Identifying Early Model Yamaha Virago XV1000 - 1984/1985

Some of the details on how to identify originality on 1984 Yamaha Virago XV1000. I'm mostly going by memory dusting off the cobwebs from 35 years ago.
Some notable items to look for:
1984 - First year for new styling (Gen 2). Only year for black brake and clutch levers, large gold YAMAHA tank emblem and larger "1000" gold/clear decal on the chrome air filter/MCV covers. Silver carb top caps. Two-tone Romanesque Crimson & Bright Cherry Red with Nebular Gold wheels.
1985 - Tank emblem is round with displacement decals different on chrome side covers. Brake and clutch levers polished aluminum. Two colour options offered for 1985.
1984/1985 981cc displacement, chrome fenders (both front & rear), rectangle shaped mirrors, Hitachi carburettors, black faced speedo & tach. Smaller 3.8 gallon main fuel tank. Foot pegs & handle bar shape unique to 84/85. Flat engine crankcase covers. Newly designed (mechanical & electrical) starter solenoid. Some smaller details include larger foot pegs, front disc brake shape, upper fork brace (air valve), single row of buttons on the seat. Gold treatments on headlamp ring, speedo/tach rings, signal light rings, gas cap, camshaft covers, engine case trim rings, front fork seal caps, rear shock caps as well as the "Virago" emblems on the side covers and backrest. There was never a "Gold Edition" released by Yamaha - all bikes of this vintage were manufactured with this trim.
1984 - 1987 Hitachi Carbs with single throttle cable.
1986/1987 Displacement increased to 1100 in 1986 for the North American market, but still Hitachi carbs. Painted fenders (front & rear), oval mirrors, white face gauges (one limited edition version did have black face gauges), larger 4.4 gallon main fuel tank. Rounded out engine side covers and slight rounding of cylinder head shape. Double row of buttons on the seat and new foot rests common to several other Yamaha models.
1988 - Mikuni carbs with dual push-pull throttle cable. New handle bar shape. New light cluster shape with round indicator lights (signal, neutral, oil, high beam). Numerous minor cosmetic changes from year to year with less gold treatments. Several changes to trim, emissions and displacement based on market segments.
1999 - Last year for 1100 Virago and the end of a 15-year run.
Note that depending on where the bike was destined for export, some of the trim, emissions and electrical will be different. For example, some bikes of this vintage have different choke levers and the addition of a hi-beam passing switch (UK). This bike is an original 1984 XV1000 manufactured for Canada and spent its life between Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Having fun with DaVinci Resolve (Free Version).

[@davidbalogh3845]

It is lovely to see an original, well conserved Virago. Most of them got butchered. Correct, push-pull cable came in with the Mikunis, 86-on the engine covers were domed and the cylinder fins were also slightly more rounded. Sub fuel tank is only present on 1000 and 1100 models, 700/750s had a plastic tool box instead.

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Hi David! Subscribed to your channel. Thanks for kind words and clarification. I'm doing it all from memory so far so I have to dig deeper sometimes to dust off the details. I'm just picking away at my '84 to get it cleaned up and more presentable. I was pretty lucky to find this one in the condition in which it was - exactly what I was looking for. Although I'm a firm believer of "to each his own" I also believe that these are getting harder to find and it's become more of a concern to me that mine is preserved.

[@timkis64]

great looking bikes back then.didnt matter who made them, they all looked great in that era.

[@johnwhauserman]

That's a very clean looking 84.

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Thanks John! The chrome on the engine side covers is starting to flake pretty bad but everything else has stood up pretty well. I spent a lot of time cleaning it when I got it home and the plan is to eventually restore it. Just having too much fun driving it to commit to a tear down now.

[@johnczirjak]

Thank You for making your informative and very detailed videos! I watched all of them from start to end and I learned a lot (order of main jet and needle jet cylinder positions). I have an 86 XV1100 and have cleaned the carbs and both tanks. I was hoping you would separate the carbs (I did), just to show the best way to put them back together. The valve clearance video is very clear and I will do this while the carbs are off. Please make more videos on the Virago motorcycles (Compression test, tune-up, troubleshooting, maintenance, etc).

[@KensWorldRestorations]

I'll do that John. I planned on doing the carb sync and compression test soon. I was also just finishing up the pilot mixture settings at my altitude - it's really had an effect on the bike. Thanks for the kind words - I plan on doing a full frame-up restoration shortly so I'm glad you're following along!

[@tenza7545]

I had a limited edition 1986 700 it had the same Yamaha logo on the tank and same battery covers but the covers had pin stripes as well. I miss it my father stole it and destroyed it lost the covers wrecked it a couple of times I bought it with 1,500 miles

[@KensWorldRestorations]

That's awful that he did that. Maybe someday you'll get another one. I hope you do.

[@joseyamidgomezatehortua5994]

La mejor moto de ese modelo y año que e visto, esta para museo, creo que es la mejir del mundo felicidades por es maquina unica

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Gracias mi amigo

[@arieliglesias7500]

Realmente hermosa! Te felicito

[@KensWorldRestorations]

¡Gracias! Realmente amo esta motocicleta. Es un verdadero clásico y una máquina tan hermosa.

[@anthonysoulard9938]

this is a resto? my dad this exact same thing (wich i still have but has seen custom work) but the yamaha moulding on the tank sit lower as my memory recall

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Have a look at the finished bike - the fuel tank emblems were reinstalled in the proper location as were the side panels. This video was taken before the restoration. I noticed that several variations of where that fuel tank logo sat but if you look on Yamaha's website, the factory prototypes are smack dab in the centre, like you mentioned. When I reinstalled mine, I went by the factory photos.

[@dom123domx9]

Hello ! I bought a Yamaha virago xv1000 1984 like yours but it seems that the motor is running on only one cylinder and I was wonderging if you would have the solution.

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Hi Dom. Must feel pretty good owning the coolest motorcycle in history. Whenever I see something like that, I always go back to basics - check the compression and make sure that’s within spec and there’s no weird noises coming from the engine. After that, go after fuel and ignition problems. With an older bike, ignition wires (rubber insulators) and caps tend to wear down. The original caps had resistors (5K) and those take a beating trying to dissipate high voltage. Check for good spark (see and hear), check that the ignition wires aren’t shorting out to the frame or engine (especially the rear cylinder) and make sure the caps are in good condition. Check for the proper type of spark plug. If that looks good, then go after clogged carbs - it’s hard to find fuel these days that doesn’t have some amount of ethanol in it - that will cause any fuel sitting for more than a month to absorb water and cause corrosion inside the smallest orifices (primarily your jets) in the carb. Ultrasonic cleaning is usually needed to sort that out properly but if gummy gas isn’t too bad, then a good cleaning with carb cleaner should do the trick.

[@Donnie80220]

My bike is pretty much like the one in the video, except that it's a limited special edition.

[@pocketchange3543]

Your choke lever looks wrong. My stock 84 choke lever is around the handlebars between the grip and controls not underneath the horn. Other than that, it's a nice looking bike and is in much better shape than mine.

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Choke lever is original...just like my old one I had back in 1984 when it was new. There were some variations depending on what country the bike was exported to. Like in the UK, there is an additional high-beam passing switch on the left side control that isn't found on north American markets.