CaseyJ955

First, hats off to you. I dont really enbrace the connotations carried by the word "biker", as I'm sure it has morphed over the years. IMHO you/we are motorcyclists, not to be confused with motorcycle owners (trailor owners). We own them, we ride them, we are likely highly put off by the notion of trailoring one anywhere. Explorer and traveler works into the soul of a touring rider, adventure to at least a small degree, perfect solotude being one of the aspects that I enjoy a percentage of the time. Off the beaten path works into it too. We love and live it. Motorcyclist is my vote. Thanks for the good read!

Im working about a block away this month, I believe its an out of state but I see it frequently. I saw it last year during rally week in the same place IIRC. Anyone here?

They did promise to turn the touring world upside down, and you doubted them! Betcha feel silly now, huh?

Get the best lawyer you can afford and the judge may just see things for what they are. On the upside he probably saved someone else from the same fate by bringing out said trash. Thoughts are with you both, hoping for a favorable outcome.

Back in my day folks could take a joke. Back in my day the guy on the custom chop was probably the guy who built it.

Dayum, very sorry to hear this. Tendons are avascular so healing will take some time. As mentioned follow physicians orders exactly. I hope its as easy and fast as possible. Do keep us posted.

Nice bike, glad she found a good home. Sounds like tbe buyer is about to have some fun! By the title I feared your Venture went over the chopping block!

It could be Subaru with a low mounted radiator. Hard to see but not looking like a type I.

Aside from a few nice sport tourers I cant think of one dedicated Japanese touring bike other than a goldwing, that has more than one cyl per wheel. Someone besides the Europeans need to build a competitor to the goldwing. It looks like Yamaha is not going to be it. Will it happen, dunno but you guys might be right, it could be a dying breed of bike, and maybe of rider. After all, try manufacturing, marketing and selling childrens toys that require putting down the damn phone and going outside. You would starve. IMHO this wont change, we have to simply adjust our expectations, adapt, move forward and enjoy. In the world of dating it means not getting hitched or becoming legally vulnerable to anyone, in the world of toys it means WiFi enabled or bust, in the world of bikes it means riding old bikes like early Ventures, or a Goldwing if you have no legs, I accept this. Times change. I get that Yamaha is probably not catering to me, and the 2nd gen Vmax is likely the last V4 they will bring to production..I may ride my Venture right into the grave but I'll have a ****ing great time doing it

Yup, the bigger the can the deeper the note. There are two variants of baffle for this system and I have the smaller one. Its pretty loud but I dont want it to be obnoxious. It shreaks like a mofo between 6k and 10k and is a tad louder than I would choose, but its so musical. There are systems out there that are ear splitting, and many of those actually hurt performance. You can buy faster bikes now but the Vmax is iconic, recognized by anyone that has been into bikes for awhile. Ive wanted one since 85 and it took me this long. Lots of tude' but not HD sort of tude', its far more sinister than that. Good times my friend!

Your not crazy at all. Fact is when we get taxed and stressed, exhausted we need to relax. After a rough month Im good for a shorter trip, and solo at that. Im working 24/7 from last week until end of this month. A 9 day bike trip might be more work than a 9 day ruise in the Lexus, or a 3 day bike ride. Your not crazy at all. Alls good. Take whatever vehicle you want and enjoy your new cage. Life is too short to have to justify anything. Long days in the saddle can be fatiguing, esp in hot weather. Yup, do whatever you want, its all great. I would have to think about a long bike trip after a rough work stint, I'm not 25 anymore. Have a blast and stay safe regardless of ride. I understand perfectly and riding has been my passion since age 14. Just enjoy your time with your wife and the scenery. Peace my fellow rider!

This is Maxine, shes a 99 VMX1200. This machine reminds me of how completely awesome the Yamaha V4 really is. You will never get more grin for the buck. Her engine is stock other than a Kerker 4-2-1, COPs, Morleys Muscle intake/jet kit and carefully tuned. FUN FUN FUN. Once you hit 6k the world gets blurry and you need to. Im into it for about $4500 including my home paint job, custom seat and rack/backrest. Shes a monster and if your thinking it, go for it. The Gen2 is even more nuts but your looking at $10k used, I have a friend in Fargo with a very sweet gen2 for sale now. Either way its a serious kick in the pants for a modest investment. It was this bike that brought me to the Venture, all about that amazing engine. Oh, the sound, sheeesh, its musical! Wifey likes to ride on this more than the Venture, she said its the sound.

Rotalla is a great choice, very commonly used in Ventures and I use it in my Vmax as well (also Yamaha V4) and that clutch gets pounded fairly often. I use the non-synthetic Rotella 15-40, clutch and trans seem to like it. Try the drain and fill method outlined above and see how that works. Definitely keep us posted and ask all the questions needed so we can help. Sometimes older bikes need a little extra love and patience but you should be rewarded with a really decent road bike when its done. Its no accident that the V4 is so loved here. Welcome and congrats on the new steed!

Customer base is a good point, as a former HD owner I guess I could see tbe appeal of tbe big twin but I never felt it, if that makes sense. My first ride on a warmed up KZ with the 4-1 pipe completely removed my ability to enjoy a narrow Angle twin. So here is another thought, a more toury version of the FJR, its not a V4 but its a stonkin' mill using current technology. Sort of like the difference between a KGT and KGTL. Ergos and wind protection more like a traditional Venture without major changes to the whole platform. Sort of performance of a sport tourer and ergos more remisicent of a purpose built tour bike. I know I'm going way off but a more toury version of the FJR would pacify. Sometimes I just like to bang it off the rev limiter in every gear and feeling the tear jerking acceleration, that ability to pull hard from 80mph while 2up and loaded. My inner child demands it! Sorry about going way off, but an FJR (or my other bike crush, the Connie) with a variant pushed more into touring from sport touring would make me shut my mouth and open my checkbook. Ive had many bikes but this gen1 is easily the most comfy, and even in its obsolescence performs admirably well. I guess I'm just amusing myself (and maybe only myself) with speculation of how Yamaha can make it right with those of us that were disappointed in the 3rd gen spec sheet. Maybe they are working on something as we speak, I hadn't thought of that...

After reading the last few posts and points made about its Venturehood I have to agree, they call it a Venture so its a Venture. That being a good move is much more arguable than the accuracy of the reviews saying its better than other twin cruisers on the market. I personally cant see how HD isnt long defunct. I like the mustang analogy, I know some folks can get by with a twin and even enjoy it. I grew up here in HD country so I see it every day. I dont get it but different engine configurations for different riding styles is sound reasoning. I dont see this argument going away. I get that the Venture as we know it has been officially retired just as we thought it was getting a spectacular upgrade, it was replaced with something entirely different and designed for a very different rider, so after all the months of hype it stings a bit when this bike would have fit so squarely into their line of Strats. I guess I just have some anxiety over knowing that the power tourer we have all loved is officially a thing of the past whilst an air cooled twin marches into the future wearing its name tag. Times change and other mfrs do make power tourers so were not completely boned when new bike time comes. My rant aside I do want buyers of the new bike to feel welcome, this debate doesnt change the welcoming of new brothers and sisters, the debate is only about the machines and not the buyers.

Yamaha has the highest reliability ratings according to CR, I think its 11% chance of major issues in the first four years. Closely followed by the other 3 Japanese mfrs, HD is way at the other end just ahead of the Euro bikes and well behind Polaris (Indian is way ahead of HD in both reliability and cust satisfaction). If I were to go by Consumer Report I would go Indian or Yahama for a twin. As we all know the first years of an entirely new model can be critical for bugs and glitches to be exposed and worked out, but if anyone can pull this off a bike like this without headaches its Yamaha. Im particularly concerned about the techy options. Im betting the engine, trans and final drive are going to prove solid. Alot remains to be seen but IMHO the time to buy a new Stratoliner (Venture) would be after new owners have had a chance to voice wishes and grievances, so gen3 MKII if you will. CR goes back 4 years but Im riding a nearly 30 yr old Venture so I can only speculate on how a 3rd gen will be after 3 decades of the elements and use, im not betting its a 30 year bike with all the extra complexity and the air cooled mill.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Autometer-5880-Speedometer-GPS-Enabled-Phantom-0-140-MPH-3-3-8-in-Analog-Electr-/321845359765?nav=SEARCH I found these because I have a Samurai with many suspension and driveline mods, it looks like this does it. How exactly it works is above my pay grade too but the tech is out there. At that price it wont be a surprise that I use an old road pilot loaded with BH trail maps.

Perhaps its a GPS driven speedo, doesnt the bike have GPS or only on the less cost effective intercont package. Could be fed right from the onboard distracting system. I doubt it but it is possible. I see aftermarket GPS speedos here and there. It would be the first bike to have a speedo that does not require math on the fly to calculate actual speed. When I test ride I'll see if I can get the standing burnout through 4th gear and watch the speedo

The analog gauge is probably digitally driven rather than with a cable, i assume this because you dont even get a throttle cable. I feel like this bike has a ton of options I have never needed or wanted. I think the same of cars. More distraction is never good and the ability to make a call from my lid strikes me as both unpleasant and unwise. When I get on my bike its about the ride, its my metaphorical AFK button, my disconnect from a naggy digital leash. Besides ive seen to many compound fractures in my time to even want to tempt fate like that. I hope they eventually offer a stripped down version with an option list like a gen1. Maybe thats a good way to loose 200lbs and $8000 off the intercont version. Maybe also spread the jugs out another 20 deg to get the rev limit out of the basement, and add a radiator... Crap, there I go again haha.

All good brutha. Not only do I not blame mfrs for chasing a slice of tbe pie, I like to see it. I have to say that I would have a lot more love for this bike if it were packaged and presented as a twin cruiser from the onset. Im not really dissapointed by this twin criuser, im good with that. I'm more put off by the absence of a 3rd gen Venture after being enticed with a 3rd gen Venture. Im looking forward to riding it with an open mind even though my riding style is not suited to a twin. I still like a car with a clutch and 2 doors so I'm a poor representations of who a motor company should be pandering too, I realize that. At any rate I'm really sorry I missed you while you were here and hope we catch up next time.

We agree on many points, I grew up a few minutes from Sturgis and loved to go all through the 80s and a few times until the 90s when it got overcrowded with lots of trlr queens and rubs, it really lost its spirit and charactor, by 90 all my friends that were coming stopped for the same reason and started coming here spring or fall to avoid the "rubfest". I live here again and I put the bikes away (or take road a road trip) during rally week and a large portion of tourist season. I abandoned HD in about 95 for Triumph and a handful of jap bikes, when I looked back HD was still doing the same ol thing while other mfrs were making grea strides and churning out some excellent machines for a decimal point of HD prices. I watched the whole HD subculture turn into a mainstream joke about the same time all the televized bike build off shows gained steam. Times change, denial or adaptation, I went with the later. Loosing HD was tough, the last few rallys I attended I rode my Triumph from Seattle and had a great time until I actually got to Sturgis. The to and from is amazing and I cant wrap my brain around why so many ppl trlr and RV now. You loose the most pivital part of the " Sturgis experience " by using a trlr or RV. It is supposed to be adverse weather and accommodation on the fly, often tents and coffee made on a Triage stove. What can we do but Ride Yamahas and enjoy our friends. Im good with that. I have not been since Im done with HD but I hear tell of some old schoolers doing it in WY by the old way. I respect the hell out of that. They dont make bikers the way they used to, but they make Harleys almost exactly the same way. I share your disappointment over the new Venture but I hope its a hit with twin buyers. If you get to the Black Hills off season hmu, that goes for anyone reading this regardless of your chosen steed, even if its a new Venture.

Thats like Heathkit? Stepdad has a couple pieces somewhere. Very cool stuff, I would love to find an old new stock kit. Im still a jr audiophile and learning but it's my understanding that different speakers react very differently to low or high damping factor. I have wierd speakers, they were kits that I assembled and finished myself, took a chance on them based on reviews, they blow away the Klipsch towers and Polks I auditioned first in both SQ and sheer brain splitting volume, all while keeping perfect composure. What I dont know is how to hey might react with valves and a low damping factor. They are designed to be crossed at 80 and used with subs so the 8" woofers are more midbass while the subwoofers (also came in kit form) take care of under 80. Not sure if that will effect it but I would be using the tubes only over 80. Once I put it all together I was floored by the SQ, I feel like a box of valves would improve it even more but not sure at what point in freq the damping factor has the biggest effect.

There is no way around it, everytime we hit the public roadway we are taking a big chance. Texting and stupidity, almost interchangeable, are big but im noticing a whole lot of just plain ol' not giving a sh#&. Im getting pretty selective about when and where I ride.

Thanks for trying to repost, I'm guessing something is wrong with my phone, I tried in a different browser and it started and copped an error. Ill sure watch it when I get home on the 31st, but guessing there is nothing wrong with how you posted it. We'll see if anyone else has trouble. Still looking forward to seeing it.