druuu

thanks for all the suggestions and help from the forum, the bike is just about ready for me to pick up next week with new tires, brakes, battery, carbs cleaned and synced, fluids replaced and tested out by the awesome shop I found- Ryan at the shop is going to have his first baby just before I get there to pick up my new baby- then it's off to Bloomington IN for first night with some friends, on to Sioux City IA, Sturgis SD, Missoula MT, Spokane WA and Seattle- going to try and get off the interstate where I can, maybe in the Cheyenne or Bighorn, maybe Lolo if the weather is good and I have enough time- will post some pics from the road, here's Frank and his bike last time I rode with him a few years back

My good buddy Frank passed away this past March after getting more time than his doctors thought he would. In my last conversation with him he told me he wanted to give me his 2006 Royal Star Venture with 75K miles on the clock- The bike was sitting in his garage for most of a couple of years as he faded, and frankly, he wasn't ever the most diligent maintainer due to his inclination (he was known as the bungee cord king) and finances. I'm planning on flying out to Ohio and jumping right on the bike to bring it home to Seattle in a 4 day ride. I've had it towed to a shop that's a bit more dirt bike/sport bike oriented (28 Motorsports in Columbus), but the owner seems to be on the ball and competent. He knows that I want it to be a safe ride and I've told him I'm willing to pay for safety and convenience. Wanted to see if anybody on the forum had any suggestions for things I should pay particular attention to in getting this bike prepped for a 2500+ mile ride- I know it needs tires, oil, brakes, vacuum seals, but curious if I should look at and suggest preventive maintenance or checks on anything else. Hoping to reduce the chance of missing something and ending up in a uhaul instead of riding, or worse. Also, can I assume that 75K on the clock is not a deal breaker to keep this thing going strong for some years to come, provided I maintain it properly? First time posting here, excited to join the community after lurking for a bit trying to get a feel for this bike. I've been happy on my 1995 Harley Dyna for the last 15 years, and generally keep my bikes forever. I'm excited to give this bike a try on a long cruise- I figure the cross country ride will help me decide if it's a good bike for me long term, but want to make sure I make it across successfully whether or not I keep it forever. thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions and hope to meet some of you on the road some day