Freebird

Thanks...also...I just edited my post. I intended to say that I WAS NOT getting bent out of shape over it. I left out the NOT.

It looked like they would be. Hitch looks pretty easy also. Just got home and have to get a stairlift ready to install tomorrow morning but I may get the hitch done tonight. Heck...I probably won't. I want to take my time and take pictures of the process so will probably wait until Tomorrow afternoon or Sunday.

The Hitchdoc trailer hitch was just delivered. As with all Hitchdoc's that I have seen, it really looks to be overbuilt but I guess that's better than being underbuilt. It's a good looking hitch and appears that it will be a fairly simple install. Obviously, I will be pulling the saddlebags for the first time. The good news is that I will be able to take some pictures of the process and post our first article in the 2018 tech library. Wish I had time to do it now but have a service call on a stairlift about an hour away and will have to take care of that first. Then I have a stairlift install tomorrow morning and another one Saturday morning. So, unless I feel like doing it when I get home this afternoon, it will have to wait until Sunday. Don't plan to use it right away but I just hate to have things laying around. Got to get it done.

I agree with you. I'm getting not bent out of shape over it. I feel fairly confident that these issues will be addressed soon enough. I just checked and my software is version 12.0.6. Will have to look through the threads and see if that is the latest or not. Either way, everything as worked with no issues so far so I'll likely leave it as is until the update it to correct one of the problems that you mention. I guess I was lucky because they had everything activated before I left on it. I've read reports from some people with whom that wasn't the case and they had some problems doing so.

Well, to be honest, this one is different. The Harley and the RSV lended themselves to the chrome bling. This one, not so much. There just isn't a lot of chrome on them and most of the very few accessories being offered by Yamaha are black, not chrome. I decided that I wanted the Yamaha luggage rack and since it is black, I went ahead and ordered the highway pegs and drink holder in black also. It's just going to be a fairly understated look. That's a huge departure for me but I'm thinking I may actually like the change. Maybe I was just ready for something different. Heck, the entire bike is a huge departure, style wise, than the cruiser styling that I've always loved.

Too late. The '05 found a new home and pulled out of here last night. Was a little sad to see it go but needed the space and needed to replenish my bank account.

For those who are really disappointed in the new Star Venture, I ran across another option.

Now that is a possibility. Never been a huge fan of pinstriping but this bike looks a little bare with no tank badges or much other trim. I'll really have to think about it though.

LOL...it already has LED lights all around. The Transcontinental also comes with the fog lights. The Navigation system is working great but I haven't checked the version. If so, it is a free upgrade. I have a horn on the way from a member here who is sending it. Don't care about the heated passenger grips. I don't think. Eileen doesn't like to ride when it gets too cold. Also, to be honest, the '05 had a heated Russell seat and I don't think I used it a single time. My kickstand pad is Stainless Steel and engraved with VentureRiders on it from the Galena rally I think. It will be fine for the new bike. Billet shifter and brake pedal aren't important to me. Maybe at some point but I'm fine the way it is. I had the saddle bag and trunk bags for my RSVs and never used them. Just preferred not having them. Trunk rack bag is a possibility. I have other bags that work fine though. So it's all good. You are NOT trying to help me save money.

Due to a very busy week with the stairlifts, rain, and the bike not being set up the way I want it yet, I haven't even ridden the '18 since getting it home Friday night. As I reported, the lack of the backrest and highway pegs were painful for me. I am happy to say that most everything I need has been shipped and should start showing up as soon as today. Though not needed immediately, it appears that the Hitchdoc hitch will be the first thing to arrive. It is scheduled for delivery today. Probably the last thing I actually need but will likely get it installed over the weekend. I got a notification that the Utopia backrest shipped yesterday via 2nd day USPS. So it should get here as early as Saturday. That will be major and I look forward to getting it. I ended up taking the highway pegs off the '18 and putting them back on the '05 for the new owner. I ordered new ones a couple of days ago and they have shipped but won't get here until probably Wednesday. Luggage rack has also shipped and should get here around mid-week also. Same goes for the KuryAkyn driver's cup holder. Haven't decided what to so no the passenger cup holder yet. ROX handlebar risers will probably be here on Monday. I was going to wait a while on the lower wind deflectors but since I sold the '05 and replenished my piggy bank a bit, I will go ahead and get them ordered today. The only other thing that I have to decide on is the saddlebag lid protectors. I'm on the fence about them. We'll see. I've already been talking to Nancy at Ace High Leathers. Will get her to make me a tank big, likely with pocket, but since she has never done any products for the '18, I'm going to have to work with her by making a template and etc. A simple big will be easy but if I decide that I want the bib/tank chap combo, it is going to be more difficult. I've already heard some people report that they are finding paint damage from their knees rubbing the side of the tank though so I'm really leaning towards the big/chap combo. It's coming along. Just takes time. Luckily there aren't many accessories available for the '18 and it really doesn't need a lot of things so I'm pretty much done.

Actually, I did exactly that. I told him to sign up and I would mark him paid for a year. I also made sure that he rode off with a VentureRider Guardian bell and a small patch.

Well, the '05 just pulled out of here headed down toward Cincinnati. Sort of sad to see it go. I actually think it was a prettier bike than the new one. There are things that I REALLY like about the new one though.

Agreed. A manufacturer absolutely cannot require you to use their branded oil. There are laws against that. I used Mobil 1 VTwin in my Harley. I never had a problem but if I did, it absolutely would have had no effect on warranty coverage.

I understand but am absolutely not a fan of YamaLube. I tried them before and it resulted in more noise, harder shifting, and based upon those two factors....seemed to lose its viscosity within a thousand miles or less. Yamaha absolutely cannot void your warranty for using another brand of oil as long as it meets the required specifications.

Selling the Slingshot freed up a lot of room in my garage. When I get the '05 sold, my wife will actually be able to get her Murano in the garage again. She hasn't complained though. The tractor, mowers, etc. are in the building that was once a greenhouse. It is 30' x 60' and FULL right now.

I know...it took me by surprise. I was just getting it ready to ship to you. Oh well......I really didn't want to bother you with it anyway.

I figured that would be he case. Oh well, I guess I'll have to decide which oil to use. I may try the Quicksilver. I know nothing about it.

I haven't taken but one and it's not real good. I posted it in the watering hole but here it is again.

You just never know but there is a guy coming tomorrow from the Cincinnati area who seems very serious about my '05. Didn't try to negotiate, may at some point, but said he was coming with cash in hand. Sounds like a nice guy and rides a '98 Royal Star right now. We'll see. Eileen was wanting me to keep both bikes but I really don't need two large touring bikes.

That's going to be hard for me. I've been using Mobil 1 in my bikes for over 20 years. They say that the VTwin formula is specifically designed for Harleys and I guess they don't require the JASO rating. Haven't checked my manual yet but I'll be the Yamaha does.

Thanks for the reply. It was sort of what I expected but I hoped I was wrong. Surely they will come out with a fix for that in the near future. Nobody wants their private conversations broadcast over the CB.

@ChiefGunner or anybody else who can answer this question. I haven't used the intercom system yet. I read early reports that the intercom was somewhat screwed up in that if you used the intercom with the CB on, it would transmit over the CB. If true, that is a terrible oversight and one that I hope Yamaha will address. In reading through the manual, I am a bit confused though. If I understand it correctly, if you turn on the VOX, then you don't need to push the talk buttons to use the intercom. In that case, I would think that your conversation would not transmit over the CB and you would simply use the talk button to transmit. Am I correct? If so, that seems like it would work just fine once you get the VOX adjusted to your liking.

I will be sure to do that ASAP. I know she is not going to like the fact that the backrest doesn't wrap around at all. On my RSV and the Harley, I had replaced the passenger backrests with a Mustang (Harley) and a Corbin (RSV) that wrapped around. She liked resting her elbows on the extended "armrests". I will come up with a solution for that as soon as possible. Saw a set of armrests that a guy built and they looked good but haven't seen anything on the market yet.

It's a good looking bike but in a different way. Much more modern look. That actually goes against everything I've ever looked for in a bike. I have always been a huge fan of the cruiser styling of the RSV. I've owned some first gens and was just never comfortable on them. To be honest, if the new SVTC had the engine that many VentureRiders had hoped for, it would probably have appealed to the first gen owners more than the RSV owners. I can tell you that it handles much better than the RSV and though I don't know about the lean angles, otherwise it handles more like a first gen except even better. Very crisp and responsive but with a great center of gravity. A difference though is the foot position. It still has the foot forward riding style that I am a fan of and a lot of first gen riders seem to prefer the feet under or slightly back position. I can tell you that with the modern styling, if it had the upright/feet under riding position, it would not have appealed to me. Though the styling is way out of tune with my past preferences for an old-style cruiser, this one appealed to me in a different way. Though I like the old cruiser style, I also love the muscle cars of the late 60's and early 70's. One of my favorite cars was a '74 Dodge Challenger that I wish I had never sold. A friend had a '72 (I think it was) Barracuda and I always drooled over that car. I read somewhere a quote from a Yamaha design engineer that said they drew cues from the Barracuda when they were designing the bike. I can somewhat see that influence and maybe that is why this one, though different, kind of reached out to me. For the V4 Die-Hards, I know that this one falls far short of expectations. For anybody who can get past that major obstacle though, this one is worth a test ride.

Great....did you find it yet?