V7Goose

OK, who wants to get together in the Dallas/Fort Worth area sometime in January to check float levels and/or valves? I already have one guy who is interested, but we have not set a date yet - if there are two or three others, maybe we can find a date that works for everyone? Let me know if you are interested, Goose Another offer: If you just want someone to do the work, instead of learning how to do it yourself, I'll do that too. I'll set floats and idle mixture for $150, valves for $300, or both together with new plugs for $375 (plus any parts needed, such as gaskets).

I've never had any trouble starting my RSV all year long. Fires right up, even down as low as 14F (probably the coldest I have had it in North Texas). Five years old, 80,000 miles, and still with the original battery. And it shouldn't idle slow on full choke at all - something not quite right there. I'd blame that on the car tire. Goose Oh, I also never had a problem starting any of the Guzzis in Omaha, even at -20F, but I doubt if it does much good to compare an ancient air cooled twin to a merely old water cooled four!

Geeze - 71 replies to this topic, who woulda thought? And I ain't gonna read any of them. The answer is so easy . . . Whatever somebody insists on MUST be wrong, so do it the other way! I may have a preference, but whenever someone makes a religion out of a point, there is no doubt in my mind that they have to be wrong. Goose

Problems like that are not uncommon on this bike, and there are two main causes. First, several people have already commented on the potential fix of re-seating all the plugs and using dielectric grease on the pins. I have personally seen similar radio problems on several RSVs caused by this exact issue - surface oxidation on the plug contacts that can be solved by unplugging/replugging the connections and further prevented by the use of dielectric grease. If you notice the problems are worse when the temperatures are very low, then it is almost certainly this problem. But your description also sounds very similar (though not exact) to what I have labeled as a design flaw in the radios. The problem from this design flaw ONLY happens if you have both the radio and CB on at the same time when you shut off the ignition. When you turn it back on, a timing issue in the two units powering up will sometimes cause the control head to stop functioning properly. The exact symptom that I have duplicated on at least four Ventures is that all buttons will be non-functional, and while in normal radio mode, the volume control will ONLY adjust the CB volume (indicated by a "c" in the display when changing the volume) - of course it should not be possible to change the CB volume when the display is showing normal radio, but that is what happens. This problem can only be fixed by momentarily turning off EITHER radio, then turning it back on, after which all is fine. Because it is an intermittent problem, and there is absolutely NO indication that it is even happening unless you just happen to try to adjust the volume or use one of the other control buttons at some point after you have restarted the bike (perhaps hundreds of miles later), it is possible you have experienced this and never even known it. It took me about three years to finally observe and test enough things to be able to isolate the symptoms and causes as described above, and that was only possible because I do so much touring and use both radios together a lot of the time I am on the road. And because it is an intermittent problem, it is almost impossible to reproduce in such a way as to have it properly documented with your dealer. And even if they could see it and agree to it, if it is actually a design flaw as I maintain, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that either they or Yamaha can reasonably do to fix it. Yes, Yamaha should have sorted that out many years ago, but it just ain't gonna happen now on a 10-year-old design. Now that I know what it is, I find it only a minor annoyance to briefly turn off one of the radios when I noticer the issue. Hope that helps, Goose

Not on the bike, but still having fun . . . Just settled in at the resort in Cabo San Lucas - got some adult beverage goin' and some snacks - weather is just fantabulous. Be thinkin' 'bout all y'all for the next two weeks! Stay warm, Goose

FYI - You do NOT need new friction plates - just the upgrade kit with a new spring and one fiction plate to replace the weenie half-plate and wave washer in the back of the stack. See older posts on this subject if you need more info. Goose

The comment about the Venture feeling vague in the twisties and hating mid-corner bumps is only partially accurate. As with so many other things, this is an issue with someone riding a stock machine the way it comes off the floor compared to a rider that knows the bike and has set it up properly. One potential issue is that it is extremely common for the steering head bearings to need tightening on a new Venture. In fact, I'd bet that the vast majority should have the steering bearings adjusted before 5,000 miles. Of course, I have no way of knowing if this was an issue with their test bike. Another possible issue is the air in the front forks. It is critical that this bike have EXACTLY EVEN PRESSURE in both forks - Yamahaha did the bike and us a disservice by not having a balance line on it. And since the fork volume is so small, and the proper pressure setting so low, it is totally impossible to get them set evenly without a proper pump/gauge with a zero-loss chuck. Of course, I also have no way of knowing if this was an issue with their test bike, but it is still something else to consider when reading their comments. But by far the biggest issue that will affect the handling is the tires. If their test bike had stock Brickstone tires, it would be impossible for them to think the bike handled really well under ANY circumstances. In fact, an experienced rider with many machines to compare would only find the Venture with stock Brickstone tires barely adequate under the best of conditions! Edit: I note from the picture that their test bike had the Dunlop D404 front tire, not the Brickstone. I will absolutely agree that this bike is sensitive to mid-corner bumps, but that can be completely solved with a combination of good tires (I'm partial to either the Avon Venoms or Dunlop E3s) AND the correct tire pressure (in conjunction with correct shock pressures for the load). As an example, I have found that both of my Ventures have been extremely stable with Avon Venom tires and about 46 lbs in the rear tire (max on that tire is 50). But with anything over 48 lbs or under 42 lbs in the rear tire, you get a feel like the frame is flexing on bumps in long sweepers, and this is especially noticeable when the bike is heavily loaded. But with the tires at the proper pressure, this issue is completely resolved. Well, that about sums up my comments on their review. There was only one of the riders that was even moderately tall, so I can't expect them to be impressed with some of the same things I am. I didn't think they were all that harsh on the bike, but a little real-world experience with it, some discussion with some of us that actually know this bike and a better understanding of touring issues would probably have changed some opinions. Goose

Wally, thanx for posting the link to the review - I rarely read any bike magazines except Motorcycle Consumer News, but I do like to read evaluation reports on the various touring bikes. I have only just started reading the article, but I thought I'd post some of my thoughts right up front, since it sounds like you are trying to decide on a bike. First, I am quite surprised at their comments about limited or mediocre weather coverage, especially the simplistic quote "(if it rained, you'd get pretty wet)." I guess the "if" means they never got to really experience it. I have, and my first-hand experience with the venture for over 95,000 miles is totally different. To put the following comments in context, I'm 6'5", 240 lbs, and I have cut 1.5" off the top of my stock windshield (I find looking through a motorcycle windshield extraordinarily dangerous in many conditions and, therefore, unwise). In my personal experience, the weather coverage of the venture is certainly not "so-so", if anything, it is too good. I ride all year long - used to ride to work every single day, no matter what the weather, and I tour extensively. I have ridden this bike many thousands of miles in rain, and I just do NOT get wet on it unless I let the speed fall below 60 MPH, no matter how hard it is raining. For that reason, when riding on the freeway, I almost never stop and put on my rain gear. I have been in some real frog stranglers, and even when the water and spray is so bad that 60 becomes questionable for me (which is not too often), the only part that gets appreciably wet before I slow down is my gloves. Of course, at slower speeds, the rain just falls in behind the windshield and drenches everything, but physics says that will happen on ANY bike without a roof! The reason I said the weather coverage on this bike is too good becomes apparent in the hot weather. There is a total dead spot for air between the windshield and the riders back. That is great when the temps are below 40, as I feel more coolness on my back than on my chest, arms or legs, but can be miserable in the summer if you haven't vented the windshield or removed of the fork wind deflectors. The bike is very heavy - right up there with the HD and the Wing at over 900 lbs., and it absolutely takes some grunt to lift it off the side stand, especially when fully loaded for touring. This is primarily because this bike has one of the best side stands made, which allows the bike to lean over farther and be extremely stable with less chance of sinking though hot asphalt (completely opposite from the Wing with that dinky little stand it has, but at least they get a center stand). That heaviness is sometimes felt badly in slow speed handling, but that is not necessary. The stock tires that Yamahaha puts on this bike are a disgrace, ESPECIALLY the disgusting Brickstones that most of them seem to have (some come with Dunlop D404s). A little research on this site about tires will get you all the information you need, so I won't say anything more about it here except to say that with decent tires, this bike does not feel heavy at all when riding at any speed. Their comment about "no power down low" that someone else noted seems particularly stupid and pointless to me. This bike has tons of power. It is true that the short stroke multi-cylinder engine design generates its horsepower at a higher RPM that a long-stroke twin, but so what? That is like comparing the old Ford 350 small-block to their 360 large-block engine, they were similar in displacement, but VERY different in how you drove them with a manual transmission. And of course, the transmission and rear axle ratio had to be properly matched to the particular engine and intended use of the vehicle. That wasn't bad, just part of the design. And the same holds true for the Venture. The only thing bad about the power this engine makes is if you are too stupid to stop lugging the engine by trying to ride it in a way which is incompatible with the design. And despite the quote about no power down low, I did see this comment in the article which if find very accurate: "Power comes on higher in the rev range, and when it's time to roll-on, there's enough poop to make downshifting an option. Aggressive riders appreciated the Venture's midrange, and it tackled big hills more easily than the Kawasaki or Harley." Say what you want about carburetors vs. fuel injection - the only thing I'll say here is that these carbs work just fine, so what is there to complain about? And finally (for this post), I'll say that this is the ONLY current touring bike on which I feel comfortable. I am sure this is related to my height - where some folks complain the stock seat is too high, I actually find it too low - but with the floor boards and long bars, the seating position for me is near perfect without modification. Bottom line for me is that this is a fantastic bike, and nothing else currently available can even come close to it for value, comfort, beauty and functionality combined. Ride Safe, Goose

Interesting - as far as I know, the CD changer became stock with the 2009 models (that is why your wiring is already there, but it is not for 99-08 bikes). If you check the accessories list on Yamahaha's web site, you will see that they only list the changer as an accessory for 99-08 too. Maybe your dealer "forgot" to install it? Goose

Most of us do not have the wiring already routed to the saddlebag. Yamaha only started "giving away" that space-eating and expensive CD unit with the bike for the 2009 models when they realized they were about to discontinue the current bike with a s-pot-load of those changers in the warehouse 'cause nobody was buying them! I have no idea what the plug on the changer end of that harness looks like, but any commercial adaptor you find will probably match the plug in the fairing (if it matches anything). Goose

Well said Kirby, but I'll just emphasize one little thing - IMHO it is not that something else may be wrong with the bike, it is an absolute fact that something else IS wrong with any stock 2nd gen that has loud popping or afterfires on deceleration. I have shown over and over again that these bikes will absolutely not do this if they are in tune and not damaged in some way that affects either the combustion or the exhaust. The choice each owner must make is a simple one - either find and fix the problem or just do this to ignore it! All the technical details are well documented in other threads for anyone who actually wants to know about it, so I won't go into them again here. Ride safe! Goose

Yes, this is a very common issue on these bikes, and it has been discussed here MANY times - a search for afterfire, backfire, popping, or decel will find more posts than you probably want to read. In short, this is caused by incomplete combustion of the fuel and/or exhaust leaks. The two most common issues are vacuum leaks at the rubber caps on the intake manifold nipples and poor carb sync. Many of my older posts will go into causes and fixes in much more detail. You will also see many members suggest you just disconnect the AIS to simply hide the symptom of your actual problem instead of fixing your bike. I think this is a really dumb thing to do, but everybody will make their own decisions. Here is one thread with a lot of technical information on how the AIS works, especially if you look at my post #24: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22961&highlight=afterfire+popping And here is another post where I spent a lot of time trying to describe the unintended VALUE the AIS gives you: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38403&highlight=plugs The bottom line is that a stock RSV in good tune will NOT pop on decel unless something is wrong with either the combustion or the exhaust system. Goose

This statement is wrong as it applies to the RSV. Technically, it wouldn't matter which side the antenna is on, EXCEPT if the CB antenna is not connected to the CB. And this is the issue with the RSV - I believe the CB antenna cable is only long enough to connect to the left side. In fact, I'm pretty sure the bike comes from the factory with the CB antenna cable attached to the base on the LEFT side, and the dealers just attaches the antenna to the base already in place. So if it is mounted on the wrong side, it IS a problem. The simple way to check this has already been stated above, but I'll repeat it here - just look under the trunk and check to which antenna the cable from the black box is connected. It must be to the CB antenna, no matter where that antenna is located. Goose

Man, you sure got a pretty bike! Every time I see one of them beauties I get a hankerin' to sell QuickSilver and go look for a low mileage 03. Ride safe, Goose

First, you should never have to buy new brackets. The reason the stock ones break is that the rubber bumpers on the bottom of the bracket are not touching the fork cover, and the wind pushing on the deflector causes it to constantly flex. If you want the deflectors in place, either buy the DiamondR brackets or make sure the rubber bumpers are doing their job. Mine still have stock brackets, and after the first ones were replaced under warranty around 15,000 miles, I made sure the bumpers were touching - no more problems after another 65,000 miles! As others have already said, the deflectors DO deflect a lot of air. When you remove them, you get a huge flow that curves up over the front of the tank - a good thing in the heat of summer, but REAL bad if you are not a fair-weather biker. I ride in any conditions, and I prefer the excellent rain coverage of the stock bike. Goose

Yes, reversing the antennas will absolutely affect the operation of both radios. The AM/FM will seem mostly normal except in fringe areas, but the CB will be hugely affected, both TX and RX (but mostly the transmit) Goose

You have to pop the circlip off the pin that holds the strut to the lid. With the strut loose, you can pivot it to the rear and access the other screws. Of course, you have to take the plastic cover off the bottom end, too (just one screw for that). Goose

I haven't had to personally touch it, so I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure it is mounted near the fuel filter in front of the battery (behind that center battery cover). Goose

BTW - you'll want to think about getting new gaskets. They are made of rubber, and you can probably reuse them without leaking, especially if you use a little RTV gasket compound on them, but I wouldn't. It takes so much work to get those covers off that I'd be heartbroken to find a leak. Those gaskets are about $20 each, but that is cheap insurance, under the circumstances. Goose

I think that I'd pay that much just to see someone do the job in two and a half hours! Ain't no friggin way to get that thing stripped down so that you could get the valve covers off in that time! Well, maybe if you worked fast with no distractions you could actually get in there in 2.5 hours, but no way to put it back together. It's not a matter of doing it right, it's a matter of doing it at all!!!! Hey, I was going to Big Bend this weekend, but just called that off today, so if you want to ride down, I'll be here. Goose

At this point I'd begin to wonder about the condition of the electrical connections on the bike. Particularly the plugs connecting the regulator/rectifier and the ignitor. I'd also clean both battery terminals and the main ground wire to the engine (just behind the oil filler cap. If none of that helps, I'd pull the stator cover and check the condition of the pickup coil (I think that is where it is located). Make sure it is still firmly in place and check its resistance and the condition of the plug contacts to the wiring harness. Goose

Lowell, it sounds like you already bought a copy, but if not, I have a couple of versions of Dragon sitting around that I'm not using - be happy to give you one. The most current I have is probably version 6. If you watch the sales and rebates at the electronic and office supply stores every week, you can sometimes pick a new copy of for free after rebate. Goose:080402gudl_prv:

I know that the DFW area is quite a way away for you, but you are welcome to bring the PC here if you want me to look at it - or I could try to get down there sometime next week. Just let me know. Goose

Since you are already hosed, here is another simple thing to try - go into the BIOS when the PC first starts to boot and reset all BIOS settings to default. Nothing SHOULD have changed in there, but you might as well try. Once you get it back running you can check the individual BIOS settings for how you want them. Also, use F8 during the boot process to get the boot menu, then tell it to boot into safe mode. Once there, try to use the XP system restore tool to restore the machine to last good status (START | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore). You might also see an option to revert to last good boot status from the boon menu you will see when using F8. If for some reason you cannot or do not want to use a utility to check the HDD for physical errors, then use this command from a DOS window (use F8 to boot to a command line): chkdsk /f /r Actually, you should run that command even if you do use another utility to check the physical hard drive. Chkdsk will ensure the data on the drive is all properly formatted for Windoze; you can have corrupt data that is causing your problem just like a defective hard drive would. If you get it booted into Windoze you can use the Tools tab on the disk properties window to check the disk for errors instead of running chkdsk in DOS. Goose

Well, you probably want to spell it the right way too: "Metzeler" For an effective search, you probably want to try both ways, since the vast majority of users misspell the name. Goose