skydoc_17

In the attached pic, If Washer #2 is missing, then the Clutch will bind when the Clutch Nut is tightened. Check to see if this washer is missing. Hope this helps, Earl

Hey Randy, I didn't realize you were looking for a new seat for your bike!?!? Just an FYI, I can offer that seat for $305.00US. There would be some shipping costs added to that of course. If I can help, Let me know, Earl.

Good Morning Herman, I just wanted to take a moment and personally Thank You, my friend for documenting this build for the Forum Members! While NOT everyone has the ability to dive in as deep as you have on your custom build Herman, I am hoping that this build will inspire the other Forum Members to work on their own bikes to keep them on the road! I find myself checking the Forum daily to see what headway you have made on your latest project. I am excited to hear this bike run, and drive in the near future. Keep up the "Good Work" Herman, I'm sure you will be putting on the miles very shortly! Great Job, Sir!! Earl

Hey Chris, WELCOME to the Forum! (and Thank You Rick, for the kind words about my Fuse Box Upgrade Kit!) Now Chris, I know this all looks like a nightmare at the moment, BUT I can assure you that many of the members of this forum started out with their First Gens, looking very much like yours, if not worse! LOL!! Rick posted an excellent suggestion, download the Manual for the First Gen. MKII motorcycle. What I would suggest would be to work on the mechanical/electrical items FIRST while searching Ebay and Facebook Market Place for a "Color Correct" Fairing Half. That's Right, the fairing on your bike is in two pieces, a left side and a right side. If the right side is undamaged, then you only need the left side fairing half. I personally have ALL of the pieces you need, (turn signal, dash cover, LS mirror, and the LS Fairing Half) BUT the LS fairing half is NOT color correct, it is from an 87'VR. (It is Light Blue) All of the other pieces I have would be color correct. I do not have a problem sending you any of these parts Chris, but the shipping might be the deal breaker here. If you get this bike running, while you are shopping for that fairing half, the progress you make will inspire you to spend the money for the color correct fairing half to "Finish Off" this project, in my opinion. If you spend a "boat load of money" on the fairing, and can't get this bike running, this project will SOUR very quickly, I assure you. If you happen to know someone in the lower 48 US states that I can ship to Chris, that would save you a bunch of cash on this project. I have attached pics of what a "Usual" Fuse Box looks like, what one would look like after you install the Fuse Box Upgrade Kit, and a diagram of the electrical connections to the fuse box. If I can help you with parts Chris, let me know. If you are interested in the Fuse Box Upgrade Kit, let me know. If you need help collecting parts from US sellers that would need to be shipped to Canada, let me know. We are here to help YOU Chris, don't be afraid to ask for help. Also don't be afraid to shop around for just the right part. No matter where it is located, we will do all that we can to get your bike up and running again! That's what we do here, that's what any family member would do for another family member Chris! I hope all of this info inspires you to bring this wonderful machine back to life! WELCOME to the VentureRider.ORG family Chris, you're HOME, brother! Earl

Hey Ben, The first thing I would check would be the function of the Cooling Fan! As a rule, these bikes will run pretty close to normal if you were making a highway run because of the air flow over the radiator. Around town, (stop and go traffic) is where your cooling system depends on the flow of the water pump and radiator fan. Are we to assume that the coolant is 15+ years old? Another thing to consider is your bike poorly tuned? (Carb. Sync., "Crusty Plugs", gummed up Carbs., etc.) You didn't mention mileage. Even things like low tire pressure will put extra load on the engine while riding, and tax the cooling system. All things to take a look at. Good luck with this project, Ben! Earl

Hey Ryan, WELCOME to the Forum! Far be it from me to get back on "Topic" here, But I have a few suggestions. First off, with the trunk removed, (Makes it LOOK much sportier!) you need a set of R1 Calipers up front. You didn't mention the mileage Ryan, but if you don't have Progressive Fork Springs in the front fork tubes, then I would look into that project. (Great time to do the fork seals) It's sorta' late, (early) in the season to do a Frame Repaint! LOL!! If you want a bit more "Pep", swap in a VMAX Final Drive! That ought to blow your skirt up a bit, so to speak! If you tour a lot, and are looking for better MPG's then Re-Shim the Carb. Main Jet `Needles. Super Easy, projected MPG 48 to 52 empty. There are other things, PM me if you like. Earl

Hey Ronnie, Thanks for the kind words! WELCOME Saad! Just about the time you THOUGHT you had seen the LAST Pristine MKI First Gen., another beauty like this comes along! You will be hard pressed to find a motorcycle with all of the features that this bike has in the current line up of modern bikes. Not to mention I am willing to bet that you paid a FRACTION of what a New Gold Wing or 3rd Gen. Royal Star Transcontinental costs!! Take some time Saad, check the fluids, brakes, tires and clutch, and come back to us and share what you have found out as to the condition of the items I have listed. We will be more than happy to guide you thru the process of getting this beautiful motorcycle in road worthy condition again! Welcome again, and congrats on a great score on your "New To You" touring motorcycle! Earl.

Hey Jerald, Welcome to the VentureRider.ORG Forum! Your bike appears to be an excellent example of an MKI Venture Royale. And at $700. I for one don't think you went wrong picking this bike up! Because of the limited amount of "Run Time" the Starter Clutch is exposed to, lubing that assembly is not a "must do" item. The weak link of that assembly is the 3 Sprag starter clutch. There is an upgrade where the upgraded assembly has 6 sprags, and this solves that issue nicely. Another upgrade is to install a 4 brush Starter Motor from a VMAX to solve the "Hot Start" lag issue. Check the "Member Vendor" section of this Forum to find solutions to all of the projects you have in mind. Here's a link: https://www.venturerider.org/forum/forum/103-member-vendors/ I noticed in your profile you mentioned that you are a mechanic, this will serve you well when bringing this wonderful machine back to riding condition. Keep the questions coming, Posting in the "Venture and Venture Royale Tech Talk (1983 to 1993) Forum might get you better results because the First Gen. Owners browse this part of the Forum more than the Second Gen. owners. Here's a Link: https://www.venturerider.org/forum/forum/10-venture-and-venture-royale-tech-talk-83-93/ Don't forget to give yourself "The Gift That Keeps on Giving", and become a Subscribed Member! It will be the best $12. you have ever spent on your bike! I see that you don't have an issue posting pics of your scoot, I for one LOVE to see pics, as do many other Forum Members. It also helps when looking for parts or describing an issue on your bike as it takes all of the "Guess Work" out of trying to figure out what exactly you are working on. In your profile, it was a great idea to list the year of your bike, if you added that it is the "Royale" model, that would be helpful as well because in 1984 there was a ""Standard" model offered which is somewhat different. Just a thought. I will say it again Jerald, WELCOME to the Forum! With your mechanical background, I'm sure you will be a valuable asset to the other First Gen. owners in no time at all! Here's hoping that I see you out on the road sometime in the future, Earl (skydoc_17)

Hey Jeff, You were already here when I joined in 08'! Your bike was one of the first "Second Gens." I ever saw on this forum. I was truly impressed with you and your bike from the beginning! 160K is nothing to shake a stick at, my friend. You will always be welcome here. There are days when I pass by my garage and just look at my bikes, when there was once a time when I would have been ON my bike! What ever you decide to do in the future Jeff, I am sure you will do it in STYLE, just as you have do it here, Sir. The best of luck to you from Jean and myself! Earl and Jean Harrell.

Hey Steve, WELCOME to the Forum! My first ever First Gen. was an 86'VR, Boy did I love that bike! (By the way Tom, Thanks for the kind words!) Because of my "Little Shop By The Creek" here in Pennsylvania, I buy direct from Yamaha at a "Jobber" Discount. I share that discount with the Forum Members. I am more than happy to quote you pricing on ANY item that Yamaha offers. If my price is better, I am happy to order parts for you. If you find a better price, then "Nothing Lost"! Because you are planning to spend some serious money on rebuild kits for your calipers, this is an excellent time to consider the R1/R6 front brake upgrade, and possibly De-Linking the front and rear brakes. I can steer you in the right direction on either of these projects, or just help you get lower cost rebuild kits. It would be my pleasure to help you with this project, Steve! (And Thanks again Tom!) Earl

Hey Ron, This is a VERY Good Question! I am more than Happy to adjust the length of the Brake and Clutch Lines to accommodate Risers or Handle Bar Changes! Feel free to PM me with ANY adjustments you would like to make to one of my Line Sets! Earl.

When talking with both Mark and Glen, I could tell that both of these owners were concerned about the "Future" of their bikes! In many cases, this would have been the "End of the Line" for these First Gens. When it happened to me, I was "Kicking Myself" for spending good money on a bike that turned out to have a major electrical problem. My own 87'VR almost became a parts bike as a result of the Fuse Box Issue. As luck would have it, I didn't give up on the Old Girl, and neither did Mark or Glen. As I have said MANY Times, I applaud ANY member that has the courage to keep their bike on the road, and I try to help everyone that has that courage. My hat is off to Mark, Glen, and of course Marcarl for his generous help in keeping these wonderful machines on the road! There are very few places on the internet, (Or in real life actually) where a group of people from all walks of life come together as a "Family" to share their stories and their "Fixes" to keep their bikes running. I am sincerely Proud to be a part of this Family, and am Honored to share my knowledge of these bikes with the other Forum Members. I have NEVER been much of a "Joiner" when it comes to being a part of a group. The "Magic" that Don Nelson has woven here has transcended my ability to resist the temptation to be a part of this group! Believe me when I say that I have tried to NOT click on the Forum every single day to get my "Fix" of the latest updates on who went where, who repaired what, and even what other bikes the Forum Members are buying and riding. As it is with my own "Family", I want to KNOW that everyone is safe, happy and able continue this passion that we all share, THE RIDING OF OUR MOTORCYCLES! No matter what you ride! Thank you again Mark and Glen, for reminding ME of just how lucky I am! To be able to be part of something MUCH greater than any single one of us! I wish that EVERYONE had a group of people that they could count on as much as I have been able to count on the members of this group! That remains to be my hope for the future. Even my wife Jean said "Great Job"! She was VERY impressed that you saved your bikes Mark and Glen! (Yep!, She's a keeper!) Earl.

Saddlebum is correct! When you screw a steel fastener into an Aluminum Case, the expansion/contraction of the steel is different than the Aluminum. I personally use a touch of Anti-Seize on the threads of the bolt to insure that the bolt can be removed later on. I believe that the cartridge filter is of a much better quality than a "Spin On" filter. Out of all of the Maintenance items on our Ventures, this filter will punish you the most if you get "Heavy Handed" during the install. FWIW, I have had really good luck drilling the head off of the bolt, removing the canister, and vice gripping the remaining remnant of the bolt out. Here again, if you get careless with the drill bit, (I always center drill the pilot hole first) you will not only destroy the bolt head, but also the canister as well. But there are NO special tools needed using this method. My brother is an electrical genius, but you can't let that boy tighten ANYTHING on a mechanical assembly! He has the "Paws" of a bear, and unless you NEVER want that fastener to come off again, I usually do the final assembly work, and leave the "Heavy Lifting" to him! Just sayin'. Earl.

This is GREAT news, Don! We lost one of our two Bichons last year. (The female) She had Diabetes, which up until then I didn't know a dog could get. Fortunately, my wife Jean is a retired nurse and was able to give her the Insulin shots. We have not fully recovered from the loss, so I am VERY glad that everything turned out OK with your Fur Baby! Coming from a farm/wildlife background I never thought I would be so attached to an animal. NEVER! When our male Bichon passes, I am not sure what the future holds for my wife and I as far as animals are concerned. It was as bad as losing a child! I still find my wife weeping from time to time because of a picture, toy or feeding dish left from our female dog. Very Glad that this all worked out Don, Earl and Jean.

WITH THE SECOND GENS. BEING OUT OF PRODUCTION SINCE 2013, THIS MEANS THAT THERE COULD BE SECOND GENS. OUT THERE WITH BRAKE AND CLUTCH LINES THAT ARE 24 YEARS OLD! IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THESE BIKES SAFELY ON THE ROAD, I HAVE CREATED A REPLACEMENT BRAIDED S.S. LINE TO REPLACE EVERY BRAKE AND CLUTCH LINE ON YOUR MOTORCYCLE. THIS S.S. LINE SET IS A DIRECT BOLT ON REPLACEMENT, THAT REQUIRES NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE BRAKE OR CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDERS OR THE CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER OR BRAKE CALIPERS! IN THE PIC BELOW THE LINES ARE MARKED “A” THRU “E”. LINE A- LOWER RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER LINE. LINE B- REAR BRAKE CALIPER LINE. LINE C- UPPER BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER LINE. LINE D- UPPER CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER LINE. LINE E- LOWER CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER LINE. THE COST FOR THIS S.S. LINE SET IS $250.00 WITH FREE SHIPPING IN THE LOWER 48 STATES. OUT OF THE COUNTRY SHIPPING WOULD BE ACTUAL SHIPPING COSTS. I DON’T MARK UP SHIPPING COSTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FORUM MEMBERS! I ACCEPT PAYPAL AND PERSONAL CHECKS FOR PAYMENT. I CAN ALSO PROVIDE R1/R6 4 PISTON CALIPERS AND HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKE PADS TO FURTHER INCREASE THIS UPGRADE! THANKS FOR VIEWING MY AD! SKYDOC_17.