Bucket List Vmax

[daveblaster]

Well, one more check mark in the ol bucket list of bikes to enjoy/curse...
2002 Carbon VMax. Get this, 3995 original miles! You can imagine what sitting outside in Central Nevada can do to a bike in 20 plus years and you would be right. But I put in a few months of hard work and I got it for a song. And back on the road. And ive named it, Disorderly Conduct...
Thanks for being here, really appreciate the length you folks will go to explaining and detailing your experience with your rides. I hope im just as helpful.
I sold my 83 Venture Royale but am considering buying it back to do a full motor swap with this VMax. Whats your guys opinion on creating a beast like that? Pros? Cons?
My biggest challenge would be finding the time to even start. I wouldnt wanna half ass a project on account of a honey do list...
Anyways, I live just outside of Vegas in Pahrump, Nevada. Was a light vehicle (cars, trucks, motorcycles, PWCs, boats, ATVs, side by sides, gas and electric, tech for many moons but the last 10 years ive been driving big truck pulling multiple trailers. Went to MMI in Phoenix in 1986/87 and graduated from the first Honda sponsored class, Hontech. But with the ATV 3 wheeler ban and the scooter craze in full swing that i really didnt want much to do with, i shifted into Engine Performance and Emissions of the 4 wheel variety. But I always kept a motorrad. sometimes many, sometimes 1. Now that 1 is a VMax. Havent done much outside of the obvious...tires, fork seals, flushed both brake and clutch masters and calipers, flushed fuel tank, new filter, cleaned but not kitted carbs, reg/rect splice, misc seals and hoses, plugs, caps, wires, coils were cracked so swapped for Ventures, v-boost manifolds and boots, put the fan on a toggle switch, installed a few LED lights for safety and vision and, check me if im wrong, a mid 90s Honda Accord radiator cap seems to work just fine instead of a $50 dealer special order. Painted it Gunmetal metallic and wrapped the sidecovers and phony balony intakes with ghost camo vinyl. Shortened the original owners home made sissy bar and its a runner. Albeit a disorderly one...
Ride safe-ish...
David j

 

[02GF74]

20+ years outside in nevada!?!?!!!??

The red switches would be bleached to pure white, most of the plastic may well be brittle due to the UV.

On the positive side, no rust.

Able to post a photo or 2?

 

[marsmax85]

Congrats and welcome to the forum ! There's plenty of good reading on here from the past ...

 

[Fire-medic]

Congratulations on the renovation/resuscitation project. The big thing is pictures, we like lots of pictures. Show us the ugly before, the 'during' and the final results.

No advantage to a '83 Venture engine. It was 1200cc. The '86-'93 was 1300cc and is the one to get for its increased displacement: "no replacement for displacement." You could try going to a 150 main jet for the Mikunis to lean it out a bit, at 2000 ft above sea level, you aren't in the same category as Denver for more-drastic changes on a carbureted engine.

Try the 'search' button, upper-right, for info on what automobile parts like radiator caps, thermostats, thermocouple switches, etc, from a 4-wheeled supplier of parts, like your local Advance Auto, Auto Zone, or other parts house will save you $. Examples:

Any local autoparts store can help you out.
Thermostat - Stant #13758
Radiator Cap - Stant #11233
Cut and Paste from Dingy who got it from the venture forum:
"If you need a new thermostat, there is a Napa #156 and on the Napa box was a #33708 that I was able to cross reference to a Stant #13758 at my local auto parts dealer." from [email protected]

or anyone else looking, these t-tstats opens around 180 degrees F. and you'll run a little cooler.
These all fit.
1992 - 2001 Camry 2.2L
1996 - 2000 Rav4 2.0L
1980-1998 Tercel 1.5L from std354

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/vmax-thermostat.47473/#post-473956
https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/water-temp-sensor-mod.48419/page-2#post-483695
Gen 1? Either a fan switch for an '88 Nissan Sentra
or Borg Warner TFS545. You'll have
to re-use your o-ring. from std354

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/water-temp-sensor-mod.48419/

 

[daveblaster]

20+ years outside in nevada!?!?!!!??

The red switches would be bleached to pure white, most of the plastic may well be brittle due to the UV.

On the positive side, no rust.

Able to post a photo or 2?

At some point in its life it was stolen. The ignition switch, both hand control switches, clutch and front brake controls have been replaced. Front brake lines are a tad short. It’s missing the plastic piece that covers the ignition and the thermo switch and rad cap assembly were hanging off into space supported only by the hoses. I did flip for a genuine t-stat and all associated o-rings. Then I used my hose stretcher to get the cap assembly into a position where I could run a bolt thru it. Made my own switch cover out of an old abs plastic stereo mount. Protects the vitals for the most part…

 

[daveblaster]

Oh yeah, and this…

 

[Fire-medic]

Good on-ya for returning it to the road.

You have some-sort of jury-rigged fuel pump? Or was that the way it came into your possession? Lights (LED's?) around the rear fender? Looks pretty-clean now. Those are Venture CV caps on the carburetors?

 

[CaptainKyle]

Congrats and welcome

 

[daveblaster]

Good on-ya for returning it to the road.

You have some-sort of jury-rigged fuel pump? Or was that the way it came into your possession? Lights (LED's?) around the rear fender? Looks pretty-clean now. Those are Venture CV caps on the carburetors?

Fuel pump has not been messed with, other than replacing all the hoses. The amber replacement marker lights for the 53 foot trailer i pulled fit perfectly in the hole where the reflectors were. I drilled a couple holes for the rear red ones. I also put in a third(second?) red LED brake light right below the passenger backrest. This filled a hole where im sure something else was supposed to be. As far as the caps, its what came with it. My 83 Venture had all aluminum finish.
The original owner of this VMax is now 78 and pretty much confined to a power chair. He was my first employer when i graduated from MMI. Took me all of 2 weeks to get the parts and repair all the motorcycles broke down at his small shop in Tonopah Nevada back in 1987. Back then he had a V65 Magna. Ever heard of the International Car Forest in Goldfield? Its become a pretty big tourist destination. This is the man who built it. Along with one other artist.

 

[VMAXer]

Congrats and Welcome. Enjoy the forum!

 

[daveblaster]

Congrats and welcome

Thank you

 

[daveblaster]

Congrats and Welcome. Enjoy the forum!

Thank you

 

[daveblaster]

Congrats and welcome to the forum ! There's plenty of good reading on here from the past ...

Thank you

 

[daveblaster]

Congratulations on the renovation/resuscitation project. The big thing is pictures, we like lots of pictures. Show us the ugly before, the 'during' and the final results.

No advantage to a '83 Venture engine. It was 1200cc. The '86-'93 was 1300cc and is the one to get for its increased displacement: "no replacement for displacement." You could try going to a 150 main jet for the Mikunis to lean it out a bit, at 2000 ft above sea level, you aren't in the same category as Denver for more-drastic changes on a carbureted engine.

Try the 'search' button, upper-right, for info on what automobile parts like radiator caps, thermostats, thermocouple switches, etc, from a 4-wheeled supplier of parts, like your local Advance Auto, Auto Zone, or other parts house will save you $. Examples:

Any local autoparts store can help you out.
Thermostat - Stant #13758
Radiator Cap - Stant #11233
Cut and Paste from Dingy who got it from the venture forum:
"If you need a new thermostat, there is a Napa #156 and on the Napa box was a #33708 that I was able to cross reference to a Stant #13758 at my local auto parts dealer." from [email protected]

or anyone else looking, these t-tstats opens around 180 degrees F. and you'll run a little cooler.
These all fit.
1992 - 2001 Camry 2.2L
1996 - 2000 Rav4 2.0L
1980-1998 Tercel 1.5L from std354

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/vmax-thermostat.47473/#post-473956
https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/water-temp-sensor-mod.48419/page-2#post-483695
Gen 1? Either a fan switch for an '88 Nissan Sentra
or Borg Warner TFS545. You'll have
to re-use your o-ring. from std354

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/water-temp-sensor-mod.48419/

Thank you for all this!

 

[Mass 2112]

I may be wrong, like all the time , but the extra led brake light you put in that is below the backrest was once a red reflector. I replaced mine with a led light wired into the brake lights. Can never have to much red led lights on the back, keeps you from getting a little bump in the tail end. Enjoy the form, I get a lot of info here that was posted years back. Again welcome to the show.