RedRider

Very nice bike. Keep the rubber side up! RR

I'll try to get it out to you tomorrow. May be Thursday. RR

+1 to FlyingFool's suggestion. Look at the two bolts holding on the ignition switch. If they have a standard hexkey head on them, it is a replacement. The original switch has tamperproof heads on the bolts. If you got a box of parts with this bike, look for the old ignition switch. It has a code on the bottom that will provide a dealer with the key code. Another thought, take a detailed look around the bike for an extra key. Taped under the seat, electrical taped to the frame, ziptied under the trunk, etc. There might be one there. RR

Go with the Barnett spring set up. The problem is the spring, not the actual clutch plates/steels. I was going through clutches every 30k miles or so until I put in the Barnett. Using the heavy duty springs, I have about 60k without any slippage. 156k miles on it now. RR

Don't leave home without one. I have jumped my daughter's Explorer, my wife's Caddy, and several friends cars/trucks. Also jumped my Venture when the battery died a couple of summers ago. Really saved my bacon in June when my stator went out on the Venture. Was able to charge the battery enough to get me to a place that fully charged the battery allowing me to ride home. RR

+1 on the Longhorns. I have them on my 2nd Gen. I'm 6'4" and am able to stretch my legs out. RR

Check the main/starter fuse. Behind the battery cover on the clutch lever side. RR

Although, you don't need to remove the swingarm to replace the shock. Still a good idea to lube the swingarm bearings. RR

This is also a good time to look at raising links and to inspect/relube the needle bearings that the mounting bolts run through. And to lube the drive splines, and clean/lube the drive pins. How many miles do you have on your RSV? If more than 50k, it might be a good time to have the rear wheel bearings changed. If you have a decent lift, this isn't really difficult, just time consuming. And +1 on the Hagon shock vs. the OEM. RR

Stator and R/R installed and working!! Was able to run all the lights (including the incandescent running lamps that I never use) and it was able to charge even at idle. Doesn't appear to be any oil leaks. I took pictures of the procedure and will write up a tech article soon. The stator side of the bike is really clean too. Polished everything up while it was off the bike or exposed. Replaced the rear pads while it was on the lift. Will need to clean up the throttle side tomorrow and get it out of the shop. RR

I stand corrected. It is, indeed, a 4 piston caliper. And, at least mine, has new rear brake pads. RR

Jeff, I haven't got that part out yet so I don't know. Was waiting for the JIS screwdrivers before the stator removal. Will advise. RR

Cowpuc, I have run Kendas on my little BMW and have been very pleased with their performance. Good tire for very few dollars. Look forward to updates on how long they will last on Tweeksis. RR EDIT: I have been running Shinkos on the BMW. Kendas have been on my KLR. Both are doing their job well.

I noticed that when taking it apart. Will be a PITA putting all the tie downs back where they belong. RR

Big brown truck arrived yesterday delivering my new stator, R/R, and a set of JIS screwdrivers (including 2 impact versions). Picked up the gaskets from the dealer Wednesday (along with new rear brake pads). Should be back on the road this weekend. RR

Why would anyone ever want to sell one? RR

Rear is only a 2 piston caliper. RR

Scribz, Welcome to the family. In order of your questions/info: 1) The Roadstar is a V-Twin. Lots of torque at low RPM. The Venture is a V-4. Likes to rev and has the power band at higher RPMs than the V-Twin. If you drive it the same, the Venture will seem sluggish. The 2nd gen Ventures (of which yours is) has a rev limiter so you can't hurt it. 2) Clutch basket whine - a fairly common 'feature' caused by some harmonic in the spur gear on back of the clutch basket. Some have had luck changing the clutch basket to the G version (this is from memory - search for this information on the 2nd gen tech forum to confirm). If it doesn't really bother you, it's not a technical problem and won't cause any failures. 3) I have been running the Rotella 15W50 diesel dino oil and have 153k miles without issue. My clutch did not seem to like synthetic oils although several on here have run it successfully. The big thing is to make sure the oil does not have friction modifiers in it as the clutch REALLY does not like them. You can identify the inclusion of friction modifiers by looking at the circle symbol on the label. The bottom half of the outer ring should not have writing in it. Look at the different jugs at the store and you will see the difference. 4) Oil filters - aharbi posted a good list. I would also include the FRAM PH6017A. This is usually available at Walmart. 5) Lift adapter - +1 on the CarbonOne lift adapter. Get the one with the legs. Rock solid. Although, if you are really into wrenching, you may find the Harbor Freight lift table (a little under $300 when on sale) is the bomb. It will handle the weight of the Venture (at least mine does). 6) Seat - Boy does this open a can of worms. Several choices, but not as many as other bikes. I am an advocate for the Russell Day Long. But it is expensive and custom made on your seat pan (you will be without a seat while it is being built). It depends on the type of riding you do. If you are a 100-200 mile a day rider, the stock seat may work. 200-400 miles, there is a member here (Rick Butler) that does a modification to the seat that really helps. He does exceptional work. If you are looking to do major miles per day (Iron Butt type miles), there is no substitute for the Russell. Another option is to add a backrest. I find it really helps. Utopia and (I think) DiamondR makes one for the Venture. 7) This one is being added - Drop $12 to become a paying member here. Freebird (Our Supreme Leader without the funky bowl haircut) puts in a ton of work to make this a spectacular forum. It will be the best $12 you can invest in your Venture. Have a great trip. You are on a great bike for this type of travel. Ask away with any other questions. We are all glad to help. RR

I always use the OEM gaskets. Overall, they are inexpensive relative to the time involved. Besides, it gives me something to purchase from the local dealer (they give me a discount since I am their Venture 'expert' when they have one in the shop and are stumped - new mechanics). RR

OK, the proof is in the pictures. You can even see bits of the outer insulation in the bottom. I think I'm going to use this event as an excuse to purchase a good set of JIS screwdrivers. RR

OK, here are the test results. I took a bunch of pictures and will put into another post. Resistance test: All combos showed about 0.3 ohms. Resistance to ground: All 3 showed some resistance - not open. This is bad. Voltage phase-to-phase: 1-2: 20Vac at idle, increased to 80+Vac at higher RPM (don't have a tach); 1-3: same as 1-2; 2-3: about 3Vac at idle and stays the same at high RPM. I think we found a bad stator. All connectors look good at the R/R. Will replace both stator and R/R as soon as I can get them in. RR

Once again, the Venture got me home. I was able to make it home last night while running dark most of the way. Pulled the fuses for the aux lights and the headlight; turned off all accessories with the exception of one GPS (needed it for receiving calls from support folks). Interestingly enough, the charging system was able to keep up with the power requirements while running dark. I gambled and didn't spend the extra $100 for a backup battery. This lends a ray of hope as I don't believe the stator is the problem. My understanding of the stator is it's a digital failure - it either works or it doesn't. They don't just fail part way. Please correct me if I am wrong. This leaves me with the rectifier/regulator. Troubleshooting starts shortly. Any input is appreciated as my strengths are in the mechanical side of these bikes. RR

This is exactly the plan. Gotten about 150 miles and the battery voltage is still in the green. RR

The battery tested good. Damn. It is, however, fully charged so I might be able to make it back to Minneapolis. Time to pull some fuses. RR

Well, I'm sitting in a Walmart in Cloquet, MN having my battery load tested. Hoping against hope that is all it is. But I don't think so. Was riding the MN1000 long distance rally when I noticed the voltmeter started showing the battery was loosing charge - even at highway speed. I was not able to restart after stopping for gas. Had to use a jump box (I carry one during rallies). Pretty sure it's the stator. Is there anybody in the Duluth area that might have a place to store it for the night? RR