Topic: 1983 Yamaha 920 Virago Midnight Special

[brandEn]

This beauty was just given to me for free! Clean title but the ole disclaimer "it ran when it was parked". Gonna get a new battery, clean the carbs, change the oil and see what happens. They don't get much uglier that's for sure. Should be fun to tinker with and cruise around some.

[Bankerdanny]

Cool, I always loved the black and gold theme on the Midnight Specials and the burgundy and gold from the Kawasaki Spectre models.

[brooze72]

Can't go wrong for that price! One of our local CVMG members has one, & loves it.

[Rocky2010]

Great pickup for Free
I do remember those bikes from the day, the wheels always reminded me of elastic bands for some strange reason.

[wowbagger]

I got to work on an RX-50 Midnight Special and the larger 750 in the same day. I felt obliged to take a photo with its "mini-me."

[MoMo]

Cool, I always loved the black and gold theme on the Midnight Specials and the burgundy and gold from the Kawasaki Spectre models.

especially the 1100 Midnight Special ...Larry

[Bankerdanny]

Yep, the big 4 definitely my favorite Midnight Special

[grcamna2]

They like a hot battery w/ clean connections on those V-twin Virago's,especially the 920.The stater clutches can be a bit weak for the task. I hope yours has the Mikuni carbs. rather than the Hitachi's

[brandEn]

I just pulled the carbs they are Hitachi. Bummer! Oh well I don't plan on keeping it. I have thought about building a scrambler out of it though...

[grcamna2]

I just pulled the carbs they are Hitachi. Bummer! Oh well I don't plan on keeping it. I have thought about building a scrambler out of it though...

I chased a gremlin on an XV1000 w/ Hitachi carbs,one plug would continue to foul & I had the carbs out SO many times to no avail. ... I finally found the culprit in the way the needle jet sits in the carb. casting,it wasn't a tight seal fit and would allow extra fuel to be siphoned up past it and foul the plug.I ended up wrapping a bit of teflon tape around it & installing the needle jet/emulsion tube tight enough to where it didn't cause it any more troubles.. a casting irregularity.

[alacrity]

I had a couple xv920s. Earlier poster is correct about the starter clutches (aka "bendix").  And yamaha isn't like honda in terms of finding NOS parts.   For that price I would take out the engine, do a chain conversion (find output section from euro xc920), and fit it into a rickman or c&j diet track frame.  Do a street scrambler.  THAT Would be badass


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[grcamna2]

Cool, I always loved the black and gold theme on the Midnight Specials and the burgundy and gold from the Kawasaki Spectre models.

+1




especially the 1100 Midnight Special ...Larry

[brandEn]

I actually sourced the parts to throw in a sidecover and start clutch solenoid from a 85 xv1000. From my research on the Virago forum this is the best fix. I know it needs to be done because the PO mentioned it had the noisy starter issue.

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, starter motors are another issue on those old Yamaha V twins, as well as the afore mentioned Hitachi carbs, (one downdraft and one sidedraft) and other electrical gremlins, but the engine was a lovely thing, basically two XT/SR500 engines train-smashed into a big V twin.

Giving these bikes away for free must be a common theme world-wide, a mate of mine was given one a year or two ago, he was going to "Cafe" it, he got it running but gave up and bought a Honda VTR1000 instead. Cheers, Terry.

[grcamna2]

I actually sourced the parts to throw in a sidecover and start clutch solenoid from a 85 xv1000. From my research on the Virago forum this is the best fix. I know it needs to be done because the PO mentioned it had the noisy starter issue.

That sounds like a helpful forum brandEn