cowpuc
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Posts posted by cowpuc
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@Steve S,, Tippy and I hope and pray your southwest adVENTURE is absolutely nothing but the grandest of times!! As you probably already know, you folks are headed into our memories of the "best of the best of CTFW times" touring experiences from years past and we hope you come back from your tour with the same WOWZY feelings. I truly look forward to your reports/pics!! I wont bore you with travel advice because your journey/fun will develop as you tour BUT,, if you have ANY interest in WW2 history/experiences,, if you get anywhere near Kayenta Arizona I encourage you to stop at the Burger King in Kayenta and check out the Navajo Code Talker display there! Also notice the "PLEASE DONT GIVE THE PANHANDLERS ANY THING" sign in the BK parking lot! GET A JOB was my interpretation = NICE!! I am, beyond words, wishing you folks nothing but the BEST of journey's and total GODSPEED my friend! Puc
P.S.!! CONDOLENCES ON THE LOSS OF YOUR LOVED ONE!! PRAYERS UP!
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WOWZY WOW WOW WOW!! VERY VERY VERY NICE!! GR8 JOB!!
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On 4/2/2023 at 7:37 AM, S24 said:
Hi everyone, what a nice cool app.
I have a 1985 venture royale, I m going to need assistance with it.
@S24,,, WOWZY WOW WOW WOW is that PURDY!!! CONGRATS!! Many many many years ago and 6 MK1 Ventures ago starting in 1987 I began my Venture adVenture on a Blonde 1984 Royale and it came to me with 24k miles on it and needing repair too. It needed a stator and had second gear gone. After doing the stator and other updates (but leaving the missing 2nd gear missing) I chased the front wheel on that one out to 275k miles of FANTASTIC touring of the country. You REALLY got 1 up on my experience (pun intended) by snagging an 85 so NO tranny issues!! THAT IS SUPER!! Take your time to get it all sorted out and you landed the absolute best of the best touring bikes of all time my friend! I dont get out much anymore cause of my health but do stop in every now and then just to check on allllll my VR buddies.. My ride days are far behind me now but I wish you nothing but the best in your upcoming adVenture fun!! Puc
On 4/2/2023 at 7:43 AM, RDawson said:Welcome to our circus. You’re in the right place to keep her going. I’m betting ole @skydoc_17will be along soon and maybe @cowpucwill stop in with some more of the 1st Gen gurus to drool over that beautiful machine.
@RDawson, thank you sooo much for bringing this to my attention Corporal Newkirk!! DROOLING I AM! The body is no longer willing but the heart/mind? THAT is a whole nuther subject!! DANG!! THAT IS GORGEOUS!! Thanks Ronnie!! Puc
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@Yama Mama!!!! Yeeee hawww!!! I know just how you feel Peggy! I had to make that decision numerous times thru the years. 1st it was to stop competing on the MX tracks, then it was no more dirt bikes at all, then it was no more touring. TIP and I moved on to E-Bikes as our main 2 wheel excurtions and I have no doubt that will have its limits too. It's hard as heck to make those decisions and it's different for everyone how they want to proceed. Personally I am proud of you for facing the feelings of its time. Makes no difference though concerning our lasting friendship. We ALWAYS have each other! Tell your first husband HI for us!! Puc, TIP and Tweeks!
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Don's recent thread about Yamaha's future in touring bikes and ,indeed, the very future of large touring bikes got me to thinking. I still cant help but imagine hybrid GAS/ELECTRIC being the future. After having put a fair amount of riding on our E-Bikes I truly do think if Mom Yam would come out with a Hybrid Touring Bike that would get a consistent +100 mpg and not have to stop for recharging like a full electric vehicle has to that the youth of today would support it in sales. What do you think? As it stands right now, I think the large touring bike days are dim. I hope not cause those were some great years.
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1 hour ago, skydoc_17 said:
WELL Don,
I am SOO Jealous! You NEVER called me "EARL DARLING" when I first joined the Forum! OH, and WELCOME to the Forum, BILL DARLING!!, So There Don! LOL!
Might be a bit of "Cabin Fever" going on here!
Earl.
There was time not to many years ago the club would a had a lot of fun with this one Earl LOL..
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On 2/12/2023 at 6:15 PM, vulcanb822 said:
Earl,
I need to replace the starter clutch on my 1991 venture. Do you still offer the upgraded starter clutch?
Try this Vulc.. @skydoc_17, maybe Earl doesnt know your looking for him...
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I still have my daughters 1968 CT-90 sitting in the basement. I cant count the number of deer I dragged out of the woods with that thing. Low range in 1st gear = unstoppable! Sometimes even 2 deer at once!! AMAZING MACHINES for sure!! Love this thread!!
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Fact is we, our "club", was in the minority and had a very small footprint in the touring world (other touring riders had no idea what they were missing, our V-4's ROCK/ROCKED!) and the Yam V-Twin lovers in the STAR RIDERS side of Yamaha had a bigger voice in the matter. The V-TWIN Yam's were (and still are) an excellent machine and had a nice variety of air cooled V-Twins for wayyy less $$$ than HD to get people riding. Personally I LOVED the Strats n Raider. I also LOVED the smaller air cooled Yam V-Twins and worked on many of them. They were great bikes! I spent a TON of time on my nephews Strat and was always impressed. I could have bought a brand new one CHEAP (about 1/3 the price of a comparable HD) but knew it would sit in the garage and wait for me/us to take time away from our 83 Venture touring to ride it so I passed. I do understand the STAR RIDERS push for an air cooled, big bore touring bike. I highly doubt though (and my doubts are proven because very few them bought the big twin Venture they asked for) they understood what they were asking for and really didn't understand the grip HD has on the BIG TWIN touring market. If they, and Mom Yam, would have did a little more research into the matter I am 100% sure we would ALL be riding 1700cc V-Max motored, shaft driven, water cooled new Ventures and I would have the fastest one LOL. I love the looks of the new one and still see the missed opportunity Mom Yam made by not stuffing a detuned 160 hp V-Max motor in exactly the body that they came up with. Those fake intakes just scream BAD TO THE BONE and ready to be the real deal intakes. I timed out of the touring bikes long ago now but if we were still riding I would be looking at, and probably own one of the new Wings. That's a lot closer to what I was picturing as the touring bike that would "turn the touring world upside down" that Mom Yam was telling us was comingi and the very reason I went to the unveiling ready to buy in the first place, minus a bunch of HP of course.
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On 2/8/2023 at 8:17 AM, Freebird said:
That is the big question that I have. Do you think that they will build another larger touring bike or even a large cruiser? I have to tell you, I am one of the, probably few, here who truly like the Star Venture when it came out. I actually like the large V-Twins and except for the painfully low rev limiter, it was really fun to ride. Yamaha has a pretty long history of a lifespan of at least 10 years with no major changes on their models, the fact that they dripped the Star Venture and the Elude so quickly is ample proof that it was a resounding sales failure though. Even though I do like the bike, I will always wonder what the heck were they thinking. To me, the facts are pretty clear, American rides who love the big V-Twins are always going to buy an American bike. Harley or Indian primarily. If you want to draw sales away from them, you have to offer something compelling and different. The Honda Goldwing carved out their own niche. Most V Twin riders won't give them a second look but they weren't targeting those riders. They target those who yearned for a more rifined and smooth running bike. Yamaha did the same with the original Venture starting in 1983. After dropping it in 1993, they came out with a cruiser style in 1999. A lot of the ld die hard Venture riders didn't like it but many of us did. Those of us who lover the cruiser styling but also the smooth power of the Yamaha V 4 engine were quick to accept it. It would never really compete strongly for the V Twin riders but it was unique in the industry and was a proven and good running V 4 engine. They owned that segment. The RSV was a beautiful, and dependable bike. I will be the first to admit that after more than 10 years, it was time for an upgrade but they already had an engine that was ready. The new VMax motor was ready to go. With some slight modifications, and more much less research and development that was spent of their new air cooled V Twin, I believe they had a winner waiting. I could not agree more my brother!!!
Will they do it now? Doubtful. with big touring bikes on the decline, I fear that the time has past. Yamaha may surprise me but it would indeed be a surprise. I'm a member, some of you are also, of a Facebook group named Senior Riders. It is riders primarily between 60 and 90 years old. There are riders of all brands in that group and some still ride big Harleys, Indians, BMWs, etc. I will say that the vast majority however have moved to lighter and more agile styles. Adventure bikes, standards, even some sport bikes.
I stil have to wonder though. Would Yamaha have had more success if they had come out with a new touring bike with a V Max V4 instead of the air cooled V Twiin. Having followed the new bike, literally from beginning to end, I truly believe if what you are suggesting had been the case the new bike would have literally changed the touring industry for ever and even HD would be competing behind Yamaha..
If I were looking to buy a new touring bike right now, it would likely be the Indian Pursuit. It's a liquid cooled V-Twin rated at 120 HP and dynos at 108 HP at the rear wheel. Now look at these two pictures. For me, there is no contest on which is the better looking bike. Put a 120 - 140 HP V Max based water cooled V 4 in this Star Venture and I would favor it at least 10 to 1 over the Indian. I think that Yamaha did great on the styling and it had most every advanced riding feature you could ask for. I think that they could have kept their existing Venture Rider base and added to it. What do you think? ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, UNEQUIVOCALLY 100% YES!!
I seriously think Mom Yam just listened to the wrong group of Yamaha riders in her attempt to "turn the touring world upside down" (her words, not mine). After speaking to the "STAR RIDERS" at Americade who Mom Yam did take advice from it was easy to see that, from day one of design, they had no interest in the V-4 V-Max upgrade idea's that we all were convinced was coming. I also believe that the shear size of the Air Cooled, Belt Drive, V-Twin American riders far outnumbered our group so considerably thats the direction Mom Yam went. Years ago, before Mom Yam revealed her failed attempt at producing a new Venture that would "set a new benchmark for all touring bikes in performance, handling and comfort" @Freebird started a thread called "let the discussion begin" here on VR. Many many of our club members responded and most of the club echoed the same "wish list". I am going to post here my response in that thread only because I still stand by it. I, like most here, followed the new Venture from start to finish and I even chased it to the unveiling at Lake George with MUCH excitement. Tweeks, TIP and I went out to Lake George for the unveiling with cash in hand and ready to buy/order that new 1700cc 175 hp shaft drive machine that I was SURE Mom Yam would be unveiling. I know for fact there were others on site that day at the unveiling with the same hope/dreams and intent, I spoke to many of them. @videoarizona was actually on the phone with me (or texting, cant remember) and clearly heard my response as soon as they started the 1st bike (they had two) hidden behind the curtain and I heard the familiar sound of ANOTHER FREEKING HD CLONE V-TWIN. I think my response was something like "ohhh crap". Like many others there, I had no interest in buying one after that. What a shame,, I am 100% certain that had Mom Yam actually completed her promises stated above there would be one in my garage right now as well as MANY others here. At the unveiling I actually heard Mom Yam's competition LAUGH and watched them walk away saying "no competition here thats for sure". I know for a fact that at least 4 of those people who said that were Honda Reps. I was so disheartened,, embarrassed, I had NO INTEREST in even test riding one then BUT, after a few months of reading promotional's, Tweeks/TIP and I did cave in and went to Sturgis that year for test riding and to ask questions concerning some other promises Mom Yam made about the bike. I took my infra red temp gauge and video camera along with a list of questions from fellow club members and we headed out on Tweeks.
At Sturgis I asked the Yam Factory Reps about the question of air cooled V-Twins being HOT and how Yam solved that issue as I could not see any indication of such on the exterior of the bike. I also asked permission to take some temp readings.. They refused to allow me to take ANY temp readings on the Demo bikes and simply said YAMAHA FIGURED OUT THE SECRET TO SOLVING THE HEAT ISSUE WITH AIR COOLED V-TWINS. From that point on I was told to write Yamaha for any more answers to the questions both the club members and I had.
While I still 100% believe the new venture could have been a REAL DEAL trend setter and could have been a real boost for Mom Yam and our sport and they would have sold like Hot Cakes had they of just listened to the faithful Venture riders of which I am one, I am still not quite sure what happened to the (supposedly) huge backing from the V-STAR RIDERS I met at Lake George who stood on the stage there and claimed they had designed the bike. It does not appear that even that group took a liking to the new bike. When they rode the bike up onto the platform at Lake George my first response to Tippy was "I SEE POLARIS VICTORY WRITTEN ALL OVER THAT THING! I WONDER IF ARLEN NESS LEFT POLARIS AND HAD HIS HAND IN THE DESIGN". Strangely enough, it seems the Polaris Victory riders ended up being the main supporter of the new Venture from what I see but even they didnt have the numbers needed to keep the steed in production. Fact is, IMHO, chasing Harley Davidson is/was NEVER a good plan. HD riders are in love with HD,, the sound, the vibes, the ride, the clothes, the QUALITY in both paint and looks.. I have owned and ridden MANY Harleys and LOVED em all so I get it BUT,, its wayyy to late in the game to even think about challenging HD, thats not possible. Their piece of the pie is theirs alone, they somehow survived the ages and have EARNED respect and honor in the Industry for doing so. Mom Yam should have forgot about chasing HD and focused on fulfilling her promises leading up to the unveiling,, I am still very very sad that she didn't.
Here is that "wish list"/response to Freebirds thread entitled "let the discussion begin",,, I still wish it!! LOL:
""""""I have been a Yamaha enthusiast for many many years and they have proven to me over and over again that they are TOPS!! Owned a couple early YZ monoshock MX bikes way back and they were AWESOME!! My little RD350 and RD250 (remains still in my basement) were giant killers - proving Yamaha's superiority in R&D!! My 73 XS650 beat across the country with me on its back several times, chopped it and rode it many more miles until sold. Bought a brand new 650 Special, AWESOME "cloned" mini Harley that saw the west too!! My faith in mother Yamaha has been proven 5 times over by my continual riding of the 1st Gen Ventures starting in 1987 until present day with my 83 that has almost 300k on it!! Fact is, folks at Yamaha, I AM READY FOR THE NEXT PHASE!!
All that said, here is my feeble wish list:
1700cc V-4 "V-Max" motor.. Detune it if you must (just like before) but please,, dont do another V-Twin - got enough of em.. You guys can do it,, I KNOW YOU CAN!!
Shaft drive!
EFI with a tunable tuner - even if its an add on - please provide one so we can tune it!!
LED lighting.
Engine guarding and saddle bag guarding.
Adjustable bars like on the first gen.
Factory tank and windshield bags.
Fixed Fairing.
Get the same Doctors who advised you on constructing the seat of the 1st Gens (cant remember what you call those guys) to advise you on this one - my kids, wife and I LOVE what they did!! Keep the seat height difference between the rider and passenger no more than 3 inches (2 is great) - raising the passenger higher causes weight imbalance and makes slow speed riding harder.
Ease of removal of the trunk(s) for changing rear tire.
Center stand.
Forward boards with normal foot pegs located rearward so standing up while riding is still possible, shift and brake levers at both locations (no heal toe please).
Hand warmers.
Key removable rear trunk and bags.
Grease zerks on all main pivot points.
High output stator even though it has LED's.
Double check the gear sets in the tranny and make sure they ramp up solidly.
Oversized clutch to insure NO slippage in high gears with xtra weight.
42 millimeter front fork tubes with progressive springs.
Imbed reflective tape (or use reflective paint) in paint lines (like pin striping) so all profiles of bike light up when grazed by car lights.
Add a large foot onto side stand - tired of bending over to pick up stand plate after parking on loose ground.
Explore which tire sizes are the most common and build around those standards so tire choices and finding them are easy.
Remember those long grips you used on the first gens? Use those, I love bending them back onto my knees.
Enclose the motor well to keep ANY objectional heat off both riders BUT - use lots of venting with plenums to act as heaters when needed.
Windshield it so the rear rider remains in the protective air pocket - functional vents in shield and fairing to adjust air movement if needed (hey,, could be asking for servo operated shield but I dont care for more things to go wrong).
6 speed Over drive tranny.
Use GOOD solder, especially with ECU pins. QC the daylights out of it! DONT go cheap and trust the Chinese!!
Dont short us on wire harness leads so wiring is tight - xtra 1/4 inch really helps!!
Make fairing panels easy to remove but not so they fall off.
Supply printable shop manual disc and printed well written owners manual. Supply GOOD factory tire pressure guage.
Chrome is out for me, I LOVE dull stainless (like the pipes on the "New" V-Max),, matter of fact,, build mine with no rustable chrome and all dull stainless!!
Intercom, CB and radio would be nice.. Keep the tape deck.
OK, if you REALLY are reading this and you like what I am talking,, PLEASE make mine just a little faster in stock form than anyone elses.. Not that I would ever use the extra pazzaazz but I have buddies that I gotta compete with and just KNOWING I have the fastest one would be worth an extra grand to me:big-grin-emoticon:
I KNOW you can do it!! Keep the faith mother Yamaha - I AM!!
Puc"""""
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3 hours ago, Bubber said:
I always wanted an old school 750 Honda chopper with a extended springer. Pretty much like the one pictured
I am sure it would be terribly uncomfortable but back then it wasn't a real consideration.
BTW: In my neck of the woods (Minnesota) you never painted a bike green, never, never, never!
Bubba I built quite a few Chops over the years and loved em all. That particular bike made numerous cross country trips with me onboard and I gotta say,, it was actually one of most comfortable touring bikes I ever owned. Mainly because I used a "Soft Ride" 1969 Santee frame to start with, I just needed to rake the neck a few more degree's to get the trail correct for its 16 over springer. That combo proved VERY comfortable for long distance cruising. It made for AWESOME trips to the Sturgis Rally as well as a real fun local rally scoot. The springer combined with the rear shocks made for the softest ride I ever had. The chopped long bikes are very decieving in their rideability. Now hardtails, which I also built numerous of,, not so much.. Talk about spine wreckers LOL.. I LOVE CHOPPERS and miss the late 60's n early 70's chopper days.. It was amazing how much stuff there was out there to build with back then.
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On 1/28/2023 at 10:54 AM, Freebird said:
I don't know if this has been asked here before. Looking back on all your years of riding, what single bike that you owned or would have liked to have owned that was your all time favorite. I've owned many bikes. Hondas, Yamahas, Kawasakis, Harleys, etc. Now I'm not even talking about performance, handling, reliability, etc. Just the bike that thought was beautiful. Here is one that I've always loved but have never owned. I always liked the springer forks even though I know that they were not the best for handling. Then when Harley came out with the 2003 anniversary edition I thought, and still think, that is was beautiful. Love the 2003 color scheme. So, I guess this would have to be my choice.
That Heritage Springer has always been right at the top of my list too my brother. Personally I prefer the earlier ones,, thinking 98ish when they had the grates front and back and were still putting the Evo's in them. They also had decorative seating and bags with reflectors on em but INDEED,, our minds think a LOT alike @Freebird. The very top of list are two that I did have the pleasure of owning, one of which I had to build to aquire.. Its between Olivia, my 42 HD and one of the chops that I built to my liking... Talk about a tuff choice here. I think I am going to have to break the Club rules once again and call it a tie.. LOL
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10 hours ago, bpate4home said:
Succumb to the dark side. . . . . More carbs. . . . . . They're calling you by name. . . . .
I succumbed to the dark side a longggg time ago and agree,, more carbs! They like me better. I do prefer mine to be non-CV though. I get better performance out of those..
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Hand impacts with a real good tight fitting impact grade, 6 point socket work best for this. Also try retighening the bolt that you have broken loose to take some pressure off if you have two bolts pinching the same location. I have also used the ol hitting the bolt side at an angle with a punch to break it loose very effective. I have even used that method very successfully on the smallest of screws. Especially when I have a steel bolt/screw threaded into aluminum.
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WOWZY WOW WOW WOW!! Good score Corporal Newkirk!! Ya done got blessed,, again!!!!
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On 9/9/2022 at 11:11 AM, BadCatClassics said:
I think Puc's list was too long and scared Mom Yam's into a v-twin coma.
V-4/125 hp, fuel injection, air ride, shaft drive and cruise control with the updated styling of latest one, only 100 pounds lighter...
Mom Yam did read my list and followed it pretty well.. She just did the opposite of what I, and many other members suggested LOL.. check this out:
1700cc V-4 "V-Max" motor.. Detune it if you must (just like before) but please,, dont do another V-Twin - got enough of em.. You guys can do it,, I KNOW YOU CAN!! but everyone knows the modern rider wants the pleasure of no hp, good vibes and feeling the burn as they ride.. get with it man!
Shaft drive! BELT's wear out and we can make a few bucks for replacements, we are in the business to make money on part sales..
EFI with a tunable tuner - even if its an add on - please provide one so we can tune it!! no chance
Engine guarding. but then the rider who LOVES heat couldn't get it what he loves.
Adjustable bars like on the first gen. no no no,, those adjustable bars on the MK1/2's were a big mistake. we actually lost money on the loss of handle bar sales for that mistake.
Fixed Fairing. here ya go Puc,, just for you!! THAT IS ONE COOL FRONT END FOLKS!! Imagine those intakes on the front feeding a 175 hp COMPETITION DESTROYER!! good night that woulda been AWESOME!
Get the same Doctors who advised you on constructing the seat of the 1st Gens (cant remember what you call those guys) to advise you on this one - my kids, wife and I LOVE what they did!! Keep the seat height difference between the rider and passenger no more than 3 inches (2 is great) - raising the passenger higher causes weight imbalance and makes slow speed riding harder. how bout we make this one a 1000 pounder instead
Ease of removal of the trunk(s) for changing rear tire. we are suppose to make it HARDER for you to work on it, not easier..
Center stand. what,, that is wayyy to old school for the modern rider.
Forward boards with normal foot pegs located rearward so standing up while riding is still possible, shift and brake levers at both locations (no heal toe please). the modern day rider has no interest in learning how easy it is to handle a bike because their standing up.
Grease zerks on all main pivot points. Puc is crazy, no one wants to lay down and grease/pull maintenance anymore.
Explore which tire sizes are the most common and build around those standards so tire choices and finding them are easy. This was a real good one! One that I actually spoke with the Yam reps at Sturgis about when I noticed the odd size rear tire on the back of the new Venture. I asked why Mom Yam did not stick with a more traditional tire size, something that would give the rider more choices in tires, not less.. They just shrugged me off. I did have that same Rep look up the price and choices of current tires at that time for the tire size Mom Yam had chosen. There was only ONE tire available at the time and that tire was listed at over $500!!! Honestly,, the rear wheel itself was CHEAPER than the tire! Made my point in asking for this in my wish list..
Enclose the motor well to keep ANY objectional heat off both riders BUT - use lots of venting with plenums to act as heaters when needed. what,, dont you know,,, modern cross country touring riders would rather look good showing off the motors while being burned than being comfortable while riding or stuck in traffic.
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On 9/9/2022 at 11:24 AM, BratmanXj said:
I have a Ural 750 flat twin (like an old /2 BMW) and while it runs hot there is no discomfort to the rider like a V-twin. All my Vs have cooked my inner leg since the rear cylinder doesn't get much airflow under the tank or seat. The Flat engine is hanging out in the breeze so both cylinders run about the same temps. Any hot air raising off them at a stop is out front of my knees and most of the airflow at speed is going around or under my boots. The Oil Head flat twin engines are fairly easy to maintain; BMW maintenance horror stories are more related to Tupperware access, the sportier engines, and paralever rear ends. The latest GS incarnation has a water cooled flat twin.
I like the looks of that 1800 BMW, but I'm 6'2" and as noted, you have NOWHERE else to go with you feet other than behind the cylinders or way up high over them. I've sat on the bike, its pretty comfy, but I'd probably need to adjust the legs at some point. I guess that's the trade-off for such a low center of gravity.On 9/9/2022 at 8:39 AM, Freebird said:I admit that is an impressive bike. I still have to wonder about the choice of engines though. It's still an air cooled twin cylinder engine. I've never owned a BMW. Do they get hot like the VTwins do? Do BMW make a bike with a water cooled engine? The price is impressive as well but to add the equipment that at least some of us would want, cruise control, reverse, etc., It would be in the $30,000 range. Still not bad as compared to similar bikes. I also worry about maintenance costs. I've heard nightmares about BMW maintenance.
The issue is that the larger in cubic inch you go the more heat is produced. I rode my 78 shovel head all over the country and spent a TON of time on it exploring the desert. While it did get warm, its 74 inch V-twin shedded heat NOTHING like these big V-Twins of today do. I got a hunch that the 1800cc air cooled beemer will be one hot puppy as it cools its jugs/heads on the riders legs, wayyy more than the 750cc flat twins did. I also see a LOT of potential damage happening there when someone drops one.
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Since its car tired on the rear and no use for motorcycle tire on the front now I would look at going dark side on the front too. Wayyy higher mileage plus more surface contact with the car tire may be a plus.. maybe...
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Here ya go @circa1968!! Check this out!
Met up with Terry just outside of Moab Utah on one of our 2 month bike trips out west. What a fantastic conversation we had with him. My wife and I enjoy coasting down mountains on our Yamaha Venture - our record of a non stop coast so far is 29 miles at 36 minutes going down into King's Canyon in California. After explaining this to Terry we found a common interest in the silentness he experiences on his Electric Bike (a Zero) and totally understood my interest in what he and his friend, Craig Vetter, are all about!! This was AMAZING!!! More about Terry can be found at: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1...
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On 9/6/2022 at 10:55 AM, XV1100SE said:
An '18 Venture with the VMax engine, water cooled and shaft drive would have been nice. We can all dream about that as being the upgrade for the '99-2013 RSV. Looking at the market now though, with Honda and Kawasaki getting out of the big bikes (European emission requirements from what I heard, as well as poor sales numbers), had Yamaha given us the bike we thought they would rather than the v-twin, odds are that it would now be end of line as well. Touring bikes are a small market and not enough for a manufacturer to continue with. Maybe a V-4 would have taken away sales from Honda but we'll never know.
The future is electric bikes. Until they develop technology to give comparable range for a day's worth of riding (600 miles +), big cruisers and tourers will be a thing of the past. E-bikes don't have the capacity to haul a big bike and are going after a small segment of in-city casual riders. I'll be keeping my '09 RSV for as long as I can ride. Nothing out there now or for the foreseeable future compares to the range, comfort, or reliability.
I TOTALLY agree with you @XV1100SE.. I have been on the E-motorcycle thought for a good while now and have mentioned "hybrid" for a long time.. Personally, I think the 1st manufacturer who produces a GOOD hybrid so stopping for recharge is not necessary will be onto it,, big time. Our little Hyundai Ioniq hybrid regularly gets +60 mpg and will maintain +50 mpg while cruising triple digits for long hours. What an amazing vehicle. It will also run its AC for 13 hours on 1 gallon of gas maintaining 68 degrees inside while its +100 degrees on the desert, its unreal. I still think the 1st one to go Hybrid with a touring bike so +100 mpg can be maintained at highway speeds will definitely be onto something.. Forget this electric car nonsense, until both Canada and the U.S. has the infrastructure to support the needs of mass produced electric vehicles and battery tech increases so a 500 mile range is easily doable the electric car is a no dice for anything other commuting short range BUT even then,, in cold climates where people get stranded on hiways for an overnighter,, woe to those who are caught with a current (no pun intended) electric car even for commuting..
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On 9/5/2022 at 11:45 AM, Steve S said:
Hello Venture Riders.
Patricia and I are back home in Kentucky, after a 25 day, 7500-mile motorcycle trip. We went to 16 different states, a few of them several times, 2 Canadian Provinces, and several National Parks. We talked with numerous people that were simply amazing.
After going up in the Space Needle in Seattle Washington, we rode down the Pacific Coast Hiway to San Fransisco. We rode across The Golden Gate Bridge and rode by Fisherman's Wharf in San Fransisco. We took the Oakland Bay Bridge on the way to Vacaville CA to visit Patricia's niece as a surprise. On this trip we saw many beautiful sights we never thought either one of us would ever experience.
We went from sea level to over 12.000 feet in the mountains in Colorado. Rode through the Mojave Desert and went to both the North Rim and South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We experienced temperatures from low 50s to a high of 103.
There were so many beautiful experiences we had and saw, it would take several pages and become so boring to the reader that they would run far away.
The most important thing is we are home safe and never had a bad experience.
Steve S
WOWZY WOW WOW WOW!! BEAUTIFUL pics and brother,, what a fantastic trip!! THANK YOU for sharing and allowing the virtual ride along!! @Steve S,,, 11th picture, bottom of the mountain,, see the cave? Did you wonder what that was and if you could get to it?? Bears? Gold mine? Pirates Den? LOL... Where was that? any idea?
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On 9/5/2022 at 2:49 PM, etcswjoe said:
Awhile back I had thought of taking a ride and just visiting folks from VR that I had not seen in awhile, think I will look into that again.
That was ALWAYS a dream of mine too brother.. Just spend the summer going door to door all over the country and Canada... DING DONG,,, "Hi,, I am Puc, this is TIPPY and that is Tweeks, we just stopped for second to say Hi and meet you. Would you mind signing Tweeks and letting my take a picture?" oh,, and can you make me a sandwich and point me toward the road cause we got lost and Joe n Bobbi are not here to rescue us LOL.. GO FOR IT JOE n BOBBI!! GO FOR IT!!!!
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WAYYYY COOL!!
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On 9/6/2022 at 3:20 PM, uncledj said:
Weird how that works. Whenever I see a bunch of sockets at a flea market or such...I sit there and go through it trying to find (quality) 10mm sockets. Must go to that same dimension where all the missing socks go. I'm missing some 12mm as well.
12mm too Unc!! that is EXACTLY where my mind went when I read the lead into this much needed thread!! Another one would be an 18mm plug socket.. Rare as hens teeth just when you need em the most! Thin wall, 1/4 drive, 6 point, deep well with opening deep enough in the bottom for the top of the plug.. Give me a 6 pack please,, and a nice Cuban Cigar to boot LOL
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Garden Arbor for Kris
in Watering Hole
Posted
BEAUTIFUL RICH!!!! KRIS,, YOU DONE BEEN BLESSED!! Puc