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Just added a new concealed carry option. Kimber CDS9. 9 mm, 13 + 1 as pictured. Also came with 15 + 1 magazine. Love this thing.

Keep the carbs clean with good fuel and do scheduled maintenance and you can expect 250k miles easily. The only engine failures I’ve heard of were all from carbs overflowing and hydrolocking the engine. Some have a clutch basket whine that can be annoying but not a mechanical issue. Check the rear shock for oil leaks. There’s nothing on it that can go wrong that the fix can’t be found here. It’s a top heavy bike but eats miles comfortably. They like to wind, keep the revs up around 4000 for the best performance, don’t touch 5th gear (overdrive) below 65mph. I’ve got almost 90k on mine and we’re planning a month long tour out west soon.

Here’s the blinker fluid I use.

I’m trying to decide between the bike or boat today.

I talk to him occasionally but it’s been a while. Last time I did, he indicated that his riding days were pretty much over. He had bought a couple of electric bicycles and was enjoying them.

Out for first ride earlier today for over an hour and around 30kl. 130,500klm start . Pretty cold so didn't stay out that long!

I remember the day, it was a grand day, that after having lunch with the bunch of us, we mounted up to take a ride,,, in Michigan,,, everybody was ready and mounted but one bike refused to start, just nothing. Shortly there were about 4 or 5 other riders giving instructions and helpful hints, fuel was double checked, oil sight glass confirmed, booster cables were added, battery voltage checked, kickstand confirmed,,,,, just nothing was going to get this 84 to fire. Young lady rider comes over finally, climbs on the bike and attempted to start,, which it very nicely did!!! Yep, it had to be in neutral!! Funny how that happens!

The original models, '83-85 s are now 40+ years old. How many guys are still hitting the asphalt with these antiques ? We can still get batteries, tires and there are plenty of spare parts on e-bay. Well, except for rear master cylinders. They are cheap enough you can buy a whole bike for parts anyway, if you look around. Downside, you have to be able to do your own maintenance. I enjoy my '83 and get to enter it in antique Auto Shows ! Awesome ! How 'bout you ? I know there are a few of us here, How about a roll call ?

I don't still have it but my very first Venture was that gold '83.....great bike, got lots of compliments when I rode it. It's what started my on my Venture lifestyle....now I'm on my 4th.

Still got my 86 (39 y/o) setting in the shop. Keep thinking I’ll get it out and clean the carbs but can’t seem to find the time. Parked it when I bought my 07.

Was out around 5pm Wednesday and temp was around 1cel(33.8f)and wind chill of around -7degC(19degF). so yes a little nippy! This is Ontario Canada around Lake Erie.

I bought my 2001 RSV with 71K Miles on it. And it had a pogo-stick rear shock. I thought I would share my adventure of renovating the rear shock on the forum. I don't see any way that this shock can be disassembled any more than what is required to replace the O ring, and Yamaha says the shock is not rebuildable. But here's the deal. There is an O ring seal on the shaft just above the bottom clevis pin shock mount that will wear out and the shock fluid will leak out. When enough fluid leaks out, your rear suspension acts like a pogo stick. Running max air pressure may help a bit, but to fix it, that O ring needs to be replaced, and shock fluid replenished, which will often restore the shock to like new performance. It fixed mine! Credit to long time member @dfitzbiz (Dave) for the detailed instructions on how to replace the O ring. I PM'd him and he quickly sent the instructions and a pic of the tool he created to accomplish the O ring replacement. I guess he has a reason for not posting those detailed instructions in an article on the forum, so I will follow his lead and not post his instructions here. I have searched and read the "RSV Repaired Rear Shock 2000 Mile Update" post from top to bottom and searched the forum site but I don't see the detailed instructions that Dave sent to me posted anywhere on this site. So I am posting pics of my shock renovation journey, along with descriptions and comments. I gotta say, after putting in the new O ring and replenishing the shock fluid, the rear shock feels like new. Dave fashioned his shock expansion tool from what looks like 1" square bar stock. I did not have ready access to this material, so I ended up using what I had on hand to build a variation of Dave's tool. As you look thru the pictures, check for descriptions and comments below the pics. Shock Before Removal Harbor Freight Mini Moving Dolly Under Rear Wheel Harbor Freight Mini Moving Dolly Mini Dolly under rear wheel allows bike to be moved on the rolling jack after shock is removed. Removing the air filler hose from the bike. Removing the air filler. Removing the air filler. Removing the air filler. AIS is in the way - gotta come outta there. AIS coming out. Ratchet in place on top shock bolt. I think it's a 17mm. Ratchet in place on top shock bolt. Top Bolt ready to pull out. Loosening the bottom bolt. Bottom bolt ready to come out. Lowering and removing the shock. Shock removed, AIS hoses plugged and capped. Used rubber plugs for the bigger hoses (see red circle). Poor dirty old shock. Nice purty cleaned up old shock. What's behind the curtain? Removing the boot. Removing the boot. Boot removed. Boot removed. Hang the shock upside down and remove the air valve to allow shock fluid to drain. Draining the shock fluid. Draining the shock fluid. After about a day, less than 50ml drained out from the shock. After two more days, still the same. I waited that long only because I couldn't get back to this project for a couple of days, and figured it would be good to make sure it all drained out. So that's why my shock was pogo-ing. 50ml is not enough to provide damping. Maxing your air pressure to 57psi might help a bit but won't totally stop the pogo-ing. Now, if your shock won't keep air, I believe that is a separate problem. My shock would hold air pressure even tho the O ring was leaky. So my guess is there's another chamber or rubber balloon that handles the air pressure. Well, in retrospect, the above can't be right. The air goes in the same hole that you pour the shock oil into so the damping mechanism and air chamber are connected. Comments and experienced observations are welcome here! Less than 50ml of old fluid came out of my shock. Dave recommends refilling a shock with 125ml. Fabricating the expansion tool. So this piece of steel channel stock was cut from a 6 foot length I found laying in the middle of a street about 15 - 20 years ago. You never know when you might need a chunk of channel stock, right? Shock bolt will go thru this hole. Pusher bolts will go thru the two smaller holes. Lube the new O ring. Carefully slip the new O ring over the clevis and down onto the collar at the base of the shock. Carefully slip the new O ring over the clevis and down onto the collar at the base of the shock. Carefully slip the new O ring over the clevis and down onto the collar at the base of the shock. I made this pressure plate from plywood. It's not really sturdy enough for doing multiple shocks, but it worked fine for this one shock. This spreads the pressure from the pusher bolts out so as not to deform/bend the bottom of the shock housing when the pusher bolts are tightened. Expansion tool mounted and ready to pull the shaft up to expose the old O ring. Expansion tool mounted and ready to pull the shaft up to expose the old O ring. Tightening the nuts on the pusher bolts. The nuts push the tool and shaft upwards while the bolts push down against the shock body. O ring starting to show in the gap as the shock is expanded. O ring starting to show in the gap as the shock is expanded. Slip a small screwdriver under the old O ring and pull it out from the groove. Snip the old O ring and pull it out of the shock. Old O ring is clipped and ready to be pulled out. Old O ring. Clean and lube the groove that the O ring fits into. Clean and lube the groove that the O ring fits into. Use a small screwdriver to carefully coax the new O ring up off the collar and into the groove. Use a small screwdriver to carefully coax the new O ring up off the collar and into the groove. Use a small screwdriver to carefully coax the new O ring up off the collar and into the groove. New O ring in place. Clean it up as good as you can. New O ring is in place. Make sure it's still adequately lubed. Slowly back down the nuts on the pusher bolts to allow the shaft to retract back into the shock body. Remove the air filler hose from the shock body, and lay the shock at a slight angle with the filler tube up. I used a cheap meat injector from WalMart to refill the shock with 125ml of Yamalube 10 Fork & Shock Oil. I used a cheap meat injector from WalMart to refill the shock with 125ml of Yamalube 10 Fork & Shock Oil. I used a cheap meat injector from WalMart to refill the shock with 125ml of Yamalube 10 Fork & Shock Oil. I used a cheap meat injector from WalMart to refill the shock with 125ml of Yamalube 10 Fork & Shock Oil. I trickled the fluid in a few drops at a time to allow it to ingest into the shock body and avoid it bubbling back out. That way I'm sure all 125ml goes into the shock and I'm not guessing how much bubbled out. Connect the air filler hose to the shock body and pressurize the shock to about 40psi to test for leaks. Reinstall the shock into the bike. Reattach the air filler hose to the bike. Shock reinstalled. Rear AIS deleted. Put the side panels and seat back on the bike and ENJOY THE RIDE!

I talked to Dave last summer at the Asheville rally, he’s shipped his repaired shocks all over the globe. I have the instructions bookmarked but they’re on here somewhere, not sure where. He did a demonstration at one of Freebird’s MD weekends several years ago, great guy to deal with also if you want him to fix it.

Very cool, and a creative fix ta boot! Here's to 100k more worry free miles on that shock! Enjoy!

That’s the problem it’s says “red” on the box so you can only use it on the rears.

I tried that once and then had headlights shining backwards,,,, spent days and days flushing that out. Found out that using alcohol was best in getting things back to normal,, somewhat.

Bought the points off amazon. Replaced the fuel pump points at about 16,000 miles and now at 60,000. I don’t get many miles to points on my 2007 RS Venture. this is why I remain subscribed even though o only ride my Venture a few times per year.

I lived in NOLA back in the 80's I know better than to go Downtown on Fat Tuesday, like Murtaugh said I am getting too old for this crap.

Yep. its too cold and way too much snow to ride in Western Kentucky. I have headed for Daytona at 28 degrees, but the high today is 22 with snow everywhere. So, I will wait a couple of weeks before I brave a ride.

It's a Beautiful day in the neighborhood. Just west of Houston

I haven't dreamt about him, but do think about him on occasion.

Dave Fitzgerald @dfitzbiz dfitzbiz@yahoo.com

I’ve been on a couple of local rides so far, the longest being around 150 miles. I may ride into town today to run some errands.

Good evening to all! Hope your weather forecast is looking good for tomorrow.

Glad to hear you're up and running. Mine has a fuel leak. Looks like it is below the fuel pump. Traveling on Business right now and will try to get it int the shop Thursday.

I went ahead and installed the new starter and it started right up. No more Error Code 12 on the dash. Nicer weather this week, so ride days are here. Replaced the starter relay as well, but I am keeping my original starter relay for future use. It may also be a good idea for me to stock one starter assembly just in case the dreaded Code 12 returns. I will also look into rebuilding the old starter by a Pro sometime this year. FWIW, this is pretty common for another starter to go bad on these bikes but it was not really so bad to replace it. Ride Safe. Old Starter and Old Starter Relay Old Starter Relay (still good)

hey Joe that's right up there with blinker fluid 🙃

Happy Birthday Freebird. 🎊🎉🎉🎉 Hope it’s a good one.

Changing the coolant tends to help it stop better 🤪

What's in the box?

Happy belated birthday Freebird! I have noticed that pesky year older too! I will catch up with you later this year.

Most air compressors start in an unloaded state. It should be close to "Rated" with some inrush possible. If the 10hp converter doesn't manage the inrush, you might think about adding a soft start or going with one of the newer 3 phase drives that converts single phase 208 to 3 phase. I have no idea what they cost though.

The good news is once you get em dialed in they are great bikes. Sounds like you’re well on your way to reviving a gem.

Going to Mardi Gras for the first time in 40 years. Who else is going.

I have not had this issue and I really don't even recall reading about it.

I got stuck in NOLA for Mardi Gras one time. Had a business trip there that week and was in a hotel downtown. PIA. Really soured me on Mardi Gras. Just not interested in it. I know a lot of locals will leave the area during Mardi Gras. Our office there actuall closes on 'Fat Tuesday' because you can't get into work.

Hope you get your ride in today! It jumped up to the 60s here in Omaha today, so of course I rode my bike to work! That sun sure felt good!

Good morning to all and happy Monday. I was able to wash the truck yesterday after a month and a half of winter weather grime. Today is about 50 degrees, so it just might be a ride day today. Have a great week.

Look at the needle and seat along with the float itself.

Good evening to all! Our next week's weather forecast is looking much better. Looking forward to ride.

Ok, so went down to the local power sports place and asked the service manager if he had some old carbs on a shelf that they scavenge parts from. for a case of beer I walked out with an old Mikuni carb set that was not identical but mic’d the shaft and seal and they were the same! Now I’m back in business. now on to final adjustments of float height, air/fuel mix screws and verify I have the right jets in the right carb (as I found out they are different between carbs)… any tips would be greatly appreciated.

No riding for me too until perhaps next month. I am over here near the MD/PA line, but temps and roads conditions are not good for riding...at least in my book... A few more weeks then we should start talking more about bikes.

It's been pretty cold in Central Ohio, but, working at OSU I was surprised to see how many motorcycles were in the student parking areas. Mostly crotch rockets and adventure bikes. As for me, I'll wait for warmer weather.

Hey Steve, I'm about an hour 1/2 west of you in Graves Co. Yep, too cold and snowy. We rode to Cadiz on that 75 degree day early in the month. Looking to be in the 60's next week though. That's the way it is around here. Bill

Nice touch for a custom look.

That happens with old age,

Hi all..Been off the grid for awhile.. Got the sad news of Bob's passing. He was one of the happiest guys I have ever met. Always willing to lend a hand.... You will be missed big time buddy... Prayers to Becky and the family..... Here is a couple of my favorite memories of Bob from MD 2011...

It was an amazing funeral for a very special guy with huge turnout of Patriot Guard Riders:

Not one to dismiss what others experience with their take in choice of Bikes;but; seems to me GW has moved from thrill to a different market class: and also that, the GL 1500 may just be the last of say our crowd? Anyways for myself in touring the VR1300 was a very good fit for my style. I absolutely loved swinging the clever in 2nd after timing my entrance on to the HWs over the years and just ripping through 3rd! Of course this was after I spent the time getting her to giddy-up when I dug my spurs in! You may know I've run some modified 1100 Kats, this one time my boy and I were on an inter city HW low speed stretch of nice asphalt at a light early one morning. My boy hadn't kept up with the work I'd done on the VR. When we took off he just in front and just rolling I let it rip in 1st then quick shifted to 2nd by the time 3rd was up I slowed for the next set of lights. As he pull up he lifted his visor smiled and shook his head, thinking back he was likely wondering if I was ever going to ride like a mature fellow? No way would I take the Kat in a fare fight on a straight run but I can take her by surprise..lol Not sure if any of us here have had the opportunity to ride far on a Cavalcade? I can tell you that should you find one running on all 4 and dialed in, those bikes can really move, very much an old style ride but very comfortable! I often rode her sun up and past sun down, endless torque all gears. I'm putting an engine back together for her now, her finish 1/2 done is blue marble over black pearl. I'm cutting back the marble to a more 50/50 paint as I found the marble took too much of her old style/look away.