Freebird

My Edset cords came yesterday so I'm OK now. As for pulling a trailer? It's pretty much the same as the Venture. Yamaha really doesn't recommend pulling a trailer either but some dealers look the other way. Harley is the same way. I talked to the dealer about it yesterday when I picked up the saddle bag guards. He told me that they are pretty lenient about such things. Not to worry.

Yes, those are the ones that I'm considering. I think they have about 3" more pullback than stock. Should be just about perfect.

Well, I do have to watch it a bit because I'm still in the break in procedure. I need to keep it under around 3000 RPM so that limits us to about 80 MPH. By the time we head back, I should be past the break in period though.

Now I'm just hoping that the headset cords get here tomorrow.

Looking like I'll have the Road Glide ready to head to Galena. Luggage rack, highway pegs, backrest, saddle bag guards, passenger grab rails, Bushtec hitch and trailer wiring....all done.

WOW....another one on my ignore list...and after I answered so many questions for you.

I'm going to have so many people on ignore here that it will be like I'm here by myself. Just kidding of course. When I bought the Rode Glide, my wife asked me if I realized how much crap I was going to get. Yes, I knew it. All in good fun as far as I'm concerned. I did put my flag pole and VentureRider flag on it.

Douglas, go to the UserCP and then click on "Edit Options" in the left menu. Scroll down to the section "Messaging and Notifications". You can set it up there to send you emails when there is a reply to any threads that you post or subscribe to.

hmmm.......I think it was going to expire tomorrow but I renewed it for another year today. I just sent the host a trouble ticket.

You may be right. Time will tell. I have a Corbin on the Venture and really have enjoyed it. I'm more concerned right now about the handlebars. Just not enough pullback and I KNOW I'm going to get that ice pick between the shoulders feeling. Got it on my Venture too until I installed the Flanders bars. Actually stopped by today and tried to buy a set of bars and go ahead and change them out but they didn't have any in stock. I did get the Bushtec hitch and the trailer wiring installed this evening. Also installed some passenger grab rails.

Yep...that is still a beautiful bike. I would miss it too.

Eddie, I'll have to look in the manual. They told me at the dealership to keep it under 3,000 for 50 miles and then under 3500 until 500 miles. Like you say though, it's not a problem. It cruises very nicely under 3,000 rpm.

Ruffy, It comes down to how many, if any, of those folks have ever replace the coil? Now I admit that I have. I will also tell you for a fact that I honestly don't remember how I did it or which bolts I removed. Sorry buddy. Wish I could have helped.

Glad you have joined us. Yes, the cb antenna should be on the left when sitting on the bike. Unless they REALLY did some re-routing of the cables which isn't likely. Easy to tell though. Just look at the cable where it exits the base of the antenna. The CB is mounted in a black box under the tour pack. The cable from the CB antenna should go right into that box. Manuals are indeed here. See this thread. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=91

Any of you have any experience with vehicle wraps? I was visiting one of my customers last week and there was a matt black Lamborghini sitting in their sign shop. They told me that some college kid had dropped it off. He wanted to change the color but didn't want to have it painted. They were doing a vehicle wrap on it and making it a bright blue. It made me think about my Bushtec trailer. I was thinking that I would have it painted at some point in the future to match the new bike. I wonder if a vehicle wrap would be a viable alternative? They can do the color and graphics all in vinyl. Longevity I guess would be my main concern. I think that even the best vinyl is pushing it if it lasts 10 years. I've seen some last less than that. Don't know about cost either. Would have to get a quote. Heck it may be cheaper to have it painted.

Wasn't sure if I would be riding the RSV or the Glide to Galena. Looks like I may have the Glide ready in time. The biggest thing was the trailer hitch but I got it ordered from Bushtec on Monday and FedX tracking shows it scheduled for delivery today. I also ordered two lower cords for my headsets from Edsets. They shipped USPS Priority yesterday so they should be here no later than Friday hopefully. I'm in WV on business so will have to hope everything is there when I get home tomorrow. If everything doesn't fall into place, I'll be on the RSV and you'll just have to keep your jokes to yourself. Wonder if I have time to paint the Bushtec.....hmmmmmmmmmm

Passenger seat is easy. First you have to remove the riders seat. Then you will see two bolts that need to be removed to remove the passenger seat.

Take a look at this thread. It is a write-up I did on installing a isolator for the trailer wiring and outlines all the wires. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=503

Yes, the CATs are in the header pipe. That is why when they do a Stage One mod that they do a full exhaust and not just the mufflers. May look at that someday but not right now. Ordered a Bushtec hitch and plug n play wiring today for the trailer. It should be waiting at home when I get back there on Thursday.

I spoke to Ed at Edsets. All I need is the lower cords. Their 7 pin cords for the Harley have the circuit built in so my currect 3G Edsets will work on the Harley. I'll look into those bars. Somebody else suggested some other also, they were Harley Heritage bars or something. Now I have to find it and see if they are the same ones you are talking about.

Yea, I thought about that. I'm going to do some research and see if others are doing the same with these bikes.

She hasn't ridden on it yet. We planned to take a ride last night but never got around to it. She has only sat on it so far and said it felt very good but we'll have to see. I was curious about how it compared to the RSV so actually took some measurements last night. It measures from the back of the seat to the drivers backrest very close to the same as the RSV. Maybe a half inch less depending on how you measure. Now I've never owned a bike that I didn't end up changing the seat on. It's too early to tell if that will hold true on this one. So far, it feels good but you just don't know until you spend a few hours on the highway.

I will add to this over the next few weeks as I put some miles on the new Road Glide Ultra but here are a few initial thoughts. The stereo on the Road Glide is far superior to the RSV. The 20 watt Harmon Kardon system and larger speakers really sound great. Can't comment on listening through headsets yet because I have to get new lower cords before I can try them. Suspension and handling is excellent. I think it may have a slight edge on the RSV. Not by much though. It just feels extremely stable in what little bit of wind I have experienced and feels very well planted in the curves. I have let go of the handle bars and feel that I could ride for miles that way. The RSV was stable in that regard to though. Also, I just put the YSS rear shock on the RSV and really haven't given it a good test. With the YSS shock and the Sonic Springs that I have in the front, handling is probably pretty close. Engine performance. Defiantly a different animal. The Harley has that great low end torque and I have always liked that. We all know that they aren't sport bikes but this 103 CU engine puts out enough power to bring a smile. No doubt in my mind that it would not run keep up with my RSV. Especially with the VMAX rear end and Dyna that I have installed. I'm not into racing though and am pleased with the performance so far. So I guess if you have to grade them from a "racing" standpoint, the RSV would win. This Road Glide has the 103 CU IN engine and for those who don't want to do the math, that is about 1690 CC. Comfort. With the added backrest and highway pegs on both bikes. I think that they are pretty equal. I really won't know for sure until the Galena trip though. One thing that I'm fairly certain of is that I will probably be changing the handlebars in the near future. I have long arms and still find myself leaning forward more that I like. I've already been reading up on it and this is a common issue. I am feeling some of the same bits of pains in the shoulder as I did on the RSV before installing the Flanders bars. Vibration. Hey...it's a Harley. When you are at a stop such as a red light, this thing shakes like crazy. It has the automatic cylinder deactivation too and I'm not sure yet but I think that changes the cadence also. Once you get moving though, it really smooths out. I'm going to say at this point though that even at highway speeds, the Venture is maybe just a very little bit smoother in regards to engine vibration. It's really insignificant though. Heat. Yes, the Harley is hotter when you are sitting still. I was actually surprised at how much hotter. I expected some but if you sit for very long, it can get uncomfortable. I know that some people complain about the heat from the RSV but it is NOTHING like this Harley. Luggage. I think that the Harley wins here. The trunk seems quiet a lot larger or maybe the more square shape just makes it more usable. Saddlebags I think are fairly equal. One thing I like is that the saddle bags can be removed for cleaning or whatever in literally about 10 seconds. There is also more storage for small items. 4 pockets in the upper and lower fairings. I give the edge to the Harley on luggage. Fuel economy? Don't know yet. Haven't had to fill it up so have no idea. It has a 6 gallon tank, same as the RSV, and seems to be doing OK so far. I've only put about 130 miles on it and right now it is still sitting at around 3/4 tank but we all know that these gauges can sometimes go down much quicker as you get closer to empty. We'll see. I'm kind of expecting that it will get better fuel economy than the RSV. That will likely be offset though by the fact that they say to run 91 octane. Transmission. I think I'm going to really like it. It is fairly quiet and shifts very smoothly. No whine or anything so far from the engine or tranny. This really lopes on the highway. It is a 6 speed and in 6th gear running 70 MPH, it is only turning about 2800 RPM. Brakes. Verdict is still out. This bike came with the security system which includes ABS brakes and anti-theft system. I was surprised the first time I brought it to a stop that I felt the need to apply much more pressure than I'm used to on the back brake. Now maybe I didn't need to apply that much. It stopped fine but is a lot different feel. Will just have to get used to it and then decide. I like the security system. Basically it's an automatic system. The key fob has a transmitter and once you are a few feet from the bike, it arms the system and also prevents it from starting even if the ignition is in the on position. OK....this is all very premature considering the few miles that I've put on it but are some initial observations. Some or all may change as I get the opportunity to ride it more.

I already have some initial thoughts and comparisons between the two. Some positives and some negatives. I'll have more by the time we get back from Galena I'm sure. I'll probably start another thread and post some comparisons. and YES...I DO anticipate making it all the way to Galena and back home with no issues. That being said, the last Harley I bought was a 1986 FXRD in 1998. It only had about 15,000 miles on it. I flew from Dallas, TX to pick it up and ride it home from Tulsa, OK. It was a one owner and very well maintained....really looked like a new bike. No major problems on the ride back to Dallas EXCEPT the horn fell off. Vibration had finally cracked the bracket.

Well, was busy installing stuff today but I did manage to get about a hundred miles in. Here are some pics of the new backrest, highway pegs and luggage rack.