Need experienced advise please.

[Dodgeram]

I'm not familiar with Yamahas or Ventures at all, but I may be going to look at a used '84 royale within the next few days. It has about 60,000 miles on it. Is there somethings in general or specifically I should be looking for at this bike. I guess to me, the miles are ok, it's the age I would be worried about. How have these bikes held up overtime, what kind of maintenance should I expect to have to do, are parts NOS or aftermarket and accessories still available? Just not sure what to expect I guess, and don't want to end up with a money pit. A little history about me, started riding in the early 90's on a 800 Intruder, quickly went to a gl1500 aspencade that we loved. Had kids and sold it, & haven't ridden in about 10yrs. Just looking for something comfortable to ride to work and some touring with me and my wife on weekends. Thank you so much for your help, Dan.

[tpalshadow]

http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=48750

 

I just bought one about a month ago. There is some great advice on the thread above. If you decide to buy a Vent (and you should) make sure you get a membership here. It will be the best $12 you can spend on your bike.

 

Good luck!

[Wizard765]

I have an 84 and love it. Comfortable, fun, lots of power, handles like a sport bike.

 

That said. Any bike this old will have some cracks and blemishes in the plastic. If the bike has been stored indoors and maintained it should be good.

 

Lots of little things that can be a problem.

- all rubber like brake lines, air lines, fork seals, valve cover gaskets.. etc.. see if they are leaking or have been replaced. If brake and clutch lines are original plan on replacing them

- If it is a Royale then check on whether all the electronics are working. CLASS, radio, CB, Intercom..

- Check tires for cracks in the sidewalls.

- Is it still being used or has it been sitting for awhile?

 

One Big Thing...

- 2nd gear on that year will at some point be a problem and at 60,000 miles it is about to start to be a problem. If it has not been repaired it is a pretty big job. If you are mechanically inclined you can do it yourself and it is not too expensive BUT if you take it in to a mechanic it is about a $1500 job.

 

Sounds scary but if the bike is in good shape I can pretty much guarantee you will really love the bike... they are fun to ride and very comfy.

 

Like has been said earlier... You came to the right place.

 

I'm sure others will pipe in with more suggestions.

 

Wayne

[SilvrT]

my first Venture was an '85... basically the same bike. Second gear had been repaired and the bike was in excellent condition, yet had quite a few miles on it. It was mine for 6 summers. Never let me down. I put well over 60,000 kilomters on it and sold it for more than I paid for it. I didn't do any major repairs to it while I had it ... just regular maintenance. It sold me on the Yamaha Venture line of bikes. I went on to buy an '87 which I rode for 3 years and now have an '06. What more can I say? ... not much out there that is better.

[Dodgeram]

Thanks for the replies. So what is the deal with second gear? Anyway to tell if it's been fixed already? Does this effect many years of this bike or just 84's. Thanks again, Dan.

[Snaggletooth]

On the 2nd gear issue, only on '83, '84 and about halfway through '85 before they got it right. After that, no problem.

 

It's a thrust washer on the second gear (too soft material) that wears and allows the bike to jump out of second under acceleration.

 

Best test is to run the bike through first gear under load and shift into second and run up again under load. On a hard pull, if it's bad it will probably jump out. If not ......it hasn't gone bad yet ......or has been repaired.

 

These bikes are so well powered that many just skip second gear and go to third directly.

 

The common identifier is supposed to be a set of marks stamped into the engine case by the shop when repaired. I forget the location but someone will pop in with that.

 

They tend to fail around the 60,000 to 70,000 mile mark. Some don't. I suppose it depends on how it was riden by the previous owners.

 

I bought an '84 three years ago. No regrets. But keep in mind it is great to be mechanically inclined. These bikes are 26 years old, shops don't want to work on them and a lot of parts are available but ya gotta look for them sometimes.

 

Mike