GeorgeS

Check the fuel tank " Vent " just to the right of the Gas Filler Cap. Remove rubber hose, check the Brass Insert that has a VERY Small hole thru it. It might be plugged. Completely Drain your fuel tank at the petcock !! Use the Reserve Position of petcock. Install a chunk of fuel hose to a can to completely drain the tank. And All 4 Carb bowls, ( they each have a drain valve ) Put in a gallon of fresh fuel, with a good dose of " Sea-Foam" additive. If it runs, after 30 min. drain the tank again to be sure its cleaned out completely. These Tanks, collect Water in the bottom of the tank !!!!!! A complete Drain is the only way to get it out of the tank !! Check all your battery leads, connections, At battery, they come loose . Replace your Fuel Filter !! Just to be sure its not getting plugged up !!!

My 2 cents, I sure will try to make it, no matter where it happen's to be held. Don't really care where its held. Last year was great !!! I'm ready to go !! its been RAINING in Seattle for about 2 months now !!! Darn I really need to go for a "" RIDE "" !!!! Northern Cal, or Oregon, most anyplace would be great !! If in the HOT Season, consider the Pacific Coast, most anyplace along the coast road, its Cool !!! Higher Altitudes of the Northern Cal. Mountains is always good !!

There are a few " Known Problems " with the Class Air system. 1. the seals on the front forks are known to fail and leak Air and Oil. IF: you see oil leaking, down the struts, then obviously they will not hold air pressure. However, the forks might be leaking Air from someplace in the system, without leaking oil around the seals. 2. At the Control panel, open up the compartment, and follow the Electrical cable about 6 inches to the first pull apart electrical plug, It is " common " for there to be bad electrical connections in either side of this plug. ( About 6 wires going thru the plug ) Lightly PULL on each wire, and make sure the Pins are Tightly CRIMPTED onto the wires. A wire might Pull right out of the plug. The fix is to RE-Solder the wires. 3. Under the trunk behind passenger seat, is the CLASS System Air pump unit. Gain Acess, and CLEAN ALL the Electrical plugs for the Unit. 4. The AIR LINES from the Pump, going to the Rear, and front shocks, Might be leaking air. Follow ALL these lines, and Check for AIR leaks. There a many connections, and most of them have O-Ring Seals. Possibly you have a leak someplace. The Modification to the front forks that most of us have done over the years, is to INSTALL, New Front Fork, springs. The " Progressive Suspension Brand " Springs. After this modification, and A Fork Oil change, using a heavier weight fork oil, you will NOT NEED , the Air Pressure in the front forks. See, the 1st Gen, Maintenance Section of this web site, for Detailed information on any of these modifications. Also, installing the Aftermarket, Front Fork Brace, is a Big Improvement, in the Front Suspension System, performance. ( See Maintenance section )

A new roof ?? Last couple years I been checking the cost of a new roof in the Seattle Area. My neighbors have been paying from 18 to 20K for a re-roof job !! ( Asphault shingles ) I have cedar shakes, I decided to do the job myself. Cost of Materials for new Cedar Shakes, and materials about 5 K. So I'm doing it myself ! Save about 15K ( approximetly ) Finished back half last summer, will do the front this summer.

OK, now can you adjust 50 cents Canadian from 1970 to todays Inflation Adjusted equivalent ?? I found an Inflation Adjusted, U.S. Gasoline cost chart From 1918 to 2014. Averaged for inflation, a gallon was About $3.20 a gallon in 2014 dollars. Even I was surprised at that. It started at about 25 cents a gallon in 1918. ( pretty hefty price back in those days !! )

Well, my question would be, how much did a Litre cost in Canada, back in 1970 ?? in Canadian money. And, what is the Inflation rate, in Canada. for 1970 to 2015? ( I know, Canada, is not same as the U.S. ) I think, a U.S Dollar today, is worth about 8 cents, U.S. 1970 dollars. Or, 1 dollar 1970 is only worth about 8 cents in todays U.S. Money. I know lots of folks don't like to think about inflation !! But the sad truth is that a " Dollar " Ain't What it Used to be !! as they say.

I was thinking about price of fuel yesterday. Hmmm ?? say I --- back around 1970, a gasoline cost about 20 to 22 Cents per gallon . Bye 1975, it was over $1.00 per gallon. Now its going for about $2.00 to $2.50 around the country ( Except for Calif of course, more tax's there on fuel ) OK, I just filled the tank for $2.15 a gallon. Lets Adjust that for " Inflation " [ based on an average 1970 price per gallon ] Divide bye about 10 to 12 times to adjust for inflation. So: $2.15 divided bye " 11 " Equals, 19.545 Cents per gallon. And then--- in 1970 my cars got about 11 Miles per gallon, now they get about 19 to 20 miles per gallon. So, I only buy about 1/2 as many gallons of the stuff now. So, I am now spending about 1/2 as much for my fuel as back in 1970. ( I was driving 100 miles a day to get to work back in those days, so I KNOW, ) And the cost of " motor oil " Remember, new synthetic oils, run 3 times or so longer then the old standard stuff. I spend a LOT less on motor oil these days. Irregardless of the cost per quart of the stuff. Bottom line: At $2.20 per gallon, I now spend 1/2 as many Inflation Adjusted dollars, to drive the same number of miles, ( In my large Chevy SUV ) Now, if you have a small car that gets 32 MPG, Well, do the math. But don't forget to adjust for inflation, back to the times we got out of High School ??? Whenever that was for all us Old Gezzers !!

Welcome back. My advice is find a good , used, low milage, 2nd gen Venture, and Hit the road this Spring !!!! C U down the road my friend !!

What Is the Charging Voltage ??? Check that , If not at least 13.6 Volts, you have a charging problem. Also, Check all wireing connections . The Alternators on these bikes, are Notorious for burning out the Lower Coils, on the Stator Assemblies. !! Possibly you have a bad Regulator. Check the Studs, on both ends, of both Battery cables, for corrosioin, Resolder them !

An old 83 , you do not know how many years it has been since ALL the Calipers have been Rebuilt ???????? I think to be on the safe side if you are actually going to ride that old bike, that a complet " Rebuild " of ALL the Brake Calipers is In order !! Or I would seriously consider Replaceing ALL of them. There are couple of Experts, on this subject on this web site, that can supply you with the proper parts !!!!! GOOD Brakes = Long Life of the Rider !!

Thanks for that Dennis! I had not thought of keeping low beams " On " with High beams . Hmmm ?? Question --- Might this be Illegal, in some states ?? Weather forcast, is rain for a week, so will get busy on the Mod. for the 08 Trailblazer. Will pick up couple of Bosh Relays on way home from the gym this afternoon.

Question: Is the old battery, a Wet type? ie: can you take the covers off and Add Distilled water ?? Next question, if it is that type, Have you ever checked the Fluid level in the battery ?? Do you have a battery charger, if so, have you ever Charged the battery ?? Suggestion: Replace the Battery with an AGM Type, Dry cell. ( I know they cost more, but they are worth it ! Even Harley is using them now ) As it was raining as you said, on these bikes, the Ignition Unit, Is located Under the Radiator. Water, gets thrown up from the front wheel, ONTO the Main Electrical Plug, of the Regulator Unit. I would suggest you remove the bolts that hold the Regulator in place, then Remove the Electrical Plug, and Inspect for Water Getting Into that Plug. Clean the Contacts, with Electrical Contact Cleaner, Dry everything with Compressd air, Re- Install the plug, and SEAL IT UP WITH SELASTIC SEALANT !!! Of course, you might also have a charging problem !!! After installing a new battery, check the charging voltage with digital voltmeter, with engine running, and you should see, between 13.6 to 14.2 volts, with engine running. Engine OFF, Key ON, Lights on, you should see about 12.1 to 12.4 with your NEW, GOOD, AGM type battery Installed. Another point, You May not have any problem, except, LOOSE BOLTS ON YOUR BATTEY CONNECTIONS !! Many of us have been caught by that one !! Also, check ALL your fuse's Also, you might, be developing the VERY COMMON, problem on these bikes, of the Failed ON/OFF Contacts, in the Main Ignition Switch. The contacts, burn up, due to High Current flow. There is a Modification, listed, in the Maintenance Section of this Web Site. This amounts to Adding a RELAY, to ByPass the Current flow, from the ON/ Off contacts of the Ignition switch. BE SURE to READ thru that Modification !!! MOST of the folks on this web site have done that mod, to our 2nd Gen Ventures !!

A December ride ?? Hmmm , well last nite about 8:30 PM. I was driving from Ocean Shores, Wa. back to Seattle. ( 140 miles ) in my car. Temp about 40 deg. F. pitch dark, and Pouring Rain, and 40 knot winds blowing. I stopped at a rest stop. As I was getting into car , to get back onto highway, I hear, Guess What ?? A motorcycle comeing bye heading west thru the Stormy , Raining, Cold, Nite !!! Some brave soul, out for a ride Ha Ha Well, I hope he made it to wherever he was going ,

Easy, on first Gens !! Just take the rubber hose OFF, at the petcock, and install a length of Spare Rubber hose, into a Can. Put the petcock to the Reserve position !! Wa La, and drain into a Can !! Nothing to it. On 2nd gens, do the same !! I Always add a Dose of HEET before doing the drain. I drain my tank, at least ONCE every season. ( Its a good thing to do ) If you have an old 1st gen, use a glass jug to drain into so you can " see " what comes out. ((( You Might be surprised !! )))

I have a few comments. as to the problem of not enough light from head lights. I also had this problem on my old 93 Ford Thunderbird. I did this modification, and it does help. I installed a Relay, " Close" to the Actual headlight bulb. Two of them, one for each side. I installed #14 Stranded wire from the Battery directly to the new relays. ( and of course included an In Line Fuse ) . With this wireing modification I eliminated The HIGHT CURRENT flow " THRU " the Headlight Hi - Lo Beam Switch. ( on the old thunderbirds, these Switches, were a HIGH Failure Rate item, due to the High Current Flow, thru the Switch ! I also , did this Mod. to my old 89 Venture, ( before I sold it ) . SO, Install a relay, Close to the Head light LOW Beam , Voltage Feed point, and run a heavy wire Directly to the Battery. ( With an In Line Fuse ) Bye doing this you Eliminate " most of, not all " of the Voltage Drop, associated with DC flowing thru Small Size Wire !! And of course, the Ignition Switch Contacts. [[[ Larger wire, = Lower Resistance = Higher voltage at the Bulb ]]] After the Mod, the only current thru the Stock, head light wireing circuits " thru the mfg. switch " is the current flow to operate the Relay !! Last night I was driving in Rain Storm, Dark nite, and noticed that my 08 Chev, Trail Blazer, also suffers from not bright enough head lights. I am planning to do the Mod to that vehical also. Same as the old 93 T-Bird. Some vehicals, do use Relays to feed the Headlights, Some do not!! Adding the Relays, is not a HUGE Improvement, but it is an Improvement. You end up with , maby 1 to 1/2 Volt, higher Voltage At the Light Bulbs, and this gives you Brighter Headlights, for your low beams. Same as we have all been doing for our Horn Circuits, on our Ventures. One more comment: I recommend buying " BOSH " Relays for this type of modification, most good auto parts stores have them. There are cheaper ones out there, but Bosh, for a few bucks more are worth it !!!

Now you can start renovating the house, catch up on car repairs, motorcycle repairs, re-do the front yard, it just goes on and on. I been doing this for 10 years now since I retired, I think I might go back to work !!! And of course the other honey dew pojects just never seem to get all done !! I wish you good luck, ( be sure to round up all your tools, you are going to need them !! (

Starter solinoids on these bikes, fail between about 60K and 100 K. Common problem. Just order a new one. Check for Loose Nuts on the Solinoid. Check for Loose battery stud bolts. Clean the Neg Battery cable, at forward , right corner of crankcase. ( near water pump ) Check the 10MM nut on the Starter where Red Cable connects. ( do not overtorque, the bolt will twist off inside of starter motor ) Open up the Starter Switch, and clean the contacts with contact cleaner. Just a few places to start looking.

I would consider, getting a small, bike, ( like a 500cc, something ) take the training course, and do some rideing for a few months on the small bike, to get caught up on things !! If you do buy that Venture, have one of our members, check it out for you, as to maintenance items. Most of the guys here are experts, on these bikes as compared to the dealer mechanics !!! Just my 2 cents worth, for what its worth.

I put relays on everything !! Just trying to find the best quality, lights that might be available. So, did Yamaha have an OEM Add on set of driving lights ??? Well, I have all winter to find something.

I am considering installing a set of Driving Lights, on my 08 RSTD. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Whats available, and any other comments ??

Well, it sure sounds like an "" Intermittant " open connection. (( Note: that's the worst kind Ha Ha Ha )) There is such a thing as an " intermittent fuse " I know that sounds crazy, but I have had that happen to me two times on Airplanes, over the 40 years that I worked on them. Extremely rare !! The Ignition Switch, ON/OFF contacts, Hmmmm well they have a reputation, for going intermittent, or completely open. You might be looking at a new Ignition Switch. Very common problem, but that would not make the battery go dead. I know you have a near new battery, But----------- I have had batteries fail in less then 2 months, just cause its new???? don't mean it does not have a problem. It might also have an intermittent internal fault, and it might be discharging Internally. Is this a Lead Acid battery ???? Or an AGM dry cell ???

Well, how about a 2nd gen bike with the new V-Max engine ??

You might check the POS Stud at the starter, in case you missed that. Also, Be sure to check, and clean the End of the Neg. Bat cable where it connects to the frame of the bike. Pull out the bolt there and clean it. ( Also, solder the Stud onto the end of that NEG. cable ) ( I would RE- SOLDER, Both Ends, of Both Battery Cable Studs , if they need it or not ) I second the recommendation of tapeing a volt meter to the tank, hooked to the Battery Studs, and watch the voltage as you drive ( digital meter if you have one ) If that voltage is about 14 as you drive, I would suspect your new battery, ??? Most of these bikes will show 14.2 V at driving speed. Did you check the Stud on the starter motor, for a LOOSE 10MM Nut there ??? Clean, and resolder the red cable stud at the starter motor. --- Do NOT, overtorque that nut, the stud will TWIST OFF, inside the starter motor case -- Pull the connector at the Voltage regulator, clean the Pins with contact cleaner. Tug, tug, on all the wires at that plug, ( both sides of it ) make sure all those wires have a good crimp. Also, your Ignition Switch, ON/ Off contacts "" Might "" be starting to go bad, causeing a voltage drop to all components on your bike. As you know this switch is a common failure point on these bikes. Also, Open up your RED, ON/Off Switch, and check the resistance thru that switch, clean it with contact cleaner. Again, that switch can cause a voltage drop to all components if it goes " High Resistance " !! Be sure to check ALL the wireing Cables, around the steering yoke, make sure there is NO Cable Damage in that area.

The Barber told me the story, so it must be true !! Well it was bad, won't go into details, however will say this. If ??? you pull a trailer behind your bike, Be Darn Sure you have the best tires available on your trailer !!!!! And, keep them serviced !!!! These folks have had their life's destroyed, bye one blown Trailer tire !!

Short Answer --- No !