MikeWa

Ok due to my activities over the last couple of weeks I have misplaced my service manual. Last place I for sure saw it was in The Dalles. So this is from memory. There is a white rectangular plug under the fairing. Perhaps 24 pin. The speakers are routed through this plug not the round ones. Make sure it is fully seated. Mike

The v-max only gives you a 10% increase in rpm at any given speed. But that 10% makes a big difference in horsepower and torque. If you have it keep it. If not there is an article in the tech section on how to get one. When I first got my Venture I experienced a big disconnect between the sound of the engine, rpm sound, and what the engine was actually doing. I suppose time would have healed this but I cleared it up by making the mufflers a little louder. Made everything right with the world. To find out if you have the v-max just nail it in first gear. Take it out until it sputters from the rev limiter and check your speed. Right at 30 v-max & stock module. Over thirty not v-max or not stock module. Do it again in second gear. Sputters right at 60 = v-max and stock module. Over 60 not v-max or not stock module. If you come up with a not v-max or not stock module you will need a tachometer to determine which. But still easy to do. Mike

If your bike is stock. 1st gear will hit the rev limiter at around 33-35mph. Second gear will hit it at 66-70 mph. Third will top out at 99-103 mph. 4th & 5th gears ??? If you have the v-max gears 1st gear will hit the rev limiter at 30 mph and 2nd will hit it at 60 and third at 90 mph. 4th and 5th gears ??? (I believe the v-max is a very positive mod if you have it keep it as it provides more power at any given speed) If you have an after market module the rev limiter may be very different. You will need a tach to find out what is going on. Also if your clutch is slipping you may be getting high revs in 5th gear. Welcome to the forum and good luck with your new bike. Mike

Very sorry to hear that. Mike

That is true. I could not have been in better hands. I cannot say enough good things about everyone I was riding with. They all went way above and beyond. Mike

She did not stay at the scene. As she passed the riders who cleared the intersection before me she did tell them there was a bike down back on top of the hill. Of course at the time they didn't know she or the car was involved. Mike

Funds sent. Mike

Does she have an e-mail where I can just do a PayPal. Mike

I finally posted about my crash. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=850240#post850240 Mike

This narrative is as I remember it. Some areas are a bit cloudy but I think this is pretty close. It was Saturday and riders were gathering for last day rides at Venture West. I joined a small group heading for the Fish Hatchery, Multnomah Falls and a return along the Scenic Old Columbia Gorge Highway (Hwy 30). I was really looking foreword to the twisties on the old road and was glad I had been asked to join this group. Among the riders were Lisa, Pauline, Lin, Tom, BikerJohn and me. As we left The Dalles and headed west on I-84 the day presented warm sunny weather. Perfect for riding. Our first stop was the Fish Hatchery. After a visit to the gift shop Tom and I reminisced a bit about the old days in Nam while the rest of the troop went to check on fish being spawned. Then it was on to Troutdale where we would pick up the old highway and head back east. We passed through a small old town type shopping district and then started up hill to intersect the hwy. As we approached Hwy 30 there was a small detour through some side streets. This small two lane road was paved and in good condition. Near the top of the hill we came to an intersection. Also a two lane road. As I recall the road we were on ended here. So it was a three way stop with signs not a light. Uphill for us and back down hill for the intersecting street. The road was also heavily banked to our right. Two bikes in front of me had cleared the intersection. So after stopping at the sign I started to make my right hand turn. As I entered the intersection I saw a small red car accelerating in front of me on a collision course from my left. I don't know about time slowing down but I sure passed a lot of options through my mind in less than a micro second. Instinct told me if I continued on my current path I would be hit about midway on my left side. It just would not be possible for me to accelerate out of the way in time. If I tried to brake I would be hit somewhere in the fork area. I decided a glancing blow would be better than a direct hit. So I jammed the steering as hard to the right as I could and locked the brakes. My thought was if I could stop the front end and transfer some of my momentum to the rear end maybe I would live through this encounter. Remember I was not traveling very fast as I was still pulling away from the stop sign. I can still see the red car going past my front wheel as my bike skidded sideways. I think the clearance was less than two inches. I can still see the lady driver looking at me across her car through the passengers window. Throughout this incident there was no doubt I was going down. But somehow the car had missed me. The bike was skidding to a stop. As I put my right foot down hoping to help ease the bike to the ground I found nothing but air. The same bank of the road that had helped slow the bike and helped me miss the car was now taking payback. As the bike came to a halt it flipped to the right. I have laid my bike down in the past with very little damage. But nothing prepared me for the violence of this. It felt as though someone had grabbed a rag doll by the legs and just slammed it's head on the asphalt. Me being the rag doll. As I felt my shoulder give and the concussion to the side of my head I remember thinking "I sure am glad I am wearing this helmet". I could feel every piece of the inner lining being pressed into my head. I could feel the outer casing flex and absorb the impact. Then it was over. I could hear Pauline calling "rider down, rider down" over the CB radio. At first I could not move. I just lay there stunned by the violence of the impact. As the other riders came to my assistance I began to move my toes and fingers. I was actually surprised when they seemed to work. I was able to get up although Lin was very much against this. I will admit I was very sore. Especially my right shoulder. But I was up, awake and walking. Life is good. We decided to move my bike from the middle of the street. I wanted to help pick it up but Tom and John were insistent that I not do so. I tried anyway and that is when I knew I had some serious damage. I could not lift with my right hand. Some pieces of bone were visibly sticking up in my shoulder. Lin got a sling from somewheres and immobilized my shoulder. She actually did better than the ER did later. Once up the bike didn't look so bad. So I wanted to ride down the hill and find a DQ or something where I could recuperate and then we could finish our trip. Thankfully none of the others were going to allow this to happen. As we stood there my pain level was increasing dramatically and I was beginning to feel very faint. I ended up sitting on a utility box of some sort until the EMTs arrived. Then it was off to the ER for me. Pauline and the rest of the group made sure my bike got taken care of. Steve and Lisa ended up giving me a ride back to Seattle on Sunday. Every one of these guys has stayed in touch with me to make sure I was healing ok. And I am doing very well. Thanks for caring to all who were concerned. I have replaced the bike with a 2010 Venture and expect to be riding again in the not to distant future. The red car did not stop. I do not know why she ran the stop sign. Before I started my turn she was slowing as though to stop. Did she do a Hollywood stop and just not see me? Was she texting or some such thing? Did she actually try to hit me? I don't know and no longer care. She is forgiven. Mike [ATTACH]85721[/ATTACH]

No sale. Mike

Thanks John same to you. Mike

I agree Mike. That's what I offered them $1500. But no deal. In a way it is a relief. I don't have another project which I don't really want anyway. And later I won't have to look back and say woulda, coulda, shoulda. $2500 plus maybe $3000 in parts plus labor and a salvage title just doesn't work for me. I asked them about a clean title and they said no. So who would pay $5k or 6k for an 08 with a salvage title. Even if I parted it out there would be very little profit for a lot of work. So it is off to the bone yard for this puppy. Mike

Yes it was an S but so is the 10. I will just make sure I get my cup holders etc. etc. Mike

Ok I have both bikes in my back yard and I am swapping out some safety chrome. But now that I can finally move around a little bit I don't see the main reasons they said they totaled the bike for. The steering stops are not sheered off. In fact the steering seems fine to me. At least on the jack in the back yard. The stops are there and the stop points match the replacement bike. I also can't see where the frame is bent either. But that could just be my limited mobility. I do see a damaged front fairing. Sand and repaint R-side or replace. (I have matching paint) The trunk is bashed in and needs replaced. Front engine guards are bent. Lower fairing is damaged. Possibly inner and outer. Passing lights are banged up. But they can just be removed. A lot of the safety chrome sustained damage but now that it is removed the bike looks pretty good. Allstate wants $2500 salvage. If I shop for parts and repaint myself I might be able to get by with $3000 in parts. The bike already has new tires and brakes etc. So the question begs is a 2008 with a salvage title worth more than $5500? What would you do?

Did somebody mention Ice Cream? Mike

Remove the gas cap and see if it runs ok. You may have a plugged vent hose. Mike

OH Ok ... So you are supposed to stop then sleep. I got it. Mike

+1 check the battery and charging. Mike

Fresh gravel is very scary. Glad you guys made it ok. Mike

IronMike It is currently in my back yard. Near SeaTac airport. Allstate insurance will be picking it up from Auburn WA on Friday. Mike

I purchased a 2010. Right now I have both bikes in the back yard so I can transfer the bling. That is very hard to do one handed. Looking at my old bike, it doesn't look that bad. I would not have guessed it would be totaled. Of course repairing the steering stop is a major job. I am not going to fret over it. I will just swap over my chrome & extras and be done with it. I ended up even money. What I got for my 08 paid for the 10. Mike

Yes but it was more of a flipping over than tipping. So the bike hit pretty hard. I think the big thing was it bent the frame and forks and sheared off the steering stop. Mike

I haven't started a thread about my accident yet. I have posted some info on a couple of other threads. As soon as I get some issues resolved i will post a fresh thread. Mike

Yes I have been looking at your post. I just have a very hard time traveling cross country right now. So I am hoping to find something closer to home. Mike