Hello-
In October of 2016 I put out a post stating I was looking for a replacement for my aging and cosmetically flawed 1989 Yamaha Venture. I stated I was looking for a 1200 as I had one years ago and was happy with the bike. I also stated I really was not interested in a 1500. Well I went and did what I said I wasn't going to do I purchased a 1994 1500 with 85,000 miles on it in December of 2016. To further violate rules buying a used machine I did not test ride it as the clutch slave cylinder leaked all the clutch fluid out and the rear tire was in very poor shape. It did start and run so we bought it and had it delivered by the dealer price of around $2800, this includes taxes, fees, etc.
My wife and I spent last winter refurbishing it. I replaced the fork seals and bushings, installed a Blackwing fork brace, and installed Progressive fork springs. I also replaced the shifter shaft seal (common problem) and built a shifter shaft brace to prevent future seal failure. I replaced the steering head bearings, removed and repacked the swing arm bearings, checked the condition of the universal joint and lubed the driveshaft bearings. All fluids were changed. Rebuilt the clutch slave cylinder. Installed new tires and brake pads. There is more I just cannot remember it all now. While I was repairing machine my wife polished the paint and chrome (lucky me). In the end I guess I had $3500-$4000 in the machine. I figured at worst if I did not like the machine I could sell it for close to what I had in it.
Over last summer we put on about 6000 miles, probably 3/4 of that was both of us. We both like the bike. I can say that for me it is the finest machine I have owned. Good power, fuel economy averaged 38 mpg over the summer, handles better than any machine I have ever owned. I can see why the 1500 Goldwing stayed in production as long as it did.
Only complaints I have is the seat could be better, I can sit on it for about 150 miles before my a$$ is on fire. I also missed the gear indicator and voltmeter the Venture had.
This winter I replaced the seat with a new Honda seat for a 2000 Goldwing. This may seem an odd choice but from my research the later Goldwing seat is more comfortable than what is on my '94. I considered a custom seat but was put off by the cost. Going to a Corbin or other aftermarket seat is no guarantee of comfort either. Time will tell.
I added a voltmeter and rewired the bike so that the cornering lights are on all the time and replaced the cornering light bulbs with LEDs. Also replaced the bearings in the alternator. Going to install a gel battery this month. Below is a picture of our pride and joy south of Churches Ferry, North Dakota.
Now if it would quit snowing we could actually ride her. It's April 15th and it looks like January outside and more snow forecast for the 18th. Oh well.....
In October of 2016 I put out a post stating I was looking for a replacement for my aging and cosmetically flawed 1989 Yamaha Venture. I stated I was looking for a 1200 as I had one years ago and was happy with the bike. I also stated I really was not interested in a 1500. Well I went and did what I said I wasn't going to do I purchased a 1994 1500 with 85,000 miles on it in December of 2016. To further violate rules buying a used machine I did not test ride it as the clutch slave cylinder leaked all the clutch fluid out and the rear tire was in very poor shape. It did start and run so we bought it and had it delivered by the dealer price of around $2800, this includes taxes, fees, etc.
My wife and I spent last winter refurbishing it. I replaced the fork seals and bushings, installed a Blackwing fork brace, and installed Progressive fork springs. I also replaced the shifter shaft seal (common problem) and built a shifter shaft brace to prevent future seal failure. I replaced the steering head bearings, removed and repacked the swing arm bearings, checked the condition of the universal joint and lubed the driveshaft bearings. All fluids were changed. Rebuilt the clutch slave cylinder. Installed new tires and brake pads. There is more I just cannot remember it all now. While I was repairing machine my wife polished the paint and chrome (lucky me). In the end I guess I had $3500-$4000 in the machine. I figured at worst if I did not like the machine I could sell it for close to what I had in it.
Over last summer we put on about 6000 miles, probably 3/4 of that was both of us. We both like the bike. I can say that for me it is the finest machine I have owned. Good power, fuel economy averaged 38 mpg over the summer, handles better than any machine I have ever owned. I can see why the 1500 Goldwing stayed in production as long as it did.
Only complaints I have is the seat could be better, I can sit on it for about 150 miles before my a$$ is on fire. I also missed the gear indicator and voltmeter the Venture had.
This winter I replaced the seat with a new Honda seat for a 2000 Goldwing. This may seem an odd choice but from my research the later Goldwing seat is more comfortable than what is on my '94. I considered a custom seat but was put off by the cost. Going to a Corbin or other aftermarket seat is no guarantee of comfort either. Time will tell.
I added a voltmeter and rewired the bike so that the cornering lights are on all the time and replaced the cornering light bulbs with LEDs. Also replaced the bearings in the alternator. Going to install a gel battery this month. Below is a picture of our pride and joy south of Churches Ferry, North Dakota.
Now if it would quit snowing we could actually ride her. It's April 15th and it looks like January outside and more snow forecast for the 18th. Oh well.....