next favorite year?

[tntviper1]

we all love our 1983's but if you were considering another one what would be the year and why?

 

my baby is 35 YO

[cowpuc]

Post tranny issue '85 for me,,,, I always thought it would have been cool to have had a real deal factory solid 2nd geared MK1 to take to the limit...... Thinkin Tip would have fully enjoyed the xtra couple liters of trunk space too on those 2 month/+20k mile tours with all the tent camping we do...... Yep,,,, definitly an '85 MK1 Venture!!

[Marcarl]

I was always very happy with my 85, but I did have to fix 2nd gear. It's pretty much identical to the 83-84 but has a few good upgrades like larger passenger seat, larger trunk. It still has the calm shell bags which I thought were better than the top loaders of the 86-89.

[CaseyJ955]

I would have to stick with the 1st gen MKII. Not only does it haul a$$, but it can haul almost as many groceries as my old Squareback dub. If I were going to drop some serious coin on a newer bike then it would have to be something that could leave the beaten path. Being pavement bound is the only notable disadvantage of the Venture I have found.

[cowpuc]

I was always very happy with my 85, but I did have to fix 2nd gear. It's pretty much identical to the 83-84 but has a few good upgrades like larger passenger seat, larger trunk. It still has the calm shell bags which I thought were better than the top loaders of the 86-89.

 

I had read somewhere that after a certain point in production in '85, Mom Yam finally got it together and stopped using the soft thrust washer that created the mess. "Post" that point is my reference...

Now if we are gonna introduce custom home fixin into the discussion here,,,,,,, I would have to default to one trannied and Vmax rearended out like that genius Randy did. I think the lower 1st gear and higher 5th gear plan that he came up with in a MK1 sounds like a perfect plan for the already ultimate touring bike IMHO...

I too LOVE my clamshells Carl:happy34:

[bongobobny]

For me probably an '87 as I love the gold pint scheme...

[cowpuc]

I would have to stick with the 1st gen MKII. Not only does it haul a$$, but it can haul almost as many groceries as my old Squareback dub. If I were going to drop some serious coin on a newer bike then it would have to be something that could leave the beaten path. Being pavement bound is the only notable disadvantage of the Venture I have found.

 

That ability of the clamshelled Mk1's to squeeze between the trees of off roading is one of the huge plusses and reason I fell in love with the MK1's.. Almost like Mom Yam was thinking Sport Touring even wayyyyyy back then,,,, back before Sport Touring was even thought of by the manufactures......

 

 

[cowpuc]

we all love our 1983's but if you were considering another one what would be the year and why?

 

my baby is 35 YO

 

Hey Vipe,,, hope I didnt inadvertently take your thread down the wrong path here, sorry if I did... Were you asking which brand new scoot we would chase down? = now noticing your comment about the age of your bike.... If that is the case,,,, at this time,,, I can honestly say that the new Wing has my most attention (looks kinda sorta like Mom Honda picked up some pointers from the Mk1's and applied them to the new Wing = LOVE it!!)...

 

Now if Mom Yam woulda listened to the likes of the varmint who sent them the copy/paste wish list posted below for the new Venture instead of the throngs of the massive group of Strat riders like they did,,,,,,,,, I would definitely have to change that direction!!!!!!!

 

"""1700cc V-4 "V-Max" motor.. Detune it to 170 horse/130 ft/pds torque if you must (just like before) but please,, dont do another V-Twin - got enough of em.. You guys can do it,, I KNOW YOU CAN!!

Shaft drive!

EFI with a tunable tuner - even if its an add on - please provide one so we can tune it!!

LED lighting.

Engine guarding and saddle bag guarding.

Adjustable bars like on the first gen.

Factory tank and windshield bags.

Fixed Fairing.

Get the same Doctors who advised you on constructing the seat of the 1st Gens (cant remember what you call those guys) to advise you on this one - my kids, wife and I LOVE what they did!! Keep the seat height difference between the rider and passenger no more than 3 inches (2 is great) - raising the passenger higher causes weight imbalance and makes slow speed riding harder.

Ease of removal of the trunk(s) for changing rear tire.

Center stand.

Forward boards with normal foot pegs located rearward so standing up while riding is still possible, shift and brake levers at both locations (no heal toe please).

Hand warmers.

Key removable rear trunk and bags.

Grease zerks on all main pivot points.

High output stator even though it has LED's.

Double check the gear sets in the tranny and make sure they ramp up solidly.

Oversized clutch to insure NO slippage in high gears with xtra weight.

42 millimeter front fork tubes with progressive springs.

Imbed reflective tape (or use reflective paint) in paint lines (like pin striping) so all profiles of bike light up when grazed by car lights.

Add a large foot onto side stand - tired of bending over to pick up stand plate after parking on loose ground.

Explore which tire sizes are the most common and build around those standards so tire choices and finding them are easy.

Remember those long grips you used on the first gens? Use those, I love bending them back onto my knees.

Enclose the motor well to keep ANY objectional heat off both riders BUT - use lots of venting with plenums to act as heaters when needed.

Windshield it so the rear rider remains in the protective air pocket - functional vents in shield and fairing to adjust air movement if needed (hey,, could be asking for servo operated shield but I dont care for more things to go wrong).

6 speed Over drive tranny.

Use GOOD solder, especially with ECU pins. QC the daylights out of it! DONT go cheap and trust the Chinese!!

Dont short us on wire harness leads so wiring is tight - xtra 1/4 inch really helps!!

Make fairing panels easy to remove but not so they fall off.

Supply printable shop manual disc and printed well written owners manual. Supply GOOD factory tire pressure guage.

Chrome is out for me, I LOVE dull stainless (like the pipes on the "New" V-Max),, matter of fact,, build mine with no rustable chrome and all dull stainless!!

Intercom, CB and radio would be nice.. Keep the tape deck. """""

[ChiefGunner]

I would have to stick with the 1st gen MKII. Not only does it haul a$$, but it can haul almost as many groceries as my old Squareback dub. If I were going to drop some serious coin on a newer bike then it would have to be something that could leave the beaten path. Being pavement bound is the only notable disadvantage of the Venture I have found.

 

I think I'm with you Casey. I LOVED my '91 Royale. Of course that might be also because it was my first FULL DRESS. I sure gave her a lot of love! In this pic she's 10 years old with over120,000 miles on her. The paint was custom done in "96 Dodge Viper RT Blue. It made that chrome POP!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]112295[/ATTACH]

[Condor]

I think I'm with you Casey. I LOVED my '91 Royale. Of course that might be also because it was my first FULL DRESS. I sure gave her a lot of love! In this pic she's 10 years old with over120,000 miles on her. The paint was custom done in "96 Dodge Viper RT Blue. It made that chrome POP!

 

Yep, Mine too... It's a '91 Tuxedo. Serial number 0002. I think it originally was a Yamaha USA show bike. It has about the entire aftermarket bling catalog on her... BTW she's not for sale...any longer.... :-)

 

[ChiefGunner]

Yep, Mine too... It's a '91 Tuxedo. Serial number 0002. I think it originally was a Yamaha USA show bike. It has about the entire aftermarket bling catalog on her... BTW she's not for sale...any longer.... :-)

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=112299http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=112300http://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=112301

Wow! She sure is dressed up. Looks to be in great shape too! I really enjoyed mine. This new SVTC is a completely different animal. Don’t know if you’re considering one but all I can say about it is WOW!

[uncledj]

When I first decided to get a full dresser, I was thinking I would like to try a Goldwing. I wanted to get an older one because of the lower cost, and also because I wasn't sure I'd like it.

I did quite a bit of research and mostly because of the performance and styling I decided that I was going to buy a Venture, and from said research, I got the impression that the 87 and 88 models were the most trouble free, so that's what I went with.

I dunno what the difference would be that would make those years give the impression that they're more reliable, but I went with it.

I bought an 87 that I enjoyed for 5 years before adding an 06 to the stable.

I love the performance of the 87, but the comfort and look of the 06 is tough to beat.

[Venturous Randy]

Post tranny issue '85 for me,,,, I always thought it would have been cool to have had a real deal factory solid 2nd geared MK1 to take to the limit...... Thinkin Tip would have fully enjoyed the xtra couple liters of trunk space too on those 2 month/+20k mile tours with all the tent camping we do...... Yep,,,, definitly an '85 MK1 Venture!!

I have an 85 in the garage that is serial# 5000+ so it will not have the 2nd gear problem. Trying to not make it a parts bike.

Randy

[RandyR]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the 2000 RSV Millenium Edition.

 

I truly enjoyed the few years I had one, and expect its newest owner will also think its special.

 

Long may you run !

[snyper316]

I would have to stick with the 1st gen MKII. Not only does it haul a$$, but it can haul almost as many groceries as my old Squareback dub. If I were going to drop some serious coin on a newer bike then it would have to be something that could leave the beaten path. Being pavement bound is the only notable disadvantage of the Venture I have found.

 

I hear you there Casey!! The Venture is My first Road bike. Then this Honda CB450SC is my second. I was reading on the history of mine and it said something about an option to have the Nylon Saddle bag. I been trying to find one but so far no luck but wouldn't be hard to put saddle bags on it, I haven't figured his/her name out yet but Makes me miss my 1980 YZ250! I am almost wondering what tires to go with because I am thinking I can throw all terrain tires on it, Haven't decided really but I am getting some crazy ideas for this bike. I have taken it to a off road trail and seemed to do ok. Alot better then our beast do at least if I fall over on it, would not be hard to get it back straight. I would love to pull off the road and get far enuff from the road that I can hear a bunny hoping thru the meadow down below. Yes sounds like serenity to me!!

[CaseyJ955]

I hear you there Casey!! The Venture is My first Road bike. Then this Honda CB450SC is my second. I was reading on the history of mine and it said something about an option to have the Nylon Saddle bag. I been trying to find one but so far no luck but wouldn't be hard to put saddle bags on it, I haven't figured his/her name out yet but Makes me miss my 1980 YZ250! I am almost wondering what tires to go with because I am thinking I can throw all terrain tires on it, Haven't decided really but I am getting some crazy ideas for this bike. I have taken it to a off road trail and seemed to do ok. Alot better then our beast do at least if I fall over on it, would not be hard to get it back straight. I would love to pull off the road and get far enuff from the road that I can hear a bunny hoping thru the meadow down below. Yes sounds like serenity to me!!

 

Oh, I hear ya. To note; nothing is pavement bound to Puc!

 

I recently picked up a KTM 2-stroke 250 dirt bike for the summer of festivities that lay ahead. Usually during Sturgis and tourist season here it's ride off the pavement or dont ride at all. That is unless one can deal with the all the HDs and RVs clogging up the road, I have real struggles with that myself. I spare myself the headaches. One of the bikes that has been calling out to me on and off for a few years has been a Vstrom. Plenty tour-able and some dudes get them pretty far out there in the sticks too. The Venture, mostly just because of it's sheer, soul crushing weight would not do much more than a tame gravel road with me on it. Of course a 1200GS is no lightweight either but to hold that up on anything more than fire trails one would have to have legs like oak trees. They tip the scales at around 3-4x that of a dedicated dirt bike. I'm in 100% agreement with you though, there is nothing like getting out there a bit and really enjoying where you are.

[RDawson]

I've never ridden the coveted 83, gotta say I like my Senior (86VR) though. She's been around the block a few times, knows what she wants and will get you a fast ride without any hesitation. Better brakes and no tranny issues of the 83. On the other hand I'm sorta partial to the Sophomore (07RSV), she's a little younger, takes a little more coaxing to get up to full speed, and and is a little wider in the hips so it's a softer ride that can go all day. So do you want one a little narrow in the hips like the 83, one that has more baggage ( MKII or 2nd gen) or something like the 2018 that will always be HOT? It's hard to pick only one year. I did pick up a 1969 model American made unit back in 92 that while may be a little wider in the hip now and may have a few more blemishes from the miles and two kids climbing all over her that will be what I keep when two wheels are no longer an option. If the 69 model reads this I'll probably be sleeping in the shop with the others. :innocent:

[tntviper1]

cowpuc, hi jack away buddy

 

i was really thinking about a 2nd bike, but the DW doesnt ride, she likes being a passenger. so i was just looking at newer models.

 

i do like the 06 someone mentioned

[bikenut]

I would stay with what I have 1986 love it. Had a 2006 I loved also but it was two wheels and I did not feel comfortable with it at low speed anymore so that is why I built this trike back in 2005 from a Tri-Wing kit from Canada for just this time of my life.My wife loves it also so that is good to keep her happy LOL