VanRiver

Looks like the bike Batman would show on to one of the Venturerider Meet and Eat events. Looks cool, but not sure if I would buy one personally.

Yup, as I tell my daughter.....it takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication to be "Lucky" in life....and to find deals too.

Wow Puc, thanks for sharing some of your history! Sounds like you have led a very fulfilling career....especially the part about leaving the corporate rat-race and following your dreams (something that we can all learn from)! I am sorry to hear about your accident and medical difficulties though...It is not just the pain and suffering but also the financial impact that so many people face after the fact.....That is the one thing about our Canadian "Socialized Medicine", I don't need to swipe my credit card first before the ambulance will pick me up and take me to the hospital......But I'm really glad you got the top notch medical care and are back in the saddle again! I had no idea that the motorcycle "export" business was so lucrative.....for the right bike going to the right location of course. But one thing that I'm rather curious about.......although you have probably owned, restored, and ridden countless Motorcycles over the years (and some very high priced machines), that you have chosen the First Gen Venture and now the V-max as your chosen longterm rides? Unless you have one of those 6-figure valued choppers in the back corner you haven't told us about. Don't get me wrong, I love Tweeks, but don't you miss having a second gear at least? Or maybe a new BMW K1600GTL that you and Tippy could start another sticker collection on? (that is such a great idea by the way, and what gives Tweeks her uniqueness and spirit in my humble opinion).

Ha Ha, My Canadian spell checker appears to be working overtime by adding as many "U's" as humanly possible......got to love the Queens English! I couldn't agree with you more...you can Never go wrong with BLACK! Never goes out of style and always looks classy. Would love to see a Pic of your "Tuxedo" Venture! The blue is stunning as well, but it does have a 1980's flair about it. I personally have a preference to the "Black Cherry" and find the 1988 "Creamy White" rather interesting too.......But I would be proud to own and ride any of the many colors that Mother Yamaha created! There, I deleted the U's to fit in better with my American friends! But my spell checker is not happy!

Hi Kevin, yes I agree the Brown is not my favourite colour combo either, but beggars can't be choosers! If Baby poop Brown is not your style, what is your favourite Venture colour combination from the First Gen catalog of years? I'm located in Litchfield Park AZ just west of Phoenix. Thanks for adding AZZI to your Database and for the new updated version of the Excel file!

Sweet machine!! You and Tippy look great on it! Puc did you own a motorcycle shop back in the day, or was it a hobby that made you some money on the side? I couldn't agree more, nothing beats ripping around the back 40 on a Honda CT70 or a z50 on a warm summer day! Got my first z50 when I was 6 years old and I'm still a big kid at heart and have collected several of them in my OLD AGE. That bike in my avatar is part of my collection, I restored it a few years back for my daughter to ride.....I also have a "Hot Rod" CT70 which I upgrade to a 125cc motor, different gearing, and performance exhaust. I call it "the lean-mean-green-wheelie-machine"......can get my fat butt up to 110km. You should see the looks you get when you pass cars on the highway riding a little CT70. (Kids, don't try this at home!)

Puc you are a creative Genius!!!! I love the name AZZI! That is a keeper! Thanks Buddy! By the power vested in me and the Governing body of Venturerider.org I now pronounce the legal naming of VIN: JYA1NL00XGA001275 to AZZI (The Arizona Zippinator). Signed, sealed, and delivered....it is done.

Very well put as always Puc! Membership here has been a deal of a lifetime for me since day one, even brought me closer to my Dad...can't put a price on that! By the way Mr. #cowpuc , I need to name my new Arizona scoot, and by golly I'm at a loss. Since you have such a talent for naming these bikes, do you have any suggestions for me?

Well I blew another head gasket on my 1984 GL1200 GoldWing down here at our Arizona place...Not a happy camper.....I usually turn my own wrenches but being that I come down to our AZ place to vacation and not "work" I hired a guy to replace the head gaskets 2 years ago. Well I should know better and the "professional job" only lasted 600 miles on the bike. Anyway I'm frustrated with the Wing, so I parked it and found a 1986 Venture Royale on Craig's List that proceeded to follow me home. I have always been jealous of the stories from my American friends about "picked up a Venture for $100" or "neighbour gave me a free Venture he had in his living room" as those deals don't seem to come my way back home in Canada. But today the Craig's List ad had no asking price and only said "make an offer". When I came to look at the bike and asked him what he really wanted for it he said "give me $250 bucks and get it out of the garage before the wife comes home and it is yours"....I said SOLD and proceeded to rent a trailer from U-haul as quickly as I could before he changed his mind. I now can join the "Venture Deal of a Lifetime Club" with the rest of you guys as my "new scoot" is a running, driving, and not too bad looking 1986 Venture Royale that lived it's entire life in the dry rust free desert. Now I have 3 1986's in the stable residing on the Tundra of Canada and the desert of AZ. My wife says I now officially have a Venture addiction and need to seek help! I thought I would turn to you guys and gals first about my so called "Addiction":bighug: Thanks for all the folks here on the forum that taught me the value, mechanics, personality, and longevity of these wonderful machines from Mother Yamaha....now my GoldWing will get some rest parked in the garage while I'm cruising on the Venture and trying to calm down enough to change the head gaskets AGAIN (this time finding the real cause of the leak unlike the "professional" I paid to do it). Pic of my $250 dollar purchase fresh off the trailer before I got a chance to polish her up, and of course change all the fluids before I took her for a spin around the block. I would love to hear about other people's "Venture Deal of a Lifetime" stories.....I know there are a lot of you out there....Let's hear about it!:thumbsup2::thumbsup2::thumbsup2:

Hi #Prairiehammer , hope you are doing well. I picked up a "new" 1986 Venture Royal today down here is Phoenix Arizona. She is Brown and was born 12/85 (according to the sticker) and OD says 58,344 miles (I believe it is really 158,344). VIN is JYA1NL00XGA001275. She is running, driving, and looking pretty good for having her 30th Birthday this month. I'll send you this info via PM too if you are not monitoring this thread, and would love to get an updated latest and greatest version of your database. Thanks!

Hi Puc, I'm rather late to the party (haven't had time to check the forum for a while) but so happy to hear that Tippy's ordeal has a happy ending! Please give her a hug from me. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Hey David, I hear you brother. Hang in there and stay safe! I'm a "young" man of 41 but was in a agricultural lawnmower accident when I was a kid that left my right leg pretty messed up (13 reconstructive surgeries and couple of years in the hospital if you put it all together). Doctors have already given me a timeline of when my walking and riding days will be over......but I'm enjoying it while I can and I still feel safe and confident doing so. You are the only one that can make the decision and from reading several of your posts and getting some insight into your character I know that you will make the right call when and if the time comes. I have ridden motorcycles since I was 6 years old (I couldn't pedal a bicycle due to my injury so my Dad bought me a Honda z50 instead so I could ride instead!). But with that said I will be OK with hanging up the helmet for good when the time comes. My Father is also making that decision for himself right now, he is 74 years young, I got him back on the road this year on a 86 Venture Royale....he loves it and has been riding motorcycles for over 55 years, is a retired Police officer that rode Police Harley's most of his career doing high speed pursuits and trained to do maneuvers that I could only dream of.....but his strength is no longer there, his confidence on the road has also faded (he will only ride when we are together), and I know if he ever went down his body would not be as forgiving and flexible as the old days.....so I will be triking his scoot this winter, I only take him on roads with no traffic, and keep his motorcycle full of gas, as the city gas station experience seems to be very stressful for him....but the day he says he is no longer enjoying it that Bike will get parked no questions asked, no pressure, and no regrets....I'll find another excuse to hang out with him! @videoarizona Hope we can also meet in person someday! As you know, I have a house in Arizona as well....no Venture down there, only a Goldwing..but hope to take you up on a meet and eat if the moons align!

Thanks @cowpuc I really appreciate the invite! Right back at ya, if you ever find your way up to Alberta Canada the Bar-B-Q will be fired up. !

Hi @Drews, it is my dream to attend one of @cowpuc's legendary events and be able to meet some of you guys and gals! But I'm stuck too far away here in western Canada to attend, so I'll stay depressed as I shovel snow for the next 7 months. Maybe Puc could drop a fully loaded Dog in an envelope and mail it too me? Maybe Fax would be better?

I like my wood wagon wheels, I keep a spokeshave in my tool box if I get a "Flat"......ever try to hammer out a warped mag rim? I think I may have given you guys the wrong impression...I'm mainly depressed with the look and design of the bike and limited range. I associate Motorcycles with Freedom and not being tied down....worrying about going too far away from home without access to a plug kind of kills that sense of escape for me...I personally drive a Ford Escape Hybrid which is their SUV that is both electric and Gas vvvvrrrmm, so the electric part is cool to me. I think they should strap a old-school and bullet proof Honda 4 stroke 50cc mini-bike motor onboard to charge the battery of the bike. That way Puc and Tippy could go cross country without needing a very long extension cord.

Here you go, the future of Motorcycles....Electric...and Ugly!! More incentive to keep my old MKII Venture's running for another 30 years! Check out the "Johammer J1": http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20140415-austrias-wild-one Looks like they used corrugated roofing tin to make a body for it. Looks real comfy too....NOT!

Hello fellow Gen 1 Venture Ladies and Gents, Do any of you have pictures of how the InstaTrike "frame" is connected to a 1986 Venture? This is the receiver hitch part that permanently stays on the bike even if the InstaTrike wheel part is disconnected. I picked up a used InstaTrike for my Dad's bike, and it came with mounting brackets for a different model motorcycle and I need to fab up my own for the MKII Venture. I emailed InstaTrike for assistance and they were very unhelpful since mine is "used", but eager to sell me a new one. I hate it when vendors do that! Any help or pictures would be appreciated from anyone who has used an InstaTrike setup on their MKII.

Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of me searching the internet on Kijiji (our local buy and sell site) and finding an ad that read "Yamaha Venture parts bike for sale $500". After contacting the seller I scheduled a time to go out and take a look the bike in person. It was a black 1986 Venture Royale all taken apart and in boxes. The Owner was a great guy, and after talking for a bit he showed me his other Venture's that he had in his stable and I mentioned that I was wanting to do a Father Son project to get my Dad back on the road.......he then said, have I got a deal for you, for $1000 bucks you can have the Black 86 parts bike and a complete running brown 86 as well and I'll even deliver them to your house for ya! I said "sold!" Well one year later.....lots of wrench turning in the Garage....many parts purchased on E-Bay.....so much great advice from everyone here at VentureRider.org......and now many more Km's on the Bikes....I wanted to commemorate the one year anniversary of me doing a simple search and finding a "Venture Parts Bike" that has lead to a love affair with Venture's and so many smiles on the face of my Father and Me enjoying the ride. Thanks again to the previous owner for selling me the bikes at the price he did! Thanks to my Dad for having the courage to start riding again at age 74 and trusting my "mechanical abilities" during the bike restoration process! And to everyone here that has helped along the way. Here are a couple of pics from our anniversary ride yesterday to Kananaskis park in beautiful Alberta Canada. My bike is the "Black parts bike" now affectionally known as "Walt" in memory of a local Calgary Yamaha motorcycle legend Mr. Walt Healy. And my Dad is modelling his bike "Brown Beauty". Hard to believe that both bikes will be 30 years old next year. Time to plan an anniversary ride for that occasion too!!!

I personally used a spare inside fairing piece for my ABS repairs, I got the piece from a scrap venture.....nice Flat ABS to work with plus it was provided by Mother Yamaha herself. The inside fairing piece is nice and flat, as well as has a few angles that can be useful for making bolt tab and assorted repairs. Here is a pic of the inside fairing piece I'm referring to. Also I prefer using the special purpose ABS 2 part epoxy rather then the plumbers stuff. I'm able to buy the ABS epoxy at my local Walmart up here in Canada.

I'm in the process of converting my MKII so I can try it in the pool this afternoon.......Wish me luck on the maiden voyage! At least the rear bags will act as pontoons if I fill them with styrofoam! :12101:

Sounds like it is time to stop asking questions and time to pull the trigger and buy the bike before someone beats you to it! Also pay the $12 to become a full member here (best investment you will ever make)!

She looks real pretty!!!! Thanks for sending pictures....if your have any more that is even more helpful. I personally love the 1986 brown color scheme...The idle issue should be easily cleared up with some minor carb cleaning and Seafoam. Sorry to ask...but are you sure it is 18,000 original miles and not 118,000 miles instead? It is very rare to find a 30 year old highway cruiser that has such low milage. Also, speedometers have a tendency to wear out and get replaced on these bike and therefore don't always tell the truth (and sellers sometimes don't tell the truth either). I would check the brake rotors...if they have a large lip or ridge outside of where the brake pad touches due to ware then it might be a 118,000 machine...they should be smooth like a brand new bike if it only has 18,000 on her.

Hi @Droneh8tr I would first troubleshoot electrical and then move on to a possible fuel issue. First I would check to make sure your getting fire at all 4 plugs....could be a TCI box gone bad, bad resistor in the the plug cap or bad plug wires. I would simply take each plug out and ground it to the motor and turn the bike over to see if you have spark at all 4 plugs......please make sure you have the plug grounded to the motor before you hit the starter button. If all checks out then move on to fuel......If you have a fear of bad gas drain that sucker. Open up the airbox and see if your carb slides are bouncing and dancing like they should be doing....could even be a bad carb diaphragm. I had a similar issue with one of my 86's and it turned out to be a combination of a bad TCI module (only sending fire to 2 plugs) and pinholes in my carb diaphragms. Bottom line is there could be LOTS of different reasons for your power reduction.......just go step by step down the list and you should find it....keep us updated, there are a lot of smart people that will help you here (much smarter then me).

HI @volmann, That is a hard question....I personally would like the machine with the lower miles, as the idle issue could probably be fixed with some minor carb cleaning, running a couple of tanks of fresh gas and Seafoam through her, and syncing the carbs......but this is all stuff I would do even on the 87 if I bought it. But the other factor is the plastic, color, and general appearance of the bike.......I like to ride pretty bikes, not just ones that are mechanically sound....And replacing missing or damaged plastic parts on these Ventures can get pretty expensive. I personally own both Venture Royale colours (Black and Brown) models from 1986 and think they are very pretty, therefore I'm kind of biased. Also simple things like seat condition, operational air ride system, tires, brakes should also come into play in your decision too as though those are all fixable, they can add up to additional $$. So follow you heart when choosing the bike, don't be scared away from turnings some wrenches as that is what will make you feel more confident and become closer friends with your bike. OR the real solution to the problem is to buy both, then you can't go wrong....that is what I do!

One of my personal favourites.....how to bore and hone your cylinders.....love his tools!