Guest snowburner Posted July 2, 2007 #1 Posted July 2, 2007 Anyone driven this bike, any issues ? Looking at buying, and new to the venture scene. Its a venture royale.
Black Owl Posted July 2, 2007 #2 Posted July 2, 2007 Anyone driven this bike, any issues ? Looking at buying, and new to the venture scene. Its a venture royale. LOL....... Yah, maybe a couple or three here are familiar with that model. Depending on condition and price, you probably won't find a better touring bike out there. Of course the 2nd geners with argue that point, but we just let then rant on...... Give us a bit more info on the scoot and feel free to ask any questions you want. More than enough experience here to answer any and all questions.
Guest snowburner Posted July 2, 2007 #3 Posted July 2, 2007 50,000 miles on it. Other then that, I guess it will be in the ride, handling etc. Thanks for the reply.
Yammer Dan Posted July 2, 2007 #4 Posted July 2, 2007 How many miles? Known problems? Extras? Ask and we will give answers. You might even understand some of them. These are Great bikes.
Poledar Posted July 2, 2007 #5 Posted July 2, 2007 Anyone driven this bike, any issues ? Looking at buying, and new to the venture scene. Its a venture royale. I owned an '88 and had nothing but good to say about it...right up until the divorce and the "parting". I rode it everywhere from east to west, through one deer with little damage to bike (totalled the deer!). I never had any mechanical issues, just changed the oil (I used Spectro Golden 4) regularly, kept air pressure in tires up, and rode til I dropped. It never even hiccuped when I rode UP in the Rockies. It didn't need a choke to start there but otherwise a GREAT machine to ride. I installed zirk fittings on the swingarm for lubrication rather than have to disassemble it to lube the swimgarm. Later Yamaha did it at the factory. Buy it, clean it and ride til you drop!
bongobobny Posted July 2, 2007 #6 Posted July 2, 2007 For a 1st gen Venture, 50,000 miles is just about broken in! these bikes have been known to make it well over 100,000 miles and have even made it up to 200,000 miles. They are known to be very reliable and don't have any maintenance issues any greater than any other make or model. One issue is slow starting when hot, but can be overcome easily with a battery cable upgrade and an Odessy dry cell battery. Another issue is the diaphragms on the Cards can develop pin holes resulting in poor idle, rough response, etc. This can happen with any bike, though, and is not just a Venture problem. It's an easy fix. Speaking of carbs, I strongly recommend regular use of "Seafoam" to keep the carbs clean and healthy. Your best bet is to just swing a leg over and take it for a ride if possible and decide for yourself. Word of warning, they are "Tall" bikes but they handle quite well as the center of gravity is still low. They are also very heavy going close to 900 lbs. I remember when I bought mine being surprised at the amount of efort it took to get it off the kickstand and upright. One ride around the block convinced me it was "THE" bike for me. An '88 with 50K should probably go for $3k to $4k depending on overall condition and how much aftermarket goodies, options, etc are included. You will find this site to be exceptional for technical help as well as friendship and brotherhood. We are one big FAMILY around here and extremely helpful. You may even find members close by that are more than willing to lend a helping hand if needed. Also, a sense of humor is required around here...
Paul Posted July 2, 2007 #7 Posted July 2, 2007 Mine has 73k on it right now. I bought it with 61k on it and have done nothing but clean the carbs and after having them off noticed how clean they actually were I could have gotten away with just a can of Sea Foam. I also went with a K&N air filter and had to tear the exhaust collector apart and gut it as one of the little spot welds came loose and I had a rattle (no big deal the guys here told me what and how to do it and it was a piece of cake). I also changed over to synthetic oil, but other than those couple little things I have done nothing but cosmetic work to it. I wouldnt be affraid to jump on it this morning and run it across the country. Buy it you will love it, and you wont find a better bunch of guys than the ones on this site to help you if you have any problems. Paul
Gearhead Posted July 2, 2007 #8 Posted July 2, 2007 As has been mentioned before, no matter how good the plastic looks you WILL find broken mounting tabs when you remove bodywork for any reason. It can be discouraging, but a little time and ingenuity, JB weld and some reinforcing material (I use light gage galvanized sheet metal) will have them back together. I think this will apply to any fully-faired bike. What are they asking for it? Jeremy
mother Posted July 3, 2007 #9 Posted July 3, 2007 buy it, ride it, join the club. i just came back from a weekend ride. i never want to get off the bike. i bought mine late july last year with 75,000 kilometers on it and now have over 92,000 kilometers. (100,000 kilometers equals 60,000 miles.) i have been on many long rides with it and the road sofa runs flawless. it has a wonderful growl when you open it up. i have ridden many big touring bikes, and this one puts a grin on my face every time i ride.
Guest snowburner Posted July 3, 2007 #10 Posted July 3, 2007 Thanks for all the advice, I one track minded the specs and thought there was something unique about the 88 model type, but its still a vr. May have to drop (or rise) to the 86 as the 88 may have sold. What impresses me about the machine so far, is that its off the ground, for me, its great because i'm tall and need the leg room.
Guest snowburner Posted July 4, 2007 #11 Posted July 4, 2007 Picked it up today and put about 150 miles on it. Nice ride. Has 45000 miles. One thing, I did notice was a slight hesitation while driving at 75 mph. I couldn't tell if it was just wind or engine. The engine sounded steady so might be just carbs. BTW good site !
endo Posted July 4, 2007 #12 Posted July 4, 2007 Congratulations! It's a little unusual to have hesitation at higher rpms, they usually scream. You could pour half a can of Sea Foam (I found it at my local NAPA) with the next fill-up and ride it out. This is what everyone's found to be the remedy for most minor carb problems. Good for a spring clean out if it had to sit all winter, for example. There's always the possibility the dcarb iaphragms are weak, but that should be noticeable at other RPMs. There's also an electronic vacuum advance with a hose from below the left-front carburettor, at least that's how it is on my '84. They can leak vacuum or not function, but again, you'd probably notice at other RPMs. Check out the air filter when you get a chance. If it idles and pulls out nicely I suspect it just needs some exercise otherwise! And that's what I'd do before spending too much time troubleshooting. Good luck, keep up with recommended maintenance items you'll find around here and you'll be pleased for years to come. Andy
GeorgeS Posted July 4, 2007 #13 Posted July 4, 2007 My 89 does the same thing when I'm down in California. Its the 10 percent Ethenol they put in the Gas down there. At least I think it is. After the 2nd fill up in Calif, I always get the hesittion, a little off throttle, from about 70 mph. Never notice it in Oregon, and Washington. No ethenol in the gas up here.
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