New Member Intro/81H Build, Icebreaker

[BA80]

Yep, the Venturer was a full blown cruiser/ tourer. It was only made one year. The last year of the XS in the US. The XJ1100 came after that then the FJ1100.

The XJ is a sexier version of the Special and the FJ is the grandpa of todays sport bikes.

[BA80]

XJ 1100

FJ 1100

[Arthur_of_Hex]

Funny how my first bike in high school was a KZ1000 police, stripped down. And now this, essentially a 20 year later repeat.

Edit-oh and thank you for the info on the venturer. My search stopped when I found H

[BA80]

The first 1100cc bike I rode was an 84 (I think) KZ 1100 LTD. Fast bike.

[Arthur_of_Hex]

Hey look I failed again

https://eyq33q.dm2303.livefilestore.com/y2phAohRbR6Dpx1cOKJhLH4hbD9rdPlmdfrB-EYXfFGYkJq5-KUcEtPckm99Lh5Ryzoj24LWJAbfNIVlE56aB02SbtLzJ4r3z4B8S1i0gGIHpc/IMG_20141006_155604_075.jpg

Yeah loved my KZ, rode it all year, had to. Gas money was thin and I missed the school bus. Dodging tri-axle snow plows in 7 inches of snow on a full dressed motorcycle is no way for anyone to experience the cool beauty of a winters morn

[MaximPhil]

Hi Matt,
Welcome. Looks as though a PO ( previous owner) has molested an 81H Your saddle looks original as do the exhaust. Hard to tell if that is the Venturer tank 6.3 gallons vs the standard at 5.3.
Even I can operate photobucket



Mine has a non stock saddle and the white sides have been painted over on the tank. 4 into 1 in this photo.
I have seen tour packages of fairing and bags come up from time to time if you want to bring it back to original.
Phil

[jetmechmarty]

The XJ is a sexier version of the Special and the FJ is the grandpa of todays sport bikes.

One man's sexy is another man's pig. I guess if that wasn't the case, we'd all be driving the same thing.

[Arthur_of_Hex]

Hi Matt,
Welcome. Looks as though a PO ( previous owner) has molested an 81H Your saddle looks original as do the exhaust. Hard to tell if that is the Venturer tank 6.3 gallons vs the standard at 5.3.
Even I can operate photobucket



Mine has a non stock saddle and the white sides have been painted over on the tank. 4 into 1 in this photo.
I have seen tour packages of fairing and bags come up from time to time if you want to bring it back to original.
Phil

Thanks Phil
Once I get knee deep in the build ill test the tank size, as much as I love manufacturers suggested trim, this ones going to stay naked.

[MaximPhil]

Hi Matt,
Be aware that 81H has a few unique items. The ignition system is a bit of a hybrid mix and the crabs have some differences too.
Sounds as though you have it running well already.
Phil

[madmax-im]

Welcome to Ch11
One member here motoman from colorado has this fine '81 Venturer...

[Eveready1100]

Hi Matt, and welcome to the clan.
No need to measure your tank, mate.

You can see clearly in this pic that it's te big tank alright.



There's a much steeper curve down from the front of the filler cap to the frame tunnel area, as compared to this.......

[Prisoner6]

... the FJ is the grandpa of todays sport bikes.

I would have to say ... the bike that started the "sportbike" craze was either this:

1983 Honda V45 Interceptor


Or this:

1984 Kawasaki Ninja 900


An argument can be made for either of these bikes as the granddaddy of the modern sportbike.

Both were ground-breaking designs due to the technology they offered in a mass-produced motorcycle.

The Honda was basically a "homologation special", due to the AMA Superbike rules mandating a displacement maximum of 750cc.

DOHC, liquid-cooled w/dual radiators, 90-degree V-4 with 4-valve heads ... Pro-Link mono-shock rear suspension and cast alloy swingarm ...

And it was the first mass-produced streetbike ever to be equipped with a "slipper" clutch. The styling influenced sportbike design for years to come.


As for the Kawasaki ...

In 1984, Kawasaki finally introduced a replacement for their very long-in-the-tooth 2-valve engine design (which dated back to the original Z-1 of 1972) ...

And the results were impressive, to say the least. It was the first 16-valve, liquid-cooled inline-4 ever to be used in a streetbike.

It's DOHCams were driven from the left side of the engine instead of the middle, resulting in a narrow-width engine, which allowed for greater lean angles as well.

The frame used the engine as a stressed member (improving handling and reducing weight), and had no front downtubes.

It was one of the first streetbikes to dip into the 10's at the strip (Kawasaki's own GPz 1100 had actually done it a year earlier).

It was the first Kawasaki ever to bear the Ninja name, and the first stock streetbike ever to reach 150 mph.

This was the hardcore sportbike of that day, and IMO, the best-looking sportbike Japan has ever built, even to this day (Hey, I'm old-school).

This .. this ... THIS was the one ... Kawasaki threw down the gauntlet and fired the first salvo in the Japanese sportbike wars, and the Big 4 have never looked back.

[madmax-im]

I owned a 1st year Ninja 900 I had it for 2 weeks and traded it in on something a bit more comfortabe...it was scary fast...too scary for me at the time...now I could handle it except for all the weight on my forearms from the lean forward seating...

[BA80]

I would have to say ... the bike that started the "sportbike" craze was either this:

1983 Honda V45 Interceptor


Or this:

1984 Kawasaki Ninja 900


An argument can be made for either of these bikes as the granddaddy of the modern sportbike.

Both were ground-breaking designs due to the technology they offered in a mass-produced motorcycle.

The Honda was basically a "homologation special", due to the AMA Superbike rules mandating a displacement maximum of 750cc.

DOHC, liquid-cooled w/dual radiators, 90-degree V-4 with 4-valve heads ... Pro-Link mono-shock rear suspension and cast alloy swingarm ...

And it was the first mass-produced streetbike ever to be equipped with a "slipper" clutch. The styling influenced sportbike design for years to come.


As for the Kawasaki ...

In 1984, Kawasaki finally introduced a replacement for their very long-in-the-tooth 2-valve engine design (which dated back to the original Z-1 of 1972) ...

And the results were impressive, to say the least. It was the first 16-valve, liquid-cooled inline-4 ever to be used in a streetbike.

It's DOHCams were driven from the left side of the engine instead of the middle, resulting in a narrow-width engine, which allowed for greater lean angles as well.

The frame used the engine as a stressed member (improving handling and reducing weight), and had no front downtubes.

It was one of the first streetbikes to dip into the 10's at the strip (Kawasaki's own GPz 1100 had actually done it a year earlier).

It was the first Kawasaki ever to bear the Ninja name, and the first stock streetbike ever to reach 150 mph.

This was the hardcore sportbike of that day, and IMO, the best-looking sportbike Japan has ever built, even to this day (Hey, I'm old-school).

This .. this ... THIS was the one ... Kawasaki threw down the gauntlet and fired the first salvo in the Japanese sportbike wars, and the Big 4 have never looked back.

84 was the year that EVERYONE threw out their own version of the sportbike, some just beat the others to the punch by a month or 2.

[MPittma100]

1981H Venturer

Hi Matt,

I recently purchased this nice example from a guy in Minnesota. 11K miles on the clock. Has been well treated over the decades. It was in a Yamaha dealer's collection originally. Everything is OEM on it including the paint as far as I know. If you need any pictures of specific areas of the bike, let me know.



Mike