getting used to your venture

[Scifiman]

Like a couch on wheels!

[Chaharly]

When you first got your Venture, how long did it take you to get used to the bike's characteristics? the way it handles at low and high speed, coming to a stop with that top heaviness...you know that sort of thing.

 

I'm having a hard time adjusting to my '93, mainly coming to a stop. None of the other bikes i've owned have been like this one.

 

my wife says i just need to ride it more.

what sort of bikes did you have before your venture?

 

 

Just out of curiosity, have you checked your tire pressure? Your tires can look full but if they're low it will have a major effect on handling

[AGrengs]

Picked up my 08 Venture ...

 

That's the pretty one

[gmarshall]

Different tires will change the handling of your venture. I found that was so when I put a set of Avon Venom's on my 06 RSV. I think the original tires were metzlers when I bought it used. Even so, it's a top heavy bike that you must be aware of at all times.

 

 

My

[Scifiman]

That's the pretty one

 

Yes it is.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kretz]

Practice , practice, practice.

When I first rode my Kawasaki Vulcan 900LT I thought it was heavy. After I got my 2009 I thought that too was heavy. After a few months with both & lots of "parking lot" practice I became more proficient at handling both.

I was taught to stop with only one foot on the ground the other riding your back brake. I hardly ever put both feet down.

Here on the Motorcycle road test if you put both feet on the ground when you stop you have failed your test. You must (they say) be "in complete control" of the bike at all times. If you wobble or duck paddle, again you have failed your test.

My RSTD which I recently sold as it wasn't getting used was/ is a heavy bike but even with my wife on back I found it easy enough to handle with practice It's all down to technique & practice. I kept the Vulcan & now find that so "light" (but it's still a 650lb bike) & easy to ride in comparison to the RSTD. It's all relative.

Chrck tire pressures regularly & get out there!

[Jthomas]

I went from a 750 shadow to my 07 RSV. Holy crap. Test riding it felt great and even lighter/easier than my friend's HD Electroglide. I noticed that all the top heaviness is felt during sudden stops. It took me a bit to get used to it because the shadow was much lighter and making sudden stops didn't really impact balance that much. However, the RSV is much more stable and solid at doing U-turns for some reason.

Living in CA and trying to squeeze the best MPG, I'm still not used to riding at higher RPMs like everybody says. Eventually I'd like to get a tach so I can monitor the RPMs better.

[N3FOL]

I've had my '07 RSV since she on had 2 miles on the odometer. 13 years later, I still have to be very mindful of her every time I reach a stop. I carry lots of stuff to and from any destination, so I am also carrying extra weight. One thing I always remember to do is to make sure that I have good recommended tire pressure front and back. Slow speed riding is not an issue, but I should always have the presence of mind that my 2nd Gen RSV is truly top heavy. On the other hand, when I jump on the SVTC I don't experience any of the top heaviness on the bike - even if I have to load the bags. Switching back and forth requires my full attention. I think they are completely two different bikes. IMO, the 2nd Gen RSVs are still bullet proof and have lots and lots of potential.

[Heimdog]

My previous bike was an 1100 V Star. As others mentioned, I'll also brake sooner, coming to a smoother stop, especially if I have the added weight of Mrs. H. I've learned to use a little more rear brake than I used to. That helps me but others may disagree. I also soften the front suspension and stiffened the rear a bit. I'm 5'6" so I don't have much room for error if it starts tipping. I've dropped mine only one time (so far) and that was while trying to back into a parking spot my foot slipped on sand. Luckily, I escaped with no damage to the bike.

[jsb777]

Bryan,

I realize I am way too late participating in this discussion, but thought I'd chime in anyway for the next guy that asks.

 

Before my '05 Midnight Venture, I had a 2005 1100 V Star Silverado (soft bags & windshield). Bought it brand new, put 28,000+ miles

on it in 2 years and 3 months. The last 14,000 + were on one single big trip. I left it in a wrecking yard (totaled) in east Tennessee and drove back to Oregon.

It would be 5 years before I even got on a bike again. My kids got me a 3 day rental for a HD Electra Glide one Father's Day thinking I had

the hankering to ride again. I extended the rental to 6 days and took off into the Oregon desert and mountains, SW Idaho and SE Washington.

Even rode several miles of gravel on something called "the Rattlesnake Road" from Oregon to Idaho.

 

I was smitten again! Yep, I started looking and narrowed in on the Ventures. In 2013 I found my present '05 Midnight Venture with 30k miles

about 8 hours away. Trailered it home and began to ride to work and back. I quickly had "buyers remorse!" I couldn't believe I didn't like it!

I did just what you did here and asked about how folks settled into it. I remember summing up the ride "in the cockpit" so to speak as "cramped",

of all things. Man, the response back was IMMEDIATE and SHARP! "Cramped!? You must be crazy!" Several folks commented how this was

the most comfortable bike they've ever owned, etc.

 

So, despite my first impressions, I decided to stick with it. Eventually I put a Mustang seat on, rode it every chance I got and figured out the issue.

My 1100 had only a windshield. Airflow was a constant. The Venture's "envelope" behind the big, tall factory windshield and the full upper and lower fairing

just produced a whole lot less airflow and resulted in me describing it as "cramped." I love that feeling now, but I was comparing it to something totally different.

 

Since that time, I've dug out my Ride Like A Pro video, practiced a lot, deliberately rode in small lots, gravel, etc, all the places you really don't want

to place a big bike like the Venture. The Venture has taken me (from Oregon) down to Death Valley and up Hwy 1 and 101 on the Pacific Coast, from the

Atlantic coast of Maine back home to Oregon (trailered the bike there for 6 days), and a 16,000 mile trip in 2016 where I even got to attend MAINTENANCE

DAY! What a treat that was!!! It's been on the ground on its side only once, in Biloxi, MS where I hit some wet sand that I can only describe as "greased BB's!"

 

One of my goals for this bike was to ride and wrench more, and clean/polish less. I've successfully done that thanks a whole lot to Maintenance Day and all the knowledgeable,

competent, kind, generous and wise folks on this forum. I mean every one of those descriptive words! They are a very willing to share bunch!

 

It's a great motorcycle. I love mine.

 

John

Eugene, OR