Considering Venture purchase

[MartinA]

Hello,

I am considering the purchase of a used Yamaha Venture. My concern is that the Yamaha is not fuel injected. I know this model has been around for many years and I would really appreciate hearing some feedback on carburetor issues, if any.

I am looking at bikes 2006 upwards and one in particular is a 2006 loaded at $8500, not sure of mileage just yet.

[Yammer Dan]

Keep the carbs clean and they work just fine!! The info found here will save you thousands for only 12 bucks!! Care should be used in what cleaners you use on carbs.

[V7Goose]

Carburetors are simple, reliable, and much easier to tune than EFI. Good fuel injection systems are great, but many of them are NOT good. Surging and abrupt responses are two of the most common and VERY hard to live with problems. BMW and Ducati are both badly plauged with these issues on some models. Frankly, I am totally satisfied with the carbs on my RSV, and if they came out with an EFI version tomorrow, I would not buy it.

 

Your worst problems with carbs these days are caused by infrequent riding of the bike and the TERRIBLE quality of fuel you are forced to purchase. If you do not ride the bike at least several time each week, the simple solution to prevent these problems is to just use a small amount of Seafoam or other fuel treatment in each tank of gas.

 

Welcome to the group!

Goose

[GeorgeS]

These carbs are very reliable, as far as carbs go . You just need to take care of them. Keep fuel clean, filters clean, and Do the Carb Sync, Proceedure on a regular basis. ( about once a year )

You need a tool for the Sync proceedure, ( about $100.00 for the tool )

 

Also, most of us run a fuel cleaning product such as Sea-Foam, or Techraline, on a regular basis.

 

I would say, that nobody here, is sorry they bought a Venture due to the Carbs. Not that we would not rather have fuel injection, But--- there is more then that to consider.

These are GREAT Bikes !!! We love them !!!!!!!! Even with the carbs

 

If you buy in !! any help you need is here !! Just ask, Service, mods, repairs etc etc. And a drive down the road to sombodies, garage for help !!!

Welcome to the group, (( P.S. lots of experts here !!! ))

[bongobobny]

Swing a leg over and try one out...

 

Where in Fl are you? There might be a local member you can talk to.

[ReinyRooster]

MartinA.....I just purchased an 06 last fall and love it....carb syncing is easy to do....and you're only couple hours from Kitchener, so we can "get er done". BTW that's about what I paid for mine with just under 45k and if you pick the 06 Black Cherry, you....and I...will have the prettiest bikes around!

[gez]

I bought my well cared for '08 this past June with 17k miles, paid $9200. I've put 8k miles on it so far and am still in love with it. Best motorcycle I've ever owned. Just buy one!

[MikeWa]

Venture carbs are very reliable. If they didn't need an occasional syncing there wouldn't be anything to do on this bike.

 

Mike

[Rick Haywood]

Hello,

I am considering the purchase of a used Yamaha Venture. My concern is that the Yamaha is not fuel injected. I know this model has been around for many years and I would really appreciate hearing some feedback on carburetor issues, if any.

I am looking at bikes 2006 upwards and one in particular is a 2006 loaded at $8500, not sure of mileage just yet.

 

I have a 2000 Venture with 109,000 miles on it and have not had any carb issues, for that matter I haven't had any trouble with the bike other than ignition switch went out at 35,000

[Sylvester]

I am at 185,000 miles and no problems other than the rear shock giving up at 181,000 miles. My bike is a 2002 RSMV and has been fantastic. Get yourself one.

 

[aharbi]

These carbs are very reliable, as far as carbs go . You just need to take care of them. Keep fuel clean, filters clean, and Do the Carb Sync, Proceedure on a regular basis. ( about once a year )

You need a tool for the Sync proceedure, ( about $100.00 for the tool )

 

Also, most of us run a fuel cleaning product such as Sea-Foam, or Techraline, on a regular basis.

 

I would say, that nobody here, is sorry they bought a Venture due to the Carbs. Not that we would not rather have fuel injection, But--- there is more then that to consider.

These are GREAT Bikes !!! We love them !!!!!!!! Even with the carbs

 

If you buy in !! any help you need is here !! Just ask, Service, mods, repairs etc etc. And a drive down the road to sombodies, garage for help !!!

Welcome to the group, (( P.S. lots of experts here !!! ))

 

Agree with the above. Never had a carb problem even riding high in the Rockies, always had all the power I need. I run mid grade gas (89) but will run reg (87) if can't get mid grade. I only started using mid grade when they went with the ethanol crap in gas. My personal experience only¹ I find the bike runs better and I get 20-30 miles more per tank.

 

¹ The views expressed are my own and do not reflect those of other viewers, riders, know-it-alls, trolls willing to argue mileage statistics. Nor government agencies forcing the myth that ethanol in gas is good for humanity.

[Bert2006]

MartinA.....I just purchased an 06 last fall and love it....carb syncing is easy to do....and you're only couple hours from Kitchener, so we can "get er done". BTW that's about what I paid for mine with just under 45k and if you pick the 06 Black Cherry, you....and I...will have the prettiest bikes around!

 

 

Picked uo my 06 Black Cherry baby in May of this year. Carbs are not an issue when well maintained. Paid about same price and mine had about 47000k when I bought it.

 

That would make three of the prettiest bikes around.

 

[Bert2006]

Forgot to mention, spend the 12 bucks and become a full member. It will more than pay for itself with the free advice you can get from members here. They have been so helpfull to me and saved me 100s of dollars in the process.

 

[Woody]

first of all welcome to the site, come on in and sit a spell. to bad you are so far away I have 2006 with less than 20K on it, new Hagon shock, Buddy Rich cable and several more goodies. grab you a Venture and have one they are great bikes.

[XV1100SE]

I'm in Kitchener as well and have an '09 RSV. Have 60,000km on it and did a 10,000 trip West this summer.

 

Several members in Ontario so you'll have lots of help with carb tunes or help spending money (show you what accessories look like).

 

Carbs are reliable and easy to tune. We were at 12,000' altitude in the summer in 30F temps and absolutely no issues with the carbs. I have a carb tune and also recommend running Seafoam motor treatment thru the fuel occasionally. I use Seafoam for winter storage.

[ragtop69gs]

The only thing I can add to what's already been said is....................

 

 

WHAT YA WAITING FOR

[djh3]

Carbs have been around a long time, so obviously they work fine. Do I wish it was FI, yea. But obviously the carbs didnt scare any of us off the RSV. Here in the lower 48 our biggest problem culpret seems to be the cruddy gas with the ethanol in it. It likes to collect moisture, dry out fuel lines and other rubber parts and do-dads. I run a tank of seafoam, Baerrymans b-12 or simular product thru about every 4 tanks. For me its about once a month. If the bike is going to site up a few weeks without running I think I would definatly make sure it has seafoam, berrymans or sta-bil in it.

I'm guessing you have a secondary location here in the sunshine state. Where abouts are you. WE have guys all over the state that maybe we can get together and have a chat.

[CaptainJoe]

If I had the choice I'd take carbs any day!

 

The average mechanically inclined person with the right info(found here) can tear a set down to the bones and rebuild them, without specialized tools, not so on EFI.

[Marcarl]

One little glitch in the EFI system and you're sitting along the road with people shaking their heads and saying,,,,, that's a bummer, need to take it in to see what the mechanic can do.

One little glitch on the carb system and you might not even notice until somebody asks you why it doesn't sound smooth. With these machines, believe it or not, many of our members have been riding on 3 cylinders and not even noticed.

[MartinA]

Thanks all for your feedback, that helps my decision when the right deal comes along.

To answer some of the questions, yes I am in Bonita Springs Florida for 6 months of the year and ride a 2001 Kawi Nomad down here. Right now I have a clutch spring to replace and just had the carbs done. Back home in Parry Sound I have an 800 Vulcan which I want to replace with the Venture. I missed a great deal on a real beauty (black & cherry) last fall but the guy wanted a bit too much for it......I should have bit the bullet and bought it.

Anyway, thanks for the welcome mat and I certainly will join the group.

[MartinA]

Just found out that the 2006 MRSV I am looking at has 61,000 mi on it which is a fair bit but from what I've read here on the site, many of you have way more miles on yours without any major issues. I think I can get this bike for $8K and it's very clean and loaded with options.

[wrenchrob]

Just found out that the 2006 MRSV I am looking at has 61,000 mi on it which is a fair bit but from what I've read here on the site, many of you have way more miles on yours without any major issues. I think I can get this bike for $8K and it's very clean and loaded with options.

 

Don't worry about the mileage as long as it has been maintained it's just broke in.

[Mike G in SC]

Just found out that the 2006 MRSV I am looking at has 61,000 mi on it which is a fair bit but from what I've read here on the site, many of you have way more miles on yours without any major issues. I think I can get this bike for $8K and it's very clean and loaded with options.

 

Martin, I think I would try to get it down $1000.

(unless it's one of ours,,,,, hehe)

 

I'm guessing you have already looked at VR classifieds.

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showcat.php?cat=4

Might even look at the SOLD bikes to see what they were asking.

 

Mike G

[bongobobny]

Yup! 61,000 miles is hardly broken in! As stated, as long as the oil was regularly changed then there should be no real problems, but I would recommend flushing all the hydraulic fluid and the coolant, a new set if iridium plugs, and a good seafoam treatment. The only issue you possibly could encounter is replacing the clutch and when you do put in a heavy duty one. There is an excellent write up in the technical section of this site!

 

The black cherry one may well have been the one Reiny Rooster bought, or it may be one from another former member in the Niagara Falls area as I think he quit riding a year ago...

[Oldodge]

I recently traded a 2005 Vulcan Classic 1500FI on my 2013 RSV. My first impression was how much better the carbs worked than the EFI at low speed. The Vulcan had a on/off feel just above idle that made it clumsy at parking lot speeds. I loved my Vulcan and debated replacing it at all, but I don't want to go back now. More comfort, more wind protection and much better two up. Try a Venture, you won't regret it.