CaseyJ955

I have used both integral compressor horns on various applications, I think any real world difference is negligable at best. I had an unbranded version that was about as loud but lasted all of a year. I have a Wolo now on my Vmax and its plenty loud. Because of mounting limitations I had to seperate the integral unit and add a length of hose. The compressor and relay are mounted just forward of the air box in the pocket previously enjoyed by the front OEM coils and the horn, which now weighs very little, is mounted between the front downpipes. It would have been aesthetically tragic to try and mount the intact unit but grand if there is room on whichever bike its goong onto. What I feared about a train horn (mounting issues aside) or multi-trumpet design is that if it were really loud enough it might spook someone into running me down in a panicked bid to escapt the train. Im going to try the duel tone electric Hella (I think) horns on the Venture.

Thanks, the front plumbing is in tact but the tube just lays loose back by the pump. I left that long tube and plumbing on it to prevent debris from eentering the air chambers. It is not sealed, should it be? Also, I have a bunch of mobile1 0-30 synth motor oil for my lexus, is this what you recommend for forks with progressives? I know progressives arent top drawer stuff mut iirc the racetechs were stupid expensive. Do you have a fluid level in mind with this setup? Thanks again, I know I will get to pay all this forward. I like to share what I know and learn what I dont. Thanks!

Hey Doug, good to see you. I know it sounded like a snap decision but it goes a little deeper. Not sure if you really saw Rapid City when you were out here, but its a soul sapping 70k+ population and growing very quickly, and im only 10 minutes away. When I know I have to go to town it fills me with dread, not figurative make-a-point dread either. Rapid has two walmarts, TWO!!! In one single town!! Going to town should be two stop lights, not two walmarts! Anyways, Ive got my eye on some chunks of land, some with homes already. Its amazing how cheap land/homes can be when you want nothing to do with a city and are able to do some work. figure if I cant pay 40-50% down then I cant afford it. The decision to sell off another bike and a couple cars was made, which ones is a more difficult decision, but its almost as if Birtha (Venture) volunteered herself by getting fussy at the wrong moment. I knew on some level I would not be letting the Vmax go, Ive wanted her since 1985. Unless my tool stack sells she will remain for sale until I purchase land (fall hopefully). Trying to sell her is the right thing to do right now, but if nobody is interested it wont break my heart one bit. Even if I trade this cage for the 05 1200RT (considering but would rather cash) I hope to be allowed to remain here, this forum is about the finest I have known and I dont wanna get tossed for beemering it up haha.

Glad you got alot of that sorted out. I hear you on the stability issue, mine gave me some pucker moments before I got it home. Its solid and stable now. Pop it up on the center stand and check out steering head bearings, then swing arm, any slop needs to be addressed. Make sure there are no ears broken off that fork brace that the front fender mounts too. Steering head bearings are enough to cause what your talking about, and more. Mine were worn and maladjusted, and it effected ride quality significantly. There is an old Yamaha sponsored video, circa 1980s floating around on youtube with a full walk through of steering head adjustment. I cant link with this phone but its there. If none of this works there is another thing to try regarding loosening and tightening tree and axle bolts but I cant recall the order. It sure worked for me after I put mine back together and it was worse, if you end up getting to that point I'll find and link the thread in which I was given that great advice.

You guys are right, I'll find some stockings and do that test. If questioned by the wifey I'll tell her that I have to make sure Birtha has legs as smooth as hers. Im glad she has a remarkable sense of humor (yea, she would have to hah!) because she will use it for sure. Seriously I'll swing by Walgreen's and "snag" a pair and keep them in my tool box. I also got a mental image of walking into a billiard, slapping these down on the slate and giving them that roll we do with house cues to find a usable one. I think I'll order a spare leg off ebay (~$40 shipped) because whether or not Im able to find the issue I will never have peace of mind again with these parts. I get much to far from not only home but from civilization where possible. I will sure use both of these great ideas to find out why it did leak, If I dont then it will haunt me always. Thanks gents, I will take all advice given here and update when I know waddup! You guys rock!

Congrats, shes gorgeous!!

I would like to apologize to Freebird and all my brothers and sisters here, not for what I said or to whom, but for everyone else in open forum having to read it. It was poor etiquette on my part. I have enjoyed debate, even heated debate here but this is the first time I have seen it go dark, I detest drama and I contributed to it in a moment of impatience. Wont happen again folks. Love and respect!

Brother Puc has exhibited far more patience with you than I would have. He contributes untold value, his worth is proven. Your value remains highly questionable in my opinion. If nothing else you have just forced me to figure out the block/ignore function for the first time since becoming a member here.

There was a wicked pothole on 44 and I rode right over it, it literally made my teeth chatter, surprised there was no damage. It bottomed out hard, first time since I installed the Progressives. Not sure if the bottoming was due to fork oil already being lost in this ride, or if that pothole smack was ugly enough to pop a seal. Ive decided to just go ahead and replace the fork upper and try again, even if the bike sells I would not feel right about selling it like that even though I fully disclosed in the ad. Im convinced there has to be a flaw in it that I cant see. This is how bad it leaks... I wipe it down clean, then get on, hold the brake and rock back/forth to bounce the front 10-20 times and it would be dripping down the leg from just that. Looks like im replacing a set of new saturated EBC pads too. They dont weep, when they go its a ride ending deal. Thanks you guys for all the ideas. I do love this forum!

Thats another cool idea, I thick I heard Puc mention the film trick. I have a seal mate which was used to no avail. My forks dont have gaiters but more a metal chrome plated shield, it has a pedistal inside that is held to the fork tube via hose clamps. Never seen these types before but they look very nice. They most closely resemble really sexy exhaust heat shields. Ill throw up a pic after I get home. They fully cover the front half of the tubes and nothing seems to get by them, they do get plastered by insects tired of life, but the forks are always perfectly clean. I dont know why everyone doesnt have shields like this, they are quite slick. They look OEM but never seen any others. I think the PO loaded this bike up with every extra he could find, gotta say his choices really do ad function and value. Pics coming next week. I would actually like to see if anyone knows about these shields.

I bought my cherry red Triumph Sprint ST right off the showroom floor in Issaquah, lived and rode in the Seattle area for the first 5 years of that bikes life before I fled WA, getting wet and dirty most days. Keeping her clean was a chore, feeling your pain but glad you got to take her out and stretch her legs! A cold wet ride is still better than a warm dry drive.

Aaaawwwww SNAP! You rode that home for twelve hundo and you feel anything other than excitement and anticipation? You did just fine my new brotha!! As you said, being a man entitles us to more than stupidity, that attribute knows no gender boundries. As a man you do not need to justify or take one oz of guff. You will find things to address, its an older bike, just the nature of the beast. You bought it right and know your way around a toolbox, your way ahead. So once you have her up to where shes ready, you must pack bag and hit the road for a long weekend to a scenic destination. These bikes handle great so twisty roads are fine. Its no CBR bit its pretty light on it's feet for a big ol tourer. These bikes shine on trips, its just liberating to glide across the plains and into the hills. After I got mine ready I headed across the Black Hills (home) into WY, down eastern WY into CO, then across and back up crom CO into NE, went through Scottsbluff and Kimbal, then N on the 71 through the grasslands and back into Hot Springs then home. 2 long days of mostly back and scenic roads. Heck, your not that far from just cutting up into WY and MT!! Awesome!!! This bike has the right stuff for **** like this and much more. Road trips to nowhere are an addiction for many of us and its just hard to find words to explain all the bike related wanderlust. Hell, ride it right here to the Black Hills, see Mt Rushmore and some of the best motorcycling known man. Im jazzed for ya!!!! Keep us posted on her needs and any questions that come up.

Darn, wifey doesn't have anything like that. Very cool idea I will keep with me though. I'm reluctant to do the exact same repair again expecting it to be all good this time. I thoroughly examined the uppers with some crazy reading glasses and I could find nothing at all. I think I will source at least the right side upper as the left seems to be hanging in there just fine now. When they fail they dont just weep, they loose lots of oil pretty fast, 10 miles home and its soaked. then when I pull the seal I can see no sighns that it is even used, no nicks of scuffs, nothing. Really must be something I just cant see. I didnt forget about filings in the right tube the first time it failed, they came fron somewhere but darn if I and a couple others could see where. I think ive done about as much as I can with the existing fork.

An 88 is a MKII, so yes, they bolt on. I slapped a set of R6 pinchers on mine. The brake line mounting position is a little different than stock and holds the 30 year old line at a precarious angle, I opted to use some braided aft mkt lines at the same time. It stops now, boy does it! You can use the stock lines, they can be manipulated to fit but the price of brake failure is so much higher than a set of new lines. There is a year range that works/fits best and I dont have that in front of me, wanna say 99-03 but please verify, my memory is for **** anymore haha. A very worthy upgrade IMHO

Glad to hear the outcome, pretty darn favorable on the scale of great to terrible. Happy days my friend!

If it needs nothing major and is decent I would consider that a good price. When I bought mine anything decent started around $2500, and I had to travel to go get it. Look closely at the plastics. check all the electrical systems and cruise. There is a buyers guide here somewhere. Having to catch up on maintainance can add up fast! Give her a ride, go through the gears, brakes, any leaks around engine or forks, any slop in steering head or swingarm. On center stand the brakes should work but no significant drag when released. 30 yr old calipers can bind and drag. If the bike has no service history assume you will flush brakes and clutch, repack head bearings and change the fork juice and oil/filter. Check date codes on tires. None of this is a deal breaker by any means but it should be budgeted for. If you can do some of these things yourself its great but a bike shop with an hourly rate and simple repairs/maint can get steep. I paid $2050 for mine and ended up putting another $1200-1500 or so in, doing all the work myself but I did some preventitave stuff and updates. Im sure I forgot some stuff that someone else can add. If your not sure then come back and let us know what your ride and inspection reveal. Sorry for the long answer to a short question but there are many things that can effect value and how much you have to do before you have a fully roadworthy scoot.

Bike currently for sale in classified section along with all the Vmax stuff I harvested for it. I would still like to permenantly sort the fork seals before sending her along, or keeping her. Either way I'm still looking for low mile forks or any fork upgrade info anyone can add. I hope you all wont throw me out of the nest for deventuring, I promise to keep my Vmax, does that count?

Looks like a good time. Darn sorry to have to miss it. Next year! You all stay safe and have an awesome weekend!!

Im a 1st gen guy with a good understanding of the gen2, plus a bit of Vmax tuning under my belt. That is not normal. A properly tuned carb equipped bike should bark right to life, cold or warm, choke should not be necessary unless cold start on a cool day. I only use maybe the first 20% of the choke for cold start/warm day, or none at all if its hot out. How much choke you need is dependent on a few factors but you should need no choke for a warm start. It sounds like you may have some fuel management issues. Is the bike current on all maintainance? More specifically carb synch, air filter clean and not a K&N style, plugs fresh, plug caps and wires clean, esp where the HT plug leads leave the coil. Just a few of the basics that might contribute to a hard start condition. Also I like the downpipe spit-sizzle test as a quick way to make sure its hitting on all 4 cyl. Its amazing how well this v4 runs on only 3 cyl, but it would start hard and be a little sluggish.

I think this was my #1 gripe. Followed by all the secrecy before unveiling, they could have let us know that a performance tourer was not actually on the menu. I had a very healthy chunk of change ready to go for a gen3 and today I still have that $$ so im fine. I know a few folks in town at Kawasaki that rode and all rave about them. So I am convinced that its a darn fine bike. Like many I'm not put off by Yamaha making a better twin. FANTASTIC! packaging it as a performance tourer (by using the Venture name) and not telling customers what they were cooking up was a misstep. Im not a 5 yr old on xmas morning, im a thinking adult with cash, credit and an inclination to buy a big bike. I dont need all the hype and secrecy like they were building the next space shuttle. I dont need PR stunts. Yamaha gave me back to the European mfrs by not being more open with its potential customers (and not making a performance tourer that many of us were waiting for). I wish Yamaha all the luck in the world, From what I know so far its a super bike. They will go into the future without my loyalty or money, but I seriously doubt this will break Yamaha's bank or feelings. Congrats to those that have and love the gen3, I am genuinely happy to read the good reviews and happy buyers raves.

I agree that it is very obese. If this bike didnt fit me so well I would have not considered it. I love her for the same reasons most of us do but if shes going to help me relive my HD days Ill catapult her giant ass clear to the moon (sell). I really need to sort a permanent solution for the forks. In the Vmax world there is an R1 fork upgrade common to some circles, do I have any options to upgrade the forks without major mods? Maybe non bushing? Maybe I just need a fresher set of these but one thing becoming clear, I'm overlooking something stupid or for some reason these forks are not going to take a rebuild. If anyone has known good forks, or an upgrade idea, pls chime in. Wanna make an offer on the bike, let her rip, my frustration is palpable. Will 2nd gen forks swap, if so would that be an upgrade?

I slid the BIC springs on out early on. I got all seals and bushings OEM and use an oil thats ~10w, threw in some new progressive springs right after I got her home and went through the forks and head bearings. The right seal blew after that, I found some metal filings that time but complete dissassembly left that a mystery. The two large washers were dished and I flatrened them, reassembled with new seal. Weeks later it failed again sans filings. Figured maybe dud seal, replaced again and was fine until yesterday. There are actually very few miles between failures, probably less than than 1000 mi or so. The tubes are very smooth, nothing rough or visibly wrong and smooth as glass to the touch. I does have some 75k miles so maybe some wear that is not visible, dunno. I cant have this going on with a bike to use to get so far from home with. The bike wears fork shields, metal fixed on with hose clamps and cover fully. I think they are original equip. Ive never had these issues using OEM seals, any other ideas on how to remedy? Thanks!

Yea, I'm not sure what to do with this. This will be the 3rd fork seal on the right, this is the 2nd one on the left side too but for now that one is fine. There was a nasty pothole on the last ride but still, that shouldn't be killing new fork seals. Using only OEM seals, I thought this last one was solid but here we are again. The fork upper looks perfect, not sure what keeps killing these new OEM seals. I'm tired of pissing around with these forks. Any ideas? Anyone have a good MKII fork upper, I cant think of anything else to do about it. I really dont want to do this job a 5th time. Anything I may be overlooking here? I'm one fork seal away from selling this bike and cutting my losses.

Valid point. I like this. The cost of fuel on a bike is secondary to plenty of other things. The cost of fuel after a days ride wont add up to much, but it does add up. I'm less concerned with fuel cost and more concerned with range. The freedom to choose fuel stops instead of being a slave to the reserve light is really nice.