Freebird

Never hurts to check the valve clearance at some point but regardless of what you may have read about other people getting, I can assure you that your gas mileage is very good from what you stated. If you are getting 36 - 38 at speeds +/- 80 MPH. I would say that you are average or above what most get. 42 -43 backroad riding is good also. I've seen a very few of those reports of upper 40 MPG but they are very rare and not normal.

I don't understand your reasoning for thinking the valves need adjusting due to the gas mileage. 36 - 38 is excellent at those speeds. I'm not saying that everybody shouldn't check the valves at some point but I don't think you have any issues with gas mileage.

Appear to be Taiwanese. Here is all I know about them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Corporation

I appreciate the reports on the Rushmore but I have to tell you, it goes contrary to everything I have heard. I know a couple of riders who have them and they say that they run just as hot. I also talked to my dealer about it and he told me that their tests have proved that it runs absolutely no cooler. I haven't ridden one so can't say one way or the other. The dealer told met that it allowed them to make some performance improvements without heating them up even further but that they don't run cooler. Of the two riders that I personally know that own them, both have had multiple problems with overheating and the small radiator burping out the coolant. One is a Tri Glide that a friend traded for. He traded his 2012 Tri Glide for a new 2015 Tri Glide and tells me that it was a HUGE mistake. He has had it on the shop 7 times for overheating and they still haven't solved the problem. I'm really glad to hear a good report about it but I'll take a watch and wait approach to it just as I will the Roadmaster. I'm actually not in the market for a bike. My Road Glide only has about 9,000 miles on it and I pretty much have it all setup as I like. I just thought that, for the most part, the new Roadmaster looked pretty good and if the reviews had been better in regards to the heat, I would have gone and tried one out. I'm over it now.

I'm 99% sure that is a Precision Plastics shield. I just don't know if they are still available.

So we need people to get registered for the rally. Here is what I am going to do. I'm going to personally pay for and give away 3 raffle tickets for the grand prize trailer at the rally. There is a catch though. I'm doing this to encourage you to get registered and if it doesn't work, I'm not buying the tickets. It works like this. 10 days from now, I hope that we have at LEAST 75 people signed up and officially registered and paid for the International Rally. If we have at least 75 people signed up, I'm going to hold a random drawing and draw ONE name out of those that are signed up and paid. The winner will receive 3 free tickets for the trailer. That's it. All you have to do is get your registrations in.

Folks, are you going to the International Rally? I certainly hope so. There are only 76 people signed up and only a handful of those have actually officially registered. The time is getting closer than you think and we really need to get an idea of how many to expect. PLEASE take a few moments to get your registrations in and if you haven't decided that you are going, let me help you with that decision. PLEASE GO! It will be a great time. Registration forms are here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?98176-2015-International-Rally-Registration-Forms

Please edit your profile and add your bike year and model to the custom title area. Then it will show right under your username and we will know what bike you are talking about. It appears that you are talking about the first gen and it sounds like you probably have the Precision Plastics shield. Here is a link to their website but they don't have a Venture shield listed any longer. You might send them an email and ask. http://www.precisionlexan.com/default.asp

and I think that is good advice. I'll just keep my Road Glide. I'm actually very happy with it.

If they keep the "cruiser" styling, it is a possibility. I tell you though. Anybody thinking about a Roadmaster should spend some time reading posts on the Indian forum. Many reports of engine whine, pealing chrome, seats breaking down, oil leaks, excessive heat, electronic issues, etc.

Some of you who were at Maintenance Day may have heard me talk about taking a look at the Indian Roadmaster. There are many things I like about it but a few things that I don't. I know that the front fender is an iconic Indian feature but I'm still not sure if I like it. At any rate, the one thing I mentioned was that I needed to do some research in regards to engine heat. The only complaint I have with the Road Glide so far is the excessive heat from the engine. It gets quite uncomfortable on even a warm day. Well I haven't gone to test ride one yet and now I probably won't. I spend a good bit of time doing some online research and have seen about all that I need to. There are a LOT of complaints about excessive engine heat. A short test ride on a hot day has led many to commenting that they would not be buying one. Some say it can actually be painful, as I admit that it can be on the Road Glide. A few other things that I have read. At least one person has developed oil leaks at around 3,000 miles. No specifics except that the engine is being pulled to repair it and it is taking a long time to get the parts. Complaints about the brown leather seat. There are reports that it looks great when new but looks very bad after only a few months. Eileen didn't like the brown seat anyway. When I showed her pictures of the bike, her comment was that she hated the "orange" seat. Not a problem because they offer a black heated seat as an option but of course, it is big bucks. This one is HUGE to me though. No integrated intercom or cb. I know that many people will just use bluetooth headsets for intercom but that doesn't solve the cb issue. It's not something that we use all the time but I feel is almost a MUST when riding with a group. I know there will be aftermarket solutions and the J&M is probably already available but again, MORE money. This is something that I feel a touring bike that cost 30 grand should have. Several complaints from tall and also larger riders about feeling cramped, especially when riding two up. Highway pegs and possibly moving the trunk back would probably help and if there is not already a trunk relocation kit on the market, there probably will be very soon. So, I guess I'm over my desire to even go ride one. I'll just keep what I have for now. The Roadmaster has potential but I think a wait and see attitude until they have been on the road for awhile is in order.

What can I say. Just VERY COOL. Wish you could go back and do these for the past 11 years. Thanks for the memories.

Looks great. Love the stripes.

I don't know when or even IF but I do know that they never announced anything about the touring models until the fall.

I agree. The light is the finishing touch on these covers. Time for you to get busy Paul.

Those really do look good.

Rodney, I don't know. The Flanders bars helped a lot on my RSV though. They brought them further back and ended the sharp pain in my shoulders.

Funny. I am glad you are here to post it and that you haven't lost your sense of humor.

Thanks Dano...I would have called had I really needed to. Thank you my friend. I'm fine. Made it to Indianapolis yesterday afternoon. Had to go for a drug test this morning. That is company policy regardless of who is at fault. Hope they don't test for things I did in the 70's. The van is doing OK. I will get it checked out when I get home but will be here until Sunday. I know there is something wrong by the steering wheel being so far off center but it drives fine and doesn't pull or anything. If it did, I would get a rental car but I think it's OK until I get back home. Sitting at the Indianapolis airport right now waiting to pick up a co-worker who is going to help me setup and work this trade show. It's all good my friends.

Let him know that we are still thinking of him and to let us know if he, or you, need anything else.

I completely know what you mean about that Squidley character. I know that you are glad that I was there as a buffer. You are most welcome.

All Eileen ever uses is her IPAD. The loves it. I'm not a fan of anything without a real keyboard but I did end up buying a MacBook Pro a little over a year ago. Like you, I was never an Apple fan but my son went to work for Apple and convinced me to try one. I have to say that now I HATE having to use my company Dell laptop. Love the Macbook.

OK...I just missed it I guess. Thanks.

Eileen and I want to thank all of you who attended Maintenance Day this year. I wish I was better with words because I honestly don't know how to tell you how much it means to us that so many of you take time out of your busy lives to attend this event year after year. I walk around and try to visit with as many people as I can but there is just never enough time. I hope that everybody felt welcome and that nobody felt ignored or left out. Jonas, Greta and I were talking and he asked me if I realized what I had built with the VentureRider club and how many lives had been joined due to my efforts. I suppose he is right but I never think of it that way. It's the opposite for us. I feel so blessed that so many people have chosen to be a part of this little organization and it is MY life that is so enriched by knowing all you wonderful people. When I tried to explain that to Jonas, I felt a little silly when I found my eyes tearing up and had to stop but just know, you are much more than members of a website to Eileen and I. When you all show up for maintenance day, it feels more like a huge family reunion than anything else and we are truly blessed by your presence. Prairiehammer and RBig stayed for an extra day to avoid some of the nasty weather and we talked about a lot of things. We got into a conversation about people having various aptitudes in life. To be honest, I'm not sure what my aptitude really is. I'm NOT especially good at website design and programming. I have often struggled for many hours on end to keep this place going when a more qualified person would likely have no problem figuring out various bugs, making changes, etc. I'm not especially good in the roll of "Master of Ceremony". I have been asked at various events to stand up and give a speech or whatever and I struggle with that. I would just as soon get things arranged and then let somebody else have the limelight. So I honestly don't know exactly what I"m great at but I do know that I love what we, together, have built here and I thank each and every one of you for being a part of it. You are not VentureRider Members, you are VentureRider Family.

Yea, mine is not there either but that's OK. The important thing is that he knows we were all there and thinking of him. Get well soon my friend.