RedRider

Jeff, glad to hear you made it off the table and back home. Heal well and quickly. Do you need someone to come by and keep the gas fresh in your bike? RR

Helmet Lock RR

I would call my insurance guy and have him come out and take a look. It won't cost anything to have him tell you no. Sorry to see this. No good deed..... RR

RE: the headlight. You can go all in and get an HID replacement. Requires some wiring, a (preferably time delay) relay, and some mounting of pieces/parts. Or, you can install a Sylvania Silverstar Ultra. Much better than stock but not quite as bright as HID. Either will require splitting the faring unless you have the tiny hands of an 8 year old Pakistani carpet maker. RR

Jeff, Good luck with the procedure. Good thoughts being transmitted to you. RR

Jay, Balancing beads on the way tomorrow. Check your PMs. RR

Look at BubblerGPS app for you phone. It can be linked into Spotwalla to provide a tracking stream. Works well but is obviously limited to areas that have cell phone coverage. It has been tested by several in LD rallies and Iron Butt rides. RR

If you're referring to the hard rubber clip that held the plug, just grab a length of fishing line. Run it under the clip to essentially cut the adhesive. Won't scratch the tank. RR

Ran past EagleEye on the road today. Whiskers flying with a big smile behind. He is heading East taking the ferry from Manitowoc to Ludington. On way to MD? Ride safely.

Ran past EagleEye on the road today. Whiskers flying with a big smile behind. He is heading East taking the ferry from Manitowoc to Ludington. On way to MD? Ride safely.

FYI - That instructional write up was written by Peter Behm. Winner of the 2011 Iron Butt Rally! (On a FJR). RR

Anywhere between 5000 miles to 200,000 miles. Somewhere in there. RR PS: Don't recall the first gens had much issue with the fuel pumps. It was mostly a 2nd gen thing. I carry a spare on trips, although mine is working strong with 132k miles on it.

I use Street and Trips. The newer versions will output a GPX file that can be imported into Base camp and then downloaded to your GPS. Also, there are some good tutorials for BC. Will need to get on my home computer to find the links. RR

A Dunlop 404 will get you about 5000 miles on the Venture. E3 is the answer. I have 16k miles on my rear tire with tread left. Should easily get to 20k. It is, however, a bit squared off. Not the tire's issue, just lots of slab riding. RR

When you mention plugging it into the Aux line, did you do that under the faring or into the jack next to the cassette? RR

Yup, Great road.

Welcome to the family. First rule. We need pictures of your new bike. Second suggested rule, listen to V7Goose. I am 6'4" and ride iron butt rides with the Venture. Offset Longhorn highway pegs allow you to stretch out in comfort. You may find handlebar risers will also add to your riding pleasure. +1 on the Dunlop Elite3 tires. Synthetic vs. Dino oil? See how your clutch works with each. Mine didn't seem to like syn so I've been running Dino. 130000 miles and running great. RR

Both NH and Vermont have great roads throughout. Hwy 17 in the Green Mountains of VT has a view at the top that is unbelievable. RR

My favorite is the road climbing Mt. Washington in NH. Done it twice. Once with a friend and my Dad, second time with my wife on back. She was terrified. Mostly paved, but a long section is gravel. And no guardrails. Pics at the top: RR

Put a full can of Seafoam in a tank of gas and run it out. Then ride it like you stole it. Glad to have you back. RR

Where's the one for the white spy?

Are you doing this as a beta site? Or is it something proven with the VMax's? Really interesting option if it is proven to work and doesn't cost more than some of these old washing machines (1st Gens). Please keep us up to date on your progress. RR

Strangely enough, I didn't take any pictures during this trip. Took video of my son's matches, but they aren't really very pleasant to watch. I certainly should have stopped while in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Beautiful sight of a grass plain on the right with the moon above the horizon, and more grass plain on the left with a sunset. Happened to be in the middle of a bunch of trucks at the time and pulling over might have been treacherous. Sorry. RR

Got back last night about 7 from a quick round trip to Dallas. 2434 miles and the bike ran flawlessly, as always. I really love my Venture. Weather was perfect the whole way. Timed my return to hit lunch at Smokey D's BBQ in Des Moines. Best brisket evah!!! Son didn't do so well at Sr. Nationals. First draw was against the eventual winner, 2nd match against the guy that took 3rd. 22 players total in his weight class. All black belts and many with international experience. He fought well, just couldn't get the throws. Have a nice bug patina to get me through the rest of the riding season. RR

Got the Venture polished up, aux tank mounted, hydration system mounted, XM turned on, and the maps on the Zumo's updated. Ready to roll. Leaving after work tomorrow and heading to Dallas, back on Sunday. My son #3 is competing in Judo Senior Nationals Saturday. This will be the first time watching him live at a national/international competition (some are webcast). A quick 2200 miles or so to get the juices flowing. Time to go pack. RR