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skydoc_17

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  1. skydoc_17
    Like Don, I had the pleasure of sharing my home, my tools, and my BBQ grill with Jonas the last time he was stateside! A better house guest you will not find. I will say that because of his rustic charm, and his accent, the woman folk find him VERY appealing, so if you have impressionable daughters, or girlfriends, or WIVES, you may want to keep them on a short leash, while Jonas is around! He is "cute as a button", and so polite, that my wife was speaking "Icelandic" for two weeks after he left. This was a minor distraction, and a small price to pay to have such a wonderful visitor from a far away land grace our home. If there is anyone in the eastern NY, eastern PA area that could store Jonas' motorcycle while he and his wife are visiting, to make it easier for him to pick up his bike upon arrival, I would be personally very grateful, and would be willing to discount any parts or services I could offer this person for their trouble. Other than the "Brad Pitt/James Dean thing" Jonas has going on, there is no "down side" to a visit from Jonas! Earl and Jean
  2. skydoc_17
    Hey David, I think you have made an excellent choice for a second motorcycle for your son! Later tonight, peek in on him after he is sleeping, and you will most likely find him SMILING in his sleep! If I could be so bold to suggest another small purchase, take your son for a bike ride, just you and him on your scoots, and go to a shop and purchase a pair of riding gloves, this could be a bonding moment for you two, and it would allow you the opportunity to explain the importance of wearing the proper gear whenever he is riding. A nice, light weight pair for summer riding gloves would be an excellent choice. (If you buy YOURSELF a pair as well, he will get the message) YA' DONE GOOD DAVE! Earl
  3. skydoc_17
    Hey Troy, First things first, welcome to VR.ORG! You have the TWO best items to have in the world, my friend, A Yamaha Venture Royale, and decent weather! Now the next thing I want to mention is, You could be riding a VESPA Scooter for all we know, unless you post some pics!! For old guys like myself, good pics of your bike, (feel free to show a Palm Tree in at least ONE pic if possible) are like girlie pics! Now, about your cold starting issue. With all of the great things you have done to your VR at the beginning of the riding season, you are WAY ahead of the curve Maint. wise, here are a few items I would address to scoot you closer to perfection. Number one would be the fuel filter, located on the lower left side of your scoot, back by the passenger foot peg. If you don't know the condition of that filter, change it. Next, it sounds like the Idle Mixture Screws are set on the lean side. This circuit controls the low RPM of your VR, including idle. As Snaggletooth said, don't even think of touching the throttle, My procedure is to "Dry Start" the bike (no choke) then add choke until the bike revs to 2000 RPM's. After this holds for 30 seconds, you can mount the bike and head out. Once you are in fifth gear, turn the choke off and you will be good to go. Usually, no choke needed for the rest of the day. Do a search for "Idle Mix Screws" or feel free to PM me, and we will get you pointed in the right direction. Again, welcome to the site! Earl
  4. skydoc_17
    Hey Jose, That's a really nice bike you have there! After all of the great tune up work you have done there, the next thing I would do is to Sync, the Carbs. with a Manometer. The Idle Mixture Screws are set with an Exhaust Gas Analyzer at the factory. If you do not have a Manometer, I live in South Central Pa. and you are more than welcome to come by and I will Sync. your Carbs. for you. I can even offer overnight lodging. It is always a pleasure to meet a new VR.ORG member. If you come on a weekend, we can even get some riding in. Earl
  5. skydoc_17
    Here's the deal with the exhaust collector on the Yamaha Venture Royale. If you are NOT going to use a "Scavenger Exhaust System", (which is what the VR currently has, 4 exhaust pipes of unequal length, going to a collector) then ANY of the exhaust pipes tied together will need to be physically the same length. So if you tie cylinder 1&3 together, the rear exhaust will need to make a loop or a cross over to lengthen the exhaust pipe, if you want these two cylinders to exit from the same muffler. If not, the pipe of the shortest distance will cause the pipe of longer distance to create excessive back pressure on that cylinder connected to the longer pipe.. The only other way to overcome this issue is to segregate the two exhaust pipes all the way back to the rear of the motorcycle. This is where the term, "tuned exhaust" comes from. I hope this helps, Earl
  6. skydoc_17
    Hey Mike, Well, I can see that we are going to have to make Northern VA. "A No Fly Zone"! for a while. Sounds like the "mad professor" is back in the garage again! Good luck with this project Mike, You should get this project finished up just in time for spring. I told Ya' that Mark is quite the guy! I am very happy for you, my friend, by the way, check out these UTUBE Vids of the exhause installed! WOW! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmHM-nLE2C0]YouTube - Vmax Exhaust Marks Pipes[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8TapWDYdSw&feature=related]YouTube - Mark's Performance Exhaust[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJUj2TO0LVE&feature=related]YouTube - Vmax gen 1 with Marks Exhaust.[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY0Bjv66nNo&NR=1]YouTube - 1997 VMAX with Marks 421 exhaust, PCW stage 7[/ame] Enjoy! Earl
  7. skydoc_17
    Hey D, Welcome to VR.ORG! I believe you will find this site to be very friendly, with loads of info on the motorcycle you are asking about. This vintage of motorcycle pretty much requires you to be somewhat mechanically inclined, or have deep pockets, (to have repairs done at a dealer!) The engine symptoms you described are somewhat typical of a VR that has been sitting around for a while. Usually, "tune up" type items, will cure these issues. With the mileage you stated, there is a very good possibility that the Carb. Diaphragms have "gone south" on you, but this is an easy fix, requiring about $100.00 worth of new Diaphragms. The Air Ride Suspension issue is a two part issue, The electronic controller has a set of problems that are usually repairable, and the actual air compressor itself, is easily checked to see if it is functioning. Used units are the cheapest way to go if you need to replace either the controller or the compressor. You will be able to save a ton of money if you have decent electro-mechanical trouble shooting skills, and have the patience to check out the items with issues on your bike. If you will be heading to a dealer or repair shop every time something crops up, this bike might be a bit of a "money pit". BUT if you are good with a wrench, this is one of the coolest bikes on the planet! The price of $2495.00 is HIGH in my opinion. Look at the front fairing area around the mirrors, and around the area where your knees would be if you were sitting on the bike for cracks in the fairing plastic. You didn't mention the condition of the tires, but a front or rear tire could be a $150.00 each purchase with mounting. With minimal plastic damage, on the upper fairing area, this bike is worth, between $1500.00 to $2000.00. BUT you have picked a bad time of the year to purchase a motorcycle, as spring is right around the corner. So this dealer has somewhat of an advantage on you in this respect. If the plastic and tires are good, with the items/issues you have described, you will be adding another $300.00 to the cost of this bike for tune up items, Carb. Diaphragms, Carb. Sync., Air and fuel filters, and an oil change. I would offer $1800.00 and try to settle in the $2000.00 to $2200.00 range, remembering that you will be wrenching on this bike right off the bat to the tune of an additional $300.00. I too live in Pennsylvania, and would be happy to help you all I can, if you decide to purchase this motorcycle. We here at VR.ORG have a strong member base in the PA, NY, NJ, MD, area, so you will have lots of help if you decide to spend the $12.00 for membership. If you have questions about what I have listed, please feel free to PM me, and again, welcome to VR.ORG! Earl
  8. skydoc_17
    During the early eighties, "the powers that be" decided that no more vehicles would be allowed into the United States without "Positive Crankcase Ventilation". So away went the old road draft tube that pretty much every car on the planet had to vent exhaust gases from the crankcase. Motorcycle companies scrambled to "add" something to their motorcycles to allow them to be imported into the US. In the case of the Yamaha Venture Royale, a 15MM hose was connected directly from the crankcase to the Air Box. Here's lies the rub. With each 35MM Mikuni Carb. pulling a velocity of 35.5MM per second, and having 4 of these Carbs. Vacuuming the crankcase,(142 MM per second Velocity) MANY VR owners were finding a few ounces of engine oil collecting in the air box. If you were to place your finger over the vent tube to the crankcase, you would feel a very slight pressure build, if you left your finger on for a while. (and the engine was running) So my thinking was to allow this very slight pressure to escape the crankcase, and filter as much of the nasties as I could. There is only one manufacturer that I would use to supply these high quality vent filters, they are in England, and they produce a Washable, reusable vent filter. There are a few "Knock-Offs" around, but this is not one of them. I have never seen smoke or fumes rolling from the vent filters of the 5 VR's I have owned. Do I think this is the Ideal solution? Probably not. But I will say that I have seen more that one VR sucking raw oil into the Carbs., fouling plugs, gunking the Carbs. up, and blowing blue smoke out the tail pipes from excessive oil in the air box, so it is my opinion that this is an acceptable trade off. Filtered air being allowed to leave the crankcase and not travel to the air box where it causes all sorts of problems. This is why I offer this kit. As with everything I sell in the Classifieds, YOU must choose to purchase it, and you must be OK with the consequences that the mod creates. If I can "get real" here for a moment, and ask this question, How much crankcase vent gas is leaking out of that 20 plus year old vent tube unfiltered, and how much unfiltered air is entering your Air Box from that same 20 plus year old vent tube, with the ends hard as a rock, with the splits and cracks down the sides, or even worse, with owners not even putting a spring clamp on the ends of the vent tube because it is such a "bugger" to install? When you look at it that way, the Crankcase Vent Mod, didn't seem to be such a bad idea to me compared to the stock 20 plus year old system. Just my thoughts. Earl
  9. skydoc_17
    Thank You Steve, For those kind words! I truly believe that Yamaha did the RSV and RSTD/TC owners a DISSERVICE when they put the single clutch diaphragm spring in the 1300 motors. Basically, there is just to much horsepower being transfered from the engine thru that single clutch spring. If you Second Gen. owners even THINK you are having a clutch slippage problem, by all means, do the Clutch Spring Upgrade, BEFORE you damage the clutch friction discs or the steel clutch plates. Even if you choose to use a clutch spring from another vendor, that's OK with me, BUT don't make the mistake of burning up a $300.00 clutch when $80.00 will give you double the clutch friction disc life. http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=2905&title=second-genheavy-duty-clutch-spring26amp-3b-full-disc-upgrade-kit-21&cat=22 Considering that Yamaha's Warranty DOES NOT cover a burned up clutch, this is wise money spent, even if you don't buy this kit from me. Plus, if you ride two up a lot, or pull a trailer, this upgrade, in what ever form you choose to buy it in, is a must have item. Thanks again Steve, knowing that your RSTC is running properly again, is the reward I strive for. Earl
  10. skydoc_17
    Hey Shane, If you don't mind me asking, what did thay give you for your VR? That sure was a sweet lookin' VR you had. Congrats on the new scoot! Earl
  11. skydoc_17
    Hey Brian, The Rear Master Cylinder on the MKI VR is no longer sold by Yamaha so I would think that is the reason the rear M/C on your bike was missing. They do Still offer rebuild kits. Second, Brake Fluid is Alcohol based and very much like Automotive Antifreeze. It is not hydraulic oil, like transmission fluid. The alcohol draws water to itself, and this is what makes the brake fluid turn brown over time. Here is a kit I put together to solve the linked brake problem once and for all: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=2713&title=first-genmki-1983-1985-stainless-steel-de-link-line-kit-21&cat=22 With both front calipers connected to the front M/C, and the rear M/C connected to the rear caliper ONLY, bleeding is a snap. I also offer the MKII VR Rear Master Cylinders completely rebuilt, which would be an excellent upgrade for your MKI rear master cylinder. Earl
  12. skydoc_17
    Hey Shaun, I wish I could post a picture of the look on the face of every First Gen. MKI owner who tried to freshen up their brake fluid, and ended up with NO brakes. My wife Jean, describes that look as being "gut shot"! Not to worry. We will get you thru this. As mentioned above, the left front, and the rear caliper BOTH are actuated by the Rear Master Cylinder. Which is controlled by the foot pedal. One pump of the foot pedal moves the fluid in the line about 1/32", so it is going to take quite a few pumps. To speed things up a bit, there is a connector located on the RIGHT side of the Steering Head, place yourself on the right side of the bike with your right foot on the floor, and your left foot on the brake pedal. With a pair of open end wrenches, "Crack" the connector, (a few rags under the connector controls the brake fluid spillage) step on the pedal, hold the pedal down, retighten the connector, lift the pedal. Step on the pedal, crack the connector, retighten the connector, lift the pedal, etc. (You get the idea) When you get fluid to the connector, check the fluid level, and refill. (See pic for location) After the refill, go to the rear caliper, remove the right side luggage, sit half way between the brake pedal and the rear caliper, push the brake pedal down with your right hand, crack the bleeder on the rear caliper with your left hand, retighten the bleeder, lift the pedal. I like to use a piece of clear plastic tubing on the bleeder nipples, directing the brake fluid into a plastic bottle partially filled with brake fluid. It reduces the mess and you can see if there are air bubbles coming from the caliper better. A 8MM boxed end wrench will just fit under the plastic tubing. I don't like an opened end wrench on the bleeders because it rounds the corners of the bleeder nut off to easy. Now here's where having arms like a monkey come in handy, if you don't have monkey arms, then a helper works best. I turn the handle bars ALL the way to the left, moving the left front bleeder nipple towards the front of the engine. I sit in front of the water pump. With my left hand, I push down on the brake pedal, with my right hand, I crack the left front bleeder, I retighten the bleeder and lift the brake pedal. If you can not get brake fluid to come up to the connector, then your rear master cylinder may need to be rebuilt. It's not uncommon. If you have questions about this procedure, or need parts, please feel free to PM me. Earl
  13. skydoc_17
    Hey Roger, You can use a 5MM or 5/32" Ball bearing to replace the missing ball from the radiator drain. Just an FYI. Earl
  14. skydoc_17
    I grew up in a time where you looked a man in the eye, identified yourself, shook his hand, and stated your business. I guess I'm funny that way. The internet has afforded the opportunity for people to say things without any accountability. I have NEVER been afraid to tell someone my name. Most times when I post, I try to direct my comments to the person that has asked the question or made the comment, unless I can't figure out what their name is, or what the heck kind of bike they ride! AND I always sign every post, because I want the person that I gave the information to, to be able to ask another question at a later date, and KNOW who they were talking to. I can appreciate the fact that there are members on this forum that are in Law Enforcement, who wouldn't want 10,000 members knowing where they live, but ALL of the LEO members I have met are at least willing to post their first names. I am not saying that I will never chat with a member that doesn't identify himself, BUT one of the main reasons I subscribe to this forum is the "Feeling of Family" that is afforded to every member on this site. I have members of my OWN family that I don't care too much for, BUT, I still know their names. I would think that it would be really hard to continue the family atmosphere here on VR.ORG without being able to call my brothers and sisters by their names. I figure that if my name was good enough for my MOTHER to call me by, then it's good enough for the members of this site to call me by. But like I said, "That's Just Me". Earl
  15. skydoc_17
    Both Jean and I send prayers for you and your daughter. Earl and Jean
  16. skydoc_17
    Hey Stewart, The volume of the MKII VR Rear Master Cylinder is right on the border of being big enough to power TWO drum brakes. With a little more info, I could give you a better answer. Is it a Jap pick-up rear axle, What is the size of the brake drums, etc. I will say this, if I were going to do this project, I would run Stainless Steel Brake Lines to decrease the amount of brake power lost to "swelling brake lines", I would also rebuild the rear Master Cylinder, AND use the port on the rear Master Cylinder that used to feed the Left Front brake caliper, and block off the port that has the proportioning valve on it. Tire size should be calculated to keep the gear ratio pretty close to the stock gear ratio. Keep in mind that lower profile tires make the ride harsher, but can help you keep the gear ratio correct. I wouldn't see a problem with radial tires. The width of the tire would depend on the wheel well size and the width and diameter of the rims you have/or will purchase. If you haven't purchased rims/tires yet, you are going to want to calculate the tire diameter that will keep the gear ratio correct, then select tires, rims to suit. If you need help calculating the tire numbers, please feel free to PM me, and good luck with this project. Earl
  17. skydoc_17
    Hey Jason, Many times, when you screw a METAL fastener in an ALUMINUM housing, due to the different expansion rates, you could have a condition where the aluminum threaded housing "captures" the metal fastener. We see this a LOT on our VR's, (Allen head cap screws in the engine cases, Phillips Head screws in the Carb. Diaphragm Caps, etc.) The object of the Teflon tape is not to "seal" the threads, it is to isolate the metal thread from the aluminum housing. I am sure you have seen the "white dust" on the Allen Head Cap Screws that hold the side cases on, this is caused by the mating of dissimilar metals, and the process is called electrolysis. I am sure that you are correct that a drain plug left in a final drive for 25 years would be a "bugger" to get out, BUT, to make a statement that ANYONE that has trouble removing the drain plug from their final drive is guilty of neglecting their bike, is a bit bold, not to mention that the electro-chemical condition I described above is most likely the ACTUAL cause. As it is with ALL of the suggestions I make here on this forum, please feel free to use what you want, and leave the rest. After working with the assembly of dissimilar metals in the Aerospace Industry for 39 years, I try to share the items that keep the air planes you fly on, IN THE AIR, every day. If the Teflon tape idea doesn't "float your boat", then by all means, spin that drain plug out every few weeks! After all, it's your drain plug, and your bike! For the rest of the members, if you change your final drive lube yearly, like I do, try the tape, it works. Earl
  18. skydoc_17
    Hey Bob, That too was an excellent way to use an existing fastener to mount a GPS on your First Gen. The fact that we don't have the "normal" round handle bars, poses an opportunity to use our "gray matter" for the solution. I have attached a few pics of my mount. My Hat's off to both you gents! Earl
  19. skydoc_17
    Hey Mike, I too live in Pa. and have had real good luck buying the 20/50 Castrol at Advance Auto Parts. It is usually on sale every other month or so. I have also found it at my local Wally Mart. It needs to be the "Red Cap" (NO friction modifiers added) Hope this helps, Earl
  20. skydoc_17
    Hey Gary, I wrap plugs like this with a wrap or two of the white teflon plumbers tape used for pipe threads. Works every time! Earl
  21. skydoc_17
    Of the five VR's I've owned since 1988, I have always used the Castrol GTX "Red Cap" 20/50 and have a combined mileage of 330,000 miles on Yamaha V4's. I have never had an engine failure or any kind of valve train damage. It makes my bike shift smooth, and has always given me excellent service. I do use a decent quality oil filter as well, and change the oil every time in the 3000 to 5000 range. It is a quality product, at a reasonable price. Earl
  22. skydoc_17
    Hey Rusty, To me, 2nd gear on a well running VR is "Motorcycle SEX"! My wife Jean has thumped me more than once on the helmet when I am in the "Second Gear Zone", and basically forgot she was back there! There is something about getting smashed back in the saddle while heading for "Red Line" in Second Gear that gets the old juices flowing in this old country boy....EVERY TIME! Cudo's Rusty, for taking your bike to the next level with the upgrades you have recently done to your VR. ENJOY! Earl
  23. skydoc_17
    Hey Bob, Squidley is right on the mark with his comment. When the clutch fluid is not changed regularly, it forms crystals, the movement of the clutch slave piston gouges the inside bore of the clutch slave, the collection of shavings is the result. I used to try to rebuild the clutch slaves, but my success rate hovered around 50% due to the lack of maintenance in this area. I won't rebuild a clutch slave in the shop anymore, to much time, and no guarantee of the results. If you were ever looking for a "Bench Mark" of how WELL a previous owner has taken care of their motorcycle, check the clutch and brake Master Cylinders, as well as the clutch slave. If the M/C's are a gooey mess, all that owner did was change oil. Earl
  24. skydoc_17
    Hey Mike, You did an excellent job of thinking "outside the box" on your GPS Mount! Adding a GPS to my 87'VR has added a whole level of comfort and security to my riding experience, as I am sure it will add to yours. Congrats for a job, well done. Earl
  25. skydoc_17
    Hey Ken, Thanks for the kind words about the Radiator Drain Upgrade Kit. For the record, I try to limit my "Practice" to all things motorcycle! You are on your own, as far as that prostrate goes my friend! Seriously though, That Radiator Drain is a pesky little bugger and you will be glad you dealt with it before the warm weather comes. Thanks again for the Props, Earl
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