Squidley

Trust me fellas, my statements weren't to stir the pot. HD has flaws, by nature their bikes run hot, but so do other brands air cooled twins. The marketing of HD is genius, just about everyone has $20 to spend on a hat or T shirt. The majority of your statements are correct, folks want to be considered a bad a$$ because they have a HD, or are a poser and wear all the crap. I dont fall for the image of HD, my image is whatever shirt fits and isn't dirty is what I'm wearing. If it's pink teletubbies and I'm secure enough wearing it, thats what I'm wearing I guess for me, that I wish Yamaha was as proactive with the bikes we love as HD is with their bikes. A few years back, it was always going to be a Venture for me, thats not the case now and if I had the money to play with, I wouldn't buy a new Yamaha for fear of the same thing they have/haven't done with the Venture. We are very loyal to these bikes as many of us have had tens of thousands trouble free miles out of them. I have well over 100K with all the Ventures I have owned with minimal issues. I have never been stranded where I couldn't McGuiver something together to get me back home. Like I say, not poking at the "Bee's nest" but the folks that own the HD's are pretty loyal as well to their brand. It's what we choose to ride, until something better comes along, Yamaha hasn't offered anything better in a long time unfortunately. I wont stir the pot with this one anymore

I thought the RSTD's had chrome forks??? I take it yours aren't, what year is it again Joe?

Let me play devil advocate here.... Many of the things you say are mostly true about HD. It's a perception that many of the folks that own them want others to feel about them, but not everyone who owns a Harley is brainwashed. We sit here on our Yamaha forum and talk a lot of smack about HD, but in reality, Yamaha could care less what we want on our bikes and have no intention of trying to give it to us. The folks at Harley Davidson listen to their customers, this is why the stereo's on their bikes sound like a rolling concert hall. They have more than adequate charging systems so folks can run their doo dads. This is why they offer so much chrome crap that your head will spin off. If you keep a Harley pretty much stock and dont screw around with the guts of it trying to make it some balls out racer, it will last just fine. I know many guys that have them and dont have issues. Yamaha has missed the boat, and the folks that have left for other manufacturers aren't coming back. $20K for a 2013 Venture!? a few thou more and you could be in a new Goldwing or a Harley. The Venture is a great bike, that is way past it's prime, it NEVER changed to any great degree in the 14 year run of the RSV. Will I still own one, you bet, for the money a used one is a great deal, would I pay $20K for a new one, not in a million years. If they redesign it, I want the same cruiser styling as the RSV. If they totally change the design and cramp my legs again, forget it. To me it's always been about getting in the wind on 2 wheels. I could care less what 2 wheels it's on, I have owned most the bike brands out there, they all have issues at some point. There are many of us that had parents and grandparents that owned Harleys. We were sitting on them when we were 2, I think a lot of it is nostalgia and thats not a bad thing. Harley has got a lot of it right, and they are trying new things to bring others over....

That sure is a nice trailer Phil got there Diane

The biggest thing you forgot to mention there George.....she's worth it

Russell, As soon as I can afford it again, I will make it back up to the land of 10000 lakes. Unfortunately your going to have to put up with an unhappy Bubber until then

I like him more all the time Tweetie, speaks his mind...even to the Boss

I am truly sorry Owl, I know how sensitive you can get, and I totally jonesed you fine folks that do the PIP. Please forgive me and my indiscretions, you Minnie sodians are some of my favorite lunatics

John....I read this and started laughing like hell, were really not all as prudish as we appear. Some of us are, but there are others, like myself, that will partake every once in a while. We just mind our P's & Q's here on the site and when there are kids around. I have helped a few of the members here back to their tents, cabins or even into their houses before after a few too many ahem...libations

Here's another thing that some might not be thinking about. There are a couple mini rallys that are held every year. The Western NY gang does one at Pioneer Motorsports, Dragon Rider does Vogel down in Blairsville GA. If someone wants to do a mini rally without all the hoopla (and headaches) of the International then do that. You dont have to ride all over the place, this is really about folks coming together and sharing some time with eachother. I like the rides, but I love to interact and mingle with old friends and make new ones....

I have a stock set off a '99, PM me if your still looking.

If you go up top in the header on the top of the forum pages, there is a search tab. Type in cassette deck and it will bring up all threads on the cassette deck and any thread that has cassette in it. I know there are several threads where members have removed the unit and is just what you are wanting to do. Personally I would investigate a bit further and even though you would render the deck useless, I would modify it to keep the door so you could open and close it just like it is stock....

Steve, The '08 International WAS in Canada, in Kitchener Ontario. It was hosted by Reiney Rooster, Marcarl, Brick, HalRSV99, BradT and several other's. There was plenty of Americans that came across the border, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri, just to name a few of the states members came from to the rally. This really is all about someone stepping up to the plate and saying YES, I will host it here. There has never been a specific committee that decides when and where it will be, it's all volunteer. I have rode some beautiful roads in Canada while we were living in Michigan. The Muskokas are one of the best rides I have done anywhere in North America, it's beautiful. I think it was 2 years ago that some of the West coast Canadians did a mini rally in the Kootenays (sp) and it was a hit. If you or any other Canadian wants to host another International, step up and say, "Hey I'll do it" and we'll give it the same consideration as whats going on now between KY and AL.....

Can't say personally that I have seen a trailer like that over here in the states, but it is a nice looking one.

The 1st pic leads me to believe that one is a MKI as it has a manual schrader valve on the shock. A lot more MKI's didn't have the CLASS and were standard models, Royales had to be ordered as such. The 2nd pic is probably from a MKII, these are just educated guesses, your mileage may vary....

Thats unfortunate as I like to be able to tune the ride depending on how I'm using the bike. I go from solo to 2 up bags loaded pulling a trailer and like to be able to adjust for that, such is life

Is that rear shock an air adjustable one, or set it and live with it? I wish there was an aftermarket shock that would enable you to tune the shock with air, but I dont know of any that do?

BTW... To whoever ends up hosting this next rally, my offer to Kevin rings to anyone that wants help. If you want me on the committee, I'll be happy to help y'all.

Sorry for your family's loss....but congratulations on the new family member

I love to rattle your cage every once in a while

...but I thought it was Our site Freebird

Greg, That is not a schrader valve you have pictured there, it is for bleeding the linked brakes that are on your 1st gen. The schrader valves, if your bike doesn't have the CLASS air control system, are up by the ignition key switch and down on the left side of the bike where the dampening knob is which is just above and to the rear of your left foot riding peg. The standard Ventures had the manual fill schrader valves on them for airing up the suspension. The Venture Royals had an onboard air compressor that is commonly called the CLASS sysytem (Computer Leveling Air Suspension System) If you have a small controller on the right side of your upper fairing cover, you more than likely have a CLASS on your bike. Otherwise you will find the schrader valves where I mentioned. If you have questions my # is in my profile.

Anybody?? Nobody??? Somebody!!!

I have a friend that had one and it was a decent bike for tooling around town with. I dont recall him having and issues with it, if the price is right on one...grab it