Restoring Vintage Motorcycle Gauges - Yamaha Virago 1000 Restoration Video 16

[@dubwicht1]

Incredible attention to detail here!

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Thanks Doug!! It's amazing what a little OCD and too much time on my hands will do. Hope you're doing well. I got a little riding in but not as much as I'd hoped for. Next year I'm planning on making the most of the riding season with these two bikes.

[@yarekk]

That’s dedication!!! I admire the attention to detail and perseverance

[@douglasmorris8364]

Brilliant sir. Thank you for sharing. I need to get mine off now because the rectifier failed on my 1995 XV750 by pushing out 20 volts and cooked the coloured coating in the bulbs causing the dials to fill up with smoke leaving a residue on the glass. A winter job for me :)

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Thank you! That's a lot of work - my hands still hurt 2 years later....

[@RobertW-p4l]

Yes excellent job on indicator lights in the aluminum👍

[@tiagofigueiredo2529]

Amazing job. 👌

[@AC-vz9cz]

Hi Ken this was very fun to watch as you got it all done .I'm assuming your some type of technition or engineer as a career as myself retired environmental engineer if your not you should be Thanks ken real nice only five months till spring a friend west coast BC.... Ralph

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Hi Ralph!! You guessed it - I was a radio operator and technician in the Navy in the early 80's, then became an electrical engineer in 1990. I have a BEng with a minor in physics. After 20 years in telecom (I worked for Spar Aerospace until 2002) I had a change of heart and began my aviation career. I currently fly the Sikorsky S92 in Newfoundland for the offshore oil & gas industry. Having a strong technical background has been helpful during this restoration. I can see the end is near and I can't wait to ride the bike again.

[@joeshmoe6686]

@@KensWorldRestorations Do you have plans to re-face the gauges in your Sikorsky any time soon? ;) I was also curious about your prefession, thanks for the insight. Thanks.

[@KensWorldRestorations]

@@joeshmoe6686 Ha!! Looks like I’m busted!! Not any time soon for the S92!! I fly for Cougar Helicopters and I’m also the Sikorsky Technical Pilot for the company. Been flying professionally for a little over 20 years with the last 5 offshore here in Newfoundland. It’s a good gig. Did about 8 years in the Navy and 10 working in broadband telecom/aerospace prior to switching careers to full-time flying. Shoot me an email at [e-mail].

[@joef6858]

Ken you didn’t roll back the speedo when you had a chance. Lol. Great video as always.

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Hahaha!! Can’t say I didn’t think about it. I think if someone does a full engine tear down, top & bottom end and the rest like I did, you could probably justify it. In my case, the engine still has 55K kms.

[@jimhunziker641]

Hey Ken, bike looks sweet! I’m doing a restore of a ‘92 750, and I’m redoing the panel now. Wondering what you used for the compound and the Dremel wheels. Mine might need a bit of sanding w some 1000+ grit. It’s a bit scratched up

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Hey Jim!!! Glad to hear another Virago is being restored! I used Simoniz Platinum car polish. Comes in a black container. I seriously had no idea what I was doing at the time - really just experimenting with the soft pad on the Dremel tool. But it worked out - it removed the years of UV crazing and it still looks great a year later. Cheers!

[@krudkutter_dubstep]

That's awesome

[@frantisekkmotrik5063]

nice work :)

[@karlh4313]

New subscriber 😁

[@bystander_1]

would you consider to do a how to video on installing a single digital gauge replacement on this specific bike? thanks!

[@DenalisGarage]

Hey Ken, any chance you know off hand what size the light bulbs are that go in for the backlight on the gagues and for the instrumetn lights? its seems to be between a T5 and a T10 and I cant find the markings on the ones Im able to get out to even see what size it is. Mines a 94 virago 1100 if that makes a difference

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Wow...sorry about that - I missed this comment. As far as I know they are T6.5 12V-3W. If you want a bit brighter lighting, you can use 5W lamps. Here's the link to the product: www.amazon.com/Hella-2821TB-Bulb-W2-1X9-5D-T3-25/dp/B079SP4NM1/ref=sr_1_14?crid=QFY1ZHZDNVE8&keywords=T6.5+12V-3W&qid=1690899264&sprefix=t6.5+12v-3w%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-14

[@DenalisGarage]

@@KensWorldRestorations no worries thanks! I can find them anywhere and have a turn signal bulb in my gauge cluster out

[@wheelbarrow74]

Was hoping you'd also show how you extracted the meter from its housing... is there a 'best approach' to this?

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Not really - these units are sealed and not meant to be disassembled in any way. Anything I did I was on my own and experimenting with whatever seemed to be right at the time. The needles both broke (tach and speedo) but in different places. I also broke the tach assembly which is built like a fine watch. The video doesn’t show my grief and frustration with everything that went wrong…

[@wheelbarrow74]

@@KensWorldRestorations I was just wanting to replace a globe, that's all. Difficult to do?

[@KensWorldRestorations]

@@wheelbarrow74 Do you mean the glass cover? That’s not too hard to replace…just get the ring off and change out the glass. Changing the gauge faces like I did meant that the needles had to come out.

[@wheelbarrow74]

@@KensWorldRestorations yeah just wanted to replace the bulbs with LED

[@KensWorldRestorations]

@@wheelbarrow74 yeah. That’s easy enough.

[@qendrrim2760]

Good joop 👌👍

[@karlh4313]

I'm going to do this on my 535

[@KensWorldRestorations]

Be careful. Its a lot of work to get at the faces and the needles don’t come off as easily as they should. I broke both of them and was lucky to get them fixed

[@karlh4313]

@@KensWorldRestorations I've got brand new Yamaha Virago one I just need to get bracket and maybe cover or I'll make something or put something to cover the holes in the back caps and keep the 535 light box. You did a excellent job!!! I got my brand new Yamaha tachometer online for $65 I couldn't believe it brand new Yamaha tachometer??? It was and I got all the wires for it too :)

[@RobertW-p4l]

SIR a cork remover is not the proper tool for that.I swear you will never have anything nice will you 😂😂😂