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If you mean that it turns over very slowly, like the battery is low, that is a common problem on the first gens. Some people have had success installing a heavier gauge battery cable. Others have changed to a newer 4 brush starter.

I have a spare ignition switch that you can try if cleaning your contacts doesn't do the trick. Let me know. Ron

I am mildly offended by that rambling on and on remark Puckster! I don't ramble, I communicate! (NOT Really LOL!) So, to answer Jason's question about why did this Cam Plate Fail, I think you are looking at two different issues here. The first being the design of the Cam Plate Assembly itself. And this is why Yamaha redesigned the assembly. The second issue I've seen is when a rider has difficulty getting the bike in first gear, (because they didn't downshift coming to a light or stop sign) Then while standing still and trying to get the bike into first gear they start stomping on the gearshift foot lever. The force generated by stomping on the foot shift lever overpowers the stamped steel actuator arm and the result is the bent parts you saw when you removed the Clutch basket. Personally, I've never had this issue on either my 87'VR or my 89'VR but I don't make a habit of stomping on the gear shift foot lever either. After you finish this repair Jason, if you do get caught in a higher gear when you have arrived at a light or stop sign, slip the clutch lever a bit while putting downward force on the shift lever, (but NOT Stomping on it) until you are in first gear again. Great writeup Jason, and we hope to hear more from you in the future! Earl

If memory serves me correct, a 7/8" holesaw on a 18" 1/4" drill bit. There's 2 baffle plates in the HD mufflers. Drill the back one out 1st and see how you like the sound. If you want it a bit louder, drill the front one out.

In memory and sincere gratitude for those who shed their blood and paid the ultimate price so we could live in freedom = THANK YOU!!! Puc

From the size of that nail it looks like someone shot it with a nail gun...??

Nothing like an untimely flat to ruin a great ride. On my skinny tire road bike, I picked up a paper staple once that flatted me. It doesn't take much. Are those tires/wheels by any chance tubeless compatible? With those large tires, a tubeless setup will actually reduce your likely hood of a flat - ironically. I run a tubeless setup on my mtn bike and love it. Also, just curious what pressure are you running those tires at. Tire pressure on a bicycle is different that what we know in cars/motorcycles. I run ~20psi on my mtn bike as it makes the tire more compliant and they act as mini shock absorbers when running over rocks, etc. This makes them less prone to punctures.

If you use those slow speed left lane drivers as pylons on a race track its actually difficult to get upset with them LOL..

Ok I am assuming when you say yellow/blue you really mean blue/yellow (Ly) and when you say black/blue you really mean blue/black (LB) With wiring were there are two colors the wire color comes first and the color of the strip on that wire comes second Ly would be blue wire with yellow strip. LB would be blue wire with black strip.

Way to go Earl, as usual fine explanation that even I could understand,,,, in both cases.

Thx for the encouragement, @Marcarl & @cowpuc. Unfortunately as you referenced your "pea brain" before, puc, after reading your explanation I must have a mustard seed brain!!!! Other than perhaps weak metal or a poor design, it doesn't sound like there's anything external to blame other than your #1 & # 2 points above. My take home message would be if it ain't broke don't fix it. If it's broken, fix it right (wish I'd follow my own advice!). So... below are my condensed instructions/summary thus far. As I've not received the parts, there will be more to follow. Please critique & I can change anything for a final post at the end of the thread or perhaps a link to a pdf to include everything. As I'm definitely a newbie, if the words/descriptions I use are inaccurate or difficult to understand let me know. I tried to use the terms from the parts catalog as well as the terms used throughout the thread. In an attempt to condense the shifting issues related pin loss secondary to bent ears on the cam plate I wanted to do a write up on both the diagnosis and fixing of the problem. This information has been garnered from Venture owners, gurus and individuals far smarter than I am so if anything doesn't make sense I will refer you to their expert advice! I will reference part numbers as detailed in the parts catalog found HERE. The first gen service manuals will offer additional details and guides and can be found HERE. I have an ’83 Venture so all part and page numbers will be referenced from those manuals. If there is an issue with bent broken ears with missing pins on the shifting drum many will describe a difficulty and eventual inability to shift beyond a certain gear or gets “locked” in gear. Easy things to check initially: Check for a bend in the shift rod (part #27, page C10) Check if the clamp that attaches the shift lever (#22, C10) to the shift shaft (#22, C10) is tight and not slipping (10mm nut). There is a second clamp on the other side of the crankcase cover (forward bevel gear cover) (#1, B12) however this will require removal of the cover and replacement of the gasket if you decide to inspect. If not previously done, purge remaining air in the line at the banjo bolt where the line connects to the clutch master cylinder. Although more messy, this can be done in a similar manner to bleeding brake/clutch lines but drained at the bolt instead of the bleed screw. This area is apparently notorious for retaining air and even tiny air bubbles may have an impact on shifting performance. Check that the tiny hole (return port?) in the bottom of the clutch master cylinder is clear. You will need a very fine wire to do this (don’t use a needle as I read someone broke off the tip of the needle and had a heck of a time removing it). To rule out a clutch issue, perform the “puc rock” test. See video: . Unfortunately if the above have been eliminated, the clutch pack will have to be removed to inspect the next most likely culprits. Although documented for a Vmax, attached is a very good pdf guide of the process of removing the clutch and inspecting/upgrading the weak end plate (#8, C9). The items I found different or did differently: I did NOT drain the engine oil I did NOT entirely remove the footrest/rear brake assembly. I just removed the 12mm bolts and allowed it to dangle. My ’83 Venture does not have the diaphragm retainer plate, the diaphragm spring, or the ring spring seat. I didn’t remove the center pushrod or the steel bearing. If you are inspecting all of the clutch plates you will need to remove the clutch plate retaining ring (#4, C5). When replacing, I used the trick of fishing line fed from the top of the clutch boss hole (#3, C5). Feed both ends through the hole creating a loop on the top. Connect the end of the ring to the loop and pull through. Repeat for the other end. I used a 30mm socket instead of the 1 13/16 to remove the central nut. I didn’t have access to an impact gun or a clutch removal tool. I used the non-ratchet end of a ratchet strap to hold the clutch boss (#3, C5) while turning the nut. Run the non-hook end between the teeth on the clutch basket (#1, C5) 3 times counter-clockwise (clockwise to tighten) and secure (frame, peg, etc) making sure that when tension is applied it does not bend the teeth of the clutch basket. Once the entire clutch pack is removed you can easily visualize the end plate and the potentially bent or broken ears and the pins they retain. There are different opinions regarding going fishing for the lost pins if they are missing and not on the bottom of the case. I will defer that decision to your discretion. If you decide to replace the plate with bent or weakened ears, the central bolt will need to be removed (#9, C9). This is Loctite’d in place & the bolt is somewhat soft and can easily be stripped despite being a 30mm Torx. Heat may be required to loosen the Loctite and free it up. Mine started to strip so I replaced when I purchased replacement parts. A thread that documents the updated parts can be found HERE. Look at post #3 from dingy. Of note, the part numbers for the pins are different in case you attempt to attempt to reuse the old pins for the upgrade. The upgraded parts are: 4NK-18185-00-00 SEGMENT Qty: 1 93604-12037-00 PIN, DOWEL Qty: 5 93604-16092-00 PIN, DOWEL Qty: 1 How To Update the shift Segment.pdf

Afternoon Ben. BTW, before I forget... Happy Birthday in a couple of weeks! I've been studying that schematic for a few days now and follow everything you posted. I started on the other end, making sure the contacts worked at the clutch and sidestand. Then moved to the ignition switch. I have no continuity between the yellow/blue and black/blue. They feed the ignition/ignitor circuits. I do have continuity at the main 2 power. So I've concluded (hopefully correctly) that without continuity from those 2 circuits, the motor will spin but never fire since the igniter isn't getting the required 12volts from those 2 wires. The darn ignition switch fought me tooth and nail this morning. But it's now in my little hands. I have to take it home with me Wednesday as I need an impact driver to get the 2 screws off that hold it together. So I've gone as far as I can at the moment. Thanks to all for the help.... Cross your fingers I can clean up the contacts and be back in business next week!

My new aftermarket Caltric stator came with a not so perfect rubber grommet around the wires exiting the stator cavity. While did use the normal ATV gasket sealant on its contact areas along the cases I sealed its exterior areas real well with my favorite sealant = E6000 as this product has proven itself VERY worthy for MANY applications.. Simply cleaning the area real well with brake/carb cleaner the cover the area, including around the wires, and then coating with E6000 resulted in, once again, an oil drip free stator area... Worked for me,, maybe give it try? Here's the stuff:

My gut tells me it sounds like a cooked stator issue. What can happen, at least has happened to me on several occasions, is the laminate on the stator coils get fried and loose their resistance to current flow across the windings ending the ability for the stator to do its job effieciently.. It is not uncommon,, again IMHO, for this to become more relevant as the stator warms up as the engine runs. My 1st Gens all had the OEM volt meter built into the dash and they were always appreciated as I could monitor my stators condition at all times while traveling cross country.. At idle the volt gauge is suppose to read battery voltage only (sayyy,, 12vdc) but just off idle I always like to see 14.5 vdc appear suddenly and solidly. This testing can also be done quite easily by watching your headlight change when throttling up which is how many of us really really old timers did for years before we could afford a $5 meter from Harbor freight. With a little bit of trial and error over a period of years I am now amazed at how accurately I was able to predict a total loss of our stator on Tweeks recently.. When she got warmed up real good I started noticing voltage drop and told Tip that I was going to have to replace the used stator that @Squidley had installed a few miles back, probably had about 3000 miles left in it . Sure enough,, exactly 3000 miles later it failed.. @pcnorb, if I were in your shoes and having the gut feeling that the RSV's do not have a built in volt meter,, I would grab a cheap volt meter (something that didnt matter if it splatted on the road), attach its leads to the battery posts semi-permenantly and take the bike for a ride while monitoring the voltages being produced.. If you have good numbers when cold and bad numbers when warm I would be looking forward to installing a stator. You can also ohm out the stator and check each leg of its 3 phase windings to ground too but if you do this I advise you do so with the engine fully warmed up..

While I’m sure anyone who’s read any of this thread realizes I tend to have diarrhea of the mouth (or fingers), there’s occasionally a reason to my madness. I wanted to give an update but more importantly wanted to ask for some background so I can finalize the thread with a summary so future individuals could avoid reading through all my yammering and hopefully glean some applicable information, especially if they’re NOOBs to owing a 38 year old motorcycle as I am. First the update… I took cowpuc’s advice and did a “cheater” fix. Not so much to save money but to get it back together and confirm the cam plate was my only problem. I’ve ordered the upgraded plate, pins, central screw & gasket from Partzilla (more on that in the future). I picked up a 4mm drill bit for the replacement pin (our “local” Menard’s was the only location that has 4mm drill bits). Wasn’t ideal as it still had a little slop (but less than the SAE bits) and it has a “triangular” base for the chuck like most modern bits so I had to cut it on both ends so the majority of the rounded shaft would fall between the two plates and articulate with the shift lever assembly. I was able to bend back the tab and realigned the others that appeared bent as well. Was shocked at just how soft the metal was. I put the clutch back together and sealed her back up. Thankfully it worked and took her for a spin with no issues to speak of. Of note, I believe that the dark coloration in the oil was from my being stuck in 3rd and “burning” the clutch plates after starting from a dead stop. I’m no expert and wish I had a microscope to inspect the oil but it looks more like microscopic fragments than just the typical dirty oil. There were also areas around the clutch parts that had a thick, dark material that didn’t appear to be typical sludge. Once the parts show up I’m planning on doing a repeat oil & filter replacement and hopefully it will be a non-issue. Will probably add some Seafoam just before in an attempt to clean out all the crud (comments or recommendations to the contrary?). As indicated above, I’m planning on replacing the clutch from skydoc this winter. So in an attempt to possibly do a full write-up including links to posts, videos, pdf’s and sites I used for the diagnosis and repair (my feeble attempt to give back to the community), I wanted to garner as much information from you guys as I can. Most importantly WHY did this happen? I don’t understand the mechanics behind the ears bending. If the 2 plates remain aligned and the pins themselves aren’t bending, what force is causing it? I didn’t see anything that appeared to articulate directly with the ears or pins beyond the plate although the “upgraded” plate maintained the same general appearance so perhaps I’m incorrect. If it’s rider error (improper shifting?) then I’m willing to accept that as I’m willing to change my riding habits and help others prevent the issue. Of course I’m short shifting because of 2nd gear and if that’s the sole culprit I’d accept that but even that doesn’t seem to be consistent in the posts I’m reading. When I called our local Yamaha dealer, the 70+ year old parts manager I spoke to said that in 40 years of ordering Yamaha parts he couldn’t recall ordering that part or having that issue pop up more than once. It was after reading that a rider replaced the plate THREE TIMES in one summer that I felt the need for both diagnosing WHY it happens but more importantly making a permanent fix. Thoughts, insights, etc. (including condemnation for my “finger vomit”! I’m obviously not used to posting in forums!)? Again, thank you to all who have added their $0.02 to helping work up my issue especially since there are a bunch of posts I found later discussing it from more experienced riders and “mechanics”!

In memory, honor, respect and awe, I close my eyes and bow my head for the pain of those who sacrificed their lives, their limbs and their loved ones for us. Forever and humbly in gratitude for them.

I once got lucky fishing out a part by sticking a small but powerful magnetic pickup tool down thru the oil drain back holes and was able to fish steel parts out of the sump. Try every access hole you can find. I have not looked close enough at the internal layout of the oil pan to know if it is possible, but my concern would be something making its way back to the transmission gears. Under acceleration or climbing a hill and accelerating a part could move toward the back.

In a moment of weakness 27 years ago today I exchanged rings and ate a cake so I got the bike out and we got in around 100 miles to celebrate today.

Just a update. Ive been going through physo and can walk with the aid of a walker. Still numb from chest down but its good to be able to move on my own. Going to be wearing a full brace for another three months still but should be home by the end of june! Thanks for all the support guys!

Thanks so much for all your prayers. Im still in thunderbay hospital and still am numb from the chest down but today was my first official physo appointment and i think things went well. Im finding that my left knee is weak as jello and unless i can see my feet i really dont know where they are while standing. Talk about new experences! But God has been good to me. Hes allowed my wife to visit for four whole days when they originally told us a max of 2 hours once period due to covid restrictions. Found out my surgeon is a believer as well and was encouraging prayer to his patients. Met a retired teacher who underwent disc replacement in his neck and had many late night talks when pain kept us awake and was able to pray with him. So even in the midst of something that has left me asking God why? Ive seen his hand at work and i am humbled. Praise his name

Right I would like to drive anywhere ...My doctor handed me a medical suspension on April 1rst and Last I heard it will last till September ...This all because of medication screw up between the doctors and the pharmacist ...And of course the government agency that handles all licenses and insurance say that they will enforce this suspension to the fullest ...If.I do not comply I will spend some time in jail ... The medical exam has to be done by 3 different doctors at a cost of $90.00 each time which I have to pay ...