just bought an 83 venture royal, how do you check the oil?

[triplerider]

sorry, this may be a duh question.

 

I'm a classic Yamaha fan... just recently rebuilt a xs 750 triple. I saw this big bad beauty(83 venture royal) at a local used motorcycle place, with a nice winter project price tag, and couldn't resist.

so every Japanese motorcycle has its own engeneering secrets and issues to overcome.

I located where the oil goes in on the lower rear/right of the bike... but the cap had no dip stick? how do you check the oil?

 

thank you all in advance.

[mini-muffin]

Put it on the center stand or hold level. The site glass is on right front of motor. Oil should be half way up glass.

 

Margaret

[Dano]

Have someone hold the bike up straight, look on the right side below the water pump and you will see a sight glass. Oil should be up to the halfway point, any higher and it will suck oil up into the airbox. Start reading thru the First Gen Tech library, you will find a lot of info about these great bikes there.

 

BTW, where's the ?

[Snaggletooth]

Ok, right hand side of the bike, the bike on center stand on a level surface. You will be on your hands and knees maybe with a flash light looking at the lowest part of the side lower engine case below the water pump housing. (that big lump sticking out by the crash bars on the right side)

 

You will see a round glass window in the case. There are two scribe marks on that window, one high and one low. The proper oil level should be about center on these marks.

 

If you over fill the oil above the high mark the case vent tube will suck it right up into the air box. Messy.

[triplerider]

HA, i knew this bike being so high tech for its day, would have an eccentric method for reading the oil. I'm used to basic, air cooled bikes. this is my first liquid cruiser. I downloaded a tech manual from this wonderful forum. must have missed this? diagrams are hard to see.

 

one question i did want to ask that i cant get info in the TM... I removed the air compressor

in the rear, and sealed up the end of the hoses with bolts. i figure the suspension system would stay put where it is. remember, this is a $500 bike; i don't want to locate a new compressor. i should be fine as long as the hoses are sealed?

 

I will poke around the grimy engine for the glass window.

 

thank you very much for the info.

[Poledar]

what they all said....trust minimuffin more than anyone, cuz she is backed up by the Muffinman and there are few who know more about this machine than ahe does!!!!!!

[dingy]

HA, i knew this bike being so high tech for its day, would have an eccentric method for reading the oil. I'm used to basic, air cooled bikes. this is my first liquid cruiser. I downloaded a tech manual from this wonderful forum. must have missed this? diagrams are hard to see.

 

one question i did want to ask that i cant get info in the TM... I removed the air compressor

in the rear, and sealed up the end of the hoses with bolts. i figure the suspension system would stay put where it is. remember, this is a $500 bike; i don't want to locate a new compressor. i should be fine as long as the hoses are sealed?

 

I will poke around the grimy engine for the glass window.

 

thank you very much for the info.

 

If you are saying that you removed the bolts holding the hoses to the air compressor valve body, then sealed them with bolts, then the system would have no air at all in it.

 

Front end will be very soft, considering the age. It will probably bottom out. My 83 would raise up about 1" or so if it was empty when I aired it up. Progressive springs cured that. Rear end won't be much better.

 

Is the CLASS controller on the right dash pocket powering up? Any error messages?

 

Gary

[triplerider]

the whole compressor unit was toast. I removed the hoses from the unit veeery slowly, as I did not know what would happen. nothing actually? until i picked it up off the kickstand and put muy butt on it. it hissed for a fraction of a second before I yelled oh s@#%*! and tipped it back. I sealed off the hoses, now I can sit on it with no issues, not grounded out.

this may be taboo and may be shunned for this, but, this bike was in rough shape, the only way to salvage the bike was to strip it down and run it as a NAKED venture. it looks kinda cool, I put a fake gas tank over the battery and airbox area, to cover up where the cowling was.

I removed the clunky (busted) compressor and the whole rear lighting rack... and put on new sleeker directionals and brake light. so this bike is a project/challenge to fill in the gaps, and with the parts I already have on hand. oh, and I fixed the dash across the span of the handle bars with (the greatest invention ever) zip ties. its been fun so far.

[Condor]

the whole compressor unit was toast. I removed the hoses from the unit veeery slowly, as I did not know what would happen. nothing actually? until i picked it up off the kickstand and put muy butt on it. it hissed for a fraction of a second before I yelled oh s@#%*! and tipped it back. I sealed off the hoses, now I can sit on it with no issues, not grounded out.

this may be taboo and may be shunned for this, but, this bike was in rough shape, the only way to salvage the bike was to strip it down and run it as a NAKED venture. it looks kinda cool, I put a fake gas tank over the battery and airbox area, to cover up where the cowling was.

I removed the clunky (busted) compressor and the whole rear lighting rack... and put on new sleeker directionals and brake light. so this bike is a project/challenge to fill in the gaps, and with the parts I already have on hand. oh, and I fixed the dash across the span of the handle bars with (the greatest invention ever) zip ties. its been fun so far.

 

You might think about installing schrader valves in the lines leading to the rear shock and front forks. That'll get you back up where you belong. It doesn't make any difference what you paid for it, but if it won't operate properly you'd be better off parting it out.

[Evan]

You might think about installing schrader valves in the lines leading to the rear shock and front forks. That'll get you back up where you belong. It doesn't make any difference what you paid for it, but if it won't operate properly you'd be better off parting it out.

Yes, I used schrader valves to control my suspension until I did the solder fix to the controller. Works just fine and fairly easy to set up, but a note of caution. Inflate with caution! Best to use a hand pump. Otherwise, you can overinflate before you know it and blow seals etc.

[triplerider]

hmmmm? what are these schrader valves? a link maybe? the guy I bought this from took this bike to a rally from Maine to Newhampshire and back, exactly the way it is, so I figured it wouldn't be that bad... I would however, like to be aware of a method to "pump it up" if I had to. i am willing to invest in this big beautiful bike, im just not hell bent on bringing it to stock spec. I am new to these bikes and appreciate all of your wisdom, thank you.

[triplerider]

ok, wait... am I reading this correctly? does my 83 venture already have schrader valves on it, for this purpose, in case my compressor fails, I can just pump it up using any standard pump with a schrader receptacle? sorry for being a bother.

[greg_in_london]

My understanding is that the early 'standard' ventures had no pump, just schroeder (car tyre) valves to blow up the inflation, as per other, lesser bikes. The Venture Royale had the CLASS system of which the pump/compressor is part. If the compressor is toast AND the shocks and forks hold pressure, then installing schroeder valves will get you back on track.

Although rideable without air assistance, the standard suspension started off soft and will not have improved. I would recommend replacing the springs when you can. If I look at my files I might find some suggested spring rates. I'd offer you a stiffer spring, but the postage from here would be as much as it would cost you to source it state-side.

For the front you could add a socket under each spring cap if they won't hold air.

[fixit3546]

I ran mine "naked" for a while too.......loved it. now it is fully dressed, love that too.

 

Keep asking questions. you aint bothering nobody, they live for this stuff(i think)

 

And, I agree with everything the others have said.

 

BTW, I and many others here like these so much, we own more than one.

[triplerider]

thank you all for your wisdom on the venture... I feel I have figured out most of the mysteries on this bike.

 

I found the oil window... and as I figured, the junkyard/sales place where I bought her had no idea how much oil to put in. the level was over the top mark... I had been running it a bit and have not had a problem with oil in the airbox... however, I am going to drain it to the middle of the hash marks, as I understand is the right level. I'll change the oil in the spring.

 

the schrader valves? would I install those at the end of the hoses where the compressor once was connected? seems screwing in a set of these at that source would be an easy and logical solution?

[Condor]

thank you all for your wisdom on the venture... I feel I have figured out most of the mysteries on this bike.

 

I found the oil window... and as I figured, the junkyard/sales place where I bought her had no idea how much oil to put in. the level was over the top mark... I had been running it a bit and have not had a problem with oil in the airbox... however, I am going to drain it to the middle of the hash marks, as I understand is the right level. I'll change the oil in the spring.

 

the schrader valves? would I install those at the end of the hoses where the compressor once was connected? seems screwing in a set of these at that source would be an easy and logical solution?

 

 

You might also pic up a small hand pump off Ebay. There are some that put out 50psi. and others that'll go to 300psi. Unless you plan on pumping up the rear to the max 71psi the 50 will do. Do NOT use a compressor. You'll blow the seals...

[mini-muffin]

Well since you're having so much fun playing with all the stuff on the bike, did you ask or maybe the PO told you.... has the 2nd gear issue been fixed on that bike? If not you may want to do that while you're doing the rest of the stuff.

 

Margaret

[bongobobny]

My question being, are you sure the compressor is toast?? It only works on the accessory position to prevent people from trying to asjust the pressure on the fly. A couple of problems with the compressor, the rubber tube and diaphragm get clogged, or the electrinic controller gives an error message, usually due to a deteriorated solder connection on the PC board.

 

You will have to install 2 schraeder valves, one on the front shocks which was mounted on the black plastic handlebar cover, and one on the rear shock which I think was next to the damper control.

 

I may have a spare compressor assembly for parts that you are welcome to if ytou want it...

[triplerider]

ok, I'll check under the handle bar cover and by the damper... wow, thats so cool that Yamaha built in that fail-safe function of the Schroeder valves. I was worried I would have to figure out, a pain in the arse way, to raise those shocks if I had too. oh, by the way, what is that damper switch for? sorry, air cooled, basic bike guy here

 

thank you for the offer of the compressor parts, but I already sawed off the place where it went, and installed a new short, chrome fender off an xs750. I think pumping it up manually every once in a while sounds fine to me.... if I can locate those input valves?

 

2nd gear? not sure, haven't taken her out yet. she had 60k on the odo before I removed it... the guy I bought it from swore up and down, this old beast ran better than any other bike on his lot. he kept going on about it, purely out of disbelief. I thought it was kinda funny. he took it to a bike rally two states over and back, then parked it for the summer... im sure he would have mentioned it.