Unless you have tools similar to these, you should let your local shop change the spring. The job is simple but requires more
force than can be applied by hand.


inches or so of the nose of the seat and pull back the cover and foam. Then trim the seat pan until it fits the new tank. Trim the foam to match. Pull the cover back over the foam and pan, and glue or staple it in place. You may need to trim some of the cover at the front to make things smooth. What you need to do is

all obvious and does not require any special skills beyond some confidence and patience. My brother Don modified our bike's seat (it actually belongs to him) in an hour or so, and he had never done it before.
   The larger tank holds more gas, looks better and gives one's knees something to rest against. I have always found that latter feature comforting; it makes me feel more secure on a bike. The early Viragos are effective and reliable motorcycles. Their essential soundness has been disguised by marketing considerations; they apparently need to look like less functional motorcycles to sell in the numbers Yamaha prefers. However, it is fairly easy to replace or modify the appropriate parts—suspension springs and front brake. For a total investment far smaller than the purchase price of a less balanced, less able and more extreme motorcycle, you can own and ride one of the very best and most extraordinary ordinary motorcycles of the past 20 years. PI