Will an 86 VF500F make a good project bike?

There is one up the road from me that has been sitting on a front porch,
neglected, for at least two years. Ever since I started riding, I have loved the
interceptors and have always wanted to own one. I'd love to grab this one on the
cheap and try to get it running.

With that said, I see some road blocks. I don't know what/how much this bike
needs, but neither do you guys, so that's irrelevant. With that said, I
understand these bikes are somewhat rare (84-86, right?), so parts might be
prohibitively difficult to find. Otherwise, I understand these little v-4s are a
real pain in the ass to work on. So basically, where would you draw the line on
it being worth it? I know it needs a seat, and I imagine carb cleaning will be
necessary, but I don't know why else it was parked. For what it's worth, I
figure a $1500 dollar budget for the whole project, including what I'd pay for
the bike(500 or less).

I only assume it is an 86 vf500f because of the paint(Blue and red, with the
small white stripe). Are any of the 750s painted like this? If so, I guess it
could be a 750.

Thanks,
Zach

 

Parts for the VF500 are very hard to come by. If you get a good deal on the bike and it is in overall good shape you should be able to part it out and get some of your money back on it if you can't get it running easily. It is very easy to spend more to get it running and looking good than the bike is worth. Any idea what kinda mileage is on it??

Regards,
Rollin

 

BUY a newer bike; buy the newest bike you can afford.

The VF series was never known for reliability unless perfectly maintained from day #1.

A VF series will break your heart when it blows up...... after it's broken your bank account trying to get it or keep it going !!

It's a technical dinosaur and parts are in short supply or non-existant.

There are SO MANY newer, better bikes on the used market that won't need the mechanical input that a VF bike will.

( NO slurs intended to riders who have the few reliable and well-sorted VF bikes, g' bless em' )

 

being a owner of a 86 VF500 i will say this if you dont like to wrench on your on stuff then DO NOT buy it, if you dont like to hunt down part's DO NOT buy it, if you are looking for a power house DO NOT buy it, if you are looking for a fun machine that might need some love and care, that will turn heads and is a blast to run through the corners then BUY IT! i love my miniceptor but she can be a pain in the ass when it comes to finding parts.....good luck bro i hope this helped...matt

 

I sadly might have to agree with some of the previous comments. I bought a complete '86 with a disassembled motor (broken con rod) + a second frame with motor, all for almost nothing. I thought I was getting a good project as I have fixed up a Ninja 250 and a '91 VFR with great success. I have slowly been trying to rebuild one good bike out of all the parts I have, but it's a complex operation that I'm beginning to regret. I'm pretty sure I'm going to dump the bike and take on a more manageable project. It's a shame really, because the VF500's look like fantastic little bikes

 

I'm an 84 owner, and mine was in pieces when I got it. it took awhile to get it to the point it is now.(6 months) paid 150 for it and found most of the parts on E-bay. I've put about 200 in parts into it. I love my bike and will keep it till it dies. right now I'm looking for a 99-02 interceptor as a 2nd bike.

 

Picked up my 86 interceptor last august, paid $450 for it. Found fairing, fairing stay, and gauges on ebay. Have had it running, but had to pull the carbs for complete cleaning. Last few months been waiting to have a little $ to put into her. $100 will finish up the carbs and I can install and sync them. All in all this has been a fun project, not rushing it taking my time to get parts and work on it when I have $ and time. Can't wait until my first test ride on it. I feel the whole project is worth it so far, especially to be one of the few riders I know of in the seattle area to have one.


Regards,

Will R. Everett, WA.

 

You need to first evaluate the bike to determine what you're getting in to. If the bike is in overall good condition - especially cosmetically, then it might be worth it. I have found that parts aren't too hard to come by yet. They made a ton of the 500s. I can still get stuff through the dealer, and what I can't, I can get through eBay.

 

Squirrelman - I do agree with you. The VFs really need to be cared for. Most people just don't do it and have the major problems. However, if you maintain them right, they will be good to you.