Big Lou Posted May 28, 2013 #1 Posted May 28, 2013 (edited) Nice bike? Custom? or Rat bike? So I'm new here and probably will stay. I bought an 89 Venture Royale, for $900, 4hrs. from here. I rode it home. Dude told me on phone it had been laid over; me being a car guy, it's fixable, radio, COOL I only buy trucks with sliding glass and a radio, so a bike with a radio is extremely cool. Las year i rode a 600 honda all summer. I've rode Harleys and Victory--never my own till this Venture, adventure turns out. I got there as the sun was setting. Dude says, "I resealed the front valve cover" and he tells me how he rode it to places that are easy 5 or 6 hours from his house. I bought it for gas mileage. I needed something goood on gas, never seen a big bike with the fairing under the radiator. It is missing, and I didnt miss it. Few scratches for "laid over." Water tube was "glued", fiberglassed for real. I rode it home. It is the biggest bike I have ever rode. I think the most comfortable. So a week in, a water leak develops at the thermostat housing at the time the clutch slipped out of my hand. I live at the top of a mountain and my driveway is gravel. First mishap was the day I bought it, 4 hrs. home and put my feet too wide on gravel. Learned about picking it up the hard way. It's heavy, 1300 ain't no joke, so my first trip to parts store was for a clutch handle. Yamaha quit making parts after ten years,,,,,,so I got a clutch handle off an 87 FJ at the scrap yard for ten dollars. Now my finger tips don't have to work clutch, but had to cut off a tab and it is right again. Dealer has to order o-rings for thermostat. I work as a mechanic so I can make parts faster than he can order. EVERYTHING IS A WEEK!!!!, at all shops. So I fixed water leak with catapiller o-ring for free and a triangle file to plastic housing till I got tight fit. Now whole water system is that way. Dude had fixed water elbow with putty so elbow was almost clogged. It's 90 today. It's sitting idling and the fan don't come on unless I give it gas. Three weeks ago I left a red light in a hurry, racing. I developed a knock in tranny, loaded it on a trailer, took her to an older shop. Dude said, "I dont know, but do not ride it like that." So I pulled wheel, swing arm, nothing I could see or feel would make this knock. I can feel knock at outputshaft housing.. got to be tranny. Pulled motor, dude who fixed valve cover needs killing... I get it all apart, 3 out of 4 half moon clips that hold bearing steady in housing are missing. Order a WEEK of course, cleaned every thing and in process found stator cover busted and case split to the bolt hole, where starter is--all under it, so welded that up, the bolt hole in curve under starter gear was broke out. Dude needed shares in glue factory,,,permetex should advertise with his fixes. So stator cover is straight now, took it off so many times,,whew,, all the bearings are good. Water is fixed, had dude at a computer shop fix e4 code on class, did that twice. Still if I push on plug it'll work. Dried out beads in class. Dude said new brakes, new stator, and new rectifier, and it's new. Bolt holes on fairing are gone, put on with tie wire, wouldn't mess with it except for lights. Budget is way shot, even with me making gaskets. So far including me buying bike, I got $1100 in and that includes me welding casing, oil change, fixing class enough I can use it, also gaskets, new oil in rear. Dude gave me some parts ,,,a dash speedo cable gear for front wheel, said speedo don't work, pulled front wheel. It's the washer with an ear on it in the rim that's broke, took a hard line off a chevy and fixed all vacuum leaks , fit right in tight, now on cold start, it'll spit a little, and acts like it ain't running on all 4. After it warms up, get out of the way,,,thanks to Pete and Gary. Pete was right even with the tranny shafts where the bearing shouldn't have moved I could see where it scored the housing. That pushed the bearing into the housing leaving room for gears to knock. Bearing clips hold all gears tight on shaft together. I have done Eaton, Rockwell, and Muncie, never seen this before. Thanks to Gary I firmly believe I got the balance shaft in right, and a GEO valve cover gasket has the same kind of t shape to it, no leaks, budget shot, angry at all Yamaha dealers. I've got a Porsche 928 here, only made a few years, easier to get parts for. Dude in biggest shop in Birmingham AL I COULD FIND WOULDNT EVEN LOOK TO SEE IF SOMETHING OFF SOMETHING else would fit. He has Polaris, Yamaha, Ducati. i am very proud of my bike now , its mine, AALLL MINE, HEADACHE INCLUDED. SOME ONE HERE CALLS THEIRS THE blue beast. It definitely is a beast! Thank you all.. now to go finish. It's got straight pipes, and I washed them with deisel fuel to clean off "I fixed an oil leak." Almost a bad idea, shines great, run out all flying critters and me till it burnt off. Thought I'd ruined a ring, ,,,,,,Once again thank you. Oh yea first water leak was from a rock in down tube on radiator to thermostat housing,,$38 at Yamaha, 10 including gas at Napa. So now to original question, nice bike ,,custom,, or rat bike,,, I am trying to name it,,,,,,, It ain't for sale,, You can't ride it, and don't need to be sitting on it. This from a conversation yesterday,," You've got the biggest rat bike in history" ... No I did what I had to do to get it done...He was sitting on my precious blue bike! Edited May 29, 2013 by Big Lou
Yammer Dan Posted May 28, 2013 #2 Posted May 28, 2013 Sounds like you are getting to know her. "BLUE BEAST" 110 in 3rd gear!! Stick it in your ear Dingy I SAW IT!!! Stopping him before he gets started Lou. He is a Non-believer....
Big Lou Posted May 28, 2013 Author #3 Posted May 28, 2013 Wow 110 In 3rda, may not fix speedo,,,got a speeding ticket back in 87, ,,71 On a 200 Sx 3 wheeler,love power,this has,an a box too,didnt get a head set for radio an cb,,cb does pick up just cant talk,trying to figure out how to put a mike on it..got mikes here somewhere
Trader Posted May 28, 2013 #4 Posted May 28, 2013 It might be only me but I really hate text type posts! It is one large mass of letters and hard to read. I need punctuation, end of line, paragraphs.....SOMETHING but one solid block of letters where you have to decipher where one thought stops and the next one starts! But ....now I've finished with my un-solicited opinion.....welcome to the site!
playboy Posted May 28, 2013 #5 Posted May 28, 2013 It might be only me but I really hate text type posts! It is one large mass of letters and hard to read. I need punctuation, end of line, paragraphs.....SOMETHING but one solid block of letters where you have to decipher where one thought stops and the next one starts! But ....now I've finished with my un-solicited opinion.....welcome to the site! OH wow I thought it was a parts list for a 1st gen. so I didn't bother. But welcome to the madhouse.
dingy Posted May 28, 2013 #6 Posted May 28, 2013 Sounds like you are getting to know her. "BLUE BEAST" 110 in 3rd gear!! Stick it in your ear Dingy I SAW IT!!! Stopping him before he gets started Lou. He is a Non-believer.... Bring that bad boy to MD, dinner & beer is one me at Quaker Steak if it'll do it again. Double dog dare ya.!! It might be only me but I really hate text type posts! It is one large mass of letters and hard to read. I need punctuation, end of line, paragraphs.....SOMETHING but one solid block of letters where you have to decipher where one thought stops and the next one starts! But ....now I've finished with my un-solicited opinion.....welcome to the site! Bet you love me, I double space and break every thing up so Yammer can follow. !!!! Gary
Big Lou Posted May 28, 2013 Author #7 Posted May 28, 2013 (edited) This is my first year on internet,sorry about paragraphs, ,i just got electricity, so my drop light would work to fix my bike,,can you read it better now????? Edited May 29, 2013 by Big Lou
Yammer Dan Posted May 29, 2013 #8 Posted May 29, 2013 Bring that bad boy to MD, dinner & beer is one me at Quaker Steak if it'll do it again. Double dog dare ya.!! Bet you love me, I double space and break every thing up so Yammer can follow. !!!! Gary Follow is one thing I don't do well.... The Famous "Blue Beast" still has a few parts to be changed before getting on the road again. But that day is coming. I keep hearing of all these "Bad" bikes but.... I read you fine Lou. On occasion I've had more than one thought at a time in my head. There are all these voices.......
uglydave Posted May 29, 2013 #9 Posted May 29, 2013 Sounds like you did a great job on the beast! Wecome to the "pit" ,post some pic's when u can ! Who cares about grammer and all that crap,this is about riding, taking care of your bike and helping each other out!!! Once again good job and welcome to the site !!!
Yamamike Posted May 29, 2013 #10 Posted May 29, 2013 It might be only me but I really hate text type posts! It is one large mass of letters and hard to read. I need punctuation, end of line, paragraphs.....SOMETHING but one solid block of letters where you have to decipher where one thought stops and the next one starts! But ....now I've finished with my un-solicited opinion.....welcome to the site! Give the guy a break Trader...allthought (as you said) it was at times difficult to follow his thoughts, it was very far from the the worst regarding lack of punctuation. Some are just horrible. I can remember giving up less than half way through a post. It was easily 3 paragraph long with not a single capital letter, let alone periods or comas:2cents:
dingy Posted May 29, 2013 #12 Posted May 29, 2013 Follow is one thing I don't do well.... The Famous "Blue Beast" still has a few parts to be changed before getting on the road again. But that day is coming. I keep hearing of all these "Bad" bikes but.... Probably still replacing motor from time it hit a 110 in third. Plays hell on rods & valve train !!!! Gary
Yammer Dan Posted May 29, 2013 #13 Posted May 29, 2013 Probably still replacing motor from time it hit a 110 in third. Plays hell on rods & valve train !!!! Gary That motor is the one part that hasn't been changed. Need a speedometer with enough numbers on it for the thing.:rasberry:
Trader Posted May 29, 2013 #14 Posted May 29, 2013 yep...just me pms-ing I guess. This place is one of my main sources of entertainment and I just don't want to miss anything! Hmmm.....that sounds pretty sad now don't it! I gotta get out and ride more.
sandman Posted May 29, 2013 #15 Posted May 29, 2013 Welcome Big Lou; If you havent named it yet, you mentioned this in your post, PRECIOUS if it isnt already used. Sounds like your getting a handle on it. sandy
Big Lou Posted May 29, 2013 Author #16 Posted May 29, 2013 Something along the line of precious aint bad, dont want to turn into the troll in Lord of the rings,,feel that protective though, every nut,bolt,and ziptie, tie wire is mine,,didnt miss one,,,,i now know why,all my old friends tear it apart during winter,,,,,,,lots an lots of peices told a girlfriend aint no difference in a bike to a complete frame off. Restoration,off a car,,but two tires an /AC,,,got it good now,,,,taking the longest trip away from house in morning,,wired antenna with a extension cord....RADIO FROM OUTERSPACE
Yammer Dan Posted May 29, 2013 #17 Posted May 29, 2013 Something along the line of precious aint bad, dont want to turn into the troll in Lord of the rings,,feel that protective though, every nut,bolt,and ziptie, tie wire is mine,,didnt miss one,,,,i now know why,all my old friends tear it apart during winter,,,,,,,lots an lots of peices told a girlfriend aint no difference in a bike to a complete frame off. Restoration,off a car,,but two tires an /AC,,,got it good now,,,,taking the longest trip away from house in morning,,wired antenna with a extension cord....RADIO FROM OUTERSPACE Guess you didn't see the metal coathanger I had for a antenna...
Big Lou Posted May 30, 2013 Author #18 Posted May 30, 2013 In the garage putting it together i ffound touching the out side of antenna mount with a wrench it started pickingg up,way better,,,,so i skinned an extension cord an wrappped it around alll the way to top an down again, ,picks up great on road now, ,,i had to ride it, ,,,with bare bike, ,spent all day putting plastic an windshield on....ran the water out of my eyes, ,fast enough,,,now try again with windshield, ,couple hours tommor,,,,,, if i stick a swrew drivver in mount hole an touch side it goes out an if i dont touch side it dont pick up better either, all wires are whole and unskinned,,,figure that
rstacy Posted May 30, 2013 #19 Posted May 30, 2013 Welcome Lou! I have a blue 89 called the Blue Streak and a brown 86 called the Brown Streak. The Brown Streak has been known to leave skid marks... I love the bikes. They have been nothing but fun. The help from the folks on this site has been priceless. http://www.raymondstacy.com/2.jpg
Big Lou Posted May 30, 2013 Author #20 Posted May 30, 2013 Blue is my favorite color,, yours looks nicer than mine, it came with scratches like me i took off the plastic chrome aroung the bottom off the back boxes cause of heat, looks like it would hold heat,,,,,really Love To RIDE,,, LINED MY BOXES WITH LINOLEUM, TO KEEP HEAT OUT,,EVEN USED LONGER BOLTS SO MUFFLER IS LOWER Is that a floor board on the water pump...mine dont have any plastic down low
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