A couple noob questions RE used bike values and Royal vs Venture

[CaseyJ955]

Hello all.

 

I just made the decision to buy a touring bike to supplement my Vmax, ruled out a Wing after throwing a leg over a 1500. The Venture fits me perfectly so I'm looking for an 86-93 1300 and running into a couple questions that a search didn't satisfy.

 

1. What does the Royal have that the base Venture lacks? Is there such thing as a Venture that is not a Royal in the 86-93 year range?

2. What is the best way to determine fair market value of a used Venture?

 

I used NADA to book an 87 that I'm looking at locally, its a touch miley at 72k and needs some TLC, he's priced at $2100 but NADA and a couple fellow Vmaxers suggested it's worth about half that. Im saving for a home so cost is a factor and I'm not in a huge hurry or opposed to traveling outside South Dakota to get one.

 

Thanks folks.

 

Tony

[GAWildKat]

A royale has cb, intercom, and I believe cruise control standard air ride might on that as well. The standard ed is a base model bike with no bling. A well maintained 1st gen can easily hit $3k in price. Avg, abt $1500k, and poor below that. If it helps, the frame alone is worth $1000 in good condition.

 

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

[bongobobny]

Not 100% sure on this, but I THINK the last year for the Standard was '87, after that they were all Royales. As stated, the Royales had CLASS, Radio, Intercom, and CB's. Actually, on the MK1's ('83 - '85) the CB was an OPTION on the Royales!

 

Yes, you will find the prices all over the place, but for a good running well maintained one it should bring in the $2500 range give or take depending on mileage and cosmetics. For these bikes, anything with less than 100,000 miles on them is just broken in! Properly maintained they will run for over 200,000 miles! So, in light of that, the 72K is not that bad, but you stated it needs TLC so I would price it at more around $1500 or less depending on how rough or well it runs, condition of tires, etc. For $2100 it better be turn key needing nothing.

 

For a thirty year old bike I would expect some cosmetic issues, probably a broken tab or two on the fairing mountings, possibly a tear on the seat especially on the very front of it, all normal wear and tear. It should start easily and run on all 4 cylinders with no hesitation on acceleration. Check the date code on the tires, it is advised NOT to use any tire, regardless of tread amount, that is more than 6 years old! That standard is actually a recommendation from the tire manufacturers regardless if on a motorcycle, a cage, or a trailer.

 

Offer the seller $1400 IF it is running right, and be willing to go up to say $1700...

[Flyinfool]

The Standard does have cruise but does not have the CLASS system to adjust air in the suspension, you have to adjust it manually. Mine is an 88 standard, it came with factory cruise but no radio, no CB no intercom and no CLASS, of course it is also missing all of the Royal badges. I have an aftermarket auto stereo and have no need for the rest of the stuff, AND if you read up there are a lot of people that spend a lot of time repairing those missing systems.

 

I am not certain but I believe the standard may have only been available in 86 - 88 all the rest are Royals.

 

As for value, it varies greatly by local. but 2100 for a 30 year old bike that needs TLC is a bit high. 72K is noting to worry about IF it was maintained.

[cowpuc]

Hi Casey and

 

You could do a little search at "adhuntr.com" which searches all of Craigslist nationwide. Just search Yamaha Venture and lots of scoots will pop up. Prices do seem to vary a lot across the country with "NADA" not really being much of a deciding factor (as you have found). Might not be a bad idea to stay away from the MK1's (83/85) as they tend to be more problematic (2nd gear issue and more). The MK2's (86/93) are probably what you will be looking for and it should not be difficult to find a good one in the 2500 dollar range. We have a classifieds section that has a number of them listed and you can peek at it here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/photopost/showcat.php?cat=1

 

Even being MK2's you need to remember your looking at an older bike. Fork springs sack over time, carb diaphrams pin hole and tear over time, calipers stick and on and on and getting one up and running correctly if it hasnt been properly maintained can get pricey - especially if you are not going to spin your on wrenches.

[CaseyJ955]

Thanks for all the responses. I'll be 2-up sometimes so intercom is a real plus, cruise of course is a must so looks like a Royal fits the bill best. I will rack up some highway miles, love to wander the midwest for no reason at all. I see that the $3500 price range can get me into the next generation RSV but for my taste it looks to much like a Road King aside from not having the option to install the Vmax heads/cams/vboost later on if I want to do a frankenbike (very likely).

 

I cant paste the link but its on Rapid City CL ad for $2100

 

I see that the starter seems to lack the umph to turn spin the engine right but seller says it always starts, I perceive the seller to be an honest guy. When I squeeze the brakes the voltage drops to 8, the air compressor has been replaced with schreader valves to adjust suspension air pressure old-school, It feels like it needs to be tuned and I'm sure I'll end up doing valve adjust and carb synch at the very least, no service history. It looks a little better in the pic than in person so I left feeling like 1200-ish would be fair knowing that I will have to dig in right away. I doubt he will accept an offer of ~half his asking price

 

I have seen some well over 3k but if I look around enough I see that truly $2500 can get a really nice one. I'll continue the search knowing what "Royal" really means.

 

You guys are awesome, thanks!

 

Tony

[Yammer Dan]

As Puc said if you can turn a wrench a little it make a lot of difference depending on how much you value your time. Make sure it has been cared for as it should have been and there will be a lot of miles left to enjoy. Then you can get the best backup anywhere for 12 bucks. A real steal.

[CaseyJ955]

I'll spin the wrenches but I have to buy the bike right for that to make sense. I'm happy to trade some of my labor for a reduced price of the bike but not if I'm not going to come out well ahead. You are absolutely correct about the year range I'm after. The Vmax models also had the 2nd gear issue so I choose a 99 to avoid all that. I want the 1300, the bigger luggage and other improvements outlined in the History section. It would be better to spend

 

That adhuntr is awesome, didnt know about that. It works better than repeated CL searches.Thanks!

[bongobobny]

OK to address the slow starter issue, common issue, especially when hot! The fix is two fold, or possibly 3 fold. Step one, upgrade your battery cables, both positive and negative to a heavier gauge wire. There was a member here that used to make up ready made cables cut to length and the whole nine yards, plug and play. Not sure if anybody is still making them though.

 

Step 2, buy a 4 brush starter motor from any 2nd gen Venture '99 to '13, should run you about $60 for a good used one, and install it! They are plug and play!

 

Step 3 upgrade to an AGM battery, they have more cranking power! That should run you around $100. Member Skydoc_17 is a distributer for DEKA which is also the OEM for several Auto Parts store's brand name AGM battery. Earl is a great guy to deal with!

 

Yup, you want an '86 up Royale!! Just keep in mind that a 25 - 30 year old bike is just that, an OLD bike!! But, there isn't anything about these bikes we don't know about, and you will find the support around here is excellent! We're a big happy family around here! Once you get it running right you will be hard pressed to find a more rugged, comfortable and durable touring bike! they run practically forever!

[cowpuc]

= SWEET LOOKIN BLONDE THERE CASEY!! She's got a lot of extra bling if your into such things - plus she does have back rest, passenger arm rests (NICE) and boards, looks like trailer hitch if your into such things - lot of extras.. Concerning the CLASS system mentioned by you and also on Craigs - I personally would prefer the manual air up system as long as it maintained air pressure - have used em for thousands of miles and always appreciated the simplicity.. Also keep in mind - if the scoot does not already have Progressive springs in it (staring at the picture on Craigs here - it either does have Progressives or they have 10 pounds of air in the forks) the new buyer will want to drop a set in cause OEM springs are,, IMHO - not much more than ink pen springs .. Once the Progressives are in - no more fork air is ever needed again so now its just the rear shock that air supply is needed for..

Concerning the voltage drop - while possible to be a stator issue - also sounds suspictiously like a dirty battery connection of maybe even a bad stator terminal (located under left side cover on frame spar)..

Tell ya what ya could do - deduct a 100 bucks for Progressives and be happy you aint gotta fight a Class problem, deduct $250 for a stator job = offer em $1700 cash for it (be standing there with the money in your hand - sometimes that helps ) and see what he says... Before ya do that though, spit check (like checking a hot iron) the header pipes on it right after starting it and make sure she's hitting on all four.. These good ol bikes have fooled many buyers with their ability to run amazingly well on 3 cylinders..

TOTALLY with ya on the 3k and up getting ya into a 2nd Gen (the HD look alike).. They are out there if a guy shows a little patience.

 

So,, you live in the Black Hills?? I LOVE THE BLACK HILLS!! You anywhere near Spear Fish Canyon - or have ridden that area?? There is section of two tracks that goes from the little water falls located on the gravel road that heads west from the Lodge down in Spear Fish canyon.. Followed that one time - got lost - camped in those mountains - listen to Elk all night (BEAUTIFUL) - kept going west on two tracks - passed a 2' sign that said "Wyoming" on it - came out in a little town on the side of the Highway just a few miles from Devils Tower - rode over to the Tower.. I LOVE THE BLACK HILLS!!

 

Sorry - rattled me when I noticed you lived in the Black Hills... Anyway,, your welcome on the Adhuntr suggestion - all the best in locating your scoot!!

 

Puc

[gggGary]

bet high 2's would buy this, it sure reads like a nice machina,

http://appleton.craigslist.org/mcy/5666775249.html

I was tempted to look at it just before I bought an RSV. With hindsight, it might have been the better bike.

[djh3]

Hey Puc here ya go Only asking $2750

Other than that it looks to be all Second Gens and those are right @ 4-5k

[CaseyJ955]

I like the Blonde bike to but I'll end up doing what I did to the Vmax, which is pick a color I have never seen on that model and apply it, I'm feeling cocky after painting the Vmax turquoise with rattle cans and having the results look nearly pro. There is a lot of bling, if I buy this one I'll make a lot of that bling available, I'm a fan of the smooth simple look so I'll de-chrome as much as I can, but keeping the floorboards

 

Black hills!!! LOVE IT HERE. I do Spearfish Canyon frequently, Needles, Custer state park/wildlife loop (watch out for bison), Badlands, buffalo gap grasslands. Vannocker Canyon, and so many I cant even remember to list. Mt Rushmore is surrounded by amazing roads and 20 minutes from here. Rimrock scenic highway (closesest pavement to my house) Almost any road you take is scenic and if you go far enough it rolls into rural plains and farmlands. This is a motorcyclists paradise. Rapid City is only a few miles away and at nearly 90k population I'm sure you can imagine it is a very unpleasant place to drive or ride, or be, but its only a dot on this amazing vast landscape. I'm really close to WY and MT also, I can get lost in these states for extended periods of time. Anyone heading into the Black Hills should hit me up.

 

I need to thank all who responded with great information. I'm probably going to make an offer on this 87 but not thinking he's going to sell it at that fraction of his asking price. I've been keeping an eye on the classifieds here but I really do need to try and keep the price down a bit or save for another month or two and just buy one that doesn't need anything. I'm getting really jazzed about having a bike I can comfortably tour. I hope to have one by fall so I can pull it inside over the winter and do all that needs to be done.

[videoarizona]

bet high 2's would buy this, it sure reads like a nice machina,

http://appleton.craigslist.org/mcy/5666775249.html

I was tempted to look at it just before I bought an RSV. With hindsight, it might have been the better bike.

 

 

Whoa! That is one beautiful 90 VR!

[CaseyJ955]

I just sent this guy a message, the damn thing already has vboost! it's the right bike and if hes willing to do partial trade or soften up the price I'll go to WI and see it/ride it home.

Thanks for linking that one, it's the right machine if I can strike a deal with him but his asking is just out of my reach. I'm not ready to go high 2s but for this one I might since so much of the work is done.

[BlueSky]

With any bike or auto that old, condition is everything. If it hasn't been ridden in a while and is missing, you could find yourself doing a lot of work to get it right. Things like fork seals, fork springs, clutch slave cylinder, carb cleaning, elec wire cleanup are some of the things you might find yourself working on. It's worth paying a little extra for a bike that has been kept in good running condition.

[Patmac6075]

Yeah....I saw that bike a couple of weeks ago....he has done all the work I would have! Trouble is, he's asking top dollar....we all know how much work goes into getting a bike set up like that, so I can see where his head is at but I'd be reluctant to offer any more than $2200....but I'm a cheap skate.

[gggGary]

bet the wisconsin contingent could arrange a pre-buy inspection for yah.

[gggGary]

He sold it yesterday I asked the selling price, haven't heard back.

[CaseyJ955]

Yeah....I saw that bike a couple of weeks ago....he has done all the work I would have! Trouble is, he's asking top dollar....we all know how much work goes into getting a bike set up like that, so I can see where his head is at but I'd be reluctant to offer any more than $2200....but I'm a cheap skate.

 

I just heard back from him, the bike sold this morning.

The search continues.

 

I think this might be like back when I used to mess with British cars. Buy the nicest one you can afford! I may take that to heart here to.

[cowpuc]

I always enjoyed the searching and finding them as much as riding em... ALMOST,, I SAID ALMOST!

[gggGary]

Just info on the WISland bike;

 

Thanks. I did love it for many years

 

I got asking price of $3500

[gggGary]

I do know of a pretty decent 90 near Praire du chien he's asking 1500 hasn't been ridden in years.

Never hurts to post up a wanted ad on CL in the MC for sale section. Lots of owners are looking to see what their bike is worth and look at CL I have bought many bikes from wanted ad responses. If you give enough info about what you are looking for and why, guys who wouldn't run a for sale ad (for whatever reason) will often contact you.

[VentureYZ]

There is a 87 standard on cincinnati craigslist right now with 18,000 miles on it located in Bethel, Ohio. Looks nice according to the pics. $1,800.00.

[snyper316]

Hi Casey and

 

You could do a little search at "adhuntr.com" which searches all of Craigslist nationwide. Just search Yamaha Venture and lots of scoots will pop up. Prices do seem to vary a lot across the country with "NADA" not really being much of a deciding factor (as you have found). Might not be a bad idea to stay away from the MK1's (83/85) as they tend to be more problematic (2nd gear issue and more). The MK2's (86/93) are probably what you will be looking for and it should not be difficult to find a good one in the 2500 dollar range. We have a classifieds section that has a number of them listed and you can peek at it here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/photopost/showcat.php?cat=1

 

Even being MK2's you need to remember your looking at an older bike. Fork springs sack over time, carb diaphrams pin hole and tear over time, calipers stick and on and on and getting one up and running correctly if it hasnt been properly maintained can get pricey - especially if you are not going to spin your on wrenches.

 

Hey I tried that Adhunter and damn first bike that came up is free lol

but its parts only thats just crazy