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Second Gear Failure

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Second Gear Grief

I have a 83 venture that has the 2nd gear problem to the point where you have to shift from 1st to 3rd in order to avoid that awfull sound. I had the local dealer quote me in excess of $900 (Can) to fix. I have found a 86 Venture Royale that I can use for parts. My questions are, 1/ can I swap the engine and trans? 2/ Are any modifications necesary? 3/ does the driveshaft also need to be changed? 4/ Is there an easier way? Or maybe its best to leave it stock. Any and all tips will be greatly appreciated. This was my first Venture and have resently purchased a 92 Royale (great bike)! krltoon@aol.com

Answers

I think it should fit, the only difference that I heard was the bore/stroke to get the extra 100 cc. If he has the 86 see if he can order the parts micro fiche for each year and check for parts interchangability. Hank Yerger

Hi. I am Scott MacMartin. Here ( http://www.venturers.org/Tech_Library/?action=article&cat_id=001006&id=250 ) you can find a complete parts list for the second gear repair. The dealer's quote for this work involves removal of the engine, and reinstallation. Since I did this myself, I can assure you that it is a significant part of the cost of the work. The actual replacement of the parts is a trivial task. The selection of replacement parts is from the local dealer, who did many second gear jobs. All of these parts are needed, even if they "look" ok. The 1983 bike would be better served by fixing it with parts for the 83. The repair, once completed, will not ever show up again. I am aware of a number of detail changes to the later models, including the exhaust system attachment. I do not believe that you would have any fun doing an engine exchange (and I would expect you would not save any money either). Of course, the other option is to sell the bike to someone else. I would be interested in knowing what choice you make. Scott MacMartin

The Second Gear Failure

The common cause for the failure of second gear in the 83 and 84 Ventures is a split washer that was not made with sufficiently high grade steel. As the split washer wears, the gears on that shaft move slightly, and the one gear that eventually does not completely engage is second. As far as I can tell, the flaw was in the engineers assessment of the use of the bike. City driving puts a load on this split washer that is many times the load it would see in highway driving situations. Perhaps Yamaha had not realised that their Venture made a good urban runabout, and freeway on-ramp dragster, as well as an excellent touring bike. A check through my web site will provide you with a parts list to repair this particular failure on the 83/84 Venture.

Scott MacMartin Ottawa, Canada

Last update: 11:15 PM Friday, January 6, 2006

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