Prairiehammer

There is no trunk reflector on the '83 and '84 trunk. The trunk reflector on the '85-'93 is the same for all those years.

All the factory trunk reflectors were red all around. However, there was an aftermarket accessory trunk light bar that looked just like the OEM reflector, except that it contained light bulbs and had the amber lens at the ends. Perhaps you have one of those and someone has clipped the wires? Or someone replaced the factory red reflectors with the amber lens from the aftermarket? Big Bike Parts, Show Chrome and RIVCO sold the lighted trunk 'reflector' back in the day. If you don't want the red and amber 'reflector', I'll take it.

AH HA! If the input voltage to the TCI is dropping to 8.5 volts, then that is most likely your problem. Historically, voltage of less than 9 volts at the TCI translates to 'no fire'.

There are several sets of new 1NL-W0045-01-00 on eBay currently. Otherwise, lots of aftermarket sources.

Yes, 4000 rpm at 85 mph is way too low. Perhaps the OP was mistaken.

Well, if the Second Gen is anything like the First Gen, you will probably experience oil puked into the air filter plenum at that oil level. Just untwist the oil filter and let some dribble out until the oil is at the middle of the sight glass when the bike is vertical. Have Jackie get on the ground and observe while you hold the bike vertical. It will be good practice for her!

Effective tire diameter has a substantial effect on engine rpm vs. road speed. Effective tire diameter also has a substantial effect upon speedometer indicated road speed. For instance, the published tire diameter for the MU90B16 Dunlop Elite III is 25.72". The 140/90-16 Dunlop D404 rear tire diameter is 24.73". The D404 is an inch smaller in diameter. This smaller diameter tire effectively lowers the overall gear ratio and increases the engine rpm for a comparable road speed. The Elite III front tire is larger than the comparable D404 front tire. This difference in tire diameter will effect the speedometer reading as well; the larger Elite III will roll further down the road for each complete tire rotation than the smaller D404, thus the speedometer (which reads front tire/wheel rpm) will be indicating a slower speed than when the smaller D404 is installed. Then there is the issue of effective tire diameter vs. unloaded tire diameter. The Elite III MU90B16 has a specified unloaded diameter of 25.72" but the loaded effective diameter is probably at least ¾" shorter (as measured from the center of the axle to the pavement). At very high speed, the tire may grow, but the Elite III is a belted tire and belted tires do not grow nearly as much as conventional bias ply tires such as the D404 due to the centrifugal force created at high speed. Together, differing effective tire diameters will manifest in substantial engine rpm vs. indicated road speed differences. Here is a screen shot of a table with the First Gen Venture parameters utilized. This calculator can be found here.

Typically, plastic on plastic is lubed with silicone. BTW, di-electric grease IS silicone. Most modern helmets, if not made of fiberglass, are composed of polycarbonate. A bad polycarbonate lubricant is any petroleum based lubricant. Petroleum based lubes may cause cracking.

I can't answer the 85mph v. rpm question, but I CAN say that 3100rpm is what my First Gens run at a GPS confirmed 55mph.

Here's an interesting website, in which you input your speed and hours and it generates a map of how far one can drive with those parameters. I used St. Catharines, 60kph and six hours. http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-can-i-travel.htm?address=st.%20catharines,%20ON&speed=60&time=6&accuracy=5&u=km&hw=true&m=false&mode=DRIVING Here's one at 100kph and six hours. Although I don't think you can average 100kph on secondary roads, it is still interesting. http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-can-i-travel.htm?address=st.%20catharines,%20ON&speed=100&time=6&accuracy=5&u=km&hw=true&m=false&mode=DRIVING

Mike, attached find a pdf of our trip to New England. It is a calendar in which I recorded daily start times, time of fuel and sight seeing stops and time at which we arrived at our nightly stay. We were camping and as you can see, tried to hit the road around 0900 and I tried to be at our campsite by mid afternoon. We stopped and smelled the roses, ate lunch daily; sometimes a picnic lunch on the beach, sometimes at a sit-down restaurant; we stopped to shop occasionally, too. I tried for about 250 mile days, except for the first day. All the rest of the days were relaxing and mostly stress free (well, there was some stress in Rochester when the a-hole rearended us, some stress in the Adirondacks when I got a flat tire, some stress in Maine when I ran out of gas), but overall, easy days. Yes the Google map was an approximate route during part of our New England trip and yes, I set Google to 'no highways'. Yes, we are all healed up. Thanks for asking.

Ontario Parkway. Adirondacks. Vermont. Maine. Campobello Island. Return along Maine coast. etc. http://goo.gl/maps/hLlE2

Is it "twinky" or "twinkie" ? I'd like to be perfectly correct when I reference that particular appendage.

I'll bet they were we... Never mind.

Indeed! OMG! That has to be the worst appearing TCI innards yet! Talk to Dingy.

Ben, I would stick with Genuine Yamaha caliper seals, 26H-W0047-00-00. At eight dollars per caliper, they are not terribly expensive and you wouldn't have a worry about (probably) Chinese made aftermarket parts on such a critical piece of equipment. The OEM seals are still available from Yamaha and your friendly stealer.

Doug, You should investigate the operation of the 'tip-over' switch. When the Venture is laid down like it did for you, the ignition should have been killed by the 'tip-over' switch. This switch is basically a pendulum within a small square box. When the weight (the pendulum) slides to the right or left because of a lay over, it should have disabled the ignition and killed the engine.

You can buy the Motus V4 as a 'crate engine'. I think the Motus V4 was 'inspired' by the LS1 V8, but I am not sure how many parts are interchangeable. Check out this article: http://blog.motorcycle.com/2013/07/15/motorcycle-news/motus-to-sell-v4-baby-block-crate-engines/ And here: "Let's focus in on that engine for a moment. Think of the KMV4 powerplant as half of an LS3 V8 from General Motors and you won't be too far off from the truth. Of course, there's more to it than that, but the basic specifications sound remarkably familiar to anyone well versed in modern Corvette speak. For instance, there will be two valves per cylinder, operated by pushrods actuated by a camshaft buried deep inside the aluminum engine block. The cylinders are arranged in a 90-degree V, just as you would expect. Delving a wee bit deeper, we find that many of the engine's internal bits and pieces (hydraulic lifters, fuel injectors etc) can be located at any GM dealer (or Pep Boys, etc) in the country." http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/12/motus-motorcycles-v4-engine-impresses-puts-out-over-160-horsepo/ [url=http://blog.motorcycle.com/2013/07/15/motorcycle-news/motus-to-sell-v4-baby-block-crate-engines/][/url]

While I am not sure if this example is what you were thinking of, but this owner, Steve Crossley (a member here) modified his First Gen body a lot.

Here is a pdf of the 1984 TSB about the air box drain. Note there are two hoses attached to the air box; the larger one evacuates crankcase vapors and it comes from the 'twinkie'. The smaller tube from the left front of the air box drains accumulated oil from the air box through a filter located near the lower front left engine to frame mount. The modification involves relocating the terminus of the smaller drain hose to a T in the crankcase vent line.

Welcome! If it is in fact a 1985 '1300' then some one has installed a later (1986-1993) 1300cc engine into a 1985 chassis. The 1985 would have been a 1200cc from the factory. EDI: Never mind. I see in your profile that you have a 1986. Indeed a 1300 from the factory. State the frame number (on a sticker below the brake pedal) and then state the engine number (on a striated boss on the crankcase, located above the middle gear cover, behind the removable black plastic panel). As for rebuilding the top end; what caused you to think the top end needed rebuilding? As Yammer says, it is pretty rare to require a top end (or bottom end, for that matter) rebuild on the Yamaha V4.

It seems the common denominator for most of your issues is the ground. Check the connector in the smaller wire from the negative battery post. Run a continuity test from that connector to the chassis ground.

If I remember correctly, the side stand switch has two contacts. Possibly, one set of contacts is working properly but the other is FUBAR? Also, some have 'jumpered' the side stand switch so that it still shows as down in the CMS, but it does not kill the ignition. Perhaps someone did that to yours.

The Seafoam apparently unsticking the rings is a very good thing. Just consider that there may still be a fair amount of combustion products trapped within the oil passages and crankcase ventilation galleries. This residual gunk may take a while to clear up. It is not unusual for there to be condensation emitting from the exhaust pipes. The same watery fluid emitting from the crankcase vent tube (that's the tube from the twinkie to the air box) is more worrisome. But, still, if you have a cold engine with moisture condensation in the crankcase, there may be some 'steam' condensing on the way from the warm twinkie to the cool air box. Possibly, I suppose, but generally, if a head gasket is leaking coolant into the cylinder, that coolant will be burned off, exiting as steam out the exhaust pipe. I wouldn't think it would make it to air box, but on the other hand, if there were leaky rings and a lot of coolant being injected into the combustion chamber past a bad head gasket (unlikely, since the combustion pressures are greater than the coolant system pressure) then OK, maybe. Have you experienced any evidence of combustion gases in the coolant overflow bottle? Gurgling? Oily coolant? The gaskets within the twinkie (there are a few) have been known to fail. Depending on which gasket/O-ring fails, you may experience oil in the coolant and/or emulsion in the air box.

Rod, The tip-over switch is pictured below: