83 model 4500 mile trip... Pre-trip advice ( newby)

Hey guys, Im from Melbourne Australia and Im coming over there Aug 1 till Aug 24. Im starting at San Fran area, My mate lives there, and riding to Sturgis then along the top to Seattle then down the coast rd to LA.. Decent trip.. When looking for a bike to do this on I firstly looked at Goldwing because I know them, but then saw a 83 Venture and thought thats the one for me.. We dont have them here in Aus but do have the VMAX.. Anyway the bike Ive purchased is an 83 model, 28000 miles and has not seen much work in the last 7 years. its had the carbs rebuilt and runs sweet from what I can make out. My mate has been to see the bike and heard it running ect.. Its had the carbs rebuilt and I have every intention on draining and replacing all fluids, oil, forks, brake and what ever else I can do as well as brake pads and maybe even grease the rear spline..

Question is, is that about what you would recommend for a pre trip on these bikes or have I missed something. Also Im pretty handy with bikes and have been shed building bobbers ect for about 10 years..

Thanks in advance guys...

Depending on how often it was ridden and how much maintenance it has had it might make the trip. Don't be surprised if it doesn't have second gear. they usually go out before 60k miles. You can still ride it by skipping 2nd and it won't hurt anything. Fork seals are always suspect on an old bike. the stock brakes leave a lot to be desired on the MK Is. A member "Cowpuc" buys old 83s and put a couple hundred thousand miles on them. He's on his 6th now.

Definitely check the dates on the tires. They may look good but may be past their useful life. Jake Wilson is a good place to get replacements at a fair price. Our friends from Perth will be in Salt Lake in early August. There is always room for more if you want to stop by.

Look up Aussie Annie on the forum.

Upgrade the brake pads to EBC HH for the front at least. Check for any leaks around the clutch slave cylinder. Upgrade the headlight bulb to the best you can find. Put together a good tool bag with sockets, wrenches, vise grip and channel lock pliers, screw drivers, a good volt meter, a flashlight and a small can of brake fluid, sealed real good.

Randy

Thanks guys.. some good points I didnt think of..

And hey if any of you guys are heading to sturgis shout out. I will get the first round!

Yup, the bike itself is pretty much bullet proof, but indeed for your own safety, I would install 2 brand new tires of the proper load rating for a 900-pound bike! New brake pads are an excellent idea as well as the original MK1 Venture had anemic brakes at best. There was indeed a reason why they were changed on the MK2 version! As mentioned, 2nd gear eventually goes out, but many members just skip the second gear and keep riding them for 200,000 miles plus!

The original Ventures were the most comfortable and reliable touring bikes ever made, and have the heart of a sports bike! The only downside is they are a very tall bike and it takes a little bit getting used to them but once you do it's fun city from there!!

Enjoy!!!

Print out the member list for the states you will be traveling through. If you have any issues help may be right around the corner, you know that we look out for each other.

Goodness gracious,, where to begin.... 1st n foremost = !!!!

Glad you found us Mark!!

The suggestion of printing off the membership list is a good one - as many have found, that list and the knowledge found around our club will probably serve you better than any form of extended warranty on a new bike ever possibly could.. The only thing is, I believe you have to become a full dues paying member of our club in order to have access to the list,, not sure but I am almost positive that is the case.. Our dues are only 12 bucks U.S. a year - definitely well worth the cash IMHO..

BUILDING BOBBERS IN A SHED??? For absolute positively SURE = YOU are my kinda folk Aussie!!! You sound like just the type of person who can and WILL fly to the States, take one of these ol 83's and totally enjoy a really fun tour of our country!! That said,, here are some random thoughts that may help - what I would do in your shoes:

1. Pull the cover on the cover over the air box (open the tank fill lid - one small screw in there to remove = slide the cover forward and its off). On top of the battery is the main fuse panel = check it carefully, if at all questionable I would - at a minimum pick up some GM style fuse holders and splice em in = do away with the fuse panel = thing is problematic at best.. I would also double check battery condition including post corrosion = these bike LOVE fresh batteries and having a good battery is the best protection for starter issues IMHO.

2. Check air filter for mice nests and make sure its clean - leave air filter out so you can see into carbs.

3. Remove side covers and fairing bottoms so you can access carb covers.

4. Left side under side cover on frame rail will probably be a terminal where the 3 wires from the stator join the main harness (wont be there is someone has already hard wired it). That terminal has caused more problems than its worth for a lot of us 1st Genners.. I learned a long time ago that the best solution to over come possibly problems is just to clip it and hard wire those three wires = problem solved.. If you decide not to do so = at least pull it apart, check it for melting and corrosion, clean it real good and dielectric grease the thing - you know the routine if you have been building Bobbers.. In process of doing this = grab an ohm meter and ohm out the coils on the stator. The terminal you are looking at houses 3 white wires coming from the 3 phase stator. If memory serves me correctly - 3 to 6 ohms is spec BUT - whats really important when checking the stator is they all ohm out the same.. Just check across the wires (1-2, 1-3, 2-3) and make sure ya get the same reading.. Also check all three to ground for short..

5. Carbs been rebuilt? Any idea by who and what that terminology means to the person who did it? Personally I would at least pull the little covers over the slides (totally accessible without removing the carbs), pull the diaphrams and check them real good for holes.. Check around the area where the diaphram meets the carb body.. These bikes run amazingly well on 3 cylinders and holes in the diaphrams is one of the main ways to make em have to drag a jug BUT = covering the distance you are talking about covering you really want the old girl to be hitting on all four all the way up to redline - make sense? If you find the fabric along the edge of on the main part of the diaphram worn very thin and not torn really bad they can be repaired very easily. I have tried a LOT of different things for repairing these but the best so far is YamaBond #5 . Clean em up with carb cleaner - dry em - lite smear of #5 , let er cure and she'll be good for THOUSANDS of miles.. I have also patch some major rips using #5 and a small piece of an old diaphram but thats not best - better to pick up new if its that bad.. When ya put the slides back in, make sure they move easily in and out - if sticky = clean them and carb hole with rag and carb cleaners till they do.. Should be REAL easy slide in and out..

6. Drop in some new plugs - buy standard NGK DPR's - gap em at 30 thou so your at the tight end of the gap spec so they have room to grow a little from running em hard .. Unscrew the plug caps from the wires = clip 1/4 inch off end of the wires and screw the caps back on.

7. Put er back together, close the choke and start er up, spit test the pipes while she's warming up to make sure she's alive on 4. May take a bit as these scoots can be cold blooded.. As it warms a little - you should get sizzle on all 4 pipes (like mama used to check a hot iron) - dont be fooled if she doesnt - again they do run remarkably well on 3 - if its running on three figure out why..

8. Running on 4 - look at carb throats thru air cleaner hole - wick it up and watch slides with pen light on them - make sure they are dancing in unison..

9. Replace Air filter and cover on air box.

10. Hook up Sync gauges and sync carbs.

11. Idling - check volt meter on dash = 12 volts,, twist the throttle = should bounce to 14 voltsish.

12. Spoon on those new tires = yes BUT in the process,, plan on checking the locks over real good on the bags - both locksets - one that secures the bag to the bike and one that keeps bags closed.. Also grease the gears between the wheel and the pig.. Lots of folks pull the drive shaft and do the splines - I dont make a habit of it and have yet to have problems BUT some have had problems there - your choice.. When you pull the rear wheel watch carefully where the washer placement is between the caliper mount and the swing arm - narrow washer goes outside between caliper and swingarm = thick spacer goes inward against bearing in wheel - you'll see.. Tip wheel over so gear face is facing you. Notice protrusion hub with snap ring on it? Take a sharp screw driver or snap ring pliers and pull ring = lift up and drive hub pins will come out on hub = grease em up.. Also grease up inner needle bearings..

13. Remove rear pads, run rear caliper pistons out to new pad distance (careful - you dont wanna push em out to far) - use new pad width to judge safe distance to force pistons out with rear pedal.. Rip a clean rag in width of piston clearance and long enough that you can wrap rag around piston and pinch it between your finger and thumb to form a cleaning tool for piston. Soak rag good with brake or carb cleaner and tightly move rag back and forth around piston to clean it really well.. (do same with front brakes when replacing pads up yonder). Force pistons back in and then out to same spot with pedal - examine for drag lines - reclean until no drag marks.. This will keep you from developing a stuck brake in the pouring rain on a mountain side in the mountains of Utah:big-grin-emoticon:. Also, the rear wheel can easily be removed without having to take off the small frame work from the left side by putting the bike on the center stand and then rocking it up on one stand leg at a time and slipping a two by four under the center stand. This also works good for doing the front wheel BUT - when messing with the front wheel be VERY careful not to put rearward pressure on the bike to the point that the center stand folds up and the whole thing comes tumbling down..

14. The early 1st Gens came with a plastic water pump impellar.. Only way to really know if yours has been updated to aluminum is to pull it down and check it. Personally I wouldnt do that. Instead I would judge it by the way it cools.. They normally run a needles width or two out of the red zone - appears running hot to some folks who arent familiar with them. If its not circulating well because the impellar has no blades left on it it will want to run in the red zone all the time.. Just a heads up.

15. On oil refill during change.. After draining the oil - turn the key on and let the computer run thru its tests. After it does you should see the little oil container symbol showing.. This symbol is driven by a float switch in the oil pan = that should go out as you fill the case with oil.. Make sure you get new o-rings for the canister with the new filter and replace them - this will keep oil leakage at a minimum.. Only fill the engine to half way up window with filter full - over fill and she will aspirate to air filter can and will leak down on motor.. Here is a secret of mine - I run em hard and all of mine use a little oil when I do - you can keep a real close eye on your oil by hammering on it real hard in first gear occasionally (fun) - if its a quart down and time to add the little oil light will flash when the oil rocks back in the oil pan allowing the float valve to make contact and show the light - make sense?

WOWZY - am I overwhelming you Aussie or is this the kind of info your looking for? More to come if ya want it?

All of the above, and at the risk of totally discouraging you about these old bikes. The 83 and 84 years also had a problem with stator overheating and failure. This happened to me when living in Southern California some years ago - can get mighty hot inland. Yamaha later provided a simple stator cooling kit. You may want to determine if your bike has one. If not, they're pretty easy to install, if you can get one. Failing that, stay out of the desert, and avoid tooling slowly around city streets, and thus running hot. Good luck with the freeways around LA!

Geesh. Get on it and GO!

zag

Geesh. Get on it and GO!

zag

After changing all the fluids, check the tires for age and wear, tires can be purchased almost everywhere but can be expensive so if they are the least bit dicey put some new ones on. Carry with you a set of HH pads, with some DOT3 or 4 fluid and a bleeder hose, two cans of Seafoam which does wonders to clean up carbs that have not been used very often.

The rest of the advice is all good but why spend time at the beginning of the trip fixing every possible thing that might go wrong rather than spending the time later if it becomes necessary.

One last bit of very important "maintenance"/survival advice is to get a phone list of all VR.org members living in the areas you plan to visit.

Best of luck on your journey.

Geesh. Get on it and GO!

zag

Or,, do that:thumbsup:!! I did that before and found out me and Murph just aint that close:255: BUT - I do know people who seem to have a pretty good relationship with the ol boy = DEFINITELY AN ALTERNATIVE:thumbsup:!!

My biggest problem with Murph have always been that he waits till I get out in the middle of no where - like crossing Death Valley - before he decides to let me know I should have remembered that little section of gas line to attach to my tank vent to blow into and force fuel into my carbs when he decided it was time for my fuel pump to go on a vacation of its own..

Thanks so much for all your help here and CowPuc, thats not at all overwhelming its exactly what I needed to see... Looks like Im buying a soldering iron and multimeter when i get there..

I love the get on it and go!! thats my kinda awnser.. and if i was doing it in Aus I would no issue.. But im gunna be there with all you foreigners... hsahaha

Really looking forward to getting there and heading off.. Would love to meet up with any of you guys while im there so shout out if you are either around San Fran or sturgis.. Salt lake city or seattle..

Mark

A member from Canada bought an early Venture for about $250 Canadian as I remember and rode it to Mexico. If you have the time do a search and read about his adventure. jfman is his handle.

Really looking forward to getting there and heading off.. Would love to meet up with any of you guys while im there so shout out if you are either around San Fran or sturgis.. Salt lake city or seattle..

 

Mark

Aussie-

Here's the thread to Alan and Annie's visit. They'll be in SLC Aug 1-5. You're welcome then or most anytime.

Link

Dave

Goodness gracious,, where to begin.... 1st n foremost = !!!!

Glad you found us Mark!! [emoji106]

The suggestion of printing off the membership list is a good one - as many have found, that list and the knowledge found around our club will probably serve you better than any form of extended warranty on a new bike ever possibly could.. The only thing is, I believe you have to become a full dues paying member of our club in order to have access to the list,, not sure but I am almost positive that is the case.. Our dues are only 12 bucks U.S. a year - definitely well worth the cash IMHO..

BUILDING BOBBERS IN A SHED??? For absolute positively SURE = YOU are my kinda folk Aussie!!! You sound like just the type of person who can and WILL fly to the States, take one of these ol 83's and totally enjoy a really fun tour of our country!! That said,, here are some random thoughts that may help - what I would do in your shoes:

1. Pull the cover on the cover over the air box (open the tank fill lid - one small screw in there to remove = slide the cover forward and its off). On top of the battery is the main fuse panel = check it carefully, if at all questionable I would - at a minimum pick up some GM style fuse holders and splice em in = do away with the fuse panel = thing is problematic at best.. I would also double check battery condition including post corrosion = these bike LOVE fresh batteries and having a good battery is the best protection for starter issues IMHO.

2. Check air filter for mice nests and make sure its clean - leave air filter out so you can see into carbs.

3. Remove side covers and fairing bottoms so you can access carb covers.

4. Left side under side cover on frame rail will probably be a terminal where the 3 wires from the stator join the main harness (wont be there is someone has already hard wired it). That terminal has caused more problems than its worth for a lot of us 1st Genners.. I learned a long time ago that the best solution to over come possibly problems is just to clip it and hard wire those three wires = problem solved.. If you decide not to do so = at least pull it apart, check it for melting and corrosion, clean it real good and dielectric grease the thing - you know the routine if you have been building Bobbers.. In process of doing this = grab an ohm meter and ohm out the coils on the stator. The terminal you are looking at houses 3 white wires coming from the 3 phase stator. If memory serves me correctly - 3 to 6 ohms is spec BUT - whats really important when checking the stator is they all ohm out the same.. Just check across the wires (1-2, 1-3, 2-3) and make sure ya get the same reading.. Also check all three to ground for short..

5. Carbs been rebuilt? Any idea by who and what that terminology means to the person who did it? Personally I would at least pull the little covers over the slides (totally accessible without removing the carbs), pull the diaphrams and check them real good for holes.. Check around the area where the diaphram meets the carb body.. These bikes run amazingly well on 3 cylinders and holes in the diaphrams is one of the main ways to make em have to drag a jug BUT = covering the distance you are talking about covering you really want the old girl to be hitting on all four all the way up to redline - make sense? If you find the fabric along the edge of on the main part of the diaphram worn very thin and not torn really bad they can be repaired very easily. I have tried a LOT of different things for repairing these but the best so far is YamaBond #5 . Clean em up with carb cleaner - dry em - lite smear of #5 , let er cure and she'll be good for THOUSANDS of miles.. I have also patch some major rips using #5 and a small piece of an old diaphram but thats not best - better to pick up new if its that bad.. When ya put the slides back in, make sure they move easily in and out - if sticky = clean them and carb hole with rag and carb cleaners till they do.. Should be REAL easy slide in and out..

6. Drop in some new plugs - buy standard NGK DPR's - gap em at 30 thou so your at the tight end of the gap spec so they have room to grow a little from running em hard .. Unscrew the plug caps from the wires = clip 1/4 inch off end of the wires and screw the caps back on.

7. Put er back together, close the choke and start er up, spit test the pipes while she's warming up to make sure she's alive on 4. May take a bit as these scoots can be cold blooded.. As it warms a little - you should get sizzle on all 4 pipes (like mama used to check a hot iron) - dont be fooled if she doesnt - again they do run remarkably well on 3 - if its running on three figure out why..

8. Running on 4 - look at carb throats thru air cleaner hole - wick it up and watch slides with pen light on them - make sure they are dancing in unison..

9. Replace Air filter and cover on air box.

10. Hook up Sync gauges and sync carbs.

11. Idling - check volt meter on dash = 12 volts,, twist the throttle = should bounce to 14 voltsish.

12. Spoon on those new tires = yes BUT in the process,, plan on checking the locks over real good on the bags - both locksets - one that secures the bag to the bike and one that keeps bags closed.. Also grease the gears between the wheel and the pig.. Lots of folks pull the drive shaft and do the splines - I dont make a habit of it and have yet to have problems BUT some have had problems there - your choice.. When you pull the rear wheel watch carefully where the washer placement is between the caliper mount and the swing arm - narrow washer goes outside between caliper and swingarm = thick spacer goes inward against bearing in wheel - you'll see.. Tip wheel over so gear face is facing you. Notice protrusion hub with snap ring on it? Take a sharp screw driver or snap ring pliers and pull ring = lift up and drive hub pins will come out on hub = grease em up.. Also grease up inner needle bearings..

13. Remove rear pads, run rear caliper pistons out to new pad distance (careful - you dont wanna push em out to far) - use new pad width to judge safe distance to force pistons out with rear pedal.. Rip a clean rag in width of piston clearance and long enough that you can wrap rag around piston and pinch it between your finger and thumb to form a cleaning tool for piston. Soak rag good with brake or carb cleaner and tightly move rag back and forth around piston to clean it really well.. (do same with front brakes when replacing pads up yonder). Force pistons back in and then out to same spot with pedal - examine for drag lines - reclean until no drag marks.. This will keep you from developing a stuck brake in the pouring rain on a mountain side in the mountains of Utah:big-grin-emoticon:. Also, the rear wheel can easily be removed without having to take off the small frame work from the left side by putting the bike on the center stand and then rocking it up on one stand leg at a time and slipping a two by four under the center stand. This also works good for doing the front wheel BUT - when messing with the front wheel be VERY careful not to put rearward pressure on the bike to the point that the center stand folds up and the whole thing comes tumbling down..

14. The early 1st Gens came with a plastic water pump impellar.. Only way to really know if yours has been updated to aluminum is to pull it down and check it. Personally I wouldnt do that. Instead I would judge it by the way it cools.. They normally run a needles width or two out of the red zone - appears running hot to some folks who arent familiar with them. If its not circulating well because the impellar has no blades left on it it will want to run in the red zone all the time.. Just a heads up.

15. On oil refill during change.. After draining the oil - turn the key on and let the computer run thru its tests. After it does you should see the little oil container symbol showing.. This symbol is driven by a float switch in the oil pan = that should go out as you fill the case with oil.. Make sure you get new o-rings for the canister with the new filter and replace them - this will keep oil leakage at a minimum.. Only fill the engine to half way up window with filter full - over fill and she will aspirate to air filter can and will leak down on motor.. Here is a secret of mine - I run em hard and all of mine use a little oil when I do - you can keep a real close eye on your oil by hammering on it real hard in first gear occasionally (fun) - if its a quart down and time to add the little oil light will flash when the oil rocks back in the oil pan allowing the float valve to make contact and show the light - make sense?

 

WOWZY - am I overwhelming you Aussie or is this the kind of info your looking for? More to come if ya want it?

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