The Vision was a bike that Yamaha made in the early 80's. The model number for the '82 is XZ 550 RK, and XZ 550 RJ for the '83. The bike has a cult following according to a February 1996 article in American Motorcyclist.
I got my first Yamaha Vision in '92 and rode it though '96. When I got it I didn't know anything about riding motorcycles, and the bike had been sitting under a tarp for a couple of years and wasn't running. So, not only did I have to learn now to ride, but I had to learn motorcycle repair. I quickly found out that some of the 'major' parts are prohibitively expensive to buy new, and there are at least a couple of parts which Yamaha doesn't carry anymore due to the age of the bike. As a result I accumulated several Visions as 'parts bikes', which seemed like the most economic way to keep my machine running. Eventually I sold the bike, two more running Visions, and two parts bikes. In fact, I sold my last two this spring, only to turn around and buy another non-running '83 within a couple of weeks. I figured what the hell, I know the bike pretty well and still have several boxes worth of spare parts, including an engine.
The bike has a reliable, low-maintenance design that makes it pretty easy to work on and maintain. I've done all sorts of work on mine, everything from major tune-ups to swapping engines. The bike does have some design flaws and peculiarities to look out for. I'll outline some of the problems that I ran into or seemed to hear about consistently.
First I want to mention some of the differences between the two models. This will help keep you from getting parts at a junkyard and finding out they don't fit.
One of the major problems with the bike is rear exhaust. The pipes are set up in an "H" shape with the outlets from the front cylinder connecting to the tops of the "H" and the outlets from the back cylinder connecting to the 'bar' of the "H" via a "Y" shaped pipe. The problem is that this 'bar' tends to rot out for whatever reason, especially around the neck of the flange where it mates with the "Y" shaped connector. It's difficult to get a good look at the flange when the pipes are on the bike, so it's sometimes easy for rust or rot to go unnoticed. If the rot is bad enough, eventually the flange will break off the pipes and the back cylinder will no longer be connected to the exhaust.
I'd recommend inspecting the "H" pipes every year. If you see any signs of rust, sand the area down and spray it with black paint that's resistant to high temperatures. You should do this even if your pipes are chrome; the black paint should go unnoticed due to the area of the pipes where the rot is usually located. If the rot is bad enough you should patch any holes with exhaust-mending putty.
If your pipes are in really crappy shape, get a motorcycle magazine and call some of the junkyards listed in the back. Make sure you get the right pipes, since they were chrome on the '82 and black on the '83. If you can't find the right color, you should consider replacing the entire exhaust.
I don't know if the gas tank on the Vision is more prone to rust than other gas tanks. I've had several people tell me that due to its odd shape moisture collects in certain parts of the tank. I'd advise installing an in-line fuel filter regardless of whether the gas tank looks good or not. They're cheap enough and it's a good preventative measure. Don't use one of the cheap filters; buy a decent one (like the ones made by Russell) with a replaceable element. If the bike shop you go to is anything like the one I use, you may have to special order one. They come in two sizes (1/4" and 5/16") depending on the diameter of the fuel line, and I don't remember which one you need for the Vision. You'll also need a length of fuel line to run from the filter to the tank. This should keep your carbs from getting fouled due to rust, providing the gas tank isn't rusted too badly on the inside. If it is, you should take it in to a shop and have it coated.
I've always filled my tank completely before putting the bike away for the winter. This helps stop moisture from collecting inside it.
I had the stator go on my bike the first or second year I had it. I've heard this is a common problem on Visions. If your battery doesn't stay charged when it's on the bike, yet works fine when charged with a trickle-charger, check the stator. Charge up the battery, disconnect the stator, and check the voltages it puts out with the bike running. There are three terminals and the voltages between any two should be the same with the bike running at a constant speed. I don't know what the voltage is at idle, but if you rev the engine you should be able to get the stator to put out well above 12 volts - say, 13.5 to 14.5 volts at least.
Should your bike fall over on one side (usually the left) then oil from the crankcase can drain into the starter and it won't work. You can drain the oil from the bike, remove the starter, and clean the insides. Make sure you have a spare o-ring; they tend to go when you put the starter back.
If your bike is leaking coolant from the chrome "L"-shaped pipes that come out of the water pump cover, replace the four o-rings. There's one at each end. While you have the chrome coolant pipes off, polish 'em with a cloth and some WD-40. They'll usually clean up nicely.
The last thing I wanna mention is the starter clutch. I think this is the problem that killed my original Vision, and which plagues the one I have now. I'm tentative about this 'cause I have yet to actually fix this problem. On my original bike I wound up swapping the engine; the one I have now I haven't done anything on yet. Both of 'em made the same noise when you'd try to start 'em, as if there was a broken gear or something rattling around inside the engine. I think this may be a common problem and I'll let you know if I ever wind up fixing it.
Copyright © 1999, Larry
Dworsky. All rights reserved.
Last revised: December 21, 1999.