jfman

OK guyz as promised I am doing the full RR with full description from the ride I took in March. It is a cut and paste job from the thread on ADVRIDER so this is why it is worded for a reader who may know less about these bikes that the members on here. I have to warn you guyz that the updates will not be super frequent because I am very busy these days but you will get it all within the next month or so. http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/canada-to-cancun-on-250-motorcycle.1140366/ Canada to Cancun on 250$ motorcycle Summer 2015 - six months before departure Every single multi-week motorcycle trip I dread this day. The day where you have checked most of the boxes for your trip, you have google map opened on your laptop and you are counting how many miles a day you have to cannonball thru to get back home in time for work. You then spend the last days of your trip riding mostly highways you have ridden across dozens of times, trying to make good time. During those long boring riding hours, the weight of your daily life comes back to rest on your shoulders as you leap state to state. How thick is that stack of files on my office chair going be? How many emails will I have in my box waiting for an answer when I show up to work on Monday? My hydro bill is probably waiting for me in the mail box. What a drag. Those last days racing to go back your life are not only a bear, they are costly. Oftentimes riding 800 to 1000 miles a day, using up a lot of gas, wearing out costly tires you had to have put on to make it home. With little wiggle room in your schedule, the threat of a breakdown hovers above your head like the blade of a guillotine. If my bike breaks down now, I will never make it home in time to be at work. I wish I could avoid that long ride home. There has to be a way. Shipping the bike home is costly and a hassle. Seems like my best option is to buy a cheap bike, ride it to any town with an airport, abandon the bike and fly home. If I can find an affordable bike that will suit my needs for a specific trip, I should most definitely do this. So I started scoping out the local kijiji(Craigslist for Canadians)ads hoping to find something, anything that I can ride to a fun location and then throw out. It had to be comfy enough to swallow the highway miles. It had to be in a shape that would not require me to rebuild the whole thing before taking off. Did I mention it had to be cheap? Anything above 600$ I would disregard instantly. I was basically looking for that unicorn, that cheap but comfy bike that nobody wanted. After a few months I found her, a 1985 Yamaha Venture 1200. The seller claimed it had not been plated in 2 years. It had a recent rear tire but the front was done. The battery was of course bad and the brakes were mush. The asking price? 300$ I could not pass this up. After knocking off 50$ from the asking price over the phone, I bought her sight unseen, sent a check in the mail and kept my fingers crossed. Why so cheap? The bike looked good in the photos. A detail needs to be explained: this bike has no second gear. A common problem for the early Ventures from 1983 thru 1985 is a faulty second gear. It would not affect the other gears but if one wanted to fix it, it would be a complex and expensive process. From what I read the 4 cylinder motor has to come out, the cases have to be split and the faulty gears replaced along with a stronger washer piece, all new gaskets all around on the massive V4 engine. And this is how 31 year old decent looking motorcycle becomes a 250$ motorcycle. It was perfect! Besides... How much time do you spend in second gear anyway?

Oh that sucks!

250$ ?

Ah ok! Do we know if this tire clears the Venture Swingarm? 175 must be wider than 150 OE tire

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Austone-175R16-Taxi-Tire-Tubeless-Radial-/381487664427?hash=item58d26fcd2b:m:mQN2qr_Fv4uq3t3d5sDc2dA&vxp=mtr What is a taxi tire? I dont get it.

Also to line up the CLASS collars in the right spot.

I will do a full write-up in a few weeks for you guyz with a lot of photos and details of the ride. I pulled the carbs, cdi and coils from the bike then used the top case as a luggage for the flight home. I gave the bike and a few camping items to the manager of the last hotel I stayed at. It would surprise me if it ever ran again given that the parts I took are impossible to find in Mexico but you never know... I have a few surpises coming for you guyz.

I am back in Canada. No snow but lots of rain.

I am camping (no es 100% legal) somewhere near Cancun(hotel prices are locos aqui). The old girl made it thru her last and probably fartest adventure. Parts of the ride were tough but I am very happy and at peace sitting on the bike sideways and glancing at the stars. It is my first night out with the tent and I love it. Nature is awesome. 26 celcius night with a very nice strong breeze coming from the sea. I cant believe the ride is almost over and that I will have to part with the bike monday. Highlight of the day was seeing a roadkill monkey on the side of the road about an hour or two north of Palenque. You will have to take my word for it because I did not stop for photos as it was a very unsafe spot to pull over. Good night guyz jfman

Viva Autozone! El paradisio de los gringos! Translation: I bought so brake fluid from Autozone. Gonna see about bleeding the clutch tomorrow.

Hello guyz, I am in Oaxaca and headed east tomorrow to Chiapas. the bike is doing well (no leaks in 3 days!) but I have clutch cylinder issues when climbing mountain passes in traffic. When The engine runs a little bit hot(nowhere near red), the clutch wont fully disengage. The lever feels like mush and the bike keeps going when lever pulled. As soon as traffic opens up and I am able to ride above 50kmh, the lever action returns to normal. So The bike is running good and I am pretty sure it will make it to Cancun(getting close) i have a lot of Mexicans who ask about the bike. They seem to like it. Most mexicans ride little city thumpers apart from a few shiny bmw gs I seen in city centers. myself on the other hand could be a little better. i bought burgers from a street vendor and got very sick two days ago. Theeth clattering, re-enacting a scene for Ace ventura all night. Praying to the ceramic gods. I am over it but my whole body aches so its hard to ride right now. Every topes feels like that wreslting move from the step ladder. I also cant digest at all- takes 24hours to digest a meal. So I eat very little (i did buy a dominos pizza tonight) l of course i have a few pics coming yalls way jfman

Loved that guys movies as a kid! Almost as much as Pee Wee Herman

I used this on boke bits before. there can be side effects: On another forum, a guy did his truck fender flares and deers came out and started licking his flares.

The post op pics look like the aftermath of an accident involving a skillsaw. scary stuff

My last Venture fillup cost me 178 and I was not even empty.

Potential solution

I have pulled the forks without removing the farings. You will need an allen key for the triple clamps bolts that has a very stubby side. If the short side of the key is too long it will hit the fearing. Just use a combination wrench on the long end of the key and it will break loose. You also need two picks to remove the clips up top near the upper triple clamp. Its a pita but take your time and they will come off. Also you will need to buy the little oring seals from the CLASS system because they dry up and even if it doesnt leak now, it will leak once you put it all back together.

Bikes runs sooooo much better with the clips on the top position on the needles. I can rev thru the range w/o breaking up. I tried it w/o lid and I also put the lid back on and all is well. Idle a little slow and blurby. Good enough Diaphragms free of damage but no way I am messing with floats unless I have a trip ending problem. I got some more pics coming for you guyz via way of Bert2006 which I cant thank enough for the service. Otherwise there would be no pics untill I get back.

Dunno in Colorado we pulled the lids from our dirt bikes in hith altitude and it nade things much better. And it ran stronger after I pulled the lid.... And my mpgs had improved. It's Only when I reached 4000 ft or so did it start running very poorly. Now - With the needles adjusted on the top notch, it seemes to run better throttling it up in the lot but the idle is still lumpy. About to go for a test ride.

My needles have notches - 5 of them. It was in the middle notch but I put the clip on the top notch. I had not mentioned that I been riding without a airbox lid since McAllen Texas. Gonna put it back on.

I am going to look at the carbs after breakfast. I woke to yet another surprise. The rear shock has leaked out all over the ground under the bike. At least ai think its the shock. The swingarm is full of oil and the puddle is directly under the shock. I did 4 hours of roughish dirt roads yesterday. It was the coup de grace for this 31 year old shock.

I just saw that in your other thread! Gonna look at this tomorrow. Do you know if I can pull all four diaphragm covers with the carbs in place!? If my carbs have the notches... fonsidering the bike barely runs as is, how many notches should I go? 2? 3? Thanks!

I have the exact opposite problem as the OP. I have speedo bit not odo. So I need to look ar the cable?

Hello Frank, what did you use as a spacer?!? How thick was it?!? Also, were you able to pull the diaphragm covers of all 4 carbs withouts pulling them from the bike? thanks!

Well the venture has a lot of problems right now. Maybe I can fix some. The pump seal has not leaked in 3 days. Happy about that. Earlier today I lost the odometer and trip meter. The speedometer still works. The worst problem is carburation. Bike ran perfect in Canada, ran rich in the south, got a little worse in tamaulipas but now that I am at high elevation, it barely runs. I idles like a harley and it breaks up badly. Obviously no gonna rejet the whole bike one week before I part with it but I wonder if there aren't enrichening screws I can play with?? Also do the needles have multiple notches? If I could lower them it would help out some. Btw:I am sending some photos over pronto