Can the 1986 get a little lower?

Our new 86 is a bit tall. Not dangerously tall, Tom is not quite flat footed, but the weight makes it a bit scary if the rider can't stand over the bike and have complete control. Is there a way to bring down the rear of the bike by say 2 inches?

Thanks!

Ginny in Denver-ish

Our new 86 is a bit tall. Not dangerously tall, Tom is not quite flat footed, but the weight makes it a bit scary if the rider can't stand over the bike and have complete control. Is there a way to bring down the rear of the bike by say 2 inches?

 

Thanks!

Ginny in Denver-ish

Being inseam challenged myself and still wanting good ground clearance without dragging, I picked up a Corbin seat off ebay and scooped about 1 1/2 inches out of the driver seat and it is very comfortable for me. What air pressures are you running in the shocks?

RandyA

Welcome to the family...

as for lowering the Venture height, best way was to remove the seat cover and trim the foam down on the seat some and put the cover back on.

Buddy

Yup!! Redo the seat and/or run less air in the rear (and front) shocks. They are a tall bike, I never could put my feet flat down without tall soled riding boots...

No idea about the pressure in the shocks, haven't owned it 24 hours yet.

Can't get the husband off it. Drove it home in the rain last night and rode

it to work in the AM today.

So, having never done this, how does one find out the pressure, what is high, what is low and how do I reduce pressure in the shocks? He won't have anyone else on the bike for at least 500 miles, so I can lower the pressure for a single rider for now. What is the lowest pressure a single rider can go?

Can I use a stock seat for scooping, or is there not that much padding in the seat to start with? Corbins are 25% of what we paid for the scoot! If I can find a stock seat in decent condition, can I scoop out a stock?

Thanks!

Ginny in Denver-ish

Yes you can modify the stock seat and as for the air ride 7lbs in front and 25-35lbs in rear which is what I ran in my 83 venture a course my 83 was a standard dint have electric air ride if you have this set up someone here will guide you on how to adjust it!

I shaved the seat on my 1st Gen myself. Just peel back the cover and start shaving and reshaping. I've heard an electric knife works best, but I didn't have one of those so I used a bread knife. I was able to lower the seating portion of the seat over 3" which helped a lot. I went back in a few days later and narrowed the front portion of the seat where your legs go over and that helped more than anything else. The funny thing is the seat was more comfortable after I shaved it than it was before I started. Go slow and you'll do fine with it.

You can also pick up a used seat on Fleabay cheap enough and rework and reupholster it if you are handy at that sort of thing.

The CLASS (Computer Leveling Automatic Suspension System) is the device on the right side dashboard above the CB radio and only works with the key in the accdessory position. By pressing the buttons you can raise or lower both the front and the rear automatically either together or independantly from each other. High position = high air pressure, making for a stiffer ride but better load handling. Low position = lower air pressure resulting in a spongy ride...

I am assuming you have the "Royale" and not the "Standard" version. If you have the Venture standard version, you do not have a CB or CLASS system but instead have a air valve to adjust the air pressure.

You can also pick up a used seat on Fleabay cheap enough and rework and reupholster it if you are handy at that sort of thing.

 

The CLASS (Computer Leveling Automatic Suspension System) is the device on the right side dashboard above the CB radio and only works with the key in the accdessory position. By pressing the buttons you can raise or lower both the front and the rear automatically either together or independantly from each other. High position = high air pressure, making for a stiffer ride but better load handling. Low position = lower air pressure resulting in a spongy ride...

 

I am assuming you have the "Royale" and not the "Standard" version. If you have the Venture standard version, you do not have a CB or CLASS system but instead have a air valve to adjust the air pressure.

It's the Royale, I've got the CB, I'll have Tom look for the. . .oh, he just told me he saw the buttons and will try it tomorrow. Thanks!

If that doesn't get the adjustment he needs, I will try the seat shaving.

Thanks so much for the help!

Ginny in Denver-ish

For those that missed the initial thread by the OP, like Dano, for the singe pic (so far)......

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=58735

Okay, rain stopped and Tom is riding to work this morning.

Tried the CLASS system but can't seem to get anything to happen.

I'm not sure if it's working at all, there is nothing on the screen when

buttons get pushed.

So, how does it work? Is there something else that needs to be touched

to turn it on? Do these go bad often? Is there a relay or fuse that may be

blown? Where do I start? Thanks a lot. I know I ask 20 questions. . .

AND, is there a CLYMER or BENTLEY or CHILTON for this model? Haven't found

one except on CD and hate CD manuals.

There is an '83non-Royale in my area for $1200, too bad these are so tall and heavy.

My Honda Shadow 750 is 550 pounds and I am not comfy enough on that

to go all the way up to 750 pounds. Sharp bike.

Thanks a lot for all the help!

Ginny in Denver-ish

Another photo:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5641034056_4075372106.jpg

And a couple more, cuz we all love pictures!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5641031072_49a7e139a7.jpg

Does it lean too much on the kickstand?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5143/5641036150_6a33700039.jpg

I think I am going to get the other seat. I can try the shaving thing (did that on a tall scooter I had, so I've done it in the past) so he has two seats.

Thanks!

Ginny

Our new 86 is a bit tall. Not dangerously tall, Tom is not quite flat footed, but the weight makes it a bit scary if the rider can't stand over the bike and have complete control. Is there a way to bring down the rear of the bike by say 2 inches?

 

Thanks!

Ginny in Denver-ish

There is an alternative to scooping out foam, which can compromise the seating.

You can make the nose of the seat narrower, by removing the cover and re-shaping the foam at the front.

That allows the riders legs to be closer together when he/she wants to put their feet down, and effectively "lowers" the bike.

You can gain another half inch by raising the forks in the yoke, and you can do that without compromising the handling. Wearing good boots will also gain about 1/2".

For more drastic measures you need a seat specialist to help build a new seat, and it's not cheap.

There are no Third Party manuals, but the Yamaha Service Manual is available for download ... I had mine printed.

It has full instructions on how to use the CLASS. Basically, set the ignition key to ACC, and the screen should run through a light up routine ... You will know it when you see it. Then it will stop and be ready to adjust.

Read the manual .... It's harder to explain than to actually do

You can download the .pdf versions here:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3384

You can download the .pdf versions here:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3384

And Fedex will print and bind it for a reasonable cost

Thanks!

So these manuals, the 83-85 is the 1200cc, is the second manual an addition to the

first one that takes up the 1300 engine?

I'm downloading now so I can see if the CLASS works.

How low can an 83 go, seat height wise? That $1200 one might be cool. . .

The second Manual is complete ... for the 1300 from '86 on.

Mine had about three extra pages at the front relating to a supplement I don't need, so I left them out.

Full operating instructions for the CLASS and the Audio are included in the relevant sections.

Great!

Thanks a bunch.

Where do I donate for the manual?

Too much work there to be free.

Great!

 

Thanks a bunch.

Where do I donate for the manual?

 

Too much work there to be free.

Its included in the $12.00 yearly fee. best $12.00 you'll ever spend!!!!!!

Buddy

Dang!

Worth the price of admission right there!!!

EDIT and UPDATE: The CLASS works! It was set on 16 front and 60 rear.

He reset them to 12 front and 50 rear and says he's definitely lower, feet not

quite flat. He wants to know if there is a range or differential range between

the front and rear that he should stay in. Like the front at 10 what is the

best for the rear? What is the lowest settings for a single rider that he

can go. He is 200lbs and I am 160. What would be the lowest for us, two-up?

Thanks!

What you set the pressure to is prety much an individual thing. Where you have it now sounds like a pretty much niddle of the road thing or riding 2 up average weight and not pulling a trailer. I would say just keep lowering the front until it starts to feel "squishy" and it seems to bottom out on bad bumps. The front seems to have the most efect on how low the bike rides. As far as the rear goes, set it lower until the back end seems a litle "squirley" and tends to sway a bit.

There is also a dampening adjustment on the side of the bike for the rear shock. There are four setings for how responsive or sluggish the shock acts. He may want to try adjusting that a little too...

Dang!

 

Worth the price of admission right there!!!

 

 

 

EDIT and UPDATE: The CLASS works! It was set on 16 front and 60 rear.

He reset them to 12 front and 50 rear and says he's definitely lower, feet not

quite flat. He wants to know if there is a range or differential range between

the front and rear that he should stay in. Like the front at 10 what is the

best for the rear? What is the lowest settings for a single rider that he

can go. He is 200lbs and I am 160. What would be the lowest for us, two-up?

Thanks!

The manual you just downloaded also has a chart of the Yamaha recommended settings for different riding conditions.

They would make a good place to start.

Found those.

Thanks a bunch.

That manual is amazing. Thanks for that, too.

So, even on the lowest CLASS settings, Tom is still not quite where he needs to be with the feet. He says it's fine, but he has dumped it gently, TWICE because he just doesn't have the full control he would have if the feet were flat. And I am NOT getting on the back if his feet are not flat. He doesn't want to mess with the seat and the CLASS doesn't get him close enough to be flat footed.

What are the options from there? Is there a lowering kit for the 86?

Thanks!