Hi all! I just purchased a Tenere XT600Z vin# 1VJ, and didn't realize how rare they are in the States. I can't seem to find the manuals for this bike. The manuals I have found, are a bit off - one headlight vs two etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi 13K,
I doubt that manuals exist for most 'models' of Yamaha 600. There is an excellent genuine service (workshop) manual here on HU. It is for the 1990 XT600E 3TB family, and is the only one i know of. Clymer would have had one if you can find, but it would most likely not know the mods needed to make the 1VJ a reliable bike.

Factory parts manauls exist for a wider range but are flawed in that you have to know a lot to get the correct parts. There is one for 34L, then nothing until 3AJ/2KF leaving out 55W, 1VJ and it seems all of America with their 43F.

At Yamaha new bikes are built from what they have. Any new parts required are made and given the code applied to that bike. So your 1VJ will have inherited a lot from the 5Y1 (XT550), some from 34L / 55W (XT600 1984/5) And some quite new made for 1VJ (1986/7) for the 1st time. And so on until a change is made.

Not quite. Confusingly many parts have a unrelated prefix. But this will help, promise.

Many online parts suppliers (USA) have electronic lists but they only know about what was sold there.

To start, wiki have quite a good list of models and where they were sold; wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_XT_600.

Online supplier www.cmsnl.com/yamaha-xt have the best website for understanding bikes and part numbers.

Real knowledge of how to manage a 1VJ is here on the hub and at www.xt600.de.

Enjoy,
p

Thanks for the reply, and good info. I will start digging in to all that is available here. I love the look of this bike, and can't wait to get it going.

I suggest you read ingo`s site on the HISTORY OF THE 1VJ its in German but easy to Google translate,

I have the 1VJ part fiche on PDF if you send me your email address, i also have the 3AJ service manual which is is a close as you are going to get on a 1VJ (they are close cousins).

Mezo.

I am pretty sure this is a 1VJ manual
please read the sellers description below.
its on ebay
item number is 362335379707
Its a photocopy of an original manual in English including the supplements for 1vj.
I have ordered one so if you want to wait 20 days while it gets to me in the UK from New Zealand then I will get back to you mid July with my thoughts on it.
regards
Peter

description from ebay
ENGLISH ONLY VERSION. This is a carefully reproduced WORKSHOP service repair manual for the YAMAHA XT600 Tenere XT600Z 1986 and 1987 models. Packed full of service information in approx 375 pages plus wiring diagrams. It consists of the 175 page base XT550 manual PLUS the 100 page later 1983 to 1985 XT600Z update supplement PLUS the later XT600Z 1986 and 1987 update supplement. 3 manuals COMBINED. It completely covers all the "How To" information required and with an excess of 1100 pictures it is also ILLUSTRATED like NO other! There are specification and trouble shooting charts unseen in any other manual. This is both a VALUABLE addition to any collection of information on your bike or the MOST COMPLETE stand alone source available.

Thanks Mezo. I will send you my email. Looking at that history, I do not see a picture of the 1VJ with the dual head lights. Strange deal.

Thanks pslot. I am very curious. I am not sure I can wait 20 days. I am going to see what shipping options are to the U.S.A.

34L & 55W Tenere (1983-85) were the first kick start , the 1VJ was 1986/87 single headlight & first of the electric starts, 1988-1990 was the next model to yours 3AJ (also e-start) which had dual headlightght,

Your bike (1VJ) was only made in the years 1986 & 87, its the only Tenere that came with both electric & kick start as standard from the factory.

E-mail sent.

Mezo.

What makes you think you can register the bike in the USA? have you checked?

Mezo.

There was no problem getting it registered. The title shows it as a TT600, which was strange, but the tag on the bike shows XT600Z. I have no idea how this bike got to the states. The guy I purchased it from was not the original owner.

My bike has kick & electric start, but has the dual headlights. It looks like I have an odd ball arrangement. Here is the only picture I have right now.

Attached Thumbnails

 

How did that manual pan out Peter, looks good on eBay but postage expensive.

Sounds like you've either got a 1VJ engine in a 3AJ frame, or (looking at the photo) a 1VJ with an aftermarket 3AJ style fairing on it?

FWIW I've got a 34L (XT600Z, 1983-4) frame, with 55W (XT600Z, 1985) forks, a 43F (XT600, 1984) carb, a 3TB (XT600E, 2000) engine and a wiring loom from sometime between 1988 and 1999 (!).

Basically, Tenere models from 34L up to and including 3AJ are very similar. Likewise with the vanilla XT600s for the same time period - there's a lot of interchangeable parts. Thereafter, things start getting slightly muddled so I suggest focusing on the 1980s models.

I got mine in Feb and I love it - far better bike than the newer XT660Z Tenere. It's PITA at times to work on if you've got a mongrel/Trigger's Broom but recommend the following to help research:

- Different model types and specs from the motorcyclespecs.co.za website. Getting to know the differences between different models makes like a lot easier.
- The Tenere.co.uk forum
- A list of model codes (Google - there's a list on HUBB somewhere)
- Exploded diagrams of parts (useful visual references)
- Service manuals.

Good luck!

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