Patmac6075

Might be a little work, but if you look on your ignition cylinder there should be a letter followed by 5 numbers....take that to an old school brick and mortar locksmith...he'll punch you a key in 20 mins and charge about $25. Or you could call him and have him do a house call, but that's going to cost you... I'm always much more comfortable using someone who has an actual shop, much less shady. My $0.02

Could use more history to be sure...Has anything changed since the last time it was running well? What is the condition of each plug (pix help)? Are you up to date on maintenance (valves within spec, carbs clean, age of plugs, oil changed, how old is gas)? I had a similar issue with my '84, except mine seemed to flatten out near 5k rpm, I had just resurrected it from a 10 year nap...I did all the routine maintenance to bring it back into this century....except I must have had enough stale residual gas left in the tank, once I ran a few clean tankfuls through the performance steadily increased. In your case it sounds like you have an air leak, or perhaps a faulty diaphragm (which is technically an air leak)...I'd start with an unlit propane torch while she idling, move it around your intake boots and carb area, listen for an increase in rpm....viola, you've found your leak. Beyond that, I'd start knocking off over due maintenance items. Starting with Valve check/adjustment, carb rebuild and sync. Good luck, let us know what you find. I'd also start a new post in the 1st Gen Maintenance section.

Backfiring while the airbox is open? That's normal....

Milwaukee Cycle Salvage...they have a boat load of side covers, but only four or five bikes worth of first gen stuff. Was hoping to score a second gen/V-Max starter too but no dice.

I'm just north of Milwaukee, MKE = Mitchell International/Milwaukee airport

I know in technical terms it's an enricher, not a choke.... But here's my question: My choke does not stay on/engaged unless I physically keep my thumb on the lever. In other words, the moment I release pressure on the lever, the choke goes back to off. The reason this concerns me is, I can't do anything else while the bike is warming up....here's my normal routine...start bike, zip jacket, put helmet on, put gloves on, push bike off center stand, bike in gear, ride off....let off choke at end of driveway. I can't do this because I need to keep my thumb on the choke lever until it's warm enough to idle on it's own....now to be fair this only takes about 25 seconds....but it's messing up my routine! Is this the way Yamaha intended? Thanks Pat

Whoops....picture didn't load....take two http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/Venture20Side20Cover20Heat20Sheild.jpg

SCORE!!!!! Went to local Motorcycle Graveyard to search for some collars and grommets....had to look through about 50 sets of Venture side covers, but scored these for $10! http://s821.photobucket.com/user/Patmac6075/media/Venture20Side20Cover20Heat20Sheild.jpg.html

Have been putting miles on my bike recently, and have been somewhat annoyed by the amount of heat coming up from the rear cylinder bank....not a deal breaker by any stretch, but still annoying. Seems if I ride with my feet towards the back of my boards my calves heat up....easy enough to just skooch up abit but this is not my "natural" position. I have noticed several bikes, both MK I and MK II's with a vent which covers that hole in the lower rear plastic....Is that an OE part or is it aftermarket? Searched EBay and CL for weeks and haven't seen any come up. ~Hot Legs in Wisconsin~

Depending on the PO, I'd say you are due. At some point Yamaha changed their maintenance from every 7.5k (my 84 manual calls for a check every 18 mo. or 7500 miles) to a more liberal schedule. A dealer or service shop will charge you an arm and a leg, not because they're bad guys, but because this is a very labor intensive chore. Actually checking and the changing valves shims is quite simple, but in order to get to the valve shim you must get a lot of stuff out of the way...which is why most don't do it. IMHO John, having your valve in spec is the single most important service item you can do....it has been my experience (albeit with other Yamaha bikes) that your bike can run fine with numerous tight valves....right up until that point that it doesn't....and then your engine is toast. Expect the cost for parts to run you $100 - $150....at the very least you'll need basic hand tools (sockets, wrenches, screw drivers...ect.), a valve shim tool, two valve cover gaskets, Hi-Tack gasket sealer, some RTV, and valve cover pressure washers...16 I think). I was able to go to a local independent shop where they did an even exchange for shims (local Yamaha dealer wouldn't and was going to charge $25 per shim). This is where the fun begins, but don't worry there are so many great people to walk you through the process...take lots of pictures and write down and categorize everything as you remove it. Some say you must take the carbs off, but I found I had ample room with them still attached (I did find that taking the radiator completely off was a huge advantage...especially during reassembly). Once disassembled, it's a pretty straight forward process of measure clearances, then pull each shim and note it's size/thickness (I get the thickness of every shim on the bike, so that I can skip this step on my next check), and replace the shims that are out of spec. Now it's important to say "USE A METRIC ONLY FEELER GAUGE", don't use a standard with metric equivalents...just too much cross calculations. Also, remember, you must replace each shim before you move on to the next shim, otherwise bad thing happen (ask me how I know this). And finally, there is only In spec, and Out of spec...don't set them too loose in order to lengthen the next interval or fudge a too tight valve...once you're doing this much work, do it right. It's a long and laborious task, and the first time it'll take you maybe 3 or 4 weekends worth of solid work. But once you're done...the sense of accomplishment is tremendous (I usually walk around my garage like Tom Hanks from Cast Away when he made fire...."I Clearanced My Valves!!!"). Good Luck and feel free to pm me....I'd be happy to help you through.. Pat

Perhaps this is the overkill of all overkill solutions, but have you considered taking your bike to a local dyno-tuner? I know we have at least 3 motorcycle specific here in Milwaukee...At least there you can get it up to speed and check off what's not causing the issue. I'd continue to focus on that #4 cylinder...my checklist would start with #1 . Are the valve clearances in spec? #2 . Is your compression within spec? #3 . We're pretty confident you're getting fuel (sooty plug), have any of the jets within #4 carb been disturbed? Loosend up, fallen out, cross-threaded, mixed up, clogged (I know I'm reaching here). #4 . Can you get your hands on a known good TCI? Are you sure all electrical connections are solid on both primary and secondary side of the coil all the way to the spark plug? We've already addressed the most common cause (diaphragms), we know it getting fuel (sooty plugs leads me to believe it's not a fuel delivery issue, doesn't rule out starvation, but I'd look elsewhere for now)....I'm just typing out loud here, so bear with me...OP stated it ran better with a new clean plug, albeit for a short time...only variable needed is compression.

I'll wait for the heavy hitters to weigh in, but.....me, personally, I wouldn't go tearing into the engine just yet. #1 . For how long has this been a problem? Is there anything done in between the time it acted normally and the first incident? #2 . Once you exhaust all leads from #1 , I would change out oil and filter...Castrol 4T is motorcycle (wet clutch) specific and is widely available at just about any auto parts chain store (It's the only oil I use....fyi, the Yamaha XJ's are notorious for starter clutch issues and Dinosaur oil is always the first remedy). Have heard many use Shell RotelaT (available at wallyworld for as low as $12/gal.). Beware, it can sometimes take two oil changes to clear the problem (at least on XJ's of the same vintage). #3 . 10w-30? Mother Yamaha recommends 10w-30 only if temps won't exceed 60 degrees. For warm weather (40 degrees and up) she suggests 20w-40 which is really tough to find, unless you go with Mama's Yamalube! I believe you'll easily find Castrol 4T 20w-50 or Rotella 15w-40...both should cover the bill. #4 . I wouldn't give up on the idea it could also be the battery, or perhaps a combination of the two which only rears it's ugly head when the right set of circumstances occur. A less than optimal battery might be spinning just a tad slow causing the noise...If you go to the auto parts store (for that Casrtol) ask them to load test the battery...make sure you know what the CCA is of that battery. Might just be your battery is marginal?? Something to think about...

Sounds like a starter clutch to me? Is the battery fully charged? Are your grounds cleaned and well connected? Are you using synthetic oil? Any friction modifiers (zinc, oil additives)? The reason I ask these questions is, the noise you describe sounds like the starter clutch....if your battery is not fully charged it won't turn the engine fast enough...hence the noise. Or if you use some synthetic oils (specifically automotive oil) it can be too slippery for the starter clutch to engage...again making that noise.

As the title suggests, I'm looking for some insight and advice on windshield height. My experience is limited to my XJ750 with a Vetter windshield (every other bike I've owned has been fairingless). With my Vetter, the windshield is very clear and extends well over my field of view...riding at night is a pain, because light reflects off every scratch reducing visibility (during daylight it's crystal clear). On the Venture, the windshield is much more scratched up and kind of cloudy (have tried some plexiglas cleaners to no avail...have had good experience with 3M headlight restoration kit, so that's still an option) plus the top edge is only about 4"-5" above my field of view so if I really crain my neck, I can see over it. Needless to say, this is unacceptable, I should say that even during the best light conditions my current windshield is at best....not that good. So, my question is: To cut or not to cut? Is it better to get a new windshield or cut down the current glass the 5 or so inches which will allow me to easily see over the glass? By the way, my current glass is 21" tall and I'm a skoosh less than 5'9".

Thanks guys....pictures as promised. http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/Venture%20May15%20003.jpg http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/Venture%20May15%20001.jpg

I used a piece of guitar string and made a hook out of the end. Also helps if you have a lot of light and (especially in my case) a magnifying glass.

I bought my cables from Dingy as well.....excellent fit and very well made! This is my observation....for my situation cable install could not have been easier, because I had all the plastics off the bike at the time. It made following wire paths and snipping cable ties super easy. The second thing is, before I purchased my AMG battery I was using jumper cables attached to my minivan (van was NOT running....of course), and when the engine was hot with the 2 brush starter it turned the engine pretty slowly. Since I've installed my new bike battery ETX18L about $85 from O'Reilly (list for them is around $100, but if you know how to negotiate with them, you can get it down some), hot or cold you could not tell the difference!

Caveat Emptor

Very interesting read Brenner....As you are aware, I am traveling the same road as you, only I'm still a couple of miles behind (or kms for the Canucks), and I have learned much from your posts. I too have felt that the performance is somewhat less than I had anticipated although I must admit I'm still in the tuning phase...On the other hand, I'm really enjoying my bike....and at 5'9" I'm finding my bike to be just a tad too tall (even with my saggy springs). I guess I would chalk it up to different expectation....at least for me, I wasn't looking for a performance bike I could tour on, I was looking for a straight up touring bike, the performance is just a bonus. At least for this bike....I have no plans to drag the pegs or zip from stop light to stop light. This bike seems to be engineered to precisely fit my needs.....open road cruising....in comfort. This is not meant as a criticism of your post, just a different opinion of the same piece of art.

Grandpa would say "More horses asses than horses?!"

As my Grandma used to say "More to be pitied than to be scorned!"

If you take your bike to an Old School (brick and mortar shop...not a mobile guy) locksmith he should have those bags open in no time at all, if you give him a couple of days and he should be able to cut a new set of keys for about $40. How come your ignition key isn't working? Are the bags replacements?

Could it be bad gas? Put an additional 300mi on today and have done a second fill up (after running reserve down to what I thought was a comfortable margin)....the engine seems to power past 5k all the way to redline. The throttle lags is also almost nonexistent. FYI, many had suggested I replace plugs/caps/wires...I should have mentioned, both plugs and caps are all new. Still nothing on the cruise control...I'll begin troubleshooting that next week. Like I had said earlier, I think Puc hit the bullseye on the saggy springs/bottoming out being the source "clunk" noise. Thanks all, could not have gotten this far without your (collective) help. Will post up some pix shortly.

Puc....I think you may have hit the nail on the head....twice! The "Clunk"...you're probably correct is the forks bottoming out due to saggy old springs (Front end rebuild is on the schedule....). I think you may be on to something when you mentioned fuel starvation too...that could explain why it starts to "flatten out" above 5k. Air Filter hasn't been changed, but looks OK, it's on the list for replacement. Also, I have no issue puttering around in 5th (40-50 mph) and twisting throttle back...it pulls very strong....but boy oh boy, if I'm running through the gears...this bike lets me know, "You should have shifted at 5k RPM!" Which in and of itself is not all that bad for the way I ride.... FYI - Compression is between 160 and 165 between all four cylinders...good not great and within spec. Perhaps I should add, throttle response is slower than my 750 as well. It's not bad, just a tad slow, I had chalked it up to V4 engine and the extra weight of the bike...perhaps I'm nit picking, and if I weren't having the 5k issue I wouldn't even mention it (so when I say a "tad" slow...it really is, just a tad slow to respond to throttle input....perhaps better put not exactly "crisp".) As far as the Cruise goes...I had not even given it a second to "kick in". I'll take it out on a backroad and see if more time will help. Also, on my cruise, I had changed all dash lights to LED so I'm not sure it'll dim or brighten? I must admit...the $12 I spent back in October was the best money I'd spent on this bike! Thanks everyone!

Again, thanks guys for the quick responses. I did check the diaphragms when I had them apart...no holes. At idle when cold, I have sprayed a little water bottle on the exhausts and each steamed up. So I'm confident I'm hitting on all four cylinders. Seems crazy to me...This bike loves to run at 4K and up to 5......just seems to flatten out above 5k?