2013 PashnitMoto NEW Products: |
|
 |
PASHNIT BIKE BUILD.com
Imagine if you could build the Ultimate Sport Touring machine! Your vision. Your ideas. The build project you've always wanted to do. With 40,000 products on tap, we can help you with that. Log on to see how we took a bone stock Gen-II Suzuki Hayabusa, and did exactly that!! We built the ultimate sport-touring machine - all culminating in riding the bike over 1000 Miles in ONE DAY. We've shot over 700 photos of the build process & documented every change and mod.
|
We started with a list of nearly 100 things we didn't like about the bike and started surfing through the PashnitMoto Store. Sourcing product from our suppliers, we embarked on a magazine-style bike build - shooting over 700 Photos of the transformation! Log on to see the transformation part by part, bolt by bolt... Every item you can do yourself.
Log on NOW: PashnitBikeBuild.com
|
|
|
Click to see how this...  |
...became this!
The Ultimate Sport-Touring Machine completes 1000 Mile Day |
|
 |
BEST SELLER: Cycle Pump Combo Kit
Ask the question we all want to know: Why? Why so popular. Why do riders prefer the Cycle Pump Kit over any other kit. Because when that flat finally happens in the middle of nowhere, you want the kit that get you safely back on your way!
|
This is the last pump you'll ever buy. The CyclePump uses a powerful 12 volt electric motor and a high quality metal compressor assembly that's specially hardened for motorcycle applications. To run the CyclePump simply connect it to any 12 volt power source (like your bike's electrical accessory socket or the terminals of a battery). Attach the air hose to the tire, flip the switch, and begin filling your tire.
Click to LEARN MORE & BUY NOW
|
|
|
|
 |
END OF YEAR CLOSEOUTS!! Must go!
Save Money! Look over our LIST at right: We've got surplus brake lines that have to go! Brand new, never sold or shipped, could be from cancelled order or customer return, they're sitting on a shelf taking up space. Much better to ship them to you at heaviliy discounted prices!
|
|
Galfer stainless steel lines improve your braking power by preventing hose expansion. Unlike OE rubber brake lines, Galfer stainless steel brake lines do not expand under pressure so they require less pressure to operate at their maximum.
Galfer brake lines feature Teflon inner hoses wrapped by the highest quality braided stainless steel. Each line is covered by a flexible clear plastic that will not discolor over time. This covering also protects fenders and bodywork from scratches.
Clearance Zero Gravity Windscreens
Zero Gravity Windscreens
Inventory Clearance!
Look over this list.
Discounted pricing on all windscreens listed below!
Honda CBR1000 (08-09), Sport-Touring, Lite Smoke
Honda CBR1000RR (08-09), Stock, Dark Smoke
Honda CBR600 F4i (01-06), Sport Touring Dark Smoke
Kawasaki ZX10R (04-05), Sport Touring Dark Smoke
Suzuki GSXR1000 (09+), Sport-Touring Dark Smoke
Triumph Sprint ST (99-04), Stock Replacement Dark Smoke
EMAIL us: pashnit33 AT yahoo.com
|
|
|
Clearance Brake Line Kits
88 BMW R100GS - Front Brake Line Kit - Clear, Silver
04 Aprilia Futura - Clutch line kit, Red, silver
06 Kawasaki Ninja 650 - Front Brake Line Kit - Black, Gold
06 Kawasaki Ninja 650 - Rear Brake Line Kit - Black, Gold
08-09 Kawasaki Versys 650 - Front Brake Line Kit - Smoke, Silver
00-03 Kawasaki MeanStreak 1600 - Clutch Line Kit - Clear, Silver (+4)
04-04 Kawasaki MeanStreak 1600 - Front Brake Line Kit, Clear, Silver (+4)
08-09 Kawasaki Concours 1400 - Complete Kit - Red, Red - (+1" over)
02-04 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Ms - Rear Brake Line Kit - Silver, Clear
08 Suzuki GSXR600 - Front Brake Line Kit - Platinum (chrome), silver
06-08 Suzuki GSXR600 - Rear Brake Line Kit - Platinum (chrome), silver
08 Suzuki GSXR750 - Front Brake Line Kit - Platinum (chrome), silver
06-08 Suzuki GSXR750 - Rear Brake Line Kit - Platinum (chrome), silver
05 Suzuki SV650 - Front Brake Line Kit, Smoke, Silver
05 Suzuki SV650 - Rear Brake Line Kit, Smoke, Silver
08-12 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R - OEM Front Kit, Clear, Silver
99-12 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R, Front/Rear/Clutch Kits, Silver & Black
96-00 Suzuki Bandit 1200 - Front Brake Line Kit, Clear, Silver (+2" over)
06-08 Suzuki Boulevard M109 - Front Brake Line Kit - Black, Silver
03-04 Yamaha R6 - Front Brake Line kit, Clear, Silver
03-04 Yamaha YZF600 R6 - Rear Brake Line Kit - Clear, Silver
07 Yamaha FZ6 - Front Brake Line Kit - Clear, Silver
06-08 Yamaha YZF R6S - Front Brake line kit, Clear, Silver
06-08 Yamaha YZF R6S - Rear Brake Line kit, Clear, Silver
06-10 Yamaha FZ1 - Rear Brake Line Kit, Gold, silver
11 Yamaha FZ8 - Rear Brake Line Kit, Gold, Silver
06-08 Yamaha FZ1 - Front Brake Line Kit - Gold, Silver
06-10 Yamaha FZ1 - Front Brake Line Kit - Black, Silver
79-81 Yamaha 1100XS Special - Front Brake Line Kit - Black, Black
79-81 Yamaha 1100XS Special - Front Brake Line Kit - Clear, Silver
05-06 Yamaha V-Max 1200 - Front Brake Line Kit - Clear, Silver
EMAIL us to purchase: pashnit33 AT yahoo.com
|
 |
2013 PASHNIT TOUR SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED!!
CELEBRATE our TENTH YEAR of conducting guided motorcycle tours around tthis motorcycle wonderland. 2013 Ride Schedule
PASHNIT MOTORCYCLE TOURS has posted up our ride schedule starting in March 2013. Ride 3 & 4 Day tours based from San Francisco: Ride the Sierra Nevada, Northern California, Nevada, Southern Oregon or along the Pacific Ocean - we've got a ride just for you.
Click the GROUP PICS to see more!!
|
|
|
|
 |
NUTCRACKER 1000 IRON BUTT RALLY
Complete your Saddlesore 1000 in a social group environment!
2013 Iron Butt TOUR!!
Planned for Sept 14, 2013... Meet in Fallon, NV. We'll ride The Loneliest Road in America - Hwy 50 across Nevada out to Utah & back. Open to anyone. No group. Just come to ride! Complete your Saddlesore 1000 & obtain your Iron Butt Certificate.
CLICK HERE for RIDE DETAILS
|
PLUS!! We've thrown up a Question & Answer Thread on the Pashnit Forum about endurance riding in case you'd like to post up your thoughts. Officially sanctioned event by the Iron Butt Association, this rally is open to all. Mark your calendar for September 14th, 2013.
Log on to the PASHNIT FORUM HERE & let's hear your thoughts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|
The Venture was a wonderful bike. And if you have owned one, do own one or are thinking of owning one- this little page is for you.
If you read my motohistory first- you know I specifically went and bought this bike paying a mere $3200 for it- and with only 30K on it (in the early 90's).
Three weeks later- I left on my little 6000 mile excursion in a mere 8 days of traveling. I covered the first 1200 miles on the first day in a 22 hour ride across the southwest which turned out to be a great shakedown run!
Before I went out and bought the Venture- I went to the library and looked up the original magazine articles from when the bike was reviewed. They were on microfiche (remember that?).
|
|
I printed these articles at the library and read them over and over. The bike was largely regarded as the hot rod of its class, with higher corner clearances and a torquey 1200cc motor. I was this twenty something college kid riding this huge bike targeted for someone 25 years my senior.
And to this day, I have never met anyone that young riding that type of bike. Instead of getting a CBR600 like the rest of my generation- I bought this. But at the time- I never cared about impressing the girls, or hooliganism. I wanted to travel long distance- to ride the endless road- to listen to the hum of the motorcycle for hours on end watching the world go by as if it were I who was standing still. |

Annapolis Road
|
|

Crater Lake, Oregon
|
The Venture was smooth, quiet, and had a wonderful bubble of air provided by the ample fairings. I almost never rode with the face shield down on my full face helmet. It simply wasn't necessary. Although I do remember one time a rather large Amazonian bug somehow got around the windshield and smacked me square in the face splattering bug guts all over me. Ah, the joys of motorcycling.
It had an air suspension that you could fill the front or rear with air pressure to adjust your ride. The stock seat was the best thing about this bike. I could ride all day and my backside was never sore. |
The handle bars were very adjustable- you simply loosened it all up- put it where you wanted it- and tighten up the bolts.
Having a radio & tape deck was something new and proved to be great fun. I would sit at intersections in front of God an everybody with the music blaring as loudly as the speakers could handle. High energy dance and remixed Depeche Mode. Ah those were the days. I think back to that time and I chuckle. What was I thinking?
I would commonly carry 5-10 cassette tapes with me. The bike's vibration would cause the tapes I wasn't using to unravel within their cases. I spent considerable time with a pencil maintaining the cassettes. Now I look back on those cassettes in this day and age of CD's, DVD's, and mini-discs and smile to myself as if I were remembering my first computer- the Commodore 64. |

Headed for Seward south of Anchorage-
Note the two extra jerry cans full of gas &
the slurpee in the cup holder
|
|

Carson Pass - Highway 88
|
I did add things like a cup holder for my endless need for slurpee's and an altimeter to give greater insight to my travels throughout the mountains. The throttle lock was on the bike when I got it- and soon I couldn't live without it.
A digital temperature gauge was something I never traveled without- it was always fun to know what temperature it was. Although it was not so fun riding through New Mexico's desert at midnight in January. 22 degrees! That was cold!
The best thing I did was replace the original windshield which was badly clouded. Unfortunately, I did it after I got back from Alaska. Imagine- you are actually supposed to see through this thing! |
|
I also took tail lights out of an old truck and rewired them into the Venture. By having two-filament bulbs- the turn signals now acted as running lights. Later I would buy a module from Signal Dynamics that was designed to do this.
The Venture actually handled quite well once it was up and running. It was a very large motorcycle but with the v-twin engine, the bike was very narrow in the midsection. This also allows for a more v-shape than it's larger counterparts like the Goldwing. I soon learned the first thing that would touch down was the footpegs, not the mufflers or other assorted hard parts.
|
Alberta, Canada
|
|

Sleeping in 26 degree weather in Mississippi
|
Once the 10,000 mile mark comes and goes- you get this level of comfort in which you
can lean the bike over at any time and scrap the pegs. Kinda fun
actually. Did a whole lotta curvy roads on this thing.
The bike also had linked brakes which takes some getting used to. The front brake lever does only the front, but the foot brake will activate both.
Just to see what it felt like, I once slammed on the foot brake and promptly locked up both tires. Keep in mind a motorcycle only has two tires in the first place. |
|
That was very scary and I never did that again. Duh. In the end, I would always appreciate the linked brakes- it always stopped well, and you never worried about locking up the rear like you do with sport bikes.
I bolted extra running lights to the engine guards and fell in love with all those lights. I'm still convinced that being seen is the toughest obstacle in this 'didn't see the motorcyclist' mentality of auto drivers. |
Newman Peak, Arizona
|
|

Adventure Touring on a Yamaha Venture somewhere on a
dirt road in NorCal |
|

Across International Borders, eh?
|
It was common practice for me on my -dawn to dark- day trips to get in as many miles during daylight, riding virtually nonstop- making sure I hit the freeway for the rest of my way home just as it got dark.
One time coming back from
the Pacific Coast in Northern California on Highway 36 into
Red Bluff- the road was very
curvy and the sun had fallen into the sea behind me. I reached down and pulled
the running lights up and out so they were pointing up at an angle into
the dark night. However, the road was so curvy that when the bike
was leaned into the corners one after the other- the running lights
actually pointed straight down the road- lighting my way through the
corners. Earlier in the day, I had just missed some cows in the road too. |
| On the bad side, the worst thing about the
Venture that would plague me for 50,000 miles was it's incredibly top
heavy. Probably the most top heavy motorcycle ever built. This
thing fell over all the time- everywhere- at the slightest chance I might
lose my balance- all at low speed. And at 5'9" and 160lbs, I'm right there in the
middle of any anthropometrical measurement. |
|
The engine guards are bolted right onto the frame and no damage was ever done from all the times this thing fell over. I heaved this thing up many, many times.
I ran Bridgestone ML2 High Mileage tires on the bike almost continuously.
I chose them (when I headed off to Alaska) for their high mileage rating and oddly- the tread pattern- they have this sort of off-road look to them. I had a habit of continuing to ride when the pavement ended. I was always very pleased with these tires. |

Galveston Island, Texas in the pouring rain
|
|
Went through a lot of tires- all of which I
changed myself. The hardest thing was breaking the bead and I always did it by hand. Looking back- I
changed so many tires- I should have just spent the money for a
bead-breaker. I usually would use a 6 inch C-clamp and a board on
each side of the tire. I grew up restoring antique furniture for a
living and all sorts of woodworking clamps were within easy reach.
This actually worked rather well. We did have a set of tire irons
though- and some really big screwdrivers. I would then
take the tire to the local shop and have them balance it for me for 5 bucks.
|
|
1200 Miles in 22 Hours
|
|
One time in January, it was raining and I was
headed across town to go to the ice rink (Nobody ice skates in
California). Train tracks ran down the middle of the
boulevard for the city's mass transit. I was running parallel to
them and when I attempted to ride over them, the front wheel slipped on
the slick metal.
I went down taking another divot out of my leather chaps. Again not a scratch. Couple more scatches on the crash
bars. Always negotiate tracks
perpendicular. A real no brainer. Another time I was pulling
out from the curb onto the city street. The middle of which was a foot
higher than the curb where the back wheel was. |
Interstate 10 near the California - Arizona border
|
| I hit the gas a little too hard while the bike was leaned and the bike literally slipped
right out from under me. Another hard lesson. My spectacular crash in the Yukon
really changed the way I looked at motorcycling. And maybe even the
way I looked at life. In a nutshell- I wiped out in a corner and
came to rest on the very edge of a cliff. I had my share of
wipeouts before but this was something quite new. I could have been
seriously injured, or possibly even killed, but again walked away without so much as a
scratch. From then on, the bike pulled to the right. A
constant reminder. |
|

Riding 36 hours straight on two hours of sleep
to make it back to California
|
I had put 40K on the bike when one day I was pulling away from a stoplight
and felt something
slip. At first I didn't know what it was. It literally felt like the
rear tire had slipped on some oil in the road. It was also raining
at the time and I thought maybe I had hydroplaned. I thought nothing
of it but it soon happened again and with increasing frequency.
Second gear was quickly becoming a memory. Remember when I said this
bike is a bit of a hot rod? |
|
No, it isn't a Yamaha V-Max (both motors are
very similar), but for a
full dress touring bike- it has some get up and go. And get up had just about gone. Within a few thousand more miles, there was nothing left of second gear.
The cost of replacing second gear was
more than what the bike was worth (unless I did it myself). And so I
rode it that way skipping from 1st to 3rd
for another 10,000 miles. Eventually, these little wipeouts
would take their toll on the bike. Most of the mounting tabs of the
fairings had been broken off. These were my college days and money
was quite scarce. I
would drill holes in the plastic, take speaker wire and cinch it all back
together. Speaker wire was holding all the fairings onto the bike
(it actually worked quite well). Although it sort of rattled in the
bumps. |

Near Fort Ross on Highway 1
|
|

Sierra Blanca, Texas
|
After 50K miles in three years, it was time for a new
bike. What must be said for this bike though is despite all my wear
and tear on the bike- the motor always performed flawlessly. With
regular oil changes, yearly tune ups of carb syncs, valve adjustments
and new valve cover gaskets- that was the extent of the attention paid to
the motor. It ran like a tank. I can't say enough
good things about the motor- sans gearbox of course.
What was Yamaha thinking when they designed that? My FJ1200 would
later suffer from this same exact problem. |
|
When
I bought the FJ1200- It took sometime to get it roadworthy. When all
was ready, I parked the Venture and let it gather some cobwebs. A few months later- I sent the
FJ1200 to Chandell Motorsports to have the new stage 3 jets tuned on the
dyno. I cleaned all the cobwebs off the Venture and once it was
running- the motor was a smooth as always. I would only need to ride
it one day. On my way to work going through a residential intersection in which I was
not required to stop- a woman waiting at her stop sign pulled out right in
front of the bike never even looking left to see if anyone was
coming. How do you prepare or prevent something like that from
happening? It was so sudden- I didn't even have time to slam on the
brakes. I
wasn't going all that fast in the 25mph speed limit. I hit her
drivers door with no time to swerve or brake. The impact folded in her door panel.
The fork took a 3 inch gouge out of the door as the bike collided bending the fork
and breaking the 1/4" thick fork brace. The tire was pushed far
enough back to impact the radiator and curve it inward. The front of the bike followed next into the side
of the car breaking all the plastic. |

Yosemite National Park
|
|

Northern Pacific Coastline on California's Highway 1
|
I went over the handlebars and
still don't even remember hitting the ground. For my ten minute ride
to work, I was wearing riding boots, gloves, leather riding pants, my
armored leather jacket, and full face helmet. (Did you know that 34%
of motorcycle crashes involve forward impacts to the face?) Again,
not a scratch. It was a classic case of she never saw me. She
never even looked to see if anyone was coming from that direction.
Amazingly, I got on the bike, and drove it home- only several blocks away. |
| I am very pleased when I hear people
say they have been riding for 30 some years and have never had a
motorcycle crash. I though, have never met a single motorcyclist
that didn't have some story to tell regarding a wipe out or
crash. (You could also say, I don't think I have ever met a
single person that has not been in some sort of car accident too.) |

The Gulf of Mexico
|
|
It's worse than it looks
|
Well, that finished off the Venture-
it was good for scrap now and since there is no demand for the motor (this
was years before eBay), it had little value. I had no idea what to even do with the bike, but was put in touch with someone who might be able to help me.
I ended up trading it to
a guy in Reno for a pickup load of Triumph Spitfire parts- the car I was
restoring (or rather attempting to keep running) at the time. I had no idea what he would do with the bike, but he was willing to take it if I cleaned out his garage of the British sportscar parts. It culminated 50,000 miles of traveling in a little lesss than 3 years.
|
|
It was the end of an era.
The close to a
chapter in my life.
|
|
|
You always remember that first real
bike. The one you had in college, on your first date, the first big trip. The one that became a part of your very identity.
The
Venture took me across Canada to Alaska and across the southern United
States. This bike took me through college and to the night job I worked
for 4 years. If I was feeling really antsy during the week, I would
ride 120 miles to the next college town up and over the mountains, stroll
into the campus library- and study my Organic Chemistry there.
On weekends, I would start out early and ride in a huge radius getting
back well after dark. I rarely took the same road twice. This
amounted to an endless list of roads in northern California which
eventually inspired my motoroads. |
|

Richardson Highway, Alaska
|
I saw a lot of land from the back of this
motorcycle and to this day, every time I see a Venture headed down the
road, I can still feel the bike beneath me flowing across this land.
Webmaster Note: In 2004, nearly 10 years after I bought
the first one, I bought the same bike all over again. Added an '83
Yamaha Venture to use for commuting. Get to relive it all over
again. Read the story below...
I buy a Yamaha FJ1200
|
| They say history repeats itself... 12 years
later... |
| Twelve years after I bought the original Yamaha Venture, I bought
another one. I paid a mere $1000 for this motorcycle. The plan was
to park the Hayabusa, and just use this Venture as a commuter bike while
my wife was on maternity leave. Good excuse to buy another
bike! It had 73,000 miles on it, a bad second gear, and could best
be described as 'rickety'. When you hit a bump, the entire bike
rattled. The suspension was pretty much shot, and any attempt at
pushing the limits turned this motorcycle into what I began to call the
'rubber band bike'. |
| But it worked great on the freeway and city traffic. Smooth, comfy as
always, turn on the tunes and head on down the road. All that
ample trunk space was greatly appreciated as I headed to and fro work
each day. I spent the winter on this bike riding it every day. |
| In April of 2005, this bike was used and photographed by Cycle World
Magazine. The article appeared in the August 2005 issue about
$1000 bikes on a 1000 mile ride (which I designed for the editors of Cycle
World Magazine). The bike performed terrific on that ride through
rain and even some snow atop South Fork Mountain Summit (on Highway
36). Several months later, I used the bike again on another 1000
mile ride of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Looking back on the original 50,000 miles I put on my bike 12 years
ago, I'm amazed I took this bike as many places I did. Dirt roads,
over snowy gravel passes, and all over North America. It's unusual
to get a chance to relive the past, but that's exactly what
happened.
|
|

L to R - David Edwards (Editor in Chief), Kevin
Kim, Brain Catterson & Mathew Miles
|
| Other pages about the Yamaha Venture: |
|
|