Looking to purchase a '99 XVZ1300

HI!

New to this site. Looks like a bunch of good information.

I am looking to purchase a '99 XVZ1300 Royal Star Venture for about $3700. I was reading up on the specs and noted this bike has carburetors. Aren't carbs hard to maintain? I have a good shop - how often would I need maintenance on the carbs?

Thanks for your insights.

Aaron

Carbs are easy to maintain. Run Seafoam thru the fuel occassionally and sync the carbs. Unless the bike has sat for a while with untreated gas you should be fine. If the carbs are gummed up Seafoam will help to a certain extent but they can be torn down and cleaned as well. Several members have Carb Tune so you can sync the carbs. Takes about 10 minutes to do a synchronization.

With normal use, decent maintenance, and good fuel carbs are no harder to maintain that FI. Somewhere there is an article on how to add a $4 fuel filter to the bike, good preventative maintenance. Regular use and good fuel go hand in hand for water (leading to tank rust) or stale fuel sitting in the carbs to gum things up.

I'm in Chicago and have normal winter layup from January-April with sporadic riding during that time. I keep the tank topped off, a splash of fuel stabilizer (Stabil or Seafoam) and no issues with any of my carbed bikes (mowers, tractors, snow thrower, etc) I've owned.

The carbs on my 88 have never needed to come out yet, so I would call that not needing a lot of maintenance. As far as a good sync, EFI also needs to get synced regularly for the same reasons.

As mentioned as long as you take care of the carbs they will need little to no work done for many years at a time. Taking care just means avoiding ethanol gas if you can (I can not), and using a cleaner in the gas every once in a while (Most here use Seafoam), and changing the fuel filter before you HAVE to and proper winter storage.

HI!

 

New to this site. Looks like a bunch of good information.

 

I am looking to purchase a '99 XVZ1300 Royal Star Venture for about $3700. I was reading up on the specs and noted this bike has carburetors. Aren't carbs hard to maintain? I have a good shop - how often would I need maintenance on the carbs?

 

Thanks for your insights.

 

Aaron

What exactly does having a good shop mean to you BBQ? Is this your place where you work on your ownor does this mean that you know of a local bike shop that still works on carburated scoot? Quite frankly,, these V-4's that we here in the club have come to love and appreciate have a fairly complicated carb system that,, having proven themselves worthy - are still carbs with all the tendency's to wear out float needle n seats that will leak down fuel if not addressed, get holes in diaphrams cause their CV carbs, loose float height over time, easily plug up low speed jetting if stored improperly and on and on.. I know this sounds harsh but a while back,, another new member came aboard and asked similar questions before making the jump - I tired to explain to him that he was either gonna end up spending the bucks at a shop (f he could find one who would work on a bike over 10 years old) or he would absolutey have to learn to spin wrenches and enjoy it cause old carburated anything has to be Tweeked on if you expect to get the miles out of it.. He bought it and is still kind of frustrated IMHO at how much is involved..

Not trying to discourage you in any way BBQ,, just trying to voice the truth..

Concerning the 99,,, one of the things I would definitely look at if I were considering a 2nd Gen of that vintage is I would look carefully at the bottom of the rear shock and make sure it shows no sign of leakage.. If it does,, offer em 3 and take the money you saved and use it to buy a good aftermarket...

Concerning the 99,,, one of the things I would definitely look at if I were considering a 2nd Gen of that vintage is I would look carefully at the bottom of the rear shock and make sure it shows no sign of leakage.. If it does,, offer em 3 and take the money you saved and use it to buy a good aftermarket...

That reminds me....There was an issue with the trunk bottoms of the '99's. Insufficient support. You might want to check the trunk bottom for cracks and if it is the original owner, ask if the "recall" (think it was more a technical bulletin) was done.

... Somewhere there is an article on how to add a $4 fuel filter to the bike, good preventative maintenance....

This might be what you are referring to. I wrote this up a few years ago.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?76515-2nd-Gen-changing-the-fuel-filter

This might be what you are referring to. I wrote this up a few years ago.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?76515-2nd-Gen-changing-the-fuel-filter

Ding Ding Ding...I couldn't remember what bike HAD and what bike I've ADDED a fuel filter. Being that buried under the seat I wonder how many people change them regularly. With that, mine is probably 4 yrs old and in need of a change.