Newbie - Looking to buy an '88

[Costa]

Ken
I agree 100%. Better to wait for the right bike then just buy the first piece of crap someone offers up. There is another '88 for sale about an hour from me with 77,000 miles owned by a mechanic which I may take a ride to see just for fun.
I think I'd rather wait for a newer model, less miles and well maintained. Heck, I even saw a 2009 with 35,000 miles for $6,000.
FYI in Haiti I'll be riding a 200cc Chinese dual purpose :) Need it in Haiti

[greybeard]

I traded an 89 in on my 98 it had 70000 miles new tires new battery and just redone the forks on it ran great and looked great . it is at the Honda dealer in Stillwater okla I think they are wanting 3,000 but might get it for less .

[greybeard]

just checked the site asking 2799 and it still has the markland hitch on it

[paulezy]

I just bought my first new bike. I last rode in 1987. I got a beautiful Gold Voyager XII with 23,000 miles on it. Was driven rarely by an attentive owner. I have put over 500 miles on it on decent quality highways. Last weekend I took a bumpy, shock breaking trip across my home town. The capital of the worst roads in the nation. Anyway I parked it last sunday and the fan decided to run nonstop. I checked the fan switch sensor and put it back together and it seemed to work fine. Sometime after I garaged it it must have turned back on. Ran the battery dead. Anyway i went to get it out tonight and I have a big puddle of oil under the left front fork. I charged it up, put in a new fan sensor and voila it works great, except now my radio has lights and I can see the stations change but no sound. I do have sound through our helmets. Any obvious suggestions? The joys of Motorcycle ownership.

[triton28]

The radio, and CB if so equipped, has a memory function when the bike is not being used.This will drain even a new lead acid battery after several weeks of radio memory draw, faster if the battery is older. Another possibility, sometimes the trunk vanity light will be staying on, so make sure it does go out when you close the trunk lid.
Most folks install a battery tender setup and plug the battery in to it when the bike isn't being used. This memory/trunk light, rather than the fan unless you know for sure that the fan came back on when the bike was garaged, may be the battery issue you describe.
If you are talking about the radio for a Voyager XII, then check to see if the HS, ( Head Set ), button on the radio face plate is working.
There is a problem which frequently occurs in that a screw, behind the face plate, next to the HS button, which holds the button bar in place backs out and renders the HS button inoperative either by blocking the operation of the button or short circuiting the connections.
Check through the forums for posts by Pete Franchi as he is the radio Guru here and has discussed this problem in the forum. Pete can also correct a host of problems with the radios and upgrade them as well.
If you open up the Tech Section at the AVA Home page and click on Voyager XII, there is a heading where one can download various technical literature including a radio owner's manual.
That puddle of oil is puzzling though; perhaps the fork seals are getting a little long in the tooth.
Dave

[paulezy]

Thanks Triton, The fan switch was bad. I found a forum on here that showed how to set the radio and I found that the back control mute button was on. Got the radio going great. I found a forum on cleaning the front fork seal with a cut out piece of thin plastic from a milk jug. I cleaned the dust seal and then the main seal and it seamed to do the trick. I haven't been on a bike in over 30 years. I really need somebody to ride this bike and asses the front wheel attitudes especially when hitting road bumps and those longitudinal cracks. Its almost like a clattering in the bearings and of course the tire wants to follow that crack. One other comment. My motor sounds like a syphony of a swamp full of chirpy frogs in may. I have listened to a couple of videos on test drives and they sound similar. Is that pretty normal for this bike? Thanks for the feedback.

[triton28]

Glad your radio is working and the fork seals attended to.
Don't hesitate to change the front wheel bearings if you suspect they are loose or getting there, it is a relatively easy job.
You might check the steering head bearing for adjustment if you are experiencing any kind of clunking, rattling, handlebar shake or wandering.
As well, change ALL the fluids and in doing so become familiar with this model. Also check the igniter mounted on the top air filter box and ensure your bike has the 21109-1248 igniter, not the 1179 igniter.
Yeah these bikes do sort of have a chirping, whirring sound. I think it is the fact that the stock silencers work so well that every engine noise is audible and with a good smooth running engine all those noises together put out that sound.
My '87 with the aftermarket cobra style mufflers is a different story though. The burble at idle and the noise above idle drown out the engine sounds; not sure if I like the loud mufflers.
Now, if one hears mechanical rattling or knocking that is not a good sound.
There are lots of knowledgeable folks in this association so have fun and enjoy the learning curve.

Dave