ddetmer Posted April 8, 2014 #1 Posted April 8, 2014 Looking at a 1987 Venture (standard) 1300 in the two tone blue with about 88K miles. It is a three owner and I know all 3 owners. It had new tires, brakes, and battery installed last year. The area of concern is the current owner had complained a number of times about how hot the rider gets from the engine and I was wondering if others experience this and if there was some modification or after market parts that can be purchased to help reduce or eliminate this. The price is about half of the going price and the owner is motivated because he just bought a BMW touring bike. I have always been fond of Goldwings and was working on making a deal on one when this came up. The reasons I like Goldwings are style and availability of parts stock and after market. Doing my research now on the Venture and what I am reading has been good, just not the abundance of info as on a Goldwing. I need your help on the heat issue as if you are not comfortable riding the price does not matter. The owner has also added a switch to the cooling fan because in the summer heat and traffic the temp crept into or close to the overheat range, replaced the radio with an aftermarket because the one in it when he bought it quit working. The bike looks great, paint is in good condition as well as the seat upholstery. I believe this bike has always been garage stored except when parked at work. Owners have cared for this bike so it was never a neglected bike. I am glad I found this forum for what looks to be a wealth of user information. Denny
bongobobny Posted April 8, 2014 #2 Posted April 8, 2014 First thing that comes to mind, when was the last time the cooling system was flushed? Second, if the present owner had to install a manual fan switch then obviously the stock switch is defective (thermostat type). There used to be a lower temperature switch setup that I saw occasionally on ebay. Also, the stock radiator is 27 years old and probably plugged up especially if the cooling system was not flushed on a regular basis, like every 4 years or something like that. You can buy a brand new aluminum radiator for the Venture for around $200. When you flush out your system, just make sure you are using products compatible with aluminum. Lastly, if your carbs are out of sync that will make the engine run hotter than normal. Syncing your carbs should be an annual event... PS replace your thermostat!
Venturous Randy Posted April 8, 2014 #3 Posted April 8, 2014 I have an 83 that I have put 141,000 miles on and I usually ride in shorts(yeah, I know), and I have never felt any real discomfort from the heat. I also cut my side panels to the bikini style to have it even more open and still never have a problem. As Bob suggested, start with a good sync on the carbs. Also, it might help to get it analyzed to determine if it is running lean, which makes it run hotter. Any bike in a sitting position will create heat on the rider, but these bikes are usually pretty comfortable. RandyA
Peder_y2k Posted April 8, 2014 #4 Posted April 8, 2014 Like bongobobny says about the carb synch, plus the carb pilot screw adjustment being correct. A simple test is with the engine running at idle and warmed up to 'normal', is to place the back of your hand some 3" from the exhaust. If your hand feels to hot to keep it there comfortably, the carbs (fue/air mix) need adjustment. The exhaust gas temp should be warm but not so hot as to cause any heat pain. On my '88, I can hold my hand there till I get tired from leaning over to reach. -Pete, in Tacoma WA USA
MiCarl Posted April 8, 2014 #5 Posted April 8, 2014 1) The cooling fan is not supposed to kick on until the gauge is almost in the red. There is only a problem here if it is rising into the red. It generally won't kick on at all unless you are in a pretty severe stop and go situation in which case you want it running as little as possible because at those speeds the charging system is challenged keeping up. Run the fan continuously stuck in traffic and you could end up parked with a dead battery. 2) When the fan does kick on (remember, you're stopped) it'll feel like someone is hitting your legs with a hair dryer. Not peel your skin temperatures but still no fun on a hot day. 3) Some times when I'm riding slow a cross breeze will blow engine heat onto the downwind leg. Not a big deal and way less heat than when the cooling fan kicks on. As long as you're moving above 25mph or so you'll never notice any of this. You're going to feel some heat when parked on any motorcycle. Venture is better than most....
Flyinfool Posted April 8, 2014 #6 Posted April 8, 2014 You said that the PO installed a fan switch because in traffic the temp was getting up to the red. This is exactly how it is supposed to work. The fan comes on just as the needle hits the red. Take the switch out and let the bike run at its designed temperature. I know that some people think that getting near red is bad. in this case up to red is fine, into the red is an issue. Running the fan all of time when it is not needed will just make it wear out sooner and put a lot more strain on the electrical system. Learning which way to configure the vents for different heat requirements is important. There are vents that when open are designed to pull engine heat up to the rider for cold weather riding. There are also heat shields above the engine that may be missing.
uncledj Posted April 8, 2014 #7 Posted April 8, 2014 I have a blue, 87 standard. I think the blue ones are the fastest. Yeah, there's a bit of heat noticeable when you're sitting in traffic on a 90+ degree day, but it's never been an issue for me. One thing I did is block the side vents, which were designed to allow heat for the rider on cold days. I don't ride much (at all) on cold days, so blocking the vents isn't a problem for me, and pretty much eliminated the hot air that can leak through the louvers, even when closed. In my humble opinion, the Venture is far superior to a Goldwing of that vintage. The Goldwing is probably the smoothest bike I've ever personally ridden, but I remember feeling that it's kinda like a big scooter. The Venture is a better motorcycling experience. The superior performance doesn't hurt either, and if ya ask me, the Venture is a much better looking bike. Looks like a bit of a rake to the front end, which is pretty cool. The Yamaha Venture is the best kept secret of the Touring Bike World. That's my $0.02.
Godlover Posted April 8, 2014 #8 Posted April 8, 2014 I hope it works out for you and you get it. If so, since you already got $12 worth of info be sure to join this great forum! Great people - great information - and you have all the information you ever need about your new ride!
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