New season, new to the forum- hello!

Hi all!

I'm a transplant from the VTR250 forum who's been lurking for a bit (hi squirrelman, lol, can't get rid of me!) and I wanted to finally say 'hi' when I also had a good reason to post as well. Here's a link to the before and after pictures of my '90 VTR on the VTR forum:
VTR250 - Happy birthday!

Against squirrel's advice, I picked up a '84 VF500F from a fellow VTR owner well aware of it's potential shortcomings. Unfortunately for the Gen 1 haters, it took me all 75 miles home in pure bliss. The biggest shortcoming of the bike at this moment is that it's all yellow. I'll be reverting to Stock R-124C-U and decals when it's feasible.




Now, I'm no stranger to older bikes and their foibles (having recently rebuilt a '73 CL350), but I've read that the 500s tend to make a little noise on cold start and I want to confirm that the noise I'm starting out with on THIS bike is in fact a normal cold-starting noise. I've got a couple of videos here, both after changing the oil, oil filter, plugs....

This first one is to confirm that this cold-start noise is indeed a cold-start sound, and not one that hangs around when the engine's warm or under power... it's a control, you see, for Science:

[video=youtube;Rg1lbKQXT-A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg1lbKQXT-A[/video]

The second is from today, when the weather is a less than t-shirt friendly 40 degrees, a cold start:

[video=youtube;H1MkZJnXCik]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1MkZJnXCik[/video]

I would like to add one caveat here, the noise is exaggerated by the camcorder's mic. I have to stand next to the bike to hear it the way it sounds on the video. I've been chasing the source of the noise and have determined that it's not valve chatter per-se, but it is coming from the top end. Also, it disappears when the bike is a)warm and b)above 3-4k RPM.

Anyway, I'd like to hear the opinions of other VF enthusiasts on this, and say hello, so... hello from Lexington, Kentucky!

 

Welcome to the site.

 

Welcome to the site. I rode Squirrels VTR250 and I loved it.....what a blast!

I'm at work so I cant watch your videos.....I'll have a gander when I go home.

 

welcome to the site.
Have you checked and adjusted the valves??
I have a 1985 vf700 and it sort of sounds like that all the time hot or cold
keep us informed.

 

Welcome!

Without knowing the mechanical history I would recommend, as a first step purchasing a copy of the Factory Service Manual. With this in hand I would remove the cam covers and carefully inspect the valve train. This will give you a much clearer picture of the mechanical health of the engine.

Good luck and keep us posted on the progress.

On a side note soap box moment, ATGATT.

 

Welcome to the nuts house......

 

Okay, so... today I drained the crankcase breather (lol, oops, forgot about that the other day) and gave it a good warmup.... nary a sound. It sounds like it should, no clatter. Checked the rear head valves, and they looked good, no mushrooming or cam wear. Listened at the front again, sounded just like the back. Still, it's not going to stop me from getting better valves and springs as they become available... I think I'll be alright with some riding in the meantime.

Much ado about nothing, I think. Better safe than sorry, though.


The FSM is in the mail! I did find a couple of old leaks in the exhaust header that will need patching once the machine is cool. Thanks for the ATGATT notice, I do wear my gear when I'm riding rather than diagnosing. The way I see it, if I nail it in first gear in front of my own house and neighbors I deserve every inch of road rash I get.

I also found something interesting in the last few days: according to the VIN my '84 is #300 off the line, although by the engine number it has an '85 engine. I wonder if it was privy to the early 84 engine recall, although it's equally as likely that a PO swapped the engine at some point.

 

Hmmmmm.....very interesting indeed.

 

It could very well be.

As a double check here are the frame serial numbers from the FSB VF500 #2, 1984 VF500F Engine Replacement, July 1984.


California models

1. 000255 - 000584

49 state models

1. 001839 - 001876
2. 001879 - 002023
3. 002025 - 002071
4. 002073 - 002157
5. 002159 - 002358
6. 002360 - 002556
7. 002558 - 002779

 

That's quite interesting, actually.

If the FSB numbers are to be believed, serial number 000300 should be a Cali model if I'm reading that correctly? If that's right then yes, it probably did get an '85 engine per FSB #2. I may also be misinformed here as well, but was there a 'L' designation on Cali model numbers? I know the VTR was VTR250L for California emissions.

Regardless, there's no indication of the charcoal canister octopus on this VF now. :wink:

I wonder how a Cali model got all the way over here! Hmmmmmmm....

 

The dealers were to stamp and 'X' after the engine serial number and above the right swingarm bolt on all '84s that had an engine replaced.

'84 serial numbers:

 

A quick pop into the garage tells me there is no X stamp on the engine or the swingarm bolt. Looks like this one was an 'aftermarket' engine swap. :-D

Thanks for the references, I know I had seen them before but I couldn't place where, and in which thread.

 

Given the very low serial number it could very well be that you had a Cali model and that the engine was replaced with the dealer not stamping the engine or frame.

One thought would be to check the carburetors' ID number. The replacement engines did not come with new carburetors. The FSB noted that the carbs were to be reused from the original engine.

 

I will give that a look when I'm back out in the garage. If the ID# is on the carbs in a hard to reach area I'll put it on my checklist when I have the tank off.

See, now I'm wondering what serial numbers have survived, and if there is a pattern to engine reliability and numbers. As in, did a batch of numbers between X and Y have better-made parts installed for whatever reason? Probably not, but these are things I entertain myself with.

 

Okay, another quick pop in the garage IDs the carbs as 56A, so not Cali carbs. There also is no L designation on the Model number under the seat. I did notice that the tank has a capped-off breather vent underneath that doesn't look like your average shadetree capping job, and the tank cap itself is vented. I'll hazard a guess and say it was easier for Honda to make all tanks with a breather and cap off the 49-state models on the bottom.

My VTR was originally a 250L, so I had the displeasure of removing the emissions stuff from it which included routing a breather tube because the cali-spec tank caps are not vented.

On that note, I'd also like to say that the '90 VTR with a VTR-specific Supertrapp and Dynojet Stage 2 (both things I hunted down on my own) freaking smokes all the 2000-era 600cc in-liners it rides alongside. Off the line I'm hella outtathere, although everyone always catches up to me in the long haul.

I'm overjoyed that I found this 500. It's everything I like in the 250, only with more range and a more comfy seat.

 

Good deal. 56A are the ones to have. A 32mm bore paired with #102 Front and #105 Rear main jets and a 6.2mm float level.

 

That's really good info to know! Thanks!

 

An independent, smart, skilled tinkerer, Elysse was lectured repeatedly on another forum about potential VF issues, and i hope she doesn't get bit in the tushy by her new purchase.

VF500 is a great bike.......as long as it runs, and i wish you the best of luck, kid.

 

haha, lectured AND HOW! Good to see you again squirrel. This 500 may put grays in my hair yet; you know I always sweat the small stuff.