An introduction, a bit of freaking out, a lucky break, and an awesome new bike...

Hi!

This is my first post and I'm happy to be a part of the forum...here's my story...

I had a bike 10 years ago for one riding season...(a beat up old yamaha seca)...I bought that bike on a whim because a friend of mine made the stupid mistake of letting me ride his old kz750 the day before.

It only took once around the block to make me fall in love with two wheels...I was hopelessly hooked, but poor, and I went out the very next day and bought the yamaha.

It was a love/hate relationship from the beggining with that bike, I loved to ride, and it hated to run, and after one season with me pushing it down the highway as much as zipping along on it with a big grin on my face, it finally gave out and I gave up.

I swore I would save up and buy something better the next season, but then I met a woman, and she quickly introduced me to my first son, and the bike idea sort of went on the back burner...

Truth is she didn't like the idea of raising a baby on her own, and made me promise to wait a bit before riding again, and I agreed. Now I have two sons, and the bug has bit me again.

I can still remember that feeling I had when riding, the stress relief, how my work week just melted with the wind and how when taking a hard corner there was no room left in my brain for all of the crap I was bothered with throughout the week.

Can you tell I have a stressful job?

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I just decided that enough was enough, I had to buy another bike, so I researched and decided on the suzuki burgman, which is like a giant scooter...it seemed, well, practical I guess...it had a ton of under seat storage, and was easy to ride being an automatic, but can do the highway, etc...

What I came home with was a 1985 vf750f on the back of the truck, a non running gamble that someone local was selling for 700 bucks AS IS...lol...

You shoulda seen my wifes face...

But anyway, again I bought on a whim, I really, really liked the look of the bike, the v-four is a mean looking motor, and with the exception of the front fairing the bike has a real fighting stance, it just struck a chord in me and I had to buy it, despite the risks.

The risk was that I had no idea if it ran, or would ever run, if the motor was siezed, nothing...The guy I bought it off made it clear that it was AS IS, that it would not run. He claimed that it was running the season before, but that the starter was burnt out and that it needed a little tlc besides.

I figured he had disconnected the starter, so that he didn't have to run it, because he was hiding some serious engine trouble...but I bought it anyway.

I mean 700 bucks, right?

If worse came to worse, I could just part her out and get my money back, no biggie.

So I brought the bike home and changed the oil, put new plugs in, threw out the old air filter...(birds nest in the airbox, thank god I checked)...and took the starter apart.

The starter truly was fried...the brushes were nothing but charcoal dust, and the armature looked like it had been bbq`d pretty bad...

So I had my first experience with ``availabilty of parts`` or lack thereof. I brough tthe starter to the local starter and alternator guy and he called me back later in the day and told me to come pick this u.f.o off of his desk and get it the hell out of his shop, he was sick of wasting his time trying to find parts to rebuild it, etc...

So I did a simple ebay search and ordered a kit, screw it I will rebuild it myself, if the kit is even any good...

Visual inspection of the bike up to this point is going well, everything seems to be in good order, but I am sweating bullets wondering if the thing is going to run...(this is last weekend)...until my dad comes over and suggests we hook the bike on a long leader and tow start it with his truck.

So what the hell I say, lets give her a go...

So we put the starter back and did just that, and with a belching cloud of black smoke and a pop of the clutch she roars to life!

Unhooked, waited a few seconds, shut the choke to lean her out and away I went, riding my new bike, and damn, has anything ever felt so fine!!!

I LOVE this bike, it handles like a dream, and has such power...remember up to this point I have only a ridden a crappy old bike with screwed up carbsand a bad attitude, and now this honda under me just feels like a rocket...

So I took it out for a fifteen minute run or so, and it ran like a dream, despite having sat for at least a year, it ran so smoothly you would think it rolled off of the factory floor yesterday.

When I finally got home I decided to keep it running in the driveway so that we could burn off some of the old gas and I could see if it would hold a steady idle...(something that my old bike could never do), and the bike just sat there and purred, the idle is steady and strong as hell...

My dad and I sat there and polished off a few beers and swaped bike stories, he used to ride back in the day, and it was probably 45 minutes before I finally shut the bike off, and it idles hardy the whole time.

This is before I knew about the top oiling problems of course...lol...thanks to this forum I now know this was probably not a good idea to leave it at idle for so long, but it seemed fine anyway, the rad fans kicked on at exactly the halfway mark, and stayed on steady and the bike never got over half.

So this is the lucky part, I bought this awesome bike for 700 bucks and other than the starter and the tune up parts, she runs like a top...yay!

So now comes the freaking out part...

While I am waiting for the starter rebuild parts I have torn the bike apart in the garage down to the motor, and I am freaking about the oil mod...

Do I do it, or do I leave it alone...

I am leaning toward - if it aint broke don`t fix it - the bike runs so well, and it has 74000 km`s on it, so why mess with it...

But on the other hand, I know it is a problem and I have it broken down already, why not just go for it and ease my mind...

Damn you honda.

I have been mulling it over for the past week and just can`t come to a good descision on the thing...I mean it runs so well now, I am afraid to upset the balance of this old bike, you know...

What do you think, should I do it...

Anyway, glad to be a member of the board and will probably have a TON of questions in the future gor you guys, and thanks for the site, it has been a good tool so far for me to get to know my new bike a little better.

I`ll probably start a new thread with pics of my progress this weekend.

I have it stripped down for paint and some much needed TLC, my next descision is do I keep the old paint scheme, or go for a new color...

Man I am excited!

 

Very nice intro.

I am no gearhead, so don't really have a "dog in this fight", but, I'd say you have a tough decision ahead, and to me, this is how you can find out which to do:

Will you wonder about it if you don't do it? Will every little noise get you to wondering? Will you be looking for trouble? If these are true, you will enjoy it less and worry more. Since riding is your oasis, as it is mine, make it as trouble free as you can, I say.

Now, if the answer to these questions is no, then I'd say the old adage you said yourself (if it ain't broke, don't "fix it"), is true. If she's running well, do you really want to look under that rock?

Now, on the other hand, if you're really in love, and you want to keep her for a while, there is no way to know what is under that rock, without lifting it up and looking. If she's running well now, but under that rock is some grubby nastiness, it will bite you eventually, and it may just kill her off in the process...

If you're a "she gave me a good season or two", "I'll just go buy another." kinda guy, then leave it alone.

If you're a "OMFG! I can't believe this just happened to my baby!" kinda guy, look under the rock and clean it up now.

 

Grats on the purchase and welcome to the VFR brotherhood.

As far as the paint is concerned, I'm a sucker for the RWB on the older gen bikes.

As far as the oiling mods are concerned, I would certainly go for it if it is affordable. It is a well knwon problem and you know that you are going to get hit by it sooner or later. As you have already experienced, parts are rather scarce and you're going to have a hell of a time locating a set of good cams to replace them if they go bad.

However, I would start in other areas BEFORE I went to to oiling mod. Protect yourself. This means gear. If you don't have it, get it. After that, I'd worry about the bike itself. Suspension, tires, and brakes would be my immediate concern. Tires are important in that they aren't too old, dry rotted, etc. A blowout is something you want to avoid and good traction is important. Make sure all is well with your brakes. Pads are in good order and you have fresh brake fluid in the lines. Make sure the rubber lines aren't bulging as you squeeze on them or otherwise in bad shape. Lastly, I'd be making sure my forks are in proper shape both inside and out. Not knowing the history of the bike, I'd want to make sure that my fork seals were in good order, bushings weren't worn out, and clean fluid was in the forks.

After I knew the bike was sound in those areas, I'd move on towards future proofing the bike for longevity.

 

Hmmmm....

I`m no REAL gearhead either...

I have a good mechanical aptitude and I know what the parts are and the theory behind what they do and why they do it, so I have no problem unbolting the bike and knowing that I can get it back together fairly accurately...

(I always seem to have a few extra nuts and bolts for some reason though...lol...but meh, they only add those ones in for redundancy...lol)

Interestingly when I bought it I had the attitude of - what the hell it`s only 700 bucks - but since I have ridden it my feeling have changed drastically, these are REALLY fun bikes, very flickable and the sound just melts my heart...

This bike has aftermarket pipes, mac performance straight pipes, gold, I have never seen another with pipes like this and the bike sounds vicious.

I really have to make a video, it sounds better than any other 750 I have seen on the net with these pipes, truly, however, my fear is that I WON`T hear any cam problems over the roar, and being a non gearhead like yourself that the bike could seize up on me while driving...

Is this even possible with the cam issue...

This is the main concern, my own skin of course, not being as mechanical as some might be I don`t know the extent of problems this cam issue can cause, is it just a matter of destroying the engine through metal shrapnel, or is it an issue of the bike locking up on me on some county road at 100 km`s an hour and launching me into space...

If the cam issue is one that just might wreck the motor after a while, I may be inclined to let it go and then try to break it down and add the mod next season.

But if it is a matter of the bike possibly locking up and throwing me without warning than I will do it ASAP.

I hate to sound so dramatic and ignorant, but as I said I am a shade tree mechanic at best and don`t understand if this problem can lead to failure, or to CATASTROPHIC failure, you know...

As far as the bike goes I am definately falling in love quickly, the more time I spend with it the more I realize just what a beauty it is from an engeneering standpoint...cam issue aside it really is a wonderfully engineered machine.

 

Look at my thread entitled "Son of a B*tch" and you will see real quick what lack of oil will do to your cam lobes. In most cases this will not cause an immeadiate catastrophic failure that seizes the engine.. but I wouldn't count on that. The oil mod is simple enough and not super expensive at around $300.

Meatloaf has a very good point also. If you are on a tight budget i'd do what he said

 

This is a spectacular reply meatloaf...

You are correct of course, all of these are things I should be looking into...

It`s difficult with suspension, because I have nothing to compare the bike to other than the bike that came before it, and a more sincere bitch has never been known.

My old bike was so soft in the front that even moderate amount of brake pressure would cause the front end to go into a mad Japanese war dive, and the back drum so inneffective that I could stand on it with both feet and barely get a bite.

In comparison, the new bike is fantastic, but not quite right I think...

Noted though, definately front forks are on my short list of things to check out.

Tires are good, this I know...

Loads of tread, side nipples...(good on a bike, strange on a woman)...but they look fairly new, no dry rot...

Now the brakes...this was an issue that wanted to post here about specifically once I got it going and had a bit of experience. I already bled the fronts and put new fluid in to top it up, but when I was on my ride I was unimpressed...

I assumed that with twin piston calipers and rear disc brakes I would be stopping on a dime, considering my last bike had a single piston and rear drum set... I expected that the brakes would blow me away as much as the acceleration did, but they didn`t...

So here I may have problems, but how to know...

This may be an area where I bring it into a mechanic with experience in what they »SHOULD feel like, I personally thought they would be better and was let down, so either my expectations are too high, or there may be a problem with the brakes, I just don`t know.

To my untrained eye there seems to be plenty of pad left, and the rotors are well worn, fairly scored, but nothing severe or alarming.

I`m not the bring it to the mechanic type, I suffer from thin wallet sydrome, but for suspension and brake issues I may break down and do so...

The bike seems fine to me in these areas, but not as fine as I think it SHOULD be...

I would love to check the fork fluid myself, and maybe there is enough information here and in the wide world of google to check and change it if it needs it, but as things atand now I would have no idea how to do this myself...

 

Welcome to the site and congrats on your new bike. Afraid I can't offer much advice regarding the motor except to say if you feel confident that you have the ability/time/money to do it you should, it will give you peace of mind in the long run.

 

Your description of your first ride around the block should remind even the most experienced riders here why we do this...it's fun.

The starter rebuild kit I got off ebay has served me well. Starter turns better than I can remember.

Pcohen's pics will explain what can happen. If you have cam damage, it's been there awhile and as Pcohen's bike shows, an oil mod won't save it. If you don't have the funds to do a cam replacement and you're a worrying type and it's running quiet, don't even look under the valve cover. Spend the money on some good gear.

I remember my V45 stopping pretty well. I would get new pads, clean the rotors with brake cleaner(if they have any oil on them, they'll be useless) and get a master cylinder rebuild kit. All can be had for short money.

Get a service manual and, I guess I don't have to say, have fun. Welcome.

 

What an imagination you have! The only problem with this "feel warm and fuzzy inside" story is there is no proof of this "alleged" V4 beast. Please post pics immediately to rectify this situation. Welcome aboard and good luck with the ole' girl !!!!

Rollin

 

Congrats of the new ride and thanks for the inspiring story!

My thoughts on the cams are as follows, since the bike already has some serious miles on her, I think you are somewhat safe to assume that a mod has been incorporated already. These came apart at very low KMs. We had them coming back in the shop only weeks after they rolled out brand spanking new in 83. I was under the impression that by the 85 model year the oil feed / cam issue was resolved. In my reasearch I read (can't recall where) that the problem was a result of machining tollerances and assumptions made during assembly of the engines that was identified and addressed by mid 84. I'll see if I can find that article.

No point in checking the front forks, just drain the fluid and replace it with the correct amount and WT of fresh oil. If the seals start to leak, swap them out.

When you bled the front brakes, did you get a nice hard lever after or is it squishy? If it is squishy, you need to bleed the banjo bolts as well as the claipers. If the brakes are still weak the calipers may need a rebuild. After all this they could still be weak if teh pads are contaminated. I ruined a pair of almost new pads with a degreaser tha penetrated the pads and I couldn't get them to bite well after. The only soloution was new pads so watch for that possibility.

Last question! Where are you in this great big wonderful country?

 

Hee hee. You're hooked.
Welcome aboard.

 

Never heard of bleeding the banjo bolts. How do you go about that?

 

Well it is a simple matter of locating the banjo bolts at the master cylinder, the caliper and the junction near the steering head. Build pressure in the master cylinder and then crack (loosen) each banjo bolt to allow the trapped air to escape. Voila, you have bled the banjo bolts! It is quite common to get air trapped at these points and you can bleed the calliper all day long with no improvement because of these tiny pockets of trapped air.

 

Often, a burned up starter is the result of owner abuse and a symptom of a bike that doesn't want to run.

 

Welcome to the board. What a great intro. The others covered all the things that I wanted to say. If it were me, I would take the time to tear it down and inspect/clean everything. Remember too, that you don't really have anything decent running to compare it to, so what might feel like a great running bike compared to the memory of your last ride might not actually be that great.

This forum will be huge for you, as it is/was for most of us working through our own projects. Keep us posted and throw up some pics!