BamaVenture06

I just listed a very nice set of Venture saddlebag liners by Bestem in the 2nd Generation secion of the Classifieds. Since I traded my 2006 Venture, I don't need these anymore. They are really handy and in like new condition. I paid $39.95 plus $10.00 shipping when I bought them. Will take $35.00 which includes shipping. PayPal account is listed as pdr1254. Thanks!

I loved my 06 Midnight Venture - great bike. I also loved my 04 Kawi 1500 Vulcan before the Venture. But after losing 207 pounds in the last year, the Venture just felt too heavy and handled different. I wanted another full dress tourer because ride 2 up and we like to take trips. I test rode the HD Ultra Classic and could not believe how well it handled - so I bought one - 2008 FLHTCU Ultra Classic 105th Anniversary Edition. And I love it too!

Hey guys, I have this super nice Leather Gallery buffalo jacket listed on Ebay - it is a very comfortable, nice jacket - even has the Yamaha & Venture Rider pins still on it! Also listed in classifieds here on this site. Beautiful, very soft men's buffalo leather jacket, size 4XL, by Leather Gallery. I bought this jacket 3 years ago and paid over $300 for it. It has the Thinsulate zip-out liner, front and rear zippered air vents, zippered cuffs, expandable sides, extra elbow padding and kidney padding in the rear. It is a great jacket - very warm. I wore it on a winter motorcycle trip to Gatlinburg, TN 3 years ago and a winter motorcycle trip to Helen, GA 2 years ago- that's it. Worn a total of about 12 days - it is in near perfect condition. At the time I was 380 lbs. and wore a size 58-60 jacket. I've lost over 200 lbs. in the last 15 months and the jacket is just way too big for me now (now wear a size 48 jacket). The only thing wrong is the zipper pull on the left cuff zipper is missing - that's it. It has always been stored in a garmet bag in a cedar chifferobe when not worn. You will not be disappointed in this jacket.

Thanks John!

I found a set of the Harley RK mufflers in a box in my garage yesterday. They're a set I bought in 2007 for my Venture (which I no longer have). They have the rear baffle removed and sound good on a Venture - they're medium-loud (probably about a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being loudest). The pipes are in good shape, but do have a few minor scratches that are not really noticable unless you get down and look at them. There are a couple of scruff marks on the underneath side, but these don't show when mounted on the bike. Anyways, I'll let them go for $45 including shipping. Send me an email at pdr1254@hotmail.com if you are interested. Thanks! Bob

Hey folks, I traded my 2006 Venture in on an HD Ultra Classic Saturday. Since I've lost over 200 lbs. in the last year, the Ultra just feels better for me. Anyways, I wanted to give you folks first shot at the following items for sale that I took off my Venture or never even installed: Utopia studded driver backrest - SOLD Saddlebag side rails - SOLD Hopnel Tank Bib with removable pocket - SOLD OEM Venture mufflers - SOLD I have placed ads with photos of everything except the mufflers in the Second Generation Parts classifieds here. If you are interested in any of these item, send me an email at rushbrook1@mchsi.com. Also, I have a PayPal account - pdr1254@hotmail. Thanks!

He's a cute little booger! Congrats!!

Thanks! That is what I was looking for!

I have the Road Kings on my '06 and they sound good - low rumble but not too loud. My buddy has Bubs on his '04 and it has a real nice, throaty rumble - louder than my Road Kings, but not too loud or harsh. When he gets on the throttle, it really sounds good!

I have seen some photos of the 2nd generation Ventures with HD saddlebag top rails istalled. Has anyone here done that? If so, which HD rails work on the Venture? I don't care for the rails that Yamaha sells as they do not look as good as the HD rails style does to me. Can anyone help me on this one? Thanks in advance.

I use the Unscented Pledge. Found it doesn't attrack bees in the warmer months like the lemon and citrus scented do.

I think it was 3 years ago, we went on a trip to Oktoberfest in Helen, GA the last week of October. The night we arrived, the temperature had dipped to 12 degrees and there was a 15 to 20 mph wind. As I recall, they said the wind chill factor made it -2 degrees. It was definitely colddddddd!!

We have the chrome Kruzer Kaddy holders. One on the handlebar for me and one on the rear grab rail for her. Works great and looks great too! They also come in black leather-look.

Just an update on the "backwards" mounted tire. I called the tire manufacturer's home office today and told them what happened. They had their Chief Engineer/Tire Guru call me back. He said that there should not be any problem with remounting the tire correctly since there was less than 800 - 1000 miles put on it. According to him. it takes that long for the tire to "break in" and to develop a "wear pattern". I asked if the safety and integrity of the tire has been compromised. He stated that with less than 300 miles on it that it has not been compromised at all. He stated that he would not have any reservations about using the tire on his personal motorcycle. We'll see. I'm still gonna talk to the owner/manager and see what they offer, and advise them I prefer a new tire. If I can get a new tire, I will feel much better. If not, at least I know the "experts" at the tire manufacturer say I am OK with this tire.

No offense taken. Just clarifying where the arrow was located and pointing.

Thanks Eck. I'll be giving you a shout in the near future.

The arrow is pointed towards the front when at the bottom - it's definitely backwards. :doh:Also, the sipes are wrong to pull the water away from the center.

I purchased a new set of tires for my 06 Midnight Venture yesterday afternoon. We went riding today with a group of friends. Put about 240 miles on the new tires. I noticed that the bike was not handling well. It also had vibration in the handlebars and floorboards, which I have never had before. The longer we rode, the worse it got. When we stopped for a coffee break this afternoon, I got to looking and discovered that the front tire is mounted backwards! The arrow on the sidewall is pointed backwards, as is the tread design! WHAT THE CRAP?!! Now I have to wait til Tuesday (dealer is closed on Mondays), call them, and they will have to order me a new tire. Won't be surprised if I have to argue with them because they will probably want to remount this same tire correctly, but I don't want that. I have been told that the tires are directional and if run backwards it degrades the tire's integrity and can be unsafe. Anyone have any knowledge about this?

OK, I have a 2006 RS Midnight Venture which I bought new. I love the bike and want to keep it in tip-top shape. I have been changing the oil every 2500 miles or so, but recently switched to synthetic and plan on changing it every 5000 from now on. Let me be totally honest and confess that I am NOT mechanically minded and have some questions about which I am totally confused. So folks, I need your expertise on the following as owners, riders and mechanics on the Ventures. 1) If I put the K&N air filters in, do I have to have the carbs re-jetted? I have the RoadKing mufflers, and the mechanic at the dealer said I would probably have to let them re-jet the carbs because the increased air flow will lean out the bike and could cause problems. Another mechanic said re-jetting is not necessary when installing the K&N filters. CONFUSING!!! :doh:Who is right?? 2) Spark plugs - I have been told that the NGK Iridium plugs are THE best. At $12 each, they should be! Regular NGK plugs are $3 each. If the Iridium plugs are beneficial and improve start up, performance, gas mileage , or last longer, or something, I don't mind spending the $$. Problem is, I have been told "Yes, they are much better" by one dealer's mechanic, and "No, they just cost more and don't improve anything" by another dealer's mechanic. Also, one said change the plugs every 8000 miles and the other said just run the plugs until they give me a problem, like hard start up or engine missing. Sheeshhh!! :doh:Who is right? 3) Gasoline - I have used the 87 octane for the last few months and haven't seen any problems as of yet, but sure don't want to mess up my ride. One dealer mechanic said I should use ONLY 91 octane or higher in my bike. The other said 87 or 89 is fine to use. Oh brother!! Who the heck is right?? HELP!!!!! Thanks in advance!

SeaFoam is great stuff. I use it in my Venture, boat, lawn mower, and truck.

Congrats! :clap2:Good looking boy!! The other grandkids are great too!!

We tried the GoldWing, Ultra Classic, and Venture before we bought our '06 RS Midnight Venture. All nice bikes, but the Venture had the classic motorcycle styling that I prefer, superior comfort, all the amenities, and a great 5 year warranty. As for the GW, I just couldn't get as comfortable on it as I could the Venture, or the Ultra Classic for that matter.

3 mechanics have all told me the same exact thing: Use NGK plugs. Second choice: Autolite And all 3 said never use Bosch or SplitFire cause they are crappy.

On Saturday, 9-20-08, it was once again time to mount up on the steel pony and gallop about the area roads. We met up with one of the couples we ride with, Duane and Dawn, at the Exxon gas station on Hwy. 72 in Gurley, Alabama at 8:45 a.m. This was a perfect spot to watch the Trail of Tears riders before heading east to find whatever adventure awaited us this day. The first Trail of Tears riders came through at about 9:15, with an Alabama State Trooper motorcycle escort leading the way. This years’ group was much smaller than in years past, possibly partly due to the overcast and drizzle, but mostly due to the fact that the Trail was broken into two factions and two separate routes this year. One followed the original Trail of Tears route through Alabama down Hwy. 72, while the other took Hwy. 64 across Tennessee, then down to Florence, AL, and on into Waterloo. The main group of riders had passed within about 30 minutes, and once they passed we saddled up and headed east on Hwy. 72 towards Scottsboro. http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/BamaVulcan04/2008%20Trail%20of%20Tears/ Once into Scottsboro, we headed south on State Hwy. 35, across the B.B. Comer bridge, and up Sand Mountain towards the town of Section, AL. The overcast skies, light off-and-on drizzle, and wind made for a cool time once we reached the top of Sand Mountain, so we stopped in Section for a cup of coffee. From there, we continued on through Powell’s Crossroads and into Rainsville, Alabama. Since it was approaching 11:00 a.m. and we were beginning to think of lunch, we decided to head west on State Highway 75 towards Fyffe, the home of Barry’s BBQ, which were had heard was one of the best BBQ spots in this particular section of Alabama. Another memeber here also had told me it was a good place to eat. It’s a family owned and operated place that is actually on the family’s farm. Once into Fyffe, we stopped and got directions to Barry’s. When we arrived, it looked like a typical neatly kept house on an area farm from the road, except for the small sign that read “Barry’s B-B-Q” with an arrow pointing towards the farmhouse. But once we turned in, we could see that they had a great set up for some fine down home eatin’. The smell of meat smoking permeated the air. We were greeted by a friendly lady with a big smile on her face. “How ya’ll doing? We don’t open for business ‘til noon, but ya’ll park your bikes and come on over and have a seat. Won’t be much longer now. Where ya’ll from anyhow?” she asked. We took her up on the offer, and mosied on over to the back patio and sat down. All the while, the sweet smell of the BBQ was making us more hungry by the second. Finally, at noon, we were able to enter the block building that housed the treasures we so anticipated. The aromas were almost more than we could tolerate, and everything on the menu looked absolutely fantastic. For lunch, they offered a pulled pork BBQ plate, a smoked ham plate, a broasted chicken plate, a chicken liver plate, and a fried catfish plate – each served with your choice of two side orders – baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, or french fries, and a slice of thick bread. For desert, they offered homemade vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream, or homemade peach cobbler. Duane and I got the pulled pork plate, while the wives settled for the smoked ham plates. When our plates arrive, they were overloaded with food. None of us could eat all that was on our plates. Needless to say, we all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch, but unfortunately had no room left for the tempting deserts. The entire cost of this fantastic lunch was $14.50 per couple, and I have to say, it was worth twice that much! BamaVulcan04/Barrys BBQ - Page 1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Feeling like hogs that had been fattened for slaughter, we somehow managed to mount the bikes and head back towards Rainsville, where we took a right on Hwy. 35 and headed south towards Fort Payne. Yep - Fort Payne, Alabama – once know as “The Sock Capitol of the World” and the home of the famous country music group ALABAMA. Just for grins and giggles, and to give the buns a little rest and walk off some of the fine food we had previously ingested, we stopped in at the Fort Payne Power Sports shop to look around for a bit. They had a beautiful candy red 2008 Yamaha V Star 1100 with only 2300 miles on it that really caught my eye. The original owner was a friend of the dealer, and he had purchased it back in April with the intention of using it as a work commuter. She was definitely a beauty with lots of extra chrome added by the original owner. I really had to practice some self control to keep from buying that sweet little ride and adding her as a second bike! After leaving the bike shop, we headed up Lookout Mountain on County Road 89 about five miles to DeSoto Falls, located in DeSoto State Park, which is in the Little River Canyon National Preserve. Indian Falls is located just below the A.A. Miller Dam, and DeSoto Falls is a 100 ft. waterfall located just below Indian Falls. It is a beautiful place, and being there one can only imagine how the Native Americans must have enjoyed it’s beauty and bounties – water, fish and wildlife - as they lived there years ago, much as if it were their own personal Garden of Eden. BamaVulcan04/DeSoto Falls 2008 - Page 1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting After about 45 minutes of enjoying the serene beauty, we again mounted our horses of steel and headed down the back side of Lookout Mountain into Hammondville, Alabama and back through Fort Payne. We headed south on US 11 towards Collinsville. From there, we took Hwy. 68 west through Albertville and on into Guntersville, Alabama. Once in Guntersville, we stopped to see the Antique and Hot Rod Car Show they were holding downtown. Dawn’s parents were there with their 1940 Ford Coupe which he had entered in the show. In my opinion, it was the sweetest street rod there, and there were some nice vehicles, for sure. BamaVulcan04/Guntersville Hot Rod Show 2008 - Page 1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting After visiting with Dawn’s parents and walking around the car show for almost an hour, it was time to head north over Grant Mountain to Hwy. 72 and point the ponies west for the 45 minute ride back home. As we rumbled west, the sun was setting and the air had a definite chill of the oncoming fall. Another wonderful day of riding the bike, navigating the back roads, seeing the sites, eating good food, and sharing some good times with friends was done. Man, I already can’t wait until the next ride!

Thanks DragonRider!