Veej: a new member who’s been lurking a whisker

[veej]

Been a minute. Back in a forum is great. Always looking for seasoned vets with more information than I could ever collect👊.

been riding 15 years, Yamaha addict. 
first bike 82 xj750 maxim. Multiple fun little toys, another 82 xj750.

bought an ‘83 xvz12 last year to see if I was into it. Turns out I enjoyed it immensely, and the wife enjoys the seat compared to the xj750. The bike I bought is mechanically about as solid as an OG can be, just not that pretty. Swapped the clutch slave, bled the hydraulics (brakes n clutch), rebuilt the carbs,fixed the class computer, and tightened up the fairings etc. the brakes were meh (someone overheated the front rotors no doubt warped) but the season was safe and slow.

found another ‘83 mkI this year, garage kept with only 17k miles and in much better shape. Brakes are way better than the first, but still leave a little to be desired.  Currently working on selling the first Xvz. Have read so much already, figured I’d sign up and become a member. The ‘new’ to me xvz is worth putting a little energy into and I look forward to meeting the resources lurking here. 
 

Riding season is upon us. 

-B

[Marcarl]

Glad to have you aboard. For better braking consider stainless braided lines, makes a world of difference, available from @skydoc_17on this site.

[BlueSky]

Welcome aboard!

The MKIIs, 86 and up have better front brakes.  Many members have installed MkII front forks on their MkIs to get the better brakes, 4 piston calipers.  

[Woody]

Welcome to Venture Riders, these guys are a bunch of know it all's and I really mean they know everything there is to know about these bikes and don't mind helping. 😄

[veej]

Thank you all for the reply!

Very relevant to my overall plan.

 

the last xvz12 (‘83 23k mi)I had ran incredible after I rebuilt the carbs. 
the ‘new’ xvz12 (‘83 17k mi) needs a once through, an idle passage is clogged probably only in one. Little subtle pop every couple secs at idle. No biggie there, should be through it before I ride again. 
 

More importantly, I need to address all the hydraulic lines. I flushed/bled new fluid (needed a new clutch slave) and it’s a world of diff better but I see seepage at the crimps on the clutch line and one of the front brake lines. so for now, bike is out of commission until that is addressed. I have the xj750 to keep me busy.

like @Marcarl said, I plan on getting a whole set of lines from @skydoc_17 in the very near future. 

That said, simple plan: please chime in if I’m incorrect, I don’t mind.

needs wheel bearings front, considering the rear as well, since I’m pulling it for new tires anyway..

 The bike has 17k miles, I was honestly surprised the front wheel bearings are screaming. (Another reason it’s off the road). Heavy bike and lots of sitting? Odd to me, but its definitely in need of bearings. 

looking for mkII lower forks. Going to pick up progressive springs and block off the anti dive?.. R1 calipers, virago 298mm rotors and delink. Ill pop back the archives to find out, but I think I’ll want a different front master cylinder? While the rear brake pedal does a surprisingly good job stopping this bike at the moment, the front, as noted is useless really. I use it to keep the bike from rolling backwards at a stop? Hah. Im a fan of divided brakes anyway from every other bike I’ve personally ridden. 

The brake upgrade I’d like to do by end of season, but the hoses have to happen ASAP. Is there a hose solution for regular brakes now, and delinked later? Obviously don’t want to buy twice, but I don’t have the forks,springs,calipers,rotors etc on hand yet and didn’t plan on rushing that one…but I CAN rush it if it makes more sense to just do the fork swap/delink now.
 

I guess, short of those safety issues (all the hydraulics, brake pads, bearings) the only other thing I find noisy is a little clutch basket rattle perhaps? It’s noisier on this bike than the previous xvz I had (23k mi). 
I’ve only ridden the bike a handful of miles after the clutch slave swap, finding these reasonable issues. Haven’t had a chance to change the oil or clean the carb. If I smooth out the motor a bit, and change some good fresh oil, will the clutch basket quiet down a bit? I’m assuming it’s running rougher than I even think and rattling some excess noise down there. Just spitballing here. I know you folks know your stuff after reading for quite some time. Only reason I joined this particular forum. 

thanks again folks, appreciate all of the info.

B

[Marcarl]

5 hours ago, veej said:

Thank you all for the reply!

Very relevant to my overall plan.

 

the last xvz12 (‘83 23k mi)I had ran incredible after I rebuilt the carbs. 
the ‘new’ xvz12 (‘83 17k mi) needs a once through, an idle passage is clogged probably only in one. Little subtle pop every couple secs at idle. No biggie there, should be through it before I ride again. 
 

More importantly, I need to address all the hydraulic lines. I flushed/bled new fluid (needed a new clutch slave) and it’s a world of diff better but I see seepage at the crimps on the clutch line and one of the front brake lines. so for now, bike is out of commission until that is addressed. I have the xj750 to keep me busy.

like @Marcarl said, I plan on getting a whole set of lines from @skydoc_17 in the very near future. 

That said, simple plan: please chime in if I’m incorrect, I don’t mind.

needs wheel bearings front, considering the rear as well, since I’m pulling it for new tires anyway..

 The bike has 17k miles, I was honestly surprised the front wheel bearings are screaming. (Another reason it’s off the road). Heavy bike and lots of sitting? Odd to me, but its definitely in need of bearings. 

looking for mkII lower forks. Going to pick up progressive springs and block off the anti dive?.. R1 calipers, virago 298mm rotors and delink. Ill pop back the archives to find out, but I think I’ll want a different front master cylinder? While the rear brake pedal does a surprisingly good job stopping this bike at the moment, the front, as noted is useless really. I use it to keep the bike from rolling backwards at a stop? Hah. Im a fan of divided brakes anyway from every other bike I’ve personally ridden. 

The brake upgrade I’d like to do by end of season, but the hoses have to happen ASAP. Is there a hose solution for regular brakes now, and delinked later? Obviously don’t want to buy twice, but I don’t have the forks,springs,calipers,rotors etc on hand yet and didn’t plan on rushing that one…but I CAN rush it if it makes more sense to just do the fork swap/delink now.

Talk to @skydoc_17, he will steer you straight.
 

I guess, short of those safety issues (all the hydraulics, brake pads, bearings) the only other thing I find noisy is a little clutch basket rattle perhaps? It’s noisier on this bike than the previous xvz I had (23k mi). 
I’ve only ridden the bike a handful of miles after the clutch slave swap, finding these reasonable issues. Haven’t had a chance to change the oil or clean the carb. If I smooth out the motor a bit, and change some good fresh oil, will the clutch basket quiet down a bit? I’m assuming it’s running rougher than I even think and rattling some excess noise down there. Just spitballing here. I know you folks know your stuff after reading for quite some time. Only reason I joined this particular forum. 

There are some bikes that are a little noisy when leaned on the side stand of they are not quite running right. Can't say for yours, but the sound is like something is slightly slapping around there somewhere, not to worry, kind of normal. Mostly it goes away once the bike is straight up.

thanks again folks, appreciate all of the info.

B

 

[skydoc_17]

Good Morning Brandon,

Welcome to the forum! With the veritable "laundry list" of items that you have accomplished on your first XVZ, it doesn't appear as if "Mechanical Skill" is going to keep you from putting your second XVZ in tip top shape in short order! I complement you on that! It's a pleasant surprise to chat with a "newbie" that has your skill level, and has picked up on pretty much all of the major flaws with these fine machines. I will try to address some of your concerns and share some of the ways I have overcame them. Please keep in mind that I do lean towards the "Performance" side of upgrades, so for a bike used for touring mostly, some of my suggestions might be a bit aggressive, but solid. 

Front Forks: I find that the front forks on both the MKI and MKII's (because they are identical) are a bit "Light Duty" for an 800 pound motorcycle, In my opinion. So they must be maintained regularly. Considering that the shielded front bearings on your #2 bike are 39 years old, even with only 17K miles, should be replaced. I'm sure the grease is more like "snot" then grease at this point.

Replacement S.S. Brake/Clutch Line Set: The line set I currently offer has adjustable, replaceable swivels on the ends of the brake lines. This will allow you to add the line set to your stock calipers, forks and rotors, and when you upgrade ANY of the above items you simply adjust or replace the swivel ends, NOT the entire line set! This line set in it's current form WILL De-Link the front brakes from the rear brakes. I too enjoy the braking system on both of my First Gens. to function in a "traditional manner", right brake lever controlling BOTH front brake calipers, foot pedal controlling the rear brake. Many find this De-Link upgrade useful , some do not. I can supply a stock S.S. line set but if you plan to upgrade to the De-Linked system at a later date, NONE of these lines from the stock set can be reused. As always, it's your bike, you get to choose! 

Replacement of the right front brake M/C: What we are talking about here is volume vrs. higher pressure. There is some debate over which is better. The stock M/C provides more volume with the larger bore, the Virago M/C provides more pressure with it's smaller bore. So for the "Teckno Geeks" we are talking about the stock 5/8" bore at .6250" (volume) vrs. the 14MM bore of the Virago M/C at .5511" (higher pressure) I personally find the Virago front M/C just a bit too "grabby" for my liking. Especially because both my First Gens. have the larger diameter front rotors and 4 piston progressive engagement R1 Calipers. The stock front M/C works just fine for me, your mileage may vary.

Replacement of the rear M/C: The MKII rear M/C has a larger bore, (more volume) than the MKI rear M/C (higher pressure) The outside dimensions of BOTH M/C's are identical which means that either one can be mounted in the stock location. I prefer the MKII rear M/C over the MKI rear M/C because I use the low speed riding method of applying a slight amount of rear brake only and raise the RPM's of the engine to a constant value. By releasing or applying the rear brake only and leaving the engine RPM constant, this has greatly improved my low speed handling of my bike. This method is easily seen in the "Ride Like A Pro" DVD series of vids and on YouTube. 

Clutch Basket Noise: Because Yamaha chooses to use straight cut gears in the transmission of ALL of the V4's it produced during this era, (1983 to 2013) and the clutch basket acts as an amplifier for the gear noise, it's pretty much, "It Is What It Is" as far as the gear noise is concerned. I have personally found that they are either noisy, or more noisy in my opinion! I will say that there has been more than once that a GOOD Carb. Sync has  quieted down a "More Noisy" engine in my experience! Keep this in mind Brandon.

1983 MKI Plastic Water Pump Impeller: The early MKI VR's came stock with a plastic water pump impeller. Later models were changed to a metal impeller. It would be wise to find out which you have (by removing the water pump) BEFORE you have an overheating issue! Also your coolant could be 39 years old as well!! Something to think about. 

These are MY thoughts, for what they are worth! Again, welcome to the forum!! It will be a pleasure to have you share your skill level with all of us in the future! 

Good luck on your journey.

Earl (skydoc_17)

[Marcarl]

54 minutes ago, skydoc_17 said:

Good Morning Brandon,

Welcome to the forum! With the veritable "laundry list" of items that you have accomplished on your first XVZ, it doesn't appear as if "Mechanical Skill" is going to keep you from putting your second XVZ in tip top shape in short order! I complement you on that! It's a pleasant surprise to chat with a "newbie" that has your skill level, and has picked up on pretty much all of the major flaws with these fine machines. I will try to address some of your concerns and share some of the ways I have overcame them. Please keep in mind that I do lean towards the "Performance" side of upgrades, so for a bike used for touring mostly, some of my suggestions might be a bit aggressive, but solid. 

Front Forks: I find that the front forks on both the MKI and MKII's (because they are identical) are a bit "Light Duty" for an 800 pound motorcycle, In my opinion. So they must be maintained regularly. Considering that the shielded front bearings on your #2 bike are 39 years old, even with only 17K miles, should be replaced. I'm sure the grease is more like "snot" then grease at this point.

Replacement S.S. Brake/Clutch Line Set: The line set I currently offer has adjustable, replaceable swivels on the ends of the brake lines. This will allow you to add the line set to your stock calipers, forks and rotors, and when you upgrade ANY of the above items you simply adjust or replace the swivel ends, NOT the entire line set! This line set in it's current form WILL De-Link the front brakes from the rear brakes. I too enjoy the braking system on both of my First Gens. to function in a "traditional manner", right brake lever controlling BOTH front brake calipers, foot pedal controlling the rear brake. Many find this De-Link upgrade useful , some do not. I can supply a stock S.S. line set but if you plan to upgrade to the De-Linked system at a later date, NONE of these lines from the stock set can be reused. As always, it's your bike, you get to choose! 

Replacement of the right front brake M/C: What we are talking about here is volume vrs. higher pressure. There is some debate over which is better. The stock M/C provides more volume with the larger bore, the Virago M/C provides more pressure with it's smaller bore. So for the "Teckno Geeks" we are talking about the stock 5/8" bore at .6250" (volume) vrs. the 14MM bore of the Virago M/C at .5511" (higher pressure) I personally find the Virago front M/C just a bit too "grabby" for my liking. Especially because both my First Gens. have the larger diameter front rotors and 4 piston progressive engagement R1 Calipers. The stock front M/C works just fine for me, your mileage may vary.

Replacement of the rear M/C: The MKII rear M/C has a larger bore, (more volume) than the MKI rear M/C (higher pressure) The outside dimensions of BOTH M/C's are identical which means that either one can be mounted in the stock location. I prefer the MKII rear M/C over the MKI rear M/C because I use the low speed riding method of applying a slight amount of rear brake only and raise the RPM's of the engine to a constant value. By releasing or applying the rear brake only and leaving the engine RPM constant, this has greatly improved my low speed handling of my bike. This method is easily seen in the "Ride Like A Pro" DVD series of vids and on YouTube. 

Clutch Basket Noise: Because Yamaha chooses to use straight cut gears in the transmission of ALL of the V4's it produced during this era, (1983 to 2013) and the clutch basket acts as an amplifier for the gear noise, it's pretty much, "It Is What It Is" as far as the gear noise is concerned. I have personally found that they are either noisy, or more noisy in my opinion! I will say that there has been more than once that a GOOD Carb. Sync has  quieted down a "More Noisy" engine in my experience! Keep this in mind Brandon.

1983 MKI Plastic Water Pump Impeller: The early MKI VR's came stock with a plastic water pump impeller. Later models were changed to a metal impeller. It would be wise to find out which you have (by removing the water pump) BEFORE you have an overheating issue! Also your coolant could be 39 years old as well!! Something to think about. 

These are MY thoughts, for what they are worth! Again, welcome to the forum!! It will be a pleasure to have you share your skill level with all of us in the future! 

Good luck on your journey.

Earl (skydoc_17)

Thanks Earl,, nicely said.

[veej]

Thank you earl, marcarl, for the rapid reply! 

earl, your descriptions are incredibly useful  and have all the techie details I enjoy. 

I will send a PM to you to continue the brake line deal. But for anyone who is watching: I’m going to go ahead and Delink the bike with the calipers/rotors as is, until the R1 calipers, MKII forks, & rotors magically appear on the bench (which may take me all season to acquire if everything is safe with new lines)

I will go ahead and keep the front MC the same, see how she goes. The rear, I will do the same for now, I can swap for MkII later this year. 
Will definitely clean out and tune the carbs, I know an old japanese motorcycle guru up the road who has a nice carb sync. 
Going to change those front bearings for sure.

Aside from fresh fluid of the proper volume, anything in the final drive I should be looking at? Bearings, gear wear?

in reference to the water pump: given that this is an 83, the odds are strong it’s the plastic impeller unit (unless someone serviced/replaced the pump in it’s lifetime)

I COULD pop it off to find out, but I’ll probably just order the better part (what year/part#?) and have it on hand when I crack the coolant. 
seems like i should pop a thermostat in while I’m down there? 
 

Again, appreciate the time!

Brandon

 

[BlueSky]

If you do a search you might find part numbers for an car thermostat that fits and costs less than the Yam part.

[saddlebum]

Also try Marine engine part outlets they may not list by vehicle but may be able crossover the part number.

Edited April 5, 2022 by saddlebum