. While it's there, I'll work on lowering the forks in front.....

Nope....foam pad... [/color] With helmet Closed with lid resting on helmet... So..if I attempt to close, I'll bend something for sure... maybe it's different for different years? Mine's a 2005. david

That to me is the key. Even if you do adjust the suspension while on side stand, make sure you know how the suspension will change when loaded. Kind of like checking out the speedo then adjusting your brain to know what the true mph is. I, for one, would not adjust any suspension while riding. To much opportunity for not paying attention...and changing the suspension geometry while riding could get you into trouble if you hit a serious bump with rear end up higher than normal and more weight on front. Who knows how the bike will react? Besides, it only takes a few minutes to make the change. Doing so while stopped for gas or taking a break, is an easy thing to do. david[/color]

Kevin, The 2nd Gen tool kit is supposed to have an air gauge too. I didn't get a tool kit with mine so I don't have any comparison. I did get a tool kit with the 1st gen...but no gauge. I think the 2nd Gen rides the freeways better...smoother. Better ride. But that's it. I do happen to love the looks of both bikes! Course, I love the looks of the 950 VStar too...but it's probably not going to get ridden much now that I have both Ventures. david

If I did that I would probably break the hinges. Seriously...my one Scorpion 900 won't fit in at the very center by itself! What's going on here??? david

Yea right...I rode the 1st gen this morning! Thinking of selling the VStar 950T. Love that bike but rather keep the 1st gen for camping! david

Grins! That's so good to hear!

After reading about "lowering" the front end...I'm thinking may be that would be a better way for me to go. I'm 5'10" with 30" inseam so lowering the height of the bike would be nice for me. If it makes the handling more neutral...then I'm really all for it. So: Lower front end Stay with OEM front tire size Leave rear end alone. My benefits should be better handling, slightly lower ride height and normal tire patch on the road for those days when it rains in Arizona! Thoughts that agree/disagree with above? david

I love the whitewalls too! Can't wait till my tires get worn! That's a great look for the scoot! david

Don, IF they had made the tour pack just a tad higher, we could get helmets in there. Like the 1st Gen. So easy to put my audio stuff in there, scarf, bungies, kleenex, snacks, flashlight, jacket liners and two helmets! Same with the saddlebags. The 1st Gen I have the saddlebag tops come off straight up, so I can pack the saddlebag and still have room under the top to velcro rain gear, etc.. Think I'll use the 1st gen for camping trips and the 2nd Gen strictly for hotel touring. I can carry heck of a lot more on 1st gen. Now I understand why Cowpuc loves his 1st gen! He can get everything on it and still run nicely.

Clarification: So do I use smaller links in the rear to raise the bike to level and gain better handling? Or the reverse? david