RedRider

I'm in. Haven't been posting much lately, life is busy. RR

Found it - Modulemaster.com are the guys who rebuild the failed BMW ABS modules. Depending on model, $150-$350. It appears they are under development for the 2005 K1200RT module. RR

I might suggest Grip Buddies. They are a stretchy fabric that go over your current grips. I have put them on all my bikes. They work with heated grips too. No relation, just a satisfied customer. RR

Unless it is a screaming deal, I would bypass too. RR

That's great! RR

Servo assisted brakes (whizzy brakes as they are known) can be a PITA. IIRC, they were mostly '04-07. There is a guy that rebuilds the ABS control module for a few hundred dollars. FYI - if the whizzy brake ABS module goes out, it still brakes just fine, just without ABS. I have a couple BMW motorcycles, '86 K75C and a '09 R1200GS Adventure. Really like 'em. Do all my own work and don't find the parts to be any more expensive than other bikes - unless you have to get into special items like control modules and drive shafts. BMWMOA (Motorcycle Owner Assoc.) has a very good website with an excellent knowledge base. Rear drive issues were generally taken care of in '09 when BMW reapplied a vent in the pumpkin. The original specs called for too much lubricant and it would take out the main bearing. They can be repaired and/or rebuilt but it is costly. Not as common as the internet would lead you to believe. Keep in mind, most of my experience is from the Iron Butt crowd which puts on LOTS of miles. Stock seats - awful - just like most bikes (including the Venture). Sargent makes a good seat for them if you want to do normal mileage. If you are interested in doing Iron Butt miles, Russell Day-Long is the best choice. Laam Saddles also makes a good custom seat for a bit less money than the RSL. The K engines are really solid and perform well. As mentioned before, check for service records. Things I would be concerned with is drive shaft spline lube and brake fluid flushes. Check the bottom of the engine/transmission for signs of leakage. The transmission is a cassette style with the dry clutch sandwiched between the engine and transmission. If any of the seals at the back of the engine or front of the transmission are leaking, it is possible the clutch got wet - replacement time. Not hard to do, just very time consuming. I will be doing the transmission seals on my '86 K bike this winter. Overall, these bike are fairly easy to work on. The K1200LT is a real mile muncher. Nice bike with good ergonomics for taller folks (I'm 6'3" and 260-ish lbs). RR

I also have a shim kit and tool to loan if needed. Lemme know. Or, if you can ride it over here we could probably get it done in an afternoon. RR

Most expensive tires I have found are Heidenau K60. Don't believe they have a 15" rear though. No one has yet suggesting testing the Kenda Kruz K673. They have both tire sizes available. I have run Kendas on other bikes and liked them. RR

Don't judge it until you have well over 100 miles on it. New tires are slick until you get them rubbed in. The BattleAxe is a good tire. RR

Let me know how I can help. Getting the motors to move under control is the first step that you appear to have accomplished. It is all easy from there. RR

Jeff, Stepper (and their big brother - servo) motors and controls are what I do for a living. Sorry I didn't see this before. Let me know if you have questions. I may be able to help. RR

We use some vacuum line, but yes. Good idea. RR

Goldenrider's '83 sprung a leak in the steel portion of the clutch line. We are trying to get on the road to Bryce Canyon and beyond. After several frantic PMs, texts, and ultimately a phone call from the Pucster himself, we formulated a plan. It uses standard 3/16 steel brake line with metric fittings. Picked up said brake line, hit HF for a pipe cutter and tube bender, and got to work. Should know more shortly as we haven't bled it yet. Getting a canopy from Walmart as there is no way this WI boy can work in the Phoenix sun. Thanks to VideoArizona and Cowpuc. We really appreciate your help. Will get pictures later as I can't seem to insert them from my phone. RR

If you can get over to Fond du Lac with parts next weekend (6/22-23) we can tackle the clutch. I've done several. Most likely just a weak spring. We can mic the clutch parts to make sure. Streets and Trips says it is 2 hours each way. I've put a Barnett kit on mine and couldn't be happier. I did a write up on here somewhere. Let me know. RR

BTW, I have (somewhere) an original owners manual for a '82 GS750T. Not sure if it is only for the 'T' version or universal. You are welcome to it if you want it. Just send me a name and address and I will drop it in the mail. RR

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/index.php Everything you want to know about the old Suzy GS's RR

Keep an eye on it. You won't get much life. However, glad you are back on the road with a safe tire. That Avon was scary. RR

Which Dunlop are your putting on? E3 / E4 is good. The D404 is too light a tire for the Venture and will only give 4-5000 miles (if you behave). RR

Make sure your bolts are straight and the bearings are well lubed (and in good shape) before reassembly. When I R&R's mine the bolts were bent and bearings were shot. It would suck to do it twice. BTW - This is a good time to add leveling links to help with low speed handling (assuming you are not vertically challenged and the additional height would be a problem). FYI - I had about 140k on the bike at the time. RR

My son was in from Arizona (GoldenRider) and we sorted out most of the problems on the bike. We got the brakes sorted out and the tip-over bars straightened. Why do I use a 5 lb hammer? Because I don't have a 10 lb hammer. This bike was supposed to be an upgrade for my son as he is a bit irritated with the extensive maintenance required to keep his '83 Venture in good running order. Well, we took the bike out for a run and it worked great. However, with both of us being about 6'4", we found the '97 RSTD considerably too small. Therefore, I will finish all the repairs and sell it (hopefully recovering what was paid). The item I am having a bear of a time finding is the hollow bolt that connects the auxiliary driving light to the turn signal. Any ideas of where to source one? RR

Pics will be forthcoming. Picked up a '97 RSTD that needs some work. PO laid it down in a round-a-bout but the crashbars did their jobs. Very minor damage. However, the rear brake doesn't work and the front brakes are squishy. No big deal, I can handle that stuff. However, in looking for parts, I am running into obstacles. Specifically, replacement SS brake lines. The lines on the bike appear to be original and are in need of replacement. No use in replacing with anything other than SS braided lines. Are the '97 RSTD lines the same as on the Gen2 Ventures? Is there somewhere other than the usual places (Spiegel) to get SS lines for this? Other questions will be asked as I tear into this project. Thanks for your help. RR

Been with St Farm for about 35 years while living in several states. Always had premium service from the local agent (even though I rarely have had a claim of any kind). I will pay extra for personal service. However, their rates have been competitive (not cheapest, but competitive). Don't plan on changing. RR

Did the gal that hit you have insurance? RR

There is a guy on ADVRider that is selling a RSTD RDL seat set with backrest. Pretty good buy for the most comfortable seat evah. From a 2005. I have no relationship or affiliation. https://advrider.com/f/threads/yamaha-royal-star-tour-deluxe-2005-up-russell-day-long-seat-clearview-windshield-nh.1347920/

It may be in the ignition switch. One of the weak points of the Venture/RSTD. You should put the light bar lights through a relay. Do a search on here for ignition switch repair/replacement. Kind of a PITA on the Venture. Assume it would be the same on a RSTD. RR