Is Reverse and issue

[Older...]

Has and/or will a reverse gear help you decide on your next purchase of a touring bike? This is for men and women owners of RSTD or Venture.

My wife is also a driver and has suggested that reverse would be a nice consideration for her when we're talking about 800 give or take pounds. Only the Goldwing and BMW have reverse as far as we know. Will Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, HD, and others join in and add reverse or is reverse not an issue to you owners of the big rigs?

[Guest BluesLover]

Has and/or will a reverse gear help you decide on your next purchase of a touring bike?

Not an issue for me. My "reverse" gear, if needed, is normally found perched in the passenger seat of the RSV ... ... aka "my clingon"...

 

Cheers,

[BuddyRich]

I would not use that as an issue to decide on a bike. Parking correctly is the trick. And I have always considered the terrain when riding. Guess that is from the old dirt bike days. Always park so you can pull out in a forward direction because these beast's (any heavy bike)are very unforgiving of mistakes.

[MikeM8560]

I dont need reverse, Im not crazy of the reverse on the goldwing(1500 anyway) using the starter motor for reverse

[V7Goose]

Don't have it, don't want it.

[Guest Ken8143]

Don't have it, don't want it.

 

ditto

[AZSpyder]

I worried about that a lot before deciding on the Venture. I figured I would never try the local convenience store. After getting used to it and making a couple of adjustment for my height it turned out to be no trouble. I understand the Wing and even more so the LT Beamer tend to be top heavy and you need to pay attention at low speeds. This is all from reading and asking, I don’t have any experience myself. Running with commuting traffic through town is no problem. It doesn’t feel top heavy one up and if there is a slope down into a parking slot I just make sure to back in.

Jerry

[bmxndad]

I'm 46 now and it is sometimes a challenge getting this thing backed into the garage.

If I am still riding in twenty years, I will probably need reverse.

For now I can deal with it.

 

Ross

[BoomerCPO]

Parking correctly is the trick. And I have always considered the terrain when riding.

Bingo! Give dat man a fine ceegar! Well said.

 

And ditto for me as well regarding a Reverse on the Venture.....just more mechanical stuff to break......and hollering for help is a lot easier IMHO>

 

Regards.....Boomer

[Vance]

I put many miles on a Goldwing, and never considered reverse an option, but rather a necessity. I still feel that way, and wish my Venture had reverse, but made allowances, such as the ones previously described. I would never turn down the convenience of reverse - it proved invaluable in many situations in the past. However, I would never turn down the Venture. It is a much more comfortable motorcycle for me. I enjoy the ride.

[James Ardrey]

Not an issue for me. My "reverse" gear, if needed, is normally found perched in the passenger seat of the RSV ... ... aka "my clingon"...

 

Cheers,

You beat me to the punch. My clingon as you put it has had to bail me out more than once. A reverse on these bikes would make it the perfect touring bike. I'm thinking of designing one one of these days that would also adapt to other bikes. It is all in my head at this point like all the voices I hear.

[FROG MAN]

I have enough trouble keeping it upright going forward.Reverse would be a shin bruiser then over she goes.:rotf:

[Yammer Dan]

I have enough trouble keeping it upright going forward.Reverse would be a shin bruiser then over she goes.:rotf:

 

 

Sounds about right!!

[RoadKill]

I tend to agree with others that not sure I'd want it, though wouldn't not get a Venture if it had it. My mother's drive way slopes quite a bit up to a flat parking area. However there is not room to turn around. Therefore I have to do a controlled roll down hill. Kind of nerve racking..roll, brake...roll, brake, etc... An acquaintence of mine purchased a new wing and hardly ever uses the reverse as he just doesn't feel comfortable with it. IMHO the only time I might use it would be if I had no choice but to park in a bad spot or got blocked after I parked.

[royalstarjac]

I always ask myself how I'm gonna get out before I go in. But even good planning can be foiled by some moron blocking you in. I wouldn't turn down reverse if it was an option but it's not a deciding factor in my choice of bikes. If it was I wouldn't be on a Venture in the first place!-Jack

[KiteSquid]

It would be a nice convenance, but what would it do the MSRP of the bike?

 

IIRC the current model starter motor has two brushes, but the last produced V Max had a 4 brush set up for more torque. IF Yamaha used the starter motor for the reversing, like Honda's Gold Wing, I hope they would use the V Max starter motor..... Also an upgrade to the electrical generation system would be in order!!!!

 

The selling point on the RSV for me was it IS the lowest priced touring bike on the market!!!!! By touring bike, it has to have a full fairing, trunk, saddle bags and seating for two.

[Snarley Bill]

never needed reverse.hell i have enough trouble keeping it upright going forward.:rotf:

[Eugene]

I always ask myself how I'm gonna get out before I go in. But even good planning can be foiled by some moron blocking you in. I wouldn't turn down reverse if it was an option but it's not a deciding factor in my choice of bikes. If it was I wouldn't be on a Venture in the first place!-Jack

 

Took the words right outta me mouth!!

 

Eugene

[MrRadi8]

I had an RSV that I stupidly sold and was bikeless for a time. In between I rode the Wing and the K1200LT. Yes, I loved the reverse on them and thought it would be great to have.

 

But it wasn't enough to make me not buy another RSV.

 

Pre-plan most my spots and just deal with what life hands me on the others and make the best of it, grunting as I move.

[Rip]

reverse would be a negative factor for me--an unnecessary way to add $$ to the final cost. Plus that, adding it would increase the number of Ventures dropped in parking lots--and we wouldn't want that, would we?

[1 - UP]

I've had surgery on both my legs, and do not have the strength in them as I did when I was younger. I will probably "trike" the bike one of these days and a reverse sure would be nice.

 

Ken:stirthepot:

[Jerry W]

This question was asked of folks who ride touring bikes that have no reverse, if it was a deciding factor I am thinking we would all be riding something else. I have found I spend the vast majority of the time I am on the bike moving forward.

[WilCruise]

For standard use it wouldn't impact my decision. If, however, I was considering a sidecar, triking it or constantly trailering it might be something I looked for.

[RustyRecycledToy]

My '02 Goldwing had reverse. I never used it till I triked it out. Once I had that extra width and extra wheels reverse was almost a must. At the same time I had an '01 H-D ElectraGlide trike. When loading both of them into a trailer one had to be backed in. I'll give you 3 guesses which one that was. (HINT: It's the one with reverse).

 

Would reverse be a determining factor in another bike purchase? No.