CaseyJ955

Ill 2nd that having had mine partially torn down. Radio, CB, CLASS air system, luggage and bracketry. Its got some heft to it. Are you thinking about bobbing it or just shedding weight while leaving the bodywork intact? A first gen vmax weighs about 630 wet wt. and are quite cheap in project form, depending on your end goals and budget. Im definitely a big fan of the V4 heart in any cool project. Im not really sure what a fully bobbed Venture will tip the scales at but a few guys here have them and can maybe weigh (lame, I know haha) in on that. I have one of each and love them for very different reasons. Even my Vmax weighs a bit more than a friends HD but the extra 5k rpm and snort more than makes up for it, believe me! On the Venture I have considered pulling radio, CB amd CLASS, but everything works and it has no lack of punch in spite of its significant girth and weight.

Ill toss out what I know. Key in ACC, mine too, I never figured it out, had to ask here and was told. My guess is thats to keep riders from mucking about with it while sailing down the road. On the fork covers, I have a set of chrome metal ones fixed on with hoseclamps. They are solid and look great. Not sure if they are OEM or not but when I get back home this weekend ill be happy to post a pic for you. Also I cant remember if this came up but on front end stability I had to do two things to make mine solid and smooth. First my steering head bearings were knackered, I replaced bearings, races and seals with an All Balls kit, it took a couple tries to get adjustment just right but shes there now. The other thing I had was the bike felt loose and terrifying while changing lanes and highway speeds. I got up on the ctr stand, straightened forks, loosened the axle and the tree bolts, then retightened from the top down, which cured that issue. Read up on that last thing, I hope I recalled it correctly. There is info on that here but cant find on my phone. Again, happy to find it when I get home this weekend. Hope this helps.

Love this project. I parted out an 85 Vmax awhile back. I still have the final drive, engine/trans -heads and cams, vboost and intakes which I harvested for my 1300 Venture. If you need any of it I'd be letting it go for not a whole lot more than shipping. Not only is the Vmax final drive a touch lower but 5th is lower too in a Vmax (maybe other gears too, cant recall) It would be a little more high strung on tbe highway but acceleration would benifet. I am 90% highway on my Venture but if I lived in a congested city I would go to a Vmax pumpkin. Its really not that hard to swap em' out. There is a shock mount on the Vmax pumpkin which might be considered unsightly for your restoration, but it is possible to swap Vmax R&P into the XVZ pumpkin to preserve OEM aesthetics. A tool is needed and I believe Sean Morley (Morleys Muscle) rents or sells the tool. Btw, love the polished side covers. Thanks for documenting this project.

One could enterpret this as an indication that twin buyers are ready for change. Maybe well see at some point how many buyers are upgrading from HD. From what I can see a buttload of them already moved to Polaris or BMW. Would be interesting to see how this less available model fits into the grand scheme, and how they adjust production to meet future demand. Ill bet we dont see any major changes for at least three years, nothing beyond revamping issues typical of new models. I have to admit the looks are growing on me. I predict a diet/light version, they may be able to hook buyers that want a better twin and wind protection without the added expense, weight and complexity of infotainment, park asst, auto leveling etc. Im not a potential buyer but I am intrigued.

Safe is good, its not a cheap bike so piece of mind is nice. I dont figure it will take long to get used to, it does have torque but pretty different power delivery. I'll bet coming off a wing there will be readers very interested in your thoughts and reviews as you rack up some miles.

Sounds like your golden then. Its a completely different engine than the 1800 6 pot and this is just one of those differences that fall under normal operation. You may notice I said valve sounds rather than noise. I have owned plenty of air cooled cars and bikes and the sound of a properly adjusted valve train does not offend me, I find it almost musical. On this bike and oils, I think i would only use oils that meet mfr requirements, regardless of oil brand, at least until there are more of these on the road and more is known about the durability of this new line of engines. Giving a mfr any grounds for denial of warranty may not be a great move IMHO, at least not just yet. For a mfr to legally deny a warranty claim they must prove that what you did contributed to the failure. If you have an engine failire while using oil outside mfr specs you may very well be sole owner of the hot oily pieces scattered all over the blacktop. Brand of oil is not the issue, but correct spec is. Just like if you ise "incorrect" oil and then experience an electronic failure there is precious little chance a judge would allow a mfr to void your claim. It may vary from state to state but this is what I have seen. As the miles pile on and if certain failures become known they may have a hard time denying a claim anyway. I would wait a bit before playing with oil specs, just my .02.

The 3rd gen is still new to us, but generally speaking Puc is correct as usual! It is indeed normal for air cooled mills to have a little more audible mechanical sound. The water jacket enjoyed by liquid cooled engines also makes for great sound deadening. Like that buttery smooth, eeriely quiet wing you just came off of. If your hearing pinging, or pre-ignition/detonation (not exactly the same thing but oft used interchangeably) then that could be ****ty fuel/wrong grade, faulty timing or excessive heat in the combustion chamber, which is not unheard of with traditional air cooled engines. I would not suspect a mechanical fault on a brand new bike but if what your hearing is a pinging, esp when hot, I would probably take it in to be assessed since its a brand new machine, but if what your hearing is a faint lifter/valve train noise then that could be the normal sound of an air cooled twin, or air cooled almost anything. If the dealer has another Venture or Eluder maybe they will allow you to tale a spin to get her good and hot amd see if it sounds similar. Good luck and congrats on the new scoot!

Welcome and congrats on choosing a darn fine steed. Check the classified section here, I know there must be some parting out going on. For new OEM parts like seals, gaskets and bushings I like boats.net. Ebay is your friend also, if you cant find what you need right here. As always on Ebay, Chinese/unbranded aftermarket anything should be avoided, but nice used OEM parts, like reflectors, can be found on Ebay. Same for windshields but there may be some other good aftermarket options too. Besides many knowledgable and helpful folks here there is a ton of good reading in the 2nd gen tech section below. For specific questions about your 99 (2nd gen) you might try 2nd gen tech section to get it in front of the right guys/gals. Again, welcome and enjoy!

I had not had the pleasure of meeting him outside the forum but anyone that spends time here is familiar with his great nature, wit, knowledge and humor. I remember him on a couple occasions in chat and hes one of the folks I had really looked forward to meeting. His posts imparted valuable information, help and entertainment for everyone, even folks that arent members yet will benifet. I'm glad he was here, I'm glad he got the trike he had wanted for so long and got to ride it away. How fantastic that he got to experience this before having to go. When terrible news like this comes down the line I try to find some light beyond the tragic circumstances. Condolences to his family and everyone here, it will not be the same without him. Sad news for sure. RIP.

Are you giving me backchat!? Do I have to get the belt!? Hahahaha. Love ya brother! Yea, I did miss the year and it was pre-coffee. Not sure why but from the face I incorrectly recognized it as a MKI.

If its nice, reeeds nothing and ready to ride then 1500 would probably be light, albeit not by enough to call it a lowball. I would hold off on an offer before a ride to check for the dreaded 2nd gear issue or anything that can require money. Even weaping fork seals should knock a few hundo off the fair market value. If it needs TLC then $1500 may be quite generous. Facts are its a very old bike and ppwersports market is pretty soft across the board. I hope its the right machine at the right price, if you do snag it we'll be looking for a few pics! I hope it comes together for you.

Virtually all world class bikes sold in North America in recent history have been properly liquid cooled, with one notable German exception that comes to mind. Yamaha is among those considered a world class mfr. Liquid cooling comes with a whole host of pros and VERY few cons, but among those cons are weight and cost of manufacturing. Two things Yamaha could absolutely NOT add to the gen3 is more weight or in reased MSRP/decreased profit margin. I do believe its really simple. Those of us put off by the air cooling were not in Yamaha's demographic for the Venture anyway. I just hope heads and jug kits are cost effective for the guys that like to pile on the miles. Edit: I should clarify that last sentence, it sounded cynical and dickish but was not meant as such. I cant usually put smileys in my posts with the phone. What I meant was that based on experience with other popular air cooled narrow angle twins, I would speculate longevity and durability to be somewhere between HD and previous generations of Venture. I have no doubt that the gen3 twin will outlast an HD twin and probably with superior reliability, and that heat management is very good with regard to rider comfort. I only meant that it would be very reasonable to expect 100k to come after a valve job and maybe slugs-n-jugs, especially for a spirited rider.

I have been seeing RK mufflers at Gsales and swap meets frequently. Usually for

Nope. Dwindling. They are getting better but it's far to little, far to late. Consumers are wising up, it's to hard to deny the vastly better value offered by virtually any non-Chinese motorcycle manufacturer. Their targeted demographic is graying and hanging up the keys. Seems many younger guys aint so enamored as their fathers were. Far better alternatives exist now. I see them make for the younger buyers but then they have to compete with some really amazing machines from Japan and Germany, often for less money. Unless HD can make some honestly new models with some impressive hardware, they are all but gone. HD does not know this yet, but a paint scheme or theme is NOT a new model. If HD even went back and had a look at their Nova project, that could lead to something really cool. I'm still predicting they will be pretty much gone from the map within about 20 years. They may manufacture a few novelty bikes a year and possibly sell leftover merch, if customers for it exist, but being a mass manufacturer will just not be viable going forward. Remember how Indian was dormant and bought up, even Triumph went dark for a few years, although they came back in Hinkley and have been churning out some damn fine machines. I think HD has seen it's peak and prime, a while ago. The end is not all that far off for HD. As far as parts availability, absolutely. Millions of these things have been made and very few and slight changes between years. There are countless HD's aging on CL right now. Even after the company lawn darts into the earth we will be seeing HDs on the road for many years yet and parts plentiful on the used market. Also plenty of aftermarket.

I usually knock out 600-800 on the first day then slow it down to 400-500, so avg is probably just north of 500/day. Also I tour away from cities and traffic, hitting countryside and open roads so that 500 comes a lot faster than my counterparts riding in more congested areas or vacationing in cities. My personal best is a 1000 mi day on a Triumph Sprint, but I was younger then, not sure I would (or could) do that today. I'm just not in any real hurry unless I'm trying to get away from a city.

Nothing obstructing the bars or forks then I cant imagine anything else it could be, besides these bearings have a lot to do with these massive bikes and all the years already gone by. I'll bet those bearings come out bone dry and probably knackered if they are rough enough to cause a head lock. I'm sure it's maintenance many folks overlook as it is a bit of a PITA to service them. I think you are absolutely correct not to ride again until it's sorted out. As mentioned I used the All Balls Racing set and very pleased with quality and price. I figured if I was going through the labor to go in and service them I just as well aught to replace them with new since they were dern near 30 yrs old. BUT, I had to take my forks off and apart anyway so it seemed like the right thing at the right time. I do think it would be easier to take the tree loose, enough to get the bearings visible and maybe remotely cleanable and greasable without a full tear down. I did the full tear down and it was enough work that I wasnt about to put old bearings back in there. Mine were dry and tired, created a noticeable shimmy and vagueness at parking lot speeds but never bound or threatened to lock up. Quite the opposite, it felt as if it would simply fall off the bike at some point in the near future. Having fresh forks and head bearings changes the entire nature of the bike.

Also check cable and line routing and make sure nothing is hanging up. It seems odd that a set of head bearings would be in bad enough shape to cause the steering to bind like that and not exhibit other symptoms during normal riding. If it is the bearings then it's a little bit of a knuckle buster to replace them. I used the All Balls bearing kit and really happy with it.

Oh, I hear ya. To note; nothing is pavement bound to Puc! I recently picked up a KTM 2-stroke 250 dirt bike for the summer of festivities that lay ahead. Usually during Sturgis and tourist season here it's ride off the pavement or dont ride at all. That is unless one can deal with the all the HDs and RVs clogging up the road, I have real struggles with that myself. I spare myself the headaches. One of the bikes that has been calling out to me on and off for a few years has been a Vstrom. Plenty tour-able and some dudes get them pretty far out there in the sticks too. The Venture, mostly just because of it's sheer, soul crushing weight would not do much more than a tame gravel road with me on it. Of course a 1200GS is no lightweight either but to hold that up on anything more than fire trails one would have to have legs like oak trees. They tip the scales at around 3-4x that of a dedicated dirt bike. I'm in 100% agreement with you though, there is nothing like getting out there a bit and really enjoying where you are.

I would have to stick with the 1st gen MKII. Not only does it haul a$$, but it can haul almost as many groceries as my old Squareback dub. If I were going to drop some serious coin on a newer bike then it would have to be something that could leave the beaten path. Being pavement bound is the only notable disadvantage of the Venture I have found.

I ordered mine off Ebay from the US because I needed it very quickly, but I later found out that even of ordered from the other side of the pond it arrives pretty fast.

K&N are not stock on these but a new K&N comes with that sticker to make a tech aware it is of the reusable nature and not to throw it away. If you do go with paper then toss the K&N on Ebay, It should net a few bucks, thats where I got mine. A local powersports shop should have an AGM battery to fit, or be able to order one up. When I get home in the next couple days I'll be happy to look at group size and part # of mine, maybe easier than by application. For fork seals, you still have to slide the fork lowers off to replace, snapping in the other parts is easy at that point if you choose to go that way. There is a good youtube vid, ill link later when im at my comp and not on my phone. Its not really hard but there is some labor involved.

Synching the carbs really only takes several minutes after ya get the hang of it. I like the Morgan Carbtune, its a great gauge for a modest price. The boys on the Vmax board turned me on to it and its been really solid and easy to use There are some brands and ebay specials out there that aint so hot so whatever you choose do check reviews.

My bike runs like a champ, but when I run it without tbe air box and filter it does that exactly. Reinstall your air box and filter, make sure you snug all the screws down and try again. Its normal for this to happen with open carbs. On synching, they do need it if they were off the bike, im very particular about keeping them synched up. It makes a big diff in idle, off-ifle and low RPM operation depending on how far out they are. I do it once or twice a year or any time I touch carbs for any reason, it should become a part of regular maintenance. Let us know how it works. Oh yea, glad you got it this far! Its all coming together!

I had used Turbo Tax and each time I left money on the table. When I used the cut rate services it was the same. They are there to rush you through and get their cut, then on to the next. There is simply no replacement for a dedicated professional, as you now see. I did a review with my pro of many past years and found over $5000 left on the table. I make the smallest quarterly payments possible so that I do not give the IRS an interest free loan, like those that have to much withheld do. Anyone getting a fat refund needs to get with their guy and calculate witholding/quarterlies. Withhold just enough to avoid penalties, then just write a check upon filing. Let your money work for you by keeping ss much as possible through the year. Never forget that the IRS is NOT your friend. The more one has to loose the more one needs a qualified pro to protect them from the of the IRS. It is absolutely imparitave to feed that beast tbe absolute minimum legally possible.

Ill do my best and try to.take.these in order. I went to Dunlop Elite3 from Metzler marathons. So far so good and no more feathering/cupping. There are many good choices and it might depend on how/where you ride and what you meed your tires to do. I want a tire to last and still have reasonable grip. EBC HH pads really do work quite well to.stop these obese machines. I dont have the manual handy but the factory recomended NGK at the factory gap is ideal for a stock bike, and very cost effective. They have been great for both my Vmax and Venture. I have stick coils (COPs) so I run a different gap. Cheap Yuasa batteries suck, Ive been lucky to get anything more than a season out of one. I spent a little more last year and got the least expensive AGM battery I could find from a motorsports shop and Im very happy. Its got good zing and this is year two and still starts like new. I avoid buying anything from walmart, its really hit/miss IMHO. There are pretty fancy spendy batteries out there but the basic AGM is working fantastic. NEVER use a Fram. If you have one on the bike get rid of it today. I have a stack of NAPA Gold filters (made by WIX). There are other good filter choices but Fram aint one of them. Im sure someone will expand on other quality choices. As far as oil, simple Rotella 15-40 non-synthetic diesel oil is a highly popular choice for Vmax and Venture. That you can safely buy at walmart. I think T4 is conventional but cant recall exactly. I know some folks run semi and full synthetics, others CO oil leaks and other issues with synthetics in older engimes. Like tires you will hear many varying and passionate opinions. I have had my best luck running exactly what the factory calls for with regard to synthetic or conventional oils in all my cars and bikes. I know the conventional Rotella is an overwhelmingly popular choice and using it I can see why. Its cheap and works great. Is your air filter a K&N style reusable gause filter? They do flow better but the CV carbs are very sensitive to resistance of the intake/air filter assy. A free flowing filter may actually hurt performance. I had to do some dialing in on mine to make it work right, Ive been through my carbs and not stock. I use a reusable filter because I live miles down a dirt road. I suggest trying a paper filter if you have one and see if you can feel a difference in performance and MPG. I suspect the paper filter may work better but YMMV. Your care of the reusable filter is appropriate. I spray mine with the green, then let it sit in the sink a while, then spray it out with the water. I dont submerge it in the green, just spray it good and let it sit 15-20 min before rinse. I gently shake the water off and sit it on a shop towell and lightly oil after dry. Get all the pleats but dont get carried away with the filter oil. It doesnt take much. Your fuel should be fine. Avoid ethanol when you can but if the bike has to sit then absolutely avoid ethaanol tainted fuel. When it sits over winter get the tank as full as you can. Both my Venture and Vmax fired right up after being stored outside all harsh long South Dakota winter, so its okay. I hate to store bikes outside and next year Ill have a garage! But if it worked for me under these conditions you should be good to go. If it sat with ethanol in it and in the carbs you may be in for some headaches, the corn squeezings tend to gum stuff up and draw moisture in to wherever it is. If you find its a problem let us know and we'll go from there. Again, never ever store with ethanol. Both my Vmax and Venture run best with the LOWEST octane pure gasoline. I will use premium if its the only pure gas and ethanol as a last resort. Sometimes its all you can get, just dont store it with that stuff. Your filter should be fine. If you store with pure gasoline you should not have to flush or anything, just drop the battery in and go. When storing long term I so use a few oz seafoam. For.the forks, I have done mine. First and foremost NEVER EVER EVER..... EVER use aftermarket seals or any fork parts. ALWAYS use OEM yamaha parts here. Make sure your tech uses only OEM. These are bushing forks so it might be prudent to get bushings as well as the seals and dust covers, only OEM. I cant overstate that enough. There are youtube vids out there showing replacement of the Venture fork parts. Watch and see if you feel like it falls within the scope of your ability. Boats.net is one good place to get a deal on genuine Yamaha parts. The dealership prices are high bit deals to be had online. Did I mention to use only genuine Yamaha OEM parts in the forks, good! Read up on Progressive fork springs and see if you like the idea. If you do them now is the time to do it. Better handling and no need for air or anti dive systems with progressives, they run about $100 online. Im not sure what your budget is but its worth mentioning. I did them and its well.worth it YMMV. While into the forks make sure your steering head bearings are properly adjusted, its critical for proper handling. There is ayoutube vid on that and I hope someone can link it, I cant on my phone. I tried to separate this into sections for ease of reading but often when I post it forces into one giant paragraph, I apologize in advance for that. I hope this helps and invite others to correct me if I got any of it wrong. This is all stuff I have done on mine, and my Vmax and works awesome. If it works Ill take one of those cigars!! Haha. I hope this long winded response helps.