litteacher Posted September 19, 2015 #1 Posted September 19, 2015 Imagine my surprise when my girlfriend came over to see my "new" purchase of an 83 Venture yesterday... and I proudly went over and slapped the tank and declared ,"I'm going to take Old Grampy for a ride tomorrow." Instead of a nice metallic sound resonating from my open palm, the plastic cover that was masquerading as a gas tank popped off at the top. I have a feeling this motorcycle has many, many surprises ahead for me......
Great White Posted September 19, 2015 #2 Posted September 19, 2015 (edited) Imagine my surprise when my girlfriend came over to see my "new" purchase of an 83 Venture yesterday... and I proudly went over and slapped the tank and declared ,"I'm going to take Old Grampy for a ride tomorrow." Instead of a nice metallic sound resonating from my open palm, the plastic cover that was masquerading as a gas tank popped off at the top. I have a feeling this motorcycle has many, many surprises ahead for me...... Yep, what you slapped is essential an airbox and battery cover. You're pretty much sitting on the fuel tank. It's right under yer butt! Do a search on the forum for 1983 and you'll find that second gear can be a problem, frames can crack at the rear swingarm linkages, plastic mounting tabs can be very fragile, the rear cylinders can bake your ankles, slow hot starting, and various other assorted little bits like a 1 year only TCI (ignitor box). Now, just because some 83's had these problems doesn't mean they all did. My 83 has had none of them, but it also only has 34000 kms on it. The only one that seems to eventually get everyone is the second gear issue, which is cause by Yamaha using a thrust washer that is too soft for prolonged use. They fixed it in late 85 with a different thrust washer. Unfortunately, the only way to change the washer is to split the transmission cases, which pretty much means tearing the engine completely apart.... Edited September 19, 2015 by Great White
litteacher Posted September 19, 2015 Author #3 Posted September 19, 2015 ohhhh... trust me... I have had my eyes opened to all of the maladies that seem to haunt this specific motorcycle. I have always been drawn to "underdogs", so I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with my Venture...
Yammer Dan Posted September 19, 2015 #4 Posted September 19, 2015 Glad to have you. I have a feeling we will be hearing from you this winter. Keeps you from getting out and getting in trouble....... WELCOME!!!!
litteacher Posted September 19, 2015 Author #5 Posted September 19, 2015 Thanks Yammer! You most definitely will.... I'm already trying to figure out how to get the fairing off the beast so I can wheel it into my house for the winter.
Great White Posted September 19, 2015 #6 Posted September 19, 2015 It comes apart in pieces. Ie: left side, right side, headlight surround, fairing panels, etc. Kinda like a big puzzle....
litteacher Posted September 19, 2015 Author #7 Posted September 19, 2015 ahhhhh.. thank you... I didn't want to come right out and show my total lack of knowledge when it comes to this machine, I was hoping someone might point me in the right direction. I'll have some questions concerning the hard luggage on it.... one piece in particular has quite a bit of damage. I'll do a search through the threads to see if anyone has documented how to perhaps repair it...
Great White Posted September 20, 2015 #8 Posted September 20, 2015 Couple options for fixing plastic. It's actually abs. Some have used and glue, which melts a fuses it back together. I personally plastic weld it. Others have used fiberglass to fix and reinforce it. Obviously, I prefer to plastic weld....
litteacher Posted September 20, 2015 Author #9 Posted September 20, 2015 I've attached a photo that shows the significant damage. Perhaps it can't be fixed, but I LOVE rescuing something from the landfill. I would really like to bring this back to life.
Great White Posted September 20, 2015 #10 Posted September 20, 2015 Anything can be fixed, but I would just replace that bag. Problem is it's not just plastic damage, but the frame is distorted. You could hammer it back, but it will be a bugger to get it right and seal properly. The plastic is also messed up in a hard place to fix back to original strength. You can fix it, but I'm not sure you would want to fix it....
slowrollwv Posted September 20, 2015 #11 Posted September 20, 2015 I am with Great white on this one. I think it is beyond fixing. I am pretty good at metal work and a fair hand at body work also. I would toss it and find another one in better shape.
Prairiehammer Posted September 20, 2015 #12 Posted September 20, 2015 That IS some "significant" damage. I wouldn't try to repair it. There is a matching 1983 maroon saddlebag on eBay right now. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-Yamaha-Venture-XVZ12-XVZ-1200-Y319-right-side-saddle-bag-with-key-/231175684861?hash=item35d32502fd&vxp=mtr
litteacher Posted September 20, 2015 Author #13 Posted September 20, 2015 Bookmarked!!!! Thank you, Kevin. After I took the picture of it this morning, I tried to open it ... I had the key, but it was so distorted I couldn't get the thing to pop open.... God,... I can see how this little "venture" I took is going to be a consistently slow drain on my wallet... I might have to eliminate some of my other vices!
billmac Posted September 20, 2015 #14 Posted September 20, 2015 try putting bigger doors on the house so you can ride the bike in with the fairing on.
billmac Posted September 20, 2015 #15 Posted September 20, 2015 I am with Great white on this one. I think it is beyond fixing. I am pretty good at metal work and a fair hand at body work also. I would toss it and find another one in better shape. Maybe you could work on some metal lowers.
litteacher Posted September 20, 2015 Author #16 Posted September 20, 2015 Okay... I'm intrigued... what do you mean metal lowers?? I have all of the other plastic that goes with the bike.... or did I miss an inside joke? As far as having bigger doors on my house? AMEN!! I'd love to have a nice sliding glass door to ride my bikes right in for the winter months.
litteacher Posted September 20, 2015 Author #17 Posted September 20, 2015 That IS some "significant" damage. I wouldn't try to repair it. There is a matching 1983 maroon saddlebag on eBay right now. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-Yamaha-Venture-XVZ12-XVZ-1200-Y319-right-side-saddle-bag-with-key-/231175684861?hash=item35d32502fd&vxp=mtr So I see the bag with the key. After shipping, the unit will run around 75 dollars. Is it safe to assume that is a very reasonable price?
slowrollwv Posted September 20, 2015 #18 Posted September 20, 2015 Maybe you could work on some metal lowers. What lowers are you talking about? Got any PIcs?
Huggy Posted September 20, 2015 #19 Posted September 20, 2015 Pretty good price. The damage on it looks superficial mostly. And welcome to the forum.
litteacher Posted September 20, 2015 Author #20 Posted September 20, 2015 Thank you~! I love the resources here... it didn't feel like the deal of the century to me, but , seeing as I have never tried to fix plastic before, it might be easier to just grab it and have one more thing checked off from my to do list!
Huggy Posted September 20, 2015 #21 Posted September 20, 2015 Well it would most likely cost you more to fix the old one because I don't think you would be happy with the repair and then you would have to buy a replacement any way. And I have seen the the plastic go for a lot more. Also you could ask if any of the other members might have spares. A few members have bought parts bikes and may have spares which could save you some money.
Great White Posted September 20, 2015 #22 Posted September 20, 2015 (edited) Check around locally before buying off ebay. I found a guy parting an 85 locally on kijiji (IE: same idea as craigs list) and got all 3 boxes for 60 bucks an hour away. They weren't the right color, but were in even better shape than my low mileage 83 boxes. I was only after the bigger top box and the lock mechanisms for the side boxes. It will all get painted anyways this winter when I put the 86 side boxes on. My spare Venture boxes are going to be adapted to the FJ1200. They look really nice with the bikes lines. Edited September 20, 2015 by Great White
Yammer Dan Posted September 20, 2015 #23 Posted September 20, 2015 I spent all day beating on one light trim ring that didn't look that bad. I think I'm going to have to toss it.
litteacher Posted September 23, 2015 Author #24 Posted September 23, 2015 Thanks for the advice of looking around a bit more , Great White.... I live in Northern Maine, so my resources are a bit limited, but I found everything I needed to on Ebay at very reasonable prices. I grabbed a right-side luggage replacement and a handlebar and clutch lever for some small money. They should be here in just a few days....
Yammer Dan Posted September 23, 2015 #25 Posted September 23, 2015 Throwing 12 bucks at this site would be the best investment you ever made. Info found here is priceless. Plastic repair?? Sometimes just a can of ABS pipe glue can work wonders.
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