MikeWa Posted May 27, 2011 Share #1 Posted May 27, 2011 I just returned from a ride through the Western US. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Clocked 6,200+ miles. I rode with a friend on a 2009 Ultra so I was able to make some good comparisons. The trip was fantastic but there were issues with the bike, some of which have been reported here in the past. Make no mistake though. The Venture is a great bike for a long trip like this and I am very happy with it. Altitude ranged from well over 7000 feet to below sea level. If anyone is interested I will post a performance report (including the good, the bad and the ugly with the bike) and a separate trip report when I can wright them up. Oh and I have pictures. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariner Fan Posted May 27, 2011 Share #2 Posted May 27, 2011 I just returned from a ride through the Western US. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Clocked 6,200+ miles. I rode with a friend on a 2009 Ultra so I was able to make some good comparisons. The trip was fantastic but there were issues with the bike, some of which have been reported here in the past. Make no mistake though. The Venture is a great bike for a long trip like this and I am very happy with it. Altitude ranged from well over 7000 feet to below sea level. If anyone is interested I will post a performance report (including the good, the bad and the ugly with the bike) and a separate trip report when I can wright them up. Oh and I have pictures. Mike Hey Mike, I was in your neck of the woods last week. Got to go to a Mariners game and they even won! Weather was great in Seattle. You could see Mt. Rainer for three days straight. Yea, I'd like too see the write up and pics from your trip! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvrT Posted May 27, 2011 Share #3 Posted May 27, 2011 nahhhhhhhh.... nobody would be interested in that! :stickpoke: YESSSSSSSS .... let's hear all about it ... and pics too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yama Mama Posted May 27, 2011 Share #4 Posted May 27, 2011 That sounds really cool. You are going to show us some photos I hope. I mean you are going to aren't you? Yama Mama:sign05:Please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted May 27, 2011 Hey Mike, I was in your neck of the woods last week. Got to go to a Mariners game and they even won! Weather was great in Seattle. You could see Mt. Rainer for three days straight. Yea, I'd like too see the write up and pics from your trip! Bob Dang I get back and it is raining just like before I left. Good to hear you managed to be here for our summer though. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etcswjoe Posted May 27, 2011 Share #6 Posted May 27, 2011 I just returned from a ride through the Western US. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Clocked 6,200+ miles. I rode with a friend on a 2009 Ultra so I was able to make some good comparisons That is a long trip two up. Glad you had fun, one of these days I would love to just take off and ride till I got tired of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumboogy Posted May 27, 2011 Share #7 Posted May 27, 2011 One of these days I would love to just take off and ride till I got tired of it. Me too!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted May 28, 2011 Here are some things I found out about my Venture on this trip. Incidentally it was one up. The friend was on a Harley Ultra. I was on the Venture. Bike Report 21 Day 6200+ mile trip from Seattle WA to Waco and San Antonio Texas via all over the place. Comparison 2008 Royal Star Venture 1300 4 cylinder 2009 Harley Ultra V-Twin 103 Stage 2 Kit installed Both bikes were heavily loaded with luggage and supplies. General Info The Venture 6 gallon fuel tank only holds 5.5 gallons from walking to full. I know this for a fact. Drilling the filler neck is now high on my list of things to do. I hope it will remedy this as that other half gallon can be important. I was glad I carried a gas can on this trip. A real issue since so many gas stations have closed. The low fuel warning light is inconsistent. Sometimes providing ample warning but occasionally not coming on until after the engine stumbled and the tank was already switched to reserve. I just don’t think the quality of this device is all that great. The low fuel countdown odometer was also inconsistent sometimes not coming on until after the switch to reserve. The reserve petcock is very accurate. Switching when the engine stumbles yields exactly one gallon in reserve every time. Count on it so watch your mileage. Gas mileage varied a lot due to wind and altitude. The best was 44mpg the worst was 28. Most of the time it was in the low to mid 30s. Add that to a 5.5 gallon usable fuel supply with limited gas stops and it becomes an issue. The Venture was very sensitive to altitude running poorly over 5500 feet, very bad over 6000ft and terrible over 7000ft. It would feel like it was lugging with very poor acceleration bucking and sputtering and a heavy throttle required to maintain speed. The cruise became useless in 5th gear as it would drop out at the slightest grade. A lot of the trip was at altitude in the 5500 to 7000 feet range so this is a real issue. If you factor in a headwind it often became a 4th gear experience. And a rough 4th gear at that. I tried adjusting the pilot screws to get a little extra fuel and that seemed to help a little. My feeling is the loss of vacuum (air pressure) at altitude affects the carburetor piston diaphragm in a negative way. I actually got to where I could tell the altitude by the way the bike ran. And the Zumo on the Harley confirmed it. The fuel injected Ultra my buddy was riding did not experience this problem. His fuel economy stayed consistent in the lower to mid 40s. Occasionally the upper forties. He did not seem to have a power drop off either. My feeling is Yamaha really needs to quit screwing around and upgrade to a quality FI system. With altitude compensation. The Harley did require premium fuel however and this was sometimes hard to find. I fed my Yamaha everything from 91 octane down to about 84 with no affect good or bad on how it ran. The trunk opening to the front can be a pain when the back seat is loaded with luggage. But this is a very minor thing. I was happy to have the saddle bags and trunk. Handling was superb. We had high winds up to about 60mph from almost every direction. The bike just sucked it up and kept on going. On two lane roads in the wind with semi trucks going by the bike just pushed through. Where I thought the large fairing was going to be a problem it wasn’t. The ride was just plain comfortable with no sign of monkey butt even after several days of 10 or 11 hours in the saddle. I also learned to appreciate larger wind shields, lower fairings and air vents as temperatures ranged from the high 30s to over 100 degrees. Radio speakers in the helmet are a must. Wind and road noise will drown out the regular speakers at speed. The CB radio is also a major plus for communicating between bikes. Just learn some protocol and use it. It may sound dumb at first but it will keep riders from talking over each other and in the end is a better experience. We found that using the cruise control and covering the mic with a free hand when talking helped a lot at high speed. Fuel Mileage The FI Harley Ultra won hands down. Sometimes getting over 10mpg better than my carbureted RSV. More than enough to offset the higher cost of premium. But more importantly the fuel mileage was more consistent making it easier to plan fuel stops. With no surplus of refueling stations, my usable 5.5 gallon fuel capacity and uncertain mileage it seemed I was always the one requiring pit stops. Ugh. Handling Both bikes handled very well. I think we hit just about every kind of road conceivable. The Venture has air adjustable shocks the Ultra does not. So I was able to set my bike for the load and still have a soft ride. The Harley rides a bit harder. On this long of a trip I was very happy with the Venture. My tires are Dunlop 404ww. They worked very well and I now have over 14k on them. They are a replacement for the original Bridgestones which I didn’t care for. Performance Altitude and wind severely effected my Venture. The Harley not so much. Give a big plus to Fuel Injection. From a stop side by side acceleration 0 to 60 was to close to call. From a 30 mph start the modified Harley seemed to have the Venture by less than half a bike length (my front wheel his handlebar) up to about 80 mph where I started to regain some and the test was ended. Very close. Performance at altitude. The Harley hands down. Conclusion Fantastic trip. Would I change my Venture for a Harley?..No. Can the Venture be improved? Yes, but it doesn’t need much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scarylarry Posted May 28, 2011 Share #9 Posted May 28, 2011 Thanks for a excellent write up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted May 28, 2011 Share #10 Posted May 28, 2011 Thanks for a excellent write up Yes, almost a great write up, where's the pics? I was in the elevation in NM into CO a couple months ago, and also saw the noticable power loss. You don't mention how many miles on that '08, but I think they get broke in good around 40k, that's when mine started getting 40-48 all the time. Glad you had a great time, now, where's them pics??? Later, Scooter Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumboogy Posted May 28, 2011 Share #11 Posted May 28, 2011 General Info The Venture 6 gallon fuel tank only holds 5.5 gallons from walking to full. I know this for a fact. Drilling the filler neck is now high on my list of things to do. I hope it will remedy this as that other half gallon can be important. I was glad I carried a gas can on this trip. A real issue since so many gas stations have closed. The low fuel warning light is inconsistent. Sometimes providing ample warning but occasionally not coming on until after the engine stumbled and the tank was already switched to reserve. I just don’t think the quality of this device is all that great. The low fuel countdown odometer was also inconsistent sometimes not coming on until after the switch to reserve. The reserve petcock is very accurate. Switching when the engine stumbles yields exactly one gallon in reserve every time. Count on it so watch your mileage.. Yep...I saw this same issue when I first owned mine...it does seem to be better now, but I also don't get that close to running out of gas very often. Let us know if you decide to punch out the filler neck and the results you get! The Venture was very sensitive to altitude running poorly over 5500 feet, very bad over 6000ft and terrible over 7000ft. It would feel like it was lugging with very poor acceleration bucking and sputtering and a heavy throttle required to maintain speed. The cruise became useless in 5th gear as it would drop out at the slightest grade. A lot of the trip was at altitude in the 5500 to 7000 feet range so this is a real issue. If you factor in a headwind it often became a 4th gear experience. And a rough 4th gear at that. I tried adjusting the pilot screws to get a little extra fuel and that seemed to help a little. My feeling is the loss of vacuum (air pressure) at altitude affects the carburetor piston diaphragm in a negative way. I actually got to where I could tell the altitude by the way the bike ran. And the Zumo on the Harley confirmed it. Hmmm...strange. I have not had any issues with altitude. We didn't go as high as you did, however the bike ran OK (not quite as good), but OK. But I was NEVER in 5th gear...mostly in 4th and at times in 3rd gear. I think our highest elevation was just at 6000 feet. The trunk opening to the front can be a pain when the back seat is loaded with luggage. But this is a very minor thing. I was happy to have the saddle bags and trunk. Yes...a pain. That's why I just put something really easy to get out of the way on the back seat (if I have anything at all back there). Handling was superb. We had high winds up to about 60mph from almost every direction. The bike just sucked it up and kept on going. On two lane roads in the wind with semi trucks going by the bike just pushed through. Where I thought the large fairing was going to be a problem it wasn’t. The ride was just plain comfortable with no sign of monkey butt even after several days of 10 or 11 hours in the saddle. I also learned to appreciate larger wind shields, lower fairings and air vents as temperatures ranged from the high 30s to over 100 degrees. It has taken me awhile to get used to the handling, but TIRES MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!! If you think the Dunlop 404's are good...try the Dunlop Elite 3's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Eagle Posted May 28, 2011 Share #12 Posted May 28, 2011 Great write up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket Posted May 28, 2011 Share #13 Posted May 28, 2011 The Venture was very sensitive to altitude running poorly over 5500 feet, very bad over 6000ft and terrible over 7000ft. It would feel like it was lugging with very poor acceleration bucking and sputtering and a heavy throttle required to maintain speed. The cruise became useless in 5th gear as it would drop out at the slightest grade. A lot of the trip was at altitude in the 5500 to 7000 feet range so this is a real issue. If you factor in a headwind it often became a 4th gear experience. And a rough 4th gear at that. Did over 7,000 feet yesterday, on hwy 93 heading to Salmon ID with the 83 & 86 w/trailer, bikes ran great even at those elevations. Only gearing down needed, was for the hairpin turns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PERM44 Posted May 28, 2011 Share #14 Posted May 28, 2011 Got home yesterday from 3900 mile 7 day run from East Texas to San Diego for a SS1000 and the BB1500. Came back thru Sequoia and by the Grand Canyon. My mileage ranged anywhere from low 23 running 85-90 GPS in West Tx wind to mid upper 30's most of the time. Wind was def a problem with the mileage and handling to me. I also noticed decreased power above 6,000'. This is my second RSV-72K on the first- and I love it. Its the best mile eating ride for me. Love the looks and sound of the HD, but I don't think I would be happy w/the price or the performance unless I upgraded it to stage 2 or 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted May 28, 2011 Share #15 Posted May 28, 2011 By-passed California.... Wise choice.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRider Posted May 29, 2011 Share #16 Posted May 29, 2011 If you are packing on the pillion seat and have no prospects of picking up a passenger , you can take the passenger backrest off. There are 4 holes to plug with some short screws, rubber coated washers, and nylon retaining nut. This will allow you to open the trunk with stuff in the seat. I learned to do this when riding with my aux fuel tank. Great trip and comparison report. In April I ran thru the Seiras and the Rockies up to 11,150 feet (IIRC - at Eisenhower Tunnel). Some loss of power, but not bad. Wouldn't have been able to keep up with FI though. RR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted May 29, 2011 I am still working on the outline and photos for the trip report. I should have it done in the next day or two. Thanks for the tip RedRider. I might try that next time. As you can see by the picture I was riding pretty heavy. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bummer Posted May 29, 2011 Share #18 Posted May 29, 2011 The Venture was very sensitive to altitude running poorly over 5500 feet, very bad over 6000ft and terrible over 7000ft. It would feel like it was lugging with very poor acceleration bucking and sputtering and a heavy throttle required to maintain speed. The cruise became useless in 5th gear as it would drop out at the slightest grade. A lot of the trip was at altitude in the 5500 to 7000 feet range so this is a real issue. If you factor in a headwind it often became a 4th gear experience. And a rough 4th gear at that. I tried adjusting the pilot screws to get a little extra fuel and that seemed to help a little. My feeling is the loss of vacuum (air pressure) at altitude affects the carburetor piston diaphragm in a negative way. I actually got to where I could tell the altitude by the way the bike ran. And the Zumo on the Harley confirmed it. Altitude problems? Tune up time? Mine did just fine all the way to the top of Pike's Peak and Mount Evans. In fact it ran better than a couple of fuel injected BMW adventure tourers. It was weaker than normal but nothing out of the expected at that altitude. I've had absolutely no problem at all going up Trail Ridge Road or the Beartooth. Those are 12k and 10k respectively. Bucking and sputtering? In fifth? How slow were you going? These things aren't two cylinder thumpers. They like to rev and will perform far better at higher rpms. Do you have a tach? I often run 70mph interstates in third. I don't really like fifth until I'm out on a long stretch of interstate doing at least 65. Remember, fourth is a little bit overdrive. Fifth is quite a bit. Mine has hit 100 in third with a Dyna set at 7500rpms. You may just need to turn it up by shifting down. Overall it sounds like you had a nice ride, though personally I don't consider a vacation the real thing unless it hits at least 5k miles. Irene and I are looking forward to this year's International at Cody. Going there by way of Glacier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share #19 Posted May 30, 2011 "In fifth? How slow were you going? These things aren't two cylinder thumpers." Yes I have a tach. I generaly like to ride at about 75 to 80mph when possible. I suppose it could have been lugging in fifth at 80 but I don't think so. I also know how to find the rev limiter. For sure fourth should have been ok. I can tell when my bike is working overly hard and it was. I will eventualy find the exact cause and a remedy. But that is for some time in the future. For now it was a great trip. Also for me 6000+ miles through nine states counts as a vacation. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bummer Posted May 30, 2011 Share #20 Posted May 30, 2011 Also for me 6000+ miles through nine states counts as a vacation. Mike As well it should. Glad you had a safe and enjoyable time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share #21 Posted June 21, 2011 A lot of Venture riders take cross country trips so it might be somewhat boring to read about somebody else's. Since this trip report may be a bit long consider this your advance warning. I will try to present it over several posts and yes I finally have pictures. I think it was better when the pictures were properly placed in the word document but I couldn't post it that way here. So read on at your own peril. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share #22 Posted June 21, 2011 The report. More pictures to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share #23 Posted June 21, 2011 Pictures from Oregon & US 95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share #24 Posted June 21, 2011 Note to Freebird. If you feel like this is taking up to much band width please feel free to delete as you see fit. Mike Pics from Nevada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share #25 Posted June 21, 2011 Arizona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now