Rebuilding 1983 Venture Royal

[BobfromSWOhio]

I just purchased a 1983 Venture Royal with 18.499 miles actual. Problem is she has not run for the last couple years, carbs are off and known (?) problems are: bad CDI box, leak at oil filter cover, leak at water pump gasket, rear brake pedal locked (master cyl?) and probably mumerous others. Plastic is complete and in excellent condition. Seat covers are like new. Some rust on bolts and frames but has been stored inside. W/s totally "fogged."

 

I hope to make friends and gain MUCH assistance as one of the newer members to this web. Numerous questions but to start: (1.) Any place to get a repair manual? Prefer used but will spring for new. (2.) Can I still buy new gaskets, filters and even mechanical parts and, if so, where? (3.) Best sources for used parts?

 

From viewing this site and others and I must assume best source for knowledge of Fisrt Gen Ventures exists right here (major "kiss up" here, guys!) Also, due to wife's dislike of regular mc's, I plan to trike this bike after I get it running. Anyone on site ever trike a First Gen without using manufactured trike components? Great to find assistance in this area.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

[Trader]

You can get a repair manual on this site.

 

Under the "Forum" link on the menu bar , go to "Tech Library" then "First Gen" then "Guides".

 

you will see the service manual there.

 

Lots of help here...happy wrenching!

[bkuhr]

Welcome to the site

 

As for your CDI, actually TCI on ’83 (transistor controlled ignition), the ONLY year that worked on the ’83 is the ’83. Best option rather than putting in a suspect 30 year old part, is an aftermarket ignition until many of us have been using.

Here is a link to current group buy

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=76731

As for manuals, there is some links for free on line access.

They are in tech library> first gen tech library>guides, parts diagrams

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=e24a6de127caafe43f772df085fb6605&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.venturerider.org%2Fforum%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D3384&v=1&libid=1365949479651&out=http%3A%2F%2Flabs.trunkful.com%2Fvrmanuals%2Findex.cfm&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.venturerider.org%2Fforum%2Fforumdisplay.php%3Ff%3D90&title=First%20Gen%20Service%20Manuals%20-%20VentureRider.Org&txt=http%3A%2F%2Flabs.trunkful.com%2Fvrmanuals%2Findex.cfm&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13659494818672

This is already worth the $12 membership

[van avery]

Here is a site with some of the known problems with a 1 Gen.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1066

 

The ultimate fix on the slow starter is to change to a 2nd gen starter with four brushes instead of two. Made a world of difference on starting my 87.

As for parts there are several online places to get parts and Ebay is very helpful for new and used parts. There is also a section for member vendors like Skydoc17.

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3770&title=first-gen1983-to-1993-vr-needle-shim-mod-kit-21&cat=22

 

Good luck with your new ride and enjoy it.

 

You may want to go to the Maintenance day at Freebirds in your area on June 8th. Go to the calendar fuction at the top and go to the month of June. If you go there there will be all kind of great people and very helpfull.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2013-6-8&c=1

[Snaggletooth]

Sounds like you have the basic suggestions for your project started already. The new upgrade ignition is a given rather than a gamble on a used one. As stated, it's a one year only item. Other newer year TCI's (some) will work to make it run, but not properly.

 

I went though a bike stored inside for 9 years. Takes a bit to bring 'em back. Of course rebuiliding clutch, brake master cylinders and calipers along with completely flushing to new fluid is required.

 

Remember the front brake lever is for the front right caliper only. The foot pedal controls both the rear brake and front left caliper through a linked system through a proportioning valve on the rear master. Bit of a trick to bleed but we can walk you through that when your ready.

 

And eyeball those tires for date codes and inspect for rot or damage.

 

Rather the waterpump gasket is just seeping or the drip is from the weep hole in the housing will tell you if the pump needs to be rebuilt. The '83 has a plastic impeller and most change that to the new models metal impeller during the rebuild.

 

Oil leak at filter housing can be as simple as a bad o-ring on the cover to damage where it seats against the engine case. Some have upgraded to a spin-on oil filter adaptor, a bit pricey, but it's another opition to help with oil leaks there.

 

If you are looking for a better windscreen, I can help with that. I have a used one off my '84 that is still in decent shape we can talk about if interested in a used one.

 

Also have some water pump items that may be usefull if you find the need.

 

Good luck with your project and

 

Mike

[BobfromSWOhio]

Great responses. Will be in touch.

[timgray]

Replace the springs in the front forks with progressives. Remove the Rectifier and the Stator coil. Finda stator cooling kit and a Ricks Motorsports Hot Shot stator and install both. then install the FJR1300 Regulator (there are articles here on how.) IT solves 90% of the electrical problems. the last 10% is to replace the fuse box with something that fits and uses blade fuses.

 

You NEED the stator cooling kit no matter what. even if the stock one looks brand new, it will burn up after a while without it.

 

Oh and lastly start saving about $2500 for a 2nd gear transmission repair. when you hit 35,000 miles 2nd gear will start going out. This is guaranteed to happen on an 83.

[BobfromSWOhio]

Thanks for the updates on the electrical system. Any idea where to find a "stator cooling kit?" Hope you're wrong on that 2nd gear problem BUT will face that down the road, I guess.

[Snaggletooth]

Thanks for the updates on the electrical system. Any idea where to find a "stator cooling kit?" Hope you're wrong on that 2nd gear problem BUT will face that down the road, I guess.

 

No way to be sure until you look about the stator cooling kit. Some have found them already installed when they didn't expect it. I belive many moons ago Yammy issued a service bulletin on that problem. Some were taken care of, some not.

 

Hopefully the second gear problem will not show up for a while. It depends a lot on the way it was ridden by previous owners. My '84 was a one owner bike when I got it at about 30 something thousand miles from a older rider that toured with his wife on it. I'm at almost 68,000 miles now and hasn't popped out yet. If you're strongly mechanically inclined it can be a DIY project. You have to pull the motor and split the case but if you're brave.........

 

A few threads around here on the subject. Been done a few times and a good chance to do some other improvments at the same time.

 

The four brush stater is a good upgrade to start out with. Major improvement in cranking power. As the summer comes on you'll find out why.

[timgray]

The 2nd gear problem will happen eventually on an 83. Yamaha saved 12 cents by using a soft washer that will slowly wear. If you really get on the gas and jam through the gears you will wear it faster than driving like a grandpa. So if the previous owner was

 

They did not fix the problem until the middle of 1985 model year.

 

Stator cooling kits show up on Ebay time to time. and old bike barn used to have them. if you pull the stator cover plate (small plate on the left side of the bike with two screws you can look at the end of the stator bolt. if you see a hole and a metal baffle plate ring around it, it already has a cooling kit installed.

 

I attached what the stator cooling kit looks like.

[frankd]

I bought my 83 brand new. I never babied it---I ran it though the gears thousands of times, shifting hard. When I was young and foolish, I used to often power shift it. Mine started popping in and out of 2nd gear @ 79,000 miles. I rode it until about 82K and rebuilt the transmission. Now the bike has 140,000 miles on it, and shifts great. This happens to most 83-early 85 bikes, but a few must have been put together a little tighter because some didn't develope this problem. In addition to a harder thrust washer, Yammie redesigned the dogs for 2nd gear. Some happened real early and were fixed under warranty. Some of the fixed units were marked with a punch mark near the the engine serial number.

 

Another problem you need to know about on the 83's (only) is the frame breaking where the center stand and rear shock attach to the frame. Mine happened at 90K. I travel quite a bit 2 up with the bags stuffed, so this may have something to do with it. Some have said that theirs rusted and came apart. This may be true, but mine wasn't rusty. Mine appeared to be caused by metal fatigue. Some have done repairs by welding braces in, but I just replaced the frame with one from an 84. I feel that some of the metal fatigue may have been aggravated by the rear suspension bottoming out (low air pressure). I didn't regularly bottom mine out, but of course it happened some. Make sure you don't run the rear suspension too low on air. BTW, the Yamaha redesigned the frame and made the area that fatigued much heavier on the 84 frame. Some have added braces before the frame breaks which may be a good idea.

 

Frank D.

[Yammer Dan]

Forget the easy riding thing. The "Blue Beast' didn't loose 2nd until 75k+.

[timgray]

.... Some happened real early and were fixed under warranty. Some of the fixed units were marked with a punch mark near the the engine serial number......

Frank D.

 

Mine has this punch and a failing 2nd gear. This punch mark is not a good indication that it was done. I am thinking this punch is there for "oil cooling kit installed"