83 Venture - New owner

[lenk42602]

Howdy folks,

 

Purchased an 83 with 36000 miles on the odo. Just reading up on this motor/tranny platform. Bike has been through two owners, I am third. First was apparently a member on this forum, second owner purchased it at an estate sale and put 0 miles on it since. Bike has been sitting in a garage for a while, carbs have no gas in them fortunately.

 

 

Looks like it needs new cyl head gaskets - the are dry and cracked. Planning on spending some time with the motor and tranny, making sure all is well before the whole shebang gets transplanted into its new chassis.

 

Any clever ideas on how to check for prior 2nd gear replacement? Motor will be out of frame at some point, it would be nice if I cold track down if this has been addressed prior....

 

Thanks,

 

Len

[yamagrl]

With only 36k it probably has not been done.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?117969-Good-price-for-1984-Venture&highlight=gear

Edited June 19, 2016 by yamagrl
To delete incorrect information

[cowpuc]

If it were done professionally there should be ping mark on the case where the middle gear cover is on the left side of the engine. See #5 in the below post. But with only 36k it probably has not been done.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?117969-Good-price-for-1984-Venture&highlight=gear

 

CONGRATS on the find of the scoot Lenk and CONGRATS on finding us here = !! Lots of amazing folks with TONS of info around this joint!!

 

Seems like I remember that punch mark indicating either the water pump upgrade or the stator upgrade and not the second gear repair,, may be wrong though - might do a little research in the Tech Section about it.. Either way though, if your scoot has the punch mark in the spot Yamagrl is talking about it is a GOOD thing cause it does indicate an update of some kind was done:big-grin-emoticon:..

Are you sure you are referring to the head gaskets being cracked and not the valve cover gaskets? The valve cover gaskets are the ones with the half moon shaped rubber in them on the top of the motor.. It is not uncommon for these old scoots to show cracking on those gaskets as it is also not uncommon for folks to overlook the valve shim maintenance. If it is the head gaskets you are somehow finding cracks or problems with, it will be a mandatory tear down - the verdict is still out on the valve shimming - so folks go by the book on those and then there are those of us who have ended up with a scoot like yours and put 10's of thousands of miles on em and never had a problem,, go figure..

A list of things off the top of my head you might want to take a peek at,,, certainly not conclusive (I am no guru like some of these lop eared varmints,, just an innocent bystander tourist type who's worn out a few of the 83's)..

 

- water pump upgrade - came with a plastic impellar

- check frame at swing arm for cracking

- check fork springs, if OEM - you will need Progressives.

- stator - stock was insuffecient in oil cooling

- check calipers for sticking pistons and flush hydraulic systems (including clutch).

- clutch upgrade - if your split cases for second gear upgrade, may as well upgrade the clutch - I never had the honor of having a good clutch in one until the one I recently picked up ( @Carbon_One - this thing is AWESOME!!) - lots of ways to approach this - maybe contact @Skydoc here - he sells kits..

- upgrade electrical panel - not uncommon for the OEM fuse panel to be in rough shape

- grease the drive shaft splines and rear pig pins

- grease mono linkages and swing arm assembly

- lube speedo or it will screem so load when your coasting down into King's Canyon in California that you will think you just got attacked by a gang of Bob Cats and you WILL be in danger of having a heart attack..

- if your gonna keep it and ride it one of the BEST investment speciality tools is a set of gauges or carbtune to sync carbs with.

- take the locks apart on the bags, clean and lube em, they will eat keys at the most inconvenient time.

 

All I can think of at the moment,,, congrats on the scoot and all the best making it the funnest motorcycle you have ever known!!!

 

PS - if you have any idea of who the original owner was and he/she was/is a member here, maybe you could post a name and either they will respond or someone here may know what all has already been done,,, we tend to be a close knit family around this joint and, especially the supporting members (its just a buck a month - well worth it if your gonna keep your scoot), share most of our hidden secrets about our scoots and even somethings not even scoot related (search Wisconsin White Wash Machine or Rum Balls and you will see what I mean).

PS - PS, somewhere around here is a feller named @Prairiehammer who collects VIN numbers for a database - he would LOVE to have your VIN to update his info if your willing.. Not sure but he also may be able to help you figure out who the orginal owner was which, in the end, may help you figure out what has and hasnt already been done...

PS-PS-PS,, I know your brand new here,, just a heads up - there are some sneaky (thats their symbol that stands for Picture Police) that lurk around here - if you get a chance to snap a shot or two of your new scoot and post them up you may save yourself from getting hassled..

Edited June 18, 2016 by cowpuc

[yamagrl]

I stand corrected. I went back and read farther down and Prairiehammer cleared that up about that ping mark in post 7. Apparently it indicates the stator issue has been corrected.

Edited June 19, 2016 by yamagrl
spelling

[cowpuc]

I stand corrected. I went back and read farther down and Prairiehammer cleared that up about that ping mark in post 7. Apparently it indicates the stator issue has been corrected.

 

,,, I just went and read that in that link too Yamagrl Regardless of which update the punch mark indicates you made a great point - if his scoot has it, it is one less upgrade he has to be concerned with sister!!

[yamagrl]

Actually Puc, what happened is that I read and bookmarked that thread when it first rolled out... and it sounded logical and had a great pic, to boot. I never saw Prairiehammer's correction in the subsequent post. When I read the post on the day it started I said to myself "Hedder, your gunna need that sometime. Better bookmark it." (I bookmark most anything I might want to come back to.

 

So today when I saw Lenk42602's question I simply went to my Google Chrome Bookmarks and retrieved the link. Unwittingly putting out misinformation.

 

Thanks again

 

YG

[cowpuc]

Actually Puc, what happened is that I read and bookmarked that thread when it first rolled out... and it sounded logical and had a great pic, to boot. I never saw Prairiehammer's correction in the subsequent post. When I read the post on the day it started I said to myself "Hedder, your gunna need that sometime. Better bookmark it." (I bookmark most anything I might want to come back to.

 

So today when I saw Lenk42602's question I simply went to my Google Chrome Bookmarks and retrieved the link. Unwittingly putting out misinformation.

 

Thanks again

 

YG

 

Whats this bookmarking business YG? You mean I been trying to remember all this stuff in my scrambled egg brain for nuttin sister?? Oh please,, tell me its not so :bang head::bang head::bang head:

 

By the way,, you got no monopoly on the unintentional putting out misinformation routine YG - now THAT I am a GURU at !!! One REALLY great thing around this place - when one of us does accidently slip up, we usually got each others backs enough that in the end - whoever asked the question somehow ends up getting the help they need... ,,,,,, ,,,, something just occurred to me,,,,,,,, wonder if that's what my Dad was talking about when he used to say "two heads are better than one",,,,,,,,,, I always thought he was wishing I was born a siamese twin or something.....

[yamagrl]

Whats this bookmarking business YG? You mean I been trying to remember all this stuff in my scrambled egg brain for nuttin sister?? Oh please,, tell me its not so :bang head::bang head::bang head:

 

By the way,, you got no monopoly on the unintentional putting out misinformation routine YG - now THAT I am a GURU at !!! One REALLY great thing around this place - when one of us does accidently slip up, we usually got each others backs enough that in the end - whoever asked the question somehow ends up getting the help they need... ,,,,,, ,,,, something just occurred to me,,,,,,,, wonder if that's what my Dad was talking about when he used to say "two heads are better than one",,,,,,,,,, I always thought he was wishing I was born a siamese twin or something.....

 

 

Bookmarking sure helps. I used to write notes to myself and then forget what I wrote it on. Then I'd end up finding it later and wonder what it was about!

[yamagrl]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

[lenk42602]

CONGRATS ........ if your scoot has the punch mark in the spot Yamagrl is talking about.... Are you sure you are referring to the head gaskets being cracked and not the valve cover gaskets? The valve cover gaskets are the ones with the half moon shaped rubber in them on the top of the motor.. It is not uncommon for these old scoots to show cracking on those gaskets as it is also not uncommon for folks to overlook the valve shim maintenance. If it is the head gaskets you are somehow finding cracks or problems with, it will be a mandatory tear down - the verdict is still out on the valve shimming - so folks go by the book on those and then there are those of us who have ended up with a scoot like yours and put 10's of thousands of miles on em and never had a problem,, go figure..

A list of things off the top of my head you might want to take a peek at,,, certainly not conclusive (I am no guru like some of these lop eared varmints,, just an innocent bystander tourist type who's worn out a few of the 83's)..

 

- water pump upgrade - came with a plastic impellar

- check frame at swing arm for cracking

- check fork springs, if OEM - you will need Progressives.

- stator - stock was insuffecient in oil cooling

- check calipers for sticking pistons and flush hydraulic systems (including clutch).

- clutch upgrade - if your split cases for second gear upgrade, may as well upgrade the clutch - I never had the honor of having a good clutch in one until the one I recently picked up ( @Carbon_One - this thing is AWESOME!!) - lots of ways to approach this - maybe contact @Skydoc here - he sells kits..

- upgrade electrical panel - not uncommon for the OEM fuse panel to be in rough shape

- grease the drive shaft splines and rear pig pins

- grease mono linkages and swing arm assembly

- lube speedo or it will screem so load when your coasting down into King's Canyon in California that you will think you just got attacked by a gang of Bob Cats and you WILL be in danger of having a heart attack..

- if your gonna keep it and ride it one of the BEST investment speciality tools is a set of gauges or carbtune to sync carbs with.

- take the locks apart on the bags, clean and lube em, they will eat keys at the most inconvenient time.

 

All I can think of at the moment,,, congrats on the scoot and all the best making it the funnest motorcycle you have ever known!!!

 

PS - if you have any idea of who the original owner was and he/she was/is a member here, maybe you could post a name and either they will respond or someone here may know what all has already been done,,, we tend to be a close knit family around this joint and, especially the supporting members (its just a buck a month - well worth it if your gonna keep your scoot), share most of our hidden secrets about our scoots and even somethings not even scoot related (search Wisconsin White Wash Machine or Rum Balls and you will see what I mean).

PS - PS, somewhere around here is a feller named @Prairiehammer who collects VIN numbers for a database - he would LOVE to have your VIN to update his info if your willing.. Not sure but he also may be able to help you figure out who the orginal owner was which, in the end, may help you figure out what has and hasnt already been done...

PS-PS-PS,, I know your brand new here,, just a heads up - there are some sneaky (thats their symbol that stands for Picture Police) that lurk around here - if you get a chance to snap a shot or two of your new scoot and post them up you may save yourself from getting hassled..

 

 

Cowpuc, thanks for the reply - bike is still in the sellers garage - I will dig and see if I can get the owners name prior to him when I pick it up. Maybe that will simplify determining if its been 2nd gear-ectomied..

 

I meant the valve cover gaskets. Brain fart...

 

The bike is going to be stripped down to the chassis motor and drivetrain. I will be transplanting the heart of the bike into a reverse trike I have been designing for a few years. Custom driveshaft, vw bug front beam. I know my way around carbs pretty well and have my on carb synch tool. In terms of electronics, I am an engineer by trade and wire hybrid electric vehicles for the trucking industry. Given that the OEM harness will certainly not work for the trike, I will rewire the whole shebang and upgrade along the way.

 

Looking forward to getting rolling in the net few weeks. My first big goals are to go through the motor and tranny, make sure it is ready for transplant. Then a rolling chassis by the end of the summer. We will see....

 

Here's some pics of the bike....

 

 

 

Here's a few parts I have to get started:

 

 

 

 

here's kinda what I am looking to emulate, except a single rear wheel:

 

 

gonna be a long journey. should have never seen a morgan 3 wheeler....

 

cheers,

 

Len

[lenk42602]

pm'd prairiehammer with VIN.

 

transferred title today, pickin her up Saturday. tear down will commence soon......

[cowpuc]

pm'd prairiehammer with VIN.

 

transferred title today, pickin her up Saturday. tear down will commence soon......

 

 

:photographing::photographing::photographing::photographing::photographing: and more 's

 

 

PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE:fingers-crossed-emo!!! I love reading about and following projects like you are about to undertake!!!

 

All the very best in building that Hot Rod Venture Lenk!!

[lenk42602]

got all the body work and rear sub frame off. headin to ohio next weekend to a swap meet looking for a vw front beam. if I get home in time, I plan on pulling the exhaust, front fork, and moving the bike over to the rolling dolly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2016 by lenk42602
spelling

[Freebird]

This is one of the coolest conversions I've seen anybody here undertake. Love the idea and looking forward to watching your adventure.

[Venturous Randy]

This would be a good candidate for a V-Max final drive with the added weight, especially when starting out.

Randy

[lenk42602]

That final drive conversion had me looking at vmax stuff - like a complete back wheel, swingarm, etc. its not off the table.

[lenk42602]

kinda why I was drifting to vmax back end. maybe ill just use a whole vmax back end...