BlueSky

What! No air cooled V-twin? I think I really like it. It appears to be made to lean over farther before dragging and is LIGHTER! If they offer demo rides, I'll go for one on this bike. This might make me go crazy and spend a ton of money? "Although instantly recognisable as a ‘Wing, the new bike is a radical departure from the glacially evolved existing model. The most striking impression is that the new ‘Wing will be considerably lighter than the outgoing version, with a healthy reduction in bulk as the bulbous fairings and whale-like front-end make way for a much sharper styled package that’s likely to appeal to a slightly younger and more tech-focussed buyer."

There just aren't many bikes available with an upright seating position. They seem to be cruiser style with the feet forward or sport bike style supporting weight on the arms. I've been looking around craigslist for a good while reading all I can about different used bikes. Seems to me the BMW R bike is the best candidate. It's lighter 608lbs wet and in 2014 they even went to water cooling from what I understand.

I backed my 04 Concours out of the garage and turned it 90 degrees before I got on it and started it. I wouldn't do that with my venture. I'd drop it for sure. To be fair to the Concours, my riding skills were very rusty at the time and they are much better now. I've been seeing an 06 C10 with only about 13k miles on it for sale on craigslist in my area. It's dark blue. The guy is asking $4300 for it but after a while, that number will probably come down. The 08 C14 is selling for mid to high $5k now.

An FJR is a great bike! You should ride one to see if you can tolerate the riding position. Your legs will be folded up more in a semi-sport bike riding position. I owned a 2004 Kawasaki Concours and I didn't really like the riding position that much. It provided great wind protection. I rode it to work in 40 degree weather sometimes. The old model Concours like I had is probably the most top heavy bike on the road. The FJR should be a little better. I could have tolerated the riding position but the top heaviness bothered me the most. The guy I sold the 04 Concours to traded it for a new FJR. I think this was in 2012. A BMW R1200 RT might be a better choice, lighter, upright riding position, with all day comfort. I would like to ride one as well as a Honda ST1300. The ST1300 is supposed to be the best around town sport tourer, the least top heavy.

Hang in there! Visit when you can!

Just tossing this out there. I checked the battery voltage in my truck one time and it checked 18 volts. After scratching my head a bit, I replaced the 9 volt battery in my multi-meter and the truck battery checked 12.6 volts.

Yeah, but they have to meet federal standards to be sold in the USA.

Would you do a review of the pluses and minuses of each bike? A carpenter contractor whom we used to remove a wall and install some new windows in our home two years ago has a 1983 Blond Yamaha Venture. We recently contacted him to do some more work for us and he showed up riding a really nice looking 92 green Goldwing. He seemed to be really pleased with his Honda. He still has his Venture, but will probably sell it.

The design may be 34 years old but it is still a beautiful bike!

If you get a Lowes credit card, you get 5% off everything you buy from Lowes using the card. Home Depot used to do the same but not any more.

I suppose that you would go dark side for sure to keep from spending a fortune for a new rear tire.

Good Looking bikes and congrats on the adapter!

Many of today's paints are highly toxic. So make sure you protect yourself. I think it is even illegal to paint a vehicle without a properly designed paint booth is some areas. Your buddy should be able to explain all to you.

Wow! That's impressive! Something is cheaper in CA! Who'd a thunk it?

Don't waste your time and money by buying a used clutch slave cylinder. Either rebuild it or buy new. Most members recommend buying a new one because if the cylinder is pitted inside, it will leak after new seals are installed.

I suspect after reading the reviews that if it does handle well at low speed like the GW, that I would like riding it. But, I would be wasting my time because I'd never buy one. The air cooled thing would decide it for me. I can understand why Yam did it though. the V-twin is much cheaper to produce and it is the predominant choice among riders, a win/win for them if they are lucky. I'm sure Honda is very happy.

I think they worked 7 days a week dawn to dusk just to survive. Average life expectancy was about 40 yrs I think.

The most likely leak point in the clutch is the slave cylinder. Most of us have had that problem with leaking slave cylinders. Rebuild kits are available as well as for not much more money new slave cylinders. You should be able to find a used rear brake master cylinder on ebay or from a forum member. I buy parts from partzilla.com mostly.

If you decide to sell, consider waiting until spring because it may sell better with the new riding season just starting.

That's ugly! You may have used up some of your luck by not having a tire failure on the road with that one?

Government run anything is very inefficient. This has been demonstrated over and over in the USA.

I paid just over $400 for both my bikes just for liability. So, you might want to check around. If your max coverage is much higher than the minimum that may be why yours is costing more. Right now, I'm paying less than $200 for just the Kawasaki and I don't have the minimums. I don't know about present day but bike insurance used to vary quite a bit between companies.

F6B, I just noticed you live in the Villages. I hope you aren't affected by Irma. Now they are saying it will be a Cat 1 when it gets to Georgia! I lived in Homossassa for about a year in 2008 while working at the now defunct Crystal River Nuclear Plant. I liked that area. I would have liked to move there but for the wife. She thought the shopping malls were too far away.

Well, I hope their research is correct and they sell enough Ventures to make some money. But I highly doubt it. Victory just bit the dust. I am also a degreed engineer and an air cooled 963lb touring bike makes no sense to me from an engineering standpoint. If it was water cooled, I could understand it better because it wouldn't overheat in traffic. An air cooled engine will overheat in stop and go traffic. The touring bikes that I think I might like are the Goldwing, BMW R1200RT, and the BMW K1600 GTL. Even the BMW R bike is water cooled now starting in 2014 from what I read. It used to be called an air head. Then I think 1995, they added oil cooling and it was called an oil head. Now, it is water cooled. And I love my old truck. It is a top of the line 4x4 model and it performs great. I have no reason to trade it. Same for the Magnum Hemi. It's as much fun to drive now as it was when I bought it. I don't feel that way about my motorcycles. I have been looking for a good while for another bike that I would like more. So far, I've only test ridden a Goldwing of the ones I think I would like and I loved it. One may be in my future. An air cooled any kind of bike will not be in my future. Perhaps after I get the kinks ironed out of my 89 Venture, I will like it more. But the time I have spent riding it didn't impress me like that Goldwing.

Very true. But most of the venturerider.org members own V4 Ventures and it seems normal to me that they would prefer a new V4 Venture. Stand by for more air cooled V-twin Gen 3 Venture slamming!