Jimbob66

:sign yeah that: I've had Dunlop D404 WWW on several bikes including my '07 Venture. Work great and fit my riding style

Below 20f ? I'm not even certain my Venture starts when its that cold!

I use Bicycle shorts and baseball slider shorts. It helps. The boys still get crowded but the shorts do help some.

All, thanks for all of the replies. I've got a new Deka on order now.

Deka is a new brand to me. However, they seem reasonably priced. Similar in price to Yuasa. Thanks for the input.

Well, I killed a nice lead acid battery in my 2007 Midnight Venture. I left the key in the ACC position for about 2 weeks. Stick a fork in it, its done. Won't even blow the horn after being on the Charger for 2 days. I assume that is a about $100 dollar mistake. My question is what is a good battery that can be charged on a REGULAR battery charger\tender ? No special chargers for me... I need to be able to buy my replacement charger anywhere. It gets used on lawnmowers the other bike, tractor etc. With one going into college soon money is an issue. Does that regulate me to lead acid batteries ? (Non AGM) What is the stock battery for this bike ? Thanks!

Dunlop D404's. They wear reasonably quick but are sticky (that's why they wear fast!) I live in North Georgia and ride on twisty mountains roads often so I prefer grip over longevity. I know some have load concerns but I can tell you I have loaded my 2007 RSV up like a pack mule two up and have had no issues. The goal is to find a tire that meets your riding style. If you live in Arizona and ride through the desert then Dunlop E3's, Metzler 880's, or Venoms would be great in my opinion.Pirelli Night Dragons are a reasonable all around compromise. If you live in a wet weather area or are a peg scraper I say get the sticky tire. D404, Shinko or something similar. High wear = High Grip Slow wear = less Grip

I called John about this and am very impressed with his knowledge. He is a great guy and was very willing to help. He said the seal that is leaking is on the drive shaft and is held on with a C clip. It's easy to replace during a shaft service. No gear lash no special tools Its good day

ever rode a Ducati ? or a MottoGuzzi ? that might change your mind.

Thanks I was looking at his webpage before and couldn't find it again. That's where I got the $300 for the VMAX unit. I guess if anyone would know it would be him !

Noted and thanks for the tip. Will give it a week or so. Its MUCH better to talk to someone who has done it. Tackling a project like this blindly is not the best thing to do. I have learned the hard way.

You have a point. I would have to purchase the specialized pinion retainer tool to do it. It looks to be some sort of spanner type wrench. The part is recessed and there is no way to turn it other than that wrench. The price of that wrench will determine if I try it or not. I can say I have REALLY messed up some gear sets in my hot rodding days. I got a few right and more than one set wrong. Gear lash is a fickle beast.

Well I rode about 30 miles last night and had a nice gooey drop land on the wheel. It is gear oil. After much reading I see that servicing that pinion gear looks to be a specialized job. :detective:Special tools and I assume some type of jig to hold the assembly in place while torquing 110 ftlbs on the pinion nut. Shop is $75 an hour around here. 3 hours labor $225 parts .. maybe $60 so Im up to $285 .. the VMAX rear gear exchange is $300 I think. Does the VMAX rear come ready to bolt in ? hmmmmmmm

thats a good point. I will check the vent etc. I only wish it could be that simple! Anyone else ever replaced those seals ? Heck it may be easier to spend the 300 bucks and put in the VMAX rear.

Thanks for the link. I see both types of seals. I also see shims. I am assuming I need these seals 7 93210-60426-00 . O-RING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 93101-38098-00 . OIL SEAL . . . . . . Can anyone tell me if the shims on the pinion gear(name?) assembly are reusable? or are they the crush type (think 8.8 inch Fords or Chevy 10 bolt rear end) Also that nut on the end of the pinion looks to be a bear to get off and torque down. Any tips? Edit I see I need a special tool to remove this part.

I guess my first step is to determine what the oil is. I washed the bike yesterday and will be checking back after my ride. However, I "think" it's gear oil. It has that funny gear oil smell. If that's the case where is the final drive seal ? Is it an "O" ring on the shaft ? or in the housing (like a rear axle seal on a car) Also tips I need to know of ?

While I was checking the rear tire pressure on my 2007 Midnight Venture this weekend (About 12k Miles on it) I noticed a few drips of Gear oil on the final drive unit. The drips seem to be coming from the area where the drive unit bolts to the swing arm. Not bad, but just enough to make the rear wheel have nasty gear oil drips on it. I like my bikes clean and drip free. My question is Whats leaking ? I have resealed a few final drive units (Honda, Valk and Suzuki C90) but never a Yamaha. How does the sealing etc work in this unit ? Thanks !

Thanks ! I will contact Rick Butler. The seat issue was kind of why I wanted the pegs. Wow you guys really know how to make me want to spend money !

I was checking out the kuryakn longhorn'$ and thought those may be for me. Now to convince the wife I "need" them I will check into the crash bar support bracket. Thanks !

My question is which ones go forward the most ?

I have a recently new to me 2007 Midnight Venture in my garage. I have to say this bike is very comfortable. However, I'm 6' 5'' and I need to stretch my 36 inch inseam on longer rides. I get some kind of strange hip cramp that wont go away without standing up or stretching. With that said .. I want to install a set of highway pegs to stretch out on. I want them as far forward as is possible. Any suggestions? Anything I should be aware of? The ones I'm looking at are not cheap. Trial and error is not an option here and I don't want to reinvent the .. peg so to speak. Any input would be appreciated