vzuden

Just like the Amphibicars of the 1960's!

To elaborate a little - to sync your gauges you pull the same vacuum on all and each gauge has an adjustment.

I use a long Phillips to adjust the left bank from the right side when syncing. Maybe 16"?

Never had to remove more than the front motor mounts to replace the plugs. Tank removal is easy and does make the access to the sp plugs easier but it is not necessary

I agree with you Rick. The 2nd Gens weren't selling well so Yamaha had to make a change. Their marketing research led them to what they are offering today. That research could be flawed but it is what it is and if they have made a mistake they will have to correct it in time. If they would have asked me I would have recommended our good ol' V-4 but they didn't and obviously even if they had, I would have been in the minority because not enough others wanted it.

Wheel balance comes into play only at 40-45MPH + since that is when the centrifugal forces take over. I suspect steering head bearing issue

By leveling links and improved handling we are referring to raising the rear about an inch or so, as I recall. The same would occur with the earlier mention of lowering the front at the forks. The choice of which route to take would be determined by your ability to plant your feet at stops. I have no problem flat footing with the raised rear so I use the shorter links at the shock (leveling links).

Having had both, I second that, or is it third that! The handling on the road seems about the same. I did some 10 and 12 hour days on the RSTD and last year a 15 hr haul on the Venture and don't see any difference. The softer seat on the Venture may be a little beneficial. My wife, has a strong preference for the Venture as a passenger

Great pictures! thanks for sharing

I had a green 4 spd clutch version and my cousin had a blue 3 spd semi automatic. I followed him several times and always noticed his brake light coming on. After a few questions we determined he didn't know he didn't have a clutch lever - he was applying the rear hand brake every time he thought he needed to shift! (glad it was him and not me because at that age I probably wouldn't have known the difference either)

I would check drive pins

They advertise on this site. Look under the Vendors section and the are a Gold Star Vendor

Take a look at Bagger Shield. It is two position with the lower tinted. I like mine and have it lowered for local, low speeds and raised for long trips and 65mph plus.

Oh, yea, Brew. I almost forgot, moving the trunk back was something I did before she rode the first time. It wasn't that she needed the extra room to fit but more of a case of sitting slightly back from original. It is easy to do and she will gain a couple of inches. A backrest for the rider with a pouch on the back is pretty valuable also so she has a place for her phone and sunglasses. We use UClear communicators (Full face/modular helmets) so we can converse easily and listen to music/navigation/phone calls independent of the other also.

Yes and in my opinion it's the way to go. I have it and it produces great light

My previous ride was the Royal Star Tour Deluxe and although almost the same bike as the Venture there are a few differences. One of which is the seating. My wife didn't like the RSTD because she sat too low or I was too high. When I switched to the Venture she was thrilled after the first ride. Her position is higher now resulting in a better view of our surroundings. The seats are softer also. Wind buffetting isn't an issue but I have changed the windshield and did so prior to her first ride. I have the Bagger Shield and use it in the upright position when riding two up.

That looks like the one. If you select it and go to "specs" it does list the Tour Deluxe and Venture

I bought my new 2012 Venture in the fall of 2014. Not sure if this indicative of the second gen sales across the country but with a new bike sitting on the showroom floor for 2 years is it possible that it had some bearing in Yamaha thinking they had to make a radical change? I still would have preferred a water cooled V-4 in this new bike but maybe those who are not happy with the change could have spoken with their wallets before 2013 when Yamaha stopped building them?

I have used the Custom Dynamics products for tail lights and they work well. That might be what your current one is

There is a current post of a new member with the same bike and he wants louder pipes. Maybe the two,of you need to do some tradin'

E3's for me every time. Just changed my rear tire - 20,100 miles on it. Jake Wilson has always had the best prices when I needed them

I saw these at the International bike show in Chicago back in February. They looked pretty cool and seemed to be well constructed. I forget where the engine comes from - if my memory is correct it was a GM power plant. Also, there is no mechanism to unlatch the hood as you would expect with an automotive drive train. The hood has to be unbolted and lifted off and there are a bunch of bolts! A lot of work to to just check the oil in the engine so you don't just pull a dipstick at the gas pump while you are filling her up. The guy manning the booth said they were looking for weight savings. I suspect cost savings may have entered the decision too.

I agree 100%. There is the area called, I think, "Market Place" where almost any kind of helmet is available to try out with knowledgeable staff to help out. You can't even purchase in this area but you can go to one of the large dealer booths and purchase whichever model you have decided on. I did this the last time I needed a helmet. My prior research had led me to a particular model but once I checked it out I found it was not a good fit. The guy assisting me took me over to a display for a model I had not considered and the first one he had handed me was perfect. He wrote down the model and size for me and I went off to less crowded area to shop on-line with my phone. With the online pricing on hand I went to a couple of large dealer booths to comparison shop and their pricing was less than what I had found on line so I left the show with a helmet at a good price and guaranteed fit.

Just checked - max load for a 2nd gen is 419 lbs

Further consideration beyond the above - keeping the RPM up, cleaning up fuel system with Sea Foam - would be to sync the carbs. I add a few ounces of Sea Foam every other tank or so and sync the carbs a couple of times a season.