Just got my first bike - Incerceptor 500

So I just got my first bike - an '84 Interceptor 500. I kind of got it spur of the moment when my coworker said he would give me a great deal on it and help me get it running. I did see all the advice on these forums about how it isn't the best first motorcycle, but I couldn't resist. I figured it would be fun to learn on and a cool project. I don't have any previous riding experience, so I'm taking a local motorcycle class so I don't kill myself. Here is a picture of the bike as I picked it up last week. Obviously it has been repainted from its original color scheme. I kind of wish it was original, but I have no complaints about the color now.

The PO said the bike ran on ether last summer and has sat in storage since then. I figure it will probably need a carb cleaning, but I want to try and at least start it up before taking it apart. I've started by changing the oil, getting a new battery, and draining the tank of old gas. I found out that the fuel petcock is stuck on the "ON" position, so there is no way to stop the flow out. I have it apart now to see if I can salvage it. If not, I will probably buy a cheap in-line fuel cutoff valve and just leave the petcock on the ON position. Once I figure that out I have some naval jelly I want to use to get all the rust and gunk out of the tank. Then I'll try and start it up and see what else I'm in for!

 

Well done. The VF500 is a sound bike. Some on here will say you are riding the spawn of the devil, but it sounds to me like you know what you are getting into. Try to get as much crap out of the tank as possible before filling it. Petrol is a good solvent so if you can get it started and ride it, it might clear the carbs. Then again it might not.

 

Sitting for that long with a bad petcock allowing fuel into carbs, they probably need a proper cleaning. Ether is death to piston rings, pistons, and cylinder walls and must be avoided in all cases !! Don't use it.

Good Luck, Kid !~

 

Hey, i just got a 500 too, mine is an 86 tho. I had to clean the carbs in mine and the tank was really rusty. I used muratic acid in my tank, i was very hesitant to use it, but seeing as you can't just dump the contents of the tank out i couldn't use gravel to buff up the inside. The acid made the inside of the tank look like new, i was astonished at how well it came out and also how easy it was. U can use a little hose ( like the one that came with your battery) to syfen any liquid out of the tank that is stuck down in the nooks and cranies. if u do decide to use the acid, you must clean it with a detergent and water first, i did it a couple times, then i used acetone drained it out then added the acid, sloshed it around a bit, after it looked like it was done working i fulled the tank with water and dumped it out. You need to use baking soda and water to neutralize the acid, i did it 3 times. then use water, rince it out, then acetone again to remove the water. Syfen out the remaining liquid and your done. I also lined my tank with red-koat, its not necessary but it prevents the tank from re-rusting. I have to say that the carbs were tough b/c the orifices in the idle jets were so small I had to strip a wire and break it down to a single strand and after soaking the jets in cleaner was able to poke through the hole, but, like i said they are tiny, wicked tiny. There is a wright up somewhere on how to remove the carbs, just keep them all attached to each other and u will be ok. The hardest part for me was re installing them, the trick i found was lubing the boots up, i tried pb blaster and wd40,but, what worked the best was motor oil, it would not have happened w/out the oil. Good luck, the key is just being patient and having the confidence to say " i can do this". welcome to the group Where are u located?

 

you new owners, do yourself a favor and order new carb boots, it'll be the best 50ish dollars you will spend on the bike. makes carb install a LOT easier. Check the valves clearances and keep the engine off the red line. Oh yeah, the factory exhaust is perfectly fine. Slip on's hurt power, full systems are expensive, hard to find and really not worth the time.

I love my little 500, so much so when a woman turned in front of me and totaled it I rebuilt it.

I thought I loved my bikes handling before but since installing a CBR rear shock (I used a Fox Twin Clicker) and Gold Valves in the forks it amazes me every time I ride it. I would have got Jamie to do my forks but I didn't realize he did fork valves at the time. Either way, with real suspension under the little 500 it is nothing short of amazing in corners.

BTW Jamie is top notch when it comes to V4's, if you need anything he offers do not hesitate because you will not find anyone who offers better service.

oh yeah, Berryman B12 chemtool is an excellent way to clean your jets. DO NOT get it on paint, plastic or rubber, especially you carb diaphragms. If you do you be repainting or replacing what ever you get it on. I soak my jets in it then use compressed air to blow them out, some times I have to do it twice if they are really bad.

 

Thanks for all the info! I am in the process of using Naval Jelly to get the rust out. I just drained it out and soaked it with baking soda and water for a bit. At first glance it doesn't look like it did all that much, although it was really hard to see in there. I don't have a garage to work on this, so the fewer dangerous chemical I need to use, the better here is the link to the tank cleaning method I used and below is a picture of the inside of the tank: All Things (Safety Oriented) Motorcycle - HOWTO clean rusty gastank



Also, I think I didn't do a very good job of reassembling the petcock so it was leaking. It seems like it was mostly from the vacuum portion, which is not all that surprising since I wasn't all that sure I put the diaphragm and spring back in the right order. I have the Honda manual with an exploded view, but it was still hard to tell. Can anyone help me with reassembling this correctly? There was also some leakage from the strainer cup, but that had a pretty old I-ring which I've replaced. Hopefully that will fix that portion.

Btw RoadRash2, I'm in Raleigh NC. I used to live in southern NY not too far from Binghamton. Also went to school in Rochester, NY.

 

I think I may have figured out how all the pieces in the vacuum diaphragm go together. The picture below is an exploded view from the Clymers manual. What it is not showing is an additional piece that I believe goes directly on the valve (in front of #12 in this diagram) Can anyone verify this?

How did you seal the tank to fill it with acid and how long did you let it sit? I imagine you wouldn't want to leave the petcock attached to the tank as the acid would eat away at all the rubber seals.

 

Can't open the link.

 

Which link? They seem to work for me

 

Attachment 22642, can't bring it up.

 

Sorry about that. Give it a shot now.


Its also page 171 in the Clymer PDF here
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6uU39dq308cZTE5NDYzM2UtNTVjNy00Zjg2LTllMGMtYTI3NGFmOTliZDA2/edit?authkey=CL68m74G&pli=1&hl=en#

 

Congrats guys! You will love the VF500F!!!!

 

So I tried to start the bike up today and it wanted to, but just couldn't get there. I've cleaned out the gas tank, filled with fresh gas, changed the oil and filter and installed a new battery. Can anyone help me out based on this video? This is with some starter fluid sprayed in the carbs and the chocke fully closed. Is my next step a full carb cleaning or is there something else I can try first?


[video=youtube;EOw2vBJ8ubQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOw2vBJ8ubQ&sns=em[/video]

 

Humm, it sounds like it wants to run. It almost sounds like it is flooded. I'd pull all four plugs and clean them off really good (better yet replace them). If that doesn't work maybe you aren't getting enough fuel. I'd switch to gravity feed and perform the tank valve mod as I have detailed in the link below. If that doesn't help then you will probably need clean the carbs really good.

Tank Valve Mod: Daugherty Motorsports - Tank Valve Petcock Modification

Carb Removal: Daugherty Motorsports - V4 Honda Carb Removal and Installation Procedure

One suggestion: don't hold down the starter like that. Once you hear it fire you need to release the button. You can actually prevent it from running that way.

 

He sure is, within his specialty,the best here with shocks and springs, etc. But he won't touch carbs with a 10 foot pole, so there's SQUIRRELMAN for carb service if you need it.

Members with specialties like carbs or electric are always
ready to help riders to fix or improve things themselves, while suspension gurus seem to keep knowledge of techniques to themselves for commercial gain.otstir:


MEEKER, now you know you have spark and compression, so you need to STOP with the drastic, last-ditch efforts (starting fluid) before you ruin things !! Get in and go through the carbz NOW cuz that's what your bike needs, like it or not. Ether is crack; get off it, kid.

 

Thanks for the help everyone. I will check the spark and spark plugs next, and if that doesn't help, maybe I can test off a gravity feed. Jamie, I like the tutorial you posted up, but I'd rather not mess with a working petcock (even if it isn't perfect). Maybe I can set up a temporary gravity feed using a portable gas tank to test it out?

If none of that works I see a good carb cleaning in my future. Squirrelman, I didn't use a lot of starter fluid. I just want to start small instead of pulling the carbs off right from the beginning. It sounds like you're telling me I have good spark and compression from the video I posted. Correct? I'm sure I'll need some advice in the future if I need to clean the carbs up.

 

Yes, it seems you've proved that the engine needs just one more thing to run, fuel from the carbs.

If you can't get fuel from the tank to the carbs, bottle-feed them.

Open a float bowl drain screw. Got fuel ?? If so, start pulling off the carbs cuz they have fuel but it can't get to the engine cuz they be clogged with goo, nasty, sticky goo that needs to be cleaned out mostly by hand.

 

Thanks, will do.

Another question - What exactly will I need to buy for replacement when pulling the carbs? I know ill need new boots, but will I need to replace any old gaskets or seals when reassembling? I'd rather just order any parts now so I have them.

 

Only because I don't like doing them, plus I would rather refer guys to the experts. The best carb service is Billy Carr in Texas. You can contact him at billycarrjr@earthlink.net or (903)567-1543.

Gravity feed and the vacuum operation of the petcock are two different things. You can easily convert your bike to gravity feed by running a piece of hose directly from the petcock to the carbs. It is a straight shot and super easy on the 500's. I would do that for sure. The vacuum diaphragm is also a problem with these bikes so I would encourage you to modify it as soon as you are able.

You won't need to buy anything. I would only replace parts that are badly cracked or damaged. You won't know that until you get everything apart.

 

come on now squirrel, don't be so mean. I've never asked Jamie a question that I didn't receive a straight answer to. I can understand them not throwing info all over the net. If some hack job squid tried to do something they put out there and gets killed because they screwed up the instructions the liabilities are awful. On the other hand if they set their bike on fire or it doesn't start they are mad, not dead and no one gets sued. There is no way in H@!! I'd tell anyone exactly how my 500 is set up, not guarding the setup, just don't want some idiot to take what I've done and push it that tiny bit further which would be to far. My set up may be too far for their weight, tires ect and become so unstable at low speed and high side them.

if they don anything through their business their insurance covers it, if they throw it on the web it's on them.