Gearhead

I'd think that if you just stick to the speed limit and recommended corner speeds you'd be safe. Jeremy

Nathan, this post was a while ago. Did you get your wife gear? How is your bike running? Did you get the issues sorted out? J&M makes good stuff, and I know they were designing some bluetooth stuff, dunno if it's done. Another route is to buy J&M standard headsets to install in the helmets for about 60 bucks each, and then add an adapter from Kennedy at http://www.cellset.com/. I find that having my helmet plugged into the bike's intercom system with the coiled cord is not a big deal. Oh, it just occured to me, does your bike have intercom? Jeremy

Jeff - I need that tip! Please??? Stanman - Interesting. I've never replaced a dust boot but had varying success with the longevity of the new seals. Maybe that's why. Frogman - I like to stick with stock 10 weight unless I have a compelling reason to do otherwise. Once upon a time on another bike I put in heavier oil just because, and the ride was harsh. Replaced with factory weight and the ride smoothed out. Progressive Suspension generally recommends factory weight oil. I guess the factory knows what they're doing! Trucker - what did you do to stop the clutch slippage? Aftermarket seals are available for a little less dough but I think factory ones may last longer. I have just a little evidence for this, but not conclusive. Some recommend replacing the bushings in there too, probably not necessary but not a bad thing. I think they run around $10 each and there 4 total - an upper and lower in each fork. There is an ongoing thread by Slipstreamer on this job, and a post from a while back from, oh, maybe GeorgeS with pictures of the job. Oh, one very key thing for lasting for seals is to check the tube over the distance that the seal travels on for nicks and burrs. Rocks sometimes cause a pit with an adjacent burr. The pit itself isn't a problem, but you gotta take the burr off with emory cloth. Dried bugs are also a big killer for fork seals. Either install boots or clean the bugs off every fillup to extend life. Jeremy

I have something similar that I haven't had time to troubleshoot. In my case it's bearable. Have you tried adjusting the individual vol knob on the handlebar? I found that my noise changes vol with that knob, but NOT with the main knob. At first I had the bar knob set at max, but if I turn it down one click the whine gets softer, and when I turn up the main vol the noise does not go up. If you search the archives you will find some stuff about this kind of problem. Marcarl had a similar issue which I don't remember if he ever resolved. In a nutshell, there's basically two sources - ignition and alternator. If it's a pure whine, it's probably alternator and coming in through the power wire. Some have said that the factory noise filter loses functionality as it ages and that can be changed. If it's a static type noise it from the ignition system and coming through the air. Changing wires' proximity to one another can help, as can new resistor plugs, caps and sometimes wires. Both types will vary with RPM. Jeremy

"I used a thin coat of Permatex black RTV to repair a tear on a Honda VF750F vacuum diaphragm (as Honda calls them) and it works fine. Generally the 20 to 25 year old Honda rubber is still good. Is the Venture rubber not so good? Those I have seen on Radian Mikunis have been as good as the Hondas." My 87 Virago has Hitachi carbs, and when I last had them out maybe 3 years ago they had some small, developing tears which I patched. Don't know what they look like now; they're harder to remove than the Venture's slides. And on my 87 Venture's Mikunis 3 of 4 were very badly cracked. They were still working reasonably well although cutting top end power some, but they appeared as if they would fall apart soon. The 4th had already been replaced. Maybe they were still patchable, I dunno, but I bit the bullet and replaced. I want to pull the Virago's carbs and have a look. While the Virago only has two of them, they are twice as expensive! I think it's some kind of plot! Jeremy

"if you're looking in a Problem, don't take anything as given or assume anything. CHECK IT. Period" Good point. When checking the vac advance as described above, you must get the engine up around 2k rpm before the vac advance will take effect. It doesn't work at idle, I'm pretty sure. Jeremy

I suppose you could pull the damper rod up with a long wire, like a coat hanger, inserted down the middle and out thru the threads. If you have the 4" guide (basically a tube?) on top of the springs, they must be stock. Progressives are too tall to fit in like that. My guess is that a PO put in the plastic spacers to increase the preload. Somewhere on this site is posted a pic of both springs side-by-side. They look enough different that if you find that pic you should be able to tell. Yeah, I'd flush a little ATF thru it anyway. ATF is similar to fork oil I've been told. Jeremy

I've always found that if I form the diaphragms into the right shape they will stay in. Fold the rubber over toward the slide end, then gently bottom them out in the carb bore - worked for me. Jeremy

I don't know but I would think that the special slides are only available overseas. In the US they don't use such methods for insurance reasons that I am aware of. Jeremy

I don't think that the problem with a bit trunk is lightening the front end, per se. There's plenty of poundage on both ends! But there is something about having the weight up high and far back that contributes to certain handling instabilities, I think the high-speed weave. Having the weight way back probably exacerbates frame flex. Once upon a time I read an article about bike luggage and I remember they didn't like trunks for that reason. Saddlebags and tank bags were preferred. Of course, for most of us with Ventures, we want it ALL!. The trunk is just sooo convenient to load and unload. So that's the price we pay, except for Louie who got rid of his trunk! I do apply some foot brake sometimes in tight turns as you describe, but not always. I've experienced this perceived feeling of flex with it applied and not applied. Jeremy

Hey Slip, Did the three washers come out? You should be able to take a good flashlight and look down the sliders to see if the taper pieces are in there. If so, they will protrude up off the bottom of the slider bore. I've never had them stick in the bottom of the slider before, but I guess it could happen. The damper rods come out the top of the fork tubes. When the fork is out you just turn it upside down and they fall out. I've never tried to remove fork seals from the bottom. There is a bushing at the very bottom of the fork tube, right? Can you spread that bushing just enough to work it off the end, and if so will that free up the path for the seal? How rough is the surface you refer to? Otherwise you will have to remove the fork tubes and slide the bushings up. It seems like somebody here did them from the bottom a few months back - did you find that write-up? I was thinking the stock springs were 16" long and Progressives 20" long, but don't remember for sure. The stockers are progressively wound, but there is much more stuff at the top - see in the manual the various collars and spacers. If all you have is spring seat and a plastic spacer then you probably do have Progressive brand springs. Can you submit a pic? I use gas to clean everything except rubber parts. However, with forks there are a lot of nooks and crannies which are a pain to get all the gas out of and it takes me a long time. The last time I approached it differently. I put in the new parts and reassembled without cleaning, but I was careful not to get any grit inside while working on them. Then I put a few oz of ATF in the forks, stroked them several times, and drained. Did that 3 or 4 times until the ATF drained clean. Jeremy

Check the carb slide diaphragms. You have to pull one out to check it adequately, which is not hard to do. As for the vac advance unit, it is under the battery bracket. Major PITA to get to. I haven't had mine out, but I did remove the battery and was able to access the connector plug. It was corroded and prevented it from working. You can check its operation without removal. You need to trigger the advance and see if the motor increases speed. Not sure on the 83, but here's how on the 86. First, the vac advance doesn't work at idle, so adjust the idle speed up to around 2000 rpm. Remove the hose from the carb boot and pull a vacuum on it. You can use a Mity Vac or even just suck on it with your mouth. The engine speed should increase. If not, the vac advance is not working. However, the vac advance only comes in at high vacuum, cruise conditions. Not WOT. Therefore, I wouldn't think it is the problem for you. Jeremy

From the History page on this site: "Many Venture riders still maintain that the original 1200 Venture was the best handling of the line." FWIW, I've read elsewhere that it is thought that the bigger trunk on the 86+ contributes to a little less stability at higher speeds. So maybe some of this is isolated, or exaggerated, on the 86+ models. Vermincelli, that is quite a comprehensive list. I have checked ALMOST all of those and my minor issues with wobble and weave persist. In particular, as I started out saying, I installed the Superbrace and while it may have some positive effect on something, it didn't change the wobble and weave. I also notice what I perceived to be fork flex at low speeds. In a tight u-turn the bars and forks oscillate a little, not enough to dump me or anything, but noticable. What does yours do? That feeling didn't change with the brace. Jeremy

The manual says to use Loctite. It sounds like a good thing the fairing came off after all. Some bolts can be run in with an impact, carefully. Lug nuts, for instance: 1) They are big and beefy. 2) The studs are easily replaced if you screw them up. 3) The stud cannot "spin" and create shavings. 4) They should only be snugged with the impact and finish-tightened by hand. However, the fork application is too delicate and easily damaged. I would not do it. I'm going to copy a note I wrote to another guy some time back about this lesson learned on my Virago; it's in reference to the alternator rotor / flywheel on the engine, but the idea is the same. Jeremy ************** Barry, I have a little experience with this. You know, when someone says this it usually means he's learned the hard way by screwing up, and this is no exception. First time I removed my alternator rotor (don't remember why) I used an impact wrench to loosen the nut, successfully (250 lb-ft rated wrench). Went to put it back on and didn't have a way to hold it, just like you, so I torqued it with, you guessed it, the impact wrench. I tried to hold the trigger just long enough so it "felt" about the same as when I took it off. Well, some years later I had to remove it again. Impact wrench wouldn't touch it. Oh, boy, what now? After some unsuccessful harebrained schemes, I made a nice, heavy welded steel tool that bolts to the threads on the inside hub of the rotor. Shoulda done that in the first place. Let me tell you, I had to really pull on that thing, using cheater pipes, etc, to break that nut loose. I felt lucky that I didn't break anything. But wait, there's more. The rotor fits on the crank with a taper. I had wedged that taper together so tightly that I couldn't get the rotor off. I tried the puller, the rapping with a hammer, etc. Finally I pulled out all the stops and planned the grand finale. I have a friend with a big oxy-acetylene torch. The motor was out and cases split at this point (I had to replace a bearing). I bought some dry ice and packed the whole crank in it, and took the assembly to Chuck's place. By the time I got there the whole crank and even the rotor were frosting up from the cold. We put the puller in place and Chuck applied some RAPID heat to the rotor hub. Then I started the hammer rapping on the end of the puller (usually works on a taper) - nothing. Chuck says "gimme that hammer" and WHALES on the end of the puller a couple times, and the thing finally pops off. Was it a combination of the thermal stuff, or just Chucks heavy hammer hand that did the trick? I dunno, but I don't want to do that again. Lessons learned: 1) Use some sort of tool (special wrench like mine, or a strap wrench sounds easier if you haven't already over tightened the sucker) and PROPERLY torque the nut down with a torque wrench. 2) Sometimes a bigger hammer really does work, and sometimes it takes somebody else (not the owner) do have the guts to use it. 3) Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable putting the tranny in gear and holding the output shaft or rear wheel anyway, because it's too much torque through the gear teeth. 4) The nut is conventional right-hand thread. 5) DO NOT use the clutch basket with something jammed in it. See below for another screw-up. 6) Impact wrenches are cool for loosening, but dangerous for tightening. CLUTCH BASKET FAUX-PAUS (sp?) I was trying to remove the center nut for the clutch basket, which is not as tight as the rotor nut. In frustration I jammed something into the clutch basket teeth and SNAP, off broke one of the teeth. DUH, it's a long, skinny aluminum protrusion. Said another prayer of thanks for the parts bike and moved on. I welded another special tool for that which engages the holes in the hub of the basket. Much more successful. Jeremy

On many bikes the damper bolt is put in with Loctite. It's not that 29 ft lb is so much, it's that with the torque and the Loctite the damper rod will often turn and the bolt won't come loose, and sometimes an impact wrench does the job without the special damper rod wrench. Don't ever torque a bolt with in impact! This is a bit of wisdom I learned from the school of Pain in the Butt. I've learned that it's very difficult to ascertain how much torque you are actually putting on the bolt that way. Besides, if you spin the damper rod at impact speeds, I think it will wear off some fresh aluminum from the fork slider inside your newly cleaned forks. Are the damper rod bolts special, so that you can't use standard bolts from the HW store? The springs don't really try to fly out of the fork when the cap is removed. They only pop up another inch or so. One more thing. On my 87 I was able to remove the complete fork assys without removing the fairing. All the pinch bolts are accessible. Not easily, but accessible... Jeremy

BTW, my four slides all appeared to move together with engine running, but 3 of 4 were badly torn. Jeremy

I just replaced them on my 87 - about 60 bucks apiece. I think that they are pretty much all shot on these 20 year old bikes, unless they've been replaced. Yes, they won't rise up all the way and will block fuel flow and possibly airflow as well. Poor top-end power is a classic sign of bad diaphragms. Although mine ran pretty well, 3 out of 4 were badly cracked (the 4th had been replaced at some point). With the new ones my top end did improve; I was also hoping for a fuel mileage improvement which I did not get (I figured the bad ones would affect the mixture adversely). They are one of the few easy things to get to. Remove the side covers and you can access the back two carbs; remove the lower fairing (easy) for the front two. The slide covers will be staring out at you. The only remaining challenge is a tamper-resistant torx screw, one on each cover. I used vice grips, then put in all new hex head screws. Jeremy

Definitely. In engineer-speak, when you say it reaches a harmonic stage, what you actually mean is a resonant frequency where vibration tends to be self-amplifying. Resonant frequency is dependent on mass and stiffness. More mass brings the resonant frequency down, while more stiffness drives it up. This is illustrated by, say, two boards of the same type of wood. One it a 1x4, one a 4x4, both 12' long. Secure one end of each. The 1x4 will be floppy, and if you "spring" it like a diving board it will bounce up and down at its resonant frequency, which will be relatively low. The 4x4, while heavier, is much stiffer and it's bounce action will be faster, or higher frequency. Making a frame stiffer without increasing the weight too much will make the resonant frequency higher, which means it won't be excited until a higher speed is reached. So yes, a stiffer frame drives up the speed for headshake. Consider also the mass. A sportbike tends not to have anything on it that's not performance-related. No extra mass. Our Ventures are rolling entertainment centers, carrying all kinds of unnecessary stuff, strictly speaking. That also brings resonant frequency, thus headshake speed, down. Jeremy

What about the ignition pickups? Are they the same? Jeremy

Ken, I'd say yes, probably too tight. With the front wheel off the ground, you should be able to just nudge the bars one way from center and they should move a little ways, but not fall freely to the stop, I'm told. Over the years some bikes, usually sport bikes, have had steering dampers, if not stock then readily available in the aftermarket, presumably to combat wobble. That tells me that wobble is inherent to MC design to some extent, and that sportier geometry exacerbates this tendency. If wobble was merely a matter of something wrong, why would steering dampers exist? Maybe with certain geometry combinations it's just a matter of getting everything optimized to minimize the wobble. Just a wild thought. Jeremy

Boody, given your various electrical bugs, I'd guess a bad ground. I dunno where the engine and frame grounds are on a Venture, but somewhere there are ground wires that come out of the harness and screw to the frame and engine. Jeremy

"That is called the emulsion tube, your main jet screws in the bottom of it. So pull the bowl and put the tube back in and make sure the main jet is tight." Yup Yup Yup. That's whatcha gotta do. The emulsion tube is sometimes called a needle jet, and you have to pull the carbs to get the bowl off, where presumably your main jet is rattling around. Jeremy

Thanks guys for all the input. CdnLouie, my rear linkage is all greased up and ready to go, and not loose. Good suggestion. Oh, BTW, my 87 does not have zerks - I think they came around 90. To clarify terminology, as I see it anyway. Front-end-wobble = headshake = tankslap = rapid back-and-forth motion of the bars and front wheel. It tends to be self-starting and self-amplifying, but only with no hands on the bars. It is easliy stopped with light hand pressure on the grips. Tends to be worst around 35-40 mph. I believe it is mostly caused by front-end issues - tire wear and balance, head bearings, probably wheel bearings. Hi-speed weave or oscillation = a somewhat slower weaving motion of the whole bike, not just the front end. Tends to get worse the faster you go starting around maybe 55 or 60, but in my limited experience not nearly as prone to self-amplification. However, the rider's body can actualy contribute to the conditions that cause this one, so gripping the bars tightly can make it worse. Tends to be a function of frame stiffness and rear wheel issues. Thus, solid motor mounts, which make the frame effectively stiffer, tend to improve this. In my case, the weave is minor and insignificant. The wobble is only occasional, but when it happens it's startling. Jimbob, some of us have found the Progressive recommended preload or close to it with the factory oil qty to be a bit harsh, and that's with SAE10 oil. SAE15 oil will be harsher, but of course YMMV. I want to try draining an oz or two of oil out per some recent discussion here and maybe reduce preload by 1/2" or so. A front-end stabilizer essentially adds friction to the bars turning, right? Similar effect to tightening the stem bearings? Jeremy

Squeeze, I put on my German written accent filter and I think I get what you are saying. Thanks for the input. At this point I figure the solid motor mounts would indeed help the hi-speed weave since it involves the whole bike, not just the front end. I didn't think the brace would really help that one. As for the front-end wobble, it is just as you describe, Rick, in that I can actually release the bars at any speed as long as the road is smooth. But if the wheel hits the wrong bump or I intentionally nudge the bars, the self-amplifying wobble starts. That happens in speed ranges from 30-55 or so. At 75 if I nudged the bars, it showed a slight tendency to wobble but it didn't amplify. A while back, I checked and packed the steering bearings and tightened them per the manual. I also installed progressive springs. Later I went in and further tightened the bearings, which didn't help. I don't think the bars fall quickly to the side, but don't remember for sure. I will double-check. Jeremy

Last night I received and installed the Superbrace I bought on ebay last week. It came as advertised with the correct hardware. After my morning ride, I am fairly confident that, while it is a very nice, hefty, shiny chunk of aluminum, it did nothing to change the handling of my 87 VR. My bike has the same slight propensity to mid-speed front end wobble and high-speed weave that it had before, and other than that handles fine. Exactly the same. To quickly review, I've been through all the suspension bearings on the bike, have 2 new tires, double-checked the stem bearings. Thru all this, the high-speed weave, which is NOT self-amplifying, reduced a little. The mid-speed wobble up front (which IS self-amplifying) was mostly taken care of with the new front tire, but not completely. Maybe I need to double-check the balance on the tire. So, it is my opinion at this point that a Superbrace on a VR is a solution looking for a problem, and not the solution to the small problems I do have. Jeremy