Treb

Problem solved.... So here is the story. My Honda adjustable clutch lever just uses a threaded pushrod to change the length slightly to increase or decrease the travel. I found an MC pushrod in my junk pile from a Honda that is identical to the one in the Venture. I cut approximately 1/16 to 3/32 off the end that goes into the lever bushing and now the clutch starts engaging about 1" from the grip instead of 2". The clutch still fully disengages and does not lurch forward when put into gear even with cold oil.

Might be the best 50 bucks I ever spent... I rode it up the street after that clip and I like it even better out on the road.

Found a set of NIB aftermarket HD mufflers and stuck them on tonight. I was going to fool around with them since I got them so cheap but I love them just like they are. Here is a sound clip

Guys this is not that unusual...My V65 Magna has an adjustable lever on the hydraulic clutch as well as the brake and I'm sure there are others. There is plenty of room for adjustment before there would be any slippage or failure to disengage on the Venture as well. There is easily 2" of travel at the end of the lever before the bike starts moving forward. If I could decrease that by 1/3 it would make a huge difference. Most of the time for normal riding it's not an issue at all. But try a full lock right hand turn while feathering the clutch sometime and you will see what I'm talking about.

There is easily 4.5" of travel at the end of the lever where you have the most leverage. Offset levers decrease that distance so you can use the end of the lever to provide more mechanical advantage. Offsets and adjustable levers are common upgrades on most other bikes and I'm sure there is some aftermarket company that makes them for the Venture as well, I just haven't found it yet.

I like the clutch to engage before the end of the lever travel. Hydraulic clutches are notorious for engaging a long ways from the grip and it makes low speed handling more difficult. When you are trying to keep it in the friction zone that far from the grip it wears you out. m.youtube.com/watch?v=H52l-e-Uo1k I practice the sort of stuff in that clip all the time.

Anyone have a good source for offset clutch lever? I searched a couple threads but haven't found anything I can use

Did you choose to re-jet or was it a requirement for using the monster ovals? I love the sound but they are too rich for my blood

UPDATE: Took it out for a 150 mile trip and the mpg is up to 39 with a mix of highway and twisties. Now as far as the other crimes go... I notice a different noise I think coming from the front end when I make turns, even just banking back and forth on a straight away. Is there a history of worn wheel bearings at over 60K miles? And has anyone actually gotten good sound from modifying the stock exhaust or is there a reasonable replacement that won't make my ears bleed and empty my wallet but has a little rumble to it?

Marcarl Yes I understand how the jets overlap in duty as the throttle is opened. Here is a little graphic that that popped up on another MC forum that shows it quite nicely. As far as a pic of the pilot jet adjustment screw location...Its not easy to take a pic of it while the carbs are on the bike, Heck it's even a challenge just to get a screwdriver on them. You have to look thru underneath the carbs to the back of the opposite side and it's a cross tip brass screw so you can use a flat tip from vertical or horizontal. P.S. If they haven't been adjusted they might have some brass caps on them that you have to remove.

Well after getting a whopping 32 mpg on my last run over to the hills and back I decided it was time to have a look at the carbs. Other than being dirty on the outside, everything looks pretty good inside the bowls. No plugged jets and float valves appear to be in good shape. Also did a bench sync check and it's set as good as any I've ever setup with the paper feeler gauge method. Then I checked the pilot screws for blockage and found all of them at a little over 4 turns out. No blockages but 4 turns out? I checked the spec sheet I have and it shows some nonsense about 15 something or other...After searching here I found many threads asking the question of how many turns out but no answers. So I started turning them in first 1/4 turn at a time and test riding it. No difference noticed except maybe a touch quicker acceleration for the first two tries then I just decided to go with the old standby 2.5 turns out. It starts easier and does not backfire on decel. I will read the plugs after my next run to make sure it's not too lean but I'm pretty sure it was waaay too rich. So I'll preface this by saying that I live at over 4,800 ft and almost always go up from here to something around 10K to sometimes over 12,000 ft. If anything I would think the factory jetting and or pilot screw setting would be a touch rich for me in the first place? P.S. If you guys think getting the carbs off of a RSV is a pain in the neck you should try a Magna...

Well after looking back at this thread I noticed I kind of hijacked it...sorry about that. That being said I measured my links and they are 6 5/8" and look to be factory, not home brewed. Took it out for about a 100 mile run today and the handling has improved with tightening the steering head nut. The mileage is however not impressive. I'll start another thread on that but thanks for the info on the leveling links anyway...

Thanks guys I'll have a look this weekend...

OK I thought it had something to do with the front end like a steering damper or the like. I'm pretty sure the PO told me already did this but I am unsure of how to tell for sure. Is there a way to positively identify the smaller link?

Thanks for the reply I just tightened the steering head bearings and that got rid of some of the "OH $hit" feeling in every corner. But that Avon tire still wants to follow every crack in the road...and BTW what are leveling links?

Tire is at 40PSI and I've tried 36 and 42 with no change in it's bad habits. I've never owned an Avon tire and I likely will never own another one... And just to make things interesting I get quite a lot of head shake if I let go of the bars. I tried this at multiple speeds and speed seemed to make no difference.

I was just going to ask this question because the Avon Venom on the front of my RSV is squirmy as hell. It's not worn out and it's properly inflated but follows every seam and crack in the road, road snakes are also a pulse quickener and it does not feel good in the twisties. I had to keep reminding myself to relax my arms when I went for a mountain ride the other day and my shoulders were also getting fatigued. I realize it's a heavy machine but it steers like a Sherman tank. I'm definitely thinking of changing over to a 130 Michelin Commander II. The 130 width should theoretically turn in a little easier and the Commander II's have worn like iron and never had traction issues on any of my other bikes.

Thanks for the input guys...I have so many bikes right now that I can't get more than 3K per bike in a season so T4 works for me...

I know oil threads can be very divisive and can in extreme cases cause mass hysteria but is anyone else using T4 on their 2nd gen? I've used it and had very good results with all 4 of my other V4's (Honda Magnas)