Riding Since '03 - Still Have Questions

Good afternoon all. I'm new to the site but have been riding for about 8 years. So, I'll start off with a little background... I originally purchased a new 2003 V-Star 1100 and rode my heart out until the kids came along. I realized that I couldn't afford/find time to ride and have kids and since selling the kids is frowned upon, I decided to part with my bike. A couple of years passed and for my 30th B-day my wife said we could get another one. Since my job had changed - money was no longer the issue with not having one - I purchased a new 2006 RSTD Midnight in August of 2008. Now I spend my time trying to find time to ride. I ride it most of the time to work in the summer and normally can break away for a couple of days each month to ride with buddies. In order for my wife and I both to ride we need to take a day off of work when the kids are in daycare. All-in-all, everything has worked out just fine.

I've read some interesting things on this site and am glad there's a place to ask other experienced riders questions without having to depend on a 20 year old bike repair kid fresh out of college.

All that being said, on to my questions:

1. I've turned about 8000 miles on my '06 RSTD and I've always wondered what the normal milage range is for replacement of tires? It still have the factory tires on it and I figure when you're relying on just two wheels you better make sure they're tip-top. What's the average for fronts and backs?

2. Performance - My bike is all stock at this point. What are your thoughts on K&N filters vs. a DynaTek 3000 or both? I'd like to do something to improve the performance a little without going nuts with cost. What are some simple enhancements that would be the best bang for my performance buck.

3. Speed shifting - is it really a bad thing for my scoot or if done properly does it even make a difference? I've never done it, as I've always been a clutch guy, but I was thinking about giving it a shot. Should I discontinue that type of thinking?

4. Get up and go - I'm the guy that likes to ride 55 - 60 mph but want to get there right now. Are there any thoughts on what I can do to get more 'right now' out of my bike? Maybe a combination of air filters, DynaTek and speed shifting?

5. I'm gonna blow the motor... at least that's how I feel when I try to kick it down and get my butt moving. I've read some stuff about the rev limiter and that I really can't do any damage but nonetheless, I get scared. Is it everyone's opinion that I can pretty much give 'er and be OK? What are some normal shift points for moderate to heavy acceleration?

There it is... my first post. Hopefully I'm not boring anyone. I certainly look forward to your responses. Thanks in advance to everyone.

Good afternoon all. I'm new to the site but have been riding for about 8 years. So, I'll start off with a little background... I originally purchased a new 2003 V-Star 1100 and rode my heart out until the kids came along. I realized that I couldn't afford/find time to ride and have kids and since selling the kids is frowned upon, I decided to part with my bike. A couple of years passed and for my 30th B-day my wife said we could get another one. Since my job had changed - money was no longer the issue with not having one - I purchased a new 2006 RSTD Midnight in August of 2008. Now I spend my time trying to find time to ride. I ride it most of the time to work in the summer and normally can break away for a couple of days each month to ride with buddies. In order for my wife and I both to ride we need to take a day off of work when the kids are in daycare. All-in-all, everything has worked out just fine.

 

I've read some interesting things on this site and am glad there's a place to ask other experienced riders questions without having to depend on a 20 year old bike repair kid fresh out of college.

 

All that being said, on to my questions:

1. I've turned about 8000 miles on my '06 RSTD and I've always wondered what the normal milage range is for replacement of tires? It still have the factory tires on it and I figure when you're relying on just two wheels you better make sure they're tip-top. What's the average for fronts and backs?

 

2. Performance - My bike is all stock at this point. What are your thoughts on K&N filters vs. a DynaTek 3000 or both? I'd like to do something to improve the performance a little without going nuts with cost. What are some simple enhancements that would be the best bang for my performance buck.

 

3. Speed shifting - is it really a bad thing for my scoot or if done properly does it even make a difference? I've never done it, as I've always been a clutch guy, but I was thinking about giving it a shot. Should I discontinue that type of thinking?

 

4. Get up and go - I'm the guy that likes to ride 55 - 60 mph but want to get there right now. Are there any thoughts on what I can do to get more 'right now' out of my bike? Maybe a combination of air filters, DynaTek and speed shifting?

 

5. I'm gonna blow the motor... at least that's how I feel when I try to kick it down and get my butt moving. I've read some stuff about the rev limiter and that I really can't do any damage but nonetheless, I get scared. Is it everyone's opinion that I can pretty much give 'er and be OK? What are some normal shift points for moderate to heavy acceleration?

 

There it is... my first post. Hopefully I'm not boring anyone. I certainly look forward to your responses. Thanks in advance to everyone.

First of all welcome to the site!

Just a couple comments from me...

#1 ... I got maybe 15k (or more I can't recall) out of my stock rear tire. The front wore out before the rear did.

#2 ... that will only give you a higher rev-limit as far as I've read about these things.

#3 ... I often upshift without the clutch and when I'm havvin a wee race, for me that is a big edge over the other guy. Some will disagree with that method tho.

#5 ... these bikes are designed to perform at higher revvs. Keep them up there and you really don't need more performance. (if you do, get a different bike LOL) You will NOT blow the motor!

Enjoy!

Welcome to the group! You have a nice bike there, but everything in your post says to me that you still do not know how that engine needs to be ridden. These bikes have LOTS of power, but only if you quit riding it like a v-twin. the first thing you need to do is get over this fear of RPM on the bike - take it to a freeway and snap the throttle wide open in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears - hold it there until you feel the bike falter when the rev limiter is hit - that is the only way you are finally going to see what the bike can do. Of course, you almost certainly won't feel the rev limiter in 3rd, since it won't hit until you get to 96 MPH!

When you are cruising at 55 and want to get moving quick, you MUST kick the bike down - 4th maybe, but 3rd is best, depending on just how fast you want to move out. If you try and grab a fist full of throttle at 55 in 5th, all you get is pounding and shaking while the bike tries to get out of its own way.

I personally do not think there is any need or even desire for additional performance from this bike. I love the stock engine, so no way I want to waste money modifying the intake or anything else, and I HATE obtrusive noise and the "look at me" attitude it shows, so I absolutely love the stock pipes - they sound great and perform excellently. But of course, not everyone agrees with that.

Tires - you do not say what tires came on the bike - if they are Dunlop D404, they are average tires, and you are probably getting fairly close to time for change. If they are the horrible Brickstones, you have suffered magnificently to live with them for as long as you have. In fact, it is rare that anyone can get 10,000 miles out of the Brickstone rear tire. And when you do put good tires on there, you will be totally blown away at how much better it handles!

Goose

Welcome to the group! You have a nice bike there, but everything in your post says to me that you still do not know how that engine needs to be ridden. These bikes have LOTS of power, but only if you quit riding it like a v-twin. the first thing you need to do is get over this fear of RPM on the bike - take it to a freeway and snap the throttle wide open in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears - hold it there until you feel the bike falter when the rev limiter is hit - that is the only way you are finally going to see what the bike can do. Of course, you almost certainly won't feel the rev limiter in 3rd, since it won't hit until you get to 96 MPH!

 

When you are cruising at 55 and want to get moving quick, you MUST kick the bike down - 4th maybe, but 3rd is best, depending on just how fast you want to move out. If you try and grab a fist full of throttle at 55 in 5th, all you get is pounding and shaking while the bike tries to get out of its own way.

 

I personally do not think there is any need or even desire for additional performance from this bike. I love the stock engine, so no way I want to waste money modifying the intake or anything else, and I HATE obtrusive noise and the "look at me" attitude it shows, so I absolutely love the stock pipes - they sound great and perform excellently. But of course, not everyone agrees with that.

 

Tires - you do not say what tires came on the bike - if they are Dunlop D404, they are average tires, and you are probably getting fairly close to time for change. If they are the horrible Brickstones, you have suffered magnificently to live with them for as long as you have. In fact, it is rare that anyone can get 10,000 miles out of the Brickstone rear tire. And when you do put good tires on there, you will be totally blown away at how much better it handles!

Goose

Thanks for the replies already guys. Regarding the RPM's - I've been interested in getting a tach for some time but can never find the one that I'm looking for. I think it's mostly due to not knowing where to mount some of the ones out there. Does anyone have any idea about what type to get and where to mount it. I rarely get to see pics of any RSTD's that have a tach on them and am really curious about where people have put them and what they put on.

I'd have to take a look at the tires on my bike to see what they are. To tell you the truth, I've never bothered to look at what brand they are. What is the best tire for the money in your opinion?

I have a Baron's tach mounted on my handlebar. see attached. If I had it to do over again, I would get a mount that allowed the tach to pivot on the mount, but its ok as it is.

My 08 RSTD came with Bridgestone tires and the rear lasted until 9,100 miles and the front until 11,600. I replaced them with Avon Venoms. I put a slightly narrower (130 width instead of stock 150) on the front. It handles MUCH better.

Ditto on leaving it stock. Just run it up in revs in 2nd and 3rd gear when you want to pass that long truck.

V7Goose pretty much nailed it.

You can get tachometers easily enough, if you want the peace of mind, but they are unnecessary.

Use your ears, and feel the bike. It will let you know when it needs to change up, and it won't take more that a few full throttle runs to work out where that it.

As the bike hits peak revs, it will falter, and you will feel it. You can't miss it. All you need to do from there on is not rev quite so hard.

By the way .... Unless I am deliberately having fun, even my XS750 rarely hits the redline .... there is plenty of power between six and eight thousand rpm to never need to take it up to nine thousand.

Most of it's work is between 4000 and 6000.

Given your original post, your bike is going to feel like a whole new beast the first time you try a few things suggested here.

The first time I hit the right RPMs at launch and through the gears I was amazed. You just need to learn the technique of revving the engine at launch or down shift at cruising speed to hit the power band.

You won't see any performance increase with K&N's

They Dyna module will allow you to increase the rev limiter and advance the timing.

Tires will widely vary depending on riding style. Ive had as little as 6,000 miles on a rear tire while some claim to get over 20,000 miles.

I would not shift the bike without the clutch. Ive done it before and it's not as smooth as other bikes Ive ridden.

If you want the bike to accelerate at 55mph, you'll need to drop to 3rd gear. I don't use 5th gear unless Im running 65+mph.

No worries about hurting the engine with revs with the factory ECU. Let er rev.

You CANNOT hurt this bike by revving it. Period. The stock rev limiter is at 6,000 RPM, and the actual red line for the engine is easily around 8,000. So even if you run it to the rev limiter every time in every gear (neither recommended nor necessary), you have nothing to worry about. But like I said above, you really do need to run it up there a couple of times to understand how different you should be riding this bike.

Most of the power in this engine is above 3,000 RPM. Just going from memory, 3,000 RPM is around 70 MPH in 5th (that is why you cannot roll on the throttle hard at 55 in 5th). You CAN ride it all day long in 5th gear anywhere from 40 MPH to 120 MPH, just do not try to accelerate too fast in 5th gear unless you are running over 65.

Shifting points - the owner's manual has suggested shifting points in it - but DO NOT EVER try to use them. I have no idea what drugged out fool wrote those down, but this bike CANNOT be ridden in any reasonable fashion with the shift points shown in the owner's manual!

For MODERATE acceleration, here are some good shift points to shift INTO the next gear:

40 MPH => 3rd gear

50 MPH => 4th gear

60 MPH => 5th gear

Of course, it is fine to upshift sooner if you are done accelerating (or are simply going to keep pace with the usual city traffic). And if you are accelerating hard, you should run it much igher in each gear than those points I gave you above. Remember, 3rd gear will take you all the way to 96 MPH before you hit the rev limiter at 6,000 RPM, so there is no reason to shift into 4th at 50 MPH if you are trying to move out quickly!

Goose

I would not shift the bike without the clutch. Ive done it before and it's not as smooth as other bikes Ive ridden.

For the benefit of lshafer... (or anyone else for that matter)

Not intending to start a debate on this subject (again) but while it may not be as smooth as some other bikes, it isn't that bad and can be done with not a lot of effort. I think the amount of shifter "throw" is probably a little more than, say, a sport bike might be but when you get used to it, it's really quite effortless. I've done it many times under hard acceleration and never once missed the shift. Further, I've put sufficient miles on a scoot to know that, unless you're missing the shift often, it's not gonna hurt the engine or the tranny IMHO.

Having said that, I rarely if ever shift without the clutch between 1st and 2nd. Also, I don't always shift without the clutch ... it's more of a "conscious" choice when I do.

As for other bikes I've ridden, I haven't come across any that could not be up-shifted without the clutch without any real problem.

This is totally a matter of personal choice... some, like me, are comfortable with it while others, like flb_78 (sorry, didn't see a real name in your profile) seem not to be. (you) do whichever is comfortable to (YOU).

This topic has been thrashed over and over again here ... it's almost become "political" and I don't even know why I am compelled to post this. LOL

(maybe it's one of those posts that I should have thought about before hitting the submit button.... but I didn't)

-Rick

I would not shift the bike without the clutch. Ive done it before and it's not as smooth as other bikes Ive ridden.

If the engineers wanted you to use the clutch they would have put a convenient lever on the handle bar.

Good afternoon. Well, I pulled my bike out for the first time this year (Wisconsin is difficult to predict) and had a little trouble. The ground was a little softer than I had anticipated and I ended up getting it stuck (the shed I store it in over the winter is behind my garage). With the help of a couple of buddies I was able to get it out to the road. After a good bath to get the earth off it, I hit the road and put everyones thoughts to the test... and let me tell you... MY GOD. Of course I didn't get carried away until it was sufficiently inspected for issues from it's winter storage and I made sure I ran it a while before letting those horsies run - but when I did I think the wind blew a lasting smile on my face. I got 'er up to about 70-75 in third, got nervous that I'd never slow down, and kicked it into 4th. She still had plenty of throttle to burn and seemed happy to get moving. It shifted better than I've ever had it shift when accellorating to those higher revs. Now that I see what the bike can do if I just stop worrying, I certainly don't plan to do any performance mods to it. It performs every bit as good as my fater-in-laws Goldwing.

I tried speed shifting once and was able to go from 3rd to 4th. I'm not sure if I like that yet. I'm sure I'll experiment a couple more times but I really don't know which way to go with it. There's a lot of opinions on it and it seems 50/50 as to which way to go.

In my earlier post I mentioned having about 8000 miles on. That was a typo (fingers work faster then my brain). I actually have 6100ish on the bike. I'm running the stock Bridgestone tires (didn't look at the model number) and it seems like there's quite a bit of tread left. I'm guessing I'll be OK until I get a couple thousand more on. Thoughts?

I do have one more question - after riding it again I had a loud reminder that I meant to ask this question originally. I have a hell of a squeek in my front break. It's ear piercing - especially if I'm riding with someone and pull up next to them. I always get a dirty look. Does anyone have any thoughts on what that is any what I can do to fix it. I'd hate to have to put new pads on or something. Feedback would be great.

Other than that, I'm glad it's out and can't wait to ride again.

PS - this site is awesome. I appreciate all the ideas.

I do have one more question - after riding it again I had a loud reminder that I meant to ask this question originally. I have a hell of a squeek in my front break. It's ear piercing - especially if I'm riding with someone and pull up next to them. I always get a dirty look. Does anyone have any thoughts on what that is any what I can do to fix it. I'd hate to have to put new pads on or something. Feedback would be great.

 

Glad you got out and found out what these bikes can do. This time of year I'm lucky if I get out once every 2 or 3 weeks. When I do, I open it up and it still amazes me when I get into that power band.

As for the brakes, get some "anti-squeal" lube from a local automotive jobber. Take the front brakes apart and clean 'em up with some emery paper on the pad surfaces and the rotor surfaces and then put the anti-squeal lube between the brake pad backing plates and the caliper pistons and any other places that the backing plates rub against or touch. Guaranteed to get rid of the squeal.

As for the brakes, get some "anti-squeal" lube from a local automotive jobber. Take the front brakes apart and clean 'em up with some emery paper on the pad surfaces and the rotor surfaces and then put the anti-squeal lube between the brake pad backing plates and the caliper pistons and any other places that the backing plates rub against or touch. Guaranteed to get rid of the squeal.

I've read quite a few posts that said to just try some anti-squeal type lube. I'll pick some up and give it a try tomorrow. Hopefully I can get this fixed prior to annoying another fellow biker with the noise or even other 4 wheeled drivers at stop lights. Thanks for the thought.

imho if the tyres on your bike are 3 years old i would replace them as the rubber does tend to go hard over time and can heve a remarkable effect on grip and with the bike in storage for a time over winter compounds the problem.We in Aus dont have to store our bikes as the winter climate is not as severe as some parts of the States.

I put the E3's on yesterday. They're great. A big difference from the Bridgestones.

I've read quite a few posts that said to just try some anti-squeal type lube. I'll pick some up and give it a try tomorrow. Hopefully I can get this fixed prior to annoying another fellow biker with the noise or even other 4 wheeled drivers at stop lights. Thanks for the thought.

So, did you try this? ... and did it work?

Welcome to the site, It looks like all of your questions have been answered and you are happy with the performance of the bike.

One line that you said on your origination post was this:

I'm the guy that likes to ride 55 - 60 mph but want to get there right now.

Just a suggestion that I didn't see anyone else bring up for you.

As far as a tac, You can hook up an older automotive tac with a couple of diode's and it works great. Here is a pic of mine installed in an aftermarket fairing:

http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/46719/2952236500101950171S600x600Q85.jpg

Good luck with your new ride!

I'm the guy that likes to ride 55 - 60 mph but want to get there right now.

Well, if getting to 55 quickly is all that is needed, just leaving it in 2nd gear and nailing the throttle will do it cheaper and a heck of a lot quicker than most other bikes on the road - no mods needed!

Goose

Welcome Les,

You have recieved a lot of good info here on this thread, bottom line, dont be afraid to rev it up. I'll also throw this out for you as you mentioned possibly a tach...

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3040&title=dash-gauges2b-tachometer&cat=27

Ponch is awesome at making things and this is just one of his creations. There are quite a few members that have his Tach kit on their bikes.....Enjoy the site.

A nice option for you if you feel you need more acceleration is to swap out the rear end unitfor one out of a V-Max. It is not a real big job, and you can pick them up off of ebay for about $100.00. I am not sure of the actual gear numbers but it would be like going from a 3:73 to a 4:10

Does it matter what year Vmax rear end. I have an 07 RSTD.?

So, did you try this? ... and did it work?

Well, if getting to 55 quickly is all that is needed, just leaving it in 2nd gear and nailing the throttle will do it cheaper and a heck of a lot quicker than most other bikes on the road - no mods needed!

Goose

SilvrT - Yes, I tried the 'no more squeeky' lube and there is no longer an annoying, ear-piercing squeel from the front brake when I stop. I'm glad it worked but I would imagine it will where off eventually. No worries though - I have plenty left!!

V7Goose - Now that I've learned via all the excellent information on this forum that I've been riding my bike like a v-twin and not getting the power out of it I should be by letting the RPMs get up a little, I don't believe I need any performance modifications at all. The bike gets moving better than I ever knew it could. I wish I would have known about this forum 3 years ago when I purchased the bike.

Thanks to everyone for the insight. I'm sure you'll see me around on the site. I'm addicted to it now and my wife thinks I'm a teenager again.