bongobobny

OK, as mentioned, the two biggies with the '83 were 2nd gear, and the frame cracking where the rear shock mounts. The frame issue was fixed in '84, the 2nd gear issue was fixed mid '85. IF (big IF) you are mechanically handy the actual part, a washer is only about $8 give or take but it requires splitting the entire motor to get to. Yes, it will go on forever without 2nd gear so it would be up to you. You place a value on your Wing at $1500. Without seeing the bike or hearing it run, I would place the value of an '83 with 2nd gear out more around the $800 to $1200 price range, less if it is not running at present. A compatible '84 might be closer to $1500 to $2000 if the 2nd gear was good. Of course, the true value is in how much the buyer is willing to pay and how much they desire the bike. When running properly the Venture is one heck of a great touring bike that you can really get over 200,000 miles out of. They are sometimes referred to a touring bike with the heart of a sports bike as they handle quite well even though they are a tall bike. Also, it is a close to 900-pound bike that will indeed do a wheelie...

Keep us (i.e. especially me) informed on this! I too am going ignitek and COP so I am VERY interested...

Well, the idle sounds a little better now, shame he didn't blip the throttle a couple of times to see if the response improved any as I noticed the temperature gauge was indicating it was somewhat warmed up, indicating about halfway. On the '83 and '84, it was normal for the temp gauge to read 3/4 or above... 40 mpg is about the magic number for a 1st gen but he is stating a lot of stop-and-go so I would be interested in highway mileage as long as he keeps it around 70 or less as we all know our mileage goes to pot at speeds around 80 and above. Steven G., Yes I can see where the "bell" effect will most likely be hampered with his design intake. The stock intake is pretty much a straight shot and I doubt that there are any eddy currents with it. As far as the exhaust, I agree the collector does it's thing pretty much but I still am concerned whether or not there is still enough back-pressure to ensure it not burning valves. I guess time will tell with that... Sorry, but I will stick with our highly efficient 4 carb system that each carb can be "tuned" to the individual piston (balanced for equal flow to each cylinder I.E. "Sync'ing them). Maybe he will get a compatible gas mileage but I wonder if it will accelerate as well.

Hrumph! Sure seems to lack throttle response, doesn't it?!!? Hey, I know very little about welding and even I can see it looks like crap! Sure, it costs a lot to PROPERLY rebuild our carbs and PROPERLY set them up but when done it makes for an extremely great running engine. I am also concerned about the longevity of his valves without the proper backpressure due to his "modified" exhaust...

Both are excellent bikes, but the Venture is far easier to work on than the Goldwing IMHO...

Hey, Pucster!!! No, my engine is still on the other side of the State completed but not dyno'ed/burned in. PCW relocated to yet another location and is not set up yet. I'm planning on doing an engine-pulling party this spring and maybe powder coat all the frame pieces if it's in the budget. Health wise I'm getting by on transfusions and the VA has approved me for treatment at Roswell Park Memorial Institute which is a local cancer treatment that is known worldwide. I should be hearing from them sometime this week as to when treatment will start and what they can do for me. In the meantime, I'm just taking it day by day just as God's word tells us to live...

The handlebars are also going to hit your ignition switch cover but only at close to full turn... I've forgotten just where I ended up buying my stuff, I'm pretty sure the cables came from Buckeye but the hoses may have been either local or from Skydoc_17.

Yup, saw it on FB and it's fugly IMHO...

To answer your question if you are incapable of doing your own work, plan on anything from $400 to $800, and make sure whoever does the work knows what they are doing. If you tear them apart and do things yourself, you could spend around $100 or so if you start replacing needle valves, gaskets, etc... Otherwise, both Marcarl and Cowpuc have given you some very valuable information!

OK, I have an alternate answer!! Oh, you finally got your Venture running on all 4 cylinders???

On the MK1 2nd gear was the one that would really surprise you! Yes, you CAN get these big touring bikes up on one wheel very easily!

Yup! Your tach receives its signal from the primary side of the number 2 coil. Chances are it is not the coil but the firing signal coming from the TCI. There is a lot that can be done and a few things that can cause this. There are diodes in the TCI that are known to fail. There is always the possibility water or condensation has gotten inside the plastic box which can be dried out by removing the cover and baking in an oven at around 250 degrees F for an hour or so. Put a bead of grease or Vaseline around the cover when reinstalling to help waterproof it, and relocate the TCI on top of the airbox to further protect it! We need to know what year your Venture is as on the earlier ones there are 2 pickup coils that one of them can go bad, and there is also a connector for these pickup coils between them and the TCI that can cause problems as well! The newer 1st generation Ventures switched to a single pickup coil setup, so if it goes bad the whole bike dies... EDIT: Just looked at your profile and see it is an '87. You have 2 pickup coils...

Yup, what Jeff said! We have what is known as a "wet" clutch and any kind of friction modifier will cause it to slip! I doubt you burned out your discs but you may want to consider removing all the discs and soaking them in a suitable solvent to remove any trace of the additive followed by soaking the discs in straight motor oil for a little while before reassembling the clutch assembly...

When we took our Alaska cruise we went through a company called YMT (Your Man Tours) and did a combo 1-week bus tour of the Pacific Northwest and a 1-week inner passageway cruise ship and was very pleased with it! It was organized quite well and for what we got was reasonably priced as well! We left on the bus from Salt Lake City to Vancouver and sailed from Vancouver and finally docked in Seattle! I would advise doing the trip in the middle of June at the earliest as it can get quite cold in the Yosemite area in late May/early June...

My guess is the TCI crapping out! Do a search here and find out about replacing diodes in them, as well as removing the cover and baking them in an oven at 200 - 250 degrees for an hour or two to remove moisture in them...

I have a hard time correlating the words "motorcycle parts" and "cheap" together...,

Well, it is the weekend, maybe it's an M-F operation. The cost of the Hannigan conversion plus all of the accessories is more than the asking price...

Here's a pretty decent deal if it is still available... https://www.shoppok.com/gadsden/a,54,108879,YAMAHA-VENTURE-W--HANIGGAN-TRIKE-CONVERSION----14900--Rome-.htm

Back in 2010, I dropped the RSV for the 2nd time. The wife very firmly told me "You're triking it!!!" With type 2 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, I have to admit I was having a bit of a hard time with it so I consented to it. We went the Hannigan route but after shelling out all that money first for the bike and second for the conversion if I had to do it all over again I would have bought a ready-made used one. I have well over 30K invested in mine and would jump up and down for joy to get 20K, realistically I would expect 15K. Mine is modified from stock Hannigan. I know what you mean about the new Venture, at just shy of a half ton it is a little on the scary side but when I test drove one last summer I was surprised at how well it handled, but I was scared stiff of dropping it!

Like Marcarl mentioned, Pioneer Motorsports has them, and I think I'll take one for a spin this spring...

Sure, if you want to surrender your 2nd amendment right to own a firearm...

Hey, I've got an idea!!! We can always show the original Woodstock movie and burn or smoke some tea bags!! Burning tea smells just like pot! I still have my hippy costume from a few years ago!

I had a similar problem a few years ago where one side stopped working. After a lot of troubleshooting, someone brought something to my attention. There are two rubber vent lines, one for each side of the carb banks. One vents the left side and one vents the right side. Now, what happens is either a bug builds their home in the hose or the hose gets plugged up and it causes that side to shut down!! When the vent line is plugged and the two carbs on that vent get empty of gas, the fuel pump tries to refill the bowls but the air in the empty or partially empty bowls can not vent out, and a positive air pressure builds up stopping the gas from filling up the bowl!!! Locate those two vent hoses and disconnect them and try to blow through them. Chances are that one of them is plugged up!! You can also try starting the bike with those two hoses disconnected and see if it runs OK again...

So sorry to hear of your loss, DJ.

OK, here's an update on my health condition for all of my Venturerider friends. What I have is Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia. I know that's a mouthful if you are interested then Google it. The VA has referred me to outside treatment for this and is picking up the tab! Treatment is a little beyond their expertise but yesterday I did receive an infusion of one unit of blood from them and it did help a little. I am so anemic that just walking a short distance made me winded and gasping for air. Now I can walk around OK but sometimes feel a little light headed. Those that know me to know I am a very determined individual and keep a positive outlook. I am a fighter and will be to my last breath! I feel very positive that treatments will keep me around for a long time! There are people in this world that rely on me and it seems as there is still a lot to be done yet. So, my friends, keep praying for me as that means a lot to me and I strongly believe in the power of prayer...