BlueSky

Today I rode it for about 3 miles and it is accelerating better but it still bogs some. Monday I will get it inspected and plate renewed so I can ride it a lot and hopefully the PEA will finish the job.

PEA, polyetheramine, is supposed to be the best fuel injection cleaner. Chevron Techron was the first to use PEA and is the only FI cleaner that Ford recommends. Now many brands of FI cleaner are using it. I buy Gumout for high mileage engines that supposedly has a higher dose of PEA. It has worked very well for me. My 150hp Yamaha FI two stroke outboard developed a miss and started giving an overheat alarm on one side. I put two bottles of it in the gas tank and the miss and alarm cleared up quickly. (I'm so glad that the outboard has FI!) I usually put a bottle of it in the gas tank of all my autos every 6 to 12 months and I feel the difference in the throttle response.

85 Kawasaki ZN700 Keihin carbs When the battery died, I let it sit for about a year and like a big dummy I didn't drain the carbs. Finally installed a new battery. I had a leaky fuel valve so I removed the gas tank, dumped it and washed the rust particles out with gasoline and rebuilt the fuel valve. The screen was good and I made sure my fuel filter was clear. I had to use starter fluid to get it started. It ran really ragged on two cylinders. So, I poured a half bottle of Gumout for high mileage engines into about a gallon of gas and I have been starting it and running it or a few minutes and letting it sit for several weeks. Today is the first day it fired on all four cylinders. It runs good at idle but still is not quite right. It doesn't accelerate well so I'm hoping the cleaner didn't destroy the diaphragms in the carbs. Anyhow, I'll keep you updated so you can decide if you'd like to try Gumout (with PEA) in your gas to clean up carbs. By the way, I bought an infrared thermometer from Autozone and I love it! I used it to check the exhaust pipes temperatures and could tell which cylinders were firing and how well they were firing compared to the hottest temp! I highly recommend this tool!

kickstand down trans in gear kill switch If neither, you need to start troubleshooting with a wiring diagram. I just googled "motorcycle no start troubleshooting video" and a bunch of videos popped up. Watch some of those to get the idea about how to troubleshoot the issue.

One tip about riding the Blue Ridge Parkway is that there aren't many places to buy gasoline so keep the tank as full as possible.

It depends on what you enjoy. The Grand Canyon isn't that far away. And a little farther will get you to Monument Valley. I really enjoyed Monument Valley where John Ford filmed all those John Wayne western movies. All of the shows I've been to were great. Most of the ones I've been to are the Cirque de Soliel shows. My wife even won about $300 playing the slots last time. I think I lost $20.

I got really cheap Liability Ins when I first bought my 85ZN700 in Wisconsin. When I registered it in NC, the cost went up. I was told that the riding season being longer justified the increase in Ins. cost.

I suspect it could be bought for a lot less than $2999. With all those miles, not many riders would want it. And you can buy a much lower mile Venture for just a little more. Craiglist in my area has an 08 advertised for $4600.

Happy to hear your 88 Venture is treating you well!

These politicians do get into office by the citizens voting for them? right? Sounds like it's time for a voter rebellion.

There must be a nationwide campground guide available. Years ago when I had a camper, I had a hard copy version that supposedly contains info on all the sites in the country with all the details on what facilities they had. Yep, I just googled and they appear to be available on line.

During my misspent youth, I bought a 59 Chevy Impala coupe (1964)with the 283 cu in V8. It developed a knock that sounded like a main bearing. I had a good mechanic listen to it and he also thought it was a main bearing knock. It didn't appear to be getting any worse so I continued to drive it. This car came stock with a 4.11 rear since it had the electric overdrive 3 speed manual tranny. One night I wound it up and a valve lifter collapsed. I replaced the lifter and the knock was gone. Noises are very difficult to diagnose sometimes. I bought a new 70 Mustang fastback with a 302 V8. It started whining when I put it in drive or reverse and would stop whining when I started moving. I had a 50k warranty on the drive train and it was running out on a 6k mile tour of the country so I pulled into a Ford dealer shop in Ft. Smith Arkansas. I had thought it was the transmission making the noise. The shop foreman agreed with me. He had several mechanics listen to it and they all agreed it was the tranny and they started talking about rebuilding it. Then one guy said, maybe we should get "old Joe" to look at it. "old Joe" was in the office with his feet on a desk drinking coffee. He came out, listened to it, pulled out the longest screwdriver I have ever seen and placed it on several parts in the engine compartment and listened. The he picked up his coffee, said take off the alternator belt and see if it still does it, and went back into the office. they removed the belt and the noise went away. So, "old Joe" saved Ford Motor Co. the cost of a transmission rebuild that day and saved me a lot of inconvenience waiting for them to rebuild the tranny. I wonder how many dealer shops today would keep an experienced "old Joe" around. They all seem to be hiring parts replacers out of the tech schools.

When I bought my 85 Kawasaki ZN700 in 2009, it only had 1,054 miles on it. The owner had died and his nephew had attempted to clean the carbs to get it running correctly and gave up. When I bought it, it was running rough on 3 cylinders. I put a bottle of FI cleaner in the gas and it finished cleaning the carbs and it ran great but only on 3 cylinders. I checked the spark to the spark plugs and they were all getting spark. Turned out the #2 original 24 yr old NGK spark plug was completely dead. I guess it didn't like sleeping all those years in a barn in Wisconsin. That is the only plug I've ever experienced that was completely dead. New spark plugs and the bike ran like a champ. 74hp 4 cyl engine in a 500 lb shaft drive bike and it's a blast to ride around town.

Sometimes a main bearing will knock on startup until the oil pressure hits the bearings. But that knock is more of a dull metallic sound. Lifter noise is usually more high pitched.

I would think it is related to the valve train if it makes the noise on startup. Goes away when the lifters pump up or the cam chain tensioner gets presurized by oil if it has one of those. Is it a pushrod engine or OHC?

Awesome!

Makes me wonder where he got his money? Lots of cash invested in his "hobby".

Congratulations on you new adventure. May you find full-timing all the fun and enjoyment you hope it will be!

OMG! I hope he has a lot of security. That's a terrorist's paradise!

Congratulations! Now begins the process of becoming an expert Venture mechanic!

Tell them that your policy is to not buy any parts from a dealer who won't work on your bike.

I suggest that you drain the other carbs to prevent them from plugging up.

The dealer probably gave the PO $500 for it in trade!

Take a look at craigslist for a local mechanic.

One major flaw in the US system is that there is nothing to control cost of Doctors and Hospitals. The AMA meets once a year to set prices for the doctors and have a monopoly that has been allowed so far with the exception of medicare patients where there are allowed prices. The hospitals in the USA charge people who have insurance exorbitant prices to make up for the ones who never pay.