RSTDdog

The venture rear seat will bolt up if you buy the bracket for the rear seat and then cut a slot in the chrome bracket that secures the rear of your RSTD seat. I just did a complete Venture swap. I attached some of the pictures I took below that show the differences in the rear seats and what you need to do. I planned on adding these to the Venture Seat thread in the RSTD forum that has links to the L bracket drawing you need to make to use a venture front seat. I'll upload all the photos to my gallery in a while.You can get the stock venture seat bracket to use the rear seat from Pinwall cycles for 5.00 + shipping. If you get your seats from them they combine shipping. Here's alink to the bracket you need they have several.Try to find one that has the bolts for the seat with it. If the bolts are pictured they will come with it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-Venture-Royal-Star-XVZ1300-1300-SEAT-BRACKET-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1e5bcc1665QQitemZ130389120613QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories To modify the rear chrome bracket make a center line across the vertical part of the bracket. Along the center line make two marks that are 1 and 1/2" apart in the middle of the bracket. Drill 4 5/16" diameter holes along the center line equally between the marks.The edge of the and cut the sections between out with a dremel. File smooth and square and keep test fitting till it goes over the tab on the venture seat base. You should end up with a square hole 5/16" H x 1 1/2 " long. And that's the rear seat. RSTDdog

Actually crossing the Glades on Old 41 there is a wide variety of Flying insects virtually year round, some the size of small birds. You don't want to get hit on your bare head at 60 by one those flying beetles. Its sounds like a rock hitting your helmet. Do you know what the last thing that goes through a bugs head is when it hits your helmet? .......... RSTDdog

I wear a full face helmet. You'll really appreciate one crossing through the Everglades on Tamiami Trail (old US 41) on your way to the Keys. Don't know how they get around that big RSTD windshield, but i get an average of 5 loud cracks on the helmet from the variety of large hard shell flying insects on that 80 mile stretch depending on the time of day and every time I think I'm glad that's not my head getting hit at 60 with that bug. If it was only me I had to worry about I probably wouldn't wear one, but that is not the case. Have gotten so used to it, Its difficult for me to ride without one now. Don't have to wear a helmet in Florida, but insurance is required to not wear a helmet. I don't think you can or should legislate common sense. Someone told me a long time ago-- If your gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough..... RSTDdog

I have an 06 RSTD. It has some whine and Jetsons chirp. Prior owner had the dealer put a basket in it. Windshield on is louder than windshield off. I wear a full face helmet and with the faceshield up you can hear it more that with it down. Louder when its hot out. I can tell you it doesn't whine at all when going through the mountains in third gear :-). In general if its whining you need to down shift. While it looks like a cruiser you can't drive it like one. RSTDdog

Thanks. I am at half that (19K) and out warranty. No problems so far just wondering what to expect. So did changing the filter fix it you think? RSTDdog

How many miles on your bike? Thanks, RSTDdog

I am also currently running the Rotella Synthetic and a Bosch 3300 filter (the one that costs more than OEM Yamaha filter). Rotella is great stuff. My bike is also out of warranty. Not sure what's in a CD rated oil that they don't like. Not all CD oils are JASO and not all JASO oils are CD rated. The point of the above quoted statement and my rather long winded post was not to disparage anyone's use of a specific product but rather to illustrate that Magnuson Moss gets thrown around rather loosely on occasion and may give people the wrong idea that if they use an Automotive filter that it won't void their warranty. I don't think you can get any one of the Auto filter manufacturers to tell you that filter is approved for use on our bikes. These motors are essentially bullet proof and will run as long as there is oil and water in it. People with in warranty bikes should weigh out there choices.For the first five years its in warranty, is it worth running a non approved filter or oil? Everyone has to make their own decision on that one. RSTDdog

The above is a bit misleading IMO. Not one of the Automotive Filters that "FIT" our motorcycles is specified or approved for use on a Motorcycle or listed as an approved replacement by the FIlter manufacturer for the OEM Yamaha filter. One member even contacted Purolator about the PL 24612/10 automotive filter and using it on our bikes and Purolator refered him to the appropriate part number for their line of Motorcycle filters. That is posted here somewhere in one of the many oil and filter discussions. So assume you had an oil related failure using the Purolater Automotive filter on our bikes, and it was proven that the filter caused the failure, Yamaha could deny your warranty claim since the filter is not specified for a motorcycle application by Purolater. If you then went to Purolator to get them to pay, Puralotor would also point out that filter is not a specified replacement for the OEM filter on your bike and would point you to their cross reference list of approved Motorcycle filters you could have chosen. Dave's Roxie had a broken rod with no apparent bearing failures. The nature and type of failure does not sugest it was oil related. If Dave had a bearing failure on his engine, the filter and oil he was using would have been under much closer scrutiny. Yamaha specifically details in the Owner's manual NOT to use CD (diesel) rated oils in these motors. So you have no Magnuson Moss protection using this type of oil as it is not specified for use by the OEM. The MSRP on a OEM yamaha filter is $10.98. They can be had at online at boats.net for 7.98 each and likely cheaper at other high volume OEM online parts dealers. Last time I checked the Purolater Gold Automotive filter that "FITS" at Advanced is 6.95. The premium longlife version of the Bosch 3300 is 12.99. More money than the OEM filter and not a specified replacement for it. The use of the automotive filters does not really represent a huge savings in the grand scheme of things but they are convenient since you can run down the street and pick one up. Many people here have used the Automotive filters with no reported problems. If your bike is still under warranty you should carefully weigh out the risks and benefits of the maintenance products you elect to use. The oil change interval is 4000 miles. Whatever you use, keep all the receipts. If you keep the bike 100,000 miles that's 25 oil changes. The differential between MSRP at 10.98 for OEM and 2.97 for the Super tech is 8.00. You should decide if saving $200.00 over 100,000 miles is worth it. Keep it less miles, or choose different filters and the savings are less or non existant. RSTDdog

Only place in Florida by me I have found to buy non ethanol fuel is marinas. They sell 90 Octane recreational marine fuel-ethanol free. Haven't priced it lately.Back in December when Fuel here was in the low $3.00 range (3.19 IIRC) they were getting 4.00/gallon for the ethanol free stuff at the marina. I'm not aware of any road stattions that sell it. RSTDdog