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New voyager owner

This is for general posts and questions concerning only the Voyager XII (1200cc, Four-cylinder) Years 1986 thru 2003.

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Conrad
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New voyager owner

Post by Conrad »

Resized_20220726_181638.jpeg
Hello from wisconsin!
Figured i'd post a pick of my new-to-me 93 voyager. Finally got back into riding a few years ago and started with a cheap yamaha venture royale. Wasn't sure if a bagger was what i wanted, but it seemed to fit the bill. Good running bike, but kinda rough. I started looking a few months ago for an upgrade and found this unit with about 30,000 on it for the right price. Put about 1300 miles on it so far, and liking it better than the venture, aside from a few minor things.
This is a pretty good forum, already made use of some of the info I've found!
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GrandpaDenny (Wed Jul 27, 2022 12:27 am) • Bonnie and Clyde (Wed Jul 27, 2022 2:56 pm) • BonVoyager (Fri Aug 05, 2022 1:06 am) • ghostler (Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:42 am)
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Chris Cochran
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by Chris Cochran »

Welcome! I've only had my '86 since this past May and for now it doesn't run but I'm not concerned about getting it back into shape. One thing at a time.

I've been learning a ton about the bike from doing some needed maintenance on it. This IS a good place to come for tribal knowledge!

Enjoy your machine!
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Conrad (Thu Jul 28, 2022 12:51 am)
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Bonnie and Clyde
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by Bonnie and Clyde »

Conrad wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 11:35 pm Resized_20220726_181638.jpeg

Hello from wisconsin!
Figured i'd post a pick of my new-to-me 93 voyager. Finally got back into riding a few years ago and started with a cheap yamaha venture royale. Wasn't sure if a bagger was what i wanted, but it seemed to fit the bill. Good running bike, but kinda rough. I started looking a few months ago for an upgrade and found this unit with about 30,000 on it for the right price. Put about 1300 miles on it so far, and liking it better than the venture, aside from a few minor things.
This is a pretty good forum, already made use of some of the info I've found!
Funny I thought I wanted a Venture Royale. When I started looking for one and doing some research, it lead me to the Voyager xii. I bought a 98 xii in October last year and have been enjoying it. No valve check and bigger tank won me over.
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wishing I was riding around the world
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SgtSlag
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by SgtSlag »

We love our '93! Made a number of mod's to it... Like it even better, after the mod's!

Make sure you visit Wisconsin State Highway 35, and the other roadways through the Mississippi River Valley bluffs area, on both sides of the River. Hwy 35, on a nice Saturday or Sunday, can be a parking lot, for bikes... Take a weekday off, and ride it, for the best enjoyment. Loads of small cafe's along that route, along the River.

Follow the roads South, again, on both sides of the River, for some scenic riding, in both Iowa and Illinois. Worth your while.

The South Shore of Lake Superior, is magnificent! Visiting Copper Harbor, in the UP, is absolutely worth your time, money, and sore backside to get to. The whole of Northern Wisconsin, is worthy of a ride, or maybe ten rides, as a start.

If you can, circle Superior, entirely. You likely will never regret it, as long you live. It is phenomenal! :LvStrk Be forewarned: Superior will get into your blood, faster than COVID, and you likely will never get over it, as long you live -- and that is is a wonderful thing! Circling Superior, in Canada, you may ride 20 minutes, without seeing another vehicle -- your face may split in two from the ear-to-ear, continuous smile... Tighten up your helmet strap to keep your head in one piece, otherwise you might have to circle back to find the top half, after it flies off. Watch out for the Moose (saunter in front of you, without looking first) and the black Bears (will look, both ways, before running out in front you -- Ack!!!). Rode it, two up, alone, on our Honda, in 2009... Wish we'd had our Voyager for that trip -- best (first) tour we've ever taken, and we've taken a lot of bike tours, just the two of us, since then.
:LAngel

Cheers!
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Conrad
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by Conrad »

Funny I thought I wanted a Venture Royale. When I started looking for one and doing some research, it lead me to the Voyager xii. I bought a 98 xii in October last year and have been enjoying it. No valve check and bigger tank won me over.
[/quote]

Honestly the venture has a lot going for it, mine just clearly had years of neglect. One thing I'll miss is the sound, that v4 has a distinct rumbly sound without being loud. Handling is great at above 25 mph or so, but the high center of gravity makes it wobbly at low speed.
I am finding the voyager much mor comfortable however, although the mrs. prefers the backrest on the venture.
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Conrad
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by Conrad »

SgtSlag wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 12:03 am We love our '93! Made a number of mod's to it... Like it even better, after the mod's!

Make sure you visit Wisconsin State Highway 35, and the other roadways through the Mississippi River Valley bluffs area, on both sides of the River. Hwy 35, on a nice Saturday or Sunday, can be a parking lot, for bikes... Take a weekday off, and ride it, for the best enjoyment. Loads of small cafe's along that route, along the River.

Follow the roads South, again, on both sides of the River, for some scenic riding, in both Iowa and Illinois. Worth your while.

The South Shore of Lake Superior, is magnificent! Visiting Copper Harbor, in the UP, is absolutely worth your time, money, and sore backside to get to. The whole of Northern Wisconsin, is worthy of a ride, or maybe ten rides, as a start.

If you can, circle Superior, entirely. You likely will never regret it, as long you live. It is phenomenal! :LvStrk Be forewarned: Superior will get into your blood, faster than COVID, and you likely will never get over it, as long you live -- and that is is a wonderful thing! Circling Superior, in Canada, you may ride 20 minutes, without seeing another vehicle -- your face may split in two from the ear-to-ear, continuous smile... Tighten up your helmet strap to keep your head in one piece, otherwise you might have to circle back to find the top half, after it flies off. Watch out for the Moose (saunter in front of you, without looking first) and the black Bears (will look, both ways, before running out in front you -- Ack!!!). Rode it, two up, alone, on our Honda, in 2009... Wish we'd had our Voyager for that trip -- best (first) tour we've ever taken, and we've taken a lot of bike tours, just the two of us, since then.
:LAngel

Cheers!

I don't get to the bottom corner of the state much, but will keep it in mind for sure. Some u.p. riding is definitely in the future, i absolutely love it up there. Just never got there on less than 4 wheels :(
We took a road trip to macinac/sault st. Marie/ keweenaw peninsula this summer (with the truck) and i just kept wishing we were on the bike.
cushman eagle
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by cushman eagle »

Welcome,Conrad,to the AVA family,and to the Voyager experience :thmup:
As you already know,there is a wealth of information in the AVA forum :woohoo:
I bought my '99 12 1/2 years ago for $5000 with 22,000 miles on it and now it has 103,480 and still runs as good as it did then. :perfect10:
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Scott-(Altoona, PA)
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by Scott-(Altoona, PA) »

Conrad, welcome from Pennsylvania and to the AVA. As you've already discovered there is lots of great information here and even more friendly folks. I venture to say the most you will find in any gathering!
Enjoy the ride and do not be afraid to ask questions!
Mid-Atlantic Voyagers chapter secretary {"scribe"}
2001 Voyager XII
We may not know them all, but we owe them all! Thank a Veteran today!
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by SgtSlag »

Conrad wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 12:50 am We took a road trip to macinac/sault st. Marie/ keweenaw peninsula this summer (with the truck) and i just kept wishing we were on the bike.
There is a really rough road from Copper Harbor, that goes out to the very tip of the Kewaunee Peninsula. Driving 5 MPH is dangerously fast, most of the trip -- might wreck you, and your vehicle! No exaggeration... You will need 4WD/AWD, though we met a number of people in inappropriate vehicles out and back. :!! No idea if they made it out of there; one lady was pulling her camper, with a small car which would have been challenged on a modest hill, to pull up with that trailer! Met her on our way out; glad for that, would not have wanted to be asked to pull her out, no chains, no tow ropes, nothing; no place to pull her stuff around, either as the road was barely capable of two cars passing on it, had around six inches between us and other vehicles.

The view, at the end, is amazing. Your kidneys may be sore, when you make it back to paved roads, but what a view! We would love to go back and do it again. There is one river crossing, a sharp "V", very steep on both sides, down to the water. I put my truck in 4-Low, the first time we crossed it, but 4-High worked just fine on the return trip.

To find it, look on Google Maps (not the satellite view, initially). It is narrow, and extremely rough (quite often, 3 MPH is too fast...). Make sure everyone empties their bladders before starting -- make sure you have a full tank of gas, as well! It is not a long drive (5-10 miles, round trip?), but you do not want to have to walk out because you ran out of gas... Might be about as fast, walking, as it is driving. :laughing:

There was an outhouse, of sorts, in the copse of woods, right before the beach, but it is open, no walls, just a commode seat, and a roll of paper on a nearby branch; this was too many years ago, may be nothing left there -- it was make-shift, to say the least. Cheers!
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by VoyKimmer »

My plan was to do that trip in 2012 on my 02 Voyager then continue on around Lake Superior. Unfortunately I hit a deer on my way up near Niagara Wisconsin which totaled my bike and put me in the hospital in Iron Mountain Michigan. After my recovery and buying back my 02 from the insurance company and rebuilding it I returned and did the trip in 2013. Stayed in Copper Harbor and did the partial ride to the end of the peninsula but didn’t make it. It got to rough and I turned around. Just didn’t have the desire after the accident but I did get back on that horse. And still on it.
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by BonVoyager »

SgtSlag wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 12:03 am We love our '93! Made a number of mod's to it... Like it even better, after the mod's!





Cheers!
What kind of mods have you made Sarge?
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Re: New voyager owner

Post by SgtSlag »

NGK Iridium spark plugs; Progressive Fork Springs and Progressive Rear Shocks with dual rate springs; OOP voltage meter which tracks battery life; secondary fuse block to allow direct wiring for car horns powered through a relay; A cigarette lighter socket -- for powering chargers; Emgo Highway Floor Boards; a trunk extender; an LED Headlight bulb (1,800 Lumens, 5,000 K); 90-degree valve stems; an LED Headlight Modulator; a brake light Modulator; LED bulb replacements everywhere, except the instruments; Mirror Extenders; and a Windshield with a louvered vent in it. Might have missed one or two upgrades. LOL! Cheers!

PS: foam grips -- one of the best! Not expensive, worth 100x the cost... AGM Battery; Battery Tender. I forgot three upgrades. I think that is everything. :wnk2:
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