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should i buy the vision

Started by troy, April 03, 2005, 07:27:01 PM

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troy

Hey guys, im new to visions and im considering buying one. However, dependability is really important to me. the bike seems sick to me i love the style and uniqueness of the bike however. my question is, is it really possible to get these bikes into a condition where they will be dependable enough to ride on a 1500 mile trip. as of now the bike starts just fine and runs well as well but does not idle great (idles around 2500rpm) the visions in great shape cosmetically and otherwise but again my main concern is mechanically can i get it to the point that it will be a dependable daily rider

Thanks alot!!
Troy

Lucky

Absolutly! We've sorted out pretty much any problem you could run accross.  the high idle could be simply the idle screw set too high, or a leaky YICS canister, which is easily repaired.  there isn't too much on the bike that's expensive to fix, & many here have parts bike & parts for sale. all you need to do is ask.

check out my website, Vision Resources at http://www.xz550.com for a list of things 'new' owners should check out, but don't let it scare you. it's an all inclusive list.

Who is the seller? chances are probably good that we know the bike too.

--Lucky
1982/3 XZ550 Touring Vison, Gold on Black

troy

the seller is actually my buddy who knows very little about the bike itself becuase he had bought it and not ridden it much cuz it didnt have a title however i go to school with him for engineering and the kid is a bike guru. on another note i drive a saab as my primary vehicle (classic 900t) and i am accustomed to the trials and tribulations of the car but i still love it. Im willing to bet thevision has similar qualities and actually prolly fits me well but my main conern again is that i want a bike that i will be able to trust to take me anywhere. the bike looks in pristene condition and has 32k miles on it. so it definately hasnt sat around its whole life. im also no stranger to a wrench however i want to spend much less time fixing the bike than riding it!  
thanks again for all your input!!!!

-troy

troy

ps. the bike is an 82 which also seems to have a few more issues (i dont know if you are particularly familiar with the 82)
thanks!

Lucky

Quote(i dont know if you are particularly familiar with the 82)
[/size]

Oh young Grasshopper, you have lots to learn!  ;D

You will NEVER find a shop or bike tech who knows more about these bikes than we do.  The 82 does not have more issues than the 83's, Yamaha addressed the issues as needed, & there were design tweaks for 83.  any issues the bikes have now are due to the fact that they are 20+ years old & need a little TLC.

--Lucky
1982/3 XZ550 Touring Vison, Gold on Black

troy

well thats what i wanted to hear i do have a haynes manual for it so i should be on my way and im sure ill be talking again but hopefully it will be more about the great times than the repair aspect ;D

thanks again man

troy

Extent

Quote
You will NEVER find a shop or bike tech who knows more about these bikes than we do.

Words of wisdom, pure words of wisdom.  The people here are amazing, I'll tell you that.

There's at least one person here using their V as their daily rider.  If you take care of it right there's nothing you can't do.
Rider1>No wonder, the Daytona has very sharp steering and aggressive geometry.  It's a very difficult bike for a new rider.
Rider2>Well it has different geometry now.

kiawrench

Troy,
   The vision is just like any other old bike,be it a harley ,a ducati, or a yamaha - after 20 years they need attention. My v was relatively well kept, but never used for more than an occasional trip as a "retro bike". Now she is a true daily ride.
 I think i have missed only i  have miised only a few days in three years, some for a broken ankle ,a few for snow ,and 2 for hurricaine winds. otherwise, she is on the road every day.
   i have added almost everything you can bolt on, removed a lot of it and she has had three different fairings,(all upgraded)but i wouldnt trade this bike for anything . I have had the chance to trade her in on new bikes several times, but i still ride her.
        This is mainly due to the fact that if i cant fix something on it ,someone in the forum has ,and she still gets fixed in time to go to work the next day.
keep your bike running,your beer cold ,and your passport handy.all are like money in the bank .

Brian_Matthewson

Your original post asked about 1500 mile trips.
Since 1999, I've taken 5 trips of 2,000+ kilometers with absolutely no problems, including one day when I got carried away and did 900 km. Of course, as the other posts in this thread have pointed out, TLC is a requirement for keeping any old bike on the road and running reliably.
Go for it!
Brian
1982 Vision rider from 1991 to 2012.

George R. Young

Here's my Vision reliability scorecard. 19 trips of 4000 km from Ottawa to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Two alternator failures away from home, one of which forced me to cut the trip short and ride home with no headlight to conserve battery juice. Other Vision problems (e.g. oil in the starter) are correctable, it seems the alternator overheating is not.

So I guess that's 89% reliability.

Lucky

George, have you done the charging system fixes? (moving the R/R & soldering the wires)  after doing those fixes, and making sure all the connectors in the harness are clean & tight, i'd call the charging system 90 something percent reliable.

--Lucky
1982/3 XZ550 Touring Vison, Gold on Black

Superfly

Reliable?  If you take care of her, a definate yes.  I do about 800 miles a week, for about the last 7 months (minus 2 months to re-build her, and a broken wrist) and she still starts every time I want her to.  Needless to say I tune her up often, and have followed all of that advice on this forum.
A bad marrage is like dirty carbs... It just makes everything else suck.

Wayne

Troy-Go with it. 82 is fine. My bike was manufact. Nov. 81. Serial # 000335. It is a original 82 and I am still running the original carbs with out any upgrades. I did have to change out stator when it was purchased, but Luckys site and board will give you all the tricks. I have some things I have done to mine I will not post on the board, for their are a lot of sharp people out there and I would not want them to think I am some kind of twit, but I rode with 30 bikers yesterday and no problem running with anything any of them rode. Bottom line is, you will have to work on bike, however, it will teach you things you use the rest of your life regarding future bikes. Have a good one and jump in, the water is fine.

troy

Thanks everyone for your input im definately going to go for it
and i cant wait to get ridin!

Lucky

QuoteI have some things I have done to mine I will not post on the board, for their are a lot of sharp people out there and I would not want them to think I am some kind of twit,

Wayne, like what?  no one will laugh, I once wanted to Flame my bike..lol  but from original thinking good ideas arise...

--Lucky
1982/3 XZ550 Touring Vison, Gold on Black

Superfly

Any Photoshop Guru's out there... I would love to see Lucky's Vision with some HD flames on it..... you know the red/orage/blue fade flames...

I am snickering already....
A bad marrage is like dirty carbs... It just makes everything else suck.

interloper

of course you should buy one. you came to this website thinking we would all be like "naw, you should probably just get something else"? i mean, come on, we have our own website. the vision is poetic. it's like an abusive girlfriend. it's always screwing around on you, but you feel wrong whenever you get something else, and you always come back. good luck.

ps2/bikevision

hey whats wrong with flames i thought about putting flames on my v to blend the red tank to the rest of the black paint on mine. or some other design i havent decided yet. the main thing will be if i can get my brother to do the flames. if not it will be a simple v or somthing i can do my self.

MotorPlow

QuoteWayne, like what? ?no one will laugh, I once wanted to Flame my bike..lol ?but from original thinking good ideas arise...

--Lucky

And that good idea was what?...  No flames on the bike?  Just on the beard?  It's all good.

Chris F.

louthepou

I got my first vision back in 1987. Tried to leave her, with an FJ1100. Didn'T work; got back on the Vision. What a forgiving ride.

With this Forum as a guide, you'll end up knowing everything any good Yamaha mechanic knew about the Vision back in the 80's, and everything they DIDN'T know as well. That would then be... pretty much everything there is to know about it.

The more you play with the bike, the more you know about it. The more you trust it, then. And you'll eventually have setbacks; that's part of the fun. Cheers,

Louis

Hi, my name is Louis, and I'm a Vision-o-holic