zagger

My 83's brakes are delinked. For the front disks, I just ran one brake line from the handlebars down to one side and added a second short line out around the fender to the second caliper. I kinda remember that I had to find a double length bolt (or whatever they are called) to attach the two lines to one caliper. Of course, the output from the pedal does the rear. Junked whatever proportioning valves were there (don't actually remember). No big deal - works just like a regular bike with regular brakes. No idea why anyone would want front and rear motorcycle brakes linked in any way if the road surface is less than perfect. zag

I put V-boost valves on my 83 venture. I use a bicycle handlebar shift lever to run it so that it has 5 stops (clicks) as it is opened. I put the lever at the end of my left handlebar. It isn't clear to me if the absolute top end benefits very much since you have to be darned quick with the lever action as the RPM's peak. However, the engine runs noticeably better throughout the range with the V-boost opened a little bit (one click on my lever). Pretty unscientific and not a huge deal but I like it. The boost valves do need some space - in my case I don't have the usual venture plastic stuff so they fit without a problem. zag

Agreed! The top edge of the windshield should NOT be inline with your natural view of the road ahead. However, I've found that the opaque "strip" caused by the cut edge can be minimized by belt sanding the edge at an angle which aligns with your natural line of sight. However, this entire issue is minimized by cutting the shield short enough so that nearly all of the time on the road is spent looking over it. zag

Just because you can see the road over the top of the windshield doesn't mean that you don't have protection. The airflow over the windshield carries virtually everything up and over the top of your head - bugs, most rain, etc. Occasionally a compact shaped bug will pass through the airflow and hit the rider in the face - a good reason to wear eye protection. In reality, it is pretty rare for anything to hit me in the face, even though the windshield itself is covered with the smashed bugs, etc. Naturally, a super tall shield would give even more protection from debris but the rider is then forced to look through all of the junk stuck to the windshield, glare on the windshield, scratches, fog, etc. IMO, the best compromise is a windshield cut low enough so that your natural view of the road ahead passes an inch or so above the top of the shield and the airflow passes a couple of inches above the top of your helmet. Controlling the flow of air with lowers should be able to eliminate problems with turbulence and head shake. I have two bikes with windshields - both are cut low enough to allow me a clear unobstructed view of the road over the top of the plastic and both have zero turbulence and head shake. It seems to me that most people struggle with this issue because they cannot purchase a stock windshield that is exactly the right height. So they get a tall one, look through it, and say it is great. I'd agree that cutting a windshield down is an unpleasant job and it is somewhat tricky to avoid wrecking it. But I'm going to keep cutting them it because I prefer a clear view of my surroundings. zag

Plexiglas can be cut down to whatever height suits you - preferably so that you can see the road ahead looking over the top of the shield. I use a bandsaw to make the cut and a belt sander to smooth off the edge. Covering both sides of the shield with masking tape should minimize the chance of scratching. However, if your passenger has head buffeting, reducing the windshield height will make the buffeting worse. At least until the windshield is so low that the full force of the wind is hitting you both in the face! If your passenger is fairly tall, or the rear seat is extra thick, you will need to experiment with different lowers (bigger) and their positioning to see if anything can be done to raise the turbulent airflow enough to eliminate buffeting for both of you. zag

You should be able to see the road ahead looking OVER the top of the windshield. If you need to look thru the windshield, then your ability to see the road ahead can be easily blocked by water drops, smashed bugs, etc. and, unlike in a car, you don't have windshield wipers to keep it clear. If you or your passenger has buffeting, you need to add lowers on the front forks to help boost the height of the airflow. Lowers are simply flat plates attached with clamps to the forks which typically sit just below the windshield/fairing. In my experience, lowers boost the height of the airstream a couple of inches. It takes a bit of trial and error but you should be able to find a height where you have a clear view of the road (over the shield) and also experience zero buffeting. I have always purchased windshields that I knew would be too tall and simply cut them down to the correct height. I cannot imagine how to purchase a windshield which is luckily the correct height from the supplier. The mounting location of the fairing, attachment locations for the windshield, and height and thickness of the seat all contribute to the actual windshield height relative to the rider/passenger. Buying a tall one and cutting it down to suit your situation works every time. zag

I guess that proves that everything you read isn't necessarily true! I did the second gear fix on my bike back when I bought it and didn't note it anywhere beyond my shop's hanging mobile of failed bike parts. I guess the only way to know if the fix was completed is to ask previous owners. It's a good winter project which can be done in evenings over a week or two. Then forget all about it! zag

You can probably figure out which model you have from this: http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/yamaha/yamaha_xvz1200td_l.htm Doesn't the Royale version have a shiny nameplate somewhere that says "Royale" ? Not sure that I'd guess that the handlebar won't fit. I'd be surprised if Yamaha made two different splines and tube OD's for the two venture models. zag

Cowpuc beat me to it - I was just going to post the same link! If your bike has the "fix" noted by the mark on the case, then your deal is twice as good! zag

Since the ultimate failure is to have the gears skip and mash on each other, it's a good idea to do the fix before real damage occurs. If you like the bike, then do the fix. It's not optional if you decide to keep it and put on serious miles. While it's not a minor job, I thought that it was interesting and not something that should be avoided just because it looks scary. I can barely remember having done the work several years ago. Anyway - that's my pep talk! zag

"I picked this up for 450.00 and it has 28,000 miles on it" A VERY good deal! You won't see the 2nd gear issue with only 28K miles. Mine had 44K miles when I bought it, and it had no signs of having 2nd gear issues. However, the wear on the two little retainers was very obvious - 0.12" thickness (measured on a worn set) worn down to a bit less than 0.1" in the center area. Maybe you could ride it for a year, then tackle the "troubles". zag

Looks great! zag

Fixing the 2nd gear problem is a bit of a job, but one that can be done over a week or two (evenings after work) during this coming winter. I did it right after I bought my 83 several years ago. Does require pulling out the engine - but that gives you a chance to also take care of any little issues that need attention after 32 years on the road! Not really a big deal. When I took mine apart, it seemed pretty clear that 2nd gear hadn't ever actually skipped but the wear on the two retainers was obvious and I replaced them. Zero problems with the engine or gears since I've owned the bike. My suggestion: just do the fix when weather shuts down your riding and when you feel ready to tackle an interesting project without any time pressures. The second gear problem isn't a matter of chance, or bad luck. It's just a couple of little semi-circular retainers that will be badly worn and need replacing. Oh well, there are worse things in life! zag PS I bought my 83 knowing about the potential 2nd gear problem and fixed it before even riding it. Then did lots of other mods just for fun. It's a fast and very photographed bike.

"Has anyone ever relocated the gauge dash or replaced the needed stuff with something else?" I've done quite a few mods to my 83, including substituting a speedo from a different bike and and adding a digital tach. An aftermarket tach isn't too challenging but the speedo does require finding one with a compatible cable and cable housing. "Also I saw someone else removed the brace that runs over the engine. it that brace needed or is it there just to hold the covers on?" For the size and weight of the bike, the frame didn't seem overly strong - so I left the two side braces and even added to them just to make them more interesting to look at. No idea if the frame would survive without them but I decided it wasn't worth the risk. I think that the only parts which are still stock on my bike are the wheels. zag

Wish I could join you. zag

I know the UP quite well since I grew up in the Houghton/Hancock area on the Keweenaw peninsula. If you have any extra time, you might find it interesting to head up to Copper Harbor located at the end of the peninsula. Hwy 26 along the north shore of the Keweenaw is a good ride and Brockway Mountain Drive is also a good run and gives some spectacular views - some sections of the road might be fairly challenging. If you are interested, there are lots of old copper mines in the area and some have tours. The Quincy mine, located just outside of Hancock, is one of the deepest mines in the world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Mine). At any rate, simply zooming east to get to the bridge will miss some of the best riding in the midwest and some interesting sights. Hope you enjoy your trip. zag

Nothing nice about the Chicago route. 200 miles extra on nice roads through the UP will go by fast. Plus you get to cross the Mac bridge. zag

I did the 2nd gear fix back when I first got my 83. I believe that this problem & fix are well documented elsewhere on this site. My 2nd gear wasn't a problem but I wanted to make sure it didn't become one. Good winter project. zag

Are you sure that the calipers are working correctly? If one piston inside the caliper is stuck, the braking action would be seriously reduced. My 83's brakes seem plenty strong (they are delinked), as good or better than a Honda cruiser that I also own. zag

What's a recepie? zag

For whatever it is worth: I have Metzler 880's on two bikes ridden by me for a total of approx. 75,000 miles. No problems with any of the 880's over the years. I don't pull trailers but I have done plenty of long trips at highway speeds with the bikes fully loaded. Plenty of aggressive acceleration/deceleration/cornering. Tires last a few thousand miles but I don't keep tabs on the total miles since wear depends on the type of riding - when the tread is gone, I get a new one. I inflate to the mid-30's psi but I don't regard checking tire pressure as a precision measurement! I think I might have heart failure if my tires ever started tossing off pieces! zag

Black tape? zag

Excellent idea to use a light to check 12V circuits on an older bike! Voltmeters need almost no electrical current to register a voltage. It is easy to be mislead into thinking a circuit is good when it actually cannot provide the current needed due to corrosion, dirt, or whatever. I'm going to try to remember that trick! Thanks, zag

IMO, the smoke coming out of the exhaust looks like burnt oil, not steam from a water leak. If the engine hasn't been run for months or longer, it is entirely possible that a little engine oil got past the valve seals, coated the piston and inside of the head, and was blown into the exhaust system when the engine started. This oil will start smoking pretty good when the engine and exhaust system warms up, but eventually the oil will be consumed and the smoke will stop. Yesterday I started up an old bike that sat idle for a couple of years. Once the exhaust was hot, it started pumping out lots of white smoke (like yours). I switched it off, let it cool (with smoke drifting out the exhaust pipe), and started it again. More smoke, but volume was decreasing. Let it cool again. Ran it today and smoke was nearly gone. Since it doesn't have a serious oil leak past the valves, I'm guessing that I won't see more smoke during normal use. The abnormal smoke simply comes from oil that slowly leaked past the valves during the extended storage time. Gas tank rust: I had to loosen and clean out lots of rust in the gas tank of my '83. The inside surfaces of the welded seams in the tank are particularly prone to getting rusty. After cleaning out as much rust as possible (just get creative with wires, chains, etc.), I sealed the inside of the tank with a coating called Red Kote (http://www.amazon.com/Red-Kote-Quart-Sealer-Diesel/dp/B009X0JOSM). Works well but is very smelly and should be used outdoors! As I vaguely remember, I diluted the Red Kote with a little extra MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) to make it a bit less syrupy. Good luck, zag

Not sure if this is the issue, however you should know that hard front braking compresses the front fork and has the effect of reducing the front wheel "trail" measurement which also reduces your normal front wheel stability. Of course, a heavily loaded bike will compress the front fork even more when the front brake is applied hard. Even if the front end never reaches a truly unstable "negative trail" condition, the reduction in the trail will make the handling much more sensitive and more likely to produce a wobble. Of course, this is assuming that you don't have problems with your front disks, etc. which might also produce an odd handling sensation. zag