icebrrg3rd

Wow, that's an informative link! I'm going to have to look into the possibility that mine might have the "pre-V-Max" gearing due to it being an earlier '83. Always find something new on this site, even if that info is from a 5-year old post! -Andrew

I think I've seen the same style handlebars on other Yamahas, but the trunk & saddlebags are NOT Venture ones. As noted earlier, the saddlebags do not have the turn signal cutout, and the trunk seat back is attached to the trunk instead of being set into the trunk. Plus I think even the '83/84 trunk is larger than that one. I still will take the Venture over a Virago too. -Andrew

Wish I could've made it, so how was the weather? Was it a 30% kind of day?!? Got the new date in my calendar, come he11 or high water. Or should I not mention water... -Andrew

Here's a few pics that might help. Pic #1 shows the two different size "dots". Use the smaller one for the rear cylinders. (IIRC, the cam is the same for front & back, that's why there are 2 marks) Pic #2 shows the timing marks on the flywheel. They line up to the cover (see pic #3) Pic #3 shows the access covers you can remove if you don't have the side cover off. The smaller one is where you'd line up the marks. Also remember that the crankshaft rotates twice (2x) for every one (1x) rotation of the camshaft. So you need to know where the front cylinder's cam is in relation to the rear cam. Hate to have them out of sync. Don't have my manual with me here to point out specifics. If you need more info, just ask. -Andrew

puc, you need to forget about motorcycle tires, heck, forget even car tires. You need TRUCK tires! But no re-treads, tho. -Andrew

'83 didn't have the reserve switch... On mine it works like this: -full tank thru 1st gal - all bars on -for gal 2-4 - every 1/2 gal used one bar goes out So by the time all the bars go out and the light flashes, I'm down 4 gallons so I have about 1 gal left, so figure on gas within 25-40 miles dependant on highway/city use. -Andrew

How long of a bolt did you use? Any special kind of sealant or just gasket sealer? On my bike I currently have hoses that are plugged since my caps would always come apart and I got tired of trying to replace them. Great fix. Maybe use chrome shc screws... -Andrew

First pic of the Venture, picked it up just over 4 years ago on a wet & blustery day in April, up in Appleton and drove it home ~100 miles with 30mph constant crosswinds and probably gusting to 45mph. Wife followed behind, was worried the whole way, said she saw me leaning really far into the wind, I said I hardly noticed the wind. This was at a gas station less than a mile after picking it up. -Andrew

Well, looking at the fuseblock review on another website (Pashnit), the specs call out 10A max per circuit and 30A total for the block, I'd say it's primarily for adding on accessories. My '83 has 2-15A fuses and 3-10A fuses, well over the ratings of the FZ1, and that's just for the stock functions. Other than the low ratings for amps, I'd say it was a cool box. -Andrew edit- Just noticed that you were using for adding accessories, not as a primary fusebox. So just ignore me.

Nice looking bike, lots of work must have been done to clean up it's appearance, it looks very clean. -Andrew

"One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others By the time I finish my song?" Heh heh heh heh... Nice collection. Even the odd one out is nice. -Andrew

There aren't any oil galleys that I know of large enough to let a shim go thru, but if it was an inside valve, there is always the possibility of it going down by the timing chain. Hope it's somewhere on the outside. -Andrew

Be careful that we do not get IT off topic, cause then IT will hit the fan!!! Have we had enough of IT yet?!? IT just goes on and on and on and... Where the bloody heck is spring? I had frost on my windshield AGAIN this morning. IT has to warm up soon, right? -Andrew

When I ordered my part, the counter guy said that I didn't need the new pins so I didn't order them. Turns out you do, but since I'm cheap, already had the bike apart at that time and had the main piece, all I did was take a dremel to the pins and cut them off to be the correct length. Works great. -Andrew

Kevin, those GW mirrors look awesome on the bike. Only I'd hate to see the aftermath when the bike gets on it's side. -Andrew

IIRC, there is (was) someone who made an EFI setup for the V-Max, it had an insert that went into the carb that you could install an injector into. You'd need the megasquirt or some other fuel management system, and the a few other components, the guy figured around a grand & a half to do it, depending on your ability to source parts. I cut and pasted it into my files somewhere as a future upgrade. Would love to do that, along with COP (coil over plugs). -Andrew

When I broke my left mirror, I temporarily "borrowed" the mirrors off my 650 Maxim and put them on the handlebar locations. They worked ok, but I also have different handlebars on mine that bring the grips (and mirrors) closer to me. I was always bumping into my mirrors whenever I tried pushing it or climbing on it. I don't know how it would be for stock handlebars. FF is correct, you need 10mm standard for left mirror and 10mm LH thread for right mirror, if you buy aftermarket mirrors you can get the threaded inserts for them for under $10, I got a set of them from Cycle Gear, they have a store in Brookfield, WI. I scored a set of fairing mirrors last year on a parts bike that I got for cheap, only had a few scratches. I prefer the fairing mounted mirrors, so I switched back from handlebar mounted to fairing mounted. Also, I remember someone making a block that screwed in place of the fairing mirror mounts, and was tapped for mounting mirrors. Don't remember who, but that allowed the use of aftermarket mirrors yet kept them on the fairing instead of the handlebars. -Andrew

Altho I do have a thicker gauge wire running to & from the battery now, but I would have saved so many dis-assembles & re-assembles of the headers, radiator, & thermostat housing, plus coolant draining and refilling each time I had to muck around with pulling the starter. Now I just gotta install the Dano starter clutch I received a few weeks ago. -Andrew

I know if you jumper 2 of the three wires together, you disable the kill feature but it will still display on the CMS correctly. But for the rpm drop yet not killing off, no idea. -Andrew

Give it to a little kid, they will swing it around like crazy and the battery will sail out of there in no time, altho the battery will now be embedded in your 60" flat panel TV... -Andrew

Don't know the age of your daughter but mine (11 years old) likes "The American Girl" store. Think expensive 18" tall dolls that have more accessories than a Harley. The Lego store is right next to it. They're right across from the historic Water Tower too. And as others have said, Shedd aquarium, planetarium, Field Museum, Navy Pier, etc. Millennium Park also has the skating rink & a HUGE silver jellybean. One thing we do is find a (cheap) parking structure and pick up a day pass for the bus/el/subway. That way we don't have to fight traffic or find parking every place we'd go. The kids also enjoy the el/subway. It's a cost and you do have to deal with public transportation, but seeing how they drive & what they charge to park, I'd rather let someone else drive. Plus there are apps that you can get on your phone to track the buses and which one to take to get around. -Andrew

So does it completely "pop" out of 2nd like it's in "neutral"? When mine ('83) had the 2nd gear issue, it would pop out then back in then back out then back in then back out and so on. It would do this at a rapid pace making a horrible noise. If I was very light on the throttle it would stay in gear. Is this your issue? -Andrew

What about the one that cut thru Cudahy/St Francis on Layton Av/Pennsylvania Av back in March of 2000? Airport to the lake? -Andrew

Thanks buddy,this one has me smiling....... Here's a pic of her, it's a few months old but I have it as my phone's wallpaper and I think it's a great shot of her. Glad you had a good one even tho you were working. -Andrew

Tiva wishes you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! -Andrew