RossKean

Not that I could see. The work "align" doesn't even appear in the manual. Ross

Gary Mine is out considerably more than 3/8 and there is a tracking problem. I have not seen any spec for this parameter. Also have some front end shimmy (hands-off) that I really don't like. I am going to take the bags off on the weekend and make some more careful measurements. Try to see if I can tell how this might be brought back into line. Eck has given me some ideas and some things to check out. I will also stop by the dealer where I bought the bike and see if the service guys have any ideas. Ross

When I put the straight edge on the rear tire on the right hand side of the bike, all four tire edges were pretty much in a line. When I did it on the left side of the bike (straight edge on the back tire), the straight edge ended out somewhere between 1/2" and 3/4" to the left of the front tire. I did this last evening in a fairly dark garage with hot pipes so I need to do it more carefully - maybe later today. Ross

Eck I understood your comments on the alignment check. I am pretty sure its is done correctly. I will check it today in better light and let you know. Perhaps we should take the discussion "off-line" by PM or email but post final results here for the benefit of others. Ross

Eck I checked the pressure in both front forks and they differed by a couple of lbs - 5 and 7 psi. I brought both to 0.0 and the ride (and pull) did not change very much. Just for "fun", I tried checking the wheel alignment the same way I used to on the Roadstar. I took a long straight edge (8') and placed on the rear tire about a third of the way up and ran it to the front of the bike. On one side, the straight edge was right against the edge of the front tire and there was ~3/4" gap on the other side. This tells me one of two things and I don't know what I can do about either. My experience with the Roadstar tells me that this is more than enough to cause these issues. 1) The rear axle may be "skewed" a bit. Easy fix to move one side back or forward on a belt or chain driven bike but I don't know if anything can be done on a shaft drive. 2) The other possibility is that the whole front end (or frame) is twisted somehow so the front tire is effectively kicked in on one side. This would have to have been the result of poor manufacturing tolerances or an accident much worse than a parking lot drop! Tomorrow, I will get someone to help me hold the bike at the balance point on a flat surface and put a carpenter's square on each wheel to see if they are both perpendicular to the ground (or at least the same as each other). If they are not, I may have a serious problem. As I mentioned, this pull (actually to the left, not the right as I had posted) is not severe and the bike is quite rideable but it ain't right. It will cause excess tire wear and has to affect handling and ultimate control of the motorcycle. (It annoys the crap out of me as well). Maybe I should see if the dealer still has my old Roadie! I appreciate your help and I still have some stuff to do (i.e. your list from your earlier post). Ross

While 45 and 48 might give me a better ride, those values exceed both Yamaha's recommended maximum and the max for the tires. Probably not too bad if its cool outside, but I think you would be into serious overpressure riding fast on hot asphalt. Ross

jlh3rd I am running 40 psi in front and 42 psi in rear.

Eck I think I have a homework assignment for this weekend! I really appreciate the detailed response and a list of things to check out! I'll report back on Monday (or sooner, if I get a chance). In answer to your last questions - The bike does have a whine and I am pretty sure it is associated with the clutch rather than the rear end. Pitch is proportional to engine speed, not bike speed and disappears when the clutch is pulled in. No clicking or grinding when I back up. KiteSquid I'll check out the fork pressure and the levelling links as well! I hope I don't find anything expen$ive! Ross

Jimbob I haven't found anything in the service manual on this either or read anything about it elsewhere. Just trying to learn something from the experience of others. Venture 101 I never had a shaft-drive bike so I don't know what to expect. I would be surprised if a "pull" was part of the nature of the beast. Ross

Jack I haven't had any issues with Metzelers in the past. These have plenty of wear left but I concede that a defective tire could cause some of the symptoms I am seeing. As I mentioned, the tires appear to be OK and I would prefer to rule out other possibilities before I replace tires (although this might be the eventual solution). It wouldn't do much good to put new rubber on and find these tires wearing too fast as the result of a mechanical issue. Thanks

I have a new-to-me 2002 Midnight Venture. I have noticed a slight pull to one side - not so bad that the bike would run off the road without steering input, but noticible all the time. It is not related to road crown, uneven loading of the bike or rider position (I checked). This is apparent at all speeds. Tires are Metzelers and are about half gone. Reasonably normal wear pattern with no evident cupping. I am concerned that I may have an alignment issue but I have no idea how to determine this on the Venture or how to fix it if there is a problem. I bought the bike used from a Yamaha dealer (last week) with 36,000 km (22,500 mi) on the clock. As far as I know, the bike has never been involved in a significant accident although there is evidence (bent engine guard and minor scratches) that it had been dropped at some point. I should mention that this is the exact behavior I have experienced on my Roadstar when a rear wheel was installed and not lined up perfectly. On that bike a simple loosening of the axle and a tweak to the adjusters fixed it right up. Hopefully, we are dealing with some sort of adjustment rather than something twisted out of alignment!! Also, when checking for hands-off "behavior", I experienced some significant oscillation in the handlebars. Not violent or out of control but enough that I had to grab them. This was at about 30 mph. Road was fairly rough so this might have been what started it. I don't feel major/abnormal vibration or oscillation in the bars during normal riding at any speed. Someone suggested that this might be loose steering head bearings and I will check that out - winter project. For the sake of safety and the potential for excess tire wear, I would like to resolve this ASAP. I would welcome your suggestions. Thanks Ross

The dealer has already agreed to get a copy of the Owner's Manual for me. Nice to have on hand for reference. Ross

Eck - How long did it take you to get it "fixed"?

Thanks for the offer, Spear. I think I have it figured out now - problem was mine, not the radio! Ross

No, I didn't drop it or break it in any way! Caution: Long Bonehead Post Traded in the Roadstar and picked up my new (to me) 2002 Venture today. I went over the bike with the salesman and thought I had it figured out pretty well. Just getting out of town and an unfamiliar green light came on (on the left side of the dash). Bright day and me without my reading glasses interpreted this as an oil light !!! (Started with "O" and had two more letters/characters) Went back to the sales guy and told him the oil light was coming on intermittantly. We checked the oil level (OK) so he agreed to replace the oil level sensor (Had to be that, right?). By the time I left town again and rode another few miles, I began to see a pattern of when the light would come on - always in fifth. D'oh - Overdrive light!!! Embarrasing to have to email the guy when I got home a couple of hours later and tell him he could cancel the order for the part - especially since he had agreed to fix it on their nickel! To make things even better, after my first return to the shop when I first discovered the "oil light" problem, I decided to try out the radio and listen to some music for the ride home. Figured out how to turn it on and found a station. Worked Ok for a few minutes and then I started getting intermittant loud static. WTF!! First an oil light sending unit and now a screwed up radio. (I hadn't figured out the O/D thing yet) I was a little pissed and returned to the sales guy and told him about the radio. This guy was great but (like me) was not intimately familiar with the Venture. He agreed that something was screwey and said that they would replace the unit inside the fairing!! The parts were ordered (oil sensor and parts for the radio). As I said, these guys are great when it comes to customer satisfaction and service!! By the time I got home, I had figured out the oil light thing and sent an email with my apologies and told him not to bother ordering the part. Started thinking about the radio... Seemed like it might have been an intermittant grounding issue so I started playing with it after I got home; checking antenna grounds and wiggling the wire from the control unit. I could neither induce the static noise nor stop it by any action, including giving the fairing a gentle thump. Sounded like radio interference...??? Funny thing - I never had a bike with a CB system on it but after I thought about it for awhile, I began to wonder what would happen if a CB transmission came in over the radio station. (was thinking there may have been a fault so there was some cross-talk) D'oh again!! Just realized that in my attempt to get the system operating and tuned while riding, I had managed to turn on the CB (hadn't realized it could run at the same time as the rest of the audio)! Next step was to RTFM (Read The F***ing Manual). Next step after that was to send the sales guy another apologetic email explaining that he really didn't have to order the radio parts, either!! In my defence, I doubt that anyone on earth could figure out the Venture audio system without at least a sneak peek at the manual. This brings me to a question... The bike did not come with an owner's manual. I figured out the radio thing with some help from a downloaded manual (from a link posted on this site). The PDF of the owner's manual is not printable. Does anybody have a link to a version that has printable pages? My only other "issue" is the clutch "ring/whistle/chirp". I will look into it a bit before I make any further complaints. Three major embarrassments in one day would be just too many. Unfortunately, I understand that this is a "known" issue and it is something I will likely have to live with (or pay a lot of money to fix). Maybe the sales guy will fix/replace the clutch for free since it didn't cost him anything for the oil light and audio?? (maybe not) G'night Ross

They look great but not inexpensive. I'll have a look at JP and see what they have. Thanks Ross

The biggest advantage is the ability to use some of the high-intensity H3 lamps such as the Piaa. At least for the headlight, it makes a big difference. Ross

The 2002 Venture I am picking up this week has the sealed beam passing lights. The dealer tells me that I would have to buy the light kit (including housings) for $137 if I want to switch to halogens (35W, H3 lamp). He also quoted $22 each for replacement sealed beam bulbs in case I just want to replace the existing lamps! Canadian prices are quite a bit higher than USA prices, but this seems a little out of line. If I decide to go with the halogen lamps, does anyone know whether I have to replace all of it or if I can just fit the new lenses and new reflector to the housings for the SB units- if so, where can I get these? If I can't switch to the halogens for a reasonable cost, what aftermarket sealed beam lamp is suitable? I am also thinking about changing the amber signal light lenses to the clear ones (with amber bulb). (Is the lens interchangeable?) The plastic lenses appear to be reasonably inexpensive but the front bulbs (dual filament - run, turn) are VERY expensive - a lot more than the lenses! It seems to me I read somewhere that you could buy a standard automotive lamp at a small fraction of the Yamaha price and file off one of the lugs to fit these sockets. What would be suitable for the rear bulbs (single filament, turn only). Thank you Ross

Mike I also liked the PO acronym! I thought about the Stebel for my Roadstar but never got one. I may do it for the Venture. It has nice chrome horn covers on it already so I might leave the stock ones on as well! (More "bling") Bike needs some TLC. Paint needs a properr polish and the PO was an amateur electrician - extra lights etc were wired so poorly that they shorted out and are currently non-functional. Temporary fix it for now and do it right over the winter. My brother-in-law lives in your neck of the woods (Port Dalhousie). I'm going to trry to talk my wife into a trip up there - but probably not 'till spring. I used to live in Burlington. Ross

Thanks for the responses so far! Very helpful. Couple of more questions... Oil - Synthetic, of course and I don't want to debate brands!! 20W40 or 20W50? Air kits - Is this one only for the Royal star or is it applicable to the Venture as well? Does anyone know if it is worth it? http://www.phatperformanceparts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BA%2D2000%2D00 Ross

Hi All! I don't know whether this is the right place to post, or not... I apologize in advance for the length of the post. Anyway, I am looking at the possibility of buying a black 2002 Midnight Venture and am trying to learn a bit more about it. It is pretty well loaded chrome-wise but I don't think there have been any mods other than aftermarket exhaust (which I didn't like and would return to stock). The previous owner scooped out the seat and I would have to get an original since I am 6'3". Kury grips would replace the stockers. I have been riding a 2004 Roadstar for the past year and a half and have put quite a few miles on it. The Roadie is a great cruiser but lacks something for touring. Bag space, comfort and amenities ensure that any longer trips are solo - wife isn't happy riding any distance. The bike I'm considering has 36000 km on it (~23000 mi). Paint is in reasonable shape but needs a good buffing. Overall condition seems to be pretty good but I don't really know what to look for in terms of potential problems. The previous owner spent some money on bling but I don't think he really maintained it properly - maybe he didn't know how or just didn't bother. I'll be getting the service and warranty records from the dealer so I should be able to find out whether the appropriate routine service was done! It does make a bit of a ringing noise in the clutch area at certain RPMs but I understand that this is VERY common and not particularly a problem (other than an annoyance). 1) Is there any reasonable fix for the clutch noise? 2) How difficult is it to adjust the carbs (syncing etc)? 3) Any recommended aftermarket (non-cosmetic) improvements (i.e. the Roadstar benefited greatly with an aftermarket breather (Baron BAK) and rejetting) Anything similar for the Venture? 4) Any issues to look out for with respect to the engine, cooling system, shaft drive etc. (Major mechanical) 5) Suspension issues or bearings? 6) Specific maintenance issues other than the usual - brakes, tires, oil, chasis lube... 7) Comments regarding comfort, noise, vibration etc compared to the R* (or other tourers like the HD Ultra Classic) 8) How is the "fit" for distance riding for someone who is less compact than most? (Tall with long legs) Would highway pegs be an important addition? How's the amount of room for the passenger? 9) What's the nicest bit of bling to add? A new (to me) bike needs a little present to feel welcome in a new home! 10) Anything else I should know??? I really like the idea of a touring bike that still looks like a motorcycle. While a Wing may be in my future, it will wait for a few years! Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions. Also posted at Delphi - never hurts to get as wide a variety of opinions/comments as possible! Ross