5 YEARS ON MY RS YAMAHA VENTURE

I KNEW WHAT I WAS IN FOR WHEN I BOUGHT THIS 2008 VENTURE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH 30 K MILES ON IT.. I KNEW BECAUSE I HAD 2 VENTURES PREVIOUSLY... A 1986 VENTURE ROYALE WHICH I RODE FOR 16 TROUBLEFREE YEARS.. THEN AFTER 16 YRS, I FELT THAT I DESERVED TO HAVE THE BEST AFTER ALL THE YEARS I SPENT BEHIND BARS.. SO I BOUGHT A BMW K1200 LT COMPLETE WITH HEATED SEATS GRIPS BACKREST 6 CD CHANGER,SINGLE SIDED SWINGINGARM,ELECTRIC WINDSHIELD, EVERYTHING BUT A PORT A JOHN... IT HAD SOME NICE FEATURES BUT I FELT THAT IT WAS RUSHEDD TO MARKET BEFORE IT WAS READY. THAT IS THE NICEST THING I CAN SAY.. IT RAN SMOOTH, IT WAS GREAT ON THE HIGHWAY,IT WAS COMPFY,BUT IT WAS TOO QUIRKY FOR ME... I ACTUALLY DROPPED IT TWICE IN PARKING LOTS BECAUSE OF THOSE GRABBY NO FEEL BRAKES AND THAT ANTI DIVE FRONT FORK... IT WAS ACTUALLY SCARY JUST COMMING TO A STOP SIGN FOR ME ON THAT MACHINE.. I NEVER GOT USE TO IT OVER THE 2 YEARS I OWNED IT.. I ENDED UP NOT RIDING IT FOR MONTHS, I WOULD JUMP ON ONE OF MY OTHER BIKES LIKE MY MOTO GUZZI NORGE OR MY SUZUKI V STROM 1000.. SO I SOLD THE BMW AND WENT BACK TO ANOTHER VENTURE A 2001 MIDNIGHT VENTURE... I RODE THAT FOR 2 YEARS,UNTIL A 2001 GOLDWING GL1800 BECAME AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH 13K MILES ON IT... I NEVER HAD A WING,SO I TOOK A CHANCE... IT WAS THE SMOOTHEST MOTORCYCLE ENGINE I EVER TRIED.. I DID ALL THE BASIC MAINTENANCE LIKE ALL FLUIDS CHANGE,NEW TIRES,REPLACED THE TIRED FORK SPRINGS AND SHOCK SPRING,AT LEAST THEY FELT SACKED OUT TO ME.. I DID THE AIR FILTER CHANGE WHICH HONDA DEALERS CHARGE 5 HOURS LABOR TO DO AT $125 PER HR TO CHANGE FOR A TOTAL $625 LABOR JUST TO CHANGE THE AIR FILTER... I THOUGHT THAT WAS ABSURD WHEN I HEARD THAT PRICE,,,,, THAT WAS UNTIL I DID THE JOB MYSELF.... IT IS NOT A DIFFICULT TECHNICAL JOB... IT IS JUST ABOUT 60 OR SO LITTLE JOBS THAT TAKES 5 HRS TO COMPLETE... AFTER DOING THE JOB MYSELF, I CAN SAY THAT $625 LABOR JUST TO CHANGE THE AIR FILTER IS A FAIR PRICE FOR THAT JOB TO CHANGE THE AIR FILTER..THAT SUCKER IS BURIED INSIDE ALL THAT PLASTIC PRETTY DEEP. I ALSO FOUND THE GOLDWING A LITTLE TIGHT IN THE ROOM FOR MY DEPT I AN 5/10" 220LB AND I MISSED THE ROOMY VENTURE AND THE VENTURE FLOORBOARDS,AND THE VENTURE BACKREST. I TRIED THE HONDALINE BACKREST FOR THE WING,BUT EVERY BUMP I HIT,THAT ENERGY GOT SENT INTO MY BACK WITH THE HONDA BACKREST,NO MATTER WHERE I HAD IT ADJUSTED.. THE GOLDWING WAS PERFECT,SMOOTH,HANDLED BETTER THAN THE VENTURES, HAD MORE POWERFUL BRAKES,AND HAD TOO TOO MUCH POWER RESULTING IN POOR GAS MILAGE.. I NEVER CAME CLOSE TO OPENING THE THROTTLE WIDE OPEN ON MY GOLDWING,EVEN ONCE.. WHO WANTS TO WRING THE NECK OF A MOTORCYCLE THAT WEIGHS INCULDING THE DRIVER,OVER 1100 LBS// I DONT GO BACKING THESE BIG BIKES INTO CORNERS LIKE IT WAS A SPORT BIKE. I DONT WANT DRAG RACING SPEED OUT OF A 1/2 TON THING ON 2 WHEELS... I WANT LAZYBOY ALL DAY RELAXATION COMPFORT.. AND THAT IS WHY I SOLD THE GOLDWING WHICH WAS PERFECT. I JUST PREFER THE SIMPLE ROOMY BETTER LOOKING VENTURE. TO ME--THE FIRST THING I LOOK AT ON ANY MOTORCYCLE IS--THE ENGINE.. I COULD NOT EVEN SEE THE ENGINE ON MY GOLDWING,JUST THE VALVE COVERS.. I JUST PREFER A MOTORCYCLE THAT I CAN SEE THE CENTERPIECE OF THE THING,WHICH IS THE ENGINE.. AND WHAT AN ENGINE THE VENTUES HAVE. KNOWN FOR GOING OVER 200.000 MILES, JUST LIKE THE GOLD WINGS I JUST PREFER THE SIMPLE EASY TO SERVICE VENTURES. I HAVE OWNED ONE OF THE OTHER OF MY VENTURES FOR ALMOST 24 COMBINED YEARS SO FAR..