please help, what would you do?

[made2care]

Hello everyone. New here and I have a unique opportunity. I can acquire a 1983 but the 2nd gear is out. also the owner says there is some damage to frame from battery leakage which I'm not concerned about. I have always wanted one of these bikes. It looks like its been stored inside and all parts are there. I can do a straight across trade as i have an old goldwing he wants.

what would you do. I dont want to fix the 2nd gear and can this bike ride okay without it.

thanx for your help

[RDawson]

Hello everyone. New here and I have a unique opportunity. I can acquire a 1983 but the 2nd gear is out. also the owner says there is some damage to frame from battery leakage which I'm not concerned about. I have always wanted one of these bikes. It looks like its been stored inside and all parts are there. I can do a straight across trade as i have an old goldwing he wants.

what would you do. I dont want to fix the 2nd gear and can this bike ride okay without it.

thanx for your help

 

Wait for Cowpuc to chime in here. 83s without 2nd gear have been his choice of bikes for years. Just sit back and be ready to be entertained. Oh and Welcome to the nuthouse. You'll find anything you need to know about a Venture here.

[Flyinfool]

Yup @cowpuc should be here shortly. He has put around 1 million miles spread over 4 or 5 83 ventures with no 2nd gear. There are a lot of others riding around with no 2nd gear.

 

The other thing you want to watch for is frame cracking just in front of the rear wheel. Some bikes get it but most never do. It is very possible to weld it back up.

[Flyinfool]

There is also a lot of good info in the technical library.

https://www.venturerider.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?86-Known-Problems-and-things-to-look-for

[made2care]

Thanks guys. I will definitely wait on cowpuc to help me decide. I am really excited !! I have always loved the design of the 83, don't care for the re-design later on, as the bags are too big. I like the smaller bag design and love the 2 tone color scheme ( cream/gold). If cowpuc gives me the green light, what else do I need to look for when purchasing. I guess he will tell me.

Thank you

[cptriker1]

In curious does this happen on 89s?

 

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[RDawson]

Thanks guys. I will definitely wait on cowpuc to help me decide. I am really excited !! I have always loved the design of the 83, don't care for the re-design later on, as the bags are too big. I like the smaller bag design and love the 2 tone color scheme ( cream/gold). If cowpuc gives me the green light, what else do I need to look for when purchasing. I guess he will tell me.

Thank you

Use the link above and click the second entry, things to look for. Don't let it scare you as most of what is listed are things seen over 1000s of bikes and pretty easy to take care of. 1st gens are great bikes and a blast to ride. Keep it wound up, they like to spin, and ride it like you stole it. If this deal falls thru you can get a later model without the 2nd gear issue. You can find info here of when Yamaha fixed it. You'll find the $12 spent to join the best investment you can make, help is always a keyboard away.

[RDawson]

In curious does this happen on 89s?

 

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If you're asking about 2nd gear or frame breakage the answer is no. Yammy fixed both.

[cptriker1]

I would have thought so, but sure don't like 4th gear. But, id like new clutches and a Powerball as well...

 

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[Freebird]

If you could find a an '85 after a specific serial number, would have to search for that number, you could get a first gen with the small bags AND the second gear issue addressed. Yamaha corrected that issue sometime in '85. Make no mistake about it, almost all '83 models will lose 2nd gear at some point. Mostly seems to happen around 60,000 miles or so.

[RDawson]

I would have thought so, but sure don't like 4th gear. But, id like new clutches and a Powerball as well...

 

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Slipping in 4th? If so look at Skydoc17's clutch spring kit.

[made2care]

If you could find a an '85 after a specific serial number, would have to search for that number, you could get a first gen with the small bags AND the second gear issue addressed. Yamaha corrected that issue sometime in '85. Make no mistake about it, almost all '83 models will lose 2nd gear at some point. Mostly seems to happen around 60,000 miles or so.

 

I have looked and looked and cannot find an 85 with correct serial #. This deal would be really nice, as I will be trading straight across. I have a restored 1980 Gl1100 goldwing that i'm willing to part with. probably put around $1500 into it but I'm ready for the yamaha.

[cowpuc]

Hello everyone. New here and I have a unique opportunity. I can acquire a 1983 but the 2nd gear is out. also the owner says there is some damage to frame from battery leakage which I'm not concerned about. I have always wanted one of these bikes. It looks like its been stored inside and all parts are there. I can do a straight across trade as i have an old goldwing he wants.

what would you do. I dont want to fix the 2nd gear and can this bike ride okay without it.

thanx for your help

 

Thanks guys. I will definitely wait on cowpuc to help me decide. I am really excited !! I have always loved the design of the 83, don't care for the re-design later on, as the bags are too big. I like the smaller bag design and love the 2 tone color scheme ( cream/gold). If cowpuc gives me the green light, what else do I need to look for when purchasing. I guess he will tell me.

Thank you

 

Ok,, here is my take,,, if I had an old Goldwing in comparable physical cosmetic condition to that of the 83 Venture (not trading a cream puff Wing for a Venture that some lop eared sticker covering wanna be biker varmint had short shifted his way to 250,000 miles on) that Wing would be longgggg gone!!

While I do agree that the little 74 inch, 1200cc V-4 does love to be revved out (gotta get above 5200 R's for it,s amazing HP to really get started) the bike's torque is totally adequate in lower R's to crawl off road mountain terrain loaded to gills with gear and 2 varmints on board WITH NO SECOND GEAR. And,, it will run circles around the Wings of that era in all conditions and get superior MPG in doing so..

My 1st 1st Gen that I grabbed out of an estate sale (ironically,, it was the gold - here we call them a "Blonde" - one too) lost it's second gear @26k and all my other's had lost it well below 40k. Made2care, be curious to know how many miles on the one you are looking at? After discovering the capabilities of this amazing machine with no 2nd gear and it's absolute rideability by short shifting, I literally hunted for 1st Gens without out it as I my family and I wore out our riders.. I would buy em dirt cheap (few hundred bucks), make em run by combining parts (usually involved a carb bank swap as most of the bikes had set for long periods of time due to the costs involved with getting the tranny repaired = previous owners had no idea what they were missing). I have yet to have a - missing second gear 1st Gen - 1st Gen not roll out past 200K thru short shifting with very little needed = other than dropping in a set of Progressive Springs up front, upgrading the clutch springs so when she comes up on the pipe in top gears while fully loaded the clutch dont slip, tires (LOTS OF REAR TIRES) - brakes - occasional carb diaphram repair and syncing (they LOVE to be synced) = normal stuff..

I have also had to swap out a TCI once (the mount location for the TCI promotes moisture build up). Speaking of that, the 83's were a one year bike on the TCI/vacuum spark advance arrangement. The 84's (which my 1st one was) have a different TCI and pull the signal for the spark advance directly from the intake manifold. If you look closely at the intakes and notice the little rubber plugs that you will remove to hook up the gauges for syncing,, if those plugs are on all the intakes = 83, if the #2 has a vacuum line attached to the nipple where the other intakes have the plug = 84. This is important IMHO because the 83 TCI's seem to be easier to find than the 84's should you need one. I know there was a guy looking for an 84 TCI, having problems finding one and I ended up sending him the one out of my 84 that had been on the shelf for many many years.. I have 4 of them for the 83's, 1 of which I pulled from a junk bike in a scrap yard, and have never had a problem locating the early TCI's BUT,, keep in mind,, that other than my 1st 1st Gen, all my riders to this point (I am wearing out #6 as this time) have been 83's so I got lots of spare bits and pieces built up..

Never had a frame failure but as mentioned, would take a peek at the swingarm to frame connection area for that malady. The 1st Gen MK1's (83/84 - no idea on the 85's) came OEM with a plastic water pump impellar. It liked to disolve. I have replaced all of mine except this last one with the upgraded aluminum impellar. If the fins on the impellar dissolve it will run hot. Oh,, by the way,, these bike normally run about 1 needle width away from the hot zone. They also came right from Mom Yam with stator issues waiting to happen.. Mom Yam forgot to install the orfice in the crank bolt to shoot oil on the stator to cool it and also forgot the splash plate for the oil to bounce against. The stator itself is enimic so it ran hot and desperately needed the cooling. All upgrades parts still available as far as I know..

The brake system is linked rear to front, front left is controled by rear brake pedal. If you go look at it and work the rear brake and notice the brakes stick on, just take the end of 2x4 and smack the calipers to free em BUT remember to smack the front left in the process..

Personally,, I could have dragged my wife and kids all over the States on any brand/model of bike I wanted thru the years but chose to do so on the 1st Gen Ventures because they were the most over looked, clearly the most durable + trust worthy, and CHEAP due to the 2nd gear issue.. If had to redo the 1 million plus miles of amazingly awesome times that we have had out CTFW (chasing the front wheel), the 1st Gen MK1 Venture would be my bike of choice to do it on = BAR NONE!

 

Hope this helps! Any other questions = just ask..

Puc

P.S. - almost forgot, :welcome1:

[cptriker1]

Ive had a 84 gl1200 and my 89vr...the vr is better... Electrical issues much easier to fix... Less breaks in them as well...

 

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[cowpuc]

A question of ample low end torque answered =

[cowpuc]

and they do love to rev...

[cptriker1]

No slipping in 4th, just not smooth in shifting but I'm going to bleed the system again as I like to do that once a year even though it's full synthetic brake fluid. But, i can't apply power in 3rd or I'd get some slipping. Just can't fix it right now as money is needed for other pressing issues, but i dont power it in third so it's all good!

 

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[cowpuc]

I have looked and looked and cannot find an 85 with correct serial #. This deal would be really nice, as I will be trading straight across. I have a restored 1980 Gl1100 goldwing that i'm willing to part with. probably put around $1500 into it but I'm ready for the yamaha.

 

Here is something else to possibly consider.. Bike to bike in comparable conditions, value to value, the Wing is worth considerable more on the open market (at least it was when I was in the business) than the Venture. The Wing line has been a longgg standing "cult" bike. If I were doing/looking like you are and are concerned with resale $,, I would DEFINITELY stick with the Honda..

[cowpuc]

I have looked and looked and cannot find an 85 with correct serial #. This deal would be really nice, as I will be trading straight across. I have a restored 1980 Gl1100 goldwing that i'm willing to part with. probably put around $1500 into it but I'm ready for the yamaha.

 

Ooppsss,, double post

[cowpuc]

No slipping in 4th, just not smooth in shifting but I'm going to bleed the system again as I like to do that once a year even though it's full synthetic brake fluid. But, i can't apply power in 3rd or I'd get some slipping. Just can't fix it right now as money is needed for other pressing issues, but i dont power it in third so it's all good!

 

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IMHO, oil types and length of time between oil changes can/will directly affect shifting smoothness as well as clutch slippage.

[made2care]

Here is something else to possibly consider.. Bike to bike in comparable conditions, value to value, the Wing is worth considerable more on the open market (at least it was when I was in the business) than the Venture. The Wing line has been a longgg standing "cult" bike. If I were doing/looking like you are and are concerned with resale $,, I would DEFINITELY stick with the Honda..

 

I really want the venture. He says its a 1300cc but i thought the 83 was a 1200cc?

[SpencerPJ]

If you could find a an '85 after a specific serial number, would have to search for that number, you could get a first gen with the small bags AND the second gear issue addressed. Yamaha corrected that issue sometime in '85. Make no mistake about it, almost all '83 models will lose 2nd gear at some point. Mostly seems to happen around 60,000 miles or so.

 

And I'm only at 31,000, still good. I try not to romp on it hitting second, but the rest of the gears are fair game

[made2care]

Nice skills , especially for such a large bike. Well done. First video very cool. That's what I want to do someday. Break the redundancy of everyday grind and explore. I'm fortunate to have the summers off , so no excuses for me.

[RDawson]

I really want the venture. He says its a 1300cc but i thought the 83 was a 1200cc?

83 is 1200. It may have the 1300 clutch basket and side cover put on it.

[bongobobny]

OK, as mentioned, the two biggies with the '83 were 2nd gear, and the frame cracking where the rear shock mounts. The frame issue was fixed in '84, the 2nd gear issue was fixed mid '85. IF (big IF) you are mechanically handy the actual part, a washer is only about $8 give or take but it requires splitting the entire motor to get to. Yes, it will go on forever without 2nd gear so it would be up to you.

 

You place a value on your Wing at $1500. Without seeing the bike or hearing it run, I would place the value of an '83 with 2nd gear out more around the $800 to $1200 price range, less if it is not running at present. A compatible '84 might be closer to $1500 to $2000 if the 2nd gear was good. Of course, the true value is in how much the buyer is willing to pay and how much they desire the bike.

 

When running properly the Venture is one heck of a great touring bike that you can really get over 200,000 miles out of. They are sometimes referred to a touring bike with the heart of a sports bike as they handle quite well even though they are a tall bike. Also, it is a close to 900-pound bike that will indeed do a wheelie...