'83 To Be Junked

[Shop Rat]

I found what I'm quite sure is an '83 Vision (even tho it's advertised as an '84) on craigslist that I'm to pick up over the weekend. It's described as "rough" after "sitting outside" for years, so I'm not expecting much.  All I'm after is the dual-disc set-up and possibly the fairing if it's not badly damaged.  My guess is the tank has been ravaged by the tinworm, but who knows?

Other than that, I don't think there will be much of anything I want, so when I have it here and get it stripped, there will be some very cheap parts available.  Stay tuned...............

Frank

[kiawrench]

frank use sandwich bags and mark each part well, even drain plugs have potential buyers!!

but remember also ,, almost all of the parts bike has value ,, and you never know,, i have built two riders from parts bikes , as well as restore my favorite ride of all time , and it was declared a parts bike before i bought it .


this is what being an ROV is all about - finding,learning ,tweaking and resurecting .   makes me all warm and fuzzy to to see such thoughtful  intentions with a parts bike --  oh , dont forget, when you use the fairing , you need to swap the risers ,,or it will be a bear to turn to full lock - reducing control of bike .

[vadasz1]

if it is a true 83 I would like to have dibs on the engine side cover with the oil filler tube.  Also the speedo cable if possible.  Any chance of getting the carb or the shock too?  ::)

[h2olawyer]

If it is an 83 & has a title - or could be titled, I'd say to do anything & everything possible to resurrect it.  Only after exhausting every possibility of making it roadworthy again would I even consider parting it out.  Do you have any idea how rare 83s are?!?  Sorry to those seeking parts, but keeping all the 83s possible on the road is a very worthy goal.

H₂O

[Shop Rat]

No title, although I suppose with enough red-tape bother and some official palm-greasing, it could be had.  I haven't seen the bike. I talked to the seller and he just says it is in sad shape.  I'll know more when I get there. 

Any and all requests for parts will be considered.  For most of it, all I want is $ to cover postage and packing mat'l.

But until I get it here, I won't know what's good and what's not. 

Frank

If it is an 83 & has a title - or could be titled, I'd say to do anything & everything possible to resurrect it.  Only after exhausting every possibility of making it roadworthy again would I even consider parting it out.  Do you have any idea how rare 83s are?!?  Sorry to those seeking parts, but keeping all the 83s possible on the road is a very worthy goal.

H₂O

[Shop Rat]

My aim is to get my '82 going good and looking presentable.  If, by some slim chance, the '83 I found is in good enough cond., than different story.  But I truly doubt that will be the case.  I'll probably have to clean wasp and rodent nests out before I throw it in the truck.

frank use sandwich bags and mark each part well, even drain plugs have potential buyers!!

but remember also ,, almost all of the parts bike has value ,, and you never know,, i have built two riders from parts bikes , as well as restore my favorite ride of all time , and it was declared a parts bike before i bought it .


this is what being an ROV is all about - finding,learning ,tweaking and resurecting .   makes me all warm and fuzzy to to see such thoughtful  intentions with a parts bike --  oh , dont forget, when you use the fairing , you need to swap the risers ,,or it will be a bear to turn to full lock - reducing control of bike .

[elemonator]

I'd be interested in the '83 risers for handle bars...

[YellowJacket!]

The PO of my bike also said it was in sad shape...actually used a more graphic description than that.  Now when he sees it, he just can't believe how good it looks.  He told me the other day that he wished he had an extra set of keys....he was parked next to me.
Most Visions that have been left out to pasture for many many years still have a lot of potential. Unfortuantely some as sources of parts...which I am thankful for, but as the other guys have said, if its an 83 and mostly complete, then it is worth more to you as a whole.

David

[Shop Rat]

OK, here's the story: I drove out to look at it, and his description of "rough" was accurate, but it's not much worse than the one I bought this spring for lots more $. 

I'm still not sure what year it is.  Later today, after some pressing home maintenance tasks are finished, I'll take it off the truck and get some pics of it.  Here's a quick description.  It has upper and lower stock fairings that are in great shape, even the windshield. The paint scheme is black and gold, like the one on the ROV home page.  All the plastic parts are there. The motor is free and all there except exhaust syst.  Seat is rotted away.

Tank seems to be solid, but has large dent on left side, mostly hidden by fairing. No keys, so I'll have to mangle the gas cap to get it off. (Unless someone has tip on how to pick locks) Front fender is good, and I need one (mine has crack) so that's OK.  I took the fairings off before wheeling it on the truck. All the brackets are there. 

However, it does not have dual discs. Was this optional in '83?  I'm thinking what I may have is an '82 that's been pimped up with '83 parts. I'm disappointed by the brakes, but I'm liking the fairing more than I thought I would. I'm more of a naked-bike guy, but the Yam fairing design is really good-looking.

That's enuf for now.  I'll post a few photos later.

Frank

The PO of my bike also said it was in sad shape...actually used a more graphic description than that.  Now when he sees it, he just can't believe how good it looks.  He told me the other day that he wished he had an extra set of keys....he was parked next to me.
Most Visions that have been left out to pasture for many many years still have a lot of potential. Unfortuantely some as sources of parts...which I am thankful for, but as the other guys have said, if its an 83 and mostly complete, then it is worth more to you as a whole.

David

[Brian Moffet]

Tank seems to be solid, but has large dent on left side, mostly hidden by fairing.
However, it does not have dual discs. Was this optional in '83?  I'm thinking what I may have is an '82 that's been pimped up with '83 parts.

The tank dent (especially if it is in the shape of the fairing) is due to dumping the bike at some point in time.  The fairing mounts flex (or bend) and the fairing edge dents the tank.

Late model 1982s cam with the fairing as an option.  My mother had one. 

Brian

[Lucky]

since you have the fairing off you can remove the ignition switch by removing the 2 screws underneath it. (often one is missing, they vibrate out & fall away)

once the switch & key are out, you can seperate the lock by removing 2 more screws & turn the ign switch with a small screwdriver without breaking anything.

btw, i've got my 2 Visions keyed alike..

--Lucky

[Shop Rat]

What about the gas cap lock? Can that be picked without having the key? I don't care about the ign switch as I have a spare and the orig one works fine on my project bike.  I just want to get the cap off the parts bike to see inside the tank. 

Frank

since you have the fairing off you can remove the ignition switch by removing the 2 screws underneath it. (often one is missing, they vibrate out & fall away)

once the switch & key are out, you can seperate the lock by removing 2 more screws & turn the ign switch with a small screwdriver without breaking anything.

btw, i've got my 2 Visions keyed alike..

--Lucky

[Shop Rat]

That must be what I have, then, an '82 with opt fairing. It may have been either dealer or owner installed, because in the box of extra parts is a standard '82 headlight mount bracket and a pair of the longer handlebar risers. 

I guess if I want dual brakes I'll have to replicate Jason's superb set-up.  Which means I'll need an '83 right-side fork tube, correct?  That should be slightly harder to find than Bigfoot.

Frank

Tank seems to be solid, but has large dent on left side, mostly hidden by fairing.
However, it does not have dual discs. Was this optional in '83?  I'm thinking what I may have is an '82 that's been pimped up with '83 parts.

The tank dent (especially if it is in the shape of the fairing) is due to dumping the bike at some point in time.  The fairing mounts flex (or bend) and the fairing edge dents the tank.

Late model 1982s cam with the fairing as an option.  My mother had one. 

Brian

[vadasz1]

You can also find forks from European XZ550's.  They are usually on e-bay from germany and I bought a set (now in Tiger's possesion) for around $85 including shipping to Toronto, Canada.  Look for them as they are great, then you can do the R1 mod to them and make all the stoppies you want. ;D

[Brian Moffet]

Actually, unless you're going for aesthetics, I would try replacing the lines with braided, and get some good pads on there.  You may have enough stopping power already.

Brian (who is imagining the front end collapsing under the weight during a 'stoppie')

[Shop Rat]

No stoppies for this boy.  Nor wheelies.  I'm 65 and would like to be 95 someday.  I keep 'em both planted on the road.  My younger brother tried a stoppie once and all he did was launch himself over the bars and on his can.  He was OK, but the bike got scuffed a bit.  I agree on the braided lines. I have them on my other bike and they made a noticeable difference in feel. 

Truth be told, I am going more for looks in wanting the twin discs.   I had a couple of bikes with single discs and they had no problem stopping.

Frank

Actually, unless you're going for aesthetics, I would try replacing the lines with braided, and get some good pads on there.  You may have enough stopping power already.

Brian (who is imagining the front end collapsing under the weight during a 'stoppie')

[h2olawyer]

If you are worried about aesthetics, there are braided stainless lines available with colored plastic coatings.  I gave some serious thought to installing some blue lines when I did mine.  You can see the braided texture through the coatings.  Ended up with the clear, though.  I did mine before the Galfer lines from Sum of All Parts became known on eBay.

I used Goodridge lines, Russell fittings and Bel-Ray DOT4 fluid.  The Russell fittings were thicker than the OEM Yamaha's, so I also had to get new banjo bolts (also Russell) - especially for the manifold where the OEM 83 system splits from one to two lines.  Also, remember to get new crush washers to prevent fluid leaks.  With proper bleeding, you will have a very competent front brake.  May not be stoppie quality, but to agree with Brian, you wouldn't want to do them on these spindly forks anyway.

The Galfer setup from Sum of All Parts for the 83 is two separate lines all the way from the master cylinder to the calipers.  It is also about $60 less than what I spent when I replicated the OEM system from individual parts.  The Galfer line for an 82 is under $60 (plus shipping) from Sum of All Parts & the 83 runs close to $100.  You may need to buy banjo bolts to complete the system, though.

The dual discs do look better than the single - to my eye - but the single system will work well with a braided line.  I went from OEM single & rummer line to the duals & braided stainless, so I don't have first hand knowledge of how much improvement there is from just upgrading the 82 single line.  I do know the difference in mine was amazing.

H₂O

[Brian Moffet]

You may need to buy banjo bolts to complete the system, though.

When I bought my kit from Galfer, they provided everything.

FYI
Brian

[Tiger]

Which means I'll need an '83 right-side fork tube, correct?  That should be slightly harder to find than Bigfoot.

Frank

:) Sorry Frank, but no...You need BOTH lower tubes.......as well as the two rotors and a right side caliper. The '83 rotors are smaller in diameter (10 1/2") compared to the '82 (12"), therefore the caliper brackets are lower down the tubes on the '83. However, the good news is that you only require a right side caliper...the left one fits right on. Finding one is another story :o look at the yamahas of the same era. The Seca for instance, has the caliper on the right side :-\

             8).......TIGER....... 8)

[Rick G]

Before you destroy the gas cap, pull the tank and take it to a locksmith , he can "tap" out a new key . It costs 20.00 around here.
Don't worry about not doing wheelies I'm 66 and have ridden for 47 years and was NEVER worth a crap at wheelies, not even on a dirt bike. I've hit a few  rises in the road  and carried the front end for a few feet , but that was the bikes idea , not mine.