Does the 86 500 interceptors have cam problems?

Sweet looking bike!

 

Great looking bike.

Take care of it as others have mentioned. Keep up with the oil changes. Keep the revs down as jamie said.

...a nice touch for cold start ups is to crank the starter (short pulses) a bit with the kill switch engaged so that it doesn't start. Keep it up unti the oil pressure light goes away. This will help build the oil pressure.
Make sure the choke isn't set while you do this otherwise you may get a little backfire.


Maybe paint those wheels white?

 

That thing is beautiful. Really nice score. Do you have the lower chin fairing?

 

Yes I do have the chin fairing. It has couple spots that are warped from heat. So paint came off in those spots. Like to find the stickers for it and repaint.

 

What a freakin beaut'......

 

Hey thanks! Yeh I found it in Cincinnati. A ex football Buckeye! Chris Jenkins...LOL

 

NO SHIT??? Jenkins was a beast. I can't believe he owned a baby viffer!

I wish my 500 was anywhere near that nice...

 

He had a warehouse with his buddies that had a lot of toys in it. He is a realastate salesman now. He was real cool.

 

I have an 86 also. (Yours looks nicer ) Around 22,000 miles on it now. On occasion it has seen red line. I would say if you're one of those persons who flogs the &#^$ out of these old bikes ALL the time then yes you will have engine problems. Keep it properly tuned, maintained and the oil changed (I prefer a motorcycle specific oil myself) and you should have many, many happy miles.
Is that an extra fuel tank you have there?.......

 

Yeh I won't be flogging it for sure! I can do that with my other bikes..LOL... This will be just a fun little bike to zip around on and around corners. Yep that's a extra tank... The one that's on it has a little ding in it. The one in the box is perfect. Just needs creamed inside.

 

Are you going to keep both? Well if they were mine I probably would. Great looking 86.

 

Not sure yet..LOL..

 

Just thought I'd chime in, mine is my main (and only) bike. Mine just turned 18k today.

Good looking 500 though!

 

The VF500 does not have oiling problems. It does however take a LONG time for oil to get up into the cams and onto the rockers. if you take a look at the path from the oil pump to the rockers..... um it take some time! They have GOT to be warmed up brfore you lean on them! I'd say it's a half liter of oil up in the heads before it even starts to drain back down to the crankcase. once they are warm and oiled the VF500 will tolerate INSANE treatment! Trust me. Check me out on Facebook, Foil Hat Racing, and Bikes Built Better, as well as my FB page, Joe Heffernan.

I have pounded a motor that started out with 43,000 miles when I started the project. The "jack find" as I call it has thrived after 30 plus Land speed racing passes, 10 at the Bonneville salt flats and another 20 or so in Maxton NC and Wilmington Ohio. 162.24 MPH from a standing start in a mile. The motor has seen operation at 12,500 RPM, numerious spikes and full load to 13,500 and it's still running like a charm! Oh also it's been force fed 14PSI during all those screaming RPM runs!

Regular oil changes
Valve adjustments
Cooling system

Single most important WARM UP THE ENGINE BEFORE you ride off!!!!

Any questions, there's enough information above to find me
Thanks - Joe