Prairiehammer

I recognize just one...Yooper.

City kid? Hover over Mount Palatine and say that! Sorry, Mike. And I am always preachin' 'bout gettin' the nomenclature correct...jeesh, mea culpa. Around these parts we say "Hens' teeth". You can see my confusion?

Squidley? Are you looking to reproduce some First Gen driving light brackets? I recently acquired a pair of what I believe are VentureLine or at least Drag Specialties brackets. They are what Snaggletooth, (maybe?), calls Hen's Lips. These particular brackets were damaged as a result of a laydown it appears, but perhaps you could still prototype them. I was able to straighten the one to mount to the bike, but you can borrow them during the winter if you are thinking of making some from stainless steel or something. The accompanying pic is of the set.

Yeah, Dan there probably is a Whitney rack that would fit, but I haven't heard much good about the Whitney chrome stuff. Faulty mounting stud threads, poor chrome plating, rust, etc. I bought a Show Chrome rack that was supposed to fit my bike, but it didn't. The front mounting studs ended up on the passenger arm rest vinyl. It turns out it is for a GL1500. So, if anyone says a rack for a GL1500 will fit a MKII Venture, be suspicious. I'm holding out for a genuine Yamaha VentureLine rack complete with V1300 badge. Well, it don't HAVE to still have the badge. I might consider a MKI VentureLine rack if spring arrives and I still haven't found a VL V1300 rack, but it would be just my luck to finish drilling holes for the MKI rack and a MKII rack would show up; for a BIN of $25!

Snaggletooth I was watching all those items, mostly out of curiosity. If I had some money I would have bought all of them on speculation. I had just acquired some Drag Specialties driving light brackets, so I let those pass. I wasn't convinced that the tank rack was genuine Venture. I had never seen it before. It used to be that a person could tell who was bidding on stuff and a guy could avoid bidding up his friends, but today every one is an anonymous number and asterisks. I am glad I didn't start bidding on any of that stuff and risk stepping on someone here toes. If there ever is a MKII trunk rack come on eBay, I would appreciate if I could have it first.

I think white/gray smoke could be coolant. Black is fuel. Blue is oil.

Al Sigetic offered a pair of these chrome trim pieces a couple of weeks ago. They were still in the VentureLine package. Perhaps he still has them. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=63919

While synchronizing the carbs is still needed, note that the Ventures will "run like garbage" and refuse throttle if the air box is not installed (or even opened).

I did two jumps with static line from a Huey at Fort Riley, too. All for fun. When my static line broke on the second jump, I decided that was enough. "Been there, done that" sort of thing.

That is often forgotten.

Honda Moly60 (available at all Honda dealers) is a paste in a toothpaste style tube. It is intended to apply to the splines of the driveshaft, for instance. I don't think it is the appropiate moly (molybdenum) to add to the final drive gear OIL. In fact, I don't know of ANY Yamaha approved additive for the final drive gear oil/lube.

All of what Marcarl says! In case you don't know: Brake fluid is death to paint and plastic. Don't spill it. Quickly, Wash off any spillage with water.

The grease fittings on the suspension linkage would be OEM for a 1991. I believe whatever is in your grease gun would suffice. As for the exhaust gasket, it appears to be asbestos like and you're correct, quite pricey. The right hand muffler is the one that comes off every time the rear wheel is pulled. I used a strip of aluminum wrapped around the remnants of the original gasket to take up some space. If there is no gasket left, try muffler patch wrapped around the pipe.

Welcome to the VentureRiders forum. The drain plug/screw is still available. PN. 2L1-14191-00-00 $5.79US here: http://www.boats.net/parts/detail/yamaha/Y-2L1-14191-00-00.html

Still no luck finding a VentureLine rack for my MKII. Anybody?

Bubber? Any "Gals" offer you any syrup? Nevermind, I'd better not go there...

I thought midnight was 2400 hours.

Shorty/Tall Tom I am cornfused... are you a Shorty with the Venturers or Tall Tom with the VentureRiders? Oh, my head is hurting! Bubber! It was a distinct pleasure meeting you at the Davis Rally. Kevin

Mike, Here is an identical one currently on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-VENTURE-1200-REAR-RACK-/380361669159?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item588f527a27 Now if I could just find an original Venture Line trunk rack for my 1990...

We left home August 4, 2011 and got home August 13. It was quite warm in the UP. Mostly pleasant temps in Canada. Although I took long underwear, gauntlet gloves, jacket liner, etc. I never wore any of it. I've done Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie on a bike. Now, just Lake Ontario is left to ride.

I have been planning this trip since last December; reviewing motels and campgrounds, making reservations, planning sightseeing stops, fuel locations, restaurants, etc. It turned out to be fortuitous that I did. Many places were full up as we made our way around. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=203185958368302937986.0004a85dd1f59f3cdddfe&msa=0 I coordinated our trip to coincide with the Venturers (motorcycle club, Venturers.org) North Central Irregulars and Irregularettes (NCII) Yooper Rally in Ishpeming, MI. We rode 450 miles, 10 hours the first day to get to Ishpeming, but averaged 283 miles per day for entire trip. This was Debbie’s first motorcycle trip; but she handled that first day with no problem. In fact, she had no issues during the entire trip. She is a great co-rider. After several days of fun with the Venturers, we headed out on our Circle Tour Sunday morning in the rain. It cleared by the time we got to Tahquamenon Falls and was downright perfect when we stopped at Whitefish Point. We took the Whitefish Bay Scenic Parkway to Sault Ste. Marie and our first night in a motel of the trip. I had reserved a night at the Longship Motel; right across the street from the Soo Locks. Walked less than a block to the Lockview Restaurant where we enjoyed some fresh whitefish and a ten percent discount on our meal because we stayed at the Longship Motel. We met a couple, Deb and Steve going around the Lake on their Gold Wing GL1800. They were from Kansas City and had been touring the Great Lakes for a few weeks already. The Lake Superior leg was their last before heading home. Monday dawned clear and pleasant and as we finished breakfast at the Lockview, Deb and Steve came in. A short chat and we walked back to pack and get on the road. I fueled the bike and immediately encountered construction delays but, we cleared the border without issue and headed for Wawa. We happened upon Deb and Steve at the Ontario Welcome Center and traveled with them for some of the morning. Getting through Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario was arduous. Lots of traffic, lots of traffic lights, long wait for a train creeping through, and my bike was getting hot with a seriously fast idle of 3000 rpm or more. The high hot idle was the only issue with bike during the entire trip. Averaged 42 mpg with a gross vehicle weight of about 1200 pounds. We fueled up at Young’s General Store (they still utilize an attendant, no self service or pay at the pump) and rode downtown to sample the local fare for lunch at the Embassy Restaurant. I ordered poutine. Debbie thought it bizarre when I pointed it out on the menu, but she liked it. Look up “poutine”. Try it when you get a chance. We shopped in downtown Wawa at Canadian Tire; different and fun. I was getting anxious to get on the road; we still had some miles to our next stop, but we had to stop at the Wawa Goose and take some pics. Lo and behold as we were leaving, several bikers, some on Ventures (Second Generation) pulled in. Well, I HAD to talk to them. Keith (Bikenut) Yedica and I had a lengthy conversation about bikes in general, our trip so far and of course Ventures. (Did I mention I was anxious to get on the road?) We got to our next stop at a Mom and Pop motel at Jackfish Lake in the evening. Unloaded and rode to Terrace Bay for supper. Enjoyed some excellent salmon and fresh whitefish. To my chagrin, we discovered that there were no packaged beer sales in Terrace Bay. “You’ll have to go back to Marathon.” the restaurant cashier said. “Gots to buy beer at the ‘Government Store.’” Next morning it was raining HARD! Waited for it to let up and headed into Terrace Bay for fuel and breakfast. Several bikers were lounging in the restaurant killing time waiting for the rain and fog to lift. We visited with Deb and Steve once again and chatted with a young couple, Brent and Tina, heading around the lake on another Wing. They were from Milwaukee. We finally ventured out (no pun intended) about 1000hours and visited the Aquabason Falls, then headed for Ouimet Canyon where we encountered rain and Brent and Tina. Together we headed for Kakabeka Falls outside Thunder Bay. The weather broke as we neared the falls. Brent and Tina went by while we fueled up in Kakabeka Falls (the village). Having done our requisite pictures we headed for the border. Clearing it in a couple minutes (I didn’t even have to take off my helmet) we made for the Wedgewood Motel north of Grand Marais, Minnesota. Settled in, we rode the two and a half miles to Grand Marais for supper and noticed Steve and Deb in a motel parking lot. They were searching for a place to stay. They had not made reservations for any nights on this trip and were continuing to have difficulty finding rooms. We told them where we were going to have supper and invited them to join us. It took them about an hour, but they finally got a room outside town and joined us for supper at the Gunflint Tavern and some shopping and strolling around downtown Grand Marais. The next morning, following breakfast in a nice café on the waterfront and some shopping in the Ben Franklin store (don’t laugh, Debbie found some very nice stuff in there, $230 worth of stuff) we headed for Duluth. We stopped for fuel in Two Harbors and waved as Brent and Tina hummed past. As for seemingly every city we passed through on this trip, road construction had traffic snarled. By the time we cleared that mess, I was ready for some easy riding, so I turned off US 2 onto Wisconsin 13 that wends its relaxing way through Port Wing, Herbster, Cornucopia, Red Cliff and along the Apostle Island National Lakeshore to Bayfield. We picked up some smoked whitefish at the fish house next to the Coast Guard Station and enjoyed crackers, beer and smoked fish “lupper” on a park bench overlooking the harbor, watching the ferries come and go to Madeline Island. An easy jaunt south to Ashland and the Prentice Park campground completed our day. Thursday dawned beautiful and after fuel and breakfast we rode to Hurley then south on US51 to Pine Lake and County Road G. We take an annual vacation to these parts and I had always wanted to ride this “Wisconsin Rustic Road” on a motorcycle. I was having a great time until I came around a curve and discovered a warning sign of “Loose Gravel” and a freshly constructed road bed of very loose gravel. The Venture definitely does not like gravel but after instructing Debbie to become part of the bike, I rode on for five nervous miles until reaching asphalt again. The remaining ten miles was wonderful. Tight curves, roller coaster hills and pretty little lakes glimpsed through the tunnels of trees. Onward to Wakefield, Silver City and Ontonagon with a stop in Greenland for fuel. Predicatively, we encountered construction in Houghton/Hancock as we rode onto the Keweenaw Peninsula. Upon the recommendation of several guide books we rode the Brockway Mountain Drive. This is not a very good road; very rough pavement, very steep declines. The steep declines wouldn’t be such an issue if one were to use engine braking, but with my engine racing at idle, the brakes took a lot of abuse. The view from the top of Brockway Mountain was spectacular. We descended to Copper Harbor and Ft. Wilkins State Park, where I had reserved a campsite for the night. Having finished setting up camp, we were riding downtown to get supper and met Brent and Tina on their bike heading into the State Park. I hung a “youie” and followed them to the park where we helped them set up their camp next to us. Together we rode to supper in Copper Harbor and shared road tales and beer around the campfire that night. Friday dawned gray and feeling of rain. After a lingering breakfast with Brent and Tina we bid our farewells and Deb and I headed for the “Gay Bar” in Gay, Michigan. Soon after the picture was taken in front of the Gay Bar sign, it began to rain and rained all the way to Baraga. It was a dry ride to Iron River and Rhinelander, Wisconsin. But the rain started again near Wausau as we ventured south on state and county roads. We stayed the night with an old primary and high school classmate who are also bikers. In fact, Mike just completed a SS1000/BB1500 on a Softail. My hat is off to him. I’ll bet that bike didn’t seem like a softail when he was done with that ride. Saturday looked like it was gonna be wet, too, so we donned our rain suits for hopefully the last time and headed for home. After awhile, the skies started showing some blue and we got off the Interstate and just started taking county roads that were heading in the general direction of home. By the time we got to Freeport, Illinois thunderheads were building and rain could be seen in the distance. I jumped back on the Expressway to Rockford and Interstate 39 trying to beat the rain, but I was too slow and we were getting wet as we fueled in Rockford. We arrived home dry though and unpacked in 90 degree heat; something we hadn’t experienced on Lake Superior. Total mileage for the trip was 2830 miles. We were gone ten days, but two and half days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) were spent with the Venturers. Go here for some pics of the trip: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.206158916104329.53771.100001306650761

Hi, Earl Does the FJR have linked brakes? If not, that would be the reason for it (FJR) not having a proportioning valve, correct? I left the proportioning valve body on the master cylinder and had quite a long session removing the air from the vacant valve body. The pedal seems a bit soft yet, but I can live with it until I change over to stainless steel braided lines this winter, where upon I'll remove the prop valve body and plug the passage with the appropriate bolt. Earl? How is your '87 trunk repair coming? You aren't the guy who is bidding against me for the Ventureline trunk rack on ebay, are you? It is already past my limit and besides I bought a new one (not Yamaha) for a Buy it Now of $45 and free shipping. I haven't got it yet but it looks identical to a Drag Specialties rack I had on my first 1983.

During our Lake Superior Circle Tour I lost the rear brake AGAIN. After trying all the things I tried back in May, June and July to resolve the problem without positive effect, I gutted the proportioning valve of it's contents. A short test ride including panic stops on pavement and gravel roads revealed no objectionable behavior from the rear brake as a result of having no proportioning valve. I am running as is for now, but I don't like the idea. I like the idea of NO rear brake even less, though.

Is it a Ventureline?