Newbie with a few repair ?'s

[madmax142]

Ok, just bought a '91 XII Voyager with 47K miles. Impulse buy, no buyers remorse but noticed a bunch of stuff after getting it home. I'll try to post some pic of the issues because I'm know they will help but I'll start with the descriptions.

1. Rear Tire has at least 8 leaks at the bead/rim interface. The tires look to be in really good shape, no cracks or checking but again numerous leaks. Are the rims notorious for sealing/leaking issues or did I just get one where someone did poor precleaning or installation of the tire?

2. Missing part from right side. See px with white arrow. Can someone share a picture of what is missing and maybe a place to get a replacement?

3. Shaft Drive Leak? I am assuming there is a leak as the bottom of the center hub is dripping and there is a lot of wetness (see pxs). Is this a common problem? I would classify myself as above average when it comes to doing repairs myself. Is this a repair I would be able to take on myself? Is there a writeup or some guidance anywhere on this forum? I have a look of tools, are there any special ones I would need?

Thanks and looking forward to riding this spring.

Ken

[Barry]

Welcome to the forum. There aren't any known issues with the rims on vxii's. Sounds like yours needs the tire removed to see if there's corrosion affecting the tire bead. The part you are missing looks the same as the one on the left side.. I vaguely remember people complaining about it being a discontinued item. Most of the rear end oil leaks are caused by running too much oil. The manual says fill it to the bottom of the fill plug. Most people run 1/4" below that. There's a couple of "O" rings on the driveshaft that have been know to cause leaks. If you become a member of the AVA, I believe you would then be able to search the forums to find more answers. There's lots of things to address when picking up a used bike. Start with changing all the fluids, and go from there. Note: there are 2 engine oil drain plugs. Have fun checking everything over.....

[Nails]

Check the date on the tires.

Yeah, you're missing that little round chrome cover.

Join (and I expect a kickback from somebody!), download the manuals, find Carl Leo's phone number, and search here for all problems you'll surely come across with an abused bike. Many folks here have been down that road; and we've all been stoked at what a swell bike we end up with on the cheap. A few folks here are just a couple months ahead of you -- see "1995 Revival" just a couple down the list. I'm not much further along.

It'll take more wrenching than money -- but you were already hoping that.

Also, there are several proven upgrades that don't cost much.

Good luck! You'll be cruising soon, and romping soon after that.

[GrandpaDenny]

Good morning and welcome! The little round cover you're missing is a swing arm cover. I have two of them; however they are still packed away - i just moved. On the bright note, the box full of motorcycle parts is one of the very few remaining boxes. I'm going riding today (31 degrees here in Philly) with the South Jersey Retreads.

As you've been advised already, and I will second (or third, or fourth, or whatever), joining the AVA is WELL worth the money. These guys have helped me transform an 800 dollar elephant into a gazelle (ok, a gazelefant) with very little cash outlay. There is very little major that goes wrong with these bikes. Awesome, awesome critters.

Welcome!

[SgtSlag]

Make sure to change ALL of the fluids: Fork Oil (Dexron V/VI ATF is equal to 8 Weight Fork Oil, middle of the road response, half the price of Fork Oil; VI is full synthetic, and good for up to four years); crankcase oil and cartridge filter (3 quarts 22 oz. ONLY!); rear Shock oil (see manual), and the shaft spline gear oil (see manual).

If your bike has OEM Fork Springs, use a hand pump ONLY, to put 6-10 PSI in them; using a compressor will blow out the fork seals... The rear OEM shocks, after you change the oil in them, take around 35 PSI (see manual for limits).

The Cruise Control has a known issue wherein the cable works itself loose, giving too much play. View this YouTube video on how to adjust this.



You can visit sites like BikeBandit.com, to see schematic diagrams showing all of the parts, their OEM part numbers, etc. Very useful. You will need to dial in your bike, to see these, and registration makes it easier. Note that the Voyager XII bikes were virtually unchanged, from 1986-2003, so if you do not see a part in your year, try changing the year number. Note that the 1986 model has some differences, so be careful if looking at that year's schematic diagrams. Cheers!

[madmax142]

Thank you guys for the suggestions and info. I am currently splitting my time between South Jersey and Southern Vermont. I bought the bike in VT with the intention of leaving it there so I have something to ride when I am up there as I have a Victory that I ride in SJ. I have wanted a fully faired bike for a couple of years but was not really looking as I already have a ton of open projects (that my wife reminds me of periodically) but just couldn't pass this one up. Yes I definitely enjoy the wrenching, nothing like putting on a wood fire in the garage, cranking up the tunes and working on the MC. My wife wasn't with me when I made the purchase (it was an impulse buy) and when I called her and told her she just laughed and then said oh wait can I ride on this one (the Victory has a solo seat) I said yes that why I bought it and then she was excited so that was cool. She said she wants a helmet for Valentines Day (I think I can swing that one). Anyway looking forward to my next trip up there to I can investigate the tire issue and start changing out the fluids.

[ekap1200]

Hello from southern New Jersey, welcome to the AVA. Where about are you at in NJ. ? We live in Williamstown off of 322.
Gene and Marie Kap.

[mayhem8]

Madmax - Something you may want to look into is having the rear seat modified to add a little extra padding. It's not horrible, but can definitely be better. I know my Mrs has complained about mine.

[Barry]

To increase passenger comfort, get trunk extender brackets. This will allow the trunk to be moved back 3 additional inches and makes the passenger seat much more comfortable.

[madmax142]

Gene, I'm in Haddon Heights, Exit 29 off of 295.

@ Barry and mayhem8 thanks for the seating improvement suggestions. I will start looking into the extensions, I definitely want the misses to be comfortable so we can do some long day trips and maybe some overnights. We are planning on retiring to Southern VT and I know she'll enjoy the scenery of the Northeast. Both of us having grown up in South Jersey all our lives has us itching for some less populated areas, backroads, a little isolation and of course great road side diners.

Thanks again,
Ken

[ekap1200]

Hello Ken, I have not been up to Haddon Heights in quite some time. We are not that far away.
I have one of the swing arm covers that your looking for, send me a pm with your mailing address. I do have a bit of spare parts here, I ended up with 3 parts bikes, to make up one Frankinstien bike. It will be a ( 1991,2000,2002 ).

Any ways you will find a ton of info here. The final drive on these is not like you would think it would be. NO TAPERED cones' and cups, it use's a modified, needle bearing on the pinion end and a ball bearing on the input. The o-rings on the coupler and the proper lube in the spline will keep the gear oil at bay. Along with just about 1/4 level below the fill. There usually isn't a vent in the case, but when you have the rear tire off , you can drill one.
Hope to see ya on the road soon.
Gene Kap.

[madmax142]

Ok so I've been away for awhile but have made progress. New avon tires are mounted and balance, fluids are changed, battery is charged and holding a charge so I believe the only thing left fore me to do is service the shaft drive and flush/refill the rear shocks. I have seen numerous posts about the improvements of going to progressive shocks for the rear and front forks but it's not in the budget since we just had to replaced the wife's car and we ended up in doggie ER last week. My motorcycle repair fund got wiped out so I am planning on keeping the stock shocks for this year. So the questions are; 1. Is there a rebuild kit I should buy for the rear shocks to freshen them up (I'm thinking seals and maybe rod wipers)? 2. Is there a rebuild kit or seal set I should buy when refilling the shaft drive? If the answers are yes, what are the part numbers and where can I buy such items?

For next year or if I come into some spare money, the prices I saw for the rear shocks were between $250 and $350, is this typically for one shock or both? It was unclear to me as J&P cycle showed a picture of two, had a price of $299 but the default order qty was 1 but it didn't say pair or set.

Thank you,

Ken

[Barry]

fluids are changed, battery is charged and holding a charge so I believe the only thing left fore me to do is service the shaft drive and flush/refill the rear shocks. So the questions are; 1. Is there a rebuild kit I should buy for the rear shocks to freshen them up (I'm thinking seals and maybe rod wipers)? 2. Is there a rebuild kit or seal set I should buy when refilling the shaft drive? If the answers are yes, what are the part numbers and where can I buy such items?

Thank you,

Ken

Ken,
Did you change the front fork oil? Did you see this? viewtopic.php?t=8884 Have you determined if the rear shocks will hold air and also if they are leaking oil? If they are leaking, get a different pair. Do you have a factory shop manual? The thread I referenced has a link to the manual. Frequently the oily mess on the rear can be caused by over filling the rear end. The prices you found for rear shocks would definitely be for a pair in that price range. Sounds like you're really close to being able to enjoy your vxii.
Barry

[Nails]

Have you determined if the rear shocks will hold air and also if they are leaking oil? If they are leaking, get a different pair.

If they are not leaking then just change the oil. The stock shocks work great -- with fresh oil.

[madmax142]

@Barry, thanks I do have the manual, printed and put in a binder a week after buying the bike. No I did not think to check if they hold air so thanks for that. I've never had a MC with air shocks so that would have never crossed my mind so that will be next on the list to check. I didn't do the fork oil yet either so thanks for the reminder on that as well. I am usually pretty organized but trying to keep track of projects lately has proven to be more difficult with everything that's going on around here. I did see about the filling procedure and remember about someone saying that most of the leaks were from overfill so that's what I am hoping is the case to save me some money.

@Nails, I appreciate the feedback on the stock shocks it good to know they'll serve the purpose for awhile if they will hold air.

Ken

[Nails]

With 47K miles of less-than-enthusiastic care, you might consider rebuilding the forks (bushings, seals, & Progressives). But fergawdsakes, change the oils -- front and rear. Mine was hard to enjoy before doing this. Then the world changed.

[GrandpaDenny]

I wonder how many of us switched to Progressives when just an oil change would have done the trick? In my case, the front springs were mushy as a ten-year old Slinky, so they needed to be replaced anyway. Another sign of suspect mileage... My new rear tire is on the way, should be here today or tomorrow. We shall we what the final drive splines look like, see if she's on her second time around the odometer. Gotta remember to have them grease the driveshaft splines whilst she's apart. AND... speaking of shock oil changes, one of these days I've gotta do mine.

[cranky]

I read on the forum a good measure was 6 oz to prevent leak.. think
its a little less than the 1/4th..... Best to Ya!!!!!


Most of the rear end oil leaks are caused by running too much oil. The manual says fill it to the bottom of the fill plug. Most people run 1/4" below that

[SgtSlag]

I do not care for air assisted anything. I also loathe the idea of changing oil in the rear shocks. My switch to Progressives was born out of my experiences with Progressive Fork Springs, on two previous bikes (Honda 750 and Kawi 440). I replaced both the fork springs, and the rear shocks, on both of those bikes, with Progressives. I loved the results.

By changing the rear shocks out, I eliminated the oil change/air assist responsibilities. Granted, Progressive shocks are sealed, and subject to wearing out, over time, requiring new shocks to replace the worn out shocks. I knew that going into it. I chose my compromises with my eyes wide open. Happy with my choices. I may have lost some performance, but I gained a great deal in reliability, and I shed some maintenance issues (monitoring/maintaining proper air pressure in the forks and the rear shocks; changing shock oil/seals). Cheers!

[Barry]

I do not care for air assisted anything. I also loathe the idea of changing oil in the rear shocks. My switch to Progressives was born out of my experiences with Progressive Fork Springs, on two previous bikes (Honda 750 and Kawi 440). I replaced both the fork springs, and the rear shocks, on both of those bikes, with Progressives. I loved the results.

By changing the rear shocks out, I eliminated the oil change/air assist responsibilities. Granted, Progressive shocks are sealed, and subject to wearing out, over time, requiring new shocks to replace the worn out shocks. I knew that going into it. I chose my compromises with my eyes wide open. Happy with my choices. I may have lost some performance, but I gained a great deal in reliability, and I shed some maintenance issues (monitoring/maintaining proper air pressure in the forks and the rear shocks; changing shock oil/seals). Cheers!

For anyone on a budget, changing the oil in the forks and the rear shocks is a very inexpensive task if you do the work yourself. I ran the factory rear air shocks for 20 years, until one day they developed an oil leak. When that happened, I joined the rear progressive suspension fan club. 20 years prior to that, I was pulling a trailer & riding 2 up. So I made the switch to progressive front springs way back when. With the bike heavily loaded I ended up running some air in the front with the progressives. When maintained, these bikes will last as long as you want them to.