!986 Venture Royale arriving soon!

[PeteVS]

While grazing on Ebay in early Dec. 2011 I saw a 1986 VR ( item 150711597381, photos were still up recently), advertised as a project bike. Finally bid ended at $680, which I thought was cheap for such a fine older machine. Winning bidder never paid and I was offered the VR for bid price, shipping to my home added $400 but still cheap for a diamond in the rough. Found your very friendly and informative site while the bidding on the VR was still active and joined on ,12/8. As you have said best $12 I've spent. I've already found a very nice replacement seat,windshield and normal maintenance items, and of course downloaded manuals etc. Not surprising that a complicated machine with many electrical/electronic devices which are 26 years old (isn't that about 78 in motorcycle years) is in need of TLC. Along with working on the defects noted in Ebay listing a thorough fork and steering head rebuild/upgrade is planned.Pleased to see that several members have a machining background.

[XV1100SE]

Congratulations on the new bike !

[RandyR]

Welcome Pete

 

and of course we'll need pictures when its back together. or now even to document the process...

[Flyinfool]

We have rules here.

 

If there are no pics, it didn't happen or don't exist.

 

Your gonna like the new ride.........

[DragonRider]

Very nice bike, looks like a little elbow grease, some Sea Foam, and some TLC you will have you a fine ride, plastic looks to be in great shape, but I thought when a winning bidder didn't pay, they had a policy called second chance for the next highest bidder and he got that item at his high bid, not the higher bid? I know thats how it worked for me when I got offered a second chance after the winning bidder failed to pay........maybe that is one of the things that changed on ebay.

 

Ok, here it is, I copied the policy direct from Ebay.......

How it works

 

When you send a Second Chance Offer, the bidders you've sent the offer to will receive a message asking if they'd like to buy the item at a Buy It Now price equal to their last bid amount. It's up to the buyer to decide whether to accept the offer.

 

 

But you still got a great deal on a low mileage gem. Congratulations!!!

[bongobobny]

Good deal!! Hope you get it up and running for springtime! If not you can more than double your money parting it out but I'm sure you will get much more enjoyment riding it! Warning, once you start buying Ventures, sometimes you can't stop!! Look at Muffinman, or Yammer Dan, or Condor, or...

[KIC]

Congrats... I am going on my 1 month of ownership on my 89. I love it. I am ready to do a few upgrades and repairs to mine, but can't bring myself to even start to take it apart since I would miss riding opportunities. Friday night I was out riding until 11pm with a friend. I love the ride of my Venture !

 

My 06 KLR650 is in a deep depression having not been ridden in so long.

 

ALSO, welcome to the 1st Generation club. The elite of the elite. Although you will get really good information and friendship from the 2nd Genners, don't let them fool you. You are in the higher caste system here. The proper definition and explanation is below:

 

Noun1.caste system - A social structure in which classes are determined by heredity, 1st Generation Ventures are of a higher caste system than 2nd Generation Ventures,

class structure - the organization of classes within a society. 1st Generations Rule.

 

2. A social class separated from others by distinctions of hereditary rank, profession, or wealth . See definition #1

[Flyinfool]

Hey, That one came out of my back yard. Well almost.

That is the same dealer that I bought my '88 from.

At the time I was looking they had 5 ventures on the showroom floor including one just like that. Good thing it is not the SAME one that was there 5 years ago.

 

I did notice that in the pic of the whole dash it is showing 97,270 miles. The add says 97,268 miles so someone was able to drive it 2 miles, this is a good thing, BUT then there is a close up pic of the speedo showing 36,923 miles and that is not even a venture speedo?????

Edited January 15, 2012 by Flyinfool

[PeteVS]

Regarding pictures of the bike which is still in transit, please go to Ebay and search item 150711597381.I'll post some of my own once the machine is actually at my home. Yes the picture of some other bikes odometer is rather interesting. Part it out to make money. Now that you mention it I do seem to recall a second chance policy with Ebay. I was not the second high bidder,rather I took the initiative to call Road Track and Trail and ask why if the bike was sold that it still showed up on their inventory on Jan 3. They offered it to me at the final bid price. R T & T's description of the bike said it was a one owner. If that owner would happen to be a member or if a member knows who owned the machine I'd be most pleased to get in contact with them, might save me some time from trying to reinvent the wheel. Thanks to all who have replied to this my first post.