Denden

Carbon_One ( Larry ), is making some very nice lift adapters for 2nd gens. Similar to Gary's, but with a few improvements. He's selling them to Ventureriders for a very reasonable price. Send him a PM or email. Here's a link: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=555

Just because it's a V-Twin doesn't make it a Harley copy, IMHO. I've riden the Stratoliner, I love the feel of the motor, love that low end torque. Damn thing feels like it doesn't even need a transmission, just twist the grip and it goes, no matter at what revs. The V4 is a great motor, but there is room in my garage for a V-Twin, too. I consider my VTX "the real thing", and I've never had the urge to spend too much money to have the "proper" name on the tank.

Well, c'mon now. You guys all know what it was like to know everything, we were all that smart once upon a time. But I welcome Manic Mechanic. Aint nothing wrong with adding some school learning to this here forum. It should go well with all the experience floating around here. Give and take...we're all friends here, and we all have something to add. And we all have something to learn, your experience has taught you that, hasn't it?

V-Max pistons will raise the compression ration from 10:1 to 10.5:1, and since they are forged instead of cast, they are stronger. The V-Max con rods won't do anything for performance but are stronger. V-Max cams and springs will add power at higher revs. I don't know of anyone who has managed to get the V-boost to fit under a RSV gas tank. I think pegscraper is working on an early version of the Royal Star...different in a few areas from the RSV. The early Royal Star cruisers had very de-tuned V4, with no balance shaft, smaller carbs, different airbox than either the 1st gen or 2nd gen Venture. If you could get the V-boost to fit, it raises your carbs by about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. And it is worth about 5 to 7 HP, at revs over 5000. Hard to do with the RSV airbox. Open up the air box inlet hole, K & N air filter, free flowing exhaust ( Harley Road King mufflers with the baffles drilled out are the best bang for the buck), V-max cams and pistons (and rods for strength), and get it jetted right. Then add a Dyna ignition, play around with the spark curve, rev limit at 8000. THAT would be a screamer, and hold together pretty good. Don't count on any gas mileage. The whole trick would be getting it jetted right, getting the needles shimmed to the right hieght. There is a big difference between getting the jetting so the bike runs well, and getting "right-on". When it is "right-on", it will be impressive. But it's not easy. If you did get the V-Boost to fit, getting the jetting right will take a LOT of trial and error. Some who have added V-Boost to 1st gens have described getting the jetting right-on, as "dancing with the devil".

I've got V-max cams I'm planning on putting in my '83 this winter. Just by looking at them, the have a longer open duration. Venture cam lobes have a narrow peak, V-max cam lobes are round, wider at the max lift area, valves stay open longer. Can't tell for sure, but I suspect they have more overlap, too. I don't think the slightly larger V-Max valves will get you much gain, and the V-Max cams are designed to work with the V-max V-Boost induction, where you have each cylinder drawing from 2 carbs in the intake stroke, at high revs. And remember the V-Max has stronger Con rods ( forged ) and higher compression forged pistons ( 10.5 to 1 ) vs. Venture cast pistons 10 to 1.

No pictures...my wife would never go for that, it is always something of a surprise. After, I always get a good hard helmet slap..."You should have warned me you were going to do that". Although on one ride out in the country with a group, I announced on the CB that I was going to nail it from a stop sign, since the road was straight and clear of driveways. (Wife saying " No,no, don't do that with me on" ). Eddie (the Shiney One) was next to me, he said I got about a foot off the ground. It's hard to tell how high while doing it. Al Bates has seen me do it a number of times. The first time, it was sort of a mistake and surprise. I had slowed down because a car in my lane up ahead of me was making a left turn, and stopped to let traffic clear. As I got close, I downshifted to ( I thought ) 2nd, but I was in 1st gear, clutch in, coasting, slowed to about 10-20mph, the car turned out of my way, so I nailed it. Must have hit the torque peak in first gear. If my wife isn't on the back, it won't lift the wheel, but I get some rear wheel spin. I think the 17.5 pilot jets help, along with the straight thru RK mufflers...I have gobs of low end torque, and neck snapping throttle response. I have tried the Factory Pro stage 1 jet kit recommended jetting...both front carbs 122.5 , both rear carbs 125, all 4 pilot jets #20, and factory pro needles on 2nd clip. Power was awesome thru the rev range. Gobs of low end torque, and revved fast to rev limiter, still pulling very hard. Gas mileage sucked, around 30mpg or less, it was going down fast. I had a trip coming up so I didn't leave it that way, went back to stock jetting for the trip. Then tried to come up with a compromise between power and gas mileage. I settled for 40 mpg's, with the setup I have now. Not quite as much high rev power, but low and midrange is great. I don't race all that much anymore. So I never spent the money for the Dyna ignition, to raise the rev limit.

go up one size on the pilot jets, while you're at it ( to 17.5 ). And take a look at the air filter boxes. Yamaha actually calls them "silencers" in the parts list. The air intake is 45mm, the rubber tube that they attach to is 48mm ID. Go figure. Your intake is restricted right there. I opened up the boxes intake opening to 52mm, just to make sure. With one size larger mains all around, and one size up on the pilot jets, and RK mufflers drilled out to be straight thru. Shimmed the needles one shim. I really need a Dyna ignition, damn that rev limiter. Don't try to get V-Max revs, though. They have heavier valve springs, forged pistons and rods, so they can take it to 9500rpm. 1st gens with cams and valve springs like the 2nd gens redline at 7500rpm,and run over that very easily. I regularly shift my '83 at 8000rpm, and it has 76k miles. I bought the Factory Pro jet kit for my RSV, with adjustable needles. The stock needles work better. Their kit recommends doing away with the stock staggered jetting. With opened up exhaust, they call for front main jets ( #2 and #4 ) 125, rear ( #1 and #3 ) 127.5. I haven't tried it, that seems a little big on the jets, but if you open up the airbox, and with a Dyna ignition, it might work. Gas mileage will go to hell, though. With my one size up mains (stock staggering) and 17.5 pilots, I'm still getting 40mpg. And I can spin the rear wheel one-up, or get the front wheel off the ground, 2-up...with witnesses.

Just so you know, if you are searching eBay... The Road King mufflers with the squared off end that looks a lot like the stock RSV mufflers are from a Raod King or Ultra Classic (Electra-Glide). The ones that have the slash cut ends are from the Road King Classic.

I don't know if this helps, but...I have a '83 Venture Standard. I installed a Uniden 520xl. I made a "push-to-talk" push button that activates a relay, that I wired into what used to be the microphone push to talk button ( I removed the hand held microphone, and used the wires). So my headset microphone goes to what used to be the handheld microphone wires ( thru the usual headset plugs ), and the Uniden's external speaker jack goes to my headset speakers. I used to have a handbar switch that would switch from the headset speakers to a small external speaker on the handlebars, but I removed it since I always use the headset. I also hooked up another headset plug for the rear seat, with another push to talk button, and made the speaker connections in series. That means both me and my wife can hear incoming, and hear what the other is transmitting. So we use the CB as an intercom, by just going to an empty channel, and using each of our own push to talk buttons to transmit to an empty channel, but the other can hear the transmission, so it is our intercom, but we have to be careful because out intercom talk is actually being transmitted to an empty channel.

Here's a link to a really good article on what the numbers and letters mean, for motorcycle tires. http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/tires.asp