Total Motorcycle Community Forums

TrueFaith wrote:Too busy looking at the headlight

Weren't those rectangular headlights that were in vogue in the early 1980s really fugly?

Yes they were.

HYPERR wrote:There was nothing wrong with the Vision.

You've obviously never owned one .

-Needed an airbox upgrade
-God forbid the carbs get the slightest bit dirty
-Oil seal in teh starter was prone to failure
-R/R was placed in an oven
-stators burn out like crazy... like all early 80's Yamaha's
-Flat spot to surge from 4,000-5,200
-Shift shaft seals sucked and needed upgrading
-Start clutch had defective bolts
etc

It was a fine bike

Great bike! The thing rides on rails. One of the most fun bikes I've ever taken into the twisties. I actually bought the strom b/c of all the hype at ridersofvision.net talking about how similar the ride was to the vision.

but between Yamaha's overproduction and America not being ready for a liquid cooled V-Twin which cost more than an air cooled four and much slower, it was a sales disaster.

Also had a lot to do with all the flaws in the 82 model. 83 was an amazing bike and in other countries that kept getting them they only got better. Sadly Yamaha letting these hit the floor before the kinks were worked out really killed the bike just like the faulty petcocks truly killed the triples...

I didn't realize that the Vision had so many problems.

I just looked up the Vision in my Yamaha book and you're right, it says that it was a disaster both in terms of sales and long term reliability.

HYPERR wrote:I just looked up the Vision in my Yamaha book and you're right, it says that it was a disaster both in terms of sales and long term reliability.

Oh yeah, but if you know your way around a bike for $400 in parts you can fix all the problems Yamaha couldn't and have a nice dependable little bike. I put over 35,000 on one of my Visions (yes that means I had more than one) with no problem. While it wasn't the fastest with that shaft, it was easy to maintain... the one we built with a chain conversion, upgraded ignition and no rev limiter... it kicked "O Ring"!

But honestly the only reason to own a Vision is if you NEED a bike on the cheap, you're stubborn, and you like to turn a wrench.

DragonflyDrew wrote:Need to figure out what my bike is....

Oh crap, missed that the first time around. I saw Vision and got hit with nostalgia. If you are in the US and it has 1 rotor on the front wheel it's and 82 Vision. If it has two and air forks, it's a 83. 83's are better but essentially made of unobtainium

Any help would be greatly appreciated....

ridersofvision.net

Your holy grail.

storysunfolding wrote:
ridersofvision.net

I sorta find it funny that there is a forum for Visions.....

That's the great thing about the internet, no matter what you hobby is, there are a group of people that are just as passionate about it as you are.

HYPERR wrote:

storysunfolding wrote:
ridersofvision.net

I sorta find it funny that there is a forum for Visions.....

That's the great thing about the internet, no matter what you hobby is, there are a group of people that are just as passionate about it as you are.

Instead of finding it funny, it makes me kinda sad. After all the crazy innovations of the 80s like the rectangular headlight (which was real avant-garde at the time), billet wheels, turbos, shaft drives and a ton of sub-600cc options, today's Yamaha lineup includes only about a half-dozen sportbikes with none (except the FZR Y 125 not sold in US) under 600cc. I had a Seca 400 and miss it dearly. Those were the days...