Rick Butler

Yeah Gary, I still make these kits up and I probably sell 2 or 3 a year....especially when the guys realize how easy it is to lock up the rear brake on a RSV and get scared. I lost my ad a while back when Don was having problems with the Classifieds and I haven't got around to putting it back out there. I started out selling a turn-key kit for $140 but now I've got the cost down and sell them now for $120. So they are still available, just drop me a line, Rick

Al, If you replace your fork springs with Progressive or a constant rate fork spring, you will have no need to use air in the forks. The air is just used to set the ride height of the front forks, based upon how much weight is over the front seat (including the weight of the bike). Rick

Yeah Steve, Not bragging, but I do a real nice job on the oem TD seat where I give you a nice pocket to sit back into that fits your butt better. And the oem seat is designed to fit the Royal Star chrome seat ring. Then I top it off with a 1" layer of 3lb memory foam before I put the cover back on. Here is the link to my ad in the Classifieds that has everything you need to send me your seat: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3738&title=butt-butler-seat-mod&cat=25 Let me know if I can help, Rick

Larry, I just got back from a 4 day ride to Big Bend with some of the guys and I'll have them finished and headed back to you tomorrow. Thanks, Rick

WK, You didn't say specifically, but you do realize that the measurement of the oil from the top of the fork tube is without the springs and with the forks completely collapsed. And I think Progressive suggests 5" from the top. The best way to do this is with a turkey baster (that glass tube with the bulb at the top). Measure 5" up from the bottom of the baster tube and put a wrap of painter's tape. Now pour the oil into the fork (with the top tube bottomed out) until it gets close to what you think is a bit more than 5". Then stick the baster into the fork with the tape lined up with the top of the fork and suck out the excess fluid (when you feel the bulb sucking air). Hope this helped, Rick

Sure Norm, The Tour Deluxe is the same bike as the Venture, but without the fairing and the trunk. Kinda like the difference between an Harley Ultra Classic and a Road King. The reason the RSV feels heavier in the front is because of the wieght of the fairing and all of the components that are contained in it. The TD really has nothing but a headlight and the windscreen. But you are amoung friends as many on this forum ride Tour Deluxes. And this bike is as good of a touring bike as any others like it. Rick

SW Moto still has them and they are on sale for $150, which is $80 under retail which is over 30% http://www.swmototires.com/Avon-AM41AM42-VENOM-CRUISERCUSTOM-REPLACEMENT-TIRES-detail.htm?productId=7851553&ez=Avon&pos=5 Rick FYI, I have been running Metzler ME 880s for over 180,000 miles since 2000 and I've never had an issue with any of them. Just have to run 46 lbs in the rear.

I think he means the seat studs on a Midnight seat. The only ones that I could find are the ones sold by Mustang which have 2 barbes that get bent over after you punch them through the cover. I can't seem to find any like the oem Yamaha studs which are 2 piece which get set with a punch.

No Larry, I'm here and yes I have been rather busy. Tomorrow or so, I'm probably going to be covered up with seats So if the ice has not broke on the Mississippi yet, go ahead and get me your seats so you will be ready for the River Run But check out my ad in the Classifieds which has everything you need to send me your seats, Rick Sorry Larry, I just checked and for some reason your e-mail ended up in my Junk E-mail folder?

No, but you need to turn your bike upside down to keep the oil at the other end.

Daniel, My only suggestion is that you either tore the seal when you were putting it on the fork tube or that you have some dings in the fork tube. It doesn't take much to either contact point to cause oil to leak past the seal. I'm not sure how you put the seals in, but I know alot of guys like to cheat and leave the upper tubes on the bike and just remove the fork bottoms. With this proceedure you are forced to slide the seal up over the bottom bushing onto the fork tube. To me, this is just an invitation to inadverently tear a seal? The experts as well as the factory reccomendation is to remove both fork legs from the triple trees and do everything on the bench. Drain the oil good overnight with the forks upside down, remove allen bolt holding the dampening rod, and then slide hammer the top tubes out of the bottom end which results in the old seals coming out. Pay attention to the order of the bushings, ring and seal, etc and remove everything from the tubes. Then you should clean and inspect the fork tubes removing bug remains, burrs and look for dings in the surface of the tubes. Pay special attention to burrs from the tripple trees. Burrs can be honed out flat to the surface, but dings are another issue and if they are too deep you will be looking at replacing the tube. These tubes have to be perfectly clean and smooth before you ever consider siding a seal onto them. But first you should go ahead and install the forks together with the damping rod and bottom out spring and then torque the dampening rod bottom allen bolts to spec. With the bushing on the tubes in order you are ready to install the seal. You should also inspect the bushings for wear or dings and replace them if they look suspect. Then you should take a piece of Walmart shopping bag and droop it over the top opening of the tube. I usually like to smear a thin layer of silicon petrolium grease down the bag and on down the tube and also coat the contact surface of the seal with this grease or something that will not damage the seal. Clean fork oil is also a good choice. Making sure you have the bushings, etc in order on the fork, then slide the seal down over the plastic bag and on down onto the fork tube. Then it's just a matter of taking your seal driver and driving the seal home and installing the circlip and dust boot. You might have to use the seal driver to first set the top bushing and washer into place. Hope this helps, Rick

Yeah Don, This is a little too deep for me? I came across a similar article several year ago that explained why we ride, which I have kept around for moments like this: Why We Ride: The Joy of Motorcycling By Stephen M. John What is the allure of motorcycling? One lifelong devotee attempts to explain the inexplicable . . . What attracts people to motorcycling? When faced with the numerous personalities of both riders and motorcycles, there may not be a single answer. Despite the differences between touring rider and hill climber, chrome-encrusted cruiser and nimble Grand Prix race bike, there are some universal attributes that get under the skin of the motorcyclist and feed the desire to ride. Freedom is often cited as an attraction, but what does this mean? Compared to driving a car, riding a motorcycle offers freedom from the constraints of four-wheeled physics. When a car negotiates a turn, it leans to the outside of a corner, struggling to maintain its former direction of travel. A motorcycle leans into a corner. This may not sound like much, but until you've experienced both you can't understand the superior grace and simplicity of this mode of travel. Cornering becomes a symphony of precise movements instead of an awkward wallow, working in harmony with the road instead of fighting it tooth and nail. The Sense(s) of Freedom Once freed of your steel cage you are thrust into the world to experience a broader existence unfettered by HEPA filters and climate control. Your nose will get a vivid introduction to skunk roadkill and diesel exhaust, but will also revel in bread baking and plants blooming. Your body will feel the thousand tiny impacts of raindrops and absorb the buffeting of the wind. Your skin will feel the gently warming temperature as you crest a hill and drop to the valley floor below. You are no longer huddled behind a wheel disconnected from nature. It's Lawrence of Arabia in Cinerama versus a daguerreotype of a camel. Wrap all of this freedom in a lovely ribbon of performance, and you get what experts call fun. Not the fake hood scoop, chrome wheels and racing stripe school of performance. Picture instead a carrier launch and you'll be in the right neighborhood, and you don't even have to pledge seven years of service. Best of all, this astounding performance is dirt cheap. For less than half the cost of most commuter pods you can buy a stock motorcycle capable of 9-second quarter miles. Don't bother figuring the cost for a production car with matching performance, because you won't find one. AMG teamed with Mercedes to make the CLK-GTR capable of a 9.4 second quarter mile, and it's a steal at a measly $1,000,000. Performance cars do have the edge in aerodynamics and top speed, but to use them you'll need lottery winnings and the Autobahn. All of this freedom and fun doesn't come without a price. First of all, you have to learn how to ride. Given the right training and the right attitude, the skills can be acquired by just about anyone. Want proof? One of my first forays was on my dad's 1975 Honda CB125S, a ride so mild it's hard to believe it could burn gasoline.I was so overwhelmed I couldn't remember how to stop, and ended up using a conveniently located pickup to do the job. Fortunately the Motorcycle Safety Foundation runs well-organized classes where you can safely learn motorcycling in a pickup-free environment. Motorcycles? Practical? What about practicality? Over the years I've carried a turkey, two-by-fours, a dozen roses, crutches and a bookcase on a motorcycle, but even I haven't tried transporting an infant or a major appliance. But how often do you really use the cargo capacity of a four-wheeler? Not often, judging by the throngs of single-occupant vehicles choking the roadway, wasting gas and time hauling around a sluggish, three-quarter-empty steel box. Finally, there's the favorite of mothers and fathers everywhere: danger. On a motorcycle you are more vulnerable and you'd better accept that fact and ride accordingly. I always ride as if I am invisible to the sea of cars around me, because all too often it's true. I wear a helmet, jacket, boots and gloves regardless of the temperature or length of the ride. You might think it's a hassle just to reach the corner store, and it does take more time than slipping on a seat belt. For me it is an important ritual, a reminder I am about to engage in an activity with a fair amount of personal risk. Donning my helmet triggers a pre-recorded message telling me I better be alert if I don't want to end up as a hood ornament. Risk is inherent in motorcycling, but it can be managed and turned into an advantage, one that I think is the real long-term attraction of riding. A new rider must first gain experience, since at first everything you have is spent just keeping upright. Gradually shifting gears and scanning for Dozy Joe Auto blowing through a stop sign takes less effort, as your brain adjusts to a new sensory plateau. Engaging the World Around You While motorcycling you are still fully engaged with the outside world, but the rest of your brain is free to explore paths otherwise unavailable. With your mind free of rigid supervision and self-awareness, all sorts of problems get solved in the background and tension evaporates. Exactly the opposite happens in an automobile. Driving makes so few demands on our minds and bodies we go on autopilot. How many times have you driven to a familiar location, and arrived only to realize you don't remember large parts of the journey? Need another rationalization regarding the two-wheeled wonder? Motorcycling is a resounding social plus: reduced traffic and parking congestion, better fuel economy and fewer noxious emissions. Motorcycle ownership should be a Green party litmus test. Sadly, these benefits are lost on the majority of Americans, whose opinion of motorcycles seems to have been forged solely by watching Marlon Brando tear up a small town in The Wild One. This shared sense of being outcast and knowledge of how much fun we're having leads to a sense of community among riders. Have you ever seen two automobile drivers wave to each other because they were driving? For me, waving to a fellow rider is nearly a daily occurrence. The horror, the horror. Freedom, fun, a clear mind and a clear conscience. These are all powerful reasons for staying in the saddle. But an even simpler truth about motorcycling keeps me coming back for more: I always feel better after a ride than I did before.

One other important tidbit Jose, If you remember in your MSF traing, they talked about target fixation. Well this has two parts of which the important is to look where you want to go almost to the vanishing point of the turn. And the second part is that you will go where you look. So if you go into a turn and drift out high.....if you look at the shoulder of the road.....that is exactly where you will end up. So if you drift out, look on down the road to your exit point and STAY on the throttle. Your mind will tell you to slow down where you will want to let off the throttle......but that will only make matters worst and you will only drift more. You have to TRUST your tires and push down on the inside grip and accellerate to your exit point. And if you ever meet oncoming traffic in a turn.....DO NOT look at the grill of the oncoming vehicle. Because if you do, where will you end up.......yeah in the grill. You need to look past the vehicle to your exit point. Same thing when a car turns in front of you....scrub off as much speed as you safely can with your front brakes and look for an escape route. And don't be afraid to practice these moves. You are probably getting information overload, but I hope this helps, Rick And get a copy of Proficient Motorcycling where you can find it on Overstock.com cheaper: http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Proficient-Motorcycling-PACKAGE/2793296/product.html

Jose, I hear you and have experienced many of your issues, even with all the experience I have gained over the years. My best advice would be to take a novice track school class that allows all bikes. There are many of these schools today that tailor thier novice class to street riding skills. What you learned in MSF, Ride like a Pro, etc will not increase your confidence at road speeds. This is because their curriculum never lets you get over 35 mph which is not what we need for the road. I can give you a few pointers that will help you in the corners and what you learned in MSF about "Look, Lean and Roll" is still valid. 1. Look through the corner to where you want to go. 2. Lean or push down on the inside grip to initiate the turn. 3. Maintain a positive throttle and when you get to the apex of the corner, roll on the throttle to your exit point, which is the outside of the lane. The experts will tell you the safest line through a corner is to enter from the outside of the turn, tip into the turn late to the apex (or the inside of the curve) and exit to the outside of the lane, or Outside, Inside, Outside. By entering a turn late (aka Late Apex) it will let you look further into those blind turns. And entering early to the inside lane of a turn will almost always let the bike drift high into a corner and possibly cross the yellow line into the oncoming lane. And it's critical that you maintain a positive throttle all the way through the turn and then throttle hard coming out of the turn looking at your exit point down the road. Harder acceleration on exit will help bring the bike up straight. On drive shaft bikes, acceleration will lift up the rear giving you more ground clearance just as deceleration will cause the rear to settle lower. You need to practice setting up for every curve as I described above. And you need to learn to use your front brakes to scrub off speed before entering a turn. By using your front brakes, it will cause the bike to load the front tire, increasing the contact patch thus giving you more traction. And as you tip into the turn, release the front brake slowly and roll on with the throttle to your exit point. I only use the rear brake for emergency stopping with the front brakes and for that final stop at a light or stop sign. Now when the road is wet or you are in loose gravel, the rear brake is the better brake to keep you from tucking the front. Other than that, I only use my front brakes for normal riding. Once you become comfortable with these techniques, then you can work on changing the center of mass of you and the bike by using your body. The best way to do this is when you get ready to tip into the turn, move the upper part of your body to the inside of the turn and point your nose through the turn to the exit. Or in simpler terms, move your head and upper torso over towards your mirror. This will allow you to maintain a corner speed that will give you more ground clearance, which you really need with your early Royal Star. That's probably enough to start with, but if you like to read, David Hough (pronounced Huff) has written a couple of books on "Proficient Motorcycle Riding" which explain what I provided above but in more detail with illustrations. And then it's Practice, Practice, Practice until you become more comfortable and confident in your abilities. Hope this helped, Rick

Well Randy, After the second time I totaled my 02 Midnight, I finally realized this bike had too much rear brake. Then I started looking around at other big bikes like ours and found that most of them only had a one piston rear caliper. I also found out from some of my racing friends this was not a new problem, where they ground off some of the pad so it would not have the contact surface and trimed some of the brake pedal off so they couldn't get the entire boot on the pedal. So, I decided to put 4-piston calipers on the front and then moved one of the 2-piston calipers off the front on the rear, which would cut the piston power almost in half. But the caliper that was a direct swap, left me with a caliper that had the bleed valve on the lower end and it would not bleed unless I took it off where I could get the valve on top. But I discovered if I could use the caliper bracket from one caliper and the pistons from the other caliper, I could end up with a caliper with the bleed valve on the upper side of the caliper. And I thought this would resolve the rear brake issue.......until a year later when I got into another emeregency braking situation and locked her up again (and totaled my bike for the 3rd time). So this convinced me that I still had too much rear brake and decided to go ahead and give her one more chance where I installed the proportioning valve that I had been working on with some my other close friends. That was in late 2006 and the rest is history. So Randy to answer your question, I don't know of a brake compound that would be less aggressive enough to resolve this issue. The best solution in this area would be to cut the brake pad surface area in half, but that would not resolve the volume of brake fluid used to drive 4 pistons. This is what my proportioning valve does, slow the volume of fluid to the caliper to give you that moment to realize to ease up on the brake pedal. Now I will admit, my problem resulted from riding 1st gen Ventures with linked brake systems for 17 years. I just developed a bad habit of using the rear brake pedal to do the majority of braking because the rear pedal also activated one front caliper. And when I moved to a second gen, my right foot had a mind of it own when it came to emergency braking. And it didn't make matters any better that the RSV had a large forward control brake pedal (kinda like our 4 wheelers) that can not be modulated. So for those of you who have developed better braking techniques, the braking on this bike is not an issue. But for those of us who have ever inadvertenly locked up a rear brake, it is not funny and we find it something we don't ever want to do again. Hope this has helped, Rick

Jay, I have a solution for your rear brake that really works and several of the guys here have it installed on their RSV or RSTD. Search on "Proportioning Valve" and you will find several conversations on this problem. I have been building and selling this solution since 2008, but have lost my Classified ad and just haven't put it back out there. I guess at the current time I sell 4 or 5 kits a year when folks get with me to see if I'm still putting them together. Here is a post where I finished my proof of concept project and decided to sell them to you guys: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18846 I originally sold this kit for $140 but recently I have found a better source for the valve and now sell them for $120, which includes Priority Mail shipping to anywhere in the US. Let me know if I can help you out, Rick

Jose, The horn type you are looking for is what they call an Italian Fiamm design which you can find at most autoparts stores like Pep Boys, etc. Most of these are made for cars to be hidden away under the hood, but we bikers want something in a shinny chrome. And you can still get these m/c horns in some of the bike accessory stores. I have been using Stebel brand horns like this for years and now have dual Nautilus horns back by the bags behind the passenger floor boards. Take a look at Stebel.com where you can see that they still make 4 models of this Fiamm design: http://www.stebel.it/stebel2009/products.asp?IDserie=2&uso=1&IDprodotto=13&tipologia=moto It's interesting that they have a button box where you can hear how they sound. And there ar boxes where you can select the various models. Once you decide on a horn, you can Google the model you are looking for to see who sells it. But several manufactures make this style of horn, so you have options. So search around to find what you want. Here is another type that I found on E-Bay: http://compare.ebay.com/like/280816844803 The problem with these horns is that they draw enough amps that you cannot use your existing horn wiring to power them.....they will fry your horn switch. In other words, they require you to power them with a heavier wire from the battery or accessory panel with the use of an 30 amp accessory relay.....where you can use the existing horn wires to trigger the relay. And they will come with a flexible spring steel strap to mount to the bike. This is necessary because if you mount them with a solid bracket, you will not get the proper sound. Hope this helps, Rick

Yeah Dion, If you feel it's really out of line, I would jack it up to the point there is just some slight weight on the front wheel and loosen up the triple tree bolts and re-tighten them to specs. I know this is a PITA but that's what I would do to assure everything is aligned? Rick

Harold, Lowering the bike with the forks has absolutely nothing to do with a speed wobble no more than raising the rear with a set of leveling links. Both of these changes level the bike to give it a better handling attitude. A front end wobble at any speed will always comes back loose head bearing torque. And MSF and Ride Like a Pro will only educate you on handling techniques at speeds at below 35mph, which is great if you only want to ride in parking lots and make U turns in a 2 lane road. But don't get me wrong, these are both great learning tools and I have been a MSF poster child in the past. But if you want to learn the techniques to make you a better rider to handle your bike in all situations at road speeds, you need to spend a day in a Novice Track School class. Rick

Andy, With the bike on the center stand, I have always used a bottle jack with a small piece of one/by at the case lift point (you can spot it) in front of the oil plug. Now with a bike lift, you can use it like a fork lift and just pick the bike up. But you need to balance the bike where it will lift the bike straight up. I always found this point with the left fork just back of the center stand pivit bolt. So you will pick the bike up from the center stand and the frame which just happens to be at the same level as the front exhaust. It may take a couple of times to find the right balance point where both wheels come up together. Hope this helps, Rick

Damon, My experience has shown that cupping front tires is almost always a suspension issue with bad dampening and not a balancing issue. Now I would not suspect this with a bike with your mileage, but anything is possible. I would suggest changing front springs with heavier Progressive or constant rate spings and fresh synthetic fork oil. This requires you to remove the forks from the bike so this is also a perfect time to repack and torque the head bearings, which will resolve your low speed wooble issue. And changing the tires is only a short term fix where the problem will always come back to the head bearing torque. And on your oil leak, I can't tell if you are talking about the clutch rod shaft or the shift shaft seal. If it's still leaking after several changes, I would suspect that the mechanic is not installing it properly (or may have damaged something) and I would take it to another shop under your warrenty. Hope this helps, Rick

Mary, You have nothing to worry about as long as you take off on a fresh set of tires. Now if you already have an auto rear tire, you really don't have to worry about that. I ran a 91 Venture and Flexit sidecar (3 up) for several years and also pulled a pop up camper all over this country with no issues. See attached picture. So go for it, Rick

Les, My first suggestion would be those items that are functional. So my reccomendations would be: 1. Saddlebag Rails 2. Front Fender Rail 3. Running (passing) Lights 4. Extra running & brake lights on the rear 5. Stebel Nautilus (or Wolo) air horn Items 1 & 2 help protect the bike from dings and also just seem to complete the bike and Items 3 & 4 allow others to better see you coming from the front and going away from the rear. Item 5 gives you the functionality to wake up drivers to keep them from coming into you. Hope this helps, Rick

Hey guys, I need your input on an idea I came up with to provide a total seat solution that will allow you to remove both seats without any tools. For some time now several of us have come up with seat nut solutions that allow us to remove the driver seat without any tools. These have ranged from plastic nuts, wing nuts and my solution of using a nylon locking nut pressed and glued into a Press-Fit knob. But, this solution requires some extra assembly work where I have to drill out the center of the knob, tap threads into the nylon ring in the lock nut to the point of just the right friction on the seat bolt, and then glue and press this nut backwards into a press-fit knob, where the glue I use requires overnight to dry properly. Right now I have been selling my seat thumb nuts for $6 which includes postage to anywhere in the US. So for another $2, I could also provide a set of stainless press-fit thumb bolts. And putting these together is just a matter of pressing the stainless allen bolt into the same knurled knob and it's ready to go. So with both of these, you would have a total tool less seat solution. So if you don't mind, let me know what you think of this idea. I have attached a picture of both sets of seat nuts/bolts. Thanks, Rick And FYI 1st Gen owners....I already provide a total tool less seat solution for your bikes

Rich, I find it very intersting that they would or could find a fork seal leak unless there was fluid running down the fork leg into the caliper. Plus, the seals and upper forks are under a chrome cover so how could any contamination get into the seal to make it leak? Therefore, I would suggest that this problem is the result of defective materials and workmanship and should be covered by the warrenty. I've got over 140k on my 02 and I've never had to replace a fork seal, so with only 30k I think you have a case. And if your dealer doesn't want to pursue it after you have given him the above evidence, have him call customer services for you and make your case to them. And don't take "No" for an answer until customer services says "No". Good luck, Rick