Tisunac

If maintenance was done right, there's still plenty of life in that bike. Yea, it might be worthwhile to check the rear shock. And don't be surprised if carbs needs an adjustment. A few hundred bucks would take care of that. Some rubber hoses might need replacement, depending on how often the bike has been ridden. And was it garaged (or in a shed) or not. One thing is for sure - you can't find a better, more equipped TOURING full dresser bike for that money. Full fairing, music, trunk, hard bags, excellent engine,... And please make sure your friend knows it's a top-heavy bike. It won't feel like a Goldwing, or an Ultra Classic for that matter. It is a heavy bike. Leveling links and a smaller front tire helps (tire helped me A LOT at slow speeds) but it will still be a heavy bike. If they ride two-up they might want to take it for a spin first. Not only on a highway, but in a stop-and-go traffic, at the gas station, turning left or right from a dead stop at the intersection,.... It needs some muscle, some adjustment. I'm 6'3" and occasionally have to "wrestle" it, when riding two-up and have to stop uphill, or U-turn or... The guy I bought a bike from (several years ago) was significantly shorter and it was too much for him. He liked the bike but was at the edge of dropping it daily. Once you "learn it" it's fine... A lot of accessories available to make it yours (theirs). From pure appearance, to handling, to comfort, to wind protection, to handling,.... IMO, an excellent way to experience a full touring bike, on the budget.

I'm 6'3" and felt similar when I first sat on my '99 Venture. The previous owner was a head shorter and everything was adjusted for a shorter rider. I've rotated handlebars higher (away from me) a bit and installed raisers. You can find them on Ebay and they don't require change of brake or throttle cables. Simple bolt on. You will need a highway pegs, even if you use them just occasionally. Butler Seat Mode helped me a lot to sit IN the seat rather than ON the seat. Rick had an accident recently so that might wait a bit but it's worth a wait. Well balanced tires should take care of the pull (most of the time). Yamaha's R1 calipers are a straight swap and they worth their weight in gold. Ventureless gave me his, and I thank him for that again. It's day-and-night difference. Just got back from a 5-day, 1400 miles ride (Tail of the Dragon etc) and I probably used my rear brake a handful of times. Front brake is taking care of 90% of my breaking now. Before that, it was just the opposite and that's plain dangerous. Consider installing leveling links that will raise the rear for about an inch, which helps handling at slow speeds. Also, you can replace front tire with a smaller (130) one. I just did the smaller tire (had links for a while) and I like the handling a whole lot better. Don't forget that you can add air in both front forks and a rear shock. I would ride with around 35 psi in rear shock (riding mostly two-up) but that's personal preference. IMPORTANT - front forks can take max 7 psi!!! For that, you need a "special" pump, DO NOT use a compressor at home, or at the gas station. Hand-held pump only. I bought a Harley Davidson digital one, it's very precise. If you add air to the front forks, it has to be exactly the same in both forks (to avoid a wobble). Come to think of it, that might be another potential reason for the wobble you've experienced at the test ride - uneven amount of air in front forks. After links and a smaller tire, I chose to ride with no additional air in front forks. It works for me. With a good pump, you can try different settings and change them multiple times during the ride. Ventureless spoke very highly of Hagon rear shock. my OEM still works fine (no leak, holding air just fine). I guess that would be a right way to go if your rear shock is shot. I have an upgraded heavy duty clutch (see classified section here) and it is engaging the same way as yours - all the way at the end. It's self adjusting one and that's the way it is. No slipping though. Just very high. Takes a little adjustment in shifting "habits".... I would change the oil regardless of how it looks like. Cheap prevention maintenance. I have pegs on my other bike and floorboards on the Venture. It is different. Once you get used to it, it's very comfortable on long rides. It does feel like a less of a "control" compared to pegs. But you get used to it rather quickly. Once you play with a handlebars position and find the "right" one, the legs position will feel better, too. Good luck installing bigger speakers. The space is really tight for anything bigger than the OEM (4"). I've replaced them with a better ones (Clarion) but still not much of a bass, mostly treble. You can install big 6x9's in the side bags but you will reduce the space in the bags. I'm still in the search of a good amp but even that won't give me more bass (or more cowbell). The money deal sounds like a very good deal, to me it does. I've never used CB on my bike but I'm sure other riders would use it. Not important to me. One thing to remember - Venture is a top-heavy bike and requires an adjustment in riding habits, especially at low speeds. There are soooo many things you can do to the bike to improve it. Just check the classifieds here and you'll see what else you can install, depending of your priorities.

Congratulations on your new ride!!!... You are going to loooove that bike!... Plenty of internet support for it, too. Tons of "farkles" for it, both OEM and especially aftermarket. You can arrange it the way you want it, and still have some leftover money for gas and lunch on your trips. And ABS is such a great feature on a bike... BTW, I've heard you had to hire a test-rider to try the bike?

Sorry to hear about your accident, Rick "The Seat Magician". Get well fast!... For the riders waiting for your seat mods - it's worth the wait!...

This might be an unfair question..... I still have a stock shock (1999 with approx. 39K miles) that's working fine and not leaking. We usually ride two-up (240 pounds + 125 pounds + some gear), usually have about 35-40 PSI in rear shock. Would it be worthwhile replacing it with a Hagon? Or wait till the stock one starts leaking? Would it make that much of a difference in the ride and handling? Don't get me wrong - I'm sure a heavy duty new shock will ride great. But is it that much better than the functioning OEM shock?

Congratulations! Great bike!!! Please keep us posted about the pro's and con's that you find out.

Keep an eye on Ebay (and Amazon, although I had no luck there yet) - but make sure you search for "Yamaha Venture" as well as "Royal Star Venture". It's funny that some listings will show up only under one name and not under the other. Glad you can ride without...and good luck in the search.

I saw some lower fairing recently on Ebay. Search for "Royal Star Venture"... Good luck.

I'm just hoping this is just one out of thousands (millions) of "normal" drivers we see every day on the road. People that see other people as PEOPLE, fellow neighbors... not somebody they would "run over", as he said. Honestly, this guy actually sounds like a bag of wind. Just an empty talk. He might be annoyed by some biker and that's how he blow a steam. A crazy person that would run another human being over by a car would not vent online, on Facebook.... Just another low-life (no-life).... Another reason for not having a facebook...IMHO

Thank you. I will definitely go back to 15 Amp then - I don't want any fires, obviously. The bulbs are all LED's though. I thought that would help easing the job for the modulator but...

After purchasing my Venture several years ago, I've installed the under-the-trunk light to increase the safety. It already had a brake light modulator so it would flash the brake light several times before it stayed on. Worked really well for several years and than one day all the lights stopped working during a local ride. Turned out the fuse was gone bad and I replaced it. That brought my lights back but my brake light was not working. After researching, it turned out my brake modulator was dead. Took it out and connected the brake lights directly. Everything worked fine but no flashing, just like it came from the factory. So I've ordered a new modulator. While installing a new modulator (a cheap no-name one I found on Ebay), I've installed another brake light - a Harley Davidson license plate light. I've upgraded it with a LED bulbs to reduce the current. Connected everything and everything worked fine - they were all on and, when applying the brake, it would flash a few times and than stayed on. Took it for a two day ride and after about a 100 miles noticed my lights are off. Stopped at the gas station, checked the fuses and sure enough, the fuse was bad. Replaced the fuse and the lights are back on. But the modulator is not flashing the brakes. Disconnected the modulator and everything's working fine (factory setting). Two questions - a) Does anybody have any experience with a more expensive modulators ("Back-Off" or similar)? From a few posts I understood they should all work the same way but could it be that a "Back-Off" is made to handle more lights than others? The one I bought was under $10 and a "Back-Off" is over $60 - I don't mind spending it if I can expect it to handle more brake lights.... Any experience with it? b) I've replaced the original 15 fuse with a 25 fuse - do I want to leave the 25 in, or is it smarter to go back to 15? Thank you guys for your suggestions.

I'm gonna ride The Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway on Sat & Sun, May 23rd and 24th. We'll spend the two nights at Dragons Rest Cabins. If anybody's there, please stop by and say Hi. Also, any place we need to see there, apart from the "usual"?

I just picked up a radiator guard on Ebay for a song (or close to). It looks like a few places are buying damaged or non-running Ventures, parting them out and selling them that way....obviously, making more money that way. The guard I bought was used and not the shiniest one but I didn't like the shiny one anyway so I spray pained it black. Looks just fine IMO. Logo stuff is harder to find so you have to check more often. Good luck in your search.

Okay, I'm neither a Harley guy or a Victory guy. A few years ago, I saw a Victory Cross Country Tour at the bike show. Beautiful bike, to me it looked like a touring bike should look like. I sat on it - the fit was perfect right off the showroom floor (I'm 6'3"). I was hooked. There and then I've decided that will be my next bike. Fast forward about 2 years.... I finally started seriously thinking about getting a new bike. So, I founded a Victory demo ride about 2.5 hours drive from home. Bikes looked very impressive. From a distance. Checking them out closer - way too much plastic. And cheap plastic. Tupperware-feel to it. Side covers unsecured, you can pop them out with a finger. You slightly press the plastic (any part) and it bends, caves. That was the first close-up impression. Then we took them for a ride. Unimpressed. Felt underpowered. Loud, but not in a "nice" way. Not rumble, rather a rattle. Cheap plastic. Clunky clutch but I bet I could adjust to that. Great comfort, great brakes. But no smile on my face. To me, it was not a $20K+ bike. Big disappointment..... A few days after there was a HD demo ride in my area. Neither bike fit me as well as the Victory. And not excited about the "old-fashioned" look of HD's. But they felt finished. They felt like a quality products, solid. And talking about the power.... You twist that throttle and that bike will go!... Very responsive, and with a nice rumble. Not rattle - rumble. I still won't spend that kinda money for an HD knowing their previous reliability (all my HD friends spend more time at the shop than they would like, there's always something...) but at least they felt like a high quality products. Again, I will not end up with either. When the time comes, it looks like it will be a Goldwing. Reliability, proven, fast, nimble. Not perfect - not a perfect fit like a Victory or the "cool" factor of HD but overall a great bike. And I know a lot of people will disagree but to me, a Harley felt like a much better, solid, finished bike than any of the Victories....

I just got a tank bag to use on a trips only. Will test it first time over a Memorial Day weekend for a 5-day trip. It's a magnetic one. The cool part is - it turns in a backpack. Up till now, we would keep all the "stuff" in the trunk and when we stop we would take what we need and shove it into our pockets. And if you need some of that stuff while riding (tissue, sunglasses,...) we would have to stop at the side of the road, get off the bike and get it out of the trunk. Now, my wife and I can keep our phones, glasses, wallets, eyeglasses cleaner, maybe a couple of snacks, camera, etc in a tank bag - when we stop and go for a walk, just grab the tank bag/backpack with me and everything's in it already. That's the plan, anyway... It even have a map pocket at the top. I have a dual-sport bike, too (Suzuki Vstrom). When I bought it, it had a tank bag on it. Not the magnetic one, just "regular" with the straps. At that point, I thought of taking it off but didn't. It turned out I'm using it every single time I'm on that bike!... Easily accessible, big enough, small enough. Wallet, sunglasses, headphones, phone,...

I'm riding to work this morning, beautiful day, nice backroad, nice curves, fairly low traffic.... And I'm thinking wouldn't it be nice to trade my 1999 Venture for a newer Goldwing. Yea, my Venture works just fine, it's equipped with everything I need and want, it fits me just fine but...wouldn't it be nice to have a newer bike with FI, lighter feel, better handling. As I was passing Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and coming to an intersection of rt53 and rt20, I saw the back of a nice motorcycle sitting at the light. Same color as mine. With a matching trailer hooked on the back of the bike. While turning right, I turned my head again to see the bike and a rider - sure enough, it was a niiice 1st Gen Venture! I honked my horn, he looked my way, recognized the bike and waved. Respect, my brother. Ride on. I am such an idiot just thinking about replacing my 2nd Gen. Here's the guy taking his 1st Gen on a trip (trailer) and I'm already thinking about replacing my bike.... Enjoy your trip, my friend. I gotta go to work.... And by the way, I do know that he's probably faster than me....

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I've been trying to improve the sound ever since I got the bike. I did upgrade the speakers but still not much of a bass..... I'll take any improvement!... Thanks again.

Not trying to highjack the post but....what was the reason for putting foam baffles behind the front speakers? Did you get a better sound, more bass?

One more thing you can ask the dealer - what kind of bike did the previous owner buy to replace the Venture? I understand it was a Harley but was it a full dresser, a cruiser, a bagger,...maybe a sportster? I bought my Venture several years ago from a previous owner who was significantly shorter than I am. He liked the bike but had a constant trouble handling it, especially at lower speeds, intersections etc. Also, two-up riding was a challenge. Every new-to-you bike will feel different, foreign at first. And most of them you can adjust to fit you. However, Venture is a big, heavy, high center of gravity kinda bike. Not something a novice can handle with ease. Comparing to a lot of other bikes, it could be difficult for a shorter rider, lighter rider,... You get my point. I wouldn't be surprised that the PO bought it based on the look, price and features and soon found out it is too much to handle. Check out what he/she got instead.

California Superbike School 2014 - highly recommended!!! Obviously, I'm on my "other" bike....

I have a 99 Venture and a 06 V-Strom. Riding with my wife two-up we will take a Venture, no question. We tried a V-Strom a couple of times and it was not the same, especially for her. Once you get "spoiled" with the back seat on the Venture it's hard to go "back" to something less comfy. I'm sure people ride two-up on a V-Strom every day and love it. Once she tried a Venture backseat that was it... For solo riding, I will take my Vstrom almost every time - quick, nimble, easy to ride, great on twisties, excellent pickup,... It took me some adjustments to make it fit (6"3', 250lb) but now it fits like a glove. I love the combo of comfy riding position with an ability to attack the twisties almost as a sport bike. I'm too tall, too fat, and too old for a sport bike but Vstrom fits me just fine. After a couple of rides the leg position become normal, I wasn't looking for running boards any more. Somehow, it become a "new normal"....and could still go back to riding a Venture with no problem. Just different. Now, we tried a Goldwing recently and I was very, very impressed - handling, acceleration, comfort,... Did I mention HANDLING?!? Oh man, it felt like my Vstrom, with all the features of a Venture. I believe that is the ONE bike that will be able to (one day) replace both of my bikes successfully. And if I was to ride exclusively solo, I'm sure I would explore every sport touring option - to me, they are like a Vstrom on steroids. Comfort, but with an unbelievable acceleration and smoothness. But I'm sure my wife would stop riding with me and I don't want that AT ALL. So, I'm sure GW is in my (near) future... Again - for solo ride I'm sure you are looking at the right bike(s). If you are planning a fair amount of a two-up, make sure you check with your passenger about the choice of the bike.

If you think it's fixable, it might be worthwhile to buy it back from your insurance company. Cause sometimes they'll write it up as a total damage just because of the cost of repair (new parts plus labor), not necessary because the frame is bent. They will usually sell it back to you dirt cheap. That way you can either fix it and sell it or maybe sell it as-is and get more money. Or maybe you have somebody who would like to play with it and put it back on the road. Certainly, if you don't want to mess with it taking the insurance check is the easiest way.....

I agree - I hope I won't have to "test" their gear again but I will certainly consider their gear in the future! I was very happy with their Kilimanjaro jacket to begin with and with that customer service I can't go wrong buying their products!!!

After a suggestion in one of the replies I've contacted First Gear, the manufacturer of my Kilimanjaro jacket and sent them a copy of my posting, just stating the facts, not asking for anyting. They've contacted my within two hours of my email and offered to replace my damaged jacket for free! Now, that's a customer service!... I've received a replacement jacket within a few days. What a great gesture on their part!... I was very impressed with their product (jacket) after the crash. And with this kind of customer service I will make sure to check them first when I need any gear. GREAT JOB, FIRST GEAR!

THANK YOU ALL FOR KIND WORDS!!! I APPRECIATE YOU CONCERN. I never thought of sending that to First Gear - what a great idea! I wouldn't mind keeping the "old" jacket with some scuffs (to show off hahaha) but I wouldn't refuse a replacement!... Yea, go on YouTube and check that D30 armor, several interesting videos. I didn't buy the jacket because of it (I'm not that smart), I bought a jacket I liked and it came with it, and then I google it. Actually, you can buy armor separately and just insert in your existing gear. You can get back, elbow, shoulder, knee and side/hip armor separately from the jackets. Back armor even comes in man or woman size, man comes in two different sizes. The back armor have perforation (for breathability) that's occasionally not finished properly so you need to punch those holes again for summer riding. Other than that, light and flexible. And it works...