Venture stumbling in high gear

[54chevybelair]

Hello everyone. I am new to the world of Venture motorcycles. I purchased a 2004 Midnight Venture and for the most part, I really enjoy the bike, I have one big problem though. If I am cruising in a high gear and try accelerating moderately or wide open the bike stumbles bad. The harder I lag the engine the worse it is. I replace the plugs and checked the resistance in the plug caps and coils. All was within specs. The bike only has 18k miles and appears to be well taken care of. It is stock including the exhaust. I am not a mechanic, but usually I can fix things myself. This problem has me completely stumped. I have also ran two tanks with seafoam. If anyone has any suggestions I sure would appreciate it.

[cecdoo]

5th is an overdrive, if you are running at 55-65 mph 2up on any type of grade it wont take a throttle roll on and will lug. You need to keep the revs up, try down shifting to 4th or 3rd, you can easily do 75 in 3rd. You may have another problem or you may just not be revving it enuff, wont cost you any time or $$$ to try downshifting.

Good luck, Craig

[54chevybelair]

Thanks for the reply Cecdoo. Even if I downshift it still stumbles just not as bad. I was told these engines are very smooth and mine isn't. I constantly chugs under a load like it's not hitting on all cylinders. I'm 150 lbs and so far have only ridden solo with empty saddlebags. Sometimes it is better than others. Could the AIS be giving me trouble? It idles very good and pulls hard in low gears.

[russellohioboy66]

welcome, i just bought a 2000 venture and it has 17,000 miles on it. i pulled off the carburetors and had two of the diaphrams with holes in them. i tried sea foam and the carburetors were clean inside but the diaphrams for the slides 2 of the 4 were torn. hopefully this will help. my bike ran great except idled rough and under load it lugged and ran bad.

[V7Goose]

First, it is IMPOSSIBLE for the AIS to have any affect whatsoever on the way your engine runs.

 

Most new owners tend to try to ride these bikes like a V-twin, and they complain just like you do. The engine must be kept at higher RPMs if you are going to ask it for power. You cannot roll on the throttle hard in 5th gear at anything less than 65-70 MPH if you do not what it to shake and hammer. If you want to know what the bike can do, find an open stretch of road and nail the throttle in 2nd and 3rd gears until you feel the engine falter when it hits the rev limiter (in third, that will be about 96 MPH). It should take your breath away.

 

In addition to lugging the engine, you most likely have a significant problem with your carburetors out of sync.

 

Finally, it is certainly possible (but much less probable) that you have a dead cylinder. This engine will run much better than you might expect on just three cylinders - often the rider cannot even tell other than the fact that the top speed will be limited to around 85 or 90.

 

Whatever it is, this problem is very easy to fix. Tell us where you live and you most likely will get somebody in the local area willing to help you out.

Goose

[54chevybelair]

I also have a Honda Magna V4 750. I have never had a V-twin so I do not know how they react. My magna also likes to be high in the RPM’s but if it is not, it is just low on power not stumbling. I do feel the power of this bike in the first 3 gears. I have not ran the bike over 80 mph yet so I do not know what the top speed is limited to. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. What rpm’s does the rev limiter hit at?

[V7Goose]

What rpm’s does the rev limiter hit at?

6,500 RPM

 

Very easy to hit in 1st and 2nd, but few people will hold 3rd that long (just under 100 MPH).

Goose

[hig4s]

I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. What rpm’s does the rev limiter hit at?

 

Ewww, that's the problem... Sorry, born and raised in GR,, my mom still lives there, I moved away a looooong time ago..

 

rev limiter hits between 5600rpm to 5800rpm,, Which sucks as peak HP is at 6000rpms. I believe prior to 99 it was higher than 6000rpms.

[ddoggma]

Its probably running on 3 cyl. Fire her up and quickly feel the pipes one at at time. One will be colder if its not fireing. I would change any fouled plugs and try this new stuff called "Startron" Its sold at wallmart in my area. I put it in the Van, the bike, and the lawn mower, And they all are running noticably better. If worked fast too. I love seafoam too, But this stuff seems to be the real deal also. Its a E-10 and water treatment plus it cleans also..

[wes0778]

I do not know what the top speed is limited to.

 

So I'm told the speedometer does not go high enough tell how fast it will run in 4th, then there is 5th...

[DBOB]

6,500 RPM

 

Very easy to hit in 1st and 2nd, but few people will hold 3rd that long (just under 100 MPH).

Goose

 

 

Does the 1st gen, (86VR) have the rev limiter?

Thanks;

Don

[friesman]

Does the 1st gen, (86VR) have the rev limiter?

Thanks;

Don

 

No the G1's (83-93) dont have a rev limiter, but our bikes came with a tach so we know where we are running the engine at. I think the redline is 7500 andI know mine has hit more than that once or twice with no issues.

The G2's dont have a tach from the factory so the rev limiter is necessary, i think it is set from the factory at about 6500.

 

Brian

[Dano]

The 1st gen will run up to about 8200 quite easily, that's about the max for this spring/valve combination. Mine pulls steadily all the way up there. Wouldn't do it all the time, but it's fun every once in awhile!

[bobcat]

54chev.....If it were me my first move after changing plugs would be to sync the carbs..

[Mel]

Make sure the air cleaners are clean. Low air flow = low power.

[54chevybelair]

Thanks for all the replies. My Magna has a redline of 9750 rpm's, so I know how to ride a bike that likes rpms. I have started it cold and checked all 4 pipes. They are all getting hot and it runs good at idle. I may be wrong but I thought out of sync carbs only affected the bike at idle. Again im not a mechanic so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong. Even if it's not the problem a carb sync is a good idea. What is a good carb sync tool to buy? I seen a thread about Carbtune, is this still the tool of choice? I did check the air cleaners and they both look good, but I did not replace them. I think I will replace them and the fuel filter just so I can eliminate them as my problem.

[RedRider]

Replacing the air filters is not an inexpensive maintenance item. However, the fuel filter is - but it is a PITA to get at.

 

The fuel filter sits on the front of the battery box, under the seat, behind the fuel pump. Remove the clutch side battery cover (one of the decorative hex head bolts actually holds it in place along with a couple of rubber push thru plugs) and look in behind.

 

As for the sync tool, yes the Morgon Carbtune is the tool of choice. It is about $100. Perhaps you can lay on a post asking if someone in your area has a Carbtune and can help you sync your carbs. Even if you purchase a Carbtune, it is really helpful to watch it being done first time.

 

Good luck with it. I would be glad to help but there is a big pond between us and not enough time this fall to do a 'Round Lake Michigan run.

 

RR

[ediddy]

What would cause a cylinder not to fire. Last winter I would have my bike warming up before riding to work and from the back I noticed the right pipe wouldn't have smoke coming out of it like the left would. Also through the right pipe you can hear the bike skipping. This weekend I started my bike and the left side was skipping badly so I put my on fingers on the right rear cylinder and it was hot but the front cylinder was cold. The plugs were changed at 48,000 miles and I now have 53,000 miles.

[V7Goose]

As for the sync tool, yes the Morgon Carbtune is the tool of choice. It is about $100. Perhaps you can lay on a post asking if someone in your area has a Carbtune and can help you sync your carbs. Even if you purchase a Carbtune, it is really helpful to watch it being done first time.

RR

Not for me it's not! I absolutely hate the Morgan Carbtune. I think it is poorly designed and very prone to problems. It does not function on vacuum at all; it functions on the volume of air flow being sucked by the rods, and the rods regularly stick and give false readings unless you are constantly tapping on them.

 

This has been discussed at depth in several older thread where the various options are also given.

Goose

[54chevybelair]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Unfortunately nothing has worked. I ran a couple tanks with seafoam. I did a carb sync. I replaced the fuel and air filters. I removed the resistance in the plug caps and installed new plugs again. It runs stronger without resistance in the plug caps but it still stumbles under a load. I thought I almost had it fixed, but then I ran it in 35 degree weather and it was very bad. Maybe I do have a ripped diaphragm and when it was cold and the rubber contracted it got worse, just a guess. I may take the carbs apart this winter and rebuild them, but I can't seem to find a kit anyplace. This seems like such a nice bike I am just getting frustrated not finding the problem.

[RandyR]

any chance your clutch is slipping?

[54chevybelair]

The bike pulls so hard in first & second gear I don't think the clutch is slipping.

[Brake Pad]

May sound the same:

wife and I riding at about 45 mph the other day, went to roll on in 5 th gear, and the bike bogged to no end. like the carbs were not working. ( they had just been replaced):mo money:$788.00 Dollars worth.

 

Reason, some dump (AF American,)was trying to see if he could, rub the bugs off my bike with his bumber.

Not having the bike responed, when I needed it, really scared the S***t out of me

[Freebird]

Folks, I'm not saying that you don't have problems, you very well may have but I do know that you are not going to get strong acceleration if you are running 45 MPH in 5th gear. It's just not going to happen even with a perfectly running and well tuned RSV. You are way out of the power band in 5th at those speeds. If I needed to move out quickly at those speeds I would certainly be dropping to 4th and possibly even 3rd.

[54chevybelair]

Mine is stumbling at Xway speeds 70+. At 45mph I would be in 4th even if just maintaining speed, but if I accelerate moderatly or hard it will stumble. I held it open in 5th and could only get about 110mph. I know it's not the way I ride it, I just can't figure out what's wrong. I bought it out of a repo lot and have no idea how long it's been sitting. 6 years old and only 18K miles, so it has spent a lot of time on the kickstand. This is why I'm thinking carb problems.