reliable ride

[Florida G]

Hey everyone. I just joined up to this site because I just aquired an 84 venture royale. I may have got the wrong idea about this bike, it seems that these bikes have a lot of issues... I like to have relible transportation ya know. Change the oil plugs, tires ya ok, the ocassional headache but there seems to be a lot of wrenching done? But I have also read that its a great bike? Any comments?

[Freebird]

Your are correct on both issues. They ARE great bikes but depending on how it has been maintained, there could be a lot of wrenching. You have to realize that your bike is now about 30 years old. Things like front springs, steering head bearings, bushings and etc. do wear out. Also on the '83 - mid '85 models, there was a problem with a soft washer in the transmission and it caused them to eventually lose second gear. You don't say how many miles are on it but around the 60,000 mile range is where the problem often starts showing up by popping out of second gear upon acceleration.

 

Carb diaphragms are also know to go bad. They are rubber and if they have never been changed, they likely need to be. They get pin holes in them. Very easy to change out but just one of those things that happen after 30 years.

 

It is possible that the second gear issue has been addressed on the bike that you bought but many haven't.

[ragtop69gs]

Welcome to the forum.

 

You have to remember that the bike you bought is pushing 30 years of age and like with all things electro-mechanical, things get old, brittle, worn and need TLC. Work out all the age related problems and you will have what you seek. The motors will normally go well beyond 200K miles.

[Florida G]

Ya I really like the functionality of this bike it has a lot of potential. It has about ,40k on it but its been sitting for 7 years. It was a family owned bike sokd back and fourth between brothers

Never abuse is what I was told. But as the old saying goes parked is the worst thing to do to a bike. I ride when its commin down side ways thats the way I like it. Im originally from the windy city. It gets sideways there a lot due to the wind ...

[Florida G]

I also posted the link at jbm industries. I replaced my diaphrams already before I lost spark. I want to nip everything in the but before I even take it out. Most people would say oh just take it out and enjoy it. Well its no fun calling a tow truck. Have to have confidence in transportation I dont own a car 2 wheels thats it...

[alvald83]

I got my '83 a few years back after graduating from sport bikes (bad back, and too old). I too, had little knowledge about these bikes. With advice of many members here, I gradually got my bike in great shape mechanically. What I did notice in the beginning is that you will find that many bike shops don't like working on these old bikes, so you will end up doing a lot of the work yourself.

I started by installing progressive fork springs and an aftermarket fork brace to tighten up the front end. Later on, I replaced the steering head bearings (huge improvement).

I had the valves adjusted, spark plugs and wires replaced and synched the carbs. I changed all the fluids (including brake and clutch). I eventually rebuilt the brake calipers just because.

The stator went out after I had it for a 2 years so I had to replace that, but all in all, most of the work done on my bike was just done to avoid future problems.

I have done long rides from 2000, 3000, and 6000 miles with not one problem.

With routine maintenance, you should many years of comfortable riding on your venture.

[Snaggletooth]

I bought my '84 after it had been stored indoors for 9 years. I had to do the usual rebuilds, masters, calipers, fork seals, some carb rebuilds and such due to age to get it ready for the road but other than that it was pretty solid.

 

Since then I've only had a couple of failures like the stator and R/R, clutch slave just recently and some minor leaks along the way.

 

Other than that most the work I've done to mine (and there has been a lot of that) was changing to upgraded items to replace parts that would fail over time, ahead of the failure.

 

Clutch upgrade, SS brake lines, electrical items like the fuse block and changes to the lighting. Some suspension changes for a better ride and control and a 4 brush starter with heavier cables and an AGM battery to power up the old girl.

 

With what the bike cost me at purchase and the money I've spent on repairs and mod upgrades I'm nowhere near what a newer bike would have cost me.

 

The thing is, as said before the bike is about 30 years old. Most shops don't want to touch it. If you know your way around a tool box you'll be fine. These folks can get you through any problem these bike will throw at you.

 

I'd get on mine today and ride it about anywhere.

[bongobobny]

Yes, an old bike is an old bike no matter what type and brand. By now you have discovered they are a comfortable and responsive bike and probably the best touring bike for it's time. Once you get all the bugs worked out you should feel confident to take it cross country!

 

You will also find out many of us aren't satisfied with just running, we want to make them the best we can. There are several improvements we have done to make them perform even better and make them even more reliable. This site is very friendly and helpful and will be glad to help you thru all issues you have. You mentioned a spark issue which is most likely going to be your TCI or a corroded connector. The location is not the best so many of us have relocated them on top of the air box to protect them better from the elements. Besides that there is a modern setup available from member Dingy that replaces the old TCI with a different model...

[dacheedah]

If you do your PM's you will find it is very reliable. Learning to do the pm's is not difficult and you will have the satisfaction that it is done correctly. If you are not sure about something, someone with experience is just a meet away.

[Venturous Randy]

I also agree with what others have said. I have had my bike for over 17 years and had bought it after it had sat for awhile. After buying it, I rode it home and it ran terrible. I did not know what to expect as I had never ridden a Venture before.

With this being before I had the internet, I basically was on my own with repairs. I did take the carbs off and clean all the jets and found out later that clogged pilot jets were what were making the bike run so bad. I then replaced my fuse box with a blade fuse setup as my box fuse holders were pretty bad. After I got everything back together and took it for that first ride, I knew I had made the right choice on this bike. It was strong.

The bike had 23,000 miles on it and was 13 years old when I bought it. It now has about 162,000 miles and is still running great. I did go through the 2nd gear issue and first did an undercut on the dogs and then 60,000 miles later picked up an 86 engine that was not repairable and used the gears out of it. I try to change the oil about every 3,000 miles, but I have to admit, I have gone a lot further than that at times. With the amount of miles I have now, the bike still does not use any oil. I don't use fancy oil, just the cheap Rotella T diesel oil and it works fine. Also, my bike is not babied. I have pulled a 450 pound camper around the mountains of TN, NC and GA. It routinely is subjected to 8,000 rpm's and loves it, and so do I.

The big difference from my original situation and yours is you have access to a great group of folks with a vast amount of knowledge that love these bikes and enjoy helping others. That in itself is a great thing.

RandyA

[Florida G]

Spoke to s couple old school guys in calif. He saif usually tci nevet goes its the pick up. Now the only sell with stator $475.00 want upgrade stator too

[Evan]

Let me add a big welcome to the site and my own experience. In my case, I had owned bikes and been riding for about 45 years when I decided to look for a more comfortable bike for my wife, who was not interested in riding herself but a great passenger. I recalled a friend owning a 1st gen VR many years ago so I decided to look for one. That led to me finding this forum as well as the 88VR that I bought about 5 years ago. Hands down I like the Venture better than any other bike I have owned over the years. But even more important in my mind is the information and support and friendships made through the forum. With all that, I have been able to learn about and do all the typical maintenance such as head bearings, diaphragms etc and like most VR others, I would not hesitate to go long distance touring. In fact, we have now toured coast to coast and these bikes are good for huge miles.

[bongobobny]

Your buddies are misinformed, the TCI does go bad! Also the price you were quoted for a stator is highway robbery!!! The Heavy Duty versions go for well under $200...

[Snaggletooth]

Spoke to s couple old school guys in calif. He saif usually tci nevet goes its the pick up. Now the only sell with stator $475.00 want upgrade stator too

 

 

Boy your'e gonna get some arguements on that statement. TCI almost never goes?

 

Stators can be had new for $200.00 to $300.00 range depending on the supplier.

 

I guess I have to ask exactly what kind of problems are you having?

[camos]

Stators can be had new for $200.00 to $300.00 range depending on the supplier.

Or for even less from RicksMotorsportElectrics.

[Florida G]

Well Im not sure if it is the tci or pick ups. The guys I spoke to were a yamaha dealer in calif . They said check the pick up wire with an ohm meter and if you cant get a stable reading the pick ups are done. Also the bike was garage kept and thw tci looks clean I opened it up no corosion. I dont have much money so I want to be smart. But also I dont want to break down...

[Florida G]

I think that I might just install a set of pick ups just because thay are relatively cheap. To start off with. I was told by the old owner that the stator was upgraded. An for the short time that it did run it put out about 13.5

v. I was going to change my wire too but that dealer said to just cut them back a little and reinsert them. Also read some tid bits on spark plugs. I guess originally this ignition came with non resistor plugs which gives a fast strong spark and if ya install the resistor typy they tend to give a slower longer spark. Yep its gonna be a learning experience.

[bongobobny]

OK there are a multitude of components that can kill your ignition. Under what condition are you trying to start? Kickstand down or up? Neutral? Clutch in or out? All these items play a role in the starting circuit as well as the tip over sensor. There are some excellent schematics in the read only tech section if you can understand schematics...

[bongobobny]

Here's the schematic...

 

http://www.venturerider.org/wiring/84-85%20Yamaha%20Venture%20L%20Simplified%20Circuit%20Diagram%20Rev%20C.pdf

 

As you can see, the B/W wire has many things affecting it such as the tip over switch, the sidestand relay, and when in neutral the diode assembly...

Edited July 11, 2013 by bongobobny

[Florida G]

Thank you very much sir. But I have the whole coil plate removed and the spark plug wires diconnected at the current time. I made up some 8 guage battery remote wires so that I dont have to install the battery tray and run it with the battery on the seat. I will have to reassemble it before I can run tests. Ill post after I put it back together. I was also going to put in some new fuel line from the tank up. Think that its oem...

[Black wing]

the bikes are great i too have it as only means of transport and it has only let me down once, with a bad rectifier. you will spend a lot of time wrenching, but if your smart it'll only be for preventative maintenance. any bike new or old will tell you its hurting before it quits and if you listen you will never find yourself on the side of the highway

[yamagrl]

Most people buy these bikes because they LOVE THEM. Most folks do not buy a 1984 Firebird for "reliable transportation".

 

Mine is serving me quite well... West Fl to Houston 1200 round trip... West Fl To Cleveland area 2300 round trip. The only maint issue was the sidestand broke. And I must admit... that's a terrible inconvenience! Dingy got me fixed up...Thanks Dingy.

 

Actually as long as I ride regularly Big Red does great... Starts up with no or little choke, consistently gets 40+, embarrasses most other bikes... I love it.

 

The bottom line is these bikes "Love to be loved"

 

Remember guys... When she ain't happy, you ain't happy

[Florida G]

Its just depressing I thought that after I had cleaned the carbs and replaced the fuel pump, installed new gel battery I would at least have a running bike being garage kept ya know? But again sitting is THE worst thing to do to a bike. Especially with ethonal fuels. I remember the leaded fuel days my car ran like a scarred jack rabbit! No pngs knocks nothin. Any way I have recieved some good info that I just have to apply. I was reading some of the other threads and noticed that there is newer more reliable technology available at non dealer pricing. I really wouldnt mind changing the temperamental tci, pick ups and a heavy duty stator with a cooling system if it didnt cost an arm and two legs.... All just to know that its gonna not leave me stranded ever. I carry a tire plug kit and some other tools just as I would in a car. Check tire pressures and fluids once a week just for peace of mind....

[pmelah]

well i was fortunate i bought my 84 in Aug running and have only put some tlc into it befor i wrecked my 99 in Nov then red sat for 4 1/2 months and a lot went wrong from setting tci went out tip over switch dead side stand relay gone # 1 coil craped out and # i carb slider stopped sliding now it slides half way and stops the pygmies got me good but i been riding her since everyday even in rain and she gets better everyday she does love to run oh now i got an air leak on the front forks and will be going to progressive springs next

[Florida G]

Well, I was feeling skippy tonight and remover the stator cover to inspect the stator and pick ups. To my surprise the stator looks bran spankin new. The pick ups how ever look their age. BB gave me and ignition schematic and Ill get to that in a while but being she has sat for a long time and I dont know a thing about this bike , basically start from the bottom up and don't over look anything. Does anyone know the test procedure for pick ups? Most likely I will change them out just because I don't want to have to take the cover off again for a good long while. Not to say that my no spark issue couldn't be the tci but I would like to cover all bases.