lemosley01

Wow - 20 large for a Venture. That's in the same space as a BMW and Goldwing, and getting pretty close to Harley dressers; all of those bikes are more 'technically' advanced. I hope Yamaha doesn't drop this line and DOES improve it. I can't really ever see me buying a V-twin after experiencing the vibration they put out. I LIKE the V-4 (ok, I'd REALLY like it with a V-Max motor). That's ok - I just got my bike. I'd hate to have purchased it and then Yammie releases a Royal Star Max a week later.

'Not riding' isn't an option. Not everything can be prevented, but it can be minimized.

Clearly that isn't the case, because I am married and am not chasing women, and I own a ZX-14. I enjoy riding my ZX-14 on the street. It has power everywhere, awesome brakes, turns well, and is (for a sportbike) comfortable. It's my bike of choice for spirited SOLO riding. I know a lot of cruiser riders think they have torque and sportbikes don't make any torque, but a ZX-14 has makes 80 lbs-ft at 3000 RPM, which is just off idle on that bike. And it makes 160HP to the rear wheel; I can roll into it at 65mph in 6th gear and it pulls like the RSTD does in 3rd at 65mph. The RSTD is WAY more comfortable and is more enjoyable for just cruising around and much nicer for two up. Plus it looks cool, too. Sorry you had a bad experience with a *rider* - a lot of them are young and stupid, and will act like fools no matter what they are riding. It's not the bike - it's being young and stupid. I know that I was there once, but now I'm a little older and more considerate. Some of these guys simply don't know any better; they don't realize their actions reflect poorly on ALL sportbike riders, and sometimes on all motorcyclists.

I'm thinking from of methods to prevent chips and nicks.

What is everyone doing, if anything for paint protection? I can see how the lower fairings and bags could get chipped up, and the tank will see some wear as well. Is the only option to buy sheets of 3m and custom cut it? I wasn't particular about the color of my new bike, but I forgot what a pain black paint is to keep clean and swirl free.