New to My VF700F

I just bought an '85 VF700F, I found it on CL it had been dropped so I bought it as a sort of winter restoration project. There is some damage to the left side, mostly cosmetic so I have started collecting replacement parts, cleaning up the bike etc. The left handlebar is damaged when I start to look at removing it I see there is an electrical connection on the clutch master cylinder, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out why. What possible reason is there to have a switch on the clutch? Is it something to do with starting in gear perhaps?

Thanks

 

You would be correct, that is a safety switch for the clutch.

 

Thank you.

I can start the bike without the clutch engaged and the bike not in gear, can I assume that if it were in gear then I could not engage the starter unless the clutch was engaged?

 

Yep. If its in gear and you don't pull the clutch in, the starter won't work.

 

Super, thank you so much. my son and I can get back to the good stuff now. Can't tell you how much fun were having doing this.

 

Cool father and son project. We need pics though!!

 

This is how it started, $400 on CL. Just a couple of weeks ago. It runs.... just needs lots of TLC and was dropped on the left side. I have got all kinds of replacement parts from ebay still need turn signals. clutch lever and maybe master cylinder and I need to find someone to take the carbs and overhaul and clean them.

 

I've seen a lot worse. Looks like a good place to start for $400. Keep us updated and learn to embed the photos instead of doing attachments. :thumb:

 

A runner for $400 is a great steal, I normally buy/sell non-running 700's for around that. Keep us up to date on your progress!

 

Brit moto journalist Kevin Ash has this to say about Honda's VF series bikes:

"........ the dreadful reputation for unreliability of Honda’s first big V-fours, the VF700 and 750 cruisers and VF750F of 1982, the VF500 as well, all notorious for their rapid-wearing camshafts, sagging camchains, breaking camchain tensioners and other issues. The VFR750 was designed to put that right, and even did away with camchains altogether by using a costly gear train to drive the camshafts. It was dependable, durable, lasted forever, and gained a huge fanbase for its combination of quality and all-round ability: this was the bike that the term sports-tourer was coined for."


Just a brief NOTAM to advise you of headwinds, downdrafts and turbulence you may be vectoring toward.

 

Thanks for the quote. I have an ST1300 as my regular ride and simply bought this as a project to learn from and just to have the satisfaction of turning a heap of beer cans into a like new bike on a budget. A good friend of mine raced a 750 back in the day and would give his right n... arm to own this, the overall plan is to paint it in his old colors and give it to him when it is restored always supposing it comes out O.K. and assuming I don't spend a fortune doing so. Interesting piece of VFR history though, thank you.

 

Kudos to you sir. Good friends are among the greatest treasures in life.