timgray

I buy new helmets every 3 years. if they have not been down they are still safe so they get donated to Good Will. I'd rather some poor guy or kid wear an old helmet instead of that toy crap sold at rallies or worse, ride without one.

That is the brake fluid low indicator. I recommend a flush and fill if you haven't done it in the past 4 years. I went as far as flushing 2 bottles through until it comes out clear and clean, and then re did it again 3 months later. Brake fluid needs to be changed every few years.

the 83 has a superior headlight compared to the 86+ years for light pattern the 86+ is a polycarbonate lens that will get foggy and significantly reduce light output as it ages. Just put in a silverstar Ultra if you want more light. If you want a better light, check around here, I came up with an idea to use the Hella 90mm projector headlights and another member designed and built the adapter plate to replace the 83 headlight with twin lamps that are better than most current bikes have for headlights. I don't know if he is still making the plates or is willing to make the plate for anyone.

yeah, I just get a kick out of the "fashion statements" Everything on them is HD. Jacket, bandanna, gloves, jeans, chaps, boots, wallet, sunglasses... Every single item has the HD logo on it. The problem is I've looked at HD Jackets and Chaps at the local Harley store. I wouldn't trust them to protect me from a sunburn they are built so cheaply. The thing that drives me nuts is the fools riding with a "Sons of Anarchy" jacket. You don't fly random colors like that, even the colors of a TV show. It's asking for trouble if you turn the wrong corner.

You need to check if you have spark on the cold cyl. these bikes will run perfectly with 3 cylinders and actually decently on 2. I made it 150 miles on 2 doing 70 with a passenger and full cargo load. The stock TCI has a known problem where they will die due to corrosion. you may have a dead output. And I sound like a broken record here, but go get a can of SeaFoam and try to get a lot of it into the carbs. there are some very tiny jets in the carbs on the bike that are not easy to clean without a full soak.

Just change your route, there are no real border checkpoints at a couple of the minnesota border roads. All of this "Security" is only there to make panicky americans feel like they are being "protected". 89 or 310 are nice smooth sailing into canada without any delays just a quick stop to show your passport and off you go. Granted this is not useable for everyone out east...

I drilled mine and pushed in some brass inserts to use SAE bolts. I can find SAE chrome all over the place. Metric chrome is rare as hens teeth and 12X the price.

did you replace the diaphragms? any pinholes will cause issues.

Bet you the PO was not running a high Zinc oil. Modern oils today utterly destroy non roller cam setup like those found in a motorcycle.

I really need to buy one of those from you... I need to set a reminder for next week, Buy Dingy Steering head wrench!

What my father used when he had a garage like that.. Bleach. Once a month spray a bleach and water mix around the tiles and then later hose it all into the center drain. That is the key though. If your garage does not have a drain or a significant drain slope out the door, you will have problems with the tiles.

I change my oil so often that mixing a small amount of old oil with new makes no difference. I tend to change mine every 2000 miles simply because I am working on it and have it up on the lift and apart, I might as well change the oil while I am there..... But good to know where that is in case I ever get to ride the bike more than 3000 miles between repair sessions.

Lots of maintenance. replacing the brake and clutch master cyl crush washers as they are weeping. Remove, clean and repaint the left and right controls, Possibly replacing the right control with a 88+ so I can use the cruise buttons for a PTT and channel change for a Ham radio install. Gut the stock radio and intercom system and install something else. I don't need FM as my Bluetooth helmet has that in it already. Refurbish the radio and intercom parts so they work perfect and resell them. Progressive springs, and build a single wheel trailer that matches the bike from scratch. I just cant get myself to part with the thousands of dollars that these companies want for a motorcycle trailer.

Get the 87. It doesnt have any of the big problems the 83-85 have. you still will need to look at fluids for contamination as the Yamaha seals on the clutch and brake are horrible and let in moisture like mad.

As a michigan rider that owns an 83 that looks like new, here's some info for you. The 2nd gear going out is not a "might happen" it's a certain to happen thing. You will lose 2nd gear, It costs $2500 to get it fixed More than the selling price of a like new 83. you can check the bike easily if it's about to go. take it for a test ride and get on the throttle hard in second, if it feels like the clutch is going, that is second gear starting to die. it will continue to get worse until it's gone. Make a very lowball offer on the bike unless he can show you proof of the 2nd gear repair, I.E. a dealer receipt of the work being done, or a bike repair receipt for it. If the owner ever put it on the center stand and would swing it around on the center stand, you have frame tears waiting to cause a big crash. get under the bike with a mirror and flashlight, and look around where the rear shock mounts to the frame up to where the center stand mounts. ANY thing that looks like cracks, walk away from the bike unless he give it to you for free. Finally, you are looking at a classic antique bike. You had better know and be willing to do a lot of wrenching to keep it running. It is a VERY reliable bike, but no bike dealer will touch them, and I have found that most current yamaha dealer mechanics are incompetent on old bikes. So you have to fix it. Parts can be hard to find. rubber parts on the engine are impossible to find. Check the Clutch fluid and front brake fluid. if it's not clear, you need to flush and clean all that up and possibly do a clutch master rebuild 83's suck in moisture like mad, so the fluids need to be changed yearly, more if stored outside. Drop the price by $500 if dirty fluid. use a tire gauge and check the air in the front and rear. if no air pressure, they need to be rebuilt unless he has documentation of the forks being rebuilt with progressive springs. Lastly, start the bike from cold and run it for a short time and check all 4 pipes to see if they are warming up. The Venture will run PERFECT on 3 cylinders. you can not tell if one is dead without feeling the pipes get hot. the 83 has problems with he Ignition TCI box dying. they are impossible to find in good condition, but you can get an aftermarket for about $300.00 so if one cyl is dead, and you get no spark on that cyl or more, TCI is probably dead, another $500 off the price. All that said, It is a FANTASTIC bike to own. Best ride you will ever get, faster than most harleys, and I surprise kids on 650 ninjas quite often. You can ride for 1000 miles and feel fine. But you need to know how to work on bikes to afford to own it. Expect to drop about $500 a year into it for basic upkeep and repairs, That is what I have had except for the $3500 paint job and plastic repairs. Just remember, it's an old bike, they require TLC, and regular doses of money and maintenance.

Yes. You got one of the few that was built right.

Yup! high compression or Forced induction such as Turbo or Supercharging REQUIRES high octane ratings to avoid detonation. Detonation in an engine that has 6 to 20PSI of air/fiel mixture being jammed into the pistons will cause really bad things to happen. I have watched a timing slip blow up a supercharged engine within 5 seconds, but he was running almost 55PSI of boost.

Ethanol actually has a higher Octane rating than Gasoline, close to racing gas octane levels. It's why a lot of racers run E85 in their race cars. That said. Best is Ethanol Free 87 Octane because your bike is tuned for 87 octane. Also most Premium gas has MORE ethanol in it because it is a cheap way of raising octane ratings. Unless they say "ethanol free" on the pump, all grades have 10% or 15% ethanol in it.

FYI: I work in the technology field and NO big screen TV you buy will last more than 4 years. They are designed to fail. So if you get the 5 year warranty for $100 it's worth it. I have thrown in the trash $35,000 80" Tv's because they cant be fixed and were 3-4 years old. it's why I refuse to buy any Tv that is more than $700.00 Because the wing-wang-wong $700 TV will last as long as the Pioneer Elite $4500 TV that is the same size. AND they are made next to each other in the same china factory.

Why is he not doing that in sandals, a t-shirt and shorts? At the Muskegon Bike Time motorcycle rally, I got to talk to the stunt riders for a while and they all think that people that don't ride with gear are nuts. Most of them got hurt the most not from stunting, but when a car would pull out in front of them when they were on a bike on the way to an event.

Fuse box replacement will make most gremlins disappear. I did not believe some of the guys here that it would make a difference until I decided to do mine and had most of the old fuse holders fall apart in my hands.

First thing I checked when I noticed it, then I noticed the Odometer was still ticking away miles.... So that means the cable is good. I do need to give it a good cleaning though.

A lot of us have discovered, that these engines, LIKE new spark plugs. It's either the really weak spark from the coils or just the temperamental design, but most times replacing the plugs is the answer to a lot of running problems. My last bout with running issues was fixed with plug replacement. and I still cant figure out why. the old ones came out looking fine.

Seafoam wont help him if the ignition module is dead. To get to it, you need to remove the front fairing and the air box, search for TCI relocation here for instructions and more info.. I am betting you have a dead or failing TCI. tach messing up is one of the first signs of it and it is very common on these bikes. I would also look at the "aftermarket TCI" threads as that is where you will need to go. Unless you are dead set on a stock one, I bought about 5 of them and threw them all in the trash before I bought the ingitech aftermarket replacement.

I strongly recommend changing the started to the 2nd gen starter (4 brush model) this alone will solve the problem. You can run on the small stock battery cables if you change the starter.