If the saddle bags are not locked, remove one of their locks and take it to a lock smith. Have a key made to fit the lock. That should work the gas cap.
Good luck.
Mike
If you want to get a little faster response out of your venture the V-Max rear end swap may be for you. I have done it on both of the Ventures I have owned and my feeling is it really improves the performance. Surprisingly there seems to be no resultant loss of fuel economy. Just a big gain in acceleration and wow factor. You can find information on it in the tech section. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?13266-VMAX-Rear-End-Swap.
Mike
Premium high octane fuel burns slower than regular fuel. It is also harder to ignite (anti knock). Many small engines like lawn mowers and chain saws will not run on high octane fuel. Just use regular and don't worry about it. I also do not like very high alcohol fuel because of possible damage to rubber components but ordinary regular is generally ok.
Be sure to use fresh fuel at the start of the season. A lot of water can be in the tank after sitting over the winter.
Mike
There could be a bit of a problem. These bikes use a keep alive voltage for the computer. That circuit can cause your light to be on. Even with the key off. Depending on the light. The best way to check for a drain is with a DVOM. Use the milliamp circuit. A draw under 25mA is ok. Over 75mA is bad. Just be careful. It is very easy to blow the DVOM milliamp fuse. When in the milliamp function do not use the meter like a volt or ohm mater. When in any amp function the meter is a dead short. So only test pos to pos or neg to neg parts of the circuit. That is called 'in line' testing. I recommend the negative lead to the battery negative and the positive lead to the disconnected negative cable. Start on the 10 amp scale and work your way down to the milliamp scale. There are a few other issues that could crop up but try this first.
Mike
I was thinking. When the new Venture comes out I will trade in my 2010. Now that the new Venture is here and I have seen the specs I will keep the one I have. Perhaps in a few years I will look at a Honda.
Mike
If you want more umph. In the tech section is an article on changing the rear end gear ratio to the v-max gears. I have done it and like the added torque.
Mike
If they balk remind them. "Sirs when I am on the freeway in the fast lane in traffic doing 70mph and the bike quits running. Free towing is not the first thing that comes to mind".
Mike
V-Twin; V-4. This or that. Good features or bad. It really doesn't matter. The only thing that counts is "will I plunk down MY money for it?" This new bike has a lot of features on it. But not the ones I want. So the answer is no. Good as it may be I will not spend my money on it.
Mike
Unlike grease which can't be mixed. All automotive engine oils must be able to be mixed with all others. It is a legal requirement. Otherwise how could you ever top off your oil when on the road. Mixing 5w-40 with 0w-40 will not hurt except the flow will not be at the 0 level. Same goes for single grade vs multi grade. Synthetic and non-synthetic is more of a stretch and I certainly do not recommend it. But if it happens your engine will not explode over it. That said the Yamaha venture V-4 seems to be very sensitive to the oil used in it as far as noise is concerned.
Mike
I agree. This new bike is not for me. I have been patiently waiting and now that it is here I am not impressed. A crappy belt driven V-Twin instead of the tried and true shaft drive V-4 is not anything to brag about. Just Yamaha knowing what the customer is looking for and building something else. Oh and in case they missed it Everyone has electronics now days. Including Blue Tooth.
Mike
I generally open the bleeder as you did. Reinstall the brake pad and press the piston in with a cheapo steering wheel puller.
The side clearance on the piston is very small and it is extremely easy to get it cocked in the bore. Then it will not move.
Mike