craigatcsi

I have considered this, but am unsure of my ‘talents’. I am afraid of making my seat worse. But…. after reading your comment, I will start to look for a used seat, just like mine, so it would still match. I can then take it to an upholstery shop and work with them to make it better fit me. I think that if I can get the seat thing figured out, I might be able to ‘build back up’ so I can ride longer, (I hope). - I remember that starting 10 years ago or so, when each springtime came, my wife and I both had to ‘build back up’ to be able to ride all day. You know, I am kinda embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of getting a used seat that I could risk ‘screwing up’ while experimenting. - No matter what I do with the seat, I doubt I will ever be able to ride 12 or 14 hours a day. But, your idea has truly inspired me to cautiously ’try again’! craigr

Thanks for the kind words! I miss riding Very Much. Anymore, I can only walk 100 feet or so, and that is unsteady. So, most of my time is spent in bed, which means that I have lost what little butt muscles that I had before. Even with the seat mod that I had done years ago, my backside gets sore first. Even restaurant seats start bothering me towards the end of most meals. I think that if I could get that part figured out, that I might be able to ride more. I really think that it is the sitting on my tailbonethat does it. It feels like the seat did before I had the mod done. I wish there was a way to cut a ‘hole’ in that seat, sort of like the saddles they use to use on horses. A sheepskin sits me too high, it just doesn’t feel right. Really, I don’t know what to do. One moment…… I want to just sell it, the next moment…… I want to keep it ‘just in case’ I can ride like I used to. It has been such a good bike, the best I have owned by far, it would be tough to see it go. I have to believe that there are others from this group that have had to give it up. Was it tough to let it go? craigr

Sadly, the last 5 years and several surgeries later, I still can’t ride my 07 Venture / Hannigan Trike more than an hour or so. I have mentioned to my wife that we should just sell it, but she doesn’t want to. We used to take long road trips on it. We have hit 39 states, with hopes of finishing out the lower 48, but I can’t imagine that happening now. I have had it out 3 times this year for short rides. In my wildest dreams, I never thought that at the age of 60, most of my life would be spent in bed. My message to you that can still ride is to RIDE! Ride all you can, when you can because you never know when your health will turn for the worse.

They did get the snapped bolts out. The mechanic told me that he used an ‘Easy-Out’ and the came out pretty easy, (thank God). As of now, we are in a holding pattern until the new bolts arrive.

I took my trike in because it had a lot of play at the clutch handle. They said the upper clutch hydraulics were fine, but the lower needed to be rebuilt. To rebuild this lower clutch hydraulics, would they need to remove these bolts? - I’m wondering if they snapped the bolts while trying to remove them. craigr

I just now added to my original post, a pic he sent me.

I took my Venture to our local dealer for a clutch issue. I had a lot of play at the handle and shifting was tough. After they took a look at it, they said the lower hydraulic needed rebuilt. So they ordered the parts. Two weeks later, I get a call from them saying that when they went to start the repairs, they noticed that “All four bolts on the Drive pulley are sheared off”. He said they have never seen this before, and attributed it to being converted into a trike. - Have any of you Venture Trike owners had this happen? They are a ways from where I live, so I don’t want the drive just to look at it. YouTube has nothing on it. Do you folks know of a resource that I can look at to see what he is referring to?

No leaks. - Now, there is little resistance in the clutch lever with full, clear fluid, (new a year ago.)

Well, here it is with a clutch issue again. It is back to being tough to shift and when I pull the clutch handle in, it doesn’t full disengage. I can still shift, but when at a stoplight the bike wants to creep forward some. When the bike is off, there is quite a bit of play in the clutch handle, like it is out of adjustment. By looking at the clutch reservoir, the fluid is full and clear. As soon as I pay some other bills off, I will take it back in to the mechanic. Hopefully, he just didn’t clean it out very well when he fixed it last fall.

Now that is interesting. Heck, when registering it as a car, their mandatory helmet law wouldn’t apply! But really, it would make as much sense as registering the Slingshot as a motorcycle. In my opinion, lawmakers can make the stipulation that if one straddles a vehicle, then it is a motorcycle. If not, and it has a steering wheel, then it is a car. Personally, I think it ridiculous to label the slingshot as a bike AND in states with a helmet law, (like my Nebraska), you have to wear a helmet to drive it! I would like to have one, but I’ll be damned if I would wear a helmet, yet when in my brother’s little Nissan convertible he doesn’t have to. Anyone with at least ‘half a brain’ can look at a 4 wheel Venture and see that it is still a motorcycle. But sometimes it seems that our lawmakers don’t have at least ‘half a brain’.

I already have my rear with the Hannigan trike, but seeing this, I wonder about getting the front done also. The biggest concern, other than cost, would be that my 07 Venture already has 50k miles on her. Do I want to invest another 20k(?) into her. - But….. I would have a VERY unique bike! I would have to ride a front end trike to see how she handled, before investing even more into mine.

My trike started this exact same behavior last week! I made it home okay, but won’t take it out again like that. I had it in to the service dept. last fall because shifting was bad. They flushed the “very bad” fluid and it shifted like new again! So, I need to have it hauled back out to them.

I guess that I forgot to post what it was...... The clutch fluid needed flushed. It actually had ‘a ball of crap’ that was in the reservoir along with the fluid. Once flushed, it now shifts like new! Thanks for suggestions.

I have the Leftover parts from my Blue over Black 07 Venture Hannigan Trike conversion. I also have a few parts from when I dropped my bike. Insurance replaced instead of repainting them. Please let me know if my prices are out of line. - I truly want a fair deal for both of us. I have one fairing skin with scratches on the right side. - $100 One slightly used original windshield - $75 Two saddle bags, one left and one right. - $500 One right bag that has a very small scratch on the rim, that is almost difficult to see. - $200 Two, (never installed), leather saddlebag lid covers. - $100 Two, (factory vertical), Saddlebag Guards w/reflectors - $100 One trunk with a very small scratch on the right side rim. - $225 One used rear shock - $20 Rear Fender - $100 One rear rim and wide whitewall tire with plenty of tread. - $100 And of course I can provide Pics. And, of course, buyer pays shipping cost. - I am located in Omaha, NE

I believe that I still have my originals. (I can’t believe that I would have tossed them.) I do clearly remember carefully putting them in the box my Bubs came in. Mine are off my 07 Venture. - Send me a PM If you still need them, I will look for them in my garage. Craig

The clutch..... even though it disengages? It has been a few years since the fluid has been flushed.

My 07 venture is locked in 2nd gear. The clutch does disengage, it just won’t shift. Have any of you had this happen?

Many thanks for the welcomes. By next year, I hope to be built back up enough that we can take our trike out East to pick up remains states on our map. Or at least ride it to Indy to visit friends like we used to. I would love to attend one of your meet-ups / get togethers so I can meet and get to know you folks.

I haven’t been back to this board for awhile. Several years ago, I had some surgeries that didn’t go so well. Because of this, both of my bikes sat without being ridden. So, I sold my 99 Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan Classic, (2 wheeler), to my daughter and her husband. I sure hated to lose her, but she was just gathering dust in our garage. I even considered selling our 07 Venture/Hannigan trike also, but my wife was adamant to keep it. This year, I have built up so that I can ride for approximately an hour and a half at a time. Though I did ride 3 hours one Sunday afternoon, but it really tore me up. I had rode to check out a NASCAR dirt track 84 miles away, and once I got there, I knew it was a mistake. But, I had to get home, so I toughed it out and paid for it for a few days afterwards. We currently have only 37 states on our ‘map’, but the surgeries may have ended the goal of all of the lower 48 states. All we need are on the east coast. But, just getting there would be tough. I just don’t think I will be able to do the 10 hours of riding at a time, like we used to. But I am trying to build myself up for the riding. Because of the surgeries, I retired early. So, it is no longer a matter of having the vacation hours at work. - Anyways, I am anxious to see what I missed and reacquaint myself with the members here. craigr

Wow, I’m sorry to hear you were hurt at all, but the good Lord that you weren’t hurt worse! - Bikes can be fixed or replaced. Hopefully you two can be back on two wheels soon! craigr

It’s good to hear that I am remembered. Thanks for the Welcomes!

Since I was never well known on here back when I was on here, I realize that no one missed me. But I wanted to let you all know I plan to be on here again. Over the last three years, I have had a couple of surgeries go bad so I haven’t been riding. I have really been avoiding anything that had to do with riding. I haven’t had my trike out once this year and my 2 wheeler out in three years! I have been afraid to try, then find out I can no longer ride. I know, dumb. But over the last month, I think I have myself talked into giving it a try. Obviously, my wife and I hope that I can.

I WISH I were that young. My oldest was born in 77 so if YOU are old, what does that make ME??

Put me in the category of very disappointed. Though now that I am on my last new bike, and resigned to riding my 07 Venture trike due to my health, I was still hoping that Yamaha would stick with the V4 on the 3rd Generation. I recognize and agree that the market leans very heavily on VTwins, but adding a Venture to that market is kinda showing up late to the party. With the V4, they had a GREAT engine that is unique, something that excelled in so many ways. Now the Venture is 'Just another VTwin' or...... another 'Harley wannabe'. It seems that Yamaha is after NEW customers only and ignoring what Existing customers were saying. Just look at the past MANY conversations about what the 3rd Gen was going to be and how many have said they need to keep the V4 to keep it a true Venture. I'm sure there will be some that like it, but I still say they dropped the ball. - But then I am no 'Market Analyst' craigr

For those that don't know, a couple of years ago, I did the Hannigan Trike conversion on my Blue / Black 07 Venture. Anyways, this thread got me to thinking more..... Now that I have invested 20k on the conversion, on top of the 15k that I paid for my bike, I am kinda stuck with her for a bit. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Trike, I wish I had done it in 07! But.... Say they do come out with a new Venture and I really like it. After investing all of that money on the conversion, plus the other accessories, I am going to ride her for awhile to get at least some of my money out of her. And, I doubt that I will ever trike another bike. They lose the value of the conversion so fast, that I would probably just look for one that has already been converted. craigr