Noob With a $2500 1999 Royal Star Venture, Showing my fined and looking for knowledge

Hello everyone, My name is James.

I just bought my 99 RSV the other day for $2500 with just under 78000 miles from what I think was an old and trust worthy dealer. I was told everything on it was good (No idea what they checked). They said it passed all safety checks (Whatever that comes to). They also installed a new battery before I picked it up. I know I may get crucified for this next part, but here goes. I was not able (Do to weather) to take it on a test ride. The price I hoped was right and the time was right, so I took a chance (Dealer is 5 hr's away as well). It sounds nice when running and I moved it about a 1/2 mile on gravel, so not at speed, but everything seems good so far.

Here is what I was hopping for.

I would like to see what people think of the deal I got and if they think it was a smart buy?

I would also like all the input I can get on what I should be going over on the bike before Spring. I can do almost all my own work (Links to videos and walk troughs Please) I am just short on some tools and lifts, that kind of thing. I am looking to make a list of things I "Need" to do, "Should Get To", and "Want To Do", also some "Must Have Tools". If anyone can help with my list by telling me things to check and how high on my priority list they think it needs to be?

I have been looking through the tech pages and keep finding things and go oh, so I know the info is out there, I'm just hoping for a jump start to my knowledge with a wee bit less searching tell I know what to search for.

First Pic's Are From The Dealer

Next Three Are After We Got Home (Woops)

Used This (Never Again)

Handlebars folded down, bike tipped, fuel tank took one for the team.

link to Pic's if they don't work (First post)

http://www.flickr.com/gp/jjrcf/91mAxa

Lots of things to check: Age of tires, change out hydraulic fluid in both brake reservoirs and the clutch reservoir, check brake pads, tire air pressure (38 front/42-44 rear)

Great items to have: JIS screwdriver set, motorcycle lift (harbor freight), Carbon One adapter (member here makes an adapter to installs on the underside of the bike and allows it to be lifted evenly, without damage to the items under the bike)

1st thing James,, and on the new scoot - she's a DANDY!! 2nd thing = a HUGE to VR!!!!

Sorry to read about the mishap with the bars folding down and the binged up tank as a result,, not a fun thing THAT is for sure - might go down to Harbor Freight and grab a set of cheapy suction cups and see if you can get the smaller cup to pull enough to get the dent out - worth a shot.. Also make sure you don't just lift the bars back up into position, take a minute - loosen them in their saddles, move the bars up and tighten em down..

I have never owned a 2nd Gen like yours personally but I believe the 99's were the year that had some issues with the rear shock. Thinking the problem begins with shock oil appearing at the base of the shock, easy to check and keep an eye on. Might not be a bad idea to take a peek. My understanding is that the ultimate permanent fix is an aftermarket shock. If that gorgeous scoot were mine I would start watching for a good deal on a replacement shock if it appears the one on the bike is OEM. No idea if one of the later 2nd Gen shocks would be interchangeable, have a hunch one of our buddies here on VR will know. Another item to consider has to do with the contact points in the fuel pump - they have been known to cause problems. I have been riding the older MK1 1st Gens for a while now and have carried a spare pump on my journeys. I did have one incident over the course of wearing out 5 of those early scoots where the spare pump got me out of a jam. I have heard that the 2nd Gen pumps are not quite as durable as the 1st Gens were so I would also keep an eye out for a spare pump to carry in the bikes Maintenance Dept (right saddle bag)..

IMHO you did real well on your purchase!!:clap2::thumbsup: That is one GORGEOUS scoot you found there my friend at a VERY reasonable price. The mileage is fairly low (these are 200k bikes all day long) and it sure looks like someone took good care of it, I can certainly see why you were attracted to it:173:!! A little tweekin, small amount of maintenance prep work, short introductory learning curve and here's hoping to see you and your new scoot out enjoying the ribbon of highways that HAVE to tugging at both of your heart strings!!

GREAT deal James, CONGRATS!!

Puc

PS - Also a GREAT introductory story AND 's!!

First off Welcome to the group.

As you will find this is the best site for getting information about RSV's and the people here will help you get through any issues you may encounter along the way.

I ride a 1999 RSV much like the one you have (pictures below) but have added some bling so...get ready as this may become a fun addiction

As for tools you will need the basics like a good set of Metric wrenches, sockets, ball aliens, left handed metric phillips, etc.

If you get a M/C jack you will also need to get an RSV jack adaptor as the pipes will get bent if you do not use one or use 2x4's to get the surface below the pipes. CarbonOne (Larry) has these available and you can contact him using VR private messaging.

Some things you will need to check: Tires for wear and age, get new if worn or old - change all fluids (oil, brake, coolant, clutch,final drive) check air or replace filters. Check the brake pads and/or change them out. they are not expensive. That's the basics

Another good recourse for details about where things are on the bike and what parts and where is the link to Yamahas parts finder. Here is a link to the 1999 RSV parts list from my local dealer. http://www.roseville-yamaha.com/fiche_select2.asp?category=Motorcycles&make=Yamaha&year=1999&fveh=177466

You got a great deal and will have a lot of fun riding this.

Ride Safe and again, Welcome.

Welcome aboard!! Yes, you did good! That is a very reasonable price for a full sized touring bike with that amount of miles! These bikes get over 200,000 miles without any major problems! Probably the worst problem you will encounter is the rear shock going out on you. Do not replace with a stock shock, go to one of the aftermarket shocks available out there.

You've come to the right place, we have all sorts of great info for you on how to upgrade a few things, and knowledge on about everything that has ever gone wrong with any of these bikes.

There is a slight learning curve on how to ride the 2nd Generation Venture, they are a tad top heavy and slow speed maneuvers can be a challenge, they are somewhat easy to drop especially if you are not used to a heavy bike. Once you get used to it you will be hard pressed to find a more comfortable and dependable bike that you can get on and ride for hours and hours!!!

Once again welcome, feel free to ask questions, and explore the site and use the search functions. You are going to find a fine bunch of individuals here that are very helpful and turn out being just like family!!!

Welcome!! I have two 99's with about the same mileage, getting ready to sell one and I was looking at asking $3500 so I think you got a good deal.

I got nothing! everyone else said it. $2500 is about the lowest $$ I've seen on a running 99.

The only thing I can think of that was not mentioned is, with 78K miles there is a good chance that it is due for a valve clearance check. Look at the valve cover gaskets real close for any indication of oil seepage or age cracking if there is oil seepage (which the dealer may have pressure washed off) or age cracking of the rubber especially the big half moons at the ends, then odds are its been a while since someone was in there. They should be checked every 26K and you are right there.

Since you do not know how long the bike has been sitting, I would start off with a good dose of Seafoam in the tank and then run it long enough to be sure it is into the carbs, that way you can be sure the fuel system will be good until the weather and roads improve.

Let me say hello and welcome!

I have a 2013 and had a 2005 the differences between my 2013 & 2005 were colour and some Chrome on the front end. The difference between my 2005 & your 1999 are very few just a couple of Tweeks Yamaha made. So the difference of your 1999 the 1st year for the RSV & the 2013 the last year for RSV is basically nothing.

If you park your 1999 next to my 2013 no one would know the difference. So if the bike is in good shape with low miles you got a good deal and I paid to much!

But my cassette deck is brand new cause it's never been used. (Come to thing of it I don't know if it even works?!)

Check your rear break pads, the inside pad wears much more than the outside one. If the one is worn more than the other just flip them, you'll get more even wear and that way they last longer.

If your doing your own work as everyone has said get a lift adaptor go to the "classifieds" and then the "member vendors" and you can find stuff there for your 2nd Gen.

You did not mention what your background has been with motorcycles. If you are from the twin V crowd, these bikes are a little different, they don't like to be lugged. Not only are these things geared a bit high, but these engines don't make a lot of torque until they get to probably 3,000 RPM's or more. Keep the revs up and you will enjoy the ride more. One of the things that will help this is get a V-Max final drive as it is geared about 10% lower.

Another thing that tends to be an issue on these bikes, especially more than the 1st gen 83/93 bikes is the rear brake tends to lock up during a panic stop. The 1st gens have the integrated braking system where the rear brake is linked to the front wheel like a car is. The best thing to do is make sure your brakes are in good shape and PRACTICE some panic stops. Learn what the limits are before you need to push them. We have had a few here that locked up the rear tire and got a little side ways and then high-sided and this is not a fun thing on an 850+ pound motorcycle. This is not much of an issue on most 1st gen Ventures because people can not lock up the brakes even if they wanted to.

There is an enormous amount of info here and a good place to start is reading a bit in the History section.

Ya done good on your purchase and if the bike does need something like a rear shock, you have a lot of room on the value to fix that and still have a nice bike that is worth more than you have in it.

If you have any questions, just ask.

Randy

Thanks to everyone for the worm welcome. My background in motorcycles is limited. I bought a 2004 R6 new before I even had my endorsement. I realize I need to take it easy and get a feel for it, she is heavy. My background in mechanics is 10 years USAF F-15, and 5 more years F-15 privet contract. As to the info so far. I have checked the tires, Dunlop E3 front (150) Sep 13, back Dec 14, both look good on ware. I will be getting to all the fluids. any recommendations on tips and viscosity? I only ask because I know over time people fined things that work better over what is called for in the manual. For the final drive will I be needing to pull and lube as well, or is there a way to know before pulling? I am looking into the valve clearance check it was on my list. Thanks for everything from all so far.

Thanks to everyone for the worm welcome. My background in motorcycles is limited. I bought a 2004 R6 new before I even had my endorsement. I realize I need to take it easy and get a feel for it, she is heavy. My background in mechanics is 10 years USAF F-15, and 5 more years F-15 privet contract. As to the info so far. I have checked the tires, Dunlop E3 front (150) Sep 13, back Dec 14, both look good on ware. I will be getting to all the fluids. any recommendations on tips and viscosity? I only ask because I know over time people fined things that work better over what is called for in the manual. For the final drive will I be needing to pull and lube as well, or is there a way to know before pulling? I am looking into the valve clearance check it was on my list. Thanks for everything from all so far.

You do not have to pull the rear wheel to check the final drive fluid. You can check the final drive fluid from the top of the drive behind the exhaust pipe. (Exploded view #24 /25 Below)

There is a cap that unscrews and you can stick a little finger or a small screwdriver inside to check level, At the Top Is Good.

When you remove the rear wheel you can then clean and re-grease the drive gears both on the rive and wheel.

As for oil preferences everyone has their favorites from standards to synthetics.

I use Valvoline 20W-40 that I pick up from WalMart for around $4.00 or less p/qt.

I ride a lot of long distance rides on interstates and back roads and sometimes in the summer heat so the 20W-40 works best for me.

You can also get the Fram oil filter there (PH6017) for under$7.00

During colder riding times, below 40, I will sometimes change to a 15W-40 grade oil. I use RotillaT in this case as it works well in our bikes.

Whatever you choose to use just make sure it has the JASO certification on the back which is for use in wet clutch systems.

Oil change: Any good Dino 2-10-40/20-50 (what I use) is good. Engine oil is also clutch/tranny oil so don't use modern slippery stuff or your clutch will slip. Brakes and clutch masters use brake fluid. Dot 3 or 4...go by book here. Oh....when doing an oil change do NOT go by book...make sure bike is level and then fill until oil is 1/2 way up the site glass (lower right side of engine). If shifting gets hard...change oil. I to recommend the jack adapter from Carbon One (member vendor here). It works as advertised and makes using a motorcycle lift a breeze.

Weakest point is the rear shock. If it leaks, it's bad. BUT, make sure it's the shock leaking and not something else.

Read, read, read. Lots of good info here. And at the bottom of all threads there are more links that are similar in nature. You can spend hours reading and tracking down infoi on one little detail and learn quite a bit!!

Last, low speed handling is clumsy at best. I mean parking lot speed. I lowered my front end 3/4 inch and that improved it nicely. That's a free modification and took me about 3 hours first time. Now I can do U-turns without even thinking about them.

Keep tire pressures up to top of what tire says, not Yamaha and you will find she's stable and handles well!

Welcome...you got a great deal on a great scoot!

david

And on a whole nuther note,, we are PROUD of our Military people here on VR (and everywhere in the free world) Huked and HONORED to have each one you Veterans in our midst! THANK YOU for your service in keeping us all free!! It's because of folks like you that the rest of us have the Liberty and Freedom to be able to enjoy our way of life and YOU are appreciated!! Gonna put in a reminder here to assist in you getting your Military emblem - just another way to say THANK YOU.. Lets see if we can wake the Boss or one of the Moderators up and get that accomplished!!

BECAUSE OF FOLKS LIKE YOU OLD GLORY STILL PROUDLY WAVES!:usa::usa:

One of the best things I did was install Leveling Links for the slow parking lot issues. Made a world of difference in low speed handling especially 2 up.

My background in mechanics is 10 years USAF F-15, and 5 more years F-15 privet contract.

Working on F-15's, were you ever at Seymour Johnson AFB? That was my permanent party with TDY's to Thailand in 72. We had F4-E Phantoms then.

Randy

Thanks again to all. I did get my USAF award, very cool. On another note I did check my rear shock, it looks to be in good shape no oil. I'm glad for that wife would of killed me if I had to shell out for that already. Brake pads look new on rear and good on front, but I will get a better look when I pull out the bike to to do some work.

Sorry, forgot to mention. I was stationed at Elmendrof, AK with Korea as primary TDY and Mt Home, ID with Saudi as primary TDY

Welcome to VR.

What is listed above is good info.

1) Change fluids - I use Rotella T dino oil, everyone has their own preference. Just make sure the oil you choose does not have "energy conserving' additives as your clutch will slip.

a) DOT4 for brakes and clutch.

b) 80W90 gearoil (or synthetic equivalent) for rear drive.

2) Check the rear shock. If there is fluid on the bottom, it may be blown. Known issue (mine lasted 100k miles, most don't).

3) Check the luggage rack mount and the trunk mount to the bike. I seem to recall the '99s had some cracking issues.

4) Carb sync. Easy to do if you have a multicarb sync gauge.

5) If you hear some clicking in the rear end when rolling it slowly forward, it is likely the drive pins in the rear wheel. They usually need lubed with Honda Moly60.

Add gas, and ride.

Again, welcome.

RR

The only thing I can add is clutch spring are week if factory but yours probably been changed. good buy

One of the best things I did was install Leveling Links for the slow parking lot issues. Made a world of difference in low speed handling especially 2 up.

Second that , there are threads where you can make your own. I have seen a dent pulled from a tank with one of these from Harbor Freight has a kit http://www.harborfreight.com/crossbar-dent-repair-kit-66957.html they heated the area with a hair dryer first and it took them four or five times to get it all out but it looked like it worked.

Decent deal.. Got some extras.. Looks like it shined up pretty good as well.. Me and you got about the same deal- I gave $2800 for this one but it didn't run.. but had fair miles at 39K- so I thought what could be wrong--- one prob was it had eagles everywhere.. too many eagles.. I bought it bc they are all the same.. no changes. The good things about owning a 99 that is the same as a 2013--- cheaper insurance- cheaper taxes.

Wife went with me to Myrtle Beach SC to pick it up- I remember telling her it sure was ugly.. lol

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a397/sho_greg/pic3.png

Got a little better- needs some touch up though.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a397/sho_greg/20160202_121433.jpg

Decent deal.. Got some extras.. Looks like it shined up pretty good as well.. Me and you got about the same deal- I gave $2800 for this one but it didn't run.. but had fair miles at 39K- so I thought what could be wrong--- one prob was it had eagles everywhere.. too many eagles.. I bought it bc they are all the same.. no changes. The good things about owning a 99 that is the same as a 2013--- cheaper insurance- cheaper taxes.

Wife went with me to Myrtle Beach SC to pick it up- I remember telling her it sure was ugly.. lol

 

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a397/sho_greg/pic3.png

Got a little better- needs some touch up though.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a397/sho_greg/20160202_121433.jpg

Those are the same reasons I searched for a 99 to buy. I am in the stages of going over the bike to fix anything I fined, that I can fix, to be ready to ride when it gets warmer. I have found a few cracks and such, but so far nothing I cant deal with myself. I wish I had the time and money to do a nice restore, but that will be down the road a long ways lol. if you don't mined me asking did you paint it yourself, if not what did that run you? you have a very nice looking 99 good work.

A redneck guy that claimed he could paint... I had to wet sand that thing like crazy and it still has some issues that need attention.. I did the pin strip bc the factory stripes were showing through.. A decent paint job would run you probably around $800-$1000 with someone taking it apart.. Someone just painting it you could probably half that number..

I gave a guy $400 to take it apart sand parts and put it back together- and paid the half a painter $100 to shoot it.. I paid for the paint- about $70 a quart (2 Quarts) plus the clearcaot at around $30 a quart.. maybe 2 quarts.

If I had to do it over- I would have let a more professional paint it.

About 45 yrs ago I could lay down a pretty good coat of enamel with a spray gun for Uncle Sam. Guess painting this 99 should be a piece of cake.....