1983 Yamaha Venture Royal 1200 ~ $600

[sail4free]

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Seems like a lotta' bike or maybe a lotta' work for $600?
https://boise.craigslist.org/mcy/5000224732.html
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Anyone have any experience with these beasts?
JIM P.
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[Radioguylogs]

My next dream is a V4 - just for something new and interesting.

[madmax-im]

1983 -85 were the bad years...2nd gear problems just like the xs11s....BUT with the Ventures the whole engine has to come out and be dis assembled...a Royal PITA...Generally speaking $600 is too much...go for a 1986 or later...

[Prisoner6]

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Seems like a lotta' bike or maybe a lotta' work for $600?
https://boise.craigslist.org/mcy/5000224732.html
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Anyone have any experience with these beasts?
JIM P.
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Hey, Jim -

Yep, the 1st Gen. Venture (1983-85) did have a 2nd gear issue that was pretty common.

They would start slipping out of 2nd gear under hard acceleration, then eventually they would lose 2nd gear completely.

Another common problem with the 1st Gen. Venture was stator failure due to overheating.

Yamaha addressed both of these problems in 1986 when they released the 2nd Gen. Venture. Displacement was also increased in '86 (from 1198cc to 1294cc, if memory serves).

The 2nd Gen. Venture was produced by Yamaha from 1986-1993. As Ben noted, these are the ones to look for ...


P.S. Personally, I'd stay away from the '83-'85 Venture ... especially if it's non-running ...

[tcoop]

I had an 83 Venture. Overall not a bad bike but as everyone is has mentioned the second gear does go out on these. Another issue would be the TCI failing (diodes going bad). I had to buy an after market one (we did a group buy ) it was over $200 IIRC but fixed the issue. The 86 or newer would be a better buy.

[sail4free]

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Thanks for everybody's feedback. I guess there's a *reason* why some of those older bikes are super cheap. When I see those rented storage lots where everybody is paying rent on some kind of dream, I often wonder what percentage of those projects actually ever end up getting done -- 1 in 20? Less? So the moral of the story is if you're gonna' take on a project, better off to pick a model where some of the quirks got responded to by the factory.
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I bought a project houseboat once -- paid rent on a dream for four years -- ended up selling it for HALF of what I paid . . . plus the four tires had been flat for so long, I had to pay to have tubes put in 'em to get 'em round again. Buy high; sell low -- seems to be my MO I wonder what the odds are that the buyer did anything with it either?
JIM P.
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[motoman]

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Thanks for everybody's feedback. I guess there's a *reason* why some of those older bikes are super cheap. When I see those rented storage lots where everybody is paying rent on some kind of dream, I often wonder what percentage of those projects actually ever end up getting done -- 1 in 20? Less? So the moral of the story is if you're gonna' take on a project, better off to pick a model where some of the quirks got responded to by the factory.
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I bought a project houseboat once -- paid rent on a dream for four years -- ended up selling it for HALF of what I paid . . . plus the four tires had been flat for so long, I had to pay to have tubes put in 'em to get 'em round again. Buy high; sell low -- seems to be my MO I wonder what the odds are that the buyer did anything with it either?
JIM P.
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B-O-A-T= Break-Out-Another-Thousand.....

[sail4free]

B-O-A-T= Break-Out-Another-Thousand.....

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Sounds about right! My brother says the two best days of any boat owner's life are the day he buys the boat . . . and the day he finally gets rid of it. I've always loved boats -- something magical about being out ON the water -- but I'd love one a lot more if someone else had to pay to keep it running.
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We have two catarafts now (8' and 9') with a little Minkota 30 electric trolling motor for the bigger one -- amazing how long that thing will run on one battery = simple, quiet, easy. I clamp the motor straight ahead and let my long oars trail vertical inside the pontoons. I roll 'em slightly to the right to go right; roll left to go left -- never have to look back -- love it!
JIM P.
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