Bartley
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Everything posted by Bartley
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I used to think the same thing about the RSV. Back in '03 I bought a new gl1800. Compared to the sleek styling of the wing, the RSV, to me, seemed to be assembled from a parts bin. Then the yamaha dealer pulled an rsv out of the store and put it on display outside. I had to drive past that bike almost every day. And you know what...everything about it started to grow on me. Within 1 year, I sold my Wing and bought a new 2004 midnight. I have no regrets. It's still a great bike and runs like a scalded dog. But having it for 5 years now, I'm getting the itch for a different bike. I really like everything about the Voyager, except the front profile of the saddlebags. The rider reviews are very positive, and it appears to me that Kawasaki did their homework. They've kept the price quite low by not adding too many frills as standard equipment. I'll wait until 2010 to see if Yamaha has an updated venture. If not, it'll probably be a Voyager or an Ultra Classic,with a leaning toward liquid cooloing. Bottom line.... I think the new Voyager will grow on people.
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Okay, here's the situation - I'm getting the itch for a new bike BIG TIME. I've had my RSV now for 5 years (longest I've ever kept a bike). It's never given me a moments grief. Never had the "whine" &/or "chirp" so many have agonized over. I've added lots of accessories over time and it is simply a gorgeous bike. I suddenly have a craving for a big V-twin tourer. I've decided it's either a Harley Ultra or the new Kawasaki Voyager. The Harley still has heat issues but is very aggressively priced at the dealer. The new Voyager is simply a gorgeous bike (to me anyways) and has features that appeal to me a little more than the Ultra. Problem is, every time I'm ready to pull the trigger, I look at my gorgeous RSV and ask myself...why? Anyone else ever suffer from the "itch"? It's all I can think about these days.
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I know exactly what you mean. Same reason I sold my gl1800 after 1 year. Added benefits to me were... 1.- wayyyy more comfortable. The 1800 made me feel cramped. 2.- satisfaction factor. I just didn't get it with the Wing, no matter how hard I tried. I actually found it, dare I say, boring.... 3.- the Venture is much more "Do It Yourself" friendly. Ever tried changing the air filter on the Wing? Now having said all that, the wife enjoyed the passenger accomodations much more on the Wing. And since she likes riding with me.........
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I too saw the new Voyager at the Calgary motorcycle show a few days ago. The Kaw rep was there and he specifically stated that these bikes at the shows were NOT the final product. Fit and finish detail was definitely going receive more attention. Personally, after having sat on both the models they had on the floor, I have to say I like it. ABS, EFI, plenty of lights on both the back and front end, fly by wire throttle, Ipod hookup, etc. It's much more technologically advanced than the Venture and while it doesn't have some of the "goodies" the Venture has, it IS cheaper than the Venture by about $2000.00 Cdn. This alone makes it a great bargain. I'll give it a year or two before I decide and hopefully by that time Yamaha will come out with an upgraded Venture.
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Great bike. Absolutely gorgeous!
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I've always prefered the sound & look of Vance & Hines exhaust. So when Squidley fabricated adapter brackets to facilitate the use of Harley pipes on the RSV, I bought a set, removed the Bubs, and installed a set of V&H. Couldn't be happier with the look and sound. By the way, the best way to hear music from the speakers is to stick in some earplugs to block out the wind noise. Then I can hear the music loud and clear. Exhaust noise does not bother.
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Too soon for me to say for sure at this point, but I would definitely wanna be there! Should have as many rallies & meet&eats before a bunch of y'all go out and buy that new Kawasaki Voyager.
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Just got back from an excellent trip to Tombstone. Took in the Grand Canyon on the way down...saw 2 RSV's there but didn't fine the owners. Wanted to ask them if they were members here. Anyways, spent 3 days down in Tombstone...a lot of very interesting history. Also took in the Pima Air Museum in Tuscon, Hoover Dam, Vegas, etc. on the way back:scorched:. The bike ran great. By Phoenix I noticed the rear brake was feeling & sounding funny, so I kept my fingers crossed & hoped there was enough pad to get me home to Canada. By the time I got home, the inside pad was completely worn down and I did have to replace the rotor...OUCH! The front brakes were still in excellent condition. This happened at 41000 kms. (approx.25000 mi) Oh well......I know I probably use the rear brake more on this bike to alleviate front end dive. Even with 5 psi in the forks, it still is a heavy front end. Is it common for the rear brake pads to wear out at this mileage? Oh, and I almost forgot... only 1 bolt managed to escape from the bike....one of the passenger flootboard bolts. Not bad, eh!!!
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Squidley makes them. He usually has them listed in the VR classifieds.
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It seems to be running alot quicker today than the last few days. My current results are: 582 kb/s up 2282 kb/s down
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I want to synch my carbs but I need a hand-held tach to set the rpm's at 1000 rpm at idle. How are all of you who haven't added a tach to your scoot setting your rpms? Up here in Canada, nobody carries these inductive tachs:doh:(the type you clamp to spark plug wire). What are y'all using?
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Same here. Only this site. Very slow!
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would you buy a RSV again?
Bartley replied to stvmaier's topic in Royal Star Venture Tech Talk ('99 - '13)
Would I buy another....you bet. I bought mine off the showroom floor in '04 and have never had a whine, chirp, bolts falling out, etc. Don't know what you're all talking about with the "whine", "chirp", & such, but I am curious as to what it sounds like. I feel left out...... -
Where did you say this bike was...........
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Oil and Filter (I know)
Bartley replied to star4772's topic in Royal Star Venture Tech Talk ('99 - '13)
It's okay for the cooler climates....spring & Fall. If you want to stick with the Yamalube, they make a 20W40 for the hotter summers. -
It's always been my thinking that new motorcycles always come with the cheapest tires the manufacturer can put on....ie....more profit. With this in mind you must realize that most if not all RSV's came with either Bridgestones or Dunlop 404s. Mine came with the 404s. After changing to Avons, I can see why they (Avons) cost more. The difference is night and day. I will NEVER go back to the 404s.
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All the pipes for Harley FL models will fit the RSV. You just have to get the muffler brackets to convert to Harley pipes. Squidley, a member on this site, makes them and sell them for a very reasonable price.
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I agree. But let's not forget that Honda stuck with the same model Goldwing Gl1500 for 13 years ('88-2000). It also came with a cassette deck and carburators, and, in good condition are still very much in demand and can fetch a pretty good buck. In fact, in many instances they're holding their value better than a gl1800. Go figure. I do realize, however, that during the gl1500's run, technology had not increased at the rate it is increasing now. I hope MamaYama does'nt wait another 3 years!
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Let us know how long they last. I'm ridng Avons now. They're a great smooth running quiet tire & I'll see how long they last. up here in Canada, there's alot of wide open spaces and I run alot of slab, so I'm looking for a tire that has a hard compound in the middle that I can get good wear out of without going to the "dark side"!
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actually if you type in 'synthetic or dino' you'll get results. "oil" is too general of a term.
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type oil in the Search Menu & have at 'er! Oh, and by the way, that's extremely beautiful country you live in. Biked in that area many times.
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After 30+ years of riding, most of which were Goldwings, I had never dropped a bike. I went straight from a GL1800 to the RSV. Drove home, packed, grabbed the wife, went for a 5 day cruise through the mountains to "experience and enjoy" the new ride. First time I cruised into a parking stall at a lookout point, down she went. The next day, same thing. I was humbled and embarrassed. I lost confidence in my abilities as a biker and didn't understand how this could happen to me. My wife was afraid to ride with me on this bike. I figured I'd have to sell her (the RSV). But then I figured I wasn't going to let it beat me. It handled alot differently than the Wing and I just had to get used to it with LOTS of practice. It's a BIG bike and demands respect. It's not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced. Once I got to know it, I've enjoyed it immensely, probably more than any other bike I've owned. Haven't dumped it since. Plus the fact that once I stumbled upon this great site, I found that most, if not all the owners of this machine have had the same experience.....it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when!
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I personally am not a fan of the K&N air filters. I know many members here swear by them and have good luck with them. You have to remember that K&N's allow for more air and therefore causes a leaner running condition. I guess that on RSV's this lean condition is so slight that it is not noticeable on some bikes. I just couldn't find that "sweet" spot with the K&N's, so I switched back to the stock filters. The bike has been running great with the Bub slip-ons for the past 3 years. I just recently installed V&H slip-ons (a more beautiful sound I have never heard) with the stock filters and the bike runs like a scalded dog. So, after reading all the posts, it probably doesn't matter which you choose. Just remember, with the slip-ons, you do NOT have to change your air intake.
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Have any of you heard of, or have tried this oil filter? I couldn't find an application chart, but I'm sure they have the spin-on one for the RSV, as it's very common to Japanese motorcycles. www.motorcycle.com/products/kp-engineerings-reusable-oil-filter-71983.html