Buying check list?

[Homiachok]

I've always wanted older big bike, and finally made a decision to look for a 86-93 venture. I am going to see one next weekend, and was wondering if there are any specific things for me to look at before I buy. Thanks in advance!

[bongobobny]

Other than hearing it run, there is really no issues to watch out for other than minor ones such as brakes, leaky clutch slave cylinders, etc. Any old bike is going to need maintenance and will have some kind of issue here and there. I would say the two major issues are the carburetors and the ignition module, hence "hearing it run." Carburetors can run several hundred dollars to properly service them if they need rebuilding, with parts alone costing in excess of $100 per carb for parts alone, but that would include new everything pretty much. If it starts and runs reasonably well then probably just a treatment of a carburetor cleaner such as Seafoam or Berryman's, and a good synchronization of all four should be all that is needed. Stock ignition modules are no longer available as new, and used ones are a crap shoot, but there are a few aftermarket ones out there for a couple hundred dollars. You may or may not have problems with corrosion on any and all electrical connectors but for the most part, nothing that a good dose of contact cleaner and reseating the connectors can't cure along with sealing the connector shells with dielectric grease to keep moisture from causing any further issues.

 

You may experience a leaky hydraulic slave cylinder for the clutch, and the best way to fix it is to just replace it with a new one. It will cost you less than $50 for a replacement. They are not that difficult to replace. The hard part is getting the old one physically out and the new one in position. It's sort of a twist, rotate, shake, swear, and get frustrated, and then all of a sudden it magically falls out!

 

Stators can fail but not that often. Replacement is fairly easy, and you do NOT have to remove the motor to replace them. Fuel pumps rarely go bad either. The bottom line is ANY 20-year-old bike is going to require some form of maintenance as rubber hoses rot, electrical connections get corroded, etc.

 

With ANY motorcycle, always check the date code on the tires! For your own safety, you should NEVER use a tire that is more than 6 years old! This is a recommendation by all tire manufacturers for any kind of vehicle!

 

Congratulations on your choice of a Venture touring bike! They are one of the most durable and dependable ones out there, and a real joy to ride! They are a tall bike, though, so if you are inseam challenged I would strongly consider if that will be an issue for you. Myself I am 29" and could not flat foot my 1st gen. I lived with it though as I loved it that much! It is a touring bike with the heart of a sports bike!

 

Good luck with your search, you may want to look in the classifieds here as there are usually a couple of good ones for sale here...

[BlueSky]

If you take an infrared thermometer with you, (I bought one at Autozone.)you can check the temperatures of the exhaust pipes and tell if they are all firing properly. The 90 and older models have a 2 brush starter that won't spin the engine as fast as the 91 and up models that have a 4 brush starter. A common mod is to replace the older starter with a 4 brush. Be aware that the left front brake caliper and the rear caliper are controlled by the pedal and the right front brake caliper is controlled by the lever on the handlebar. Good luck with your hunt for a great bike!

[MiCarl]

So you've got the issues to consider with any older motorcycle (carbs, corrosion, old tires etc.).

 

There are two that are Venture specific and both are VERY expensive if you get one.

 

1) On the '83 to early '85 motorcycles the design of 2nd gear was weak and I'm under the impression that they all eventually fail. The design was updated during the '85 model year and all the V4s since are solid. If you come across one of these with high mileage and a good second gear it's likely to have already been updated. A low mileage one might just be waiting for you to buy the update. In any case, ride 2nd gear hard on your test ride and make sure it doesn't pop back to neutral.

 

2) Some of them (I think 86 - ? 1300s) had a bevel gear in the middle gear set and pinion in the final drive that were improperly heat treated and break. I don't want to try and get into a lot of detail about how they break but it is important to know they will still go with broken pinions. What does happen is the bearings become loose and will wear out quickly. Listen for bearings to make a growling sound on acceleration or coasting. When the pinion in the final drive broke on mine about seven years ago a new replacement was about $900 (you have to replace the whole final drive). I believe you can get just the bevel gear for the middle gear set but there will be some labor in properly shimming it.

 

Otherwise I don't believe there are any common defects in the 83-93 Ventures. Just wear and neglect which isn't specific to these motorcycles.

[Homiachok]

Other than hearing it run, there is really no issues to watch out for other than minor ones such as brakes, leaky clutch slave cylinders, etc. Any old bike is going to need maintenance and will have some kind of issue here and there. I would say the two major issues are the carburetors and the ignition module, hence "hearing it run." Carburetors can run several hundred dollars to properly service them if they need rebuilding, with parts alone costing in excess of $100 per carb for parts alone, but that would include new everything pretty much. If it starts and runs reasonably well then probably just a treatment of a carburetor cleaner such as Seafoam or Berryman's, and a good synchronization of all four should be all that is needed. Stock ignition modules are no longer available as new, and used ones are a crap shoot, but there are a few aftermarket ones out there for a couple hundred dollars. You may or may not have problems with corrosion on any and all electrical connectors but for the most part, nothing that a good dose of contact cleaner and reseating the connectors can't cure along with sealing the connector shells with dielectric grease to keep moisture from causing any further issues.

 

You may experience a leaky hydraulic slave cylinder for the clutch, and the best way to fix it is to just replace it with a new one. It will cost you less than $50 for a replacement. They are not that difficult to replace. The hard part is getting the old one physically out and the new one in position. It's sort of a twist, rotate, shake, swear, and get frustrated, and then all of a sudden it magically falls out!

 

Stators can fail but not that often. Replacement is fairly easy, and you do NOT have to remove the motor to replace them. Fuel pumps rarely go bad either. The bottom line is ANY 20-year-old bike is going to require some form of maintenance as rubber hoses rot, electrical connections get corroded, etc.

 

With ANY motorcycle, always check the date code on the tires! For your own safety, you should NEVER use a tire that is more than 6 years old! This is a recommendation by all tire manufacturers for any kind of vehicle!

 

Congratulations on your choice of a Venture touring bike! They are one of the most durable and dependable ones out there, and a real joy to ride! They are a tall bike, though, so if you are inseam challenged I would strongly consider if that will be an issue for you. Myself I am 29" and could not flat foot my 1st gen. I lived with it though as I loved it that much! It is a touring bike with the heart of a sports bike!

 

Good luck with your search, you may want to look in the classifieds here as there are usually a couple of good ones for sale here...

 

 

 

 

Thank you gents for your replies. Definitely all valid points. I will be sure to post som pics once I find the one for me.