83 venture wont start

[MILES MACK]

Im looking at a 83 venture royale, it is "cheap" $700 BUT it went down when some kid pulled out in front of rider (and took off and all he got was a running the stop sign ticket????). it comes with new plastics, new dash, the old dash reads 45,xxx new dash is irrelevant. he said it has been to shop, new fork tubes (pitted) seals...etc, brakes, tires...$2000 worth of work 2 years ago (carbs too). battery is dead, jumped it off the pick up and it cranked well, but NO SPARK?? had extra spark plug stuck between panniers and frame we fished out and put plug wire on and against frame and cranked it, no spark.

 

he said it started Saturday, but NOT TODAY. it has been out in the desert sun so the plastics are weathered BADLY, but he has all the replacement parts in 2 big moving boxes that we can get at HD....$500 worth of parts. he works in oilfields, hauls crude oil to refinery, they don't just let ANYONE DO THAT so they pay accordingly. fuse box is a mess, half the fuses are missing, but it was that way when it started last Saturday? so... why no spark to the spark plugs? what can change in 4 days? where to start looking. he said he did not notice any gear whine or problems with 2nd gear??? I WANT TO BUY IT...but if it wont start. short answer please. pick ups??? where are they, are they accessible easily, are they the culprits, wires eaten by mice?

[BlueSky]

Sounds like a project. check for the dimple that indicates 2nd gear is repaired. If it hasn't been repaired, there is a huge chance it will lose 2nd gear very soon. Then Cowpuc rides them with no 2nd for another 200k miles.

[Squidley]

The 1st thing I would check is the kickstand switch, that will kill the spark and I have had several not start when the kickstand was down. Once it was put up the bike fired off....0.02

[flyday58]

These bikes need a strong battery to get spark. I doubt jumping would provide enough amps to fire it up. See if you can borrow a battery and try again.

[Patch]

You mentioned the fuse box is a mess: is there power to the coils?

[MILES MACK]

OH it cranked just fine, it just is NOT getting spark... kickstand? was told that it normally starts with kickstand down anyways? I mean the bike could be brought back, but... wiring problems???? I watched a U tube video about buying a used motorcycle, the guys said "if it has wiring issues, WALK AWAY FROM THE MOTORCYCLE!!! he seemed very emphatic about that. I can wire stereos/speakers/CB's and plug in computers, that is about as good as it gets for my wiring "expertise"

[bkuhr]

If it started last weekend but not now I would make sure emergency stop on right handlebar is on. The ignition box on this is known to get moisture in it and cause problems, and need diode replacement. Am aftermarket ignition is 200-250. There are no points. Pickup coils under left cover and flywheel. If you want to get involved there are test procedures.

 

Keep in mind this bike is 30+ years old, has not been taken care of, and will have issues. If you are capable to work thru the issues, you could end up with a sweet ride. I got my '83 for $300, buy it took most of a year and about $2000 to get it fairy decent.

[MILES MACK]

The kill switch on the handlebar has been by passed. it is in the desert, under a carport, moisture is not an issue in the desert ... for the most part; but it did come from "back east" where moisture is a problem (I see signs of rust on it, not bad rust, but there is NO RUST in the desert, except in the mountain areas where it snows and they use salt on the roads and mostly no one rides motorbikes in "winters" there, no real "winters" here...2-3 days it snows and sticks...sometimes on the roads.) The Electrical situation is "scary" to me, the buy in price is acceptable; but I have spent $$$$$ on other "cheap" buy in machines and ended up spending WAY TOO MUCH $$$$$ on something only to end up with something that is still only worth about what I paid for it ... or LESS. It is/could be a GOOD BIKE with work and SOME PARTS, but I have a hard time saying "when"...if it would just start/run well. it is just not getting juice to the plugs for some reason???? the wiring? the kick stand safety thing, the handlebar kill switch that has been by passed? it came from "back east" and was probably left out in the weather...some?

[Prairiehammer]

No spark? Too many things to list that could contribute to that problem.

TCI, any of the interlocks, 'tip over' switch, ignition switch, ignition fuse holder/fuse/connections, any wiring related to the previous items, etc, etc. And being electrical in nature, intermittent connectivity could be an issue.

Having said that, IF it ran on Saturday, then you know it is salvageable. Did you witness the running or was that the seller's claim?

 

I say: Buy it, then pay $12 to join here as a supporting member and take advantage of all the expertise and technical information available.

[Patch]

Miles, here's a thought- if you by a project for a $1.00 spend another $1.00 to complete it, sell it then for $2.00, for me its hard to believe you are only braking even? Most of us that take on project bikes do so as a hobby, a place to hang our thoughts, parking the pressures of the real world, trading one therapy for another more rewarding one.

Is this a bike you want?

Is this a project you want?

Do you have the time for a project bike such as this one?

 

What we have going for us with the Gen 1's is this forum, what ever the problem is, it has already been addressed right here- written out in detail with part #s and sources. That's a plus for any Venture any where in the world! Membership has it's privileges, I would start there- if it is a Venture you are looking for- then find one that best suites you.

 

Now to this particular bike, the coils according to you are not delivering spark, but as I understand it, the bike is not in your possession, so how can we help you diagnose the problem? Can you check for power at the coils or the PCI, the red/white wire and get back to us?

 

Patch

[cowpuc]

Miles,, I think if I were in your shoes, having read what I have read,, I would walk away.. Just to many variables my friend.. Just the fact that it went down hard enough to need new forks concerns me.. Tweeked frames are hard to detect without being able to ride it... I have a very good friend in California who is a member here who just did a tear down to the frame and back up again and I can tell you, if that were to present itself - its a huge job.. Not only that, but LOTS of other stuff happens in accidents to motorcycles that wont show their evil little faces until just the right time,, right time for them = always wrong time for you..

Even beyond the bikes accident, unless you know this person personally and know his skill level and know you can trust his mechanical ear,,, there is so much going on mechanically with a bike engine/tranny that I personally trust no ones ear but my own and even my own ear has tricked me at times..

 

Hope this dont hurt to much but really,, I think you should walk away..

[MILES MACK]

all the work (tires, new lower fork tubes, brakes, oil change... etc.,) was done like 2 weeks before the bike was laid down @ 30 mph; I don't think he HIT IT, but laid it down to keep from HITTING the car when the kid ran the stop sign and took off (and all he got was a running the stop sign ticket????). ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS!!!! could be ANYTHING and it has a COMPUTER in the dash!!! im sure it was a wonderful thing WHEN IT WAS NEW, but now??? I don't mind doing "little things" painting/replacing broken plastics, spiffying up a machine, but ELECTRICAL WORK on a NON RUNNING BIKE??? how do I know it shifts right? is second gear working? has it been fixed? second gear fix is ... have to take the motor out and split the case... that is a DEAL BREAKER TO ME. oh it is a (somewhat) "good deal" IF IT RAN and I could RUN it around the block/town for a while, run it through the gears, test the brakes, lights, electrical; but the way it is, not starting???? I saw someone somewhere (mechanic) stripped ALL the electrical stuff off a bike and just ran the BARE MINIMUM of wiring on a bike, there was lots of wires left over, he cleaned it up a lot, but he was a mechanic by trade so he had a clue. Im sure that bike WAS a fine bike in its day, too bad the PO's did not take care of it too well, what a shame/waste of a fine machine. I know, happens all the time. "its just a car/truck/motorcycle!" is what most people say, they don't understand, no point in trying to explain it to them.

[Squidley]

I'm in agreeance with Puc, if your not very handy with electrical, this is not a bike you want to have to learn on. As good a deal it may seem, it's probably best to walk away from it. If you were looking for a project bike and had lots of time and good mechanical/electrical skills, then perhaps yes, but I dont get the vibe thats what your looking for. I can personally attest that keeping a 1st gen Venture roadworthy is a labor of love.....just my 0.02 worth

[kinsmd69]

Here's your first sign; the run/kill switch was bypassed. That's electrical in itself. My lessons in life, save a bike that is original in functionality, but walk away

from a good bargain on someone else's project. My vote is to pass on this one. Keep an eye out, there are good bargains out there for these bikes, running!

[ricksbike]

If this guy wants 800.00 for this bike hes crazy,with all the issues you mentioned its worth about 200 bucks,just my opinion,but if you aren't into doing a lot of diagnosis and repair I'd walk away.

[Flyinfool]

For the money he is asking You can find a running bike that has not been crashed. Once things start getting bypassed like the kill switch, That is a big red flag.