Tennessee

On the turn signal bulbs, aren't they an 1157? No matter, you can find almost any LED automotive bulb with a built in resistor now. So, what you need is an LED equivalent with resistor that simulates the element load of the original bulb. The element of the original bulb acts as a resistor for just a second while it heats up and turns white hot. That resistance is noted by the flasher and is seen as a load, and times the flasher unit. Normal LED's have no real load like an element bulb, so they don't work with normal flashers. But science to the rescue!! The LED equivalent has a built in resistor that tricks the existing flasher while giving you long life and much brighter light. Plug and play the bulb, keep the existing flasher. They are not cheap, here is one set listed on Amazon: I know nothing about their reliability, but they come in just short of five stars. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P8SY6S3?aaxitk=DEceXOald.6tcbEGE.M9Sw&pd_rd_i=B07P8SY6S3&pf_rd_p=9420597b-7dad-4cbd-a28d-7d676ac67378&hsa_cr_id=7517422860801&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F61l-H4S2PLL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B07P8SY6S3

Thanks for the replies. I will keep you all updated on the Motokote. I've put maybe 50 miles on her since adding it, and so far, it just seems to be getting a bit better and better. I won't add more than 3 ozs, though, even though it says two ounces per qt on the bottle. I think that is for mainly car engines, not for engines with an integrated clutch. But I know a lot of Indian riders who use it, no complaints at all, no problems, and all say at least they see some improvement. I will admit there is some gear whine remaining, but NOTHING like I had before I added it. I have to listen for it now, and it completely disappears as soon as I pull in the clutch, even in gear. Turned down my radio about 6-8 notches. Oh, it is available at some Walmarts, and most all automotive stores.

Overall, I am pretty happy with the performance and operation of my first ever Yamaha. This model bike was always kind of on my bucket list of bikes to own before I die, so here it is. Mine only has 20,000 on it, and that is low for a bike like this. Trouble is, you can't find many with low miles and good care. Most are run, since they are mile eaters. Of course, not 8 days after I bought mine from the dealer in Atlanta, a guy up here in the Chattanooga area put up an '09 fully loaded Venture with only 10,000 miles on it for $6500, and I think if I flashed $6000 cash in front of him he would pop, but my money is spent on this beauty I have posted here, so here are some updates: The dealer did change all the brake fluid and flushed the lines, the hydraulic clutch fluid, the final drive oil, and the engine oil as they promised. I have to assume they just used what is called out in the owners manual, not full synthetic or anything like that, but it is nice to see clear fluid in all the sight glasses, and I checked the final, nice and new. The back brakes were shot, so I bought a complete set of Caltric sintered brake pads, (both front and back) for a measly $28.50 off eBay, and replaced the rear. They fit well and I just caught the rears before they hogged the rotor. About a week later, I noticed that the fronts were chattering for no real reason, and were like new, but pulled them and put on the Caltric fronts, (only difference seemed to be that the Caltrics had a copper coated plate, where the old ones seemed to be just painted black steel.) I actually think that the fronts were glazed, and I never have had much luck sanding glazed pads, so I put on the remaining Caltrics I had bought for the front and they work great. Brakes are really easy to change on these. I did keep the chatter plates that were on the one side, just putting them on the new pads. Now, all is nice and quiet on the brake front. The radio quit working for a little while - it worked, but would not change channels or any of the buttons work. If I ran the volume up and down fast, I could get the buttons to work - strange. So I am thinking either something is corroded somewhere or maybe a loose ground. Either way, it had just been raining a lot, and although my bikes are completely under cover, the humidity is very high. I put the bike on the road, and after about one mile, the radio came back and has been working perfectly since, even the iPod I connected to the Aux, so you can't fix what ain't broke, and I'm not inclined to pull a full fairing to look for gremlin. If it goes again, I kick in my warranty that I got with the bike and take it to the Yamaha dealer. Lastly, GEAR WHINE... I know, many have commented on this site about various amounts of gear whine, but I am just not used to it. I knew I had new oil, and didn't really want to trash it out. I reflected back to my ownership of my Indian Roadmaster, (my other ride), and the many comments on the IndianRiders.org forum about hard shifting and hard to find neutral. My 2016 Roadmaster, when it was new, was just a bear to find neutral, and shifting was hard. Everybody just said wait till you get past the break in oil, but I thought it nonsense. New Indians, at least the Thunderstroke 111 models, when new the first shift is almost impossible. Some people actually put on a heel/toe lever, (I'm in that camp), to get the first shift done, then it kind of magically goes away. But Neutral is hard to find. Many blame the oversized clutch on these bikes, who knows? I also remembered that many of the owners had added 2-3 ounces of Motokote to their oil, and it went away and the bike became butter smooth. Motokote is a bit different, claiming to put a coating on steel surfaces only, and it will wear away, you have to add it about every third oil change, but I've actually never read a complaint about it. After much worry, and with a reassurance that it would not mess up my warranty, I added it to my Indian. The shifting became easier, I could find Neutral, I was happy. So I added about 3 ounces to the Yamaha, knowing all the naysayers who will claim it will make the clutch slip, additives are voodoo science, etc. I'm happy to say that within about three miles of riding, my whine is almost gone, no problems with the clutch or slippage, neutral is easier to find, (if that is even possible with these bikes), and overall I am very pleased. Motokote is not cheap - a small bottle will set you back North of $20. Some final juggling with the air pressure in the fronts and rear shock, (six pounds on the fronts, about 30 on the rear), couple adjustments to the shifter arm, levers, etc., to accommodate my frame and body, and I am happy. The dealer also had too much air in the tires, 41 lbs., so I lowered that to 36 lbs., and of course it performs better, especially in curves. Am I still mad about that '09 popping up just days after I spent my money on the '05? A little. I think it is well worth the $6500 he is asking, and like I said, I think $6000 cash would do it. Claims health reasons, and 10,000 miles on what is only a ten year old touring bike of this quality for $6500 or less is a bargain in my mind. Even has the CD player and fog lights, and the extended foot pegs for the passenger, along with some LED's added for effect. It is also a two-tone, easier to sell. I actually am surprised that it is still listed. Here is the listing if anyone is interested. These don't show up every day around here. I kind of actually believe the listing, since he is throwing in the helmets and all. https://chattanooga.craigslist.org/mcy/d/hixson-yamaha-venture/6910311763.html So that's my update on my new "05". And for the record, my wife actually looked at the listing on Craigslist and asked if I wanted to pull out the money and go get it, ending up with two of these. I was tempted.....What a great wife!

As of Sunday afternoon the 23rd, they had not charged him for anything. It was just a terrible, terrible crash, and it looks in the photos I have seen that he lost control of the truck which had way too large of a car carrier on it. His company, Westfield Transport, would not comment but is cooperating with authorities, no alcohol has been mentioned. The truck driver had no phone number that could be found, and is 23. My guess is before this is all said and done, The young man may do some serious time, and Westfield Transport will cease to exist under the pile of lawsuits. My guess would be maybe 7 counts of vehicular homicide. The families of the lost probably have lawyers lined up ten deep. There are many pictures on a thread over at the IndianRiders.org site, but I won't repost them. Just a horrible thing, and it could have been totally avoided. I do think speed was involved with the truck driver, but I'm guessing. It was a fifth wheel car carrier, truck was a 2500 Dodge HD. The car carrier looked WAY too big for the truck, and it was empty at the time, probably making it jump a bit on the rural road, or he might have lost the right side off the shoulder and it whipped back. Who knows. NTSB is on the scene. We'll see. It made the national news.

Good deal, Scott. My apologies for getting the name wrong.

Dan, you'll get no negative response from me on your Polaris statements. Even over at at the Indian Forum I belong to, we worry that if Indian stumbles even a bit, Polaris will shut them down. We complain about warranty claims. We wonder why they are growing the dealership so slowly, (only about 300 so far), while the FRT1200 is so in demand you could almost open dealers with that model and the Scout by themselves, and why they require dealers to make multi-million dollar investments to have things like fireplaces and seating areas. And I know a couple of Vic guys who are really not happy with anything Polaris, wouldn't take a product from them if you gave it to them - but they stubbornly hold onto their Vic's, cause they were actually pretty good bikes, at least the Cross Country, and the 106 turned out to be really dependable, even if it did look suspiciously like an air compressor. They just complain while the "ten years of spare parts" Polaris promised are drying up in less than two years. But to be honest, once I got out of the Navy, (9 active, 12 reserve), after my active duty I went to work in manufacturing, starting in 1978 and finishing up in my final factory in 2010. 32 years of working in factories as a manager. Went into sales after that. I was almost always Industrial Engineering, Maintenance Engineering, and Continuous Improvement. Spent 18 months in Shanghai for one company. To be honest, they were all bad news, doing things to people, their products, you name it, that would make your hair curl. You took your paycheck and just shut up because you needed to feed your family and pay your bills. Only company I ever worked for, back in the early 80's was a small company that made automatic devices for sewing machines, like shirt pocket folders, collar makers, stuff like that. Run by two Jewish people, they were the nicest, most honest people I ever met. They were also really tight with a nickel, and when Time Warner came knocking, I had to move along. Could not turn down a 20K pay bump! They had this new gadget called a CD, and I lasted eleven years with them when a new thing came along that was getting us all laid off, a little device called an MP3 player. We all used to say when they figure out how to play music off a chip we would all be out of a job, and it came true. The rest of the companies I worked for were all terrible, and I finally left manufacturing in 2010 to take a Sales Manager position for a Mechanical Contractor who wanted to penetrate factories. I was just burnt out with factories. I did pretty good at sales and finally retired a few years back. But no, no love for Polaris from this guy. Or most other manufacturers, since their agendas are not normally aimed at the consumer. I do, however, love my Indian Roadmaster. 2016, Springfield Blue/Cream, leather seats, what a bike! And you are right about the ride and the geometry - dead on. Mine is lowered 3/4", makes it even better and my fishtails JUST miss the pavement by less than an inch when in a turn, according to my wife who has been in a car behind me a couple times to see how it looks. I even have the beaded streamers on the bars, and the fender fringe, but drew the line at fringe on the footrests. As always, IMHO !!

A ton of companies own other companies stocks. I don't automatically condemn their statements, with the "fact checker" army out there these days killing off anyone who mutters anything even remotely incorrect. I do know that Polaris is still growing the Indian brand, while many others are on the downturn, so there is that. Ever ride one? Great bikes and most Indian dealers quickly became a good place to buy a good, low mileage HD, with all the trades they take in. Just my opinion, but like anyone else, we all got them!

First off, let me straighten out my statement, I had one thing backwards: Indian Motorcycle Still Growing Despite Industry Slump -- The Motley Fool This is where I found it, but I was wrong on the CC rating. It should be the "mid-sized" market, not "above 900CC". I was wrong, and I apologize. Also, you have to believe The Motley Fool. Still, if this person is correct as of November, 2018, you have to think that is quite an accomplishment, mid-sized or otherwise. Here's the actual quote out of the article, so you don't have to read it all. (Quote):It's been the Scouts, though, that allowed Indian to surpass a 25% share of the midsize motorcycle market in the third quarter, and assuming the entire economy doesn't tank because of the trade war or other factors, Polaris is looking to gain even more.(Unquote) -------------------- So they don't have to really know how many bikes Polaris is putting out, which I agree, they do not normally release those numbers although a couple people on the IndianRiders.org site work for Polaris in Iowa, and have released some vague numbers. They passed their 100,000 bike quite a few months ago. No, this article used actual registrations of bikes in the "mid-size" market, which would put say, the Indian Scout up against say, the Harley Davidson Sporster and others. And no, I don't think of a Goldwing anymore as a touring bike, unless you want to redefine the category. It is now a "Sport Touring Bike", and in this case, you are right, a ST1800. It follows the lines of the BMW and others in that category. Lighter, mid ride, your feet in a mid position, not a front position. Personally, I don't like them, but hey, they were South of what, 20,000 units a year? They have to try something. Sometimes I wonder if any actual full dresser tour will be made by any manufacturer in about five years, with new riders clamoring for smaller, lighter, cheaper bikes, my generation checking out of biking altogether, and money not as flush for this generation coming on. First generation since WWII NOT to do as well as their parents... Great example is the Indian Scout FTR1200. First pictures came out 3rd/4th qtr. in 2018, first models hit the showroom floors in late April 2019, but those were all spoken for. Even up to mid-June, every one coming off the line in their new facility in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and their European facility in Gdansk, Poland, are spoken for as soon as they finish coming off the line. No one really knows how many, and to further confuse things, it is a street/naked/dirt/sport - call it what you want bike. Totally equipped for about $17K, but I think you can get one as cheap as about $15K. They are aiming it right at people like Ducati/Triumph/Husky/BMW, and in a small way, any person who might think of buying a low end HD, but wants more versatility. About the only one they cannot compete with are the Japanese imports, like the lighter Yamahas, Suzukis, and Kaws. But Americans like the "Made in America", and in some part, Eurpoeans like the "Made in Europe". So here it is in the two configurations offered. Water cooled, BTW. Similar engine to the Scout.

I'd bet money we're talking loose or off ground wire probably in the turn signal circuit, since it only happens with the signals.

I believe Yamaha went with the V Twin simply because that is what the two big USA manufacturers have in their big bikes. I don't think it is much more complicated than that. You cannot get that "Potato-potato" noise out of any other engine. Why they didn't put some cooling on at least the heads is beyond me. Either way, here's some facts: 1. Polaris sold around 17,000 Victorys in just shy of 18 years. One big reason was the styling - just love/hate. The front end of the 2018 Yamaha looks a lot like a Victory, with the sharp, angular lines. It also is love/hate. (With the caveat that Yamaha people would take it no matter what, simply because they are sold on the reliability of Yamaha and the brand.) Polaris unceremoniously dumped the Victory when it became obvious that Indian was taking off, and all their production capability was needed for Indian, especially the new Flat Track FTR1200 was and is a big hit. 2. 40% of all bikes are sold on color, just like cars. So if you didn't like one of the two colors put up by Yamaha in 2018, you might have been looking at other brands. And it's not just a wifey thing either. When my wife and I went in to look at our Indian Roadmaster in 2016, they had two in there, a two tone Springfield Blue/Cream, and one that was called Diamond Blue, sort of a sky blue metallic color. She loved the Diamond Blue, I loved the Two tone. What sold it was I told her that two-tone bikes bring better resale, which is just barely true. I'm glad I bought the two-tone, since that Diamond Blue one sat on his floor for another six months, waiting for somebody that liked that shade of blue. If Yamaha had put up a couple of two-tone bikes, I wonder if sales would have been higher? Or even a Midnight Black one? Lots of people love black bikes. Either way, it's all just conjecture, but I think that for my money, after trading my 2015 Harley Limited Low in Silver/Black with only 404 miles on it for my 2016 Indian Roadmaster two-tone, I've never looked back, and to be honest, I have had more compliments on that Indian than any other bike I've ever owned. And when I went looking for my first Yamaha, I looked for a Gen2, not a new one.

Just talking to my Yamaha dealer yesterday. They are third generation owners in this store, and I was talking to the lady who was second generation, came back to help while the kids were on vacation. She worked there for 50 years and keeps up with Yamaha, knows a TON of people. She said that for the USA, the 2020 is still up in the air for Yamaha. They just don't know. Canada, fine, USA, not so much. Too many leftover 2018's on the floor. Yamaha is now trying to help, with a $2500 June rebate on any Eluder. (She didn't have any Transcontinentals so I don't know about rebates for those.) I read on this forum somewhere that the initial run of bikes for the USA was 2500. So I looked on Cycle Trader, and as of this morning, there are 335 Eluders and 417 Transcontinentals for sale in the USA. That is approximately 30% of the run, if that 2500 bike run, (which seems low to me), is true. So I can see why Yamaha might hesitate to try and bring on a 2020 for the USA. When Harley brought in the 108 motor, they did it without asking the dealers how many of the same model they had left with the 103's in them. Turns out thousands, and those dealers had a fit with HD over that early intro. Many, many dealers ate a lot of coin on those leftover 103's. But HD had to do something, Indian was eating their lunch on over 900CC bikes. They needed a bigger motor. Yamaha seems to be a bit more cognizant of their dealers, which is nice to know. She also said that the Gen 2 bikes, after about the first six months of issue on the 2018, the Gen 2's rose in used bike price by $1-2K, even if NADA stayed put. She had one on her floor, 2002, nice shape, 69,000 miles, wants a whopping $7000 for it. Not on my best day... But she knows it will move, eventually. My 2005 I just bought, I was a few hundred under that with a custom paint job and lots of upgrades, and it only had 20,035 on it. But she is the only Yamaha dealer around me, so it will sell if you want a Gen2 unit. I had to go down into Georgia to find the one I bought, and moved fast. It had only been on the dealer floor for five days when I showed up, and they had people scheduled to test ride it. We'll see about the Eluder/Transcontinentals. They are a bike that Yamaha absolutely needs - but as one guy said over on my Indian Forum I belong to, why didn't they put the Vmax engine in them, detune it to about 150HP? Would have been an Indian/Harley killer for sure. Harley 103's and 108's already have water cooled heads, and Indian can't go much more than a year or two with the 111 air cooled engine. And it has heat problems also. It will have to be modified. Emissions...