Freebird

Floyd, It depends on what you are trying to do. If you want to just attach a picture, before submitting your message...scroll down just a bit and click on the "manage attachments" button. Browse your computer for the file and then upload it. If you are trying to put a picture within your message, it has to be uploaded somewhere else. In that case...you click on the yellow square with mountain in it on the tool bar and then enter the url of where the picture is uploaded to. Don

The battery light simply monitors the level of the electrolyte. Make sure that the level is up...if it's not...add distilled water. It would be a dirty probe also. You might want to clean it off. Don

By the way, I see that you have a '99. If you are having problems with transmitting, receiving, squealing, etc.....look to the antennas. The antennas on the '99 were total junk. I had a LOT of problem before changing mine to aftermarket. Yamaha went with a different design in the 2000 and later models.

You will need to lift the trunk. I've been into it and it's not difficult. Why are you checking the connections? Never heard of a problem with the connections in the unit itself. What kind of problem are you having?

I've got to put together the filter cross reference again. First thing you will need though is the Rivco adapter to convert it to the spin ons. The one that they list is the Fram PH-3950 but you can cross reference that to a lot of different ones. http://saturn.dnsprotect.com/~rivcopro/products/product.php?productid=93&cat=201&page=1 Don

No more rev limiter for me either...I too have the Dyna. That being said though, I had never hit it in 4th or 5th and in fact, these bikes will run faster in 4th. I've had it as fast as it would go in 5th...kicked it down to 4th and got more speed. Don

By the way, there is a GREAT article in the tech library that covers this. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=502

Please add to this list if you think of something that I have missed. Chirp. There has been a lot of discussion on the "chirping" sound on the second gen Venture and Royal Stars. There is often some confusion about this sound. These bikes use straight cut gears which create a whine that is best described as the sound made by an old granny gear truck when you are letting it coast. That is a normal sound that is characteristic of the straight cut gears. The sound that is NOT normal is a high pitched chirping sound. This is a result of improper clutch basket clearances. Yamaha has replaced many clutch baskets under warranty and many people have reported that this has greatly reduced or eliminated this noise. Dry drive splines. Yamaha seems to be very stingy with the grease that they use on the rear drive spines on these bikes. There have been many reports of noise from the drive area. Yamaha has lubed some of these as a warranty issue but many of us have done the job at home. It requires a lift to remove the rear tire and then pulling the drive shaft to lube the front splines and also removing the rear drive from the wheel hub to grease the "fingers". Trunk Cracks. The 1999 model RSV had an issue with the trunk bottoms cracking. Yamaha came out with a support kit to address this problem and installed it under warranty. Audio Problems. Many people have had problems with the audio system due to back connections of the 5 din plugs inside the fairing. The fix is to split the fairing, unplug the connectors and apply a bit of dielectric grease to the pins. CB Antennas. The 1999 model RSV came with very poor CB Antennas. Many were replaced under warranty. The design was changed with the 2000 models. Many have replace the '99 antennas with aftermarket units. Backfiring. Upon deceleration, many have experienced a loud backfire. This actually sounds like a cannon going off. Some have corrected the problem by syncing the carbs but many of us have plugged the AIS system to stop this problem completely. There is a tech article here on plugging the AIS.

We had a list before the crash that was lost. I will list the things that I remember, please add the things that I am forgetting. Cracked frames. Early Ventures, '83 models specifically, have been know to develop cracked frames. This occurs just above the area where the center stand attaches. Second Gear. In models from '83 through mid '85 there is a problem with the bikes losing second gear. It does not happen on all bikes but is very common. Usually starts by slipping out of second gear on hard acceleration. Can be repaired by a savvy home mechanic but does require the removal of motor. Expensive fix if you have it done at a dealer. I've seen estimates approaching $2,000.00 Stators. Early models suffered from stator failure due to over heating. Later models incorporated an oil cooling system. Cracked trunks. Very common to find the bottom of the trunks cracked out. Class air suspension controller. E4 errors are common. Caused by bad solders on the circuit board within the controller. Easy fix if you are familiar with using a soldering iron. There is a tech article here to deal with the fix. Front end wobble. Pretty common. Various causes but usually either a slightly cupped front tire or loose steering head bearings. Repacking and proper tightening of the head bearings is highly recommended whether you have experienced the wobble or not. Exhaust collector. Baffles become loose and cause a rattle. There is a tech article on opening up the collector and repairing. There is also an after market system out that does away with the collector.

This was originally submitted to me years ago when I had a forum for the Honda Shadow. No reason why it wouldn't work on the Venture also. Polishing the Lower Forks All right, you've added all those chrome accessories to your bike and you look at your lower forks (sliders) and you want to spiff them up. Whether you just don't like that dull, swirling, satin pattern &/or you have nicks and/or scratches - you want them to gleam like the rest of your bike. You find out that to chrome them is not only expensive but you won't be riding for nearly a month (maybe more) because you will have to remove them and send them out. Can't handle the expense or the down time? You can polish them to a lustrous sheen - almost chrome like. This is manual/hand labor - quite a few hours. Your hands will get real tired. If you want a perfect job/end result, you'll wind up spending two afternoons doing it. Plan on a total of 5 to 8 hours, depending on your endurance and what shape your sliders are in before you begin. Road nicks and scratches will be sanded out and require extra time. (Mine were nicked up - this is what prompted me to do this.) Some people have told me they used a Dremel. I did not. My theory was that the Dremel sanding drum is a cylinder and so are the sliders - minimal contact points - most likely leading to furrows and ridges. Even on a flat surface (like the brake reservoir cover) the Dremel will sand in uneven rows/furrows. An orbital palm sander will finish a flat surface much better. This is not the case when doing the sliders. So, I opted for hand sanding, curling my fingers around the sliders and going at it with a graduation of finer grits. You start off with dry sanding and coarse grit, working up to wet sanding and finer grits to achieve a silky smooth finish. It's that simple in theory - and it works - but you have to put a lot of manual labor into it. I am not trying to talk you out of it. I am a realist and want you to know this is not a quick fix. Yet, it's worth it and comes out looking great! You have a few options to make your work easier. You have to remove the fender because there is no clearance to sand between the fender and the sliders. Once you do that, you are free to follow the procedure listed below. You could remove the sliders (but that's a pretty big job!) so you can work on a bench (faster and easier). I only removed the fender, got my camping stool and went at it. You also could apply a (toxic) stripper (now, now) to remove the clear coat from the sliders but I did not want the mess and any possible damage to the rims or spokes. To remove the fender, here is a hint from my mech. Jack up the bike to raise the front end, remove the wheel and use a scissors jack to push/seperate the forks to a wider position (don't over do it, just enough) to allow the fender to come out easily - w/o scraping/scratching the paint. Don't tweak the forks out of shape and damage them - you only need a little extra clearance supplied by the scissors jack! All that said, here's what I did: Starting off with DRY SANDING: 3M Aluminum Oxide for metal 1) medium grit - # 100 - to remove clear coat & smooth out nicks/scratches 2) fine grit - # 230 - to lessen marks of the 120 & the last of nicks/sratches Proceed with WET SANDING (get a pail of water) 3) medium grit - # 400 - really work it, eliminate nicks/scratches and all previous dry sanding marks - only now see #400 abrasions. 4) medium/fine grit - #600 - you're heading for the finish, smoothing it out 5) fine grit - # 800 - keeps getting easier, you are attaining a finished surface 6) finishing grit - #1200 - now you are getting the silky/final surface Optional step: Rubbing Compound (yeah, I'm a perfectionist) 7) tearing up an old T-shirt, creating a "shoe shine boy's" cloth, liberally apply compound to cloth, wrap it around the slider, and pull back alternately on the ends to work the complete surface of the slider to a "glass" smooth surface. Polish the sliders (your choice, Mother's or Simichrome or whatever shines best) 8) using a clean section of that T-shirt, apply polish (I used Mother's) and work that "shoe shine" rag over the complete surface of the sliders. When you stand back to admire your work, you'll be amazed. You'll forget about all the cursing of me that you did. You'll grin or laugh or say something out loud - it'll look that good - and you'll forget how tired your arms and hands are. The jury is still out for me on whether or not to apply a paste wax to the sliders to protect them. I did not. Other people told me that they did. I feared the wax would discolor my labors over time. I did my sliders in December of 98. Five months later and three or four washings, they still look great and shine. I am a low maintenance type of guy as far as cosmetics go. I ride, I don't spend time washing/polishing. I keep my bike garaged and covered - which helps a great deal. I ride to work whenever I can but it's a short commute (darn). I ride every other weekend because I have my kids every other weekend - so I average about 400 miles on those weekends. I mention all this so you understand why I did not put wax on the forks and why I wash the bike only once a month. Hope all this helped and you are completely happy with your polished forks/sliders! I am sure you will be. I hope the maintenance is little and you get to ride that shining beast a whole bunch! Happy motoring... Submitted by Crazy Charley

ADJUSTING THE HEADLAMP 1. Put yourself on the scooter and position it upright, i.e., riding position. Have the other person measure from the center of the headlamp to the floor of your garage. 2. Measure off 25' from the front of the lamp and draw a line (horizontally that corresponds to the floor to lamp center point) on the wall. 3. Turn your lights on and put them on high beam (not low beam). First, adjust the vertical (with your weight still on the bike) so the light is even above and below the horizontal line you drew on the wall. Then adjust the horizontal so you have an equal amount of light to the left and right of the center point. This should put you "almost perfect" on high beam and low beam. Good Luck.

CUTTING DOWN A WINDSHIELD Cutting lexan is easy if you have patience and a Sabre saw or a Dremel You will also need: 1. Duct tape 2. A fine tooth blade for the Sabre saw or a Dremel with a cutting wheel 3. Big sheet of poster board 4. Fine tipped marker 5. Bastard file 6. Various grades of emery cloth and wet and dry sand paper First, decide how much lower you want the windshield. Cover the windshield with the big piece of poster board, and mark carefully where the lower point of the windshield is. There should be some mounting points, or a bar that goes all the way across the windshield at about handle bar height. Tape the poster board to the windshield or get a friend to hold the poster board while you trace the outline of the windshield, paying close attention to the top curvature. Spread this paper on a level surface, and cut out the pattern you now have of your full size windshield. If you need the windshield lowered 1", take it off the BOTTOM of your pattern or fold the pattern up 1"!! Very important--you are not cutting the windshield as the bottom, but rather you are "lowering" curvature of the windshield so that now your pattern will show the curvature 1" lower. Take the windshield off the bike, lay it down carefully on a blanket or something where the windshield won't get scratched. Put your new shorter pattern on the windshield. Eyeball where the new top will be, and put a layer of duck tape in the rough area of where you will be cutting so the windshield won't crack while cutting. Now tape the pattern down correctly, and trace your new top curve onto the duck tape. I put the windshield on my lap, main curve upward. BE CAREFUL WHILE CUTTING. Start your Sabre saw on one edge, and SLOWLY, work up the line you've traced onto the duck tape (or Dremel if you choose to use that tool instead). Soon you'll have the excess 1" (or whatever) on the floor. Now with the bastard file smooth out the cut you just made. Use your artistic sense to get this part done. Take off the duck tape, and using the file, start "rounding" or beveling the edge. BE CAREFUL!! The file slips, you get a scratch, it's there forever. When you get it roughed in, use a block with emery cloth around it to do the fine work. Finish off with fine emery paper, wet, and eventually you will have a factory edge. Total time s about 2-4 hours, depends mainly how picky you are about making the edges just so. Submitted by Camo

Clutch Hope this will explain all you will ever have to know about the clutch in your Venture, because sooner or later the tack will start going up faster then the speedometer when you punch it to pass. The one strange thing I have noticed about the Venture clutch is that you notice slippage in the higher gears not in first or second. The time it takes to inspect the clutch in your Venture before a long trip is well worth it. Things you will need before starting 5 mm Allen or hex socket, 6 new springs or diaphragm spring, a new clutch gasket, a 6 in ruler, a set of calipers or a 01 in micrometer. With the bike on the side stand the clutch cover can be removed with out loss of oil and if you start with a cold engine a novice should be able to complete the the inspection within two hours (one hr. at the Yamaha shop). After you have the cover off, remove the six bolts from the clutch and remove the driven plate (pressure plate), then remove the steel and fiber disks inspecting them for excessive wear and color. If the steel plates look blue or purple in spots or the knurling (diamond shaped indentations) are uneven replace them as they are warped. If they look good it might be a good idea to have them glass beaded or sand blasted to remove any glaze as they seem to cause slippage before the fiber plates are out of tolerance. You should now see the last metal plate held in with a long wire that goes all the way around the center of the clutch boss. This plate and the friction plate behind it need not be checked unless you intend to replace all of the metal plates. Have them de glazed if the clutch has been chattering, because they are, used as a damper. Now check the splines on the clutch boss for chafing where the plates run, as this can cause erratic operation. If the chafing (necks or grooves) are slight to moderate, you can carefully de-burr with a file or replace the boss. Now check all parts to see that they are within there ware limits listed. If the friction plates are ok it might be a good idea to de glaze them with a wire brush. I have listed the parts and there ware limits for both types of venture clutch. To reassemble start with one of the 6 friction plates that have the two round notches, alien the two notches with the two marks on the clutch housing, now place a metal plate on the clutch boss, repeat this until you have replaced the 6 plates then take the last plate with the large square notch and alien it with the two marks on the clutch housing . When you put the pressure plate on, alien the mark on the clutch boss with the hole or mark on the pressure plate then place the 6 springs or the diaphragm spring and retainer and tighten the 6 bolts evenly. replace the clutch cover and torque the 5 mm bolts to 8.7 ft-lb. most of the information in this article can be found in a Yamaha service manual that can be purchase through M.T.A. Remember to replace the hydraulic fluid with dot 3 once a year or if turns dark. Parts Standard clutch 1983-1985 6 springs #90501-24734-00 normal length 41.6 mm / 1.64 in minimum length 40.3 mm / 1.59 in replace if the springs are to short or you have over 30,000 miles on the clutch. 6 friction plates #26h-16307-00-00 1 friction plate #26h-16331-01-00 1 friction plate #26h-16321-00-00 thickness 2.9 to 3.1 mm / 0.1142 to 0.1220 minimum thickness 2.8 mm / 0.11 in 7 metal clutch plates #26h-16324-00-00 thickness 2.2 to 2.4 mm / 0.0866 to 0.0945 in no minimum listed warp limit 0.2 mm / 0.0079 in 1 clutch boss #26h-16371-00 1 gasket #26h-15462-00 1986-1991 venture / v-max diaphragm clutch 1 clutch spring #1fk-16334-00-00 6 friction plates #26h-16307-00-00* 1 friction plate #26h-16321-00-00* 1 friction plate #26h-16331-00-00* 7 metal clutch plates #26h-16324-00-00* 1 metal clutch plate #1fk-16352-00-00* 1 clutch boss #1fk-16371-00-00 1 gasket #26h-15462-00-00* *(parts are the same as 1983-85 clutch) Fred J. Vogt

Carburetor maintenance I have used this procedure for over 15 years on all types of carburetors from lawn mowers to high performance cars and have always had good results as long as the carburetor was in good mechanical order. Cleaning the carburetors will not help a carburetor with a worn nozzle or a leaky diaphragm on a slide. The carburetor cleaner I use is berryman b-12 chemtool in the spray can and the pint size can, but any good carburetor cleaner should work if you can get it in a spray and pint can. Cleaning the carburetors Place the bike on the center stand and remove the cover of the air cleaner and the filter exposing the top of the carburetors, start the engine and open the throttle to make sure the slides are all moving; if one or more of the slides fails to move you may have a broken diaphragm or a clogged jet. Use the spray can to clean the insides of the carburetors spraying into the jets at the top and the throat of the carburetors . If the engine stalls restart and continue until it looks clean. Replace the filter and cover, now turn the gas tank valve to the off position and restart the engine and run it until it stops. Remove the supply hose (top hose) from the fuel pump and replace it with a suitable sized hose long enough to reach the ground and put it into the pint can of cleaner. Now turn the key on and allow the fuel pump to fill the carburetors before trying to start the engine. (note the fuel pump has a safety feature and you may have to turn the key off and on until the pump fills the carburetors) Start the engine using the choke to keep the engine running about 1000 rpm and allow it to run for about 5 min., then go get a cup of coffee or clean the outsides of the carburetors to use up the can of spray, waiting about 20 min. Restart the engine and (*) use the throttle to increase the rpm and work all the moving parts of the carburetors, the run for 4 min. and wait for another 20 min. if you used the spray on the outside of the carburetors be sure to re- oil the moving parts with a light machine oil and if all of the slides worked when you tested them you can re connect the fuel line while your waiting. when the time has past you can turn the gas valve to the on or reserve position and open the drain valves on the carburetors (lower right on each carburetor) when the carburetors are empty close the valves and turn the key on to fill the carburetors with fuel. also if you are storing the bike for the winter you could drain the carburetors and not restart the engine. (*)IF one or more of the slides did not move when you tested them you should re-test them at this time by removing the air cleaner cover and filter and watching the slides. If one of them are still not moving, note the problem slide and turn off the engine. Remove the cover plate and inspect the diaphragm then carefully remove the spring and slide from the carburetor. Before continuing we suggest you use eye protection. You will see a jet in the upper right side of the opening place the nozzle of the spray can against this jet cover the opening with your hand so that the excess spray won't get in your eyes and give it a good shot; cleaner should come out of the top of the carburetor. if it seems clear then wipe off the slide and the hole it came out of and reassemble the slide making sure that you replace the diaphragm exactly as you found it! Fred J. Vogt Throttle cables The throttle cables on the Venture can cause you some grief if they brake on your vacation or even on a 100 mile Sunday ride if your 50 miles from home. There are four cables that are used to control the carburetors and they use a push/pull method; that is they use a positive return on the throttle that dose not rely on the return spring to shut down the carburetors. there is a fifth cable that is used by the Venture curse which will disable the curse if it fails. all five cables connect together at the control box and you can view it by looking up behind the left hand fairing at the front of the bike. I have not found a way to replace these cables with out removing the left fairing, radio and the black plastic shield behind the radio. This could be done with the tools in the tool kit supplied with your Venture, so you could repair the cables if you had a spare. Although any of the five cables could brake, most of the failures I have heard of are the two cables that connect the hand throttle to the control box. these cables normally fail at the hand throttle on the handle bars because they are worked more and are exposed to water and dust, more then the ones at the control box because the cables are in side. If the return cable brakes it will not stop you, but you will notice that the Engine will lose RPMs slower than normal and the hand throttle will feel funny. Maintenance of the cables is simple and should be done every 10,000 miles or once a year. To check and oil the throttle cables disassemble the hand throttle, clean and use A drop of light machine oil (sewing machine oil) work it in and reassemble the throttle. Just in case you have a problem before you get a chance to check the cables here are some thoughts on how to get home or to a repair shop. You could use the choke lever to increase the RPMS then get the bike over 35 mph, set the curse and use it to increase your speed. You could also get the MTS towing package offered through MTA and be only a phone call away from help. Fred Vogt MTA 1037

Starter This article should help the do-it-yourselfer understand the probable cause and cure for the starter. The starter is a high speed DC motor that uses carbon brushes much like the ones used in a rechargeable drill motor and can have the same or similar problems. If your starter drags (runs slow) when you try to start the bike in cold weather or when the bike is at operating temperature, you have one of two possible problems: You will need a battery or you need to fix the starter. If the battery is okay, you are going to have to remove the starter from your bike to find the problem. To remove the starter, I would suggest that yon start by removing the radiator and the thermostat housing. I have found the best way to remove the radiator is to take all the hose clamps and four 10 mm bolts on the side, loosen, then pull the top hoses off; then take the bottom ones off using great care with the small hose in the center of the bottom tank. This tube is the only one that is NOT SOLDERED! It is a press fit and if You pry too much or slip and hit it as I did, you will find yourself on the way to the local radiator shop to have it fixed. To remove the thermostat housing, remove the two 5 mm cap head screws at the bottom of the unit and remove the small metal tube; then the large plastic pipe from the housing or the pump. Now remove the two 10 m bolts holding the rear of the starter to the motor and remove it from the motor. NOTE: It's a tight fit, so spray some WD-40 on the front of the starter where it fits into the motor and carefully pry it out. Now that the hard part is done, you should clean the outside of the starter and look for a scribe mark on the front and rear covers where they meet the center part of the housing. Now, remove the two screws that hold the starter together and tap the rear cover off. Note there is an O-ring seal at this joint, so be careful not to damage it! You can now see the rear bearing and the brushes; check them for wear. Carefully remove the front cover and the armature from the center part of the housing. Note this cover also has an O-ring seal. Inspect the parts for rust and wear, use #600 emery paper to clean the corrosion from the commutator. A dirty or corroded commutator is the most likely culprit for a dragging starter with a bad rear bearing running a distant second. If the bearing is stiff when you turn it, try a thin oil or WD-40 on the back of the bearing until it turns freely. This should work unless the bearing is damaged; and in that case, it will have to be replaced. Yamaha does not have a part number for the rear bearing, so take the number off of the bearing and go to your local bearing outlet, then go down to your dealer and have the bearing changed. Check the armature shaft where it fits in the front cover and the gear at the end of the shaft for wear. If you find noticeable wear, the starter will have to replaced. Next, you should check to see that the coating on the copper wires of the armature is not damaged. If you find exposed copper wire, cover it with a coating of shellac, varnish or clear fingernail polish. The last thing to check is the commutator itself. To do this check the spaces between the copper bars to be sure they are free of foreign material and that they are slightly lower than the copper bars. Most starters will only need cleaning, but if the commutator needs work, Page 7-4 of the service manual covers the necessary steps to be taken. If you have decided to replace the brushes, install them before you reassemble the starter. If you found rust inside the starter and you have used the high pressure water at the car wash, you know what to do, or should I say you know what not to do. Reassemble the starter and remember to line up the scribe marks before tightening the screws, and you could also use some non-adhesive silicon to help the O-rings do their job. Test the starter before you install it by using jumper cables and a battery, then test it again after you have it bolted in place. If it passed the tests, reassemble the rest of the bike. Fred Vogt, #01037

Cruise Question: My '88 Royale will be going along fine on cruise when all of a sudden, it shuts off. I can't associate it with hitting a bump or anything like that. Any ideas? Answered: If the resume light comes on and you can reset the cruise; the Clutch lever has to much play (this should also allow you to start the motor in gear), or the rear brake switch is to tight and needs adjusting. The clutch lever is the most common; it can be a worn bushing or a bad switch, or on high mileage bikes it can be a warn pivot hole in the lever its self. The series circuit for this goes from the clutch switch to the hand brake switch to the cancel switch to the rear brake switch. These switches are all normally closed, so any switch can kill the cruse. Has it lost 5 miles per hr from the set speed? This could be the vacuum pump or the speed sensor on the speedometer. Their are tests in the service manual to check out these possibilities Fred Vogt The following problem came up at V-Daze in Kalispell MT. . The member got the bike to a Yamaha shop that worked long hours to try to get this member back on the road. They changed the stator, regulator and even put a new battery in the bike and because they didn't find the problem they didn't charge the member for the work or the parts they used. I would like to thank that dealer for trying so hard to resolve this member's problem and if they read this. "thank you for your support" Symptom: Battery shows discharge with the motor running, if the clutch lever is actuated it charges again. If the front or rear brake is actuated it charges, but not as much as if the clutch lever is depressed. The curse control will not work. All of the fuses are ok. If you disconnect the wiring to the clutch switch or ether brake switch the bike charges normally. If you disconnect the cruise control unit it dose not help. If you disconnect the vacuum pump it dose not help. If you disconnect the cruise controls on the right handle bar the bike charges normally. Checking resistance with a meter shows no shorts or shorts to ground on any of the connectors. Solution: Upon dissembling the cruise controls on the right handle bar we found a wire from the cancel switch pinched under a screw that held the switch together. After taping the wire and reassembling the controls the bike worked normally. Note: To say that this was a bizarre problem would be an under statement. It was obvious that this wire was pinched at the factory when it was assembled; but waited for 30,000 miles to show it's ugly head. I call this type of short an active short and is very difficult to find because unless voltage is present it will not show a short on any meter. The path for the cruise control cancel voltage is from the rear brake to The front brake then to the clutch switch then to the controls on the right handle bar and finally to the cruise control unit. I doubt that this problem is going to be a common one but; it dose bear thought because any short in the canceling circuit of the cruise will give similar symptoms. Fred Vogt 1037

Desiccant Canister The following E-Mail was was written to Bench Wrench (Fred Vogt) when he was writing that column for the VTS Motorcycle Roads and gives the answer to how to refresh the desiccant in the canister attached to the Class air pump. Fred: Thank you for answering my inquiry so quickly. You were concerned about my reason for being in my bike's desiccant canister. Well like I said I just recently purchased this machine and have no maintenance history on it. Being mechanically inclined I bought a service manual, micro fiche, and have been on line trying to find out as much as I can while performing the initial maintenance on it. Both the owners manual and service manual tell me to replace the desiccant every two years or sooner if used in areas of high humidity. Wanting to do a thorough job I opened the canister and found the BB sized silica gel colored a very light color blue. I thought that odd because the service manual mentioned colorless when new, and turning pink when time to replace - no mention of blue. Naturally I was stumped when they turned dark blue upon heating them up. That's when I made my inquiry. I have since learned something about silica gel desiccant, it can be regenerated with heat. Furthermore the beads I had in my bike were of the indicating type, they were made with a "0.4 TO 0.5% cobaltious chloride" content. In translation, blue is dry, dark blue is very dry. They turn pink when saturated and can be baked blue over and over again. Sounds to me like Yamaha really wants my money at $48 a pop. Needless to say I just baked my beads in the oven at 250 degrees for two hours till they were nice and blue then poured them back into the canister for another two years. Amazing what a little information can do for ya! Again many thanks for maintaining the bench Wrench site, I've learned quite a bit, web page helped tip the balance in favor of my getting this bike. After having worked on my machine these past few weeks I can say I am not disappointed! Thanks, Broderick J. Maher NOTE: I received this tip from another member here. "I came across the mention of refreshing the desiccant for the Class and the high cost for the stuff from Yamaha, and I wanted to mention that you can get it relatively cheap from any place that sells dryer for hearing aids. It is the same stuff and you can get a whole can of it for under $10." He told me that he found it at Walgreen's.

Frame Front Suspension Fork springs: At the 1985 V-Daze I attended a seminar given by Yamaha Motor Corp. and during that seminar, I asked this question "why do my front forks bottom when I stop on ruff pavement?". The answer "If you have more then 24,000 miles on the bike you should replace the fork springs" I left the seminar and rushed to the Progressive Suspension both and got the last set of after market replacement springs. I have over 176,000 miles on those springs and have been pleased with their continued performance. You can find a link to Progressive Suspension's web site on the links page of this web site. Fork seals: The fork seals on your Venture are tender and if you get even a small neck in the fork tubes they will start leaking! So before you replace the seals be sure to check the tubes for nicks. If you do find nicks, feel them and if you can feel it so can the seal, with a small fine file VERY CAREFULLY smooth only the high spot of the nick. Zerk fittings This article appeared In September l988 Issue of Venture road on page 15 and In 1991 Yamaha installed grease fittings as standard equipment There has been a lot of talk about installing zero fittings on the mono shock assembly and I have heard that at least one Priority Network dealer is doing just that. I decided to start with a set of arms off the wrecked '83 I have in the garage. Although this bike only had 14,000 miles on it, I could see some wear or pitting on all the metal surfaces and after some thought, I set off for the local auto parts store to purchase a 1/4-24 tap, a 7/32" drill, 2 long zerk fittings (11/16" overall) and 3 short ones (9/16" overall). The bill was $5.35 for the lot and as I drove home I could have kicked myself for waiting so long. Procedure... With the bike on the center stand, remove both mufflers and place a board under the rear tire to take the load off the assembly. Then remove the four bolts and the two bearings at the bottom of the mono shock. (Note: There are dust caps on each side of these bearings and they are not all the same, so make a note on where they came from). After you remove and clean both arms, you are ready to get started. I took my time with the first hole between the bushings marked "A", starting with a 1/16" drill, then a 7/32" drill and keeping the tap straight, I tapped the hole and installed one of the short zerks. The bushings marked "B" were not as simple because the '83 Venture has a metal bushing about .030" thick and I felt that the zerk was too long to go straight into the arm, so I used part of the weld to gain a little thickness but a thin washer would also have done the trick. Remember to drill the holes as close to the center as possible so the drill goes through the groove in the center of the bushings. (Note: 1984-87 Ventures have the thicker fiber bushing in the "B" position, so you only need to drill and tap through the one side of the bushing so that the zerk extends a little into the fiber to hold the bushing in place). The last two bushings marked "C" are drilled and tapped through the raised portion and then counter sink the holes with a clearance drill deep enough so the zerk extends into the fiber bashing. After you thoroughly clean the bearing surfaces, re-install the arms back in the bike and use enough grease to insure an even coating. Wipe off the excess grease. Now each time you change oil, give each of the fittings a little shot of grease for a smooth ride. Fred Vogt, #01037 On later models the procedure is the same and on the "C" bushings you will notice a flat spot where it looks like a grease fitting could go. http://www.venturerider.org/pictures/swing.gif Venture Rear Wheel Service You may ask, "Doesn't my dealer do that?" NOT UNLESS YOU TELL, HIM THAT YOU WANT IT DONE. This service should be completed every tire change or 10,000 miles (16,000k) or at least every two years; but in most cases it isn't done because we don't always have a dealer replace our tires and/or we don't tell him to do the work. So if you just bought the bike or you are not sure it has been done, it would be a good time to think about servicing the rear wheel of your Venture. The procedure is fairly simple to do on bikes without a trailer hitch and only a little harder if your bike has one. Remove the rear bags, right muffler, rear brake caliper and deflate the tire; then remove the rear wheel. If your Venture is a 1983, 84, or 85 you will need to remove the rear drive or differential and remove the drive shaft. Clean the drive shaft and coupling, then grease both ends before putting it back in (note: make sure that the shaft goes back into the u-joint. If you are not sure, remove the spring on the boot covering the u-joint and check it. Next clean the spline or gear on the rear drive and grease it with a good quality grease, personally I use a medium Moly based grease. Now find a couple of 2" x 4" and place the rear wheel spline side up on the boards. When you clean the hub and splines off you will see the spring clip or circlip that holds the hub in place; remove this clip and before you remove the hub mark the possession of the hub so you can replace it in the same holes it came from. Now clean the hub and inspect it for wear then apply grease to the inside of the hub and to the six posts that fit into the wheel. Check the o-ring on the wheel to be sure it is in place before you replace the hub and circlip. Check the bearings inside of the wheel and check the bearing movement; if they are rough or worn replace them. Now for the mono shock pivots place a jack under the rear drive to take the strain off of the mono shock then dissemble. Clean and grease all of the pivot points and reassemble (if you have a 90 - 93 or you have had grease fittings installed, just give them a squirt). Before you install the rear wheel take the axle and put it back through the swing arm into the final drive to check the alignment. If you find that it is in a bind you will have to change the wedge shim between the final drive and the swing arm. Check the oil level in the rear drive or replace the oil if it has been 10,000 miles since it was serviced and check the brake pads for wear. You can now reassemble your bike and have another year or two of trouble free riding. Fred J. Vogt, #01037

LIGHTS LIGHTS AND MORE LIGHTS It seems that every time we buy some thing new for our venture it has a light or two attached or needs 12V power to run it, and the alternator can only give so much to keep up with our demands for more power. The alternator can produce between 20 and 24.5 amps and after taking away the 10-12 amps needed for the normal operation of the bike you have about 10 amps to work with. Now when you add a trailer you tax the system even more because most trailer lights take about 2.5 amps for running lights and 5-6 amps when the brake lights come on. That doesn't leave much left for the rest of the goodies we have installed that use power so it would seem we have a problem? NO PROBLEM, it only means we need a power manager and the simplest is to have all of the lights we have installed on one or more switches so we can turn them off when there not needed. Speaking of installing lights, trailer or a sidecar the following are some tips on the best place I have found to hook up to power. Lights For lights; any convenient brown wire will supply 12V switched on by the key, but if you also wish use a power bus to supply all of the extra lights you have added, then use the large brown wire coming from the Ignition. switch and be sure to add a 15-20A fuse because this wire comes directly from the main fuse through the Ignition. switch. Then use this source to power all of the switches to control your lights. Trailers Trailers are a different story because your brake lights and tail lights are monitored by the computer and if they are hocked up wrong they can damage the sensor board in the computer. the safest place to attach trailer lights is at the rear brake switch using the brown wire for the running lights and the yellow wire for stop lights. For turn signal lights you can connect directly to the dark green wire at the right turn light and the chocolate wire for the left turn light. For those of us that all ready have trailers and extra lights it might be a good idea to check on the wiring to see that it was done the safe way. Relays I have found all sorts of uses for relays on my Venture, the following is a setup I use on my 91. The relays are from Radio Shack and are for circuit board mounting, they will carry 10 Amps and only require 160 ma to operate the coil. The wiring is straight forward "NO" is the normally open contacts, Com its the wiper or moving contact, the coil has no polarity, #5 is Bat - Frame or black wire; #10 is bat + and I used a 15 amp fuse on this wire; and for the sake of the explanation I will give the rest of the wires a function, #1 wire is connected to the brake light and # 9 wire goes to the trailer stop lamps; # 2 wire is connected to the tail light and # 8 goes to the trailer running lights, #3 wire is connected to the right turn signal and # 7 wire goes to the trailer right turn light, # 4 wire is connected to the left turn signal and # 6 wire goes to the trailer left turn light. You my ask why go to the trouble to have a relay on the flashers; Well their are two reasons #1 when you connect your trailer flashers directly to the bike you load the system and the flashers go to fast, # 2 all of the lights on the trailer are brighter because their running on full voltage. Also if something shorts out on the trailer you don't loose a fuse on the bike. I used 18 ga wire on # 5 and # 10 and 20 ga wire on the rest. The computer monitor costs over $900.00 at a dealer. http://www.venturerider.org/pictures/4relay.gif Fred Vogt 1037

Stator In these instructions I may go into more detail then you need, but I don't know how experienced you are in repairing your bike so be patient. The removal and replacing of a stator coil is not a difficult task, all though you should be careful to use the proper tools . Before you start you should have: the new stator, gaskets for the flywheel and middle gear cover, new oil and filter, large tipped Phillips screw driver, 10mm,14mm,17mm wrenches and a 5mm allen. Removal To remove the bad stator; First remove left side lower fairing, the shift lever from the shaft that comes through the flywheel or stator cover and remove the "C" clip and washer from that shaft making note of it's orientation even marking the top with a marker because unless it is returned to the proper position the case will not fit properly, now remove the foot peg and shifter assembly. Next drain the oil from the engine then remove the six 5mm cap screws from the middle gear cover (the small cover at your left foot wile riding) taking note that the cap screw at the bottom has a copper washer that is used as an oil seal, carefully remove the cover (note: there are two guide pins that position this cover on the case and are normally a snug fit but can be removed with out prying ), you can now see two cables coming out of the lower rear part of the front left cover, follow these under middle gear until you get to a connector on each of the cables. Unplug the two connectors (one smaller then the other) and remove both cables from the retaining clip under middle gear. Remove the left case guard and the two phillips head screws from the flywheel cover and remove the round plate (note the oil slinger Position so you can return it in the right way). You are now ready to remove the eleven 5mm cap screws from the flywheel cover and remove it from the engine, As you start to pull the cover away from the engine it will start to come but then give you added resistance this is due to the magnet in the flywheel pulling on the steel in the stator, but a steady straight pull will remove it again with out prying. Inside of the cover there are two shafts and three gears used by the starter, if they fall out or come with the case put them back into position in the engine, also there are two guide pins that are used for positioning. Now that you have the flywheel cover in your hands find some rags to put the cover on as not to scratch it. Now for the hard part of the job the removal of the three phillips head screws in the center of the stator coil and the screw holding the retaining clip for the wires from the stator. These screws have Loctite on them and are tough to brake loose, so use a screw driver that fits tightly in the screws and have a friend hold the case. I have had to use vise grip pliers on the screw driver until I bought a phillips tip for my 3/8 drive. Replace the old stator with the new one and reassemble the engine by reversing the above instructions. Fred J. Vogt 1037

Pre-Owned Venture This article was written by a mechanic in 1988 who worked on all types and brands of motorcycles, but as you read it you will see the general points would be the same for all motorcycles. From a service standpoint, there are a few things to look at if you are considering buying a pre-owned motorcycle. Exterior cleanliness and mileage do not always tell the whole story. Service records are a good indication of the owner's attitude toward maintenance. If the owner takes the time to keep records of service and repair, he is most likely to have it done right and on time. Without the service record, you are just shooting in the dark and must rely on the seller's telling you the complete truth. Unfortunately, most people do not keep the best records. So here are a few things to be aware of: TIRES: Tires are the first things to check. Naturally, the depth of the tread and condition of the side walls are what you look at. Any cracking in the side walls or cuts or splits in the tread will have you buying a new tire in the near future. If the bike has new or nearly new rubber on it, always check the mileage on the speedo, and casually ask the seller how many times he has put new tires on the bike. This will give you an estimate of how much abase the machine has gone through. For instance, a Venture with 14,000 miles which is on its third rear tire but still has the original front tire is telling you the guy is into stoplight drag racing. This could indicate clutch wear as well. CLUTCH: Because the clutch is on the inside of the motor and you can't see it, you must ride the bike to check for slippage. This can be done at a moderate speed in fourth or fifth gear. Just fan the clutch a few times while under acceleration and listen to the motor. If the clutch is slipping, the rpm's will remain high after releasing the clutch lever. If the rpm speeds up and the bike does not, this machine is in need of a new clutch. The other tell tale sign is to remove the oil filler cap and smell the oil. If it smells like burned toast, this could indicate a problem also. OIL: Anyone who has any sense at all will probably change the oil before he tries to sell his bike. Nice clean oil looking at you through the sight window makes the machine a little easier to sell. But be careful even a bike with new oil may still have a little burned toast smell left if you check closely. Also, look at the underside of the filler cap for sludge or anything that may indicate what the rest of the inside might be like. With the motor cold and not running, stick year finger into the filler hole and take a sample of the scum on the inside motor case. A quick peek at the drain plug and oil filter cup will also let you know if the oil was just changed. There is usually a little oil residue left there after a recent oil change. Rear gear oil usually looks pretty clean because there is no internal combustion or clutch wear to dirty it. The drain plug has a magnet on it to collect the worn pieces of metal and such that accumulate there. Even though the gear oil is clean, the magnet will look like a dirty ball of metal fuzz. This is normal. But if any large pieces of shrapnel are found, you should look further to see where they came from. The rear drive shaft splines are impossible to check or see without removing the rear wheel and gear case. If you do buy the bike, it would be a good idea to pay for the hour and a half or so of labor and have it properly greased and inspected. This is for your peace of mind and may save you trouble down the road. A new drive shaft is only about 55.00, but the aggravation of this kind of trouble on the side of the road is not worth pinching pennies over, so if the splines are worn, replace it now. The drive shaft is not a failing part of the Yamaha Venture, but as the bike gets older and gets higher in mileage, a little preventive maintenance is a good idea. Scratches and scrapes can tell you a little about the machine's history. You may not be able to tell how many times ifs been down, or to what extent damage was sustained if the owner had it repaired, but you should check for a few things anyway. All body parts may not be the same color because they don't always fade in the sun exactly the same. But if there is an obvious difference in color, the part could have been replaced, so find out why. It could have been changed for a lot of reasons, but if it was the result of an accident, make sure it was replaced correctly. You may want to check with the repairing dealer to make sure no corners were cut to keep the cost down. A bent sub frame or mounting tab could cause a painted body part to crack later on. If it has been down on the right side, always check the water pump joint between the thermostat case and the pump itself. It's an L-shaped silver plastic piece and is very vulnerable to being damaged by the right case guard. Also on the right, make sure the throttle does not stick or bind up because of damage on the end of the grip from a fall. Ventures don't have a history of things going wrong with the radiator hoses. With that in mind, they have probably never been replaced. Check carefully for cracks and to see if they are still pliable and not brittle or hard. The coolant itself should be clean and free of dirt or sludge, never milky or brown (that color could indicate internal engine trouble). A sheepskin seat cover is nice, but look under it; it could be hiding a real mess. If you are partial to the stock leather cover, make sure it's fit to sit on. Trunk repair on early Ventures is not uncommon. Look at the bottom of the trunk for cracks around the mounts and lock assembly. A fiberglass repair kit is not a lot of money, but you will want to consider it when talking price. Light bulbs are not expensive either, but the instrument bulbs are not very easy to get to and some after market accessories have bulbs that are harder to find in stores. Brake pads are easy to check because they can be seen without removing anything. The rear pads can be viewed by looking between the right saddlebag and rear fender or from under the bag on late models. You may need to use a flashlight to get a good view, and if it has all the Venture accessories you may need to remove the right bag on early models. Once you have spotted the end of the brake pad, you should check to see that there is at the very least one millimeter of brake fiber between the rotor and the metal back side of the pad. One millimeter or less and you should replace the pads before they begin to damage the rotor. The front pads can be seen easily from each side and the same measuring specifications are used. If the Venture has rotor covers and caliper covers, don't worry, just look through the wheel at the pad on the opposite side of the bike to check the wear. The rotors themselves are almost impossible to destroy unless they were bent in an accident or run for a long time with brake pads that were completely worn out, and were metal-to-metal. If the rotors are blue and obviously were very hot at one time, spin the wheel and check to see if they are warped. An improperly adjusted brake pedal or lever will cause pressure to build up and the brake pads will drag on the rotor, causing it to heat up enough to turn color but not necessarily warp the rotor. Brake and clutch fluids should be clean and clear or a light color. If fluids are dark and have a lot of black "gook" in the bottom of the reservoir, they will need to be changed and flushed. This is caused by heat. The clutch fluid will turn dark faster because the clutch slave cylinder is bolted to the engine cases. This heat from the engine is transferred to the clutch fluid and turns it to a dark color as it is slowly cooked. The brake fluid used for the brakes does not get this hot unless the brakes are not adjusted properly, as explained above. it shows a good or even strong reading,. Battery: Because we change batteries about every two years their is not much to see here except to check the cables for corrosion this could mean having to replace them. One thing that's almost always overlooked is the fuse box. It has to be moved to check the battery but most people never look inside. "Why?" you might ask. Well, if there are no spare fuses under the lid, they had to go some where. If this is the case, ask the owner about it and you will probably get some interesting stories about what happened. If the Venture is covered with lights and accessories with all the bulbs burned out, look for bad grounds or dirty bulb sockets or even a loose accessory causing the bulbs to vibrate them selves to death. Electrical problems are something to avoid when buying a used bike. The fact that there is a problem is bad enough, but it's a lot harder for a mechanic to find the problem if you can't give him any of the history of the bike (or the problem) you just purchased. These thoughts on electrical problems may help to keep the sparks from flying after the sale! I hope these last three months have helped you to make the right choice. Of course, these are not all the things to look for. Any whine, grind, squeak or knock should be investigated, and if it's hard to roll or the levers and pedals are stiff or bind up, you should make sure they just need lubrication and not some new parts. Bill Daly

I agree...but it could depend on what extent you modified the air box. TOO much air would require re-jetting. Most people just start with one size larger in that case but to be honest, it's a long and laborious trial and error process. Not something that I would look forward to doing. Don

Yes...that is real close.

What year bike? If it's the second gen...'99 and up...it would be somewhere around a gallon...maybe a bit more. Don

VR-Exhaust Combiner Chamber Repair A.K.A. Fixing the Rattle in The Baffle by Robert Trim My second 1987 Yamaha Venture Royale Exhaust baffle began the 'rattle samba' a short time back. The devil is in the details and a picture is worth a thousand.... well you get the drift. Here's a way I did the surgery 1- You have to drop the entire exhaust system. a- remove mufflers on both sides first. 2 bolts on the rear of the chamber and 2 bolts half way down the mufflers accessible through the passenger's foot rest supports. b- remove the side panels, both sides. c- remove the lower fairing legs, both sides. The lower air dam and plastic cross brace. d- remove allen bolts holding headers to front cylinders. e- loosen 2 bolts in the clamps holding the combiner chamber to the front pipes. f- There are FOUR attach points holding the exhaust collector box to the bike. The TWO front attach are released by removing two 12mm NUTS located on a bracket near the front of the collector box which hold it to the bottom of the engine case. The TWO rear attach points are released by removing two 12mm BOLTS for the exhaust clamps at the bottom end of the rear headers; these are best removed by using a 10" socket extension angled up at a 45 degree angle on either side of the center stand. g- now the fun part... the chamber is not going to come easy. Use a pry bar on either side and work it lose from the rear headers. You will need to work the front headers lose and free so the chamber can drop down. 2- Cut open the chamber. 3- Remove needed baffle screen to get at the baffle. 4- Remove the baffle. 5- Bend opening shut. 6- Have someone weld it shut. It's stainless steel and needs someone with experience. 7- reinstall in reverse order. Make sure you put the chamber in place WITH the front headers attached. An extra set of hands is vital at this point. Here's some of those thousand word photos.... http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/StrippedSideSm.jpg Side plastic, mufflers and front headers off. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/LowerSectionSm.jpg http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/BafUpperBolts.jpg It's easier to remove the parts with the bike on the center stand until you get to the rear header clamps. Put it on the side stand, use a mirror and drop light on the floor and look up between the frame tube and slightly forward. About the angle of the arrow you see above. The right side is easier to fine than the left so start with that one first. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/MirrorSm.jpg http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/ScreenIn.jpg http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/CutoffToolSm.jpg The chamber is on it's back and this is 2 steps into the opening process. I used a cutoff tool to cut it open. WARNING... USE safety glasses and leather gloves when using the cutter. The above photo shows the left baffle liner screen already cut out and you can see the down pipe from the rear header connections. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/BentUp.jpg Bend it open ONLY as far as you need to gain access to the baffle. I needed it 90 degrees open to get the cutoff tool in. If your baffle is flopping fairly freely (very common), open a little and grab with vice grips, twist and pull hard. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/SideOpen.jpg Here both screens are cut out. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/ECUbaffleSm.jpg My baffle had it's welds in place but was stress fractured along the bottom. I simply used the cutter to finish the break. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/BaffleOut.jpg The rest of the bracket is fine so I leave it. It's spot welded top, bottom and in the front. With the chamber now open for air flow, this now exactly like the crossover pipes put between headers of a dual exhaust system on a car. The VR will now breath much easier. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/DrillEndCut.jpg Carefully fold the flap back and work it as straight and as close to original placement as possible. Use a drill bit to create a termination hole at the end of each cut. Stainless will crack from any sharp point even after it is welded. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/ReadyForWeldSm.jpg Ready for welding. A good welder will suggest that after welding the seam, a second layer of stainless be added over the seam. This will pretty much assure that the weld will outlast the bike. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/CrackedBracket.jpg It is important to check for other cracks. This is the chamber mounting bracket on the top of the chamber. I did not see this until I gave it a good cleaning. This is a common problem. Get it welded as well. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/BigWeld.jpg Big seam welded to perfection by the students at Salt Lake Community College's welding program. Good people to know. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/BracketWeld.jpg Bracket crack all fixed. http://www.venturerider.org/baffle/ChamberReady.jpg Ready to go back in place. It's better to approach this from the right side of the bike. Slip the chamber back on the rear header down pipes and thread the bracket bolts on a few turns. Install the front headers into the chamber front inlets. This is a process of seating the pipes into the chamber and, at the same time, making sure the front header seats align flush. Soon as you get it dialed in, put the alan nuts on the front headers to hold them in place. Tighten the chamber bracket nuts. Then tighten the clamps to the front headers, then the header-to-head alan nuts. These are kind of a bear because there is a frame cross brace just 'almost' out of the way. You need a 5/16" longer length alan wrench to get it started. Install the mufflers. Replace the plastic parts and you're good to go. One additional tweak it to drill out the 2 baffles in the mufflers. You'll need a 1/2" drill bit welded to an 18" rod. Punch a few holes in the baffle on each end of the muffler for more air flow. Hope this helps if you need to do baffle surgery.