The Yamaha that refuse to act nice

[faffi]

I once started with a 1982 Virago 750, added a 1990 Virago 1100, mated the two so that I now have a first generation bike with a second generation engine. With a Seca 18in rear wheel replacing the stock 16in.

At first, I placed no emphasis on the finish, the electrical wiring being a mix of the stock 1982 items and very corroded wiring from the 1990 version, just barely holding together. It stayed like this from 2016 until the end of 2022, and both I and our son rode it without issues apart from a burned out rectifier and lack of oil to the top end due to my stupidity. Both things were quickly and cheaply fixed.

Then I made the mistake of deciding to give it a full makeover, something the bike has resisted in every possible way. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Everything that could take much longer than it should, did. But eventually, after 6 long months filled with 100s of hours of frustrations, long swearing tirades and spending more money than the bike is worth, it was finally done. I thought. The carburetors did not agree. I need some O-rings that does not list in the parts fiche, and that are of non-standard dimensions. So after several failed attempts to make not-quite-right O-rings work, I opted to buy a single carb kit from MikuniOz.

In the meantime, I bought the V9 Roamer in June 2023, just to have a bike to ride. And finally I have managed to fit the Mikuni TM38 and manifold to the Yamaha, inlcuding drilling a holde in on intake and fit a pipe so that I have vacuum to operate the ignition module and fuel taps.

With all in place, I went to fit the fuel tank and attempt startup. Only to discover that there is no way the tank will fit with the carb in place

So now I have two options; find someone willing to make me 4 O-rings of the correct sizes for the stock carbs, or have someone modify the fuel tank so that it will fit around the tank. I will try the O-ring route first. But I do feel the bike is trying to tell me something, and it is not "let us be friends"

[fotoguzzi]

 

[PJPR01]

Time to set the bike on fire in the junkyard and collect insurance money! 

 

[normzone]

Time to set the bike on fire in the junkyard and collect insurance money!   

Not yet time for that - First, get a good motorcycle psychologist to work with this poor machine.

You gave it an integrated personality, which it seems to have coped well with, then you went and asked it to do even more.

 

[faffi]

I must admit that it never occurred to me that there would be too little space, as many have done a single carb conversion before on these bikes, albeit with less space intensive carbs. Still, it was a shock to see how high the tank sat when the fuel tap hit the carb cable - at the back, the tank was 10 inches off its base.

[JJ]

Park and FORGET the Yamaha...and just RIDE and ENJOY your new V9 Roamer!!

[faffi]

I was going to sell the V9 and keep the Yamaha. Somehow, I had managed to suppress the agony I went through when restoring the made in Japan bike over the past two years. Functionally, it is better than the V9 in every respect save the brakes. And fuel consumption. But the bike does not want me as its owner, I reckon, so the V9 will stay and the Yamaha will go, most likely.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Wouldn't you find better information a Yamaha forum we are having enough trouble with our weird Guzzis

[faffi]

I was not looking for information, I just needed to vent 

[nc43bsa]

You might be interested in this:

https://www.bikebound.com/2021/07/16/lurch/

I happened to find it last week.

[faffi]

Thank you! I have read articles of Lurch from the time it was built and raced, but this gave plenty of new information 

I almost bought a new TR1 in 1983, but being young and less sensible, I bought a Seca 750 instead. They carried the same price tag.