rod Posted July 21, 2007 Share #26 Posted July 21, 2007 I agree with Pitbull, and will add that I doubt you will lose the top speed at all may even get more. The reason is I have never been able to hit the rev limiter in 5th with stock 2 gen, you just run out of power. With lower gearing you may get more out of 5th gear. Let us know how it turns out. Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted July 21, 2007 Share #27 Posted July 21, 2007 For the past 3 months I have been riding in 4th Gear as well. (lets say I haven't used 5th at all in that time) No difference in fuel mileage for me. It also eliminates the whine/chirp running at 3200 RPM and above. It sounds like a great mod Don. I guess that will be my next project too!. Take lots of pictures for me *lol* Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monsta Posted July 22, 2007 Share #28 Posted July 22, 2007 EASY FIX Buy a 1st Gen Please refer to this thread. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7603&highlight=riff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timk Posted July 22, 2007 Share #29 Posted July 22, 2007 Don, you my be able to sell your rear gears on one of the FJR sites. One guy is swapping one out, and there seems to be a lot of interest. Question: Is the speedometer on the RSV driven by the transmission, or front wheel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flb_78 Posted July 22, 2007 Share #30 Posted July 22, 2007 Don, you my be able to sell your rear gears on one of the FJR sites. One guy is swapping one out, and there seems to be a lot of interest. Question: Is the speedometer on the RSV driven by the transmission, or front wheel? driven off the rear hub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share #31 Posted July 22, 2007 Don, you my be able to sell your rear gears on one of the FJR sites. One guy is swapping one out, and there seems to be a lot of interest. Question: Is the speedometer on the RSV driven by the transmission, or front wheel? The $300.00 is with exchange so I won't have any to sell. Good suggestion though if I were to have kept them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted July 22, 2007 Share #32 Posted July 22, 2007 Thanks Don I thought I was done, whats next a blue bottle and a button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share #33 Posted July 22, 2007 Oh Eddie Eddie Eddie...we are NEVER done. Actually, I am also adding a rear brake modification that will be offered here by Rick Butler. I'll get it installed next weekend and check it out. The rear brakes on these bikes is just way too sensitive. Rick started out looking at a way to link the front and rear brakes as they were on the first gen but came up with another solution that he says works GREAT. I've known Rick for a long time and can tell you, if he says it works great, it works great. It consists of a new SS line and a modulator valve that will give good controlled stops without locking up the rear in a panic situation. Looks to be an easy install and I thought about doing it today but am just not in the mood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidley Posted July 22, 2007 Share #34 Posted July 22, 2007 So your just getting the gears for $300 with old gear exchange Don? I have an additional rear pig that I purchased for the swap I have planned for mine. Looks like I'll have to check this site out and see about getting some shipped here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 22, 2007 Author Share #35 Posted July 22, 2007 John does all the work. You can send him your rear end and he will install the new gears, any new seals, gaskets, etc. that you need. Adjust the backlash and etc. and get it all set up properly and then send it back to you. That is $300.00. If you want to minimize your downtime, you can do what I did and send him a $300.00 core deposit also. That means that your total is $600.00. He will send you a new rear end ready to go and when he receives yours back, he will credit you the $300.00 core charge. If you want to keep your rear end along with the new one, it is $600.00. I will send him my rear end as I never plan to go back to stock. That's how confident I am with this change. To me, it's a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidley Posted July 22, 2007 Share #36 Posted July 22, 2007 Sounds like I will send them my rearend and have them do the swap. Less chance that I will miss something up....Gotta do some overtime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted July 22, 2007 Share #37 Posted July 22, 2007 On the way to Fort Collins, there was a first gen riding with us and he was running 4000 RPM in 5th gear. I ran one entire tank of gas in 4th gear at 70 MPH and my RPMs were exactly 4000, same as the first gen running in 5th gear. I don't know if 4000 in 5th is normal for a first gen or not. He may be running a VMAX rear also, I doubt it though.. Don, 4000 at 70-72mpg in fifth gear is what I ran with my '83 going to Ft Collins, so I don't think your 1stGen member would have had a V-Max rear end. In our group of 6 mine was the only 1stGen. When we'd stop for fuel we all took just about the same amount. Within a tenth of a gallon.... 3.8..3.9gal at around 153-5 miles, so it worked out to a little less than 40mpg.... I might add that my 'cruise controll' is actually a throttle lock... My mpg started getting better once I made it to FC. For the same 150+ mi., taking 3.3 to 3.7., which meant I started getting up around 45mpg in the canyon twisties in 3rd and 4th.... Go figure.... Maybe a V-Max rear end might help the 1stGens as well??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redneck Posted July 22, 2007 Share #38 Posted July 22, 2007 Heck when I get to 70 I'm looking for an other gear I just don't like to hear the engine running that fast when I'm cruising. I guess that comes from being around diesel engines all my life. I am interested to hear how this turns out I'm sure it will make the bike more responsive but I think the engine screaming at hwy speed would drive me crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monsta Posted July 23, 2007 Share #39 Posted July 23, 2007 Screaming? At 70 a stock bike turns 2383 (mathematically calculated, actual RPM may vary slightly). With the V-max rear you'll turn 2650rpm. A difference of 267rpm. For comparison sake, the RPM drop from 4th to 5th @ 70mph is around 527rpm. So you can see that it certainly won't be screaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redneck Posted July 23, 2007 Share #40 Posted July 23, 2007 Screaming? At 70 a stock bike turns 2383 (mathematically calculated, actual RPM may vary slightly). With the V-max rear you'll turn 2650rpm. A difference of 267rpm. For comparison sake, the RPM drop from 4th to 5th @ 70mph is around 527rpm. So you can see that it certainly won't be screaming. You need to check your math at 70 a stock second gen is turning 3200 in 5th about 4000 in 4th. Thats screaming. When cruising down the hy I like an engine turning slow smooth and quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmsvmax Posted July 23, 2007 Share #41 Posted July 23, 2007 Ok, so the end result here is the engine RPM's will be higher in each gear before you need to shift? From what I know about these V-4's is that they like higher RPM's. There is a 'sweet spot' that they like to run in, and running below that, or 'lugging' the motor, is not good in any way, power loss being 1st and foremost... Sounds like a good idea. It will be interesting to see if you feel more power. It would be real nice if you could bench mark your performance numbers on a dyno before you change out the rear end and then check your performance increase afterwards. This has nothing to do with dyno #s; this has everything to do with being in the proper RPM range when it's time to pull, pass, or climb... John RMSportMax.com 1-610-509-VMAX(8629) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmsvmax Posted July 23, 2007 Share #42 Posted July 23, 2007 (quote) I sure wouldn't mind losing a few miles per hour off the top speed. I've never been to top speed and I don't ever plan to get there. I do however like to travel at the legal speed and most of the time I'm running right at the bottom range for 5th gear and feeling little power if I try to accelerate until the RPM's reach a certain point. Usually the best indicator of whether a bike, any bike, is geared correctly, is whether or not top speed is achieved in high gear, or something less...Most riders, those with enough balls, or maybe less sense, or something in between, (I INCLUDE MYSELF in that group, but LOVE IT nonetheless...LOL) to test top speeds on Ventures, report that top speed is achieved in 4th, rather than 5th... You're right, it's not about top speed, but it IS about being where U should be in terms of cruising RPM, and being in the 'sweet spot' for maximum power in pulling/passing/climbing situations. JVM RMSportMax.com 1-610-509-VMAX(8629) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monsta Posted July 23, 2007 Share #43 Posted July 23, 2007 You need to check your math at 70 a stock second gen is turning 3200 in 5th about 4000 in 4th. Hmmm...I maybe I do. I may have calculated something wrong in the reduction ratio. 3200RPM in 5th sounds awfully high though. Do you have a tach on yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share #44 Posted July 23, 2007 I do have a tach on my bike. 3200 RPM at 70 MPH in 5th gear is just about dead on. That is true 70 MPH with Speedohealer. In 4th gear, it is almost dead on at 4000 RPM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegscraper Posted July 24, 2007 Share #45 Posted July 24, 2007 For anyone who has access to a mill, this gear ratio swap can be done for peanuts. The basic casting for the V Max rear gear is the same as ours, but with different features machined out. The V Max rear does not have the speedo sensor hole, while it does have a hole for a rear shock mount. I got a rear gear unit from a V Max on ebay and milled the spot out for the speedo sensor to match my stock one. I pulled the shock bolt out and tossed it. There is still a hole there, but with side bags it's not seen anyway. Then I sold my stock one for about $5 less than what I gave for the V Max one. The hitch is that not many have access to or know how to operate a mill. I'd never go back to the stock rear gear ratio. Better acceleration, it lets the engine run closer to its powerband, and I didn't see any gas mileage drop with this gear ratio either. The engine is running faster, but it's also running more efficiently because it's nearer to its powerband. Most every new vehicle has an OD that is too tall, and it does not save gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoutman Posted July 24, 2007 Share #46 Posted July 24, 2007 Oh Eddie Eddie Eddie...we are NEVER done. Actually, I am also adding a rear brake modification that will be offered here by Rick Butler. I'll get it installed next weekend and check it out. The rear brakes on these bikes is just way too sensitive. Rick started out looking at a way to link the front and rear brakes as they were on the first gen but came up with another solution that he says works GREAT. I've known Rick for a long time and can tell you, if he says it works great, it works great. It consists of a new SS line and a modulator valve that will give good controlled stops without locking up the rear in a panic situation. Looks to be an easy install and I thought about doing it today but am just not in the mood. Just wondering if you did this mod and how you like it. I've been considering this since Rick wrote this up. I've locked up the rear brake on this bike on every panic stop I've made. Luckily it has always been at a low enough speed I could just ride it out until I stopped. I would like to know your opinion of this mod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 24, 2007 Author Share #47 Posted July 24, 2007 I will be doing it this weekend. I only had one day home after getting home from Fort Collins and then leaving for a business trip. I plan to install and try it out over the weekend though and will report my results. I can tell you though, if Rick said it works, I have no doubts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted July 26, 2007 Author Share #48 Posted July 26, 2007 Well, I am home again and the VMAX rear was here waiting on me. I will get it installed tomorrow probably. I'm so anxious to get it done that I almost did it tonight but I'm beat and also, really want to get a new rear tire mounted tomorrow while I have it apart. As bad as I hate it, I guess I'm going to mount a Bridgestone to get me through the rest of this summer. Jerry M gave me the rear wheel and tire off his RSTD that he had left after his trike conversion. The Bridgestone tire only has about 2,000 miles on it so I figure I will just use it for the rest of the summer and then put on new front and rear tires next spring. The problem is, the wheel that he gave me is black and my Venture has the gray wheels. I have another new wheel that I bought off Ebay minus tire and brake rotor. So, I will remove the rotor off the one he gave me and put it and the tire off the other wheel that I bought. I will then sell his "like new" wheel on Ebay and send him the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidley Posted July 27, 2007 Share #49 Posted July 27, 2007 Looking forward to hear how the new rearend "feels" Keep us updated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted July 27, 2007 Share #50 Posted July 27, 2007 hurry up already, I need to know if I have to do this before Vogel. Geez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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