Freebird

I am trying very hard to let this thread come to a conclusion. Those who think that it has not been political have a different definition of political than I do. I probably shouldn't have deleted it already but it has remained civil enough so far. We have few rules here folks. It's not too much to ask that they be followed.

Originally Posted by CaseyJ955 at a long stop light in August you will still fry. I can't answer to Casey's experience but I can tell you about my own. In 2013 I bought a brand new Harley Road Glide Ultra. I loved almost everything about that bike except for the heat. What Casey say's is my exact experience. I did everything I could to avoid getting caught in heavy traffic but sometimes it happens. It has happened on the Venture and yes, it can get uncomfortable, but on the Harley, it was almost unbearable. My inner thighs would get so hot as to actually be painful. When I was actually stopped in that traffic, I would often but trying to stand up to get away from that motor. It was much worse than being in traffic on the Venture. My wife felt it also but for her, even going down the highway was a bit uncomfortable. The heat on her right foot was so hot that she sometimes felt they were blistering. This was in spite of the fact that she was usually wearing leather boots. So all I can say is that I can honestly claim two years of personal experience and the heat was without a doubt much worse. It was bad enough that I took all the recommended steps to reduce the heat. Removed the catalytic converter, installed a Dyno Vision tuner to set it to the recommended fuel mixture, installed a more free flowing exhaust, etc. If any of those things helped at all, it was minimal. Now please understand, I actually like the way that VTwins run. I love the low end torque and then gentle thump of those big pistons. I can tell you for a fact though, the heat can be an issue. Maybe Yamaha has done a better job with it in some manner or the other. That remains to be seen but I'm keeping an open mind about it.

I'm working on a new logo design for the stairlift company. I've got a basic concept but it needs to be vectorized and cleaned up at the very least and maybe even totally redesigned. I'm certainly not a graphic artist. There are no shortage of logo designers on the Internet but I used one once before and paid for logos that didn't do it for me at all. So I'm tapping into the vast resources of our members here. Can any of you recommend a truly good design service that is not going to cost me an arm and a leg. Here is what I've come up with so far.

I know the feeling. I've worked so much that I can't even think about much of a ride. I put new tires on mine earlier this spring and they haven't even left the garage yet. My bike hasn't been ridden since last fall. Yesterday, I pulled it out about 7:00 in the morning and gave it a good cleaning. It was mostly just covered with dust. I washed it, did a very light detail on it, getting ready to take it for a short ride. Got a phone call and that all changed. Pulled it back into the garage and covered it up. Maybe someday.

Some creative additions. I especially like the screen on the vent. I may have to look into that myself.

The dealers just don't give a lot for trade-ins. Your will likely do much better selling it outright.

Well to me, that sounds like a really dumb reason. They went with a V-Twin because they had one that was 100cc bigger than their current V4? I call BS on his explanation. Sorry.

You didn't say what year it is. May not matter to you but right or wrong, it does affect the value.

As usual, great videos my friend. Funny as all heck. You do have a way of getting in the middle of things.

Very exciting. That's what I am anxious to read. A ride report from one of our own.

Got the memorial page updated last night. As I added Lonestarmedic and Black Owl, I also looked back and remembered those who are no longer riding with us. I knew some of them better than others and a few I was very close to. Such is the cycle of life and it simply can't be avoided but it does leave a void in our hearts. When I have to add a member to the memorial page, it is one of the most difficult things that I do here. It may not seem like much but I assure you that it is done with great reverence. Godspeed to them all. Know that you are loved and missed by those of us who will join you for a wonderful celebration at some point.

A lot of strong feelings and words being shared here and that is OK. I don't understand though why some are getting so bent out of shape that they are talking about leaving the forum due to the opinions of those who have a different view on the new bike. Folks, this is a discussion forum. In most discussions, there are various opinions. Some people will agree with you and others won't. We are all adults here and most of us are old enough that we have a lifetime of disagreements and debates under our belts. Sometimes we learn something from one another's differing opinions and sometimes we just have to shake our head and say "oh well, to each his own". Some of my best friends are people that I absolutely disagree about one thing or another. As for the new bike? I like it. I like it a lot. I am one who actually loves the styling and think that it looks as good or better than anything else on the road right now. As mentioned, except for the engine, it has pretty much everything that we have all listed in our discussions over the past years. Feature wise, it is on par with about any bike out there. I would certainly give one a test ride and consider it when I'm ready for a new bike. The engine? Yes, like most of you, I would have loved to see Yamaha fit it with the updated V4 from the VMax. From the few teaser pictures that we had seen though, I pretty much knew that wasn't going to be the case so I wasn't shocked when it was finally revealed to be a V-Twin. We all ride in different ways and I've stated in another post, the V-Twin suits my riding style very well. I love the low end torque at low RPMs and the feel of that big thumping V-Twin engine. What I don't love is the heat that they produce. The heat is the primary and really only fault that I found with the 2013 Road Glide that I had for two years. It was very comfortable on the road and I really enjoyed the way the engine performed. Even at highway speed though, on a hot day, you felt the heat. My poor wife was a trooper and didn't complain about it much but her right foot got so hot that it could become a miserable ride for her. So would I buy one? Time will tell. At this point, I'm so busy that I don't have time to ride what I have. The 2005 Midnight RSV that I bought last spring has barely over 20,000 miles on it. It would easily last me for the rest of my riding days. If things change though and I get to the point where I have time to actually enjoy the bike again, I would consider this new Star Venture. The only thing is that now I would have to weigh all the options and test ride a few bikes. If they had come out with a new bike with the 1700cc liquid cooled V-4 like some variation of the V-Max engine, it would make the choice a lot easier. With everything else they put on this bike, the styling, and the newer V-4, it would pretty much be a slam dunk. As it is though, it will depend upon how the heat is managed, how it handles, etc. Being a V-Twin, there are options to what bike will be the best for me. The Yamaha will be at the top of the list from what I've seen so far but until we hear some ride reports and/or take one for a good test ride, I can't say at this moment what I would buy. I love the bike though and am looking forward to some feedback from real riders. As for those of you saying that you are going to leave us because of the various opinions and discussions, that's sad to hear. You have to do what you feel is best for you but you will be missed.

Geeezzzzeee....you guys expect everything single thing to work. OK...should be OK now.

History section is pretty much done for now. Just the basic specs and etc. that we have on the new bike at this time.

Latest forum software ended up requiring the server software to be updated also. It is all done now so hopefully, there will be no more scares.

OK...pretty much done again. Gotta stop scaring myself that way.

Doing some more upgrades on the server. Don't expect any problems but...well...just a heads up.

Not sure about the statement "lower end of the V-Twin" market. The Harley Road Glide Ultra and the Ultra Limited both have a MSRP of $26,999. The new Star Venture is priced right there with them. Will have to wait and see what they actually end up selling for after discounts but I can tell you when I bought a 2013 Road Glide Ultra, I didn't pay full MSRP for it either.

I started last night adding a new entry to our Venture History page. Still work to do and haven't started on the specification page yet. Will try to get that done tonight. Regardless of our various opinions, there is a new Venture and hopefully new VentureRiders to be added to our family.

Upgraded the forum software. Minor OOPS! Sorry about that. All is good now...move right along..nothing to see here.

Well, I haven't really looked at the new Venture closely. I've just been slammed with work and barely have time to eat, much less explore anything. I will say that I think it looks great. I actually love the front view. I think they did a great job on the fairing. I also like the design of the trunk, looks very sleek. I will admit to being disappointed that it's not a V4 but I think that most of us knew that it wasn't going to be. That being said, I loved the low end torque of the 2013 Harley Road Glide that I sold early last year. The low RPM High Torque suited my riding style very well. I put a tuner on it and raised the redline as high as I felt was same with the stock components and it performed very well for me. The belt drive doesn't concern me. They have proven to be pretty reliable and I had no problem with it on the Harley but in full disclosure, it only had about 20,000 miles on it when I sold it. My primary concern with this new bike is the engine heat. The Harley was nothing short of brutal on a hot day. I got caught in heavy traffic a couple of times and was actually standing on the pegs in an effort to stop my inner thighs from burning up. My wife also felt the extreme heat on her feet. This was in spite of the fact that I had removed the catalytic converter and tuned the bike in the recommended way to lower the heat. Nothing worked, that bike would burn you up. We will just have to wait and see how it does in regards to heat but the fact is, a 113 cubic inch air cooled V-Twin just has to create some heat. It's probably the major complaint with all the other bikes with the same configuration. Other than that though, I love the looks of the new Venture. I would like to be the first to welcome any new owners of the third generation Venture to our family.

I am out of them at this time. If enough people want them, I will place another order.

Absolutely should be in a Mad Max movie. Love it.

Very nice. I almost bought one before I found the Midnight Venture that I decided on. Read too many complaints about heat so decided against it. Let us know how it works out.

That is basically correct. I think it is some metric size though because mine were just a tiny bit looks. I just cut some strips from an aluminum can and wrapped around where it mounted and it worked fine. Some may tighten differently so that they 1/2" tightens up fine.