just wanted to introduce myself......i'm new to visions, never owned a motorcycle, but have owned many dirtbikes and 4 wheelers. i'll be honest and say that i am a car guy, but motorcycles have always seemed pretty cool and with gas prices nowadays they seem even better. onto the bike......i had an 82 vision given to me by a good family friend who couldn't work on it and wanted to hear it run again. needs a new battery, starter rebuild, and a good cleaning/ tune up. i've already lowered the front end about 1/2" and want to lower the seat and put new upholstery on it. gas tank is pretty rough too. pics to come when i figure out how to work my camera!
-Jay
Hi Jay!
Welcome to the wonderful world of Vision ownership & the best forum on the 'net. These are definitely quirky bikes but with a little time & effort, they can be made to run dependably & efficiently. The starter may just be full of oil & need a new seal in the nose (along with a good cleaning). The carbs will need cleaning. Berryman's Chem Dip is highly recommended for that job. Check out www.xz550.com (http://www.xz550.com) for plans to make your own cheap manometer to synch the carbs when that time arrives. A known good battery will make any electrical diagnosis much more accurate. Also, go through every electrical connector & get them clean & shiny. Call it bonding time.
Look forward to seeing your photos & good luck with your new toy!
H2O
:) Hi and welcome to the ROV "Family"...."i had an 82 vision given to me by a good family friend"....Hmmmmmmm, Time will tell ;D ;D :D ;) .
Where the hell on this old planet are you resident.....You may well have some of your extended "Family" near you.. 8)
We are all here to help you thru' the early day's of pain and suffering that we have all gone thru'... :o ;D ;D ;D
8) TIGER 8)
Welcome to ROV, Jay
Even though you are an experienced dirt biker, I would first recommend that you consider taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) riders course. Your previous experence would give you a huge advantage getting accustomed to riding a street bike, but street bikes have their own peculiarities (especially the Vision).
The Vision is a very interesting motorcycle. It is a middleweight liquid cooled V-twin with angular, very modern styling and shaft drive. It was way ahead of it's time in many respects, but came out just as motorcycle sales were slowing down, which doomed it. Plus, it has a couple of odd design and engineering decisions (which you'll no doubt become familiar with after reading the information on this website). Although it can be a bit fussy to own, it's a very, very nice bike to ride. The pulsating smoothness of the engine is what keeps me coming back (of the 28 bikes I've owned, I think I've had 4 or 5 Visions).
You tank is almost certainly rusted, so check around the site for how to deal with and fix a rusty tank (be sure to check whether it's rusted through at any of the specific problems areas). And take a good look at the tires to make sure that they don't have cracks in the sidewalls.
Have fun with getting it back on the road, and you'll find the Vision community to be a very friendly, helpful, close-knit bunch. After all, we've all chosen to ride one of the coolest orphan motorcycles in moto-history.
Vince
edit- figured out how to attach images :)
i live in apex, north carolina in the friendship area. do yall ever do group get-togethers or anything like that? thanks for the warm welcome!
-jay
i'm gonna give this another try
Yay! Another Vision saved, another ROV member!
Welcome, cheers
Lou
Welcome!! I'll 2nd the suggestion about the MSF course. I had some 4-wheeler experience back in HS and college, but zero 2-wheel experience before I took the course 4 months ago. I also read and continue to re-read 'Proficient Motorcycling" by David Haugh. I got my Vision about a week after I took the course.
I attribute the MSF course and the book I mentioned for safely getting me and the War Mare through 550 miles of riding last week in NC/TN, including the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway. Had I just let friends teach me to ride, I guarantee you that I would not posess the (meager) skills that I do allowed me to have such a fun and safe holiday.
Patti in Florida "11 Curves in 318 miles"
thanks for all the suggestions. how do i go about taking an MSF course? is there a number to call? thanks again for the warm welcome.....
-jay
See this link, Jay:
http://www.msf-usa.org/ (http://www.msf-usa.org/)
Vince
If you're interested in a new skin for your seat....
http://www.saddlemen.com/saddleskins_street_p3.html
Brian
Quote from: Serendipity on July 31, 2006, 03:54:44 PM
Patti in Florida "11 Curves in 318 miles"
Don't believe her, Patty & Dave make the rest of us look like toads, lol
welcome!
:) I sent you some info' regarding your seat.......On the "V".... :o ;D ;D :D ;)
;D TIGER 8)
Welcome to the site I am a newbie myself one day I will grow out of the newbie status. I just sit back and read and soak it all in. I have found its a great place for help and advice always someone there to help you out. Good thing is no one makes ya feel stupid for asking questions. 12 or 13 hours of reading and 15 post...yep I am a lurker. Thanx for all the help guys....oh and gals too... ;D
Quote from: 69shovel on July 31, 2006, 01:53:51 PM
edit- figured out how to attach images :)
i live in apex, north carolina in the friendship area. do yall ever do group get-togethers or anything like that? thanks for the warm welcome!
-jay
FINALLY!!!! Someone in my area! Welcome to the site and the world of Visions Jay. I live just minutes from you. In fact I go to school in Raleigh (next to RBC center GO CAINES!). I live in Clayton. We do get together every once in awhile and ride the dragon in the mountains. In fact I rode hyw 64 through Apex to get there in April. We'll have to get it fixed up and ride to the dragon to meet DAVETN, LUCKY, MOTORPLOW, PS2 and others. Oh and I like the color of your bike (same as mine).
You'll have to send me your address so I can stop by and look at it sometime soon. I'm familiar with the Apex area because I used to work with Time Warner Cable doing installs in Apex.
MSF courses are given at Wake Tech. or Johnston Tech. It's probably listed on the website from VinceDee above.
Again...Welcome! Bill Erwin
thanks for all the help dudes. yall seem like a great bunch and i look forward to meeting the "family".
bill- 3157 friendship rd. right off old us-1....feel free to stop by sometime and check out the bike (and my other projects if you want too) i work until 6 on weekdays, but other than that i'm mostly around tinkering with my junk....... 919-337-3279 is my #
-jay
Quote from: 69shovel on August 02, 2006, 03:26:45 PM
thanks for all the help dudes. yall seem like a great bunch and i look forward to meeting the "family".
bill- 3157 friendship rd. right off old us-1....feel free to stop by sometime and check out the bike (and my other projects if you want too) i work until 6 on weekdays, but other than that i'm mostly around tinkering with my junk....... 919-337-3279 is my #
-jay
I'll message or call you before I stop by. I did a many an install off of Apex-Barbaque Rd. Lot's of new houses in the area. I'll ride my bike over when I come.
Mutt
Free visions for the win! There is nothing sweeter than a free ride. I got mine free with only 2400 miles on it. It needed a battery, a carb clean, yics box repair and a bath. I ended up going a little further than that since I can't leave anything alone for more than 2 minutes.
My advice to you on riding is risk mitigation. I always believe it's not if but when you have some sort of accident so be prepared. Not trying to scare anyone but I'm 12 years with no pavement surfing thinking this way.
Quote from: zore on August 03, 2006, 08:32:39 AM
yics box repair
My advice to you on riding is risk mitigation. I always believe it's not if but when you have some sort of accident so be prepared. Not trying to scare anyone but I'm 12 years with no pavement surfing thinking this way.
is the yics box the triangle looking thing on the right side (seems to be plastic with chrome plating)? mine is beat up pretty good too..... what happens if you don't fix it?
also what is risk mitigation? never heard that one before.
bill-sounds good to me.....if i pick up as brace towing its still me. after 6 all the calls get forwarded to my cell phone so if i don't know the number i answer that way.
thanks for the help
-jay
The Yics box is a plastic box with 2 internal chambers. Hoses connects it's 2 chambers to their respective cylinder. Not sure if it really does anything worth while, but I if leaks either externally or internally, you'll have a huge vacuum leak. If it leaks, you can either fix it, or block it off.
It's the only 5 dollar word I know.
v. mit·i·gat·ed, mit·i·gat·ing, mit·i·gates
v. tr.
To moderate (a quality or condition) in force or intensity; alleviate. See Synonyms at relieve.
v. intr.
To become milder.