bamico

Much like others have said, the pump you show looks like the Progressive I have. Paid ~$50. Mine goes up to 60psi in 5psi increments. I find it handy as I can do the front and rear suspension with the same pump. It is a little less than finely accurate for the fronts (5psi increments). Has a decent screw-on connector so you don't have to worry about air escaping when you disconnect the pump. I do suggest buying one. Allows you to adjust the air in the shocks to your preference depending on passenger/cargo weight. Also, I'd imagine you may know this, but it bears repeation. You only want to fill the suspension with a low pressure hand pump. Going to a gas station and trying to fill with a car tire pump will surely blow the seals. Good luck with your purchase. Bob

I literally share your dilemma/concerns, although ended up there much to my own surprise. I’ve been riding over 20 years, have taken the MRC and the ERC and been married most of that time. My wife never had an interest in riding, but she never stopped me. I had a bike before we got married, and have had one for the 18 years we’ve been married. Always hoped she’d try it, always left her with an open invitation, but didn’t want to pressure her. She never expressed any interest. Then her Mom passed away one April at 72 years old. My mother-in-law spent 6 years with a degenerative lung disease. We literally watched her waste away. That summer over dinner one night my wife asked me, “So what does it feel like to ride a motorcycle anyway?” I almost fell over. For 15+ years, she wouldn’t even stand near the bike… now she was asking questions… We started slow, I had an RSTD at the time. Ended up putting ~1500k miles on that summer with her. The next summer, we rode even more, ~5000 miles. Then on vacation the following April we ended up renting a HD Ultra Classic in TN, and spent several days riding the Natchez Trace with 2 other bikes. She so liked the improved comfort that we bought a Venture that May (2009). 6500 miles last summer and she just couldn’t ride enough, and she’s still going strong. We’re scheduled to ride to Americade this June. All of a sudden, I went from wishing she’d join me to realizing, she had total blind faith in me. We don’t have kids, its just the 2 of us, so when we ride, I truly do hold the responsibility for the safety of all things important in my life. Somewhere between the RSTD and the Venture, as she was requesting longer and longer day trips, I sensed her falling asleep on the back. While flattered with the comfort level she had attained in my riding abilities, it was also a wake up call for things that may happen, and her apparent blind faith in me. Before buying the Venture, we had a long, serious talk about things that could happen. I’ve been down 1nce riding solo and we were married at the time so she knew about it. She told me she was well aware of the risks, and would rather have us be together than get the call at 11pm some night from the police at an accident scene (I used to do 90% of my riding at night). She also told me she didn’t want to have any regrets as life is too short. Personally I ride for the same reasons. Life is short and precious. I lost my Mom when I was 4 years old to brain cancer. I never knew her. My Dad is still alive, but he’s not a happy person. Those that knew him then tell me that he never fully recovered from her death. She was in her mid 30s. He is now in his early 70s, and in very poor health. He’s worked hard all his life, and now doesn’t have the health to enjoy retirement. When he saw the Venture for the first time, he told me how he used to ride in the canyons when he was younger. I never knew that until a year or two ago. He was poking around, I think, trying to see if I’d let him take the bike. Its been 40+ years since he’s been on a bike, and as all on the site know, the RSV is a big, heavy, bike, not a refresher/starter bike. I don’t think he could right the bike’s weight if his life depended on it, never mind ride it. Fortunately, for me, he answered on his own, sadly stating “well, maybe that’s not the best idea…” My heart sunk for him. Regrets are a terrible thing. So, in a long-winded response, I align with the other respondents in that I ride because life is fleeting. I support my wife riding with me for the same reasons. I’m certainly a more cautious rider when she’s with me, and I practice low-speed maneuvers more than I ever did riding solo! Its ironic really as she’s no wall-flower. She and I have hiked, mountain biked, scuba dived, skied, rappelled and fought in karate competitions. Cleary she can hold her own (all 5'4" of her..). Yet, somehow when she climbs on the RSV with me, I feel that responsibility. However, again, the + outweigh the – and I respect her position. She’s an adult, and she’s decided to join me on the motorcycling adventures. As others have stated, we’ve made some amazing memories on the road! Of course, the two of you will need to find your own path on this. And based on your email signature, it would appear you appreciate the precious nature of life. I wish you all the best in your decision! Bob

I know there's plenty of good press out there for Larry's product, but wanted to add my 2 cents. Got them installed tonight. I've got the Kuryakyn Longhorn pegs on the bike and before Larry's mod, they really flexed the crash bars. Now with the mod, they're solid as a rock. Rt one was easy, Left was harder, definitely had to disconnect the shifter arm and shifter mounting bracket from the floorboard bracket. Once that was done, there was enough room to squeeze in the pan head screw. Tight fit on that side! I can see why he chose the hardware he did. Directions were pretty clear and the posted pictures will get you the rest of the way. Thanks again, Larry for making such a great product available! Have a great day. Bob

rumboogy, I've got the lower vents from Yamaha on my 07 as well as the longhorn highway pegs from Kuryakin (sp?) The 2 together really help with air flow and getting the heat out of the engine space on hot days. You'll have to play around with the mounting a little to get both to work together, but as you saw from the photo postings, it can be done. Both are bolt ons. Hope they work out for you. Bob

V7Goose raises a good elaborative point and he's quite right. When I stated smooth as low as 40-45mph, I meant only in the case of holding steady speed or very moderate accel (as he stated). Roll the throttle hard at 40 in 5th and the bike vibrates like crazy. I was simply trying to make the point that things should be fine below the reported 65mph. V7Goose, No worries on a pissing contest. You simply called out an elaboration/clarification. Have a great pm. Bob

You should not be vibrating under 65 in 5th. As stated in the other posts, accel will be impacted at lower rpms, but it should run smooth. I spend a lot of time running backroads at 50mph in 5th as the copilot doesn't like the high rpm feel/sound. Smooth running at 50. Just as a reference, not a suggested regular practice, I can shift into 5th as low as 40mph and still run smooth. At that point however, as others have stated, there is no accel. Kinda like my old 6 cyl, 3 on the tree pickup from a "while" back... Good Luck. Bob

I've got the K&N filters on my 2007, had them on the 2005 RSTD as well. Didn't notice a performance difference. Had them on because the stock filters don't fit under the chrome air filter box covers (as others have stated/posted). If you're not changing the covers, I'd save your $. Just my opinion/experience.

Ah, the age old debate… Based on the responses, look like you hit a collective nerve. Well, in the interest of adding my two cents… Lot of good points made for both sides. I guess at the end of the day it all comes down to personal preference. Had an 05 RSTD that needed to be upgraded once the wife started riding more as she needed more comfort, space, storage, etc. I looked at and test rode Everything over several years… Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Victory, HD, etc… (did demos at Americade, Laconia and a local dealer) Was also on a riding vacation in TN for a week and rented a new HD Ultra for the week. Really thought the Ultra was going to be the bike. Ended up going with a Venture and put ~9k on last year. Not a lot of miles by some standards, but decent for a short NH season. In my opinion, here’s the HD plusses… Certainly a great looking bike, and the world of accessories and chrome is based on HD. Better, lower center of gravity than the Venture. Fuel injected. Outstanding ability to track in a tight pack. Now, bear with me on this one… I’m not talking a staggered, intelligent, safe formation. I’m talking 2x2, 40+ bikes deep, tire to tire, front/rear guards, at 70+mph. You know the type of formation… lower rockers, full patches, etc. Yes, I know its dangerous, it was a long time ago, and I don’t ride with those guys anymore. However, if you want to know how well your bike tracks, put it in that environment and you will notice even the slightest drift. Another advantage of an HD, if you’re riding that tight with a bunch of other HD riders, everyone will have the same acceleration rate and torque/shift range. Very important when riding that tight. Now, is it a factor for most of us? no, but it is a Harley +. Drawbacks: HOT ! a 1700 with air cooling? Really? I was riding the Natchez Trace Trail in TN on a 70 degree day and burning up. What happens on a hot, humid day in NH summer? Actually, I can tell you… every bike week in Laconia, there is inevitably a number of HDs pulled over to the side of the rode, shut down so they cool off. Once in a while you hear the sickening KLUNK of an engine run too hot too long. Tighter riding 2 up. I’m not that tall, 6’, and the wife is small, 5’4”, but she was right on top of me on the Ultra. With the Venture, I can’t even tell she’s back there. Maintenance. ½ of the guys I ride with run HD. Most expect engine rebuilds at 30-40k miles. 30k miles? Some of the guys on this site put that on in a year. From what I’ve heard on this site, the Venture hits 100k without breaking a sweat. I like the sound of that. Cost both initial purchase and maintenance cost. If HD, then cost = +50 to +100% of everyone else. Now, there are a few things I’d like to see fixed on the Venture… (nothing new here…) Carbs? Tape deck? Need I elaborate? The HD attitude… run into it more times that I care to admit. Bike week in Laconia can be downright painful. I can’t count the number of times HD guys have approached me to ask me about my bike only to back away once they realize it’s a Venture. And yes, although I am tolerated at Merideth/Laconia HD (where many of the week’s activities are based), I wouldn’t say I’m “welcomed”. Been asked to leave several HD stores, but that’s another story. Have brought friends to/from HD service appointments countless times. Often get greeted with a wise remark from sales folk such as “ready to upgrade yet?” Well, lets see, which bike is being serviced, and which is running? No, I’m good. As others have said, its all about what works for you. Should you go HD, I wish you all the best, they certainly do have a following. As you had stated, it really shouldn’t matter, its all 2 wheels. I wave/talk to anyone on 2 wheels. Life is too short. I wish you all the best in your decision. Bob

At least one of my side bags does the same thing, hisses when you close it quickly. Not sure if they both do it.

Jerry, Attaches with a good amount of Velcro strapping. Seems pretty solid, although, haven't had it in the wind... currently 15 degrees here in NH. It did come with a rain cover, might work, but looks like it will need to be bungee corded down (the rain cover that is). The cover is basically a big shower cap that fits over the bag. Bag itself is pretty nice, I can get 2, 2 piece rain suits and 2 fleece jackets in the main compartment, and still have the 3 smaller compartments empty. Got it for the early spring/late fall rides multi day rides that require multiple layers and extra space when my wife is along. We'll see. Bob

TopV, Thanks for the response. I'm actually looking for info not on the trunk liner from Bestem, but on the Bestem trunk bag that velcros to the rack that mounts on top of the RSV trunk. Wouldn't happen to have one of those would you? Bob

Got the Bestem bag delivered a while back. Just got around to checking it out on the bike (its in off site storage). Question for the group, or any of you that may have this bag. The one I received is not rectangular. The main compartment tapers to sort of a triangle shape. In looking closer at the website, you can sort of see that this would be the case, although the dimensions listed don't reflect the taper. Anyone have any experience with this? Still a great sized bag, just curious. Also wondering if the Yamaha stock bag is the same way ( I believe Bestem makes them for Yamaha)... Thanks in advance. Bob

2007 RSV - need to be choked ~ 5 min +, especially if riding 2 up. The end of my driveway is a hill, and I generally leave it choked a bit until I get out of the driveway, up the hill and run ~ a mile or two. No choke on a cold day, and it dies on the hill. 2005 RSTD - same issue, although not quite as bad/long.

JYD53, Just noticed you have an 07 Blue/Black. That's the same bike I have. FYI - You can only get the rear light wing in Black, not the Blue. Mine is black and it looks fine. If you go that route, check out Accessories4bikes.com, it'll save you some $ over buying direct from Yamaha... ~20% I believe. You can just barely see it in the attached picture. Look below the luggage rack on the cover of the trunk. I'm afraid I don't have any pictures from the back or of it lit, but I now I've seen other members with shots of it. Hope this helps. Good luck with the decision. Bob

Bob, Its a little pricey, but you can get a color matching trunk wing with a strip of LEDs in it from Yamaha. I have one on my bike and it does brighten up the back end. Bob

rumboogy, The cassette player does provides you with some value... the input aux jack for your mp3 is intergrated into the unit. Or I suppose you could use one of those cassette converters, however, imho, the direct male to male connecter mp3 to aux jack provides better sound. You can get the cable at any Radio Shack in 1, 3 and 6 ft lengths depending on where you mount the mp3. Certainly you could probably wire your own connector if you were really passionate about pulling the cassette deck... there's also some great posts on this site from guys who have swapped out the cassette deck with a set of guages. Good luck in your decision. If you go RSV, I'm pretty sure you'll be very happy. Bob

Had the same issue on both my Venture and my RSTD. RSTD ended up being a short in the wire coming out of the harness into the passing lamp. Its tight in there... Venture has similar setup on the passing lamp bracket. Couldn't see the short without taking the whole thing apart. Venture had the dealer installed, brand new, in line fuse fail after less than a week. Dealer split the fairing and replaced the in line fuse holder. So, could be either. The RSTD had the in line fuse within the headlight as you described (could be what your dealer meant... got the models confused...) However, I believe, as others have stated, that the in line fuse on the Venture is in the fairing, not accessable without splitting. Hope this helps. Just my experiences. Bob

When you say adjustable, do you mean the exhaust tips that you can point down or out? I believe my 2005 RSTD came with them. Congratulations on the bike, you'll love it. Welcome to the site, you'll find everyone here very knowledgeable and willing to help with questions. Bob

+1 with aspen60. If I remember correctly from the science days, wind chill is the Perception of temperature on exposed flesh. I believe this is why the meteorologists say, "its going to be 30 out there, but with the wind chill it'll Feel like 20..." As for temp measuring, I velcroed a small digital thermostat that I got in an autoparts store to the inside of the fairing. Although, I did learn that you have to mount it as far to the outside edge as possible. I originally had it mounted near the handlebar risers and the wind pushing the heat up from the engine had it reading about 10 degrees over actual. Hope this helps. Bob

Thanks to all for the thoughts, experiences and suggestions. Sounds like I need to add an mp3 player to add musical variety to the bike. Have a great day. Bob

Was wondering if any of you have this issue... I reviewed the site earlier this year as I wanted to get highway pegs. Lots of good talk on the Kuryakyn Longhorn footpegs, so I bought them. They work great, offer several foot positions and work well with the Yamaha air deflectors I added. Question is... if put good pressure on them (say... push myself back in the saddle) I can see/feel the engine guards flexing. As a result, I don't do that, however was wondering if others have the same issue? The engine guards seem to have a surprising amount of flex in them. I can get them to flex simply by grabbing on and pulling on them. I checked the bolts and they're tight. Just curious to others experiences. My RSTD was similiar. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Bob

Was wondering if anyone has had experience on this issue? Seems like the touch screen wont work too well with riding gloves on. Was also wondering if the wheel controls on the nano and/or classic are big enough to use with gloves on? I searched the threads and it looks like the ipods are working for people, but wasn't sure on the controls. Would appreciate any help/thoughts. Thanks. Bob

Had the same experience with my 05. Needed to hold the throttle for a second or two before the cruise would kick in. I'll have to try hitting the Res/Acc button too. On a separate instance... this is a long shot, but I once had an issue with some dust/crud making the cancel button stay in just a little bit. Couldn't even tell by pressing it, but it wouldn't fully come off cancel, so the cruise wouldn't set. Worked the dirt out with a toothpick and it worked fine. Bob

starkruzen, I got this chart off a post on this site a while back. It doesn't give you top speed, but it will give you an idea of speed/rev limits in the various gears. Thought you may find it of interest. Bob

Massey, I asked the co-pilot what she does (we have an 07 Venture, I'm 6' and she's 5' 4") She told me she tends to lean a bit to either side depending on which way the bike is leaning. Said she can tell by the lean which way we're going, so that's the way she looks. She can't see over me. Also stated that she likes being a passenger because she can take an extra long look at things going by on either side if she chooses to do so. Said it was odd at first, but quickly got used to it and doesn't even think about it anymore. If I see something of interest coming up, I tend to point so that she knows it coming and where to look. Hope this helps. Bob