Prairiehammer

Hannigan is still making the fairing for the First Gen Venture? Cool! Here is a pic for those who have never seen the Hannigan fairing .

My 1991 has the same affliction. The brake reservoir light sometimes comes on, sometimes goes off. Most of the time it is off, but occasionally it is on. The brake fluid level icon that pops up on the CMS is monitoring BOTH brake fluid reservoirs; front and rear reservoirs each have the float with a magnetic reed switch. When mine was displayed, I jumpered the rear reservoir float switch wiring (white/black and black wires) and the icon did not extinguish. I jumpered the front reservoir reed switch (white/black and black wires behind the headlight) and the CMS "low brake fluid" icon did not extinguish. Each of the "float switches" (reed switches) are normally closed and open if the magnet within the float passes below the reed switch within the post that the float moves up and down on. When the float slips low enough the reed switch opens, causing the low brake fluid icon to light. Jumpering the pertinent wires should extinguish the icon with no regard for the actual float position. If the icon does not extinguish with both reservoir switch wires jumpered, then the problem lies in the CMS. It will probably be an intermittent connectivity caused by a bad solder joint in the CMS. It may also be caused by an intermittent connection between the reservoir switch and the CMS, but my experience has shown that there is no other connection between the reservoir float switches and the CMS except the ones you should jumper to diagnose the problem.

And ANOTHER thing... You promised to help me change the springs on my '91. But, you always seemed to be gone when I wanted to get into the Maintenance que. And I'll be damned if I was gonna let that @Squidley guy touch my bike. So, I didn't get the job done. And the @Flyinfool never let me touch his 17mm tool. He said "No Dice, not until the Spyder Canuck Carl Bearded One" was there to protect his investment. I got no respect. None.

Thanks, Tooch. Yes, I was disappointed that I was not able to have another Canuck language lesson. Sorry to hear of YOUR mishap, but glad to see you can still type.

Carl, Carl, Carl. We have met before, two years ago. I had the same name and face then, too.

You missed the 1130 to 0230 "Ron Chat" Marathon?

Glad you are both lucky and smart. Lucky to have to move out of that lane and smart to decide to hang it up for the night. Did the brake act up on the way home?

I figure with all the wrecking that has been going on these days that I should let everyone know that I made it home safely Monday evening, after spending an excruciatingly long extra day with Don and @Squidley. (I have never been so glad to see that Indiana welcome sign. Good riddens OHIO.

Ron just wanted to be able to TALK them truckers out of their money. We all know he is capable of it.

Columbus, OHIO? I'm telling you folks, it is an OHIO thing, all this wrecking.

Indeed. As we ( @rbig1 and I) were trekking back across the prairie, we saw nothing but flooding creeks and lakes in fields. We commented to each other how smart we were to stay Sunday with Don and Eileen. We actually rode in some SUNSHINE. Rather chilly at first. Then we got out of that God forsaken state of OHIO, and it became a rather nice ride. Such is the advantages of retired life, right Rodney?

I will need a BFW for the handlebar nuts, too. I know I don't have any metric sockets that large, but isn't a 1 and 1/8" socket nearly the correct size for those nuts? Or is it 1 and 1/16"? So I will bring a breaker bar and/or a 1/2" drive ratchet, an extension and a couple of sockets to fit the nuts. Anything else? Carl, I don't have any 10 weight fork oil. I have 15 weight fork oil, but I suspect I wouldn't like the ride with 15 weight. Do you have room on your scoot to bring some 10 weight oil?

If someone has the 17mm hex socket to remove the fork caps, I'd like to install the Progressives. Thoughts? Surely not too involved for a Maintenance Day...is it?

Yep. See you this afternoon. [h=2]41.206881, -89.186961[/h]

That is a 1984 Venture Standard. The VIN and build date are on a white label on the lower frame rail just under the brake pedal.

Most definitely put high-temperature (I like the copper based) never seize on the bolts/nuts/studs. It wouldn't hurt to use the same copper based never seize on the pipe joints.

Some time ago, I purchased a passenger armrest on eBay. The seller claimed it was off a 1987 Venture. When I received it, I could not for the life of me, figure out how it was mounted on a MKII. As I researched the possibilities, I came to the realization that the armrest was originally intended for a mid-eighties Goldwing. The PO had removed the two tabs that would have clamped the armrest (via U-bolts) to a bar on the Goldwing. I put the armrest on the shelf and continued my search for passenger armrests intended for the Venture. Never did find any. Jim Crane @Jayceesfolly asked on this forum about wanting armrests and I gave those Goldwing armrests to him. He was going to cut and weld the brackets to fit the Venture. Subsequent to sending the armrests to Jim, I discovered a write-up in which a Venturer member had modified the exact same Goldwing armrests to fit his Venture. I sent that document to Jim. Below is the Goldwing bracket that I had, and a pic of unmodified Goldwing bracket. And below is the mod in .pdf format. Good luck! armrests from Gold Wing.pdf

Usually a shot of carb spray into the pilot screw well will blow the O-ring and washer out. Hold a rag loosely over the hole to catch the flying parts. Alternately a dental pick can be used to hook the washer and O-ring.

Marty, take the saddlebag to SIBS in Lasalle. I had some MKII saddlebag latches without a key and he made up a key to fit.

You described #49 hose layout. He asked about #44 hose.

Number 44 tube goes from the left front corner of the airbox (drain for accumulated oil in airbox) to the "T" in the crankcase vent hose.

Yep.

Some have mounted the larger R/R in the same general location as the stock. Others have mounted it up front on the left side below the "shin cowling" (lowers) and one guy put his in the chin cowling (1986 and up.)

In addition to all the good suggestions above, consider how you are braking; do you use both brake levers? The "rear" brake pedal and the front handlebar lever? Or do you use just one as you slow and stop? It seems inconsequential, but applying the brake to one disc or the other can "pull" the front wheel in the direction of the applied brake disc. Most of the time, it is not a factor, but at walking speed and below it can have some effect.

The 1983-1985 Ventures had a rubber washer in the steering head (between the two "castellated" nuts). A common mod was to replace that rubber washer with a steel washer of a specific thickness. It was called the "Furber Fix". Yamaha eliminated that rubber washer around 1986 and changed the steering head spindle "stack" of nuts, washers and locking tabs. Because of complaints of a "clunk" in the front end. There was also a service bulletin about the front end clunk: M83-015 Additionnal Predelivery service .pdf M83-016 Steering Head Noise.pdf Front End Noise.pdf Steering_Head_Noise.pdf