Radios and XM

I've had my 84 VR for a week now. The day of the purchase required a 400 or so mile ride to get it back to Sheridan from Cheyenne (and wouldn't you know, the day after I get it home, another VR comes up for sale in Billings, less than 2 hours away). So far, the CLASS is working fine, the Venture Cruise works, with a 5 MPH drift at times, and this one already has 2nd popping out so I know tranny work is in store for the winter. And the radio works, when it wants to. At the dealership, the salesman was very open about what he knew of the bike, and showed me that the cassette was a dead horse by plugging a tape into it. But as he did, the radio went dead too. The amplifier was still live as we could hear the speakers softly pop whenever we tried to turn the radio on. But no display and no sound. So I rode it home anyway.

Near Buffalo, I fiddled with the power/volume switch a couple of times and the radio came back on. And since then, it has dropped off by itself during a ride, but fiddling with the switch got it back. The cassette is a lost cause, I'm convinced.

I'm going to add XM and I saw the link to the site for mounting kits (although they seem aimed more at Sirius), but I'd like to hear from anyone who has already added XM.

I got that problem when I bought my 84'VR about two years ago.

If you take off the left side cover that holds the radio & the cassette player, you will see that the controls are connected through two blue plastic multipin terminals. One bigger than the other one.

You need to start one by one to look for false connections or bended pins, that are not doing contact with the other side of the connector.

That is the reason for the false contact, that with the bike on motion lost and reconnects some times.

Good Luck

Hey, what are you doing with my bike????

We have same style & color bikes.

After cleaning up the connectors, use some di-electric grease on them. That will prevent any future corrosion. It's not a bad idea to grease all the connectors that you can find on the bike.

As far as xm, I have the "xm commander" and I like it alot. Even though it has a separate box (unlike the Rodies) I prefer it for the size of the control head. I have the unit mounted in the right side with the water overflow bottle. Kind of tight with the cb, but you don't have that problem.

This picture is from right after my crash, but you can see the control head on the right side of the dash, under the tach.

Btw: the dash area looks a lot better these days!

Could also be a flaky on-off-vol knob - try some cleaner in it after pulling off the knob.

My cassette was intermittent, so I yanked it and connected an MP3 in where the cassette used to connect. It required a toggle switch to turn the radio on and off and works well. Check out this thread:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9724&highlight=jeremy+tape+switch

Jeremy

Jeremy

Thanks for that suggestion. I was fiddling with it today, trying to figure out how to ditch that POS Cassette (and wouldn't you know it, Mitsubishi made it next to impossible) when I noticed that when I would operate the volume knob, sometimes it would shut the radio head off before the knob was in the off position. I don't have misaligned connectors, nor are they corroded at all. (I'm actually pretty suprised at how clean they are!) And I even tried manipulating the console while the radio was on and it had no effect on it's performance. So I am sure it's the volume knob and will try your suggestion next tinker time.

Thanks again, everyone, for your help.

Scott if you unplug the cassete from the system lookin at the pins there are 2 that have a space between them bigger than the others the spacing is just enough to use a spade connector on if you do this the radio will work without the cassete if you need pics let me know and I will post some.

Jeff

http://bergall.org/temp/venture/din.jpg

Pin 7 and 1 on the cable from the cassette to the amp are open when the cassette is turned ON... so it needs shorted to bypass the cassette and let the radio play. Your problem may be here?

http://bergall.org/temp/venture/vr1.jpg

Those controls look pretty sealed but ALWAYS check for corrosion and you can ALWAYS give it a try.

http://bergall.org/temp/venture/audio-mpg.jpg

A couple guys said it's best to use the "ring" around the plug as the audio common... but it's no big deal to pump MP3 through the system using the cassette cable input.

Y'all have been super at helping me with my radio problems, and they are cured. So, I was wondering, This bike has the switch on the left handlebar that has the mute and tuner button. In addition, there is an intercom volume control on the display head. Having ridden a Wing a while ago (I know, shame on me, but I've reformed!) I was hoping this bike had provisions for helmet speakers. If it does, I sure can't find any plugin cords anywhere. I know a few places I can get the headsets, or just helmet speakers, but here's my new problem...how do I connect to my radio?

Any help is most appreciated. I have already seen how valuable membership here is.

I was hoping this bike had provisions for helmet speakers. If it does, I sure can't find any plugin cords anywhere. I know a few places I can get the headsets, or just helmet speakers, but here's my new problem...how do I connect to my radio?

Any help is most appreciated. I have already seen how valuable membership here is.

Check out these threads

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/search.php?searchid=231400

The riders hookup is a cable that comes from the dash thru a grommet, just inboard of the tape deck. It comes back a foot or so and ends at a rubber clip on the faux tank. The passengers spot should have a control box on the LH side of the trunk front wall where the passenger can reach it. That box has a short whip cable that attaches under the seat to an extension cable. This extension cable, as well as the riders cable, plug into the amp, located just underneath the radio. You gotta take out the radio panel, then the panel under that to get to it. It's easy.

Maybe your cables are there, coiled up under the seat and dash. It's also possible that someone pulled them out completely and the amp has two lonely connectors, but I bet they're in there somewhere.

Jeremy

Nice scoot ScotI had the same color 84 vr 10 years ago.

MY stock stereo was giving me trouble. seemed after it got hot the left side would start crackling, poppint and cut out 1/2 way and all the way. I pulled it out and sent it off to Sierra in OH reluctantly just before Thunder by the Bay in Sarasotta so i missed the weekend event http://www.venturers.org/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif but i looked forward to getting it back and ended my troubles. after i installed it i found out it still had the same trouble. They told me I could Ship it back and they would look into it some more. but i had already spent ovenight shipiing and ther repair fee i didnt fell great about paying to ship it again and wondering if it would be ok after installing it again. So i tole it all out again and bought a marine Sony system a cdx fm 50 sony cd player. I bought it at West marine and wanted the sony RM X55 marine remote but they were out of stock and not due for a week or 2 so i found one at Crutchfield.com

I removed the srstock reciever and power amp from the stock mountinf bracketttt and cut and reformed it to accept the Sony mouning piece. this i riveted on so the sony unint had room to slide into tit stillas a bolt would not have clearance for it to slide in. After a little trimming with a dremmel of the plastic dash pieces to reomve the excess plastic on the bottomside to make clearance with the new stereo it fit fine and i bought a black plastic storage box at walmart and cut it to fit into the square ressed section that the stock stereo display used to be. the remote works all the funtions of the sony and a satalite reciever can also be linked to it if i like.

Im not planning on useng the cd player as ive got my I pod nano.

the only thing is i dont have the noise mike like b4 to raise the volume.

http://www.venturers.org/Forum/memberuploads/mvc_747s_126.jpg

http://www.venturers.org/Forum/memberuploads/mvc_750s_135.jpg

http://www.venturers.org/Forum/memberuploads/mvc_755s_197.jpg

http://www.venturers.org/Forum/memberuploads/mvc_757s_223.jpg

http://www.venturers.org/Forum/memberuploads/mvc_760s_461.jpg

Maybe your cables are there, coiled up under the seat and dash. It's also possible that someone pulled them out completely and the amp has two lonely connectors, but I bet they're in there somewhere.

 

Jeremy

In the earlier years, this was an option, like the cb radio was an option. Apparently J & M made the cables for Yamaha in the first place.

"In the earlier years, this was an option, like the cb radio was an option. "

OK, but weren't they included on the Royale?

Jeremy

"In the earlier years, this was an option, like the cb radio was an option. "

 

 

 

OK, but weren't they included on the Royale?

 

Jeremy

Nope, they were options. I had to search for the interface kit info last year, have been passing it on as others ask, to add intercom to their bikes.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/search.php?searchid=231400

I tried the link posted, but the web site says there's no match.

I did find the plugins on the amp for the headsets and mics, but no cables. So I need a way to interface with the system. I suppose that's what the link would've told me, but I got no where with it.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/search.php?searchid=231400

I tried the link posted, but the web site says there's no match.

I did find the plugins on the amp for the headsets and mics, but no cables. So I need a way to interface with the system. I suppose that's what the link would've told me, but I got no where with it.

Sorry, that search link had expired, try the Search & use YV-41as search terms,for more threads. Here is one of the threads that would have come up.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2606

Here is the link for buying the cables

http://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp?prod=JM%2DYV%2D41