daveg90

I wouldnt use the universal grips as I believe they are not long enough. I believe that the 6235's or universal grips are 5-3/4" long I am using the 6180 series Kuryakyn Iso Grips that seem to fit the first gen Ventures just fine. The Kuryakyn 6180 series grips are advertised at 7/8" x 6-1/4" which is about the longest grip you can purchase. This matches up pretty well with the stock grips. I also used my original sleeve which was in great shape. A word of caution when using the Kuryakyn supplied glue is that is has similar viscocity and stick of Superglue so extreme care should be used when applying. I put on 5000 miles so far getting familiar with the Iso grips and I absolutely love these grips. I do suggest that you follow their installation directions down to the letter. Especially related to the amount of glue for one, and the right versus left grip angle for another. I usually try to prefer "function over form" as they say... but in this case I let the left side of my brain tell me to glue them in so the angle was identical when not riding the bike. So now they look good at rest, but with the throttle angle at say 1/8 of a twist the right side is at a much better angle than the left side. You will notice the contact areas of the raised rubber grips on your hand over a long distance ride. I have used the foam style grips for the last 15 years so the Iso grips were a hard sell for me to convert. The rubber on these grips just seems to grip better as they weather which so far was a complete surprise. No noticeable fatigue related to these grips. I guess the true test will be over the next couple years of riding, but at this time I would recommend to anyone interested in improving their ride comfort and performance! daveg90 aka SuperSport

I am using the 6180 series Kuryakyn Iso Grips that seem to fit the first gen Ventures just fine. The reason I had to re-glue was my fault because I was worried about using too much glue the first time especially on the throttle grip side. A word of caution when using the Kuryakyn supplied glue is that is has similar viscocity and stick of Superglue so extreme care should be used when applying. I put on 5000 miles so far getting familiar with the Iso grips and I absolutely love these grips. I do suggest that you follow their installation directions down to the letter. Especially related to the amount of glue for one, and the right versus left grip angle for another. I usually try to prefer "function over form" as they say... but in this case I let the left side of my brain tell me to glue them in so the angle was identical when not riding the bike. So now they look good at rest, but with the throttle angle at say 1/8 of a twist the right side is at a much better angle than the left side. You will notice the contact areas of the raised rubber grips on your hand over a long distance ride. I have used the foam style grips for the last 15 years so the Iso grips were a hard sell for me to convert. The rubber on these grips just seems to grip better as they weather which so far was a complete surprise. No noticeable fatigue related to these grips. I guess the true test will be over the next couple years of riding, but at this time I would recommend to anyone interested in improving their ride comfort and performance! daveg90 aka SuperSport

I have been using the same Oddyesy PCM680 battery now for about 6 years and have never had a starting problem allthough it never takes a charge over 12.9V. I never use a trickle charger that can destroy these batteries and my 10Amp charger automatically shuts off after about 1 hour of charging. I will leave it on overnite but dont think that it charges anymore after the firt hour. Pretty reliable battery that is well worth the money. I would buy another if this one ever gives up the ghost! daveg90 aka Supersport

Karras & K7mdl The Kuryakyn 6180 series grips that are advertised at 7/8" x 6-1/4" which is about the longest grip you can purchase. This matches up pretty well with the stock grips. I also used my original sleeve which was in great shape. I believe that the 6235's are 5-3/4" long which is why K7mdl had to cut the throttle sleeve down. Hope this helps... daveg90 aka SuperSport

Karras, I am using the 6180 series grips that seem to fit the first gen Ventures just fine. I still suspect that the Kuryakyn web site is wrong with the 6235 series listed for the 1st gen. Probably not what you wanted to hear though... I did not use any golf tape as mentioned by DanJ, but I did end up re-glueing the grips twice with the glue supplied by Kuryakyn. The reason I had to re-glue was my fault because I was worried about using too much glue the first time especially on the throttle grip side. A word of caution when using the Kuryakyn supplied glue is that is has similar viscocity and stick of Superglue so extreme care should be used when applying. I put on about 4500 miles this summer with the new Iso grips, and I absolutely love these grips. I do suggest that you follow their installation directions down to the letter. Especially related to the amount of glue for one, and the right versus left grip angle for another. I have used the foam style grips for the last 15 years so the Iso grips were a hard sell for me to convert. The rubber on these grips just seems to grip better as they weather which so far was a complete surprise. No noticeable fatigue related to these grips. I guess the true test will be over the next couple years of riding, but at this time I would recommend to anyone interested in improving their ride comfort and performance! daveg90 aka SuperSport

Food for thought for the new lucky recipients of the Mac exhaust pipes. Just a note for some of you that may be using Marks custom exhaust crossover pipes is that they are larger in diameter than the stock collector pipes. This could be due to the ceramic coating. This causes a slight problem when installing the Mac exhaust pipes. I went to Harbor Freight and bought an exhaust pipe expander mandrel that opened up the Mac pipes to a point that they slid into position easily. The pipe expander ran me about $10 and was well worth eliminating the aggravation. daveg90 aka SuperSport

Jack, The main reason I had to relieve the interfernce with the bottom side of my left passenger step is most likely because I have Marks Exhaust Collector that puts the output pipes at a slightly higher profile. I also had to notch the mounting tabs of the Mac mufflers on both sides to arrive at the same height coming out the back. Great set of pipes... Daveg90 I would not expect this issue on stock collectors.

None of the first gen Ventures had a OEM factory cigarette plug intsalled. They were often a common aftermarket addition.

Jimbob5, I didn't really do it for the mpg's, but while I was in and around the mountains near Fort Collins I was still getting 42mpg's so I guess it didn't hurt my milage too bad!

Jeremy, I don't know how much stock faith I would put into the accuracy of the analog temp dash gauges that indicate radiator fluid temperature. I know that my bike runs cooler now with the fan coming on sooner based on the delta comparison of operating ranges as indicated on my temp gauge before and after I changed the Thermostat switch I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since you asked what makes it a SuperSport: The following article is my documentation of the conversion from a stock ’90 Yamaha Venture Royale to what I will refer to as a Venture SuperSport (SS) using stock Vmax components and a bit of tuning. I hope that this document encourages others with similar interests to consider modifications of their own. I have modified my '90 Venture into a SS w/ true servo motor controlled VBoost, modified VMax airbox & intakes, Mark's exhaust collector, VMax 4 brush starter, Solid motor mounts, R1 front calipers, Stainless Steel brake & clutch, Progressive fork springs, Superbrace fork brace, etc... Runs very strong although tuning was a bit of a challenge, but part of the fun & I hope to have it Dyno'd some day. I owe much of my thanks and appreciation for the information learned through contacts w/ Rey Kirkman, Bill Miller, Curt Dennin, Steve Detamore, & Rick Butler. I am not using the VBoost controller box, as I did not have one at the time I modified my bike. I am controlling my Vboost servomotor with a three-position toggle switch spring center in the off position. The Vboost servomotor fits in the space under the LH tuner radio section. I cut holes thru the divider panel to run the cable and wiring as seen in the following picture. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=Cnv0008.jpg I don't know exactly how the factory Vboost control box handles the servo as I have never had one... My guess is it has an op amp window comparator circuit that opens vboost based on the computer rpm tach feedback. The "servo" Vboost motor is a simple dc motor with an integral geared linear potentiometer for feedback. Voltage is applied to the motor until the potentiometer reaches a setpoint that interrupts the circuit in both the opened & closed conditions. The problem is that the servomotor cannot handle being left on in a stalled condition in either position. The toggle switch is mounted on the left hand side of dash panel between the radio and the tank cover. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=Cnv0001.jpg I learned this the hard way by burning up the armature coil wires of the motor. They are made of the lightest gauge micro wire and apparently cannot handle the full current draw of a motor stall condition for very long. Keep in mind that it is also close to impossible to accurately synch these V4 carb banks with the Vboost open. VBoost definitely causes a surge in power when the butterfly's open up that I personally didn't want to come on automatically at a given rpm, especially in the cruising range. My simplistic circuit is as follows, but I have been working on a possible circuit described above w/out the Vboost control unit. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=clip_image001.jpg My cold air comes up under the fake tank cover from the front of the bike. With my battery layed down on its side it creates a clear pocket for air to filter straight into the Vmax air box. It is most likely not as cold as the air above the tank cover. Rey Kirkman has 1" holes in both sides of the tank cover to draw the coldest air. I avoided a problem with the water hose that gets bent coming out of the crankcase breather cover hitting the Vboost crossovers tubes by replacing the stock cover with a Vmax crankcase cover. I then buff polished the black painted aluminum cover to make it look better by matching other engine components. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=Cnv0013.jpg The biggest decision you must make is to either use the VMax airbox where you will need to relocate the battery, or go with a modified Venture airbox with the stock battery setup. The stock VMax box delivers much more volume of air to the carbs, and I was after peak HP performance so this is the path that I took. I removed the center “Y” section of the Vmax airbox to allow more airflow. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=Cnv0004.jpg I am using the VMax airbox & spent a considerable amount of time creating a custom battery box using an Odyssey gel cell battery layed on it side mounted in the underutilized space above the front two cylinders. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=Cnv0005.jpg I sometimes get more help than I really need from my baby daughter Katrina, but I love the attention from my little mechanic. The spark plug donut coils were taken off their mounting brackets along with the TCI box, and vacuum advance control unit. The vacuum advance unit is now mounted to the front cylinders upper plastic deflector plate as shown in the following picture. The TCI box is sitting on top of the battery in a custom made holder. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=Cnv0014.jpg I was trying to achieve similar results to what is described as the Ford COP [coil on plug] ignition system. I broke up my spark plug coils and mounted them above and almost on top of each cylinder on the plastic deflector plates that go over the cylinder head covers. The spark plug wire leads are somewhere between 4 to 6 inches long now. I have maximized the efficiency of the spark plug coils by relocating each of them w/ in 6 inches of the spark plugs. I now have a very strong spark, and the added benefit of reduced radio noise interference. http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y160/daveg90/?action=view&current=Cnv0009.jpg I started with a Vmax Dynojet Stage 1 kit & ordered a few additional jets like the DJ146’s that I am currently using for my main jets. The stock mains are Mikuni 125’s. I have changed the pilot jets from the stock Mikuni 37.5’s to Mikuni 42.5’s. There is a big difference between Mikuni & Dynojet jet sizes just for your information. I did find a comparison chart if you are interested. Mikuni jets are better I am told. I am not using the Dynojet springs anymore as I found them to be too weak, but I am using the stock Venture springs that I replaced new so they would be good and strong. I did not drill the lift hole on the slide as indicated in the kit. My current setup is as follows: VBoost w/ a modified Vmax airbox. Marks open exhaust collector. DJ146's main jets (Mikuni 135’s could be used as substitutes). PAJ#2's at MK170 (stock as far as I can tell - Service manual must be wrong listing MK180). Pilot jets changed to MK42.5's I have the e-clip on the top notch of the Dynojet needle w/ no washers, and my fuel/ air mixture screws out just under 2.5 turns from seated. The last mod was I changed out my Pilot Air Jet number 1 from a MK#80 to a MK#90 and it seems to have made a big difference at the low end throttle response (off idle up to 2000rpm's). The bike is running stronger than ever so I now plan on having it checked with an exhaust gas analyzer before doing any more tuning. I know that I should not put much stock in seat of the pants feedback, but I can't seem to feel any flat spots thru the entire torque spectrum. It just pulls extremely hard & fly’s thru the rpm’s all the way to redline. I am able to leave Vboost open at all times, but I shut it down when I get in heavy congested traffic & when I start the bike cold. The following is a cost summary that I have kept up on upgrades: 1990 Venture Royale bought used in 1999 w/14K miles & almost every Ventureline accessory ever made ($5000) VBoost butterfly valves, motor w/ a modified Vmax airbox. ($150) Marks open exhaust collector. ($240) Mac Aftermarket exhaust ($225) VMax 4 Brush Starter ($150) Battery & Starter Cable upgrade to #4AWG ($15) Odyssey Dry cell Battery ($85) Coil-On-Plug Ignition upgrade - broke up coils and mounted directly above each cylinder (Free) Progressive Rate Front Springs w/15wt oil ($75) Progressive Rate Rear Springs ($100) Solid Engine Mounts ($75) Superbrace Fork brace ($120) Travelcade Seat ($450) Stainless Steel Brake & Clutch Cables ($275) R1 Front Brake Calipers Set ($100) Spin On Oil Filter ($65) Replaced steering head bearings and races ($25) Kuryakyn Handlebar Iso Grips ($55) Rivco Air Horn ($150) Ipod w/ rf transmitter ($350) Dynojet Stage 1 Kit ($100) DJ146's main jets (Included in Dynojet Kit) or Mikuni MK135’s Pilot jets changed to MK42.5's ($12) I have the e-clip on the top notch of the Dynojet needle w/ no washers, and my fuel/ air mixture screws out just under 2.5 turns from seated. (Included in DJ Kit) Changed out Pilot Air Jet number 1 from a MK#80 to a MK#90 (Included in DJ Kit) Total Venture SuperSport cost $7817 No regrets about making these modifications at all. I chose at this time not to use the Vmax heads & cams, as I am not yet convinced that this setup provides significantly more HP. It does however move the torque spectrum up by approximately 2K rpm's & I was not ready to spin the motor that much faster at this date though it does seem to be able to handle it as experienced by others. Regards, Dave Getsfried daveg90 aka SuperSport

Just thought I would give others an update on the Kuryakyn Iso Grips I purchased and am now using on my scoot. I am using the 6180 series grips that seem to fit the first gen Ventures just fine. I did not use any golf tape as mentioned by DanJ, but I did end up re-glueing the grips twice with the glue supplied by Kuryakyn. The reason I had to re-glue was my fault because I was worried about using too much glue the first time especially on the throttle grip side. A word of caution when using the Kuryakyn supplied glue is that is has similar viscocity and stick of Superglue so extreme care should be used when applying. I just put on about 3000 miles last week getting intimately familiar with my new Iso grips and I absolutely love these grips. I do suggest that you follow their installation directions down to the letter. Especially related to the amount of glue for one, and the right versus left grip angle for another. I usually try to prefer "function over form" as they say... but in this case I let the left side of my brain tell me to glue them in so the angle was identical when not riding the bike. So now they look good at rest, but with the throttle angle at say 1/8 of a twist the right side is at a much better angle than the left side. You will notice the contact areas of the raised rubber grips on your hand over a long distance ride. I have used the foam style grips for the last 15 years so the Iso grips were a hard sell for me to convert. The rubber on these grips just seems to grip better as they weather which so far was a complete surprise. No noticeable fatigue related to these grips. I guess the true test will be over the next couple years of riding, but at this time I would recommend to anyone interested in improving their ride comfort and performance! daveg90 aka SuperSport

Order online http://www.superbrace.com/products.asp?cat=36 Another source that I would reccomend is Rick at http://www.buckeyeperformance.com/products.htm#1st%20Generation daveg90 aka SuperSport

Fred, That is such an absolutely great idea. I plan to make up the studs just in case. I will definitely store that one away for future reference!... It is so much easier to know the shortcuts after learning the hard way that I for one genuinely applaud those like you for sharing the lessons learned for others to learn from. Keep up one of the best reasons I belong! daveg90 aka SuperSport

Denden, Now you are testing my memory a bit as I did this about 6 years ago... I believe that I had to cut off the stock 'T' shaped spade connector and replace with two seperate female spade connectors to plug the wires to the switch, but it fits in the same physical space. I will take a look at it on Friday when I get home from a business trip and give you an update. Gearhead, Rey Kirkman once told me that the stock VMax temp switch comes on at 220 degrees. I assume that the first gen switch is the same. I assume that he got this info from the VMOA group, but do not know if it is accurate. I did notice that my temp gauge seems to stay below 1/2 way after changing the switch and adding the Water Wetter fluid. Prior to that it would often hit 3/4 scale while sitting in traffic with the bike running on I-80 waiting to exit after they shut the freeway down for a major accident. This is what happened to me last week coming home from Fort Collins... I have a temp probe adapter that I have for my digital multimeter that I just might be able to confirm actual temps with. daveg90 aka SuperSport

Don, This should work well as you stated on the 1st gens. A little pricey though in my opinion. I have changed my stock temp switch with a NAPA part #FS-147 thermal switch that comes on @ 194 degrees. It is my opinion that the first gen and VMax radiators were slightly undersized for the southern climates. The Venture motor runs best at 180 degrees, but with the undersized radiator it is hard to keep under 200 degrees. I also use a product called Water Wetter that is mixed with the radiator fluid & helps dissipate heat more effectively. My temp never reaches the red zone, but I have never driven in Arizona, or Texas climates. Just my 2 cents... Daveg90 aka SuperSport