V7Goose

3,000 RPM in 5th gear is 70 MPH - that is about the slowest you want to be going in overdrive if you grab a big handful of throttle. 50 in top gear is OK for easy cruising, but not acceleration. For even moderate acceleration in 5th you want to be doing at least 60. If I was gonna hammer it at 50, I'd be in third! That bike has a rev limiter that hits at 6,500 RPM, so you can't hurt the engine by just rapping it out to the max. Until you have hit the limiter in second and third gear, you don't have any idea what the bike can do. Make sure you have some open road when you try it - you'll be over 90 in third before you feel it falter. Goose

The stock clutch spring is a single flat spring - the PCW replacement is thicker and stronger and uses the stock pressure plate. The Barnett pressure plate is pretty, uses new coil springs, and costs a lot more. Since the pretty goes away as soon as you put the case cover back on, there doesn't seem to be much benefit to me. You can read my write-up on the PCW kit here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22927&highlight=clutch Goose

You can buy either straight ABS cement or the combo PVC/CPVC/ABS stuff; they both work. If I was buying something new just for this fix, it would be the straight ABS cement, but I normally just use the combo cement since I always have it around. Make certain the cement is fresh and thin - an old can that has gotten a little gooey will not have enough solvent capacity to properly melt the plastic. Goose

A lot of people here will immediately say to use max sidewall pressure. My personal testing has shown that to be dead wrong. The RSV handles somewhat skittishly in sweepers with rough road conditions if the tires are a tad too hard. This has been true with two different RSVs and 4 different tire types. My preference with the Venoms is to run 46 rear, 40 front, depending on load. 48 rear is absolute max for best handling when heavily loaded on rough roads. Sidewall max of 50 on the rear is NOT good. Goose

This is not uncommon - it often starts 6 months to a year before the shock dies, and it is especially common on cold mornings. If you don't already know, the rear shock is a major weak point on this bike, often going out as early as 7,000 - 10,000 miles. It has been modified twice on the second gen with little improvement. My first one died around 17,000 miles, but the replacement is still working at 54,000, despite some honking on cold mornings for the past year. Just ride it and keep an eye out for any sign of oil on the bottom of the shock. When you see that, take it in for free replacement. Goose

First, I believe the part should be replaced by Yamahaha - any decent dealer will take care of it - a lousy one will give you static. I had one of my lower fairings replaced under warranty for cracking. My dealer, a good one, simply looked at it to ensure there was no sign that it had been hit by anything, then ordered the new one. If you decide to repair it yourself, an ABS cement (available in the plumbing section), when applied properly, will weld the pieces back together and produce a repair every bit as strong as the original. I would also use the purple primer in advance of the cement. You need to ensure the pieces fit together perfectly, as the cement will not fill gaps with any strength - it only works by melting the plastic pieces together, but use plenty of it to ensure a deep melt and mix of the plastic edges. Also, be certain to let the part cure for at least 24 hours with some heat near it, such as in strong sunlight or near a fire or stove. All trace of the solvent must be absolutely gone from the plastic for it to regain it's former strength. As evidence that I know what I am talking about here, I'll describe several similar repairs I have made to RSV parts. I discovered one of the mounting tabs for the lower fairing snapped off while I was on a trip (so not feasible to take it back to my shop and wait for a replacement part). I repaired it as described and let it cure next to an iron stove over night - the repair was so good I never did take it in for replacement. Next, after I wrecked the 05 last year, I performed several repairs on broken ABS parts that I replaced as proof of the effectiveness. One part I did NOT expect to be repairable, but I tried anyway and was pleasantly surprised. Both ends of the chrome strip at the base of the windshield were snapped completely off. I didn't think this would be repairable with a solvent cement due to the chrome coating, but as it was stamped as ABS plastic, I tried anyway. Not only are the ends now reattached and seem as strong as the original part, but the joint of the broken pieces is not overly noticeable even on the outside chrome part! Just for the heck of it, even though I already had a new part, I mounted the repaired one and rode with it for a couple of months just to prove the repair was strong enough. The bottom line is that the strongest joint of any two pieces of the same material is a weld, where the two pieces are physically melted together. Most welding uses a filler rod of the same material to add material and fill any gaps. Plastic welding with heat and rods does this just like metal welding. Plastic welding with solvents can do the same thing if you have additional plastic material of the same type, such as shavings or pellets. When just using a solvent alone, such as the plumbing cement, the two pieces must be a perfect fit to enable the original pieces to fully melt together. The only drawback to this method (solvent alone) is that the repaired piece can be slightly shorter or smaller than the original due to the melting of the plastic and slight bulge created as they are pushed together. In most applications, this is not a problem. Goose BTW - I believe all plastic body parts on the RSV are ABS plastic, and they all have "ABS" clearly molded into the inside surface somewhere that shows this (just look inside your saddlebag lid).

Interesting decision - that was a sweet deal if the bike had never been down. I recently sold a 2007 blue/black with 13,000 on the clock for $13,800. Yeah, it had a few extras on it, and MY magic touch , but sure makes $11,000 at 500 miles look pretty sweet! Goose

Yes, I am quite serious. Just order the tires from SW Moto Tires and have them shipped to my address (sending PM with info) - they'll probably be here by Wednesday with standard free shipping. I love to help members here - looking forward to meeting you! Ride Safe, Goose Oh, BTW - I almost forgot the most important thing - don't forget to bring some beer! I don't charge friends to help out with this stuff, but I do like a cold one (or two) when getting hot and dirty and bench racing with friends.

Glad you had a good ride! Maybe we can go up there together some time - I know a bunch of those roads REALLY well. Anyway, the tire noise you have is coming from the REAR, not the front. At 6,000 miles that crap tire is almost dead anyway, so dump it quick. You will find a FANTASTIC handling improvement from an Avon Venom on the rear, even with that ugly extra-wide stock Brickstone on the front. You have lots of life left in that front tire, and it really behaves OK with a Venom on the rear, so my suggestion is to save a few bucks and ride it out. However, you can't go wrong with a matched set, so if you do decide to change them both, hold onto that front for a few days and I'll ride down and bring it home for a spare. Alternatively, just ride up here and we'll change the tires for you at no cost! Ride safe, Goose

Well, as you have seen, short life on stock rear pads is not uncommon on these bikes. I primarily use my front brakes, often not even touching the rear until completely stopped. My original rear pads were shot by 12,000 miles. The second set, EBC pads, lasted over 30,000 miles and didn't really need to be changed when I finally did it just as a precaution. Have well over 50,000 on the bike now and stock front pads still going fine. Goose

You have a vacuum leak somewhere. Either you disconnected a hose and didn't get it back, jostled the carbs a bit loose on the manifolds, or it is just coincidence that the vacuum caps started leaking bad at this time. Frankly, unless you have changed them, they are way past due to leak bad on an 05. Goose

Published sizes on the trunk and bags is smaller than the RSV - that is a BIG no-no as far as I am concerned. Goose

Most likely cause is your rear tire. You didn't state brand, size or condition of your tires. Goose

You don't even have to register. Anyone can download the correct manual for any specific year of RSV after 1999. Goose

This is absolutely correct. AFAIK, the problem is only when the CB is on, and most of us really don't hit the horn all that often. Now you know it is normal, so it really shouldn't be that big a deal for you unless you use the horn every couple of minutes! Goose

$12,000 is not a bad price, depending on what is on it. But you REALLY need to do an extended test ride - at least 20 miles in different conditions (50 would be better). Leave the radio off. If it has an annoying whine, you will know it by the time you are done. Only a relatively few RSVs have the whine, so if you are happy with the way it sounds after that ride, there is absolutely no worry about it. Make certain it does NOT have either Metzeler or Brickstone tires! Any other tire is fine. During your ride, make sure you briefly take both hands off the bars at various times - the RSV does NOT shake or wobble unless it has bad tires or something wrong. If you detect any motion at all in the bars prior to them mounting a new front tire, make the stipulation that the deal will be off if you detect anything after the new tire is mounted. That is about everything I can think of now. Obviously you will have them fix anything you find in the test ride. You already mentioned the valves and steering head - Those are absolutely required by 30,000 miles. You need to make sure they actually repack the bearings, not just "check" them. Same with the swingarm bearings. Not sure how you can verify that unless you ask them to show you the bearings while they have it apart. You shouldn't have to worry about a good dealer, but a shyster will do nothing and say they did just to sell the bike as cheaply as they can. Goose

Just like Jimbob5 said, not everybody likes the same thing. Personally, I have absolutely NO use at all for sport tourer styling. When I buy a touring bike, it is because I want to TOUR. For me, that means it must be comfortable for someone over 6', it must have room to change positions, and it must have room for my stuff as well as just me. Yamaha already sells the FJR, so why would they want to introduce another bike with similar styling and drop the classic touring market? To me, that would be even dumber than not updating or advertising the RSV for 10 years. I'm going to have to see the new Kaw in person and watch rider reports for a year or two before I can decide if I am really interested. I thought the first mystery picture we posted here a few weeks ago was quite ugly, but the many different views of the new bike on Kawasaki's site seem pretty attractive. I have a lot of other concerns about the bike, but only time will tell if any might be valid. But it is sure good to see Kawasaki going back after the big tourer market after dropping the Voyager a few years ago. That kind of competition can only be good for those of us who are primarily interested in that kind of bike. I just hope that the new Voyager turns out to be the ideal modern tourer, or that Yamaha introduces the right updates for the Venture soon, as there is no other currently available bike that holds any interest for me! Goose

You are absolutely correct, as that is a chemical fact about the fuels. However, the difference if energy is not huge, and since gasohol is only 10% ethanol, that difference is even smaller. It is quite possible that many riders would never notice the difference without very careful calculations and absolute care in ensuring that the bike is filled identically every time. I still hate the crud, and I do usually detect the difference, but it is not surprising that others don't. Goose

I agree that proper tongue weight is important, but I feel that 40 lbs on the bike is way too much. I haven't actually measured mine with a scale, but I believe I keep it much closer to 20 lbs. Just my thoughts, but I won't claim to be an expert on bike trailers or towing. Goose

Yup, you found them, alright. I see that you still have the vacuum hoses attached that activate the AIS valve too (on each side there is one cap and one hose). For testing purposes, you should pull those hoses and cap all four ports with new caps and spring clips. If you still have popping, I would then get some high temp RTV gasket goop (basically just a type of silicone) and cover all the open edges of the muffler joints, including the slits and around the end. This is only for testing; I know it will get all over the chrome, but it can be scraped off later without damaging anything, and that is the only way I would be CERTAIN that all leaks there were stopped. Just for good measure I would also pull the Y pipes and seal the two crimp points on both of them with JB Weld. If you STILL have popping after that, I would find wherever you disconnected the hoses to the AIS induction ports on the heads and cover the plug and end of the hose in the same RTV. Again, that would only be for testing, as I would personally hook it all back up after I sorted out the problems, but coating the plug with RTV silicone would make absolutely certain no air was getting in. Finally, if you STILL have any popping, I would have to focus on other vacuum leaks and possible problems with fuel mixture or ignition. Other vacuum leaks are easy to detect just by spraying carb cleaner all around the intake manifold on each cylinder while the bike is idling, paying particular attention to the joints between the manifolds and the carb and cylinder head. Any change in engine speed or sound will show there is a leak. If you can't find anything there, change the plugs and have a shop use an exhaust gas analyzer to properly set the mixture on each carb and then do a careful sync. If after all of that you still have the problem, I would have to assume your mufflers are just complete garbage and toss them in the can! Actually, I would just put the stock pipes back on without touching anything else for the final test to prove it was the new pipes causing the problem. Of course you can change the order of those tests if you want. I was simply listing them in the order that I think will likely find the problem the fastest. Good luck! Goose

Sorry, I don't have any picture available right now. Look at the intake manifolds between the front and back carbs on both sides. Each manifold has a brass nipple - one is capped with a rubber cover, the other one on each side has a vacuum hose going to the AIS valve to cause it to close during high vacuum (when the throttle is closed). The stock rubber caps are very large and thick, but do not let this fool you into thinking that they must be high quality and robust; in my experience, they WILL leak in two years max. I actually replaced one of mine with a stock cap just 14 months ago and it started popping this week! I simply reached down and pulled it out slightly to cause the ridge on the nipple to push on a tighter part of the cap and it stopped, but that will only last about a month or two. I don't recommend buying new caps from Yamahaha because they are so poor. Instead, just pull one off and go to any auto parts store and find new caps to fit the same size port. These will be MUCH smaller/thinner than the Yamahaha part, so you will also need to pick up new spring clips, but even then it will cost you less than buying them from the dealer. You said you plugged the AIS, but your reply makes me wonder what you did with the two vacuum hoses? If they are no longer being used, you need to cap those ports also. Finally, if any air at all is getting into the AIS lines running to each exhaust port, you will NEVER stop the popping - that is why the AIS valve is designed to make sure those lines are closed during the times when unburned hydrocarbons are typically high in the exhaust system. I don't want to preach, but I have to add this at least once - injecting fresh air into the hot exhaust is an important and extremely simple way to dramatically reduce the smog producing exhaust emissions, and these bikes will run perfectly without any popping if they are set up correctly. By properly fixing the problem, not only will all of our air be cleaner, but the bike will run better too! Here is a cut/paste from an older thread where I already shared some of the details: Inducting air into the exhaust system is to cause the unburned hydrocarbons (gas) to burn before they are blown out of the tail pipe. Just for further explanation, the only difference between a car's air injection system and our air induction system is a smog pump. Our system is passive, with the air just being sucked into the header pipe from the exhaust gasses rushing by the induction ports. Hydrocarbons: this class is made up of unburned or partially burned fuel, and is a major contributor to urban smog, as well as being toxic. They can cause liver damage and even cancer. The AIS reduces the products of incomplete combustion (hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide) by inducting fresh air into the exhaust manifolds of the engine. In the presence of this oxygen-laden air, further combustion occurs in the manifold and exhaust pipe. The popping we hear is an afterfire, not a backfire (backfire is an explosion through the intake tract or carburetor). The purpose of the AIS valve is to STOP the afterfire caused by the oxygen inducted into the exhaust manifold when the accumulation of unburned gas is too great. When the intake vacuum suddenly increases from snapping the throttle shut, that causes the valve to close, stopping the air from being inducted into the exhaust system, and STOPPING an afterfire at that time. So now the question is why the unburned gas in the exhaust is sometimes so high that we get an afterfire while the AIS valve is in the normally open position? This is caused by incomplete combustion of all the gas sucked into the cylinder. The incomplete combustion can be from multiple causes, including too lean condition (caused by that intake vacuum leak I keep yelling about), fouled plugs, unbalanced carburetors, or faulty ignition system. ALL of those things are bad, and that is why I keep saying that it is more important to fix the real cause of the afterfire than to just hide it by stopping the air induction. I hope that explanation helps. Goose Oh, one more thought for gp - those four slots in the front of a muffler are more than enough to cause the popping; they are actually are bigger than the common leak in the stock Y pipe that is just a couple of inches forward in the exhaust. Fixing vacuum leaks will reduce the popping, but fixing both vacuum and exhaust leaks will be necessary to eliminate it.

For those of you who continue to have popping on decel, please re-read my post. If you have caps on your vacuum ports from Yamahaha over two years old, you DO, ABSOLUTELY DO, have at least two vacuum leaks! Trust me on this. I have taken the caps off and shown them to owners who have sworn to me they were certain that the caps were perfect. And to compound the problem, even if they aren't cracked, the rubber gets kinda hard and will leak around the nipple. And if you still have the vacuum lines on two of the ports, I believe you have about a 50% chance of having at least one of them with a small hole cut in the rubber near the end of the nipple from someone trying to pull them off with pliers. You can't see those holes unless you pull off the line and bend it. Start with the easy stuff! Goose

The afterfire is caused by excess fuel in the exhaust system that combines with fresh air and burns - do a search for old posts by me for a lot more detail I won't go into here. The AIS, provided it is working correctly, will NEVER cause an afterfire - in fact, it is specifically designed to PREVENT popping on decel. So, while plugging the AIS helps on some bikes, it in fact only MASKS the real problem, never fixing it. Most likely your real problem is vacuum leaks from bad caps on the intake nipples - if you have a problem here, NOTHING is going to stop popping on deceleration (at least not anything you are remotely likely to try). You may also have leaks at the Y joints in the headers (common Yamahaha problem), leaks where the new mufflers mount if you did not use proper gaskets, or those pipes might simply be too "open" to the atmosphere, kinda like straight pipes are. It is unlikely that enough fresh air can get sucked in from the end of the muffler, but possible. I'd focus on the Y joint or muffler gasket. Bottom line is that the afterfire is caused by two things together - too many unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust (running too lean, bad plugs, etc. etc.) AND fresh air to supply the oxygen needed for it to spontaneously combust in the pipe. Fixing either will solve the problem, but you really should fix both. Goose

Grease on the ball is mostly a matter of personal choice - it is a moving part, but the fit is very loose, so little chance of it actually binding up. If the ball is chrome and in good shape, I probably would leave it dry, but if old, nasty and rust (like mine), I'd lube it. Now on to the wires - First, NEVER rely on the ball to create the ground circuit. Unfortunately, that means your bike either needs a 5-way plug (tail, brake, LT, RT, ground), or you need an adapter to convert the separate turn signal wires to a 4-way circuit that causes one of the brake lights to flash instead of a separate turn signal bulb. Goose

Well, unless you or someone else added it, there ain't one! And if you did add one, I can't even guess where you might have put it. Sorry. Goose