BigLenny

Hey Puc, First of all, i gotta ask a question; Do you work nights, or is it you just cant sleep? Lol. My problem is i have a toothache and i cant sleep. Anywho, my wife and i have ridden almost 40k miles on our 2007 RSTD, and neither she nor i have had issues with engine heat, and down here in the south, we ride in some serious hot temperatures. We do not have lowers on our bike, so we get to experience the normal stock airflow that usually comes around the radiator cowling. Engine heat is a serious concern i have when i think about buying an air cooled bike. My wife is a little girl (5'3", 125lbs) and is quite sensitive to temperatures. I dont need her screamin about heat coming from the motor. Lol.

Hey Gang, Does anyone here live in or close to State College, Pa? I am looking at a red 2001 Venture on Cycle Trader, and it is at a place called Track N Trail. It doesn't have pictures on the website. Thought I might get an opinion of someone who lives there that could run by and take a gander at it.

Even though the owners manual says 36 in the front and 41 in the back, I always ran 48 in the back with the Metzler because the tire liked that psi.

Thanks for the input so far. The Pirellis were so much less than what I pay for the Metzlers, even if the rear only lasts 6-7K, it won't be an experiment that hurt the pocket book too much. I ran them at 36PSI in the front and 44PSI in the back. The stearing head response makes me worry a little.

Hey Folks, I have a question that maybe some could answer for me. Back in the last week of September, myself and a couple of my friends were going to ride about 3 hours away to attend Bikes Blues and BBQ. The weather for the first couple hours was predicted to be heavy rain, and then clearing. No big deal. The night before we left I was doing a final check of my bike and I noticed my rear tire was way thinner than I had thought, especially considering we were about to run in heavy rain at highway speeds. The next morning I checked with every dealer in town for a new set of Metzler ME880's like I usually run, or even a set of Elite 3's or something. Nobody had those in stock, or they were so backed up in service it was going to be the next day before they could install. So, I made the on the spot decision to have a reputable Suzuki dealer put a set of Pirelli MT66 Route tires on since they could install them right away. I rode the bike for 3 days on that trip and noticed the bike would wiggle when I crossed a seam in the freeway, and if i was at speed in a turn that maybe had some dips in it, the bike wiggles a little. That never happened with the Metzler tires i used before. The question I have is; does anyone know if this is characteristic of this tire, or do I maybe have something else that I might need to look for? My bike is a 2007 RSTD with 38K miles. My wife and I got the bike out yesterday and rode it for 150 miles. That was the first time we had ridden it in a couple months due to a serious surgery she had, and it was doing the wiggle thing. Wasn't dangerous feeling, just annoying.

We have two sets of Bluetooth units. We have a Scala Rider Q2 set, and a Sena SMH10 Dual set. The Sena is our favorite because the sound is considerably better than the Scala, also, they are easier to operate while wearing gloves. The Sena headsets connect to each other faster when you first turn them on. I keep the Scala's as a backup incase the Sena's ever crap out. Having said that, there is a product on the market called UCLEAR that grabs my interest because it is a boomless unit. The microphone is integrated into the ear speaker. Has anyone had any experience with this product?

That......was......awesome! Thanks Bob.

I have thought about replacing my grips with after market, but i always use the end weights as a place to rest my hand so the cruise can move the throttle back and forth. Am I thinking right there. Doesn't the the throttle grip move as the cruise adjusts?

FYI. Excerpt from Hyundai Motor News: Kia Motors is the sister company of Hyundai Motor Co. Hyundai owns a controlling 34 percent stake in Kia. Together, the two brands form the core of the automotive operations of the Hyundai Motor Group, which also includes auto parts companies, such as Hyundai Mobis, and logistics companies, such as Glovis; as well as Hyundai Steel and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Hyundai and Kia vehicles share platforms, powertrains and R&D facilities, to lower costs. Also, a small amount of cross-production occurs between Hyundai and Kia factories. However, Hyundai and Kia are completely separate in terms of management, sales, marketing, advertising, target customers, media relations and design. The Hyundai and Kia design studios are securely separated from each other. Excerpt from CarScoops.com: Hyundai and Kia have a strange, symbiotic relationship. They share factories, parts as well as engineering knowhow and product testing duties. And yet they remain separate entities with their own marketing, distribution and styling departments. Michael Sprague, Kia’s VP for marketing and communication describes their relationships to the New York Times likes this: “Kia Motors America operates as a completely separate sales, marketing and distribution organization in the United States. [Hyundai and Kia share engineering efficiencies] similar in many ways to other global automakers.” Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor echoes those comments:“[Hyundai treats Kia] just like any other competitor in the automotive space.” On the flipside of the equation, the final product decisions for both brands are made by a joint Hyundai-Kia board that meets regularly through the year. And some very similar products – such as the Hyundai Sante Fe and Kia Sorrento – are even produced in the exact same factories. Both carmakers are part of the family-owned Hyundai conglomerate in South Korea, one of the largest such commercial entities in the world. Despite numerous legal challenges from the state government and union, Hyundai / Kia have persevered to become the world’s fifth largest automaker.

Hi Mark, I'm glad you put that question out there. I am on the brink of pulling the trigger to purchase a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe for my wife, and was thinking about asking the folks here about that. Kia and Hyundai are married companies that are making huge splashes in the automotive world providing what appears to be very good quality vehicles that are great looking and are covered with great warranties for super competitive prices. It's hard not to consider their products because they usually are equipped with quite a bit more content than other brands that cost more with less warranty. I have yet to find anybody that I've talked to that have told me they didn't get good service from their Kia or Hynudai. That Optima is a slick looking rig. I say you should go get it for your Honey. LOL.

I'm 50. The first time it happened to me was about 5 years ago. Can't remember exactly the details because that event has BY FAR been trumped by an age defining moment that happened last year. My wife and I were shopping in Walmart. We ran into my 70 year old mother and we all strolled together to the cashier. When we got to the checkout, the cashier said she thought my mom was my wife, and my wife was our daughter!!!!! I'm standing there pissed, but my mom was elated, and my wife was elated. When your are mistaken for your mothers husband and your wife's father. That'll make ya go home and look in the mirror. And my wife is 2 years older than me!!! LOL.

I've had my 2007 Venturette (RSTD) since June of 2008. Bought it as a brand new hold over. The Honey and I love it love it love it. Might just be the best $10,800.00 I've ever spent. Riding the bike together has done nothing short of enhanced our relationship with each other. There's just something special about saddling up together, her putting total trust in me and the machine, and bringing life down to just the road and the scenes. I've had serious notions to change to a Venture, but everytime we take a trip on Red (the RSTD), I always come back to the question, "why"? It has been a phenomenal bike that has never let us down, and it has become part of our family. Who knows. maybe some day.

Isn't the gas tank bigger on the RSV?

No. They were the 2013 998cc ones. That was one of the main reasons I didn't bite, because I'm 6'6" and 300 lbs, and even though my wife is only 5'2" and 130 lbs, I wasn't sure that it would hold up over time. They would be perfect for average sized folks though. They were beautiful. I might be taking a serious gander at the 1300's though.

Eck, That BMW is a sweet bike! Very high tech. My cousin and his wife have one and I have ridden it a few times. It is very comfortable and everything about it feels high end and precise when you're riding it. Super natural feeling on the interstate, but you can tell the bike really wants to attack curves too. It is very cool that when you get to your hotel/campsite you just unlatch the saddlebags and rear trunk and carry them in. I am very tempted with buyng the K1600GTL. The main thing that makes me hesitate is neutral sitting bikes aren't friendly to my knees which have had 6 surgeries on them. I really like feet forward bikes with nice highway pegs so i can stretch my legs if needed after a while on the road. BMW knows how to make motorbikes. They are on the leading edge for sure.

Bob, That is a very cool looking set up. And the reliability history of a GW is of course very solid. However, if you don't buy it, you should now that $32K for a Spyder is way high. I was at the local Can Am dealer here just last week and they have two different brand new Spyder RT Limited versions loaded to the gills with all the chrome and custom luggage on sale for $22,500.00. Just letting you know. But, judging by the excitement in your post, I bet by the time you see this, you will have already written a check for the GW. LOL. Congrats if you have.

You're right about the V-Strom. It is a phenomenal bike. I have two cousins who are brothers. They each own a V-Strom, one owns a 650, the other owns a 1000. Both bikes have been bullet proof for them, and their performance is at the top of the heap in their class. The cousin who owns the 650 has been from one end of this country to the other riding two up with him and his wife on long vacations, and the bike has never given them a bit of trouble. He just turned 100K on the miles. Last year he bought a BMW R1200RT for touring, but he still rides the V-Strom daily to work because he loves it so much. You're correct about it being the 09, 10, 11 European bike of the year, but did you know it was the 09 World Bike of the Year? The folks who own V-Stroms are very passionate about them. They have a website that is very robust and active. Certainly is a very viable option for a second run around bike. And if you get too bored with pavement, you can take it trail riding. LOL.

Mike, When you put it that way, it certainly appears Honda is on the leading edge, doesn't it?

Nemo, Go get it done. I've had two done, and it's a piece of cake. If you leave it the way it is, you will eventually lose the tooth. The next day after you have it done, you will giggle at yourself for ever worrying about it. They need to change the name of the procedure. ROOT CANAL sounds scary. It really isn't.

I would think Yamaha took a long hard look at what happened when Kawasaki heeded the desires of their Voyager lovers and gave them a cool looking redesigned bike, only to see it slowly creep out of the stores. This was a chance for Yammy to see what would happen if another relevant Japanese company took a stab at the touring market with a new bike. I bet it caused them to go hmmmmm about the Venture. And another thing. In my humble and very often not correct opinion, Kawasaki appeared to take a half way approach when they redesigned the Voyager. If Yamaha is going to do that, they might as well not bother. If they are ever going to upgrade the Venture, they need to offer at least the same features that are currently being offered on HD, Victory, Honda, BMW, etc. i.e. Heated grips, heated seats, bluetooth hookup, a GPS option, 6 speed tranny.......... Harley owns 40% of the US motorcycle market, and 60% of the US touring bike market. Yamaha might be looking at it like they aren't willing to invest a large sum of dough to duke it out with Victory, Honda, BMW, Kawasaki, etc, for a small piece of the 40% that HD doesn't have. AND, now that HD has introduced their new water cooled bike, that 60% is only going to grow. But, it doesn't keep us from wishing, does it?

Here is a YouTube link. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgwmuZuJ02I]Nord-Lock Demonstration Video - YouTube[/ame]

Thanks Kevin and Gary for posting the link and the pics. I should've done that. As stated above, these aren't viable cost efficient options in a high volume situation because they would be way more costly than throwing a dab of Loctite on the threads. However, they are perfect options for certain situations that you absolutely do not want a nut or bolt backing out due to vibration, and you also want to be able to remove the nut or bolt without having to use heat or a severe amount of torque. And, you can reuse them, which in the end knocks the cost down a little. They do come in stainless as well as carbon steel. Gary, I also have a few of those bottle opener demo units. They're pretty cool to hand to customers and watch them hand tighten the wing nut, and then try like heck to hand loosen it. They can't believe something they've just hand tightened can't be reversed by hand, they always have to get a wrench or pliers to loosen it. LOL. These are mainly sold by wholesale distributers such as Grainger, MSC, Fastenal, McMaster Carr, etc. However, you can also buy them on Amazon.

I have posted about this before with not very much response. I think folks think I'm joking or something. But, after reading some recent posts about people wondering how to use Loctite and other liquid threadlocker, I thought I would offer this suggestion again. Some of you know that I am a sales rep for Grainger. Grainger is one of the largest sellers of threadlockers in the country. I sell so much Loctite, I keep my Loctite factory rep's number in my contact list in my phone because my customers are always questioning whether they are using it right. People use Loctite and other liquid threadlockers because they've been using them for years and years, and, well, they work, kinda, if you know which one to use. My point of this post is to suggest another alternative that a boat load of my customers are switching to. Everytime I demo this product to a customer and they try it, they immediately stop using liquid threadlockers for most of their serious, can't have a bolt come loose applications. The thing that my customers like most about this product is, to loosen the bolt, all you have to use is a wrench or socket/ratchet. No more fiddling with a torch to heat the threadlocker, or having to put so much torque on a bolt head that your wondering if the head will snap. The name of this product is called Nord-Lock. It is a revolutionary designed lock washer system that is more unique than any lock washer made. Most lock washers have serated teeth or burrs that dig into the flat part of whatever they are applied to with the hope that they will stay dug in enough to not back out under vibration. Well, as we all know, traditional lock washers are horrible under vibration environments. The Nord-Lock system is a double washer application that has small cams between the washers, and for it to loosen, it has to climb those cams, and that becomes a physical impossibilty. So, the bolt stays as tight as you apply it for as long as you want it to until you want to loosen it. You do that by apply strong pressure with a wrench. You can use the same washers over and over with the same performance. I stumbled across this product at a tradeshow that Grainger holds each year for us sellers to attend in Orlando so we can learn more about the products that are offered in our catalog. Nord-Lock was doing live demonstrations showing how normal lock washers back off under vibration, and how threadlockers can do the same in high heat environments. Not to mention the mess of using threadlockers, which one to use, and the heat neated to release them. I have bunches of customers that use these washers to hold all kinds of vibrating motors in place in their factories and facilities. They absolutely love them. I have a little demo kit that i carry with me. All it is is a hand held metal plate with a threaded stud sticking out of it, and a wing nut that you screw down onto the stud. You put a Nord-Lock double washer on the stud and hand tighten the wingnut down. You WILL NOT, I repeat, WILL NOT be able to hand loosen it. You have to get a pair of pliers to get the wing nut off. Thats how good they work. So, you can imagine how strong they are when you actually tighten a bolt or nut down with a wrench using strong torque. I know it's not a perfect application for all places on a motorcycle. Some places you don't want to see a washer between the bolt head and the surface it's bolted to. But, you might try using it in an area that asthetics doesn't come into play. Anyway, just a suggestion. Maybe if y'all are interested, my next subject will be about an alternative to v-belts on fan motors. LOL.

Christmas day last year we had an extremely rare 12" snowfall here in Little Rock. Locked the whole city down for several days. We didn't have electricity for 5 days. Anyway, on the second day I was outside scraping snow off of my vehicles when I heard a motorized vehicle coming down the street of our subdivision. I almost didn't look at it because I thought it was just an ATV. Everyone and their grandmother has a 4 wheeler/ATV down here. Your status down here is often judged by how nice your truck is, and how expensive your ATV is. So, I glance over at it, and it is a dude riding down my subdivision street in Little Rock, Arkansas on a freakin SNOWMOBILE!!!! He might as well have been an alien on a spaceship. After I stopped him to take a gander, he said he was from Minnesota and had brought it down when he moved for a job down here. He said he could hardly make it very far in the neighborhood because people were stopping him wanting to see this contraption called a snowmobile. LOL. I swear, about an hour after he left, a dude came down my street on a pair of snow ski's. Ski poles and all. Kinda felt like I was losing my mind or something. Love it when the Northerner's come down and bring their fancy stuff for us to gawk at.