1986 questions.

[trouble]

Good morning all. My first post. I have purchased a 1986 venture royale that was sitting for years. It came complete with mouse nest and chewed wires. It had so much dirt and grime on it that I decided to strip it to the bones. I have every piece of plastic, faring, luggage, crome and electronic off it now and it is all cleaned up quite nicely. I am about to take care of the known issues which are spongy front brakes, almost no clutch pressure and a rear brake rotor replacement. I think I should check the valve clearances and will replace all the oils, spark plugs coolant ect. Is there any other specific things I should do or check while it is stripped. Head bearings, swing arm bearings feel good. Front fork seals are not leaking. Thanks in advance T

[reddevilmedic]

check the wiring from the stator and voltage regulator...where they meet on left side of bike by seat. they tend to melt. also, probably should upgrade fuse block. just my 2 cents. maybe get SpeedBleeders.

[Trader]

valve cover gaskets leaking?

[trouble]

check the wiring from the stator and voltage regulator...where they meet on left side of bike by seat. they tend to melt. also, probably should upgrade fuse block. just my 2 cents. maybe get SpeedBleeders.

 

Thanks for the advice. I will check the wiring like you said. Not familiar with Speedbleeders but will look into it.

[trouble]

valve cover gaskets leaking?

 

Was a little oily residue mixed with dust all over the top end and carbs. looked more like a mist than a leak occured and I dont know how long it took for the oilyness to accumulate. PO had it since 1991. My guess is he never cleaned in there very often.

[trouble]

I read about a starter ground issue. Is that something I should look into on a 1986.

[Yammer Dan]

Check in air box. If oil is there he kept level too high. 1/2 way up sight glass is as far as it should go or engine will push it out into breather.

[bongobobny]

Hi and welcome!!!

 

Speed bleeders are brake bleeders that have tiny check valves in them so that when you bleed your brakes you don't have to constantly tighten and open them, you just loosen and pump. They run about $10 each. You may want to invest in a vacuum pump as well and suck the brake fluid thru the system instead of pumping the handle all the time. Vacuum pumps generally cost around $30 and are available at Canadian Tire, etc.

 

A very nice brake upgrade, but involved, is to replace your front forks with what's known as MK2 front forks. MK1 is years '83 - '85 whereas MK2 is from '86 - '93. The front brakes on the MK2 are 2 piston as opposed to MK1 which is 1 piston. The anti dives on the MK2 are electric solenoids as opposed to the hydraulic ones on the MK1 which rob brake power as well. You can replace your head bearings as well and upgrade to Progressive springs to improve front suspension as well. The bolt spacing is different on the MK1 and Mk2 but with the MK2 you can also switch to R1 4 piston calipers and they are a direct fit. You will need to change to MK2 rotors as well as the diameter is different. Llots of time and money but well worth the upgrades. A better fork brace finishes the front upgrades, either a Superbrace or one made by member Condor.

 

Surprisingly enough there is a site "Modulator" that lives near you that is very knowledgeable with 1st gen Ventures. I';m surprised he hasn't posted in your thread yet but probably because he isn't home from Church yet...

 

I may be able to help you out with parts, I should have a spare wiring harness laying around if you need one. Looking forward to meeting you in the future, there is a strong Ontario presence on this site as well as Western New York!

 

EDIT! Ignore the above about the conversion, for some reason I thought you had an '84!!!

[mbrood]

It's a perfect time to get in and pull the TCI screws... it's very prone to water sprayed up in the rain, power washing and sometimes just high humidity... if you are happy with the location for the time, change the soft aluminum screws to allen type... this will pay off later... and the pressure sensor is similar and sitting right next to it. While you are there, clean and use dialectric grease on the pins for the TCI (unit and connector) as well as the shrouded connector for the pressure sensor. Now is also a dandy time to do the same to any connection you can get to and that includes the coils and relays. On the left side of the frame that mounts the TCI and coils is a bolt for two electrical grounds... pull the bolt, clean the frame and ring connectors, coat with grease and bolt back up.

 

It's an ideal time to lube the tiny gearing in the spedometer as well as shoot some lube down the speedo cable. If you were considering changing the lights in the dash to LED variants (they rarely EVER blow out) but have a much sharper dimming curve), superbrightleds.com offer a great "wedge" bulb for this as well and you even have an option of colors (although most really still prefer white)

 

It's a great time to drain enough fuel so it's either empty or very low so you can pull the fuel sending unit and inspect the tank inside for rust and take what action is needed.

[trouble]

To all who replied to my questions...thankyou. This is exactly the info I was hoping to recieve. I just counted all the removed and cleaned parts and assemblies on my rec room floor. totals 53 pieces LOL. No wonder these bikes weigh so much. I hope I remember how everthing went.

[Trader]

Consider this is just a "free sample" of what you get....so pay the $12 and get on board!

 

Then everyone can start ignoring you!

 

NOT!!

 

This place is worth a whole lot more just in technical advice you can get from the knowledgeable members.

 

And even us wrenching dummies contribute....even if it is just in the jokes and humor forum.