hey i am new to the site and need some help on my bike

I am new to the bike world but I am quickly falling in love with it! I have an 86vf500 and its backfiring it is also over heating... I checked the thermostat and the coolant level both are fine.. I think it may be a carberuator (sp) issue.. any ideas what it could be? and if it is a carb issue then is it worth fixing my self or should i take it somewhere else... I am pretty mechanicaly sound cause I have worked on cars my whole life I have a manual for the bike that I bought at a local parts store I think I could figure it out but I want some experienced feed back anybody got anything?

 

Welcome to the site, Someone will be along shortly to answer your questions. Lots of 80's models around here.

 

Thanks man! I am pumped about this bike its gonna need some TLC but thats what I love to do!

 

have any luck yet?

Hello, i see you have not gotten any responses in awhile....have you had any luck fixing your bike? I am in seattle, and fixing an 86vf500f currently. From your description it sounds like your bike is overheating.... I know you said you had water and oil in the bike. Did the bike sit before you started messing with it? If a water cooled engine sits for any length of time ( i know true for older engines) then there is a good chance that your thermostat is stuck and needs replaced. you can have all the water in the world, but if it doesn't flow it dosen't do any god and you will overheat, which i have personally experienced the symptoms you describe, from the overheating. How did you check your thermostat? only good method i know is bol it until it opens and check the water temp.... if it matches the thermostat temp range it is ok. I am not sure how a carb could cause overheating issues? best of luck.



Will R , Seattle WA

 

Does the overheating occuring all the time or just under certain conditions? I would check the cooling system for air and burp it as needed. You may also want to check the thermostat and cooling fan to make sure they are working properly. It wouldn't hurt to also double check to make sure that the fluid inside the radiator contains coolant and not just water. As previously mentioned, you can check the thermostat by placing it into boiling water to see if the valve opens properly. As for the backfiring, I would add some SeaFoam to the gas to see if it helps.

Regards,
Rollin