Possible New Venture; an '87?

[hisport]

Came across an '87 Venture, and I'm toying with the idea of buying it. I would fix it up and then do a cross country trip. My last such trip was in '04 on an '02 Concours.

 

- Is this an OK year for the Venture?

 

- I'm OK with cleaning carbs, etc, but what else should I look out for?

 

- Is 2nd gear a hazard on the 87 model?

 

- Whats an OK price for an average '87 that's been sitting for a few years?

 

- Are tires, parts, and so on reasonably available?

 

Thanks!

[twigg]

Came across an '87 Venture, and I'm toying with the idea of buying it. I would fix it up and then do a cross country trip. My last such trip was in '04 on an '02 Concours.

 

- Is this an OK year for the Venture?

 

- I'm OK with cleaning carbs, etc, but what else should I look out for?

 

- Is 2nd gear a hazard on the 87 model?

 

- Whats an OK price for an average '87 that's been sitting for a few years?

 

- Are tires, parts, and so on reasonably available?

 

Thanks!

 

Yes. There are no major known faults on the '87. The frame failures and second gear issues affected early models.

 

Look out for all the normal things when buying a vehicle. It starts, runs, lights and electrics all work ... Audio system works?

 

The biggest problem is plastic. If it is tatty you will have to live with it or prepare to spend money. I live with mine.

 

No, 2nd is fine but test it anyway. Accelerate hard to the redline in second ... It should stay in gear. You will be going quite fast by 7500 rpm

 

Most parts are available, some, many from Yamaha ... some are extremely expensive. All service items are available, and reasonable.

 

Price? How long is a piece of string, but it would have to be truly exceptional to persuade me to part with more than $2500 ... I paid $1400 for my '86, and that was too much.

 

Take a good look at it and post back what you find.

[hisport]

Thanks twigg. Appreciate the tips.

 

Not sure if this is even a runner. Its been sitting for quite a while. I may try and jump it and get it running though.

 

Glad to hear that '87 is not a problem model. I'm interested in the old bike as I always liked the Ventures, though I'm not a Goldwing, Harley etc fan. I was looking for a BMW K1200GT when I came across the '87.

 

Are the plastics generally OK if they haven't been damaged? Or are they subject to age or UV embrittlement? Just FYI, I'll probably strip the bike and paint it stealth black or dark met grey (plus remove the passenger stuff) if I buy it.

 

I don't believe this is a "Royale". I'm a one up rider who doesn't like bling, so is there anything in the Royale model that I'd likely miss? The only thing I can think of is a real cruise control (not a throttle lock).

[pmelah]

i paid 500 for my 84 and would not take less then 10,000.00:whistling: yes im partial to my red head that way no one wants to give me what im asking for plastic not so much if its been taken care of

[twigg]

Thanks twigg. Appreciate the tips.

 

Not sure if this is even a runner. Its been sitting for quite a while. I may try and jump it and get it running though.

 

Glad to hear that '87 is not a problem model. I'm interested in the old bike as I always liked the Ventures, though I'm not a Goldwing, Harley etc fan. I was looking for a BMW K1200GT when I came across the '87.

 

Are the plastics generally OK if they haven't been damaged? Or are they subject to age or UV embrittlement? Just FYI, I'll probably strip the bike and paint it stealth black or dark met grey (plus remove the passenger stuff) if I buy it.

 

I don't believe this is a "Royale". I'm a one up rider who doesn't like bling, so is there anything in the Royale model that I'd likely miss? The only thing I can think of is a real cruise control (not a throttle lock).

 

I think the '87 was only available as a "Royale" ... It will have decals that say so, but I believe they all had the full electronics pack ... Radio, Intercom, CB, CLASS and Cruise control.

 

The plastic is ABS. It is thin, and cracks easily. It will be a rare bike that doesn't have some cracked plastic and missing tabs. That's not a problem because they can all be fixed but major damage and missing bits can be an issue because getting decent replacements can be tricky. The fairing panels do not suffer from UV degradation, because they are painted, but the black dash panels are vulnerable. There are some very thin sections and they crack.

 

I don't want to overstate this ... Look, and you will see.

 

Personally, if the guy says it hasn't been started then I wouldn't even try. I would try only to ensure the engine wasn't seized solid, but beyond that I wouldn't want it to run at all.

 

There is a lot to do before you run a motor that has been sat for years, and it's a job best done in your shop.

 

Sounds like the price could be low .... Non-runner, sat around unwanted ... go in under $1000. Especially if it looks good under the dust.

[hisport]

Really appreciate the advice.

 

Yes; I agree that going through the bike before starting it would be best. My concern was to not get stuck with a bad transmission or something. But, if its available for

 

If all is well, I'll click it into top gear and see if the motor will turn:detective:. That should be enough to go with.

 

Funny, I guess I could easily afford a new bike, but after years of scrimping and buying fixer uppers, I'm sorta' inclined that way. :whistling:Fixing 'em is half the fun, sometimes.

[bongobobny]

Non running, sat for years? He obviously isn't interested in it and wants it out of his way. I'd offer $500. There will be a lot of PM to do before I'd even consider riding it. Carbs will need a complete rebuild. Both tires will need replacing regardless of how much tread is on them. All hydraulics will need to be flushed. Rotors will ,ost likely be shot with hard spots on them and good luck finding new ones, non existant for the most part. Front shocks will need rebuilding, I'll almost guarantee they will leak oil and the springs are probably tired out. Swing arm and rear shock bushings will need lubricating, and you will probably find wear on the bushings as well. Drive shaft will need to be pulled and greased up. Change differential oil. Clean and reseat every electrical comnmector.

 

That being said, once you give it a thorough going over you will have a very reliable and comfortable cross country touring bike. IMHO the 1st gen Venture was one of the finest touring bikes ever made. Also, at $500 (or less, feel him out for what he actually wants to get) you could double your money parting out the bike...

[twigg]

You may find this helpful:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=66227

[bongobobny]

Yes, very good info there!! There is one thing, most tire manufactures actually recommend not using a tire older than 6 years old. Twigg is right, pushing 800lbs down the highway on 2 wheels the last thing in the world I would want is a blow out!!!