HermanK84VR

Hey Rich Been there done that and living with the pain, My Chiropractor has been good to keep me aligned and is one of the best in my area, he has been trained in lots of different treatments including Infrared massage and some old methods that will cause you pain but works including the Thumper you mentioned it is basically a medical grade Air Chisel bout is very effective to get the knots out. I have 3 compressed discs in my mid back and I too have gone in to the ER thinking I was having a Heart attack; within this area of the compressed discs the rib bone attached will pop in and out at random making it very difficult to breath, my only relief is to lay down on a hard surface and slowly stretch it out. the nerves in this area control gastro functions as well as heart and breathing so when things go wonky these nerves get pinched and simulate some heart attack symptoms, a good Chiropractor knows the Central nervous system and all pressure points. When the pain flares up and I have a hard time sleeping a single Gravol before bed is typically enough to relax the muscles while i sleep and i wake up fine but stiff and take it easy for the next couple days. I was a heavy user of Advil in the past but after my Hi BP diagnosis I am limited on drug choices for pain relief so weight control and watching what I do keeps the pain in check or away, lots of Stretching works for me to minimize the flare ups. Get better my friend Herman

Hi Steve I just sent you a PM Herman

Awesome Tim I will be starting the rebuild of my 84 this fall and can't wait to hear it purr this spring. have you had any more smoke from the engine covers? If No like i said it is common that grease and oil residue will burn off a freshly rebuilt motor even with just a gasket set change. Nice job overall and fun time following along with the restore. HermanK84VR

Congrats Tim on a job well done!! sounds awesome Don't fret the smoke it could also just be residue burning off from the engine cleaning products and re-assembly, that will all burn off after a couple of startups. Herman84VR

Hi Maddy Those numbers are not bad; because the bake sat for so long the low value cylinders are likely the cylinders that were at the bottom of the cylinders whereas the higher numbers were at TDC. It is Premature to say that you need to do a ring job. Here is what I do when i first startup a long time sitting engine insure it is not seized which we know yours is not. Change oil and filter. I use a decent quality dino oil for the first few startups and oil changes because it will not be in the engine for long and is being used as a media to clean out the internal case of the engine. I would fire up the bike get it up to operating temp, give her a couple good cracks of the throttle, carefully listening for any abnormal sounds. If all sounds normal let idle for 30 min or more, occasional cracking the throttle to near the redline: not sustained just a good crack of the throttle to bring the revs up; let it settle back down to Idle between throttle cracks. Shut it Down let it cool down fully then fire it back up and repeat the above. After the second run you should drain the oil to inspect its color, in some cases I have drained the oil over a paper towel to catch any debris that maybe in the engine, this will catch metal filings or even carbon deposits, I had one engine that was rusted so bad from internal condensation the oil looked brown to red ; it was a V-twin with one cylinder low in compression and the other normal compression after 5 oil changes oil was still coming out a rust color but compression was coming up in the low cylinder to within 10 PSI of the other. In the End to clear the rust color from the oil I used Seafoam in the Crankcase let it Idle for about 1 hr in the driveway and then Changed the oil and filter again and all was clear after that used royal purple synthetic 20w50 for motorcycles the bike runs like a top. the 2 cylinders are within 5 PSI of each other Fill with Fresh oil and new filter each time; fire it up for the third time and bring it up to operating temp shut it down and let it cool down enough that you can pull the plugs without burning your fingers then do your Compression Tests, record the results, put a shot of oil in each cylinder and repeat and record the compression tests. See how close the readings are now. if they are closer to equal you are good to go the normal rule of thumb is within 10 % of each other. When a piston and rings are at the bottom of the cylinder for a long period of time they can get stuck in the ring lands (grooves) but will eventually return to normal. In other cases they are held in by rust or carbon which the seafoam treatment will do the trick Herman 84VR

I suppose that's true, unless they cut me off then it is a 1 finger Salute LOL

Yup always do HermanK8VR

Hi Don Sorry to hear about your Health Issues, all meds are not created equal and affect everyone in different ways. Stress plays havoc on our bodies and minds as well you could be stressed and not even realize it when I was going thru my separation 8 years ago i had gone thru dizzy episodes as you described sometimes bad enough while driving I had to pull over on the side of the road and breath deeply until it subsided the dizziness went away once that chapter of my life closed. This spring I had been Diagnosed with HBP when they caught it I had a 103 deg fever with a sinus infection and a BP of 250/150. I was immediately prescribed BP meds and 4 months later I am on my 3rd different family of BP med due to Side effects, the first prescription worked great at controlling the BP but left me with a constant dry cough as the SE, second Prescription would not control the BP at all it never came down any lower than 145/110 at the max suggested dose, I am on my 3rd prescription now and has worked great for the last 3 weeks then all of a sudden I have balloon ankles feet and hands the amalodopine caused this side effect. Awaiting for the next appt to see what else the Dr can prescribe. Dizziness was listed as a possible side effect in all the meds I was prescribed especially when first waking up in the morning I experienced these effects a few times and dizziness when first starting a new Prescription, but no where near what you described. Our metabolism changes as we age and this will effect how our bodies react to synthetic medication, all of a sudden we have an allergic reaction to something that never bothered us before. So hang in there my friend it could be just a Med change or your body has built up an immunity/abundance to your current BP Med.

The Seafoam motor treatment that you normally would pour in your fuel tank can also be used in the Crankcase I believe it is 1.5 oz per quart of oil it recommends putting the seafoam in prior to an oil change and drive it for another 200 mi then change the oil. here is a link to Seafoam website https://seafoamsales.com/how-to-add-sea-foam-motor-treatment-to-gas-and-diesel-crankcase-oil/ hermank84VR

I had a similar issue with my 500 Virago I had a hard time finding 2nd gear and downshifting, I decided to try Seafoam in the crankcase I poured it in in late spring never drove the bike with the seafoam in the Crankcase, I just left the bike run at a hi Idle for about a Half Hour at a time did this about 3 times, then changed the oil and filter and used Royal Purple 20w50 for Air cooled MC my Bike now shifts normally without much effort on the shifter. It is worth a try, if that does not cure it then you may half a bent shift fork. HermanK84VR

Hi Guys I purchased the Princess auto unit a few months ago it came with Air /Hydraulic pump works great no issues lifting the Venture. It also came with a drive in wheel lock and is fairly secure. the only complaint is it does not come with any tie-down points, easily added with eye bolts. the removable tray under the rear wheel is great but still requires the bike to be up on the center stand which is a challenge when the front wheel is locked up in the wheel stop but doable with some help. HermanK84VR

I have had buddies unlock cylinders by pouring ATF or diesel into the cylinders and letting them soak for at least a week. Suction out the cylinders and try turning it over with no Plugs installed. Like Puc said it is hit and miss all depends on how long the rustys have been playing in the cylinders. Ideally if you can get it freed up enough to pull the pistons a fresh honing can clean up the cylinders. Rings may be bad you may have a taper in the cylinders or a heavy ridge all unknown until it is disassembled. with regards to water in the Carbs with the Boxes installed were the bikes in an area that may have gotten flooded at some time, maybe the bikes were submerged at some point. Hermank84VR

Hey Patch No Worries The Virago is just an inbetween bike the Motor was completely rebuilt about 6 years ago but they only ran it the first year due to Carb and Ignition issues. I have about 130PSi in the front and rear cylinders so I am confident the head gaskets are good as well as valves etc. I just wanted to Chime in to voice my experience in doing the Single carb swap the bike works great in the twists and hills without any hiccups. I was out on a ride last week running up and down hills in 5th gear @ 70 km/hr no hesitation or stuttering. Of course this will never compare to our V4's but like I said the single Carb swap works but does require tinkering to get it dialed in, it is not as simple as just bolting it up, you do need to know more than the basics and understand how the fuel/air flows thru the carb and what jets affect what range of throttle position etc etc. HermanK84VR

Hi Steven G Well to start the Right hand Muffler had a gapping hole worn into it; the PO laid the Bike down and bent the muffler inward and the Rear axle wore a hole thru it. secondly the Mix chamber between the 2 mufflers was completely rotted out to the point where the rear cylinder dropped into it was open, the left muffler was starting to perforate from rusting from the inside out. Like I said they were shot. I purchased open Slip-on mufflers and added baffles to bring the noise level down but still had less back pressure than the stock mufflers this in turn caused issues with the CV carbs I tried new boots , complete cleaning of carbs, re-jetting etc etc could not get the bike to run properly with the CV carbs and the exhaust combo, midrange always stumbled, after it was hot it would always hunt for idle, sometimes too high other times would drop too low and stall ( very scary when you pull in the clutch to shift cutting across traffic and the engine stalls) this happened way too much, so i started doing some research and found the single carb manifold and have not looked back My acceleration is better, no stalling or starting issues. Here are some pictures of my 84 Virago 500 with the single carb , I recently added an LED Headlight and Faring

Hi Earl So as not to Highjack this thread I have sent you a PM with some clutch questions for my future Project. Thanks in advance HermanK84VR

Hi Guys I have already done a similar conversion on my 84 Virago 500, My factory mufflers were shot and I put on some aftermarket exhaust (more open) therefore Vacuum was affected to properly operate the CV carbs on it. I found a site "VTCMotors" in Lithuania they manufacture single Carb manifolds for different makes and models of bikes including the Virago and Ventures. the Virago manifold with gaskets was only 58.50E works out to about $90cdn I already had a Mikuni VM34 carb with choke lever set this up and all stalling and starting issues are gone and recent mileage check is 46 miles/gal or 6 ltr /100km . the Venture Manifold is 111.75 E and will fit the 1200 and 1300 V4 + they also sell brand new VW Beetle 34 Pict 3 EMPI Carb for 119.25 E this equates to a total of about $350 cdn This is the route I am going with my 84 royale Hermank84VR

Awesome Job So far!! Cant wait to see the finished product. I have an 84 that I will be starting to disassemble this year and rebuild as well I like the look of the Satin Black on the block so I will probably go the same route. Thanks for keeping us all updated HermanK 84 VR

Thoughts and Prayers Brother to you and all your family Hermank84VR

I Picked up an 88 1300 for my 84 VR, same block as the 1200 on the outside just different Bore, Vmax Heads and Cams will bump you from 97 hp up to 120HP give or take. Engine mounts exactly the same, up to 1993, 2nd gen the rear cyl exhaust ports are different. HermanK84VR

Thoughts and prayers Puc to you and your Families. the unity and Strength of your Families will get you thru the Tough days. I just lost my Father in Law to the dreaded big "C" 2 weeks ago went to Hospital on Sunday evening he had 2 great days surrounded by all his children and Grandchildren, His Faith made his journey easy and he was at peace and ready to join the Lord. He toke his last breathe on Wednesday evening that same week.

Hi XV1100SE I rode years ago street and dirt and at 50 I am currently going thru a graduated License in NB, I picked up a 500 virago to get back in the saddle so to speak, and now have a venture. I have friends with multiple bikes so I am able to take out other bikes to try and gain experience. Not sure if your GL system in ONT is the same as NB but while on the GL you can drive any bike; there is no CC restrictions. I would go to every test ride event put on by your dealers and have her try different models. I agree with Fyingfool 250 cc is quite small and light even for just City travelling. My 500 is small for me at 5'10". The course provider will see how she does on the generic bikes (we had 125 Gromes) but had available some 350cc sportbikes and Honda rebels cant remember what cc. In the End the instructors are looking at safety first , then rider comfort this included alot of low speed maneuvering to promote balance and clutch/throttle control. Comfort in the means of leaning in corners panic stops etc. At 30 years old she at least has driving experience with a car because the next issue is cost of insurance for a new rider. there are many Insurance companies that will not insure new riders or will not take into account total driving experience. I was quoted $1200 for PL/PD for the 84 virago 500 by an insurance agent like this, went to another Ins agent that did and got ins for $350. Good luck and happy motoring HermanK84VR

Thanks Brother I have a Motorcycle lift table and had a heck of time to get my VR up on the Center stand while it was on the lift. I ended up using 2 trolley jacks, while the front end was secured with 2 straps, then lifted the rear at the Mono shock tower to swing the center stand, it was stressful to say the least. I will definitely look at building something, I looked at the standard Motorcycle Jack but even those wont work properly because our exhaust hangs below the frame I will keep ya posted. Hermank84VR

Hi Venture Members I searched for Motorcycle engine stands and or adapters all over the internet and was unable to find anything for our V4 engines. I decided to build my own set of adapters that will fit our V4 engines and be able to mount them onto a standard Automotive engine stand. It toke roughly an afternoon to build using Square tubing and scrap metal I had laying around here is what you will need 2 pces 1.5" Sq tubing 3/16" walls approx 8 " Long 2 pces 2" sq tubing 1/8" Walls 2.5" Long 2 pces 2" sq tubing 1/8" Walls 4.25" Long 4 pces 2" Flatbar 3/16" thick 3"long 4 pces 3/4" Sch 40 Black Iron Pipe, OD slides into the Engine Mount bosses nicely OD 1" 4 3/8"x3" bolts with Nuts and Fender Washers; these are used to secure the adapter to the V4 engine 4 1/2"x4.5" Bolts Nuts and Washers; these are used to mount the adapter to the engine stand the nuts are welded to the 1.5"sq tubing. Here are some pictures showing the built adapters

Hi Made2Care Looks bad, anything Metal is fixable but with the amount of work required to fix this would be best spent reinforcing a good frame. IMHO I think you should go through the EBAY return route and get re-imbursed for the bad frame you recd and then use that refund to cover shipping of Cowpuc's early offer of a frame at least you know you are starting with a good foundation. HermanK84VR

Hang in there Brother, one thing at a time, we have all seen your past restore work , You got this! As for which Frame to keep as your platform, if the old frame has not been touched by a a bad welder it is likely It can be fixed with less of a chance of issues with alignment, versus the ebay purchase where you are not certain the repair was done properly to ensure proper alignment. The Tear down is nearly complete get it flipped over and cleaned up and go from there. Keep us posted Hermank84VR