Beach Bum

I wish I had a gas pump in my driveway. I'd sell it to myself for $1.00 a gallon.

1st Gens need those to make the bike worth $1800.

How much are these bike anyways? I always go for lower miles because they're typically easier to sell. EVERYONE looking at a higher mileage bike is thinking exactly the same thing you are. I was kind of meh about buying my 06 with 33K miles on it but after doing some research it should be fine for what I paid for it.

Don't feel bad. I spent a few hours repairing the cracked fairings on a sportbike I once had. Then I decided that while they were off I should sync the carbs. Got it all back together and went for a ride. Pulled back into the garage and hopped right off the bike feeling elated that I'd finally got it dialed in and boom, down it goes smashing all the repairs I'd done on the plastics. Expletive expletive expletive expletive then just stood there and laughed. Can't change the past even when it's only been a few minutes. As for paint, laying down the clear is a tough job to get it right. You can always compensate with sanding and polishing but if you get fisheyes it's a bear to try and get them out.

I'm 43 and only got my first credit card a year ago. Paid cash for everything including cars, bikes, you name it. Girlfriends and wives had credit but I never wanted debt. Now I want to buy a house and have to actually finance something to build a record of payments so I took out a loan for $3500 that I have to pay on for a year to establish a history. I have the cash in savings to pay it and it's just debited monthly. I asked the banker if I could just give them the interest and call it good and they said no. Apparently it's better to never have had credit than to repair it as I'm already in the mid-700's after a year with two cards. Still think it's stupid though, being penalized for living debt free.

I like that there's not one, but two pairs of vice grips in the third pic. If you're going to shade tree something, might as well go all in.

Final update to this irritating conundrum.... Last night I installed two new speakers up front and transferred my one remaining good factory speaker to the right rear that was dead. Success. I now have 4 fully functional if not tinny and weak speakers on the bike. I'm a bit perturbed by the use of 3M tape to hold down the rear arm rest covers and I have to install some baffles on the speakers. My windshield bracket mounts were already broken when I got the bike so I'll have to fab some up as well as the trim tabs on the chrome trim. Still looking at headset options to use the intercom and CB.

Sounds like your clutch springs are worn out. Typically when you shift from 1st to 2nd you already have enough RPM to "power shift" through but in the higher gears you don't. Try shifting without the clutch at all at higher RPMs and see if it's the same. You can replace the clutch springs and pressure plate without any special tools, just need a cover gasket (oil won't drain on the side stand). Shouldn't take more than an hour.

Left them bone stock. I want to be able to hear the radio over my exhaust. I also don't want to have to mess with jetting due to opening up the pipes too much. Besides, compared to the OE exhaust, these are frikkin raucous.

They're actually Street Glides- I can never keep up with Harley nomenclature. They sound great, especially with some (or a lot of) throttle. If I can figure out how to get a good sound file I'll post for sure. Good bark and decent bass without being obtrusive.

Here she is in all her glory. I fabricated the straight mounts out of 1/8 flatbar. I removed and installed the shields from the OE exhaust for a more finished look. Love the sound.

Seems that I did something to make it right, just not sure what. Took it all apart again, pushed the CB button on the controller, plugged in the yellow connector and it worked. The right speaker is indeed baffed so I'll probably just get some aftermarket speakers and be done with it as the right rear is also out (haven't tested it yet).

Ah. That may be the culprit then. I did move the handle bars around a fair bit so maybe that wire is pulled out and shorted somewhere. The button itself is moving like it should. I just wish I had the headsets to function test the entire system. That'll be a purchase down the road as my next "upgrade" will be a new vented windshield. Mine is scratched and I can't stand looking through scratches.

Okay, I found out what the yellow banded connector is for and it's the CB. Now the question is why would having the CB connected cancel out the radio operation? These all go into the same module and it I'm doubtful that they could be pinched anywhere. At this point I don't need the CB but I also don't want to be in and out of the front fairing to diagnose this issue. I just want everything to work as it's supposed to.

Front fairing and seat. All the connectors are either color coded or can only go one way. Again, what's the freakin yellow banded connector for???

Ha no additional screws and no leftover hardware. Who knows...

Maybe. If there's a short to ground it might explain why removing a circuit makes it work again. I'm resigned to the fact that it all has to come apart again but it's the why that I'm after. I'm well versed in automotive electronics but these multi module audio and communications systems are beyond my pay grade.

All the connectors looked super clean. A bad connection doesn't explain why the radio doesn't work when everything's connected but does work with the yellow coded disconnected. I don't have headsets so I don't know if the CB or intercoms work.

So I spent the day tearing apart my Venture. It was a freaking yard sale. I installed the Street Glide exhaust and had to run out to the Harley store to get clamps then I fabricated mounting brackets. Sounds way better than the stock pipes. Here's where things went south. I went ahead and took the front fairing off to lower the front end. Everything went according to plan until I put it all back together and the stereo wouldn't work. At first I had nothing so I took the front of the fairing off again to check connections etc. When I unplugged the yellow audio cable the stereo came on but I only had left speakers. WTF??? Shouldn't all the audio/comms cables be connected? Did I do something untoward to my new bike? Is there something I forgot or didn't see during disassembly? I know I buggered up the right front speaker trying to yank the connector off so I need a new front speaker now. I'm totally lost and confused by this situation as I was certain that I got everything back together correctly. Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Picked up my mufflers this aft and they are pristine. Going to install tomorrow and while I'm at it plug the AIS. Hopefully they sound better than the stock mufflers.

Found a pair of brand new mufflers of off a 2014 Street Glide locally for $20 that I'm picking up on Saturday. Hopefully I can make them fit and they sound decent enough. If not I'll be cutting the the OEM pipes as per the OE pipe mod. I'm certain that I'll be lowering the front end, it's just a matter of when. Probably be this weekend as well, especially if the front fairing has to come apart to do the job. Now the fun begins, trying to figure out how everything comes apart!!! I'm anal and usually clean, polish and wax everything in pieces anyways. Can't take any pics until she's gleaming.

So I picked up the bike tonight and although much in need of a bath, it is in good clean condition. It turned out to be an 06 (on the title) and has 33,300 miles. At close inspection the brakes were good and the rear shock is not leaking. I took it for a ride and there was some of the "whine" present but to me it seemed more like a whistle, more present on decel. There was nothing wrong with the bike that would make me want to walk on the deal. Stereo works, cruise works, and the lights work. The front brake seemed a bit spongy to me, definitely feels like it should hit harder (I got cut off by a van on the way home and had to make a panic slow down on the highway) and the lever isn't firm enough. Keep in mind I'm comparing the bike to my Vmax that I was riding on Sunday. So here are the first impressions after a 45 mile ride home with a stop for dinner. I was way overreacting to the size of the bike. I can flat foot it at a stop and other than the front brakes being weird, stops were not a problem. Parking lot maneuvers will take some getting used to but I plan to lower the front end by an inch to help with that. The bike has Bridgestone tires that are about 50% worn so when they're gone I'll put something better on. I don't really dig the speedo, it's hitchy and I keep looking at the kilometers. The radio controls kind of suck. Need to figure out how to seek and adjust stations better. It just wants to go through the presets. I like the luggage and the trunk has plenty of room for my full face helmet. The bike was hot down by my ankles and I had to hang on the hwy pegs just to cool off. At highway speeds the bike is rock solid, and ramps are fun as it stays on a line really well. I didn't get the intercom stuff so I don't know if that or the CB works. The engine is somewhat anemic compared to the Max and the stock exhaust is just too meh. The driver's backrest is useless to me unless I get some bar risers. This weekend I plan to detail strip the bike to clean and polish every square inch. I might get to lowering it but not sure. Need to change the oil, bleed the brakes, and polish the windshield. Other than that it's time to get to know my new girl.

Thank you so much for your post videoarizona. The seller emailed me detailed pics last night and it is beautiful, going to pick it up this week. I will be adjusting the front forks and will evaluate tire replacement once I see the actual condition and age of the skins on the bike. Also considering the Butt Butler seat mod but I know I won't want to be without the bike for two weeks. We've agreed on what I think is a very good price for the bike but I'm curious, what would you all consider prices for these to be say, ok, decent, good, and you stole it? I saw a 99 sell this week on eBay with 69,500 miles for $3000. Considering book values, condition, etc I just want to make sure I'm doing well. I rode 2up on the Vmax and it was okay but they have an issue with wandering sometimes and I could only get the balls of my feet on the ground. Seems like riding the big boys takes a little thought about what you're doing. Easiest bike I ever had to ride was my 1985 HRC RS250R. Light as hell and handled like it was on rails. Many bikes since then but no highway tractors. I'm already in lust with the black and chrome monster soon to inhabit my garage and will spend all day Saturday micro detailing it, servicing it, and learning how everything works. Then it's time to ride!!!

Thanks for your reply. This is my concern as there's nothing worse than not being able to back your bike out or dropping it in front of a crowd. My wife wants to ride but she wants to ride in total comfort and decent GW's are pricy. I'll check it out and see how it feels. The Vmax was a heavy bike at 650lbs but it had a wide Corbin seat and I couldn't flat foot the bike.

Howdy folks, brand new here but I've been lurking and reading for a while. I just sold my Vmax yesterday and I'm torn between buying an FJR and a 2007 Royal Star Midnight Venture with approximately 40K miles. I've noted the potential issues that these bikes have with whine and rear shocks and was wondering if someone could give me a quick synopsis of what else I might have to check out on this bike. Probably won't be going to see it until mid-week. Oh yeah, and I'm 5'8" 155lbs. Can someone of my stature handle a bike of this magnitude? I've been riding for over 25 years but this would be by far the heaviest bike I'll have ever owned. Mostly concerned about how it it handles backing out of a parking spot, seat height etc. Is reverse an available add-on?