XV1000

Hi y'all,
I have recently got a replacement bike for my ZX12 (marriage and new baby =
no bike)
Now I have a 81 Yamaha XV1000 that isn't rego'd and doesn't go.
When you all stop laughing I'll continue.....
Waiting......
Ok, now I need a little help/advice to get this puppy going, and Im hoping
that someone here knows a little about older yammys.
So far to get it to start I have:
Replaced Plugs, oil, filters, fuel lines, battery, starter cables and other
various cables that needed replacing to get back to a working state.
I have cleaned out the fuel tank , fuel cocks and filters and I'm still
cleaning out the carbs.
Anyone else have any ideas or hints about this bike?
And by the way, it's not a virago as many people assume it is. This is an
upright bike similar to the Z900 kwakas.
Thanks for any and all input, and please stop laughing....
Cheers,
Justin

 

Actually Z1000 kwakas at that vintage, after which Kawasaki went into a
decade long styling slump, starting with the GPz1100 in '81 - '82. Main
comptetitor to your bike would have been the Suz GSX1100. Not long after
the release of your bike Yamaha started a sales war with Honda (which
they ultimately lost).

Sounds like you know what you're doing anyway, but I'd suggest replacing
the cam chain and tensioner if you can get the parts. You didn't say how
long it had been 'not going' but IIRC you've got a kick start, and
working that a fair bit will help free some stiff components. If it
won't crank you've got bigger problems, of course. If you can get (or
make) a new gasket, pop the timing cover and watch the valve train while
you crank. If that all looks sweet, and you've got spark and good fuel,
it should run.

The only other thing I can think of is that a dud alternator will wipe
out your new battery in next to no time, and a dud alternator is a
common reason for older vehicles (not just bikes) to end up at the back
of the shed. If you can get (or make) a new gasket, remove the
alternator and have Bosch or someone test it.

--
Cheers

Andrew

<--- Remove The NO and SPAM When Replying --->

 

The bike hasn't run for at least 18months that I know of. I took the
plugs out and put a little WD40 with air tool oil down the pistons,
then put it on the centre stand and turned it over by turning the back
wheel. It all seems ok so far. The carbs are soaking in an alkaline
solution to clean them out a bit. Stripping carbs is at my limit of
mechanical knowledge!
Anyway, I have managed to crank it over now but because of the carbs it
wouldn't fire, so I guess this is the logical thing to do and then try
to fire it up again.....

 

Well after cleaning and rebuilding the carbs I have good fuel flow.
Still wont start. There is definitly something amiss with the starter
though, but I thinkng that's not all. Even with a good mixture of
Aerostart sprayed in the airbox (no filter) there is very little sign
of turning over, maybe just a single chug or two. Im thinking of
draining the oil again and taking off the side cover to have a look at
the starter.... any advice?

 

I remember them, the rear shock, a cantilever if I recall will need
improving. A bit of a pogo stick.
(really!, i'm not laughing, snigger, snigger)

schroda

 

It was Two Wheels BOTY in 1981...

 

This site (http://www.umgweb.com/usedguidy.html) says:

" YAMAHA XV1000
1981-84, 981cc OHC v-twin,
70hp 110mph 50mpg 480lb
Bulbous vee-twin with enclosed (oil bath) chain drive that harks back to
the days when men were men. Vibration, lackadaisical brakes and loose
suspension makes fast cruising entertaining. Tough motor runs for about
60k, if the valves have 1000 mile services and a gentle hand’s applied
to the clutch. Ultimately, the main bearings knock. Chronic starter
motor problems but a fix for this."

Doesn't say what the fix is, however, but it sounds like the starter
motor is the place to start looking for trouble.


--
Cheers

Andrew

<--- Remove The NO and SPAM When Replying --->

 

I had a TR1, not a bad bike all in all, quite comfy, although the
figures are a little bit off on that write up - I used to get about
115 - 120mph out of mine (OK OK Yammy clocks..)
Best she ever ran was on some nice 100 octane fuel coming down from
Aosta in the Italian alps, once we hit the plain around Turin I was
seeing 125mph on the flat, two-up with luggage

The problem was that anything over a ton the weave would creep in;
nothing dramatic, just an oscillation that felt like the bike had a
hinge in the middle, which in many ways it did - look at the distance
between the swingarm pivots on the frame, they're only about 4" apart
from memory, and, even though the footrest plates are suppposed to
brace it up, I think they permit too much lateral movement on such a
long bike with a spine frame.
Cure? Bang in heaps of air in the rear shock and run it on full
damping. Again from memory I think I used about 20psi over the
recommended maximum - it never burst but it did calm the wobbles a
tad, also dropped the yokes down the forks a half inch and that also
seemed to quieten it down.
Oh - and in the end I fitted a steering damper - just a cheapo Kwaka
one. Um, and fitted radials.

It handled pretty well for its time despite this and the torque is not
bad either, pootles along in top and then thud thuds away well enough
to make quick progress on most roads.

The starter clutch went on mine and I got a good one out of a Virago,
although the factory fix was also available it was pretty damn pricey.
I think it was somthing to do with the way the dogs threw out on the
little arm that links the starter motor and the solenoid, they got
tired and the gear wore out or something like that - it's a long while
ago now!

Parts shouldn't be too bad either - it's basically two XT500 top ends
and the Viragos have been about long enough to scavenge some bits of
those too.

Be nice to see how it all goes for you!

Regards,

Jeffles

 

Hey thanks, I might take the starter apart today. I haven't bought a
replacement battery yet to keep costs down, Im using the battery thats
in my car WITH the engine running at a fast idle. New battery and
mid-sized car so voltage should be ok I feel.

 

It certainly was BOTY as someone sent me a jpg of the 1981 issue!

 

I had two copies of that issue before the floods a few years ago wiped out a
large percentage of my magazine "archive"... : (

 

Wow, heaps of good info and background, thanks! I do think the starter
is dodgy. I took the crankcase off last night and had a look at the
gearing from the starter to the flywheel. It all seemed ok but I THINK
they may have been taken out before and not put back the correct way
around. That would explain some of the miss-grinding instances I get
when cranking occasionally. Anyway, I found a web site dedicated to
the TR1 that has the full workshop manual on it and I have exploded
diagrams of the starter, so todays project is.....

 

Dam floods (ho ho ho)....!
Would be worth something on Ebay by now...

 

howdy,
dont worry about the starter too much for the moment; there are bigger
fish to fry. The problem with the starter is that it starts spinning
well before it engages which is why you get those nasty sounding grinds
where it doesnt engage. you can fix it, but you will probably find it
only misses when there are pretty girls/friends watching/listening. If
it does engage some of the time and turn the motor, then you can worry
about it later.

Starting with the carbs was probably not a bad idea, as long as you
didnt strip them down completely. if you did strip them down
completely did you put all the jets back in the right way? They are
different front and rear. Did you pay plenty of attention to the pilot
circuits? This is where the problems start on most aold bikes, XV's
included. It is worthwhile taking them to a carb specialist (are you
in sydney?) to have them cleaned with ultrasound. they dont charge
much and it works *really* well.

Look at spark first. have you actually tried pulling out a plug and
cranking the kbike over? did you have spark? If yes, check the other
plug too. There is no timing/points to worry about, so if you have
spark then things are probably good. If not, check the whole circuit
that operates the cut-out, clutch-neutral-sidestand-kill swith. still
no spark? check the leads, caps and coils.

If you have spark and the carbs are clean, its mainly just a matter of
perseverance. spray the whole lot down, all connectors etc with a good
marine contact cleaner/water displacer. hook it up to a running car,
havving that extra volt makes a big difference, and crank away. you
might spend plenty of time doing this. give the starter motor breaks
so you dont melt it. try everything, choke on, choke off, full
throttle, half throttle, no throttle... spray some starter fluid down
the carbs (the carbs, not the airbox), repeat ad nauseum. If you have
a spark and fuel then its only a matter of time until it starts.
Starting it will usually clear things up, the bike is sucking any
little crap stuck in the carbs or wherever through and spitting it out.
Once you get it started that first time you'll usually be fine.

There are heaps of web sites available for viragos (same engine) with
really good tech info. The Virago owners group is usually a good
source of info too. There are some mods worth doing (vance and hines
pipes, dial-a-jets, removing false plugs and opening up the enrichener
circuit a turn) and the starter can be worth doing. there are ways of
doing it on the cheap without all the necessary parts. It didnt bother
me that much, and i found a good charging system and crossing all your
fingers and toes while starting helped a lot.

Good luck ;-)

 

Again heaps of good info - thanks! I have spark ok, and fuel, so you
are right in saying it's just a case of perserverance. I might go
through the starter again today.....

 

Dave, I did the spark check with a spare plug. Still have a good
spark. I removed the crankcase and found that one of the starter
starter gears was on backwards and there was a spring half off. Once I
fixed this and cleaned the sight glass, I put the case back on and
managed to snap one of the bolts tightening it up. Bummer. Looks like
it is sealing ok still so I didn't do anything more to it, just left it
in there. Hope I don't have to take the case off again!
Last night I managed to get one rev out of the motor....... I also got
a backfire through the airbox while I was using Aerostart that made me
jump. Will keep looking for answers and trying stuff.....

 

I cleaned the tank out completely and have put in a few $$ of fnew fuel
with upper cylinder lube too. Plugs look ok. Gunna keep on trying I
guess....!

 

ie: it would be "all splutterly".

GB

 

I don't know the history of this bike at all unfortunately. The guy I
got it from was given the bike 'as is' (not going) and he didn't have
the time/knowledge/money to do anything with it for 2 years.
Anyway, last night I jumped it off our 6 cylinder car's battery and it
started!!! Sounded ok for the first few seconds (at idle) but then
developed a noise that made me think the oil pump (I assume it has one)
wasn't sending oil up the top end. Again by the time it actually
turned over the starter had been going quite a few times and was as hot
as so I had to call it quits for thenight. Will try again tonight...